Initiate

by Christina Garner

  “As am I. But we’re both here now, so all is well.”

  Rebecca smiled, part seduction, part damsel.

  “You won’t tell Carolyn I skipped, will you?” She twirled a lock of her dark hair.

  Guys loved the hair twirl.

  He stepped even closer. “Your secret is my own.”

  He put his hand gently under her chin and traced his thumb across her quivering lips. He leaned close and kissed her, sending waves of bliss throughout Rebecca’s entire body. She’d definitely been wasting her time with guys her own age.

  He pulled back just enough to murmur, “Thank you.”

  “For what?” Rebecca was breathless, needing him to kiss her again.

  He stroked her face. “For this.”

  He gripped her hair, and she tried to scream, but something other than words came out. She watched in horror as a thick stream of energy flowed from her mouth to his. She struggled desperately, but he held fast.

  She felt herself come undone, the atoms of her being swirling out of her and into him. And then there was nothing but darkness and screams. Hers, and a thousand more.

  Chapter 20

  It made sense to be quiet as they made their way up the secret staircase, but Sarah could tell Kai was angry.

  “I’m sorry you had to find out like this.” She spoke in hushed tones.

  “I don’t want talk about it.” Kai kept her voice low and her eyes straight ahead. “We’ve got a job to do. Let’s just do it.”

  “Please, let me explain.”

  “Explain what?” Kai stopped dead. “How you’ve been lying to me for the past month, hiding this huge part of yourself?”

  “I wasn’t lying. I was afraid. Don’t you ever get afraid?”

  “Yeah, I get afraid. I just don’t let fear make all of my decisions.”

  Kai’s words were a punch to the gut. Was that really what she thought of her?

  “It doesn’t make all of my decisions.” Sarah’s words were quiet, but then she folded her arms and fixed Kai with a firm gaze. “You know what else I don’t do with my fear? Let it control every aspect of other people’s lives.” Sarah took off up the stairs, but Kai grabbed her arm.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Sarah wheeled around to face her. “It means laid back Kai has a lot of rules. I came out to a house full of people—some of them as nasty as Alex—because you gave me an ultimatum. I would have gotten there eventually, but you forced my hand. Maybe part of it was about wanting an out life—but part of it was just you wanting things how you want them.” She blinked away angry tears. “Now you’re pissed because I didn’t tell you about being a witch—after only a month of dating? Do you even understand the risk it is for you to know?”

  “Sarah—”

  “You’re afraid too, Kai. It just looks different.”

  Sarah spun around and sprinted up the stairs. Kai was right. They had a job to do.

  The wait was excruciating.

  Eden knew she was a sitting duck but felt more afraid for Sarah and Kai.

  “What is taking them so long?” Alex stalked the room like a feral cat.

  Eden just shrugged, fearing anything she said might start an argument. Alex had already snapped at her for asking if she knew anything about Av Rek and how to kill them.

  “Carolyn told me what I needed to know,” she’d hissed. “There hasn’t been an Av Rek sighting in more than a hundred years—I shouldn’t have needed that information.”

  Eden had mumbled an apology and stopped talking. If Alex had ever deserved some slack, it was then. But if they were going to fight side by side against Bes’tal, she had to be sure Alex knew the truth.

  “I know you hate me.” Eden forced herself to look her in the eye. “But do you honestly think I’m evil? That I brought Bes’tal here to kill people I care about?”

  “I don’t think you’re evil.” Alex stopped pacing. “I think you’re arrogant. You wield magic with total disregard for how the forces actually work.”

  Eden’s jaw clenched. “My magic has saved lives.”

  “And now it might have cost some.” The words sliced into Eden’s heart. “Why do you think everyone was so sick today?”

  “I-I heard it was bad shrimp.”

  “Well, that would be convenient, wouldn’t it?” Alex’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “It would mean you hadn’t done anything wrong. Except Carolyn wasn’t sick, and I saw her put away half a pound of shrimp last night.”

  “I don’t understand—”

  “Of course you don’t.” Alex threw her hands in the air. “Because you never listened to her lectures. You’re the one that made us sick, genius. You can’t hold your own darkness, so the Universe made all us hold it for you. All but Carolyn, because she was strong enough to shield herself. I am too. Usually.” Alex shook her head, a bitter frown on her face. “Again, kudos on all that potential. You managed to even make me hurl.”

  Eden wanted to fight back—wanted to blame the relic, say none of this was her doing. But she’d started getting the nosebleeds before she’d ever laid eyes on that stone.

  “No.” Eden sprang from the bed. “Carolyn said using magic the wrong way does things like change the weather, affect crops, and yes—even sometimes make people sick—but she didn’t say anything about summoning a…whatever he is.”

  “You’re right. I don’t know exactly how Bes’tal got here.” Alex tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “But I do know this—you were the only one in the center of that circle.”

  Eden knew she should leave it, but something in her needed Alex to believe this wasn’t her fault. If Alex believed, then maybe she could too.

  “I was just doing the te—”

  The door to Sarah’s room exploded, showering the room with debris.

  Bes’tal loomed in the doorway.

  Eden raced into her room, Alex right behind. She slammed the door and locked it, terror gripping her heart.

  “What do we do?” She checked around wildly, her eyes landing on the window.

  Could they both make it out in time?

  Alex pulled a vial from her pocket and flung it to the ground. From the shattered remains rose a shimmering blue aura that spread, coating the walls and doors.

  On the other side of the door, Bes’tal cried out in pain.

  “It works!” Alex sounded relieved and excited.

  “What is it?”

  “A potion,” Alex said. “Protection from evil. When I left the basement I went to my room to get it. I didn’t know if it would work.”

  “Where did you get it?” Eden watched as it grew denser.

  “I made it.” A hint of pride rose in her voice. “Carolyn says… She said I have an affinity for potions. I didn’t have enough blessed thistle, though, so it’s not going to last long.”

  “Do you have any more?”

  Alex shook her head. “I used the rest for testing.”

  “Testing?” Eden said.

  “Despite all evidence to the contrary,” Alex said, a hint of her usual sarcasm creeping back into her voice. “Members of the Young Republicans club aren’t actually evil.”

  Under different circumstances, Eden would have appreciated Alex’s sharp wit pointed at someone other than her.

  “Can you make more?” she asked.

  Having protection like that would buy them time to figure out what to do.

  “I told you. I’m out of agrimony. Are we going to play twenty questions or get the hell out of here?”

  She went to the window and struggled to open it. Eden tried to help her, the hairs standing up on the back of her neck when Bes’tal spoke from the other room.

  “Clever girls. I can wait. With every moment that passes, your pull grows stronger. Soon there will be nowhere left to hide.”

  “I’m not pulling at him,” Alex said, grunting with effort. “Are you pulling at him?”

  “Definitely not.” Eden put her back into it, but the window would not budge
.

  “It must be the potion.” Alex took a step back. “It created a seal.”

  “Great. What do we do now?” Eden looked around—the seal covered both doors too. They were trapped.

  “I don’t know. We…” Alex trailed off, and Eden followed her gaze.

  The aura was wavering.

  “It’s weakening.” Alex returned to the window and redoubled her efforts.

  The aura dissolved and the window slammed open. Eden gave Alex a leg up, and she was partway out the window when the door to the bathroom blew apart.

  With a flick of his wrist, Alex was sucked backward and flew across the room, hitting the opposite wall. She was held there, motionless, three feet off the ground.

  “I told you I could wait.” Bes’tal advanced on Eden.

  She couldn’t see the bonds, but she felt them, icy chains wrapping around her and holding her firmly in place.

  “Such contempt in your eyes.” His voice made her flesh crawl.

  “You killed people I care about.”

  Her heart beat wildly in her chest, but she wouldn’t let him see her fear. She had to figure out how to break the bonds. Even if she managed to summon her fire—which was a big if since she still wasn’t exactly in control of it—she didn’t know if it would burn invisible chains the way it had the borahn’s vines.

  “They were in my way.” Bes’tal seemed amused. “Have things changed since I was last on Earth? Does man no longer ravage the planet, consuming every resource like a parasite?”

  “So, what?” Alex said, eyes blazing. “You’re some kind of soul-sucking environmentalist?”

  Bes’tal chuckled and cast her a wry glance. “That would imply I cared. I was just pointing out our similarities.”

  “I am nothing like you.” Hate burned in Eden’s belly.

  “Like begets like. Opposites attract.” Bes’tal stepped closer. “You’re in the kettle either way. Truly, you should look upon this as a compliment. There are few in this coven I would bother to take. Tell me, does your Priestess still live?”

  “You bastard,” Alex said.

  “Careful, pet. I can only take you if you surrender, but vengeance opens you to all sorts of things you might otherwise wish to avoid.”

  “Carolyn would have never surrendered her soul to you.” Rage blazed in Alex’s eyes.

  With him distracted, Eden struggled to escape her binding. He was toying with them, but how long would that last?

  “No?” Bes’tal went to Alex. “Not even unconsciously? Willing to sacrifice herself in attempt to save her coven? Or maybe just…you?”

  His smile was cruel, and Alex’s response was quick. “I’ll kill you. I swear to the Goddess I will cut your heart—”

  Bes’tal swiped his hand in the air, and her head rebounded off the wall. Her eyes glazed over, but she remained conscious.

  “Humans are so tiresome.” He turned away from Alex. “Hard to believe I once was one.”

  He came back to Eden and leaned close, stroking her face. “Of course, some are exceptional.” He wrapped his fingers in her hair, and she squirmed against his grip. “Try to enjoy the pain.”

  Eden screamed.

  Chapter 21

  Sarah and Kai had almost made it back to her room when they heard the scream and started to run.

  They arrived to find Sarah’s door had been blown apart. Kai pressed a finger to her lips and motioned for Sarah to stay behind her as she crept through the bathroom toward Eden’s room.

  Pinned to the far wall was Alex. But it was Eden who was in the most danger. Bes’tal gripped the back of her neck and was leaning in.

  Kai charged, kicking Bes’tal in the kidney, followed by a sweeping blow to the back of his knee.

  Alex crashed to the floor, as Eden sprang away from a fallen Bes’tal.

  “Get out of here.” Kai threw a punch, but Bes’tal evaded.

  Sarah wouldn’t leave her. Kai didn’t understand how dangerous he was. She ran forward, swinging the backpack full of books.

  “I mean it, Sarah. Go.” This time her blow landed.

  “Not without you.” Sarah swung the backpack a second time—striking the back of his head. He growled.

  Alex scrambled out the window, disappearing from view and Eden grabbed hold of Sarah’s arm, dragging her backward. Sarah struggled, but Eden yanked her into the bathroom and shoved her back into her own room.

  “I can’t just—” Sarah’s eyes went wide when she saw the massive fireball sailing through the bathroom, headed right toward them. She launched herself to the ground, pulling Eden down with her. Kai dove into a somersault behind them.

  The fireball smashed into Sarah’s headboard, shattering it. Eden pushed Sarah out the door with Kai leaping to her feet and following.

  “Faster!” she shouted.

  An explosion sounded, and Sarah checked back to see Eden’s doorway bursting into pieces, a plank narrowly missing Kai.

  All three girls raced through the common room and to the stairs leading to the second floor. Sarah gasped as a stream of energy snaked around the corner and up the stairs, grasping for Eden. Kai pushed Eden out of the way but became caught herself.

  “No!” Sarah shrieked as Kai bounced down the steps.

  Sarah and Eden changed course, following Kai back down. At the base of the stairway, the energy stream dragged Kai across the floor toward Bes’tal.

  “You.” He kicked her hard in the ribs, but it was Sarah who cried out. “This is twice you’ve kept me from what’s mine.” He punctuated the sentiment with another blow. “There won’t be a third.”

  He reached to snap her neck, but Sarah and Eden locked hands and slammed a china cabinet into him, shoving the Av Rec across the floor and pinning him to the wall.

  “Nice trick.” Kai scrambled to her feet, wincing in pain. “Thanks.”

  “Any time,” Eden said, all three of them racing for the stairs. “But hopefully never again.”

  Bes’tal grunted, sliding the blasted cabinet away from him. He hated humans with their never-say-die attitude.

  Just die already.

  He was striding toward the staircase when he heard something from down the hall.

  Bes’tal smiled and changed course. He was still hungry.

  Jules froze. There had been a commotion outside and then nothing. In the quiet, the sound of her dropping the book had been deafening to her ears. Had anyone else heard?

  And by anyone, she meant the insanely handsome man who had somehow appeared out of thin air. Carolyn had commanded them to go and said everything was fine, but Jules didn’t believe it.

  She hated that she’d let Haley drag her from the basement, and became furious when it was clear she planned to run. Jules had almost persuaded her to stay, but then Paige had found them, near hysterics, babbling about how it had been Eden who’d summoned him, and he’d killed Nicole.

  Jules felt awful about Nicole, but she didn’t believe the other part. Eden was one of the most kind-hearted people she knew. She had her flaws, but demon summoning wasn’t one of them. If she were some kind of killer, she’d have kept walking when she’d realized the borahn had kidnapped half the pledges. Instead, she’d risked her life to save theirs. She’d earned Jules’s loyalty, which meant while Haley and Paige went to join the other cowards, she would stay and find a way to be helpful.

  She resumed her search of Carolyn’s bookshelf.

  Come on, come on. There has to be something.

  Carolyn was a High Priestess—no way she wouldn’t have books with spells to banish, or kill, or something…

  She’d already tried her computer. The Council had a private server, and if she’d just been able to log onto it, she could have sent out a distress call and maybe even find out what to do until help arrived. But the encryption was far beyond her capabilities, and after two wrong password attempts, she’d gotten a warning that the next would lock her out for twenty-four hours. She didn’t dare risk it—better to find what she could in
books and wait for Carolyn to call for help.

  Where was Carolyn?

  She got on her hands and knees to search the bottom shelf when something in the corner caught her eye. She’d been in this study a few hours earlier, and there hadn’t been anything in that corner.

  She crept closer, her heart pounding.

  It was so dark, she was almost upon it when she realized. Her blood turned to ice.

  In a twisted heap lay Rebecca’s lifeless body.

  She stared down at her, disbelieving. Hearing about Nicole had been one thing, seeing…

  “I see you’ve found my friend.”

  Jules jumped at the sound of his voice, her heart thumping so hard it threatened to burst from her chest.

  He stood there, beautiful and deadly, a serene smile on his face. “Rebecca was barely passable even as an appetizer. Why are the most beautiful always the least satisfying?” His tone was regretful, but then his eyes flashed. “You, on the other hand, will make a fine meal.”

  Jules stood on wobbling legs, backing up when he advanced.

  “Please.” She heard the panic in her own voice. If anything, it seemed to please him. “Just leave us alone. Go back to wherever you came from. Please.”

  “Now what fun would that be?” Bes’tal took another step.

  Jules looked past him—she had no hope of fighting him, she had to make a break for it.

  As if sensing her plan, he swooped down so his face was inches from hers. “That would be unwise.”

  “Wh-what do you want from us?” She struggled to look him in the eye.

  “Oh, I want many things.” He brushed her cheek, and she flinched. “But what I want most is the witch who brought me here.” He wrapped his fingers in her hair. “What is her name?”

  Was it true? Had Eden really brought him?

  Her silence caused him to tighten his grip, and she winced. When he leaned forward, her heart leapt into her throat.

  “Eden.” Jules pulled away, and he let her go. “Her name is Eden.”

  It couldn’t hurt for him to know her name.

  He inhaled rapturously. “Her name sings to me, as does her soul.” The look he gave Jules bordered on affectionate. “Bring her to me, and I will spare what remains of your coven.”