“How?” I stood as well, fear rolling through my body as I thought about the horrors that must be happening to my home. “My magic is strong, but not that strong. It takes an entire coven to close a Hell Gate. And even then…”
I didn’t continue, unable to bring myself to say it out loud. It had been over two millennia since a Hell Gate had been opened, but all supernaturals knew of the ultimate sacrifice given by the coven that had closed it.
To close the Hell Gate, they’d had to deplete their magic.
It had been their Final Spell.
Afterward, the angels had blessed the world with the only species capable of defeating the demons—the Nephilim. It took the Nephilim over a thousand years to kill all the escaped demons and send them back to Hell.
It was only after killing all the demons that the Nephilim had settled for new targets—vampires, witches, and shifters. That had ultimately led to the Great War and the destruction of all the known Nephilim on Earth.
“We won’t need a coven.” Mary sounded confident enough that I had a feeling she had a plan.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because I have this.”
She reached for a chain around her neck and pulled a pendant out from beneath her shirt—Geneva’s sapphire ring.
Camelia
“What?” I gasped. “You’ve had Geneva’s sapphire ring this entire time?”
“I have,” she said. “According to one of Rosella’s prophecies, Annika could only take one person with her on her quest if she hoped to succeed. Annika chose to bring Prince Jacen, and she left Geneva in my indefinite care.”
“She chose to bring a young vampire prince instead of the most powerful witch in the world who would do anything she commanded?” I rolled my eyes, amazed that the girl could be so daft.
“Annika made the correct choice,” Rosella said. “Geneva didn’t have Annika’s best wishes at heart, and choosing Prince Jacen was instrumental in her success.”
“And yet, the Hell Gate is still open,” I said.
“Yes.” She nodded. “The future is never set in stone, but I’m afraid that after Annika’s powers were activated, the Hell Gate was always likely to open again soon. The question is—how long will it stay open?”
“So it can be closed?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “And we’ll all three want to go there to try. Specifically you, Camelia.”
“Why?” My hand instinctively went to my stomach again. “I’m pregnant, and the Vale is a war zone. I can’t risk losing the baby.”
“Trust me.” Rosella smiled. “You’ll want to be there.”
Before I could ask for more information, Mary rubbed the sapphire stone and Geneva materialized beside us. The witch looked the same as the first time I’d seen her in the Vale’s throne room—like Cleopatra in a flapper dress.
She looked around the cabin and yawned. “You called?” She crossed her arms and looked at Mary, tapping her foot as she waited for an answer.
“A Hell Gate has been opened at the Vale.” Mary was quick to get to the point. “Can you close it?”
“I don’t know.” Geneva sounded as blasé as ever—as if she were asked to close Hell Gates all the time. “As I’m sure you know, the most recent Hell Gate was closed long before I was born.”
“Right,” Mary said. “I should have known you’d be difficult. So, I command you to transport me, Rosella, Camelia, and two of my tiger shifters to the Vale, where you’ll do everything in your power to try and close the Hell Gate.”
Geneva
I did as Mary commanded—it wasn’t like I had a choice.
We landed in the main square in town… or at least what used to be the main square in town.
Right in the center of the square was a never-ending black pit, with darkness rising up from it and all the way up above the clouds. Wind howled from the pit as gray, spirit-like creatures rose from it—demons. Wolves gathered around the opening in their human forms, kneeling as if bowed down in prayer. The streets were littered with corpses—mostly vampires, but wolves as well. The buildings were cracked and lopsided, like they’d been through an earthquake.
Just looking at the darkness rising from the ground sent despair through my body. This felt more hopeless than when I’d been locked inside that wretched sapphire ring.
There was only one time in my life when I’d felt a horror worse than this—when I’d been called from my ring in the throne room and had seen the pile of ashes that had once been Laila.
Trusting that I’d see Laila again was all that had kept me sane when I’d been locked inside that sapphire prison. She’d been the only person who had ever understood and loved me, as I’d been the only person who had ever understood and truly loved her. We were meant to be.
When the witches had locked me in that ring, they hadn’t realized that they were giving me what I’d always wanted—immortality while being able to keep my powers.
Once Laila had command over the ring, we would have finally been able to be together forever.
With her gone, I had nothing.
Suddenly, two figures materialized across the way—Prince Jacen and Annika.
Hatred rushed through me at the sight of the girl who had killed my soul mate.
Annika held onto Jacen’s hand, and I hated her even more for having someone after she’d taken Laila from me. I curled my hands into fists, wanting to unleash all the darkest magic I could find straight at her and make her hurt even half as much as she’d hurt me.
But of course, I couldn’t.
I could only use my magic when my owner commanded me to do so.
“This is all your fault.” I snarled at Annika. If looks could kill, she’d be dead right now. “If Laila were alive, this never would have happened.”
“That’s not true,” someone said from next to me—the blind vampire prophet, Rosella. “This was all going to happen whether Laila was alive or not. In fact, when Annika killed Laila and ignited her Nephilim powers, she made everything better, not worse.”
“Shut up,” I snapped, not wanting to hear it. I should have left her back at the Haven so I wouldn’t have to listen to her prattling on about Annika’s virtues.
Except of course I couldn’t, because I’d been commanded by Mary to bring her here.
“Stop bickering.” Mary stepped between us, although she remained focused on me. “Every moment the Hell Gate remains open, more demons escape. I command you to close it. Now.”
I stepped forward and peered down into the void, watching the gray demon souls shoot out of the opening.
Looking into the Hell Gate, I knew what I’d known since learning of its opening—my magic wasn’t strong enough to fix this. My magic was as close to infinite as any witch’s that had ever lived, but I was no god. Even I had my limits.
There was only one way I could close the Hell Gate—by depleting my magic.
Closing the Hell Gate would be my Final Spell.
The power of a Final Spell was that it was a sacrifice a witch chose to give. Not even the witches who had locked me inside the sapphire ring could take that choice away from me.
That choice had always existed—I’d simply never wanted to use it until now.
It was ironic, really. I’d longed for immortality the entire time I’d been mortal, as it was the only way Laila and I could be together forever without me becoming a vampire. Now I finally had immortality. But with Laila gone, immortality was a curse—not a gift.
I didn’t want to live in a world without Laila.
She was in the Beyond, and the one thing I wished for above all else was to be there with her. No one knew what waited in the Beyond, but both Laila and I had done enough horrible things during our years that I doubted what waited for us would be anything good.
Maybe if my Final Spell saved the world, my sins would be forgiven. Maybe it would negate every awful thing I’d done and I’d get my wish to be with Laila forever.
With that hope in mind
, I held my hands out, pressing my palms against the edge of the darkness that rose from Hell. Despair filled me upon touching it, but I gathered my magic within myself and focused on my goal. The magic grew and grew until it filled up my entire body so much that I felt like I was glowing with it.
When I touched the darkness, it started to dissolve. Not a lot—not enough to dissolve completely—but enough that I knew that my magic was affecting it.
The darkness pushed back at me. It wanted me to stop. People called out around me, but their words were lost in the wind.
All I knew was that I couldn’t stop now.
If I stopped now, all would be lost.
I reached deep into my soul, digging until I found the root of my magic—the core where it began. It was like I was holding it in the palms of my hands.
Laila, my love, I’ll see you soon, I thought.
Then I thrust every bit of my magic into the darkness, screaming as the last of it ripped out of my body and exploded into a bright, blinding light.
Annika
The light around Geneva consumed the Hell Gate.
It was sucked into the open chasm, eventually dimming and going out as the last bit of it disappeared inside. The opening closed back up, stitching back together until it healed completely.
All that remained was Geneva, sprawled in a heap of dust with her eyes closed. She looked more at peace than ever before.
The sky was bright and blue, the air still. No one said a word. They just stared at the land that had once been the Hell Gate in shock. If it hadn’t been for the ruined buildings and bloodied corpses littering the ground, no one would have known that a supernatural battle had just occurred.
We didn’t have a total number of casualties, but I had a sinking feeling that it was a lot.
Jacen took my hand, and I looked gratefully at him, his touch giving me strength. We would get through this—together. After all, I was the Earth angel. I still wasn’t completely sure what that meant, but I had a feeling I was supposed to take the lead.
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I asked Mary. “Geneva sacrificed herself to close the Hell Gate.”
Mary pulled the sapphire ring out from under her shirt. The once gleaming gem was now dull—it had lost its sparkle completely.
“Geneva performed her Final Spell to save us all.” She approached Geneva’s corpse and clasped the ring inside one of Geneva’s hands, bowing her head respectfully. “She—along with all the others who sacrificed their lives here today—will be given the heroic funeral they deserve.”
Suddenly, two forms ran out of an alley and into the square—Princess Karina and a shifter in wolf form. The princess wielded a sword, her eyes wide in terror. The wolf’s lips were pulled back, ready to fight.
My first thought was that the wolf was trying to attack her. The wolves that had witnessed the closing of the Hell Gate had stopped fighting, but what about the others who had been on the outskirt? However, it quickly became clear that they were running alongside each other—with each other.
Karina spun around, staring down the alley with her sword readied. “A monster is chasing us from the palace,” she said through labored breaths. “No matter what we do, nothing kills her. She’s unstoppable.”
The wolf by her side shifted into an attractive man. Of course, in my mind he couldn’t hold a candle to Jacen—no one could—but it was impossible not to appreciate his rugged good looks. “There’s no use fighting her,” he said, his strong voice echoing across the square. “We’ll do our best to keep holding her off so you can get to safety. But if you want to live, you need to run.”
Many wolves listened to his command—I assumed he had power in the pack, even before this moment.
I stood strong with Karina and her wolf, a sinking feeling in my stomach telling me that despite the Hell Gate being closed, this war was far from over. Jacen stood with me, along with Mary, Camelia, and a fair amount of vampires and wolves that appeared to be trained fighters. Rosella remained as well, although she stood behind us.
I doubted the blind vampire was a strong fighter, but since she was a psychic, I assumed that her remaining here was a good sign for the rest of us.
Soon, the monster that Karina and the wolf had spoken of tore out of the alley—a petite woman with red eyes glinting in the sunlight. She flashed her razor sharp teeth and sank them into the neck of the wolf closest to her.
Screams erupted through the square, and many ran to attack at once. But it was no use.
I raised my heavenly sword and made my way through the chaos. “Stand down!” I commanded, pushing through the crowd to get closer to the demon.
Weapons stuck out from all parts of the demon’s body, but she pulled them out and threw them toward the onlookers, moving so quickly that she was nearly a blur. Her targets fell to the ground, and she continued using her teeth to attack those closest to her.
I avoided being hit by a few knives that came my way, and then I jumped up and brought my sword down on the demon, slicing straight through her neck.
Her head rolled off her body, and both parts disintegrated into piles of ashes. Just like with Samael, all that remained in the ashes were her teeth.
I knelt down and picked up a single tooth, placing it into the same pocket that held Samael’s.
Karina stepped up to my side and held out a hand. I took it, allowing her to help me up.
“You may not be an actual princess,” she said. “But after that, you’re royal in my book.”
“Thanks,” I said, and while I didn’t voice it aloud, that meant a lot from her.
“What was that horrible creature?” She glanced down at the ashes, giving a slight shiver. “Noah and I tried everything to kill it, but nothing worked…”
I glanced at the man she’d emerged with, figuring that he was Noah—the infamous First Prophet of the wolves.
Despite Emmanuel telling me not to judge the wolves harshly, and despite Jacen believing that Noah was a “good guy,” disgust filled me at the sight of him. Unlike Marigold, who’d been possessed and unable to stop Samael, Noah had allowed himself to be tricked by the demon. He’d gathered his people and led them to slaughter innocent vampires. All of the wolves had been gullible, but he most of all.
How could someone lead so many to a massacre without questioning what they were doing?
“That creature was a demon.” Jacen stepped to my side, resting his hand on my arm and facing the crowd. “Annika was able to kill it because her sword was blessed by an angel.”
Annika
Together, Jacen and I told everyone the truth of what had happened.
The wolves were crushed that their Savior had never existed—and embarrassed that they’d believed Samael’s lies so easily. But after seeing the Hell Gate erupt and the demon in the square, no one fought our words.
“The Hell Gate was closed, but the demon was still here,” a wolf spoke up from the crowd. “Why?”
“Yeah,” the vampire next to her chimed in. “Shouldn’t the demon have disappeared with the Hell Gate?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I hope that demon was left behind as some kind of fluke, but right now, I know as much as you.”
“But you’re an angel.” Noah raised an eyebrow, his gaze challenging. “Shouldn’t you know this stuff?”
I held his gaze and clenched my fists, trying to contain my frustration. Because he was right. As an angel and a leader, I should know this stuff. I hated that I couldn’t give everyone the answers they deserved.
I wasn’t sure what kind of leader I’d be—or if I’d be accepted as a leader at all—but I knew I didn’t want to lie just to make people feel better.
“The demon was not a fluke.” Rosella stepped forward, and silence descended upon the crowd. “It was the only demon remaining in the Vale, but hundreds of demons escaped the Hell Gate while it was open. With the Hell Gate sealed, no more can escape, but those who got out still roam the Earth.”
A million questio
ns came from the crowd at once. People were scared, and after seeing the demon that had bombarded the square, I couldn’t blame them.
How were we supposed to beat hundreds of demons? What were the demons going to do now that they were on Earth?
How many more innocents would die because I’d failed to kill Samael when I’d first had the chance?
“Quiet!” Rosella raised her arms in the air, and once more, everyone obeyed her command. For someone so small, it was incredible how loud she could be. “I have the answers you seek. The situation is dire, yes, but it’s not unbeatable. The demons have dispersed themselves throughout Earth, and they’re determined to make Earth their home. They want to rid Earth of all supernaturals and rule with humans as their slaves. But demons are ancient creatures—older than most every other species’ except the angels and gods. Time holds a different meaning to creatures so old, and the supernatural community outnumbers the demons, so they won’t rush into anything. This gives us time to gather our strength and plan how we’re going to defeat them. As you learned earlier, I was a psychic who was turned into a vampire, so my abilities are heightened. I can tell you with certainty—there are many possible outcomes to our war with the demons, and not all of them are grim. The world will be a darker place while demons roam freely, but we have a fair chance to defeat them and restore peace to Earth. We’ll have to work together, but it can be done.”
Hope filled me with Rosella’s words. I trusted the psychic—if she foresaw victory as a possible future, then it must be true.
Mary stepped up next to Rosella and looked confidently out at the crowd. The two of them were a beacon of peace in their matching white Haven outfits. Somehow, amidst all the chaos, they’d avoided getting any stains on their clothing.
“The supernatural community is strongest when the kingdoms are at peace and working together,” Mary said, her eyes strong and calm. “I’d like to remind you that the Haven is open for all supernaturals who wish to live there, whether vampire, shifter, or witch. We always keep our own safe. We also protect peace amongst the supernatural community. The demons who have been released from the Hell Gate threaten that peace, and therefore I swear that the Haven will do everything possible to see every last demon returned to Hell where they belong.”
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 69
