Nightwish (An Echoes of Eternity Novel Book 1) Read online

  Alexis said, “Then you wouldn’t mind if I took him for a test ride?” She shifted her grin to Brandon. “I love to ride stick.”

  I had no problem allowing their sexual innuendo to take over this situation because I had no idea how to deal with Zephora and Delphine. I needed that time to come up with a plan. But so far, nothing promising had surfaced. And that ratcheted up my anxiety to an even higher degree, which made it even more difficult to hatch a scheme.

  “She’s jealous,” said Alexis in an airy sigh. “If you’d like,” she said to Kendall, lifting an inquisitive eyebrow, “you could watch.”

  My sister’s perversions sickened me, not because they were directed at my friends, but because Celestina stood at her mother’s side, unable to do anything but listen. Granted, she may not understand the sexual undertones, but if Alexis considered herself a conscientious mother, she wouldn’t have even broached the topic.

  When I glanced at Celestina, she’d lowered her head, concentrating on the floor, as though doing everything she could to ignore the conversation.

  Her embarrassment brought on a wave of maternal instinct. It also made me want to protect her from the insinuation. Indignation bubbled inside me and rather than lash out at Alexis, who might persuade Celestina to take her side, I said, “Let’s change the subject, okay?”

  “An excellent suggestion,” Delphine said, stepping up behind Brandon and Kendall.

  As one, they hitched their shoulders upward as grimaces took shape on their faces.

  Delphine had placed a palm on each of their shoulders as she grinned. “Fire,” she said to Brandon, “given your predilection for my daughter.” She looked to Kendall. “And ice, since you disapprove of my daughter’s interest in a man who is not yours.”

  Brandon and Kendall shrank down in pain, Brandon’s face turning red as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, while Kendall crossed arms around her chest, drawing inward as though a blast of arctic air had hit her.

  “Stop it,” I shouted, stepping toward them.

  Alexis did likewise, ready to intercept my movements, prepared for an imminent attack.

  Because I had no idea what powers my sister had, and since my friends suffered because I hadn’t given my family what they wanted, I halted and turned my attention to Zephora. “I’m not lying. I don’t have the grimoire.”

  “Then you leave me no choice.”

  Darius rushed in front of me, but Zephora extended a hand and waved it to her right.

  The motion sent Darius flying ten feet backwards. He crashed into a shelving unit, knocking over a dozen items to the ground.

  “Sadly, you are no match for me, Darius.” A faraway look entered her eyes. “But you were…once. Oh, how time changes us.”

  His eyes widened with shock. He examined Zephora’s face until he shook his head, disbelief clouding his features. “My God, it’s really you!”

  “It is a shame that my one true love betrayed my confidences…and set my body on the pyre.” She let out a regretful sigh. “Love scorns all, does it not?”

  I looked from Darius to Zephora, shocked to discover they had once been a couple. It seemed the bizarre revelations never ended!

  Zephora smiled at him. “Now, then,” she said, ignoring Darius and returning her attention to me. “Where did we leave off?” She clasped both hands with a hideous grin. “Now I recall: you have forced me to betray my beliefs.” She stepped toward me and lifted her hand. “I apologize in advance. When I entered your establishment, I had no intention of stripping the flesh from your bones.”

  “Wait,” I said, “you can’t expect me to cooperate when Delphine is torturing my friends.”

  Zephora gave that a moment of thought. “And why might that be?”

  “Because it’s wrong.”

  “I fail to comprehend how their suffering affects any bargain we might strike.”

  That statement told me everything I needed to know about Zephora. She lacked compassion. She didn’t value friendship. And she knew nothing about loyalty. Given all that, in order to protect my friends, I needed to be direct. “They’re important to me. Please…” I said, which was as far as I’d ever come to begging, “don’t hurt them.”

  Zephora tilted her head to the side and analyzed me. “You are weak and undisciplined. A blight on the Sykes-family name. Shame on your grandmother! Has the art of parenting lost relevance in this age? I find it despicable how young ladies cavort about: no respect for their elders, no tact to speak of, and questionable morals at best…when one considers their behavior with the opposite gender.”

  Rage manifested inside me, but I squashed it, refusing to let Zephora know that she’d gotten under my skin. “Weak? In terms of magic? Yes. Undisciplined? Far from it. For the record, my mother disowned me as a child. That is weak. That is…sad.” I set my gaze on Delphine. “You weren’t strong enough to deal with a strong-willed child.” I motioned toward my sister. “But you had no problem with her because she’ll do anything you say. She’s a follower. She’s the weak one.” I set my gaze on Zephora again. “So if you want to work this out, you’ll have to go through me. Leave my friends out of it.”

  “Yeah,” Brandon said in a tight voice, while a rivulet of sweat dripped down his right temple.

  “Shut your trap, boy!” Delphine clamped down on his shoulder again, ready to burn him from the inside out.

  Thankfully, Kendall didn’t try a futile attempt to stop Zephora. My eyes flickered to Alexis’s, and I recoiled at her broad smile. How had she grown up to be so cruel? What type of upbringing did she have? Those thoughts made me turn my attention to Celestina.

  She held my gaze before glancing at the ground a couple feet behind Darius. Then she met my eyes once more. Whatever she saw there must have held great importance, since she risked tipping off her mother and grandmother, so I didn’t want to look in that exact spot and give others any reason to do likewise.

  Sliding a glance ahead and behind me, I realized that everyone in the room had ceded involvement in this dispute to Zephora and me. I hoped that meant no one else would get hurt.

  “Wait,” I said, holding up one hand, my voice halting Zephora. “I’m not lying.” I stepped off to the side, toward the object Celestina wanted me to see. “I don’t know where the grimoire is.” I kept moving, using my peripheral vision to determine if Zephora approached me. She hadn’t. “But even if I did, I…wouldn’t let you have it.”

  “Rubbish!” she shrieked. Then she raced toward me, defying age, as she pushed her legs hard, closing in on me quickly.

  I spun around, toward the spot Celestina had identified, and saw…a familiar-looking rusty, iron broadsword lying on the floor. Energy swelled inside me as I scuttled toward it. Sensing Zephora only inches behind me, I slid to the ground and snatched up the sword.

  I wrapped my hand around the handle. My hand recognized the smooth leather surface, and an electrical current shot up my arm. Within a fraction of a second, blistering heat traveled into my shoulders and spread across my chest, sending shocks of strength throughout my veins.

  My right arm shook, rattling the sword, which from the bottom and moving upwards transformed from a dull blade into a razor-edged sword, void of dirt and smears. It now appeared polished. Just as the sword finished its miraculous transformation, filling me with the courage in my heart that until now I’d failed to call upon, I swung toward my attacker.

  Zephora’s eyes went wide as she stopped short, the tip of my blade half an inch under her chin. The slightest movement on either of our parts would result in slicing a huge gash into Grams’s chin.

  “I applaud your athleticism,” Zephora said as smile formed and disappeared a second later. “Are you without virtue?” She looked into my eyes. “Do you truly intend to send your grandmother to the grave?”

  While I stared at Zephora, images of Grams flashed through my mind; watching her clap her hands while I rode a My Little Pony bicycle toward her for the first time, recalling the soft br
ush of her palm as it slid across my forehead while I lay on the couch beside her, coughing and sniffling from a cold, seeing her cheering me on while in the stands during my martial arts tournaments. Each of those memories and more bombarded my brain, making it impossible to move, much less prevent my eyes from glistening with tears.

  “A wise decision,” said Zephora.

  “Bullshit,” said another voice that sounded suspiciously like…Grams.

  The voice came from my left. Without acknowledging the apparition that no doubt appeared a few feet away, I wanted to burst into tears because she’d visited to give me guidance, as she’d done my whole life.

  “I’m nothing like that evil hag,” Grams said. “And neither are you.”

  Zephora took in an even breath. “Lorraine has joined us.” Her eyes went side-to-side, up and down. “I sense your presence. You only have that ability because you extracted the essence of that gift from me. You are not welcome here!”

  Everyone but Celestina and I stared at Zephora as if she’d lost her mind.

  That diverted my attention. It also had the added effect of drying the moisture in my eyes, allowing me to see clearly again.

  “That sword is your birthright,” Grams said. “It’s an extension of your soul. It will give you strength when you feel weak. Decisiveness when you’re uncertain. It will ensure that you follow your heart. Always.”

  Without looking at the sword, I recognized that Grams spoke the truth. In fact, I recalled the strength that entered my body when using this weapon while sparring with Master Nakamura. We’d practiced for an entire year, mixing martial arts and sword-work. While I hadn’t given any thought to the sword at that time, muscle memory now allowed me to pick up right where I left off. I stared at Zephora, more certain now than ever that I couldn’t plunge a sword into her body.

  “And when I leave this plane,” Grams said, “I grant The Book of Souls to your protection.”

  But she still hadn’t given it to me. I merely protected it from falling into the wrong hands.

  Grams said, “Each woman in our line who possesses The Book of Souls decides whom to bequeath it to. Without fail for hundreds of years, it has passed from mother to daughter. Until now. I’ve always regarded you as the daughter I always wanted but never had. Only you have the moral compass to safeguard it…until you pass it along to the individual you deem fit to maintain its secrets.”

  “Have you no desire to embrace your heritage?” asked Zephora with a relaxed smile, still unaware that Grams’s apparition glowed a few feet away from her. Zephora balled her hands together so tightly they trembled from the strain. “To invoke the power of your ancestry?”

  “I believe in you,” Grams said to me, pride in her voice. “I trust you’ll do the right thing.”

  I chose that moment to catch a glimpse of Grams. Light permeated from her heart and extended outward. A gentle, loving smile touched her lips. That image, so often bestowed upon me, gave me tremendous peace of mind. I took great comfort in knowing that she had plenty of confidence in me.

  Then I realized why the light around Grams shined so brightly, why she looked so happy and graceful. Grams had moved on from this plane. Zephora’s eyes narrowed. She gnashed her teeth. Her body began shaking, as though her frame couldn’t control the power locked deep inside her. Then in one quick motion, she removed both hands from her hips and spread them to either side of her.

  This turn of events startled me and, without realizing it, I’d backed up a few inches. Zephora had taken full control of Grams’s body. If I didn’t act immediately, she would probably make good on her threat to skin me alive.

  “Then you shall suffer!” A wave of heat emanated from her body. Balls of electricity oscillated in her palms, giving off sparks. With a gruesome smile, she raised her hands, prepared to throw those bolts at me.

  Without a second thought, I lowered my sword and rushed her, plunging my sword so deep into her heart that the tip punctured her chest and came out her back.

  Zephora let out a shocked gasp. The pulsating magnetism in her hands flickered out, leaving her hands blackened, the hideous scent of burnt flesh drifting into the air in gray puffs of smoke.

  I drew back my sword, which oddly enough didn’t have a drop of blood on it. I inspected Delphine, who still clutched onto Kendall and Brandon, and Alexis, looking for any sign that they would mount an attack. But they looked so horrified that they didn’t even blink.

  Darius stepped beside me. “From this moment forth, I side with Serena.” He looked at Alexis. “Do not attempt to harm her. Any attempt on her life will be met with severe punishment.”

  “Yeah?” Alexis revealed a knowing smile. “You can’t hurt the witches in our line. So, good luck with that. An impotent vampire: how pathetic!

  I looked at Celestina, hoping that she hadn’t seen the sight unfold before her, and then I realized she didn’t need to see it. She’d probably already seen it in her mind…at some point in the past. That explained why she once more looked at the ground.

  A beaming grin lit Delphine’s face. She released Kendall, who shuddered from the cold. Then Delphine removed her hand from Brandon’s shoulder. He swiped the perspiration from his brow and gasped for cooler air, as though he’d spent the last hour inside a sauna.

  Delphine looked relaxed and carefree. “I’d like to thank you, Serena. I couldn’t have planned it any better. And I’ve got to say; I’m impressed. I didn’t think you had it in you to go that far.” She paused for a moment. “Thank you for releasing Zephora.”

  I didn’t like the ominous tone behind that statement. “I didn’t kill Grams. The Alzheimer’s did her in. And even then, Zephora locked Grams out of her body. Grams couldn’t return to it, and she wouldn’t have wanted to anyway.”

  “Keep telling yourself that…if it’ll help you sleep at night.”

  That lit a fuse of fury inside me, setting aside the loss that I’d just suffered. “I knew her. You didn’t!”

  “But I’m her daughter. And I’ve known her twice as long as you have. So yes, I’d say I know her a lot better than you.”

  “This from the daughter she never wanted,” I said.

  “Well, at least we have something in common.” Delphine’s smile brightened. “But I think you misunderstood me. I’m not blaming you for killing my mother. I’m talking about the events you’ve just set in motion. The consequences of what you’ve done will echo through your every thought and every action for the rest of your life. You’re going to look back at this moment and regret that decision.”

  Delphine went over and placed a hand on Alexis’s shoulder, spinning her around toward the exit. Realizing that Celestina hadn’t followed them, she turned around. “Celestina, come!”

  My mouth dropped at the command, as though my niece was nothing more than a puppy. I locked eyes with my niece, only to find Celestina imparting an empathetic expression. Based on that look, Delphine hadn’t lied: it seemed I would soon have a lot to atone for.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I looked down at the gleaming sword in my hand. A residual hum of power extended to my every nerve ending, every muscle. It exceeded the sensations of a runner’s high.

  I liked it. A lot. Maybe too much. He’d demanded that I use this sword while sparring with him. We’d practiced for an entire year, mixing martial arts and sword-work. While I hadn’t given any thought to the sword I now held in years, muscle memory allowed me to pick up right where I left off.

  That’s when my gaze fell upon Grams’s body. I expected plenty of blood, but only a three-inch wide slit the width of an envelope slicked her blouse. I had a difficult time swallowing past the ball of anxiety in my throat. I scanned the premises for Grams’s spirit, but she’d left. It seemed she’d fulfilled her duty; getting me to remove Zephora from her body.

  I turned to Darius. “What happened to Zephora? Did she die?”

  “Highly unlikely. She left your grandmother’s body, but her spirit lives on.”

>   “What do you mean…elsewhere?’”

  “Hell. I can’t imagine that God will welcome her into His kingdom.”

  I could have asked a number of follow-up questions, but seeing my grandmother’s body lying there and knowing I was to blame for ending her corporeal existence, I was saddened to the point of nausea.

  The sword fell from my hands and clinked to the ground. The swell of energy in my veins immediately deserted my body, and I felt the full impact of what I’d done. A cloak of gloom descended upon me, so much in fact that my knees gave way, and I fell to the ground at Grams’s feet. Tears filled my eyes as I scrambled beside Grams and looked at her closed eyes. Memories and regrets whipped through my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t rid them and gain clarity.

  “She doesn’t blame you.” Kendall knelt beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “She understands.”

  But Kendall didn’t understand. She might have loved Grams, but she hadn’t been raised by her. As one of four siblings, Kendall would never know what it felt like to be an only child and on the receiving end all of the attention (good and bad) that went along with it. I didn’t have to compete with anyone for affection. Grams had placed all of the emphasis on me. I’d grown accustomed to that type of lifestyle, where everything I said and did was magnified. Grams made me feel special.

  Darius stepped into view. “Delphine wasn’t wrong. There will be consequences. You will be challenged.”

  We barely knew each other, so what persuaded him to devote his life to saving mine? Regardless, knowing that he felt that way gave me strength, simply because I inferred that he would have died for Grams.

  Once more, I prepared to set my gaze on Grams…only to find a pile of dust where she had lain just moments ago. “Wait,” I said, startled. “Where did she go? She was right here.”

  Darius nodded. “Zephora created a spell whereby, upon death, every supernatural entity with unhindered powers would leave dust in its wake.”

  “Why?”