“There is a problem with that idea,” Dante said.
“What?” Liz asked.
“We are dealing with free will. Not to mention otherworld law, otherworld justice and affairs. There are harsh punishments for those who interfere.”
“But I want to do good,” Liz cried. “Won’t that council of yours make exceptions?”
“They are not known for their compassion, no.” Dante lowered his head. “In fact, they are known for eliminating those who refuse to comply with their mandates.”
The slamming of a car door was closely followed by the crunch of footsteps on gravel.
Anna hurried to crouch behind a nearby copse of bushes then looked over at Dante and Liz, still out in the open, staring at her with matching expressions of amusement. “They’ll see us.”
“Who?” Liz asked.
“Whoever’s out there,” Anna hissed. “Get down here.”
“No one will see us, ofryd.”
“You saw us.”
“I am not human. Not entirely.”
She glared up at Dante. “Maybe whoever’s out there isn’t either.”
“It is Juan. He is entirely human, believe me.”
The roar of another engine approached. This time, Dante and Liz joined Anna behind the bushes.
“Who’s that now?” Anna’s internal tension ratcheted higher.
“Basher.” Dante growled. “And he will most certainly see you both.”
“I should go.” Anna started to close her eyes, hoping she could return to his apartment as easily as she’d arrived, but Dante stopped her.
“No, ofryd. You must not leave yet. Basher will sense the magic.”
“Magic?” Anna whispered. “I don’t know any magic.”
“You don’t have to. You are magic.”
His words sent her already thundering pulse skyrocketing. “What does that mean?”
“Talk to Liz. I must get over there so I can hear their conversation.”
Anna waited until Dante was gone then focused on her sister again. Liz was back in the lotus position and chanting away, quieter this time.
“So?”
“So what?”
“So, tell me what all this means.”
Liz held up a finger while she rattled off several more words then bowed her head as if in prayer.
At last, she nodded then faced Anna once more. “Take my hands.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
“Fine. Now what?”
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Have you always been so stubborn?” Liz raised a brow. “Wait, I already know the answer.”
“Funny.” Anna took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. Eyes closed.”
“Good. Now open them again.”
“I swear to God, Liz. If I wasn’t so glad to see you I would—”
Anna opened her eyes and found herself in a plain white room. No farm fields, no Dante, no Basher. Just her and Liz. “What the hell?”
“Pretty cool, eh?” Liz grinned. “Okay. Now that we have some privacy, what do you want to know?”
“I thought we couldn’t leave until Basher was gone. Won’t he be able to track us here?”
“No. I’ve learned to shield my powers so Basher won’t find us.”
“Where exactly are we?”
“The training room.”
“Marvelous.” Anna exhaled. “All right. Let’s start with how you found the Blood Ravagers gang and Dante.”
“Remember that occult church I went to back in Chicago?”
“Yeah.”
“They held a special coven night this past Halloween. Sort of a meet and greet for new members.” Liz grinned. “As part of the show, they had some of us demo our specialties. Mine was clairvoyance. Of course.”
“Of course.” Anna rolled her eyes. “Go on.”
“Dante was there.”
“At coven night?”
“Yeah. I was instantly drawn to him.”
“I bet.” Anna crossed her arms, jealousy clawing through her before she tamped it down. “Go on.”
“Nothing happened, sis,” Liz said, as if reading her thoughts. “He’s like my big brother. Ewww. Anyway, he explained why he was there and wanted to recruit me.”
“Recruit you?”
“Yeah. He’s got quite a cause.”
“Which is?”
“Half-breed liberation. You know he’s half-demon, half-human, right?”
“Yes.”
“In their world, those who are different are not treated well. Sound familiar?”
Anna frowned. “I still don’t see what this has to do with us.”
“Dante’s had a pretty brutal existence. I’ll let him get into that with you but, suffice it to say, what he has planned will require a huge output of energy to succeed. More energy than he can conjure alone. That’s where you and I come in.”
“I don’t know how to conjure anything except trouble. People die when I use my powers, you know that. I don’t need any more deaths on my hands.” She backed away, her chest tight. She needed some space, some air in what had become a claustrophobic prison of guilt and remorse. “You can’t ask me to use them again. Please don’t ask me to do that.”
“Anna, we were ten years old. What happened to that boy wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my fault.” Tears blurred her vision as she searched for a way to escape. “I live with the look on his face—the pain, the shocked accusation—right before I killed him. He died looking right at me. Don’t ever tell me it wasn’t my fault. It was.” Her ragged sobs echoed loud in the white room and her knees buckled. She landed hard on the floor. “I’m broken. I’m bad.”
“No.” Liz knelt beside her and took Anna into her arms, rocking her like a baby. “I went back years later and read the police reports. Did you know they found a loaded gun in that kid’s locker? And a manifesto, stating how he was going to open fire at the assembly that afternoon? He would’ve hurt a lot of people if you hadn’t stopped him. What you did saved many lives. Don’t ever blame yourself, sis, and please, please, don’t ever fear your gifts.”
Anna’s tears subsided at last. “But he’s dead, because of me.”
“And a lot of other innocent people would’ve been dead without you doing what you did.” Liz took one of Anna’s arms and turned it over, exposing her scars. “Is that why you cut yourself?”
“Don’t,” Anna said, trying to pull away. “How did you know about that?”
“I’m your twin. What you feel I feel. I’ve known all along.” Liz sniffled. “I just wish there was something I could’ve done before now to stop you from hating yourself.”
Anna had carried that burden for so long that releasing it at last left her completely drained. Her eyes felt scratchy and her throat hurt and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep for days, but there was still so much left to discuss. “I don’t see how any of this matters. If Dante really wanted to make a difference, he’d take Basher out.”
“That’s exactly what he plans to do.”
“Good.”
“With our help. Basher is evil.”
“No argument here.”
“He hunts down and kills whatever he considers beneath him for fun. Tortures them first, just for the pleasure. He doesn’t know about Dante, that he’s half-breed, but it’s only a matter of time until he finds out.”
Anna’s heart plummeted to her toes. The thought of Dante being tortured, maimed, killed for his genetics nearly gutted her, but how could she give up her life, everything she’d worked so hard to build over the years, for a man she barely knew, no matter how strong their connection. “I’m sorry, I can’t, Liz.”
“Basher has another objective, too.”
“What?”
“To find the gang’s new Oracle. And destroy them.”
“But everyone thinks we’re the gang’s new Oracle.”
“Yep.”
Des
pite her exhaustion, Anna pushed to her feet once more. Unsteady and panicked, she searched the room for some way out. There had to be a way out. “Let me go.”
“You can go anytime you want, sis.” Liz leaned against the wall across from Anna and tapped her slipper-covered toe against the white tile floor. “But you can’t avoid your destiny.”
“This is not my destiny. This is terrifying. How can you not be scared to death about all this?”
“Because I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”
There was that damned word again. First Dante and now Liz. If she had to hear about one more sacrifice she was going to scream. “Well, maybe I’m not.”
“You came here to find me.”
“Yes.”
“And you did.”
“Yes.”
“And I think you’ve found more than that, dear sis.”
Anna froze, not wanting to acknowledge the truth of her twin’s statement. Why couldn’t she go back to grading papers and watching movie marathons on Netflix? She’d been happy then. Cold and lonely and unfulfilled, but happy.
“Dante cares for you.” Liz smiled. “You care for him, too.”
“How I feel about Dante doesn’t matter. I leave on Saturday.”
“Friday’s a big day.” Liz walked over to Anna. “I’m guessing you won’t want to leave after that.”
“Then you’d guess wrong.”
“Dante can’t succeed without you. Without us.”
“Too bad.” Anna pointed an accusing finger in Liz’s face. “All these noble deeds and acts of honor you and I are supposed to make on his behalf, but isn’t this all about his atonement? Cleaning his hands? Wiping his slate clean?”
“Yes, but Dante’s plans will make the world better for all of us,” Liz said. “That’s why Dante needs you.”
“Why?” Anna stepped closer, inches from her sister’s face. “Why me?”
“I can’t tell you that. Yet.”
“Of course you can’t. Seems nobody can tell me anything yet.” Anna gave a harsh laugh. “When can you tell me?”
“Tomorrow.” Liz grinned. “Once you start Oracle training.”
Chapter Nine
“Basher’s got what?” Dex frowned, leaning against several feet of jagged rocks and loaf-sized stones set into position over a millennia prior by ancient Native Americans.
The morning sun had yet to crest the tops of the Big Horn Mountains and the sky was streaked with indigo, purple and pink.
“Solomon’s Seal.” Dante could not quite believe it himself. The thing was ancient and one of the few magical objects that specifically targeted impure demons and could be used to control them. He had searched years for it, to prevent it from being used against him, but never located the thing. Now, here it was in Salvation, in the hands of the most dangerous sadist on the planet. “I saw it last night.”
“How the hell did he get it?” Rev asked. He stood near the center of the medicine wheel, scowling. “Last I’d heard it was under special guard in hell’s vaults.”
“Juan,” Dante said.
Dex snorted. “A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage…”
“Stop, beast.” Rev said, rejoining them. “Now is not the time to quote your Bard.”
“Now is always the appropriate time to quote the Bard.” Dex turned back to Dante. “How did a human come to possess such a powerful weapon?”
“No idea,” Dante said. Nothing had been written about the relic for centuries. Unfortunately, time had only made the seal stronger, more deadly. “We need to know if there is any way to counteract its effects.”
“I’ve heard the seal consumes its victim from the inside out, stealing their soul as well as their sanity.” Dex shuddered. “There was a legend in the pack community. Said it was forged using the blood of a great she-wolf queen from ages past.”
“Basher has no soul to steal.” Rev shoved his hands into the pockets of his duster coat and dug the toe of his boot into the powdery dirt. “As for his sanity, I think we all know that disappeared long ago.”
“They are still planning to meet here tomorrow night.” Dante sighed. “Juan thinks he can use the convergence to boost his chance of making a good sale for the psychics. My contacts at the human FBI know, but they will be useless to help us. We must be prepared. I did not anticipate Basher having the Seal and can only believe that he has discovered my mixed heritage. Why else would he care about such a relic?”
“If he suspects you are not what you say, Basher will be taking precautions to ensure you will not threaten his deal tomorrow night,” Rev said. “You should have contingencies in place.”
Dante looked away. He already had a last resort, but required a few reassurances. “Promise me, both of you, that if things do not go well and I am unable to fulfill my vow of vengeance, that you will do what is required to save the others.”
Failure was not an option, not with Liz and Anna involved. He needed to know they would be safe, that the gang would continue on and his goals of equality and justice would be achieved—even if he did not survive Basher’s attack. The men standing before him now were his closest confidants within the Blood Ravagers. He trusted them with his deepest secrets and his life. Now he trusted them with his most precious possession—Anna.
Dex and Rev each gave a solemn nod.
“Good.” Dante started down the mile and a half path back to their cycles. “Also, you must make sure the gang’s Oracle binding ceremony takes place in six months’ time.”
“Of course,” Dex said, walking on Dante’s right. “It would be my honor to assist our Oracle in any way necessary. Though I don’t understand why we must wait.”
“They must finish their training and take their vows first,” Dante said.
“We should each cover one twin; that will make things more efficient.” Rev walked on Dante’s left. “Regardless of what Basher does with that weapon, Dante will have his hands full. The twins will be busy channeling the energy vortex and, therefore, vulnerable. Dex you will cover Anna and I will take Liz.”
“Or”—Dex leaned around Dante to stare at Rev—“I will protect Liz and the bloodsucker can handle Anna.”
“I don’t think it matters, beast. I’m only thinking of what is best for the Oracle.”
“No. You’re only considering what’s best for your lily white cock,” Dex said.
“Having a lily white cock is better than having none at all, beast.”
Dante snapped his fingers and ended their argument before it escalated into a full-blown tussle. “Enough! Neither of the twins is to be harmed in any way. Understand? Much as I wish I could protect them myself, Rev is correct. It will be impossible come tomorrow night. And while it is admirable both of you seem so willing to protect Liz, know that if anything happens to Anna, I will personally eviscerate the responsible party. Clear?”
“Clear,” both men answered.
“Good. Now, I have some training to attend.” Checking on Anna’s progress was priority one.
Taking additional precautions to ensure her survival, now that Basher was in possession of the Seal, was priority two. That final step, however, would have to wait until later, when they were alone.
“Training?” Dex asked, once they reached the parking lot.
“Yes.” Dante climbed on his bike and started the engine. “Today is Anna’s first session with Liz.”
Rev pulled the brim of his hat lower against the bright sunny day. “They will do well.”
“Yes.” Dante sighed. “If they do not kill each other first.”
Chapter Ten
“Can I at least have some coffee first?” Anna asked. Summoning her long-dormant powers seemed way too daunting without caffeine. Especially this early. The sun hadn’t even been up when Dante had sent her on her way. “Please?”
“Sorry, sis. Coffee interferes with your harmonic vibrations.” Liz led Anna to an empty chair in the middle of the same white room they’d been in the night
before. “No artificial stimulants until after training.”
“Coffee is natural. It’s from a plant.”
“Nope.”
Anna slumped as her sister took a seat in a chair across from her. Happy as she was to have Liz alive and well, her mind felt sluggish and her body ached. She and Dante had visited his dungeon again the previous night and tried out a few of his new toys. In particular, a pretty pink cat-o-nine tails that left her breathless with want. Even now, just thinking about it got her all hot and bothered.
“None of that either, sis.” Liz arched a blond brow and winked. “You little vixen.”
“Hey.” Embarrassment had Anna tugging at the hem of her shirt, avoiding her sister’s gaze. Today, she’d worn an olive green sweater and a fresh pair of jeans.
Liz leaned forward, her gaze narrowed. “Are things getting serious between you two?”
“What? No.”
The sex between her and Dante was incredible, yes, but he was otherworld. She was human. A psychic human, but still. Plus, he lived a nomadic existence with his gang and she taught fifth graders and binge-watched rom-coms on the weekends. Their lives were too different. Never mind the connection still buzzing between them, stronger than ever. It would fade with time and distance, right? After all this was over, she’d go home and forget all about him and all the wonderful, forbidden pleasures she’d experienced.
“Like you said, he’s just my fuck buddy.”
“Well.” Liz sat back and crossed her legs. “From that rosy glow in your cheeks and that dreamy look in your eye, I’d say you’re in love.”
“I am not in love.” She crossed her arms, suddenly feeling way too vulnerable. Liz always had a way of getting right to the heart of any matter. “And I am not glowing.”
Liz’s knowing grin widened. “Oh, yeah. Definite glow happening. I’m happy for you.”
“Can we just get on with this, please?” Anna crossed her legs. “I’m not even sure I can summon my powers anymore. It’s been a long time and I’m not like you.”
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