by R. L. Perez
We took several turns I’d never been down before, finally ending up in a small cavern the size of a linen closet. There was only room for one of us inside, so I awkwardly stayed in the tunnel with Miguel while Leo rummaged through armor and weapons.
“As I said to you before,” Leo grunted, his voice carrying through the tunnel, “we are quite low on weaponry. Had you not confronted me in the armory of the Castillo de Coca that day, we might have had more.” He flashed me a grin, and my stomach twisted with guilt.
Leo tossed a breastplate to Miguel, who slid it on. After a few minutes, Leo emerged with his own breastplate and two long swords strapped to his back. His hair was pulled back, and his muscular arms were bare beneath the armor. For a moment, I wondered why he only wore a breastplate—then, I remembered he was a vampire. His only vulnerability was his heart.
“What would you like, Brielle?” Leo asked pleasantly as if we were having dinner together. “Sword or dagger?”
“Dagger, please.”
Leo nodded and passed me a small blade with a decorative hilt. I glanced up and down my nightgown uncertainly until Leo handed me a belt with a hilt attached. He smirked knowingly at me, and I rolled my eyes.
“Thanks,” I muttered, wrapping the belt around my waist and sliding the dagger in the hilt.
A deafening boom shook the ground, and I teetered, pressing my hands against the rocky wall for support. I shared a worried glance with Leo, whose jaw went rigid.
“The wards won’t hold much longer,” Miguel said gravely.
I stiffened, suddenly remembering Angel and my parents. “My family!” I turned to Leo. “Where are they?”
“I have sentries posted outside. They’ll keep them within the wards if they try to leave the caves.” Leo paused. “If they’re smart, they’ll stay in your room.”
I knew they wouldn’t. My parents were fighters. They’d been in battles before.
But Angel hadn’t.
Without another word, I surged forward, weaving through tunnels and only pausing to regain my bearings. I finally wound down a familiar path until it opened up to my room. The first thing I saw was my parents’ empty cots, and my heart lurched in my throat.
Then, a voice hissed, “Brie!”
I jumped, my eyes roving around the room until they rested on a few dark figures huddled in the corner. The faint moonlight twinkled from the holes in the ceiling.
I rushed forward and found Angel and my mom crouched together, obviously hiding in case an enemy searched the caves.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
Mom straightened at my approach, her eyes fierce. “He volunteered to fight.”
A lump formed in my throat. I looked from Mom’s determined expression to Angel, whose face was filled with fear.
“You go,” I said to Mom. “I’ll stay with Angel.”
“I’m not a baby,” Angel snapped, though her trembling voice betrayed her.
“You’re not a fighter, either,” I said.
“I’ve been training these past few months,” she said, lifting her chin in defiance. “I can fight.”
“Come with me,” I said, dragging her arm. I glanced over my shoulder at Mom. “Be safe!”
“You too,” Mom said before we parted ways.
“Brie—” Angel protested, but I continued dragging her through tunnels. Another boom shook the ground, and we both yelped as we bumped into each other.
We made it back to the library, which was empty now. I dropped Angel’s hand and hurried toward the bookshelves. “I need your help,” I told her.
She was silent for a moment. When I looked at her, I saw the defiance still showing in her face. The desperation to prove herself. To be something fierce.
I knew that feeling all too well. In that moment, I saw myself reflected in her eyes.
“What do you need?” she asked at last, stepping forward to help.
I grabbed a handful of books and then froze, my mind racing with possibilities. My first thought had been to look through the Spanish spells, but then I remembered Ignacio and the other mages. When they’d cast spells to try to unleash Lilith, they’d spoken in Latin.
“The spell is in Latin,” I whispered. I blinked and looked at Angel’s confused expression. “Find whatever books you can about Latin spells. Use my translation spell if you need help.”
Angel nodded and fingered through several books before propping one open.
Urgency pulsed through me, but I knew this wasn’t something I could rush. The cave rumbled frequently as we searched, and my blood boiled with the desire to fight. To take action.
I jotted down notes and phrases from other similar spells, pausing occasionally to think of the Count and what I knew about him. I had to match his intent. He cast the spell to locate Lilith’s cursed witch so she could be destroyed.
“Locator spells, banishing spells, spells about altering time,” I muttered. “Anything you find that relates to that will help.”
“Spells that alter time haven’t been written yet,” Angel said. “But I can give you what I remember from when Mom cast the spell.”
The time travel spell. For a minute, my heart leapt in my throat, reminding me of that monumental secret Mom and Dad had kept from us.
But I shoved it down. Now is not the time. “That would be helpful. Thanks.”
I wrote down phrases like pythonissam, maledictum, tempus, and excindo. I also wrote down synonyms of banish and curse, since there were multiple forms.
Lilith, this will take forever.
“Here,” Angel said, sliding a piece of paper toward me. “These are all the rhyming words I found in the spells.”
I wanted to hug her. I exhaled with relief, pulling the list toward me. “Thank you.”
We worked silently for a few more minutes, occasionally gasping or crying out when the ground shook again. Angel passed me her notes and kept researching while I worked on crafting the spell. I cursed this time period and its lack of erasers as I scribbled through phrases over and over again.
Then, another explosion shook the caves, this one more massive than the others. The walls shook. The ceiling quivered. Rocks and pebbles rained down on us. Angel and I ducked, covering our heads with our hands.
A tickle of magic wafted in the air. It smelled sharp, like the vampire coven. But then the scent was overtaken by another more subtle scent. The smell of ash, onions, and seaweed. A smell that filled me with memories of staying in the castle.
The Count.
A ripple of magic washed over us like a splash of cold water. I sucked in a gasp, my wide eyes meeting Angel’s.
The wards were down. We were out of time.
Something powerful hammered into the caves, and Angel shrieked, covering her head again. More rocks tumbled from the ceiling.
I snatched the papers closest to me, tugged on Angel’s hand, and pulled her forward. “Come on!”
We raced out of the library as the ceiling cracked and crumbled. Boulders slammed into the ground around us. Angel screamed. I stopped short as large rocks poured from the ceiling, blocking our path.
Angel’s hand trembled in my grip. Panting, I glanced behind me, knowing there was no way out but forward.
But we were trapped. And the cave was collapsing around us.
“Help!” I shrieked. It was probably no use, but I had to try. “Is someone there? Help us!”
I’m here, a voice whispered.
I jumped and whirled around wildly. “Who’s there?”
“Brie,” Angel whispered uncertainly, her eyes cast toward the ceiling. “No one’s there.”
“No, I heard something—”
I’m here, Brielle. I can help.
I went very still. Fire burned within me, just waiting to be unleashed. “Nix?” I asked.
Yes, the voice replied. I am here.
My heart froze, and for a full beat, time seemed to stop as I homed in on the voice inside me. Nix.
My blood raced, and an unfamili
ar energy buzzed through me. Leo’s energy.
His blood was inside me. And I recalled what had happened when the Count forced me to drink Ronaldo’s blood. Lilith had taken control of Nix. But now that Nix and I had connected, Leo’s blood had simply awakened her inside me.
Even though I was also awake.
“Brie,” Angel said urgently, her wide eyes darting to me with that “she’s crazy” look.
“Nix, what can you do?” I asked. “I can’t exactly fall asleep right now.”
The cave rumbled again. Angel screamed and tugged on my arm, dragging me back toward the library as more rocks rained down on us. Something heavy collided with my shoulder, and I fell over.
We are bonded, Nix said to me. We have united. The transformation will be easier now. Clear your mind and give yourself over to me.
I swallowed. Her words jolted me, and a ripple of unease swept through me. Give yourself over to me. It sounded dangerous. Like something Lilith might say.
“What—what about my sister?” I asked. “Can you get her out?”
Yes. Tell her she must hold onto you. Your body will be lifeless when I take over. I will extinguish my flames so you both can hold onto my talons. But only for a moment. Once we are freed, I will need to fly and ignite my flames again to recharge.
I sucked in several sharp breaths. Angel was still watching me warily, but I squeezed her hand. “We’ll be all right,” I told her.
“Oh, are you talking to me now?” she asked hysterically. Dust coated her hair, and her face was smeared with dirt.
Cast a protection spell on you both, Nix said.
I closed my eyes and flexed my fingers toward Angel.
“Magic above and powers that be,
Protect us from harm and injury.”
My hands glowed blue, and Angel yelped as her body began to glow.
“Hold still,” I warned her.
Angel obeyed, her body stiff as my magic swept over her. Then, the blue magic rippled over my own body as well.
When the blue glow faded, Angel blinked at me. “What was that for?”
“I’m—I’m going to release the phoenix.”
The blood drained from her face. “What? Brie—”
“There’s no time!” I shouted over the noise of another explosion. “This cave will collapse on us any minute. She says she’ll put out her flames so you can grab hold of her talons.”
Angel was shaking her head. “The last time the phoenix came out—”
“I know,” I said, closing my eyes briefly. “But that was Lilith. Not the phoenix. Nix and I are bonded now. We can communicate. She’ll keep you safe, Angel. But when she’s free, you’ll need to hold onto me. I won’t be conscious.”
Angel’s wide eyes remained fixed on me, and her body trembled with terror. In that moment, I felt like the older sister. The one tasked with protecting her. I’d always felt that way about Angel.
But I couldn’t protect her if she didn’t trust me.
Our eyes locked, and she nodded slowly. “Okay.”
You both should back up, Nix advised.
I guided Angel to the opposite side of the cave tunnel. Then, I closed my eyes and sat back on my rear, trying to ignore the chaos of sounds around me. The fire in my chest roared to life, ready to respond. I felt Nix’s soul nestled next to mine. She was ready too.
I inhaled deeply. Images flashed through my mind: Mom, Dad, Leo, the Count, my friends at the castle—but I struggled to shove them down, to release my thoughts. I exhaled through my mouth, long and slow. With each steady breath, Nix’s presence grew stronger.
When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing but fire. The flames burned in my chest, desperate for release. I opened my mouth to oblige, but Nix stopped me.
Not yet, she whispered.
I let her take over.
In an explosion of rocks and debris, she crashed through the cave ceiling and landed on the ground, stretching her wings wide. Angel shouted in alarm, but Nix ignored her. With monumental effort, Nix withdrew the flames. They boiled within me, threatening to burst, to explode. It felt like knives clawing at my insides.
Nix flapped her wings, soaring toward the gaping hole in the ceiling. A heavy weight tugged on her talons, and I knew Angel had grabbed on. In the recesses of my mind, I vaguely registered another limp figure alongside Angel.
It was me. I was the limp figure. It was surreal, to think and feel as if I were Nix, but know my body was right there in the bird’s grasp. I felt the girl’s body attached to Nix’s talons as if she were a doll—as if she weren’t me at all. The thought made my head spin.
With a roar, Nix released her fire, spewing the flames onto the ceiling like molten lava. Angel screamed, and Nix shot forward, bursting against the ceiling and crashing through. Rocks and boulders rained down, but Nix broke free of the wreckage and spiraled high into the sky. She spun, arcing around the caves and toward the forest where flashes of light marked the battle between the demons and the Count’s men.
Nix pivoted toward the fray, aiming for the long line of armored soldiers advancing toward the caves. Some men shouted and dived out of the way. Those that remained aimed their swords and guns toward Nix, but she breathed fire, igniting them with her flames. The weight on her talons released, and I knew Angel had let go. I hoped she had taken me with her—that my body was safe.
If I died while Nix was free, would I feel it at all?
A sharp pain split through Nix’s skin, and she roared. Agony roiled through her, emanating in my own chest and searing my skin. I tried to scream, but I was trapped in Nix’s mind. The phoenix shrieked and crashed into the ground before slumping over, motionless.
43
Leo
I FOLLOWED MIGUEL OUT of the caves toward the edge of the forest. Most of my coven was already outside and fully armed. A full moon bathed the woods in an eerie glow that mingled with the blue sparks flying in the air. Half a dozen mages were positioned at the front, closest to the caves. Next to them, a line of young light warlocks stood with their hands outstretched as they murmured enchantments, no doubt trying to pierce through my wards.
My eyes fell on the lone witch standing at the end of the line. Her stark white hair was familiar to me.
Yes, I remembered. This was Brielle’s friend—Izzy. I stared hard at Izzy, thinking of how desperate Brielle had been to rescue her. Yet here she was, fighting on the Count’s side.
But as I watched her, my eyes narrowed. A dizzying array of smells assaulted my nose: perspiration, light magic, metal, gunpowder. But I smelled something faint emanating from the girl.
Fear.
Izzy’s hands trembled as she flexed her fingers. Sweat poured down her brow. Her eyes shifted nervously to something behind her. I followed her gaze and found the Count dressed in armor from head to toe. I almost wouldn’t have recognized him, but his helmet visor was up, and his icy stare was fixed on me.
When I met his gaze, I smirked at him, burying my unease and keeping my smugness at the surface. Agitating my enemies was my strong suit.
My eyes roved over the row of light warlocks, suddenly seeing what I hadn’t noticed before. Half of them looked as conflicted as Izzy, their arms stiff and trembling, their faces betraying their reluctance.
When my focus returned to the Count, he was smiling. Like he knew what I’d just figured out. I had no doubt he’d coerced these casters into fighting for him—perhaps he’d threatened their families or their lives. He was desperate, after all. I had what he wanted most: Brielle.
If I could find out how the other casters were bound to him, perhaps I could free them and convince them to switch sides.
Jorge shifted and appeared next to me, his face pale. “Two hundred armed soldiers,” he said breathlessly. “Not to mention the mages and casters.”
“What about the Donors and their families?” I asked.
“Guadalupe snuck them out the east end of the forest. She’ll hide them in the village.”
“If
this battle goes poorly, that will be the first place the Count will look,” I said grimly. We need to get them out of the city.
“I know,” Jorge said, his eyebrows knitting together. “But it’s all we can do for now.”
My gaze flicked back toward the caves. Brielle was now the only one left inside. Make haste, Little Nightmare, I thought. We needed that countercurse.
The ground rumbled, and I swayed, barely catching myself before falling over. Looking up, I found a line of white cracks floating in the air, marking the transparent wards that surrounded the caves. The casters were breaking through. It wouldn’t be long now.
I turned to face my coven—my family. With a swift movement, I drew both swords from the sheaths at my back. My very bones trembled with anticipation, and my body yearned for blood. For victory.
For revenge.
I lifted my sword and shouted, “Prepare yourselves! We take no prisoners today!” I paused, thinking of the casters fighting against their will. “Spare the casters if you can.” I turned to face the army waiting for us and leveled my gaze at the Count. “And Antonio de Silva is mine.”
More cracks formed against my barriers. The ground rumbled again, but I remained upright. I stretched my arms, brandishing my swords. The energy racing through me was exhilarating. Intoxicating. I’d forgotten the thrill of battle.
A crash echoed behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and found boulders crumbling from the cave ceiling. It took me a moment to realize why my blood was pulsing with urgency.
Brielle was still in there.
I straightened, fear chilling me to my bones. No. I glanced at Jorge, who watched me with understanding in his eyes. He shook his head slightly, indicating he hadn’t seen her.
I swallowed, reluctantly turning back to face my enemy. I couldn’t abandon my coven just before battle, though my body screamed at me to run inside and search for Brielle.
I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and focusing on the taste of her blood. The scent of her skin. My own blood roared in my ears, hungry for more of her delicious nectar, but I shoved it down, searching inward for our bond.
