He was dead. My magic was too powerful. My anger too much. There was no way he could’ve survived what I’d just done to him. The silence under my fingertips confirmed it.
I shook my head.
“What was that?” James asked.
“Anger,” I said quietly. “Pure blooded Ross anger.”
James looked at Olivia crumbled beside the car. Her blue eyes were still open in shocked surprise.
I crawled to her. The pink tutu and leotard were a grotesque sight. “I can’t believe Gabriel killed her.”
“I should be dead.” James’ breathing was heavy. “Olivia saved my life. She saved my life,” he repeated.
“James.”
His face was hard. Angry tears filled his eyes, but they didn’t spill over. “Why would she do that?”
“She loved you.”
Tears blurred my vision. Whatever had crumbled between Olivia and me was irrelevant. She was still my friend and, when the moment mattered, she’d stepped up. James was right - she saved his life. She fought for him and died for him.
Now she was another casualty of Alexandria Longfellow, pure blooded witch.
CHAPTER 20
The police came soon after. Along with the fire trucks and ambulances. They sectioned off the area around the Escalade with yellow crime scene tape. Uniformed men walked in front of me and behind me. Walkie-talkies crackled. Everything was a blur. A hazy hideous dream, but one I was intimately familiar with.
In the haze, Peter appeared outside the tape with Anne Marie tucked under his arm. Sadie and the twins were beside him. Did they know Olivia was dead? Did they realize that it was two years in a row that something horrific like this had happened? Two atrocious catastrophes on Halloween night? On my birthday? All because of me?
James stared at the ground while the EMT worked on his cuts and bruises.
How much more could he take? How much burden and death and evil could any of us take?
After the paramedics finished, there was more confusion about where we were supposed to go. After a long time, we were escorted to the police station to give our statements about the night’s events. James and I didn’t have time to concoct a story, so we denied everything.
No, we didn’t know the identity of the giant man with the ponytail.
I screamed James’ name in the Cooper’s backyard because I was excited that he was a costume finalist.
No, we don’t know why the man decided to come after us.
We don’t know where the man stashed his high powered firearm that caused so much damage to the neighborhood.
We’re not sure how the man died. It looked like he had a heart attack in the middle of his assault on us.
Yes, we saw him kill Olivia.
No, we don’t need to speak with a grief counselor.
Of course we would contact them if we remembered anything significant.
James and I walked out of the police station a little after eight in the morning. The sun was high and bright and we both held up our hands to defend against its brightness. Peter, Ethan and Emma waited for us outside of the police station. A few people threw us strange stares and I belatedly realized we were still in our costumes.
A disheveled looking Captain America and an Angel.
Ethan ushered us home. I squeezed in the backseat between Peter and James. I laced my arms through both of theirs and laid my head back against the seat. I was sad and tired and exhausted. I was still having receiving pains and the magic I’d used last night – specifically, whatever I’d done to Gabriel - had taken its toll on me.
The clock on the dashboard was like a slap to the face. I didn’t have time to grieve for Olivia. I didn’t have time to sleep or to complain about the physical pain I was feeling.
I had to prepare. I had less than eight hours before my sacrifice.
It was October 31st - All Hallows Eve.
* * *
Brittle leaves floated in the air as I brushed them off Grandma Claudia’s tombstone. I lowered myself to the cold ground and placed a pot of mums next to the stone. The sun was high overhead. A constant reminder that the clock was ticking and precious seconds were fleeing.
After last night’s events, I’d wanted to write in my journal. Long ago, I realized that when I wrote in my journal, it wasn’t for my own recollection. It was a way to communicate with my grandmother. But this time, writing in a book wasn’t enough. I needed to be close to her. I tossed the journal aside and drove to the cemetery.
I grabbed a leaf and twirled it between my fingers. “I miss you so much it’s hard to breathe sometimes.” I exhaled. “Olivia Humphrey was killed last night. Do you remember her? The tall blonde that always wore the princess gown when we were kids?”
I squeezed my hand and crushed the leaf to pieces. “She saved James and then she was killed by a hunter.”
My eyes welled up. “I think about right and wrong decisions all the time. I’m always second guessing myself. Doubting my actions. It’s stupid, I know, but I can’t stop thinking that maybe the wrong choice was made all of those years ago. Maybe Ethan shouldn’t have agreed to a deal with Jonah Van Curen. Maybe things would’ve been better if Gamma had killed me when I was a baby. Do you know how many people would be alive right now, if it wasn’t for me?”
Wind blew from the east. “You. Bradley. Simon. James’ dad, William. Donovan Vega. This hunter named Australia. Redhead and Mo. Aunt Vanessa. Victor. Gabriel Vega. Olivia. They’re all dead because of me.”
I exhaled. “Sorry, I didn’t come here for pity. I’m well past that point. I have a few hours left before I have to face Liam and, I guess, I came to say goodbye.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “If I die tonight, I’m not sure what will happen to me or if I’ll go to the same place you’re at. I’m not sure if Heaven accepts killers, so I wanted to tell you that I love you. For once, I’m grateful that you’re not here, because I know there’s no way you’d let me fight Liam alone.”
I stood. “Please look over Peter, James, Emma and Ethan. If you have any more time and energy - my Grandma Longfellow, Mrs. LaViollette, Anne Marie, Sadie, the twins and all of my other friends, too.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks. “Make sure Emma and Ethan get to live the life they should’ve had together all those years ago. Don’t let James dwell too much on the past. He thinks too much. Worries too much. Help him look forward, beyond his family’s history.”
“Take special care of Peter, please. I think he’ll need it the most. Help him move on with his life and find happiness. Make sure Peter and James both find love. Real love. Heart stopping true love. The same kind I feel for them.”
My hand caressed the stone. “Don’t worry, grandma, I’m not giving up yet. But, I know what I’m up against. I promise to fight Liam with everything I have and I’m not going to stop until one of us is dead.”
Leaves blew across the cemetery. “If I don’t survive - protect them for me. And love them all for me.”
CHAPTER 21
“There isn’t another way.” Ethan sat on the porch. His foot nervously tapped the brick steps. “He’s too strong. I think it’s our only chance.”
I tied my sneakers. “I agree.”
“The final receiving pain will be agonizing. My transformation was painful and I’m only half-blooded, but that’s your cue. You’ll have less than a minute after you receive. He won’t waste any time.”
“I know.”
“You’re worried.” Ethan ran his hand over his face, pulling down his features. “That was dumb of me to say. Of course you’re worried. What can I do?”
“Try your hardest to keep the boys out of it. Stay in the parking lot.”
Ethan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Do you know how hard it-?”
“You’ll know the outcome soon enough. I don’t imagine it will take long. A few minutes after sunset, I’ll either walk back to the parking lot or I won’t.” I slung the bag across my chest. “I can’t afford to be
distracted by worrying about you or Peter or James.”
“I know.”
I bit my lip. It was crucial that my father understood. “There’s nothing any of you can do that’ll help. You know that. Liam’s too strong. It will only risk their lives. And yours.”
Ethan let a weak smile slip. “Strong and stubborn. You are exactly equal parts Longfellow and Ross. I love you more than my own life.” He pulled me into a hug. “I’ll wait in the car. A few people want to talk to you.” Ethan motioned toward the window.
With Ethan’s signal, Emma and James walked out the front door. They must’ve been waiting in the foyer. Ethan patted my head and went to the Jeep.
Emma descended the porch stairs. “My strong, strong girl.”
I walked into her embrace. “If anything happens, take care of all three of them,” I whispered into her hair.
“I don’t want to hear any of that nonsense,” Emma said. “I love you, Alexandria. I’m sorry for everything. I know I haven’t been a good mother and I apologize.”
I kissed her on the cheek.
With a wave at Ethan in the Jeep, she disappeared into James’ house. When she reached the front door, her sobs erupted. I could still hear them when she went inside.
“It’s finally time,” I said to James.
He looked up at the sky. “So it is.”
“You’re coming with me to the country club.” I pointed back and forth between us. “This farewell speech could’ve waited until then.”
James shook his head. “Peter’s meeting us there. I wanted a few minutes alone.”
I ran the tip of my shoe over the brick step. “Getting sent to the tardy office last year was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
“Having a demented father that was hell bent on destroying you was one of the best things that happened to me.” A dimple appeared. “I don’t want this to be a goodbye. I want you to fight. Do exactly what we talked about. It’s the only way.”
“I will.”
James closed the gap between us. “You fight. Do you hear me? With every fiber of your being. Don’t give up. Please. Do it for me, okay? Or, I don’t care, do it for Peter. But, please, fight.” Dark brown eyes welled up with tears. He crushed me against him.
My arms went around his neck and I hugged him. He pulled my head under his chin and kissed the top of my head.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.”
When we pulled away from our embrace, he wouldn’t make eye contact. “Let’s go, you’ll need the extra time,” James said.
I followed him to the car. Ethan was silent. In fact, everyone was quiet. The sun was still in the sky - it would be awhile before trick-or-treaters ventured from house to house. We drove the five blocks to the Hallows Country Club, past the spot where Peter and James fought last year and I couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
The lot was empty, except for the black truck parked at the end of the lot. I inhaled. That was one goodbye I wasn’t sure I could handle. We pulled in beside Peter. He was sitting on the truck bed.
“We’ll give you a few minutes,” Ethan said.
My fingers squeezed the door handle and, for a second, I was terrified to get out, but I saw Peter waiting for me. I climbed out of the Jeep and shut the door.
“Hey,” Peter said.
“Hey.” I walked to the back of the truck. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Not too long. Do you have everything?”
I tugged at the purse strap. “I -”
He hopped off the truck bed and kissed me. Hard and quick. It took a second for me to match his urgency, but I did. His hands framed my face. “I refuse to say goodbye to you.”
“Peter -”
“Don’t say anything.” He didn’t hold back his tears. They freely streamed down his cheeks. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. If -”
Peter shook his head. “Don’t. Just come back to me. Please. Tell me you’ll come back to me. Promise me.”
I blinked and all of the tears fell. He needed to hear those words, so I made a promise that I wasn’t sure I could keep. “I promise I’ll come back to you.”
CHAPTER 22
I didn’t look back.
I couldn’t.
If I saw Peter, James and Ethan standing at the edge of the parking lot, I would’ve lost it. Floodgates would’ve unleashed and I couldn’t do that. Not now. I’d said what I wanted to say to everyone that mattered. Now, I had to do my part. Play my role in this dysfunctional supernatural soap opera.
The old cedar tree was three hundred yards from the edge of the golf course. Over the seventh hole and into the forest. I knew my way. I’d trained in that very spot with Ethan plenty of times.
Now, I was heading there to die.
Not to die - to fight. My chances were slim. Everyone knew it, but they were too afraid to say so.
The sky was a deep shade of coral. The sun would set soon. The sack strung across my chest felt heavier. The contents inside protesting what I was about to do. Who knew if our plan would work?
I stopped near a pine tree a hundred yards away. The old cedar wasn’t in sight yet, but I knew Liam was waiting. Instead of walking forward, I turned a sharp right and ran down a slope. I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled under a thicket of dense bushes.
The sky wasn’t visible from this vantage point. Thick foliage provided enough privacy, but I only had a few precious seconds. Liam was close. Waiting. Listening. Possibly even watching.
I dumped the contents of the sack onto the ground. The ruby vibrated against the dirt, but I was careful not to touch it. I didn’t want to feel the pull of the spirit. I lifted a hammer and smashed the gem to pieces. The fake brittle red substance crumbled around the diamond. I poured sea salt around the gem and placed a piece of iron on top of the diamond.
That was all I could do for now. From this point forward, everything else was out of my control. I crawled out from under the bushes and dusted the dirt from my knees.
We’d debated long and hard about the different ways of attack. But Ethan, Peter, James and I had agreed that this scenario provided the best chance. I couldn’t ask Liam to give me a moment while I set up the spell to exorcise his mother’s spirit from the receptacle. He would instantly kill me. On the other hand, conjuring Lara Ross’ spirit into my body and walking up to fight Liam wouldn’t work either. He’d realize what was going on before I could get within fifty feet of him.
I had to play the only card I possessed. The only hand that, so far, had worked against Liam - the element of surprise.
I walked up the slope and headed toward the old cedar tree. Panic seeped into my thoughts. What was I doing? How many others had been in this same situation? Sacrificed on Halloween for Liam’s benefit?
The trees thinned as I came upon the clearing. The sun’s dying rays fell over the enormous cedar tree like a spotlight on a theater star. Liam stood calm and serene. All of his preparations were complete.
Carved jack-o-lanterns created a giant circle. Inside the pumpkins, a ring of scorched grass contained four pegs staked into the ground. Except for the pumpkins, everything looked similar to Lara’s sacrifice at Stonehenge two thousand years ago.
“Alexandria,” Liam said. “Happy birthday. You are on time and alone. I am pleased.” He motioned to the circles. “What do you think? I’ve never used pumpkins before, but I thought it added to the festivities. Is it too much?”
I walked into the clearing. “Happy birthday to you, too, Liam.”
“How are your receiving pains?”
“Excruciating, but I can handle them.”
“I’m sure you can.” He pointed to the pinkish-purple sky. “We have a few moments until sunset. It’s beautiful here, don’t you think?”
“It is.”
“The virgin forest. The colors of the leaves are incredible. I haven’t been in the Hallows in over three hundred years.” Liam patted the old
cedar. He stepped over the roots that pushed up the ground surrounding the trunk. He ran his hand over the bark near a limb that hung at a ninety-degree angle. “Do you know family members died here? In this very spot? Your ancestors. My descendants. Right from this branch. How does that make you feel?”
“Sad.”
He tilted his head. “Really? It makes me angry.”
“Why?”
“For the unnecessary blood that’s been spilt.”
I smiled.
“What?” Liam asked.
“You answer so righteously, but the same thing is about to happen here. Unnecessary spilled blood.”
“With all due respect, Alexandria, if I don’t kill you today - if I walked away from you forever - do you honestly think you’d live happily ever after with Peter?”
I didn’t answer.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” Liam said. “Eventually, the hunters would kill you. Maybe not tomorrow, but they will. Why? Because they are frightened of you. You’re not one of them. You are not human. Pretend all you want, but you will never have that normal human life you seek. You cannot trust them. Hunters. Humans. They will betray you.”
The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. “She did this to you. She betrayed your trust. The woman in the black gown in Venice.”
Liam’s face paled. He moved at whirlwind speed and, for a second, I thought he was going to kill me. He squeezed my chin. “How do you know about Camilla?”
My jaw was clamped shut. I shook my head.
“I’ve forgotten my manners.” Liam released his steel grip and stepped away. “How do you know about Camilla?”
“I have dreams.”
Liam blinked. “You had a dream about Camilla on the night she wore the black gown in Venice?”
I ignored his question. “Did you love her?”
Green eyes flashed.
“You did,” I said. “I saw it on your face the night of the ball. You loved her, but then you killed her.”