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“Do you really think you can get away with this?” I spat to Brianna as she dragged me across the car park.
A run down church, the spire completely decimated, stood above us, the dark night throwing the shadow of the building across the graveyard. The night air was cool against my skin as I stumbled, my boots scuffing against the gravel. There was no one around, not even an animal.
Xvair followed us slowly, his cane the only other sound in the area.
“You can't do this!” I heard Florian say behind me.
Brianna's male companion dragged the poor man behind us. Ever since his father had made the revelation that he wanted him to kill me, he had stayed pretty silent. I had no idea who the man was and what he was capable of, but I did wonder whether he would break under pressure. He certainly hadn't shown me that he was a powerful witch so far.
Brianna and her friend stayed quiet as we traipsed towards the church. The clouds moved to reveal the bright full moon, the light illuminating the stone angel who stood proud on the nearest grave to the iron gate. The eerie stains that streamed down the angel’s cheeks made me shudder.
“Be on guard,” Brianna whispered to her friend as he brought Florian beside us.
Nodding, the man grinned as he shoved the witch through the gate, indicating that I follow.
My feet were slow as I trotted onto what was supposed to be holy ground. The equinox had come upon us fast, the day disappearing, even though we couldn't see the sun from underground.
“You won’t get away with this!” Florian pushed against his captor as we were forced up the path.
The ground beneath my feet hummed but not pleasantly. Heat pulsed from the concrete under my boots, the scorch of it tickling the soles of my feet. This place was not pure, unlike its original intention. I had heard rumours that the priests had committed unspeakable crimes against humans in the name of religion inside the walls of the church. The blood that had poured from the innocent had stained the stone tiles leading up to the altar.
“We're doing what's right for our kind.” Brianna shoved me when I paused, my gaze reaching up to search the graveyard. “You have lived a life of luxury, secreted away in paradise, but in reality, we've had to put up with torture and discrimination.”
“You drink human blood, you kill them,” I spat, spinning so hard, Brianna scrambled to keep her hand on my arm.
Thrusting against her, I managed to dislodge her but not before her friend grasped my shoulder in an iron-tight grip. “Stop it!” he pushed through his clenched teeth. “You're not getting away from this.”
“What do you plan to do?” Florian asked. “I know my father wants me to take the line for him, but what have the PFF got to do with it?”
The door to the church creaked open as we neared it. Stone walls rose above us, the holes where the stained glass used to be now dark pits of emptiness. My heart thudded loudly in my chest as they pushed us closer.
“We’ll summon the demons of Hell into this church. Once they are here, we’ll tether them so we can control what they do. We’ll starve them of their hellfire, which will make them crave human flesh...” Brianna shuddered. “Something they're quite keen on, apparently.”
Trying to get her to look at me, I twisted my arms out of her grip. “You're planning on unleashing demons on humans so they can eat them?”
Clicking her tongue, Brianna opened the church door further and shoved me inside.
My mouth dried, and I fell silent as the foreboding darkness of the inner sanctum brightened when the moon's rays shone straight through several gaping holes in the ceiling.
“Welcome to your final resting place,” Xvair murmured, almost conversationally.
My gaze traced the stone altar. The hard rectangular shape was adorned with candles, the flames flickering with the barely there breeze. The pews were still intact, their rows a stepping stone up to the main pulpit. The walls were bare, all that was once decorating the grand church stolen by thieves.
“Isn't it beautiful?” Gesturing for Brianna to move us, Xvair closed the church door with a thud.
My skin itched intensely as we were propelled up the aisle. The evil contained within the walls seeped into my pores, making my own magic curdle in my stomach. I had encountered evil as an agent many times, but this place was beyond repair.
“This doesn't feel right, please,” Florian begged. “Let me go! I won't do it!”
Trying to get free of Brianna's friend, Florian thrust back and forth, his eyes wide as they landed on his father. Xvair scowled low in his ancient throat, his gaze narrowed on his son.
“You shall do as you’re told. What makes you think that you have a choice?”
Without waiting for a reply, the old man used his cane to climb up the steps to the altar. There, he waved his finger towards a salt circle laid on the ground in the middle of the church aisle. I had been so transfixed on the altar, I hadn't even noticed that we'd wandered through the space where he obviously intended to trap the demons.
“This is too dangerous,” I said, genuinely worried for human society. “I can't allow you to do this!”
Brianna laughed, her head thrown back. “Please don't try and be all high and mighty. You'll never defeat what's happening, Gemma, so you might as well accept that maybe...” Her sentence trailed off as I looked her square in the eye.
“Maybe what?”
Her throat moved as she swallowed, her gaze dropping for a second before she looked up again. “Maybe you're better off not being here to see it. You're too... pure.”
Tears filled her eyes as she took hold of my arms and pushed me closer to the altar. Shaking my head, I gave her my most disdainful expression. She might have everyone else fooled, but there was something deep within her that would regret what she was doing.
Gripping hold of her with my tied hands, I managed to get close to her face. “Keep telling yourself that what you're doing is right. We'll see who survives. I'll walk on my own, thanks!”
Pushing her away from me, I turned to the altar. If I could get a moment without them pawing me, there was a chance I could reach the glass in my pocket. As soon as I was cut free from the binds that restrained my magic, I would be able to take the lot of them down. I just had to be smart in my tactic.
“Hello Reverend,” Xvair said suddenly.
My feet froze on the steps as a man in a long traditional robe came out from behind a column. His gaze watched me as he came over to Xvair, his hand extended in greeting. I had seen the man before, he had been pictured with Joseph and Helen Cambridge. He was the shape shifter head of the PFF. Why was he dressed as a priest?
“Xvair Harvey, a man I've heard a lot about, but never had the pleasure of meeting. Joseph assures me that your intentions are pure towards our species, so I'm happy to work with you.” Shaking hands, the pair smiled kindly at one another.
Florian was propelled in front of me, his feet tripping up the steps as Brianna's friend man-handled him. When he reached the altar, he picked Florian up and threw him on top, only just missing the candles in the process.
“What are you doing?” Florian cried, his weak manner almost annoying me.
The man had every right to be scared. It just sucked that he wasn't strong enough to help me against two vampires, an ancient witch and a shape shifter. How would I ever get free of the bastards?
“His whining is doing my head in,” the male vampire said, looking at Xvair. “Can I knock him out?”
Nodding, Xvair didn't even flinch when the vampire punched Florian so hard in the jaw, his head snapped back and he slumped to the surface of the stone altar.
“Just get hold of her,” Xvair said, pulling the priest to the side. “She's not as harmless as she looks.”
Holding up my tied hands as the vampire approached, I skipped up the steps. Casting a glance over the altar, I noted the same rune etched into the stone under where Florian now lay motionless, his eyes closed. The candles were settled on each corner, representing the four points of the spell. It was going to be a big one.
The vampire's hand gripped the inside of my arm as I tried to pull it to the side. Nope, it wasn't going to work. Maybe if I got onto the altar, they would leave me alone long enough to get to the glass. If they knew that I was hiding a weapon, they would knock me out too. I couldn't have that, it would give them way too much freedom to cast their spell.
“I must admit,” I said loudly in the direction of Xvair. “I'm a little impressed with the strength of this spell. Are you sure you're going to be able to cast it on your own?”
A smile came to Xvair's face as he glanced at me, unable to resist the urge to gloat. Inclining his head to the priest, he sucked in a shaky breath before he replied to me. “My ancestors were like yours. They were probably the best of friends. Their power was just as strong as yours, if not stronger.”
Holding back the snort that tried to rise, I pretended to act interested in his little story. His hunched shoulders shook as he spoke, the bones in his body only just holding up under the pressure of old age. If I could drag out the ceremony, he might just drop dead here and now. The thought gave me a thrill that wasn't very professional.
Dave's face flashed into my mind, followed by Kate and Jake. For so long, I had avoided getting close to anyone, until recently. The three people that were now most important to me had no idea where I was. It made my heart desolate to know that it might be my last moment, although I wouldn't go down without a fight, even if I currently played docile.
“Xvair will not cast this spell alone,” the priest said. “There are many witches at PFF's headquarters, waiting to aid him with their power.”
Ah, that was another spanner in the works. The ritual would be a little harder to stop considering the witches were nowhere in sight.
“Get her on the altar,” Xvair ordered, pointing his cane at the male vampire. “It's almost time.”
Glancing up through a hole in the ceiling, I watched as a cloud slunk over the moon. The equinox was an important time in witch culture, the moon at its most powerful, giving the Earth a boost in magnetic power, which it turned into magic. In the past, when mother actually liked me, we would cast spells with the magic that fell from the sky. That's the way I had perceived it as a child.
“Do you want to do it yourself?” the vampire asked me. “Or, shall I do it for you?”
Resisting the urge to growl at him, I shook my head and held up my arms. “I can't very well climb up with my wrists tied, can I? Care to undo them?”
Raising his eyebrows, he glanced over at Brianna, who was hovering near the salt circle.
Xvair was obviously going to cast both a spell to disconnect me and one to bring up the demons from Hell.
“She thinks I'm stupid,” the vampire said, chuckling to himself as he hoisted me up and threw me on the stone altar.
Florian woke up as I bashed into him, trying to stop myself from completely pushing him off. I shuffled to my side, facing him. Blinking a few times, he watched me as I mouthed for him to play along. He frowned, not quite understanding what I was asking of him.
“You can't do this,” he said, managing to sit up.
His bulk was actually a good cover, so I ignored him as I shuffled my arms so they were underneath me. Biting my lip, I squirmed until my hand was trapped, my fingers almost in my pocket. It was uncomfortable, but I kept stretching, trying to reach the piece of glass. It would be my only hope.
A click of a safety catch on a gun made me freeze. Brianna came to stand next to Florian, a gun extended to his head. “It's simple,” she said, glancing down at me. “In a few minutes, Xvair will cast a spell to bring the demons up from Hell. Once they’re here, he’ll proceed with the re-forging of the ley line, taking it from Gemma and giving it to you.”
“Don't forget the dagger,” Xvair called as he handed his cane to the priest.
Laying it on the ground, the shifter shook his hands out and extended one to the ancient witch. They walked together, coming closer to the altar.
Swallowing, Brianna glanced at me. “When the line has left Gemma, her body will die slowly, but you will plunge the Essex dagger into her heart to make sure. She is not permitted to live in any way. Her body will be burnt here, on the altar.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to stop the shake of my insides. The idea of dying didn't scare me, I had kind of done it before. However, the thought of meeting my true end while demons were released onto the world didn't sit well. The drama of stories was a ton of fun in books, but in reality, I missed being able to curl up on my bed, getting lost in a place that didn't end with the good guy dead and the bad guy winning.
“Did you hear that?” Xvair's voice was closer now. “We're going to burn you directly above the portal to Hell. I'm hoping that your soul will be dragged down. Wouldn't it be ironic if you ended up with my son Lucien, after all?”
“And, your father,” Brianna added.
Looking up at her, I stared as my heart grew cold. “What did I ever do to hurt you?”
Her gaze dipped before she shook her head and pushed the tip of the gun into Florian's temple, ordering him to lay down. Once he did, she looked at me again. “Sometimes we have to sacrifice what we hold dear for the greater cause.”
A hand gripped my leg suddenly, making me jump. I kept still, my hands half tucked into my pocket. Luckily, no one had noticed, but the weak grip of Xvair's fingers made me stop my pursuit of the glass.
“Do you really think I enjoyed sacrificing my grandchildren?” Xvair's voice shook as he leant over me. “Let's begin.”
Brianna's male friend rolled me over, forcing me to take my hands out of my pocket. A frustrating grunt came from me unbidden as the ropes were ripped off. Magic trickled into me, but before I could react, he yanked one arm towards the top corner of the altar, quickly tying my wrist to a piece of rope. Reaching into my pocket with my free arm, I gripped the glass, bringing it out and slashing it towards Brianna, who was trying to capture my free wrist.
“Ouch!” she barked as I sliced the sharp tip through her fingers.
Two hands managed to grab my arm, wrenching it up and over my head, fastening it to another rope. The glass clattered to the altar surface, landing on the edge of the engraved rune. Where had the bastards got the magic-limiting rope from? Xvair was probably able to get the spell from his ancestors’ grimoire, which was a pain in the arse.
“Nice try,” the shifter said in my ear, pulling extra tight on the binds.
I had to remind myself that it had taken both a shifter and a vampire to contain me on the altar, which meant I was more powerful than I felt. Still, it didn't help my predicament. With my only chance gone, my weapon confiscated, I had no chance of beating them.
This was it. I was about to see my last moments in the life of Gemma Abbott.
Xvair's face hovered over me, his wrinkly skin hanging lower than his chin. “It's time.”
As Florian was tied in the same fashion as me, arms straight up, legs straight down, side by side, Xvair gripped the shifter's hand and started to chant. He was using the shifter's energy to convert into magic. The priest was probably the conduit for the witches that were helping them with their spell.
Opening my mouth, I started to sing a recent pop song, one that was played everywhere.
Xvair glared at me, his rotten teeth baring as he bashed me weakly on the arm. “Shut her up!”
Brianna's hand came over my mouth as the other one moved my head to face the rest of the church. Staring sideways at the salt circle, I listened to the words that came from Xvair, almost choking when Brianna pressed hard against my mouth. My teeth would be useless against the vampire so I didn't even bother to try and bite her. The wound on her arm was already healed, the blood still marking where I had managed to slice her.
Xvair finished his incantation, his breath shaky as he lifted his free hand in the air. I watched out of the corner of my eye as he coughed before proceeding. “Demons of Hell, those who will help Paranormals for Freedom, I invite you to enter this church. You may walk upon this Earth for as long as I'm alive.”
My whole body started to shake as the ground moved, vibrating beneath us. Heat seeped through the floor, rising in waves as the veil between Earth and Hell was pulled away. Transfixed on the salt circle, I tried not to groan against Brianna's hand when four demons appeared, including my father.
“Welcome!” Xvair shouted, throwing his head back and laughing loudly.
The demons watched him, their beady eyes bright red. Two of them were in the shape of floating apparitions, their energy bright orange, like flames. The one next to my father was human, his eyes watching me closely. Lucien. Did Xvair realise he had brought back his son?
Thrusting against my ropes when Xvair turned to me, I cried out in pain when my shoulders wrenched.
Xvair placed his hand on my chest, right above my heart. His chant rang throughout the church, the echo of it filtering into my ears. Pain lanced through my body, shaking my muscles uncontrollably. He was taking the line from me, I could feel my connection weakening.
“No!” I forced out between Brianna's fingers.
She released me when Xvair indicated that she should go to Florian, who was staring wide eyed. He would do what he was told, it was obvious in the shake of his limbs. He was a fearful witch, one who had never had to fight for his life. I wouldn't blame him for plunging the dagger in my heart when it was time.
Bucking against my binds as heat enveloped my whole body, I thrashed my head from side to side. Catching sight of the demons, I watched them briefly. They were circling their boundary cage, trying to find a crack in the entrapment spell. If they got free, they would be able to kill whoever they wanted, however they wanted.
“Get ready,” Xvair told Brianna. “It won't be long now.”
Going back to chanting, Xvair closed his eyes. I went still as the pain took over. I was going to die, right here, with demons to my right and enemies to my left.
“Stop!” A familiar voice echoed throughout the church.
Xvair's hand came away from my chest as he spun towards the door of the church. My own head slowly fell to the right, tears coming to my eyes as my gaze landed on Dave. My man, my saviour.
Maybe, just maybe, I would get the happy ending I deserved.
