Staked!

by Candace Wondrak

  Her words were blunt, but true.

  “Were you even supposed to be teaching us?”

  “No,” I muttered, my fingers lightly touching the stone on the broken staff piece.

  “You were never supposed to be in our lives,” she hissed, irate.

  I opened my eyes and gazed up at her. “No,” I agreed. “But I saved Michael that day.” Since she was clueless, I filled her in, “John must have compelled him to stab himself, but I was there, and I broke through it.”

  “Well congratulations, Raphael,” Kass spoke. “You saved Michael, but you couldn’t save Koath? I bet you didn’t even try.” She held onto her silver sword tighter, her muscles shaking.

  “I did,” I said. “But he was too fast. Crixis is stronger than I. In all the times I have tried, I could never purify him.”

  She got in my face, shoving me back. I fell onto my hands. I did not fight her. “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? Am I supposed to forget this?” Kass pointed to her neck. “That all this happened? All because you’ve had a hard life? Got news, Raphael—” She practically shouted my name. “—a lot of people have hard lives!”

  “You are right,” I said, “I should have been stronger. I should not have let Crixis inside my head.”

  Kass stared at me for the longest while, studying me intently. Her anger faded somewhat, reminding me of the woman who’d appeared minutes ago—her mother. She touched her forehead, rubbing it. Turning her back to me, she whispered, “You know, before I came back here, to this world, someone asked me to do something.” She stopped rubbing her forehead. “A favor, for helping me get back. It involved you, and at the time, I had no idea what she meant, why she’d ask me to do something like that.”

  Clueless, I remained silent.

  “I’m supposed to forgive you.” Her voice was a mere whisper as she added, “But I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “Then do not. I do not deserve it.”

  Kass studied me, and just as the woman did, she peered into my deepest thoughts. “I think that’s what you want. You want to punish yourself.” She lightly touched her swollen lip, where my sharpened teeth had nicked her. “I’m not God. I can’t forgive you for everything.” Her eyes narrowed as she slowly finished, “Maybe I can forgive you for this, but make no mistake, I won’t forget.”

  That was not what I expected her to say. She could not possibly forgive me for what I did to her. If she knew the thoughts I had…

  Kass walked out of the church, leaving me shocked and alone.

  Forgiveness.

  I stared down at my hands. Bloodied, beaten. I did not know what to say, so I supposed it was good that I was alone.

  Things had to change. They could not continue the way they were.

  Chapter Thirty-Six – Kass

  I returned to the house the same way I left. I found the back door unlocked, though, and I didn’t feel like doing some acrobatics to get to my room’s window, so I sat on the back porch, tired. I was so, so tired.

  I still couldn’t believe Raphael. The things he said; they’d stick with me for a long time.

  Setting my rose blade down, I buried my face in my hands. I still bled a bit, and I knew I looked awful, but even so, there’d be no sleep for me tonight. Not after finding the body. Not after that fight with Raphael. How could I possibly…

  “Kass,” a sweet, familiar voice broke through my wallowing, and my head snapped up. Out in the yard, she was there, floating. A light shone from within her, and I quickly got to my feet, more awake and alert than ever.

  “Mom?” I sounded anything but sure. Did I step into a vision when I wasn’t paying attention?

  “I don’t have much time left,” she said. I was a foot from her. I wanted to touch her, to feel her, but I knew she wasn’t really here. This was all in my head. “I came to warn you.”

  I sighed. Visions of my mother never came of good terms. It was always you’re going to die. Never good news. “I know,” I said, “I’m going to die. Unless you’re going to tell me how and when, I’ve heard this all before. From you. A lot.”

  “You’ll be standing where I am when it happens,” she said. My blood ran cold. “You’ll feel it trying to crawl inside of you, and then you’ll hear it.” A loud crack reverberated through the night air. The sound of bones breaking. “It will be painful.”

  “I was kidding about the how and when. I don’t really want to—”

  “Your death will start a series of events that will change everything. That, my girl, is why your death is necessary.”

  “I don’t know if you know, but I was in another world where I died, and things didn’t turn out too good for anybody.”

  My mother smiled. Her warmth flooded me. “This world is not the same. You should know that by now.”

  My hand went to the necklace, the one the other Gabriel gave me. “Gabriel,” I spoke his name tentatively. “Is he…”

  My mother’s form began to fade, her light dimming. “Gabriel’s destiny is laid before him, just as yours is.” Her expression changed. “My time is nearly gone. Before I go, your father wanted me to tell you how proud he is of you. You make us proud.”

  As she disappeared right before my very eyes, I pleaded with her. “Wait. My father? Who—” But she was gone. I collapsed on the grass, fingers curling around the green blades. I wasn’t alone for long.

  Gabriel burst through the back door, shouting my name, “Kass, there you are. I thought you’d…” He trailed off when he saw my rose blade, the blood on it. “What’s—” He saw me, the blood that covered me, as I stood to face him. He noticed the bite on my neck. “—what happened? Where did you go? Why didn’t you call out for me? You could’ve died. You’re so stupid!”

  I couldn’t believe it. Gabriel was yelling at me. He called me stupid, and he wasn’t being funny about it. My mouth opened to respond, but the emotion welling in his eyes caused me to stumble with my words. Since I couldn’t talk, apparently, I settled for running to him and hugging him. It clearly wasn’t what he expected from me. He kept his hands firmly on his sides.

  “I’m sorry,” I spoke into his chest. I was getting his shirt bloody, but neither he nor I cared. We lost clothing on a daily basis. When he didn’t say anything, or even hug me back, I leaned my chin on his chest, gazing up at him with the best innocent expression I could muster.

  Gabriel’s steely gaze softened, and soon he was wrapping his arms around me. “God, Kass. You need to stop running off without me. If you’re going to run into danger, the least you could do is invite me along.” Keeping one arm around me tightly, he gently moved a hand to my neck. “Tell me it wasn’t Crixis.”

  Thankful that he was keeping to our bargain and not barging in on my thoughts, I whispered, “No.”

  “Then who?”

  I forced a smile, shaking my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

  His look spoke volumes, but he didn’t question me further. A tingling sensation erupted on my neck, slowly spreading throughout my whole body. A nice, soothing feeling. I’d felt something similar in the other world, when…

  Gabriel jerked back, exclaiming, “Whoa. I healed you just now. I thought about it, and then I did it. Easy-peasy. Why couldn’t I heal Michael?”

  Shaking off an uneasy feeling, not wanting my Gabriel to turn into the Devil, I asked, “How is he?”

  “He woke up, poured himself some tea, and kicked all the Council crew out of our house,” Gabriel spoke with a chuckle. “He was very stern. Very Guardian-like. You would’ve been proud.”

  “And Max?”

  He shrugged. “Cleo has him, I guess.”

  “I have to shower. After…how about some Mario Kart?”

  Gabriel nodded once. “Whatever you want, Kass.”

  Whatever I want.

  If only things were always that simple.

  The next few days passed in a blur, and I lived them in a haze. It was a dark, gloomy, rainy day when we held Koath’s funeral. Cleo made all the arra
ngements, even got the Council to pay for a headstone, but she didn’t attend. Not many people did.

  Michael, Gabriel and I. Max, of course. Claire and Steven showed up. Gabriel must’ve called them. They each hugged me, telling me how sorry they were. It was very similar to how I’d acted at Claire’s father’s funeral. Who knew I’d go to one of hers, and she’d come to one of mine?

  Life’s just funny like that.

  Claire stood next to Max, holding his hand. Max didn’t shake her off. He seemed as sad as me. This was the second Guardian he’d lost. He should be thankful that he didn’t find Koath in the kitchen, his throat torn out. He should count himself lucky.

  The ceremony was over. We all stood there for the longest time as the rain pelted our umbrellas. Claire and Steven were the first to go. They only knew him as the school principal, after all. They didn’t know how much he meant to us. Michael was the second to head to the car, feeling tired. After what he went through, I couldn’t blame him.

  Gabriel, Max and I stood, staring at his casket. Immaculate cherry wood. Elegant yet simple. He would’ve liked it.

  I dug in my pocket, retrieving Koath’s rings. I made moves to set them stop the casket so they could be lowered with it, but Gabriel stopped me by saying, “Did you look at the engravings, Kass?”

  “No, I didn’t want—”

  “Look at them,” Gabriel spoke softly.

  Eyebrows creasing, I brought the rings to my face. When I saw the inner engravings, I wanted to puke. Or scream. Something to let it out. My mouth hung open, but nothing came out.

  Koath Niles.

  Niles, not Elsin.

  Koath was my father.

  I had a father all along, and I lost him before I even knew.

  Clutching the chain to my chest, knowing that I couldn’t part with it now, I muttered, “I want to go home.”

  Home would never feel the same.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven – Crixis

  Standing on a hill on the opposite side of the cemetery, I watched the ceremony. It was a small, useless attempt at saying goodbye. Such things usually were. The rain soaked through my clothes instantly.

  The idea of killing him came to me easily enough. Pitting her against Raphael; that I hadn’t planned, but it was a fun addition. Although, now, I wasn’t having nearly as much fun as I thought. I was disappointed.

  A figure stepped out of a blue rift, moving beside me. Raphael wore normal clothes. I raised a brow at that. I must’ve gotten to him. I hadn’t seen him without that white collar in ages. “If you’ve come to pay your respects, I must say, you’re doing a piss-poor job of it. The body’s down there.”

  Raphael didn’t reply for the longest time. “It did not work.”

  Sighing, I said, “I know.” Of course I knew my plan failed. I wasn’t an idiot. They seemed to fail more and more lately, thanks to Kass and her moronic crew.

  Gazing off into the distance, my old friend spoke, “If you plan on hurting anyone else, I will stop you. You will not get in my head again.”

  “Would you believe,” I started slowly, “that I’m growing tired of this game?”

  Raphael was quick to say, “No.”

  I smirked.

  “Something is coming,” he continued, turning to look at me. “Something older than you.”

  I instantly became worried, and I was not one to worry. I was invincible and immortal. Nothing could harm me. My mind recalled the Witch at the club, what she said. When I came to only conclusion I could come to, I uttered a single word: “Bitch.”

  That was all I could say.

  I vanished.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight – Kass

  I didn’t even have time to fully realize how much I truly didn’t know as I grew up with Koath. If he was my father, why didn’t he ever tell me? Why did the Council allow him to be my Guardian? Why make me a Purifier to begin with? He knew making me one would shorten my life immeasurably.

  As we pulled up to the house, Max and Gabriel stuffed in the back seat, I saw a certain person I hadn’t wanted to see for a long time standing near the front door with two suitcases. Instead of his priest’s outfit, he wore civilian clothes. He looked normal.

  But I knew better.

  Michael put the car in park. I flipped to him, glaring. “What is he doing here?”

  “Oh, yes. Right. I forgot to mention that I called him and invited him to stay with us.” Michael, seeing my reaction, further explained, “We have plenty of room. And after what happened, well, I believe we’re better together than apart. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  I muttered some form of affirmative, crawling out of the car. Gabriel sensed that something was off, and he hurried to my side, shooting Raphael a glare. “He’s staying here? Great. Just what this house needs: more testosterone.”

  At that, I managed a small chuckle.

  Gabriel moved to stand beside him. Feeling uneasy, Raphael avoided my eyes, saying something about not having a key so he couldn’t get in. All Gabriel did was harrumph.

  Max was slow to meet us while Michael got out of the car. His cell ran, and he speedily answered. The Englishman nearly dropped his phone on the gravel. “You’re coming here, now?” A pause. “No, of course it’s fine. I’ll see you in a bit.” The moment he hung up, he ran past us. “Bloody hell. All hands on deck. I want this house spotless. Clean your rooms. Max, vacuum the living room. Raphael, the dishes. I’ll scrub the floor in the vestibule.”

  Gabriel and I exchanged looks.

  What was this about?

  Max and Raphael shuffled inside, and Michael quickly shouted, “Watch your feet. The mud!” He then told us where to put our soaking coats and shoes. In all my life I’d never seen Michael get this antsy.

  I was about to make a half-hearted comment when I stepped forward, into a vision.

  A ship in the wide, open sea. Anchors down. A crew worked to lift something onto its deck. The captain, a woman with an attitude, motioned for her crew to open it. The seaweed-covered, metal box snapped open when two crew members cut through the chains that held it closed. Opening it, the captain laughed. As she went inside her cabin to make a call, I headed around the box to see its contents.

  A severed torso.

  At one point, it must’ve belonged to a woman, but that was a long time ago.

  I snapped back to reality.

  Whatever that thing was, somebody was trying to assemble her. If they succeeded, I had a nagging suspicion that we were doomed.

  But maybe that’s just me being dramatic.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine – Cleo

  Sitting on the couch, I fiddled with Koath’s computer. I had a while by myself. The little brat was over Michael’s. I worked to recover the lost documents, setting it aside as I went to the kitchen for some coffee. I poured myself a hot cup, inhaling its fantastic scent.

  In my back pocket, my phone buzzed.

  Picking it up, I said, “Hello?”

  Hearing the results, I nearly spilled the cup.

  “Wonderful. Ship it to me immediately.” I hung up, running up the stairs and into my bedroom, which I told the boy was off-limits. The brat complied. If it had been that other Purifier, Gabriel, then I might’ve worried.

  The room was mostly bare, save for the bed, a dresser, and the old metal boxes that housed something that even perfection could not describe. I had every piece, save for her midsection.

  I lightly caressed the box that contained the severed head. “Soon, my Queen. Soon you will return, and the world will pay for what it did to you.”

  The original lioness would reclaim her kingdom.

  Humans and Purifiers alike would pay.

  Originals

  Chapter One – Kass

  If there was ever a time when I needed sleep, it would be right now. I had to be extremely well rested twenty-four hours/seven days a week because no one could predict the exact moment Crixis would chose to make his appearance and try to—cue eye roll—kill me.

  I guessed I was
just lucky enough that every other time he’d tried, someone had always been there with me, giving me some backup in an otherwise terrible situation, whether it was Rain or Steven or Claire.

  That didn’t stop the uneasy feeling I had, though.

  I’d also been told many times that my death was something I couldn’t avoid and that it’s going to come sooner than I hoped but later than I thought. Obviously, anything before a natural, ripe and old death was sooner than I hoped. That left the later than I think part up for grabs, because I swore I thought I was going to die about ten times in the last week, no joke.

  Did that mean I was going to kick it anytime now?

  Maybe my hatred towards Crixis would keep boiling up until I was blind with rage, making me an all-too easy target. Maybe he would murder everyone I care about, just like he did my father, Koath, until there was no one left but me.

  I hoped to God that wouldn’t turn out to be true.

  I missed Koath. He had only been gone for a day and a half, but I missed him so much. If I’d known he was my father before Crixis killed him, I would have enjoyed the time I spent with him so much more.

  I was sad, yes. Anyone in their right mind would be sad after learning their Guardian was really their father, finding their body while being ignorant to that very fact—but I was also me, and because of that, my sadness was dwarfed by my anger, my rage, my impulsiveness. I might’ve went after Rafael after learning some things about him, too. I needed someone to blame. Someone I could actually hit.

  Speaking of hitting, if only I was out in the field, purifying some Nightwalkers. That’d blow off some anger and grief like nothing else could. Too bad I was beyond exhausted from my life and avoiding Crixis while coming up with a plan. Right now, all I had was: beat him.