Mystic Rising

by J L Lawrence

  Blood.

  Death.

  Pain.

  They all consumed her. She’d spent so much energy to never feel any of it. She’d thought it made her stronger, but it only made her a coward.

  Her entire body felt like something had dug in its claws and ripped her apart. She tried to keep her mind open, but the agony started to weaken her. When she thought it had come to an end, another wave from the past attacked.

  She witnessed Julie’s death all over again and watched the light fade from her eyes. The visions of her papa’s impending death circled her. Then, she watched as he fell from his chair, and she couldn’t do a thing.

  Time shifted to the past year. Gregory, Roxy, and so many others that had given their lives tore out her heart. It froze when she returned to the night that she’d rescued Xander from the outer Hell Realm. He’d been completely broken, and she’d added to the pain to free him.

  So much death, grief, and betrayal. So much blood on her own hands. She struggled to breathe as her sight dimmed and the pain overtook her mind. She wouldn’t have survived this as a human. She might not as a Mystic. Her thoughts derailed, and her vision faded to black.

  * * *

  Xander and Angie stumbled back when Kate activated the shield blocking out Braxus and them. “What is she doing?” Angie couldn’t mask the fear in her voice, and he didn’t have an answer for her. He didn’t get it. She’d been holding her own and then hid behind a shield.

  A strong warm light embraced her, and she levitated several feet in the air for all to see. Relief flooded him. “She’s figured out how to tap into the power. Look!” She requested the power or passed the test.

  Everything froze around them. Even Braxus seemed locked in fascination. The excitement didn’t last long as Kate became engulfed in the light and pain etched across her face. Whatever she’d witnessed horrified her.

  He leapt forward, but Angie and Xavier pulled him back. Xavier kept a tight grip. “This is her fight, Xander. Her test. Our survival depends on her strength and success. She must follow her path no matter how horrible it may be. Have faith.”

  Xander turned to punch his brother, but saw the pain and sympathy written in his eyes. Instead, he dropped his head.

  Angie stepped to him and gave him a hug. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “She’s the strongest and bravest person I know. She’s my sister and best friend. Believe that she can master this test. Remember what she’s endured so far. Nothing can defeat her. What she needs is your love and hope. The rest, she’ll conquer. She doesn’t do defeat.”

  Her words brought some calm to his racing mind. He hadn’t expected the final test to be easy. Nothing about this journey had been. She’d proven her strength and endurance at every turn. He ignored the look of agony etched across her face and sent waves of love and encouragement, whether she could hear him or not.

  After a few more moments passed, the light surrounding Kate’s body changed to a soft white glow. She began to drift back down to the ground. The barrier still prevented Braxus from reaching her, but even he seemed stunned by the scent of power scorching the air. He hoped that meant she’d passed, or they were about to be in a whole lot of trouble.

  They picked up their weapons, preparing to fight. Once she eliminated the Omega, he’d send all his fellow assholes back to Hell where they belonged. His assassins had edged closer to cause a distraction, but that wasn’t going to happen on his watch. He sent her one last push of reassurance, then focused on killing the idiots trying to creep up behind them.

  * * *

  Kate opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She couldn’t take any more. Just when she’d started to give up, she saw his face in the mist. Could this be real or another trick? Her mind had been so shattered, she didn’t trust her eyes.

  Her papa appeared as she remembered him, full of life, love, and patience. The depth of his love hit her heart along with warmth and joy. His smile wiped away the pain. Her love and admiration for all he’d been and all he’d given her began to fill the holes the past had excavated.

  Not knowing what to do, she stayed quiet.

  He reached for her hand. “Kate, you are everything I knew you could become. Cassius told us the truth about your great destiny. I never understood how much I should tell you and how much to save for the future. Having a normal childhood seemed to mean everything to you. So, I tried to support that, especially after your high school graduation. I wanted you to see the world for the great place it could be. College brought you so many great memories, but you still craved normal. I indulged, until my time ran out.”

  “You’ve known since my birth. Cassius came to the hospital. There were times in my life you could’ve told me more but only hinted.” She tried to keep accusation out of her tone. “I deserved to know more.”

  He patted her cheek and held her gaze. “I tried, but you didn’t want to hear. Remind you of anyone? I guess I also couldn’t envision the full scope of what you would become. But think back. That dose of human interaction and overcoming obstacles built the amazing person you are, full of power and truth. Nothing else could have called me to you.”

  Sighing in reluctance, he stepped back. “Your mission is to defeat the Omega. You have all the power you need, but don’t forget to unlock it to receive the final burst.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding. There’s another step? My brain has endured a target session and turned to Swiss cheese. I’ve endured the pain of a lifetime, literally, all at once. And there’s another piece to this ridiculous puzzle?” Her voice escalated with each word.

  “You’ll know. Follow your heart. It’s time for me to go. Go end this and bring peace to the world. You’ve made me proud.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Katie girl.”

  “I love you, too. Thanks for being the guiding light throughout my life.”

  She glanced down at the tickle that started in her hands. When she looked back up, he’d disappeared. The tingle expanded and spread up her arms, and a strange white light began to travel through her veins. The power kick astonished her. It coursed through her entire body. The fates or ancestors had awarded her with the full light.

  Her surroundings once again started to take shape. She’d returned to the battleground. Braxus threw blast after blast against the shield but couldn’t reach her. Her entire being pumped with love, fury, and vengeance. What a combination. Her blood hummed with the supercharged energy waves. She barely maintained control of the fierce power radiating from every pore.

  Xander’s and Angie’s faces were full of fear, so she sent them reassurance. They needed to focus on their own battles.

  Facing her enemy, she sensed his fear for the first time. He didn’t fully comprehend her transformation. However, his arrogance faded significantly. He began pooling his own dark powers to prepare for the final match.

  They aimed their jet streams of pure light and darkness toward each other, then let it loose. When they collided, all the nearby warriors were thrown several feet backwards and a transparent wall encased them. Otherwise, they’d obliterate everything. Neither backed down and they were equally matched.

  She’d been hoping for a little more oomph. Gaining an advantage over her nemesis would be nice. How did she embrace and fully use all this light inside her? It wouldn’t all come at her command. Not good. Papa had always told her the most powerful force on earth was love. How could she harness love and make it a weapon? Wasn’t that an oxymoron?

  Think.

  She and Braxus were still deadlocked.

  Memories.

  If accepting the bad ones could unlock her humanity and power source, could good memories provide the direction and boost? She tried to recall everything. Family gatherings, meeting Angie and Julie, joining the FBI, meeting her team.

  The power built inside her. She focused on more positive thoughts from the past. Their power struggle had changed and no longer hung in the middle of the tug of war. Her blue flames had moved forward. They hover
ed only a few feet from his body.

  He transformed once again into the form of Xander. She simply shook her head and didn’t miss a beat. He helped her remember even more positive moments in her life. She strengthened the blast and witnessed shock light up his eyes.

  “Try all the trickery you want, Braxus. But it won’t make an impact on me. Take any form from my past. I’ve faced my trials and accepted the pain and inevitability of this world. Maybe you should’ve taken time to learn the same.” She channeled all her strength and it inched closer and closer.

  Braxus countered, recovering some of the distance, but very little. She dug deeper for the strongest emotional memories of her lifetime: the innocents she’d saved, her FBI friends and her Mystic team, meeting Xander in that dark alley and their shared salsa dance that sparked an eternal love, the night they bonded and created their first fireworks show, and all the amazing people her destiny had blessed her with. She’d had a wonderful life.

  Power bubbled inside her and the light brightened until she glowed like a beacon. Braxus sucked energy from all the demons around him to gain more power. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t budge the pure light approaching him that forced his own malevolent energy into submission. His eyes panicked. She’d rattled him.

  He growled. “How is this possible? You are nothing but a weak pathetic human.” He sent out another wave, but gained nothing in the struggle. She needed to end this and account for all the losses. Evil didn’t die easy.

  Keeping her eyes locked on his, she pulled the most precious memory she possessed. She kept it buried deep in her heart and held on for dear life. The vision from Roxy. Her one chance at an amazing future. She let it wash over her. Xander and she stood on the front porch of their home in the Meadows talking and laughing. A sharp squeal caught their attention. Two girls and one boy wrestled in the garden below. One of the girls glanced up and pleaded, “Mommy, Daddy, come play with us.” Her heart expanded. Nothing held more love or hope than that moment.

  She focused on her inner light and harnessed its power. The tip of her light had reached the outer edge of his chest. He recoiled but couldn’t stop her now. She’d make sure he felt the pain and suffering of all those he’d harmed. And he’d feel the love and hope that his kind craved but could never possess. He needed to know the pure power of human emotion and the pure light it represented.

  Before she aimed her final push, she met his eyes one last time. He appeared panicked, but held her gaze. She let her eyes swirl their electric blue and released the full colors of her tattoo. She showed him the answer to his earlier question. She wasn’t human. She had become the most powerful being in the world.

  She winked as he had earlier. “Thanks for the dance.”

  Using everything she had, she released every ounce of light inside her body and soul. He screamed as the flames entered his body. He thrashed and tried to break free as the emotions she’d sent straight into him took hold and burned him alive from the inside out. With a final mental push, she encased him in pure white light.

  He exploded, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ashes.

  Kate walked over slowly and stood above the remains. It seemed a fitting end for such evil. “Ashes to ashes. Dust to Dust.” Her task had been completed and the realms were safe from demonic rule.

  Chapter 18

  With the battle over, Kate’s body struggled to control the pulsing energy inside. It eclipsed every fiber of her being. Each breath and movement zapped with power. She could do whatever she wanted in this world, conquer anything that dared to stand against her. Probably too much for one being to hold.

  “Mystic, you have proven to be exceptional. If you choose, you can use the power pulsing inside you and join us. We are ancestors of the past, called the Fates by many, and would welcome you into our world to guide future Mystics and to maintain the balance in all realms. It’s a high calling rarely bestowed. You have earned the invitation. What say you?”

  Tempting. She’d remain an all-powerful being charting the course of all realms and choosing the future Mystic and Council members. She’d never endure painful emotions again. The light inside pulsed, begging her to choose the ancestors and become the ruler the world needed.

  Her mind jumped at the chance, but something held her back. She tried to sort through the power and gain control. Her body shook with the amount of energy trapped inside. Joining the ancestors would provide relief. She’d no longer need an earthly body. So why the hesitation? Voices pleaded with her in the back of her mind. She couldn’t focus.

  Her gaze met Xander’s, and her heart thumped. Clarity formed in her mind, and she found the strength to rein in the light. Barely. She’d always struggle to contain this much power. But she couldn’t leave this world behind. Her life was with Xander. All the realms needed her help to rebuild. She had responsibilities in this place first.

  Should any earthly being possess this much power? Would it make her stronger or more corruptible? Clearing her mind, she made her decision. A different future had already laid claim to her heart. Only one thing left to do.

  She gave thanks to the ancestors, but declined their offer. Then, she lifted her hands to the sky and chanted these words to return balance.

  The Omega is dead and the task completed

  Darkness has once again been defeated

  Pure light burns bright inside my soul

  Maybe too much for one being to hold

  I return part of the light inside of me

  Burning so brightly for the world to see

  The Mystic shall remain your humble servant

  Until the time comes for the next generation to own it

  The elements of life I still possess

  And I pledge to protect them with my last breath

  Thank you for your faith and trust in me

  With these last words I choose to set your light free

  Streams of white light shot from her fingertips, returning the over-abundance of power into the safe hands of the ancestors. Future Mystics would need the purity of the light, but the world itself didn’t need access to that much energy. The ancestors thanked her for her service and wished her well.

  She had no doubt new adventures would come along soon enough.

  Xander opened his arms, and she ran to meet him. He spun her around, kissing every inch of her face. When he finally set her down, Angie nearly knocked her over.

  “I thought for a second you’d be more powerful than you should. A little scary with you lit up like a Christmas tree. Not many would voluntarily relinquish that kind of juice. I’m proud of you, Kate. Thanks for choosing us.”

  “We’ve been through way too much for me to give up on this world now.” Kate placed an arm around Angie and one around Xander. They walked toward Rowena.

  Once the initial celebrating came to an end, they took stock of the losses and moved everyone back to the Meadows to grieve their fallen friends.

  * * *

  For the first time in months, Kate felt relief flowing through her system. She’d accomplished her mission and survived to fight another day. After her latest vision, that day might come sooner than they thought, but she’d worry about it later. Xander continued to hold her close and Angie stayed by her side. Neither had fully processed that everything would be okay now.

  She’d frightened them while making her decision to join the ancestors. They would need time to heal and accept the finality of the Rising. It had been unconventional for sure. She intended to make sure the next generation didn’t have as much guesswork.

  “I agree with what Angie said earlier,” Xander said. “You scared me for a minute. I thought you might choose them over us. I couldn’t reach you. From my view, it looked like you might leave.” He needed reassurance after the brutality and uncertainty of the battle.

  “I’m sorry. Keeping the power tempted me beyond belief, and joining the ancestors would have been an amazing honor. I’d be able to choose and prepare future Mystics. But it mea
nt leaving all of you, and I lost interest. The two of you kept me grounded and reminded me of the endless hope for the future. I knew I couldn’t maintain that level of energy and exist within our realm.”

  Kate chuckled, trying to break the tension. “Could you imagine if I entered the Human Realm and blew out a city’s transformer just by my existence? I’d cause distress wherever I went.” She smiled at Xander. “And every time we came together, you’d get the shock of a lifetime, literally.”

  They all laughed, alleviating some of the remaining anxiety. He laid his forehead against hers. “Yeah, I had already envisioned wearing armor to bed. I think that might have impacted my mobility a tad.”

  It felt good to hear the fun-loving banter return to her friends. It’d been a while since they could all breathe without the impending doom over their heads.

  Rowena finished a conversation with Ace and walked over. “You did amazing, Kate. I’m so proud of you. I don’t think any of us imagined what you could become. It’s a rare honor to be invited by the Ancestors.”

  Her heart shattered when she removed the blocks Xander had placed on her mind to prevent the distraction from fallen warriors. There were more than she’d imagined. She didn’t want to sort through all the information hitting her at once, so she hoped Rowena knew more. “Have you begun to count and process the losses? How many humans did we lose?”

  “About two-thirds of the humans perished in the battle, but it wasn’t a total loss as we had feared. Your friends survived. Gregory valiantly protected them until the end of the battle. Marcus has already taken them to the base camp to assist with identification of those we could salvage. Teri is taking the lead in accounting for all humans. We’ll take stock and make decisions in the coming days. For now, they’re safe.”