Two Halves Series (50 page)

“He’s getting to them.” Willow’s face and voice were tight. After she had been held captive in the dungeons, developing a serum to hide the children became her obsession.

“And I couldn’t foresee it.” I regretted my inability to predict the future. My and William’s demonic energy had transferred to the children in the form of other abilities.

“Sarah, Mom, we won’t let him near them. And I think they’re better prepared than we expected anyway.” William put his arm around his mother’s shoulders. I loved his tenderness toward her and leaned in closer on his free side, sandwiching him between us.

“Prepared for what?” I asked.

“To bind Aseret.” Eric stood and took over Xander’s pacing from one end of the glass wall to the other. Xander took his spot. Beyond the window, the forest blackened, impermeable, except for the glow of a few light bugs. Looking at the flickering points outside, I shivered.

“I thought he was bound,” I asked.

“Yes, to the underworld, but that does not prevent him from recruiting minions,” Xander explained.

“The kids are meant to bind Aseret to the hereafter.” Mira took Eric’s spot on the ottoman. It seemed like the trio of siblings and evil bender were playing musical chairs, switching the routine between them.

“And you didn’t tell me before because . . .” I coaxed.

“Because you don’t need to concern yourself with the problems of the underworld. We do.” Mira sat down at my side. “What they need from you is to be a mother they love more than life.”

“Tell me about the hereafter,” I insisted, zipping up my vest. “I want to understand.”

“It’s where your mother’s soul is.” Eric placed his hand on my shoulder as he sat on my other side, squishing in between me and William.

“If we bind Aseret too early to the hereafter, the lost souls will feel his wrath. We’ve been rushing to find all the bodies to reunite them with their souls for their last breath before Aseret is sent there,” Mira added, pushing up her sleeves.

“The children will open a doorway for Aseret. He will be locked within it, unable to harm the souls,” Eric said.

“How exactly do you bind a corporeal demon like Aseret to the hereafter?” I began to chew on my thumb.

“He’ll have to be killed,” Eric explained, turning my attention toward him, “but his death is not enough. We cannot let him die until the hereafter is in order.”

“But he’ll be locked up anyway,” I said, trying to follow, tapping my fingers on my knee.

“It’s a precaution. We cannot take the chance he’s not locked up and only bound.” Mira took another sip of her coffee.

“Otherwise he’ll torment the hereafter,” William added.

Mira nodded. “He’d use the energy of the remaining spirits to gain strength and possibly reincarnate.”

“Of course it couldn’t be simple, could it?” I chewed my thumb again. William reached over Eric and pulled my hand away from my mouth. The reddening blotch on my finger would remain for few seconds.

“It’s not so easy to get rid of him. Killing him too early may not be the best strategy,” Eric said.

“Great! And I suppose Aseret knows what the children are meant to do?”

They didn’t have to answer. I could read the truth on their faces. The gut feeling I’d had earlier returned. The underworld stirred; the warlock was trying to get to my children. “How long have you known about this?”

“This morning. The keepers told me this morning,” Eric whispered.

I pushed the empty ottoman away with my foot. It squeaked on the marble floor before hitting the glass wall of the lab.

Sarah, don’t do anything stupid,
Eric warned in my mind.

“I’m going to the tree house.” I gripped the side of the coffee table so hard I left indents in its edge.

William sighed, probably because he’d have to replace the trim again.

“We’d better leave as well,” Eric said. “Xander, we could use your help with the souls tonight.”

Xander made his do-I-have-to face but didn’t complain.

“Come on, sugar, maybe we can find more bodies.” Eric slid his arm around Mira’s waist.

“If you can keep your hands off each other,” Xander mumbled under his breath. Their constant touching and kissing when they thought no one was watching didn’t bother me and Xander had stopped asking them to get a room six months ago. I had assumed their open affection no longer bothered him, but I guess I was wrong.

My three watchers disappeared in a void of twirling light that closed with a purple lavender mist.

“I have work to do.” Willow went back to the lab, murmuring to herself about the serums.

Atram and Ekim, my father, resumed their app development on their iPads by the twin’s bedroom door.

William’s gaze skidded toward the two vampires’ impending work before he turned to me. “I’m coming with you.” He scooted closer to my side and rubbed the dent in the table with his fingers.

“No, please stay with the kids,” I said. “I won’t be long.”

He wrapped his arms around me. “You’re not going to the tree house, are you?” His brows high, he leaned back to look at my face. I missed his loving eyes, longing for his lips to bless mine the way they used to, when we met.

“Am I that obvious?”

“I know you.” He kissed my forehead. “I know who you are, better than Eric does.”

William must have read Eric’s face. My husband confirmed what I’d doubted inside: who I was. Did he know my true feelings of regret? Of course he knew; he was my other half. I couldn’t hide much from him.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” he said as we stepped out onto the porch. The air was still, the way it always was before a storm. But I knew the weather over the clearing was supposed to remain pleasant for a while, and this calmness felt out of place. Perhaps wearing jeans wasn’t the best choice tonight.

“I promise.” I leaned my head on his chest. “You’re the only one who keeps me grounded.”

“You don’t let me keep you grounded enough.” His heart vibrated worry against my cheek.

“You do.” I wrapped my arms around him.

“I miss you.” He tightened our embrace.

“What do you miss?” I tilted my face up to see his.

“The you I never got back.” William kissed the tip of my nose.

I pulled away. “What do you mean?”

William’s face came closer to my ear until his breath warmed me. “Sarah, it’s time you admit you’re not you. Help me get you back.”

My head tilted to the side, and I stared at him a moment. Today was the first time William mentioned I wasn’t myself. I didn’t think he noticed. Elation sped up my pulse. I knew I couldn’t bear to continue doubting who I was, and William seemed to agree. Accepting my life as a half-breed vampire couldn’t happen unless
I
controlled all of my abilities, senses and emotions—not a witch who tried to steal my body.

“What if I don’t know how to get me back?”

“Talking about it would be a start.” William’s hands glided along my bare arms until he twined his fingers with mine. He let go of my hands, cocooning me in his tight embrace. “I’m always here for you, my love.”

“Okay.” I exhaled. “We’ll talk as soon as I come back. Maybe I’ll have some answers.”

“And I’ll have you back the way we were always meant to be.”

The squeeze of William’s fingers as his hands slid down my body to my hips awoke urges inside me.

“And which way is that?” I bit my lower lip.

“Me, you,” he kissed my nose, then my cheeks, “no clothes.”

“Sh, you’ll wake them up.” I giggled. “I . . . I need to—”

“See Xela again?”

I nodded.

“Everything all right?” He pushed his finger under my chin to lift it.

“No, it’s not.” I shook my head. “Let me figure this out, then I’ll explain. I promise.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He pressed his body to mine again. I longed for his touch. His mouth covered my lips, fingers weaved through my hair, and I had no choice but to respond. Kissing William was as euphoric as eating chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and raspberries. Each kiss tasted like a new brand of cocoa. I was addicted to chocolate, my favorite delicacy—next to pancakes, of course. William’s kisses remained vibrant and intoxicating.

I remembered to breathe when we pulled apart, and I ran my hands down his arms and wove my fingers back into his, recalling how my body responded at their touch. The electricity that flowed between us no longer hurt, but it hadn’t disappeared.

“Stay,” he whispered, teasing me with his sweet breath.

“Soon.” I hushed him with a deeper kiss, composed my swaying body, and rushed out before I changed my mind.

William’s low whimper sounded behind me and almost broke my resolve.

With restored hope, I jogged to the edge of the clearing, then ran at my fastest speed. I wouldn’t have much time, perhaps five minutes, with the witch before Xander sensed me. The timing of Xela’s voice in my head and the children’s mention of the warlock wasn’t a coincidence. This realization triggered the rage I’d missed earlier.

Was the witch responsible for Aseret’s presence in my children’s lives? Did she help him get to them? Was she warning us, or threatening us?

Distracted by my thoughts, I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes to remember the way, feeling the trail of my warm breath on my face. Although I’d peeked on the trip home with Xander, nothing looked the same at night. Hearing the stream not far from where I stood, I decided to rely on my instinct and follow the water along the canyon.

The walls of rock rose sky high, extending beyond the canopy, while white water rushed below, rumbling and spitting foam like cotton balls made for a giant as it forced its way through the chasm. I moved upstream until the river narrowed and divided, the water calming to a gentler flow.
Which way?

Above, on the edge of the cliff, moisture shimmered in a white glow in the moonlight. I inhaled the clinging water, remembering a jump over the brink that made my insides weightless; the height seemed to match Xander’s leap. With the moon as my guide, I turned toward the cliff where the stream narrowed, knelt, and tasted the water.
That’s it!
The water had left an imprint on my tongue, as all liquids did, its mark in every drop flowing downstream.
This way.

I sped forward until I heard a laugh, then screaming, arguing, and another laugh.
Xela! And . . . who?
My run turned into a sprint. Branches slashed at my arms, but my only concern remained with the intensified bellowing. Xela’s cackling led me to the front of the cave.

Around me, sudden silence lurked as if it had a mission of its own. The bats overhead broke through the quiet with high-pitched hunting cries.

I stared at the rock as if it were the entrance to a secret Egyptian tomb. I braced my feet and pushed the rock aside before descending the ten steps to the lower cavern.

The wooden door at the bottom opened by itself.

She knows I’m here.
I stepped forward.

Xander’s scent still lingered in the cave from this morning, reminding me of our encounter yesterday and raising goose bumps on my skin.

Xela sat in the chair, her silence ominous. I ignored her, crossing to lift a log from beside the hearth and throw it into the fire pit, fueling its flames. Then I turned to stare at the witch.

She lifted her eyes, then her head toward me. The witch held my gaze, her eyes closing for a moment before scanning my body from the bottom up.

“She’s here.” Xela’s voice lacked the sarcasm so familiar to me. Her tone was eerily calm, even tired.

I looked around to see if she spoke to someone else, but her gaze pierced mine.

“What does Aseret want with the children?” I added bravado to my voice without preamble.

“To lure them, then kill them.” Each word out of Xela’s mouth seemed to exhaust her.

“Why?” I took a step closer, straining to hear her frail voice.

“They’re the only ones who have the strength to bind him forever. They’re the reason he wanted the prophecy stopped, though it wasn’t.” She smiled.

“Didn’t you want it stopped?”

“Not me. Miranda did.”

Who?
“Are you playing with me, witch?” I growled, striding over to stand in front of her and leaning forward until I was only inches from her face. My fingers found her throat, ready to tighten their grip. The rage I’d missed had returned, as if summoned into my body.

“No. I’m telling you the truth.” She blinked lazily, her eyelids closing once every few seconds. Xela seemed odd today—too composed and straining to speak. Her eyes struggled to stay open.

“You’re a lying, deceiving witch. You’re helping Aseret to get to my children.” I squeezed my fingers into her neck. “I . . .” The tip of my nose almost touched hers. “ . . . want you dead.” A rush of power flew through my arms when I threatened her, and I remembered who I was: a fierce vampire and devoted human mother.

She tried to writhe out of my grip, but soon stopped struggling. “I’m the only one who can help you defeat Aseret,” she said, her voice nearly a squeak through a tight throat.

I dropped my hands to my sides. “And you think I could ever trust you? You stole my body! You wanted to destroy me and my family.”

“It wasn’t me, Sarah.”

I studied her eyes and saw that her hatred had disappeared.

“I’ve been hearing you in my head,” I said. “You’re taunting me.”

“Not me. Miranda.”

“Who is Miranda?”

“She’s here, but we’ve been able to silence her.”

“You’re conniving again.” I swooshed around but saw no one else in the cave.

“I cannot keep this body for long. I’m too weak. She’s powerful. Help me.”

“You will not trick me again.” The bravado disappeared from my voice as shivers climbed up my spine.

A cool breeze swept across my body, pushing me back. For a moment, it felt as if all the air I had in my lungs had been sucked out. When I inhaled again, filling my lungs to their full depth, a ghostly figure stepped in front of me, as if it were stepping out of me. My mother. I hadn’t seen her ghost in four years, since the time she guided me to reclaim my body from Xela.

“Mom?” The lump in my throat formed instantly.