Destiny Disrupted (20 page)

Creating an energy ball in my hand. I flung the blue sphere hard at the demon’s chest, and Necro staggered back. Another orb of light pulsed from my hands and Necro took the blast to his torso. He hunched over, gasping. Blood speckled his eyes. I quickly created a third blue sphere and shot it at him. The discharge hit him on the side and Necro shrieked like a banshee. He stumbled, his body singed by the magickal explosion.

Brittany flung open the backdoor. “Hey, I—”

“Get the potion!” I yelled. “I’ll hold him off.”

Brittany dashed past me and grabbed the vial. She pitched it at Necro’s feet. The potion ignited his body with an azure blaze of mystical fire.

Ariana moved beside her, and together we joined hands to recite,
“Branch of Hemlock, do your deed. Blood of life, will you impede. Poisoned bark will stop the heart. And evil’s breath will bring your death.”

The demon screamed, his body enclosed in flame. He was vanquished so completely it was as though the world had opened its mouth and swallowed him whole.

“You guys all right?” Brittany asked.

“Yeah. Did you get a hold of anybody?” Ariana asked.

Brittany shook her head. “Nope. But I guess we didn’t need help anyway.”

“We just defeated our first demon together!” I said, doing a little victory dance. “I knew we could do it.”

The three of us started smiling and hugging and laughing.

Pulling away, I stared down at the pile of ash that was once Necro. Maybe it was time I stopped breaking into witch shacks, performing midnight séances, and summoning demons until I was a bit more experienced.

Brittany noticed ashes splattered all over her knit top and skinny jeans. “Ah—c
rud!
I just bought this!”

Ariana shook her head, trying not to smile. “I can’t believe the fate of this town rests in the hands of us three.”

Brittany placed both hands on her hips. “Who said you can’t look great and kick ass, too?”

Another day passed. Then another. Followed by three more. No word from Trent. Each day was occupied with teaching Brittany and Ariana about magick, studying, school, and patrolling. By Friday, I felt like a shadow of my former self.

Trent hadn’t been in school all week. I’d called and texted and even stopped by Craven Manor. When Mrs. Baylock answered the door, she’d informed me that he had mysteriously left town with his father. When I spoke to Evans over the phone, he had no idea where they’d gone.

Trent had said he cared about me, we had made love, and then he had proceeded to vanish. My heart turned over, like it did every time I thought of Trent. I had lost my virginity to a guy who was clearly too troubled to be in a healthy relationship, but whom I still felt irresistibly attached to anyway.

While Darrah and Ariana were fast asleep in the house, I tiptoed down the hall like an all-stealthy ninja, and past their bedrooms. I hurried downstairs, crossed the foyer, and paused by the front door to zip up my hoodie before slipping out into the cold.

Raze had texted me earlier in the day and said he was finally going to show me what Trent had been up to behind my back.

Since I had the sinking feeling that my sinfully hot boyfriend was keeping more than a few secrets from me, I hadn’t told anyone about what Raze and I had talked about that day at school. Ariana had never trusted Trent, so there was no reason to tell Ari that her suspicions might’ve been right all long. I’d always stuck up for Trent and I couldn’t voice my doubts now. What if I was wrong?

Please, oh, please let me be wrong.

My body vibrated with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see him tonight. My light blue Converse cut a ghostly streak through the pitch-black night. No stars. No moon. on. Only serious cloud cover.

I ran across the withering grass and past the abandoned house next door, a condemned Victorian with thorny weeds and boarded-up windows. After school, I’d parked down the street instead of in the driveway so no one would hear me start the engine.

Throwing the hood of my black sweatshirt over my head, I hugged the fabric close to my body, and ran. Trying not to think about paranormals that might be skulking around my neighborhood.

I whistled for the shades, but they didn’t come. What was with those little demons lately?

When my feet hit asphalt, I was home free, but now I was out in the open for any demon to see and attack. But if something was going to try to catch me, they were going to catch me on the run. The tall houses loomed on both sides, scowling down at me like disapproving parents.

My lungs burned from the cold. I sucked in a breath. Then I held it and listened.

No growling, no footsteps, no rabid demons lusting for Shiloh meat.

I sprinted across the street and speed-walked toward the Jeep. I unlocked the vehicle and climbed in. My lungs burned from the frigid air and I really had to pee. Nerves. Did it to me every time.

I paused for the shortest of seconds before starting the engine. I couldn’t help it. Trent’s handsome face flashed in my mind, then his lips and his hands and his warmth. Whatever Raze was going to show me tonight, I had to remember that I still wanted to save Trent.

The drive to Phoenix Lake only took about fifteen minutes, thanks to the lack of traffic and the spell-induced green lights. I parked near the long dirt road leading to the lake and removed the small flashlight I kept in the glove compartment. I hopped out of the Jeep and Raze landed on the ground directly behind me.

I was so startled, I dropped the flashlight, and it rolled into the tire.

“Hey,” Raze whispered, striding out of the shadows.

“Hey, yourself.” I slightly smiled at his outfit. He looked every bit the skulker. Black trench coat. Black skullcap. Black jeans. Scuffed boots.

“You ready to do this?” he asked.

I bent to retrieved the flashlight. “Yup. But how did you hear about whatever’s going down tonight?”

“I told you. I heard a rumor and I thought it might be a good idea to check it out. It might even help keep the balance of power between good and evil.”

“Don’t be cryptic. I
really
hate cryptic.”

Raze grinned a slow sexy smile. “You don’t want to be surprised?”

“No. Let’s just get this over with. Whatever
this
is.”

“C’mon,” he said. “This way.”

We trekked down the road, staying close to the trees. A carpet of pine needles covered the trail and absorbed the clamor of our footsteps. Wild patches of grass grew tall and untamed. The damp odor of dead leaves and stagnant water crammed the air. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. Something slithered past my boot. Probably a lizard.

We slunk past Trent’s yellow Porsche parked ten feet or so from the incline. The same instant I saw his car, Raze’s words seeped into my mind,
He’s not who you think he is…

I tripped forward and a spider’s web tugged at my face. Flailing the flashlight wildly around, I held back a girlish scream and Raze grabbed my hand, threading his fingers through mine. My face reddened, but I didn’t yank my grasp from his.

Tingling warmth settled over my skin at his touch. A jerk on my body, like a giant hook under my ribs, pulled me closer to him. I didn’t know what it meant, but it felt as real as the hand clutching mine, or the breeze, or the moonlight.

I drew in a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Raze was a new complication. One I didn’t need. I had this stupid teeny-weeny crush on him, but I
loved
Trent. End of story.

As we neared the lake, I was reminded of a night not long ago when I’d spied on the Blood Rose Circle as they’d discussed Trent’s fate.

Tonight seemed eerily similar.

A forest of redwoods surrounded the lake. Their gnarled branches reaching out like bony fingers—distressed bark twisted and tangled—as if challenging anyone to enter their midst. We followed a dirt path deeper into the forest.

As I trailed behind Raze, the practical side of my brain suddenly became conscious that I was following a guy I barely knew into the woods. In the middle of the night. All alone. Just when I was about to bolt, the blaze of a small fire in a rock pit came into view.

Raze stopped near a tangle of underbrush. “Kill that flashlight,” he ordered.

I switched it off. The clouds parted and the moon peeked out, casting an ominous glow on the rippling waters. My heart thundered in my ears and I let go of Raze’s hand.

“Do you know any spells to improve night vision?” Raze whispered.

“Actually, I do.” Closing my eyes, I recited, “
By the power of the sun make the dark become light and make the day shine in the night
.”

When I opened my eyes, my vision was clear and everything around us seemed a tad brighter. We crouched and peered through the foliage. No sign of Trent.

Caym and two other demons stepped into view. My eyes widened
.
I lurched back a step and I forced myself to blink.

No freaking way.

The Evil Triad was complete again. But what were they doing here?

Then Trent’s tall, bulky frame strode up to the Evil Triad, his steps quick and purposeful. Unafraid and calm. As if…he’d met with them dozens of times before. Like he
knew
them. This was looking pretty effing bad. My heart started pounding so loudly in my ears, I had a feeling they would be ringing later.

“I’m here as you requested,” Trent said, chin held high.

“Thank you for meeting with us, Cambion,” Caym said, the firelight dancing over his reptilian features.

“Cambion?” Trent frowned. “I asked you not to call me that. I have a name. Use it.”

“As you wish,” Caym replied, and the other two demons remained quiet and obedient by his side.

Raze shifted his weight, his shoulder brushing mine. My chest tightened. I refused to look at him.

As Trent stared down the Evil Triad, his eyes went onyx. “Start talking.”

“We are hoping to strike a deal with you.” With his hands clasped behind his back, Caym paced back and forth. “Since you never really knew your father, let me begin by filling you in on his wishes for your future. He left you a great legacy, a tremendous honor—”

“I’m not interested in my evil inheritance.”

“You might reconsider after you hear what we have to say, my liege. And if you hope to save your beloved witch.”

My heart jumped. Caym obviously meant me.

Trent’s broad shoulders went taut. “Save her from what? If any of you low life, bottom-feeders dare to lay so much as a claw on Shiloh, I’ll—”

Caym held up a hand. “Calm yourself. The Nocturne do not wish to anger you, only to convince you to join us.”

“Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. I
said
I’m not interested.” Trent started marching back to his car.

Yes!
Good. Walk away from those evil jerks.

“Even if it will save your mother, too?” Caym asked smugly.

Trent halted and faced the demons. The color was draining from his eyes again. All that dazzling green spilled away, until there was only pure black. “What about my mother?”

“After Esael’s untimely demise, we had to lock her up. Do not worry, she is quite safe within the Underworld.”

Trent stomped forward, his hands fisted. “You bastards! Release my mother at once!”

Caym didn’t flinch or bat an eye. “Oh, we intend to, once you accept our generous offer.”

Trent’s nostrils flared. “Then spit it out. What is it that you want from me?”

“You must embrace your darker roots and take the throne. We will have an official coronation to crown you, and like I mentioned before, we’ll need a virgin sacrifice.”

Mentioned before?
My pulse went into overdrive. Trent had been secretly meeting with the Nocturne. Oh. My. God. Was this for real?

Raze and I glanced at each other. His face held a total
I-told-you-so
expression. His wings noiselessly fluttered behind him. My stomach dropped down somewhere around my ankles. Reluctantly, I turned my attention back to Trent and the Evil Triad.

Trent shoved his hands into the pockets of his low-slung jeans. “No way. I’m not going to kill anybody.”

“You do not have to. We only require a pint of virgin’s blood to perform the ritual.”

Trent remained silent for several torturous minutes. He glanced up into the night sky, then back at the demons. “If I do this,” he said finally, “you’ll have to agree to a few of my conditions.”

Caym nodded once. “Anything you want. Name it.”

As I strained to listen, blood pounding in my ears, the noise, like a severely unbalanced washing machine on the spin cycle, of a passing helicopter split the night. The loud racket of the chopper drowned out their voices, but I did catch the final word.

“Agreed,” Trent said.

What the hell? I shot to my feet and gasped. My heartbeat sped up. Way too fast. Raze clutched my wrist and jerked me back down. He put a finger to his lips to shush me. I yanked my arm from his grasp, but didn’t charge into the clearing like I wanted to do.

Caym’s lizard face lit up with an impish grin and his voice carried clearly on the wind. “To honor this agreement, I’ll need you to sign the oath in blood.” He snapped his fingers and Leith stepped forward with a rolled up scroll and a dagger. Caym took the parchment from him and unfolded it. “Leith will need some of your blood now.”

Trent stared at the ground. “Will I feel differently afterward?”

Caym shrugged. “Possibly. The power you’ll gain will make you immortal. Unstoppable. It is quite seductive, I hear.”

“I don’t care about having more power. There’s only one thing I’m interested in,” Trent said. “And that’s my mother’s freedom.”

“Whatever the reason, my liege, I am glad you finally came around. I was concerned the young witch’s influence on your humanity might manipulate you into joining the other side.”

I stood up again, but my legs felt like they were encased in concrete. My stomach pitched. When I tried to move, I found I couldn’t. My limbs were frozen. I tried to scream, but no sound came from my lips. My gaze clashed with Raze’s violet stare.
You bastard
, I mouthed. He’d used magick on me. Kept me from stopping Trent. My head snapped back up and I stared at my boyfriend mutely willing him to leave. Go home. Not make a deal with the Triad.

Trent, no! Please don’t do this!

Leith seized Trent’s hand and flipped it over, then sliced into his palm with the knife. Trent winced. Blood dripped from the wound and onto the scroll Caym held beneath his hand. A flash of muted light and mystical dark energy flared over Trent’s body like an aura.

The bargain had been struck.

With their alliance newly cemented, the Triad bowed to Trent before backing away, and slipping into nothing more than darkness and shadow. Once they were gone, Trent stood there a moment, staring at his bleeding hand. Then he stamped off to his Porsche and drove away. The second his car was gone, the magick holding me captive thawed and I fell onto my knees.

“Are you all right?” Raze asked. “You look pale.”

“Am I all right? Are you freakin’ kidding me? I am so far from all right that I’m in a whole other universe!”

“If I’d told you my suspicions earlier, you wouldn’t have believed me. You had to see it for yourself,” he said, his wings flapping nervously behind him.

“Is that the only reason you brought me here?” I demanded.

Raze got to his feet and loomed over me. “You cannot change his fate. Only yours.”

“H-how could Trent do this to me?” I said, fighting tears. “I love him.”

Raze shook his head. “That’s the bitch about love. It’s simply a series of twisty, rough, and unpredictable moments. It’s the one emotion that always throws you a few curve balls that you never saw coming, until they smack you upside the head. And you’re naive if you think no one escapes without a scratch.”

Tears pricked my eyes. “Thank you for that incredibly insensitive pep talk, Raze.”

He lifted both hands in mock innocence. “Sorry, but it’s true.”

“You knew what would happen tonight! But why wouldn’t you let me stop him?” Cracking my knuckles, I resisted the strong urge to punch Raze in the face. “Trent has obviously been meeting with the demons for weeks.”