As I wait for the spell to do its work, I try to keep my mind off the consequences of my actions. The only thing I care about is making Brody and his people leave this town forever.
The force of the connection nearly causes me to double over when it happens. The last time Dana and I attempted this spell, we were merely borrowing Krissa’s abilities for a brief period, and by the time Dana located Bess, our hold on Krissa’s powers was nearing its end. But now an enveloping pressure consumes my mind and I know without a doubt it’s Bess. Her presence is familiar, like a perfume worn by a long-lost friend.
I lose sense of my body. It’s as if I’m floating, formless, in a void. I can’t see anything, but I know Bess is near.
“I know what you seek,” murmurs a voice eerily similar to my own. “My people have waited generations for what I have to say. I was beginning to fear you would never reach me, that these words would be lost forever.”
I can’t feel my mouth, but still my words reverberate out. “What’s so important that these people would threaten my family?”
“That’s simple: Immortality.” Bess’s words ring as clearly as a bell. “Tell my followers this—and be sure to use these precise words: The midnight stone must be imbued with the power of deepest night. Afterward, all who desire eternal life will drink it.”
Questions chase themselves around in my head. What is midnight stone? How does a person drink a rock? What’s the power of deepest night? But before I can ask any of them, our connection weakens. Her presence slips further away with each beat of my heart and I’m aware of my body again. After a few tries I manage to open my eyes. When I do, I jump with surprise. “Gah—Lexie!”
“Are you okay?” she demands.
“Did it work?” Brody’s voice drifts from just a few feet away.
I place my hands on Lexie’s shoulders. “I’m fine.” I’m pleased when my voice doesn’t tremble. She looks like she wants to press to be sure, but before she can, Krissa releases a low moan.
“I think she’s coming around,” Fox says, his relief obvious. Dana’s brow knits, and I can’t help wondering just what kinds of things she’s picking up with her new psychic abilities.
I turn to face Brody as Lexie goes to check on Krissa. “I have your information. I need to know that when I give this to you, you’re going to leave town immediately.”
It’s clear Brody is doing his best to keep his face neutral, but he can’t entirely suppress how anxious he is to learn what I found out. His eyes are brighter than usual and he rubs the pads of his thumbs across his fingertips. “I have no interest staying in your hovel of a town. I know the Devoted were obsessed with it because Seth lived here, but the Amaranthine place no particular value on it.”
“Okay.” Part of me thinks perhaps I should hold on to this information—or at least hold back part of it as a bargaining chip of some kind. But if Brody and his people leave, there will be no need to negotiate. Besides, I don’t want to give him any reason to follow through on his threats. “You might want to take this down, because Bess was very particular about the wording. She said the midnight stone must be imbued with the power of deepest night. Afterward, all who desire eternal life will drink it.”
Brody’s eager expression clouds. “What’s the midnight stone?”
I shrug. “I figured you would know.”
“Imbued with the power of deepest night,” he murmurs, his agitation growing by the second. “There must have been more. What else did she say?”
I hold up my hands. “There wasn’t anything else. That’s the message. Now I made good on my part of the deal. I expect you to do the same.”
Brody sneers, but I turn away. Krissa’s making more noise now, and Fox and Lexie are attempting to help her to her feet. A relieved sigh escapes my lips. Once the Amaranthine are gone, we can figure out what’s going on with Krissa and what we need to do next.
Kai speaks as I start for her. “What now?”
The answer seems obvious. They have what they came for. All that’s left now is for them to leave. I know they have questions about what Bess’s words mean, but that’s not my problem. I held up my end of the deal.
“I need to report to Jade,” Brody murmurs. “She won’t be pleased.”
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. After all his threats and harassment, Brody didn’t get what he expected. And it sounds like his boss is going to be upset. Ahead of me, Krissa is finally getting her feet under her. Her head is still down, her pale blonde hair obscuring her face like a curtain. Maybe she was wrong about the Influence. Besides it overwhelming her when it first rushed in, she seems to be handling it fine. For the first time in months, I’m confident things are going to start getting better.
“And me?” Kai asks, his voice husky.
Brody is quiet so long I almost tune out his response. But when he finally speaks, my blood runs cold.
“Kill them.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Krissa
The moon looms red and ominous over my head. For a moment, it’s all I can see. But then Fox and Lexie come into view, their faces reflections of each other’s. Relief laced with trepidation colors their features. I wish I could remember what happened, but my mind is a jumbled mess.
Hands tug my arms. They’re trying to help me stand. I do my best to comply, but my body doesn’t feel right.
“I need to report to Jade. She won’t be pleased.”
I know that voice.
Like camera flashes, images erupt in my mind’s eye. The eclipse, the fire. Bridget, Lexie, and Fox standing around the fire working a spell. The Influence spell.
“And me?”
That must be Brody’s companion, the Amaranthine assassin. Kai.
By degrees, I feel more in control of my body, but I still can’t raise my head. My hair swishes around my face, only allowing glimpses of the world beyond. A crackle like electricity builds in my core. I was too late to stop the spell, so I did the only thing I could think. When the Influence manifested itself and sought a host, the only empty vessel it found was me.
“Kill them.”
As if they were the words I’ve been waiting for, my head snaps up and I can manage my own body.
Crystal spins on her heel. “What? You said—”
“I said I’d leave this town if you gave me what I wanted,” Brody snaps. “Consider this your consequence for making me wait so long for such useless information.” He glances at Kai. “Alert me when you’ve finished.”
“What? You’re not gonna watch?” Kai asks.
“I don’t get quite the thrill out of it that you do.” Without another word, Brody spins on his heel and disappears into the forest.
Kai’s expression darkens as he turns his attention to Crystal. He cracks his knuckles slowly, one sickening pop sounding through the clearing at a time.
In a flash, I put myself between him and her. “You’re not going to lay a finger on her.”
Kai grins wolfishly. “Oh, honey, I don’t need to touch her. This is going to be fun. I’ve been itching for the go-ahead to do some real damage.”
“What’s he talking about?” Bridget asks, her voice high.
There’s a shuffling behind me. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” It’s Fox who speaks. He must have moved to Bridget’s side, because his voice is directly behind me.
Kai tips his head back and laughs. “Adorable. You really think you’re a match for me? I’ve been the Amaranthine assassin since I was thirteen. The man I killed—the last assassin—held his position for forty years. He had killed and tortured more people than you can ever imagine. Some called him unstoppable, invincible. I took him down in less than five minutes. And you think you stand a chance?” His wolfish grin spreads, changing into a leer.
“You won’t touch them,” I snarl. Red smoke slips in around the edges of my vision, curling and swirling in hypnotizing spirals. A loud rushing fills my ears. My fingers curl like claws as the Influence ripples like ele
ctricity through my body. I won’t let him hurt them. I won’t let him get near them.
Kai tilts his head, studying me like I’m a particularly interesting bug he’s considering squishing. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
He raises his arm, his hand pointed toward me. A wave of energy rockets in my direction, and I’m barely fast enough to deflect it. A shock wave ripples through my body. I have no idea what he just did, but I sense if I’d allowed it to hit me, I’d probably be incapacitated now. The red smoke continues to encroach on my vision, threatening to block it out entirely. I do my best to keep it at bay, to keep Kai in my line of sight. With a sweep of my arm, I force Dana and Lexie to join Crystal, Fox, and Bridget behind me. I don’t want Kai distracting me by attacking them.
Kai squints, clearly surprised his move didn’t take me down. When he lifts his palm again, I’m ready. As easy as breathing, I summon a shield charm in front of me. It deflects whatever spell Kai threw right back at him, and he has to dive to avoid it. By the time he’s back on his feet, any trace of enjoyment has disappeared from his eyes. He’s angry now.
Good. I’m angry, too.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he growls. “I’m going to make you pay.”
The corners of my lips curl. “I dare you.”
He shoots off several spells in quick succession, and I’m able to deflect each one. He circles, looking for a better vantage point. I keep pace with his movements, being sure to stay between him and the others.
“I’m beginning to think you were exaggerating about the assassin you had to take down for this position.” I watch him closely, taking in even the tiniest movement of his body, anticipating his next move.
He glowers. “Oh, I have no need to embellish. I’ve decided I’m going to save you for last. You’re going to have to watch me kill the rest of them first.”
Before I can respond, he shoots off another litany of spells. I deflect them as they come, the hot lightning of the Influence surging within me. It’s growing stronger. The red fog clouding my vision grows thicker by the moment.
Just as I’m shielding the group from the last of Kai’s attack, he dives to the side and shoots a beam of blue energy just behind me. I’m not fast enough to stop it, and Fox bellows in pain. I glance back just long enough to see him on the ground, his arms around his stomach. Dana crouches beside him.
When I turn back, the red finally shadows my entire vision. It takes over, and I lose all sense of what’s happening. My body bubbles with a rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. An emotion this intense should frighten me, but it doesn’t. I’m exhilarated. The hot lightning snaps and sizzles in my body, building and building until I’m afraid I’ll combust with the power of it. But just before I’m sure I’ll explode, everything rushes out of me, taking the red smoke with it.
I blink and the world comes into focus again. Kai is nowhere to be seen. I spin on my heel, looking in all directions, but he’s not standing anywhere. It’s only then that a sound registers to my ears. Whimpering. Crystal, Lexie, and Bridget hold each other, terror streaking their faces. I can’t say I’m surprised—Kai was pretty intent on doing them harm. But when I follow their gaze, I realize that’s not the thing frightening them. Part of the ground just beyond the bonfire, where Kai had last been standing, is torn up as if something large and heavy impacted it at high speed. I squint in the semi-darkness surrounding it. There are odd shapes that at first glance appear to be pieces of upturned earth, but upon closer inspection reveal themselves to be chunks of Kai’s body. It’s as if someone put an explosive charge in his abdomen and set it off.
Realization dawns slowly. I did that to him. The crackling energy, the red smoke—when it took over, this was the result. My stomach lurches, but not with disgust—with pleasure.
When I turn to face my friends, Lexie, Crystal, and Bridget cower. Dana puts herself between me and Fox.
I exhale as the sizzling in my veins dials back to a gentle simmer. “You’re safe now.”
No one moves. I scrutinize their faces. They’re…frightened. But why? The danger is gone—Kai’s dead. The Amaranthine have what they wanted and are leaving town. Something tugs at the back of my mind. There’s something obvious I’m overlooking here.
With effort, Fox manages to stand. Dana grabs for him but he shakes her off. As he approaches, he limps and holds his side. Kai hurt him. Electricity burns through my veins for a moment before I remember Kai won’t be hurting anyone else ever again.
When he’s an arm’s length away, he reaches for me. I stretch out a hand and he doesn’t quite hide a flinch when I make contact with his skin. “Thank you for making us safe,” he says, his voice quiet. “Let’s get you home and see if Jodi can’t figure out a way to make you safe, too.”
I nod and he leads me to the woods. Shuffling behind us is my only clue that the others are following. No one speaks. I feel something on my face and reach up with my free hand to wipe it. I’m surprised to find it’s wet and sticky. When I investigate my fingertips, I know at once what the substance is. Blood.
There’s blood on my face because I killed Kai. I made him explode right in front of me and my friends. My heart thuds in my chest. What did I do? I don’t remember casting that spell. I don’t even know how to go about doing something that destructive.
It was the Influence.
Even now, I feel it humming inside me, itching to be called upon again.
I don’t realize I’m hyperventilating until Fox places his hands on my shoulders and urges me to take a deep breath. When did we stop walking? I glance at our surroundings to find we’re no longer in the woods. Fox’s truck is a few yards away, and Crystal’s Spark is behind it.
“I don’t know where my car is.” My voice is small and quiet.
“It’s okay,” Fox says. “I’ll take you home.” Instead of leading me to his truck, he pulls off his sweatshirt and dabs my face. I shudder when I realize he must be trying to wipe away the blood.
I’m in Fox’s car before I realize I was walking to it. Time seems to be skipping. Am I in shock, or is this a consequence of the Influence?
The driver’s-side door opens and Fox pulls himself into the cab. He starts the engine, but before he puts it in gear, he covers my hand with his. “I never should’ve agreed to help Crystal and Dana with that spell.”
I want to tell him it’s not his fault, but the words won’t come.
“Those people have what they want now, and I hope that guy does what he said and leaves town. Then we can focus all our energy on helping you.”
My eyes prickle and my vision swims. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Fox. I’m scared.”
His stormy eyes darken and in the next breath he’s wrapped his arms around me. I grip him tightly, afraid if I don’t I might lose sense of myself entirely.
“I just wanted to save her,” I murmur, tears trickling down my cheeks. “I wanted to save both of them. And now… And now…”
He squeezes me so tight I can barely breathe. “And now we’re going to save you.”
###
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Continue the adventure…
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Awaking: Morgan Abbey’s life changes dramatically when a mysterious stranger shares two secrets with her: she possesses psychic abilities and her mother—who has been missing for a decade—is still alive.
Seeking: When Morgan discovers that her mother might be in danger, she is prepared to dismiss all warnings to bring her safely home. With the help of her friends, Morgan will risk everything in an attempt to sa
ve her mom. But forces darker than she can imagine are out there, and before her search is over, Morgan will find that not everything is as it seems—and those she thought she could trust may just be her greatest enemies.
Becoming: Life in the safe house is routine, but routines are meant to be broken—and the reappearance of a familiar face turns life in the safe house on its head. Through relational upheaval and secrets revealed, Morgan has to keep everything together to fulfill her destiny. But when it's time, will she have the resolve to do what needs to be done? Will she be able to kill Orrick?
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Shifted Episodic Serials
Fear is a part of everyday life, but most people have pressed down that fear, convincing themselves that they are safe.
They couldn’t be more wrong.
There are dangers lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike at any time. But there are a vigilant few who know where the dangers are, and they travel from town to town vanquishing evil.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Madeline Freeman lives in the metro-Detroit area with her husband, her daughter and son, and her cats. She loves anything to do with astronomy, outer space, plate tectonics, and dinosaurs, and secretly hopes her kids will become astronomers or paleontologists.
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Moon Magic Page 28
