Marked: A Two Halves Novella (6 page)

I sniffed.
Stinky socks and spoiled eggs.
Seekers.

“How many?” Mira asked.

“I don’t know. It feels like—”

“Twenty or more,” she finished. “You think we can take
them?”

“No doubt we can.” I turned clockwise, moving in unison with
my sister.

Suddenly, the air filled with a lavender mist and Eric stood
beside us.

“We can handle this, lover boy,” I said, keeping my eyes on
the underbrush, waiting for the seekers’ orange eyes to appear.

“I’m sure you can, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“What now?” I growled.

“You’re being called to a meeting with the keepers. Aseret
has sent armies of seekers to start their killings.”

“Then let’s stop him,” I challenged, eager to return to the
underworld to get a glimpse of Xela.

“Meeting first, underworld second. Believe me, you’ll get
your chance soon.” His tone left no room for argument, and there was no time to
argue, as his lavender mist wrapped itself around us and the swirling began.

This vortex was longer than the others I’d travelled
through. The greens and grays of the forest mixed with drifting snow, then
blended with ocean blues as we warped to Spain. When the blues changed back to
greens again and the swirling ceased, we were in Monasterio de Piedra: the home
of the keepers. The thunder of waterfalls hit our ears before the room stopped
spinning.

“We don’t have much time.” Eric rushed us forward.

Mira reached for his hand, but he pulled away, giving her a
not-now look. I felt her pain. She didn’t understand his commitment to his job.
Neither did I. Would our priorities shift that much once we were marked? Enough
to leave the ones we loved for the “greater good”? If so, I didn’t want it. But
just like Xela, I had no choice.

I put my arm around Mira’s shoulder; her eyes silently
thanked me. No matter what happened, we would never leave each other’s side.

We followed Eric through a corridor that stretched into
infinity, its walls painted with landscapes. Candles burned in wall sconces,
scattering their soft, smokeless glow over the walls. Gold stars patterned the
edges of carpeting so plush it felt as if we were walking on clouds.

This was the safest place on Earth.

The evil-bender led, turning right at the end of the hall
where three shining stones were embedded in the wall. The hall widened into
what most resembled a circular room and within, our father stood between Drake,
the leader of all vampires, and Gabriel, the angel who watched over human
beings. I expected to see white wings protruding from the angel’s back, but he
was in his human form. Otherwise, I realized, we wouldn’t be able to look at him
at all. Drake on the other hand, the most flamboyant of the three, looked like
he stole Dracula’s costume.

“Pop?” I asked. “Why are we here? Are you going to mark us?”

“Your mark will come from your actions, Xander, not from
us.”

Gabriel spoke next. “You’re here because it’s finally time
to tell you about your destiny.”

“There’s a reason Aseret has gained power,” Drake explained.
Their speech sounded rehearsed, although I doubted they’d planned exactly what
to say beforehand; they were merely working in concert toward a common goal.
“Castall, Gabe, and I each have species we watch over.” He paused. “But there
has never been anyone who held control over all three.”

“You want us to do it?” I asked, then tightened my lips in
apology for the interruption when my father’s eyebrows rose—a sign I knew too
well.

Castall, my father, spoke next. “A prophecy has been written
and your help will be needed. The choices you make today will determine whether
the prophecy comes to fruition.”

The hum of the distant waterfall was deafening in the
silence that followed. I waited another ten seconds, making sure it was the
right time to speak without offending anyone. “So what you’re saying is if I
don’t choose the water mark, the world will end?”

“It won’t end, but a new species, a demonic one, will rule
after killing the rest. Hatred will take over and suck the life out of all
living creatures.” Gabriel’s eyes darkened to their whitest shade.

“No pressure, huh?” I chuckled. Mira bumped my shoulder. Pop
raised his brows again.

“Aren’t we demons?” Mira asked as I cleared my throat.

“You’re shape-shifters and watchers of the dead.” Drake
raised his chin higher and I thought I saw a grin on his face, well hidden
under nearly invisible scars.

That widened our eyes.

“Your destiny will reveal itself to you soon; then you will
understand why you haven’t been marked yet,” my father added.

“We never had a choice in the mark, did we?” I asked, my
heart sinking.

“It’s because the mark chooses you, not the other way
around,” Pop replied. “And though shape-shifters are not marked at birth, you
are destined to have a specific mark.”

“Are there any shape-shifters who bear the sphere?”

“Unfortunately, there are a few,” Drake answered. “Aseret
has been sneaky in expanding his army and their range of powers.
Shape-shifters, freezers, and movers have joined his legions.”

“Xander.” My father looked at me with soft eyes, this time
speaking as my father and not a warlock. “She’s doomed to be at Aseret’s side.
The sooner you let her go, the easier it will be for you after you get the
mark.”

“Is there no way?” I asked, my question nearly a wail.

“For now, no.” He lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

When my head sank, I felt Mira’s grip on my arm. I looked up
and the three keepers dissipated into their colorful mists, its sizzling
reached my ears like crackling mini-fireworks. The three shiny stones left
behind illuminated the room in red, blue, and white light. The white reminded
me of Xela and the gem I still held in my pocket.

Eric took us back to his living quarters. Smokeless candles
set on wall candelabras weren’t enough to illuminate the space, but it was
bright. A two-story opening in the wall, about twenty feet wide, was the main
source of light. Beyond the back wall, a sheet of falling water flowed seamlessly—Eric
lived behind a waterfall. The hum of the water hypnotized me, and I wouldn’t
find it difficult to stare forever at the shimmering candlelight reflected in
its flow.

The room had a high ceiling, but it didn’t make the space
overwhelming. Centered on the left wall was an oval bed with white and blue
sheets. Mira sat on the edge of the wrinkle-free sheets, sinking in unnaturally
deep. The bed moved like a wave flew through it and I’d heard pockets of air
flow with the motion.

I took a step forward on the plush red carpeting to join
her, messing up the vacuumed edges of the rug, but nearly doubled over as a
sharp pain stabbed the middle of my stomach, accompanied by a pulling
sensation. Although excruciating, I welcomed the throbbing tug; when it released
for a moment, I wanted to be tugged at again. Dark magic. The only reason my
body would give in was because I knew to whom it would take me.

Mira focused on my trembling body with concern. “What’s
going on, Xander?”

“Someone’s trying to summon me to the underworld,” I
mumbled.

“Xela?” she asked.

“I think so, but she’s being forced.” My eyes bulged open at
the thought of the body that heated mine yesterday being tortured. I wanted to
give in to the dark sway just so she’d be safe.

The falling water in Eric’s room flashed a picture of Xela
with her wrists tied, hanging over the fire pit in Aseret’s dungeon. Hundreds
of seekers stood around the pit, their bright orange eyes broadcasting death as
they squeaked and yelped with pleasure.

“I have to help her,” I whispered.

“No, Xander, it’s a trick.” Then Mira gasped and fell to her
knees, hunching over, jaw clenched.

My sister’s pain brought me back to the waterfall room. I
recognized the searing aches, but for me, Xela’s suffering overrode my agony.

“Are you all right?” I rubbed my sister’s arm.

Mira managed to stand. “Aseret’s trying to summon us to the
underworld again. You’re tied to Xela and he’s using her. It’s time to bind his
powers so they cannot be used outside the underworld.” She straightened her
shirt and looked at me. “We have to bind him.” Then she collapsed, Eric
catching her before her head hit the floor.

I smoothed her hair behind her ears. Her eyes were closed.

“What’s happening to her?”

Her body shook the same way mine had a minute earlier.
Tremors of pain rippled through her from her fingertips to her toes.

“Aseret’s summoning you.”

I looked at Eric in alarm. “I can’t feel anything.”

“He’s using Mira to get you both. He knows you’ll follow
her.”

“I’ll go by myself if that’s what he wants, but not her.” I
pointed at Mira.

Eric raised his hand. “No. He knows you’ll go, but he’s not
sure about Mira—of her loyalty. He doesn’t know if she’ll follow.”

“Help her, Eric, or I swear I will disappear in the next ten
seconds.” My fingers found Xela’s gem in my pocket.

“Shhh,” Eric hushed, standing with his feet apart. Fleshy
spikes protruded from his neck. I’d seen them before in the cave when Aseret
arrived, though not as many as now. Blue sparks shot around his body, now
charged in an electric current. The sparks sizzled louder as the charge
increased. The spikes vibrated. A blue mist formed.

Mira opened her eyes.

Eric’s shoulders slumped, and flashing a crooked grin, he
knelt beside my sister again. “You all right, sugar?”

She smiled, then looked at me, the corners of her mouth
drooping. “Xela’s in trouble,” she whispered.

The pull I felt earlier returned, hauling me like a cruise
ship tied to a tugboat. I no longer wanted to be in Spain; I wanted to help
Xela. My hands faded from flesh to nothingness and I didn’t care to protest.
The need to rescue my witch overrode any rational thoughts and I let Aseret’s
summons carry me to the underworld.

“Xander, don’t. Not this way.” my sister cautioned, knowing
I’d given up my will.

My vision of the waterfall shuddered as it slowly dissipated
and was replaced by an apparition of a cave in the underworld. I looked down at
my legs; they became ghostly and transparent. The room fogged and I saw my
sister and Eric behind a blur.

Eric’s narrowed eyes darted between Mira and me. I assumed
he waited to see whether my sister would pass out again so he could stop me
from leaving. The spikes on his neck trembled as his eyes shifted to purple.

The tug in my stomach eased. I looked to my sister. “What is
he doing?”

“He’s bending.” Mira’s voice held pride. She sat upright.

“Let me go. I need to help her.” My dissipating fingers
solidified.

“I’m trying to shift your aura. It’s drawing underworld
creatures. You’ve been with Xela too long. She’s connected to you. Aseret can sense
you,” Eric told me, his jaw clenched with the effort.

“So let him. It’s time I show him a shape-shifter’s
strength.”

“Xander, it’s a trick. Xela’s not with Aseret; she’s on the
run. What you’re seeing isn’t true. He doesn’t have her yet. If you go now, we
don’t have a chance of helping her or binding Aseret.”

“It’s too late.” I smiled, feeling the heat of the
underworld.

Eric’s eyes glowed purple. He seemed strained, and then
released the built-up pressure from his throat. “Arghhh!” He screamed falling
to his knees.

The mirror on the wall cracked, and ripples zigzagged
through the falling water. My eardrums throbbed at the high-pitched shout. I
shut my eyes. The pull on my body eased.

“One more minute,” Eric grated. His jaw tightened.

When he’d bent the evil back toward the underworld, the
spikes retreated into his neck and he slumped to the floor beside Mira.

“Thank you. I guess,” I muttered, but couldn’t blame Eric.
He was right—him, and my sister, who was smart enough to know that forming a
plan and ambushing the underworld together made us much stronger.

Eric exhaled, pulling himself off his knees, then Mira, and
onto a wooden chair. His flushed face paled as he steadied his breathing.

“Are you all right?” Mira took his chin in her hand.

“I’ll be fine, sugar. But Aseret’s powers are increasing.
It’ll only get more difficult to contain him.”

I poured some water from a flask on a side table and handed
the cup to Eric, who nodded in appreciation. “And how are we supposed to bind
him to the underworld?”

“The keepers will step in when the time is right. We just
have to make sure he stays in the underworld.” He gulped down the water.

“So by containing Aseret, we’ll get marked?”

“No. A decision between good and evil will mark you.”

I barked a laugh. “That’s like telling a child he can’t play
with fire and handing him matches.”

“You’re right. But imagine Aseret getting control of
vampires, then humans. Hell, we’ve already lost good warlocks to his demonic
army. He’ll change the world.”

If this was supposed to make me care, I didn’t feel it. I
suspected it had to do with the hold Aseret already had on me, through Xela.
His power penetrated my bones, and I knew Eric was right. Aseret was planning
to take us to the underworld; he just showed me his strength by summoning me.

Mira’s eyes met mine; her clenched fists mirrored my own.
She had felt the pull, too. If Aseret was going to take me, she was coming
along. He wanted us both.

After waiting more than two hours, Eric regained his
strength and vortexed us to the hill. I spent my last night before the marking
alone on the cliff where I’d first heard Xela’s footsteps. My back resting on
the rock, I watched the black sky roll in overhead. Each star that twinkled
into being reminded me of Xela’s gem and its reflection.

One night left in the unknown hole of oblivion. Tomorrow, it
would be decided who I was. Tomorrow, the water mark would imprint itself on my
wrist—or perhaps it would be the sphere? Would I choose a sphere if it meant I
could be with Xela, even if I would have to sacrifice the world and its
future—including my sister’s fate—for her? Would Xela be there when we bound
Aseret to the underworld, or would she escape his wrath?