by J. D. Brown
“Yeah, get out of here,” he said, a little too enthusiastically. “I’ll find you if anything interesting happens.”
I scowled, but didn’t argue. I didn’t see any other choice. Besides, I really should be at optimum strength if I was going to go through with murder later.
No, not murder. Hesiodos wants to die.
Was there a kinder-sounding word for this situation?
Maria walked me into the hallway and one door over. “Order room service. And don’t forget your vitamins.”
I smiled at her motherly tone. If Hesiodos harmed one hair on Maria’s head, I wouldn’t need his sob story as motivation. I would end him for hurting her. She unlocked the hotel door and opened it. At the threshold, I twisted around and grabbed her wrist. Maria met my gaze and lifted her brow.
“Be careful,” I said.
“Always.” She grinned and then turned away, going back to the other suite. My hand, the one I had used to grab her wrist, remained in a fist. I hadn’t let go of Maria; she had phased out of my grip. I understood then. Maria was smart and tough. Tougher than me. Tougher than Hesiodos. I smiled, thankful she was on my side, and closed the door.
The sun would rise in a few minutes, so I went to the balcony doors and drew the heavy curtains across the brass rod. I paused where the two drapes met in the center, and peeked between them. The scene beyond stood still. The verandas and bridges lay empty and quiet. The boats and gondolas were wrapped in tarp and strung to their docks, lulling softly against the lagoon water. A clear summer night sky lit the canal in a silver-blue radiance. Tiny white crystals of moonlight reflected off the water’s lazy surface, shimmering as they fractured and dissolved into themselves.
The locals would rise at this hour. A few early birds might be leaving their homes to head to work. However, even the most diligent of tourists would still be asleep. Now would be a good time to take a little energy from the air and sate my thirst. I hadn’t had any blood in over four days. The baby didn’t require it, but I did and I was beginning to feel the effects of starvation. Human energy would provide some of the nourishment I needed.
I gripped the handle of the glass sliding door and pulled. It cracked open. A rush of scents hit me. Lagoon water, fish, fresh bread, coffee beans, flesh. Yes, the humans were waking and starting their day. On instinct, I sucked in a deep breath and focused on the one scent I desired most. My eyes rolled back as their heartbeats bleated against my eardrums—first a few, then a hundred, then thousands. I exhaled and shuddered.
Remain in control. Take the energy, and then shut the door.
I phased my left hand, keeping my right firmly attached to the handle. The air stuck to my molecules like molasses, thick and rich. It seeped into my arm, climbed to my elbow, my shoulder, and then poured into my torso. I inhaled as vigor filled my lungs. Energy coursed through my veins, cleansing and renewing my blood. My muscles felt stronger, my senses keener, my essence more powerful.
I slammed the glass door shut and exhaled. Energy wasn’t as potent as blood. There were no drunken side effects, no euphoric high, but it satisfied my hunger.
For now.
Revved and energized, I thought about going next door to see how the spell was developing, but then I remembered that the others would all be feeding. They couldn’t absorb energy as I could. They needed the blood—and one whiff would undo all the happy feelings in my stomach. I decided to stay put until they came for me.
In the meantime, I called room service and ordered the most ethnic-sounding dish on the menu. I had to spell it out to the receptionist one letter at a time, because I couldn’t even guess the proper pronunciation. Then I took a quick shower, dressed, and ran a comb through my hair. The food arrived shortly after. I thanked the nice vampire who rolled the cart into the room and told him to add his tip to the bill. The food ended up being some kind of mollusk over pasta with a white scallop sauce. I made myself comfortable on the couch and picked at the pasta while watching some sort of Italian crime drama on the television. The noodles of course tasted like burned cardboard, but I forced it down for the sake of my child and then took my prenatal vitamins.
A knock sounded at the door. I set the plate aside and then went to answer it. Brinnon greeted me with a grin. “Hey. Feeling better?”
I wasn’t expecting anyone specific, yet somehow, a part of me sank in disappointment and I realized I had subconsciously hoped for Jesu. I forced a smile. “Much. I guess Maria was right, I just need some air. So, is the spell finished?”
“Almost. We need you for the final stage.”
“Great, let’s go.”
Brinnon chuckled. “You certainly are bubbly.”
I rolled my eyes and pushed past him. The door to 4B stood ajar, so I let myself inside. The room smelled strongly of bleach. I wrinkled my nose, thinking it odd, until the faint scent of blood leaked through. Maria and Jesu must have bleached the kitchenette so I wouldn’t smell the blood and get sick again. It worked well enough. Nausea churned my stomach a little, but for the first time in nearly a week, I was able to ignore it.
Tea light candles were arranged in a large circle on the floor in the living area. They encompassed all the geometric chalk drawings from earlier. The ingredients were placed in the center of the various shapes. Hesiodos and Maria stood just outside the circle, at the twelve o’clock and nine o’clock positions. Jesu stood in the corner, one shoulder against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. The three of them watched as I approached the circle. Brinnon closed the door and then took his place, standing just outside the end of the circle, across from Hesiodos.
“The transmutation part of the spell is complete,” the vampire announced. “Your stone contains all the necessary elements. All that is left is to activate its powers and bind them to you.”
“Are we certain this is wise?” Jesu’s sharp tone matched his dark gaze. He glared proverbial daggers at Maria. “Ema should not be subjected to such powers in her condition.”
I pulled my lips between my teeth and bit down. I didn’t know how much had been said in my absence. Did Brinnon know about the baby? Did Hesiodos know about Apollyon?
“We’ve been through this,” said Maria. Her icy gaze met his.
Without uncrossing his arms, Jesu straightened his posture and came toward us. “It is too dangerous.”
“If not me,” I said, “than who?”
“Me,” he growled. “Maria, Brinnon, any of us. Just not you.”
“And leave her defenseless?” Maria interjected. “Is that what you want?”
“Of course not,” Jesu hissed.
“We don’t have time for this,” said Hesiodos. “If we don’t activate the stone soon, the elements will revert back to their natural state.”
Maria lifted her chin. “You have two choices, Jesu. Stay and help, or leave for good. Decide now, or I will choose for you.”
My chest constricted as fear chilled my veins and my breath hitched. I didn’t want Jesu to leave. Not now. Not ever. Yet I hadn’t given him any reason to stay. I let him think I didn’t love him.
Jesu uncrossed his arms, pulling two clenched fists level with his hips. His lip curled and his iridescent eyes burned with an emerald fire. I thought he would punch something, the wall maybe. Instead, he twisted around and grabbed both of my upper arms. I gasped in surprise.
“Ema, I know you think this is your destiny because I told you it was, but you are wrong. I was wrong. The premonition is not about you.”
My jaw moved, but no sound came out. He knows? How did he know? And for how long? His gaze bore into mine, and I got lost in the consuming flames of his anger. I wet my lips and then said the only thing I could think of.
“I know.”
His brow softened in surprise. “What?”
“I-I know. Bridget told me.”
Maria groaned in the background.
“What else did Bridget tell you?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter.”
His brow furrowed. “You should not listen to Bridget. She is jealous and spiteful.”
“Maybe so,” I said. “But we both knew deep down, from the beginning, that I am not the girl you prophesized all those years ago. She is human in your vision, Jesu. I am a vampyre. That doesn’t matter though. I told Bridget the same thing I told you in Finland, it doesn’t matter that it’s not my destiny because I am involved now. Your father’s here because of me. I’m making my own destiny. This is my decision.” I turned to look at Hesiodos. “I’m doing this.”
“Ema…” Jesu pleaded. His lashes lowered and his hands slid to my elbows. His lips parted to say more, but I pushed onto my toes and crushed my mouth against his. Jesu froze for a split second, and then took a step back. His brow quirked, but I didn’t give him time to voice the question in his eyes.
“Jesu, I love you with all my heart. I’m sorry I let you believe otherwise. There is so much more I need to tell you and beg your forgiveness for, but right now…” I glanced at Hesiodos again, and then at Jesu. “Please stay. I can’t do this without you.”
“We need to begin,” Hesiodos urged. He pointed to a triangular shape in the center of the circle. “Ema, please stand there and face me.”
I looked Jesu in the eyes. His gaze went through me, staring into space. He wet his lips and his grip on my elbows loosened. I didn’t know what his answer was, or what his thoughts were. Now was not the time to inquire about it. I slid my arms out of his hands and then moved into the circle of tea lights, being careful not to step on any of the chalk lines.
“Your Highness,” Hesiodos said to Jesu. “The spell calls for four of us; one person to stand at each quadrant. If you would?”
Jesu said nothing, but his furrowed brow and thinned lips displayed plenty. He wasn’t convinced by my display of affection. He could have walked out the door, rendering all our hard work a waste of time. Instead, he skulked slowly toward the circle, standing across from Maria and me. I sighed in relief and mouthed a silent thank you, though I wasn’t sure if he noticed. Jesu kept his gaze trained to the side.
I did as Hesiodos instructed and stood in the center, facing him. The alchemist lifted a fist, palm side up, and then opened his fingers. A folded white handkerchief rested in his hand. With his other hand, he unwrapped the handkerchief and then plucked a single strand of black hair—my hair—between his thumb and index finger. He crouched and placed the hair in the center of another chalk symbol inside the circle of tea lights.
“Now we light the candles,” said Hesiodos.
Maria glared at Jesu. “We’re behind schedule, thanks to you.”
Without lifting his gaze, Jesu dug into his pocket and pulled out a cheap, generic brand lighter. The flame ignited on the first strike. With a wave of his hand, a dozen sparks popped into the air. Each little spark landed on a candlewick and, one by one, the candles came to life.
Hesiodos cleared his throat. “Um, thank you.”
Jesu pocketed the lighter. Maria handed Hesiodos the pad of paper they’d written the translations on. Reading it, he began to chant in a language I couldn’t understand. Probably Greek or Latin. The flames flickered in rhythm to the tone of his voice, just as they had when Leena opened the portal to hell.
After the fifth chant, movement flickered near my feet. I glanced at the floor and gasped. The chalk lines vibrated and then became a milk-white fluid. The fluid extended in all directions across the circle, until each geometric figure touched. What was once a series of separate shapes and symbols became a giant interlinking web creating the image of a large white crest.
Hesiodos stopped chanting and the candle flames stilled. He lowered the notepad and lifted his gaze to mine. “You must repeat this part. I will pronounce it slowly the first time, but you need to repeat it twice more, quickly and without error.”
I knew I should have asked what to expect beforehand. I swallowed my worries and nodded. If I live through this, I’m learning Latin.
Hesiodos began. “Me vobis, et vos mihi. Uiribus meis, mando tibi.”
I repeated the words twice as slow, over-annunciating each syllable. “Me vo-bis et vos mi-hi. U-ir-i-bus me-is man-do ti-bi.”
Hesiodos nodded. He repeated the phrase, and I echoed his words as best I could. “Me vobis, et vos mihi. Uiri-bus meis, mando tibi.”
By the third time, I could almost say it naturally. “Me vobis, et vos mihi. Uiribus meis, mado tibi!”
The milky lines of the crest turned black. An onyx beam of light shot from the fluid, to the ceiling. A blast of air flung the others away from the circle and snuffed out the tea lights. I remained in the center, trapped inside a howling vortex of black light. My hair stood straight up, flapping in the whirlwind. My clothes whipped against my body, my top threatening to tear off over my head. The force was so strong it lifted me to my toes.
“What do I do?” I shouted, but my voice drowned in the current. I doubted anyone could even see me though the black tornado.
I squinted against the stinging wind and tried to locate Hesiodos. A small glint caught my attention. I focused on the space directly in front of me, where a thin line floated in the air. I concentrated a moment to understand what I was seeing.
My hair.
The one we were using to bind my DNA to the stone.
It floated in a pin-straight line, defying physics. Then, as if an invisible set of hands controlled it, each end lifted and curved until the two ends touched, creating a perfect circle. The light emanating from the crest changed color, flashing from onyx, to maroon, to purple, to blue, getting brighter with each hue. I covered my eyes with my hands to shield against the harsh glow. Then, suddenly, it all stopped.
The wind died, and I fell to my knees. A loud boom shook the floorboards. I gasped and then glanced around. Hesiodos, Maria, Brinnon, and Jesu lay crumpled on the floor in the farthest corners of the room. They pushed to their elbows and glanced around slowly, in a daze. They were probably sore from being flung across the room, but no one appeared wounded. Jesu was the first to rise to his feet. He bounded toward me.
“Do not breach the circle!” Hesiodos warned.
Jesu froze half an inch outside the crest. The patterns on the floor glowed softly, now a radiant navy blue color. I tore my gaze from them and carefully stood.
“I’m fine,” I said, seeing the concern in Jesu’s eyes. “No harm done.”
Jesu sighed and his shoulders relaxed. “Did it work?”
“I don’t know. My hair—”
“There.” Hesiodos pointed. I followed his line of direction to the floor in front of me, where a tiny sapphire-blue gem sat. Hesiodos chuckled. “The transformation is a success.”
“Can I move?”
He nodded. “The spell is manifest when you leave the circle.”
I went to the gem and picked it up. It felt warm in my palm, the way pebbles do when they’ve been sitting in the sun. It sparkled in the soft light and the sharp edges vibrated against my skin. A static shock shot through my hand. My breath hitched as a warm tingle coursed through my veins. The sensation had an odd calming effect, yet I could sense its power mounting. Looking at the gem was akin to looking at an electrical outlet; mundane and harmless on the outside, yet you knew the risks involved, and the instant danger waiting just beneath the surface. I needed to hide the gem. The instinct to guard it from prying hands was so potent, it overwhelmed me. This stone wasn’t just a tool, as Hesiodos suggested. It was, in every sense of the word, a weapon.
But the gem is harmless without me.
Only I could wield it. That made me the weapon.
Maria and Brinnon joined Jesu just outside the ring of candles. They gazed in wonder at the rare philosopher’s stone in my hand.
“How do we know it works?” Jesu asked. “How do we test it?”
Maria grinned. “That is the part I destroyed from the spell book. Thanks to Hesiodos’ translations, I was able to learn the code myself.”
“Wait,” said Brinnon. “Wh
ere is Hesiodos?”
We all turned to look for the vampire, when he suddenly appeared behind Maria and stabbed a scalpel into her kidney.
Maria stumbled to the side, eyes wide in shock. Her hand went to the instrument’s handle, and she yanked it out. Blood gurgled from the wound. It soaked into her blouse and skirt, and dripped onto the floor. Brinnon sprang into action, but instead of going to Maria’s aid, or tackling Hesiodos, he jumped on Jesu and pinned him to the ground, twisting my lover’s arms behind his back.
“Are you insane?” Jesu hollered. “Let go!”
Brinnon leaned his weight into Jesu. “She gave him her word.”
“What?” Jesu blinked in Maria’s direction. He had no idea Brinnon was talking about me. I gave Hesiodos my word.
Hesiodos lunged at Maria. She phased, and he fell through her, landing on his hands and knees. Maria appeared on the other side of the room, blood still running from her wound. The sapphire vibrated in my hand. Its energy coursed through my veins. I closed my fingers around it, and it trembled violently, begging for release. The energy hit my core and mixed with the darkness locked inside. It woke my inner monster with renewed vigor. I couldn’t control it. The Nephilim in my blood took charge, and I flung into action. Before I knew it, my hands were on Hesiodos’ head. One palm gripped his jaw, the other held his cranium. His pupils narrowed to pinpoints as realization dawned. He mouthed the words ‘thank you’ not one second before I snapped his skull to the side and broke his neck.
Leena’s father crumpled to the floor.
Sweat trickled from my brow and my lungs wracked against my ribs. I glanced in horror at my own two hands and took several steps back. Bile rose to my mouth. I twisted to the side and vomited. I just killed a man.
Jesu pushed Brinnon off and went to Maria. He applied pressure to her wound. “Sit,” he told her. “Do not speak. Brinnon, get towels!”
The Alpan prince dashed into the bathroom and returned with every towel in residence. Jesu pulled Maria’s shirt out from under her waistband and lifted it up to her ribs, exposing the deep gash in her side.
