[Sacrifice Me 08.0] Season Two: Part 2

by Sarra Cannon

  In My Element

  Rend

  Silas and I stepped out of the bedroom to talk.

  “What, exactly, are we going to do with this witch while we go to the castle?” I asked.

  “I was planning to tie her back up,” he said with a shrug.

  “We can’t just leave her here like that,” I said. “We should take her to Venom and have Azure keep an eye on her.”

  “You and your bleeding heart,” he said. “She’ll be fine here. I have my servant, Jenner, watching out for her. She’ll be taken care of, but if we leave her at Venom and she happens to get away—”

  “She was telling us the truth in there,” I said. “Why would she run away now, Silas? She was the one who came to you.”

  “Yes, but you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not willing to trust any witch who shows up on a vampire’s doorstep unannounced looking for help,” he said. “Believe me, if I’d known it could have helped us before Franki was taken, I would have told you about her right away, but I didn’t trust a word she was saying. I figured this was all part of the Mother Crow’s plan to get to Franki. Tell her that her mother’s been captured and send us on some wild goose chase to rescue her. It sounded like more of a trap than the truth.”

  “Well, now that we know she’s being honest, we can’t treat her like a prisoner,” I said. “I’m taking her back to Venom, and then we can go down to my lab. What did your father tell you about the Hollows, anyway?”

  A smile played at the corners of his lips.

  “It’s quite interesting,” he said. “I knew the Hollows were created by the Brotherhood’s Council, or rather conjured by them, but up until tonight, I had no idea what they were made of.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What?”

  “Clay,” he said. “Other than the fact that they’re missing eyes, they look so human, don’t they?”

  I nodded, suddenly understanding why he was so excited. The basis of my work in alchemy was all about taking one thing and transforming it into something else. Mixing substances together to create something entirely new.

  But part of it was also learning how to break certain substances down into their most basic form.

  Clay was one of the first substances I learned to work with here in the human world, and breaking it down was child’s play.

  “The Hollows were formed by hand with clay taken from the land surrounding the castle,” Silas explained. “Then, using the combined powers of all the members of the Council, they were given life through magic and made to look human.”

  “Yeah, except for the fact that they have no eyes and are mostly over eight feet tall,” I said with a laugh. “But if their base material is clay, that’s good news for us. I just need to mix a few minerals in my lab, and I can create bombs that should break their skin down pretty easily. The trick will be to survive long enough for them to deteriorate.”

  “Well, that and to make sure we don’t attract the attention of more than one or two at a time,” he said. “I doubt we’d be able to handle more than a few at a time. But they are usually stationed at different points around the castle and the surrounding grounds, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

  “Let’s hope not,” I said. “But the way things have been going lately, I don’t think we should count on good luck.”

  “No, we’ll take those bombs you mentioned. That should help,” he said. “The other thing we’ll need to be aware of is making sure that anyone who sees us isn’t left alive to tell the tale, if you know what I mean. If Mary Kathryn escapes, that’s one thing. If the Council can prove it was us who released her, we’ll be facing more than one charge when the Council reconvenes.”

  “Point taken,” I said. “Let’s just hope there isn’t anyone at the castle when we get there other than the Hollows.”

  With a plan in place, we moved quickly, taking Mary Tate to Venom where Azure and Marco could keep a close eye on her. I also sent a message to Connery, asking him to get to my place as soon as possible.

  His heightened senses would come in handy at the castle, and even though he’d hate the idea of going into vampire territory without his pack, I knew I could count on him to help me.

  Besides, I would need him with me when we went to the crow village, and that trip might be one his pack mates would want to take with us.

  When we got back to my place, I peeked in on Katy, but there had been no change. I sighed. The least that cruel witch could have done when she took Franki was to release Katy from the sleeping curse. Did she plan on just letting the girl die?

  I checked her pulse, made sure there were no signs of dehydration or deterioration, and left her there to sleep.

  Connery arrived just as I was about to head down to the lab.

  “I came as soon as I could,” he said, his hair and clothes a mess, as if he’d been running through the woods. And hell, I guess maybe he was.

  “I’ll bring you up to speed on the way down,” I said, motioning to the elevator.

  Silas, Connery, and I climbed inside, and I told him all about Franki’s kidnapping and the conversation we’d had with Mary Tate.

  “Bloody hell,” he said, running a nervous hand through his hair. “I leave for a few hours and everything goes to shit.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, it’s all your fault,” I said. “But I know how you can make it up to me.”

  He tilted his head, and his eyes grew sharp. “I hope you’re not about to ask what I think you’re about to ask, because you know how much I hate the idea of going into vamp territory. The rest of those blood-sucking fiends aren’t as friendly as the two of you.”

  “Well, hopefully we won’t run into any others,” I said. “Just the Hollows.”

  Connery shook his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me, mate. What the hell are Hollows?”

  “Silas will fill you in on the details while I make the bombs that are going to take them down,” I said. “Sorry to have to ask you to come with us, but your sense of smell in particular is going to be useful. If we can, we want to avoid being seen by anyone who might be able to identify us.”

  “So you need me to be the lookout?” he asked.

  “Basically.”

  He shrugged. “You know I got your back, Rend,” he said. “I just wish your back wasn’t constantly dragging me into some kind of life or death situation. I owe you more than I could ever repay, so you ask and I’m there. You know that.”

  “I know, and it means a lot to me,” I said.

  “If you guys are done with this little moment you’re sharing here, can we please get to work on these bombs?” Silas asked. “I think we should hit the castle within the next three hours, if possible.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this.”

  I worked for the next two hours straight while Silas and Connery drank a few of my potions and discussed the plan for invading the castle. I was in my element down here, mixing ingredients, pouring my magic into the concoctions.

  For me, it was meditation. Prayer.

  I focused on creating bombs out of a mineral called gypsum mixed with water from the Swamp of Nightmares.

  I didn’t allow myself to think about how we were going to get out of this mess. Yes, it seemed completely impossible, but I’d faced impossible odds before.

  And I’d given up too soon before, too.

  I wouldn’t give up on Franki. We would find a way, and I would believe it with everything that I was until the last moment.

  When I was just about finished, the whir of the elevator sounded and the carriage headed up.

  Silas glanced over with a questioning look.

  I shrugged. “There aren’t that many people who can get into my house,” I said.

  Connery shuddered. “Well, I hope whoever it is plans on bringing that lift back down here, because the idea of being trapped underground is much worse than knowing I’m about to go to a vampire castle.”

  “It’s already on its way bac
k down,” I said with a laugh.

  It was funny to see such a strong werewolf scared of being trapped down here.

  Besides, he didn’t know me well enough if he thought that elevator was the only way out of this room.

  “Hey, boys,” Azure said when she stepped off the elevator. “What’s going on down here, and how can I help?”

  “I thought you were watching Mary Tate,” Silas said.

  “Marco has her,” she said, meeting my eyes. “I wanted to help.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “You’re right on time, honestly. I was just about to finish up here.”

  “I brought a few weapons of my own,” she said, holding up a small leather bag. “Just in case.”

  “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Silas said, standing so he could step away from Azure.

  “Oh, it’s exactly what you think it is,” she said. “There were several black pearls left over from the fight at the Devil’s castle, and since we’re going to another vampire castle, I figured these might come in handy. Don’t worry, I’m not going to let anything happen to you or Rend.”

  “Are you guys ready to do this?” I asked as I loaded the gypsum bombs into my bag.

  “No, but I’ll go anyway,” Connery said, his lips cocked into a half-smile.

  We loaded into the elevator, nervous energy mingling in the small space. We were a powerful group, but if there were any other vampires or members of the Council at the castle when we arrived, we would be outnumbered beyond what we could handle.

  And since luck didn’t seem to be on my side lately, I braced myself for the worst.

  The Soul Stone

  Franki

  I sat on the bed, my legs crossed under me in meditation pose, determined to keep working on exploring my new connection with the Mother Crow.

  My goal was to build up my endurance and my tolerance to intense pain. Not exactly a fun goal to have, but it was necessary. If I wanted to get out of this place, I was most likely going to have to get through that woman and whatever guards she had posted at the village’s entrance. Which meant I would have to fight through terrible pain to use my own powers.

  I connected to my power gently, letting it flow through me before I added a second layer. My body tensed at the thought of bringing pain upon myself, but I breathed through it and relaxed.

  Slowly, I turned my thoughts to anger, careful not to let too much seep in. I focused on the Mother Crow’s face and her distance from me. She was here in the house now, just below me somewhere downstairs.

  Instead of focusing on what she’d done to me, I focused on Mary Evelyn. I imagined what it must have felt like for her to carry a child in her body for nine months, only to hand him over to that vile woman for sacrifice.

  The anger and sorrow warmed my blood, and I embraced it. I imagined pulling an infant child from the Mother Crow’s arms and seeing her red eyes turn toward me, full of rage.

  I pulled those emotions into my core, imagining what I would have liked to do to her if that had been my baby boy.

  The energy around me turned to fire that seemed to light the stone within my chest. I bit down hard against the flames that spread like a wildfire through my veins.

  It hurt, but instead of cutting off my power, I leaned into it. My mouth opened in a gasp as my body began to shake, but I held onto it as long as I possibly could, willing my spirit to be stronger than hers.

  I counted to twelve before I released the power and curled up on the bed, trembling and gasping for air.

  Sweat covered the back of my neck, but I suddenly felt ice-cold.

  Tears ran down my cheeks onto the handmade quilt beneath me, but I was careful not to make a sound. Instead, I listened for any sign of footsteps on the stairs outside my door.

  If the Mother Crow could feel my intentions, I had no doubt she would come up here to punish me.

  But the house was silent except for my own heavy breathing.

  I lay there for a long time, trying to work up the energy to try again. To keep pushing.

  But instead, I fell into a deep sleep, accompanied by another dream.

  Another memory.

  “Bring him to me,” I said, though my voice was not my own. It was hers.

  I was standing in a room that reminded me of several of the ritual rooms we’d gone to during my time with Harper and Jackson when we’d released the Sapphire Gates, but instead of a familiar blue stone embedded on the floor, this room had a black stone.

  A soul stone.

  I stepped over to a large altar made of dark grey marble and placed my hands on a ritual cup. The same type of black stone adorned the side of the cup.

  Motion on the steps caught my attention, and I turned, a smile spreading across my face. They had done well. It had been a good idea to trust these vampires. Their desire for power and greed rivaled my own, and a desire for power was one of the easiest to manipulate.

  Simply offer more power.

  With Solomon out of the way, the Council of this Brotherhood of Darkness would be able to rule their vampires the way they had always dreamed. And since their primary targets were witches of the Order, it would serve my purposes as well.

  The vampire called Raum entered the ritual room dragging a heavy silver chain that radiated with power from the Shadow World. True demon steel. Almost impossible for any of their kind to resist.

  I would have to ask them to bring me one of these chains. It might come in handy in the future.

  Once I had control of my own demon gate, my power in both worlds would increase exponentially. How long had I waited for this moment? Dreamt of it?

  I had been so close back then, when I was just a girl of eighteen. The Peachville gate had been mine to rule, but Clara the betrayer sold my secrets and claimed my throne.

  Now, after all these years of waiting, I would finally have my own gate. Not one ruled by the Order of Shadows and their priestesses, but one ruled by me alone. The Crow Priestess.

  After tonight, I would grow my family to double its size, sending my girls out more than once. And with the magic of this gate, they would be guaranteed to only give birth to girls. We would become the mightiest coven of witches in the world and prove to everyone, once and for all, that we deserved to rule.

  Solomon tried to resist the chains, but he should have known better. He was mine, and from now on, he would answer to me.

  My deep laugh vibrated inside my chest, along with joy and strength.

  It was almost time. Ten minutes until the witching hour.

  “We’ve followed through with our part of the deal,” Raum said. “Now, you must follow through with yours. I want your assurances that this demon will no longer be a problem for us.”

  “Oh, you have my assurances,” I said. “He will be my slave for all eternity.”

  “No.” A scream echoed through the room as my daughter ran down the steps, nearly tripping on her own black gown as she clutched her round belly with one hand.

  Tears ran down her cheeks, and she threw herself at my feet.

  “Mother, please,” she said, lowering her head. “I’m begging you not to do this. Find another demon. Take anyone else, but do not take him from me. I love him.”

  Anger burned through me, and I sunk my fingers into her once-beautiful raven hair. I pulled her up and forced her to look into my eyes.

  “Your love for a demon vampire is an abomination and a betrayal to your entire family,” I said through clenched teeth. “You are a disgrace to us all. And to think you were a Favored One in my village. My most precious daughter. You could have ruled by my side as the first among my offspring to receive a demon of her own. But that demon—that thing—has soiled you. They are to be ruled, not loved. Just look at you.”

  I released her hair and threw her to the ground. She cried out and grabbed her stomach as Solomon pulled against his chains, desperate to get to her. But Raum held the demon in place, yanking backward on the chain that looped around his neck.

&nb
sp; “You used to be beautiful,” I said to Mary Kathryn. “But the demon seed that grows inside of you is stealing all of your power and youth. It’s killing you moment by moment. Your skin is sallow, your eyes are no longer bright. Even your hair is brittle to the touch. He has ruined you, and for that he will pay the ultimate price.”

  “I won’t allow you to do this,” Mary Kathryn said, wincing as she moved to stand. She gathered power into her hands, emitting a warm amber glow that slowly weaved its way up her arms and across her torso.

  I threw my head back and laughed at the weakness of her power. That child inside her would be powerful beyond imagination, but Mary Kathryn was as good as dead. If I didn’t have some hope for her offspring, I would have reached out a single finger and brought my once-dear daughter to the ground in a pile of ashes and dust.

  But the child might prove useful to me one day. For that, I would let her live.

  Still, I would not let her ruin this moment for me. I’d waited too long. Sacrificed too much.

  “It’s time, Mother,” another of my daughters whispered to me as she held out a necklace with a large black stone dangling from the chain.

  “Take your places,” I commanded to the four daughters I had trusted to help with the creation of the first onyx gate.

  Each of my daughters stepped onto a point of the star etched into the ritual room’s floor.

  I had almost forgotten about Mary Kathryn’s pitiful attempt to save her lover until she hurled a spell toward me just as I took my place at the head of the star. I lifted a hand, stopping the power in mid-air and crushing it with a single thought.

  “You see? You are powerless. Useless and broken,” I said, not even sparing her a glance. “Someone remove this witch from my presence. I will not have her disturb this moment.”

  One of the daughter’s who’d been placed at the entrance hurried down to take Mary Kathryn’s hand and lead her away, but the girl would not go quietly.

  She attempted to gather more power into her body, but I didn’t have time for these games. I conjured an orb of pure acid and sent it toward her in a burst of speed. She screamed as the orb stopped just millimeters shy of her pregnant belly.