by C. L. Parker
Sinclair looked down at the Ring of Truth before handing it back to Drew. “It didn’t warm the entire time I held it, so I believe what you’ve told me.” She stepped forward willingly with her head held high. “If you can keep that bastard demon away from me, I’ll do anything you ask.”
Sarah approached Theo first. She blew into his face, her breath coming out in a white puff littered with tiny sparkles. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply. “See, Theodore, and do no more harm,” she whispered.
Theo opened his eyes. They were back to his normal brown, no longer glazed over with the milky white film. “I can see,” he said in awe.
As Sarah stepped to the side, Availia took her place. She cupped the back of his neck and said, “I bind you from doing magic, Theodore. May the Light always shine upon you.” Her hand on his neck glowed minutely, and when she pulled it away, a mark was left in its place. It wasn’t the same as Kerrigan and Dominic’s. This one was in the shape of an X.
Sarah blew into Yvette’s face. “Use your intelligence for good, Yvette, and do no more harm,” she whispered, and then Availia took her place again, repeating the same chant and leaving the same mark before she moved down the line after Sarah.
Next was Chase. She pushed his overly long bangs from his eyes and blew into his face. “Get a haircut, young Chase, and do no more harm.”
Then to Greta. “Your beauty will entrance many, but you will do no more harm.”
Sinclair was last, and Sarah gave her a genuine smile. “You have been through so much, sister, but true love has finally found you. Go in peace, and do no more harm.” Sinclair closed her eyes and waited for Sarah to blow into her face, but she didn’t. Instead, she kissed her on the cheek, the spot glowing with angelic light that dimmed and dissipated the moment she pulled back. Sarah smiled at her and stepped aside.
Availia took her place with the Light shining in her eyes. She placed her hand on the back of Sinclair’s neck. “I bind you from doing magic, Sinclair. May the Light always shine upon you. And, please... call your grandmother, child. When you do, tell her I said not to worry. All is well.” She winked, and then her hand lit up to leave its mark. When she removed it, Drew looked behind her to see it.
Surprised, he took her by the shoulders and turned her around. “Drew! What’s wrong with you?” she asked, laughing.
“It’s... it’s identical to my mark,” he said, still staring at her neck. It was shaped like a crescent moon as well.
Sinclair turned to face him. “What do you think that means?”
Drew pulled her into his arms. “It means I’ve finally found my soul mate. Sorry to be the one to break it to you, love, but it seems you’re stuck with me from now on.”
Sinclair smiled, feeling free and genuinely loved for the first time in a long time. “Is that so? Well I guess it’s a good thing I’m madly in love with you then, isn’t it?”
He kissed her passionately and then pulled back to smile down at her. “What do you say we get out of here?”
Sinclair nodded her agreement, and then Drew turned to Dominic and Kerrigan. “We’ll meet up with you later to discuss the plan of action for confronting Drake.”
“I don’t know that there’s really anything you can do,” Kerrigan said.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to be there just in case. I won’t abandon you. Just promise me you’ll wait until I get there before you try anything.”
“We’ll wait for you,” Dominic assured him and stuck out his hand. “I know I’ve acted like a complete ass toward you, but I want you to know that I really appreciate all that you’ve done to help us. Just... be careful,” he said pointedly.
Drew looked over his shoulder at Sinclair, who had gone over to view the same set of headstones she had been so fascinated by earlier. With confidence, he turned back to Dominic. “I really don’t think I have anything to worry about.” He shook Dominic’s hand, and then went to join his soul mate.
Theo, Yvette, Greta, and Sinclair had already taken their leave. Tyson, Talon, Olivia, and Sydney said their goodbyes so they could get some sleep.
“It’s time for us to go as well,” Availia said.
Kerrigan turned and ran into her open arms, hugging her tight. “I love you so much, Grammy. I know what you sacrificed for me, and not a day will go by that I will ever take that sacrifice for granted.”
Her grandmother pulled back and regarded her with a warm smile. “I would do it a thousand times over without an ounce of regret. I love you, Sunshine. Now, don’t you worry about your little one. With parents like you and Dominic, I know everything will work out in the end. I’m sorry, but I must say good-bye, now.”
Kerrigan pulled back. “But you never say good-bye.”
Availia smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. “I know, dear, but this time, I must. I’ll always be watching out for you, though.”
A tear slipped down Kerrigan’s face when her grandmother kissed her forehead. “Take care of him, my Sunshine, as he will take care of you.” With that, she pulled away, looking over to where Colton was hugging his mother tightly. Sarah whispered something in his ear and then kissed his cheek before turning to Dominic.
“Nicky,” she said, holding her other arm out to invite him to join them. He bolted into her waiting embrace and just for a second, Kerrigan saw a glimpse of the little boy from that picture on his nightstand. Just like in the photo, the family wore happy faces once again. It made Kerrigan feel elated and sad at the same time. She knew it would be the last either one of the brothers would see of their mother, but at least this time they would leave her with good memories instead of the horrible nightmare Drake had taunted them with for so long.
Sarah kissed Dominic’s cheek. “I have always, and will always, love you.” She pulled back, sending Colton to Gabe’s side and Dominic to hers, and then she went to join Availia, both turning to walk away with a smile.
“Sarah, wait.” Kerrigan stopped them. Sarah turned to face her. “If we do this... if we bind Drake to the abyss, will Dominic’s curse be lifted?”
Sarah shook her head. “Binding Drake will not be the answer you’re seeking. It was the separation of Nicky’s soul from his body that caused his curse. In order to fix that, you have to find a way to make him whole again. If anyone can do it, you can, Guardian. After all, you hold the power, you hold his soul, and you also hold the key.”
“Why is everyone always talking in riddles?” she asked, exasperated, and then changed her tone. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I just get so frustrated when I can’t get a straight answer.”
Sarah cupped her cheek. “But I have given you the answer. You just need to look past what you can see, and the truth shall be revealed.” Her words were haunting. She remembered her grandmother’s spirit telling her the same thing the night she had visited her after Kerrigan dreamed of her passing.
Sarah turned to join her grandmother once again. They took each other’s hand and walked straight ahead. Her grandmother’s soothing voice humming This Little Light of Mine was the last thing she heard as they faded from sight.
“Well, now what?” She turned to face the others. Colton and Gabe looked back at her with worried expressions. Dominic was nowhere to be found.
“Dominic?”
“She said it wouldn’t last for long.” His detached voice was next to her ear. “I’m just wondering exactly how much longer I have until you won’t even be able to hear my voice.”
Mere hours after his entire world had been turned upside down, Dominic was antsy, to say the least. His wasn’t the only world affected, though. Everything Sinclair had known had changed in a matter of minutes as well. Still, it was hard for him to feel sorry for that bitch after everything she’d done to him. Yes, he was holding a grudge, but so what? He had more than earned the right.
Kerrigan looked exhausted. No small wonder considering the amount of energy it had taken to vanquish his demonic father. Demonic—now there’s something
he hadn’t been expecting, but really, he wasn’t surprised. He had already been introduced to the demon in his own dreams, he just hadn’t thought it was real. A part of him had actually believed it was his subconscious putting Drake in that role. That’s what the mind did in dreams, right? That’s why people dreamed of snakes that talk to them, dead people who tried to eat their brains, and ungodly beautiful women who were attracted to fat, balding men, right? It was their subconscious that conjured up those images. But seeing Daddy Drake morph into a demonic form was not his mind playing tricks on him—it was the real fucking deal.
A motherfucking demon? And a Guardian Angel? What the fuck kind of shit was that? He was a mutt of the supernatural sort, with a paranormal curse to boot. Yep, a freak. That was the label he had given to himself back when all this shit had gone down. He just hadn’t realized how big of a freak he really was until his deceased/immortal mother came back from the grave/Heaven to tell him that he was both demonic and angelic at the same time.
What. A. Clusterfuck.
On the plus side—yes, there actually was a plus side—he was a Guardian. Maybe not a Guardian of the Light, but a Guardian nonetheless. Which meant maybe he was worthy of Kerrigan’s love—or at least half of him was. It sure as hell explained why every fiber of his existence insisted he protect her. He just didn’t know how he was going to protect her when he was depending on her to fight his battle for him with his father, aka, Lucifer’s Left Nut.
He could feel himself weakening by the second, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he had before he faded to black, but he knew he was running out of time. Instinct told him he wouldn’t last another day.
He looked down at Kerrigan sleeping peacefully in their bed and wondered what she might be dreaming. Was she dreaming of him? Of their baby? Of a white picket fence with him manning the grill and their child playing in the front yard while she sat on the porch with an ice-cold glass of tea? The possibilities were endless, and they all ripped at his heart. What if he couldn’t give her those things? What if he couldn’t figure out how to pull her into his dream and she was left to raise their child all alone? What if, by some small miracle, he figured out how to do it, but it still didn’t matter? What if he would be handing her over to Satan’s Left Nut like leading a pig to slaughter?
Her brow furrowed as if she could read his thoughts, and he ran his incorporeal fingers over the wrinkled lines to smooth them once more. She shivered from his cold touch and then relaxed again with the slightest hint of a contented smile.
Damn, but the woman loved him. He wondered if she knew how completely he loved her as well. Love wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the way he felt about her. He doubted there was one single word in the English language that could adequately describe the feelings he held for her. It was something so much... well, just more. He loved her with his whole self—everything he ever was, is, or would be. No matter what happened, whether he lived or died, that would never change. Wherever he ended up, he would forever search for her.
There was a soft knock on their bedroom door before it opened, and Gabe stuck his head through the crack. “Kerr Bear? Drew’s here, sweetie. You need to get up.”
Kerrigan’s eyes popped open and she sat straight up in bed. “Dominic?” she called for him, frantically searching the room.
“Shh, I’m here, Querida.” He tried to ease her worry, but he didn’t know how comforting it was since his voice sounded completely inhuman.
She put her hand over her heart and sighed in relief. “Oh, thank God. Why did you let me fall asleep?”
“You needed the rest.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Don’t argue with him, Miss Cruz.” Drew topped the stairs with Sinclair at his side. “He’s right. You’ll be no good to him if you’re exhausted. Now, I’ve done some thinking, and I believe the best course of action is to ensure Dominic is in human form before he drifts off to sleep. After all, if we can’t see him, we won’t know if he’s asleep or in distress.”
“But he can’t even materialize, much less transform into his physical form,” Kerrigan said, standing.
“That’s where I can be of some use. If I transfer enough of my Light into him, it should give Dominic enough energy to not only become whole again, but also to serve as a defense mechanism for a short period of time while in his dream state with the demon.” Drew spoke in the direction of Dominic’s voice. “Dominic, it’s important that you don’t use all of the energy in just one shot. The intent is not to blast him from your dream, it’s to fend him off long enough for Kerrigan to come in and perform the binding rites on him. It won’t last long, but it should be long enough.”
“Got it,” he answered. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
“There’s just one problem. You need to be in physical form for me to transfer my energy to you.”
“Well, shit! We’re screwed then!” Dominic said, his hopes deflated.
“No, we’re not.” It was clear by Kerrigan’s expression that she thought she had the solution. “William.”
“Excuse me?” Drew asked, confused.
“There was a ghost, William, at the lighthouse. He drained energy from me in order to manifest. Dominic could do the same.”
“But he wouldn’t be in his physical form even then.”
“No, but if he has enough of his own energy left to add to it, I bet he could,” she countered. “Dominic?”
Dominic had been saving as much of his energy as he could to prolong what little life he had left, but now, he had to use a little to gain a lot. He had no qualms with that. “Yeah, I can do it.”
“There’s one other problem,” Drew said. “If you drain me of my energy to become solid, I may not have enough left to give you what you’ll need to stay that way for long enough to see this through and to ward off the demon while in your dream.”
“I’ll do it,” Sinclair said.
“Do what?”
She stepped forward. “He can take my energy.”
Drew shook his head vehemently. “No. Absolutely not.”
“We can’t ask you to do that, Sinclair,” Kerrigan said. “It’s too dangerous for you.”
“I want to do it. I have a lot to make amends for, and I know this isn’t enough to make up for my part in all this, but maybe it will be a start.”
Silence hung in the air, each person contemplating the ramifications and possibilities of using her. Dominic couldn’t help but imagine Sinclair as the Grinch, her shriveled-up heart growing three sizes in that one moment. What do you know? Maybe hanging out with Drew Dickens had done her some good. He still didn’t trust her, and he had a feeling he’d be coughing up black tar from his lungs for weeks after he sucked her energy into him, but there really was no other option, and energy was energy.
“Will the passion flower extract work on her?” Kerrigan asked.
Kerrigan and Drew looked at each other and said, “Yes!” They must have been feeling that Guardian thing again.
Kerrigan turned to her best friend. “Gabe...”
“I’m already on it,” he said taking off.
They already had some of the extract made up for Kerrigan, and she had only used a small amount of it when they got home; however, they were going to need more than what they had on hand to use on not only Sinclair, but Drew and Kerrigan as well when she came out of Dominic’s dream. If she came out of his dream. He couldn’t allow himself to think like that. She had to be okay. Their baby had to be okay.
Moments later, Gabe had returned with so much of the extract that Colton had to help him carry it. Drew kissed Sinclair and swore he would do everything in his power to ensure she would be okay. She looked scared but determined to play her role.
Drew looked around the room. “Where are you, mate?”
“I’m here,” he answered from next to Kerrigan.
“Be careful not to take too much. You need to pull from the power in the room around you so that you have as much as you can get bef
ore you start to drain Sinclair. If anything happens to her, I’m holding you personally responsible.”
Fair enough. He would react the same way if it were Kerrigan risking her life. Which she did on a regular basis for him, so he knew the feeling all too well.
Sinclair lay down on the floor, and he stood above her. He concentrated on pulling from the power sources around him first, causing the lights to flicker. Soon, the entire room was pitch-black with the exception of the small amount of light his ghostly figure gave off.
Sinclair looked up at him as he hovered over her. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” she said, and then she closed her eyes and parted her lips.
Dominic did the same, not able to bear watching himself do something so inhuman, albeit necessary. He inhaled a deep breath, feeling the first tingle of energy tickling his lungs. The sensation spread and filled him, making him come to life from the inside out. The heat of her essence warmed his cells, and they danced in celebration. It was the same feeling he had when he had transformed from ghost to human on a daily basis, only this was dramatically slower, allowing him to feel each distinct cell as they fired to life. He could become addicted to the sensation and understood why William had refused to let go of Kerrigan—what her Guardian essence must have felt like flowing through him.
“That’s enough,” Drew said.
Dominic pulled back before he became lost in the allure of taking more. The demon inside him wanted it, begged him to steal it, but his human side—the part embraced by his angelic bloodline and the Light—gave him the strength to push away. He stood and looked down at himself, finding a golden glow surrounding his physical form and it was evident that this was only temporary.
“Dominic,” Kerrigan whispered with sadness in her eyes.
Drew leaned over Sinclair’s lethargic body. She offered him a weak smile to prove she was okay. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” he whispered and then kissed her.
