Mace groaned, but moved close enough to plant a wet kiss on my cheek before taking Lavie from Duff, and dragging her into the circle. Lavie resisted him as much as she had the older man. She kicked him in the shin and tried to make a run for it, but he overpowered her. In the end, he wrapped his arms around her waist and carried Lavie to her designated spot. When he slashed both her wrists with a small dagger, and the first drops of blood hit the ground, Lavie was stuck.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed. “I can’t wait until Sierra finishes your ass.” She groaned. “You’re all going to be sorry.”
Jacinta circled around me. “You and I aren’t as different as you think. We both have a group of people we care deeply about, and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep them out of harm’s way. The only difference is that I know when a sacrifice is necessary, regardless of my personal feelings.” She bent close. “You killed my Mauricio. He was someone I wasn’t prepared to lose.”
The flicker of pain in her blue eyes confirmed her words. Mauricio, the Perro Negro, had been her personal pet. “Looks like I stole a man from you, just like my grandmother did.”
She slapped me. “You insolent bitch.” The grimace revealed a chink in her armor. “You have no idea what fate awaits you and your sister, and everyone you know. I’m going to take great pleasure in using their souls and bodies as sacrifices.”
The mention of Willow forced my anger to the surface. “How can you offer your own blood to a demon?”
Jacinta invaded my personal space even further to say, “I don’t plan to summon Legion to let it run wild. I’ll be in control. By using the blood of my descendant, I’ll bind the strongest part of the demoniac and it will have no choice but to do my bidding.”
“And then what?” She wanted to control the misty dragon that had come into this patch during Maya’s failed attempt. I was able to sever its approach only because the dragon had been nothing more than misty scales—once it solidified into existence via a ritualistic summoning, I was sure no one would be able to command it. Not even this woman.
Did Mace know about this part of the plan?
“I will govern my way into every facet of this. I’ve always wanted Australia to be mine.”
“You’re crazier than the other morons.” How could she possibly think she was going to pull this off?
Jacinta shrugged. “Your opinion doesn’t matter.” She peered over her shoulder. “Duff, come and get her strapped in.”
When the white-haired follower seized my wrist and led me into the dark circle, I didn’t fight. This wasn’t over until the Obscurus attempted their goal, and found me standing in their way.
Jacinta could say whatever she wanted and dream of being the Master of Australia as much as she liked, but I’d seen the black in her blood when I’d stabbed her. She probably was stronger than the others, but Legion already had a grip on her. There was no way in hell she could force any demon into submission, especially this one. Besides, I was starting to suspect that her goals and Mace’s differed quite a bit.
Duff pushed me past the pentagram’s barrier, making me stand at the top of the star—once again taking center stage. I faced Lavie and Maya. Jacinta stepped inside and Duff released me, making his way to the only other available point, on my right.
Jacinta surveyed the circle with a satisfied grin. “Mace, seal us in.”
He stared at me and stepped inside. He never took his eyes from mine as a zap of energy slid from his fingertips and he scorched the small opening shut. When he was done, he took my hands in his and turned them to expose the underside of my wrists and forearms. The tip of Jacinta’s sword sliced two matching horizontal lines. I spied the dragon tattoo inked on the underside of her wrist. So she was marked like the others. Her plan wouldn’t work.
Blood dribbled down my skin, dripping over Mace’s hands before hitting the dirt. I was trapped in this spot, but the ground beneath my feet started beating with a familiar thump-thump, thump-thump. My connection to the power grid wasn’t thwarted by a dark pentagram.
“Take your sister’s hand,” Jacinta instructed.
Mace was still holding me, so I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
“You can release her now, Mace!” Jacinta’s frustration was evident.
He hesitated, but let my hands drop. I extended my left out to Willow, who took it. I didn’t want anyone else to notice that every drop of my blood glowed pink. With our palms pressed together, I at least felt like I could save her.
Jacinta held my other hand. “Now, I will take what is mine.”
She grabbed Mace’s left hand and sliced his palm, then did the same to her right. They held hands and their joined blood dripped between them. She took several deep breaths and the two stepped into the center of the pentagram.
“Mace, contact the shadows and have them deliver Pepita so we can take the inherited power as soon as it’s transferred,” Jacinta instructed.
Mace nodded. “Shadows come to me.” He spread his arms wide and called them a second time, even a third. Nothing happened, so he dropped his hands. “I don’t understand.”
I did.
“What’s wrong?” Jacinta asked, yanking his arm.
“I don’t know, they’re not answering. I can’t even feel them.”
“Why? What did you do wrong?”
“Me? I know exactly what I’m doing,” Mace spat. “Get started on the summoning.”
“We can’t summon Legion until we have the inherited—”
“Jacinta, just get started.” Mace’s body wobbled, as if he was struggling to keep it together.
“Legion, heed our call,” she said. “We summon thee to this patch, and offer ourselves to thee. We have opened the gateway and our bodies will serve as passage into this world. Come to us now!”
A ring of fire ignited, cocooning us inside the fiery cage.
Sweat slid between my shoulder blades, collecting at the waistband of my jeans. Strands of my hair stuck to my face and the back of my neck.
“Anything?” Jacinta asked.
Mace shook his head.
Heat singed my palm as the energy of Legion’s approach burned from my sister’s hand and into mine. The key and the gateway were connected and caused heat to coalesce in the pit of my stomach. I doubled over and gritted my teeth to keep the pain at bay, and to refuse entry for this entity.
“Legion, we have connected the key and the lock,” Jacinta continued, raising her voice. “We offer a pathway into this world by way of blood, the power of necromancy and witchcraft. The caller of spirits and the controller have now become the gateways thou seeks.”
So far, this resembled Maya’s chant.
Willow’s feet hovered over the ground and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Our hands remained stuck, even as a lightshow appeared around her—a rainbow of colors devoid of poltergeists. Yet, as I watched, an unfamiliar form flashed into existence, followed by another, until there were at least a dozen spirits circling Willow. Who were these people and why was she absorbing them? Only the poltergeists of those Willow cared about should be drawn to her. Did this mean she could now draw any spirit?
Willow’s body convulsed and the heat between our hands intensified. The hot sensation raced up my hand, arm and dropped into the pit of my stomach with a lot more intensity than it had moments ago. I sucked in a quick breath, trying to keep the damn entities down, but knew Legion wouldn’t let me win. It was too strong and ready to burst right out of me.
My gut cramped and I stumbled forward, falling to my knees.
Wait a minute! When Maya attempted this ritual and sealed everyone into their points via blood, I’d been as stuck as everyone else. But now, I could clearly move. I inched forward to test the theory and managed to creep away from the annex. Was it because of the power grid beneath us, or my connection to Hecate?
&
nbsp; A burp slid between my lips. As hard as I tried to keep the bastard in, the dragon clawed at my insides. Pain tore through me and it was enough for Legion to race up and out of my throat.
“Let it flow out of you.”
My lips parted and Legion spilled forth, scalding the inside of my mouth.
“Sierra, don’t forget that you can destroy demonic entities.”
Burr, is that you?
The long, misty cloud formed into a smoky dragon, circling around Jacinta and Mace—who still looked like he was trying to call the shadows to him.
“My brother,” Mace whispered. “You are finally here.”
“Mason, why aren’t they here yet?” Jacinta yelled. “Do your goddamn job!”
He didn’t bother. He only had eyes for the dragon wound tightly around his body.
“You have to enter their patch. It’s the only way to end this.”
Burr, I can’t.
“Yes, you can, my neophyte.”
The poltergeists attached to Willow were slowly sucked away by the misty dragon, stretching like bubblegum as it gulped the sparkly spooks into its gaping mouth. The dragon grew in size and was now twice as tall as Mace.
“Allow passage for the rest,” Jacinta said to Legion—no longer sounding like a welcome host, but more like a demanding boss.
“They are already on their way.” The dragon continued to devour the poltergeists like taffy being slurped through a straw. Mace watched in wonder, and Jacinta slid the short sword over an exposed section of her chest. She pressed her free palm against the gushing blood and smothered her fingers with it.
What the hell was she doing?
“Blood from my heart,” she said, stepping closer to the dragon curled around Mace, her bloody hand outstretched.
Willow screamed and when I looked her way, she was still hovering off the ground, but the colors enveloping her were fading fast.
“Sacrifice from my blood,” Jacinta said.
My sister shot forward as quickly as the poltergeists had—her palm tearing from mine hard enough to rip a strip of my skin.
“No!” I grabbed for her but she slipped from my fingers.
Legion’s mouth opened wide enough to swallow Willow whole. After ingesting my sister, the dragon solidified into a gray, scaly creature.
The urge to pounce on the demon tore me up inside. He’d just eaten my sister and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Not without showing my hand, and there was more at stake here than Willow…though damn, it was hard to focus. As much as it pained me, I had to play this out.
I’ll get you back, Willow.
“My blood to yours,” Jacinta swung the short sword expertly over her head and slid the blade across the dragon’s solid hide, causing black blood to gush out. She closed the distance between them and smeared her bloodied hand over Legion’s gaping wound. “You are now bound to me by the blood of my descendant, and ours joining.”
“How dare you?” Legion attempted to slap Jacinta with a taloned claw but couldn’t connect.
She laughed. “You can’t raise a hand to me. You will do my bidding. Now, allow access to the others.”
“There aren’t enough vessels to house everyone.”
“You let me worry about that,” she said with a smile. “Now do it!”
The heated sensation flowed over me and before I could stop it, another dragon-shaped part of Legion flowed out of me to join Mace.
I had to figure out how to get inside their patch.
Think, think.
A tug on my left hand made me lose my train of thought. The pink line connecting me to the power grid was trying to tell me something. Burr’s voice was suddenly in my head and he said, “You can walk into patches and call your own. Do both!”
I took a deep breath, but doubled over when a third Legion entity streamed out of my mouth. I willed my dark patch to appear, and this time it seemed to flow out of me instead of around me. I stood alone inside a void swamped with misty dragons of all shapes and sizes, every entity sliding around me—flying like birds trying to escape out an open window.
I was their window, and I’d just closed myself off.
We were trapped together.
I opened my arms and yelled, “Come on, you assholes. Hit me!” One smacked into my stomach and disappeared, while another slid in through my mouth and down my throat.
The constant flapping of dragon wings ceased as piercing, hardly-there eyes peered into mine. “Don’t be shy. You have vessels waiting for you,” I lied.
Several more pieces of Legion entered my body. The others remained hesitant, watching me with their vacant eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Don’t you want to leave this patch?”
“You are our pathway to the human world,” a voice said inside my mind.
“That’s right, so hit me!”
A multitude of dragons threw themselves against me. The impact made my body vibrate as they entered through my mouth, nose and skin. I sucked them inside, feeling the weight of their wispy forms flow through me.
I scanned the patch and there were too many who refused to approach.
“What are you waiting for?”
“You are a deceiver,” that same voice said. “Do not listen to her, my brothers.”
I took a step closer to the dragon in front of me, the one determined to challenge my authority. “You have many vessels waiting, and I’m the only way you’re going to reach them.”
More pieces of Legion struck me in the chest. Others slithered in through my ears.
“Brothers, do not listen to her!”
“We cannot resist her,” a chorus called as they ventured in through my mouth. “Do you not feel her power?”
If that was true, why could this one withstand me?
I risked another step and the dragon breathed a line of fire that burned my face and scorched the ends of my hair. Shit. That shouldn’t feel real, should it? This was the first time I’d faced an actual challenge while doing this, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
The dragon stopped its barrage, beady eyes glaring into mine. “You are here to destroy us.”
“No, I am here to give you what you deserve.”
“Did you hear that, brothers? She means us harm.”
The other dragons halted their approach and instead surrounded me. I had nowhere to go, and wasn’t sure if I could actually die while in this patch. So when the dragons puffed out fire in unison, my skin blistered and my hair smoldered.
I have to do something. So, I made my way towards the one who started it all, and stretched my hand out. In spite of the fire’s intensity, I pushed forward until my palm was pressed against its bulged belly. Its eyes swelled but the wispy form disintegrated at my touch. I sucked its entire body into my palm.
The other dragons stopped breathing fire, all eyes on me.
“Now,” I said. “Stop resisting and get the fuck over here.”
With the troublemaker gone, that’s all it took for the tornado to engulf me—one after another smacked into my stomach, chest and face. So greedy to get inside that they fought to fill every available crevice. Until all I could hear, taste, smell and feel was the immense weight of Legion. Was this how full the man in Gadarenes felt when he asked Jesus to remove the demoniacs?
It took a while for them to cram me to capacity, but when I felt like there was no more room to fill, I scrutinized the area to make sure the void was empty. I slapped my right palm against the glowing tattoo on my left hand before unfolding my arms. The heat they’d forced inside worked against them. I expelled their filthy shapes, forcing them from my body and watched as they became nothing but steam.
The only living thing left inside this patch was me.
A cracking noise boomed overhead and a piece fell from above. The emptiness tha
t lay beyond told me this patch would soon disappear from existence.
Another section dropped.
I have to get out of here. A blinding pink light glowed from my left hand and when it faded, I was inside the sealed pentagram in the middle of the crossroads. I coughed because my body was still smoky, but at least I’d managed to heal the damage the Legion caused.
Only the dragon Jacinta had bound stood beside Mace, now as misty as the ones I’d just destroyed. I looked around for my sister, but she wasn’t in the pentagram.
“No!” Mace shouted, falling to his knees. “What have you done?”
I cleared my throat, trying to wash down the acrid taste of smoke. “They’re all gone.”
“Where is Pepita?” Jacinta grabbed my hand and noticed the tattoo on the back of my hand. She ran her fingers over my skin. “How is this possible?”
“I’ve already inherited my power.” Two pairs of rage-filled eyes glared at me as I pulled my hands free. I pulled the blue bottles from my pockets and held them out in my palms.
“No, Sierra, don’t do this!” Mace yelled, his eyes widening in horror.
“Where’s my sister?” I asked.
Jacinta laughed. “She’s still inside the demoniac bound to me, of course.”
“How do I get her out?” Shit. I’d been stupid enough to assume that by getting rid of Legion’s patch and everything in it, this bit of the demon would be gone too.
“You don’t,” her grandmother said. “Unless I sever my binding to Legion.”
So this single dragon remained because Jacinta had bound him. My blood boiled with rage and I gripped the witch’s bottles so tightly I was afraid they’d break. I took a deep breath and exhaled. What the fuck was I going to do?
“You have to trap them inside the bottles,” Burr said.
“I can’t do that.”
“Sierra Fox, there is no other way.”
This seemed to be the theme of the day and I was sick and tired of hearing it. I looked up and found Mace was approaching. Jacinta’s smile widened. The bitch thought she had me, was certain I wouldn’t entrap her if it meant my sister would be too. But tough decisions were something I’d been doing for a while now.
A Stitch on Time 5 Page 28
