Spectral (25 page)

I gasped. I remembered nodding my head low toward the dagger and seeing its sharp fangs, but I hadn’t felt anything. “I only remember collapsing and not being able to move.”

“And now?”

I concentrated on reaching out to him, and my arm moved.
I can move!
I sat up slowly. “Roman!”

A mischievous grin split across his face. It was undeniably Roman’s grin; the one that always left me breathless. Reaching his arms wide, he wrapped them around me tightly. “Ya see? You’re a beautiful butterfly. You had to go through the change on your own.” Roman leaned back, searching my eyes. “I love you, Jewel.”

“I love you, too,” I said, falling into him. I nuzzled my head into his chest as tears welled up and spilled over. “I was so worried. How’d you get away?” I wiped my tears away and leaned back, searching his eyes.

He winked. “I had a little help.”

“Stefano?”

Roman nodded.

I laughed. “That guy kinda irritates me, but I gotta admit, he totally rocks.”

“He’s my boy,” Roman said.

“But the Augusti, aren’t they gonna try to kill you, or at least throw you in jail for what you’ve done?”

“Let’s not worry about that right now, okay?” he said, holding his hand out to me. “Can you stand up?”

I inhaled a deep breath and bit my lip. “I think so.” Slowly, tentatively, I stood; my legs growing strong beneath me. A surge of energy rushed through me unlike anything I’d ever known. It was as if all my thoughts were clearer and the beating of my heart pounded through me, strong and forceful.

I eyed the room through the shell barrier, now frozen in time. I laced my fingers through Roman’s and squeezed his hand. “Lower the shell,” I said confidently, bracing myself.

The wall came down and the sounds came rushing in like a runaway train. But instead of feeling fear or panic, I felt exhilarated. I jumped over Grandma Raine in a giant leap and pulled Uncle Aldo out of the path of the fire as it crackled back to life.

He stirred with a groan, but his eyes stayed closed. At least I knew he was alive. A wave of relief washed over me.

A bright burst of white light flashed and surged toward me from across the room. I held up my hand and ignited my own until the two met in mid-air, colliding into a giant explosion. I dropped and rolled across the ground, and then jumped up. Levitating several feet in the air, I then threw another electrical charge toward Dmitri. He tried to block it, but the current struck him straight in the chest. It sent him flying with such force that he smashed straight through the back of the barn wall with a crash.

Landing on both feet, I was invigorated. I’d never felt so strong in my life. The rush of adrenaline and revenge propelled me forward.

Aunt Eva flew toward Angelina. She was only beginning to stir, groaning. Something lifted Angelina to her feet. I was sure it was invisible Trish. Beside Angelina a rock rose in the air and then rocketed in Aunt Eva’s direction.

“Take that, bitch,” Trish said from out of thin air.

The rock knocked Aunt Eva in the jaw and she stumbled backward.

“Woot, Trish!” I screamed out.

“Bull’s-eye!” she said.

I stifled a laugh.

Juliano took on another guy, Roman at his side. Juliano shot a laser, striking the man in the leg.

Still another one of the men charged toward Angelina, who was still barely alert after Grandma Raine’s touch.

“Angelina, look out!” I screamed.

She tossed me a wink over her shoulder, then blew a breath from her mouth as though blowing out a candle. The man froze into a block of ice.

The sight would have made the old me turn away, but now it just propelled me on.
Sick!
“Go, Angelina!”

But before the words were barely out of my mouth, another burly man headbutted her in the face, knocking her out cold.

I raced toward her, screaming, “Angelina!”

“Jewel!” Someone called loudly into the confusion.

I turned to find who’d called my name, and saw Karina, my kidnapper mother. Viktor rushed in alongside her. My stomach did a backflip. Seeing the people that had raised me entering this battle scene took me completely off guard, and I stumbled backward with a gasp. I didn’t know what to think or expect. Were they with me or against me?

Somebody lunged into me from behind, trying to grasp me in a headlock. Without thinking, I jumped up and jerked my head backward, smashing whoever it was in the face. Twisting around, my gaze collided with Vladimir’s. Blood ran down his chubby face, and he reached up to cup his bloody nose. I remembered the sickening vision he made me suffer through on the plane, and what he’d done to Chase.

I gripped my hand around his wrist with amazing force. It was a strength I’d never had before. I looked deep into his cold, hardened eyes.

“You need to die, witch,” he said, trying to slip free.

In that moment, I saw his deepest fear flooding straight to my mind. Heights—he was terrified of them. Staring into his eyes, I knew exactly what to do, as though Vladimir’s endowment had been a part of me my whole life. I visualized him hanging over top of a soaring cliff by only the tip of his fingers. I imagined the rush of the wind through the mountains, the feel of the dirt under his fingernails, and the taste of its dust in his mouth as he dangled precariously over the edge. Then I thrust the image toward him.

He screamed, but I held on a moment longer before releasing him. He dropped to his knees like a stone, wailing.

With a crackling blast of electrical charge, I knocked him backward at such close range, he didn’t have a chance.

“That’s for you, Chase,” I said aloud. Adrenaline surged through me.

“You’re badass,” I heard Trish whisper in my ear. She flicked the back of my hair as she passed by me; a fluttering breeze ruffled the end of my dress as she went.

I twisted back around to see Mrs. Snow cowering in the corner.

As I walked over she held her hands up in front of her face. “No, please don’t hurt me!”

I thought about all the trouble she’d caused by butting into my business. By agreeing to help Grandma Raine and Aunt Eva, she’d almost cost me my life. I balled my hands into fists at my side, anger coursing through my veins.

But then I remembered Taylor and what a good friend she was to me—a better friend than I’d ever had. I inhaled deeply. “Just go.”

Mrs. Snow stood, visibly shaking. “Really?” She lifted her brows.

I nodded. “Go home and be a mom to Taylor. A
real
mom, you know? She deserves better than you’ve given her.”

Mrs. Snow bit her lip. “You’re right,” she said, a flash of surprise evident on her face. “Th-thank you.” And with that, she ran out the barn doors.

A commotion drew my attention back. Twisting around, I saw Viktor levitate to avoid a blow from Sasha and Karina arguing with Aunt Eva.

They’re fighting for me, too.
A rush of happiness flooded me.

Before I had a chance to say anything, Sasha leapt high into the air. He grabbed Viktor, pulled him down, and rotated his neck with a sudden sharp twist. Viktor fell to the ground, dead.

“No!”

The word bounced off the barn walls, and my heart sank in despair. Sasha laughed at my reaction, and then headed in a full out run toward Karina, whose attention was focused solely on Viktor’s crumbled body.

I raced across the room after him at lightning speed. My movements were a flash like Stefano’s and I reached Sasha without feeling the ground beneath my feet, or thinking about what I was doing. I jumped high onto his back and twisted his neck, rage surging through my veins, until he dropped to the ground in a heap.

Karina was sobbing, now kneeling over Viktor’s crumpled body. “T-thanks, Jewel,” Karina said. “Please forgive us.”

I nodded, my heart pumping at an unnatural speed.

My gaze drifted to Sasha lying on the ground, still. My hands shook; my body completely full of shock, anger, and hurt. But I’d never felt more alive.

Grandma stared at me, mouth gaping. I didn’t know what she was more shocked at: the change in me, the fact that I’d just saved her daughter, or that her daughter had sided with me.

Juliano and Roman fought side-by-side, taking on Sergei. He knocked my father in the head with a glowing, buzzing rod. Juliano dropped to his knees convulsing.

Sergei turned his focus on Roman, jerking the rod toward him in sharp jabs. “C’mon, boy,” he taunted in a strong Russian accent.

“Bring it, old man,” Roman said, motioning with his fingers for Sergei to come toward him. They edged across the barn until they reached the doorway.

Roman held up his hand until his palm glowed, ablaze in bright orange. It drew the rod forward like a magnetic force field, but Sergei lunged and snapped it back. Thrown off balance, he landed on top of Roman. They tumbled out of the barn in a ball of arms and legs. My heart thundered in my ears and my chest tightened. “Roman!” I called.

Juliano regained his composure, and quickly followed them outside. The snapping sound of Juliano’s laser beam, mixed with the sizzling rod, sounded out into the distance.

I couldn’t let anything happen to either of them. I took a step forward to close the sucker down for good, but something sharp pricked me in the back. It pierced through my dress, nicking my skin. I spun around.

Grandma Raine shifted with a groan, stumbling backward. It was as though somebody had pushed her and I knew it must’ve been Trish who saved me. It took a second to register the scene in front of me, but when I did, the icy grip of fear clamped down on my heart and speared my lungs.

Grandma—my sweet, little grandmother—held Jayden in a headlock.

No, not Jayden!

I didn’t know when Jayden had gotten there. I hadn’t seen him come in. He must have snuck in behind Karina and Viktor…or somebody else brought him. My heart rate skyrocketed and tears sprung to my eyes.

Grandma held the dagger in her hand, and I knew then that she’d just tried to stab me with it. She laughed at me.

“Let him go now, you nasty traitor!”

“Jewel!” my brother screamed, his voice heavy with terror. “Help me!” Tears fell down his cheeks. His fear hit me like a bulldozer.

“Hang on, monkey,” I said, my voice breaking. My limbs trembled, a mixture of horror and fury overwhelming me.

Grandma lifted the dagger and held it to Jayden’s throat.

I gasped. “No!”

Edging beside Grandma Raine, Aunt Eva held a gun to Karina’s head and dragged her over beside Grandma Raine. Karina placed her fingertips on her temples and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a pitchfork flew across the barn toward Aunt Eva, but one of their men intercepted it, grabbing it by the handle mid-air. Aunt Eva tugged one of Karina’s hands roughly behind her back. “Don’t move, sister,” she hissed.

My gaze met Jayden’s panicked face. I held my hands up defensively. “Have you both lost your minds? Jayden’s only eight!”

Grandma held her gaze on me, her face transforming into an expression I thought only Aunt Eva held the patent for: a mask of smugness and superiority. “It seems it’s too late to transfer your Spectral power to me,” Grandma hissed. She tugged at Jayden’s hair, and he squealed. I wanted to kill her—tear her eyes straight out from their sockets. I couldn’t believe she fooled Jayden and me. We’d totally believed she loved and cared about us. “But if you don’t sacrifice yourself, Jewel,” she continued. “Then I will kill them both. One by one.”

A rock flew through the air narrowly missing Grandma Raine’s head.

“Sam!” Grandma growled to one of the men, “get the invisible one.”

One of the men I’d not recognized before snapped to attention, and then held up his arm. The device on his arm sent iridescent lights throughout the barn. I caught a momentary flash of Trish as the lights passed over her.

Sam’s eyes lit up and he dashed toward her.

“Trish, run!” I screamed, knowing her invisible power would be no match against the massive Russian.

Grandma Raine instructed Jayden to drop to his knees. Kneeling behind him, she secured the dagger against his throat and peeked out from behind his head.

“Wait!” I said.

“There’s no waiting,” Grandma Raine said. “I won’t allow another coven to rise above our own.”

“But that’s your own daughter!” I said pointing to Karina’s now ashen face. “And your grandson! It’s Jayden, Grandma! You can’t really be serious.” I cringed at the word ‘Grandma’ as it left my mouth. She wasn’t my grandmother at all. She was only an evil, power-hungry witch. Literally.

“This is a war, Jewel. Don’t you understand? I didn’t pay your expenses and avoid the Augusti Forza all of these years for you to end up in another coven—a coven that would then be stronger than ours. We’ve sacrificed everything to get here. And now it’s ruined!” she spat through gritted teeth. “Take the vile I’ve placed on the altar.” She flicked her chin toward the altar. On it, I saw a vile filled with black liquid. “It’s poison,” she said. “Drink it and it will all be over soon.”

“Jewel, don’t do it,” Jayden cried, breaking down into sobs.

Grandma pressed the dagger to Jayden’s neck harder. A line of red appeared on his neck, and he squealed.

“Stop it!” I yelled as I rushed to the altar to get the vile of poison. Picking it up, I said, “Let’s just go our separate ways. Everyone walk away. There’s no need for any more violence, Grandma,” I said pleading.

“Not one more word from you or Karina’s dead,” Grandma said with a scowl.

As if on command, Aunt Eva pressed the gun harder against Karina’s temple.

I realized that when Grandma Raine had seen me protect Karina, she instantly became a resource to use against me. I looked over my shoulder. Angelina and Uncle Aldo were still passed out. Roman and Juliano were outside fighting with another guy. I was on my own.

“Mother!” Karina called out in a shaky voice. “This is ridiculous.”

Jayden wailed as he burst into tears. His fear tore through me, until I was a trembling mess. Karina may not have been my real mother, but she was Jayden’s, and she was the one that had raised me all my life. I couldn’t hate her for kidnapping me anymore. Even though it’d been selfish, she was trying to make amends for it now. I realized it had been Grandma running the show anyway. There’d be no way Karina could’ve said no to her. Besides, her pain caused Jayden even more heartbreak.