Soul Thief Page 21

  It seemed like the entire forest held its breath. As if it watched us, watched me, wondered why I spoke such nonsense.

  “You can’t,” Leander said. “What do you know about Hell?”

  “It’s hot in there?” I half-joked.

  “The Greeks were closest to the truth,” he said. “To reach Hell, you have to pay Charon, and then you have to find your way through a meandering maze that always changes. Somewhere inside that maze will be the demon you’re looking for, but finding him alone may take you several centuries. Meanwhile, Hell will drain your strength with every passing step because it’s not a place you belong in. Even a human would have a better chance getting a soul out of there than an Angel.”

  “What about demons? Do they get lost in this infamous maze?”

  “No. They can sense it changing around them.” He put a hand on my arm. “I know you’re a good person, and I know you feel guilty but there’s nothing you can do for those girls. Nothing except what we’re already doing — stopping this bastard — that won’t end up with you getting killed as well.”

  I nodded. But part of me screamed that I should be able to do something more to save them from eternal peril.

  Leander took my hand and squeezed it. A myriad of shivers ran down my arm starting from the spot where he touched me. But something was missing. The butterflies that always swarmed my stomach when we touched were gone. Or maybe they were in no mood to come to life because too much was at stake.

  Chapter 29

  I SPENT THE REST of the day training with Leander. He taught me how to hit in a way that would really hurt, where to kick to break bones, and the basics of mind control.

  “Thank God Myron isn’t that good at mind control either,” Leander said in between kicks and punches, of which he dodged most, “because you suck at it as well.”

  He reached for me and I ducked under his grip. “Thanks. You’re being really helpful.”

  “Well, it’s the truth. But you’ll learn eventually. For now you’ll have to rely on your strength and speed instead.”

  Three weeks ago, before my powers awakened, a workout like this would’ve killed me. Now I was barely sweating. If it wasn’t for the growing feeling of despair in my stomach, I would’ve enjoyed it.

  Leander disappeared. I took a step back, startled, and then I felt him behind me. His arms encircled my waist and he whispered in my ear. “Got you.”

  “What the hell was that?”

  “We’re Angels. We can teleport. He might use this trick on you and you’ll have to be ready.”

  “Fine, I get it. Now let me go.” I struggled in his arms, but he didn’t budge.

  “I wish it was as simple as you shouting for me when you’re in danger,” he whispered. “Once we get rid of Myron, we’ll have to figure out who’s responsible for blocking our communication.”

  “I know.” An embarrassed flush crept up my face. He was so close to me that his breath felt like a whisper of wind on my cheeks.

  I turned around in his arms, our bodies pressed against each other. He almost let go of me from shock, but in the end, he held on. “Riley,” he whispered my name. It held a thousand emotions, from guilt to despair to caring.

  “Leander,” I whispered back. Before I could stop myself, I stood on my toes and kissed him. His lips were as soft and sweet as morning dew. He pulled me closer and opened up his mouth to let me in. I felt connected to him in a way I’d never felt connected to anyone before. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

  We kissed for what seemed like an eternity, but to my surprise, the butterflies never resurfaced. Even though I felt a passion toward him that I couldn’t explain, something was wrong, broken, something that I doubted could be fixed again.

  I let go of him and smiled, hiding my emotions deep inside my mind. How could I ever explain to him that whatever I’d felt for him before was gone? Not because he hadn’t been there for me when I needed him the most — I was okay with that — but because he wouldn’t let me do what needed to be done. Maybe it was guilt consuming me, guilt telling me I couldn’t love anyone until I put this right, but whatever it was, I wanted him to understand and he didn’t.

  “I’ll go change,” I said. “School is almost over and I need to catch up with my friends.” I walked past him into the other room, where I put my sneakers back on and sprayed some deodorant under my arms. My hand brushed against the angel necklace I’d gotten from a father I never knew. A father who was strong enough to do the right thing — leave me to have a normal life.

  “I’ll save your souls,” I swore then, still touching the necklace, “no matter what it takes. First, I’ll make sure to put this bastard in jail, and then I’ll come for you.” The thought of being happy while I knew others were being punished because of me was too much to bear.

  * * *

  I arrived at school just in time for the last bell to ring. I leaned on the hood of Katie’s car and waited for my friends.

  Katie was the first to see me. Her expression froze somewhere between disgust and contempt. As they walked toward the car, she lowered her eyes, pulled Michelle’s sleeve and nodded toward me so Mich would see me as well.

  “Hey,” Craig said first. “I was a little distracted, but I managed to take half-decent notes anyway.”

  “Great. Well, my Gran suggested we do a ritual to connect all of you and her so you can send mental messages whenever you’re in danger.”

  “Why can’t you do that too?” Michelle asked. I explained to her about how Angels’ thoughts were on a different plane of existence. She nodded and narrowed her eyes, thinking it through. She was the most rational-minded of all of us, and I was glad, in one way, that Myron had attacked us when he did. She could only believe in Angels and the like because she’d seen so with her own eyes. If she hadn’t, she would never have believed me.

  “Well, on to Herb’s place it is then,” Craig said.

  “Hold on. Katie,” I said, “could I use your phone?”

  “Why?” She backed away instantly, as if I’d asked her to kill her pet cat.

  “Because I’m going to call Myron. Leander and I came up with a plan, and I want him to think I’ll give him my soul willingly.”

  “You won’t, right?” Katie said. Fire burned in her eyes, and for a second, she resembled the old Katie. Then her shoulders slumped back down and she turned back into the zombie version of herself.

  “Of course not,” I said.

  She handed me her phone. “I was going to delete his number tonight, but I couldn’t make myself do it just yet.”

  I took the phone and looked through her contact list until I found “Myron”. Then I called.

  After the third ring, he picked up. “Katie, love, I never thought I’d hear from you again,” he said, venom dripping through his voice.

  “This isn’t Katie,” I said. I wanted to add “sleazy scumbag” or another insult, but bit my tongue. Better not make him any angrier than he already was.

  “Well, if it isn’t my little Angel,” he said. “Tired of playing already? You know, you surprised me last night. I never thought you had it in you to fight back so hard. If things were different, we’d get along great.”

  “I doubt that. But if you think so, why still go after me then? Why not just let me live? This can’t be just for the money or you’d pick an easier prey.”

  “Touché. Nah, it isn’t just for the money. I got in league with the wrong people. You know a few of them, or, well, at least one of them.”

  “Seraphyn.” The moment I said her name, I knew I was right.

  “Correct again. You’re quite good at guessing games. Well, I’m not sure how familiar you are with Seraphyn, but she’s a highly ranked Angel and you better not mess with her. I learned that the hard way.”

  “You don’t have to kill me. We can work something out
. What if you testify against her?”

  Myron snorted. “It’s Heaven, not a courtroom. They’d put me in prison and throw away the key. Even if I had all the evidence in the world leading to Seraphyn, nobody would buy it. And I have zero intention of spending the rest of my immortal life in the celestial prison.”

  “What does she even want with me?”

  “Who knows. I’m not in the habit of asking her questions. But anyway, I doubt you called to talk about her.”

  “True. I want to make a deal,” I said.

  “I’m listening.”

  “You threatened to kill my friends and family yesterday. But what if I tell you that, in exchange for leaving them alone, I’ll offer my soul to you willingly?”

  “Am I supposed to believe you?” Myron asked. “I know Angels. We’re a selfish bunch with way too much survival instinct to give up our own lives for anyone else. Don’t try to make me believe you’re any different. I saw it in your eyes last night, that desire to do whatever it takes to survive. It doesn’t just disappear.”

  “I can’t let anyone else get killed because of me. Maybe Angels are heartless bastards, but I’m human too, and my human side can’t live with that.”

  “Hm.” He paused for a minute, as if thinking it through. “Let’s say I’m willing to believe you. When will you give me your soul?”

  “How about Saturday night? I want some time to say goodbye to everyone.”

  “You want a lot, little Angel. You want me to leave your loved ones alone, you want to say goodbye. What’s next, you want the crown jewels of England?”

  “Those are my terms,” I snapped at him. “Take it or leave it. We’ll meet in the forest. It’s remote there, so no one will hear us or see us.”

  “Now you want to pick the location of our little meeting too?”

  “It works more to your advantage than mine.”

  “Do you think I’m stupid, little Angel? You set a time, date, and place for our rendezvous, and it smells like a trap from miles away.”

  “Why the hell would I try to trick you?” I nearly shouted through the phone. “I just want to save my family and friends.”

  “We’ll see about that. If you give me your soul, then I’ll leave them alone. I can swear it if you like. But I’ll choose when and where I’ll take your soul. I’ll find you when I’m in the mood for another killing. Don’t fight me and they get to live. Fight and I may take them down after I tear your soul out.”

  He hung up on me, and I stood there, frozen to the ground, tears prickling behind my eyes.

  “Did it work?” Michelle asked.

  I shook my head. “He knew it was a trap and he didn’t fall for it. He said he’d come get me whenever he wanted to.”

  Part of me wanted to break down and cry, curl up into my Mom’s lap and tell her about all the bad things that had happened and ask her to fix it. But another part of me, the part that felt guilty over Tara and the others, said I deserved everything I got.

  * * *

  Gran wasn’t surprised that our plan had failed. “If there’s one thing I know about Angels, it’s how cunning they are. He’d never fall for anything so simple. But there is another way and it’s straightforward, too. “

  We were seated on a blanket on the floor in her living room. She’d put a circle of candles around her and the others while I stayed outside the circle, lingering against the wall.

  “Do tell,” I said.

  “You teleport him to the graveyard. When he attacks you, you grab him, teleport him there and then shove him into the trap.”

  “Great idea, if it weren’t for how I can’t teleport.”

  “Hold on,” Michelle said. “It doesn’t have to be you doing the teleporting. Leander could do it.” Light flickered in her eyes. “It’s very simple. You may not be able to connect with Leander, but we can contact each other. So one of us sticks with you and the others stick with him.”

  “Go on.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

  “Say I go with you. The Angel attacks you and I contact Craig in my mind. Craig is with Leander and he tells him.”

  “Or we could all stick together until he shows up,” Katie said. “You make it sound like your plan is so easy, but it means staying with each other 24/7. No matter how much I like you guys, I also want some privacy. Besides, try explaining this to our parents.”

  “It’s not like he’ll wait weeks for it,” Michelle said. “We have to look at his MO. So far, he’s always attacked at night, so we can assume we’ll be safe during the day.”

  “Can we assume anything at all?” Craig asked.

  Gran held up her hands and they all went mute. “One thing at a time. Let’s focus on this ritual first. Give me your hands.”

  She held out her hands and they each took each other’s hands, forming a circle. A pang of sadness went through me. I felt strangely left out.

  Gran said a few sentences in Latin. Then the candles surrounding them went out. Seconds later, they flared up again.

  My phone rang at the exact same time. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The others glared at me, obviously spooked as well. “Sorry, guys,” I said before I picked up. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Riley! I wanted to remind you about my party,” Stacey said through the phone.

  “Oh right, the party. Um, well, I’m not sure we’re going to make it.” I had other stuff on my mind right now besides her charity event.

  “No?” Stacey sounded surprised. “Katie’s boyfriend just called. He said he and Katie would be there, and asked me to call and confirm you’d be too, although he thought you would. I’m confused now — do you want me to count you in or not?”

  My heart stopped beating for an entire minute before I could speak again. “Um, yes. We’ll be there. Sorry, it’s a misunderstanding. When is this party again?”

  “Tomorrow night,” she said, a lot happier now. “I’m glad you’ll make it!”

  “Yeah. I’ve gotta go now though. Bye.” I hung up on her and nearly dropped the phone on the ground. I felt the color draining from my skin.

  “What’s wrong?” Michelle asked.

  “Myron will be at Stacey’s party this Friday.” I told them what Stacey had just told me.

  “Guess we don’t have to worry anymore about when he’ll strike,” Craig said.

  “Guess not.” I rested my head against the wall and wondered what the hell I could do to stop him, besides sacrificing myself. Was I truly so selfish that I couldn’t bring myself to do it? Had I already lost most of my humanity?

  I looked at my friends, hands entwined, shouting the words of the binding ritual over and over again. I could sacrifice myself for them if I had to.

  Now I could only hope I wouldn’t have to.

  Chapter 30

  DAD TOOK ANOTHER PICTURE of me in my evening dress, a dark blue, knee-length dress my parents bought me for my sixteenth birthday but I always refused to wear. If today was the day I might die, I might as well make sure I looked pretty doing so. Plus, it made them happy.

  Mom and Dad probably thought I was going crazy. I’d hugged them each more than a dozen times today. I’d even taken the time to play a game with Cass and she too had gotten a fair share of hugs until she complained about them.

  “You look beautiful,” Dad said. “I’m so proud. It’s like you’re going to prom.”

  “It’s just a charity party,” I told him. “No big deal.”

  “Don’t be so gloomy,” Mom said. She held up a pair of silver earrings. “Here, wear these.” She walked over to me and paused when she saw the necklace. “Where did you get that?” she asked.

  “This?” My hand went to the silver. “Gran gave it to me. Why?”

  She shook her head. “I thought I’d seen it somewhere before, but I’m probably wrong.” She helped me put the earrings on. “You l
ook like a princess.”

  A car horn sounded from outside. I hugged them both one more time and then I had to do the hardest thing I’d ever done… leave them behind. Step out of that door, out of safety, and confront the real possibility I may get killed. No, worse than that, the possibility my soul may be sold to Hell for all eternity.

  I eventually managed to tear myself away from them. I smiled and turned back a few times while going toward Leander’s car — he was my official date for tonight. By the time I finally made it to the car, I cried.

  To his credit, Leander didn’t ask if I was all right. He just started driving and I tried to compose myself. I’d spent last night with my family, enjoyed every moment I could with them. Before that, I’d given him a quick call, explained to him about the party and about Seraphyn’s involvement in all this. We both had no idea why she’d want me gone, and why, if she did, she saved my life in the first place.

  But all of that wasn’t important if I wasn’t going to survive tonight.

  “I’m scared,” I said after a while.

  Leander took my hand. “You know what I told you before about Hell?”

  “An endless, meandering labyrinth, I know.”

  “If he steals your soul,” he said, and squeezed my hand, “then I’ll come for you.”

  “What?” I choked on the word. “You said that was nearly impossible. Don’t do something so stupid.”

  “It is nearly impossible. But I’m responsible for you and I really care for you. I wouldn’t do it for anyone else, Riley, but I would for you.”

  It was the most romantic thing in the world. My heart melted and I squeezed his hand back. “Thanks. But it won’t come to that.”

  Leander didn’t reply. We stayed silent for the rest of the ride, just enjoying each other’s company, until he pulled onto Stacey’s driveway. Stacey lived in one of the grandest, most majestic houses in the neighborhood. It was a white, colonial-style mansion with three floors, four marble pillars at the entrance, and a balcony running across the entire front of the house. Cars were parked down the street and people buzzed in and out of the house.