A Stitch on Time 5 (27 page)

She shook her head. “I don’t see anyone.”

Mace leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Only you can see the dead.”

Chapter Fourteen

As much as Mace repulsed me, he was right about one thing. My connection to Hecate and the magical power grid made North Serene Hills feel like home. I was glad the wakh-tipped quarrel hadn’t broken my link.

I stepped out of the car and tilted my face to the sky. Day was becoming night, which seemed the best time to finish this journey. After witnessing the destruction of the Spook Catcher Council Tower and losing two more people I cared deeply about, I knew this was The End.

The ache in my chest intensified. Oren was dead. The grandfather I’d only met this year was gone. The loss hit me like a tangible force, making my legs wobble beneath me. But I couldn’t let the sorrow consume me, couldn’t show any weakness. So I pushed the grief to the back of my mind to compartmentalize it.

After all, I’d decided to face my demons, hadn’t I? Now was the time to stop running and slam headfirst into the
Obscurus
. So here we were. I just had to keep my wits, make sure Lavie stayed alive and get my sister out of this mess. I planned to survive too, but if someone was going to be the sacrificial lamb, it was me. Too many good people had lost their lives already. I wasn’t prepared to add more to the list.

Mace wrapped a hand around my upper arm, his fingers sending electric shocks over my skin. He led me away from the car and as we strode onto the gravel outside the chain-link fence, it felt like I hadn’t left. Everything that had happened since Narelle lured me, and Jacinta made her move, seemed to have happened only moments ago. The burnt-out shell of Saul’s BMW remained.

“So you can get past the fence now, can you?” I asked when Mace led me under the chain-link opening. He’d been zipping by in the form of electric arcs every time I’d been here lately, but hadn’t ventured past. Yet Burr’s vision showed Mace inside.

“The fence has never held me back,” he said with a smile.

So he’d been toying with me. Oh well. I had a surprise of my own coming.

Duff pushed Lavie along in front of us, and she struggled with him all the way.

As we walked down the littered streets, any buzz of imprinted activity from the past had completely faded. I wondered where Burr and the other Tailors were, and hoped they remained in their own patch. This was my fight. It was a shame my sister and Lavie were caught up in it.

The power to destroy other patches hadn’t done anything to help keep my family and friends safe. But these freaks were about to use me to conjure Legion, and that was when I would make full use of my inherited gift.

Mace gripped my arm. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”

“First you wanted to tear down the barrier between the ghostly patch so all the spirits could roam free. Then you were going to unleash all of those dangerous spooks into the city. You really have an appetite for destruction, don’t you?” Would he reveal he was an ancient creature desperate to reconnect with his family?

“Maybe.” He leaned into me and whispered, “After all is said and done, I might even tear down the wall you’ve erected between us.”

“That’ll never happen.”

“Don’t be so sure,” he said, glancing my way. “I’ll be there when you’re at your weakest, when you’re desperate enough to do anything to have a moment’s grace.”

I snorted. “Didn’t your colleague Maya tell you what happened when she tried bringing that demon over?”

Mace sped up. “Yes, she told me. But that’s what happens when the ritual is done half-assed and without all the members of the
Obscurus
.”

“So you forgave the Lamia for her indiscretion?” I asked, sneaking a sideward glance.

His jaw clenched. “We’ve had her on a tight leash since we tracked her down.”

Ah, interesting.
“And when did you track her down?”

“When she found your petite friend.”

“You’re a despicable bastard, you know that?” I tried to shake my arm out of his grip but I wasn’t going anywhere—not until he wanted me to.

“It doesn’t matter what you think of me.” Mace yanked my arm hard enough so I missed a step and stumbled into his chest. His black eyes were sizzling with sparks, and the grin didn’t leave his face. “You’re mine, Sierra. From the moment I discovered your familial line and realized the potential, I laid claim to you.”

“I don’t belong to anyone,” I spat, staring him in the eye.

“Not even the wolf.” He made it a statement, rather than a question. “It’s too bad you don’t have a choice, you never did.” He bent so close our noses touched. “When you feel the power of Legion flowing inside you so many times, you’ll learn to crave more.”

“Don’t count on it,” I said. “I’ve already felt the putrid demon flow out of me and I wasn’t impressed.”

Mace glared into my eyes for so long, those uncanny peepers made it seem like time had slowed. “You’re wrong.” He leaned in, but I moved my head and he kissed my cheek instead. I wanted to dig my boline into his gut, but he held on so tight.

“Mason, hurry up!” Duff called from up ahead. “Stop wasting time.”

“Why don’t we get this over and done with?” I said, refusing to meet his gaze.

Mace sighed.

We trampled over the uneven gravel in silence. The middle of the three-way crossroads lay ahead, where a group of people stood. The closer we got, the more I realized they weren’t just standing around—about a dozen men and women were imprisoned inside a red-chalked circle. And I recognized one of them.

“Conrad!” I made a move towards him but Mace held me back.

When the vampire hunter looked up, he didn’t seem to see me. A line of crimson had dried along the side of his neck and stained the collar of his T-shirt.

“He won’t recognize you.”

“Did you arrange for Narelle to bite him after you sent a wraith and orbs after me?”

Mace shook his head. “I’ve already told you, I didn’t do that.”

“Conrad,” I said a second time, but he didn’t respond.

“Ah, the guest of honor has finally arrived,” Jacinta Mills called. “Welcome. I’m sure Granny wouldn’t approve, but her opinion never mattered.” The bitch stood outside a scorched inverted-pentagram on the cracked asphalt. Tonight she wore a burgundy ceremonial robe with matching heels, and had a short sword strapped to the belt. “Just so you know, Mace didn’t arrange for the attack on your office building.”

The smug smile revealed who had, but I bit back any response.

Jacinta shrugged. “We had to draw you out somehow.”

I turned my attention to the inscribed pentagram, and it reminded me of the one in Burr’s vision. This was Mace’s handiwork. “What’re you doing with those people?”

“I was under the impression you’d partaken in this ritual before.” Jacinta glanced into the circle.

I followed her gaze and spotted Maya’s ankle chained to one of the bottom points of the star. The Lamia’s jaw unhinged and she bared her teeth, but was unable to move because she’d already been closed into the magic circle. Just like my sister—who stood adjacent to Maya.

“Sierra,” Willow said, hiccupping.

I looked into her frightened eyes. Aside from the tear streaks on her face and the puffy eyes, she looked okay. “Are you all right?” Mace tightened his grip on me.

Willow shook her head, and I wanted to console and protect her. But giving these assholes any further emotional ammunition was out of the question. Not that Mace would let me move.

“These people are the sacrificial lambs. We need as much blood as we can to fuel this ritual.” Jacinta stepped closer and her flowery perfume made my head spin. “Legion’s numbers are endless, so we’ll spend years allowing new demoniacs passage. Soon, this spot will become the basement of the biggest apartment complex in Sydney. Thousands of humans will live here and will serve as vessels.”

The plan sounded similar to Maya’s, except she’d wanted to start at Regalia and branch out into government. “You lead the Alliance. You’re supposed to stop these things from happening,” I said. “Didn’t you put a price on my head to stop me from being used by the
Obscurus
?”

“The price on your head never entailed killing you on sight. Both you and your sister were to be brought to me unharmed.” Jacinta’s emotionless face looked like a mask.

“You were always part of the
Obscurus
.”

“I’m the leader of both groups.” Her smile made her look like a comic-book villain.

I glanced at Mace and he avoided my eyes. All this time, I’d thought he was running this macabre show, but he was just another cog in the machine. A cog with so much to gain he’d played whatever role necessary to make this possible.

“You can’t be good and bad,” I said, turning back to her. So Oren’s suspicions about Jacinta were true.

“I’m neither, and have always played by my own rules. Besides, what would be the point of stifling a power so great? We’ve each managed to conjure some part of the demoniac into ourselves, just enough to be touched and connected to Legion.” A smile curved her thin lips. “I took great pleasure in ensuring Jonathan Wells was possessed to the strongest degree. It was vital for someone who could get so close to you.”

My stomach twisted. Before my ex died, he’d admitted he hadn’t willingly surrendered to the demonic entity that took over his life. Even after Jonathan healed me I’d been so angry and disgusted that I didn’t care. Now, I felt sorry for him.

“By opening ourselves to Legion, we can reap many rewards.” Then she said to Mace, “Release her, close the demon hunter into her spot.”

“Duff can do that. I’ve got to keep an eye on Sierra,” Mace said.

“How can you do this, Jacinta?” Lavie yelled, trying to pull free of Duff.

Jacinta ignored her, didn’t even blink at the outburst.

“No, Mason,
you’re
going to do what I tell you to do,” Jacinta said.

Mace stood firm, holding onto my arm.

Jacinta pulled what looked like a handful of seeds from her pocket and scattered them on the ground. A pig appeared out of the smoke. “Unless you want me to force you to abandon your alluring vessel and make sure you drown this time, you’ll do as I say.”

Mace groaned, but moved close enough to plant a wet kiss on my cheek before taking Lavie from Duff, and dragging her into the circle. Lavie resisted him as much as she had the older man. She kicked him in the shin and tried to make a run for it, but he overpowered her. In the end, he wrapped his arms around her waist and carried Lavie to her designated spot. When he slashed both her wrists with a small dagger, and the first drops of blood hit the ground, Lavie was stuck.

“You son of a bitch!” she screamed. “I can’t wait until Sierra finishes your ass.” She groaned. “You’re all going to be sorry.”

Jacinta circled around me. “You and I aren’t as different as you think. We both have a group of people we care deeply about, and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep them out of harm’s way. The only difference is that I know when a sacrifice is necessary, regardless of my personal feelings.” She bent close. “You killed my Mauricio. He was someone I wasn’t prepared to lose.”

The flicker of pain in her blue eyes confirmed her words. Mauricio, the
Perro Negro,
had been her personal pet. “Looks like I stole a man from you, just like my grandmother did.”

She slapped me. “You insolent bitch.” The grimace revealed a chink in her armor. “You have no idea what fate awaits you and your sister, and everyone you know. I’m going to take great pleasure in using their souls and bodies as sacrifices.”

The mention of Willow forced my anger to the surface. “How can you offer your own blood to a demon?”

Jacinta invaded my personal space even further to say, “I don’t plan to summon Legion to let it run wild. I’ll be in control. By using the blood of my descendant, I’ll bind the strongest part of the demoniac and it will have no choice but to do my bidding.”

“And then what?” She wanted to control the misty dragon that had come into this patch during Maya’s failed attempt. I was able to sever its approach only because the dragon had been nothing more than misty scales—once it solidified into existence via a ritualistic summoning, I was sure no one would be able to command it. Not even this woman.

Did Mace know about this part of the plan?

“I will govern my way into every facet of this. I’ve always wanted Australia to be mine.”

“You’re crazier than the other morons.” How could she possibly think she was going to pull this off?

Jacinta shrugged. “Your opinion doesn’t matter.” She peered over her shoulder. “Duff, come and get her strapped in.”

When the white-haired follower seized my wrist and led me into the dark circle, I didn’t fight. This wasn’t over until the
Obscurus
attempted their goal, and found me standing in their way.

Jacinta could say whatever she wanted and dream of being the Master of Australia as much as she liked, but I’d seen the black in her blood when I’d stabbed her. She probably
was
stronger than the others, but Legion already had a grip on her. There was no way in hell she could force any demon into submission, especially this one. Besides, I was starting to suspect that her goals and Mace’s differed quite a bit.

Duff pushed me past the pentagram’s barrier, making me stand at the top of the star—once again taking center stage. I faced Lavie and Maya. Jacinta stepped inside and Duff released me, making his way to the only other available point, on my right.

Jacinta surveyed the circle with a satisfied grin. “Mace, seal us in.”

He stared at me and stepped inside. He never took his eyes from mine as a zap of energy slid from his fingertips and he scorched the small opening shut. When he was done, he took my hands in his and turned them to expose the underside of my wrists and forearms. The tip of Jacinta’s sword sliced two matching horizontal lines. I spied the dragon tattoo inked on the underside of her wrist. So she was marked like the others. Her plan wouldn’t work.

Blood dribbled down my skin, dripping over Mace’s hands before hitting the dirt. I was trapped in this spot, but the ground beneath my feet started beating with a familiar
thump-thump, thump-thump
. My connection to the power grid wasn’t thwarted by a dark pentagram.