Cards of Death Box Set

by Tamara Geraeds

  I feel my body floating through the air and wonder how far I am from getting eaten.

  “Get that sand out of his eyes!” Vicky yells.

  For a moment I wonder why she sounds so panicked. Then it hits me. Any second now the demon will light up the sand stuck onto my face.

  I quickly push my hands against my eyes and let my power surge through them. My head gets colder and colder.

  “Kill it!” Vicky screams. “We can use the other one.”

  The temperature inside me goes up with a jolt.

  Vicky’s voice gets closer. “Hurry!”

  My hands ache from the cold coursing through them. Still, my face gets warmer and warmer.

  “Hold on!”

  I want to answer, but a sharp pain shoots through my left ear. My hand smacks it and the feeling subsides. Suddenly the hand gripping my foot lets go. I tumble face forward into a solid body. There’s a sound of bones clattering and panic cuts off my power. Who did I just land on?

  Cold water washes over me and I gulp for air. The hot sand slides off my face.

  I blink. I’m on the ground. White bones are scattered all around me. A skeleton. Its brother, or sister, is standing next to me with a bowl in its hands.

  A grin turns up the corners of my mouth. “Thank you, Jeep!”

  The skeleton hands me the empty bowl and jumps on what’s left of the lizard demon.

  “You’re welcome!” Jeep calls out.

  Quinn’s voice pops into my head again. “I made a trap at the top of the stairs. Can you lure the demon there?”

  My gaze sweeps the room. D’Maeo and Taylar are on top of the demon that got me. His head is the only thing still moving and the human skeleton has already joined its animal brothers trying to prevent the other demon from escaping through the front door.

  Vicky is dancing in front of it, moving further towards the stairs with every evasive move, while Maël slams the tentacles away from her. Behind the turned-over coffee table, the tattooed ghost is moving his hands at the speed of lightning, making all the skeletons do what he wants.

  No problem, I tell Quinn. Give me a minute or two.

  I sprint to where Vicky is jumping around and duck when one of the beast’s arms almost grabs my neck. “This thing is way too strong!” I open my eyes wide and hope the demon falls for my trick. As I step closer to the stairs, I take Vicky’s hand. “Follow me, there are more weapons upstairs.”

  She pulls back her arm. “Wait, I can hypnotize it.”

  “Okay, but be careful.” I watch her for a few seconds, while a skeleton behind me sweeps a tentacle away before it can hit me in the head.

  “Come on, you ugly thing,” Vicky says under her breath. “Look at me.”

  Ducking every now and then, I follow the demon’s eye movements. Vicky has its attention, but it never looks at her face.

  I pull at her arm again. “Forget it, it knows what you’re trying to do.” I bring my mouth closer to her ear. “We should really go upstairs to get more weapons.”

  Realization hits her eyes and she follows me.

  Halfway up the stairs I pause and look back. “Oh no!” I exclaim, maybe a bit over-dramatically. “Those skeletons are falling apart. We have to hurry!”

  Jeep winks at me before I turn back and I hear bones hitting the ground as he cuts the virtual cords connecting him to the corpses.

  A deep, guttural chuckle rises from the demon’s throat as it launches itself after us.

  The banister creaks as tentacles wrap around it. I pick up my pace and dive around the corner at the top of the stairs.

  Without warning, Vicky is pulled away from me.

  I grab the nearest door handle and brace myself.

  Vicky lets out an earsplitting scream that startles me so much I accidentally let go of her. My back smashes against the door and I wince. Without hesitation I run after her.

  The demon has wrapped her inside its tentacles. The head bends forward to take a better look at her. Slowly the mouth opens and the tongue slips out and touches her cheek.

  I take a step closer. “Let go of her, you ugly bastard.”

  Vicky wriggles in its grasp, mumbling something under her breath. When I summon a lightning bolt in my palm, the demon fixes its gaze on me. Grains of sand jump from its body and make their way over to me.

  But neither of us gets a chance to attack, because Vicky frees one leg and starts kicking furiously. One of her arms slips free and without hesitation she pulls the nearest tentacle towards her and sinks her teeth into it. The demon shrieks in agony.

  The bolt in my hand flickers and dies as I watch my girl rip flesh off and spit it at the beast. She bares her blood-stained teeth at it. Then she bends backwards further than what should be possible and pulls so hard at one of the tentacles that it rips from the body.

  Two arms come done to smash in her head, but she pushes herself up and looks the unsuspecting demon straight in the eye.

  The arms freeze mid motion. Then they slowly make their way to the scaled chest. The sand slides away and the monster moans as its own fingers push their way through its flesh.

  “Vicky, no!” Jeep yells. “We need it alive!”

  She doesn’t seem to hear him, not even when he steps closer and pulls at her arm.

  Her words rise in volume and a chill runs up my spine. She’s speaking a language I don’t understand, but it is one that I have heard many times before.

  I turn to the others standing behind me. “It’s the curse. She’s having a fit.”

  Taylar closes his mouth that had fallen open. “She’ll tear it apart if we don’t stop her.”

  Maël holds out her staff. “I’m on it.”

  She starts to speak quickly and sparks fly from the entwined twigs that form the tip of her wand.

  Vicky’s thrashing slows down. When I carefully step closer, I can see the madness in her eyes. Her fingers are bent into angry claws and her whole body is rigid. I hardly recognize her.

  “No time to waste,” D’Maeo says, as he takes Vicky’s arm and nods at me to do the same on her other side.

  It’s hard to move her, since she’s struggling in slow motion. It feels weird to pull her away from the demon. She’s like a doll whose batteries are slowly dying. Her body is stiff and she’s even colder than usual.

  “Hand her over to Jeep and take blood from the demon’s wound,” Quinn’s voice says in my mind.

  My eyes search for the tattooed ghost. He understands immediately and takes Vicky from me. D’Maeo hands him the hand cuffs.

  “I’ve got about a minute left,” Maël says between chants.

  My breath catches in my throat at the thought of mixing my blood with that demon’s. But I have no choice. If this can help me save Mom, I have to do it. I have to trust Quinn. No time to think.

  I turn, pull my athame out, slice the palm of my hand open with one quick swipe and duck under the approaching monster. It turns its elongated snout inch by inch in my direction, its tongue halfway out of its mouth. Sand sluggishly makes its way out of its pores and towards the gap in its chest. The four arms move down to grab me, but I avoid them easily.

  When the wound is within arm’s reach, I plunge my dagger into it. Drops of blood form a line between the demon’s body and my injured hand. While I wait for it to connect with my blood, I grip my athame tighter, ready to slice the lizard open up to its neck.

  Then a sledge hammer hits me full force and everything around me drops into a black hole.

  CHAPTER 18

  For a moment I’m afraid I ended the world. But when I raise my head, I realize not everything is gone. There’s a flickering light in the distance. Orange lines paint the sky above me. A piercing scream makes me jump to my feet and hold out my athame. Except, my hands are empty. No dagger, and in my pocket, no Morningstar. The wound in my palm is gone.

  It must have worked. I’m in one of my premonitions about the Devil.

&n
bsp; The air is thick around me. Smoke rises from the ground as I start walking.

  Dark shapes rise in the distance, lit by flames. When I get closer, I can make out sharp rocks. Something moves between them. An evil creature with pale claws. It turns its head one hundred and eighty degrees and stares at me through black holes. I ball my hands into fists and keep going.

  With every step it gets harder to move forward. An invisible force leans against me. It gets hotter and hotter on my face and squeezes my throat shut.

  I close my eyes and push with all my might. I picture Mom in my head, smiling at me, moving her feet to the beat of Dancing Queen. Turning my head sideways, I gulp in as much air as I can. With all my weight I push forward.

  Then the pressure suddenly passes and I hit the ground hard.

  A hollow laugh resonates through my body and leaves a chill inside my heart. I know whose voice that is.

  “It’s time,” he says. The words roll through the air like thunder. “No one is going to stop me anymore.”

  Flames rise up high and light a bulky form with pointy horns.

  I grit my teeth. There he is. Lucifer. The Devil. An army of monsters has gathered around him. Their skin hangs from their bones like dirty rags. Their arms reach up to touch their king.

  He looks down on them and growls. “I will prove this prophecy wrong. That boy and his pitiful band of minions are nothing. This time we will succeed and I will rule the Earth!”

  Is he talking about me and the Shield? I haul myself to my feet and walk closer.

  The Devil has turned his back on me. He stretches a long, skinny arm at something. When I move to my right I can see what it is. Or rather, who it is.

  I clasp my hand over my mouth. Mom!

  She’s crouched down on a rock, her wrists and ankles held by claws of flame. They give her just enough room to scramble left and right and avoid the hungry mouths surrounding her. Long dark scratches cover her bare arms and legs.

  The spider demon that took her, the one that caused those marks, is standing tall behind her. It prods her in the back with a hiss.

  She stumbles forward, kicking out behind her. The demon sprays hot pitch on her neck and she shakes her head frantically and screams in pain. Tears run down her cheeks and my chest tightens.

  The huge form of the Devil looms over her, making her tremble.

  She doesn’t look up.

  “Please don’t hurt her,” I whisper, although I know this has already happened.

  After a deep breath, she pulls her arms and legs together as hard as she can. More flames rise from the ground and hold her down. She kicks out and misses the demon by inches.

  A cackle rises from the Devil’s gaping mouth. He stretches a bony finger in Mom’s direction and pushes her chin up. Smoke curls up from her skin and she clenches her jaw.

  With unnecessary force, the spider demon grabs her arms and pulls them behind her back, creating more bruises and scratches.

  The Devil’s forked, black tongue slides over his cracked lips. “They think they can beat me. But no matter how many people they save, I will keep going.”

  Mom squirms in the demon’s grip. “Let go off me.”

  His mouth stretches into a grin that seems to cover his whole face. “You can fight as much as you want, but this time victory will be mine. You tell him that.”

  On Mom’s face confusion and fear make way for anger. “I’m not afraid of you. You’re not real. You can’t hurt me.”

  The Devil laughs so hard the ground shakes. I almost fall down. When I stick out my hand for balance, I notice more monsters of all shapes and sizes making their way to the spectacle. They don’t pay any attention to me. How can they? I’m not really here, I remind myself.

  The king of Hell shakes his head. “You silly creature. Do you really believe in that old tale?” His eyes burn as Mom looks up at him. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll find out how real I am soon enough.”

  He turns and within a second he has become one with the dancing shadows between the rocks.

  I step closer, wishing to be able to help Mom. I don’t want to see what else they do to her, but I can’t turn away. Maybe I can get a glimpse of the curse they use on her.

  Most of the monsters have lost interest in the weeping woman on the rocks and scatter. The fire claws finally let her go and she leans forward. As soon as her hands touch the rock, there’s a loud hiss and she shoots upright again.

  The spider demon blocks her way to the ground with its long legs and she screams in frustration.

  She lifts her head to the sky. “I want to wake up!”

  She freezes on the spot when two humanlike demons approach. They look like warriors, with their broad build, spikes all over their legs and bright red chest plates. Two sharp horns point forward on their heads. They both carry a dark red staff, with a human spine wrapped around it. Ash explodes around their hulking feet with every step they take.

  Mom grabs a handful of ash and flings it at the spider demon. When it ducks, she runs around it and hurls herself off the rock.

  It shrieks in frustration and scrambles up.

  But before Mom touches the ground, all of her limbs freeze. She just hangs there, suspended in the air. Her mouth moves and her eyes dart left and right in panic. A flame rises up right next to her and scorches the hem of her shirt. Her eyes open wider.

  “Stop hurting her!” I shout, although no one can hear me.

  The warriors approach, their staffs aimed at Mom to keep her in the air.

  Violent slashes against her back by the spider demon’s legs make her sway back and forth. The monster bares its teeth with glee.

  “I’ll kill you!” I yell at it. Then I realize I already did, and I feel a bit better.

  My hands hurt from the force with which I clench them and I take a deep breath. I need to stay calm. There’s nothing I can do here, except watch and learn.

  I step closer, while the warriors take position beside my mother. They spit out incoherent words and shake their staffs with rigid movements. Red ash escapes from the tips and whirls around Mom.

  She’s still immobilized, but I can see she’s fighting with all her might. One corner of her mouth twitches. She tries to scream, but no sound comes out.

  The staffs turn in the warriors’ hands and they push the tips forward. The jagged points pierce Mom’s body and she bends backwards in agony. At the same time, she gets her voice back. A piercing scream rips the air between us apart. The monsters in the distance respond with gleeful shrieks.

  My vocal cords and muscles no longer obey. My words are no more than a whisper. “No! Get your hands off her!” My vision changes into a blur of blood and red specks of ash as tears fall from my eyes. I jump forward with my arms outstretched, ready to push the warriors away. But I soar right through them and land on my face.

  When I struggle to my feet and turn around, the warriors pull their staffs back and Mom drops onto the smoldering ground.

  She pushes her hands against the gaping holes in her torso and moans.

  I crawl over to her and try to touch her arm. “It’s okay, Mom. Hold...” My words get caught in my throat and I swallow. “Please hold on.” I stroke her hair, even though she can’t feel it. “I’m here now. I’m here to help.” A sob escapes my lips and I shake my head. “I’ll get you back. And I’ll make them all pay, Mom. Every one of these bastards.”

  She breathes heavily and looks around.

  “Can you hear me?” I ask, but she looks right through me.

  I follow her gaze. The warriors slam their staffs together and walk away.

  Mom takes off her blouse and rips the sleeves off. She starts to push the pieces of cloth against the wounds and I want to tell her how proud I am that she’s keeping it together. But then she suddenly starts to scream. She drops the sleeves and slaps at her stomach.

  Instinctively, I reach out to grab her hands. But I’m nothing more than air here. My
feet don’t even leave prints in the hot ground.

  “Don’t panic,” I whisper to Mom.

  But she keeps screaming and hitting herself.

  When I lean over I finally see why. The red ash is moving around her wounds, setting the edges on fire. The pain must be agonizing.

  A scream of my own gets stuck in my throat and obstructs the flow of oxygen to my lungs.

  Retching violently, I bend over. It takes me a while to calm down and steady my breathing. All the while Mom is wriggling and moaning. Her skin is red from her attempts to get the red ash off of her body.

  “I love you, Mom,” I tell her. My tears drip right through her.

  She stops smacking herself as suddenly as she started.

  The wounds are closing. Blood finally stops pouring out. Mom holds her breath.

  We both watch closely as the holes change into slits.

  Then, just before they close completely, the ash slides inside.

  Mom goes limp before she gets a chance to scream. It looks like a million volts go through her. Her whole body tenses and a second later she just vanishes.

  “Mom!” I yell. But I’m no longer there myself.

  CHAPTER 19

  My head is going to explode any second, I’m sure of it. It buzzes loudly, and a sharp pain sweeps from the spot between my eyebrows to the back of my head, before circling back.

  Someone touches my arm and I scream.

  “Wow, easy, it’s just me,” Vicky’s tender voice says.

  Shards of words reach me, but I can’t understand them. When I try to open my eyes, hot sticks are pushed into them. I moan and hide my face in my hands.

  “Wha app’d?” Vicky sounds panicked.

  “Let me.”

  I squint through my eyelashes and see a dark face looming over me.

  “Hurts,” I mumble.

  “I know,” Quinn says, and he rests his hand on my eyes. “Sit still.”

  I want to say that I’m not moving, but then my arms get heavy and I realize I’ve been holding onto Quinn with all my might. My legs are trembling and my lips move as words escape them. “Saw him. Devil. Warriors. Fire. Pain. Mom. Help her.” They keep tumbling out of me, until Quinn puts his other hand on the back of my head.