by Raven Steele
Henry hesitated. "It's not good, Lucien. The necklace Hansen is seeking doesn't just hold the oldest of black magic. It's a gateway."
"To where?"
"Hell."
"How is that possible?"
"Do you remember what May said when we first met her? About Liane creating a mirror?" Henry’s voice held an excited tone.
Lucien thought back to the evening his life had changed, finally putting him on a path back to Eve. He remembered everything about it. "May said she wasn't sure that comment was related to the necklace."
"Well she was right. From what I've been able to decipher so far," Henry began, "the glass encasement of the necklace used to be part of Lucifer's mirror. He used it as a portal to travel between different dimensions, Earth being one of them. The only other demons allowed to use the mirror were his most trusted servants, seven devils who oversaw specific areas of Hell.
“Later in the text, it says Lucifer was angered by one of them for abusing his rights to the mirror. This devil was banished from Hell, along with his six brothers. Lucifer then destroyed the mirror and scattered its pieces in different dimensions." He paused as if he was reading something. "That's as far as I've gotten, but I'm working as quickly as I can."
"Do you believe there is any truth to it?" Lucien sat up, his hand squeezing a small pillow.
Henry was quiet for a moment. "It's a strange tale, but I won't discount it quite yet. Sometimes truth cannot be discerned through man's eye, but through the spirit's. I will ponder it, and would you do the same?"
Lucien groaned. Henry often talked about using his spirit, the magical being who had essentially become trapped by his physical body. Lucien wasn't sure he shared the same belief, but he couldn't answer where their magical abilities came from any better, and so he listened to Henry and tried to understand best he could.
"I’ll try. What's next?"
"Keep an eye on Eve. The DSRD must not get their hands on her. And do your best to recover her memory. We need her. I'll contact you soon."
Lucien ended the call and thought about everything Henry had told him. What other powers did the necklace hold? If there was any truth to the story, then the necklace might be far more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.
Chapter 13
The sun had set hours ago, and Lucien was pacing. Llona had texted him a few times throughout the day giving him updates, but they were all mundane things like she and Eve were going shopping, then out to dinner. Her most recent one said they were going downtown. This worried Lucien because the last time Eve had gone there, she had hunted and killed two vampires.
Llona warned him to stay away so he did as she asked, but only because he didn't want to jeopardize whatever relationship Llona was establishing with her.
His phone vibrated on the nightstand and flashed Llona's name on the lit up screen. Before he answered, he knew something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"—taking us!" Llona's voice shouted, but he could only make out the last two words over the sound of many male voices yelling in the background.
“Llona! What's going on?" He gripped the phone so tight he thought it would break.
"Bernard Highway," she yelled again, but her voice grew distant as if she were being pulled away. "Look for the light!"
The phone went dead.
He shoved the phone in his pocket and threw open the patio doors. He burst into the night air, his body shivering until it transformed into a dark mist. Whatever danger Eve and Llona were in, he prayed he wouldn't be too late.
He shot through the dark, heading straight for the road Llona had indicated. They had driven on the same one earlier that day, but he also recalled that it was a main road, one that was miles long.
He reached the end of it first, in a part of town that wasn't very populated. The buildings were mostly warehouses, but he guessed only half were still being used. If they had been taken, this would be a good place to search, but when he focused his sight and hearing, he heard no sounds and saw no light. He continued on, his anxiety increasing with every second that passed.
Parts of the road below him were full of speeding cars, especially when he approached River Street, but still he saw no sign of them. What if they had been taken in a vehicle? They could be anywhere now.
He was about to turn back when a streak of light filled the sky as if lightning had struck, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It had been close, and Llona had said to look for the light. This had to have been what she meant.
Lucien searched for the source, circling high above. It wasn't long until he reached an old cemetery that seemed to stretch on forever. Moonlight cast a silvery glow along the tops of crypts and headstones. Toward the rear of the graveyard, he spotted at least two dozen figures running across the landscape, weaving in and out of the gravestones. Their formation reminded him of a wolf pack chasing prey, but he could tell by their quick movements they weren't shifters. They were vampires. His heart skipped a beat, and he darted forward. Two figures ran frantically ahead of their pursuers. Both had long blond hair, one much whiter than the other.
While he lowered his position, he summoned magic and completed the spell that would mask his vampirism. He couldn't let Eve see that part of him quite yet. He circled above them, waiting for the perfect moment to drop.
The vampires gained momentum, and they split formation to race ahead of Eve and Llona until the girls were entirely circled. Eve and Llona jerked to a stop. Llona's hands glowed so bright it hurt his eyes. She shoved her hand forward, sending the light through the air almost as if it were electricity. It struck a vampire’s arm as he attempted to move out of the way. He dropped to the ground, screaming in pain as smoke rose into the air from his burnt arm.
"What are you?" Eve asked her incredulously. They stood back to back in defensive positions.
"Later," Llona snapped. "We're in this mess because of you."
A tall vampire with buzzed blond hair stepped forward, glaring at Eve. "We finally caught you, witch. We will make you bleed for all our brothers you’ve killed."
"They deserved it!" she snarled. "All of you do!" She raised both hands forward, sending a wave of energy into the night. Several vampires were knocked to the ground, but they quickly jumped to their feet. She wasn't fighting at her full strength. Bo was right. She had no idea what she was really capable of.
The tall vampire chuckled. "You're out of tricks, witch. You and your friend can't stop us all."
He lifted his hand and motioned the others forward. Before they could take another step, Lucien dove toward the ground, summoning magic as he went. At the last second, he transformed back into himself and hit the ground next to Eve and Llona, sending a blast of air spreading outward. It slammed the vampires to the ground.
"Lucien!" Eve gasped. Her gaze darted to Llona, eyes wide, then returned to Lucien. "Who are you people?"
He kept his back to her, focusing instead on the vampires who were already coming to their feet.
Their blond-haired leader rose to his full, considerable height and said, "You must have a death wish."
Lucien raised his hand in a stopping motion. "Just turn around and walk away. I don't want to hurt anyone."
Several of the vampires chuckled. One of them called out, "Rip his head off, Mickey!"
Mickey, their leader, smiled big; moonlight glimmered off his elongated eyeteeth. "With pleasure."
He crouched low and leapt into the air, but before he could come within reach of Lucien, Lucien whispered the word, "Eripere" and curled his fingers tight. Mickey was plucked from the air, as if by an invisible dragon and tossed twenty feet away. He crashed into the side of a crypt, crumbling the old stones inward.
"Anyone else?" Lucien growled.
The vampires shifted their weight and eyed each other, almost as if waiting for someone else to make the next move. Lucien hoped they would give up, but he could tell by the look in their eyes that their blood lust had already be
en teased. Only blood or death would stop them now. He was happy to give them the latter.
Over his shoulder, he whispered to the girls, "Keep a tight circle. Kill anything that mov—"
The vampires attacked as one, as if someone had issued a secret command. Using both magic and strength, Lucien produced two wooden daggers from his jacket and shot them into the hearts of approaching vampires, but three more took their place. As he was knocked to the ground, he held his forearms in front of his face to block the fists pummeling into him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Llona, shooting light at the vampires. A few of them burst into flames.
He shifted his gaze to Eve.
Lucien's line of sight was interrupted when a vampire’s boot collided with his cheek. He rolled over and spit blood. He would love to use his vampirism against them, but he couldn't risk Eve knowing the truth about him just yet.
"Praesidium", he growled.
An invisible barrier appeared around him. The kicks and fists of the vampires punched into air and nothing more. He rose from the ground, as the vampires surrounding him grew increasingly frustrated when they realized their blows were ineffective.
He glanced back at Eve. She was fighting two vampires in hand-to-hand combat. More were coming behind her. As she spun around to avoid the high kick of one of the vampires, she mouthed a word Lucien couldn't hear. The vampire in front of her dropped to the ground, his body stiff. She was still relying heavily on her ability to fight and not her magic, and it was going to get her killed.
Lucien quickly searched for some sort of a weapon to use against the vampires who continued to fight his protective barrier. There were eight of them trying to break through now. Nearby was a small branch no thicker than his finger. He pointed at it, whispered "Venit", and curled his fingers into his palm. The branch slid forward into his protective bubble.
He mentally snapped the stick into eight sections no longer than the length of his hand. He held them together in his open palm and blew a forceful, magic-filled breath. The twigs shot from his hand and impaled the vampires surrounding him. Ash exploded around him, smoke swirling and rising into the air.
Through the fog, he spotted Llona fighting three vampires. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she fought using a combination of her light and her fists. She was skilled in each.
It was Eve who had him worried. She was on her back, her hands pressing against the massive chest of a vampire as he repeatedly snapped at her throat with sharp teeth. Tears ran down the side of her face. Three vampires glanced between Llona and Eve, unsure who to attack first.
Despite being weakened by expelling so much magic, seeing Eve in danger had filled him with renewed power. He exploded through the air toward Eve, crashing into the vampire on top of her. The vampire's body skid across the ground, taking up dirt and grass with him. Lucien easily hauled Eve to her feet and gripped her by the shoulders.
He wanted to comfort her, to wipe the tears from her frightened face, but he needed her to access her power more. She had to know that she was capable of greater things.
"Quit holding back!" he said. "You are more than this."
As if to drive his point home, he shocked her with his own power, the same kind she had helped him find years earlier. The sensation left his fingertips and warmed her skin. She gasped for air, and her eyes widened.
"What—?" she attempted to ask, but the remaining vampires were upon them.
"Lucien!" Llona called.
He shoved his open palm into an approaching vampire, knocking him back, and looked over. Llona was struggling against a muscular vampire who towered over her by at least two feet. He had managed to come up behind her and grip her neck until her face turned purple.
"I'll take this one," Eve said, hard lines of determination etched onto her face. There was no sign of her earlier tears.
While she sprinted toward Llona, Lucien took on the remaining three vampires. Knowing she wasn't watching, he temporarily lifted the spell that hid his centuries-old vampirism. He was much stronger than these newer vampires and wouldn't have any trouble taking their lives.
Just as one of them reached him, their claws extended, he dropped to the ground and rolled toward a rose bush planted at the side of an old headstone. In one swift motion, he uprooted the thickest part, whirled around and shoved it through two of the vampire's hearts. Before their dust settled, he grabbed the third, a tall skinny fellow, and attempted to do the same to him, but this vampire was ready and blocked the blow.
He risked a quick glance at Eve. She had taken the large vampire to the ground using magic, freeing Llona who was on all fours, gasping for breath.
A high kick in the chest threw Lucien into a headstone. Stars danced in his vision, and he shook his head to clear them. The tall skinny vampire who had kicked him stalked toward him, fangs descended. Lucien let him approach just long enough to catch his breath. Then he focused his magic and dematerialized, rushing toward the vampire as a thick smoke. Blinded, Skinny stumbled back and waved his arms futilely in the air. Lucien solidified behind Skinny and jerked Skinny's arm behind his back. Skinny cried out in pain.
Lucien turned to face Eve again just in time to see her twisting her fingers toward the giant as she chanted something he couldn't hear. The vampire's huge body lifted into the air, as if strung up by his feet. He clawed at the ground searching for anything to hang onto, but he rose higher and higher until he could no longer touch the ground.
"Put me down, witch!" he yelled.
Eve continued to slowly bend her fingers until she had almost made a fist. Lucien saw her lips move, but couldn’t hear her whispers over the vampire screaming and squirming in his grip. She snapped her hand open. The earth directly beneath the vampire's head opened up into a shallow hole. Eve lowered his floating body so his head fit into the small cavity.
The vampire laughed. "What are you going to do? Bury my head to death?"
Lucien jammed the end of the rose bush into Skinny's heart. Ash exploded all over him. He wiped at his eyes and quickly recast the spell to hide his vampirism.
Llona had finally come to her feet. She held her hand out to Eve. "Let's question him. Maybe we can find out—"
Eve closed her fingers tight. The ground reacted in kind and came together, crushing the vampire's head into a thousand pieces. A small plume of dust puffed from the earth. With his head no longer attached, the rest of the body crumbled to a pile of ash.
She turned to Lucien and Llona, eyes blazing and expression hard as stone. "I want answers now. Who the hell are you two?"
Chapter 14
Before he answered Eve, Lucien walked to Llona, stepping over a broken headstone in the process and steadied her with his arm. "Are you all right?"
She was visibly shaking and had a deep cut on her left forearm. "I think so. Fighting like this … it brings back memories. I don't like it."
"You need to call Liam. Something happened." Lucien knew Liam had asked that Llona not know about his injuries, but Lucien didn't want any part of keeping that secret anymore. He should've said something sooner. Life was too fragile.
Her face paled. "What?"
"I'll let him tell you, but this isn't just about him. I think you could benefit from talking to him too."
She withdrew her phone from her jean pocket and walked away as she dialed Liam's number.
Lucien turned to Eve. "You did well."
He could still feel power pulsing from her. It wasn't the same as when she was Eve; it was different, almost an angry energy.
She folded her arms against her. "I want to know what's going on. Who are you two?"
He glanced up to the dark sky and its millions of bright stars. “I will answer what I can, but first," he lowered his eyes to hers. "The anger inside you, where does it come from?"
"I'm not angry all of the time, just when I get around vampires."
Lucien kept his voice even. "If you hate them so much, why do you keep seeking them out?"
He
r eyes widened a fraction of an inch and her face flushed. He had hit a nerve, an important one, but why?
"I'm leaving," she said and whirled around.
"Llona is an Aura," he said, stopping her.
"What's that?"
"They're a rare supernatural species gifted with the first Light that existed on the Earth before man. It's an ancient and sacred power."
She considered this. Her eyes flashed to Llona who stood in the distance beneath a tall Cypress tree, its branches long and full of leaves that looked more black then green in the faint moonlight.
"She's a badass," she finally said.
He chuckled. "Yes, she is."
"What about you?"
"I'm a witch, like you."
"You're more than that.
"Why do you say that?"
She approached him slowly, her green eyes boring into his. His heart raced the closer she came. "There's something about you … "
She reached up and gently touched him on the chest, igniting an intense heat inside him. "I sense power, but there's something else, something dark, yet I don't feel it's dangerous." She pressed harder until he could feel the warmth of her palm against his skin just beneath his t-shirt. "It feels familiar."
"Yes," Lucien said before he could stop himself. It took all his strength not to touch her back.
Her fingers slid down his chest to his abdomen, just above his pant line. Her gaze went with her. "This last year I've felt there's a piece of me missing. I always thought it was because of my mother's death, but then I met you." Her eyes lifted to his. "I don't know who you are, or why you have this affect on me, but I need to know more. When you shocked me with your magic earlier, how did you know I could do more than I knew myself?"
He looked past her, his chest tightening. He wanted to tell her everything, the truth about who she was, but the timing wasn't right. He needed her not to question him, but question herself.
"I spoke to the police department in Blue Ridge today," he said.
Her hand left his stomach, leaving him cold. "Already?"
