“Sailor…”
“I’ll be fine, Blaze. Just focus on getting this thing out of me, okay?” While I speak, Abby goes through her belongings, pulls out a chain-linked rope, and makes her way towards me. Blaze scoots out of the way, his eyes still locked on me in quiet desperation as Abby secures me against a support beam of the building.
“You ready?” Abby backs away and squares up in front of me. She tries to hide her grimace, but it’s hard not to. I don’t blame her. What I’m asking her to do isn’t exactly standard practice.”
“Yeah…ready as I’ll ever be. His life force is tied to mine, so don’t pull your punches. We have to draw him out…let him know we mean business and that death is a real possibility. I dosed myself with Holy Water earlier, but it’s been bleeding out through my cut, it hasn’t been enough yet, though. It’s still messing with him."
“He speaks to you?”
“Yeah. Whenever I don’t have anything to suppress him, he can communicate with me. It’s a voice in my head most of the time, but I can sometimes feel his emotions, his urges, too.” I shake my head. “But that’s not important right now. We need him active so that we can get him to remove the seal. Do you have a knife on you? Not a normal one, but one for hunting?” Abby lifts up the hem of her shirt and reveals a dagger off to the side, nestled between her belt and jeans.
“Just this one.”
“Let me see it.” Abby grabs the dagger by the hilt and raises it level with my eye. I then scan the body of the blade, analyzing the etched runes engraved into its body. “Perfect, seems to have everything covered. It’ll definitely do some damage, now stab me, right in the thigh…like you mean it, but dodge the artery if you can. He can heal me, but it’s not as powerful as a demon who’s in full control. I don’t want to push it. As long as you can see the mark, he’s in me, and he’ll do everything he can to keep us from dying. Keep an eye out for it, okay? When he’s gone, it’s gone.”
Abby grips the knife firmly and nods at my request.
“Yeah.”
“Blaze can start doing the traditional stuff after we make some ground and need a final push. Val, just sit tight… After it’s all said and done, make sure I’m stable, patch me up, and restrain me just in case. Blaze can take my car...follow him and make sure he goes where he is supposed to. I’m the wild card in all of this. If there’s any deviation, assume the worst and do what you have to do. Okay.” I sigh. “Let’s give this thing hell.”
On my command, Abby plunges the serrated dagger into the base of my thigh and my brain explodes in a rush of pain. I lurch forward and my vision blurs as she leaves the knife embedded in my skin. From my sunken position, I look up at her and see the remorse in her face. It sounds like it’s miles away, but I can hear Valerie crying beneath my rasping breaths. Abby yanks the blade out at an angle and my jeans instantly become moist with blood. I yell, but my screams are short-lived. After the initial pain subsides my head grows heavy and time begins to skip around—drowsiness, brought about by my rapid loss of blood. Fuck, did she nick it?
Well isn’t this delightful? I expected resilience, but this? This is…quite the surprise. I thought we were friends.
“Abby…he’s here,” I force out in a stupor.
I hope you know that this won’t end well. His voice pushes through the fog in my mind, my drowsiness scattering from the onset of the demon’s power. I draw enough strength to sling my head back towards the pillar I’m bound to and catch my breath.
“Fuck you, I want my body back,” I rasp. I close my eyes for a second and focus on stopping my head from spinning. “You hear me?!” I blurt amidst my lack of vertigo.
We had a deal.
“Yeah, one that you weren’t living up to. I shouldn’t have let you in!”
Ah, but you did—and you were oh so desperate. It was…endearing, to say the least. A loving daughter who signed her soul away, all for the sake of revenge.
“Abby, again!” Wasting no time, Abby retracts her blade and plunges it into my abdomen. My body quakes from the incision and what feels like a branding iron begins to burn away at my insides. I try to hold in my scream, but my voice erupts from my throat with an accompanying spurt of blood. Vartal wails inside my head, but as satisfying as it is to hear him suffer, it doesn’t take away from the pain I’m feeling. It’s unbearable, a pain not meant to be felt by humans but instead bring demons to their knees. Abby slightly twists the blade and retracts it from my wound, instantly releasing the tension from my body.
Are you prepared to die? Your body will give long before my existence.
“Yeah, I am,” I respond, still disoriented from the unearthly pain. “Abby…again.” Abby aligns the tip of her blade a few inches adjacent to the previous wound and waits. Valerie’s crying rings in my ears while Blaze holds his gaze.
You’re not designed for this type of punishment.
“Do it!” At my command, Abby presses the blade into my skin and I yell in agony as it slides into my gut.
Fire… That’s the only way to describe it. It’s like sticking your hand into a solar flare and letting it sit while the flames chew at your bones. It’s mind-warping. Soul-destroying.
Abby pulls the blade from my stomach and I lurch over, mouth agape. A trail of blood begins to leak from my nose and drips rhythmically onto my leg.
“I don’t know how much more she can take, Blaze. She’s healing, but look at her.” I close my eyes in an attempt to alleviate the residual effects of the dagger, but it lingers like a body-wide hangover. Even thinking hurts.
“The mark is still there, isn’t it? So we keep going.” Blaze’s voice inches closer.
“I…I don’t want to kill her.”
“Neither do I, but we have to keep going. We can’t just stop. There really isn’t any other way. If you can’t go through with it, I understand. I will. I shouldn’t have let you do it in the first place. I was selfish... I should have stepped in.” I lethargically open my eyes only to see Abby transfer the blade over to Blaze.
If you give me control, I can make this all go away. I can save us both.
I don’t need saving. I need to be free.
“Blaze…”
“Yeah?”
“Do what you have to do,” I rasp.
“I will. I just hope it isn’t much.” Blaze readies Abby’s dagger but before he can stab me, Abby grabs his shoulder and stops the blade.
“Wait…maybe we’ve been going at this wrong way.”
“What do you mean?” Blaze asks.
“Ultimately, we aren’t trying to hurt her, we’re trying to hurt him,” she says while looking into my eyes.
“But they’re linked…it goes hand-in-hand.”
“Yeah, but not exactly. Think about it. He’s a parasite. Sailor’s the host. We don’t have to do this to her. There’s another way.”
“Okay, yeah, I get it. I think I know what you’re getting at.” Blaze steps towards the seal on my forearm and aligns the blade at an angle as if he’s about to peel into like an apple. A flash of pain rips across my skin and I try my best to stay as still as possible even though it hurts like hell. My exposed flesh quickly begins to leak crimson, but it’s nothing compared to before. It’s shallow; not deep enough to do any real harm. “You heard her, right, Sailor? He’s like a parasite—a tick—so I’m gonna burn him right off of you.” The second he’s done speaking, he presses the blade flat against my exposed wound and my pain receptors explode in full. I scream at the top of my lungs, echoing Vartal’s and I’s joint agony. And then, without warning, my body goes numb, and my conscious begins to wane. I no longer feel the searing heat against my skin.
As my head sinks and my vision dims, the only thing I manage to hear are my friend’s muffled screams.
****
When I come to, I find myself on the floor in a dark space with no walls in sight. “Shit, here again.” In the distance, I hear a voice speaking. It’s faint, but it’s someone familiar. Blaze. “Vartal?
” I say after standing. “Vartal, show yourself!” The ground rumbles and a torrent of wind storms into the vicinity, ushering in a dark cloud. I raise my arms over my face as the gusts cause my apparel to flail wildly behind me. I lower my center of gravity and endure his summoning, all the while peeking between my forearms in anticipation of the demon’s arrival.
The winds settle, and Vartal’s body partly materializes from the fog. From what he allows me to see, he seems more healthy than the last time, despite his pending ejection. His features have more life to them and the power from just being in his presence is evident.
You’ve made quite the mess, my dear.
“If I’m here again, that means that I’m most likely dead.”
No, not quite. Look down. I glance at my feet and notice a darkened splotch on my shirt. I press my hand against it and then remove it once the liquid transfers. Blood. The last time we met, circumstances were different, Vartal says while I analyze the smeared blood in my hand. The ground trembles slightly and I hear Blaze’s voice again. I can’t make out what he’s saying, but it’s definitely him. It’s washed out. Almost like I’m hearing him from the bottom of the ocean. They’re fighting against me…your friends. You’re not unconscious, but your body is failing you. You’re nearing the edge of life and death.
“Is that so?” I huff. “Well, you for one seem awfully calm about it.”
Don’t be so naive. What you’re seeing is just an extension of my presence. I’m the one keeping you alive in a battle that lies elsewhere.
“That’s not necessary. I don’t know if I made it clear enough before, but I’m prepared to die if it means you go down with me. Hell, I might just do a favor and take you out myse—”
Vartal extends his hand, and a gust of wind shoots from the darkness and pushes me onto the floor. Vartal hunches over and grabs at his chest after his feat of power. His presence flickers but stabilizes soon after.
There’s still time…to save us both.
“And have you wreak havoc while I take the backseat? I’ll pass,” I say as I stand to my feet.
The ground shakes at the sound of Blaze’s muffled voice.
…I’m giving you a chance at life.
“I don’t care. I chose this. I knew this could happen.”
Yes, but you don’t know what is to come. The ground trembles again and I lose my footing. Vartal watches me from the darkness, unmoved, while Abby screams something that I’m unable to process. I lift my finger and put it to my nose only to see blood. Humph… As I said before, your body will give long before I do. That’s why I’m giving you a final chance to join me. I owe you that much for all that you’ve given me. He chuckles. A second chance.
“We’re through.”
Yes, that seems to be the case…but do know that this isn’t the end of me. Even now, the methods your friends use to thwart me are but a minor setback.
“Cut the bullshit. You wouldn’t have made an offer if this wasn’t your last resort.”
You of all people should know the depths of my power.
“Hardly. All I know is that you’re a psychotic pain in the ass.”
Tasteless as ever—but quick wit will do little for what’s to come.
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I bring guns.”
Farewell, Sailor. I do hope that we meet again.
Chapter 13: Life and Living
“Vartal! My eyes shoot open and I’m instantly greeted with an overwhelming pain. “Where is he?” I force out. I’m alive, but I feel like shit. My eyes adjust to the lighting slowly, the shapes surrounding me comprised of colored blurs and blobs.
“Not here. He’s gone.” I blink a few times and the shapes start to take their true form. Blaze’s spot…we must have made it back.
“Gone from…me?”
“Yeah,” Blaze responds, his face worn from exhaustion. “The mark’s gone and so is Vartal. We were so worried about you tha…” He pauses for a moment. “I’m glad that things worked out the way they did…you living. After we switched up the plan to doing as much harm as we could to Vartal rather than you, he didn’t last long. I don’t know if you remember, but he left not too long after you lost consciousness.”
“Strangely enough, I do. We had a conversation of sorts before he left. Is he still alive?”
“Not sure. Our top priority was making sure you were stable after he left. You were pretty banged up.”
“Still am.” My eyes gaze down towards the pain stemming from my abdomen.
“And he was too. He was healing you and look how you ended up…it’s been a couple of hours since you got here. He’ll fizzle out if he hasn’t already. We forced his hand.”
“We did, but he’s tough—when I spoke to him, he didn’t seem too worried. Confident even.”
“He was bluffing.”
“Maybe. He did try to convince me to let him save us. He could have jumped ship way earlier.”
“He must have thought he had his hooks in you.”
“Yeah, I guess so…” Nathan’s lifeless body flashes in my mind, but my face remains unmoved. “Where’s Valerie?” I ask, distancing myself away from the conversation.
“Sleeping. She’s fine, considering everything she’s been through.”
“Damn…everything kinda hit her all at once. We went from eating a home cooked meal to fighting for our lives. It’s a lot to take in.”
“That’s usually how it goes. Run-ins with the paranormal either break you or make you stronger. Once you realize how much you don’t know, you really don’t have any other options.”
“Flee or fight.”
“Right.” Blaze nods. “She waited for you…Valerie. After we got in and set you up, she waited for you to wake up. She didn’t care about herself, she just wanted to make sure that you were okay. She had to get shooed off so she could get better, herself.”
“But you stayed?”
“Someone had to.” He shrugs.
“If you’re only sticking around to learn about what happened between me and Vartal, you’re going to have to wait awhile.”
“Yeah, I get that, but that’s not why I’m here—you almost died, Sailor. You’re family. I wanted to make sure that you were okay.”
“Far from it, but I’ll manage. Brain-bleeds aren’t fun. Neither is getting tortured by things designed to take out demons. If we’re being honest, I’m not exactly sure how I made it out as good as I did. He clearly had his hands full. He must have really wanted me—”
“Don’t think about it too hard. Get some rest. Abby and Valerie are going to want to see you once I spread the word.”
“Roger.” I flick my thumb up towards Blaze and a wave of pain radiates down my arm.
“Are you taking visitors or should I…?”
“You can tell them that I’m fine, but that I just need a little time to myself—that I’m exhausted.”
“Yeah…yeah, I can do that. Sure.”
“Give me a couple of hours. There’s a lot I have to process. Not just the demon…everything.”
“Got it. You want to take things slow.”
“In a way, yeah. Just like before.”
“Well, take your time. I’m gonna go check up on Valerie and fill in Abby. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Just holler if you need someone. My phone’s on me so you can text me, too.”
“Your phone? You going somewhere?”
“Just to talk over some things for our next steps.”
“With the Sphinx operation, right?”
“Yeah, we’re going over some hot spots and other things. I know hunting is the last thing on your mind right now, so I’ll be a good friend and spare you the details.”
“Oh, well be careful. Your arm is still in a sling.” Blaze glances at his arm and then back up at me.
“It’s not one hundred percent, but it’s getting there.”
“Yeah. I know. I’m just saying, expect the unexpected. They know they’ve been compromised. Don’t play into a trap. Our tra
ck record isn’t too good with that.”
“Yeah.”
“But you’ve got Abby now, so who knows?” I say on a lighter note.
“You’re right, but she’s human, just like you and me. We all make mistakes. I’ll try to play it safe. No one I’m meeting with is a novice, but still, I’ll remind them that it’s never a good idea to put all your cards on the table. We’re going to be extra careful moving forward. More so than we are right now. Demons are no joke.”
“Top of the food chain. I’d rather go against V—”
“Vampires? Pass,” Blaze responds coldly. Damn, poor choice of words by me. Even without Vartal, I still screw up. “All right, I have to go now, or else I’ll be late. I know you have a habit of doing your own thing, but just let me know first, okay? Not for my sake, but just so I’ll know where to find you if I have to. You’re tough, but…you know.”
“I’m not demon-tough. At least not anymore… I got you. Go. Do your thing.”
“Anyway, I’m glad to have you back, and I’m happy you guys both made it out of there alive. See you soon.” Blaze leaves after donning a half-smile, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I glance at my forearm and run my hand along where the mark used to be. It’s gone. He’s gone…which means my soul is mine to keep. I could say that I’m happy, but that’s only halfway true. Relieved, yes, but happiness doesn’t quite describe it. Even if I could, I wouldn’t be jumping for joy over the moon. Vartal opened my eyes—pushed me to places that I didn’t necessarily want to go. I thought I did, but it wasn’t me. At least not one hundred percent. Slowly but surely, he was eroding my humanity, taking it away piece by piece. He was turning me into a monster, and the worst part is, I’m not even sure if he’s dead.
Chapter 14: The Search for Something More
As resourceful as her friends appear to be, it was foolish of them to not have killed me when the opportunity arose. Though I am weakened, I am not yet removed from this plane of existence, and neither do I plan to be. I’ve come too far only to fail now. Sailor was a fine vessel…one with such qualities that are hard to find on such short notice, but alas, a replacement must be found. I’ve waited too long for a chance to avenge those who suffered alongside me and if I were to perish, how long would it be before the mantle is picked up once more? For that reason alone, I simply refuse to be thwarted here. As long as I find a vessel, I can move forward, but where?
Sailor Ray and the Beautiful Lie (The Pact Book 3) Page 15
