CHAPTER 18

 

 

 

Morgan followed the rest of them with little hesitation, and soon they were trooping off together in a ragged group along a deer trail. Deeper into the forest. Their feet made no noise through snow but occasionally a buried twig would snap underfoot and the sound was deafening in the silence of night.

No one spoke. For all their hasty preparations and objectives, there had been little actual discussion about strategy.

With every step he took, Morgan half expected some kind of apparition to dart out from between the trees. Nothing happened. It was practically anticlimactic.

With every step Karsia took, however, her anger grew and transformed from a spark to a rampant inferno. Her heart was palpitating. High-pressure rage with no definitive reason other than the taint on her soul. The stain inside recognized where they headed and fought vehemently against it. It didn’t want to be contained. It didn’t want to be bound to a stone. It kept bleeding out of her, seeping through her nerves and vessels and through her pores. She wanted everyone to suffer.

“A little bit further,” Astix huffed. She brought her knees up high to navigate the incline in the snow.

It took everything inside Karsia to keep her pace even. “Can’t you feel it? I can smell it.”

The scent of the Telos Amyet wound around her, through her, drawing her forward while pushing her away. Something big lurked on the horizon, something she wasn’t quite prepared to handle.

She closed her throat and swallowed the words she was dying to say. Sparing a glance behind, she noted how winded they were. Pathetic. Weaklings. Morgan—with whatever magic he possessed and refused to tell her about—couldn’t keep up with her.

Karsia surpassed them soon enough, her body taking over and moving her feet forward. Her heart did not beat faster than necessary; her lungs did not work overtime to supply her body with much-needed oxygen.

She simply walked, stopping finally at the opening to the cave. “This is it.”

“It does look familiar.” Astix squinted and moved closer to peer at the boulders in the dying light. “But it could be any one of these. Are you sure it’s—”

“I’m sure.”

Karsia felt a tug on her arm and Morgan moved past her. Drawn to the raw power contained within those walls of stone.

“I feel it inside of me,” she continued, watching him. “Calling to me.”

Astix, gifted with the ability to sense the gems and minerals of the earth around her, knew too well the call of the Telos Amyet. “I’ll warn you now, Morgan. Don’t get drawn in when you see the stone. It’s a curse.” She shivered. “A terrible curse. And it’s caused more than its fair share of trouble for our family.”

“Which is why we’re stopping this tonight,” Aisanna vowed grimly.

“You keep saying. I’ve yet to be convinced.” Karsia held back from entering. Her boots ground to a halt in the snow and she stood still. Growing figurative roots.

“It’s what I have to think to get through tonight without breaking down.” Aisanna heaved a sigh and put one foot in front of the other. “Break time is over, children. We’re going inside.”

Karsia extinguished her light. Let them fend for themselves in the dark. One of the perks of being The One Who Walks in Darkness was the ability to see when the sun dimmed and night fell. Her pupils dilated accordingly and she laughed, watching the others scramble over the rocky terrain up toward the entrance of the cavern system.

“I can’t—ow!—I can’t see a thing.” Morgan stubbed his toe on a partially hidden rock and hissed. “This is ridiculous.”

“Come on, you’re a big strong guy. You should be able to handle a little uphill climb in the dark, right?”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re mocking me?”

She hadn’t counted on Astix coming to his defense. “That’s very unkind of you.” With hardly a whispered word the crystals nearby began to glow. Quartz embedded around them lit up under her command and lighted their way forward without any further problems.

“Look who finally decided to grow a backbone and embrace her magic,” Karsia said nastily. “You’re cheating.”

If the jab hurt Astix in any way, she refused to let it show in her voice. “No, it’s being a decent human being. Something I hope you’ll remember before the night is done.”

Karsia spared a glance back at Morgan, who stared ahead with eyes wide and glassy. “Don’t tell me you’re excited,” she joked.

“More so than you can possibly imagine.” Morgan walked as if in a trance, his injured toe forgotten. His hands fisted in nervous anticipation for what was to come.

“You are such a nerd.”

“You better believe it, baby.”

The nickname set her teeth on edge. “I am not your baby.”

“We’ll see.” Eerily intent on their destination, Morgan hastened his footsteps.

The four of them wound their way deeper into the cavern. The floor was limestone and sand, the ceiling craggy and uneven with stalactites and rocky protuberances piercing down toward the floor. The further they walked inside, the colder and damper the air became.

Aisanna winced, her elbow colliding with a solid stone wall. “God, I’ve forgotten how much I hate this.”

“Spelunking not your thing?” Morgan listened to the echo of his voice up ahead and knew they were close. The air became still around him.

“A touch of claustrophobia. Nothing to worry about.” They caught the harried inhale, exhale as Aisanna fought to breathe. “Not to mention the last time we were here, I broke an arm.”

Their backs bent to stoop low several times before the passageway opened up into a large cathedral-like space, with an opening at the very top which let in moonlight. Stalagmites rose in a centuries-old desire to touch the ceiling. Some of them accomplished their goal and stood in sooty white columns reflecting the light from the moon. There, in the center of it all, stood the Telos Amyet. Silvery-white light filtered down through a spherical oculus at the cavern’s apex.

“It’s breathtaking.” Morgan forgot about everything. The cold, their mission, the niggling voice at the back of his mind urging them to turn away.

Astix had frozen. “It’s still here.”

The presence of the stone charged the electromagnetic particles in the atmosphere. Morgan sucked air in through his nostrils, his lungs feeling like he’d let loose a jar of fireflies.

It dominated the area, drew every eye and demanded absolute attention. The bottom half of the structure was made of black obsidian with edges polished to a razor-sharp sheen. The obsidian rose to envelop the top portion of the stone, stopping midway. The top half projected up toward the sky in unbroken white albite crystal.

It was beautiful in its simplicity. Deadly.

Staring at it, Morgan could see why it was the stuff of legends. Why the location changed. No one should have constant access to this kind of energy. He could see how the keepers of the balance thought the stone was their solution, how they’d been drawn here with the temptation.

The stone called to him in unearthly dulcet tones. Not human or god but something more. Something outside both realms of existence. It begged him to touch, to sample the eternity it offered. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be lost. Seduced.

But realizing the temptation didn’t lessen his interest. Approaching the stone cautiously, he muttered under his breath, “This is amazing. What an absolutely perfect specimen.” His voice deepened with excitement. “I never imagined anything of this magnitude. Oh, how I wish I had my scanners, to measure the positive and negative forces generated by the stone itself. You can practically feel it.”

Holding a hand up, Morgan closed his eyes and tuned in to the world around him, his god-like senses flaring outward. Yes, there it was, the siren song in disguise. He recognized the two battling powers, both waiting to read what was in his heart. To determine which side he was worthier of representing. Its power was growing and changing with the approaching lunar eclipse.

He took a deep breath and relief flooded his system in warm, liquid waves. It was a personal dream come true. He was here. His eyes popped open and he retrieved his notebook from his jacket pocket and began a hurried sketch of the mineral.

Fascinated, he continued to mutter to himself, forgetting the others in the cavern. “A second paper, perhaps in conjunction with the tablet translation, detailing the crystalline structure of the stone itself and the ions in the air. Almost an emotion.” He scribbled as fast as his fingers allowed before a cramp took him and forced his pencil to a halt. Morgan shook out his wrist until the feeling dissipated and then continued his preliminary examination. “I can’t believe I’m here,” he murmured. “After all these years.”

A hastily cleared throat caught his attention and he dragged his gaze from the notebook. His eyes came to rest on Karsia, standing exactly where he’d left her and making no move further into the cavern.

She raised her eyebrows. “I’m glad one of us is having fun.”

“Excuse me?”

“Please, continue with your examination. All of you, go.” She motioned them forward before hiking a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m leaving.”

“Huh? What?” Morgan looked back to Karsia and blinked, forgetting for a moment exactly what they had come to accomplish. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes.” Karsia bestowed him a beatific smile. It would have stopped his heart had malice not filled her gaze. When she spoke again, the words came out of her mouth of their own malicious volition. “I’m done wasting my time. This…isn’t going to work. You’re all fools for thinking it will.”

“Are you kidding me?” Astix dropped the bag and turned on Karsia, careful to keep a large distance between herself and the stone. “You can’t walk away when we’re here to help you.”

“Oh, I absolutely can. And I will.” Karsia watched the three react to her statement and barely stifled a giggle.

It was more fun than she’d expected. She’d had them utterly fooled through the whole trip, she saw, and relished the opportunity to break a heart or two before she took off.

“I’m keeping this power whether you like it or not. Mom deserves someone to avenge her, and looking at you three, I see I’m the only one with enough balls to do it.”

Morgan’s gaze hardened. He tucked his notepad back into his pocket and straightened his shoulders. “Stop talking like that. You aren’t thinking straight.”

She clucked her tongue at him. “My mind is clear for the first time. I finally understand what it is I need to do. This darkness inside of me, it’s not a curse. It’s a blessing!” Karsia emphasized the words. “A blessing.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Aisanna said firmly. She shot a look at Astix, who nodded and retrieved the book from her pouch.

“I don’t think so.” Karsia took a moment to laugh and stared at them with pity. “Look at you three. All alone and thinking you can take on whatever comes at you with your weak magic. You couldn’t hurt a fly with your abilities. Never mind what’s in your book.” She jerked her shoulder. “That’s why you are staying here, and I am out.”

“No. You are going to stay and let us help you.” Morgan felt drawn forward.

“You don’t seem to understand, so I’ll repeat it again. Slowly. You stay, me go. Got it?”

“You’re making a mistake,” Astix repeated.

“The only mistake I made was not using my gifts sooner. Why I didn’t for so long I don’t know.” Karsia lifted her palm and watched the shadows dance above her skin. “I held back for nothing.” She clenched her fist and the shadows vanished.

“That’s not true. You’ve lost sight of who you are,” Astix stated.

It was too similar to Aisanna, the words her sister spoke sounding more and more similar to Darkness. The original, who’d had them cornered in this exact place with the stone, sharing the same moonlight.

It was as if she’d never left the cave where they first faced off, with a name to go with the presence. In a way they never had. The fear was absolute, all-encompassing. She stood there with her body and mind and soul stilling under the absolute certainty: They were going to die if they lost Karsia.

“I know exactly who I am.” Karsia tossed her head as another voice imposed itself over her own. One achingly familiar. The voice from their nightmares. Awful and utterly inhuman. “I’m walking out of here and I’m taking the car. Good luck finding your way to town without me. If you don’t freeze to death before then.” She pouted for show.

Morgan felt a prickling on the back of his neck. Karsia was glowing, her body and face illuminated in a faint aura of light that glowed black at the edges.

“You’re not serious.”

“I don’t know how many times I must explain it to you.”

“No need to explain. You’re staying.”

“Not with you, buddy.” She waved her hand, moving fast, and the three of them flew backward toward the cavern wall. Her laugh was terrible. Mocking. Grotesque.

Morgan tried the invisible hold, wiggling wildly, and found it unbreakable. At first. A few seconds of meddling and he found a chink in her spell.

With a heave, he threw off the heft of her demand. “I’m done with the blather. I know this isn’t you talking, Karsia. Let me fix this.” He strode forward with fingertips outstretched.

Karsia skidded away and crouched defensively. A low growl began in the back of her throat and she curled her lip. “No, you don’t. You aren’t sending me into dreams again. Kiss my ass.”

Morgan sucked in a sharp breath. “I’d be glad to if you were in your right mind.” Faster than she could react, he reached out and wrapped his hand around her wrist, ready to immobilize. “Now, if you don’t mind—”

Karsia retaliated swiftly, raising her shoulder and blocking his advance with her forearm. She bent at the waist and kicked Morgan in his abdomen. He grunted and braced his legs. Mouth open wide in a smile, she ducked and rolled out of the way, jumping to her feet with little effort.

Fists clenched, she made a show of strength to let them know she would follow through on what she promised to do. “You want to dance, Professor, be my guest. I’ll give you the fight you want.” She snarled and lunged at him. The cavern walls rumbled as the strength of her power reached outward. Long cracks appeared and limestone dust littered the air.

Without thinking, Morgan lunged forward with his arm outstretched. Karsia easily parried his blow. He whipped around, twisting at the last moment and attempting to catch her on the side. The solid smack of flesh meeting flesh resounded through the cavern.

“Try harder!” she goaded him, eyes gleaming.

Her arms moved in a blur and there was a burst of pain on the side of Morgan’s head. He collapsed against the nearest column and stared at her, dazed.

She clucked her tongue. “Is that the best you’ve got?”

She still looked human. Nearly. In this range, in this light, she was closer to an animal. Growling and reeking of rogue magic.

This couldn’t be the finale. He refused to let it end tonight.

Gathering his thoughts, Morgan charged her headfirst, a deafening yowl tearing from him. She paused in surprise. Then swung around contemptuously.

He ducked past her. Tensed his knees and leaped, sailing over her head, landing on the balls of his feet behind her. When Karsia swiveled to meet him, Morgan disappeared and re-materialized right in front of her face.

“Boo.”

He caught the final look of surprise, of furious shock, before he smacked her with the palm of his hand directly in the center of her forehead with enough force to send her flying.

She landed in a heap against the nearest wall. Furious and shaking, she scrambled to her feet and held her arms at the ready. A flash of light, and her retribution cut across the space separating them with a crack of thunder.

Morgan spiraled, his form blurring, senses sharpening.

“You won’t take me!” she screamed at the empty air, her attention completely focused on locating her invisible attacker. “I won’t let you!”

“I’m sorry.”

The voice whispered like a lover in her ear a split second before his magic took her under. And the world faded around them.