When he pulled back the sheet, parts of it stuck to her skin where blood had dried. Her body was cold to the touch. He warmed his hands before cleaning her face of blood and dried tears.
For the next hour, he cleaned her wounds, sprinkled healing potions along the larger gashes, and did his best to splint her broken bones. He finished wrapping the bandages by the time the sun poked through the three stained-glass windows beside the bed. The light shone red and green into the room. The brightness enhanced Maura’s pale complexion, darkened eyelids, and blue lips.
He looked at his watch, then left the room and sealed the door. He avoided the main corridor and went around to the service entrance. Inside the church, he walked into the changing room where everyone hung their robes after mass. A closet that hadn’t been opened in years, housed baptismal dresses for those adults who looked to convert. He pulled out an all white dress, short at the knee and long sleeved with a gold rope that hugged the waist.
Back in the room, he slipped it over Maura. He crossed her arms over her chest and traced a finger over her icy skin. His whispered blessing filled the quiet room. He placed a hand over Maura’s to gently shake her. “Maura?”
Chapter Forty-Two: The Void
Maura opened her eyes to a dark world. Green fog hovered over the ground constructed of weathered stone slabs. Their texture was damp until a wave of heat rolled across their surface. An eruption, like a volcano, rocked the earth.
She propped herself up, looking across the desolate fields of a dimensional void. Purple mountains, blanketed in a haze of green mist, rested on the shifting horizon. Within seconds, the mountains melted into dense forests and then vanished to reveal an empty plain where magic danced in chaotic streams. Magenta twisted with crimson, slicing through spirals of lingering turquoise. A flash of silver burned them all away.
I've been here before. Forty years ago, Cerridwyn had dragged her into this hollow dimension during the exorcism. Maura had fought her way through the then barren world, now churning with four decades worth of dark matter. It'd watched her since then, learned of her fears, festered from being just out of reach of what it wanted. Her.
“Fuck.”
Roaring winds entangled with the sounds of weeping and whispers that ascended like souls of the imprisoned from the earth.
An explosion shook the ground. The world shifted again, and Maura found herself on the edges of the dimension. A purple ocean surged below and rushed over a bottomless waterfall. Plumes of magic rose and dissipated with an orange flare from the sky. She ducked, the light heating her backside. The orange spark dimmed into the black sky behind a red moon.
She slammed her open fists on the ground and jumped into a run. I need to find the mirror. The earth moved. A deep rumble of grinding stones launched her into the sky. Bare, skinny trees rose and caught her. Limbs scratched her arms, tightening their hold. She broke branches with a few punches when magic didn't work and tumbled to the ground that had stretched further than she remembered.
Maura scampered to a stand to escape the long reach of the trees. Running, she looked left and right for the glimmer of her silver mirror. Between the shifting mountains and thick clouds of magic, she couldn't find the portal.
“Where the fuck are you?” she cried, voice cracking.
The idea of being trapped, forever chased, forever hunted sent prickles of fear shooting down her limbs. Her Hell leeched onto her fear and released mushroom clouds of heat from beneath her feet. She wanted to leave, to escape. In one piece. She wanted her mother, father, brothers, Liam, anyone to save her. The little girl she’d replaced with a defiant smile – the smile that dragged Adrian into the Underworld, the smile that landed her in Hell – emerged and overpowered her into submission. She shook, unsure if she would ever leave. Unsure if she was capable of such a thing.
Black magic swirled at her face to project the image of her younger self in the air. She stood four feet tall amidst thin clouds. She wore a pink dress with white ruffles at the hem and collar. Her hair had darkened over time, her eyes brighter as a child than they were now. An innocent smile stretched her pink lips into their natural upwards curve. Her porcelain skin, void of scars, illuminated in the artificial light.
Maura stared at the lost reflection. Her callused heart disintegrated to ash. A chasm of buried emotion surfaced painfully. She cringed, as if having been kicked in the chest. The little girl’s face fell. Her eyes widened with fear. Her fingers trembled, her lips parted in preparation for a scream.
“I’m not you,” Maura whispered, tears in her voice. “Not anymore.”
The girl vanished to dust, carried off by a strong wind that whipped Maura’s hair against her face. The cold air numbed her fear, cleared her mind, and she was running.
The earth quivered again and the ground melted. She tripped into a black lake where thick liquid stuck like tar. She dug deep between stone slabs, screaming through clenched teeth at the strain. Her arms quivered, her fingers bled. The black tugged harder. Flashes of being sucked to the bottom of the exorcism pool fueled her muscles with adrenaline. She yanked herself out and rolled to the side. She stumbled to all fours, only to be knocked down by a high-pitched screech from behind. She covered her ears at the painful sound, wincing.
When silence fell, Maura peeked to find her nightmare emerging from the black lake. Thick liquid slid off its gray form. Double eyelids revealed its burning silver irises. Its bony fingers twitched to the beat of Maura’s pounding heart. A deep crackling within its bones sent goosebumps along her arms. A spell kept her captivated within its stare. The Void let out a shrilling scream, dropping its head back to its shoulders.
Panic slithered in Maura’s veins, and she broke out in a cold sweat.
It stalked forward.
Maura’s breathing hitched when it crouched beside her. Its fangs dripped silver saliva that burned when it hissed. Trapped, she could only lay in its web of spells like a fly. It dragged its claws down the bridge of her nose, hooking onto her lip, skimming the pulsating artery in her neck, and resting above her heart. Tears burned, a beg lingering on her tongue.
The Void inched closer, its jagged lips at her ear, and plunged its hand through her chest. Maura writhed under the twist of its fingers wrapping around the core of her magic, her silver scars bleeding. Her breath turned to ice, the blood in her veins frozen. The fear in her stomach solidified and plummeted into her pelvis like a lead weight.
With one last vicious tug, she spiraled beneath the earth.
She hit the ground and created a spiderweb of cracks along a delicate ice lake. Each crack thickened. The world began shifting again, and she picked herself up, looking into the horizon where a beam of white light was wedged between two stones. She ran, the screeching Void echoing all around.
Maura slammed into the portal and stumbled back. The turquoise and silver matter obscured her view of what rested on the other side. In desperation, she bashed her fists against it, only to have them bounce back. She tried to conjure a spell but didn't have the energy.
The screeching grew closer. She sensed the world shifting again. An explosion knocked her into the portal. She repositioned and took a deep breath, channeling what little energy she had left into her fingertips. Sparks sizzled against the portal beneath the roar of the earth.
Maura tried again, tensing her muscles. She fell into a trance where she ignored the world closing in. Magic flooded her system and waited on her fingers. She opened her eyes to a burst of magic that tore into the portal with a blinding white light. A gust of wind knocked her back a step.
A pair of hands grabbed her arms through the bright opening.
She jumped at the warm touch and then smiled.
“How'd you find me?” she asked.
Liam tapped the side of his head, grinning. He took her hands in his and helped her over the lip of the mirror.
One leg over, a sharp bite radiated throughout her other. She dropped from Liam’s hold and fell against the jagged edge
s of the portal. A quick jerk backward sent shooting pain into her spine. She looked over her shoulder, catching The Void’s piercing silver gaze, its claws deep within her legs. It pulled her closer to it, further away from the portal.
“Help me!” Maura screamed, digging her fingers into the moist dirt. Her nails broke, left behind in the soil.
Liam reached for her hands as The Void dragged her away like a predator dragged its kill. He tore the portal open wider and grabbed her hand.
The Void fought harder, screeching, straining Maura’s hold to Liam. Her legs screamed, her spine cracking.
“Don't let her take me!” Maura cried out.
Liam angled his feet against the portal for leverage and heaved. His grasp drew blood along her hands and burned where their fingertips struggled to cling to one another. Sweat loosened their hold, the Void pulling harder, their fingers slipping further.
For a split moment, Maura thought of Tessa, her last trainee, and how she clung to Maura as she dangled over a bottomless pit. The desperation in her hold still burned along Maura’s arms. She held tighter.
Liam’s neck tensed from the strain of hanging onto her. Veins on his arms became prominent as he pulled harder. His face reddened, legs trembling against their rooted place on the portal.
Don’t let me go, she pleaded.
“I have to let go,” Liam choked out.
Tears threatened to clog her voice. “Wh–”
“Do you trust me?”
His question seemed to freeze time. She was at Mystic Academy again, standing before him in the gazebo, her life in his hands as he showed her the family picture she kept protected in her pocket. She was sitting across from him, having a drink, wary about sharing her life story. And now, she clung to him, the bridge between life and her death.
Her eyes fluttered closed. Savoring a last breath, she let go.
The Void reeled her closer. Its shrilling screeches filled her veins with daggers. Her tears stained the quaking ground, turning it crimson. It wrestled her to its chest. The Void squeezed her until the air ran thin, until her screams died and the world tunneled into black.
It threw her down, snarling, jagged teeth bared, silver saliva dripping onto her face. Maura threw her arms out in front of her. The Void pressed its face against her palms, its teeth scraping at her flesh. Her blood dripped with the mixture of saliva into her mouth. The Void bore its weight on her hold. Her arms trembled against its force. She turned her head away, screaming, as its fangs nicked her throat.
Liam released a blinding white light that surged throughout the dimension.
The Void shrieked as the light encapsulated them.
Maura shoved The Void off of her and clambered to her feet.
“Run!” Liam screamed.
She hit the ground hard. Her knees ached with each impact on the earth. Her lungs gasped for a full breath, choking down a scream as she imagined The Void rising.
“Maura!” Her mother’s last words – spoken in the arms of Adrian, Death’s Scythe against her neck – charged Maura’s muscles. “Run!”
The Void growled in the closing distance.
Maura kicked off the ground and jumped through the portal, a white light enveloping her. The light bathed her like cold liquid, as if she were breaking through the surface of water. The white glow faded, and air hit her lungs. She took a breath.
Chapter Forty-Three: The Aftermath
“Maura?”
The sound of her name, unfamiliar and damning, brought Maura to the surface. One by one, sensation in her fingers and toes returned. Pins and needles ran up her arms, followed by a wave of searing heat. She tried to focus on the soft cotton sheets. It cushioned aching joints and was gentle on raw, stinging skin.
“Maura, open your eyes if you can hear me.”
The red glow in front of her eyelids disappeared. A hand warmed hers. The gentle touch pulled her to the surface further. Her eyes fluttered open. Shadows danced on the ceiling in spirals of rainbow dots. Once her eyes adjusted, the colors disappeared into the room. She made out the dark yellow walls and light fixture on the high ceiling.
“Thank the Gods,” Jesse said. “If I place your hands over your ribs, do you think you can heal your broken bones?”
She didn’t know how to answer.
“Two blinks no, one blink yes.”
She blinked once.
Jesse stood. He looked tired, with bags under his eyes and stubble on his young face. Black hair usually combed to the side, was now messy and sticking up at the back. His clothes, always ironed, had wrinkles where sharp creases should’ve been. He took her arm and slowly placed it over her left side. The motion sent fireworks throughout her ribs.
Maura concentrated on the magic that seemed numb in her blood. She pictured the shattered bones beneath her fingertips. She imagined magic, silver with a tint of turquoise, charging her veins and spilling over the wounds.
The spells burst forward like pressure behind a dam. Its initial shock hurt more than the injuries. The charms tightened around jagged edges and pulled everything into alignment. She grunted and focused on the ceiling lamp. The crunching and grinding of bones stopped. She panted. Relieved she could breathe again, Maura took a big gulp of air. “Thank you,” she said weakly.
Jesse sat on the bed. “Let us fix the rest of you. Then, we will talk.”
For the next half hour, Maura repaired bones, dislocated and relocated joints. She cycled through the pain of fire until swollen bruises disappeared and clicking bones moved like well-oiled machines. Sweat collected on her neck.
Jesse handed over a damp towel. She wiped the perspiration off and sat.
“Do you feel up to taking a walk over to the kitchen?” Jesse reached into a closet, dropped a pair of brown sandals on the floor, and waited. “Everything is always better over a nice cup of coffee and a hot plate.”
“Sure,” she said, voice hoarse.
Jesse helped her off the bed. It was like trying to learn to walk all over again. She took a few steps to gain balance. By the time they made it halfway down the hall, stumbling had turned into a slight limp.
“Where is everybody?” she asked after she’d taken notice to the vast, empty halls.
“Their volunteer hours.” Jesse held open a swinging kitchen door. “Except for the priest serving mass, we have the rectory to ourselves.” He pulled out a chair.
Maura slowly sat. She took a cup of coffee from him and sipped it. Jesse walked to the other side and began scrambling eggs, frying bacon, and making toast. Within a few minutes, Jesse set the plates down.
Maura didn’t realize how hungry she was until the mouthwatering aroma hit. She dug in, swallowing before she could taste it. Jesse chuckled, having only consumed a quarter of his meal. She blushed.
“Would you like me to make you more?”
“No, thank you.” The food slid down with a gulp of coffee. “Any word on the party?”
Jesse pushed his plate away and sighed.
Maura set the mug on the yarn placemat, not trusting her grip. “What is it?”
“There’s nothing left of the party.”
“Where are Liam and Kyle?”
“Liam should arrive shortly.”
“Kyle?”
Jesse sipped his coffee slowly, his eyes focused on the table. “We haven't found him.”
A chill invaded her body. She shivered and gripped her mug harder for its warmth. It's my fault. The sickening thought that he was gone because of her gnawed at her insides until the scrambled eggs didn't sit well in her stomach.
“The party made headlines.” Jesse switched on a small television. “It's all the news is playing.”
A spell dissolved the Mundane channel and revealed the Mystic news. The top story flashed on the television.
“Last night, a party meant to celebrate the 500th year of The Keep ended in tragedy. Collector officials from Erewhon are estimating nearly three hundred deaths. Unofficial eyewitness reports have targeted Adri
an Wilhelm as the prime suspect in last night’s massacre.”
A video of the destruction popped on. Maura couldn’t tell one piece of the house from the next. The grand staircase was lost in a pile of beams and shattered glass. The long winding driveway was buried beneath the structure of the home. Her stomach twisted at the thought that Kyle was somewhere in the midst of the destruction. She patted down her sides for a cigarette.
The news anchor rattled off a list of spells that officials claimed had been used to destroy the home and end so many lives.
“…among the victims were: Evelyn Elton, Salvatore Dimitri, Jeremy Miller, Christopher Rutolo and Samuel Ebbs.” Jeremy. Maura whimpered. She recognized the names. Evelyn was in charge of the midnight crew. Christopher did the finances and always bitched about how they went over budget for one of the cases. Samuel was the middle man between Sayer and Dimitri. He worked in Erewhon at the offices, relaying messages between the two all day long. In all her twenty years working for the department, Maura never saw him.
“Unofficial reports suggest Maura Leroux, a wanted Siren, and Adrian Wilhelm were also killed in last night’s massacre. Collectors are waiting on medical reports from an Elixir by the name of Anthony Hill, who has been examining and identifying the victims throughout the night.”
“Sayer is still alive,” Maura said. “I have to go to Erewhon.” She turned to face Jesse. “He's the last man standing.”
“You are not well enough to make such a trip. What plan do you have for when you arrive?”
“Talk. Not everyone in The Keep is corrupt.” Maura stared at the television until the images became fuzzy dots. “I have to do something.”
***
Maura entered Erewhon with Claus’ help. He flew through the portal without question, his jet something Maura could get used to.
Claus left the cockpit to sit across from Maura, who’d brewed a pot of coffee she intended to drink herself.
Blue Ruin (The Phoenix Series Book 1) Page 26
