by Simone Pond
Sibyl stewed for a few moments, then she got up to her feet and said, “You’re right. We set out to stop Whitmore and we’re going to finish this. Abaddon is not gaining more territory. There will be no souls lost here tonight. Not on our watch. I have an idea …”
“And?” Eli and I asked.
“Can you call your pack for backup?” she asked me.
“Already done,” I said.
“Make sure they don’t attack any of the women under Whitmore’s spell. They’re innocent too.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
She took Eli’s hand. “I need you to revive Marlo. Then we’re going to break Whitmore’s stronghold over her. We’ll have to move fast so she doesn’t teleport away. Do you think you can do the same thing you did for Vago? Create a super-charged frequency?”
Though I knew nothing about quantum physics or telepathy, I could see where Sibyl was going with this new direction.
Chapter Thirty-five
Sibyl
Vago and I stood right next to Marlo while Eli whispered into her ear, bringing her out of unconsciousness. I hoped that after Eli revived her, Whitmore’s spell would already be broken, but as she started to rejoin the living, her eyes still had that faraway look. She was still under Whitmore’s chain of command.
“Don’t bring her completely back. Just enough,” I reminded Eli.
Once he had Marlo where we needed her, Eli stepped away and the three of us hoisted her up.
“Quick, do your thing before she fully wakes up!” I instructed Eli.
He positioned himself behind her and rested one hand on her shoulder and lifted the other one to the sky. Vago and I kept a firm grip on her to keep her upright while Eli called down low levels of energy frequencies. I rested my hand on Marlo’s head and concentrated on tapping into the frequency that Eli was conjuring down. I thought if I could get into her brainwaves, I’d be able to break the spell.
But nothing was happening.
Every thought of inadequacy seemed to weigh me down. Of all the times to feel like a failure, this was the worst! Vago stared at me, lifting his brows. I squeezed my eyes tight. A series of screams echoed across campus. More innocent lives were being sacrificed. Whitmore and Abaddon would win if I didn’t figure out something.
Marlo started murmuring, “It’s time … It’s time …” She was coming back and I still hadn’t broken the spell.
“His power is stronger than ours,” I said, freaking out.
Vago looked at me. “What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing?”
He poked my head. “Letting fear win.”
I nodded in full agreement with that statement.
“Well, tamp it down and focus on what I’m about to tell you. Esther said we lost the rock for a reason.” Vago paused. “You’re the reason.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The physical rock is gone, but its power isn’t. You’ve been chosen to be the intercessor between the natural and supernatural worlds. You have access to the rock’s powers regardless of where it is.”
I stood staring at Vago, speechless. And then I knew exactly what I needed to do. Alone, I really was flawed and inadequate, but if I pulled from the rock, I’d have access to endless resources of power.
Huge sigh of relief.
“Got it,” I told Vago.
Standing in front of Marlo, I rested my palms over her eyes. I visualized standing on the Holy Rock in its physical form because I’m a visual person. Bright coronas of blue and green light rose up from under my feet. The powerful energy pulsed through my body. I tingled with it.
“Open your eyes,” I told Marlo.
The same words Esther had given to me before I understood what she meant. Before I knew my calling and purpose in this strange new world. The same words that kept guiding me along the path this entire time.
“Open your eyes,” I repeated.
Marlo let out a choking gasp and collapsed into my arms, sobbing. “What have I done?”
Not only had Whitmore mind controlled them into committing the atrocious acts, he made it so they’d have to carry the burden and shame of the memory the rest of their lives. He had soiled their innocence. Stolen their purity. They were no longer virgins. The supernatural battle for territory wasn’t for physical land, it was for human souls.
Marlo cried against my shoulder. I didn’t say anything. I just stroked her hair. At least Eli was able to save Marlo’s victim. How many others were out on the campus grounds unable to be healed? How many others were about to commit a murder for Whitmore?
I knew what we needed to do.
Chapter Thirty-six
Sibyl
“We need to hurry up and end this,” I said.
“I can’t believe what I did,” Marlo cried.
“But the girl is okay,” Eli said.
“Also, it wasn’t you who did that. It was Whitmore. So listen to me. Are you listening?” I lifted her chin.
She was still sobbing.
“I need you to pull it together if we’re going to fix this. You don’t want others to feel what you’re feeling right now, do you? None of you are responsible for this.”
Marlo’s breathing returned to a steady pace. “Okay. What can I do?” she asked, weakly.
“Whitmore is tapping into minds through some spell in his book. It’s some sort of conduit. We can do the same thing. We can use your power of telepathy—the same way Whitmore is—to communicate to these women. Break through to them,” I told her.
“But I’m not as powerful as Whitmore. It’ll never work!” she cried.
“Not on your own. We have Eli. He will be the distribution channel,” I explained.
“So, I’m like a cell tower,” Eli said, smiling.
The way his crystal blue eyes lit up made me want to race back to his house and consummate our relationship once and for all. I really couldn’t wait for this night to be over.
“The best cell tower in Coastview,” I said.
“Can you two just shut up and get to it?” Vago scoffed.
I pulled Marlo and Eli close together, resting one of his hands on her head. He lifted the other one to the sky and began to call down the energy sources.
I stood next to Marlo, whispering in her ear, “Tell them Whitmore is controlling their actions. That they have the power to break the spell. All they have to do is walk the other way. Tell them to drop the books and the daggers. Turn around. Get on the path and head toward the Arts Building.”
She kept her eyes closed, concentrating on these words, while Eli’s hand was firmly placed on her head. Vago and I stepped back a few feet and watched. I prayed this plan would work. Because I was out of ideas. We’d never get close enough to Whitmore to kill him ourselves. And if we could, he’d be able to manipulate our minds.
Marlo’s body began jerking. A halo of white-and-silver light glowed from Eli’s hands. Then sparks of light trickled out from the crown of Marlo’s head into the blackness. Gossamer strings of light threaded across the black landscape, and soon strands of twinkling lights criss-crossed all over campus. It was working!
“Do you see that?” I whispered to Vago.
“See what?”
“The lights?”
“Nah. But I do see Abaddon making his way in,” he said.
Vago wasn’t joking. In the distance, beyond the web of light blanketing the campus, I saw the wings of fire flapping. A cold wind rushed forth, prickling over me. Why couldn’t it be as simple as breaking the spell and calling it a night? I guess that’s not how it worked in the supernatural realm. Not when the destroyer of all things was thirsting for souls. Not when we were thwarting his plans to gain more spiritual territory.
“Shift and call your pack again. Tell them to hurry up!” I told Vago.
He tore through the shorts Eli had given him as he shifted from human into his dog form. He shook out his brown coat and released a howl so boisterous it possibly re
ached up to the Blood Moon. He stood right by my side as Abaddon swooped overhead with his giant wings blazing across the black sky. The string of communication streaming from Marlo and Eli began to flicker in and out. I couldn’t let Abaddon break the line of communication. We had to stop Whitmore’s spell.
“No!” I shouted above to distract the beast.
He flapped his wings and shrieked. I ran away from Marlo and Eli so as not to disturb their line of communication. Vago ran by my side, barking. The demon took a nosedive in our direction. He was going to crash-land right into us. But seconds before he careened into us, he swept up again, leaving behind a flame of smoldering fire. From out of the flames stalked Mr. Influential himself. Whitmore’s yellow lizard eyes glared directly toward me as he made a slow and appalling approach. Vago growled and barked. I did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not by choice. The asshole had some sort of lock on my mind. Vago let out a yelp and dropped. I wanted to kneel down and check on him, but I couldn’t move. Not even a finger.
“A fair attempt,” Whitmore said in a patronizing tone.
Marlo let out a cry and collapsed to the ground. The web of communication shut off, rendering the plateau before me black once again. Eli yelled out, then dropped hard by Marlo’s feet. What was Whitmore doing to my friends? Causing them unbearable, agonizing pain, that’s what. And I couldn’t do anything about it. I stood frozen in the prison of my own body. Helpless. The sounds of screams returned and ricocheted off the buildings. The blood sacrifice was back on.
Whitmore grinned, letting me see his jagged teeth. I waited for him to drop some cliché line like: Now … where were we? But he remained calm and silent like the moment before a storm cracks open. This was worse than anything he could’ve said because it left me stranded with my own thoughts. Ones that were telling me I had let my friends down. That many people would die tonight. And that my plan had failed, resolutely.
But then, something in the corner of my mind grabbed my attention. Esther’s leather-bound book that I had stayed up half the night reading. The training manual on supernatural combat. I remembered the story about the battle scene with the three people and the swarm of warriors marching in. Two of the men thought they were outnumbered, but when the woman waved her hands over their eyes, the veil lifted to reveal a legion of angels.
Our plan hadn’t failed because it wasn’t over. I couldn’t stand up to Whitmore on my own. But I could stand on the rock and pull from its endless stream of power.
Whitmore must’ve sensed a shift in me because he quickly moved in closer, and his eyes grew more intense. But I could see the amount of focus he needed to control the four of us was draining his power. I pictured standing atop that radiant blue and green Holy Rock and letting the light beams fill me up with glorious power. Whitmore pressed his fingers against his temples. Vago let out another yelp. Marlo screamed in agony. Eli moaned. I didn’t let these distractions break my concentration. I called to the rock. Whitmore couldn’t have me. Evil couldn’t keep a stronghold forever. I kept calling to the rock until finally, he stumbled backwards. He folded forward, gasping for air. The stronghold had been broken. I was able to move again. I shook Vago, helping him to all fours. His blue spirit came back to life.
Woof!
Then I ran over to Eli. I didn’t know how much time we had before Whitmore revived himself and was able to start messing with our minds again.
“Eli! Wake up! Help Marlo!”
He moaned from whatever pain Whitmore had inflicted. I tried not to run over to Whitmore and murder him right then and there. I needed to help my friends. Eli rolled to his side and placed his hand on Marlo’s shoulder, then began whispering into her ear. Vago ran in circles around us, barking. I finally realized he was warning us. The smell hit me first, the musty fetid scent of evil dog shifters. When I glanced up, hundreds of crimson eyes came charging in from the darkness.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Vago
The evil dogs were speeding toward us from every direction and my pack still hadn’t shown up. I stood in front of Sibyl, howling to the Blood Moon, hoping that would amplify the sense the urgency. Sibyl and I couldn’t hold them off on our own. And Eli was tending to Marlo. One of the mangy dogs ran ahead of the pack and moved in close. I dashed across his path, cutting him off. But he kept racing right toward Sibyl. I pivoted and came back around, pouncing on him. We rolled in the grass, tumbling over each other. I sunk my teeth into his neck, biting down until I felt bone. Then I shook him like a wet towel, flinging his limp body away. One down, but hundreds were coming. Keeping them back would be like holding off a tsunami. Impossible.
I ran over to Sibyl, barking for her to run, but she stood still.
Woof! Woof!
“It’s okay, buddy,” she whispered. Her pale blue eyes shined an iridescent bluish white. “Watch over Marlo and Eli.”
The dogs were circling the campus. My pack still hadn’t arrived. Sibyl began walking over toward where Whitmore stood, holding his temples. He was communicating to the dogs, and she was going to break his concentration.
One of the dogs lunged at me, hurling me to the grass. We tussled about. As his teeth tore into my shoulder, the pain was so searing I thought my fur would catch on fire. I bit down on the dog’s leg, locking my jaw until I heard the bone crunch. He yelped and dropped to the ground. The taste of bitter blood coated my muzzle. Another dog charged forward. That time Eli stood up, lifting his hands to the sky. I waited for a blast of lightning, but he had depleted his energy sources. We had no pack, no lightning, and a deranged pack of dog shifters moving in fast. It was over. I stood before Eli and Marlo, growling and gnashing my teeth at the oncoming pack. They’d have to get through me first.
“Look!” Eli shouted.
But I already sensed it in every fiber of my being.
My pack had finally arrived.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Sibyl
As I walked toward Whitmore, a powerful blast of energy heated up through my body. My cells burst to life. Every step felt guided and empowered by the strength of something far greater than me. Far greater than Whitmore. When I was about twenty feet away, I whistled to him. He jerked out of his trance and glared at me. He had been so sure his dogs would instill fear in our hearts that he neglected to keep a close watch. And now it was too late. For him.
“You!” he blurted. “You don’t know the depths of what you’ve trespassed into.”
I thought about saying something humorous or cliché, but then decided to keep it simple. I placed my feet toward the side, preparing like I would at the pitcher’s mound, then pulled back my right arm and hurled one of my baseballs right toward his yellow lizard eyes. The blaze of fiery orange streaked across the space between us like a meteor. Whitmore went up in a burst of flames. He was finished, but the blood sacrifice wasn’t.
Evil dog shifters flooded onto the campus, their ravenous snarls and vicious growls adding to the pandemonium. The hellish beasts attacked both the spellbound women from the book signing and the students they had been commanded to murder by Whitmore. It was time to take things up a few notches. End this night once and for all.
“Marlo!” I shouted. “Come here!”
She teleported to my side.
“I want you to use me,” I said, holding her hands.
“For what?”
“To intercede. To stop this madness.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Just trust me.”
I took her hands and placed them over my heart, then stretched out my arms. Closing my eyes, I called on the power of the rock. Concentrating with everything I had in me. I called down deep. I went below the surface. To the place I had been afraid to go before. I faced the darkest fear in me. Fear that I was alone.
Suddenly, a nova of radiance burst from my fingertips and stretched out like rays of sunlight across the campus. I could see everything. Every single thing … Vago in his dog form, barking for his pack to come, Eli about
to be pummeled by a dog, innocent people sprawled out on the grass, others running … But what I saw more than anything was fear. Fear in all their faces. Everyone was frightened by evil. Terrified evil would win this battle.
“Open your eyes!” I shouted to all of them. “Open your eyes!”
My words echoed across campus as beams of light poured from my fingers and reached their eyes. Even the evil dog shifters. And the veil was removed. They could see the truth. The way I saw it. We were surrounded by a legion of celestial spirits. Coronas, bursting and exploding in cascades of glistening light. They swept down to assist. The evil dog shifters whimpered and dropped to the grass and melted away into puddles of blackness. The injured ones received healing as sprinkles of light covered their wounds. It was glorious beyond sight.
I wanted to keep my eyes closed forever so I could keep seeing everything again. I missed seeing the trees, the grass, the stars sprinkled across the night sky. I wanted to keep seeing people and not just their twinkling spirits. But I knew that wasn’t my purpose. That I had been given my gift for a reason. And so when all the evil dog shifters were vanquished and the innocent people had been fully restored, I opened my eyes to the sea of blackness before me.
Marlo lowered her hands from my heart. “Wow,” she whispered.
“Did you see it?” I asked.
She could only nod in response. I wondered if the others had seen it too. Maybe Eli and Vago had witnessed it, but I didn’t know if the normies got a glimpse into the supernatural realm. And if they had, would they even remember any of it? Or would they be protected from their memories like what happened at city hall?
I didn’t want to stick around to find out. I wanted to get out of my dress, and into a hot bath. Then I wanted to sleep for a couple days with Vago—in dog form—cuddled by my feet. Aunt Ruthie could make soup and take care of me. I was exhausted, but also I felt a cold coming on. Probably from falling into the Pacific Ocean.
