The Eternal Tomb (17 page)

“Bane?” Oliver asked dumbly, looking at Emalie.

She turned, her eyes blindingly bright now, and smiled. When she spoke, it was Bane's voice. “It's payback time.”

“Charles?” Phlox whispered.

“Hey, Mom,” said Emalie. “One more thing to do.” Emalie's voice became a shrill scream that drowned out the entire chamber. “DÉSIRÉE!”

Désirée halted, looking up along with the rest of the chamber. “Well now…” she said.

And a fluid silver form lunged out of Emalie, its red
vampyr
eyes glowing, its fangs bared. With a terrifying screech, it hurtled across the cavern and slammed into Désirée in an explosion of light. The Anointing blade flew from her hand. Bane's
vampyr
and Désirée spiraled up into the cavern in a furious blur of thrashing limbs and fangs, flames swirling around them.

Emalie slumped against Oliver. “That feels better,” she said faintly.

“Emalie!” Margaret called from below.

Oliver gazed up in wonder.… Bane. Oliver thought back on Emalie's condition in the weeks since Bane's slaying, and what Sylvix had said tonight. There was already a demon presence inside her…Bane's
vampyr
. Emalie had merged with it before, when they'd fought the Nagual demon, and had even connected with it as far back as the museum in Fortuna. His
vampyr
demon should have been extinguished when he was slain, but instead, it seemed to have found a safe haven in Emalie. How was that even possible?

Phlox tugged Oliver's shoulder. “This is our chance to get the Artifact and get out.”

“We should get Lythia, too,” said Oliver, “before she's Anointed.” He turned to Emalie. “Can you go?”

She nodded. “Give me a hand, 'kay?” she said weakly.

Oliver put an arm around Emalie's waist and leaped, along with Phlox, Sebastian, and Tyrus, down to the platform.

“You!” Malcolm shouted upon seeing them, but could say no more before Sebastian landed a fist to his temple, knocking him senseless. The rest of the Half-Light vampires were torn between watching the battle above, and the arrival of the Nocturnes. A few lunged, clouds of smoke forming weapons in their hands. Phlox, Sebastian, and Tyrus spun into battle.

“Oliver!” Dean shouted.

“Get Lythia!” Oliver said.

Dean grabbed his master, who was so dazed she didn't object.

“Emalie!” Margaret pushed free of the zombies, who were watching Lythia dazedly. She rushed to Oliver and Emalie. “Oh, honey.” She wrapped Emalie in a hug, tears flowing, but immediately pulled back upon feeling her cold body. “What's happened to you?”

“Just a little dead,” Emalie mumbled.

Margaret gazed seriously at Oliver. “You're the chosen vampire,” she said, and then glanced back at Emalie. “We need to go, right now. Emalie shouldn't be here. Can you undo these shackles?”

The shackles were made to hold a human, and Oliver quickly tore them apart. “Okay, now what?”

Margaret closed her eyes, concentrating. “I can get us out of here, I just need to summon my bag. I hid it right before Half-Light caught me.…”

“Where's everyone off to?” Vyette floated up from the chasm, her dress singed, her eyes glowing brighter than ever, and the Anointing blade in her hand once more. She landed in front of Oliver and Emalie. “There is still an Anointing to be done, and finally, the
one
has arrived.”

Emalie gathered herself and stepped in front of Oliver. “No, I won't let you do this to him.”

“Emalie!” Margaret shouted, her eyes popping open. She scrambled to her feet.

Vyette smiled. “Why, I never intended to.” In a lightning motion, she plunged the blade into Emalie's chest.

Chapter 14

The Real Desiree

“NO!” MARGARET SCREAMED.

Emalie fell against Oliver and her mother and slumped to the ground, wincing in pain.

“Emalie!” Oliver dropped to his knees beside her. The blade was sunk to the hilt in her chest.

All around them, the fighting ceased. Phlox, Sebastian, Tyrus, and the Half-Light vampires turned and gaped at Emalie. Dean pushed his way to her side, dragging Lythia along.

“Good-bye, vampires,” said Vyette kindly, “and best wishes.” A disc of light flashed around her, and she was gone.

“Emalie, oh, Emalie, stay with me,” Margaret mumbled, her voice shaking.

As Oliver, Dean, and the crowd of vampires watched, the blade began to glow, burning with golden light, and sinking fully into Emalie. Then it was gone. There was no hole in the dress, and no blood.

Oliver heard a voice muttering from the stunned crowd. “There will come a young demonless vampire …” He turned to see Malcolm on his knees, staring at Emalie and reciting the prophecy, just as Selene had to Oliver over the summer. “Who has garnered a power never before known among them… A power…”

“We have to get her out of here,” urged Margaret, her voice shaking with panic.

“The Orani girl,” Malcolm said, his voice rising, “
she
is the power that the prophecy speaks of! The power that Oliver has garnered. The Anointment has succeeded!”

Oliver stared at Emalie in disbelief. She was part of the prophecy? What did that mean? Were they destined to open the Gate and destroy the world
together
?

“Excellent!” Désirée's voice boomed through the chamber. A ball of light crashed down onto the altar, smashing through the moon mirrors. Désirée stood, her hair unkempt, and black slashes torn across her face. Something yellow, like a horn, was protruding from her white scalp. She held Bane's
vampyr,
writhing in her hand.

“That felt good!” Bane's voice called triumphantly. “I did what I could, kids,” he said—

And Désirée devoured him.

“Tsss!” Phlox lunged, but Sebastian grabbed her. All eyes turned to Désirée.

She smiled at Oliver and Emalie. “Oh, Oliver,” she purred, “I'm such a fool. You brought the key to opening Nexia's Gate right into my shop and I couldn't see it. All these months I've wasted preparing this one—” she waved a hand dismissively at Lythia, who was leaning heavily on Dean's shoulder, “—but then again, this really did work out, didn't it? I guess I'll just gather up my things and be gone.”

Désirée stepped toward Emalie and Oliver.

“No!” It was Malcolm, of all vampires, who moved between her and Oliver. The rest of the vampires, Phlox, Sebastian, and Tyrus included, stepped up beside him.

Désirée's smile only widened. “You don't really want to do this.”

“You won't take our son,” Phlox hissed.

Désirée sighed. “Clearly my little costume is losing its creepy charm. Maybe it's time you miserable beings met the real me.”

She reached up, grabbed the skin by her eye, and pulled. Her face tore free, along with her hair. Beneath was a black, horned creature with enormous saber teeth and apple-size gold coin eyes. Hands appeared on wiry black limbs and Désirée's entire human form was torn away like paper. What stood before them was a ten-legged being with sixteen arms. The eight fingers on each hand came to long, razorlike points.

“Oh, my,” said Phlox breathlessly. “She's an Architect.”

“Tachesss!”
Malcolm shouted, and the vampires attacked. Désirée battled back, arms spinning. Vampires were thrown in all directions, some dissolving into dust.

“Oliver!” Phlox, Sebastian, and Tyrus ducked out of the fight. “Now's our chance.”

Oliver hoisted up Emalie. “Nnnn,” she mumbled faintly.

Dean appeared beside them. “We don't need Lythia anymore, right? 'Cause I had a great time dropping her on her face.”

The group had just started toward the catwalk when Désirée's hideous, true form landed before them, claws digging into the rock. “Why, Oliver, I hope you're not thinking of leaving me. You and your lovely Anointed girlfriend.”

“Stay away from them,” said Margaret, stepping in front of Oliver and Emalie. She now held her woven bag in her hand. “You should know better, Désirée.”

Désirée's fanged mouth seemed to smile. “That's a bold statement coming from a meager being such as yourself.”

“It's not just coming from me,” said Margaret, and she pulled a diamond-shape hand mirror from her bag. Oliver recognized it from Margaret's statue in Italy. But it was also the shape of the mirror Désirée had on the wall of her shop.

“Stand back!” Margaret called. Her eyes melted into gold coins like Désirée's. She thrust the mirror before her, and a beam of blinding light burst forth. It was white, and yet gold, but there were other colors, too. Oliver heard a soft voice he hadn't heard in a long time:
See me clearly
.

It was the light of the Gate itself.

Désirée staggered back, her many arms flailing. Margaret held the mirror steady, and with her other hand reached back for Emalie's.
Everyone join hands
, Margaret commanded in Oliver's mind. Emalie grabbed his, and when he turned to Phlox he saw that she had heard the command, too. She took Sebastian's hand, who grabbed Tyrus, who grabbed Dean…

“Heed this warning!” Margaret shouted at Désirée, who cowered in the light of the Gate, writhing and screeching in an otherworldly pitch.

And then she and Oliver and the rest disappeared from the chamber.

Chapter 15

The Old Ghost

THEY FLASHED BACK INTO
reality on a quiet street, lined with flat, single-story houses. Each had an orange tiled roof, white stucco walls, and flowering cacti in their front yards. The street was asleep except for the steady flicking of a lawn sprinkler. In the distance, the jagged line of mountains stood against a pale blue sky, their peaks painted pink with sunlight. A faint moon floated above, along with a few dawn stars.

Oliver saw Phlox, Sebastian, and Tyrus looking around uncertainly. “It's where they live,” he said to them nervously.

“Your human parents?” Phlox asked.

Oliver nodded.

“Nnn…” Emalie's eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed against Oliver, her body shuddering, her skin blue.

“We need to bring her back to life,” said Oliver seriously. After that, he had no idea. What did it mean that Emalie had been Anointed? What did it mean that Vyette made it sound like Anointing Emalie was supposed to happen? Margaret had wanted to get her out of there, almost as if she'd known of the danger, too. Now Emalie was part of the prophecy…a prophecy that could no longer be undone.

“Yeah…that would be good,” Emalie said weakly. “Sylvix?” she called.

“Pardon me.” Oliver looked up to see Sylvix easing his way between Sebastian and Tyrus, the milk jug swinging by his side, the lancet in his hand. He sat Emalie on the street and knelt down, placing the jug beside her. The onlookers were quiet as he whispered unintelligible demon words, then pressed the lancet into the hole in her neck. The blood began to flow back in, making a sound like a sucking straw.

A pale light appeared, and Oliver found Nathan and Emalie's soul beside him.
Hey
, said Nathan.

“Is that your…” Phlox began, staring at Nathan, wide-eyed.

“My soul,” said Oliver. “Yeah.” Oliver watched Phlox's face, worried what she might think, but he couldn't tell from her blank expression.

Emalie's skin began to warm.

It was nice meeting you
, Nathan said as Emalie's soul was slowly pulled from beside him. It rose above Emalie's chest and began to sink back into her, just below her neck. Now Oliver caught the faintest scent from her, and when she took her first big breath, he felt a burst of relief.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Think so,” she said groggily, getting to her feet. Then she turned. “Mom,” she whispered, and burst into tears. Margaret wrapped her arms around her.

“Pleasant nights, everyone,” said Sylvix politely, and left.

“How did you do that?” Phlox asked Margaret, her tone respectful. “How did you fend off Désirée and free us from that place?”

Margaret spoke as much to Emalie as to the rest of the group. “While I've been gone, I learned the source of Orani power. Our bloodline traces further back than anyone knew. We're descendants of the Architects. And in a very few of us, that original power, that direct link to the Architects, is turned on. It's like a dormant gene.…”

“An Artifact,” Sebastian added.

“Yes, it's turned on in me. And it's turned on in my daughter.” She looked to Emalie with fresh tears. “I had to run, to disappear, because Half-Light was after me. They wanted to use my power to Anoint Oliver, only they'd misread the prophecy. You were the one, Emalie. If only I had seen it, I could have taken you with me.”

“It's okay, Mom,” said Emalie.

“But it's not,” said Margaret. “Désirée and Half-Light will be after you both now.”

“We can handle Half-Light,” said Phlox. “And you fought Désirée off with that mirror.”

“I did, but only because I surprised her. I delivered a message from the other Architects.”

“You've spoken to them?” Sebastian asked in awe.

“Yes,” said Margaret. “After the Architects built the worlds and closed the Gate, they didn't leave. They each took trust of the world that they'd done the most work to build, to oversee its function. Désirée is Earth's Architect, but she's become deranged, damaged by the effects of Finity. The other Architects wanted her to understand that they disapprove of her actions.”

“Will that stop her?” asked Dean.

Margaret shook her head. “I doubt it.”

Silence passed over the group.

Finally, Oliver asked, “Emalie, was that really Bane? Was he…with you?”

Emalie nodded. “Yeah…his
vampyr
…It was with me all this time, hiding. I didn't really know it was there, but maybe I kinda did. I mean, I think he was helping me with my powers.… And waiting. Like he knew there'd be a chance to avenge his slaying.”