Chapter Fifty-four
As soon as the shadow tomb broke, Mom was there, throwing her arms around me and hugging me hard enough that I had trouble breathing. “Gabi!”
I took a moment to hug her back before telling her, “Mom, I’m fine.” Glancing over her shoulder, I could see Philip and Kain still on the ground, with Charles standing over them as he talked on his phone. To the right of them was Alexandra with Evan’s head resting in her lap. I couldn’t tell if he was awake or not from where I stood, but I hoped for the former. Beyond Alexandra was Nina, who looked like she wanted to join them but was afraid Alexandra was going to kick her again. Charles spared me a glance and gave me a nod, letting me know he had things under control. I nodded in return and turned my attention back to Skinless. “But we need to kill the demon before it tries to capture me again.”
Mom pulled back to assess me. She still looked tired, but her eyes were hard and determined. “Agreed. But you’ve done enough, sweetheart. You rescued yourself—and Rafe—and now it’s my turn. Rafe, come here.”
Confused, my boyfriend hesitated. He’d been about to throw himself at Skinless (who was still carrying on about its precious eye, the big baby!), but he lowered his knife and joined us.
“What do you mean, now it’s your turn?” I asked nervously. “Mom, don’t do anything crazy, please. I mean, more crazy than usual, okay?”
Somehow, Mom managed to smile. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Pointing to Skinless, she said, “I’m going to offer myself in your place.”
“What?” I cried, horrified. That was about the last thing I expected her to say. “Mom, no! That’s the worst plan ever!”
“Morgan, I don’t think—” Rafe started to say.
“Trust me,” Mom insisted. “Please, Gabi, Rafe. This isn’t an ordinary demon. You can’t rely on brute strength to defeat it.”
“But isn’t letting the demon take over your body the opposite of defeating it?” I grabbed her uninjured hand and held it tightly, as if that could prevent her from carrying out her insane plan. “Mom, we only just got you back. Please don’t do something reckless.”
“Gabi,” she said, her eyes searching my face, “I would do anything for you and your siblings. I screwed up when the three of you were younger. I was selfish and reckless and heartless, and I’ve spent years regretting my mistakes.” To my surprise, she started crying, and she let go of my hand to wipe away her tears with her thumb. “But now? Now I was given a second chance to make things right. So please let me do this.” She reached for me again, squeezing my hand once before letting go. “The demon won’t be able to resist someone with my power, and then, when it least expects it…” She smiled grimly and drew a line over her throat. “Let’s just say, it’s in for a huge surprise.”
I wanted more details. Mom’s plan sounded so shaky, I had a hard time believing in it. But I knew we didn’t have time to hash things out. Skinless wouldn’t stand around forever. I’d managed to escape it once, but I didn’t think I’d be able to do that a second time.
Noticing my hesitation, Mom softly said, “Trust me, Gabi.”
I swallowed hard, my heart beating out of control in my chest. I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell her to let Rafe handle it, but in doing so, I more or less would be telling her that I didn’t trust her.
But I did. Now and forever.
Giving her a small nod, I said, “Finish this, Mom.”
As if trying to memorize my face, she stared at me for a few more seconds before turning around and walking over to Skinless. “Hello, demon. Did you miss me?”
Skinless stopped rubbing at its eyes to slowly look up. Green rivets of blood flowed from one of its sockets, and I tried not to think about the blood that was on my hands and, ick, under my fingernails. Skinless smiled. “Ah, my old master. You’ve come to watch me take your daughter?”
“No, I’ve come to offer myself in her stead.” Skinless paused to consider this, and Mom took advantage of its hesitation to keep talking. “Besides the Sight, my daughter has no power. She’s not a sorcerer. But I am. Besides, you already know I’m strong because I was able to summon you.”
As Skinless’s silence stretched longer and longer, I was convinced it was going to refuse and demand me instead. But to my surprise, it nodded and said, “You make a good point, human. You will be much more useful than your daughter.” Flashing me a wicked grin, it curled its fingers toward its body and the invisible tether that linked us together was ripped harshly away. I screamed. The pain was horrible, like having your limb torn off, and I would have fallen if Rafe hadn’t caught me in time.
He lowered me to the ground, supporting me in his arms as we watched the demon launch itself at Mom. Instead of attacking, Skinless faded into shadows that quickly enveloped her entire body. Mom, no! I wish I hadn’t told her I trusted her. I wish I’d told her to come up with a better plan, because watching Skinless take my mom away, presumably to its shadow tomb, was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
“Rafe, what did I do?” Was I really losing her again?
But instead of disappearing, the shadows started recoiling wildly. They smashed against the snow on the ground, sending ice crystals flying in all directions. Mom’s body pitched backward, and she fell to the ground with a low moan. I screamed her name.
The shadows receded, forming Skinless once more. The demon lay on the ground, panting loudly and looking even more horrible than usual. It retched violently, and green blood splattered across the snow. “You,” it snarled, pointing a talon at Mom. “You tricked me!”
“Of course.” Mom struggled to her feet, smiling coldly. “You think I would go to you willingly?” She lifted her right hand. It was still wrapped, but the bandages were fraying and dirty, and blood was beginning to seep through. “How did you like my present?”
Present? What present? What was she talking about?
The demon groaned, trying to get up. “Demon magic.” It threw up again, more vile green blood spilling from its mouth. “You bitch.”
Demon magic? Wait— Mom had injured her hand when she helped remove the parasite spell from Rafe. Did that mean, all this time, the spell had been inside of her? I thought she’d gotten rid of it completely! Why hadn’t she said anything?
“Now, now,” Mom said, breathing heavily. “No need to call me names. In fact, I think it’s time you shut up. For good.” She nodded in our direction. “Rafe, if you could.”
Before Rafe could stand up, the demon struck Mom with its spikey, thin tail, impaling her.
Time slowed.
I watched, unable to blink or breathe or move, as Mom made a little sound of surprise and fell to her knees. Her back was to us, but I could perfectly picture the look of stunned astonishment on her face. Skinless yanked its tail out of her chest and she fell over, a pool of blood rapidly forming around her body.
Shouting, Rafe tackled Skinless to the ground and stabbed the demon in the throat with his knife. He twisted, and the knife scraped against the bone, making a horrible, shiver-inducing noise that would stay with me forever. Skinless shrieked as green blood bubbled up from the wound. It batted at Rafe with its arms, but my boyfriend held onto the knife and yanked as hard as he could, his biceps straining with the effort.
Skinless, already weakened from the demon magic in its blood, stopped struggling, and with a final roar, Rafe yanked the knife through its boney neck, severing its head.
And then time began moving at normal speed again.
“Mom!” Crawling to her side, I turned her over, pressing my hands against her chest, trying to stem the bleeding as hot, crimson blood flowed from the deep wound. “No, no, no. No!” In the distance, I could hear the sirens, but I didn’t know if they were close enough. Would they make it in time?
They had to.
They had to.
I couldn’t lose her.
Not again.
My life—my world— Everything was breaking, and I was powerless to stop it.
“Shh, Gabi.” Mom covered her hands with mine and weakly smiled up at me. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not!” I said hysterically. “This is my fault, and I’m sorry, so sorry—”
“Honey,” Mom said, “I told you. This was my second chance to make things right. To finally act like a mom.” She coughed up blood. “A good mom. That demon never would have left you alone. I had to trick it… I had to stop it so you could have a chance to grow up and live your life.” She sighed softly. “I just wish I could have seen it.”
“Don’t you dare talk like that,” I said fiercely. “You’re not dying, Mom. Do you hear me? The ambulance coming, and they’re going to take you to the hospital, and you’re going to live. You’re going to see me go to prom, and graduate high school, and get married. You’re going to see all of that. You’re not going to die!”
Her hand found mine, but she was too weak to squeeze. “Gabi, I’ve been dying since I took the spell out of Rafe.” Mom’s words were slow and slurred. “That’s why I was heading back to Manhattan; I was looking for a cure.”
“Why?” I asked, crying. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s a parent’s job to worry, not her child’s.”
“But you said you were fine!”
Mom coughed again before responding. “There’s always a price with magic. I couldn’t… save Rafe without sacrificing something in the process. His vision, his strength.” She shook her head. “That boy has…suffered enough, just like you. I gladly took the spell for him, hoping I could… figure out a cure before it was too late.” Her head lolled back as she stared at someone behind me. Without looking, I knew Rafe was standing there, listening to every word she was saying. “But then…everything happened and… I’m glad I didn’t go back to the city. If Collins or that demon had hurt you…” Mom trailed off, her eyes closing.
“Mom,” I said, shaking her slightly. “Mom, stay with me.”
Her voice was so soft I had to lean closer so I didn’t miss a word. “You’re safe now. No one will ever come after you again, my Gabiella… Do you know why I named you… that?”
My throat was too tight to answer, so I shook my head.
“I always knew I was going to have a daughter that was so unique, so special. I… don’t know how I knew… I just did. I needed a name…that was also unique and special.” She struggled for air. “You… and Chloe… and Philip… You are the greatest things I’ve ever done. Tell them I love them.”
“Tell them yourself,” I said stubbornly. I refused to believe she was dying.
“Gabi… I love you…” Mom’s eyes fluttered shut. She sighed quietly and then…
Nothing.
“Mom.” I watched her, waiting for her to move or start speaking again. “Mom.” Still nothing. “Mom!”
“Gabi.” Rafe reached for me and I shrugged him off.
“No. No. She’s fine. Rafe, she’s fine, she’s going to live—I can’t, I can’t—”
“Gabi!” He pulled me away, despite my struggles, cradling me to his chest.
The sirens were getting louder. “The ambulance is coming. Rafe, I need to keep applying pressure until the EMTs get here—”
“Shh, Gabi…”
Charles appeared. He knelt next to Mom, his fingers feeling for a pulse on her neck. When his face crumpled and he looked away—that’s when I knew.
Mom was dead.
And my world was shattered.
Chapter Fifty-five
I sat at Philip’s bedside in the hospital, waiting for my brother to wake up. Doctors flitted in and out of the room, talking about blood transfusions and other things that went over my head. Because Skinless had stopped my powers before I could finish healing Philip, he’d lost a lot of blood. Hence the hospital visit and the bedside vigil I was currently keeping. Kain was the one who should be here with Philip, but he was undergoing surgery to fix all of the broken bones in his hand. Charles, who had called his Silver Moon contacts to send a private ambulance to the park, had seemed worried when he spoke to the doctor, but when he saw me looking, he tried to reassure me by saying things like, “they’re young” or “they’re strong.” That didn’t matter. Young or strong, they were still hurting.
But at least they could be fixed.
I sighed and shifted in my uncomfortable chair, pulling the blanket a kind nurse had given me tighter around my body. It was stifling hot in Philip’s room, but I couldn’t stop shivering. I was in shock, but I refused to let the nurses give me anything. For the first (and last) time, I hadn’t fallen unconscious after healing. Yes, I was bone-weary and numb with grief, but I didn’t want to take some pill that plunged me into darkness. I’d had enough of the dark.
Since arriving at the hospital, I’d refused to leave Philip’s side. Rafe had stepped out to see how Evan and Alexandra were doing and then returned to fill me in on what had happened. Apparently Evan had cast all of his magic at once to completely destroy Collins’s shattering barrier, saving everyone in the process, and he’d passed out right after. “He needs to replenish what he spent,” Rafe explained to me, “and then he’ll be back to his annoying self.” While Rafe’s tone of voice was light, I could see the worry in his eyes. I’d overheard him talking to Charles in the hallway, and it sounded like there was a chance Evan’s magic might not come back. Ever. It was too soon to tell. The doctors were keeping him overnight for observation, but even though they could heal his physical wounds, they obviously couldn’t do anything about his magic. Alexandra was with Evan, which was exactly what he needed right now, to distract him from what he’d lost.
But at least he’s alive. Digging my nails into the palms of my hands, I forced myself to think about something else. Anything else.
Nina had disappeared. Charles had tried to play it off like it didn’t matter to him, that we were all better off if we never saw her again, but after she’d helped us defeat Collins, I knew Charles believed there was still good in her. And maybe there was. But if she hadn’t done what she did, Mom would still be alive and…
And I didn’t want to think about what ifs. There were too many. For example, what if Mom had told us about the price before she helped with the parasite spell? Rafe hadn’t taken the news of Mom’s sacrifice well. It was a horrible choice—my mom or Rafe—and I was angry that she’d made it without consulting any of us. She should have told us! I knew Rafe would have refused to go through with it, and I would have supported his decision. There had to have been another way.
But again, why waste my time with the what ifs? What difference did they make? Mom had made her choice—alone—and she’d paid the ultimate price.
Her life.
It felt like I was dreaming. How could she be gone again? And this time for good? I clutched a hand to my forehead. What was I supposed to tell Dad and Chloe?
The low conversation between Rafe and Charles cut off. “Gabi?” Rafe touched me softly on my shoulder. “Are you feeling sick again? Do you need me to get a nurse?”
Again, I refused. What was the point of drugs? I didn’t want to dull the pain; pain meant I was alive.
Mom had sacrificed her life for mine, and I needed to honor that sacrifice by living. The good, the bad, I needed to experience it all.
Charles cleared his throat and stood. “I’m going to get some coffee from the cafeteria. Do you two want anything?”
We shook our heads no and he left the room. Outside in the hallway, nurses and doctors and visitors walked by, totally oblivious to the raw pain I was experiencing. Rafe hadn’t removed his hand from my shoulder, and when he moved closer, I could tell he wanted to take me in his arms and let me cry.
But I’d done that already. At the park. In the ambulance. Waiting outside Philip’s room while the doctors worked on him. And while I did feel like I could cry for another week, I didn’t want to.
I glanced at my brother, who continued sleeping soundly. I needed to talk to him. I didn’t know what I was going to say, but the need t
o see him awake was a fierce longing in my chest. “When he wakes up,” I said slowly, “do you think I could speak to him alone?”
“Of course.” Rafe kissed me on the cheek, and we fell silent, waiting for Philip to open his eyes. It took another twenty minutes, and I’d begun to feel drowsy while I waited. But the moment his brown eyes fluttered open, I jolted in my chair, wide awake.
I leaned forward and placed a hand over his. Philip’s brown eyes shifted toward me, confused. “Hi,” I said softly. Rafe slipped out of the room, just like I asked, promising me he’d be right outside if I needed him.
“Hey,” Philip said. I helped him with the controller for the bed so he was sitting upright. Glancing around the room, Philip pressed his lips together in a thin line as his gaze rested on me again. “Who did you heal?”
My hands automatically went to my hair. It wasn’t completely white, like the last two times, but there were streaks mixed throughout the honey-colored strands. Letting my hands drop to my lap, I said, “You.”
“Me?” His lips quirked in a weaker version of his crooked smile. “Then why do I still feel like shit?”
“The demon stopped me before I could finish.”
His smiled faded. “What are you talking about?”
I stared at Philip, my chin trembling. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to tell him what had happened. I didn’t want to be the one responsible for causing him pain.
But who else should tell him? Kain couldn’t. Rafe? No, that wasn’t his place. Charles? Charles would, but Philip would rather hear it from me, I knew that.
“The demon came for me, Phil. It allowed me to heal you, enough to stop the bleeding, but not enough to make you one hundred percent better, like it had with Rafe, or Evan, or Alex. It came for me, and Kain tried to stop it.”
Philip paled. His eyes darted around the room, as if just realizing we were the only ones in it. “Where’s Kain?” He made to get out of bed and I put my hands on his shoulders, barely restraining him. “Gabi, where’s Kain?”
The Shadow Stealer (Silver Moon Saga Book 3) Page 32
