Unnatural Souls

by Linda Foster

  He recovered quicker than I did, and in the next instant he was on top of my body, smiling down at me with razor sharp teeth. The look on his face promised pain—and revenge for his fallen brothers—and terror once again rocketed through my body

  No. This couldn’t be the end. I’d just learned how to call a weapon to me and taken out two demons all by myself. And I was going to be damned if all of that was for nothing. I could finally go to Michael. I could save Ash. I could see this thing finished—and deal with Michael’s war later.

  But not if I didn’t get out of this alive.

  Horror built in my chest again, but I didn’t feel anything behind it this time. It was pure fear. I scratched and kicked at the monster—to no avail. I couldn’t get to my other blade, and if I didn’t do something I was going to be dead meat.

  Which meant I had to find another way. Lucky for me, I had other weapons. And there was a never-ending supply of debris in the crumbling town. Arching backward, I spotted a pile of bricks down the street, and with a gasp, reached for my power to call them to me. I just needed the demon to let go of one of my wrists long enough for me to grab the blade I had tucked into my belt.

  Within moments, the bricks were flying toward us, deadly missiles with only one goal: the demon’s face. Each one smashed into him, exploding with the impact, but the demon continued to hold me down, unshaken.

  And that had been the one ace up my sleeve. An ace that hadn’t worked. Dammit.

  I needed to get to that blade, but how was I going to do it?

  My eyes roamed the alley in desperation. How was I going to get this demon off of me? There had to be something in this dilapidated avenue that I could use to knock him away long enough for me to retrieve my weapons… But I saw nothing else that could be of use to me. The streets were bare—even the fallen bricks just dust now. There were no more trashcans or other objects to hurl at him. Nothing.

  I’d already used everything.

  The demon pulled out a blade of his own and stared down at me, then reared back slowly, seeming to enjoy my growing terror. No, no, no.

  Suddenly a miracle occurred. “Play time’s over,” a familiar voice called tauntingly.

  The demon and I froze, for two very different reasons, and I almost laughed when the menacing expression on his face turned to disbelief. I couldn’t have been more angry—or relieved—to hear her. She had abandoned me, but now that she was here I was safe. She could kill this demon easily.

  And, as if on cue, a slender pair of hands shot out to grab the demon by the shoulders. The monster yelled out as he was yanked off of me, but Kali tossed him down the alley like he was nothing more than a doll.

  I leapt up, frantically looking around for the demon, and saw that he was slumped over against a wall across the street. Already dead? I thought not, as he still had a body. But not for long. Kali was standing next to me, her forearms black like charcoal, and enveloped in red flames.

  The fire grew, moving down her arms until it formed balls in her open palms. Her expression was deadly, her eyes glowing like rubies, and I felt relief coursing through me. She’d come back for me after all. Later than she could have, but she’d no doubt been watching the entire thing.

  She had put me in this situation, and I should have been furious, but instead I was grateful to see her. I was safe. I was going to make it home, and I was going to save my brother.

  And then I saw something else. As I watched her, I began to see her aura. I had never paid much attention to her aura when she fought, and hadn’t even consciously called the power to myself just then—so there was no reason for me to be seeing her aura at all. Perhaps I was just ramped up with my own power, I thought, and seeing the world through a different lens. Whatever it was, the red I had seen around her in the past was intensifying … but the slightest hint of blue was seeping through it now.

  Was Michael right? I suddenly wondered. Was she actually good, deep down? She had to be, to have even the faintest shade of blue showing through the powerful red that surrounded her.

  Then I saw where it was coming from. The blue was bleeding from the talisman hanging around her neck, mixing with her red aura. I had never thought about the necklace much. Once, because I had thought it was pretty, I’d asked where she got it. Her answer had been one word: Michael. I’d assumed it was a gift, and left it alone. But the color made me think it was more than that. It had power—and it must be angelic power, because that was the only thing that made sense for a demon in her position.

  Why would he give her such a thing? Why was it blue? If that blue aura wasn’t Kali’s … whose was it?

  “Your angel friend and that stupid charmed talisman can’t protect you from the king of Hell forever,” the demon hissed at her.

  This took me back. The necklace was charmed? Like by angels? Was that why it was blue? And it was protecting her? How? I squinted, trying to get a better look at it.

  “Adrian will stop you, and make your death slow and torturous,” the demon continued, his face contorted in pain.

  Kali sneered at the demon, her power building. The fire that lapped around her arms, almost reaching her shoulders now, slithering down, collecting around her hands. The swirling spheres of flame grew larger as the blaze intensified, and a moment later she lifted her arms, holding them in front of herself. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent the balls of heat bursting forth. The two fireballs flew straight in the demon’s chest, and the thing was engulfed in flames. When the fire died down, all that was left was a pile of ashes.

  I turned my attention back to Kali, amazed as always by her power … but also curious, now. For a moment, the red in her aura overshadowed her body, but the blue light from the talisman shone strongly through it, and a moment later, the red faded. Then the blue receded as well, settling back into the middle of the talisman. It seemed to have a mind of its own, and looked like it was acting as a shield. Trying to protect Kali from the red taint.

  A living thing, my mind repeated over and over again. Hang on. Kali had been an angel, and when she fell, she’d lost her soul. All of the demons did. That was why they were tainted red—it marked them as dark, soulless monsters.

  So was the blue inside the necklace … was it her soul?

  It made sense. Michael had made a deal with them to get back into Heaven, and he’d also given her the talisman. It had weird writing on it, unlike anything I had seen on Earth. And though it was a leap, it wasn’t a big leap. That thing could have been created by the angels. It could be holding her soul.

  “Now that’s power,” Kali said with a little laugh. She pulled one of my blades from her belt and held it out to me. I accepted it, drew my other blade from my belt, and took a deep breath.

  “Don’t looked so pissed,” she muttered, taking in my face and the blades in my hands. “I was here the whole time, ready to step in when you needed me. Honestly, I was positive I was going to have to take them all out. I never dreamed this would work, but damn. You took two demons on by yourself. That’s not bad.”

  It was disturbing, but I had taken on three demons. Well, two. I took no joy in what I did, killing other creatures, but I couldn’t deny the relief it brought me that I’d finally been able to defend myself. I glanced down at the two weapons, really looking at them for the first time, and saw that they were two half-moon shaped blades that encircled my hands, the points ending at my wrists. They had the same brilliant blue light that Michael’s sword had.

  And with that, any thoughts of Kali and her talisman drifted away. I had called my weapon. I had done it! I’d finished my training! I looked down at my watch, though, and realized we had less than eleven hours left. Time to leave.

  “I have to go,” I muttered.

  Kali, in true Kali fashion, just put her hands on her hips and looked pissed as all Hell. Obviously she was expecting more excitement on my part, no doubt thinking that she should get credit for having taught me how to use my final power. I almost laughed at the look on her
face.

  Unfortunately for her, I didn’t have time to sit here and celebrate. Or make her feel better about having taught me.

  I had only ten and a half hours left to find Michael. I would have to call him using my angelic power—sort of like magical text message. And hope he came quickly. I needed to show him I could summon my weapon, and that I’d completed my training. That I’d come through on my end of the bargain.

  And then he would save my brother, as promised. I didn’t know exactly how that was going to be done, but I assumed that I’d also have to find Ash. So the faster I got to Michael, the better.

  There was plenty of time. Really. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the minutes were ticking away, or the sense of impending doom. I was so close, but I wasn’t done. And I could only rest once Ash was truly safe.

  With that in mind, I focused on the forest—on the specific spot I had decided on, where I would call Michael to me. It was the forest where my brother had met the demon. Where I had watched in horror as he traded his soul to save my life. I wanted to finish this where it had started. He’d gain his soul back in the exact place where he’d lost his soul it in the first place.

  I felt a wave of warmth as my power coursed through me, readying me for the jump. Time to go save Ash. I’d done it—I had what I needed, and I had plenty of time. This was going to happen. And with that exhilarating thought, and hope in my heart, I disappeared.

  OF COURSE, IT didn’t matter how much I had rushed; Michael chose to take all freaking afternoon before he answered my call.

  I’d sent out the message … and then spent hours pacing in the sun, panicked, cussing, and hitting anything that got in my way. And as the sun slowly inched toward the horizon, my heart sank with it. Each second that passed was another second closer to the moment when the demon would come to collect my brother’s soul. Michael needed to … do whatever it was he had to do to save Ash’s soul before then, or it would be too late. He could be lost to me, and all of my work would be for nothing.

  So where was that damned angel? I’d told him I would call to him the moment I was finished with my tasks, and he’d agreed to meet me and fulfill his promise. And I’d told him when we made the deal how long Ash had left. He knew I was in a rush, that today was the last day. Yet he still wasn’t here.

  What could possibly be taking him so long? I wondered, furious. Surely whatever he was doing could wait. I was positive there was important angel war planning going on, but he knew what was at stake for me—and how little time I had left. Suddenly the relief and joy I’d been feeling earlier with Kali vanished. What if he didn’t show up in time?

  No, he would make it, I told myself. He’d made a promise to me, and I’d fulfilled my end of the bargain. I had mastered my powers, dedicated my life to hunting and training with Kali. Done exactly what he’d asked. He would hold up his end of the deal, too; he had to.

  So what was the delay?

  Was he was taking so long because something had happened to him? And what would I do if he never showed? What could I do? I couldn’t even let that thought sink in because there was no back-up plan if Michael bailed on me. I had to believe he would come, at any minute. He simply had to.

  Finally I just started staring at my watch, groaning as the time ticked down. Now I only had one hour and sixteen minutes left before the demon came for my brother. It was my time of death a year ago—and the very moment when Ash had agreed to sell his soul. I assumed that the time would be exact.

  This demon hadn’t seemed like the kind to show up late for this sort of appointment.

  I’d never thought that knowing my time of death would come in handy, but it helped me pinpoint, to the minute, what time Ash would lose his soul. And it was growing closer by the second.

  If Michael didn’t arrive soon, I would be too late to save my brother. Which was about the worst thing I could imagine. I’d trained so hard for three months. I’d worked my ass off with a demon that couldn’t stand me. I’d fought other demons, put my life on the line, and then figured out how to push blades out of my hands, for God’s sake.

  And now I was going to lose my brother just because Michael couldn’t bother to show up in time.

  Suddenly, though, his voice boomed out from behind me. “Grace.”

  I whipped around to face him, clenching my fists at my sides. “What took you so long?” I demanded, my heart hammering in my chest. “One hour and fifteen minutes. That’s how long I have to save him now. You know his time is almost up.”

  He scoffed as if it didn’t matter. As if it didn’t matter. “I don’t answer to you. You had three months. It’s your fault it took until the last day—not mine,” he told me, his eyes narrowing.

  I was too mad to be scared of him … but I also still needed him, and couldn’t afford to piss him off. Yet.

  “Kali said you mastered your abilities.”

  “Yes,” I replied. I closed my eyes and pulled at my powers in demonstration, envisioning the blades. The next moment, I felt them materialize in my hands. I lifted my lids to see the glowing blue weapons there, then glanced up at Michael, who looked … pleased. Thank God. Taking a deep breath, I released the weapons, which disappeared into thin air.

  “So we save Ash. Please,” I said firmly, adding the ‘please’ only to be polite. I’d proven that I’d mastered my powers. Now it was his turn.

  Michael nodded, then pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to me. It was a talisman, just like the one Kali wore around her neck—a heavy chain with a silver pendant shaped like a key. On one side it looked like a simple old skeleton key. On the other side, though, there was writing on it, unlike any human language I had ever seen. It was otherworldly. Angelic.

  “What is this?” I snapped, shoving it back toward him. “How is this going to save Ash?”

  “You’ve seen something like it before,” Michael told me. “Kali has one. It’s what she will wear until she repays her debt to me. The Archangels made it for her, to keep her soul safe from Adrian, who isn’t able to break its magic. Each one is uniquely crafted for the owner—and this was made for your brother, a gift to you for helping me in my cause. It will save him, as I’ve promised. Save his soul, destroy its path to Hell, and allow him into Heaven when his time comes. The demon after him won’t be able to collect his debt.”

  A talisman that held a soul. So it was Kali’s soul I’d seen in her aura during the fight. It lived inside the talisman, the blue that showed through the red of her demonic aura. Her pure soul.

  But that had nothing to do with my situation.

  “What do I do with it?” I asked quickly, my mind already moving ahead of me to the next phase.

  “Put it on your brother,” Michael instructed, his voice now moving as quickly as mine. “When you do, his soul will be drawn into it. The talisman will protect his spirit until his natural time on Earth is up, and it will keep Adrian from being able collect. It will ensure that he takes the right path. Essentially, it is a free ticket to Heaven when his time comes—and protection until it does.”

  “I just have to get him to put it on?” I asked, eyeing the pendant. It seemed too good to be true … too easy. I wanted to be thrilled, and I was at some level, but I held back.

  If what Michael said was correct, I couldn’t be at ease until it was on him, and he was officially safe. For good.

  “Yes,” he replied, crossing his arms. “Now as you said, you need to hurry.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. “Thank you,” I said sharply.

  Then I closed my eyes and teleported to my room.

  WHEN I APPEARED, I looked down at the talisman and smiled. Ash was going to be safe. I just had to get this around his neck, and he’d be free and clear to live his entire life—protected by honest-to-God angelic magic.

  Just get it around his neck. No problem. I ran to my door and yanked it open.

  “Ash!” I shouted.

  No response. I looked at my watch and saw that I
only had an hour and ten minutes left, but surely that was enough. Classes had let out half an hour ago, and Ash should be home at any moment—it didn’t take that long to get back from school. And I knew it was better to wait for him in the house. It was the obvious choice. My only other choice was to appear in his car, which wouldn’t work. I’d never attempted to teleport into a moving object, and even if I succeeded, I might just give him a heart attack doing it.

  Besides, I had waited three months; what was five more minutes? I had the talisman I needed, and it would save Ash the moment I got it over his head. Everything was going to be okay, I thought, another thrill of excitement running through me. The second he walked in I was going to tackle him to the ground and latch it around his neck. I leapt downstairs, taking the steps two at a time, and threw myself onto the couch to watch the door. All I had to do now was wait for Ash to get home.

  I sat there for five minutes, then started to worry again.

  Pulling my phone out, I sent him a quick message: Where are you? Have some news.

  Thankfully, his reply came within seconds: Be home late. Grabbing pizza with Jason. Phone about to die. Goodbye. I love you.

  I chewed on my bottom lip, my anxiety suddenly taking a firmer hold on my stomach. The first two sentences sounded like Ash. Normal, forgetful of plugging a phone in. The usual. The last two, though … I couldn’t stop re-reading them. Why would he say goodbye? No one said that in a text message when they planned to see the other person shortly. And the last sentence… Again, not completely out of the ordinary, but combined with the other, it was obvious that there was something going on.

  Then I realized what it was. He knew his year was up. I’d assumed he would be home, praying it just didn’t happen, or thinking that he was safer here. It was what I would have done. Right? Instead, he was going out with his friend? That didn’t make sense—and it didn’t help me. I needed him to be where I could find him, rather than hiding. I needed to be able to get to him … or he was going to lose his chance at salvation.