Altered Souls (23 page)

I released the pendant, scratching my neck in the process.
Geez that hurt.
I felt the stickiness of my own blood and wiped it away as I thought about what Bakula meant. These Golems were different but how?

A low hum began in the creature closest to me followed by the others joining in his song. They moved closer to me. It was going to happen.

The Golem in the tree nearest to me, fell to the ground, readying his stance for an attack. I didn’t move, I only watched. There was a familiarity about his movements, his mannerisms. I was inhaling ghosts from my past.

“Who are you?” I whispered, staring into the darkened holes where the eyes should’ve been.

“What’s it to you?” the being squealed into the night’s air, unleashing shrieks from the others.

It was Preston.

My head began spinning with the realization that the souls my father stole to feed his flames, ego, and greed were captured and stored for his use at any time. Who knew how many he had at his disposal?

My fingers began to tingle as I watched the Golems begin their descent, dropping like bombs from the night’s sky.

“As I’ve told you before, don’t disrespect her, Preston,” Logan yelled in our direction.

My pulse quickened as I watched Trevor and Logan approach the infested woods. Logan stared directly at the Golem. Logan’s broad shoulders caught the shadows of the night, creating an omniscient presence. His expression dripped with venom as he took his stance, I waited to catch my breath. I was in awe of Logan’s power.

“They were sent for me,” I muttered.

“If they attack one of us, they attack all of us,” Logan replied, his eyes holding the darkness I’d come to understand.

“Preston,” I began, looking at the Golem in front of me.

The creature tweaked its skull.

“I’m sorry my father did this to you, but we will make it right. If you’ll let us.”

Preston swiped at me causing me to fall backward, landing on the woodland floor. Instantly the other Golem surrounded me. Hostility dripped from their mouths as they circled me.

Bold with a desire to destroy these creatures, I sprang to my feet, slicing and pawing in every direction. As I felt my fingertips piercing through their fragile skin, an inhuman arm wrapped its cold strength around my waist, whisking me up the pine tree behind us.

Logan and Trevor had already begun their assault. Magic wasn’t needed. We were running on pure adrenaline and contempt. As blades and fists found their targets, chunks of clay-like flesh were thrown into the air turning into nothingness.

Preston tightened his grip around my waist causing me to struggle for air.

I looked down and watched as Trevor and Logan, once enemies, now worked for the same cause, to destroy my father.

I kicked and swiped, unsteadying Preston from the tree enough to feel his grasp loosen.

It was my time.

Spinning around, I forced my palm through the shell of his chest. He gasped for air as I continued my onslaught of blows, striking him as hard as my fury would allow. Pieces of him sailed to the ground until he no longer existed beyond a pile of dust on the forest ground.

A Golem wrapped its arm around Trevor’s neck and with every move Trevor made the Golem tightened his grip. Trevor gasped for air. I fell onto the back of the Golem, allowing my claws to scratch down the path of its gray flesh until I threw my fist into the Golem’s head, leaving it to shatter into thin air.

“Thank you,” Trevor whispered, grasping his throat.

I turned to see Logan ramming a stick through the last Golem. It staggered and fell to the ground. And to think this was only the beginning.

Trevor began walking through the woods, and I was grateful for the quick reprieve.

Logan glanced at me, his eyes softening as he smiled

I felt the
nectunt
begin to warm once more.

I ran over to him, feeling his arms wrap around me.

“You did it, baby,” he whispered.

“We did it,” I whispered into his ear.

“What happened to you? Why couldn’t we communicate?” I hid my sobs of joy, sadness, and disbelief as he hugged me.

“It was too dangerous. Once I realized Eben was your grandfather, I knew I had to stay quiet. If anyone could’ve tapped into us, it would’ve been him. I didn’t even know the guy was still alive.

“Alive and active. I think he’s the cause of it.”

I felt his arms slide down my back, but I didn’t want his touch to end.

I kissed him quickly, but he let his lips linger long enough to make me return for more.

I wanted this night to be over, so we could start our life together.

Letting go of me, his expression changed as I saw the fires behind him.

“The time has come,” he whispered.

Chapter 24

There was fire in every direction I looked. The beauty of what the flames represented couldn’t even be described. The building that housed Ellsy and I had already been destroyed. The stone was the only remaining element. I was sure Logan put extra gasoline around it. I would have to thank him for that.

Followers’ screams echoed through the air with the realization they were alone. Their fearless leader was nowhere to be found
:
my father – the coward. We needed to get these people to the lake as far away from him as possible.

The lake was filled with small boats of every kind, waiting to be filled with unsuspecting patients. The silver glimmer surrounding each boat was the occupant’s admission. One dose of the antidote from the fairy, willing or not, and their soul would be on the way to being released. Dace and Bakula instructed the fairies waiting at each boat that no one was to get across the lake without the antidote.

My eyes searched the crowd for my father. I saw many of the people who were at the dinner, the farmers, the guards but not my father. Complete chaos was ensuing. People were running around attempting to stop the fires but there was no stopping these flames.

Someone had to step up to corral these poor souls.

A line of our people began forming from the lake, up the bank, toward the property in order to usher the crazed followers in the right direction. The chants of peace and calm began harmonizing through song in the night’s smoky air. But more was needed.

I grabbed the first lost soul wandering in front of me and led her to the line of people waiting.

“Get her to the boat. Start the process. I’ll get more,” I replied to the first person in line.

I spotted Marco, one of my father’s right hand men, wandering off toward the woods.

“Oh, no you don’t,” I whispered, running toward the defector, reaching for my wand. I sprinted passed Logan as he was ushering a group toward the lake, and he hollered after me.

“I’ve gotta create a perimeter,” I yelled.

My voice startled Marco who stopped and turned to face me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I panted, standing only feet away.

“
Non Impetus
,
” I hollered, before he could respond, purposefully leaving off
Temporarium
,
as his body
stiffened into a frozen state.

Logan came running up behind me.

“Nice work. Who was that?” he asked.

“Marco. He was one of my father’s favorites. I’ve gotta get the perimeter secured. Think coyotes will keep everyone on the inside?”

“Absolutely,” Logan smiled, reaching for his wand.

“
Coyotes oppugnare
,” I whispered, closing my eyes and repeating it several times.

A purpose driven growl came from behind, and I turned to see my spell in action.

“Nothing like a snarling pack of coyotes to keep people in line,” he whispered, unable to hide the pride he felt for me.

Feeling secure with the perimeter, we ran back to the center of the action.

Trevor was arguing with someone I didn’t recognize, but I didn’t have time to worry about it.

Aunt Vieta was directing someone toward the lake.

“Have you seen my mom?” I asked her.

She shook her head no, and I turned toward the main building.

“Everyone
!
M
y father has a line of boats waiting for you. Please head to the lake,” I screamed as hard as my throat would handle. “He doesn’t want you worrying about saving anything but yourselves.”

God, I hated lying to make him sound better than he was.

A shift in the energy began to take hold. The shrieking began to be replaced with muttering of self-preservation.

“Where is she?” I muttered.

“I don’t know, but we’ll find her,” Logan replied.

“Do you hear that?”

A deep drumming began reverberating through the air.

“Oh no,” he replied. “We’ve got to get these people to the boats. Forget the orderly chaos just get them off this property.”

I ran to our people and spotted Jenna.

“My father’s starting a ceremony. We’ve got to get these followers off the grounds. Get them in the boats and worry about the antidote in the center of the lake. If they don’t have it before they get in, that’s going to have to be fine.”

She nodded and began spreading the word to everyone. Understanding the urgency, they began grabbing and pulling anyone they could toward the water.

I saw Logan near the woods. He turned to look at me and held out his hand to stop me. My father must be there. I shook my head and began running toward him. He held out his arms to grab me, but I wouldn’t let him.

My mother was standing in the middle of the sorcerers, with her flowing, peach dress blowing in the wind as the followers bowed down to her.

“This could have been you,” my father yelled over the drums, looking at me. “You could’ve found your full potential.”

“Is that a threat or a misguided promise?” I hollered, struggling to get out of Logan’s embrace.

“Baby, I love you. Please don’t. Let me handle it,”
Logan
whispered.

“I’ve got this,” I replied.

Looking at each of the sorcerers who were dressed in their plague masks and ivory robes I shook my head and landed my gaze back on my father. They were preparing to take more souls.

“Well?”
I shouted
.

“Whatever you want it to be
,
”
he said with a sneer in his voice.

“I’m not going to allow your actions, or that of our families, to remain invisible to the witches of the world. Your false history will no longer be viewed as reality.”

His jaw clenched and so did his fist. I knew he wanted to hit me or worse but that didn’t stop me from continuing.

“The time has come for our family’s legacy to be stopped.”

“What do you know? You’re just a girl.”

My father knew what his presence did to people, especially people who provided some sort of opening, but I wouldn’t allow an opening to exist. His jabs only made me stronger, but that was the difference. His words infuriated me but brought comfort to others depending on what he tapped into.

“Just a girl?” I laughed. “I’ve heard worse.”

His anger was bubbling over. He was used to his words having an effect, and they had none on me. Whether someone was experiencing loss, guilt, or shame my father deciphered it quickly and played on those emotions, providing a promise of tranquility to the individual who was suffering. Unfortunately, it looked like the tranquility was brainwashing, but often the people were so desperate for peace they fell for it. I still didn’t believe that my mom
could be put
in any of those buckets though, and that’s what wouldn’t stop bothering me.. She seemed so happy at home with me. There had to be more.

“So how much of the hallucinogenic do you stuff at the end of their plague masks?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I purely use my power of persuasion.”

“You’re not that powerful. Otherwise you would’ve gotten me,” I taunted.

“Triss, be careful,” Logan whispered, his hand slipping into mine.

I looked over at my mom whose eyes caught mine before she crumpled to the ground and began crying. What was she sensing? She covered her face with her hands as my father went to her side.

Aunt Vieta came running up behind us, gasping at the sight of her sister.

Looking behind my father and mother, I spotted another group of sorcerers hastily planning something. They were also wearing ivory robes, but they weren’t looking this way. What more did my father have going on?

“It’s not about us any more, my love,” my father spoke to my mother, touching her cheek. “The time has come. It’s time to destroy the ones who don’t
share
our vision.”

My father’s eyes flashed into a violent rage that was more beast than witch as he raised his arms to a fiery blaze of terror.

“Help me get her,” I screamed, pointing at my mother, worried she’d get swallowed by the flames. My father ran in the direction of the other sorcerers, leaving my mother in a heap.

True love.

Sweat poured off of me instantly from the heat as I ran toward her. Logan
was
right behind me, but
we
couldn’t get to her in time
as the life exited her body
.

My father’s laughter wrapped its way around my soul bringing me to understand the power of hatred.

I cried my silent tears for
my mother
, and prayed I would meet
her
again someday, but first I had to free those that remained.
I had to stop him.

Aunt Vieta grabbed my mother, whose body was completely lifeless, and hauled her away from the woods toward the lake.

“I’m going after my father. I love you, Logan,” I whispered as I took off following my father.

Logan yelled after me, but not wanting to hear his words I ran faster. I made it to where the sorcerers last were, but my father
was
nowhere in sight. The smoke was thick in every direction, and I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to catch his shadow.

The buildings that housed many of the operations that I’d never even seen were completely ravaged with flames. There was no place for my father to go but into the backwoods. Not exactly what I had planned.

I heard coughing and spun around to see Trevor behind me, watching me.

“Do you know where he went?” I asked, unsure of the look in Trevor’s eyes.

“Haven’t seen him,” he replied, coughing into his shirt. There was blood when he dropped his arm.

“Triss,” Logan yelled, but I couldn’t see him. The smoke was clouding everything.

“Stay where you
are
,” I yelled at Trevor. “Logan, follow my voice. Trevor’s coughing up blood.”

I began walking toward Trevor who had now fallen to his knees.

“Logan
,
are you near?” I asked, feeling his touch from behind.

Logan grabbed Trevor and tossed him over his shoulder with ease.

“Let’s get him to the lake,” Logan said.

I shook my head, but he couldn’t see it.

“My father went into the woods. I’ve got to find him.”

“Don’t let the hatred drive you,” Logan replied.

I knew he was right, but it felt like it was something I could no longer control.

“Find out what’s wrong with him.”

“We have more people to help. People are lost; their souls need to be released.”

“
We
needed to release the souls.
I
need to stop my father.”

“Triss, please don’t do this,” Logan pleaded with me.

And like that I made my choice. It was no longer about my survival it was about destroying my father and everything he stood for. Logan didn’t fill me in on all of his plans, and I didn’t fill him in
on
mine.

With every step closer to the forest, my lungs brought in smokeless air that kept the energy pulsing through me. It felt like a new world was before me. I had a purpose.

My legs hopped over the downed trees with ease and my body glided through the limbs as if I was a ghost. The adrenaline pulsing through me brought a new clarity.

This man, my father, was more than a dark sorcerer, he was a killer — a killer of souls, spirits, and witches alike. Not even realizing how long I had been running, I stopped to catch my breath and get my bearings when I saw him.

He was no longer dressed in jeans and a button-down. He was wearing a black cloak, standing with a presence far larger than his actual size. He had his hands pressed together as if waiting for something.

Or someone.

I
’d fallen
into his trap.

The anger fueled me to run to the middle of an empty forest to face a man who had magical abilities that far exceeded mine. What had I done? Would my plan still work?

The group of dark sorcerers surrounded me.

“Are you afraid?”

I shook my head.

“You should be.”

“When will it ever be enough?” I asked, staring into the face of a cold-blooded killer.

“There’s no such thing,” he replied coolly. “That’s what separates
us
from others. Our family’s drive is never ending, allowing us to achieve more than most could ever dream of. We have willpower and strength deep within our soul. We’re not weak-minded.”

“Don’t lump me in with you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it.”