The Devil's Third (25 page)

“In a previous life she was, yes.” Jade nodded. “If she were to tap into that part of herself in this life, Carrie has the potential to become a remarkable witch. Bael knows this and aims to have both Carrie and Paige by his side.”

“Does Carrie know this about herself?” Ameerah wanted to know.

“She does now,” Jade answered. “Her spirit is receiving instructions as we speak, on how to get reacquainted with that side of herself when she awakes from her coma.”

“I was here yesterday because I knew a positive, mystical energy dwells here and thought it would be the perfect place to help Nathan find Paige. But I didn’t see or sense you around,” Ameerah said to Jade, sounding perplexed.

“At the time of your arrival,” Jade said, “Carrie hadn’t beckoned me, but once she did, the ley lines in this area jumped to life, creating a barrier you and Nathan encountered between your world and this one. For thousands of years, ancient civilizations knew how to do this, so they could perform ceremonial magic. However, the know how has been lost throughout the ages, and earth’s energy or ley lines, has been stifled. Fortunately, the circumstances at hand due to the realm in which Carrie’s spirit lays, allowed me to be here with you now.”

“So can you help Nathan, then?” Ameerah asked.

“Yes, but we must be swift about it. The channel of energy flowing in this area can only stay fluid for so long.” Jade motioned us farther into the room. “We need to do a location spell to find Paige,” she said to me. “Do you have anything of Paige’s on your person?”

I reached in my back pocket, producing a crumbled piece of paper. “I have the letter she wrote me before she left.” I handed it over to Jade.

“Excellent.” Jade went to the altar and placed the letter on it, smoothing it out. “It’s brimming with her energy.” She placed her palm on it and bowed her head, slouching her shoulders forward. Her voice sounded distant, almost haunting. “Sadness. Determination. Purpose. Doubt you would ever forgive her betrayal.” She turned and looked at me. “Those were her feelings as she wrote this.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I never once thought she betrayed me.”

“Nevertheless,” Jade replied, “those thoughts and feelings were raging inside her.” She lifted the cloth hanging over the altar and opened a drawer. She pulled out a rolled piece of paper and closed the drawer. While she picked up Paige’s letter, she gathered a couple brass bowls, then sat on her knees on the rug. She placed the bowls in front of her and unrolled the paper below them on the floor–a map. She motioned for me and Ameerah to kneel next to her. “Do you mind if I burn this letter?” she asked me, holding it up when my knee touched beside her.

“No. You’re welcomed to do whatever is necessary for us to find Paige,” I said.

She snatched my hand and squeezed it. Her skin felt cold, and my immediate reaction was to pull away, but I didn’t. She closed her eyes, clutching the letter. I glanced at Ameerah, sitting on the other side of Jade. Our eyes connected, and Ameerah shrugged. But then her gaze dropped to Jade’s hand holding mine, at the same time I felt a warmth in my palm against Jade’s. There was an orange glow between the small gaps in our grip. The note in her other hand, radiated the same color. I stared at it, mesmerized, like a child watching a magic show.

“The connection you have with Paige is phenomenal. Your spirits have known each other for many lives,” she said in a distant voice.

I sat up, intrigued, remembering Anwar mentioning something along those same lines when he first met Paige. It made sense to me, though. For almost two hundred years, I’d never encountered such feelings for another until I laid eyes upon Paige.

“You’re linked to her, and just recently you’ve been picking up her feelings.” She opened her eyes and looked at me.

I nodded. “Correct. Last night I suddenly felt fear and panic and heard Paige say, ‘We’re so screwed.’”

“I’m going to cast a location spell,” Jade told me. “Afterward, I’ll project another one to allow your spirit to reach out to Paige.” She released me and swung her other hand, holding the letter in front of her. It was glowing a deep orange color. Her lips moved slowly at first, and then rapidly as she repeatedly recited an incantation in Latin. Wisps of smoke lifted off the edges of the paper. She dropped it in the bowl. A small flame ignited. She dipped the tip of her fingers in the other bowl and flicked the liquid into the fire as she continued to chant in Latin. There was a loud “pop” and the flame went out. She picked up the dish and dumped the ashes on the map.

Ameerah and I leaned forward and watched in amazement as the ashes gathered and formed a perfectly straight line. It slithered across the paper until the tip of it touched a small town, which was only thirty miles away from where we were at.

“Clatskanie,” Ameerah said. She grinned at me. “Paige isn’t too far from here.”

The tightness in my shoulders lifted, and I blew out a sign of relief. At least she was still in the country and better yet, nearby in the same state. But then my body tensed when the thought of her being in trouble, possibly held captive, entered my mind. I had to know where in this town she was and if she was okay.

“Where, though?” I blurted. “She can be anywhere.”

“Well, at least we know which town,” Ameerah said, sounding hopeful.

“Nathan,” Jade said, capturing my attention. “I need you to lie in the center of this pentagram. Fallen one”–she glanced at Amerrah who furrowed her eyebrows– “I need for you to step back off the rug. I will do the same.”

I had no idea what she was planning, only trusting it would aid me in locating Paige. So without question, I lay on my back in the center of the rug after she removed the items out of the way.

“I want you to close your eyes and visualize Paige.” Jade’s voice was soft, soothing. I hadn’t realized until now how tired I was. My thoughts were drifting, and my mind went into a cycle of jabbering nonsense. I halted it and refocused on Paige. “Good.” Jade sounded pleased, as if aware of my minor slip. “I want you to reach out to Paige. Call to her.”

I visualized being with Paige. I could see her clearly in my mind. Her round face, dark green eyes, and dark red hair straight down her back. Her smile–sweet, yet alluring at times. The way she felt in my arms. How she smelled. The sound of her light, raspy voice which could be sultry when she felt amorous . . .

A warm hand touched my forehead. Under her breath, Jade began chanting in Latin. I continued my vision of Paige and found myself standing in a gray, misty field with nothing but endless space–a void of some kind. I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled for Paige. My voice echoed around me as if I were standing in a canyon bowl surrounded by rocky cliffs instead of a vast, endless clearing. Something at the edge of my vision moved. I turned my head and saw dark shadows swirling around the ground. I stepped back. My first thought was they were dark entities about to rise against me, and I positioned myself in a fighting stance. But then I looked skyward and relaxed. Clouds were whipping around a dull round ball of light.

“Paige!” I yelled once again, keeping my eyes riveted above, testing a theory: every time I called her name, something in this realm shifted. Sure enough, the clouds parted, and the orb expanded. A golden ray of light beamed down about two hundred yards in front of me. I stepped back and watched in anticipation, hoping something good would come out of this. A facet of brilliant colors–blue, green, orange, lavender, pink and so forth–rained down inside of it. It reminded me of when Paige, Ameerah, and I were in the Sahara Desert, and I saw what Paige’s soul looked like.

My heart raced.

I was confident those radiant hues were parts of her soul.

“Paige!” I hollered again.

 In an instant, a bright, white sunburst flashed and expanded outward. It didn’t hurt my eyes, so I continued to stare at it. But then the ray vanished, and the gunmetal gray sky was now vacant. My heart leaped in my chest when my gaze connected with Paige, standing where the beam was a second ago, looking confused.

“Nathan?”She sounded unsure, and when I smiled, a warily look entered her face. She glanced away. “This is a dream. This isn’t real,” she whispered to herself.

“This is real,” I said, crossing the distance between us, capturing her full attention. “It’s magic.”

“Magic?”

I cupped her face in my hands and softly kissed her. She sighed against my lips. “We don’t have much time,” I told her, using every ounce of restraint I had not to continue our kiss. “I know you’re in Clatskanie, but where?”

“I’m at Timberlake Lodge,” she said. “Brayden broke the neck of a human Bael was possessing, and we escaped.”

“Brayden is with you?”

She nodded and straightened her back. Her eyes poured into mine, filled with honesty and a strength I’d never seen in her before. The corner of my mouth lifted. “I didn’t betray you. I was forced to write the dear John letter to you and bail. I had no--”

I placed a finger on her lips. “No need to explain. I already know.”

Perplexed, she blinked. “How?”

“I went to the hospital and paid Carrie a visit. I was able to rouse her enough to tell me what Bael had said to you and Tree,” I explained.

“How did Carrie . . .” Paige trailed off. Her gaze wandered past me, staring at nothing in particular. “Oh. I know.” She looked at me and smiled. “She heard us when she was in the coma. They say when people are in comatose states, they can hear everything around them.”

“Correct,” I said, sharing her smile.

She threw her arms around me. “I’m so glad you know and forgive me.”

I embraced her. God, she felt good. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

“So how were you able to contact me? Did Pip help you?” She dropped her arms and pulled back, though, I kept my arms around her.

I shook my head. “No. It’s a long story, and we don’t have much time.”

Paige cast fervent glances around us. “Do you know where we are?”

“We’re on one of the sub-planes, but I’m not sure which one. Does it really matter?” I gave her a half smile and ran my fingers down her spine, causing her to shiver.

She grinned and shook her head. “No.” She looked at my shoulder and frowned. “You’re starting to fade.”

I glanced down. My shoulder was transparent, which told me soon the connection would be broken. “Listen,” I said. “Stay where you are. As soon as I wake up, Ameerah and I will go there. I’ll--”

“Ameerah is with you? How is she?”

“Yes, and she’s well. She’s helping me.”

“I like Ameerah, but can we trust her?” An anxiousness entered her voice.

“I believe so. But anyway,” I said in a rush, noticing my arm disappearing. “Don’t go anywhere. Stay put.” I paused. “What room are you in?”

“Twenty-two, at the very end,” she told me. “On the south side,” she added.

“All right. I’ll see you soon.” I leaned to kiss her, but then everything went black.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Paige

Nathan’s lips brushed against mine, and then he disappeared, leaving me kissing air in this dreary realm. I threw my hands up and sighed. I finally got to see my boyfriend, and he vanishes. Not by choice I realized. A gleeful smile broke across my face. He forgave me, and he found a way to reach me. A warmth filled my chest, and I swooned a little. No wonder Bael didn’t want Nathan involved. My guy was resourceful and a damn good tracker. Bael probably knew once I discovered where the incantations were, Nathan and I would be unstoppable.

He was right.

Since Nathan now knew where I was, I had no doubt in my mind we would hop on a plane to Africa and end this once and for all. And if anything got in our way, I’d fight. I wasn’t too concerned with Bael because I didn’t breach our agreement. Nathan had discovered the truth on his own, which freed me from Bael
and
his demands.

I couldn’t stop smiling, feeling a lightness in my body I haven’t experienced in a long time. Ever since Nathan and I met, something always tried to come between us.

Not anymore.

The strength I felt in the Tahoe after Brayden snapped the human’s neck grew as the self-doubts I once had were quickly replaced with a fierce determination to never again allow others to use my fear to enslave or manipulate me. Bael knew my friends were my Achilles heel, and he used them as bargaining chips to get me to do his bidding. Without fear, he had no power over me. So I would figure out a way to protect the ones I loved, but for now I needed to wake myself up. Using the same tactic I’d used when I brought Nathan, Ameerah and myself back from spying on Aosoth, I closed my eyes and visualized the hotel room my sleeping body rested in. I could see the bureau made of oak logs and the mirror attached to it framed from long, thick sticks. The red plaid curtains were drawn, and the king sized bed with a headboard matching the bureau looked inviting. I could feel myself crawling on top of the firm mattress and burrowing myself beneath the flannel sheets, soft and comfy. I took a deep breath, then released a satisfying sigh.

I was now in suspended animation within a shadow box with tinted glass and nothing but black space beyond. I couldn’t feel my body until my stomach suddenly lurched, causing my limbs to jerk–waking me. My eyes flew open. Something heavy pressed against my side. My gaze fell on an arm wrapped around me . . . Brayden’s.

I lay there for a few minutes, gathering my thoughts. Was my encounter with Nathan real? What a silly question. Of course it was. Somehow we were able to connect and meet in another realm. I wondered if it was the same place deceased loved ones went to visit the living in their dreams. It seemed unlikely, though, because of the drab environment. But then again, I could be wrong. I recalled what Nathan had said when I asked him where we were.

Does it really matter?

I stifled a giggle. Hell, no, it didn’t matter. Nathan now knew the truth, and all I had to do was stay put until his arrival. Excitement bubbled inside me. I couldn’t wait to see him and decided then I wouldn’t destroy the incantations. Instead, I’d use them to rid this world of the dark spirits. Originally, I thought it would be playing God and upsetting the balance of things if I were to have such control. I knew Pip felt the same way. However, a girl could change her mind, right? And the ones like Ameerah, I’d leave alone. I wondered how it would work? Could I use the incantations on individual entities, or was it for all of them? Bael had assured Volac he wouldn’t control him, so maybe I’d get to choose whom to use it on. But how would Bael know? He probably made it up in an attempt to manipulate Volac. Honestly, though, right in this present moment, I didn’t really care. I’d worry about it later. I was too happy to fret about the stupid incantations and what to do with them.