“I want you to fill the rest of the bodies with souls.” Gage reached for the pitcher and topped off my drink. “I know you don’t have your strength back, but it can’t be helped.”
I looked at him for a long moment before finally asking, “And if I do this for you, what do I get in return?”
Gage’s eyebrows rose in surprise at my words before he leaned back in his chair. Under his watchful eye, I steeled myself to bargain with the devil, even as all my instincts pushed me to run away. “Frankly, my dear, I had hoped for more success before our friend arrived. I can’t help but feel that you have been giving me less than your full cooperation. I attempted to gain your favor by bringing back your boyfriend, but as that hasn’t worked out, we must come to a new understanding.” His eyes were cold and flat, and he stared at me like a snake considering a meal. The silence stretched uncomfortably.
I forced out, “You promised Mildred her child back from—”
He interrupted me. “I know what I promised, and I mean to fulfill that promise one day.”
“Can you? Do you know the spell?” I demanded.
His eyes glittered with anger. “Are you doubting my word?”
He’s misunderstanding me. I just want Luke back… “No, not at all.” I took a deep breath. “If I do this for you—if I raise the zombies—I want your word that you’ll try to bring Luke back.”
He gave me a wide smile. “Of course. The minute our company leaves, I’ll give it my utmost attention.”
“All right, but…your word?” I insisted quietly. I knew that his word might not be worth anything, but if he thought that he could buy my loyalty, he might stick to the deal.
There it was again—the look of total disregard. Gage was only interested in doing what was good for Gage. How could I convince him that bringing Luke back would benefit him? I would tell whatever lies necessary to see Luke back at my side.
But before I could say anything, and to my utter amazement, Gage said, “I give you my word—I’ll bring Luke back.”
I thought relief would fill me when I finally got him to agree, but instead a panic settled in my belly. Why had he agreed so easily? Could he do it? Would he really try?
Gage was a man bent on bringing chaos to our world. He had aligned himself with evil and sold his soul to the dark side. Right now he held all the cards. He could at any moment decide to kill us all. With that thought I began to worry about the friend I hadn’t seen for a while—Wendy. With a flush of guilt, I realized I hadn’t thought of her more than twice since Luke’s death, even though I knew the horrors Gage was exposing her to.
I squared my shoulders and said, “I want to see Wendy.”
He smiled at me, but I noticed it didn’t reach his eyes. “I assure you, she is fine.”
I would not believe Wendy was okay until I saw her with my own eyes. I steeled myself and said as forcefully as I could, “I will not raise one zombie until I’ve had a chance to talk to her and see for myself.” Even as the threat left my mouth, my hands started to shake. I pulled them off the table and set them down in my lap, terrified at my own insolence. Even though he’d technically never laid a finger on me, I was scared of Gage and what I knew he was capable of.
His eyes narrowed, and for a long moment I thought I’d gone too far. Then he said, “You know, I’m not usually in the position of taking orders,” he gave me a cold smile before continuing, “but I know you’re still under a terrible emotional strain. So, just this once, I’ll give in.” He motioned to Sonja, who stood in the corner of the room. “Sonja will take you to Wendy. But, whatever state the girl is in, I promise you I’ve had no hand in it. I’ve not harmed her in any way.”
I started to get out of my chair, but Gage reached out and snatched my arm. His fingers tightened around my wrist, digging in painfully. His expression was dark and threatening. “After you see your friend, you’ll do as I ask.”
“You’re insane,” I spat out.
I could see the anger there now, shimmering just below the surface of his eyes. Everything about his body language was suddenly menacing.
“Be careful of the words you sling about, dear Colina. Now run off and see your friend before I change my mind.”
Chapter 13
Sonja and I moved deeper underground than I’d ever been before. Down here there were even more shafts and tunnels leading in seemingly random directions—tunnels made by long-dead miners who’d chased rich mineral veins wherever they led. The heavy timber, which shored up the sides and ceiling of the tunnels and kept millions of tons of rock from falling in on us, became less frequent the deeper we went. All that unsupported weight overhead was a constant tickle at the back of my mind. Here and there on the floor I could see tumbled piles of rock that had come loose.
I thought of the miners who had died within these very tunnels. I didn’t want to die underground, in the dark, gasping for breath. My chest tightened and a cold sweat broke out over my skin. As panic threatened to overwhelm me, I tried to force the thought from my mind.
I peered into the darkness of each side tunnel we passed, hoping to see a ray of light from some secret air shaft that would offer hope of escape to the surface, but it never happened. Instead, the light from Sonja’s lantern only reached a short distance into the pitch-black darkness. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up more than a few times when I thought I saw something moving in the eerie shadows, but whatever I was seeing seemed to disappear the moment my attention focused on it.
Finally, we made it to our destination. Wendy’s cell was not like the one where they’d held me. There was a bed in hers, a striped rug thrown across the dirt floor, and a table with a vase of wildflowers.
Wendy was sitting on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her dark hair hanging down, covering her face. On the edge of the bed sat Jacob, looking worried. When he saw me, he hurriedly got up and opened the cell door, motioning for me to come in.
“How is she?” I asked.
His eyes were full of concern. “I’m not sure.”
What does that mean? I walked over to the bed and sat down. The minute I settled on the mattress, Wendy exploded into action, jumping off the bed and scrambling onto the floor. She looked up at me and bared her teeth.
What on earth happened to her? The face I was looking into was not my friend’s. It was hostile, uncivilized, and there was a primitive look in her eyes.
I got up and walked over to her, steeling myself for anger, or maybe even violence, and she didn’t disappoint—her hands lashed out as she growled and snarled at me. I looked over at Jacob, my face full of despair. He stood frozen in place, watching her, but didn’t seem surprised by her reactions.
I knew then that, whatever was happening, Jacob had seen her do it before.
Maybe if I get down on her level… I knelt on the floor, putting my hands out so she could see them, and said in a gentle voice, “Wendy? It’s me, Colina.”
Her eyes didn’t seem to recognize me at all.
How can I help her? I asked myself. Well, I can control the dead. But how could that help Wendy? The residual taint of the demon inside her was not like a spirit’s might be—it wasn’t even in this plane of existence. It existed in the black abyss. But the more I focused on her, the more I found I could see faint tentacles of darkness all around her. But the demons are still in hell, I thought wearily. How are they doing this to her? Somehow the demonic legion stretched out its dark influences and touched her body and mind.
Maybe I can force it back. It can’t hurt to try.
I took a deep breath, then reached out and grabbed her arm. She fought me desperately, clawing at my arms, but I ignored her. I pictured the familiar flame burning deep inside me and slowly fanned it, making the fire grow. As it did, I could feel the dark swirl of emotions start to pump through my body. With it came dark power. It seared through me. I focused all that energy and pushed it out of me and into Wendy.
Nothing happened at first. Then, slowly, I saw
those dark tentacles begin to waver and shrink back. She stopped struggling against me. Her eyes looked at me wildly for a few seconds, and as I pushed my energy inside her, they seemed to change from the eyes of an uncontrolled animal into something resembling human awareness.
“Colina,” Wendy whispered hoarsely.
She knew who I was. Relief filled me. “Yes. It’s me.” I let go of her arm. “I’m here.”
I didn’t know how long it would last, but for the moment it seemed I had pushed the darkness controlling Wendy back. I might not be able to heal anymore, but at least I can do this.
A glimmer of hope filled me. For the first time since the dark rituals, I’d done something to help someone.
“Where am I?” she asked. Her expression was one of pure confusion.
“You’re in a cell. Gage had you put away to keep me in line.”
She looked around the room and her eyes settled on Jacob. “Jacob.” His name came out at the end of one long sob.
“I’m here, honey.” He rushed forward and scooped her up into his arms, holding her tight against him.
I watched them embrace. Jacob seemed to really care about Wendy, but their relationship still made me uneasy. What would Gage do if he found out about it? Or did he already know?
Her head rested on his chest. Her eyes closed for a moment and then she opened them, looking directly at me. “It’s coming.”
She was talking about the demon. “I know,” I said, getting to my feet.
“Colina, you can’t let them out!”
At her words, panic rose inside me. Wendy had visions—was she seeing a vision of me releasing the legion now? “I promise you, I won’t.” My recklessness had already released one demon. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“But I see—” She looked away and her voice grew soft. “I see you in a circle of fire. I see such powerful magic around you. Magic you can’t control,” she sobbed. “I see the demons. Hundreds of them!” Her voice was getting louder. “They’re set loose. They’re roaming free, wreaking havoc in our world!” She sounded hysterical.
When I felt cold, rough stone against my back, I saw that I’d backed up until I was leaning against the rock wall. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my pounding heart. “I won’t let them out. I give you my word.”
She looked at me sadly and whispered, “You won’t have a choice.”
N0. The word rang out inside my mind and I knew she could hear it.
Just because she saw something happening didn’t mean it had to happen. If I just changed one thing—went down a different road, made a different decision—then I could change the outcome of the future.
I grasped at the hope that it was the darkness inside Wendy doing the talking, that it was the demons bringing on these hopeless thoughts. I knew that I would never willingly release the demon horde, but maybe they were trying to convince me I had no choice.
“Wendy, you have to hold on just a little longer. You can’t let whatever’s happening to you take over. You have to be strong—you have to fight against it.”
“I’m trying,” she cried out.
I looked out beyond the cell. We were alone. Heaving a sigh, I resigned myself to doing what I never thought I would do—trust Jacob. It was obvious by the way he was tenderly holding her that he loved Wendy and wanted to keep her safe. I hoped his feelings for Wendy were stronger than his allegiance to Gage.
My friends’ lives depended on it.
I turned to him. “Jacob, you have to get her out tonight.”
He just looked at me, his expression unreadable.
“The demon is coming tomorrow night. Wendy’s not safe. You know Gage will want to use her to contact the demons on the other side. Look what it’s doing to her. You need to get her away from this place. Away from Gage.”
He still held Wendy in his arms, looking down at her pensively as he slowly replied, “It’s too dangerous.” His voice sounded like a softer, smoother version of Caleb’s harsh, clipped tone.
“You have to try. Dean’s going to escape tonight and I’m not going with him. I have to stay and find a way to bring Luke back. But I’m going to make Dean go and I need to know that you and Wendy will get out while you still can.”
He looked away. “I don’t know.”
“Promise me you’ll think about it.” Wendy’s eyes were closed, and soft moans escaped from her mouth. “She’s getting worse. Every day she’s getting worse,” I openly pleaded with him. “If Wendy stays here you’ll lose her. The darkness will overtake her. It’s all consuming. You will lose her to it if you don’t do something soon.”
His hold on Wendy tightened.
I walked over and put my hand on Wendy’s arm. It was ice cold to the touch. I hated seeing her like this. Even though I had forced back the evil, I knew Gage would once again demand Wendy take part in his rituals and be possessed if Jacob didn’t listen to me. I looked at him intensely. “If you love her, you’ll take her away from here tonight.”
What else could I say? It was dangerous to appeal to him. He might tell Gage our plans, but I had to take that risk. I had to blindly trust that his feelings for Wendy were strong enough that he’d do whatever necessary to keep her safe.
* * *
After a little while, I was escorted by one of Gage’s nameless followers to the mummy room. The minute I walked in, I knew I wasn't alone. Gage had killed again. I could feel a mass of ghostly presences. Their touches caressed my cheek and lifted my hair. Their whispers floated on the air around me. Like before, the dead bodies were laying in zipped green bags.
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and slowly went from table to table. Each time, I unzipped a bag, touched the cold skin of the body inside, and raised the dead. As soon as I said the binding words, Gage’s men would zip up the bag and carry the body away. Like before, I could see feet kicking and hands pushing against the bags in a desperate struggle to get out as Gage’s men carried them away.
It was grueling work—when I finished hours later, I sank to my knees, bone-weary and depleted.
I must have blacked out, because when I came to I found myself in strong arms being carried down the tunnels. I looked into Caleb’s face. I should have felt afraid, but there was no hatred in his eyes as he looked down at me. He had an opportunity to hurt me now—I was exhausted, helpless—but he didn’t. I wearily lay my head against his chest. If he decided to kill me, there was nothing I could do to stop him. When I opened my eyes again, Caleb was gently depositing me into a chair back at the house. I looked up in surprise when he pushed a glass of water into my hands, gratefully taking it and gulping down a few mouthfuls. Caleb watched me the whole time, his eyes full of concern.
I started to say something when a voice spoke from across the room.
“You’re back.”
Dean.
A part of me was surprised he was still here. I’d both hoped and feared I would find him gone when I got back.
Dean looked at Caleb, sneering. “You can go scuttle back to your master now. I'll make sure she's all right.”
The two of them stared at each other for a long, tense moment. And then, finally, Caleb moved across the room. When he made it to the doorway, he stopped and gave me one long look before closing the door behind him.
Dean hunkered down beside me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I answered, although in truth, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I slumped against the chair, thinking.
Dean was still here. He had to leave tonight. He had to get away safely before the demon came.
Before I could say anything, I was pulled to my feet, and I found myself in Dean’s arms. He carried me down to the bedroom and lay me on the bed.
“You need to rest,” he said.
I tried to push myself up onto my elbows. “No, I’m fine.”
“Colina, rest. You don’t look well.” Dean’s face wore the same look of concern that Caleb had moments before.
I mus
t look really bad if even those who hate me are worried. But did Dean still hate me? There were so many things I wanted to say to him. Part of me wanted desperately to apologize for the way I treated him. But if I did, would he still leave? I fell back against the pillows.
Dean pulled a blanket over me and I felt fingers graze my forehead. “Close your eyes.”
I did. And before I knew it, I fell asleep.
* * *
I dreamt of Gage. He was standing in the center of a room, moonlight streaming in from open windows. The light surrounded him and shimmered across his features. He looked handsome, dashing in a dark suit and red tie.
I was standing in the corner of the room wearing a fancy black gown. It was strapless, with a full skirt that hung all the way down to the floor. I swayed back and forth and watched the delicate ruffles on the skirt make the same back-and-forth movements.
Gage reached out a hand to me. I glided across the floor toward him and he pulled me into his arms. Before I knew what was happening, we were dancing as hauntingly sweet music filled the air.
His strong arms were around me, holding me tight while I rested my head against his shoulder. I felt safe, and for the first time in a long time, completely content. We danced for a while, holding each other, and then the music stopped.
Gage pushed me away and I stumbled into the shadows. Skittering sounds filled the darkness. Somewhere not too far away I could barely make out the indistinct outline of…something. There were sounds of shuffling, but no snarling or growling. No red eyes peered at me from the darkness. It wasn’t hellhounds out there watching me…it was something else. Something bigger, something darker, something more ominous.
I shivered in my fancy strapless gown. A rose fell through the air and dropped to the floor. Its red petals spread out on the ground. I watched as the petals transformed into a puddle of blood that grew and spread, and I moved back quickly, afraid I would get some of it on my shoes or my lovely dress.
Then Gage called to me. I turned, and he was there, standing before me. His eyes stared deeply into mine. They’re so beautiful… I’d never realized before. Their color was such a pale blue, they almost looked white. They glowed in the darkness like a beacon calling out to me. I felt feverish, on fire, as I stared into those eyes.
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