Crossroads

by Nicole Coverdale

  “Whoa! How did you do that?” Jessi asked, staring at her with wide eyes.

  “Years of gymnastics,” Jasmine said, tugging on the ropes.

  “But you’re going to get yourself killed!” Jami cried, lowering her voice. “Who are you?”

  “Nah. I’m pretty good at keeping myself alive,” Jasmine said, winking at her. “And I’m your aunt. Jasmine.”

  “What? But our mother is dead!”

  “No. That’s just what you were told, but she is very much alive.” Jasmine pointed up to where she was talking to Josi. “In fact, she’s with your sister.”

  “Josi. Thank God!” Jessi breathed out a sigh of relief. “I thought that scary man got her too!”

  “Nope. Your sister’s pretty evasive,” Jasmine said, swearing as the rope didn’t budge. “Damn! These ropes are on tight!”

  “These men are really scary, Jasmine, who are they?”

  “Demons,” Jasmine said. “A part of our family history. Which I will gladly tell you about later.” She gritted her teeth, undoing the knot, the rope finally falling free. “There! You’re free Jessi, now you Jami!” She quickly undid the rope. “Now come on! Let’s go before…”

  “You!” A large, gray colored demon raced around the corner, barreling toward her.

  “Girls run!” she shouted, but it was too late. Demons surrounded them, grabbing them each by the arms. Shoving them back against the wall.

  “Well, this is certainly interesting, isn’t it?” Elijah asked, glancing over at Julie. “Looks like your sisters have come to join the party. What should we do with them?”

  “Execute them,” Julie said, her eyes flashing. “But first, they shall watch, while we get married!”

  “Julie! No!” Jasmine struggled against the demon holding her. “Don’t do this! We’re your sisters! They…” She nodded to Jami and Jessi. “They are your nieces. They’re just kids! Don’t hurt them!”

  “Sacrifices must be made in order to get what I want, Jasmine,” Julie said, her eyes bleak as she looked at Jasmine. “And you mean nothing to me.”

  “Julie!”

  “Josi, watch out!” Josslyn grabbed Josi by the arm, racing down the steps. A fireball flung through the air, as the black angels readied their bows, and she ducked. Reaching the bottom of the stairs as demons rounded the corner, blocking their path. “Crap!”

  “Josslyn, what do we do?” Josi asked, looking over at her, her eyes filled with fear.

  “I… don’t know,” Josslyn said, fear snaking through her as she watched Jasmine and the girls on the other side of the room.

  “There’s nothing left to do,” a white colored demon with pointy ears said, grabbing her by the arm. “You’re a sacrifice!”

  “Like hell she is!”

  Jade, Sky, Jorja and the Gods raced forward. They grabbed the demons, tossing them against the wall, knocking them unconscious. Josslyn glanced at the bow lying on the ground. She kicked it up with her foot, tossing it to Josi. “Josi! Here!”

  “I thought you said fighting them would get me killed,” Josi said, as she drew the arrow back.

  “Fighting by yourself, yes. But fighting together, what do we have to lose?”

  Josi just smiled, aiming the arrow. She let go and it slung through the air, hitting a demon on the other side of the room. He evaporated in a cloud of dust.

  “Nice shot, Josi!” Josslyn cried, glancing over at her daughter, grinning despite their predicament. This is definitely my kid! she thought. She has no fear!

  She grabbed a spike from next to her, raising it in the air, fending off the demon as he raced toward her. She kicked her foot out, striking him in the stomach. He stumbled back, and she aimed the spike, striking him in the stomach.

  “No!”

  Something flew from up above, and Josslyn screamed. Swiping her hand out, knocking the creature to the side as it opened its mouth. It shrieked, flying toward her, its sharp fangs coming her way.

  “It’s a vampire!” Josslyn screamed, struggling to fend him off. “There are vampires here, guys!”

  “Josslyn, hold on!” Jasmine cried, jerking free from the demon holding her and racing across the room. She grabbed the wood stick off the ground, lunging forward, and striking the vampire through the heart.

  “No!”

  The vampire screamed, glancing down to stare at the wood sticking out from his chest. He gasped, falling to the ground, the life seeping out of him as he blended into the ground in a pile of ash.

  “And here I thought vampires turned to dust,” Jade murmured, fending off a demon as it raced forward. “My bad!”

  “Jade, what the hell happened?” Jasmine asked, panting. She glanced behind her as Jessi and Jami struggled against the two demons holding them. They broke free, racing off across the room. Good! “I thought you were in heaven!”

  “I was!” Jade cried. “Until I walked into demons taking over the heavens. They killed Aaron!”

  “Aaron’s… dead?” Jasmine faltered, and a demon raced forward, grabbing her by the arms. He shoved her back, his long tongue slithering out of his mouth.

  “Jasmine!” Sky lunged forward, sending the spike flying through the air. “Duck!”

  She ducked, the spike slicing through the demon’s throat. She shoved him to the side, staring at Sky. “Sky!”

  “Jasmine!”

  They raced forward, and Jasmine lunged in the air, into his arms.

  “Oh my God! I am so happy to see you!” she cried, touching her hands to his cheeks. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

  “Me too, love,” Sky whispered, relieved to be looking into her beautiful face.

  “I have so much I have to tell you!” Jasmine cried. “And there was something I saw in heaven. Something, you’ll never believe!”

  “Oh, somehow I think I’ll believe it,” Sky said, drawing her close and pressing a kiss to her lips. “But you’ll have to tell me later. Right now, we have our hands a little full.”

  “Josi!”

  “Jessi! Jami! Watch out!” Josi drew back the bow, three arrows zinging through the air. They hit the demons, their bodies turning to dust.

  “I am so glad to see you two alive!” Josi cried, racing forward.

  “Is she really… our Mom?” Jessi asked, looking over at Josslyn.

  “I think so,” Josi said.

  “Stop!”

  A loud shout sounded, and they jerked their heads up as Elijah burst through the crowd. He grabbed Jami by the back of the neck, pulling her through the crowd toward the podium.

  “Jami!” Josi screamed, lunging forward.

  “Josi! Wait!” Josslyn hurried after her, everyone hot on her heels. She jumped forward, and a wall of fire blocked her path.

  “Jami!” Jessi screamed, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Don’t hurt my sister!”

  “Stop fighting, and I won’t hurt a hair on her head,” Elijah said, pressing the blade of the knife to her throat.

  “You’re lying,” Josslyn said, as the sun passed over the moon. “You need her for the ceremony.”

  “You’re right. I do,” Elijah said, smiling. “Kind of poetic, don’t you think? Killing my own daughter on my wedding day?”

  “Josi. Don’t stop fighting!” Jami cried, choking as Elijah’s fingers tightened around her throat. “Remember the promise we made one another.”

  Josi nodded, her eyes locking with Jami’s. She clasped her hand with Jessi’s. “Never give up,” she said, lifting her bow into the air. She glanced at Josslyn. “We have to finish this. We might not be able to save my sister, but maybe we can save yours.”

  “Yes we can!” Jade grabbed Jorja by the arm, racing forward. She skidded to a stop, staring at Julie through the fire. “Julie! Look at me!” she shouted. “It’s me, Jade! Your sister. Please don’t do this. This isn’t you!”

  “But it is me, Jade,” Julie said, her eyes unblinking as she stared at Jade. “Ever since I scorched that bastard to hell just over a year ago.”


  “What are you talking about?”

  “The man who hit me. He’s dead, Jade. I set him on fire.”

  “What?” Jade shook her head. “No. Julie, that’s not true! He’s in prison! I know, because I saw him myself when you were in the hospital! They’re lying to you! Putting false thoughts in your head. Please, come back to me. I love you!”

  Julie’s eyes went from black to blue. She stared at Jade, then glanced over at Elijah. “Is that true?”

  “Damn sea witch. She could never do anything right,” Elijah muttered.

  “She tricked me?”

  “Yes. And boy, did we have you fooled,” Elijah said as the eclipse took full effect. “But it’s too late, Julie. You’re mine!” He plunged the knife into Jami.

  “Jami!”

  “No I won’t marry you!” Julie shouted, turning, and racing down the steps. “You lied to me! This isn’t who I am!”

  “But it is who you are,” Talia said, grabbing her by the arms and staring into her eyes. “You have to marry Elijah, Julie,” she said, her eyes glowing.

  “I have to marry, Elijah.”

  “No! Julie! Don’t look into her eyes!” Jade shouted, lunging forward, swearing as the flames blocked her path. Dammit! My sister needs me! “She’s tricking you!”

  “The only one who’s tricking me is you!” Julie shouted, swinging around. Her blue eyes changing to black once more and she struck her hand forward. Fire spewed from her fingers, surrounding them. “And you.” She jabbed a finger at Jorja. “You must be my long, lost sister.”

  “Yes. I am.”

  “Come join me,” she said, extending a hand forward. “Join me, as I cross the line to darkness. Come to the dark side.”

  “I would never choose darkness,” Jorja said, lifting her chin, and staring at Julie. “In fact, what I choose, is this.” She clasped her hand with Jade’s. The sisters all linking hands, a reign of white light surrounded them.

  “No!” Elijah screamed in outrage. “This is not supposed to happen! You’re supposed to choose our side! The evil side!”

  “Why would I do that when I have everything I’ve ever waned. A family,” Jorja said, her eyes locking with Julie’s. “A family that you abandoned.”

  “Jami!” Jessi and Josi raced down the aisle, lunging forward. “Oh my God! Jami!” Josi cradled her in her arms, tears streaking down her cheeks as she stared down at her sister. “Please. Don’t be dead!”

  “Josi! Look!” Jessi pointed to the wound. “It’s healing!”

  “It’s what?” Elijah jerked his head around. “But that’s not possible!”

  “Except, it is possible,” Josslyn said, smiling. “When their mother is a witch.”

  “Josi? Jessi?” Jami groaned, staring up at her sister’s faces. “What’s going on?”

  “Shh. We’ll explain everything later,” Josi told her, laughing in relief. “I’m just so glad you’re alive!”

  “Sorcerer! Start the ceremony!”

  “No!”

  Jorja, Jade, Jasmine, and Josslyn raced forward, skidding to a stop as a loud blast rocked the underworld. They gasped, teetering, as the sorcerer’s voice filled the air.

  “Oh dark lord from down below, we offer you this sacrifice,” he said, squeezing the blood he’d collected from Julie down below him into the flames. “For on this day, we seek to unite, and bring together two souls together at last.” He lifted the chalices, handing them to Julie and Elijah. “Drink.”

  “No! Julie! Don’t do it!” Josslyn shouted, as she was grabbed from behind. “Don’t drink it!”

  Julie just stared at her, her eyes bleak, as she brought the chalice to her lips.

  “For now, until the end of the line, you are bound together. Blood to blood. Evil to evil. You may now kiss the bride.”

  “With pleasure,” Elijah said, leaning forward. He brushed his lips across Julie’s, and a dark hue washed over the underworld. He grinned, glancing over at the sisters as a dark cloud circled around them. “And let the fun begin.”

  Born and raised in the Midwest, Nicole Coverdale writes in several different genres: Mystery, suspense, romance, fantasy, and the paranormal. She is the writer of the urban fantasy series, The Wiccan Way, and the thriller/mystery series, The Randolph Saga.

  With several books already mapped out, Nicole spends most of her days on the computer, letting the words flow, but when she's not writing she loves to shop, binge on Netflix or Hulu, cook, bake, and in the fall loves nothing more than a good football game. Go Pack Go!

  Currently, Nicole lives in Sothern Minnesota with her boyfriend of four years, her black lab, Hunter, her gray and white tabby cat, Felix, and her calico tabby cat, Lucy.

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