Traitor (26 page)

Relief ran through me, but … the book. That stupid, living, evil book was rising into the air.
Things
began to shoot out of it. Spirits, shadows, a whirlwind of power spun around me, malevolent energies that didn’t belong in our world.

“Ava!” Carl yelled. He and Gabe ran toward me.

The chained souls vanished one by one.

“Get out of here,” I cried. “True demons are being freed. The spell was already started. I don’t know how to stop it!”

“It’s the book,” Gabe shouted as deafening winds raged around us. “It’s emptying itself. Something else needs to contain the power to stop it from releasing everything into the atmosphere.”

“Eddie took it after
Marina
died,” I said. “That means somebody else can take it now, right?”

The wind blew Carl to his knees.

Gabe stumbled backward with the force of the gale. “They were prepared. It’ll kill anyone else. It’s too much!”

I sank my fingers into the dirt to pull myself closer to the book. The force threatened to propel me backward, but I kept going. Whatever was in that book could unleash the worst things on the world. But maybe I could stop it before it destroyed everything.

“You’ll die first,” Gabe warned.

“Ava, no!” Carl yelled.

The wind flung me onto my back. I could barely catch a breath. I struggled to crawl forward. “What’s in that book could kill us all anyway! We can’t let it out!”

I reached the book and touched the pages. I immediately experienced what Marina and Eddie had felt, but I didn’t have a clue how it had been so easy for them.

My eyes saw flames, my skin felt heat, and my brain couldn’t keep up.

I saw worlds I hadn’t known existed. I saw creatures and truths that shouldn’t have been real. I saw and I felt… and I burned. The power was too much, but it was in me, and when I died, it would be lost. I had to last as long as I could to drain as much power out of the book as possible, to stop whatever would come out. Worse things were waiting, deep within the pages. We had seen the lesser demons breaking free; what lurked beneath could never be released.

My face was wet with blood, and my skin turned a smoky colour. I felt words and magic and malice run under the surface, and they squirmed and struggled to find their own space. There was no room for all of it.

I choked on poison and drowned on evil, deafened by voices screaming for escape. Life existed in the book, was
trapped
in the book. And what had been trapped was running through me for freedom.

Every breath I took felt like fire. I swallowed lava, dying in a hell-like prison. The pain crippled me, and the human shell I was in couldn’t take the power. It burned me away, threatening to stop my heart, and I knew I couldn’t survive.

The power flooded into me without stopping, the book as alive as ever. It would never end. I would die, and the darkness would still hit the world. If I had accepted the terms of Mrs. Yaga’s will, none of this would have happened. Fionnuala would likely be still alive, still in charge, but my friends might have been safe because of my new protection. There was always a price to pay, and it was time for me to pay in full.

I closed my eyes and waited to find out what would happen at the end. A hand held mine, and at first I thought I imagined it. Then, I felt a squeeze, and I knew who it was.

I opened my eyes to see Carl reaching for the book. I tried to pull it away, but the power held, chaining us together. I told Carl to stop, but I couldn’t hear my own voice over the uproar.

Carl looked at me knowingly, his face contorting with pain. Blood spurted from his nose as his eyes turned red. His grip on my hand weakened, and his eyes closed.

I wanted to scream out my anger. I was helpless once again. Unable to move, I squeezed my eyes shut and searched for the light I knew existed within me. Gabe had drawn it out to help Carl once, and I tried to use it again to protect my best friend.

I found our bond strong and unbreakable, but that invisible link kept us together whether we liked it or not. I pushed the last of my strength to Carl, hoping he would let go, but his hands held fast.

The book was suddenly pulled away, and the power stopped flowing. I thought I had done something, and I felt only joyous relief as the sensations eased. I opened my eyes, but Carl wasn’t awake. And the storm still raged.

I looked up to see Gabe standing over me with the book against his chest. I mouthed, “No.”

He smiled at me. “Ars moriendi! Chapter One. Death is nothing to fear.” He winced as the power lashed into him. “I thought I would be your mentor, but I learned the most. Close the veil if you can. Give your life in that way or find somebody else who can do it in your place, but never give this a chance to happen again.”

I tried to nod, but my head barely moved. Gabe took one last look around before closing his eyes. I watched as the power ate him up, burned him to dust. It was slow at first, then quicker as if the power knew he was dying, knew it didn’t have far to go.

The book burned with him. Even the wind seemed to be sucked inward until there was nothing left but scorched grass and a blackened sky.

It was over. The stray power was gone. The book was gone. The spell was done without it, and the tumult in the sky eased, but a huge black cloud hung over the world.

The earth had changed. I could feel it, but the worst was over. The gates had closed again. The veil still needed to be pulled over them.

I tried to move closer to Carl, but my body refused to do what it was told. I reached out for him, tried to feel his presence, but there was nothing. I was empty. Yet the screams of the dying still roared in my ears. I stared up at that black cloud until I saw no more.

***

My eyes flickered open. At first, I saw darkness. I tried to lick my lips, but my tongue was too dry. A face came into my field of vision, and I frowned, confused.

“This one’s awake!”

More voices. Murmurs I couldn’t make out.

“Get out of the way, idiot.” The face was replaced with another. A boy pushed hair out of his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re right. Keep checking on the other one.”

“He won’t make it,” a childish voice said. “Don’t waste your time on him.”

“Just do it,” Noah snapped. “And tell him to hurry.” He gestured for someone to approach.

I closed my eyes, wearier than ever. All I felt was pain, burning pain.

Something cool touched my forehead, and a voice whispered in my ear, “Help’s on its way. Hang on, okay?”

“Hurry up!”

“Don’t shout at him, Noah. He can’t do it if you shout at him.”

“I’ll do more than shout at him. I’ll knock his teeth out. We can’t let everyone die.
We’ll
get the blame.”

I shook my head. It hurt.

“I can’t!” a young voice whined. “It’s too late.”

“No,” I tried to say.

“What did she say?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Okay, okay. I’m ready. Hold her down. Hold—”

I screamed, and everything turned black again.

***

“Wake up. Ava, wake up, quickly.”

My body was shaking, and the world felt as if it were flying away. I was moving. I was
in
something that was moving. I opened my eyes, but a pink mist shrouded everything.

Peter’s face came into view. “Wake up,” he urged. “Stop blocking them. They can’t help you otherwise.”

I stared at him blankly. He slapped my cheek then yanked his hand away as if it burned.

I tried to tell him I didn’t understand, but fire flew between us instead. Then I really didn’t understand.

***

I flexed my fingers. The sheet felt cool under my hands. Everything felt cool. That was good. I had been burning for days. Every time I opened my eyes, I saw fire and felt flames.

I licked my lips, feeling cracked, dry skin.

“Ava?”

I expected to see Peter at my bedside, but
Phoenix
loomed over me instead. He picked up a cup of water and pressed it to my lips. I drank willingly.

“You’re in the hospital,” he said.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I know.”

“Do you remember?”

“Some.” I closed my eyes, seeing whirlwinds and black skies and a man being burned into nothing.

“Do you want to forget?”

My eyes flew open. I shook my head a little. I couldn’t afford to forget.

“Is Gabe…?”

“Saved the world,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,”
Phoenix
said.

“Carl? Es… Esther?”

“No news. Both in serious condition.” He looked grave. “It could go either way.”

“Not fair.”

“Did you kill the witches? And Brogan?”

“No.” I drank more water and felt a little better. “She killed the coven, he killed her, and his wife killed him.”

He looked confused.

“I pitied him. Even at the end, I pitied him.” I choked out a sob.

Phoenix
took my hand. His cool skin was somehow calming, dousing the fire still under mine.

“I did nothing,” I said. “I was just there.”

“You lost a lot of blood.”

“She… drank.”

He looked as disgusted as I felt.

“The children saved you,” he said after a moment. “You were dying. All three of you were dying, and they helped.”

“Are the kids okay?”

“Doing well,” he said. “Leah’s been helping me, actually. We won’t find all of their families, but we can help them fit in. The world has changed in a matter of days. The fae want me to take my seat on the Council, to go on as always.”

“And will you?”

He hesitated, staring at my hand in his. “No. I’m here to ask for your help. The newspapers have made you into a hero. The real people’s champion.”

“That was Gabe.” I pulled my hand away. “They’ll forget soon.”

“We’re already working on a new system,” he said eagerly. “We want you to be involved.”

“No,” I said sharply. “I have other things to do.”

“More important than this?”

I closed my eyes, ready to sleep again. “Definitely.”

“Gabe left Finn his bar.”

“Is it still neutral ground?”

“Always.”

“Good.”

“Ava,” he said softly. “I’ve been looking through the paperwork. The status of different beings and races and places. Some agreements are so old that they’re locked away in the ancient tombs.”

I opened my eyes, curious. “What tombs?”

“Maybe I’ll show you some day.” He hesitated. “Maybe I won’t. Did you know that your home is on neutral ground? That the owner is untouchable, no matter what our laws say? Even if we change everything, some things will always remain the same. The magic is so old that—”

“She’s dead.” I turned on my side. “And we don’t need to talk about it anymore.”

He hesitated. “I think it’s important that you’re all a part of the plans for what’s to come.”

“Haven’t we done enough?” So many had died. Surely we had given enough of ourselves.

“Of course,” he said. “But I assumed—”

“All I want is to move on.” I pushed all of the memories away. “I don’t belong in your world.” I slept.

I sat at the end of a long table, gazing out at dozens of pairs of eyes. Red lights flickered, and I blinked at the glare of a camera flash. The press conference was packed, and although the audience were listening to other people speak, they kept looking at me.

Everybody wanted to see the person who had been involved with almost everything that had happened, the one who had lived to tell the tale. In the eyes of most humans, I had been the beginning. Because of something I had kick-started, everything had spiralled. I had also been the end because I helped make it stop. And I had lived, despite being destined to die.

A new ruling body was being established, a coalition between humans and supernaturals. The supernatural Council would still deal with supernatural issues, and the human government with human problems, but both were working together. When they couldn’t resolve problems, they would be passed upward to a large democratic committee that represented all of the races in the country. Quotas and rules were being readdressed, and it was like a fresh start within the shells of the old days.

“We’ve been assured that daylight will return before the next full moon,” Elathan said smoothly. “There’s no need to panic.”

“And the phone lines have already been set up,” Shay added. “Any hint of demonic activity and a qualified force will be sent out immediately. The same goes for the ordinary hotlines. If a human feels at risk from a supernatural, or vice versa, all they have to do is go through the correct channels. The emergency numbers are available on the screen behind me, but we’re hoping they will be rarely needed.”

“There haven’t been any demon attacks so far,” Elathan said. “Whatever was released might have been unable to survive. They could have been sent elsewhere when the book was destroyed, or they might be weaker demons who don’t have much power here. Even so, we’ll still be watching. In the meantime, we remind you that demonolatry is still outlawed, for obvious reasons. The last demon-worshipper was stopped, but we might not be so lucky next time. We ask everyone to be careful. Even lower-level demons can be dangerous, so do not dabble in things you don’t understand, even for a joke. You never know if that old book you’ve found in your attic is the real deal or not, so why take chances?” He smiled, but his tone was firm. “We’re only interested in the safety of us all,” he added, but I was pretty sure
Phoenix
or Shay had nudged him first.

Phoenix
cleared his throat. “After all the elections are over, the new senate will agree on legislation that will protect every race. This is new for everyone. If something doesn’t work, we’ll put effort into an alternative. The fae and vampires may have voted already, but that doesn’t mean they can’t change their minds in the future. The same goes for all of the newly elected members of state. This will take time to settle, but as long as we’re open and honest, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.”

“Can we hear a detailed account of what exactly happened last month at the children’s home?” a reporter asked. “From the only witness here.”

I stood. “No, you can’t.”

I walked out of the room, hearing Daimhín apologise for my weakness.

Moses was in the hall, half-asleep in a chair. “Oi,” he called. “Where are you running off to?”

“Bored to tears in there,” I lied.

“Yeah, Shay’s a lot more fun to be around when the cameras aren’t on.”

I stared at his suit. “He made you wear a tie? He has you whipped, Moses.”

“Don’t I know it.” He grinned. “Makes the mammy proud.”

“How’s everything in your neck of the woods?”

“Good.” He nodded. “Nobody’s come to take over anyway. Brethni have been left alone, too.”

“There was a lot of looting in some areas and people being attacked for being supernatural. I heard a rumour that those things weren’t acceptable everywhere.”

A grin spread across his face. “Had to give the lads something to do.”

I tried to smile. “Shay should have you on the payroll.”

“Sorry about your friend,” he said. “We had a mass and everything.”

I smiled, touched by the notion. “Thanks.” I turned and left.

Outside, the night air was chilly.

Peter stood next to his car. “Want a lift?”

“I suppose.” I didn’t need to tell him where I wanted to go.

“Carl staying with you?” Peter asked.

“For a while.”

“What about Esther?”

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens. The clinic isn’t letting her go any time soon. They screwed up the last operation because she shifted in the middle of it, so they’re waiting for heavier drugs.”

A month ago, I had woken in a hospital bed. Two weeks ago, I had finally been allowed to go home. Esther had almost died from a brain injury. Carl had almost died from an overload of dark magic.

Gabe had died. The stupid fallen angel who didn’t care about anything had given his life to save everything. The idiot. And I couldn’t even thank him. Or hit him.

Peter pulled in outside the clinic. When we went inside, Carl looked up from a book in surprise.

“Didn’t expect you yet. Is the conference over?”

“You weren’t watching?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I get enough of your sad eyes here, thanks.”

I glared at him.

He laughed it off. “Let’s go then. I can’t wait to get back to Margie’s food.”

“As if she’s going to cook for you.”

“She always cooks for me. I just don’t share it with you.”

“Enough with the lip, and please hurry up, slowcoach. I have an appointment.”

He got up slowly, not because he was injured, but because the power he had absorbed from the book hadn’t run out of his system yet. The after-effects ran from mildly hysterical to overwhelmingly terrifying. I’d suffered through a couple of days of it, but a month later, his problems were still going strong.

Carl was hyper-aware of sudden movements and had strong emotional reactions to anything. When a nurse had informed him he couldn’t go home for another week, all of the televisions in the clinic had somehow imploded, which had abruptly changed the decision. The medical staff consisted of human and supernatural, but there were some things they weren’t prepared for.

I reached out to help him but hesitated. “Is it okay to give you a hand, or will I get another electric shock?”

“Funny,” he said. “Grab one of my bags if you’re able.”

I slung his bag over my shoulder. “Jesus, what the hell is in this thing?”

His ears and neck turned red. “I might have accidentally transformed a lot of my clothes into some kind of weird demonic metal.”

“And I’m carrying them because?”

“They might turn back.”

We faced off for a couple of seconds before I gave in. “I cannot wait for this crap to wear off, Carl.”

We hauled his stuff to the car, and then I popped back inside to see Esther. She was asleep, Aiden sitting by her bedside.

He looked up at me and sneered, as usual. “She can’t hear you.”

“You don’t know that.”

I sat next to Esther and touched her fingers. Seeing her in a hospital bed was heart-breaking. She had only been at risk because of me. I willed her to get better, prayed she would survive unharmed.

“Easing your guilt?” Aiden said.

“Don’t start.”

“She’s not going back to you.”

“Whatever she does, it’ll be up to her.”

“She needs me. She—”

“Does it ease
your
conscience to tell yourself that? Let me tell you something about your sister, Aiden. She doesn’t need anyone. She’s stronger than you, smarter than you, and has better instincts than you. If anything, she’s been holding
you
up all of these years. Don’t think about convincing her otherwise because it won’t work. She’s not a little girl anymore. She doesn’t think you’re the greatest person on the planet. She’s not even proud of you.”

He glared at me.

“She might not respect you, but she’ll always be there if you need her. Lucky for you that she’s nothing like you.” Esther’s hand squeezed mine faintly. I kissed her cheek and left before I punched her idiot brother in the face for being such a self-absorbed twit.

I bumped into Alanii in the hallway.

“Hey,” she said. “You doing okay?”

“Much better. I see they’re still keeping her asleep.”

She nodded. “It’s safer for now. A specialist from
France
is going to come over and work on her. Lucky she’s a shifter, eh? She’d be dead otherwise.”

I grinned. “That thick bear skull saved her life. I should head on. We’re taking Carl home.”

“You’re a brave woman, taking that mess with you.”

I screwed up my nose. “He
probably
won’t accidentally kill me.”

She laughed as I walked away, but I wasn’t totally convinced myself.

Peter was still loading the boot of his car with Carl’s bags when I got outside. I got into the backseat without helping and waited in silence until he drove us home.

The dark streets were empty except for some patrols by teams of Guardians and police. Not everyone was happy with the changes, but the rioting and looting wasn’t as frequent, and there had been no signs of attacks by assassins or beasts or stray werewolves. Even the vampires were being kept in line by Daimhín.

At the cul-de-sac, Peter helped carry Carl’s stuff in, but at the door, he grabbed my wrist. “Want me to stay?”

“No.”

He hesitated. “You still want Emmett to come over this weekend?”

“He’ll be safe with me if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“He’s safe with me, too.”

I stared at him. “He had better be, Peter.”

“I’ve made mistakes. I know that, but—”

“Tell Emmett I said hello.”

Peter had been gone for maybe five minutes when the visitors began arriving. One by one, the current residents of the cul-de-sac came to see Carl, something they hadn’t been allowed to do while he was at the hospital.

“I’m going to pop out,” I told Carl, but I doubted he heard me.

He was busy trying to back out of Lucia’s embrace and avoid what would probably be a bone-breaking slap on the back from Val. Those people weren’t afraid of his temporary magical unpredictability.

But he followed me outside. “Hey,” he called. “Where are you going?”

“Something I have to do.”

“I’m virtually hugging you right now,” he said.

“Um, why?”

“Because I’m afraid a real hug could make you spontaneously combust.”

“I meant why the hugging, not the virtual shit.”

“Oh. Because you need one.”

“I’m fine.”

“Gabe—”

“Gabe saved us. A hug isn’t going to change that.”

“I know, but—”

I stepped back. “Why did you have to come over, Carl? What were you thinking?”

He looked surprised by my anger. “She drank your blood to withstand the power. I saw it. Heard her waffle on. I drank your blood before, and I know it changed me somehow. I thought maybe I could help you last long enough to finish what we started.”

“You could have
died
.”

“And it would have been worth it.”

“Carl!”

“We all could have died. What’s the point in fighting if you’re afraid to die?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Well, don’t do it again.”

He smiled. “I’m not planning on it. We came out of this as unscathed as possible, Ava, so why are you unhappy?”

“I’m just… it was so pointless, you know? Eddie didn’t get his happily ever after, Gabe sacrificed himself, so many people died, and there’s a good chance demons from another dimension are now roaming the earth.”

“But
we’re
alive. And we ended the spell, so the demons couldn’t escape.”

“You saw as much as I did. Things definitely escaped through the book. I told you all what Eddie said about demonolatry, and the demons were trapped in that book. Somebody put them there once, and now some of them are free. Eddie said there are others like
Marina
. What if they find a way to—”

“We’ll deal with it. Look at me. The Council is gone. The slave market is gone. The biggest players are gone. The threats are gone. People are working with those children as we speak. Others are tracking down their families. This new government is actually doing what it promises. It’s working out, Ava. The humans aren’t just a meal. People are listening. The fighting has been contained better than anyone expected, and we’ve made a brand new world for the next generation. This is just the beginning, Ava. Maybe Emmett and Dita won’t have to fight like we did.”

I tried to smile. “Maybe it just feels weird not being on the run from something, you know?”

“And you’re upset about all we’ve lost. That’s normal.”

“Yeah.” I gazed at the dark sky and missed the sun. “Go inside. Your fans are waiting.”