Dark Confessions

by Angie Sandro

Anders stands near the edge of the boat. He sways back and forth, his full attention focused outward. “It’s coming!” A full-bodied shudder rocks him. He turns and yells, “Everyone scoot as far from me as you can.”

  Elizabeth climbs onto her knees. “We’re on a boat. Where the hell are we supposed to go?”

  “Move to the front. It’s coming from behind,” I croak, throat tight. The level of agony seeping from the spirit is like an infected splinter under the skin. No matter how it tries to bite it out, it’s too far gone to be removed without help.

  Elizabeth doesn’t argue. She crawls toward the others, then huddles with her arm wrapped around my daughter’s shoulders. Seeing the two most important women in my life supporting each other, well, it almost warms me. Almost.

  The air grows colder. A banshee’s wail rises above the roar of the fan. The high-pitched shriek hits the right frequency to shoot a dart directly into my nerve endings.

  I clench my teeth against the pain and crawl to the others. “Landry, get us to the dock. Now!”

  “This is the fastest speed we can go without capsizing. The visibility’s too low with the mist, and I can’t see debris beneath the lilies.” Another shriek pierces the air, and Landry’s shoulders shrug almost to his ears. He glances behind him and shudders. “What the fuck is that? It’s not a ghost.”

  Anders goes to Landry’s side. He grabs ahold of the armrest when he stumbles. “No. It’s the thing that lives inside me. I let it out to fight the assassins. Now it’s returning.”

  “Well, then, don’t stand next to me,” Landry says. “I’ve been possessed once, and that demon was a son of a bitch to get out. I don’t want to go there again.”

  Anders stares at him for a long moment with blank eyes. Then a warm spark lightens his gaze. He claps Landry on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. The shadow’s more likely to burn you to a crisp than possess you.”

  “Not helpful, man. Not at all.” Landry hunches lower in his seat, but his hand remains steady as he aims the boat for the dock. “Just keep that thing off me.”

  Dena passes me, heading toward Anders. She shakes off my hand when I try to stop her. “He needs me,” she snarls. I let her go. If anyone can change what’s about to happen, it’s her.

  When she reaches Anders, Dena wraps her arms around his legs. “Sit down before you topple into the water.” She tugs, trying to unlock his knees.

  Anders squats to rest his hands on her shoulder. “Go to the others. It’s not safe.”

  Her arms shift to clasp his neck. “It won’t hurt me.”

  Anders grips her wrists. “It’s injured, and I’m not sure I’m strong enough to control it. It sees y’all as a threat.” He stares at the black blot against a cloud of white, zigzagging toward us. Contrails of smoke break off to stain the misty air, like blood clouding water. It bleeds. “Go, Dee.”

  Dena shakes her head. “I’m not leaving you…either piece of you. I helped you control this before, and I’ll do it again.” She squints at the shadow closing in. “What do you think happened?”

  “I saw through its eyes—”

  “Your eyes,” Dena interjects.

  “Mine, ours.” Anders gives a shaky laugh. “I guess it’s pretty stupid to deny the fact that I’m connected to the shadow. He…w-we killed two of the attackers. We had the witch on the run, but then she stopped. She threw some kind of white powder at us, and where it touched, it burned. Still burns.”

  “Okay, it could be worse. Ferdinand and Ivy will figure out a way to counteract the effects of the spell. No worries.” Dena’s chipper, high-pitched tone doesn’t hide her fear. But then, she’s never let a little thing like self-preservation stand in the way of doing what she feels is right.

  Anders, Dena, and Mala are all linked. If this witch has the power to injure Death himself, how do we fight her? ’Cause she did injure him. The shadow careens across the water. It reaches the boat, and where the shadow touches, fire erupts.

  Elizabeth shouts. She grabs a bucket and begins to throw water on the fire, while the rest of us use our hands, but as one flame sputters out, another replaces it.

  “Oh, no.” Dena gasps, stepping forward.

  Anders shoves her back with one hand and reaches toward the shadow with the other. The cloud shifts into humanoid form. It’s bowled over, arms wrapped around its waist. It topples, falling into Anders, who begins to scream. He bats at his smoking skin. His flesh reddens and then blisters. He collapses, tumbling over the side of the boat, and sinks beneath the water.

  “Michael!” Dena screams, and dives over the side.

  Coughing from the smoke burning my lungs, I scan the water where they fell. Lilies hide the spot, and it grows smaller as we leave it behind. “Where are they? Anybody see them?”

  “No,” Elizabeth yells, not stopping her battle to douse the flames spreading across the section of the boat where the shadow touched. “And we can’t stop to go back for them. The fire’s heading toward the engine. If it reaches it, we’ll explode.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Bessie

  The World Goes Boom

  My arms ache from hauling the full bucket over the railing and chucking water at flames that just won’t go out. It behaves like a grease fire, growing larger despite my efforts. I seem to only be making the situation worse, but I don’t know what else to do. With each passing second, the blaze licks closer and closer to Landry’s hiking boots. How he manages to remain calm enough to navigate the boat toward the dock with smoking feet, I’ll never know. I’m shaking so hard, I’m afraid I’ll fly apart.

  The hull bumps against the wooden dock. Landry jumps from his seat and throws a looped rope over a post. “Everybody off,” he yells, running over to assist Ferdinand. Picking George up by the arms and feet, Landry and Ferdinand lift him from Ivy’s lap. Estrada jogs beside them, pressing the T-shirt he found in the boat against the wound.

  I toss the last ineffective bucketful at the fire, then run to Ivy. “We gotta hurry.”

  Panic darkens her eyes. “My leg’s cramping.”

  “Use the other one!”

  Ivy shakes her head. “Why didn’t I think of that?” She grabs my sweaty hands in a death grip, and I lift her to her feet. She staggers a bit, but I drag her along. We need to get off this boat before it blows.

  Thick, black clouds of smoke hang above the boat. Stop, drop, and crawl won’t work in the situation. Heat evaporates the moisture from my body. My eyes burn so badly that I want to dive headfirst into the lake. Maybe Anders had the right idea.

  Once Ivy and I reach the dock, it’s a mad stumble-run for shore. My feet hit the dirt, and I gulp in a breath of clean air. A large bang rings in my ears, and a blast of heat at my back throws me forward. My arms rise to protect my head as I fall. I hit hard. What little air I have in my lungs explodes out on impact. Damn, it hurts to breathe.

  Red and yellow spots float behind my sealed eyelids. The muscles in my abdomen and chest remain clenched. It takes a lot of sweet-talking to get my lungs on board with the idea of breathing again, and it works only because Dr. Estrada rolls me onto my back and pries open my eyelids. His pug-ugly face, inches from mine, shocks my system, like a jolt from a defibrillator. My gasp, well, it keeps me from aspirating on my own vomit, but his rank, moldy cheese-smelling breath only makes my nausea worse.

  I shove him out of my personal space.

  “Lieutenant Caine, you really shouldn’t move until I can examine you.” He licks his lips, reminding me of a gecko licking its own eye.

  “I’m fine.” My ribs protest the lie, and I wrap my arm around them.

  Estrada sniffs. “As you wish. I bow to your expert diagnosis.”

  I don’t trust him to examine me. Or want his hands roaming…I tense against the repulsed shudder, mitigating the pain. I’ve been injured enough times to know I haven’t taken any serious damage. I’ll be a bit bruised but otherwise fine in a few hours.

  Ferdinand crouches beside his daughter. She seems to be o
kay, too. My fan boat’s engulfed in flames, sending a plume of smoke into the air. Anyone searching for us needs only to follow this beacon to our location. The surviving assassins didn’t have access to a boat. Even if they have one now, the sun’s setting. In half an hour, it will be dark. Only a native would risk traveling the branching waterways in the swamp at night.

  I gather my strength and rise. “Let’s move as far up the beach as possible to get away from the smoke.”

  I help Ivy cross the muddy ground. She lets out little whimpers with each step. When we reach George, she crumples at his side and brushes her fingers through his hair. She gives her dad a tight smile. “Hey, stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine. Fighting to keep that witch out of my head wore me out.”

  “Do you still sense her?” Ferdinand asks.

  Ivy’s eyes slide closed. “Nope. Maybe she’s dead.”

  “I doubt we’re that lucky. She seemed resourceful.”

  “Don’t forget powerful.” Ivy’s eyes open. “She felt familiar, but I don’t know how. Could she be one of Magnolia’s acolytes? I thought most had come over to our side.”

  Ferdinand frowns and glances in my direction. His mouth opens, then closes with a snap. He rubs his throat with a shaky hand. “Rest up. We’ll be heading for the safe house soon.” He glances at me. “Won’t we?”

  “Yeah, it’s about a ten-minute hike through the woods.” A ten-minute hell-walk through tangled brush and rotten logs. “My father-in-law would bring his family out here. Renovating this place was how they spent their summer vacations. I should’ve kept the place up better, but I couldn’t bear to be here after my husband died.” I shrug. “There are three cabins. One has a king-size bed. The second cabin has a queen, and the third has four sets of bunk beds. We’ll be comfortable.”

  Silence falls upon the group. Nobody dares speak our true fears. The real reason why we haven’t left for the cabins yet. We stare out over the lake, searching for Dena and Anders. Thick aquatic plants hide the surface. They could be out there. Maybe we can’t see them for all the plants, mist, and smoke.

  I stand up and cup my hands over my mouth. “Dena, Anders!” I yell. “If you can hear me, follow the sound of my voice.”

  The others follow my lead, whooping and hollering, hoping for a response. My ears ache as I strain for a single word in return, but I can’t pick up anything over the incessant ringing in my ears from the damn blast. “Does anyone hear them? See anything?”

  Landry toes off his boots. “Waiting’s ridiculous. I’m a lifeguard. I’ll go in.”

  “I know you’re tough, but do you have an invincible hide?” I point toward what looks like a floating island near where I think Dena and Anders fell in. It’s moving. “I’m thinking that’s a thirteen-foot gator.”

  Landry rubs his arm. The one he’d forgotten he’d injured during the adrenaline rush brought on by the emergency. He stares at me with a bloodshot eye filled to the brim with frustrated rage. He’s held it in so far. I know how much he loves Mala. He’d brave the gates of hell to bring her home. And now he’s lost her favorite cousin. Another link to his soul mate. This must be tearing him apart piece by piece.

  I tear my gaze free, unable to handle his pain on top of my own.

  Estrada’s kneeling at George’s side. “His wound has opened up again. I need to get him somewhere to properly clean and suture it.”

  We’ve waited long enough. I hate the idea of leaving without knowing Anders’s and Dena’s fate, but each minute George is exposed to the elements puts his life at risk. I bite my lip and look to Ferdinand. Sympathy fills his bitter chocolate eyes, but he also holds his daughter upright. She’s worn out. We all are.

  “All right,” I say. “Let’s head out.”

  Landry continues to stare at the gator. “Mala would kill me if she found out I left her cousin. I’ll stay a bit longer.” He swallows hard. “I’ll bring them when they come ashore.”

  Dead or alive, I imagine. He wouldn’t leave them. My chest clenches, aching for him. For what he might have to do alone. But I’ve got my own responsibilities.

  I wrap my arm around Ivy’s shoulders and angle us toward the path. Ferdinand and Estrada carry George. We’re about twenty yards into the forest when Landry shouts. I spin around. The fool’s up to his knees in the swamp. In the distance, the surface of the lake churns as if something big agitates the water, then calms. I swallow hard, not happy with the direction my thoughts flow in. The gator found prey.

  My stomach twists. “Go on ahead. I’ll follow with Landry.”

  Ivy only nods. She lists sideways, but catches herself on a sapling. I bet she’d be perfectly happy stretching out beneath the tree and falling asleep.

  Ferdinand catches me frowning at her. “I’ll get them to the cabins safely. Just don’t let Landry wait too long before heading out. It’s getting dark.” His deep voice and calm tone soothe the anxiety tensing my muscles.

  I let out a heavy sigh and smile. “We’ll be back soon. Don’t deviate from the path. There’s quicksand out here.” He and Estrada trudge off again, carrying George. Ivy gives an abrupt wave and follows.

  I race back to the beach. Landry’s now waist-deep in black water. Anything could grab his leg and suck him under. “What happened? Why did you yell?”

  Landry grins and points toward a tiny head of copper bobbing in a field of green. Long strands of algae coat Dena’s water-darkened hair. She throws her chin back and gasps. I can almost hear her dragging air into her lungs. Or maybe it’s my imagination. She rolls onto her back and drags Anders’s motionless body onto her chest. She kicks toward shore, moving fast. Far more quickly than a normal human could swim.

  Movement comes from her left. “Gator!” I yell, pointing. “Hurry.”

  Dena doesn’t even slow down as her fist lashes out and bashes it on the nose.

  Landry and I wade out to meet them. Dena’s panting as she and Landry drag Anders onto shore. She hands Anders over to him and collapses at my feet. I wrap my arm around her heaving shoulders, patting her on the back as she coughs and upchucks a stomach full of dirty water. In between hacks, she asks, “Is he okay? Please tell me I found him in time. Please.”

  I clutch her hands. “He isn’t breathing yet. But he will. I promise.”

  Landry kneels beside Anders, giving him chest compressions to clear his lungs.

  “He can’t die.” Tears roll down Dena’s cheeks. “You have to save him.”

  “Fuck, I’m trying,” Landry mutters. “Come on. Breathe, you bastard. Don’t you dare force me to give you mouth-to-mouth.”

  Water shoots from Anders’s mouth. The stream’s a direct shot, striking Landry right in his eye. Anders rolls onto his side, coughing.

  Landry wipes his face with the bottom of his T-shirt, then holds four fingers in front of Anders. “How many fingers do you see?” The only answer he receives is more hacking, spitting, and the occasional yack as Anders clears his lungs. It’s like the man tried to inhale the entire lake. I have no idea how he’s still alive with this much water pouring from his lungs. Must be another magic trick.

  Landry’s hand drops. “Four, man, four,” he mutters, sitting back. “You okay, Detective?”

  Anders spits out a rotten leaf. “I may seem brain damaged, but since I was on fire, diving into the water seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  “Burning to death would’ve been worse.” Landry looks Anders up and down. “But I guess Dena and Anders don’t have to worry about that.” Not a burn mars either one. It’s unnatural and, frankly, kind of a handy skill to have. I don’t know if the cost to obtain their abilities is worth it, though.

  Dena and Anders recover quickly. The sun has set by the time we head into the forest. I lead, banishing the deep shadows with a handheld flashlight from my duty belt. Trees tower over the renovated slave cabins that once housed my husband’s ancestors, giving the place a spooky vibe. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I increase my pace, feeling uncomfortab
le. Maybe associating with so many people able to use magic has me attuned to the spiritual world. Or maybe my imagination is running away from me. Whatever the case, it feels like eyes mark our progress.

  Ferdinand waits in front of the largest of the cabins. His smile lights up the twilight gloom, spreading warmth across my chilled skin. He runs over, and I think he’s going to Dena at first, but his gaze never breaks mine. Before I have a chance to say his name, I’m scooped against his muscled chest. Kisses trail across my face, shattering my reserve into a million pieces, and I giggle…like a schoolgirl. How embarrassing.

  My stomach flutters like a million butterflies take flight, and I gasp, struggling to catch my breath. Hard to do when the handsomest man alive nuzzles my neck. “My Lord. What a nice welcome. You act like you missed me.”

  “More than words can express, cher.” He lowers me to my feet but doesn’t release his grip around my waist. He clasps Anders on the shoulder. “Glad to know the avatar’s tough enough to handle a bit of fire.”

  “Karma’s a foul mistress,” Anders says. “I had it coming.”

  “No. You didn’t,” Dena says, raking wet curls up into a loose knot. It bounces at the back of her head as she marches toward the cabins. “That witch will pay for what she did to you. With the boat destroyed, we’re trapped out here, right? What are we doing to stop her?”

  I squeeze Ferdinand’s arm, then step away. “I’m not stupid enough to trust my life to one boat. There’s a boathouse on the other side of the island. We’ll load George up and head for the hospital once it gets light. I’m afraid this place isn’t secure anymore.”

  “What if the bad guys show before then?” Dena’s voice wobbles a bit.

  “We fight, of course.” I smile. “And we’ll win. Look, I know you’re afraid, but I won’t let anything happen to you. Any of you. It was my idea to come out here, yes. But I had a reason for choosing this island. Not only is it almost impossible to find, but it’s also got a gun safe. Plus, a year’s worth of canned goods. Maybe they aren’t home cooking, but they keep the hunger pangs away. My father-in-law worried about protecting his family in the event of a nuclear war.” I smile. “I always appreciated his level of preparedness for a disaster of epic proportions.”