Sacred

by Long, Samantha

  It was an incredible sensation—tingly and flush. Sophie gripped Akeldama's arms and pushed her anger into the fire, making it flare.

  "No!" Akeldama shoved Sophie away. Burnt flesh crawled up to Akeldama's elbows. "You will regret that." She swiped her claws, catching Sophie's chest and neck.

  The gashes opened immediately, boiling her blood. She fell to her knees and the warmth from her fire died out.

  In her peripheral vision, she saw Aidan run to Morgan's defense. The vamp he was fighting appeared in front of him, blocking his path. He hit Aidan in the chest, sending him backward.

  They were all going to die. She just had to take Akeldama down with them.

  Aidan screamed. Sophie looked at him, and saw grief and horror twist his face. She turned in the direction he was looking and saw Morgan slump to the ground, blood spurting from the gashes the vampire had opened.

  Akeldama wrapped her hands around Sophie's neck and lifted her off the ground. The fingers tightened, almost crushing her windpipe. Akeldama flung her arm out, releasing Sophie.

  She landed on her side. She tried to suck in air and coughed. Akeldama drew her foot back and slammed it into Sophie's ribs. The impact lifted her off the ground as the bones fractured.

  The demons in the stands went crazy. They called down nasty names and taunts to the Guardians. Sophie lifted up on her elbows, spasms rolling through her body, and she spat out dirt and blood.

  "Look at your friends. They are perishing. My pets are too strong for them." Akeldama forced Sophie's head to the side. Two vampires held Jackson and Aidan.

  "No," Sophie moaned, but she knew she couldn't stop what was happening. Her visions were never wrong. Both boys were splattered with their own blood, their eyes were swollen, and their bones were broken. The vamps grabbed the sides of their heads and twisted.

  Akeldama made Sophie watch the vampires drop their bodies like trash. Hot tears leaked down her cheeks, but she didn't care if Akeldama saw. Her friends were dead. Was Tristan dead too?

  Her stomach clenched. She couldn't do this, couldn't defeat the most powerful demon she'd ever seen. She was worthless.

  Akeldama howled in rage. Sophie glanced up, ignoring the pain, and saw the tip of a sword protruding through Akeldama's chest. The tip disappeared and black blood leaked from the hole it left.

  "Leave her alone." Tristan stood behind Akeldama, holding the bloody sword. He swayed on his feet, his face colorless.

  "No, Tristan." Sophie dug her fingers into the dirt and hauled her body forward.

  Akeldama growled. She twisted, her eyes full of hate, and hit Tristan in the face. He went down easily, landing on his knees.

  "Tristan," Sophie cried out hoarsely. She couldn’t breathe around the lump in her throat.

  "Watch, darling, as I take away the one you love more than anything else. I know the bond you share." Akeldama grabbed Tristan's blood-matted hair in her fist and flashed her fangs.

  "No!" Sophie struggled to stand.

  Akeldama struck, ripping Tristan's throat open. She greedily lapped at his blood.

  Sophie's heart shattered, everything in her deflating. She'd now lost everything, and her hope vanished with Tristan's life.

  Akeldama dropped his limp body and sneered at Sophie. "Did you honestly think you would win?" She stepped over Tristan, grinning as she moved toward Sophie.

  Sophie couldn't tear her gaze from Tristan's dead eyes. Even when Akeldama forced her to stand, she couldn't look away.

  "Good-bye, darling."

  Sophie finally tore her gaze from Tristan and looked at Akeldama, the one responsible for killing her brother and her friends. The one responsible for torturing Lilli. She couldn't let her win. If she was going to die, Akeldama was going with her. She'd drag the bitch to hell herself.

  Akeldama's arms rose above her head, the sword pointed to the stained glass window.

  A cry full of all the anguish and grief Sophie harbored rushed past her lips. Akeldama paused, stunned.

  Sophie thrust the dagger upward. It stabbed deep into Akeldama's chest. Her teeth clenched and Sophie flicked her wrist, driving the dagger deeper. Akeldama's body twitched.

  They stared into each other's eyes, Sophie’s angry and Akeldama’s surprised. A darkness spread over Akeldama's skin, emanating from the dagger.

  Pressure hit Sophie's chest, hot fire following it. She looked down to see Akeldama's sword impaling her right below her sternum. Akeldama pulled the sword out, letting it drop to the ground.

  Sophie shuddered and dropped to her knees. Through the black spots dancing in front of her eyes, she saw Akeldama pluck the dagger from her chest and toss it, too.

  It no longer pulsed with life.

  Sophie tried to focus, but she was losing too much blood. A great sadness filled her. She hadn't succeeded in killing the Demoness. Hell on earth was going to be the reality. Her friends were dead.

  Her mom and dad...

  It was hard to finish that thought, or any thought. She shivered as her blood pooled around her.

  Akeldama’s lips moved, but she couldn't hear her over the roaring in her ears.

  Forgive me. Sophie wished Demetri could hear her thoughts.

  All the humans left, all the people in the Society that had put their faith in her. She’d disappointed them. She was a failure as a Guardian.

  Warmth blanketed her. The Light called to her, and the pull to surrender overwhelmed her. There was nothing left in her to fight it off. Who cared if she surrendered and became like the Council?

  She tilted her head back. Blood dripped from her nose and the corners of her mouth.

  Yes.

  The warmth consumed her, pouring through her soul and coiling tightly at its center. Through this, she sensed Akeldama's fear. Akeldama couldn't heal herself because the dagger had bound her powers. She couldn't fight back. Scales rippled over Akeldama as she was forced back to her natural form.

  Sophie surrendered completely, and the Light absorbed her identity. All she saw and felt now was radiance.

  Short bursts of Light escaped her kneeling form. The pressure in her body tripled, almost painful as it changed her. The demons in the stands wailed as they realized what was happening.

  A cry tore from her throat, and the Light exploded outward. It washed through the arena, devouring Akeldama and her army, ripping them apart and vaporizing the pieces that remained, before cascading over the arena and out to the ocean.

  As quickly as it exploded, it receded back into her.

  A bone-weary exhaustion settled over her, joined by an emptiness as her friend’s powers left her. She collapsed into the dirt, agony weaving its way through her bones, and she shut her eyes. Akeldama was gone; her duty was done.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  SOPHIE WEAVED THROUGH the fog in her mind, amazed that she could still think. Was she dead? Was this how she surrendered to the Light, what she was supposed to become?

  A golden glow hazed through her thoughts. She floated, weightless. With the glow came a message, the condition of her surrender. The words made her shiver, even with the warmth in them.

  She knew what she had to do.

  When she heard Tristan's voice, the haze in her mind cleared. Her eyes shot open and she became aware of the ground underneath her. "Tristan?"

  He looked down at her, his face painfully beautiful to her, his eyes full of love. "Hey."

  "How?" She wrapped her arms around him, probably cutting off his oxygen, and didn't let go. His heart beat hard against her ear. "I saw you die." The sobs built up and escaped, wracking her body.

  "Sure, she's all about Tristan."

  At Aidan's sarcastic voice, she hiccupped and looked over Tristan's shoulder. Aidan stood next to Morgan, his hand in hers. Jackson had an arm around Lilli's waist.

  "You did it, Sophie." Demetri crouched down next to her.

  Sophie heard him, but couldn't shake the shock. "I watched all of you die." She took Tristan's hand and he pulled her up. "Am I
dead?"

  Demetri laughed, another shock to Sophie’s already overwhelmed system. "The Light healed them. We caught up with you when Lilli woke up and told us Jackson was dead."

  "We thought you could use our help," Kendra told her. She glanced back at Ruth.

  "Is everyone..." Sophie didn't finish the question because Ruth turned and walked away. Fresh pain lanced through her heart. So Rory hadn't been chosen to live. She guessed by the stoic looks Casey and Foster wore that neither had Allison.

  Her eyes landed on Lilli and watched her for a moment. She couldn't believe what the Light told her. Is it true? Is Akeldama's right-hand demon hiding behind Lilli's innocent green eyes?

  "Hello, Samuel." Sophie ignored the puzzled looks from the others. "Why don't you come out and play?"

  "If you insist." The smooth and husky voice coming from Lilli’s mouth twisted in Sophie’s heart.

  Jackson dropped his hand from Lilli’s waist, glowering. “Give her back, right now.”

  "Oh relax, lover boy." Lilli turned and looked at Jackson with a hardness in her eyes. "I have taken over her body. She is...sleeping, I would say, and doesn't realize anything is different." Her eyes shone with a demonic light.

  Sophie knew what she had to do, so she asked, "Why are you here?"

  Everyone was conflicted on how to approach the demon. Usually, the evil bastards were in the body of someone they didn't know. What were they supposed to do with this one? How were they going to force information out of Samuel without hurting Lilli?

  "Oh, not for the reason you obviously think." Her features rearranged into bitterness. "Akeldama left me here. She didn't want me in on her master plan."

  "She’s dead." Sophie stepped forward, fought the urge to avert her gaze from Lilli's shining eyes. Even as she said the words, she knew they weren't true. The certainty hit her hard, knocking the breath from her body.

  Lilli laughed, harshly. "She's gone from this world, yes. That was all a part of her big plan. She played you."

  Tristan tensed, muscles coiled. Sophie placed a hand on his arm. We need to hear this. If what he's saying is true…. She didn't really want to contemplate that. Had she not just nearly died defeating Akeldama? Hadn’t the others? Tristan didn't glance at her. Tristan’s muscles slowly relaxed.

  "What do you gain from telling us she’s not dead?" Aidan eyed Lilli warily.

  Lilli growled. Her eyes shone brighter and Morgan winced.

  "My apologies." Samuel brushed Lilli's hair back. When he spoke again, it was with a calmer tone. "She betrayed me and left me behind. I worked under her for thousands of years, and she repaid me by depositing me in this body and sending me into the lion's den. Not conducive to loyalty, I would say."

  "Hell hath no fury like a demon scorned?" Aidan quipped.

  The smile was definitely Samuel's. "Exactly. I will repay her by giving away her secrets."

  Demetri crossed his arms. "And after that?"

  "We'll get to that after I share them."

  "Fine. Share them, then get out of her body," Jackson demanded.

  Samuel twisted Lilli's lips into a smile. "I assume you already know about the Rift?"

  "The thing that holds Lucifer back?" Sophie asked.

  He sighed. "That's what Akeldama wanted you to believe. Lucifer is bad, yes, but nothing compares to the primordial evil the Rift holds. It's something even Lucifer fears."

  "What is it that Lucifer fears?" Ruth snapped. Sophie could tell her patience with demons was non-existent.

  "The Nothingness."

  All the breath left Sophie's body in a rush. At his words, darkness settled over the room.

  "You've heard of him, Sophie? Can you feel him calling to you like he did her?" Samuel's smile was sad. "He would be obsessed with your Light."

  Tristan looked at Sophie. "What is he talking about?"

  "I don't know. No one's been calling to me."

  "He's more terrifying than anything you can imagine. If he is let loose, nobody is safe—not even us demons. Everything he touches will be turned into nothingness; empty, a black void."

  "Then why does Akeldama want to let him out?" Jackson turned a calculated gaze on the demon. "Doesn't seem very prudent to me."

  "He called to her, made her obsessed with him, made her believe she'd be his queen."

  "Which is not likely to happen. Evil doesn’t share power,” Ruth spoke, her voice raw with grief.

  "No." Samuel shook Lilli's head. "And he's the darkest."

  "Why did she have to be killed? She seemed pretty intent on killing us," Morgan said. Sophie wondered if she remembered the moment the vampire ripped out her throat. Did the others remember their own deaths?

  "She wanted to be extremely powerful when she crossed over. The only way for her, since she's already so powerful, was to be killed by the Light Keeper. She had to make it believable so she kidnapped Lilli and murdered your brother to make sure."

  Sophie clenched her fists against the rage boiling up. Her brother had died because Akeldama wanted to make sure Sophie came after her? Murder was already senseless, but seriously?

  "Sophie." Demetri nodded.

  "Yes. Sophie." Samuel looked at her again. Awareness tingled on her skin. "Once Akeldama was reborn in the demonic dimension, the Nothingness imbued her with some of his power."

  Sophie grimaced. Akeldama was bad enough on her own.

  "How do we stop her?" Tristan asked.

  "You have to go into the demonic dimension and, from there, the Rift."

  No one spoke. After a second, Demetri glanced at Sophie and when she nodded at the truth of the words he said, "We'll go to the Rift."

  "You'll need a guide through the demonic world. You don't think you can make it on your own, do you?" His laugh mocked them.

  "You can't stay in her body, and we don't trust you enough to walk around on your own."

  "No!" Samuel hissed. "I've been locked up for thousands of years doing only her bidding. I won't help you if you lock me away."

  "We'll handle this on our own then. Who's to say you won't betray us anyway?" Tristan’s voice rose.

  "Have you ever been to our dimension? Do you know where the Rift is actually located?" Samuel winked in Sophie's direction and she scowled. "I do. Akeldama went there often, but she wasn't strong enough to open it. She is now. Do you think you'll get there in time?"

  Tristan's eyes changed color and narrowed. Sophie could tell he wanted to do something, but knew he couldn't while Samuel was in Lilli's body.

  "There is only one body I would never be able to control. I'd just be a passenger." Sophie stilled as he pierced her with the heated gaze. She knew his next words, knew how her friends were going to react. "The Light Keeper."

  Tristan growled low in his chest. "No way in hell."

  "You may live to see those words in truth," Samuel stated. The two stared each other down, hatred brimming in their gazes.

  Sophie sighed. Tristan glanced at her, hope in his eyes.

  "How is that any different from being locked in a cell?" Ruth asked.

  "The truth is that my race has to possess someone to live. We can be out of a host's body for a day or two at the most, but we weaken significantly. In Sophie, I wouldn't be in control. It's a win-win situation either way you look at it."

  "I don't agree." Tristan clenched his jaw, his body stiff.

  "Give us a minute. Kendra, stay with Lilli." Demetri gestured to the archways of the arena. Kendra nodded.

  Everyone else followed Demetri out of the arena. When they stopped, Demetri asked, "Is he telling the truth?"

  "You can't expect us to let him do it," Tristan stated immediately. "Not Sophie."

  "It's okay if it's Lilli, though?" Jackson grabbed the collar of Tristan's shirt and shoved him against the wall. Tristan's eyes narrowed.

  "Enough!" Demetri's voice cut through their anger. "Sophie, is he telling the truth?

  Everyone turned to her. Reluctantly, she nodded. When she'd surrendered to th
e Light, she'd heard the whispers. "He can't control me."

  "I'll have him give Lilli back. Sophie, I want you to make a decision, but I don't want you to rush. I won’t make this decision for you.” Demetri’s eyes were unreadable.

  Sophie nodded. "I understand." She'd already made up her mind. Maybe it was the need for revenge talking, but she knew they'd get to the Rift a lot faster if they had a guide.

  Tristan saw the decision in her eyes. "No, Soph! You don't have to do this!"

  Her stomach roiled at the thought of letting the demon inside of her. "Yes, I do. It's the only way to beat Akeldama there. None of us have ever been to the demon realm. We'd have no idea what to do."

  "I hope you don't expect me to be near you while that thing is inside of you." His face hardened. "I won't be able to hold you, kiss you, lie next to you in the same bed! I will never know if he is right beneath the surface, watching!"

  "I know."

  Tristan’s lips twisted, and he turned away, his last look of disgust burned into her memory.

  "You don't have to do this. It's your choice, Sophie." Ruth wrapped an arm around her. "You've already given up so much as it is."

  “So have you,” Sophie said as she watched Demetri walk back into the arena. She knew she really had no choice. It was let Samuel in or let the Nothingness out. Could she really be responsible for the destruction of everything?

  No, she couldn't. And she didn't have a lot of time to think about this. Akeldama already had a head start.

  When Demetri returned with Lilli, Sophie knew it was time. Her heart raced as she worked up the courage she needed. "I'll go in alone. There's no reason for anyone to go in with me." Sophie looked at her friends and prayed they wouldn't abandon her like Tristan did. They shot her reassuring smiles.

  She entered the arena, trying not to think about what had transpired only moments before. The deaths she’d witnessed, the battle for her life.

  Samuel sat on a bottom row of stone in his demonic form, but his demonic form was surprisingly human.

  "I know. No scales, or wings. I do have fangs, though." He smiled, showing them off.

  "Are you a vampire?" Sophie walked around the arena and stood a foot away from him. He had a head of black, curly hair, and a pair of startling blue eyes and if this had been any other situation, they had been any other people, she would’ve been attracted to him.