Two Halves Box Set

by Marta Szemik

  I cannot. I held my trembling hands in front of me. They faded out of focus. The underworld hall spun in front of me in orange and red twirls. The keepers’ energy had left me, and I’d never been so drained and distraught—so unlike me. The feeling of loss of power and strength was new. For the first time in my life, I thought I’d heard death knocking on my door as my body slammed to the ground on its side. My head hit the overheated stone floor.

  Why not? I thought you liked visiting.

  I do, and I would, but I have no strength to vortex. I need to rest. I let a long breath out as my other shoulder thumped on the rock, and I turned onto my back. The candles on the giant chandelier overhead blended into one flame. Sweat covered my trembling body as if I had a fever, and I pulled my knees to my chest, lolling to the side. I curled on the rock floor, trying to feel the aches in my limbs and my neck, but I couldn’t. Was this what death felt like? And if I died today, did it not make sense to kill Vulcan first? Did the keepers drain me of strength on purpose, sensing my swaying thoughts? Was I nothing to them?

  I’m sending help, Eric. Hold on.

  I heard haste in Sarah’s voice but I wasn’t sure whether I should, or could, reply. It had never happened before—that the purpose I’d recognized in my life seemed pointless. Once the keepers punished me, my services and loyalty would no longer be required. Could I fulfill their order to kill, knowing it was wrong? Killing wasn’t the answer, at least not in this case.

  Mira.

  I had to hold on for her sake and couldn’t let Vulcan near her. Ever. Perhaps joining him made sense. At his side, I could ensure he wouldn’t get close, and I could protect her.

  The casters, Sarah’s children who were destined to save human- and vampire-kind, could handle the turmoil of the underworld that Vulcan would cause. Though now, it didn’t seem like the demon wanted a war. His plans were more subtle and conniving. He reminded me of the howling silence that filled the air before an oncoming storm.

  “It’s time to go, Uncle Eric.” I felt Ayer’s, Sarah’s son, hand on my shoulder. With my eyes still closed, I inhaled his scent of honey and lemon. It made me feel like a kid.

  Ayer placed his arm under my knees and upper back, lifting me with ease.

  You’ve been tainted, I heard him say in my mind, but couldn’t reply.

  What did he mean? I knew my negative thoughts were new. I’d never had them before. Hope and strength always fueled my body. Never a doubt—until now. New uncertainty circled my heart, tying it in knots with a barbed wire.

  The wind blew through the corridors of the underworld, and I pictured the dust swirling in beautiful patterns as Ayer opened a new vortex. A mix of greens and tantalizing jungle scents danced from within. I nested in Ayer’s embrace like a child. It’s been so long since I’d been that age. My mind drifted away to the memories of my innocent life.

  My feet swung out, lifting me higher in the air, and then curled under as I flew backward. The air was cold. it froze my cheeks with each push.

  I was flying. Like Superman.

  Castall, my teacher, sat on a nearby bench. He was like a father to me, and I liked his magic. He’d said one day I’d learn how to do magic as well. I couldn’t wait to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

  The swing shot higher.

  I giggled louder.

  Castall smiled.

  A mom came to the swing set with her daughter. She and Castall exchanged a few words while I played with the girl. Her name was Ella. On her next push, Ella flew too high and fell off the swing.

  Her chest compressed. She didn’t breathe.

  The mom screamed and panicked, crying.

  I looked at Castall, but he waited patiently, as if to see what I’d do. Gently, I took the mom’s hands away from her daughter. My touch seemed to calm her. Now, she waited for me as well, like she understood something I didn’t. Underneath my scarf, my neck tingled. Purple light weaved around my fingers, and I thought I was the only one to see it.

  Touch her chest. I heard in my mind.

  I listened.

  Ella’s body heaved up and fell down.

  I moved back, staring at her rising chest. She opened her eyes and her mom lifted her into her arms.

  My left wrist throbbed, and I rubbed it through my sleeve.

  “It’s time to go, Eric,” Castall placed his hand on my shoulder. “A mark has chosen you.”

  “What mark?” I asked.

  “The water mark. It’s time I taught you some magic.”

  I couldn’t wait to pull the rabbit out of the hat.

  * * *

  The chirping from a nest of fledglings stirred my dream. Still dazed, I opened my eyes. Linen curtains fluttered above my head. I inhaled and smiled.

  “Hi.” Sarah leaned in and placed a wet cloth on my forehead.

  “Hi,” I mumbled. “How long have I been out?”

  “Six hours,” she whispered. “You’re in Ayer’s old bedroom.”

  I recognized the honey-scented smell of the caster whom I’d trained when he was a just kid a few months ago. Now in his late teens, Ayer sat on the edge of the window seat, his eyes shining in the morning light. His muscled body no longer resembled a kid’s and reminded me of a light-weight competitor. He and his twin sister Crystal chose to shift and stay in their teens. The caster siblings possessed abilities even greater than mine, though theirs seemed more supernatural than anyone had expected. No one truly understood what they were capable of. Their ability to shift agelessly and travel between the realms of life and death was beyond the understanding of even the keepers. When they spoke of the twins, I sensed a nervous vibe from the keepers and often wondered why.

  I sat up on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. My head throbbed as if I’d woken up from a night of drinking. A hangover? I winced at the unfamiliar pulses at my temples.

  “Hey, buddy.” William, Sarah’s husband, walked to the other side of the bed and handed me some pills. “These will help.”

  I bopped my head back and swallowed the white tic-tacs, pushing them down my throat with a gulp of water Sarah held ready.

  “Mira will be worried.” I sprang off the bed.

  “Easy, Eric.” Sarah’s hand forced my shoulder down, and I sat back on the bed.

  Damn, the woman is strong! I smirked, recalling the frail girl I’d first met in Pinedale who had no idea her children would save humans and vampires from extinction by preventing a demonic takeover. Just when we thought the threat was gone, Vulcan decided to mess with the keepers.

  “I sent Crystal to let Mira know you’re here on a job.”

  “You lied to your best friend?” I raised my brows, unable to hide my pride. Why would I think lying was all right? I didn’t approve dishonesty in the past, but my fate was different now. I sensed it. Would I become a liar once my future was decided?

  “No. That is why you’re here.” William’s gaze found Sarah, then Ayer.

  “My only job is to kill the last demon,” I explained.

  “The last demon who escaped the keepers’ radar and is now controlling their decisions.” Ayer stood tall with his arms crossed at his front. He looked too smart for a seventeen-year-old. Too strong and buff. A perfect mix of Sarah and William. Her pout lips and his strong jaw. With longer hair, its waves bleached by Amazon’s sun, Ayer would be the perfect shampoo model.

  “How do you know he’s controlling them?” I asked.

  “Can’t you feel your energy draining? The keepers’ power is no longer thrust directly at us. Someone else must be tapping into their essence.”

  I tried to get up again, but Sarah’s gaze warned me to sit back. “That’s what I gathered from Mrs. G and Xela.”

  Ayer paced the room. “We’ve noticed a change. The way the keepers speak and the issues that seem important to them are at odds. It’s like they’d been possessed—but only some of the time.”

  I wouldn’t ask Ayer how he knew that and imagined him floating as a ghost through the tunnels at Mo
nasterio de Piedra, observing Castall, Gabriel, and Drake: the keepers of warlocks, humans and vampires.

  “Tell me about that last demon you’re supposed to kill. You’ve met him?” Ayer asked.

  “So have you.” I looked at Sarah, then William, and retold my story of the new acquaintance and his offer. “I failed to bind the warden’s spirit in time,” I explained. “And his spirit reincarnated into Vulcan.” I twisted my torso to release the tension in my back. It cracked as I turned each way.

  “It wasn’t only your responsibility.” For a moment, Ayer slouched in a rare irresolution, then stood tall again.

  “You and Crystal had done more than I could ever accomplish, Ayer. Your help with the seekers and lost souls saved me years of work. This isn’t your fault.”

  “And it isn’t yours either. You shouldn’t have to bear the burden of a mistake which isn’t even a mistake.”

  I wanted to argue that I’d disobeyed the keepers, but it’d be useless. We’d had this conversation many times in the past month.

  “You need to join Vulcan.” Sarah locked her gaze with me. “You don’t have a choice.”

  I never doubted Sarah’s courage; the timid girl I’d met in Pinedale was long gone. It astounded me how quick and certain Sarah was about her choices and that her suggestion was the same as Xela’s. Perhaps having a witch as an ancestor influenced them in a similar fashion. The common trait amongst the witches I knew were sacrifice and bravery.

  Ayer remained silent. The person now living closest to the keepers’ hesitated. He resumed his pacing, his body vanishing from human to ghost as he traveled between the two realms, hovering, then pacing. The caster seemed lost in thought.

  “I don’t think I can stand to do Vulcan’s bidding. I have a feeling he wants to get rid of the keepers.”

  “It’s not something we can discuss with Castall, Gabriel, and Drake. I don’t trust speaking with them.” Ayer’s silhouette formalized. “Other than their power, we cannot consider them as allies. Not when their decisions aren’t even theirs.”

  “Killing Vulcan will only empower him. If I join him, my abilities will transfer to the demon. Can you handle that?” I asked the caster.

  “We were taught by the best,” Ayer said.

  “I don’t have a choice but to join him then.”

  The wind blew outside, and my gaze flew to the bedroom door framing Mira’s hourglass curves.

  “If Vulcan trusted you, you’d have inside information that could help destroy him.” Mira’s voice filled my ears with hope I doubted would ever return.

  My chest filled with her scent as I inhaled the perfect blend of mint tea, seeped through a star’s heated tail, along with fresh blossoms of forget-me-nots. That’s why I loved mint tea.

  Crystal stood behind Mira. Worry outlined the sharp rims of my shifter’s eyes. “My inside man.” She strolled to my side of the bed.

  “Hi, sugar.” I embraced her, then whispered, “What about you? I cannot leave you again for a calling. I don’t know how long it would be before I’d be able to see you. Before we could be together. If ever.”

  “This isn’t a calling. It’s more of a fixer-upper,” she hushed into my ear, wrapping her arms around me. For a moment, I felt like we were the only two in the room. “I’ve waited for you before. I can do it again.”

  “You were ready to date a human,” I noted, raising my brow.

  “I wouldn’t.” Her lips brushed mine, feeding me warmth and love.

  “Even if I’m gone for a hundred years?” The tips of our noses still touched.

  “A thousand.”

  “Arghm.” Ayer cleared his throat as I began to lose myself in my shifter.

  I turned around to face the closest family I’d ever had, the only one I knew. “It may be good to have some inside information. I can’t promise you it will work, but what choice do I have?” My wrist throbbed in scorching pain, as if arguing in defense. The aches started when Vulcan had left. I’d managed to ignore it until now, but the burning was becoming more and more intolerable.

  “Would you still be able to communicate with me?” Sarah asked.

  “I’m not sure. With my bond to the keepers broken, the energy they transfer may no longer be available to me.”

  “I think our connection goes beyond the keepers,” Sarah said with pride.

  “I hope so. I’m just not sure how Vulcan is expecting me to help him.”

  “I don’t think you should worry about that. If it’s the only way we have to figure out how to bind Vulcan without losing you, there’s nothing to think about.” Mira wiggled beside me on the bed.

  “You’re forgetting our role,” Crystal and Ayer spoke together. I thought I saw their eyes fade to their turquoise hue from a beaming white.

  Sarah stepped closer to her children. “I’m your mother, and I hardly understand your role.”

  “We can watch over the world instead of the keepers. If Vulcan is tapping into them, we need to take over their job. We will stand against the warlock,” Crystal explained.

  Sarah froze, probably recalling the memories from just over a month ago when she’d almost died in an execution room at the prison. She rubbed the bend of her elbow where the stainless needles drained her blood, almost stopping her heart.

  William’s nostrils flared, and he came to stand at his children’s side. “This is not a battle you can fight on your own, Eric. Crystal and Ayer will help. They’re part of this, and so are we.”

  “I don’t want them anywhere near Vulcan!” Sarah exclaimed, a faint tremble in her voice. “The man is beyond evil. He’ll suck you into his world before you realize his monstrosity.”

  In his previous life, Vulcan had weaved into her life as a warden of a prison, and almost killed her. The warlock lurked around, like a chess player with a poker face, ready to shout ‘checkmate.’

  “Ma, I think Vulcan threatens the keepers more than us. It’s doubtful he realizes our strength.”

  I turned toward my friends. “Can Mira and I have a couple of minutes alone?”

  “Of course. Call us if you need anything.” The concern in Sarah’ eyes worried me. It was as if she recognized my pain and torment over my decision and made me wonder how she had made her difficult choices so easily in the past.

  The others scattered out of the room.

  I turned back to Mira. “I need to be at Vulcan’s side to fix things. Help the keepers.” I lowered my head, rubbing my wrist.

  “After the way they’d treated you?” she asked.

  “Sugar, your father is a keeper. He’s a good man. If we cannot help them, who can?”

  “Why does the fate of the world need to rest in your hands?”

  “Why for any of us?” I asked. “You know you’d do the same if you had to.”

  Mira embraced me, and her scent slowed my racing pulse. “You’re the bravest man I’d ever known,” she whispered in my ear.

  A tingling of swarming ants pulsed in my neck. My arms tensed, stiffing at the joints.

  “I need to leave. He’s summoning me.”

  “But it hasn’t been twenty-four hours.” Mira tightened her hold around my waist.

  “I know, sugar.”

  “You’re going to join him? Today?”

  “If he needs me to, yes. If I don’t, I’m as good as dead anyways. My powers will be transferred to the warlock. I cannot leave you to deal with the remnants of my actions.”

  Mira pressed herself to me. “Only if you’re sure about this.”

  “More sure than killing him. Sugar, there’s something I need to tell you.” I cupped her face in my palms, looking straight into her eyes. “The keepers’ punishment would not only make me mortal, but also make me forget my past. All my memories would be wiped out. I wouldn’t know you or remember you.” I leaned my forehead against hers.

  “No.” Her grip on my arms tightened before she let go. Mira’s eyes glistened. “Go! Do what you must. I’d rather not have you than see you lose your
soul.”

  The spikes in my neck vibrated. I leaned in once more, devouring Mira’s lips, hoping to never forget her tender and delicious flesh, then pulled away, letting her tears rest on my cheeks.

  “I love you.” She bit her lower lip. Seeing Mira this vulnerable was rare. It touched my heart, making her safety and happiness always a top priority.

  “Ditto, sugar.”

  I let go of her hand, feeling the touch of her fingers pull along toward my tips, slipping from my palm. The spikes around my neck buzzed with impatience.

  I rushed out the front door, without looking back at anyone. I didn’t want them to see me leave for hell.

  Keep in touch, Sarah said in my mind

  I will try.

  * * *

  Determined, I zoomed through a vortex into the underworld. The smell of sulphur and the seeker’s rotting stench settled on my tongue as heat wrapped its talons around my body. I stood twenty feet in front of Vulcan, who sat in the remains of Aseret’s old throne. The warlock rolled a ball of hot lava in his palm. The sphere broke into three smaller ovals that circled around his fingers seamlessly. He hummed under his nose, ignoring my arrival.

  “I thought I had twenty-four hours,” I hissed at the demon.

  He picked up his lazy gaze, spreading his fingers. The spheres disappeared in an orange flash. “You did, but a pressing matter has come to my attention. The keepers will be summoning you to an inquisition today. They’re sensing your indecision. I need to know what you’ll do before then.”

  “How do you know about the inquisition?”

  “I’ll share my inside secrets once you join me. Will you?” He raised his brow and leaned forward, tapping his fingers on the arm rest.

  I held my head high, but my heart felt as if it had been replaced with a deflated pouch. “I’ll do it.”

  “Willingly? You will join me willingly?” He rose from his throne, his steady gaze on me.

  “Yes.” The answer passed through my hoarse throat like acid.

  Vulcan stepped down the narrowing stone staircase to the edge of the last incline. His swagger and gleaming eyes of pleasure didn’t alarm me. This was what I had to do. There was no other way. At least on my own terms, I stood the chance of keeping my immortality and abilities without giving Vulcan more power had I killed him. Death was never a fear for me. I’d always been prepared to sacrifice my life, but I wasn’t ready to bail on the keepers when everything that was right seemed so wrong.