Red-Headed Stepchild

Page 44

Once I’d completed my trek, I rolled onto my back, panting. Adam nodded, showing his approval of my effort. I wasn’t sure what to do next, but the mage gave me the answer. He ran at Clovis and Lavinia, waving his cuffed wrists and shouting like a berserker. The distraction surprised the pair, who stopped to gape.
I jumped into a crouch, ignoring the pain. He expected me to take advantage of the distraction he offered, but I had no idea what he wanted me to do. Adam blasted the pair with a few brass-weakened zaps of magic, but I could tell this was more distraction. Clovis and Lavinia circled Adam now, looking for an opening. I had to move soon or I’d blow the opportunity.
As I watched Clovis near the crimson circle, I knew what I had to do. My palms began to sweat even though my skin felt chilled. Left with no other choice, I scrambled to remember the spell Adam had written in the grimoire.
Clovis’s foot crossed the line. Adam shouted something in Hekatian that I didn’t understand, which was fine because I was trying to remember my part. Clovis’s eyes widened as a flash of red light extended upward from the circle. Lavinia fell back, thrown when she made contact with the bubble created by protective barrier.
“Now!” Adam yelled, causing my stomach to leap.
“Idimmu Alka!” I shouted almost from instinct. With my right hand, I etched a simple glyph in the air.
A puff of poison-green smoke announced Giguhl’s arrival. He wore a smoking jacket and held a goblet filled with neon purple liquid in his claw. He was mid-swig when he stopped and looked around, blinking rapidly. When he saw me, he stood up straighter. I sent a prayer of thanks to Lilith that he’d returned to his demon form.
“Sabina? What the—”
I pointed a bloody hand at Clovis, who stood immobile from shock a mere three feet away. Giguhl dragged his eyes from me and narrowed them at the gaping mixed-blood demon.
“Sic ’im!” I yelled.
An evil smile appeared on his lips and he tossed aside the goblet. Then he clapped his claws together and rubbed them in anticipation. “Playtime!”
He flew at Clovis and wrapped his claws around the half demon’s neck before Clovis could even scream. A sickening gurgle escaped his throat as Giguhl shook him like a mongrel dog.
“Giguhl, time to go!” I yelled.
He nodded and wrapped his arms around Clovis, who scratched and clawed at Giguhl. He was no match for Giguhl’s pure demon blood.
“Ready!” Giguhl shouted.
I raised my hands and sketched another glyph in the air. “Idimmu Barra! Edin Na Zu!”
Energy zinged out of my diaphragm to travel from my fingers. Red smoke billowed around the demons. With a thunderclap, they disappeared, leaving nothing behind but the acrid smell of brimstone.
One down, I thought. Too bad that was the easy one.
30
Adam ran to me and he pulled me into a fierce hug. “You did it.”
Over his shoulder, I stared at the empty circle formed by my blood. Lavinia’s eyes widened as she looked from the spot of the demon showdown to me.
“You let him go!” she yelled. She lurched forward, ready to attack. “You betrayed your family by colluding with our enemy and using forbidden magic, and now you have let Clovis escape. I curse the day you were born.”
“He didn’t escape,” I said, surprised my voice sounded calm. I certainly didn’t feel that way. “I sent him to Irkalla. Giguhl and his friends will keep him busy for a while. Isn’t that what you wanted? For him to be out of your way while you start a war?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You ungrateful little bitch.”
Adam’s hand squeezed my shoulder. Whether it was a warning to remain calm or a sign of support, I didn’t know. I pushed him away. It was time to have this out with my grandmother.
“Ungrateful? Should I thank you for lying to me my entire life? For treating me as a second-class citizen? For blaming me for the sins of my parents?” I paused and took a menacing step toward her. “Or perhaps I should thank you for hiding the fact I have a sister.”
Slowly, with great deliberation, she paced in front of Adam and me. She was like a tiger stalking her prey. “Did you know I wanted to kill you when you were born? But Persephone and Tanith thought you’d be useful to us one day.” Her eyes, black with malice, met my own. “My biggest regret is that I listened to them.”
Visceral pain sliced through me as I absorbed the venom of her words. Adam’s hand found mine, and I borrowed from the strength he offered.
“And my only regret is that it took me so long to understand how evil you are. That I wasted so many years being brainwashed.” I paused as she laughed. “Well, no more. My eyes are open now and I fully intend to make you pay—you and the Dominae. You’re all going down.”
She laughed, an evil cackle filled with loathing. “Such strong talk from such a weak girl. Surely you don’t think you’ll walk out of this room alive.”
“She will,” Adam said quietly. “And so will I.”
She laughed again, this time there was a hysterical undertone. “How touching,” she said looking at me. “I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that you’d follow in your mother’s footsteps. I hope you haven’t grown too fond of him, because he’s going to die just like your father. Only this time, I’ll do the job myself.”
I didn’t bother correcting her assumptions about Adam and me, but I felt him stiffen. I nudged him to keep him quiet. If I could get her angry enough, she might make a mistake.
“Actually, I’d rather you didn’t,” I said, matter-of-factly. “You see, I’m already carrying his child.” Seeing the rage building in her eyes, I looked at Adam, imploring him to play along.
He put an arm around my shoulders and said, “Congratulations, Great-grandma.”
She attacked before I saw it coming. Her white hands curled into claws, going straight for my throat. I fell back with the force of her weight. As she buffeted my body with blows, Adam struggled to pull her off me. But she had the strength of rage spurring her on. Her eyes were dilated so far they were like black pits. Finally, I managed to buck my hips at the same time Adam wrenched her off. She flew backward with a shriek. A set of keys flew from her waist as she fell. I grabbed the keys and threw them to Adam, praying one would free his wrists from the cuffs dampening his magic.
My face felt like someone had taken a meat cleaver to it, but now I was pissed. I jumped up and went after her as a lifetime of resentment and anger boiled to the surface. We collided like two freight trains. I grabbed a hunk of her hair and brought up my knee. Her nose met my kneecap with a crack. “That’s for David!”
She only paused to wipe the trickle of blood from her lips. “You ungrateful little bitch.” Her fist hammered into my solar plexus. The air left my lungs in a hiss.
I backhanded her, enjoying the sight of blood as it escaped her lips. Spurred on by pent-up anger, I delivered a series of punches to her midsection. She grunted with each blow, but didn’t fall. When she came at me with a side-kick, I grabbed her ankle and shoved. She back-flipped and landed in a crouch.
I fell back into my fighting stance, trying to catch my breath. Trying to figure out the best way to kill her. Trying not to think about how I used to worship her.
Lavinia practically flew through the air this time. Expecting her to come in low, I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet. But she surprised me by raising her right hand high. I saw the stake a moment before it made impact. The apple wood slammed through my chest plate. The force of the hit threw me. As I crashed into a pile of crates like a rag doll, I heard Adam yell.
“Sabina!” He sounded far away.
Pain numbed my brain, making it sluggish. My hands and feet felt cold, but the wound in my chest felt white-hot. Something tickled the edge of my brain. Something I was forgetting, but was too confused to grasp. On some level, I was aware of yelling and the smack of fist against flesh. Something bright flashed in the distance followed by a female shriek. The sound of blood pumping in my ears distracted me. My chest throbbed hotly, but no other heat came. No fire to suck away my soul.
Bit by bit, my mind shook off the shock. The sounds of fighting became more distinct. I could smell my own blood. Feeling came back to my hands. My eyes focused on the stake protruding from my chest. I lifted my hands and grasped the smooth shaft. My grip was weak and the stake was slippery with blood, but I pulled it—bit by bit—out of my chest. The pain was worse coming out than going in, but it was a blessing. It meant I was alive.
Adam’s curse sounded far away, as did the crash following it. I needed to move. Using my hands to lever my body up from the boxes, I managed to get upright. Now that the stake was gone, my body was working overtime to repair the wound. I felt lightheaded and had to bend over with my arms resting on my knees. When it passed, I rose up to survey the scene.
If it was possible, the warehouse looked worse than it had earlier. Scorch marks blackened the walls and the debris of battle littered the area. In the center of it all, Adam and Lavinia squared off. I’d never seen my grandmother looking so haggard. She had a gash on her forehead and her hair stood up in weird spikes, as if she’d stuck her finger in a light socket.
Adam didn’t look much better. He had scratch marks on his cheek and he’d lost a shirtsleeve, which revealed gashes on his arm. The good news is it looked like one of the keys had worked and he was able to use his magic. But he was practically swaying from exhaustion, even as he raised his arm to deliver another spell. A weak flash of energy zigzagged across the space and missed Lavinia’s head by mere inches.
She laughed and started toward him, her lips pulled back to reveal her fangs.
“Stop!” I yelled without thinking.
Grandmother skidded to a halt a couple of feet from Adam. Her mouth gaped open as she stared. Adam turned his head slowly and smiled. He didn’t look surprised so much as relieved. After all, he was the one who sent Giguhl to test my immunity to the forbidden fruit. How he’d thought to test me for that—and why—were questions for another time.