Shattered (the Spellbound Series Book 2) (23 page)

“Show yourself,” I order, and I brace myself against Alyssa as I wait for a response.

Mere seconds later, a dark presence appears on the other end of the atrium. I can’t see them, but I can
feel
them, and it seems like we’re dealing with something that isn’t quite human. Fluorescent light shines down on us from above without warning, and as my eyes adjust, I take note of a throne opposite from where Alyssa and I are standing. And sitting on top of it is the last person I’d ever thought I would see.

Selene Martin’s cherry red lips draw back into a wicked smile. “Hello, girls. It’s about time we met, face to face.”

25

             
“Are you fucking kidding me?,” Alyssa asks. “I watched you die. We both did.”

              Selene steps off of her throne, and comes toward the middle of the room. “Technically, no,” she says. “You watched this body’s previous owner die.”

              “What…?”

              “In her final moments, Selene prayed for vengeance… and I answered.”

              I frown as I realize what’s going on here. The energy radiating from Selene’s body isn’t just inhuman; it’s demonic. “Who are you?,” I ask as the creature walks closer and closer.

              “I’m known as Alastor,” the demon responds.

              “And why would you choose to inhabit Selene’s body?”

              “That’s simple. If even the strongest of demons were to take over a weak vessel, their power could not be realized on the earthly plain.” Alastor stops in the center of the atrium, and explains, “Selene is one of the strongest to have died in quite some time, I realized that much when she summoned me twenty years ago for an unrelated matter. So when she offered herself, I jumped at the chance to take her body as my own. It’s just a shame that I couldn’t get to her sooner.”

              “What do you mean?,” I ask as Alyssa and I circle around Alastor. I want her to keep talking; the deeper she gets into her own story, the more distracted she’ll be.

              Alastor heaves a sad sigh, and says, “Usually, when one of my kind inhabits a host body, the original owner’s spirit resides in the same space, either offering guidance or trying to wrest back control at every turn. But before I could completely inhabit Selene’s body, her spirit passed from this plane to the next. This is a shell for my own use, and nothing more.”

              Alyssa catches on to what I’m doing, and asks, “Why are you carrying out her vengeance, then?”

              “Boredom, mostly. When you’ve been alive for millennia, you run out of things to do. This seemed entertaining enough to pursue, especially when I learned the Nephilim was involved.”

              “You know of the Nephilim?,” I ask.

              “Everyone knows about you,” Alastor replies. “Where I come from, you’re all we can talk about lately. Because the day when you and your cousin finally clash is coming up fast… the odds are stacked in your favor, but I wouldn’t put money on either of you just yet.”

              An idea comes to mind, and I glance at Alyssa before summoning the dagger soaked in holy water, and handing it to her behind my back. She grips the handle, and takes the weapon silently, nodding her understanding. That’s when I ask, “What exactly was your plan, then?”

              Alastor watches me carefully, and follows me with her eyes as Alyssa and I circle around the room. “To draw out Krystal, and kill her.”

              “How were you going to do that?”

              “I was originally going to do it with my own two hands, but I find that even after the months spent mending Selene’s broken body, it isn’t strong enough to face Krystal head on. That’s when I started recruiting some of her old supporters, and we formed the Lost. Their primary goal was to capture you, and bring you to me. You’re the only person that Krystal would go to the ends of the Earth for… at least, the only one strong enough to do what I needed you to.”

              I nod along with Alastor’s story; it makes sense so far. “What makes you think I would have gone along with your plan?”

              “The removal of your free will,” Alastor says with a quick glance at Alyssa. I don’t respond, so she continues, “Selene may be gone, but enough of her memories are imprinted on this vessel that I can still perform the spells she developed to exert control over certain subjects. It’s as easy as slipping a tacky piece of jewelry around your neck.”

              I realize what she’s saying, and duck just a fraction of a second before a silver chain flies at me and winds its way around my neck. Alastor’s been waiting for us to drop our guard as much as we’ve been waiting for her to drop hers. I hear the chain clatter against the wall behind me, and spin around to destroy it with a spell so that it can’t be used again. “Nice try,” I mutter. “But you’re not as smart as you think you are.”

              “Oh dear, a nineteen year old with a temper problem and basic reflexes foiled my plan. Whatever shall I do?” Alastor laughs, and as she does, several carbon copies of her begin to walk through the walls toward us. Alyssa and I are completely surrounded, and I can tell they’re not just an illusion. These beings with Selene’s face are each parts of the same whole. Alyssa and I press our backs together, and watch for any sudden movements out of Alastor’s doubles.

              Alyssa stashes the dagger in a hidden pocket of her jacket, and says, “If this parlor trick is all you’ve got up your sleeve, this isn’t going to be very fun.”

              Seconds later, a chunk of rock the size of a fist collides with the side of Alyssa’s face, and she goes spinning to the ground. I roll towards the closing circle of Alastor’s clones to avoid their spells, and hurl one of my own towards the ones nearest me, the fireball vanishing with a puff of smoke as it collides with an invisible barrier. I remember that we’re not dealing with average spellcasters; Selene was a lot more skilled than most of the ones I’ve faced. But she does have a weakness.

              “Allie, give them everything you’ve got!,” I shout. “They’re not as strong as we are!”

              “Got it!” Alyssa groans, and even from where I’m standing, I can see her irises shifting to a glowing red. Ethereal red wings spread from her shoulder blades, and as she beats them, a fierce wind tears through the atrium. Alastor’s doubles hesitate long enough for Alyssa to fire off a few bursts of energy that knock them to the ground, and I do the same on my end. I don’t bother trying hand to hand combat; I remember all too well my embarrassment when I discovered Selene’s impressive skill in the area.

              Alyssa takes off, and flies around the room, the beating of her wings curiously silent as she circles around us. She picks off a few of the clones from above, while I let off various spells from the ground. I punch the air in front of me, and an intense gust of wind blasts through some of our opponents so quickly, it tears the flesh from their bones. I turn and loose a bolt of lightning that singes another to the point where she’s unrecognizable. For the first time, I’m truly letting loose, and putting every ounce of force I can into the spells I use without abandon. I have no choice; there’s no time to figure out a way around their shield spells, so the only way is to barrel through with brute strength.

              Alyssa swoops down on me, and without even asking what she’s doing, I know to stick my hand in the air. She grabs onto me, and lifts me above the throng of clones, obviously struggling to keep us both aloft, but maintaining her altitude. I cast a few spells from above before she lets go of me above a huge crowd. I know exactly what needs to be done; as I fall, I send a surge of power into my legs, and release it the moment my feet touch the ground. A massive shockwave rocks the room, with enough strength to leave deep cracks in the wooden floor and bring everyone standing around me to their knees.

              Alyssa and I take advantage of Alastor’s surprise to wipe out as many of the doubles as we can. By the time they can converge on me again, there are only seven left standing. I blast two of them to ashes with a single fireball spell, then sweep away two more with a gust of wind. Alyssa grabs two with her hands, and flings them into the wall headfirst before finishing them off, leaving me with one last contender. I run towards Alastor, and grab her face with one hand, channeling a great deal of energy into the palm of my hand. I release the spell, and it comes flying out the back of her head, along with a shower of skin, hair, and a black fluid that seems to have a much higher viscosity than blood.

              I pull away from Alastor’s face, and she sinks to the ground, her face frozen in a shocked expression. Alyssa lands clumsily in front of me, and allows her wings to dissipate before looking at the carnage around us. “That was a little too easy,” she pants after kicking the body double at my feet.

              “Yeah,” I agree. “There’s no way this is over yet.”

              A low chuckle echoes through the room, and it sounds like it’s coming from every direction at once. “Very perceptive,” Alastor observes. “You’re not as stupid as I thought you were, or as weak. But it’s time to put an end to this.”

              “Give it your best shot,” I say with a grin.

              As I speak, the remains of our opponents sink into the ground, and I can feel the energy comprising them congealing in the center of the room. As we look on, Alyssa and I gasp at Alastor’s demonic form. It’s much bigger than the ones we faced on Bowery during the concert, and several times stronger. I shudder at the thought of what this thing might be capable of, but don’t get much of a chance to think about it. As soon as it’s fully formed, the demon known as Alastor flies towards us, an inhuman shriek escaping its mouth as it knocks me to the ground with blinding speed.

              Alyssa fires a bolt of purple lightning at the demon, but it slips right through Alastor’s immaterial smoke form, and blasts a hole in the wood paneling behind her. I scramble to my feet, and circle around her, drawing the aura blade from the other side of the nexus and channeling my energy through it. I take a swing at Alastor’s face, unfazed when the blade passes through her without incident. I keep swinging at her rapidly, thinking that she can’t maintain her smoke form forever. In the meantime, I yell to Alyssa, “This thing reeks! I think it needs a shower!”

              Alyssa nods her understanding, and raises her hands in front of her face. I can feel the moisture in the air building, and concentrate on keeping Alastor busy so she won’t notice what’s happening. She faces away from me, though, and materializes for just long enough to take a swipe at Alyssa with her claws. The single moment of tangibility is all I need; I slice through Alastor’s chest as quickly as I can, and she shrieks with pain and fury as she charges towards me.

              I teleport out of harm’s way just before her two foot long claws rake my body. I grin, and shout from the opposite end of the atrium, “Hey ugly, you missed.” Alastor flies toward me, as hoped, and I vanish again, only to reappear in the center of the room. “Just how slow are you?,” I taunt, and the process continues. It’s the best I can do to give Alyssa’s spell the time it needs.

              Finally, Alyssa shouts, “Ready!,” and I teleport to her side. Alastor’s buglike wings beat furiously as she flies toward us, but she can’t escape the light rain falling on her from the ceiling. It’s nowhere near on the level of the downpour I started, but it’s enough. With a hiss, Alastor crashes to the ground, her chitin body shining in the light as it becomes solid. I nod to Alyssa, and she cuts the rain storm short. She reaches into her jacket pocket, and draws out the dagger, stepping over Alastor before delivering the final blow.

              “Wait!” Alastor shrinks before our eyes, and her black body becomes sagging, pale pink skin once more. She looks up at Alyssa with Selene’s pleading eyes, and asks, “Would you really kill me? I was like a mother to you…”

              Alyssa glares at Alastor, not even a shred of mercy in the eyes behind her rectangular frames. “I already have a mother,” she says. “And she’s twice the bitch you’ll ever be.”

She plunges the dagger into Alastor’s heart. A sound like a thousand simultaneous screams escapes the demon’s mouth, as well as a blinding white light. Light shines out of her eyes as well, and I can smell them, as well as other parts of her, burning away. Selene’s body melts along with the evil spirit within, and Alyssa and I turn away as the process drags on; it’s too horrifying to watch all the way through. When the screams fade to silence, we look down at the ground, and a puddle of viscous black fluid is all that remains of Alyssa’s old mentor. And hopefully, this time, she’s gone for good.

26

              I can’t help feeling uneasy as I walk up the steps leading out of the mausoleum. I should feel unburdened now, if I’m going to feel anything. The demon inhabiting Selene’s body is dead. The Lost are no longer cursed, and ordered to come after innocent spellcasters. I did exactly what I set out to do. So why am I not celebrating our victory?

              I can’t put it into words until we reach the top of the stairs, and Alyssa voices the unspoken darkness hanging in the air between us. “That was a little heartless, huh,” she mutters. It isn’t a question.

              “Maybe a little,” I reply. “But it had to be done.”

              “Yeah.” Alyssa leans against the stone entrance to the Martin mausoleum, looking deep in thought. “It’s not like we haven’t had to defend ourselves before,” she muses.

              “Yeah… we’ve never killed, though.”

              “It was a demon.”

              “In a human vessel.”

              “A human vessel that’s been long dead.”

              I shrug, and stare at the giant cross looming over the graveyard. It’s not the fact that we were responsible for the death of a sentient creature; it had to be done, I understand that. What’s bothering me is the look in Alyssa’s eyes as the blade drove home. How steady her hand was, and how she barely hesitated for a moment. I never would have imagined her being capable of such a thing… but if she hadn’t done it, would I have stepped up to the plate? I can’t quite say for sure.

              “I’m gonna head home,” Alyssa announces. “Unlike some freaks of nature, I reach my limit once in a while.”

              “Hey, this freak of nature gets tired too. Just not as easily.”

              “I’ve only seen you drained once, and that was-”

              “Yeah, yeah. I remember.” I roll my eyes at Alyssa, and ask, “Are we gonna tell anyone about this?”

              Alyssa thinks about it for a moment, and then says, “Maybe one day. I think Krys would be pissed if she knew.”

              “Yeah, you’re right… one day.”

              “Alright, I’ll text you tomorrow or something. I’m out of here.”

              I wave to Alyssa as she vanishes, and the cold silence of the cemetery starts creeping up on me. I suddenly don’t want to be here any longer than I have to be. I let out a sigh, and close my eyes for just a second. When I open them again, I’m standing in my pitch black living room. There are no lights on, and I can’t hear a TV, so I’m guessing my mom’s still at work. I pull back my hood, and whip off the mask before snapping my fingers to turn on the lights. It isn’t until then that I notice the three people sitting on my couch, and my heart stops.

              My mom looks up at me with a shocked expression.

              Krystal has her arms folded across her chest, her face a mask of livid disbelief.

              Nick just looks worried, like he always does.

              I can’t even deny that I’ve been doing anything behind their backs. I’m still wearing the suit, and my mask is in my hand. I’ve been thoroughly caught.

              “I didn’t want to believe it,” Krystal says as she observes every aspect of what I’m wearing.

              I put my hands up in front of me defensively, and back away a little. “Look, I can explain…”

              “Explain what? How you risked all of our lives, and nearly exposed our kind? Because of, what? Your unsatisfied lust for putting your life in danger?”

              “It’s not like that! And I’m just coming back from taking care of the problem, thank you very much.”

              “What…”

              “The Lost won’t be bothering us anymore.”

              “Oh God, Heather, what did you do…?”

              “That’s not what matters. What matters is it’s done.”

              Krystal rubs her temples, and says, “There were so many better ways you could have handled this-“

              “Like what, sitting around and waiting for things to get better like you were?”

              “Excuse me?”

              “You were doing absolutely nothing to fix the problem, so I took action.”

              I’m worried Krystal might hit me when she stands, and walks over to me. “I was going about it the right way, Heather! Patiently, without causing a commotion. I used my head, instead of throwing on a ridiculous outfit and running around Manhattan, showing off for everyone.”

              “Your brilliant idea was taking too long. And for the record, the ‘ridiculous’ outfit was your idea.”

              “No it wasn’t!”

              “You were the one who told me that if I was going to do something stupid, I should at least make sure my face isn’t showing.”

              “That wasn’t me telling you to dress up and play hero!”

              “I’m not playing hero, I am one!”

              “You’re not a hero, you’re an attention whore with a bad attitude!”

              I draw myself up to my full height, and peer down into Krystal’s almond eyes. “The first thing I did last night was save someone’s life! And I just saved God knows how many spellcasters tonight, and I’m going to save thousands, maybe millions more people of all kinds as time goes on. Is that not ‘heroic’ enough for you?”

              “Alright, that’s enough!” Nick jumps in between us, and subtly tries to pull Krystal away. “You two are on the same side, remember?”

Krystal shrugs Nick off, but she apparently takes note of his input. “There’s more to being a hero than making up for your own mistakes,” she says in a calmer voice.

              “I agree,” I mutter. “But I’ve gotta be given the chance to do more than just what I’ve done the past couple of nights.”

              At that exact moment, my eyes widen in shock as I become aware of an incredible output of energy somewhere in the city. It feels like a spellcaster of
my
caliber, surprisingly, but with a somewhat alien feel to it. I don’t know how to explain how I know what it means, but I
know
. It means the other Nephilim is in New York City. I’m not sure if they’ve always been here, or if they’ve just arrived, but whatever they’re doing here, it can’t be good.

              Krystal looks significantly more worried than I do, and seems frozen with her hand over her mouth. Our eyes meet, she notices my expression, and she automatically knows what I’m thinking. “No,” she warns me.

              “I’m going.”

              “No! It’s far too dangerous-“

              “As if I haven’t walked into a dangerous situation before! Krystal, I am so tired of being treated like a child! I’m strong enough and responsible enough to handle this, so please…”

              “Let her go.” We all turn to Nick, standing against the wall with his hands in his pockets. I’m dumbfounded; out of all the overprotective people in my life, Nick was the
very
last person I expected to take my side. He notices all of our curious stares, and he quantifies his statement. “Heather’s always made her own decisions. And she’s always pulled through, no matter how dangerous the situation gets. I say it’s time we give her the trust and respect she’s earned.”

              Krystal chews on her bottom lip, and regards me with wary eyes. “I don’t like it. I don’t want to let you just walk into this.”

              “She’s going to go anyway,” Nick points out.

              “He’s right,” I chime in. “I’d find a way. And besides, the only reason they would have come here is for me… do you really want to find out what happens if I don’t show?”

              Krystal throws up her hands, and grudgingly consents. “You’re insane,” she mutters as I pull my mask back on.

              I shrug, and try to mollify her with a compromise. “Give me ten minutes. If I’m not back in ten minutes, round up some people and try to help. But just… give me a little time.”

              “Fine.”

              I look to my mother for her thoughts on the situation, but she just shakes her head. “I’m in way over my head with all this stuff,” she says. “But I know that once you set your mind to something, there’s no stopping you. So go kick some ass, kid.”

              “Thanks.” I pull a reluctant Krystal into a quick hug, then do the same with my mom for good measure. Nick plants a gentle kiss on my lips before I wrap him up in an embrace as well. “I’ll be right back,” I whisper to him.

              “Be safe,” he whispers back.

              I close my eyes, and try to pinpoint where the beacon of energy is coming from. It seems to be centered in Times Square, so that’s where I decide my destination will be. I pull my hood over my head, and say, “I love you all,” to the room before vanishing into thin air.

***

              The scene on Times Square is far worse than I ever thought it could be. The first thing I notice is that there’s practically no one on the streets; Broadway and Seventh are completely abandoned as far as I can see. The only people I can see are those still climbing out of and running from their cars, many of which are hovering a few inches above the pavement. Several of the cars closer to 44
th
street are much higher off the ground, and swirling around a central point. I can feel the other Nephilim floating at the epicenter of the slowly spinning vortex. That’s where I’ll need to go.

I drop down from the building I’d been perched on, and slow my descent long before I reach the ground. It’s eerie, walking across Times Square unimpeded. I’m used to having to push my way through a horde of slow-walking tourists from everywhere imaginable. Most of these said tourists are holed up in the stores along both avenues, their faces and hands pressed against the glass as they watch the scene unfold. I lower my head, and walk faster. I can’t afford to let anything happen to them.

The floating cars are so close together, they can easily be used as stepping stones. I step onto the hood of an abandoned taxi as I approach, and hop from there to the top of the next car. I follow the trail until I set foot on an empty bus a few feet away from the vortex itself. The immense energy radiating from the center is almost enough to make me feel small, but I’m not afraid. In fact, if I’m being honest with myself, I’m excited by the thought of a challenge. I walk to the end of the bus, and shout into the vortex, “Who are you? And what do you want?”

The swirling storm of floating cars shifts, and the ones directly in front of me move quickly out of the way so that I can see into the middle. And there, floating amidst the sea of vehicles, I can clearly see Lily, looking every bit as distraught as she had when I last saw her. I’m especially thankful for the mask and the hood in this moment; she has yet to recognize me, and my surprise is well hidden. “Lillian Charbonneau,” Lily shouts back. “Daughter of Lucifer. And I’m here to send Michael a message.”

I look around at the emptied out Times Square, and reply, “He’s in a meeting right now, but I can jot it down for you if you’d like.”

“Funny. Who are you, exactly?”

“Oh, honey… asking someone in a mask who they are kind of defeats the purpose.”

Lily raises one of her perfectly styled eyebrows, and asks, “Really… who are you?”

“The other Nephilim,” I announce. “Michael’s daughter.”

“No name?”

“None you need to hear.”

“Fair enough.”

I carefully lower myself down, and take a seat on the edge of the bus, my feet dangling out over the windshield. “Can I ask you a couple of things? You know, before we get to the whole ‘fight to the death’ portion of tonight’s show?”

“You’re just prolonging the inevitable, but sure… why not.”

“We’ve both been living here all our lives, I’m guessing. How have I never felt your presence, or you mine?”

Lily shrugs in response. “My father never taught me how to tap into that particular skill. He hammered into me that it was important to keep my power under wraps so no one would find me, though. He didn’t want me drawing any more attention to myself than necessary.”

“I guess that makes sense.” I lean back on my elbows, and ask, “How can you possibly be Lucifer’s daughter? Or on his side, even? You seem like such a nice girl.”

“I’m a vindictive little bitch, truth be told. And it’s not as easy as taking sides…”

“Yeah? Enlighten me.”

“He… when I decided I didn’t want to play his little game, my father decided to take my mother’s soul. The only way to get it back is to play along.”

I’ve been witness to some pretty horrifying things in the past year and a half, but knowing that Lucifer would stoop so low is what makes me sick to my stomach. At least that explains why Lily’s mother didn’t seem to have any life in her when I checked with my second sight; it’s because she didn’t. Her soul was gone, her body just going through the motions of keeping itself alive. I can’t imagine a worse fate for someone I love.

I silently thank every heavenly being that I wound up the daughter of Michael. He may not be the shining prince that I expected a biblical figure to be, but he’s the lesser of two evils.