The Devil's Third (28 page)

A smile broke across my face. She had a valid point. Once Carrie opened her superconscious mind and reacquainted herself with the magical part of her soul, she’d be able to hold her own. Paige was beyond thrilled, and her joy was contagious. We chatted about her and Carrie learning spells together and how much could be gained from it. We went through scenarios on how maybe a weakness Paige might have may be Carrie’s strength and vice versa.

“This is wonderful,” I said, sharing in Paige’s enthusiasm. “Carrie is definitely going to be an asset to us.”

“Yeah, I know,” Paige replied, beaming. “This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Oh, speaking of--” I opened my mouth to relay the message to Paige about Moradin, when a heavy knock resounded from the door. I crossed the room and peeked through the crack of the plaid curtain. An attractive dark haired girl stood outside holding a tray with my order on it. “Food,” I said to Paige, flashing her a crooked smile over my shoulder.

She rose from the chair and smoothed her hair. “Good. I can use some coffee right now.”

When I opened the door, the brunette asked if she could come in to collect the cart. I noticed her looking past me, searching for something. I moved aside, and when she stepped forward, Paige wheeled the cart to her, then took the tray. The girl glanced at it with disinterest. She didn’t budge when the handle on the metal cart touched her arm. She was still looking for something.

“Where’s the other guy?” she finally asked Paige.

Paige was setting my food on the table. Her back was to us, and her shoulders stiffened. She pivoted and narrowed her eyes. “He’s gone . . . why?”

The girl’s face fell, and she tilted her head to the side. Her dark hair shifted behind her shoulder, and my mouth parted in surprise. She had the mark on her neck. The one a mortal with a soul received when an immortal cast a dark spirit out. It protected the human from ever being possessed again.

“Are you involved in the dark arts?” Paige asked, pointing to the girl’s neck.

The server’s eyes flicked to Paige. They were hard and cold. I thought for sure she was going to snap at Paige, but she shrugged instead. In one split second her whole demeanor changed from looking like she wanted to rip Paige’s head off to sheer boredom. She took the handle of the cart and wheeled it backward. “He’s hot, and I wanted to know where he went. Sue me,” she said, moving past our door. The wheels clicked on the concrete, upsetting the dishes, the rattling noise echoing in my ears.

Paige slammed the door. “She’s rude, and what’s with the mark? Do you think she’s still involved in black magic?”

My stomach twisted as an unsettling feeling took residency. “I don’t know,” I said, running a hand through my hair, sighing. “But I think we should lea--”

The door flung open. Instinctively, my arm swung back, pushing Paige behind me. Brayden dashed in. His cheeks were flushed, and he had a wild anxiousness in his eyes. His fierce energy latched onto me, leaching the blood from my face. I dropped my arm, and Paige took one step ahead of me.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked. Her heart was racing. Or was it mine? Maybe it was Brayden’s–or all three of us. Regardless, I had a cacophony of erratic drumming in my ears.

“I’m sorry what I said about Tree,” Brayden whispered to Paige. I had no idea what he was talking about, and my gaze kept darting back and forth between them. “I didn’t mean it.” His eyes were wide on her face, brimming with tears and fear.

In a flash, Paige shoved him against the door and got in his face. “Don’t you
even
say it!” her voice cracked. I moved beside her. She glanced at me. Something broke inside of her. I could see it in her eyes.

“He’s not dead,” Brayden said. “Yet.”

A sharp choking sound came out of Paige, but she quickly recovered. She pinned Brayden’s shoulder to the wall. “You asshole. Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

“What do you mean ‘yet’?” I asked.

Brayden leaned to the side and skirted Paige. Rubbing his shoulder, he said, “Aosoth and Roeick has him. They’re going to kill him if you don’t meet them within an hour.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Paige

I ground my teeth. Not only because Brayden scared the crap out of me and instantly shattered the barrier I erected in front of my brittle emotions, but Aosoth and Roeick threatened my friends. Aosoth killed my grandmother Kora and my father. She destroyed my family.

My hands balled into a fist, and I could feel the heat rising to my face. I made a vow right then to find a way to eliminate her. But my fear for Tree’s life was fraying the edges of my hate and anger toward Aosoth. I honestly didn’t know what I’d do if something were to happen to Tree. I halted all thoughts linked to the very idea of it and jumped into action.

“Where are they?” Nathan asked as I grabbed my jacket and shrugged into it.

“They’re twelve miles from here deep in the forest east of U.S. 30,” Brayden answered.

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“Anwar,” he responded without apology.

Nathan and I shared a look. We didn’t trust Anwar, and more than likely this was another one of his twisted games of chess–to move us where he wanted to further his goal in the end. I found myself hesitant on what to do. I mean, I knew I had to rescue Tree, if Tree were really apprehended, that is. But either way, we had to find out, and charging into the lion’s den . . .

Lion’s den
.

An image of me, Tree, and Carrie dancing at
The Lion’s Den
popped in my head. A fierce ache trembled through my heart. I mentally shook the memory away and glared at Brayden. “How does Anwar know, and how can you trust him after everything he’s done to me and Nathan?”

Brayden pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and looked at it like some do when people try to hold conversations with them, and they text instead, which I found annoying and downright rude.

“Where did you get that?” I asked in an accusing tone, knowing full well Bael had made Brayden get rid of his.

“We’re wasting time,” Brayden said, now gracing us with his attention. He sighed. “I bought this an hour ago and called Anwar. I know you two don’t trust him, but what choice do you have? Aosoth more than likely has Tree. I’ve been trying to call him, and I keep getting his voice mail. I even called his mom, and she hasn’t seen him since early this morning. So it’s quite possible Anwar
is
telling the truth. He sent me the coordinates to where they are.”

Nathan eyed Brayden distrustfully. “Why won’t Anwar save Tree, then, and get rid of Aosoth and Roeick?”

“Because he’s in Africa waiting for Paige. His friend Shem is on standby at the airport, waiting to take us to Africa.”

“If Anwar thinks--” Nathan began, his ears turning bright red, but Brayden cut him off.

“Look. I know Anwar fucked you two over, but he had his reasons, just like now.”

“I don’t want nothing to do with him,” I said. “The last time I saw him at my house, he displayed some weird behavior. Something isn’t right with him. Not to mention all the underhanded stuff with Nathan and me.”

“He performed a blood oath with Bael, which explains the bizarre behavior. It wasn’t Anwar’s; it was Bael’s,” Brayden told us.

“Are you kidding me?” Nathan ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “I guess it doesn’t surprise me considering what he told me at Gnat Creek.”

The room shifted out of place for a second. I couldn’t believe Anwar would do such a thing. I took a deep breath and got a grasp on myself. The thought of Tree being in danger trumped everything else. I’d deal with the other stuff later.

“You know what?” I asked, then answered my own question. “I really don’t care right now. All I care about is saving Tree, so let’s go.”

“We’ll have to run,” Brayden said. “Follow me.” He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “When we get there, get ready to fight.”

***

Brayden led us through miles of deep, misty forest. The rich, earthy smells enveloped me like a comforting blanket. Occasionally, we stopped when we came to a break in the trees where a two-lane road meandered through the woods, its black asphalt pitted and cracked from age and neglect. We paused behind trunks, while Brayden checked directions on his cell to make sure we were headed the right way. Once we knew the road was clear of traffic, we darted across, back into the shadow of the trees.

Brayden stayed in front of me, and Nathan brought up the rear. The forest grew foggier as we ran through terrain covered in ferns and other damp vegetation. When our feet would disturb a random puddle, the splashing sounds of water echoed in my ears. Trees covered in crusty, brown bark pressed next to each other, while others covered in moss bowed backward, some twisted in unnatural angles.

The pines gradually grew wider apart. A few yards away, the ground sloped downward and then up, creating a blind spot. We stopped when we reached the edge of the ravine. Below was a creek with a fine mist rising over it. I could see the earth tone colors of rocks through the clear, rushing water and small whitecaps.

“We’re supposed to meet Aosoth on the other side,” Brayden said in a low voice so only we could hear him. He rubbed his forehead and frowned. “I have an unsettling feeling this is a trap of some sort.”

 “So do I,” I whispered, the hair on the back of my neck prickling.

Nathan tilted his chin to the right, and his eyebrows pulled together in concentration. “It is. If you listen closely, you can hear heavy movements surrounding the area.”

I listened, reaching with my keen sense of hearing, blocking the natural sounds of nature. He was right. My ears picked up feet shifting against the dirt and dried leaves, hearts beating. One particular pulse was racing, and a soft moan overlapped the pounding noise.

Tree?

It had to be him.

Brayden’s eyes shifted to mine.

He heard it, too.

I mouthed the word “Tree,” and he nodded.

“I think we should split up,” Nathan suggested. “To throw them off guard. We’re fast enough to where they won’t be able to see us.”

Nathan’s idea made sense, and I was about to say so when Brayden piped in. “I think you should cover the north side,” he said to Nathan. “I’ll take the south, and Paige should walk in alone.”

Nathan’s jaw clenched, and his face hardened. “Absolutely not.”

“I can take care of myself,” I told Nathan, annoyed.

Brayden raised his eyebrows and gave me a look. “Now do you understand what I was talking about?”

He didn’t have to elaborate on his statement. We both knew what he meant: Nathan was from a different era, he didn’t understand our ways; therefore, he hindered me, and of course, Brayden and I made a better team. Nathan must have caught on to Brayden’s silent message, because he quickly changed his mind.

“Right,” he said to me, “Sorry . . . I know you can.”

“Thank you,” I said. “So . . . you two take your positions, and I’ll walk straight in. If you run into any interference or can sneak up on the enemy, take them down. If they strike at me, you can counterattack them. It would be best if you took a covered and concealed route around the point of entry.” I paused when I noticed Nathan gaping at me. I glanced at Brayden, and he was grinning.

“Just like old times, except this is real instead of imaginary,” he said. “God, I miss those days.”

I didn’t realize until Brayden pointed it out that I had unknowingly slipped into what we as kids used to call “combat mode.” I guess playing war games outside when we were young had benefitted us in the long run, since it all came back to me as if it were second nature.

“Anyway,” I continued, “you two go first. I doubt they’ll assault me on first sight, but if they do, I’ll be ready.” I shrugged. “Who knows? You might be able to secure the area before it happens.”

“All right,” Nathan said. “I’ll take the north and west side. Brayden can take the south and east side. I think we’re each quick enough to handle both.”

“Sounds good to me,” Brayden replied, moving back a few yards from the ravine.

Nathan took my hand and squeezed it. “Be careful.”

“You, too,” I answered. “I’ll give you both a few minutes before I make my move.”

Nathan took a few steps back, and then jumped to the other side, disappearing from sight. Brayden followed. They were both gone, and it felt strange standing by myself. Then I thought about Tree, and a jolt of adrenaline slammed through me. My sharp immortal mind shifted on the task at hand, all other thoughts gone. My focus turned extreme, as if I were hardwired for this very mission.

I listened.

I heard scuffling going on to the north–feet scratching the dirt. I was positive Nathan and Brayden were going to have to kill those soulless humans. I myself might have to, as well. I didn’t care for the idea but knew we had no other choice. Tree was my top priority, and if I had to end lives in order to save his, I would.

I jumped across the ravine and paused. The soupy fog made visibility poor, something I hadn’t anticipated. I squinted because even my impeccable immortal eyesight couldn’t see through this. In the distance, I could barely make out a figure. It looked like it was on its knees in an execution style position with hands raised level with shoulders. Cautiously, I closed the distance, aware there was no other person in view. As I neared the figure, I blinked a couple times in confusion. This couldn’t be Tree. This guy didn’t have a Mohawk. He was bald. For a second, I wondered if this was Roeick and some twisted game he and Aosoth were playing. But then again, my ears would be ringing, and they weren’t. The dark spirits must be at a safe distance so I couldn’t detect them. I hurried my pace and gasped when a few yards away, I saw it was Tree. They had shaved his Mohawk. He had black duct tape over his mouth, and half his face was black and blue.

Then everything happened in slow motion. Tree’s wide eyes were on mine. The urgent look he threw me gave me pause. I froze in my tracks, trying to understand his message. He violently shook his head and a muffled, broken sound came out. In that instant, I heard a
bang
and something whizzed exactly fourteen and a quarter feet in front of me, straight at Tree. In horror, I watched it strike his chest, and my best friend fell backward.