Page 76 of Dead Wrong

“Tobias,” a strong voice came from behind me, and I looked over my shoulder at the Cardinal.

My hands shook as I removed them from the wound, my skin dyed red. The Cardinal knelt, getting eye-level with Bastien as she placed a hand on his forehead. His labored breathing quieted, his wide eyes watching the woman as her hands moved down to the blade protruding from his chest.

“I’m going to remove it,” she said calmly. “Deep breath now.”

With another gut-wrenchingly wet noise, the blade dislodged from Bastien, and the Cardinal let it clatter to the ground. Using both hands, she covered the wound, her skin glowing so bright with cerulean light that I had to look away.

After a dozen or so agonizing seconds, she removed her hands, her skin clean of any blood.

“The Source has blessed you,” she said softly, leaning down and planting a gentle kiss on Bastien’s forehead. He stared at her, bewildered. “Do not squander it.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, the twisted knot of anxiety in my gut loosening ever-so-slightly.

“Get a move on, Tobi!”

Azrael’s exclamation snapped me back to reality, and I hooked an arm under Bastien’s armpit, hoisting him to his feet. Renata was backed into a corner, the two Unseen carrying the prisoner had almost made it to the door, and the Kaine had just managed to get the lock on the cage open while Mother and Azrael continued their scuffle in the center of the room. As Mother caught sight of Bastien, she knocked Azrael aside with a wave of her hand, the air around her shimmering with magical energy.

“Halt!”

The Command rolled over the room, all movement ceasing as our bodies locked in place. Even the Cardinal, who seemed unaffected till now, was immobilized.

Mother took advantage of the situation, retrieving the sanguine blade from where the Cardinal had discarded it and walking towards those closest to the door—the two Unseen rebels carrying the now-stirring Unseen captive. Crassus, Azrael had called him.

“This is all an effort of futility,” Mother said, dragging the tip of her weapon along the arm of one of the rebels. “Even after all you’ve endured, your fate is inevitable. Let it be known that I will burn every last one of you from existence until there is nothing left but ashes and sorrow. And when your world has been reduced to atoms, and memory of your kind has faded into the annals of history, know this—I will endure. I will be there to make sure the Magi forget every detail of your so-called rebellion.” She stood in front of Crassus, his eyes—one swollen shut from the injuries to his face—flickering open, then widening as she sunk the blade of her dagger into his stomach. “Remember this: No one will mourn the mongrels.”

A whimper of pain escaped the captive’s mouth as Mother sank the blade to the hilt, twisting it with a sparkle of glee in her crystalline eyes. I never wanted to pluck my own out so badly, if only to cease sharing a trait with her.

My limbs refused to budge. Had I reached the end of my brief second life? I had to admit, dying at the hand of my mother had been on the table ever since I learned it was her who orchestrated the attempt on Lynette’s life. But to be there, standing mere feet from her and completely paralyzed by the control she had mastered over nearly two centuries—my body quaked with fear.

“What?”

Mother’s voice shook me from my terror, her expression twisted in confusion, her grip still on the hilt of the dagger, but Crassus’ hands wrapped around hers, holding her in place, claws sinking into her flesh.

“You’re wrong,” he spoke, voice hoarse but unflinching. “They will remember us. They will remember when the lowest among them refused to yield.” Crassus’ body began to flicker, like he was trying to turn invisible, but the magic wouldn’t hold. “When the Unseen made a place for themselves. They will know because you cannot erase us.”

“Release me!”Mother’s voice reverberated, the power of her words once again forcing the air from my lungs.

But Crassus held fast, the frequency of the flickering image of his body increasing, till he strobed like a malfunctioning light. The incandescence of his skin grew brighter till he was difficult to look at.

Then he spoke his final words.

“We will not be forced into the dark.”

Burning white hot, Crassus broke free of the hold of his fellow Unseen, wrapping his arms around Mother as the light of his body reached blinding status. Mother shrieked, her clothing catching fire. All at once, the oppressive pressure of her magic dissipated, and we all stumbled forward, our bodies catching up to the willed momentum.

“Hurry!” Azrael shouted, moving to the cage and ripping open the door.

I clung to Bastien, pushing him forward as Mother continued to scream. I couldn’t look at Crassus directly, but the heat coming from him was enough to singe my skin at this distance, so I could only imagine the intensity of it up close.

We made it through the door to the wine cellar, a stream of bodies eclipsing the brilliant light pouring through the doorway. The wooden frame of the door began to smoke as Azrael made it through, the smell of singed hair burning my nostrils as we hit the staircase. Mother let out another shriek, her voice nearly drowned out by the crackling of fire that was swiftly consuming the room. Bastien and I made it up into the kitchen, dark smoke billowing now, heavy and choking, as I continued to pull him toward the exit. Kaine led the rescued prisoners out first, making sure all were accounted for before ducking through the door leading outside. As Cirian and the Cardinal made it up into the kitchen, the floor beneath us rocked as an explosion sounded below. A jet of fire shot through the open door, blasting Azrael up the last few steps and landing him atop the long wooden table. He roared with laughter, patting out the small fires that smoldered on his jacket. A terrible groaning noise sounded, and plaster rained down from the ceiling above.

Cirian pulled Azrael off the table, helping put out the rest of the flames on his clothes. Another groan from above, and more plaster fell, long cracks appearing along the ceiling.

“Let’s get out of here!” I shouted, pulling Bastien along with me. We weren’t far from the door and its promise of fresh air.

After the third step, the ground beneath us lurched as another explosion sounded, the door to the cellar belching fire once more. I stumbled over my feet, disrupted by the sudden movement, and took Bastien down with me, the two of us landing in a heap. The ceiling above us gave way then, splintered wood and plaster thunderously raining down. I rolled, covering Bastien with my body as best I could, and braced for the impact. But it never came. Bastien pushed me off of him, both of us staggering to our feet as the debris and furniture that fell through floated in the air just above our heads, suspended by a strange blue light. A few steps back, the Cardinal held out her hand, her brow twisted in concentration as she slowly moved her arm, the detritus moving along with her, then falling harmlessly to either side.

She didn’t look fatigued in the slightest by the effort.

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