Authors: Jenna Kay
“Why, Nick?” I yelled. “Why did you do this? Nobody deserves to die that way. Nobody!”
He laughed an evil bark of laughter.
“That Davis guy deserved what he got for takin' Kora from me. If I can't have her, no one will.”
“So why hurt Kora? Why shoot Brenton? What did Brenton ever do to you?”
“Sparks wasn't supposed to get shot. He just got in the way.” He narrowed his newly blackened orbs. “I was gonna kill Kora and then myself, so we could be together in the afterlife, but,” he shook a finger at me, “you interfered.”
“Me?” I asked. “Where do ya get off sayin—”
“Because,” he interrupted briskly, “you and your goody two-shoes boyfriend decided to play heroes. After I shot your beloved, all I could think about was putting a bullet through your pretty skull. And with all that said,” he pointed the gun at me, “it's time for you to get yours.”
“You...you
planned
this,” I said, remembering his words from the night before.
Truly a night to remember
. “This isn't you! Sure ya have problems, we all do! But killing isn't the answer, you've gotta see that! Stop listening to the voices in your head, Nick. They're evil. You've got to fight them!”
He shook his head. “It's too late, Clarity. There's no goin' back.” He cocked the gun. “I have to finish the job.”
I stared at the gun pointed at me in disbelief. So this was it. This was how it ends. Who would a thunk it?
Taking a deep breath I decided to make one last attempt to change his mind. Also I busied my brain into formulating some kind of escape plan.
“Fine,” I said, clenching my teeth and narrowing my eyes. “Listen to them—listen to their squeaky evil voices. I don't know what they've told ya or what they're sayin' now, but I can guarantee you they're feedin' ya a whole bunch of lies.” I shook my head. “They don't give a dang about you. All they care about is baggin' human souls to keep their master happy, and you know how they get their jobs done? By using small pathetic losers like you.”
Reverse psychology. Worth a shot.
He cocked his head to the side. “What ya talking about, princess?”
“What I'm talkin' about,” I answered swiftly, “is that all you are to them is a little pawn in their game. They sought you out because you're weak.” I paused, shooting him an angry sneer. “You're nothing but a sucker, Nick. Plain and simple. Oh, and the little plan ya had about spending an afterlife with Kora by killin' her and yourself?
Soooo
not gonna happen.”
He lowered the gun.
“I will spend an eternity with her,” he told me, a slight waver dancing in his voice. “That's part of the deal. They told me if I did everything they told me to do, then every wish I had would come true.”
Despite the imminent danger I was in, I let out a harsh cackle.
“Oh please! How stupid can you be?” I crossed my arms at my chest. “Like I said—they go after the weakest, the meanest, and apparently, the dumbest.”
As I was speaking, I was taking small sidesteps to my right, preparing myself to run into the woods. It was the only chance I had. Either the woods or take a swim.
Nick glared hatefully at me.
“You better watch your mouth,” he expressed, his shoulders hunched over and his body trembling.
I let out another chortle.
“Ya know what's gonna happen, Nick? Even if you kill me, Brenton, Kora—whoever they want you to kill, they're not gonna give you what you want.”
His pale face turned crimson.
“Shut your mouth, princess.”
“Even if you kill yourself, you're not gonna get what they promised because they are deceitful little smelly irritants.”
A shudder tore through me, not from the rain, but from the sinister growls surrounding me. If Nick was truly possessed, then most likely I was ticking the demons inside him off. Plus Lukus was probably still ticked off at me for scorching his arm with my Seer mark, which just added more fuel for animosity.
Still, I continued my bothersome banter.
“I mean come on, Nick! Really? Who get's everything they want? It's like the stupidest thing I've ever heard, thinking you can kill someone and spend eternity with them, someone who can't stand ya, nonetheless. Anyone with half a brain can figure that for deceit! And where do you think you're gonna spend eternity, Nick? Huh? On a tropical island, livin' in complete paradise? No, I think not. I'm sure where you're going is hot, but not pleasant.”
I could see that my words were getting under his skin. His face turned blood red and his expression was so furious I thought at any minute smoke would pour from his ears. The growling grew louder and louder.
“Let me tell ya what I think,” I continued with a sarcastic grin, taking a couple more steps to the side.
“SHUT-UP!” he screamed. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or to the demons that possessed him. He was pacing back and forth, clutching his head in his hands as he threw obscenities out of his mouth.
Wow
.
I guess I got the demons riled up.
Good.
Edging closer and closer to the woods I said, “I think I know what your paradise is called, Nick.”
He stopped his pacing and jerked the gun toward me, realizing what I was up to. “Don't move!”
“It's called HELL!” I shouted as I began my escape into the woods, only to have Nick catch me first, tackling me around the waist.
Before I knew what was happening, Nick and I both were falling backward, descending toward the icy shallow water below. I didn't even have time to scream.
When we hit the bottom I heard a snap in my right arm, followed by an unbelievable amount of pain that flowed viciously through my body. I had no idea where Nick landed—I wasn't worried about that. All I was worried about was the freezing water trying to pull me under.
Ignoring the pain and mustering up all the energy I had left, I began dragging myself to the edge of the creek, using my left arm. I wasn't a doctor but I felt pretty sure that my right arm was broken. Digging my fingers into the bottom of the creek I pulled myself forward little by little, keeping my head above the water.
Eventually I was able to get myself halfway out of the water, all my energy exhausted. Laying on my stomach, I rested my cheek on the muddy bank, feeling broken and defeated, my breathing coming in short huffs. Slowly I closed my eyes and drifted off into darkness.
Chapter Twenty-one
I was floating in a sea of white, feeling as weightless as a feather. My feet hovered in the air, my arms rested at my sides. The feeling of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time was overwhelming, which made absolutely no sense. The state-of-mind I was in just didn't care. I knew it couldn't be a dream—it felt too real. There was no pain, no sadness, no despair. Just a feeling of peace and belonging. I wanted it to be real. When I heard my name being called, I halted all my wonderment, concentrating on where the voice was coming from.
“Clarity?” a female voice called.
Astonishment seared through my senses.
No. Way.
Is that who I think it is?
Really?
“Mama?” I called out.
“Here she is, Eloise,” a male voice said.
No way!
“Daddy!” I cried, confused. “What...Where am I? Where are ya'll?'
Suddenly two bodies emerged from the whiteness. The bodies belonged to my parents. My Mama and Daddy. My deceased mama and daddy.
I threw my arms around them, tears of joy pouring down my face.
“There, there, Clare-Angel,” Daddy whispered, patting my back. “Everything's going to be OK.”
I leaned back to take in this unreal moment. Mama, with her deep brown eyes, contagious smile, and her long brown hair, and Daddy with his wavy black hair and twinkling blue eyes, were embracing me. Me.
Was this real? If it was, then did that mean...
“Wait. Am I...dead?”
“No, sweetie,” Mama answered.
“Just unconscious,” Daddy added.
“Oh.”
“Listen, hon, we do not have much time,” Mama said abruptly. “You are about to wake.”
“What is it?”
“Please don't turn a blind eye on your God-given gift. You are needed in the world.” Mama's voice was filled with acute urgency.
“But I don't want it!” I cried. “I'm not strong enough.”
“Yes you are,” Daddy stated simply. “Sometimes you need to slow down and listen to the voice of God.”
“But I...” I stopped as I felt myself slowly floating away from them.
“NO!” I yelled, reaching out for them. “Please, I want to stay.”
They became hazy and then altogether vanished. Once again I was floating in the white world full of nothingness.
“We love you, baby,” I heard Daddy say, his voice echoing all around me.
“You're never alone,” added Mama.
Then, like a rope tied around my waist, I was pulled from behind really hard until...
My eyes popped open and I let out a gasp. I coughed up water and mud and whatever else was in my mouth, a dirty taste coating my tongue. When I tried to move I screamed, my right arm a huge pile of agony. My head throbbed and I felt something warm oozing down my face. Reaching with my good arm I touched my face and saw blood all over my fingers. My blood.
The rain had stopped but lightening was flashing all around me. I shook my head, still dazed from seeing and talking to my dead parents. One thought crossed my mind—I had to get the heck out of there. Using my left arm I pulled the rest of me out of the water and attempted to stand until my eyes caught an eerie sight.
Nick, standing in the shallowest part of the creek, holding the gun at his temple. Surrounding him were three inhuman beings that only could be described as diabolical monsters.
Demons, to be more precise.
Two of them appeared to be exactly alike. They were hairy wolf-like beast with short wings on their backs, wings that resembled bat wings. Their eyes glowed green and they were as big as full-grown horses. Their canine mouths opened and closed as they chanted in an unknown language. I couldn't see much of the third demon since his back was to me, but what I could see was that he was human in shape, about ten feet tall, bald, and had bright red skin that reminded me of a really bad sunburn. Just like the other two he had wings like a bat, only his were huge, the bottoms of them hovering just a couple of inches from the ground.
I sat there in quiet awe, not knowing what to do. My hands felt on fire but I didn't dare look at them—my fear had frozen every brave bone in my body. Abruptly, all the chanting stopped as a deep baritone voice boomed through the air, overtaking the loud rush of the creek water.
“Are you ready for your prize, Nick Reece?” the demonic voice spoke.
“Yes,” Nick answered in a toneless, robotic voice.
“Good,” the demon said. “Then pull the trigger to receive your prize.”
Before I could shout for Nick to stop, he pulled the trigger.
Nick Reece had shot himself in the head, dead before he hit the ground. Sadly, he would soon be finding out what his prize was going to be, and boy, was he going to be ticked!
If I had thought for one minute that everything was over and the demons were done, I had another thing coming, because while I was sitting there completely unguarded I watched as the demons slowly turned their eyes on me. Then, in a split second, with a rush of flapping wings, they had me surrounded, trapping me in their heinous circle.
The two hairy ones with green eyes looked the same as they did from afar, except now I was able to see them up close and personal. They bared their teeth, thick saliva dripping from their extra long and extra sharp teeth, their growled and rumbled in my ears. I knew for a definite fact that they were Markus and Stone, only because now I could get a good look at the ten-foot tall red demon—it looked almost identical to Lukus' human face. Of course the red glowing eyes and the two horns protruding from his forehead proved how very
nonhuman
he was.
Oh, and the smell? Whew! It smelled like sewage overload mixed with a heavy amount of dragon breath. The odor burned up my nose and I thought at any moment I was going to puke up my dinner.
Had it been just a couple of hours ago that Brenton had picked me up and surprised me by fixing up our old hideout? Had it been just a couple of hours ago that he had given me the best news of my life? That he was going to accompany me to New York so we could start our lives together? How could an evening full of happiness and promise turn into such a hellish nightmare?
With three demons breathing their rancid breath so close to me, I could feel my plans for a perfect life unraveling at a tremendous pace. I had been so stupid to think that me, Clarity Miller, was worthy enough to be happy, to start a normal life, but no! I was blessed with the gift of being a Seer, something I didn't ask for, something I would never ask for in a billion years! If I knew that I wasn't about to die, I'd rant and rave, scream at the top of my lungs about how unfair my life, my entire
existence,
plain sucked. Then my Mama's voice replayed in my head:
You are needed in
the world.
Needed. Imagine that. Me.