Page 78 of Sinister Hearts
“I never chose this. I never wanted this,” she strained in pain. “I had to. I just wanted to be set free.” Her tears flowed like a river from her eyes. “I did love you. I still do.” Avi brought her bloody fingers to Creed’s skeletal face.
“You know nothing of love, demon! You have betrayed me and hurt the people I love.” Creed choked the last life Avi had in her, covering her mouth so her screams were muffled. Her eyeballs bulged out of her head. He was lost in his pain and betrayal.
“Brother, don’t let this burden be yours to carry,” My Grim bond spoke to his, knowing words were not enough. I needed my brother to hear me clear, my heart breaking at the sight before me.
“No, let me do this, for she has forsaken me. Tricked me!” His Reaper teeth flared as he ripped her jugular out, his split Reaper tongue feasting on his pain. He was mourning. Her head soon became detached from her body. “DAMN YOU!” Creed sobbed over her beheaded body, her blood spurting from her torn blood vessels.
Ryker stood before Creed, placing his hand upon his shoulder. “This is not your fault, brother.”
Creed just held onto Avi’s lifeless body as he wept. “How? How did this get past our senses.”
“A glamour spell." Rocky walked in with a very weak looking Penelope.
Ryker ran to Penny with no hesitation to help hold her up. “Don’t touch me, Reaper!” Penny shooed him away like a peasant.
“Chill, vamp princess. I was just trying to be a gentleman.” Ryker put his hands up to show her he meant no harm.
“A Reaper, a gentleman? Yeah right,” Penny snickered at him.
“Well, I can definitely sense the familiarity,” Ryker blew Penny off, looking over at Rocky. “Glad to be of service.”
“Prima, as much as I’d love to help you all the way to the horse’s saddle, the tech cowboy here will have to help. I have to go back for Faye. I can’t leave her there alone.”
Penny nodded in agreement. “Go get our girl.”
“What do you mean alone?” I confronted Rocky, irate.
“She deserved her vengeance, Jax, and it’s not up to you to take that from her!” Rocky shoved her black acrylic nail into my chest.Gods, she’s so lucky she is the love of my life’s cousin sometimes.
My heart dropped in my very gut. “You have no idea what you’ve done.” I took off in a sprint towards Faye’s scent.
“You won’t be able to stop her, Reaper. I bound the door, meaning you, nor any other creature or human can get in until her deed is done.” Raquel’s evil laughter echoed, the sound bouncing into my ear drums. The drum at battle with my racing heart.
Her plan dawned on me like an atomic bomb. Faye was going to take her initiation, utilizing the blood for her sacrifice, tainting her very soul. Fear crippled me as my shadows moved as fast as they could, trailing her scent in the vacant industrial building.
Three nights ago-
“Tell me, prima, are you ready to own your power?” Rocky’s words played in my head like a symphony.
I zoomed through traffic so I could make it to her cottage home on the outskirts of town, knowing that’s where I’d find her. My heart was at peace knowing Birdie was being protected by Odin’s angels themselves. I needed to do this, not just for me, but for her, for Ma. I was running out of time. Theanger of knowing my cousin was somewhere locked away to be sacrificed, was like a steel knife to my gut. This evil man cursed any happiness I had left. Fuck with me, fine, but you mess with the people I love and I will bring hell to your doorstep with no mercy.I’m coming, Penny.
I pulled up to Rocky’s desert cottage twenty minutes later. I ran to the door and grabbed the large gold knob. It slowly creaked open on its own, like it was waiting for my arrival. What the fuck?
“Rocky, prima, it’s me. I’m here!” I called out to her, the darkness swallowing me whole.Meow!Elvira swirled around my legs, her collar jingling with each movement. “Where is your mama?”
I walked in closer. I could hear whispers in the distance. A glimpse of candlelight caught my attention. It led down to her basement morgue.
“Rocky?” I called out again, hoping for a response. But, nothing, just dead silence. The whispers subtly started again. The light flickered, casting a shadow on Rocky’s black painted walls. The golden framed pictures reflected in the flickering shadows. The aroma of sage and palo santo infiltrated my senses as I stalked closer, down toward the basement. I walked cautiously down the old wooden stairs which creaked with each passing step, the whispers becoming louder. A gust of wind gently pushed me down the stairs, the brisk wind sending chills upon my olive skin.
I descended down the basement stairs into the cold morgue, where there sat Rocky and Buffy in a drawn out Triquetra, surrounded by salt, candles, and crystals. Both of them held hands as they chanted in Latin.
“Come and sit, prima, it is time.” Buffy led me to the sigil on the floor. “Don’t be afraid.”
Buffy and Rocky grabbed onto both of my hands.
“In order for you to claim your gifts from the occult, one must make an oath to the source that possesses our very bloodline,” Rocky explained, while swirling the palo santo around me, as it left a small cloud of smoke.
“I’m ready,” I proclaimed.
