Shattered Souls (27 page)

The screams and chants were lessening down the corridors. Many lives were being destroyed.
It seemed to be pretty equal. Logan gestured toward the stairs, and I ran up them with Trevor and Logan right behind. Upon seeing me, relief spread over my mom’s face, but before we knew what was happening an entire horde of Demoniker sorcerers climbed up the stairs and charged us.

The ground began shaking as they began casting us. I looked over at Logan who was blocking their spell.
Something didn’t seem right. I glanced at my mom, who was forming a shield with Ellsy and Vieta, and saw her weakening with everything that was being thrown at them. The earth continued to rumble, and I watched Ethan climb up the stairs. But what was infinitely more unnerving was the smile he wore as he did so.

Demons had been summoned.
I felt a warmth spread through me as my father began connecting to me.

“
There were too many. I couldn’t stop them
,” my father’s voice was solemn.

B
lue electricity that scattered across the night’s sky made way for the crack of thunder sounding overhead. I looked around, watching everyone battling the attacks that were targeted at them, except for me.

Ethan was coming for me. I began backing up
when I felt the first attack on my soul. It wasn’t physical. It was mental. The horror he shot through me landed me on my knees. The overwhelming pain from sadness boiled through my veins as if the emotion was a chemical that could eat away at my soul. I tried raising my head, but felt too weak.

“What did I tell you?” he sa
ng, standing only a foot away from me.

I cocked my head to see him
, his evil smile. I held out my hand and bowed my head in submission.

“The pain too much for you, my love,” he crooned.

I nodded, feeling his fingers slide into mine.

“Are you asking for forgiveness,” he asked.

The coolness glided along my fingertips, and I squeezed tightly around his hand as his screams began churning through the air. Unable to hide my smile, I looked up at Ethan, who had now dropped to his knees as the liquid metal spread through his hand, down to his wrist.

“You….” he fumed.

“Call off your demons,” I commanded.

“Absolutely not,” he replied, writhing in agony.
The ground continued shaking, and I looked around at everyone shielding, casting, and throwing magic. I was no longer certain about how this would end.

He knew I wouldn’t kill him until he called off his demons.
I knew he wouldn’t call off his demons unless I almost killed him.

I watched as the ground around us continued cracking, allowing the demons to come into our realm as the
y swirled and swerved through the crevices, pulling and tugging at my family and friends. I began hearing the welcome sound of fluttering wings as the fairies began surrounding us. They began fighting their brethren from the underworld. I watched the little fairies, bob and weave, taunting the larger demons, before they would sink their shiny fangs into them and rip them to shreds.

Their fierceness and power excited me. I wanted to be that person. Just once, I wanted to feign horror and have people recognize and taste the terror that I threw down.

But that wasn’t who I was.

Ethan’s breathing continued to
grow ragged as the liquid flowed up his arm. His eyes darted to the fairies and back to me. I accidentally let my guard down and he shoved his metal fist through mine and into my chest, knocking me to the ground. He wrapped his one good hand around my throat and began gripping it with every ounce of strength he had left. I felt my ring spin on my pinky. My heart was pounding as I popped open the locket and grabbed the tiny amulet out of it. As I gasped for air, I knew he wouldn’t stop squeezing with his one good hand to stop me. Tears were running down my face as I tried to squirm enough to continue to dislodge the constant pressure he was forcing around my neck. Grasping the amulet between my thumb and index finger, I brought my hand up to my chest. I wriggled my body along the ground, trying to do anything to stop his crushing grip when my fingers slid the amulet into place on my pendant. And I made my choice.

I chose.

I chose not to die.

I chose to live.

Forever.

Beams of light shot out of my pendant, blinding Ethan just enough to allow me to roll away from him. I reached up to my neck
, gasping for air but afraid to breathe, because the pain was so bad. I saw my mom on the ground, the shield shrinking, barely even covering her. Logan was fighting as many as were coming at him as fast as he could but when would it stop. I needed to get Ethan to call them back. I looked over at him and he was holding his bad arm, watching the liquid silver continue to creep along his healthy flesh.

“This war has become something you don’t want to fight,” a female’s voice sang through the air. “Call back your demons.”

I looked up to the sky to
see it filled with a beautiful spirit, a spirit that language fails to convey. She was miraculous, beautiful, and I was her vessel.

“Oh
. My. Word,” I gasped, looking toward the sky.

The remaining members of the Praedivinus and
Demoniker Orders stopped fighting, instead they stared toward the sky.

“
Vade Ad Inferos
,” Ethan stuttered, commanding the demons to the underworld.

The grounds began lighting up as the fairies joined forces
. The lake illuminated with a glowing canvas that was beyond breathtaking.

I stood up, stumbling as I ran toward Logan. He grabbed me and held me before I let go and ran to my mom. She was weak, but she was okay. We all were okay. I looked toward the glowing waters and was
in awe as I realized what was lighting up the water. Lake Nymphs hovered over every square inch of water. Their beauty and soft glow radiated off the lake as their song began echoing through the night’s air. I stood watching the beauty of our world come to life in a spectacular way as my body felt like I was experiencing weightlessness. I looked up toward the sky, smiling at the choice I made.

Logan came up behind me and slid his arms around my waist, tucking his chin into my shoulder.

Dace and Bakula, along with several other fairies, hovered in front of us holding the Praedivinus covenant.

“Thank you for accepting our gift,” Bakula said, bowing.

I touched my pendant, feeling where the amulet went.

“What was that I slipped into my pendant?” I asked.

“The amulet is a crystalized tear from me. One that we’ve blessed,” she answered, winking at me.

My mouth fell open.

“And I had it the entire time,” I whispered, shaking my head.

“You sure did,” Bakula said. “I started to doubt that you’d use it.”

The fairies shifted under the weight of the covenant.

“The covenant is
ready for you,” Bakula said.

“Ready for me?” I asked, grabbing it.

They nodded as Logan and I slowly walked toward the lake, with Dace and Bakula following.

“This is it,” I said quietly.

“You did it,” he whispered.

“We did it.” I stopped near the w
ater’s edge and opened the covenant. Tearing out the pages, I threw them into the air watching as they ignited over the lake.

“Wow,” I sighed, emptying the book. I turned to face Logan, his expression loving
as he caressed my arm.

“Your eyes are so beautiful,” he whispered. “They’re silver now, you know. Guess we can call it gray magic.”

I smiled, feeling like the world was full of possibilities.

“
Our love really will live on,” I whispered, rubbing my hands over his.

“Forever,” he murmured, as we both watched the
Lake Nymphs dance and sing in celebration of this new world.

Chapter 33

We were back in Seattle. The l
ake incident, that’s what we called it now, felt like an event long ago, but it wasn’t. It was just last week. Christmas was only days away, and our home was finally decorated. I’d be lying if I said I was the one who decorated. I didn’t. My mom had Meredith come over and get it ready before we got home. What I did do, though, was plan a fun holiday dinner, which I should be enjoying now instead of staring out the window waiting for Logan to return home.

“He’ll be here,” Jenny said, sitting behind me. “Quit worrying.”

“I know but the snow storm was unexpected,” I countered.

“And what do you think’s going to happen to him?” she teased. “If I remember you guys share a little something called—”

“I know. I know,” I said, waving my hands at her. “But I’m still allowed to worry.”

“
I can’t believe you had the key to immortality with you the entire time in that ring,” Jenny said, shaking her head.

“It’s pretty incredible.”

I turned back to the window and there he was, pulling right into the driveway.

I hollered to everyone and ran to the door, flinging it open. He was walking up the sidewalk with a bouquet of red roses and a sheepish grin.

“Where have you been?” I asked, giving him a big hug.

“I had to wait until it started snowing,” he said coyly.

“Why’s that?” I asked puzzled, as he pulled me outside.

I heard everyone gather at the front door and begin whispering and cheering, which I though was odd until I turned back to Logan.

Logan reached for my hand and dropped to one knee before I even knew what was happening. He looked up at me slowly at the same time that I exhaled to steady my world. His silver eyes locked on mine, his expression unreadable.

“I love you. You make me right, Triss. You don’t just complete me. You
make
me. Without you, I don’t know where I’d be. Where any of us would be. I want to spend the rest of our lives together.”

My hand began trembling, but he didn’t let go. Instead, using his other hand, he removed a tiny ring box from his pocket and flipped it open.

“Triss, will you marry me?” he asked, tightening his clasp around my hand.

I blinked back the tears and began nodding as I watched a smile spread across his lips.

“Yes,” I whispered, as he brought me into him.

“You have made me the happiest man in the world.” His voice was low.

“I love you more than anything,” I whispered, feeling the tears stream down my cheek as he pulled away.

Logan’s lips bent into a wide smile as he slipped the ring on my finger.  Wiping away the tears, I looked down at the beautiful setting, but it was almost impossible to focus as my hand trembled.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It reminded me of you,” he said, holding my hand.

Jenny came up behind Logan and tapped his shoulder. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” she asked, looking at my ring.

“You’ve seen it before?” I asked.

Jenny blushed and scurried away without saying another word.

“How long have you planning this?” I asked, smiling.

“Since,” he paused, and looked away before smiling, “forever.

“I have never seen a partnership like what you two can pull off,”
Bakula’s voice from behind shocked me. She fluttered to Logan’s shoulder and hovered. “You don’t detract from each other. You add to one another; each weakness becomes a strength. It’s something very unusual,” Bakula said, glancing at Dace. “I’d say you even beat us in that department.”

“Absolutely not,” Dace said, as his tiny lips turned up in a smile.

“Congratulations, my baby,” my mom gushed, walking up to us.

Ellsy stood next to my mom, with tears in her eyes. I scanned the
porch and couldn’t believe how amazing this moment felt. I never wanted it to end.

“Thank you, mom,” I said, hugging her.

“Logan’s been planning this for a long time, and after hearing some of the close calls in recent days, I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I am that we pulled it off,” she said, laughing, taking another swig of her drink.

“Close calls?” I asked.

“Snow storms that never transpired. He insisted it be done in the snow,” Ellsy said.

“I can’t believe I
didn’t have any idea,” I said in disbelief. I looked over at Logan and he was grinning, chatting with Jenny, looking over at me every so often.

“Congratulations,” Trevor said, pulling me into him, but not before Angela bounded over and tackled us both.

“This is incredible,” she chirped. “Let me see that ring.”

I held up my hand and enjoyed the wave of excitement that wash
ed over me as she held my hand and examined it. “Amazing.”

“You look absolutely stunning, babe,” Logan murmured
interrupting us as he snuck up behind me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

I spun around and slid
my arms around his neck.

“You make me this happy,” I whispered. “All the time.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” he teased, bringing his lips close to mine. “Because we have a lot of time.”

The charge running between us was undeniable. Since th
at night at the lake, every feeling, thought, emotion was escalated into something too hard to explain, maybe too hard for me to understand. But as I looked into Logan’s eyes I felt it running through me, and I was grateful that our future included forever. I stood on my toes and touched my lips to his, feeling the love that only we two could share.

The End