by Brea Viragh
“Did we really do it?” Aisanna wondered aloud. “Did you really take care of Darkness? Is she gone?”
Karsia laughed, the sound wrong. Off and discordant. “She’s not gone, you assholes.” She clicked on the blinker and turned sharply to the left. “She’s sitting right beside you.”
**
It took several hours to make the trip back to Lake Forest. Karsia knew the way instinctively, driving the old pickup down winding backroads until the scenery began to feel familiar.
A tense, heavy silence filled the air between them. Aisanna stole glances at her sister, the physical presence of their enemy sitting in the driver’s seat, watching the play of light on the cold planes of her face.
There was something alien lurking beneath those familiar eyes, a presence beneath the skin.
She refrained from asking any more questions, or offering quasi-answers they all knew were nothing but empty words. Something happened back in the cavern, something none of them had expected. The course in front of them, leading up to the eclipse, had been altered in some fundamental way. Now, instead of finding a way to help their brother escape the Claddium, finding a way to locate the Harbinger witch, finding a way to stop Darkness, they were lost. And two Cavaldi siblings down.
Karsia had sacrificed herself. If Aisanna weren’t so afraid of the consequences, she would strangle the girl. It was supposed to be her, she mused, her brow furrowed and her brain chewing away at this new wrinkle. But instead of finding a bright point to renew their hope, she could only fit things together into this bleak picture.
They were nearing home. Houses gave way to mansions, the expanses between their gated properties much larger as a reflection of affluence.
Aisanna let out the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. Home equaled safety, even with the wolf still knocking at the back door. They were alive, and that was what mattered. So what if Karsia stole a vehicle and kept her desire to kill them on a tight leash?
“I hope you two are happy,” Karsia drawled, sneering at the houses, at the cozy glow coming from inside as dawn approached. “You’re home now. I couldn’t get you back to the cabin because of the goddamn wards.” She pulled the stolen truck into the drive, tires spinning purposely on loose gravel, then came to an abrupt stop in front. She let the engine stall with a final death chug. “Unless you want the Claddium here, I suggest you hurry your asses up and get inside quickly.”
“Thank you for getting us here in one piece.” Aisanna lifted her hand with the intention of patting her sister’s shoulder, but stopped a hairsbreadth away and let it drop.
“You should thank me,” Karsia said, her normally high, sweet voice dropping several octaves. “There were many other options. Places to go, people calling out to me. I shouldn’t be here.”
She stared wistfully out the window with pupils devoid of color. Dark black ringed with a faint line of gold. “Home. Yeah right,” she muttered.
Astix held her tongue and vacated the stifling confines of the vehicle. Aisanna followed her slowly, working around her injured arm. Karsia stalked to the door, intending to throw it open, a scowl marring her features.
She was beaten to the punch by Varvara. The wood, steel, and glass main entrance slammed into stone when she flung it open, staring at them with overly large eyes. “Where the hell have you been? No one is answering their phone and I’ve had several calls from the damn Claddium saying you attacked two of their chair heads!” There it was. The ear-splitting soprano. “Aisanna, please tell me you didn’t send poisonous vines after Orestes Voltaire and Zelda Vuur!”
Aisanna shook her head, cradling her arm close. “I can’t tell you that, Mom. But it wasn’t my fault.”
Astix stalked past them and into the house, pausing only to give her mother a swift kiss on the cheek. “I need a drink.”
“It wasn’t your fault?” Varvara continued, staring first down the hall after one daughter, then swiveling back to the other two. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ll explain it to you later. You think you can help me with a broken arm?” Aisanna felt her stomach roil uncomfortably.
“You’ll explain it to me now, young lady. Let me see that arm. And Karsia, get inside. You’re letting the warm air out. Come on.”
Aisanna sighed as Varvara began to administer healing magic to her throbbing arm. “Darkness took over my body and forced me to summon tainted magic. I didn’t mean to do anything to hurt anyone. It wasn’t me, you have to believe that. I tried to stop it, but instead I managed to get my building destroyed and make some powerful enemies. Then we got together and decided to try to summon Darkness and use a binding spell, but…it went wrong and we ended up in the middle of some metaphysical battle in a cave in Michigan.”
She could already see the skepticism in her mother’s gaze, the single eyebrow raised in a disbelieving arch.
“So you did attack the Claddium?”
Oh boy.
Astix stomped back into the foyer and took a swig from the bottle she held. “Don’t worry, Mother. We took care of the problem. It’s gone. For now. We, ah—” She broke off on a cough. “We bought ourselves some extra time with Karsia’s soul.”
“You… What…” Varvara twitched, trying to find the right words to say and coming up short. “Karsia, what happened?”
“I can’t be here,” Karsia said abruptly, glancing around at a prison made of glass and crystal, marble and wood. “This is a bad idea. I need to leave before I hurt someone.” She turned for the door.
“Stop right there and please explain to me what is going on!” Varvara spared a look at all three girls in turn. “Tell me the truth.”
“We confronted her,” Astix began. “On her own turf.”
“Her? What her are you referring to?”
“The evil you warned us about,” Astix stated. “The one who influenced the goon who set the death runes on you.”
“Tell me everything,” Varvara demanded.
Karsia glared in her direction and stalked back toward the door. “The One Who Walks in Darkness is here.”
“Here?”
“What do you think I’m saying, woman?” Karsia slapped her chest, fist clenching. “I am Darkness. She is me. There’s no going back. When the eclipse comes, I’ll take my place as the keeper. The veil will be restored, the Harbinger will bring balance, and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.”
Varvara turned frantically toward Astix. “No. Please, it’s a lie. Tell me it’s a lie!”
“There was a…a fight, I guess you’d say. Darkness sent a bolt of magical power intended for me. Karsia jumped in front and took the blast,” Aisanna said softly. “She sacrificed herself. For me. And now— It’s a little difficult to explain.”
Karsia reached out to grab the doorknob in her hand. Her fingers curved claw-like around the knob. “Yeah, I can’t be here. Sorry. This,” she gestured around at the four of them, “is insane. I can feel the blood in your veins, the thoughts in your heads and desires you try to hide. I know exactly what it would take to send each of you over the edge and I want to. I want to so damn bad.” She pointed to her mother, and a slim tendril of black smoke wound from her index finger. “I know how you didn’t want us. How you nearly aborted Aisanna and sank into deep depression after she was born. You blame yourself for our faults.”
“Karsia!” Aisanna gasped, horrified at the words coming out of the girl’s mouth. “How can you say that?”
“Because it’s true! Don’t you see?” Karsia threw up her hands. “How could you possibly understand? This thing is inside of me. She’s not coming after us anymore. She can’t. She’s quieted because I’m her legacy now. I’ll be dead by the eclipse.”
“I can’t accept that.” Aisanna shook her head vehemently. “We need to stick together and find a way to expel whatever’s inside you. Trust us.”
“No. You need to let me go. That’s the only way you will be safe. I’d kill you happily.” Karsia drew her should
ers back, and when she shifted into the light, Aisanna saw that she wasn’t quite human anymore.
“You can’t leave,” Astix insisted.
Karsia’s hands shook. The gemstones in her chest gleamed dully. “Do you not understand how difficult it is for me to keep my hands off of you? What’s inside of me would love to rip you to shreds, to see your blood spilled and know it was all a game.”
The other three were silent. “We can help you,” Varvara finally said, smiling weakly. “What’s the point of having magic if you can’t fix what’s broken?”
Karsia let out a derisive chuckle. “No one can help me. This is what happens when you try to be a hero. The end is coming. Accept it.”
Astix took a step toward her, keeping her posture defensive. “We will find a way to reverse this, I promise. This wasn’t your choice.”
“Yes, it was. Make no mistake about that. I chose to leap. This is what happens when you help people and choose good over…over…”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Astix warned.
“I’m leaving now. Don’t try to come after me. It won’t end well for you.” Karsia jerked the door open. A shadow clung to her, a hint of the true nature of the maliciousness dragging her soul into the depths.
“No!” Aisanna tore after her, an instant too late.
Astix held out an arm and caught Aisanna around the middle. “Let her go. We’ll find a way. I won’t give up.”
They stood in the foyer, surrounded by memories and listening to their mother’s hushed sobs.
What the hell had happened? In a matter of seconds, their luck had turned. And Aisanna lost the baby sister she’d sworn to protect. A split second was all it took for Karsia to disappear. A split second to cause a rift in their family and a whole new world of trouble.
Aisanna walked to her mother and gave her a light pat, the slightest touch of fingers on her shoulder. “Shh, calm down. It’s going to be fine.”
Varvara trembled. “You’re mistaken. It will never be fine again, my dear.” She sniffed, wiping beneath her eyes. “Karsia’s right. The end is coming.” The statement caused Varvara to shrink into herself, her breath coming in harried gasps.
Even now, with the life she knew in tatters at her feet, Aisanna’s eyes refused to tear up. “What do we do now?” she asked instead.
“I don’t know.” Astix shoved a hand through her hair and sighed. “I don’t know what to do anymore. But we’ll figure it out. We have to.”
CHAPTER 22
“You’ll be okay?” Astix stood in the entryway with one foot literally out the door. “We need to get back to the cabin and strategize. Pack another bag and come with me.”
Aisanna leaned on the banister. “I’ll be along in a little bit. Go home to your man and don’t wait up for me. We’ll figure this out in the morning.”
“We’ll get her back.”
“Are you sure? We’re two down,” Aisanna said. “Two siblings down and I swear to God, I feel like this is the end.”
“I’m not usually one to make blanket statements about looking on the sunny side, and I’m not this time either. The only thing I know? I know things will look better once the sun rises.” Astix glanced over her shoulder. “Come, soon. Okay?”
Aisanna held her arms out, though she didn’t expect a hug in return. Much to her surprise, Astix darted forward for a brief embrace.
“Don’t tell anyone and ruin my reputation,” Astix whispered.
Aisanna gave a brief squeeze. “Just let me enjoy it, please.”
Astix left with little fanfare. Aisanna then spent too much time in the living room staring out the window, watching dawn break, knowing she needed to get gone and lacking the willpower to do it. She moved silently throughout the house and sent wave after wave of magic out to her baby sister. It didn’t surprise her when they went unanswered.
Karsia was gone. Aisanna’s life was in shambles, and she was basically waiting on the Claddium to come and cart her away. She could look forward to spending the rest of her life in the Vault for what she’d done to Orestes and Zelda.
What was the point of fighting?
She lay on the couch with her head resting on the arm. Despite the hour and the weight on her mind, she slept little. Her mind was too full of her sins, not the least of which was her blame for what had happened.
Karsia needed the time to adjust, to come to terms with what had happened to her. Aisanna understood that. Still, she would need her wits about her to do what needed to be done.
She was awake when the grandfather clock in the hallway tolled six. Fists rubbed at dry eyes and she rose to check the window once more before heading down the hall for a drink of water. Mist rolled across the ground and covered the world in shades of grey. Beat down, weary, and even the sun refused to shine.
Certainly not what she’d signed up for when she agreed to summon a monster. There were too many things demanding pieces of her soul, demanding compensation.
Aisanna was on her third cup of coffee when her mother joined her in the kitchen. Instead of the usual put-together picture she presented, Varvara had not bothered with makeup.
“I’m sorry if I woke you,” Aisanna told her. “I need to get to the cabin but I can’t make myself move. Are you sure you won’t come?”
“If we leave, then who will be here if Karsia comes back?” Varvara gestured toward the near-empty pot. Lines rimmed her eyes and greasy strands of hair fell across her face. “We’d better start a whole new pot.” She leaned heavily against the counter and watched the machine click on and start to gurgle. “My baby is gone and my other children have targets on their backs.”
“Astix won’t stop fighting. It’s not in her nature.”
“And you?”
“I’ll do what I have to do.”
Aisanna heard a soft chuckle. “If it were anyone else, I’d say you sound like you’re giving up. But I know you. I swear we’ll get your sister back, and get the Claddium off our tail. This whole mess with Orestes and Zelda…it’s none of my business what they do until it impacts my children.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’ve made it my business.”
The deep chime of the doorbell sounding interrupted their talk. Varvara held up a hand. “Stay here. I’ll take care of this.”
Aisanna set her cup down with shaking hands. “They’re here for me, Mom. I should have left when I had a chance.” At once, fear overtook her, a feeling she’d yet to experience when facing the antithesis of what she stood for.
“Not under my roof.” Varvara sent her a stern look. “Listen to me for once in your life and stay put.”
“No. I’ll handle it.” This wasn’t going to be a case where she let her mother fight battles for her. Not today.
She pushed up from the stool and stomped into the foyer, steeling her nerves. If they wanted to take her, then good luck. Varvara followed close behind.
“Who’s there?” Aisanna called as she approached the front door. The voice that answered was male. Deep.
Familiar.
“Israel?”
He was grinning like a fool when she twisted the knob and opened the door. “Hey, babe. What are you up to?” He shot her mother a smile, pushing inside. “I know it’s early, but I had to come see you.”
“Did you know he was coming here?” Varvara asked, schooling her face into one of polite indifference.
“No, I had no idea.” Aisanna stared at him and thought for a moment about the reasons for his presence. Thought about his connections and the woman who stood behind him pulling the strings. She took a step back toward her only escape. “Did Zelda send you?”
He filled the doorway with his frame, his shirt the color of a Caribbean sea and tucked into the waist of his snug jeans. A leather jacket lined with sheepskin kept out the cold. He presented a nice picture, she would give him that. Friendly. Casual. Non-threatening.
Still, her body jerked into fight mode and everything inside urged
her to attack or flee.
“Of course she didn’t send me.” Israel chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. “I came to see you. Why else would I be here?”
“Yeah, that’s what I don’t know,” she retorted. He was lying through his teeth.
With a second smile at her mother, Israel strode forward. “Is there someplace we can talk?”
Aisanna met Varvara’s eyes, an unspoken conversation transpiring in the air between them. Varvara gave the slightest jerk of her head, and Aisanna shrugged.
“I guess. Come on.” She gestured toward the left and led the way into the library, keeping the door open—keeping the flight option open.
Scanning the room, Israel took it in. He was used to the wealth. Their shared background was one of the key elements of their relationship. Now she hated that about him. How he used his connections like a shield, like a bargaining chip to do whatever he wanted without repercussions. How he trotted around town feeling self-important because he stood in the shadow of a woman like Zelda.
“I came for you,” he told her, the picture of innocence.
Aisanna wished she’d taken the opportunity to shower. It was hard to put her best foot forward when she was covered in soot and grime. “For me? Highly unlikely.”
Heavy footsteps sounded in the foyer, followed half a second later by her father’s booming voice. “What the hell is going on?” Thorvald burst into the room ready for a fight, the grey and white hairs of his mustache bristling. “Aisanna, what are you doing?”
“I have a caller.” Aisanna kept her gaze trained on Israel. “Although I can’t for the life of me figure out what he wants.”
“Babe, stop with the babble. Israel James, nice to meet you.” He held his hand out to Thorvald, who eyed it skeptically.
“I know who you are, boy. I’ve played poker with your father on many occasions. How has he been?”
“Just fine, thank you for asking.”
“Still doing those card tournaments on Thursday nights?” Thorvald maintained civility; he would no more bow or break than allow Israel to think him ungracious. Sparing a look at his daughter, Thorvald gave Israel’s hand a firm squeeze before releasing.
