Prophecy Untold

by Kelly Carrero

  Or I could just see this through.

  It took me two seconds to decide on the latter. We’d already come so far, and although I didn’t know the other descendants, I trusted them, that they’d have my back. And that was something the demons would not expect.

  Waiting for the vampires to come for me, I made use of my time, picked up the vampire who’d housed a demon, and pierced my fangs into his neck, draining what little blood he had left.

  He wasn’t like the one I’d killed on my back patio when I was searching for my father, but he was still more alluring than the vampires he kept company with.

  As I drained the last drops of his blood, the first of the next lot of vampires arrived.

  Dropping the corpse like a piece of rubbish, I smacked my fist into his face, driving him into the street lamp a few feet away as another vampire descended upon me. Then another and another, until I was standing in the center of at least ten evil monsters, wanting to rip the flesh off my body and devour my soul.

  “Come and get me,” I said, taunting them.

  I withdrew my babies once again as I leaped into the air, flipping over the group of vampires and driving the blades through the back of a female who’d taken too long to track me. I spun around and slammed my elbow into her head, driving her to the ground faster than she would’ve fallen, getting her out of the way so I could lock onto my next target.

  That’s when I saw her. Black hair, flowing unnaturally to the sides as if a current of wind whipped toward her, circling, evolving. Her soulless gaze pierced mine as she threw her hands out in front of her.

  I knew that move, and I was not going to let her get me.

  Time for part two of our plan.

  31

  Drawing on the living and dead around me, I threw up the wall and jumped into the air, landing on the nearest building. Peering over the edge, I jerked back quickly as Kyla flew up toward me.

  We were on the move.

  Running like the scared huntress I pretended to be, I threw pathetic volts of electricity behind me. They were never going to stop her, and I had no intentions of actually trying. My target wasn’t her but everything around her.

  I raced through the city, jumping from building to building, keeping the invisible wall around me as I led her to the other descendants.

  A gust of wind hit me, throwing me a good twenty feet away, knocking me onto a mound of dirt in an unmanned construction site.

  An evil cackle burst from her mouth as she threw her hands up and twirled them around, driving the wind into a cyclone, encompassing me, its one and only target for demise.

  Once again, through the small circle of space I stood on, I drew on the energy of everything living around me, filling my body with enough power to create a barrier over my body without allowing Kyla to realize what I’d done.

  “You are no match for me,” Kyla said, stalking toward me. “You had the chance to do this the easy way. Now you will learn.”

  She threw the air over me, surrounding me in a bubble that was quickly losing oxygen.

  The bitch was suffocating me.

  Panic set in as I tried to figure a way out without losing our chance to nab her. I had her exactly where I was supposed to, and I couldn’t let this chance pass us by. But the seconds ticked past without anyone coming to my rescue. I was desperate for air, gasping for anything that remotely resembled oxygen.

  Just when I was about to lose my shit, the earth began to rumble, a new layer of dirt rising to the top, dispensing the mixture of ash and salt on top, until a perfect circle appeared, entrapping her.

  Sky got her.

  And now I could use my magic to get out.

  I threw my wall away from my body, blasting the cyclone to pieces as Kyla hissed, throwing magic at the invisible walls the circle created, trapping her inside. With each failed attempt, Kyla became more and more feral, revealing the monster that lived inside of her.

  Digging the smallest of bottles out of my pocket, I stalked toward her, moving on to the next phase in our plan.

  I emptied the contents onto the palm of my hand, stood just outside the circle, and blew the powdery substance at her.

  Kyla thrashed her head around and collapsed to the ground. Her eyelids quickly became droopy as she tried to keep them open, but the spell won out. Her eyes closed, and her heart rate dropped to a steady, rhythmic lull of unconsciousness.

  The van pulled up, and Finn and Liam jumped out and raced toward me.

  “You did it,” Finn said, pride shining in his eyes.

  “You should never doubt me.” We both knew there were others to thank for this, but in case the demons were listening, we didn’t want them to know about the other descendants. They would find out about them soon enough, but for now, they remained a secret.

  Liam stepped into the circle, scooped Kyla into his arms, and raced toward the van. He hopped inside with Finn and me following close behind. We barely had time to close the door before we sped off.

  Liam placed Kyla on the floor next to Nessa, where we all kept an eye on her for the drive home. I think we were afraid the spell might wear off soon and we’d have to deal with her before we were ready.

  “You did well,” Nessa said, gesturing toward Kyla. “She will thank you for it when we release her from her slavery.”

  This part of our plan was easy enough. It was just one demon. We still had thousands to destroy.

  “Are they ready?” I asked.

  Nessa nodded. “Everything will be in place when we return.”

  She was right. The second we arrived home, the witches from the other sectors were there to greet us, leading the way to where they’d created an almost complete circle.

  Liam placed her on the ground in the middle of it. Then they closed the circle once he was out.

  Max and Kade arrived and hurried over to join the rest of us. “Good work.” Kade ruffled my hair as he headed over to Finn.

  Finally having a moment’s reprieve, I stumbled toward Max and sank into his embrace, burying my head against his chest.

  He kissed the top of my head. “I saw you in that thing she created.” He kissed me again. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “Freaking scary for a few moments, but then Sky came through, and I was able to get myself out. I have never needed air so much in my entire life.”

  Max kept one arm around me as he ushered me closer to the circle. “I hope she’s willing once this thing is out of her.”

  The reality was Kyla could tell us to go and get stuffed because the demons were not her problem anymore. But I had a feeling that would not be the case. Anyone who’d been possessed, forced to do things they had no control over, would want revenge.

  At least I hoped.

  Sky, Alex, and Almira turned up, practically jumping out of the car before it had come to a stop and racing toward us. Sky threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “I’m so sorry I let it get that far. She could’ve killed you.”

  “Thanks,” I said, completely taken back by how touchy-feely this girl was. “But I had it under control.”

  Sky pulled away. “I needed Kyla to move that little bit further into the circle before I could bring it to the surface.”

  “It’s all good. We got her. Now we just have to hope she’s an air.”

  32

  Alex, Sky, Almira, and I stood on the outside of the circle, watching the very awake demonic huntress snarl and let out other demonic sounds that curdled my blood. Whatever was inside this descendant wasn’t just a normal demon. They would’ve given her body to a higher-level demon.

  The four of us each held a knife in our hands and had been instructed with the parts that we were to play in this exorcism of sorts.

  Everyone was deathly quiet, their hearts racing with anticipation of what was to come. This was the first time any of us had tried this spell, and we all hoped it would work.

  It needed to.

  Nessa looked each of us descendants in the eye, then asked, “A
re you all ready?”

  We nodded, kneeled on the dirt just outside the circle, and each held up one of our hands. I realized the irony of using my hand after having a go at Mason for thinking to use that part of his body when we were going after Dad, but I wasn’t human. I would heal in a matter of seconds, and the hand held the greatest control for the precision of the spell.

  “On three,” she said.

  We rested the knives against our palms and waited for the count.

  “One, two, three.”

  I winced as I sliced the blade across my skin. Blood pooled in my palm then dripped onto my section of the circle. I looked up and saw the others were bleeding onto their sections as well.

  I sat back on my feet and watched in complete awe as our blood began to move, taking on a life of its own as it slowly spread around the circle like the smallest of rivers navigating its way across the earth.

  The moment our blood connected with each other’s, a pulse that felt like a rush of air, but was more likely magic, hit us.

  I stood, gripping the knife, ready to use it if need be.

  Kyla screeched as the demon tried to claw her way out of the invisible wall the circle and our blood had her bound in. Her eyes turned into pools of black, void of any white as she thrashed, scratching at herself, leaving angry claw marks across her skin.

  A second later, her head jerked back, and black smoke billowed from her mouth as the demon left her body, a dark shadow circling her. Kyla let out an ear-piercing scream then collapsed onto the ground as the darkness enveloped her.

  “What’s going on?” Sky asked.

  “It’s trying to get back in,” Nessa said.

  I stared at it. Then my gaze flicked to the circle. “We need to let it out.” Before anyone could try to stop me, I swiped my foot across the line, breaking the circle.

  The demon shot toward me then darted to the side, rushing toward the woods and disappearing into thin air. Or more so, into the Shadow Realms.

  I turned my attention back to Kyla as tears streamed down her face, her body racked with sobs as she collapsed sideways onto the ground, her eyes drifting closed, slipping quickly into unconsciousness.

  33

  “That was insane,” Mason said, breaking through the witches so he could get a better look at Kyla. “Will she be okay?”

  “She’s breathing,” I said, watching the rise and fall of her chest. “She’s been through a lot, so passing out is what is best for her to heal.”

  Finn stepped forward and scooped Kyla into his arms. “We should let her rest for a while.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible,” Alex said. “The demon knows where we are, so we’re no longer safe in this village.”

  “Alex is right,” Nessa said. “We need to move on—fast.”

  Nessa wasn’t kidding. She gave me five minutes to pack my belongings then another five to gather what extra weapons I wanted while she and the other witches collected the various items they needed and didn’t want the Society getting their hands on.

  With bags packed, I rushed over to the library and helped carry the books into the vans. By the time we’d finished loading everything in, there was barely any room for us. We would’ve been okay if the other descendants and their crew hadn’t been there.

  We should’ve thought to have more vehicles.

  I stood at the entrance to the van, and no matter how much I wanted to use the opportunity to sit on Max’s lap, we just couldn’t all fit. “I’ll run.”

  “Me, too.” Sky dropped her bag into the van. “Alex and Almira can as well.”

  Max slid his hand around my waist as he threw his bag into the van. “We can run as well. We’ll be able to move out of here faster.”

  Kade and Finn piled their bags on top of the others. “We’ll meet you there,” Finn said to the witches sitting inside.

  I frowned as I looked at my boys and Daniel, who didn’t appear to be going anywhere either. “You guys can’t come with us. We won’t be able to hide you from the Society.”

  Almira stepped forward, a smile playing on her lips. “Good thing spells are my specialty.” A moment later, her hands turned blue, and she pressed them against first Kade and Max. Then she moved onto Finn and Daniel.”

  The crease lines in my forehead grew deeper. “How can you do that kinda magic when there’s no water around?”

  She shook her head in amusement. “All witches are connected to the earth. It just isn’t my affinity. Plus, the human body is at least fifty percent water, so I’ve got a pretty good connection within myself and those around me.”

  Wow. I should probably pay more attention to the spells and information I read in the books and not just dismiss everything that didn’t relate to our problem at hand. “Guess that solves that problem,” I said. “Thank you.”

  Almira grinned. “You’re welcome.”

  We said goodbye to the witches, Mason, and even my father then had one quick feed of the vampires before we killed them, as they had served their usefulness.

  Not needing to follow the roads, we took off North, stopping only when we needed a sense of direction, and most of the time, Sky knew which way to go. She was at one with the land in a way the rest of us would never be as she led us through the brush.

  Night had fallen by the time we reached our destination, and the rest of our crew was a good hour behind.

  The area was beautiful, with a creek running through the center of the camp. There were small cabins built amongst the trees and an overgrown dirt road leading up to it. The canopy of the trees blocked out most of the moonlight, casting specks of shadows dancing on the floor as the leaves moved with the gentle breeze of the night.

  I collapsed onto one of the rocks next to the spring, scooped some water into my mouth, and splashed some onto my face. The rest of our crew did the same, grateful that we could finally stop and rest.

  “I need to channel you to place a protection ward over this camp,” Almira said to Sky as she sat back, water dripping down her face.

  “Go for it,” Sky replied.

  I had no idea what this channeling entailed and chastised myself for glossing over that part in the books Nessa had originally given me.

  Almira took Sky’s hand. “Connect to the earth, draw it into your soul, and then allow the current to flow through you into me.

  Sky nodded. “Got it.”

  Guess I was about to get my lesson.

  A brilliant glow grew from a tiny speck between their connected hands. Then Almira cast her hand up and out to the side. “Praesidio in caudis titionum fumigantium.”

  The two girls looked at each other, eyes beaming and smiling from ear to ear. “That was freaking amazing,” Sky said.

  Almira nodded. “It’s the first time I tried it, but the books never explained what it felt like.”

  I furrowed my brow. “What did it feel like?”

  Both girls turned to me and shrugged. “It’s a little indescribable,” Sky said. “I’m sure you’ll experience it as soon as we bond.”

  I was a little weirded out by their reactions, but I was going to go with it and hope that it would be as euphoric as drinking vampire blood.

  “We should get settled,” Finn said. “Start a fire, see what’s in these cabins, and maybe get some lights.”

  My eyes lit up. “I know how to do this one.” Connecting to the life around me, I drew the energy into my body and repeated the words I’d memorized for the next night I’d planned to spend with Max, lighting up our room into a fairy wonderland.

  They started off as barely a twinkle of light then grew into a soft glow as hundreds if not thousands of lights danced in the air above us. I tilted my head back and looked up with an excitement in my soul that had been lost as a child.

  Lights hovered over the leaves of the lower branches, giving a warm green glow above us. I swept my hand to the side, and a new thread of lights appeared, dancing over the water, picking up its glistening colors and casting a rainbow of light
from their tiny orbs.

  “I have got to learn how to do that one,” Sky said, her blue eyes sparkling in the light.

  Max grabbed my hand from behind and gently tugged on it. I turned around and looked up into his eyes, my own reflecting in his.

  “We should probably check things out.”

  As much as I wanted to stay under the twinkling lights, I agreed. Rest would come, but now we needed to prepare.

  Starting on the opposite end of the cabins that Finn and Kade had walked toward, Max and I entered the first of four cabins on our left. It was dark and dirty and carried an unpleasant smell, something like wet socks. There was no light, only an old oil lamp, so I cast another lot of fairy lights into the air. “They’ll do,” I said. “But I think we’ll need to air out the cabins.”

  I opened the window before we moved onto the next cabin. Each was set out exactly the same. Bed, no toilet, shower, or sink. They were nothing like the extravagant rooms where we’d stayed in Bali.

  Just when I thought we’d be pooping in the bushes and bathing in the stream, we came across a hut with a communal toilet and showers. “This place is so disgusting,” I said, opening the windows.

  Max laughed. “Guess you’re not a camping girl.”

  I shook my head fiercely. “Glamping maybe, but this is neither. A tent is probably more comfortable than these.”

  “When a storm hits, you’ll be glad you’re in a cabin.”

  “I take it you love camping?”

  He chuckled. “You should see your face.” He wrapped his arms around me. “You can rest assured, I have no desire to stay in anything without modern facilities and a warm cozy bed to snuggle up to you in.”

  I looked around at my surroundings once more. “This must be the last place they’d think the Society will come for them. It’s completely off the grid, which I guess is a plus.”

  “See, there’s a positive in every situation—almost.”