Burning

by Carrillo, K. D.

  "I'll be there tonight with Eli. Once the ceremony is completed, I will bring Bridgett's body back to the Council in order to have a proper funeral for her. I'll be bringing some special tools to banish a demon back to Hell. Oh, and Anita. Tell Grey I'm suspending the rules. Blood for blood just the way he likes it."

  Dean

  After Anita and Grey stepped outside, I sneaked down to Grey's industrial refrigerator to see Bridgett. Her white skin sparkled with little ice crystals, and her lips were a pale shade of blue. She was beautiful in a macabre way. It felt wrong to keep her in here, but I knew it was the best option to give her family a chance to say goodbye to her.

  I finally allowed myself to do break down. I hadn’t been able to do it in front of everyone. They needed me to be strong. If Jo chose to see my behavior as cold, there wasn't much I could do about that. But I would keep them alive. I wouldn't fail them again.

  I needed this private minute with her though. To apologize and say goodbye. "I'm so sorry, Bridgett. I let you down. Everyone was looking to me to lead them through this mess, and I let you fall through the cracks."

  There was a whisper, a sound so faint that I wasn't even sure it was there. It felt like emotions more than words. It was cold in the industrial-sized fridge, but somehow it seemed to get colder. I roughly wiped my face of the tears I had let fall. I left the light on when I walked out. I hated leaving her in the cold, but leaving her in the cold and the dark seemed cruel. I knew she was beyond caring anymore, but it made me feel somewhat better leaving her there with it on.

  I walked straight through the house and toward Anita. I ignored Jo on the way out. She didn't have to agree with my decisions. She only had to follow them. I watched Anita end a call and turn to Grey with a confused look on her face.

  "You heard her, didn't you?" she asked him.

  His face morphed from an expression of dispassionate stone to almost malevolent glee. His fangs fully emerged, and his eyes sparkled like the black diamonds on Anita's wedding ring.

  "I didn't. Can someone fill me in?" I interrupted.

  Anita watched Grey warily. I finally saw why Anita had cautioned us against working too closely with him when we’d first met. He looked terrifying.

  "Marguerite said to tell Grey, 'I'm suspending the rules. Blood for blood just the way he likes it.'"

  I nodded, though I didn't understand what that meant. I turned to Anita. "Do you know what that means?"

  She shook her head and glanced cautiously at Grey.

  He smiled wider. "It means I can kill them all. The rules ban the Watchers from killing people unless the rules are suspended. Only the leader of the Council can make that decision. Historically, it has only happened once—during the Inquisition."

  "Excellent," I agreed.

  "No," a weak voice trembled from the doorway.

  I glanced in that direction, shocked to see Chloë standing behind the screen. Finn helped her out and sat down, pulling her on his lap. Chloë shook her head and stared Grey and me down.

  "We aren't killers. I cannot condone us exercising our powers to become what they are."

  I took a close look at her. When I’d met Chloë for the first time last year, she’d seemed vibrant. I’d seen the magic leaping around her even before I’d known what she was. There was a feeling of invincibility when you were near her. Now, she was pale and seemed fragile. Her dark-brown eyes were lighter, almost an amber color.

  My temper rose. I was watching one of my best friends fade away in front of me and I wasn't supposed to retaliate? Her magic could have held on. Bridgett could have performed the ritual if this group weren't hunting us. And Bridgett wouldn't have taken a knife to her chest.

  "Chloë, if you think we can set them up with the police and this is going to end, you're wrong. They are fanatics. They won't stop until they have killed every one of us they can. How long before our world begins to be exposed to all humans? How long before our world turns against theirs?"

  Chloë began to tremble slightly and sank farther into Finn's embrace. "You are probably right. They can't be allowed to roam free, to continue hunting us. But I can't stand the idea of having their blood on my hands. I don't know what Bridgett would want us to do."

  Anita's eyes lit up, and she smiled a wicked, sharp smile. "I have an idea." We all turned to look at her. "We send them to Hell," she said gleefully.

  Grey's evil expression returned as he considered her suggestion. "The demon," he said simply.

  Chloë sat up a bit straighter. She shot a mischievous smirk at Anita. "I like it. Kinda poetic if you think about it. They believe we should be damned for being demons, but they are the ones consorting with the demon Astaroth. It is no less than they deserve."

  "So you are opposed to us killing them but are excited by the idea of sending them to Hell?" I asked to clarify.

  She nodded. "Astaroth wants us to kill them. He wants us to commit that particular sin so we are open to corruption. To fight a demon, we must have light on our side, and we can't do that by wielding darkness."

  Grey's fangs retracted and he cocked his head, staring at her. "Damn, she's right. We can defend ourselves, but we can't kill if we have another choice. Still, Hell is better than the possibility of parole or even a Council prison. I can be satisfied with casting them into the pit."

  "Okay, I give in. What do we need to send the demon and his human minions to Hell?" I asked, resigned.

  Grey tipped his head toward Chloë. "Her."

  "So without the bonding ceremony..." I began.

  "She dies, we die, and Hell comes out to play until someone with the same versatile magic as Chloë can stop them," Grey answered.

  "Eli could," I countered.

  "Yes he could. But he won't. Eli has lived for thousands of years. He usually leaves the humans to themselves. Honestly, if Chloë dies, Eli will probably follow her and the rest of the originals into the afterlife. He can already come and go as he pleases. It's part of what makes him so hard to track down."

  "Can this day get any worse?" I said aloud, turning my face to the moon. "A terrorist group working with a demon. Bridgett's dead. Chloë looks like she is trying to book a trip on the River Styx herself. And if she goes, we'll die trying to keep the gates of Hell closed. We have an all-powerful original that won't interfere and may in fact be in the afterlife as we speak. I really could use some good news." Anita slid her arms around my waist and looked up at me. There was a twinkle in her eyes that I'd come to recognize as a sign that she was in a playful mood. "Some good news, huh?" She removed one arm from around me and tapped her chin. "Hmm… Well, Grey told me that Chloë, the twins, and I are related."

  "That's nice, dear. I'm not sure that qualifies as good news. It is news, just not really good or bad."

  Her face flushed with heightened amusement. This little game was entertaining her. "See, Carlos is Eli's grandson," Anita started.

  "Gah!" Chloë exclaimed. "That makes me your great-aunt."

  Anita giggled and nodded enthusiastically. "Since Eli is the origin of everything supernatural, that makes you a little bit..." Anita said, leading Chloë.

  "Elf. Oh!" Chloë jumped a bit on Finn's lap. "Everything makes so much more sense now. That means you are a little bit..."

  "Shifter," Anita finished.

  "I think I'm going to call you kitten from now on," I told Anita, allowing her to cheer me up. "You aren't quite a cat, but you are a little bit. That makes you my kitten." And I wouldn't let her down.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Double Take

  Anita

  Dean and I sat on the back porch after everyone else went back inside. Finn had carried most of Chloë's weight while leading her inside even though it was obvious his strength was waning too. No one wanted to say it out loud, to admit that they might die, but our faith in our own invincibility was shattered.

  Watching Bridgett die had really shaken me. I hadn't even been able to wash the blood off my hands from playing nurse while Grey
had tried to save her. I’d believed she was going to live. It had actually seemed impossible for there to be any other alternative. All of the danger that had happened last year felt like playtime now. I’d never believed, not really, that any of us could die.

  I stared up at the stars, wishing, praying, and even begging for a miracle to happen. I saw a shooting star race across the ink-black sky and disappear below the horizon. Moments later, Eli Soaring Eagle, Chloë's father and my great-grandfather, walked out of the woods.

  "Pretty dramatic entrance," I said, nodding to where I’d seen the star disappear.

  He smiled from a gently lined face. He looked like a father should, with tiny wrinkles and a bit of silver in his black hair. If I hadn't known better, I would have guessed that he was in his mid-fifties, but certainly not several thousand years old. He was still very handsome with dark, coppery skin, long, thick hair, and a regal bearing. There was also a bit of mischief sparkling in his eyes and showing in his smirk.

  "Hard to cross between dimensions without a bit of flash. More fun that way too," Eli answered and winked. He rubbed his hands together. He seemed oddly amused considering how close to death his daughter was. "I hear that I have ceremonies to perform. Well, let's get these lovebirds prepped. The moon is almost at its peak."

  "There is only one ceremony," Dean said in a weary voice.

  Eli nodded. "Yes, yes. I suppose you could perform the other two ceremonies if you insist. Although, since I'm here, I might as well perform them all at once."

  Dean appeared tired or too confused to ask the obvious question.

  "Three ceremonies? How many does it require to bind Chloë and Finn?" I asked.

  "Only one, but the shifters have all bonded as well, have they not?"

  "You mean...Cooper and Josephine," I began.

  Eli nodded, his smile widening.

  "Ah, I get it," I replied.

  "Well I don't. Can someone explain it to me?" Dean demanded.

  "Grey and Leah," I whispered.

  Dean laughed quickly. "I understand the look on your face now Mr. Soaring Eagle."

  "Dean, please call me Eli. I'm glad I get to perform this ritual. I've been waiting for Grey to get snatched by a woman for generations. He is one of the few living beings anywhere near my age that still chooses to reside in this dimension.

  “The rest have all chosen to exist in what you think of as the afterlife. Seeing him tied down is amusing. Being the one to conduct the ceremony is quite thrilling. Now, let's get these six outside. I don't like hearing that my daughter is so weak."

  There it was—that flash of fatherly concern. It was probably faith in his own abilities that had him calm and joking. He might have been absent for large periods of Chloë's childhood, but he still struck me as a loving father.

  I was turning to go help Chloë get ready when I heard the screen door flap open. There she was, led out the door by her mother Marguerite. Chloë's hair was curled, with pieces woven in a complicated pattern that pulled it away from her face. Tiny roses in pristine white were pinned into the twists. She was wearing a long-sleeved green dress, and the fancy beading made it seem to be made of leaves. On her feet were jeweled slippers that sparkled in the moonlight.

  Behind her, Leah and Jo walked out onto the porch. All three were dressed similarly, except for minor changes in the themes of their dresses. Leah's dress was a red so deep it appeared to be nearly black, with beading that resembled flower petals. Jo's dress was a mix between copper and russet. It was beaded to resemble fall leaves. The twins both had shoulder-length hair, which I doubted would hold a curl. Instead, the sides of their hair were twisted away from their faces, and a floral crown was pinned in place. Leah's crown was made of small black magic roses nearly as black in color as her dress. Jo’s floral crown was filled with orange spray roses.

  I wasn't sure that Grey or Cooper were actually ready to formally commit. I'd only noticed Grey and Leah as an item for a little over a week. Maybe I wasn't being very observant, but he seemed to be holding back with her. Cooper and Jo were even harder to pin down. They were both very private, and while I knew there was something going on between them, I hadn’t realized they had actually bonded.

  My father stepped out on the porch and held the door open for the three soon-to-be mated males to exit the house. Finn was the first out the door, looking the most certain of all three of them. They were all wearing dark suits with ties in the same color as their mate's dress. It was very charming and obviously the work of magic considering my father and Marguerite were involved.

  "Anita," my father signaled. I joined him and watched as he pulled a small leather book out of his inside jacket pocket. "This is a very old grimoire. In here, you will find a spell and a list of ingredients to banish a demon to Hell. I need you to take Dean back to your place while we set up the ceremony. Make it quick, because we start here in thirty minutes. In the basement, Chloë has a trunk that was given to her by her mother. You will find the salt, sage, and crystals needed for the banishing. These things need to be ready the moment Chloë is strong enough to perform the spell with you."

  "I don't understand why you and Marguerite don't perform the banishing ritual," I complained. It was not a small issue in my mind. Why did we have to continue to take such huge risks when they were invincible?

  "Invincible, not all powerful," my father said and affectionately tapped me on the nose. I gave him a questioning look. "It's hard not to read your mind when you broadcast your thoughts out there," he said, confirming my suspicion.

  "Okay, since it is out there. I don't understand why you don't step in. Marguerite is pretty damn powerful, and so are you," I replied.

  "Neither of us has a quarter of the raw potential Chloë does. Besides, it will take more unique beings than we to banish a demon that has absorbed so much energy," he explained.

  I shrugged. I wasn't going to win an argument with him. I wasn't sure if I believed him, but it didn't matter. Chloë was going to be expected to perform the spell. I only hoped I could help her.

  I stopped to talk to Grey on my way to gather Dean. "Bet this comes as a shock to you?" I teased.

  He turned his onyx eyes on me, and for the first time, I saw peace in them. "A pleasant one though," he answered.

  I studied his face closer. Grey usually held a certain cold indifference to the world, even when he had been with Chloë.

  "You look happy," I muttered.

  "I never really saw this for myself. I wanted it. We all know I've looked for it in the wrong places, but I feel like I've finally come home. I should have asked her myself instead of having Eli announce it, but I didn't allow myself to hope I could be the one for her," he replied, still a bit shocked.

  "I'm happy for you. We all really like Leah," I said and patted him on the arm. I left Grey to grab Dean.

  "Can you believe the way tonight is working out?" Dean asked, raking a hand through his hair.

  "No. This has been one of the worst and best nights for this coven," I commented.

  "I feel her here," Dean said quietly.

  I didn't have to ask whom he meant because there was a whisper that could have been the wind and a flowery smell that could have been perfume but felt too much like Bridgett to pass off.

  "Yeah me too," I agreed. "Let's go get these things from the house. I don't want to miss this ceremony."

  Finn

  "You two ready for this?" I asked Grey and Cooper.

  Cooper didn't answer. He was too busy staring at Jo like a love-struck fool. Yeah, he was ready. Grey had a troubled expression on his face. I’d never taken him for a guy who would allow himself to be pressured into anything he didn't want to do.

  "I'm ready, but I'm wondering if this is fair for Leah. She'll never have children with me. I can't even take her on an afternoon picnic. Her life will be half what it should have been from this moment forward," he said.

  "Do you love her?" I asked seriously.

  "With everything I am," he re
sponded.

  "Does she love you?" I countered.

  "I believe she does," Grey answered.

  "Then trust her. If she loves you, the rest is just details," I said and patted his shoulder.

  Dean and Anita rushed out, the screen door flapping noisily behind them. "Did we miss it?" Anita asked, scanning the yard.

  "No. Perfect timing though. We are ready to begin," Eli announced.

  He gestured for the six of us to take our places. He started with Cooper, Jo, Grey and Leah. Their ceremony was identical to Dean and Anita's in Vegas. Eli handed Dean two gold-corded ropes, which he wrapped around their wrists. Eli and Carlos chanted until the ropes flashed, leaving behind the Celtic band tattoo on their wrists.

  The glow of the moon lit up a circle around Chloë and me like a spotlight amplified by a circle of crystals. A single tear ran down Chloë's face. "Bridgett," she whispered. I hadn't realized she’d managed to make it to the store before she had been captured.

  "I figured she went through so much trouble that I couldn't let it be for nothing. I saw the bag and grabbed it while we were racing out," Dean stated, staring at the crystals.

  When the light filled the entire circle, Eli extended his arms, palms down, and began another chant. This one was different than the one for the shifter-bonding ceremony. It sounded guttural and ancient. Ivy emerged from the ground and began to snake around the two of us, alternating back and forth. It reached our hands and began to tie us together.

  "When the Creator blessed me with companions from my body, she made the first witch. Soon, the Creator saw that her love was fickle and too much like the humans we lived amongst," Eli began in a booming voice.

  "The Creator made my next companion from the earth and brought him to life with a drop of my blood. That was the first elf. His emotions were not like the humans but steady as the ground beneath our feet. When he chose a human mate, the Creator instructed me on how to tie their union back to the earth."