Spectral

by Duffy, Shannon

  What was she saying? When she became the Spectral? What the hell?

  Mrs. Snow knelt beside Grandma and pulled out two vials of blood that I could only assume were mine. She opened them and poured it inside the chalice. “But what will happen to Jewel, Raine?” Her fingers splayed out in a fan against her breastbone.

  Grandma took the chalice and sickeningly drank some of my blood. Then she dipped her fingers into the chalice, pulling out her fingers now dripping in blood. “Sadly, she will expire,” Grandma said with a shrug. “It’s an unfortunate side effect in the battle to become the most powerful coven.”

  My heart pounded, thumping in my ears.

  Aunt Eva gave a bark of laughter from across the room. “There’s no other coven that will be as powerful as ours.”

  Mrs. Snow grew pale. “But maybe we should let her—”

  “Maybe we should let her nothing,” Aunt Eva blurted.

  Mrs. Snow nodded hesitantly, and then handed Grandma the dagger. “To you, my queen.”

  “Thank you,” Grandma said and then turned to look back at me. “You see, we needed a regular human…one without any witch blood to be a willing partner. And of course, it had to be her to draw the blood of the Spectral to make it official. If a witch had drawn your blood it would have turned to copper, unusable. But well, Mrs. Snow here was a more than willing partner.”

  You mean accomplice?

  Grandma ran her fingers across the teeth of the snake wrapped around the dagger. Soon, the snake’s teeth were wet with my blood. She held the dagger up and began chanting a rhyme.

  Juliano yelled out, struggling against the rope, and my gaze went to Uncle Aldo’s motionless body. My stomach knotted. He’s probably dead.

  I became aware my thoughts were becoming clearer, like overgrown weeds in a garden, plucked away all at once. All of these years, Grandma and Aunt Eva hadn’t intended for me to become a part of their coven. They didn’t want me at all. They’d only kept me alive for this moment. They had been planning on trying to harness my power—or more specifically, to steal my power. My being dead was only an unfortunate side effect.

  That had to be why Viktor—my kidnapper dad—knew something was up when Aunt Eva wanted my blood sample and let Chase and I escape. I was sure the people I grew up believing to be my parents weren’t in on this part of the deal.

  But it didn’t matter.

  Although I could think clearly and noticed the stinging fire in my body was gone, I still couldn’t move. In fact, I felt stiffer than ever. My limbs were stationary as though wrapped tightly into rolls of linen like a mummy. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak.

  Am I dead? Is this some sort of sick afterlife?

  I watched the ropes on Juliano’s hands shift, unseeing hands untying him.

  Trish!

  Juliano broke free and ripped the metal mask off. With a roar, he shot a laser beam toward one of the men who had arrived with Sasha. The laser beam blasted him backward. The man ignited into a ball of flames and landed in a mound of hay, shrieking. The hay caught fire and began spreading, crackling across the hay toward Uncle Aldo’s lifeless body.

  Every sense in my body was on full alert, but I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. I wanted to summon a shell. Hell, even more than that, I wanted to free Uncle Aldo, to fight—but I felt like a corpse.

  And through it all, Grandma chanted on—stealing my power—and my life.

  My eyes drifted closed. The sudden absence of sound was my only warning. Terror gripped me and I opened my eyes.

  It was as if time stood still. Grandma’s mouth gaped, mid-sentence. Juliano was frozen mid-air, lunging toward Sasha. I whipped my eyes toward Aunt Eva, her frozen expression still laced into a smirk. The crackling fire, muted and still.

  “Tu sei bella, butterfly.”

  The sound of Roman’s voice rocked through me.

  He dropped to his knees beside me, those chocolate eyes melting into me. I realized Roman had wrapped a bubble around us. I tried calling his name but only my lips moved—my words failing. He looked as sexy as ever—probably more so with his dark wash hipster jeans, and black boots. His unzipped, black leather jacket revealed his AC/DC vintage t-shirt pressed against his toned chest.

  He tilted his head toward my face, placing a soft kiss on my lips. His familiar scent mixed with the distinct smell of leather filled my senses. It felt like a zillion shooting stars exploding in my body all at once, until Roman and I were carried away with them.

  He pulled away and ran the back of his fingers along my cheek with a smile.

  “Am I dying?” My words came out this time, shaky but loud. I couldn’t believe I could speak again.

  Roman laced his fingers through my hair, eyebrows creased together. He shook his head.

  “Please take me out of here,” I moaned. I didn’t know if he just wasn’t telling me the truth so I wouldn’t be scared. I mean, he himself had told me I’d die if they didn’t complete the quickening. I totally felt like I was dying and I only wanted to be with him, away from the chaos and in his arms.

  “I can’t take you out of here yet.” Roman frowned. “Listen to me, Jewel. I wanna tell you a story.”

  I looked at him in disbelief. This was totally not the time for stories. I needed him to save my family, take me away, and kiss me until the end. I wanted my last memories to be of him.

  “It’s the story of the butterfly,” he continued as he trailed his fingers up my arm, spreading tingling sensations across my skin.

  I widened my eyes into huge orbs. “Now? Really?”

  Roman’s eyes roamed my face, his calm expression matching his tone. “Just listen. One day, a man found a cocoon. Every day he watched it until one day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the new butterfly for a long time as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.” Roman paused, leaning down to peck my lips again. I wanted to loop my arms around his neck; make him stay close, but still my arms defied me.

  “So the man decided to help the butterfly, and taking a pair of scissors he snipped the remaining bits of cocoon open. The butterfly flew out easily, but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch it, thinking that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, but neither happened.” Roman nodded as if I should be catching on to something.

  I remembered when a butterfly had landed on my hand back in the library in Pomona Park. Roman’s words echoed in my mind. One butterfly always knows another.

  Roman cleared his throat. “In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling. It wasn’t ever able to fly. The man was only trying to be kind, I know, but he didn’t understand. The restricting cocoon, and the struggle required, was a way of forcing the fluid from its body into the wings. That way, it would be ready for flight once it was free.”

  My exhausted brain churned, trying to keep up and put the pieces together. Roman smiled, and finally, it clicked.

  I’m the butterfly.

  “Are you telling me I’m really not dying? That I’m going through some sorta metamorphosis?” I asked breathlessly.

  His face lit up. “Yes, pretty much exactly like that.”

  “But you’re wrong,” I said weakly. “Angelina didn’t even finish the quickening ceremony.”

  Roman wiped his pointer finger against my chin. Drawing it back, he showed me a pinprick of blood on his finger. “It looks like the dagger got what it needed.”

  I gasped. I remembered nodding my head low toward the dagger and seeing its sharp fangs, but I hadn’t felt anything. “I only remember collapsing and not being able to move.”

  “And now?”

  I concentrated on reaching out to him, and my arm moved. I can move! I sat up slowly. “Roman!”

  A mischievous grin split across his face. It was undeniably Roman’s grin; the one that always left me breathless. Reaching his arms wide, he wrapped them around me tightly. “Ya s
ee? You’re a beautiful butterfly. You had to go through the change on your own.” Roman leaned back, searching my eyes. “I love you, Jewel.”

  “I love you, too,” I said, falling into him. I nuzzled my head into his chest as tears welled up and spilled over. “I was so worried. How’d you get away?” I wiped my tears away and leaned back, searching his eyes.

  He winked. “I had a little help.”

  “Stefano?”

  Roman nodded.

  I laughed. “That guy kinda irritates me, but I gotta admit, he totally rocks.”

  “He’s my boy,” Roman said.

  “But the Augusti, aren’t they gonna try to kill you, or at least throw you in jail for what you’ve done?”

  “Let’s not worry about that right now, okay?” he said, holding his hand out to me. “Can you stand up?”

  I inhaled a deep breath and bit my lip. “I think so.” Slowly, tentatively, I stood; my legs growing strong beneath me. A surge of energy rushed through me unlike anything I’d ever known. It was as if all my thoughts were clearer and the beating of my heart pounded through me, strong and forceful.

  I eyed the room through the shell barrier, now frozen in time. I laced my fingers through Roman’s and squeezed his hand. “Lower the shell,” I said confidently, bracing myself.

  The wall came down and the sounds came rushing in like a runaway train. But instead of feeling fear or panic, I felt exhilarated. I jumped over Grandma Raine in a giant leap and pulled Uncle Aldo out of the path of the fire as it crackled back to life.

  He stirred with a groan, but his eyes stayed closed. At least I knew he was alive. A wave of relief washed over me.

  A bright burst of white light flashed and surged toward me from across the room. I held up my hand and ignited my own until the two met in mid-air, colliding into a giant explosion. I dropped and rolled across the ground, and then jumped up. Levitating several feet in the air, I then threw another electrical charge toward Dmitri. He tried to block it, but the current struck him straight in the chest. It sent him flying with such force that he smashed straight through the back of the barn wall with a crash.

  Landing on both feet, I was invigorated. I’d never felt so strong in my life. The rush of adrenaline and revenge propelled me forward.

  Aunt Eva flew toward Angelina. She was only beginning to stir, groaning. Something lifted Angelina to her feet. I was sure it was invisible Trish. Beside Angelina a rock rose in the air and then rocketed in Aunt Eva’s direction.

  “Take that, bitch,” Trish said from out of thin air.

  The rock knocked Aunt Eva in the jaw and she stumbled backward.

  “Woot, Trish!” I screamed out.

  “Bull’s-eye!” she said.

  I stifled a laugh.

  Juliano took on another guy, Roman at his side. Juliano shot a laser, striking the man in the leg.

  Still another one of the men charged toward Angelina, who was still barely alert after Grandma Raine’s touch.

  “Angelina, look out!” I screamed.

  She tossed me a wink over her shoulder, then blew a breath from her mouth as though blowing out a candle. The man froze into a block of ice.

  The sight would have made the old me turn away, but now it just propelled me on. Sick! “Go, Angelina!”

  But before the words were barely out of my mouth, another burly man headbutted her in the face, knocking her out cold.

  I raced toward her, screaming, “Angelina!”

  “Jewel!” Someone called loudly into the confusion.

  I turned to find who’d called my name, and saw Karina, my kidnapper mother. Viktor rushed in alongside her. My stomach did a backflip. Seeing the people that had raised me entering this battle scene took me completely off guard, and I stumbled backward with a gasp. I didn’t know what to think or expect. Were they with me or against me?

  Somebody lunged into me from behind, trying to grasp me in a headlock. Without thinking, I jumped up and jerked my head backward, smashing whoever it was in the face. Twisting around, my gaze collided with Vladimir’s. Blood ran down his chubby face, and he reached up to cup his bloody nose. I remembered the sickening vision he made me suffer through on the plane, and what he’d done to Chase.

  I gripped my hand around his wrist with amazing force. It was a strength I’d never had before. I looked deep into his cold, hardened eyes.

  “You need to die, witch,” he said, trying to slip free.

  In that moment, I saw his deepest fear flooding straight to my mind. Heights—he was terrified of them. Staring into his eyes, I knew exactly what to do, as though Vladimir’s endowment had been a part of me my whole life. I visualized him hanging over top of a soaring cliff by only the tip of his fingers. I imagined the rush of the wind through the mountains, the feel of the dirt under his fingernails, and the taste of its dust in his mouth as he dangled precariously over the edge. Then I thrust the image toward him.

  He screamed, but I held on a moment longer before releasing him. He dropped to his knees like a stone, wailing.

  With a crackling blast of electrical charge, I knocked him backward at such close range, he didn’t have a chance.

  “That’s for you, Chase,” I said aloud. Adrenaline surged through me.

  “You’re badass,” I heard Trish whisper in my ear. She flicked the back of my hair as she passed by me; a fluttering breeze ruffled the end of my dress as she went.

  I twisted back around to see Mrs. Snow cowering in the corner.

  As I walked over she held her hands up in front of her face. “No, please don’t hurt me!”

  I thought about all the trouble she’d caused by butting into my business. By agreeing to help Grandma Raine and Aunt Eva, she’d almost cost me my life. I balled my hands into fists at my side, anger coursing through my veins.

  But then I remembered Taylor and what a good friend she was to me—a better friend than I’d ever had. I inhaled deeply. “Just go.”

  Mrs. Snow stood, visibly shaking. “Really?” She lifted her brows.

  I nodded. “Go home and be a mom to Taylor. A real mom, you know? She deserves better than you’ve given her.”

  Mrs. Snow bit her lip. “You’re right,” she said, a flash of surprise evident on her face. “Th-thank you.” And with that, she ran out the barn doors.

  A commotion drew my attention back. Twisting around, I saw Viktor levitate to avoid a blow from Sasha and Karina arguing with Aunt Eva.

  They’re fighting for me, too. A rush of happiness flooded me.

  Before I had a chance to say anything, Sasha leapt high into the air. He grabbed Viktor, pulled him down, and rotated his neck with a sudden sharp twist. Viktor fell to the ground, dead.

  “No!”

  The word bounced off the barn walls, and my heart sank in despair. Sasha laughed at my reaction, and then headed in a full out run toward Karina, whose attention was focused solely on Viktor’s crumbled body.

  I raced across the room after him at lightning speed. My movements were a flash like Stefano’s and I reached Sasha without feeling the ground beneath my feet, or thinking about what I was doing. I jumped high onto his back and twisted his neck, rage surging through my veins, until he dropped to the ground in a heap.

  Karina was sobbing, now kneeling over Viktor’s crumpled body. “T-thanks, Jewel,” Karina said. “Please forgive us.”

  I nodded, my heart pumping at an unnatural speed.

  My gaze drifted to Sasha lying on the ground, still. My hands shook; my body completely full of shock, anger, and hurt. But I’d never felt more alive.

  Grandma stared at me, mouth gaping. I didn’t know what she was more shocked at: the change in me, the fact that I’d just saved her daughter, or that her daughter had sided with me.

  Juliano and Roman fought side-by-side, taking on Sergei. He knocked my father in the head with a glowing, buzzing rod. Juliano dropped to his knees convulsing.

  Sergei turned his focus on Roman, jerking the rod toward him in sharp jabs. “C’mo
n, boy,” he taunted in a strong Russian accent.

  “Bring it, old man,” Roman said, motioning with his fingers for Sergei to come toward him. They edged across the barn until they reached the doorway.

  Roman held up his hand until his palm glowed, ablaze in bright orange. It drew the rod forward like a magnetic force field, but Sergei lunged and snapped it back. Thrown off balance, he landed on top of Roman. They tumbled out of the barn in a ball of arms and legs. My heart thundered in my ears and my chest tightened. “Roman!” I called.

  Juliano regained his composure, and quickly followed them outside. The snapping sound of Juliano’s laser beam, mixed with the sizzling rod, sounded out into the distance.

  I couldn’t let anything happen to either of them. I took a step forward to close the sucker down for good, but something sharp pricked me in the back. It pierced through my dress, nicking my skin. I spun around.

  Grandma Raine shifted with a groan, stumbling backward. It was as though somebody had pushed her and I knew it must’ve been Trish who saved me. It took a second to register the scene in front of me, but when I did, the icy grip of fear clamped down on my heart and speared my lungs.

  Grandma—my sweet, little grandmother—held Jayden in a headlock.

  No, not Jayden!

  I didn’t know when Jayden had gotten there. I hadn’t seen him come in. He must have snuck in behind Karina and Viktor…or somebody else brought him. My heart rate skyrocketed and tears sprung to my eyes.

  Grandma held the dagger in her hand, and I knew then that she’d just tried to stab me with it. She laughed at me.

  “Let him go now, you nasty traitor!”

  “Jewel!” my brother screamed, his voice heavy with terror. “Help me!” Tears fell down his cheeks. His fear hit me like a bulldozer.

  “Hang on, monkey,” I said, my voice breaking. My limbs trembled, a mixture of horror and fury overwhelming me.

  Grandma lifted the dagger and held it to Jayden’s throat.

  I gasped. “No!”

  Edging beside Grandma Raine, Aunt Eva held a gun to Karina’s head and dragged her over beside Grandma Raine. Karina placed her fingertips on her temples and closed her eyes.