Ring! Ring!
Her cell phone rung in her pocket, and she pressed it to her ear. “Yeah?”
“Jorja, it’s Josslyn. We’ve got a problem. I need you to get back here as soon as possible.”
“But…”
“Oh, forget the damned diamond! We’ve got problems, Jorja. Demonic problems. And pick the girls up on your way home, will you?”
“What? Why? They’re at school.”
“School’s canceled. Now get home, I gotta call Jasmine.”
The line went dead, and Jorja sighed, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat and making a U-turn. Shouts sounded around her, horns honked, but she ignored them and instead sped down the road. “You know, some days, I wish it were just me. Having sisters sucks!”
“I’m here!” Jasmine shouted, racing through the door, and sliding to a stop as she stared at Josslyn and Sky. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Well, that was quick,” Josslyn said, lowering the phone. “I was just calling you!”
“I was on my way home. There was this thing in the middle of the street. Like a…”
“Like a big beetle?” Sky asked, pointing to the book. “Like this?”
Jasmine peered over his shoulder, nodding, and shuddering. “Yup. Exactly like that. Eww! It was so gross! And it… it…” She trembled again, not wanting to say the words.
“It what?”
“It latched onto this woman standing in the middle of the road. It devoured her before I could do anything!”
“Eww!” All the girls cried in unison.
“Yes, bugs are gross. I think we’ve established that,” Sky said, laughing at the women. “But what do they want?” He turned back to the book.
“To bring forth Cyruseion.”
“Who?” Josi and Jami asked.
“A man from the early 5th century,” Jorja said, as she walked through the door. “He’s a very, very bad man who wants one thing.”
“What?” Josslyn asked.
“The sapphire of Raj.”
“You mean that stone you were talking about this morning?” Jami asked.
Jorja nodded. “Yes. Centuries ago, he found it, and it gave him power. Lots of power. He was going to use the power to take over the kingdom. To wed the princess, but it was destroyed, and he was sentenced to death. I thought he was dead!”
“He is, but, anything or anyone can be resurrected with the right spell,” Sky said, pointing to the book. “And those beetles, are the first sign of his resurrection, which are needed for the sacrifices.”
“Sacrifices?” Jasmine and Josslyn uttered the word at the same time. “What sacrifices?”
“The dead girls,” Jessi said, interjecting herself into the conversation. “They’ve been showing up all over town, in various places. The latest one was just found at the school, taped to the flag pole!”
“I can attest to that,” Nathan said, pushing past them and staring around the house, all wide eyed. “So, this is where you guys like fight demons and stuff? That’s so cool!”
“And just who are you?” Josslyn asked, propping her hands on her hips.
“Nathan,” Josi said, rolling her eyes. “Jessi’s friend.”
“And he knows about our secret?” Josslyn asked, staring at Jessi. “Jessi! You’re not supposed to share that with anyone!”
“It’s fine, Mom,” Jessi said, rolling her eyes. “He’s trustworthy.”
“You don’t know that!”
“How about we save this conversation for another time,” Jasmine said, cutting in. “Nathan, you need to go home.”
“But why?”
“Because this is dangerous! Deeply dangerous, and you could get yourself killed!” Jasmine sighed, glancing at Josslyn. “Were you able to get a hold of Jade or Julie?”
Josslyn shook her head. “No. I couldn’t reach them, it said they were out of range. I hope they’re not killing one another.” She glanced over at Sky. “You know, it would be really useful for you to have your powers right now.”
“Oh, believe me, I know,” Sky said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“But maybe I can be of some help.”
The loud voice boomed behind them, and Jorja shrieked. She spun around, staring at the God as he stepped out from the kitchen. “Jesus, you just about gave me a heart attack!”
“Myron?” Sky stared at the God in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Helping you,” Myron said, lifting his hand. A reign of yellow light spreading out from his palm, zinging towards Sky.
“Sky!”
Jasmine screamed, as Sky was propelled back. His body floating high in the air above him, his body shaking rigorously. “What are you doing to him?” she shouted, swinging toward Myron.
“Giving him back his powers,” Myron said, lowering his hand, and nodding as Sky disappeared in a reign of gold light, appearing next to Jasmine.
“Not that I’m complaining, but why?” Sky asked, staring at Myron in confusion.
“Because Liam needs to be stopped, and you’re the only one who can do it,” Myron told him. “He’s completely lost it, Sky. He’s sentenced Jeff Morgan to the wasteland, has taken Jade and Julie hostage, and…”
“Wait, what’s the wasteland?” Josslyn asked.
“A place where demons go once they’re vanquished,” Myron said, without missing a beat.
“But why is Dad there? He’s not a demon!” Jasmine cried.
“Like I said, Liam has gone off his rocker, and is creating all sorts of chaos in the world,” Myron said, sighing.
“And he took Jade and Julie?” Jorja asked. “Why?”
“Because he wants to get rid of all the half-breeds. Half-witches, half-demons, even half-angels,” Myron said.
“Can he do that?” Josi asked, her eyes wide.
“With enough power he can,” Myron said. “Which is why he’s looking for the sapphire.”
“He’s looking for the sapphire?” Jorja asked, feeling her chest tighten. “No! He can’t! It’s the only way to get to my daughter!”
“Then I guess you’d better get to it first,” Myron said, turning, and disappearing from the room.
“You know, this is all your fault,” Josslyn said, pointing a finger at Jorja. “If you hadn’t found that damned sapphire in the book…”
“We would still be in this mess,” Josi said, rolling her eyes. “Lay off her, Mom. This isn’t her fault.”
“Mom?” Josslyn stared at her in surprise. “You just called me Mom?”
“Well, you did ground me, so I suppose it warrants it. Which, by the way, I am still mad at you.”
“And I need to start getting ready!” Jessi cried. “There’s this dinner tonight, and I apparently am serving at it.”
“But I thought you were serving soup at the homeless shelter?” Jasmine asked.
“They changed it on me, oh no! I need a white shirt and tie! I don’t have that. I’m a girl! I don’t wear ties!”
“Come on. I think Jade has something in her closet you can wear,” Jasmine said, walking with Jessi up the stairs. She paused, glancing down at Sky. “So, I guess this means no date tonight?”
“You know your wiccan duties come first.”
“Yes, but they always seem to come at the worst time!” Jasmine cried, before stomping up the stairs and out of sight.
“Wait for me!” Jessi shouted, racing after her.
“Does someone want to explain to me what’s going on?” Nathan asked, looking from one woman, to the other. “Who was that man? And why was he here? And how did he disappear like that?”
“That’s something you don’t need to worry about, Nathan,” Jami said, placing her hands on his shoulders and shoving him into the chair behind him. “Because, right now, you’re going to explain to the rest of the clan here about the holes found on those murdered girls.”
“Holes?”
“Yes, holes! Gross, disgusting holes!” Josi cried, shuttering. “Nathan, show them t
he pictures.”
“Well, since you asked so nicely…”
“Nathan!”
“Here.” Nathan pulled the pictures out of the bag, spreading them out on the coffee table. “There have been ten girls found dead throughout the city within the last week, and they all have these holes on their arms and legs.” He pointed. “Like something sucked the blood out of them.”
“Let me see that.” Josslyn grabbed one of the pictures, looking down at it. “Sky, these holes look exactly like those tentacles in the pit I saw in my office.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive! They almost grabbed me!”
“You have an office?” Jorja asked, arching a brow at her. “Since when?”
“Since she decided to be a P.I,” Sky said.
“What?”
“We have time for that later,” Josslyn said. “Right now, we have a sapphire to find, but where do we start?”
“With the first clue in the story,” Jorja said. “At the highest part of the city, once the sun rises.”
“Agh.” Julie groaned, holding a hand to the side of her head, turning and shaking Jade. “Jade, wake up.”
“What? What is it?” Jade asked, sitting up, and groaning. “Oh, my head.”
“You and me both,” Julie said, pushing herself to her feet and walking forward. Staring through the bars of the cage they were stuck in. “Is this… heaven?”
“Yup,” Jade said, walking up to her, and peering through the bars as well. “Not like the movies, is it?”
“I imagined we would be floating on a cloud or something.”
“But instead, you’re stuck here with me,” Liam said, pouring himself a drink from the bar, and taking a seat. He lifted the glass, saluting them. “Welcome, ladies.”
“What do you want from us?” Jade asked, narrowing her eyes on the God.
“Didn’t you hear what your mother said? I want to get rid of all you half-breeds.” He narrowed his eyes on the women. “You should have never been given your powers, not with evil inside of you. Evil, that nearly destroyed the whole universe!” he shouted, jabbing a finger at Julie.
“As if I wanted to turn to the dark side,” Julie said, lifting her chin, refusing to be afraid of the God.
“What’s done is done, Julie,” Liam said, rising from the chair and walking across the room. “But now, you’ve got an evil growing inside of you. A child, sired by a demon!”
“You’re right, I do have a child inside of me,” Julie said, lowering her hand and stroking her belly. “But just because my child is half-demon, doesn’t mean it’s going to be evil. Just like you judging us that we’re half-demon, is so wrong!”
“It’s not wrong. It’s changing the world, for the greater good, which I’m all too happy to do.”
“And just how are you going to do that?” Jade asked. “Last I knew, you didn’t have the power to take half of something from us.”
“Oh, I will soon,” Liam said, smiling. “Once I get the sapphire of Raj.”
“The sapphire of Raj?” Julie scratched her head, suddenly confused. “What’s the sapphire of Raj.”
“The sapphire Jorja was talking about after you left this morning,” Jade whispered. “She was talking about going searching for it. Apparently, it’s worth a fortune.”
“And I’m guessing, very powerful.”
“Probably. It’s the only reason he would want it,” Jade said, wrapping her hands and shaking the cage rigorously. “Let us out!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Jade,” Liam said, wagging a finger at her. “That cage was made by Zeus, no known being of this earth can break out of it. At least not with us.” He lifted the skeleton key in his hand.
“So what? You’re just going to keep us here?” Julie asked. “Until you get your precious sapphire?”
“Precisely,” Liam told her. “And then you and Jade, are going to be willing participants in my experiment.”
Of all the things in the world, I have to be surrounded by these people? Jessi thought, as she lifted the circular tray, walking around the room. “Champagne?” she asked, stopping in front of a young couple
“Oh yes! Don’t mind if I do,” a young woman said, taking a glass, and sipping. “Ooh. That is splendid!”
“Did you expect anything else from the governor?” her husband asked, elbowing her. “He does pull out all the stops for this charity of his.”
“And the place looks lovely!” his wife exclaimed, glancing around the city hall at the tables covered with clean, white clothes. Candles were lit in the middle of the tables, in the center of a bouquet of pink roses. “I just wish I felt more like celebrating.”
“I know, honey,” her husband said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “What happened to those young girls…” he shook his head, not wanting to think about it. “It’s terrible!” He glanced at Julie. “You know, you look about their age. Did you know them?”
Jessi shook her head. “No, but I did go to school with them. It’s real unsettling what happened to them.”
“It’s what they deserved,” an elderly woman said, walking up to them and helping herself to a glass of champagne. “After all, they were worshiping the devil.”
“Worshiping the devil?” Jessi frowned, cocking her head to the side. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about, dear,” the woman said, sending her a fake smile. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?”
“Right. Of course, my apologies.” She turned away, walking across the room, tilting her head as she listened to them talk. Now, that was interesting.
“I can’t believe you did that, Mother!” the young woman was saying. “She was just being nice!”
“She’s serving drinks, Charlotte. She’s the help. She has no reason mingling with us. She’s just like those girls who wound up dead. Nosy.”
“Mother! How can you say something like that?”
“Because they were witches!” the woman whispered. “It’s what killed them.”
Witches? Jessi gasped, stumbling backward. She yelped, bumping into the table behind her, the flutes of champagne shaking on the tray.
“Careful!”
A young man hurried up to her, steadying the tray in her hands. “Yeesh, the governor would have killed you for dumping these all over the floor!” the man cried, glancing down at her. “Is this your first event?”
“And hopefully my last,” Jessi said. “I hate this. Being surrounded by these stuck up snobs. I don’t even understand how I got roped into this. I’m fifteen! Isn’t making me serve drinks illegal?”
“You’re from juvie?”
Jessi nodded. “How did you know?”
“The governor is good friends with the warden there, and he does whatever he can to cut expenses.”
“Who the hell voted him into office?”
“Stupid people,” the man said, laughing. “I’m Cory.”
“Jessi.” Jessi glanced over her shoulder at the people mingling in the room. “So, what event is this, anyways?”
“It’s an art auction. The governor wants to pass a new bill in the state of Minnesota. A bill cracking down on juveniles and delinquents.”
“I’m hating him more and more by the moment,” Jessi muttered. Why was it that so many government officials thought that by passing more laws, there would be less troublemakers in the world. She glanced back at Cory. “Hey, Cory, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I really need to use the ladies room. Is there any chance you could keep an eye on these for a minute?” She batted her eyes at him.
“Uh… I guess,” Cory said, taking the tray from her.
“Thanks! You’re the best!” Julie stood up on her tippy toes and brushing a kiss across his cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried across the room toward the restroom, pushing through the door, and lifted the phone to her ear. “Come on, answer!”
“You’ve reached Jossly
n, leave me a message.”
“Agh! Why aren’t you answering your phone?” she cried. “Hey, it’s me,” she said into the phone. “There’s something you need to know. The girls who were found dead in the city, they’re—”
Boom!
The loud blast filled her ears, and she screamed. The phone dropped from her hand, shattering across the tile, and she fell back against the marbled counter as the ground shook underneath her. She reached for the door, pulling it open, her eyes widening when she saw an enormous, gray monster with long tentacles climb out from the large hole in the ground. “Cory watch out!” she shouted, as the tentacle snapped toward him, the monster swinging around at the sound of her voice as his twelve tentacles warped around him, their teeth chomping.
“You!” he shouted, jabbing a tentacle toward her. “I want you!”
“Julie, run!”
“Get her!”
A squeak sounded, and her eyes widened, as a dozen enormous beetles piled out from the hole, racing toward her.
“The highest point of the city?” Josslyn asked, flipping through the travel guide of St. Paul. She’d grown up in the city, but she didn’t know what the highest point of the city was. “Jorja! I’ve lived here my whole life. Well, almost my whole life. I don’t know what the highest point of the city is!”
“Isn’t it the state capital building?” Josi asked, poking her head over Josslyn’s shoulder, and pointing at the building.
“No! Not the state capital building, Josi!” Jami cried. “That’s tiny. We’re looking for something tall… like… like…like a castle!”
“There are no castles here, Jami,” Josi said, glaring at her sister. “We’re in Minnesota! Come on! Think.”
“It could be the water tower,” Jasmine put in, from where she and Sky were sitting in the back seat of the SUV. “Water towers are pretty high.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t have the view. We need a view of the city,” Jorja told them. “We need to be able to see when the shadows and the light touch.”
“Hmm…” They all sat back, thinking.
Bound by Magic Page 6
