“We’ll never get through those police barricades,” Kiki says, nodding her head toward them. “That’s where all the action is happening — on the high street, right by the church.”
“Besides, if there are demons or other dark forces waiting for us, what you’re about to do would be suicide,” Lily says. She stands up. “You’re not going alone. I’m going up the hill with you.”
The others murmur in agreement.
“Even though you’re a massive pain in the arse,” Sara says, a smile crossing her ruddy face, “you are one of us. And we Seers need to stick together.”
Without another word, we pick up our poles and begin to walk toward the hill. We’re still crossing the children’s playground when the first demon jumps out at us from one of the trees, its clawed hands reaching for my hair and face. I barely have time to drop and roll out of the way when another one appears.
They’re definitely targeting me …
Dani jumps in front of me to block the second demon and screams as it grabs her by the legs, causing her to lose both her balance and her pole. Kiki sprints forward, smashing her pole into the demon’s back so that it momentarily releases her sister. A quick second strike decapitates the creature. Its head rolls like a bowling ball, striking Dani’s feet as she leaps up.
Lily and Susie have taken on the first demon, neatly removing its head from its body with surgical precision. Lily wipes her pole on the grass to clean it off.
I survey the scene around me. About ten feet in front of us, standing in a horizontal line on the vivid green expanse, are at least a dozen demons. They stand straight and tall like some sort of netherworld army. Each holds a long metal pole with a sharpened end.
“And Jesus wept,” Sara says, with a sharp intake of breath. “They’ve got spears. We’re done.”
Raphael’s words come flooding back to me. This is a game.
I think I understand now. Or at least I hope I do. Otherwise, Sara will be right and we’ll all be dead. I simply need to strategize each move. The demons are just the beginning. Like any game, there will be multiple challenges to overcome.
“We’re okay,” I say. “Remember, they feed off our fear. It makes them stronger.”
“Maybe,” Lily chimes in, “if our fear makes them stronger, our confidence may do the opposite. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Right, Jasmine?”
She’s just read my mind and voiced my thought. I nod, giving her a knowing smile. “Absolutely. I mean, they’re staring at two of their own who are headless thanks to us. We’ve got this.”
We turn and fall into a horizontal line to face the demons. We’re mirroring them, our poles held diagonally across our chests, our shoulders back and our chins high. There are four more of them than there are of us.
But that’s okay.
Sara is the first one to move. She emits a guttural war cry that spurs both sides into action. I follow her lead, and soon every Seer is charging forward, screaming and shouting fiercely, ready to battle to the death. And, honestly, if someone were on the sidelines watching six teenaged girls run at a group of ten adult demons with spears, they wouldn’t give us very good odds. Not at all.
Lily is sticking close to me even though I don’t want anyone risking herself to protect me. I try to get a few feet away from her as we take on the demons, but she’s having none of it. She’s on me like a magnet.
“Give it up, Jasmine,” she says with a rueful smile.
Two demons come charging straight at us, with a third leaping over Dani to circle back around and come up behind me.
“Blimey!” Dani exclaims, twisting in surprise as the demon jumps over her right shoulder and hits the ground running.
I watch her swing around, trying to catch the creature with her pole as my first blow against one of the demons is blocked by its spear. We’re suddenly engaged in a fight that looks a lot like a combination of kendo and jousting. As I bring my pole up, the demon uses its spear to block me. Unlike the demons we’ve encountered previously, these ones appear to be strategizing. And these demons are faster and stronger than any that we’ve ever encountered — but so are we now. We’ve trained for more than a year and a half, and we are no longer novices when it comes to killing these types of creatures.
There’s a loud yelp of pain from somewhere to my left. It’s Kiki. I can’t risk looking to see how badly she’s been injured.
“Jasmine! Behind you!” shouts Dani.
I swing around and, thanks to the warning, am able to swing my body down and away from the spear that is about to smash the top of my head. Sweat trickles into my eyes and makes my sight blur. My eyes sting, but I don’t have a spare moment to wipe the sweat away. Instead, I swing my pole at the first demon and connect with its upper arm, opening a deep split along its fleshy triceps area.
It turns to me with an angry roar of pain. My heart sinks. I was trying to hit its neck, not wound it so superficially.
I jump back as it jabs its metal spear toward my midsection. As I do so, a sharp, hot pain blossoms across my right ankle. I tumble onto the dried grass, throwing my hands downward to take the brunt of my weight as I land, rather than putting it on my right leg and ankle.
Within seconds, the demon is standing over me, a triumphant smile spreading across its face.
“Jasmine,” it chortles, strands of greasy black hair falling like a curtain of spaghetti over one side of its face as it speaks. “Say goodbye …”
The smile turns to a grimace and then a wide-mouthed shriek of surprise as flames lick the back of its head. It drops its spear onto the ground as an odious, sulphuric smell fills the air. In a matter of moments, the creature in front of me has become a demonic tiki torch. It slaps frantically at its head as the fire spreads.
I leap to my feet and swing. The burning head lands on the grass.
Cassandra comes over to stand beside me. “I’m feeling better, thanks,” she says as she spins around, lifting up a hose with a metal gun-like thing on the end. She’s got what looks like her oxygen tank strapped to her back. Aiming at one of the demons about to attack Lily, she presses the trigger. A long, angry burst of orange flame shoots out of the end of the gun and hits the target. The demon’s face is engulfed in flames.
“Leave my sister alone, you bitch!” she cries, pumping her fist in the air as the demon’s face begins to crumple in on itself like a barbequed jack-o’-lantern.
Lily blows Cassandra a kiss before taking a baseball stance and knocking off the demon’s burning head in one swing.
There’s no time to spare. Cassandra is off, moving from demon to demon, setting each of the remaining ones on fire, leaving them to be decapitated by the rest of us as the creatures howl and spin like whirling dervishes. Cassandra’s flamethrower is impressive, spewing fire for more than twenty feet several times.
As the last demon falls, we stand, exhausted, and take in the scene. Sara is stomping on small patches of fire in the grass ignited by demons. The smell of burnt flesh hangs in the air.
Lily hugs and kisses Cassandra. “How did you get here? And how did you make that thing?” she asks, gesturing at the flamethrower.
“Those nurses taking care of me know a few things about stuff like this. After all, the CCT has been preparing for battle, too. All the nurses are a part of the CCT,” Jasmine grins. “Pretty cool, huh? I didn’t need my oxygen tank anymore after Raphael came by and healed me, so …”
“You’re the seventh,” I interrupt with a wide smile. “You fulfilled the prophecy.” I pause. “And you saved my life … I’m glad to see you, my friend.” And I mean it. There may have been a time when I felt Cassandra was my nemesis, but she’s just proven to be my greatest ally.
“Where’s Kiki?” Dani asks, frantically looking around. “Kiki!”
I’d forgotten about Kiki’s cries during the conflict.
We scour the area, careful not to get too far away from each other. There’s no sign of Kiki anywhere. Tears stream dow
n Dani’s cheeks.
“Bloody hell,” Sara says. “What now?”
We all follow her gaze up the hill.
Several sword-carrying figures are descending the hill and coming toward us. Though they’re still fairly far away, my heart freezes as soon as I recognize two of them: Mr. Jawad and that strange boy that Jade seemed to know. The patch over Mr. Jawad’s eye confirms his identity. They’re joined by five others: two men and three women.
Seven.
Something grabs my arm and I scream.
“Jazz, you can’t freeze up like this.” It’s Raphael. “This is it. The Darkness will prey on your greatest weaknesses. It will try to break you.” He turns to me. “No matter what happens, I’m not leaving you this time. I’ll be with you. Always. You need to get past the Archons and nearer to the observatory.”
I turn to look behind me and see that Gabriel, Uriel, Michael, and three others are here. The Archangels. They are all carrying swords, as is Raphael. And they’re walking forward, their gazes firmly focused on the figures that are approaching.
There’s a cry from beside me. A zombie has grabbed Susie’s pole, pinned her to the ground, and pressed the pole against her neck so hard that Susie’s face is slowly turning a deep purple. It’s about to strangle her. I glance around. Zombies are emerging from behind us and from the line of trees to one side of us. There are so many. Too many. It’s like an army of the undead.
It’s a game, Jasmine. Strategize. I close my eyes and listen. The voices that Raphael told me to listen to are now audible. They are with me. And the most important voice of all: the energy of the Earth. She’s wounded, but still alive. A warm light bathes me as she speaks: The Seers were created to keep balance for the Earth. A balance between the elements, and a balance between Darkness and Light. The Archons and the Archangels were part of that. But Darkness began to prevail and human greed, spurred on by the Archons’ breaking ancient commandments, tipped the balance. The witch trials were the first attempt to rid the world of Seers and their powers. Then came the Industrial Revolution. And thus began a slow, agonizing death for the planet. And yet, we Seers can still balance things. We can bring the elements and the spirit of the Earth back into balance. The spirit of the Earth is Light; the Darkness is a primordial element that represents only death and destruction. It mustn’t dominate. It mustn’t win.
The pentagram. I snap back to the present. Without me and Kiki, there are only five Seers. But that’s enough. Exactly enough. I run over to Lily.
“The pentagram,” I say, breathlessly. “Use its protection. That’s what Hawksmoor knew. All the elements of the Earth will be invoked. And the spirit. It will protect all of you from the zombies and from any of the dark forces. Get everyone together to create it now.”
“Fine. But you get to the observatory!” Lily shouts over her shoulder at me as she dashes toward Susie and the others. “You heard Raphael. Leave us and go!”
I take one last look at my friends and then start to run, trying desperately to hold the satchel close to my side so that Mithra won’t be jolted around and hurt. The Archangels charge ahead of me as the Archons pick up speed and race down the hill, their swords held high above their heads. I zigzag to the right and away from both groups. The clanging of metal sings from behind me as I reach the middle of the hill. The Final Battle. So this is the way it all goes down.
Though my lungs are burning, I can’t slow down. If destroying the Darkness will save not only the world, but also my friends and Raphael and his family, then I need to do it as fast as possible. Every cell in my body is begging me to turn and see if Raphael is okay, if the pentagram is protecting everyone, especially when I hear grunts and shouts of pain from behind me. But I don’t. And, as I reach the peak of the hill and run into the main courtyard of the Royal Observatory, the scene unfolding there grabs my attention fully.
Jade is standing there, straddling a silver line set in the cobblestones, and also holding Amara in a chokehold. In her free hand, she’s positioned a knife against the delicate skin under Amara’s chin. To one side of her lies the crumpled body of a middle-aged man who looks like he might’ve been sleeping rough for a while. A pool of bright crimson blood spreads out from underneath him across the cobblestones. If he’s still alive, he’s not going to be for long.
“Jade,” I say, taking a step toward her, being careful to keep my pole at my side.
“Jasmine. Don’t.”
My head snaps toward the voice. It’s Mr. Khan lying against a tree just behind a silver art installation of some sort with a hand across his abdomen. A dark-red stain blossoms across his shirt.
“Mr. Khan,” I cry out, taking a few steps toward him.
“Don’t, Jasmine. You heard the man. You were always such a rash girl. Always the cause of so much hurt.”
I freeze, my bladder loosening. Turning my head, I stare at Jade, my mouth falling open in shock.
Amara is visibly shaking, tears spilling silently down her cheeks. She’s humming softly.
It’s my mother’s voice I’m hearing. But somehow it’s coming from Jade.
“Mami?” I say. My legs are trembling uncontrollably. I need to sit down.
“When you ran into the house that day, you knew it was a demon that you left your sister with. And yet you still ran away. Jade’s disappearance broke my heart. Made me get sick. All your fault. I wish you’d been the one abducted. You were always the difficult one.” The voice is changing again, getting lower.
“What have you done with Mami?” I shout at Jade. “How is this possible?”
“Jasmine, your emotions,” Mr. Khan says. “You’re making all the dark forces here stronger. And what is here with us now is already the ultimate force of Darkness.”
I look over at him. His skin is ashy and dark circles ring his eyes. I can hear his breathing. Each time his chest rises and falls, a wheezing and crackling sound fills the air. He’s dying.
“You were such a temperamental baby, Jasmine. All those late nights with you crying, staying up because of your colic and then having to work the next day. No wonder my body turned against me.” It’s my father’s voice now. I watch as Jade’s mouth twists and contorts like a circus freak’s. Her lips are chapped. Flakes of dry skin hang off of them.
I take another step forward. “I’m sorry,” I say. My pole falls from my hand and lands on the sidewalk. Whatever is happening to Jade, however these messages are reaching me, they’re spot on. It’s everything I’ve ever felt. All my insecurities. I can’t do this.
I’m losing my mind again.
Someone grabs my arm and pulls me backward. Raphael holds me against his chest. “No, Jasmine,” he says into my ear. “That’s not Jade. And that’s not your parents. It’s a type of shape-shifting. The Darkness is manipulating you.”
“The Darkness?” I say, staring at Jade. Her tongue darts out of her mouth and slowly licks the side of Amara’s face. I want to scream, but jam my knuckles into my mouth to stop myself.
He turns me around. “The only way you can destroy it is to use an angel’s sword and the power it holds.”
I stare at the sword in his hand for a moment before reaching out.
Raphael snatches it away from my grasp. “No. You can’t just touch it. Not yet. You won’t be able to use the power inherent in it.”
“Jasmine? You brought Eva to our school. To our circle. Back from the CCT stronghold. Look what that did to me. I was left hanging … swinging in the breeze just like so many of my people. Strange fruit,” Ms. Samson’s voice sings, ending with a cackle. Jade then takes the knife and begins to run the blade along one of Amara’s cheeks, drawing beads of bright blood to the surface of her skin. Amara stops humming and begins to whimper.
I look back at Raphael.
“How can I get your sword’s power?” I ask. “And then what do I do to make this stop?”
Raphael gazes at me, his eyes solemn. “You drive it through my heart to unite my power and yours. And then you stri
ke the Darkness with it. Just the strike of an Archangel’s sword will destroy it. But you are the one who must be wielding it. You are the Chosen.”
“No,” I say. “No way. I’d rather it be me, not you and Jade. How can you even think I’d do that?”
“Once you do, all of this will be over. The world will be saved and the kingdom of Shambhala will emerge. Balance will be restored and the Earth will regenerate. There is no choice. Otherwise, all is lost. This area of the universe will be only Darkness. Antimatter. Jasmine, you need to trust me.”
I look up into his deep-brown eyes and can see centuries of human experience reflected back at me. The sadness, the joy, the loss. Layers of emotion and lives so richly lived.
Reaching out, I take the sword. It feels cold to the touch and heavy at first, but then it begins to vibrate and heat up, like the ring always did.
“I trust you. I love you,” I say, as I lift it to the height of my shoulders.
“You don’t love him,” the Jade-like thing hisses from behind me. “You’re just a little murdering bitch. Just like you killed me by leaving me with Smith and her goons, you’re going to kill Raphael.” Eva’s voice. I close my eyes.
“I love you, too,” Raphael whispers as I use all my strength to plunge the sword into his chest. A surge of energy rushes through my body as though I’ve just been shocked with some sort of crazy-strong electrical current. When I open my eyes, Raphael is gone. Tiny gold flecks are scattered on the ground in front of me.
I turn to face the Darkness. I’m no longer afraid. In my heart, I hold the secrets to a new world, a world where humanity works for the betterment of each other, of the Earth, and of all its creatures.
“Jasmine,” it says, mimicking Jade. “What are you doing? We’re sisters — twins. We share a soul. Killing me is like committing suicide.”
“You’re not my sister,” I say through gritted teeth, stepping forward.
“Always so jealous,” an unfamiliar voice says. This voice sends shivers through my marrow. It is guttural, rough, and full of ancient hate. “So petty, aren’t we? Think of all the hours you spent allowing the jealousy you felt toward Cassandra to fester. How could someone like you think you’d be chosen by the forces of Light? Jade was the actual Chosen One. That’s why we took her away. Why we kept her alive in the Place-in-Between. Oh, how she fought when we first entered her. How she tried to tell all of you that something was wrong. How she tried to prevent us from telling Smith and the others where you were. She even wanted to return the ring at one point. But now she’s so much more powerful than you. She’s immortal as a part of us. She was chosen by both the Archons and the Darkness. And we are the beginning and the end. Jade is now intertwined within us. You cannot defeat us, little girl. And if you try, you will only destroy your sister. Nothing more.”
Darkness Rising Page 22
