I pulled out of Gabriel's grip, then walked to a nearby couch and dropped into it. "I feel like I've been cast in an episode of Supernatural."
"We have a lot to explain," said Arin. He had abandoned his search for whatever demon-related information he'd wanted.
"Why don't you start with the prophecy and go from there?" I asked.
I wasn't sure how to feel. I was really good at shoving down my emotions, but the information being lobbed at me was hard to bury. I needed to sort it all out before I did anything. Like freak the fuck out.
"If Hua Mu Lan has her way, everything in Broken Heart will be toast," said Terran. "Father, I think we should help the Consortium. If Koschei wins, he will" - her gaze slid to me - "make sure the prophecy never comes true."
"If it's a prophecy, doesn't that sorta mean there's no getting around it?" I asked.
"Free will often interferes with the forecasts of seers," said Arin, smiling. "But this prediction seems on course. However, we would be wise not to underestimate Koschei's powers."
"Or Lia's." I wondered what else in Broken Heart had gotten fried thanks to Miss Magnolia Blossom.
Terran planted her butt on the couch next to me. "Koschei can be a very convincing man. Chances are good he's recruited a number of powerful vampires to his side."
Most vampires could bend the wills of humans, but it wasn't the same as having the mind power to control others. Vampires from the Family Koschei could make you think you were in Hawaii when you were really sitting on a glacier.
Arin pulled out a single sheet of paper from a messy stack. He returned to us and sat on the edge of the fountain.
" 'A vampire queen shall come forth from the place of broken hearts. The seven powers of the Ancients will be hers to command,' " read Arin. " 'She shall bind with the outcast, and with this union, she will save the dual-natured. With her consort, she will rule vampires and lycanthropes as one.' "
"None of that says a damned thing about me."
"Astria Vedere's prediction is one in a long line of predictions about the vampires and lycans, " said Terran. "They even predicted that you and your friends would be turned into vampires. 'Eleven will Turn; one will burn.' "
Okay, that was scary. Eleven of us single parents had been Turned. I thought about poor Charlene, who'd been Turned with the rest of us. She was the mistress of Jessica's late husband and the mother of Rich, Jr. Rich, Sr., had died because Charlene messed with his car, which led to his fatal accident. She'd burned, all right. She sat on Rich's grave until the sun came up and fried her.
Hysteria welled, but I managed to hang on to my wits. Just because I'd touched two Ancients and might've gotten their powers was no reason to panic. "Unless the oracle gave y'all my name and address, you don't know if I'm the one."
"Yes, we do," said Arin kindly. "You are of the Family Amahte, the only sect with the power to raise the dead. Rare are Turn-bloods of his line. Aside from Khenti, you are the only Amahte vampire in Broken Heart. Of the ten Turn-bloods left, only you can command spirits and corpses."
"Yuck!" I shivered. "I see ghosts. I don't tell 'em what to do. And I sure as hell have never bossed around a dead body. That's just wrong."
"Ah, yes. Even so, you see that it's only possible for you to command the seven powers," said Arin.
What if I had accumulated the powers of Durga and Lia? Was it the beginning of getting all seven abilities? Foreboding crept through me and my stomach squeezed.
"So I don't guess the Ancients would be real thrilled with a Turn-blood leader?" I asked.
"The lycans would not be happy, either." Gabriel sat on the other side of me. His brows dipped and his lips were pressed together. I knew well that mix of anger and worry. I experienced it all the time as a mother.
"I tire of inaction!" Terran's voice rang with frustration. "I vote we help kick Koschei's ass."
I agreed with her. I didn't want some soulless bastard and his crazy friends marching on my town, trying to kill my family and friends.
"Are you going to introduce me to the others? " I asked. I don't know why I said that. I wasn't sure I could handle any more introductions.
"What others?" asked Terran. "There's only me, my father, Gabriel, and Zerina."
I looked around the perimeter of the room, at those people hanging back in the shadows, watching us all. Ghosts. Damn. It was getting so I couldn't tell the spirits from the humans. I hadn't ever seen so many ghosts in one place.
"Who else is here?" Holding her sword, Terran jumped up from the couch and stalked around the cavern.
"No one who's afraid of your weapons," I admitted wearily. I caught Gabriel's gaze. It was pointed in the direction of my tight T-shirt. I cleared my throat and his head jerked up. Red crawled up his neck to his cheeks.
I nearly laughed. Wasn't that just cute as hell?
"Jeez, Mom!" Wilson threw me a disgusted look. "Can we just leave already? This place sucks."
I didn't want to have it out with him in front of these people. I was getting tired of our fighting and my worrying and his sassing.
"We don't have anywhere to go," I said through clenched teeth, "because our trailer and the beauty shop got blown up. Or did you miss that part while you were seething?"
"You don't care about me!" he screamed, getting to his feet. "I hate you!"
His words hurt, even though I knew, or maybe I hoped, that he didn't truly feel that way. He was hurting all the time, but I was beginning to realize I couldn't fix him. Just like I hadn't been able to fix his father.
"I can put 'im back in the dungeon," offered Zerina.
"Shut up, bitch!" Wilson glared at the fairy, his fists clenched.
Shock roared through me. I'd never heard him speak to a person that way. I raised him better than that! I hadn't figured out how to respond, but Zerina didn't need my help. She didn't even look up from her book. She waved her hand and Wilson flew back onto the couch. She made a closing gesture with her hand and his lips mashed together.
If looks could kill, Wilson would've murdered us all in that instant. He couldn't move or talk, and after a few moments of trying, he gave up.
I couldn't fault Zerina's action. I wished I had that ability. He'd insulted her and brought about his own punishment. A small part of me was glad to see that he was experiencing consequences. God knows I had run out of punishments that worked.
"He gets the point, okay?" I looked at the fairy and realized instantly how to disarm her. "Please, Zerina. Let my son go."
The ire went right out of her. "Oh. Well, if you're going to beg."
She waved a hand at him, and my son was freed from her magic. I guess he'd had time to think about his behavior, because he had nothing else to say. He crossed his arms and tried to become one with the couch, his gaze pinned to the floor.
"I sense dark magic," said Zerina.
Gabriel's startled gaze met mine.
My body was jerked upward. For a second, I floated above the couch. Gabriel grabbed at my ankle, but too late. Whatever force held me hostage yanked me backward. I flew across the room.
Terran unsheathed her wicked sword, her gaze sweeping across the cavern. Our enemy was invisible, but not powerless. Her weapon was pulled out of her grip. It tumbled through the air and landed with a splash in the marble fountain.
Gabriel launched over the couch, and Arin pulled out a gun from beneath his robes. Whatever held me bound my arms, but not my legs. I kicked and screamed as terror scrabbled through me. What was going on? Who was doing this?
My gaze went to Wilson. "Get out of here, Wil!"
"Mom!" he cried. He glared at Gabriel. "Let her go, you asshole!"
"It's not me," said Gabriel. He rammed his shoulder against an invisible wall. Arin tried to approach from the right and Terran from the left. They both met resistance.
"Zerina, take the boy," said Gabriel. "Get him someplace safe."
Mouthy as that fairy was, she didn't argue or hesitate. Zee wrapped her arms around Wilson's shoulders.
My son's terrified gaze never left mine as he and his rescuer disappeared in a pink flash. Relief skittered through my fear. At least my son was safe.
"Patricia!" Gabriel shouted, his fists striking the unseen barrier. "Patricia!"
I kicked for all I was worth and screamed myself hoarse. It was like being encased in brick. I couldn't free myself. I wasn't Zenlike in the best of moments. Panic and terror were making mincemeat of my sanity.
Patrick and Zerina popped into the cave behind Gabriel, gold sparkles dissipating. Patrick held a pair of short swords.
"Zee?" asked Terran, her shocked gaze taking in Patrick.
"He followed me," groused Zerina. "He's Sidhe, too."
"My, my ... aren't you popular?" growled a voice next to my ear. The gray-skinned demon appeared; his massive arms tight around my waist. Shit-oh-shit-oh-shit.
"Andhaka," I whispered.
The demon hissed. He loosed one of his arms and said words in a language I didn't understand. A silver dagger materialized in his hand. He pressed the sharp blade against my throat.
Fear cha-chaed through me. Dread settled like a cold, hard lump in my stomach.
"Please. Don't." I hated the pitiful sound of my own words.
His arm tightened around my waist.
"You can't harm her with that," said Patrick, "much less remove her head."
Gee, thanks, Patrick. Give the demon ideas, why don't you. I glared at him, but his eyes were on Andhaka.
"I can hurt her plenty if the blade is poisoned with demon blood." He pulled the knife away long enough to drag it along the arm clutching my stomach. When he returned it to my throat, the sulfur stink of his black blood made me gag.
Patrick blanched. Zee's gaze went wide.
Gabriel smashed the barrier with his fist. "Don't hurt her, you demon bastard!"
"What's your bargain?" asked Arin.
"No!" cried Patrick.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," said Arin. "What do you want, Andhaka?"
"Many things," said the demon. "You are all fools. You expect the loup de sang to live peacefully among vampires and lycans?"
"When Patricia is queen, he will be her consort, " challenged Arin.
"Queen?" Patrick's eyes bulged. "You think Patsy is the one who will rule vampires and lycans as one people? Are you crazy?"
I took offense at Patrick's incredulous tone, even though I had no intention of being a queen of anyfuckingthing. Hmph. I'd never felt so underestimated and undervalued in all my life. Just because I knew how to add highlights and do a killer pageboy cut didn't mean I was a dumb-ass. I could rule if I wanted to, thank you very much.
Patrick must've seen my expression because he sobered up right quick. "Patsy, I didn't mean - "
"Hel-lo! Hostage of a demon here."
"What's the bargain?" asked Arin again, his voice edged with desperation. "What will you take in exchange for the life of Patricia?"
"I must follow the wishes of my mistress," said Andhaka.
"She is not here," said Arin slyly. "She won't know about our deal."
"I beg to differ." Durga appeared in the blink of an eye. She looked like a representative of the Lollipop Guild standing next to the huge demon. Yet it was obvious she held all the power. From the position of her hands, I knew she was the one creating the shield that kept the others away.
"Enough of this stalling," she said. "Andhaka, slit her throat!"
Durga
Translated from the Memoirs of Ruadan
Durga was a high priestess for an ancient cult that used demons in their rituals.
She was in her late forties, considered long-lived nearly four millennia ago. She reminded me of a small, dark bird. She was tiny, her eyes never missing a single detail, her movements concise and graceful. Yet she possessed an awe-some and dark power: calling forth and dispelling demons.
In modern times, Durga's people were called the Indus Valley Civilization or the Harappan Civilization.
I discovered her in a smoking ruin, wounded and dying. The abilities of the priestesses had been so feared by outsiders, they had been attacked and their temple destroyed.
Durga was the only survivor.
As with Koschei and Lia, I knew that Durga was special. Her unique abilities would be useful to our kind, and so, I offered her immortality and a place on the Council.
The Turning was especially difficult and I feared she might not make it. But survive it she did. I would learn not to underestimate this woman. Anyone who assumed she was weak, did so at their own peril.
She was eager to leave the valley, and asked to continue with me. I was glad of the company, especially since our journey took us through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and through, Iran, Iraq, and Israel.
When we reached Saudi Arabia, we took a boat across the channel into the land of the Nubians, in what is known today as the Sudan.