I sighed. It would do no good to lie to him. “I’m going to stop an evil little girl from destroying the world or killing the people I care about. You’re welcome to join me if you like.” He smiled and opened the door for me, and closed it behind me. When he slid into the driver’s seat, I frowned. “I’m sorry I was just gonna sneak off. I should have known better than to leave you out of this.”
“Yes, you should have,” Finn said seriously. “I would have just had to run after you, and I much prefer driving.”
I looked in the backseat and found Tanya, Ezra, and Holly all looking at me. “I can’t believe you were just gonna leave us here while you handled this by yourself. Did you even stop to think that Tabitha might have help? What would you have done if you’d shown up and she had an entire army with her?” Tanya demanded. Her eyes were serious, but she was smiling.
“I guess I would have been screwed,” I said slowly. “I just wanted to get this over with before anyone else got hurt. You guys shouldn’t come with me, but I’m glad that you’re here.”
Holly offered me a rare smile that looked so genuine I had to smile back. “We’re with you, Ronnie. We’ll keep Tabitha’s guards busy while you deal with her. If you need any help, you just let us know. Though, I won’t be any help inside, since she could control me if she wanted to.”
“I won’t let her near you,” I said. “Besides, I feel like her focus will be on me entirely. I’m the one that betrayed her, in her eyes. You guys will just be a nuisance. A way to ensure we have some privacy while we fight things out.”
Finn turned onto a dirt road and he sped up. I glanced at the speedometer and grimaced. We were going ninety five miles per hour and rising. “Don’t worry about the speed. I have amazing reflexes.” He glanced at me real quick and frowned before his eyes returned to the road. “Are you ready for this? You know how far gone she is. There’s no talking her out of her plans. One of you is going to be dead by morning.”
“I know.”
“You had better be the one that comes out on top,” he said, gripping one of my trembling hands in his larger one. It was a comforting gesture, but it did little to calm my racing nerves. Everything that had happened over the last couple of weeks had been leading up to this point, and now that it was here, I wasn’t so sure what would happen. At worst, I would be dead and my soul would be enslaved for all eternity. At best, my baby sister would be dead, and I would be a murderer.
No matter what happened tonight, my life would never be the same.
It didn’t take us nearly as long to get there as I thought it would, and all too soon we were piling out of the car. “Alright, here’s the plan,” Finn said, drawing the five of us closer together. “Ezra, Holly, and I will head in and take care of any followers–dead or alive–that Tabitha has waiting for us. Tanya will head inside with Ronnie to keep her safe and make sure she gets to Tabitha in one piece. Then you’ll have to keep other enemies from aiding Tabitha while the fight goes down. Understood?”
Everyone nodded, and I noticed none of them looked nearly as nervous as I felt. It was like a weight had settled in the pit of my stomach, and I felt hot and queasy. I almost felt like I might puke, but I fought to keep myself focused on anything other than my nerves. Now that the moment was truly here, I wasn’t sure if I had the strength required to pull this off. The large knife in my sweater pocket felt as if it weighed a ton, and I hoped I wouldn’t have to use it, even though part of me figured I would have no other choice.
“Let’s get going,” Finn said, glancing up at the moon above us. It wasn’t quite full, but it seemed to give Finn an added boost. As the others began the walk downhill to Andrew and Tabitha’s home, Finn held me back, and we walked a little slower. “I need to talk to you before the shit hits the fan,” he mumbled. His hand reached out to grasp mine, and he turned me to face him.
I knew what was coming. “Finn–”
“Ronnie, I love you.” His grip on my hand tightened. “You mean the world to me. I’ve never been in love before, and now that you’re in my life, I can’t imagine every loving anybody else. I don’t want to ever love anybody else. I realized it after your nightmare. When I held you in my arms and you went back to sleep, I spent the rest of the morning thinking about how much you mean to me.”
“Finn–”
“Ronnie, I know you’re not sure how you feel about all of this, but before we go in there, I want you to know that my heart is yours if you want it.”
“Finn–”
“You don’t have to decide anything right–”
“Finn, will you shut up for three seconds? I’m trying to tell you I love you but you won’t let me speak!” He and I stared at each other for a split second, before Finn took two large steps forward, gripped my face gently with his hands, and pressed his mouth against mine. His lips were warm and chapped, and as I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders to pull him closer, he kissed me as if he might not ever get the chance to kiss me again.
He might not…I banished that thought from my mind as Finn’s lips moved against mine. This may be the last time I was ever going to be kissed, and I planned to enjoy it. Finn pulled away all too soon, and I immediately missed the contact between us. My lips throbbed gently, and I licked them nervously. “Finn–”
He kissed me lightly once more. “I love you, Ronnie. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
I nodded and pulled away from him. “I love you, too. Now let’s get this over with so we can get back and talk everything through like normal, civilized people.”
Chapter Eighteen
Finn and I had to jog to catch up with the others, but even though they were ahead of us, I had no doubts that Holly had heard every single word spoken. Her hearing was just as good as Finn’s, and she would know what went on between the two of us. I should have been embarrassed, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. There was too much else to worry about without adding in a romance with Finn.
The only indication Holly gave that she’d heard was a quick wink, before she and the others dashed off into the darkness. They were heading for the front door to make sure the coast was clear, and as they approached the house, I saw several dark figures rise up out of the darkness and surround them. More than two dozen zombies with orders to attack lunged at Holly and Ezra. They were hugely outnumbered, and I looked over as a large, black wolf ran past, barreling into the nearest zombie, knocking it over and tearing into its throat.
As I watched, something strange began to happen with Ezra. I couldn’t be sure if it was the moonlight or something else entirely, but his skin appeared to take on a bluish tint, and he seemed to be growing larger. He tilted his head back and screamed at the moon as his back split open and a pair of giant, leathery wings burst from his back in a shower of blood and shredded cloth. Horns poked through the skin of his forehead and grew until they were nearly two feet long each, ending in razor sharp points.
His body began to swell in size until he was even larger than Finn, and when he turned to face me, his eyes were a haunting shade of yellow and long fangs curved over his lips, drawing my attention to a bright red forked tongue. He was a monster, and I finally realized what it meant for people like Ezra to “demon out”. And now that I had seen it with my own two eyes, I understood why people in our community were terrified of demons and their offspring.
I couldn’t afford to hang around and watch them fight off the zombies; I had to find Tabitha, and I had to find her now. I looked at Tanya, who was standing by my side and staring at Ezra in open-mouthed horror. “Stay here and help them. I’ll be fine with Tabitha.” When it looked like she was going to argue, I cut her off. “I mean it, Tanya. They need your help. I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to do this on my own.”
She nodded, and as I ran for the nearest door, I looked back over my shoulder just in time to see Tanya launch a bolt of pale blue lightning from her fingertips. It hit the nearest zombie, exploding it into a hundred dead little pieces, and she jumped back as
another one stumbled forward to take his fallen comrade’s place. I was worried about the sheer number of zombies, but I would have to fret over my friends’ lives later. Right now, I had serious work to do.
I ran through the darkened rooms of Andrew’s home, using only the moonlight that filtered in through the windows to find my way. I checked off the rooms as I went, trying to recall a map of this place from the last time I had been here. It had been awhile, but I still knew where each room was, and when I finally found Tabitha, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find her in a bedroom that could only be Andrew’s.
“You’re late,” Tabitha said, watching as I closed the bedroom door firmly behind me. She was leaning against the post of Andrew’s bed, and she had her arms crossed over her chest, giving her a lazy appearance that didn’t fool me for a second. I could tell by the set of her jaw and her tense shoulders that she was as nervous about this fight as I was, and I didn’t blame her.
One of us would be walking from this room, and the other would be banished to the afterlife.
“I had to make sure my mother was properly reburied,” I said, meeting her eyes for the first time.
She didn’t look ashamed like I expected her to. Instead, she smiled at me. “You and I both know it wasn’t really your mother. Your mother’s soul is gone; it was just her body. But it looks like it did the trick. Did it break your heart to see her standing out in the rain like that? I heard she bit you.”
“She did bite me, and yes, it broke my heart to see her like that. You know Tabitha, I had a bad nightmare last night. It was probably the worst nightmare I’ve ever had, and it featured you.”
She smiled thinly. “Glad to know that I haunt your dreams.”
“You don’t,” I said, taking a step closer to her. “In my nightmare, I had become evil, and you and I were in a graveyard torturing my friends. But the Council captured us, Tabitha, and I was forced to watch as you were hung by the neck until you passed out and died.” I took a deep breath, trying to fight the horrid visions of that nightmare that had felt so real. “Watching you die was one of the most horrible experiences of my equally horrible life. The only thing that would be worse is having to kill you myself. Please, don’t make me do that. I don’t know if my heart and soul can take it…”
Tabitha threw back her head and laughed. “You’re so weak!” she said after she had stopped cackling. “I can’t believe I actually thought you were my equal. I’m going to kill you now, Ronnie. And I’m going to enjoy doing it. It’s what our father would have wanted me to do.”
I shook my head. “No, you won’t kill me. Because I’m going to kill you first. I’m going to kill you for all the people you hurt, and for all the horrible things you did, and for making that horrid sight what I’ll see every time I think of my mother. Nobody deserves that, Tabitha. Nobody!” I screamed, diving deep inside myself for the power that rested at my core.
I found it in a heartbeat, and it grew in response to my call, gathering at my fingertips. My eyes snapped open, and I unleashed a dark green ball of pure energy from my fingertips. It slammed into a clear shield that encased Tabitha, protecting her from my attack. She reached into her shirt and gripped the crystal pendant that hung at the base of her throat, and she gathered power from deep within. The second her shield went down, mine went up, and the full force of Tabitha’s power slammed into it, resulting in a burst of crackling sparks.
“You’re not stronger than me,” I warned her. “We’re evenly matched.”
“That’s what you think,” she snarled, gathering more power at her fingertips. I let my shield fall so I could gather more energy. I wasn’t going to hide behind a shield and wait for her to tire herself out. I was going to meet her head on and prove to her which of us was stronger.
We released our energy at the same time, and the two balls of power–one green and the other clear–collided in midair. An explosion rocked the entire house, shattering the windows, sending furniture flying, and knocking the two of us to the ground. My head snapped back against the wall, denting the plaster and causing white spots to cloud my vision.
When my vision cleared, I saw Tabitha trying to stand on shaky legs. She fell to her knees with a gasp of pain, and gripped the bed for support. She and I struggled to get to our feet, and I had a feeling that whoever was the first to recover would be the one to walk away from this fight. I couldn’t let that person be Tabitha.
Tabitha collapsed again, and I scrambled to my feet. I swayed dangerously but didn’t fall, and I took that as a good sign. I gathered power at my fingertips, noticing that there wasn’t much left. Soon I would be drawing from my life force, and I couldn’t do that. Right now, I wished my mother was here to lend me power like she did while I fought Andrew.
I raised my hand palm out. “I’m sorry,” I said to Tabitha. “I wish things didn’t have to be this way.” She narrowed her eyes at me, but her reply was cut off by a sharp yelp that I recognized immediately. “Finn!” I gasped, looking at the nearest window.
Tabitha threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist and dragging me down to the ground. I landed hard on my back and the air exploded from my lungs, momentarily stunning me. Tabitha brought her fist down hard on my face, breaking my nose in one swift movement. I could feel the bone crunch, and I could feel the blood begin to drip down my face, clogging my nose and making it harder to breathe. I gasped for air like a fish out of water.
Tabitha hit me again, and when she brought her hand back for a third hit, I rammed my knee up into her side. She gasped in pain and I shoved her off of me, rolling her to the side. I brought my elbow up and jabbed her in the face with it. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I felt her cheekbone cave in or at least crack. She rolled away from me, and I got to my knees, searching my pocket for the knife I hoped was still there.
My pocket was empty.
Tabitha giggled, and I looked up to see her holding the knife in her hand. Tears were gathered at the corners of her eyes, and I realized she had to be in about as much pain as I was. “Looking for this?” she asked, curling her fingers around the handle of the knife. I refused to look her in the eye. Instead, I focused on the knife, never taking my eyes from it for one second. She waved it back and forth. “Were you planning to stab me with this? Or were you going to slit my throat?”
“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use it,” I said, glancing from the knife to her.
She lunged at me, and I slapped her hand to the side, rolling away from her in the process. The point of the knife slid against the wooden floor, leaving a long gouge. I got to my feet at the same time as Tabitha, and we faced each other. We were both breathing harshly, whether it was from the pain or the energy expended during our power struggle I wasn’t sure, but it was wearing on us both. I wasn’t sure how much longer we could last.
I watched the knife in her hand, waiting for her to strike. She moved so fast her hand was like a blur, and as I stumbled back, I felt an odd pressure on my stomach and a trickle of wetness. Peeling back my sweater and shirt, I looked down and saw a long gash across my lower stomach. It was much deeper than I would have liked, and blood spilled over the jagged edges of skin, soaking my jeans quickly.
How long can I last with a wound like this? I’m already exhausted from using all that energy…
Tabitha lunged at me again, breaking my chain of inner thoughts. Instead of jumping back, I stepped to the side and let Tabitha and the knife sail past me harmlessly, making sure to get my foot under Tabitha’s. She tripped and fell to the ground, and the knife slid out of her hand and across the floor.
I dove for the knife and my fingers closed around the handle just as Tabitha landed on my back. She dug her knee into my spine and I whimpered as her weight pressed my bleeding stomach against the floor. Pain flared up deep in my gut, sending all rational thought from my mind. My stomach throbbed with each heartbeat, and it felt like a dagger of fire was twisting around in my gut. Tabitha’s nails pierced into my neck, tearing
skin and drawing blood. I gritted my teeth against the pain, and brought my elbow back, slamming it into her face. She gasped in pain as her eyebrow split open and blood trickled into her eye.
I crawled forward, kicking back with my feet. My boot collided with her chest and she coughed, giving me a chance to grip the knife more securely in my hand. I rolled over onto my back as Tabitha lunged at me, and she came down on the knife. Her weight and the force of her jump drove the knife into her chest up to the handle, and she and I stared at one another for a second, too startled for words. Seconds passed in total silence as blood poured from the wound, dripping onto my hand and my already blood-stained sweater.
My grip on the knife tightened as she sat back, and the knife slid from her body like I was cutting through butter. She made an odd choking sound as blood bubbled up through her closed lips, trickling down her chin. She gasped for air, and I could see all of the blood pooled in her mouth. Her hands fluttered to her chest, and she tried to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, but I could tell it would do her no good. She was bleeding too quickly for anyone to help her, and she knew it, too.
She fell back against the wooden floor, and I dragged myself over to her side. Everything was starting to go gray around the edges, and I was reminded of my own bleeding wound. I swayed, and shook my head to try and stay awake. It was getting harder and harder with each passing second, and I knew I was only minutes away from losing consciousness and possibly bleeding to death right here beside Tabitha. But I couldn’t just leave; I had to stay and make sure that Tabitha died so I could banish her spirit to the Other Side, ensuring that she couldn’t hang around and find a way to create more chaos.
Tabitha’s fingertips brushed my hand, catching my attention and smearing blood against my palm. I gripped her hand tightly in mine, resting my fingers against her wrist. Her pulse was fast and shallow, but it was fading fast, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before she was dead. “It didn’t have to end this way,” I said softly. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I wiped them away with my free hand, which hadn’t stopped trembling. “We didn’t have to be alone.”
Dark Heritage Trilogy Page 38
