Soul Crossed (22 page)

“Mrs. Frasier,” she whispers. “If she dies…”

“I don’t understand,” I say.

“If Cam successfully kills someone I die, too.”

I can’t let her experience any more pain. Not because of me. “Go. Call the police. I’ll take care of Cam.” I see him move out of the corner of my eye. He’s fingering the thing in the box, and a burst of cold air sweeps across the room.

“That was in Keira’s room,” Grace says. I turn to find Cam holding what looks to be a cross between a sword and a dagger. It isn’t the ferocity of the foot-long blade that frightens me. It’s the jewel encrusted cross that makes up the hilt. This must be Keira’s prized possession. The one that can kill Demon or Angel or anything in between.

I shove Grace behind me even as the thing flies through the air. It sinks in just below my collarbone like it’s slicing through butter, and all I can think as I fall to my knees is:
I’ve walked through the fires of Hell to save her. It can’t end like this
.

Grace screams as I fall backward into her arms. Her face swims in front of me, framed by her golden hair. I say something stupid like, “You got to keep your halo.” And I say a silent prayer to whomever might be listening,
at least let her stay safe
.

Blood flows out over my arm, dripping onto the side of the box still open on the floor. The terrifying box. The worst part of it was the dried blood darkening the tips of the needles and the wood along the bottom. I wasn’t his first victim. But now I wish I’d stayed inside that horrible thing. Because that would mean Josh had never come here. That Josh wasn’t dying in my arms.

His lips are moving but only nonsense comes out, and I shush him, cradling his head like a baby. Cam stands above us, his arms folded in triumph, but I can’t bear to look away from Josh’s face.

“Touching,” Cam says, mocking me. All I feel is repulsion.

“You’re a monster. You’re the one who deserves to die,” I say.

“Finally, the truth.”

Shaking with sobs I reach for the cross that protrudes from Josh’s shoulder. It’s covered in sparkling rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, but it is the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen. Josh shudders when I touch it. Acting on instinct, I grasp the handle and pull it from his body.

Cam senses the danger and lunges at me, but I spin around, still on my knees, stopping his advance with the tip of the blade to his chest. He freezes, arms out to his sides, fighting for balance so he won’t impale himself by accident.

“Give me one reason not to do it,” I say. My voice is shaking, but amazingly my hand is steady.

“Because you can’t,” he says, but there’s uncertainty in his eyes. “You aren’t capable of it, Grace. I’m the monster, not you, remember?”

“You said yourself you poison everyone you touch.”

“Then do it.” I wasn’t expecting this response, and it takes a moment for the words to register.

“What?” I hiss.

“I hate what I am. End it now. Be my salvation, Grace.” I hesitate, feeling the weight of the weapon in my hand.
I’m going to do this
, I think.
I’m saving the world
. But the monster inside of him won’t stand and wait for death, and the moment I pause he knocks my hand to the side, scraping the already bloody blade across his own skin in the process. Then he has my wrist in his hand, and we both fall into the only space available—the bottom of the horrible box.

He lands on top of me, and I know I’m no match for his weight. He reaches for the knife, and I pull my knee up hard. Then I shove him as hard as possible, throwing him off of me, but he manages to keep his grip on the weapon.

I heave myself out of the box as he straightens up, wielding the knife and slicing toward me in an arc. I back away until I hit the wall and search all around me for something, anything that could possibly help.

“You are out of chances, Grace,” he says. He’s feet away now, standing in the foot of the box. He readies himself with the knife, and I freeze. There’s no way I can dodge this one. At least it will all be over.

To my right, Josh struggles to his feet, and my heart does a flip-flop.
He’s OK
. My relief is cut short as Cam lunges at my throat with the knife.

Josh is fast. Faster than any human. He flies between the two of us like a human shield.
Not again. No. No. No. No. No
. He falls at my feet, his beautiful eyes staring straight through me like two pools of the calmest water. The cross juts out from his heart, staining his white shirt scarlet. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. Even Cam seems frozen.

Maybe his isn’t dead. Maybe if I pull it out again…
But even as I think it, I know it won’t be true. I know this because my body crumples on top of his, my breath forced from my lungs like a two-ton weight is on my chest. I am dying. Cam has taken a life, and the battle for his soul is ended. The Devil has won. Josh’s sacrifice was in vain.

Cam seems confused as he stands over me. All I can do is gaze up at him, watching the different emotions wash over his face. Mistrust, worry that I am somehow faking it. Fear at the realization of what he’s done. Pride at knowing he’s beaten someone as powerful and perfect as Josh.

It must have been hard for Cam, growing up with a mother who didn’t believe in him, living in the shadow of his sister’s death. I may be losing everyone I love, but he never felt love in the first place. Not like I did from my family. Not like I did from Josh. Suddenly, ridiculously, I understand his pain.

I move my lips, but it is hard to find the energy to even form the words I want to say. He leans over me to listen, and I summon everything I have left.

“I forgive you.”

The words are clear, and the expression that answers me is shock and disbelief. He lifts me up by his own shirt and shakes me a bit as though to wake me up. I’m limp as a rag doll, though, and feel like I’m floating away.

“You can’t forgive me,” he says, desperation in his voice. “I don’t want your forgiveness.”

“I forgive you.” I say it again and feel the smile on my face—the weightlessness seems to consume some of the pain. He drops me as though his hands are on fire, and when I blink I see that he is sort of ablaze, surrounded by white light. He screams and stumbles backward, tripping on the edge of his own contraption and falling backward on the inside of the open lid.

I struggle to lift myself enough to see what’s happened, and at once wish I hadn’t. Cam’s empty eyes stare open at the ceiling as thick liquid oozes beneath his body. Some of the needles are so long that the tips are visible. One in particular juts out from his neck, dark blood staining the side of his face and shoulder.

“Impaled upon his own sword. What a disappointment. It wasn’t even designed to kill, but if you fall on it that way…” Lucifer stands above me, shaking his head at what’s left of Cam. “After all that hard work. I’m not very happy with you, Gracelyn.” His eyes flash, but for once I don’t care. Josh is gone, and I’m already suffering eternal torment.

“Take your time dying, dear. I’m in no rush, though I must admit I am eager to get started. It’s not everyday I get a soul that’s actually visited Heaven and seen what it’s missing.”

I wish I could nod or something, but I’m finding it pretty difficult. I want to ask why he isn’t down in Hell greeting Cam, but I can’t make my lips move anymore.

“You’re wondering about Camden? I have little interest in the boy now. He doesn’t do me much good dead, you see.” He kneels down by my side and touches my nose.

“You, on the other hand, are going to get the personal treatment. We can’t have talk about a little girl besting the Devil. You did the one thing I didn’t think possible. You forgave him. You sealed his fate. Ha! You killed him with kindness!”

I close my eyes, wishing he’d stop gloating, but knowing it’s impossible. I can feel him there, standing near me, hovering like an apparition attracted by all the death. I smell the tangy scent of blood and wonder whose it is.

“How poetic. Just like the real Romeo and Juliet. Well, except no one actually killed themselves. Oh well, time to go,” he says, and I open my eyes, all the strength flooding back into my body.

“I’m dead…again?” I ask, uncertain. I don’t seem to be leaving any body behind as I stand to meet him.

“Oh yes. You were never alive again, just in limbo. Your body is deep underground in Bothell, Washington.” He offers me a hand, and I see no choice so I move to take it.

Lucifer screams in pain as I touch him and pulls away his hand with a hiss. He looks like he would like to lunge at me and rip my eyes out, but he holds back, afraid that I’ll burn him again. His eyes slide over to Josh’s body on the floor, and I throw myself protectively over him.

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” I say.

“Looks like you saved a soul,” comes the bitter reply.

“Whose?” I ask, still confused, as I am engulfed in a familiar bubble of light. I cling to Josh’s body, refusing to leave him behind, despite my confusion about his still being there. Together, we are deposited on Ms. Alvarez’s classroom floor.

I raise my head to find her rosy, cherubic face glaring down at me like something filthy on the bottom of her shoe. I cling tighter to Josh’s body, drawing a strange strength from his presence.

“You’ve ruined everything,” she says, setting her teacup down a little too hard. The contents slosh up and over the sides, but she barely takes notice.

“Ruined?” I ask in disbelief. “You’re the one who has ruined my life! You murderer!” I rise, not even realizing I’ve done so, and throw myself at her, wanting nothing more than to throttle her where she sits—and maybe shove her face in her tea.

I’m stopped short as she raises a hand and thrusts it toward me. I fly backward through the air, crashing into the corner of the room.

“How did you know?” she asks me, getting out of her seat and striding over to tower above me.

“The Devil showed me,” I say.

“My motives are pure. I did it for The Man Himself.” I’m so shocked by this response that I can’t even move. “The world is in shambles. Humanity is a pathetic mess. Leave humans alone to do as they see fit and time and time again they choose wrong and we have to start all over, just like Noah and the flood. They’ve had enough chances. The few good people are corrupted or hurt by the rest, and it’s time for the End. Time for all but the true believers to be purged. I knew you two had the potential to bring it all about. I’ve been watching, waiting for years for just the right conditions.”

“What conditions?” I clench my fists at my sides to quell their trembling.

“Two people destined for each other, one poised for Hell. One ready for Heaven. A potential Antichrist. I knew I’d be assigning the Angel and that he’d send a new Demon. Satan always uses fresh young souls as minions. Can you guess why?”

I feel like I’m in one of her lessons, and I answer automatically. “Because they still have good in them.”

“Potential for good. Yes. He squashes that potential by forcing them to make bad choices.”

“So you knew that Josh and I were destined to be together and that we’d break Cam’s heart.”

“Don’t strain yourself, Gracelyn, dear. Thinking must be difficult for you. You’re very pretty, but shallow as can be when it comes to everything else.”

“You know
nothing
about me.”

“Now, now, don’t be bitter. You should be proud. You saved Cam’s soul. Now I’m afraid I’m going to have to start anew.” My eyes are burning with tears. Her face is practically glowing with rapture as she speaks of the fate of the world. “But with a fresh start comes spring cleaning, I think. Out with the old and so on.” She turns toward Josh’s body, which glows for a moment, then disappears.

“What have you done?” I cry.

“Nothing yet. I’m surprised that abomination lasted that long up here.” She turns toward me again, and the look on her face makes me cower in the corner.

“He’s not an abomination. He’s a good person. You can’t do anything to us,” I say, but my voice sounds weak and uncertain.

“I can. I’m your mentor. I’m the one who decides your fate. Don’t you remember how I cast you out of Heaven? Of course, I was counting on you giving into your lust all along.”

“Why bring me back here? Why not just let the Devil take me?”

“It wasn’t my choice. You redeemed yourself, and I can’t change the rules of Heaven. You just had to make the ultimate sacrifice, didn’t you? You had to go and forgive the one person that should have been unforgivable, even after he killed your love. Even after he killed you. So now you’ve earned your wings.” She pauses. “When I think of what could have happened if he’d had time to repent…” She shudders.

“You mean, he still could have been saved? Even after he killed Josh?”

“The boy was just a Demon. Camden needed no forgiveness for ridding the world of that. But you died, too. He murdered an Angel—albeit a fallen one.”

“But Lucifer said—” Wait. No he didn’t. He let me assume it was Josh in danger when all along it was me being set up to die.

Ms. Alvarez takes no note of my shock as she keeps talking. “And you offered Camden salvation. You handed it to him on a silver platter. Murder is the unforgivable sin because the victim cannot offer forgiveness. If I hadn’t been there to—”

“Been there? You mean
you
killed Cam? You pushed him back onto the bed of needles, didn’t you?” I ask, horrified.

She smiles in answer, and I shake my head in disbelief, feeling ill all over again as I remember his lifeless eyes.

“How can you be an Angel?” I say finally.

“I’m doing what has to be done to serve The Man Himself. And that is why you are going to break another rule. So I can cast you out, this time back to Hell where you belong.”

“I won’t do it! I won’t break another rule.”

“I’m sending you down to see your family.”

“What?” I freeze, heart pounding.

“It’s forbidden. You will fall from grace, again, and I will begin again, searching for just the right circumstances to bring about the End of Times.”