Page 84 of Cursed Lifeline

Screaming and shouting, the woman runs for us as if she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Canines bared, hands raised, I take a step back as Celeste takes one forward and growls, “Temperance.”

Quickly, Celeste barrels off towards her and ducks low in front of Caelum, who is still sprawled out on the gravel floor. Shaking, near death, or rebirth, depending on how you look at it, he’s still clutching the spike from earlier. Celeste sweeps out her foot, tripping Temperance, and shouts, “Now Caelum.”

With the last bit of strength he has left, Caelum lunges as hard and as high as he can off the floor just as Temperance falls toward him. Spike held high, he runs it through her heart with ease. Temperance’s shrieking stops immediately. She stumbles back. Her eyes glass over in pain before filling with tears. She glances at Edward, who is now no more than a pile of dirt, and starts to cry. Blood pools at the corners of her mouth as she says, “In death, again, I will meet my lover.”

Her words wound me. They grab hold of my heart and threaten never to let go, reminding me of a penance Felix and I may be replaying. Sucking in a shaky breath, I watch as she falls to her knees and takes her last damned breath before dissolving into a puff of powder like her lover a few moments earlier. Our train’s whistle blares in the distance, and I jump.

“Phew,” Caelum whistles, rising from the floor and pulling Celeste into a big hug. “That was a close one. I’d like to say I had faith in our girl Esme here, but if you hadn’t shown up, I’m not sure how that would have gone.”

She swats his shoulder playfully, and I blink a few times, stunned at the color quickly returning to Caelum’s cheeks. He stands tall, confident, not shaking and trembling as he pulls Celeste into his side and the two of them start to make their way towards me.

“She’ll get the hang of it,” the new girl grins. “If I know Felix, he’ll have it no other way.”

For some reason, the mention of Felix’s name falling from her lips causes a surge of jealousy to wash over me.

“If not, Alfred will beat the basics into her. Speaking of,” Caelum looks over his shoulders as they come to a stop in front of me. “Where is Silas? You two were the passengers we were picking up, right?”

“How’d you guess,” she grins.

When I haven’t said a word, they stare at me as if I’ve grown two heads. I eye Caelum momentarily, wondering if he’ll elaborate on how he knows her and who Silas is. But when I hear Celeste question, “Do you think she’ll be alright?” My gaze whips angrily to meet hers.

“Just worry about yourself,” I snap as I turn and return to our train. Felix has more questions to answer now than he knows. “Besides, why would the slayer tell a wannabe anything?”

Caelum whistles, “Watch it, Es. Your weakness is showing.”

I shoot him an evil glare as I make my way back across the train yard. Soon, their footsteps crunch against the gravel as they follow me.

“This just got a lot more interesting,” Caelum laughs.

Celeste and I look at each other and frown.

As we approach the caboose, I catch Felix’s eye, and he smiles. A raven’s kraa sounds overhead, and Felix and I instantly look up. A deathly premonition slithers across my skin for the first time since Felix walked back into my life as the raven takes flight and quickly vanishes from view. When our gazes lower, Felix’s eyes land over my shoulder on Celeste, and he frowns.

His angry expression snaps to the right and I follow it. The man who was with Celeste earlier strides toward the train. Felix crosses his arms over his chest and watches him approach. In the darkness, it’s hard to read his expression, but as I look back the stranger’s way, I see his grin widen mischievously, obviously loving the twist he and his wannabe threw into the game.

As we board the train for the last leg of our trip to Long Island, I have to agree with Caelum.

Oh yes, this did just get more interesting.

The question is, will the added players help or ruin us in the end?

Twenty Nine

Viktor

Song: me & the devil | soap & Skin

Salem,Massachusetts

Hands chained, ankles shackled, I wait forherreturn in silence.

The drip, drip, drip of the rain against the window pane lulls me into a trance. The storm has been raging outside for hours now as I’ve been held prisoner, awaiting her next decree, but its relentless downfall is nothing compared to the squall in my mind that’s been building for centuries.

As the terror I’ve grown accustomed to fades and my favorite muse overtakes my thoughts, peaceful eyes gently hold mine.

Every timid glance from them feels like a sensual touch as I hold my mythical goddess’s stare.

Her smile is warm and inviting.

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