“I have not gone crazy!” she shouted. “I just want to find my family!” Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she glanced over her shoulder, blinking into the snow swirling around her. “Where is everyone?”
“Dead.”
The voice sounded behind her, and she swung around. She ducked as another snowman rose from the ground, bouncing toward her. She stumbled back, her back slamming back against something. Glancing over her shoulder and staring into the red eyes of another snowman.
“I got her!” The branch arms of the snowman curled around her.
“No!”
She ducked, rolling out of the way and jumped to her feet. She trudged through the snow, raising her sword and swiping it to the right, to the left, slicing through snowmen as she raced toward the castle. Wrapping her had around the large, circular handle and pulling the large door open. Disappearing inside and slamming the door shut with a loud bang.
“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here,” a young woman with dark, red hair said as she strode down the long hallway. Her black and red dress flowing around her ankles as she talked. Her dark, red lips curving into a smile. “Hello, Josi.”
“Talia.” Josi rose from where she was leaning against the door, recognizing the woman immediately.
“Ahh. You remember me,” Talia aid, grinning as she licked the blood from her lips. “And how nice it is for you to join us. Now we have another snack to feed on.” She glanced at the vampires standing behind her. “Cease her!”
“Run!”
Sky ducked, racing along the streets of New York. Staring up at the sky, as it turned to black, red lightning streaking through the sky.
“Well. I know what that looks like,” he muttered under his breath, as he and hundreds of other people raced down the sidewalk as the dragon lifted it’s head, opening it’s large mouth and spraying fire along the street.
“Is that… a dragon?” the girl gasped, stopping to stare up at it. “It’s so cool!”
“Don’t stop to stare at it!” Sky cried, grabbing her by the arm, and dragging her down the street. “You’ll get burned!”
“But... but…”
“No buts!” Sky cried, rolling his eyes at the people in the street stopping to take a photo of the beast. Did these people not fear for their lives? They were being targeted by a dragon for goodness sakes!
“Hey! Down here!” Sky shouted, reaching down, and grasping the storm drain. He strained, trying to lift it, glancing at the men standing next to him. “Hey! Can you help me with this?”
“You think we’ll be safe down there?”
“It’s better than being up here!” Sky shouted, wincing, as the dragon spewed more fire from his lips. Watching as the vampires circled through the air, and demons filled the streets. He ducked, as an arrow flung through the air. “And don’t let the arrows hit you!” he shouted, as they hefted the drain up. “Okay, everyone down. Single file!”
He watched as they all went down in single file, down into the sewer, and he jumped, as fire lit up next to him. Ducking, as the gas tank exploded. His eyes landing on a young woman, struggling against the vampire.
“Damned vampires,” he muttered under his breath, grabbing the piece of plywood from next to him and breaking it over his knee. “You’re freaking mongrels!” He turned on his heel, racing across the street.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“To help!” Sky shouted over his shoulder. He raced down the road, jumping up on the garbage cans, and lunged into the air, striking the wood through the vampire’s heart.
“Argh!”
“How… how did you do that?” the woman asked, clutching her purse as she stared up at him all wide eyed.
“Practice,” Sky said, gesturing to the line of people. “Go get in the sewer! We need to get away from the demons!”
“Always the savior, aren’t you?” one of the vampires asked, as he hovered over Sky, grinning, his fangs hovering over his lip.
“What else would I be?” Sky asked. “It’s my duty to help keep the evil at bay!” His eyes lowered to the sword lying at his feet, and he kicked it up with his foot.
“You think a sword is going to save you from us?” Another vampire asked, as he dropped to the ground, gesturing to the vampires circling behind him.
“No. But it can do this!” Sky shouted, stabbing the can of gasoline next to him. Watching as the dragon lifted its large head, fire spewing from his lips.
Now Sky! Go!
He turned, racing toward the sewer. An explosion sounding behind him, and the screams of the vampires filling he air. Gotcha! He thought, just as arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him to the ground.
“No!”
He struggled against the vampire, gasping, as he was thrown to the ground. Watching as the vampire lunged toward him, his fangs striking toward him.
“No!”
An arrow slung through the air, and he jerked his head around, watching as one of the men lowered his bow.
“Get away from him!”
“What he said!”
Several men raced forward, holding baseball bats, swords, and spikes, fighting off the vampires as they circled around Sky.
“We’ll be back for you Sky,” the vampire said, hissing, as a bat struck him on the head. “For you, your friends and your witches too!” He turned, flying off into the distance.
“I look forward to it!” Sky shouted, as he jumped to his feet. “Bring it on!”
Oh ouch. What the hell happened?
Jami groaned, peeling her eyes open. Trying to move, and gasped in pain, when she couldn’t. Staring own at her body, wincing at the metal rod that was plunge through her chest, and her body twisted like a pretzel. Now wonder I’m hurting, she thought, grabbing a hold of the pole and pulling it from her chest.
Oh! Now that is much better! She thought, as the ground shook underneath her. Watching as the rubble next to her shook. Crap! The Ogre’s waking up!
She reached for the pole laying above her head. Twisting her body and sighing as a crack sounded. Her spine straightening. The feeling returning to her legs and arms. Man. How I do love this power! she thought, watching as the cut on her leg healed. It’s so cool! And I can never get hurt!
“Witch!”
The Ogre rose from the pile of rubbish, brushing wood off him, and grabbed his hammer. Turing and racing across the pit, lunging toward her. “I’m hungry!”
“Ahh!”
Jami turned, diving out of the way. The hammer smashing into the rubble she had just been lying in a moment ago.
“No! I want witch!” the Ogre shouted, slamming his hammer to the ground. “I must smash witch! For dinner!”
He slammed the hammer against the ground again, and Jami gulped, watching as a hole formed in the earth. Staring down into the hot, rolling water underneath. I know that place. It’s gotta be the underworld!
“Sorry, buster, but I am not one human you are going to smash, or have for your dinner!” Jami shouted, turning her gaze away from the view underneath her. She grabbed the pole sitting in the rubbish below her and raced across the pit. Planting the rod into the ground, and jumping across the hole. Landing on the Ogre’s shoulders.
“Grr! I will have you for my meal!” The Ogre shouted, jerking left, then right, trying to dislodge her from his back. Tossing her up into the air, and Jami reached a hand out. Grabbing the piece of wall sticking out far above the Ogre’s head.
“Get back here!” the Ogre shouted, slamming his hammer against the floor.
“No,” Jami said, grinning. “By the way. Have a nice trip to hell.”
“What?” the Ogre looked at her, then below him as the ground suddenly opened, and he plunged down into the hot, rolling lava underneath.
“Gotcha!” she cried, lifting her head to look above her. “Hey! Does somebody wanna get me out of here?”
“Jami?”
Jessi, Jade, Jasmine, and Jorja all peered down. “Holy crap! Jami!”
�
�Jami! You’re alive!” Jessi cried, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks as she stared down at her sister. “Thank God!”
“Of course I’m alive!” Jami shouted. “My cells regenerate, remember? Now, can someone please get me out of here!”
“Ah, Jasmine, I think this is all you,” Jade said, glancing over at Jasmine. “Think you got this?”
“Well, if I don’t, she’ll just self-heal, right?”
“Hey!”
“Don’t worry, Jami, I’ll get you out,” Jasmine said, biting back a grin. She held her hands out, slowly lifting them. Watching as Jami’s body rose from the hole, setting her feet on the ground right in front of them.
“Jami!”
Jessi rushed forward, engulfing her sister in a hug. “Oh my God! You scared the crap out of me!” She cried, pulling back, and punching her in the arm. “Don’t ever do that!”
“Ouch! Do what?”
“Sacrifice yourself for me!”
“I knew I wouldn’t get hurt, Jessi,” Jami said, rising to her feet. “In fact, I don’t think I can die. My cells regenerate too fast.”
“So, you’re going to live forever?”
“I hope not,” Jami said, cringing. “I would hate to be the only one who lives to be 500 years old.”
“Well, not the only one,” Jade said, winking at her. “I mean you are in good company with the vampires.”
“Agh.”
“But that’s a long ways away,” Jessi said, padding her on the back. “Jasmine, do you need help restoring your memories?”
Jasmine shook he head. “No. My memories returned already.”
“How?”
“Sky,” Jasmine said. “Something’s wrong, Jade.”
“What do you mean?” Jade asked, raising a brow at Jasmine. “He should be safe. He’s in seclusion with the Gods and angels.”
“Well, he’s not. I felt his pain all the way here,” she said, pointing to her heart. “It was like something was being ripped out of him.”
“Like his powers?”
“Yes! Exactly that, but what would happen to his powers?”
“Liam,” Jade said, crossing her arms in front of his chest. “Sky wanted to come with us, Jasmine. To help. He didn’t want to sit on the sidelines like the other Gods were doing. I’m guessing, that he confronted Liam about it, and well… Liam lost his temper.”
“Bastard.”
“Can we get going?” Jorja cut in, tapping her foot impatiently as she stared at the group. “We do have one more sister to save you know.”
“Yes. Josslyn.”
“Wait. Josslyn’s here?” Jade asked. She glanced over at Jorja. “Oh, hey Jorja. Sorry about this mess you’ve gotten thrown into. I haven’t even gotten to know you yet!”
“Oh, don’t worry about Jorja,” Jasmine said, smiling. “She’s a badass. In fact, she’s ex-CIA.”
“What!”
“Yup, and she’s not even a social worker. She’s looking for her daughter.”
“So she lied to us?”
“Yup.”
Jade narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like liars, Jasmine.”
“Oh Jade, will you get over yourself. You would have done this same thing if you were in her shoes!”
“Maybe.”
“Yes, you would have. I know you. You would do anything to save your family. Now come on, let’s go! The Queen’s got Josslyn!” she said, pointing to the window at the black castle lying in the distance. “Then, let’s go get rid of Elijah! Once and for all.”
“Elijah?”
Julie walked down the hallway, turning into the great room, glancing at Elijah on the other side of the room. “What are you doing?”
“Watching the chaos unfold,” Elijah said, turning away from the image on the wall, and walking down the steps. He stopped, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better,” Julie said, leaning her head on his shoulder, glancing at the image on the other side of the room not sure how she should feel about it. On one hand, she felt guilty, not that she remembered any of it, but the seer had shown her what she and her sisters had done. Fighting evil for almost a year now. On the other hand, it was kind of cool that evil was finally winning. “Thank you, Elijah. For what you did. Going to my family for that potion. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”
“I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you alive, my love,” Elijah said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. Feeling a twinge deep inside him, and he quickly pushed it to the side. “Shall we take a walk?”
“That would be nice,” Julie said, looping her arm through his and walking with him out of the great room. They walked along the path, and she glanced around her. Staring at the bright, orange walls around her, the lava rolled around them, and the fire spewed. “It’s so orange here!” she cried. “Don’t you ever get tired of the brightness.”
“All the time,” Elijah said. “That’s why sometimes I do this.” He waved his hand, darkness coming over the underworld.
“You can do that? What else can you do?”
“This,” Elijah said, holding his hand out, a single rose appearing in his palm. “For you, my love.”
“Elijah!” Julie took the rose, bringing it to her nose and sniffing. How can this man be evil? He’s so sweet! Taking me all around of the world. Taking me dancing. On walks. Even giving me a rose? “It’s beautiful.”
“Just like you, Jules,” Elijah said, squeezing her hand as they rounded the corner. Eyeing the horned demon, as he walked past.
“Elijah. We have a situation,” the demon said.
“Can it wait?” Elijah asked. “I’m talking to my wife.”
“I’m sorry, Elijah, but it can’t. It’s about the angel.”
“Sky?” Julie asked. “What’s wrong?”
“It seems the Gods have had enough of his shenanigans,” the demon said, glancing at Julie. “Should I be telling her this?”
Elijah shrugged. “You can tell her anything.”
Julie smiled. He’s not keeping secrets anymore, huh? “So what does that mean?”
“That he’s no longer an angel” the demon said. “And now, he’s in New York.”
“You’re the one who kidnapped Josslyn?” Josi asked, wincing, as the vampires shoved her forward, glancing over at Talia. “Why?”
“Because she’s strong, and she’s exactly what I need in order to extract my revenge on Elijah.”
“Elijah? Why do you want revenge on Elijah?”
“Because he betrayed me,” Talia snapped, whipping her head around, and hissing at Josi. “He lied to me. Manipulated me. Chose a witch over me!”
“But you almost killed her!”
“Right, and Elijah turned to you witches for help,” Talia muttered under her breath. “The bastard is conflicted. He doesn’t know what side he’s on now, but I’ll guide him to the right path. Once I kill the witch.” She stopped at the cage next to her, opening the door. “In you go, witch.”
“What? I’m not going in there!” Josi cried, staring into the darkness. “Who knows what’s in there!”
“Don’t you think if I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead?” Talia asked, chuckling. “Go on, little girl. There is much to do, before I head back to the underworld.”
“Why? What are you doing?”
“Why, making a potion, of course,” Talia said, smiling. “With your mother’s blood. Once it’s done, I’ll be able to bypass the protection spell Elijah has cast over the underworld, then I will take my rightful spot as queen.” She nodded to the other vampires, and Josi gasped, as they grabbed her by the arms. Shoving her inside.
“Hey!”
Josi groaned, her body hitting the concrete floor with a loud groan, and she planted her hands on the floor. Shoving herself to her feet and racing forward. “Hey! You can’t leave me in here!” She shouted, wrapping her hands around the bars and shaking them. “I don’t belong in here!”
“I
t’s no use, Josi,” a faint voice said from the other side of the cell and Josi turned. She stared across the cell, squinting her eyes, gasping when she saw Josslyn leaning back against the wall. “Josslyn?”
“Hi, Josi.” Josslyn forced a small smile, her dark, mangled hair falling limp as she held a hand to her stomach, struggling to breathe as she tried to sit up straight. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Oh my God! What happened to you?” Josi asked, racing across the room, staring at her mother’s pale face, her pale lips, and lifeless looking eyes. She held a hand to her face, gasping. “You’re burning up!”
“It’s the blood loss,” Josslyn whispered. “Talia. She’s been draining me of my blood, trying to perfect this potion she’s trying to make.”
“I know. I heard. She’s trying to get back to the underworld. What happened?”
“Elijah banished her, after she tried to kill Julie. He’s really making a name for himself down in the underworld. He even killed these guys called the Cloaks. From what I understand, they’re high level demons of the underworld. Something about needing to protect his family.” Josslyn sighed, leaning back, and glancing at Josi. “Why are you here, Josi?”
“An Ogre brought us,” Josi said. “And then we ran into Jorja. She said you two were together here? That you were trying to get back to us, when an earthquake shook, and Talia took you. What I don’t understand, is why you?”
“Because I’m the only one she could get her hands on,” Josslyn whispered. “The only one with white magic in my blood that is. It’s what she needs for the potion, but something’s missing. Some ingredient, and she keeps coming back for more and more.” She winced, holding a hand to her stomach. “Josi, I’m not going to make it out of here.”
“What? No! You have to make it out of here!”
“It’s not my choice anymore, Josi. It’s fate’s,” Josslyn said, raising her shirt, and showing Josi the hole in her stomach. “The vampires have been feeding on me, in their down time. I’m losing too much blood. I’ll be dead soon.”
Shattered Dimensions Page 12
