The Blazing Glass

by Kimberly Loth

  “Not now, Gabe,” I said. I ran inside without a backwards glance. I wanted to be alone and think. A death wish might be my only option.

  I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I saw blood. Both mine and Nora’s. I kept my phone turned off. I couldn’t bring myself to listen to all the pity voicemails and text messages. I talked to Scarlett and Penny briefly, and they wanted to come over, but I wanted to grieve alone.

  Before I knew it, daylight came.

  I still had to go to school. If I hid, it would just be worse.

  I waited nervously for Gabe on my porch. Making a death wish would just make it worse for those I loved, but still, I worried for their safety. Maybe Gabe could get witches to protect them too.

  His door slammed, and he jogged down his walk.

  He took my hand, and I let him. “You alright?” he asked, searching my face.

  “No. School is going to be hard.” I didn’t want to face all those people. Most didn’t know I had been the one to find Nora, but still, I was her best friend. Everyone would be offering their pity.

  “I’ll be right next to you.”

  I let out a breath. “Okay.” He would rescue me when things got hard.

  All eyes were on me as we walked through the doors at school. A handful of girls cried in one corner. Another group laughed, and I wanted to shush them. Didn’t they know my best friend just died?

  That was stupid. They probably didn’t even know Nora.

  I kept my head down. I never noticed how filthy the floor was before. Black shoe marks dotted the tiles. We passed the chemistry lab, and Mr. Harding stepped out and stopped me.

  “Liv, I’m so sorry about Nora. She was a sweet girl.”

  I gave him a forced smile and moved on. Gabe kept his arm around my shoulder as we walked. It was the only thing keeping me upright. I just had to make it to my locker. Then I could think about the next step.

  We passed a trashcan, and it had the cloying smell of death. I gagged and pressed into Gabe. He tightened his grip and whispered into my ear. “Say the word, and I’ll take you home.”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t hide even if I wanted to. Nora wouldn’t want me to.

  Penny met me at my locker with a coffee from The Chain Gang. I took it from her even though I was positive I wouldn’t even taste it.

  Her eyes were red and her face pale. She wore all black with a deathly hallows necklace. “Where’s Scarlett?” I asked.

  “She’ll be here soon. She didn’t want to deal with all the people so she’s coming a few minutes late.”

  Maybe I should’ve done the same thing.

  A throat cleared behind me, and I turned around.

  Kole stood there, his head hung. “Liv, I’m so sorry.”

  He reached for me, and I let him. His hug was sad and warm. He let go and didn’t say anything else. He stared at me for a few moments. Then he trudged away.

  Today would not be easy, but we’d make it. We had to. For Nora. For ourselves. We had to show Samir we weren’t afraid of him even if I was terrified inside.

  One thing I knew for sure. I hoped Gabe found Samir and slaughtered him.

  Chapter 27

  Gabe

  A few days later, Ali finally found a witch we could use. The house had seen better days. Dusty shutters fell crookedly next to the windows. Weeds grew up and drooped over the sidewalk. We had to skip the second caved in step on the porch.

  “You’d think witches would live better,” I said.

  Ali chuckled. “It seems like the more powerful they are, the closer they come to squalor.” He knocked hard on the faded whitewashed door. “Let’s get this over with.”

  The door creaked open, but no one was on the other side. I peered into the house, but it was too dark to make anything out. A whiff of lavender incense floated around us.

  “Come in,” said a strange hollow voice. Ali and I looked at each other for a moment. I was a Djinn, and I had powers I didn’t even know about, but walking into that house took all the courage I had. Witches. Ugh.

  I let Ali take the lead and carefully shut the door behind me, hoping I didn’t just seal us in our tomb. Witches loved death and gore. Newspapers littered the floor, and small grotesque figurines cluttered shelves—a shriveled head, several skulls, a taxidermied mouse holding a tiny dagger. I leaned closer to one shelf with bottles, thinking they might be Jinn, but they were filled with blood and organs.

  An old woman shuffled out of a doorway. She was hunched over, with stringy white hair, and long crooked fingers. She waved her hand, and we followed her into a small room that was as cluttered and dusty as the entryway, but instead of shelves, animal heads hung all over the walls. They all looked as if they’d died a terrifying death. You could still see the fear in their eyes.

  The witch sank into a chair, and Ali and I took the couch. I perched on the edge, worried about what the mysterious stains might be. I kept my eyes down, not wanting to look at all the animals.

  The old woman clasped her hands together and stared at us with beady eyes. “What is it that you seek?”

  “The sickle of Ra,” Ali said, relaxed. How could he not be wound up? I couldn’t even look the woman in the face.

  Her eyes widened. “Surely you jest. No one knows where it is.”

  Ali cocked his head. “No, but we know where it’s been.”

  A grin formed on her face, revealing tiny gray teeth filed to points. “You have something from a previous owner?”

  “Yes.” Ali handed her the small statue.

  Her fingers ran along the surface. “There is a price of course. I don’t work for free.”

  “Whatever you want,” I said. This was important. Though I might regret it.

  “Be careful, boy. Whatever I want is vast.” Her eyes bore into mine, and I felt as if she could see deep into my soul. I shuddered. Liv was the only one I wanted anywhere near my soul.

  “What is it I can give you?” I finally said.

  She pondered for a moment. “When you are finished, I want the sickle.”

  No way in hell. If she got her hands on that, she could kill me. Or worse, sell it to someone who really wanted me dead. I opened my mouth to argue, but saw a fierceness in her face that wasn’t there before. She wasn’t going to back down.

  I’d get the sickle and then figure out how to keep it out of her hands. If I could take care of Samir, then surely I could deal with a witch. Ali would help me.

  “Okay,” I said.

  She stood and hobbled over to us. “Give me your hand.”

  I looked to Ali, and he shrugged. Helpful. I held my hand out to the woman, and she gripped it hard and ran a finger along my palm. Without warning she dug her nail in and drew blood.

  “Ow.” I jerked away, but she held firm. Then she took her bloody finger and sucked on it.

  “Don’t try to betray me, boy. I can find you anywhere now. As soon as you finish your business, you bring me that sickle. I’m not a patient woman.”

  She let go of my hand, and I pressed on the wound, worried about what I’d just done.

  She closed her eyes and clutched at the tiny statue. After several moments, her eyes flashed open. “It is buried in the tomb of Hermeru. Deep. In an undiscovered room.”

  Ali paled. Surely I didn’t look much better. Nobody messed with the tombs. They all had ancient curses laid on them. Curses that went beyond Jinn and goddesses.

  “What was Hermeru’s curse?” Ali asked.

  “He strangles those who disturb his tomb.” I’d been there when the curse was laid. Ra himself oversaw it. It was one of the few times I saw him.

  Ali frowned. “I guess we’ll need to get out of there fast. Good thing we can’t die by strangling.”

  “By humans. This is a curse.”

  The witch cackled. “Remember, boys, I get the sickle when you’re done with it.”

  I would just have to make sure I’d never be done with it.

  Chapter 28

  Liv
>
  I stepped into my room and jumped. Gabe stood by my window looking like an Egyptian god with his dark hair and strong profile. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to him.

  I crossed the room and gave him a quick kiss. He was tense.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “I’m going after the sickle. It’s in Egypt.” The thought of the distance made my heart race. Who would protect me while he was gone? It made me nervous. I felt exposed and vulnerable. Samir could get me at any time.

  “I don’t want you to leave me.”

  He snorted. “You’re fine. Safe in your home.”

  “I don’t feel safe without you here.”

  He stared at me. “I know. But I have to do this.”

  I grabbed at his hand, and he jerked it away. I glared at him. “Gabe.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. My hand hurts.”

  “Why?”

  He held out his hand. A raised red bump sat in the middle of it.

  “What’s that?” I ran my finger lightly over the bump.

  “A witch’s spell.”

  “Well, then I should just wish it away.”

  Gabe gripped my hand. “No, don’t do that. You’d end up unconscious. I’ll deal with it.”

  “What were you doing with a witch?”

  “Tracking the sickle.”

  I pulled him close and held him. Would this danger ever end? Once Samir was gone, would something else show up and take his place? My entire life turned upside down the moment Gabe stepped into my life.

  “You be safe.” I knew he worried about me, but he didn’t realize that I worried about him too. He was in more danger than me. Evil witches, Samir, and heading to Egypt and fighting scary curses. I didn’t want to think about what I’d do without him.

  He gave me a crooked grin. “Of course I’ll be safe. You’re the one I’m worried about. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m hiding in my house. You’re the one out putting yourself in danger for me.”

  He stared at me with a serious expression for a moment. Then he kissed me hard. It was different. More urgent and needy. I clutched at his back, willing him to never leave. But then he was gone. Disappeared straight from my arms.

  I trudged downstairs, my head still spinning. Guess today was another work in the shop day. If Gabe was out there risking everything for me, I could be a good girl and stay home.

  By lunch I was so done. Ty was wrapping up business with a few of his buddies, Gran went shopping, and Scarlett and Penny were out of town for the weekend looking at colleges.

  I was scared and antsy all at the same time. I hated being alone, but I didn’t dare go anywhere. I scrolled through my phone contacts. Everyone I could possibly want to hang out with was gone. My finger hovered over Dylan. We hadn’t hung out since we finished our project, and he was fun.

  You busy? I sent the message before I could think much about it.

  Nope. What’s up?

  I’m bored.

  A few moments passed.

  You wanna do our horror movie marathon? he asked.

  And see what other horrors might actually be real. Yeah, sure, why not?

  Movies didn’t require leaving the house. Though horror. I took a deep breath. This was Dylan. He might be able to take my mind off of things.

  Come on over.

  Right now he was the only one who would save my sanity.

  I popped two bags of popcorn, threw M&Ms in one, and left the other plain.

  Dylan showed up fifteen minutes later with a grocery bag full of snacks.

  “I still can’t believe you haven’t seen these movies,” he said, settling on the couch. He reached for the bowl with popcorn and M&Ms.

  “You like popcorn like that?”

  “Oh yeah, it’s the best. You know what’s better, though?”

  “What?”

  He dug through his bag and pulled out a bag of Reese’s Pieces. “May I?” He pointed to the bowl of plain popcorn.

  “Sure.” I threw in the first DVD, a little unnerved. He was so easy and comfortable. Maybe this was a bad idea. But I didn’t want to be alone.

  Of course I spent most of the movie with a blanket over my head. It was hard enough to just hear the screams. Dylan laughed as he went to change the DVD.

  “Can’t we just watch a Disney movie or something?” I asked with a whine. This was a stupid idea. I’d have nightmares for months. I knew that this wasn’t just some make believe stuff. Monsters like that were real. Sure, it was just a movie, but so was Aladdin, and Jafar was far less scary than Samir.

  “Are you kidding, The Conjuring is a classic.”

  I pulled the blanket up to my chin, ready to cover my eyes.

  The movie started, and he sat a little too close to me, but I didn’t move or say anything. My eyes were glued on the freaky doll on the screen. I should look away, but I couldn’t. “Hey, Liv, look at me.”

  I tore my eyes away from the screen just as the doll appeared in the stupid girl’s apartment. His face was too close.

  “You know, you’re cute when you’re scared,” he said. It took a second for me to register what was happening. His lips were only a breath away from mine.

  I jerked away. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Hurt crossed across his face. “I…I thought you might like me.”

  “I have a boyfriend.”

  He scowled. “Who’s never around.”

  I let out a breath. “I love him, and I am not interested in you at all. Maybe you should go.”

  He stood. “Yeah, maybe I should.”

  He stormed out of the house. I sat frozen, that stupid movie still playing on the screen. Here I was, all alone in the house with a scary movie playing.

  It irked me that Gabe was right about Dylan. I wanted him to just be my friend, but now he went and ruined that. I had no idea what I would tell Gabe. Maybe I’d just pretend like nothing happened and let Dylan fade away. If I told Gabe, he might do something drastic.

  I stopped the DVD and found my old copy of Beauty and the Beast. Maybe I could drive away the nightmares that were sure to come now.

  Chapter 29

  Gabe

  After searching for hours in the dusty old tomb, Ali and I finally found the sealed room. I spent most of it wondering when the curse would strangle us. So far we’d found nothing except a scared cat.

  We opened the hidden door, and Ali shone a flashlight in. Old relics filled the tomb. This would take a while.

  “No time like the present,” I said and stepped across the threshold. Unseen fingers curled around my neck and tightened. I couldn’t breathe. Shit.

  Ali followed and swore as well. We both retreated and stared at one another in the dark hall.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked. We couldn’t very well find it if we blacked out from lack of oxygen.

  “I don’t know. There’s no telling the strength of that old curse. I’m not sure I want to risk it. Bast hid it well.”

  I punched the wall. “I have to risk it. I’ll appear in the middle of the room, find the sickle, and come back.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Do you have any others?”

  He shook his head.

  I took a deep breath, then sent myself inside. Fingers tightened around my neck, and I looked frantically around. The tomb was full of jars and statues. No sign of the sickle. I gagged, feeling lightheaded.

  I hunched over and coughed next to Ali.

  “I can do this,” I said after I stopped seeing stars. It wasn’t too bad. Uncomfortable, but not painful.

  Four more times I nearly passed out with no sign of the sickle. On the fifth time, I spotted it across the room, in the grip of a man sized statue. I rushed for it, the fingers digging into my neck. I gasped for air and grappled at the sickle. My fingers curled around the handle, and everything went black.

  I woke up on my lawn, still holding the sickle. Ali hovered over me, looking worried. “Oh, thank
the goddesses. You’re okay.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I saw you go down, and Mel got us out of there.” Thank the gods for Melissa. When this was over, I was going to throw her a thank you party. She’d saved our necks more than once.

  Ali reached his hand out and pulled me up. I held out the sickle. “We got it.” I let out a relieved chuckle. This was almost over. Killing Samir with the sickle should be easy. We just needed to find him.

  I handed Ali the weapon. “I’m gonna go tell Liv. We can finally kill him.”

  Ali ran his hand through his hair. “I need a drink.” He spun and jogged into the house.

  I trudged up the stairs to Liv’s house. We had the sickle, but I was tired and worn out. I just wanted to pull her into my arms and relax. I’d gotten used to appearing in her house, but she was jumpy, so I walked up to her door. A light through the living room window caught my eye. I moved to the window and saw an unfamiliar movie playing. Something with a weird looking doll.

  Liv sat on the couch, Dylan sitting way too close. I clenched my fists. Why was he always around? I watched horrified as she turned her face to look at him. He moved toward hers. That bastard was going to kiss her. She didn’t move or slap him. She just waited. So much for Dylan just being a friend.

  I stormed back down the stairs and fled for my house knowing nothing good would come from me knocking on her door now.

  I was doing everything for Liv. What would I do now?

  Chapter 30

  Liv

  Gabe didn’t come over or call on Saturday. I stayed up most of the night anxious about what was happening in Egypt. I also went back over everything with Dylan. I was still pissed at him, but I wondered if there was anything I could’ve done differently so we could’ve stayed friends. Three hours passed before I drifted off.

  I woke with a start Sunday morning. I half-expected Gabe to be in my room, but he wasn’t, so I sent him a quick message, hoping he wasn’t dead or hurt.