Torment (28 page)

“Fair enough, miserable sod.”

“I was going to introduce you to them when you first came to Hell, but both of them were assigned to a job.”

“He’s not human, is he?” Beth asked.

“No,” Eligos answered. “He is from another realm.”

“Yeah, the guys were saying there are quite a few other realms.”

“Around two hundred.”

“Wow! Time is different in Hell too, isn’t it? Tyler said everything was four times longer or something. I got a bit confused.”

“An hour here is four in Hell,” I told her.

“That’s a real head-doer,” she giggled.

“Yeah, you ought to try going there and back all the time. You feel jetlagged sometimes,” Eligos said.

“I bet you do. Right, anyway, I’m going to see if Marley’s up. See you later,” she said just before walking away.

I sat on the swing again and Eligos joined me.

“How are they?” he asked.

“Beth’s OK. She told me about her parents. It was awful. Marley’s still asleep so I haven’t spoken to her.”

“What happened?”

I explained everything Beth had told me.

“Sick bastards! If they weren’t already dead I’d have taken them to Hell and let some people have some fun with them,” he said in disgust.

“I think the girls feel better knowing they’re dead though.”

“Yeah I should think so.”

“This is messed up,” I sighed. “I mean, why not just attack full force, get it over and done with. Why do they mess with us, let us think everything's OK and then BANG, we’re fighting again.”

“They’re gathering their forces. They know that when the time comes they’re gonna have a lot of people to face.”

“There’s only us up to now.”

“No there isn’t. There’s us, Hecate, Unsere and her husband, all my army, all Buer’s army, plus anyone else with power that turns up here. That’s just for starters.”

“Who’s Buer?”

“Another Grand Duke. He’s a demon of the second order. He is going to join us when the time comes. Lilith will be talking with other army leaders too, so there will probably be a lot more.”

“Wow!” I gasped. “Eligos, just how big is this going to get.”

“They’re recruiting on a large scale. Tens of thousands of people have disappeared up to now. Who knows what the total will be by the end of the week? At least we’ll have the numbers.”

“I’m worried about the guys,” I told him.

“How so?”

“They have more power now, and yet they struggled with Crystal. And they were all together.”

“That’s because they haven’t spent time mastering their new power. They haven’t really had the time.”

“Well, we need to make time, otherwise…”

“We will. Danny is doing well. He’s not spent much time on his power, but he’s good with a few weapons now.”

“They
all
need to be good,” I told him.

We spent another ten minutes or so on the swing before heading inside. Lily and Jake were in the kitchen having their breakfasts. Both of them had had a good night’s rest and Jake looked a lot better. He hadn't had any bad dreams last night and was relieved to say the least. Marley came down and Beth made her some toast and coffee; she too looked a lot better than yesterday.

“Are you sure you don't mind us staying?” Marley asked me. “We didn’t expect to stay with you; we would have checked into a motel or something.”

“Nonsense, you’re obviously meant to be near me, so near me you’ll be,” I told her. “Besides I’ve got plenty of room.”

“Thanks, Keira.”

“Now the thing is we tend to get attacked quite a bit around here. It’s been quiet recently, so we’re due something soon. That means you’ll need to be able to defend yourselves. I’m gonna need to know what you’re both capable of.”

“I’m psychic, I have visions, I can throw energy balls and shockwaves, but they’re not very strong, and I’m pyro kinetic,” Marley said.

“Oh Tyler’s gonna hate you,” I told her. “He would give anything to be pyro kinetic.”

“He should be now,” Eligos told me. “Tell him to try.”

“Oh he’ll be happy then,” I smirked. “Beth, what about you, what can you do?”

“Erm, I can generate shields, that's my strongest power. I’m telekinetic; I can manipulate fire but I can’t create it; I can create strong winds, and…that's about it.”

“Fire is your strongest weapon against the possessed bodies,” Eligos told her. “Burn them, dismember them. If the body is wrecked the spirit leaves. God how many times have I said that now; I sound like a broken record.”

“Electrocuting them seems to work well,” I informed them. “It worked for me when I faced Argyle and his gang.”

“It will work if the current is strong enough to burn them to a crisp or dis…I’m not saying it again.”

“OK,” I said, laughing. “Would you like me to say it for you?” I added cheekily.

“Would you like me to toss you through the window?” he asked with wide eyes.

“You wouldn’t do that to her” Lily pointed out.

“Wouldn’t I?” Eligos said turning to face her.

“No, you love her too much and that would hurt her.”

“I’d heal her afterwards.”

“You wouldn't do it, I know you wouldn’t.”

“Oh shut up,” he said, knowing that what she was saying was true.

“See, told ya,” she smirked.

“I’ll toss
you
through it in a minute,” he said smirking himself.

“Keira would beat you up if you did, wouldn't you?” she said looking at me.

“Yes.”

“Women!” Jake giggled.

Lily took the metal spoon out of her hot cup of coffee and put it against Jake’s forearm.

“Ow!” he shouted, quickly moving his arm away. “What the hell was that for?”

“Being cheeky,” she told him.

“If I get a blister now, I swear to God…”

“You’ll what?” Beth interrupted.

“Oh God, I forgot there’s two more of them now,” Jake said, burying his head in his hands. “We’re all done for.”

Lily looked over at Beth and smiled at her.

“Oh stop moaning!” Marley told him.

“Jesus, they’re all at it,” Eligos remarked.

“Problem?” I asked him cockily.

“Not at all, my sweet beautiful little princess.”

“Creep!” Beth, Marley and Lily said, all at the same time.

All of us burst out laughing.

We were still laughing when Jake’s phone started ringing. It was Tyler telling him they were all on their way over and to turn the TV on. He said it wouldn't matter what channel we put on we would see it. He told him me and Lily would have to be prepared for what we were about to see. We all walked into the living room. The laughter had stopped; we knew what we were about to see was going to be bad. Tyler was right: no matter what channel we put on, the news was on. It looked as though an atomic bomb had gone off in a city. Jake messed with the remote to try and turn it up, but there was no need. I felt sick to my stomach.

I recognized the burned-out buildings and shops. I turned to look at Lily. She was as white as a ghost. The city on TV was our home town, our birthplace, West Chester.

“Mom!” I said, running out of the room.

I ran into the kitchen to grab my phone. Lily ran in after me to get hers and tried to call her parents.

“It won’t connect!” I told her.

“No, mine won’t either,” she said in tears.

Neither of us had been particularly close to our parents. Lily’s were horrible to her and my mom and I were never close. What worried Lily the most was that her grandparents lived in West Chester too, along with her aunt and uncle. All of them had tried to get Lily away from her mom and dad when she was younger. We tried again but we still couldn’t get a connection.

“Keira,” Lily cried, shaking her head.

“We’re going,” I said as I grabbed my car keys.

We both ran into the hall just as Tyler and the others walked in. Eligos, Jake and the girls were now in the hall too.

“Where are you going?” Eligos and Beth asked us.

“West Chester,” we both answered as we ran out of the door.

“Why don't I take you?” Eligos shouted to me.

“No, you need to stay here just in case they need you here.
I
need you here,” I said as I got in the car.

None of them said anything. As soon as Lily was strapped in I put my foot down on the accelerator and sped out of the grounds of the house.

“Keira, what if…”

“Don’t. Not yet!” I told her.

Chapter Thirty-Six

West Chester

Both of us were silent all the way to West Chester, Pennsylvania. I was so anxious; I held on to the steering wheel so tightly my hands and arms were aching. I broke every speed limit. On some of the straight roads, thanks to the power in me, we were going so fast that the speedometer couldn’t keep up. At this speed it would take only a few hours to get there. We had tried calling our families again, but we still couldn’t get a connection. We had been sent a few text messages from the guys, telling us that all the channels had just been showing the same footage. Nothing new at all. We told them we would call them when we arrived. I kept asking myself over and over, ‘Why are you going there?’ and ‘What are you going to do? You can’t help anyone there – what are you trying to achieve?’ But I wouldn't turn back; I had to see what had happened with my own eyes, not through the TV set.

When we arrived in West Chester we both got the shock of our lives. The whole place was in perfect condition, the buildings were intact, people were walking around getting on with their everyday lives. There was no sign of anything being wrong anywhere. I pulled up outside my mom’s house. Everything was the same as it had been just before I left for Salem.

“What’s going on?” Lily asked, extremely confused.

“I have no idea,” I said, getting out of the car warily.

She got out and followed me towards the house. Before we got to the porch my mom walked out of the front door. When she saw us she stopped dead in her tracks.

“Keira!” she said in disbelief.

I was so relieved to see she was OK; I did something I’d never done before. I ran up the steps of the porch and flung my arms around her, tears started rolling down my cheek.

“Keira, what is this?” she said, pulling me back from her.

“I thought you were dead,” I told her.

“Why? Why would you think that?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Do you want to come in? I can make us all a cup of tea,” she said, smiling.

“I don't want to bother you, I just wanted to…”

“Keira, I know we’ve never been close, but you
are
my daughter. Let me make you and Lily a cup of tea. Then you can tell me why on earth you thought I was dead.”

She took me and Lily inside and into the kitchen. We sat down on the stools while she made us both a drink. Nothing had changed in the house since I moved out four years ago. There were still photos of her and my dad all over the place and some of me when I was a little girl. The furniture was the same: the pale wood chairs to match the cupboards, the sand-colored granite worktops and beautifully carved table.

“Here you are, girls,” she said, passing us both our drinks. “Now, what's all this about?”

Me and Lily told her what we had seen on the news. My mom was really confused; she didn’t understand what was happening. She knew some towns had been wiped out, but she had no idea why. She knew I knew what was going on and questioned me over and over, until finally, I told her. I didn’t tell her about my personal life and Lilith; I only told her about the attacks and that something was coming.

“This is crazy” she said. “Why do
you
have to stop it? Surely this is Hell’s problem.”

“I was chosen, I suppose,” I lied.

I hadn't told her I’d died, gone to Hell and now I was a demon. I just told her I was extremely powerful and that there was more in me than anyone had known.

“This is ridiculous! This sort of thing should only exist in the movies,” my mom said.

“Well, it’s real, I’m real, everything is real,” I shot back coldly.

She didn’t respond. She just walked over to the sink and turned her back on me and Lily. All of us stayed quiet for a few minutes.

“Well, I can see you’re OK so we’ll be leaving now,” I told her. “If anything should happen or if you get frightened just-”

“
If
I get frightened,” she laughed. “I’ve been frightened since the day I found out what your father had in him. Oh yeah, and frightened since I got pregnant with
you
when I’d been told I couldn’t have kids, and since
you
turn out to be whatever it is that
you
are…I’m used to being frightened, Keira. You just worry about yourself, not me.”

“Fine, be like that!” I snapped. “I drive all this way to check to see if you’re OK and you’re still a witch with me. I’m sorry I came.”

“So am I.”

“Come on, Lily; she’ll never change,” I said, making my way out of the kitchen and to the front door.

“You know,” I heard Lily say to my mom, “if you had taken the time to get to know her, you would have realized what a fantastic daughter you actually have. Everyone loves her; it’s a shame her own mother doesn’t. I pity you, you always wanted a child, then you have one, but she’s not good enough; she’s different, so you shun her. You didn’t deserve to have her, and you still don't. As soon as she heard you might have been in trouble she got in the car and raced here, and this is the thanks she gets. I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother if it ever happens again.”

My mom didn’t respond and a moment later Lily was walking out the front door with me.

“Are you OK?” she asked me as we walked to the car.

“Fine, I’m used to her.”

“I’ll call the guys and tell them what's happened.”

“Oh God, I forgot. I said I’d call them when we first got here.”

“Yeah well, we had a bit of a shock. I’m sure they’ll forgive us,” she said, putting the phone to her ear.

I’d just put my seatbelt on when I heard my mom call my name. I told Lily to give me a minute and got back out of the car.

“What is it?” I shouted to her.

“I know I’ve never been much of a mother to you, but that doesn’t mean I don't love you.”