Perhaps if I can show her that I’m more powerful than she is then maybe she’ll finally listen to me – not that I actually am more powerful than her. I just have to fake it. Rapidly, the All-Knowing Tome opens in my head, the pages flicking before landing on more information about my blood. Okay, so I can pretty much add it to any magic and it’ll be rendered ten times stronger.
I still have the knife Finn gifted me a couple weeks ago in my pocket, so I pull it out and cut a small line into the tip of each finger on one hand. Immediately it mixes with my sparks and they start to pop and sizzle. They aren’t just shiny and white anymore, now they’re every colour of the rainbow.
Rita spots what I’ve done and begins to move away, but she’s not fast enough. I swing my arm at her and she screams when my magic burns her worse this time. She puts both hands over her ears because it’s making a high-pitched squealing sound. I watch as it slithers over her face.
I close my eyes and order it to stop, because I don’t actually want to send Rita crazy. She’s already halfway there without any help from me. I just want to show her what I’m capable of.
“I told you I had power,” I call to her.
She rises to her feet and sweeps her hand to the side, knocking me down with a gust of wind I hadn’t been expecting.
“You still talk too much. And your power is worthless without the knowledge of how to use it.”
“Oh, I’m learning.”
Before she can react I throw enough sparks at her feet to knock her down. Hey, I’m sick of being the only one falling over all the time. Rita manages to get up quicker than me and before I know it she’s running at me full steam ahead. Without thinking I pull Ethan’s sword out of its holster on my back. Just as she’s about to throw more magic at me I slash her hand and she reels back. There’s a painful looking gash right across her knuckles
“Fuck!” she growls, clutching her bloody hand to her chest – her bloody casting hand. Score one for me. Just because she’s the daughter of a sorcerer doesn’t mean she can’t bleed.
“You almost chopped off my finger,” she shrieks.
“You’re the one who came running at me. What did you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to…shit that hurts.” She’s distracted by all the blood, so I get up slowly and walk towards her.
“I can help you to heal it,” I tell her softly and she peers at me, unsure.
I feel like she might almost agree to it, but then her dark eyes turn blank and dead again.
“I don’t need your help! I need you to leave me alone.”
I get a shock when she leaps at me, pushing me down into the muddy grass. I gulp and try to breathe but her hands are around my throat, squeezing.
“You see, Tegan, you’re not the only one who can use human means of inflicting pain,” she says, her voice dark.
She’s got my hand pinned under her knee, but I manage to move it just enough to burn through the black fishnet tights she’s wearing. She suffers through the pain while digging her knee harder into my hand. Then she lifts it up the slightest bit before slamming it back down again. Shit, that hurts. I think she might have broken one of my fingers.
I raise my free hand up and smack her hard across the face. It gives me an advantage for just a second, which is enough time for me to shove her off me. I don’t get far enough though, because she throws herself onto my back, her arms wrapping roughly around my neck.
“Get off,” I grunt, trying to dislodge her.
“No chance,” she replies out of breath and seconds later she’s pulling me back onto the ground. Bits of dirt hit me as she pushes me face down into it. Now it’s on. I roll my body and punch her in the gut, which earns me an upper cut to the chin. My entire abdominal region is screaming in pain with her on top of me. For someone so small she weighs a bloody tonne.
“You can’t replace Noreen with Theodore,” I manage to gasp.
“Shut up!” she wails.
“Noreen was the only real parent you’ll ever have.”
“I said shut the fuck up!”
“Rita, he’s evil. You’re not evil, you’re good, just like your mother was.”
She smacks me hard, sending my face flying sideways. I taste blood in my mouth and when I manage to turn my head and look at her again, furious black mascara tears are running down her face.
She clutches my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs. My head starts to get dizzy as I hear her seethe, “I’m not letting go until you’re dead.”
I try to say something back, but I have no strength left. I need oxygen. Where the hell is Roman?
He needs to get back here now, because I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out.
Chapter Eighteen
Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid
Finn
I’m doing one of my routine circuits of the city early in the morning when I’m approached by a thin, nerdy looking fella. He hands me a flyer, telling me he hopes to see me at the rally and then continues on his way.
Rally? What rally?
I unfold the flyer to reveal Theodore’s face smiling back at me, and I’m not lying when I say I get a momentary fright. That’s one ugly motherfucker – and not someone I want to see up close and personal when I’ve only just had my breakfast, thank you very much. He’s wearing his ordinary concerned citizen clothes and looking caringly into the camera. The text on the flyer reads:
THE THEODORE GIRARD FOUNDATION PRESENTS,
AN ANTI-VAMPIRE CAMPAIGN RALLY.
THIS WEDNESDAY, 10AM SHARP ON CAMPION ROW.
COME AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR HUMANITY.
TOGETHER WE WILL DRIVE OUT THE DARKNESS.
Christ, he really doesn’t give up. You’d think he’d have learned his lesson from the fiasco that went down the last time. I keep walking through the empty streets, knowing they won’t be empty soon enough. It’s just gone eight-thirty, which means there’s an hour and a half before Theodore’s rally begins. What exactly is he trying to achieve by this?
And that’s when it hits me.
This is when he’s going to release the chaos; gathering all the humans in one place will make it that much easier for him. It’s supposed to be tomorrow morning, but I’m guessing he’s put two and two together and figured out that Marcel betrayed him, revealing his plans to his enemies. Now he has to act earlier than scheduled. I rush to the van and hightail it back to the house.
Everybody’s gathered in the large kitchen eating breakfast. I walk straight in and slam the flyer down into the centre of the table. Cristescu calmly reaches over and picks up the piece of paper, his sharp eyes quickly scanning the words. There’s ash in his hair and black soot on his face, showing he’s paid a visit to the bomb site at Crimson. He looks tired and I almost feel bad for throwing this doozy in his lap, but there’s nothing else to be done.
“He’s acting a day early,” he says in a low, angry voice.
“Yeah, which means we need to find Roman ASAP.”
“Tegan will have to summon him. She’s still in bed, I’ll go get her.” The vampire stands and leaves the room. Less than a minute later he returns seeming on edge.
“She’s gone.”
“Huh?” I say and then look to everyone sitting around the table. “Did Tegan tell any of you she was going out?”
“No,” Amanda speaks up. “But she did have me and Rebecca help her cast a spell this morning.”
“What kind of a spell?” Gabriel asks with suspicion.
“Um, she said it was to protect the house. It had an upturned glass on a map and a piece of a scarf under the glass.”
“That wasn’t a spell to protect the house. That was a location spell. She was looking for someone.”
“What did the scarf look like?” Alvie interjects.
“It was red and black, sort of silky.”
Alvie gasps and puts his hand to his mouth. “That’s Rita’s. She’s gone after Rita.”
I’m about to swear loudly when the front door
slams open and I hear feet stumbling weakly down the hallway. A second later Tegan emerges covered in dirt and blood and looking like she just stepped out of a warzone. Cristescu immediately scoops her up into his arms, asking what happened.
“Rita…” is all she can manage.
“Yeah, we figured that bit out.”
“She tried to kill me…” she whispers and then passes out in Cristescu’s arms. He carries her to the kitchen counter, swiping everything out of the way to clear the space. Then he begins running his hands over her body to check for injuries. He stops when he reaches her left hand, holding up the index finger.
“This is broken. It will need to be taken care of by a doctor.”
“If you have a first aid kit I can see to her,” Allora puts in. “I’m a trained first aider and I used to volunteer at the hospital on the weekends when I was still at school.”
Cristescu gives her a look of approval. “Yes, yes, thank you. I will bring her upstairs. The first aid kit is on the shelf in the laundry room. Retrieve it and follow me up.”
“What about Theodore’s rally?” I interrupt. “We need to find Roman so that he can cast his spell.”
Before Cristescu can answer, the back door swings open and the sorcerer himself enters. His normally pristine hair and suit are slightly ruffled.
“I am here,” he says as though he heard every word I just said. “I need volunteers and I need Emilia. She’s the only witch powerful enough that we have at our disposal.”
He notices Cristescu holding Tegan and walks over, running his hand softly over her face. “Ah, you survived, little one. I knew you would,” he murmurs.
Cristescu’s eyes cut to the sorcerer. “You were with her?”
“I was. I got caught up chasing Theodore and Tegan was left with the witch…”
“Enough,” says Cristescu quietly fuming. “We don’t have time for this. Theodore is releasing his chaos onto the city in only an hour’s time. I expect you are ready to cast your spell?”
“Absolutely. But I will need to release Emilia.”
“So release her, just get it done.”
He finally leaves carrying Tegan; Allora follows behind him with the first aid kit tucked under her arm. Fifteen minutes later I’m standing in a circle with Gabriel, Alvie, Delilah, Ira, Cristescu and Emilia. Roman transports us all to Campion Row, where it’s now jam-packed with humans gathered for the rally.
The avenue is just how it had been in Allora’s vision. Something a lot like dread forms in my gut as I remember how the chaos entered the bodies of the humans, killing them on the spot. If Roman isn’t successful here, then the vast majority of us are as good as dead, and that includes me.
When I look at Roman I find he’s holding a huge ball of shimmering red string, energy humming from it. He hands one end of it to Emilia and begins instructing everyone else to take a hold. When it’s my turn I notice how he’s not just giving me the string, he’s magically fusing my hand to it.
“This is a very rare and potently magical material. We are going to use it to create a line of magic that will run through the gathered crowd – think of it like an electrical wire. In this case, the ends are the most important parts, and therefore the strongest casters need to be holding them. Those two people are Emilia and myself. Be as inconspicuous as you can; we cannot afford for Theodore to figure out what’s happening.
“Emilia will walk to the lower end of the avenue and I will walk to the top. Once the spell has been cast and Theodore has released his chaos, believing all the humans to be dead, that will be our moment to strike. I will be closest to him, so I will be the one to catch him. Make no mistake, he will have many tricks up his sleeve to get away, that’s why it’s going to take all of us to kill him. I will cut off his head and young Gabriel here will douse him with petrol. Mr Roe, I will allow you the honour of setting his body alight.”
“I can do that.”
Addressing Ethan, he says, “You will have to restrain the daughter. She could prove troublesome, and you are the only one with the physical strength to outmatch her magic. Get her hands first. If you can keep her from moving them then she won’t be able to use magic against you. You will be beside me in the line.” He pauses and looks at each of us in turn. “Once I summon the magic only those holding the string will be able to see it. Any questions?”
We all shake our heads. I’m surprised Emilia hasn’t put up a fight since she’s basically being forced into taking part. Instead, she remains stoically silent. Maybe she’s sane enough to realise this is all for the best.
“Very good. Please ensure there is at least thirty yards between you and the person next in line. We need to cover as much ground as possible.”
I find myself being the second last person in the line next to Emilia. She starts to walk swiftly down the street and I wait a minute or two before following her. I’m not entirely clear on the details of what Roman’s going to do here, (I’m guessing he simplified the arse out of it for us just now) but I’m putting my blind faith in him. With so little time left, we don’t exactly have any other options.
By the time we’re all lined up and camouflaged into the crowd, Theodore has stepped out onto the temporary stage that’s been built at the top of the avenue. He stands in front of a microphone and coughs to clear his throat. People cheer when they see him, shouting praise and declarations of faith. Some even hold up banners proclaiming him as their savour.
They’ve all been drinking some serious amounts of sorcerer Kool-Aid.
I spot Rita standing off to the side of the stage wearing a long flower print dress and her hair in two short pigtails.
The string in my hand starts to pulsate.
“Thank you all for coming today,” says Theodore, his voice booming through a number of speakers that have been set up around the area. “As some of you might be aware, I have taken the liberty of putting together a foundation to fight against the vampires. You are all welcome to join and there will be sign-up sheets circulated at the end of the rally. Now, before we get down to business, I would like to observe a one minute silence as a mark of respect to those we have lost in recent weeks. Please, take hold of the hand of the person beside you to signify your solidarity.”
There are hushed whispers of approval among the audience before they all begin to take each other’s hands. I realise I’m glamoured invisible when nobody tries to take mine. A ripple vibrates through the string and zips into my body. I can hear Roman chanting in my head even though he’s halfway up the street. He’s not speaking in any language I can understand, but his words strike a chord. A deep down part of me knows that something miraculous is about to happen.
He’s standing so close to the stage and Theodore can’t even see him. If ever there was a case for choosing to be good over bad, then this would be it. Because Theodore is at least twice Roman’s age, and yet I have a feeling Tegan’s grandfather might just have a chance of killing him.
“Close your eyes, hold your neighbour’s hand and think of all the lives that have been lost, and all the lives that will be saved because of your dedication to this cause.”
The audience does as requested and now I can hear Roman’s chanting even louder in my head because of the unearthly quiet that follows. My heartbeat speeds up and it feels like there’s electricity shooting from the string and into my body. I feel it in my every molecule, rushing through my system. The red of the string starts to glow and then I see little glittering veins spreading out from it and into the crowd, connecting from one person to the next.
Once a person gets connected to the string I see a bright red glow formulate around their body. This is amazing. My jaw is hanging as I watch, my body fizzing and popping like crazy.
I wonder if the others are feeling the same way.
My amazement is cut short when the bright morning sky begins to darken. I look overhead and into the distance to see a black chaos cloud approaching. Everyone’s got their eyes shut so they have no clue what’s c
oming their way.
I start to panic but then I remind myself of Roman’s string and how it’s going to protect the people from dying. They’ll go to sleep and wake up at the next sunrise. Turning my head to the stage I see Theodore is no longer closing his eyes and faking like he’s observing a minute of silence; now he’s staring at the people before him with a sick smile on his face.
His entire body is practically humming with anticipation. He’s getting a kick out of this. He wants to watch the chaos kill all these people. Soon the black has blocked out all the light and I can barely see a thing. The only way I can see anything at all is because of the glow from the string and the magical veins that connect each person to the one standing next to them.
Just like when I’d been inside Allora’s vision, the chaos descends from the sky and invades the bodies of the humans, slipping into any opening; mouths, ears, eyes. Seconds later there’s a sound I hope to never hear again, the sound of thousands of bodies dropping lifelessly to the ground.
The black cloud begins to abate and drift away, the silence broken only by Theodore’s ridiculous cackling. Then I hear someone struggling for breath close by. Turning my head I spot Emilia still holding the string with one hand, but clutching her chest with the other. Oh, shit. I know a heart attack when I see one.
She doesn’t have the strength left to hold the string any longer. Weakly, she falls to the ground on her hands and knees. Immediately, I feel the magic sail right out of my body, and with it the glamour that had been hiding us all from view. The line has been broken. I rush to Emilia and start CPR, while at the same time Theodore wails in outrage.
“What trickery is this?!”
I look up from where I’m pumping my hands into Emilia’s chest after I’ve given her mouth to mouth to see Roman advancing on Theodore with a sword. I try to focus on Emilia but my gut sinks when it becomes evident that there’s nothing more I can do. She’s dead. Roman’s magic must have been too much for her body to handle.
And the saddest thing is that I’m not sure there’s anyone who will even mourn her.
Tegan's Power (The Ultimate Power Series #4) Page 23
