Beyond (39 page)

“
Have you brought the apple?
”

Clau
dia slowly dragged her feet back.
When she didn ’
t answer, Callum raised his voice, “
I said …
have you brought my apple?
”

“
I…I couldn ’
t get one.
”
Her instincts were right. At that moment she knew she did the right thing.

Callum glided
to the side , his c ape drap ing over the flowers , and stood behind Claudia. She could feel his cold breath run ning down her neck in icy , t errifying chills.
She shrugged her shoulder s and closed her eyes.

“
Hmmm…I guess you didn ’
t try hard enough.
”
His tone was surprising ly calm.
“
That ’
s quite alright. Why don ’
t you take a walk with me?
”

H
is arm linked with hers, exposing his long, boney finger s that looked so unnatural. As he led the way, Claudia listened .
“
I have pl ans , and you are part of them .
”
Callum stroked Claudia ’
s hand and made her cringe.
“
I need you by my side. With your powers and mine, we can rule Heaven and Earth. My army is growing and growing by the days.
”

“
Where are we going?
”
Her voice was neutral, trying to maintain composure even though her heart was thumping out of control. This was not the way it was suppose to be. She had trusted a stranger all because she was too caught up i n remembering her past. She had to find a way to escape .

Callum took her further into
th e magical land.
“
I ’
m going to assume getting your memories is not important to you. If there is a will, there is a way. Perhaps it ’
s not that important .
What matters is that you move forward to greater and better things. Obviously, the Twelve thought you were capable of greatness and took your memories away, afraid that one day, you would rule over them. I think it ’
s time to show they messed with th e wrong venator , don ’
t you think?
”

Claudia was unable to answer, afraid to give him the wrong answer.
“
I…I…
I’d like to think about this .”

Callum laughed out loud
.
“
Think? We don ’
t have time for you to think .
If you can ’
t make up your mind, perhaps I can persuade you with a gift?
”

“
A gift? I don ’
t want anything from you. I mean…thank you, but it ’
s not necessary.
”

Callum turned her around and showed
Claudia her gift.
She gasped in shock and her face turned white . S
he quickly calmed down and tried to pretend she didn ’
t care.

Callum paced over to where her gift lay, unconscious. Claudia could do nothing at this point but ho pe he d id n ’
t do anything crazy. Patty had her ankles and wrist s bound and her mouth gagged.
“
Don ’
t you want your friend back?
”

“
I don ’
t know what you mean .
I have no idea who she is .”
Claudia ’
s tone was cold.
“
Why would you bring a complete stranger here and think it would be a great gift ?
What kind of gift is that ?
If you ’
re going to conv ince me to join you, you should get a better gift. Take her back home , and let ’
s talk about what I really want, what ’
s really worth my time.
”

Before Claudia finished her words,
Callum was already down to Patty ’
s level. He pulled Patty ’
s head back and h e ld a dagger at her neck.
“
If she is not to your liking, then I ’
ll just kill her. What ’
s another human? They ’
ll all die soon anyway.
”
The dagger contact ed her neck.

“
Wait!
”
Claudia yell ed .
“
No , let her be. I ’
ve changed my mind. Don ’
t kill her. I ’
ll take her. She ’
ll make a great gift.
”

With a sw
ift motion, Ca llum stood behind Claudia . He yank ed her hair back .
“
You think I ’
m a fool? Don ’
t play me. You ’
ve not lived long enough to know what I know and do the things I can.
”

He
sp un her to face him, gripping her tightly by her shoulders. She could feel his sharp nails digging into her skin. Claudia was scared out of her mind as she tried to figure out what to do . No one knew where she was. How could s he be so naïve and stupid?
Michael had told her not to trust Callum , but she didn ’
t listen.
“
Why are you doing this? You ’
re an Earth angel. My grandmother was an Earth angel. Earth angels are good. They are the protector s of human kind.
”

Callum wasn
’
t listening. Like a magic trick, he pull ed out an apple.
“
I ’
d hope d you would prove me wrong and bring one back, but unfortunately , I was wrong. Good thing I have someone else I can depend on.
”

Claudia
’
s eyes grew wide in shock as her mind r an wi l d, wondering how he ’d got ten one.

“
That ’
s right. The forbidden apple.
”
Callum proudly h eld it up as if it was a trophy.
“
Beautiful. I ’
ve already blessed it. You just need to take one bite and our powers will unit e .
”

When Callum
’
s attention focused on the apple, Claudia jab bed him in the stomach , will ed her bow and sho t . She needed to get to Patty, to save her from this madness. If anything happened to her, she would never forgive herself.
The silver light nicked Callum on the shoulder when he leap t to dodge it . Callum move d behind her , knock ed the bow out of her hands , and capture d her.
“
You ’
re not very good. Katherine didn ’
t teach you well.
”

Panting and heaving in anger, Claudia
trie d to low er herself to reach for the dagger placed safely inside her boot , but she couldn ’
t . S
he did the next best thing. She concentrate d on her light. It was the only way she could escape, but before she could even attempt it , she heard his voice.
“
Let her go.
”

“
Michael, ”
she murmured. She knew his voice as if it was the sound of her own heartbeat .

Callum turn both of them around to see Michael and the A lpha team ready to take him down.

“
I mpossible !”
Callum mutter ed .
“
Not even the C
urators know of t his place.
”
But when he gaze d at each A lpha team member , he saw his daughter, Avalon , standing in line with his enemies. His question was answer ed; she ’d brought them t here. He held back his anger with her for now, hoping she was playing them , t hat she would fight at his side when the time came. He turn ed his focus back to Claudia.
“
How noble of them. The ones that lie d to you are back to tell you more lies.
”

“
Callum?
”
Au stin called in surprise , and stared incredulously.
“
What are you doing? The C
urators are looking for you. They think you ’
re missing.
”

“
Well , here I am, ”
he said out loud and proudly.

“
Let her go and I ’
ll make sure they lessen the charges against you, ”
Austin said.

Call
um chuckled with evil .
“
You think because you are a venator you can take me in? You have no idea who se powers are bestowed upon me.
”

“
What in the holy crap happened to him? Why does he look so ugly?
”
Davin muttered.

Austin
pull ed his bow back, ready to shoot.
“
He is possessed by an evil spirit. That ’
s why he looks like you.
”

“
What?
”
Davin gave Austin an evil look.
“
You wish you could look half as good as me.
”

“
Would you two shut up ?”
Vivian nudge d Davin.

Venators enclosed
Callum and Claudia. Callum gri p p ed Claudia tighter, calculating their positions.

“
I ’
m not going to ask again. Let her go. You are surrounded, ”
Vivian demand ed .

Claudia thought she knew all the members of the
A lpha team, but when she saw Vivian and Caleb, she wondered if they were new.
Then she recalled the pictures of them on the computer.

Callum looked at Avalon, but her eyes were elsewhere. Afraid to look into the eyes of the man that had taken care of her, she didn ’
t want to be part of him, especially when he was unrecognizable, turning into something cruel and evil.
“
Avalon, why don ’
t you come and stand by your father ’
s side ?”

All eyes darted to Avalon. Lifting her head in shock, she didn ’
t know what to do or say.
“
I…I…no. He ’
s not my father.
”

“
Avalon brought me a gift, the forbidden apple. What a lovely daughter I have.
”

“
No …
no .
”
She tried to explain.
“
I ’
m not a traitor. I didn ’
t know.
”
She could see the disappointment in their eyes, especially Davin ’
s.
Unable to stop th e lies, she thought the best thing was to escape. But before she could move, demons s urrounded the venators .

“
Demons!
”
Gracie shouted .

“
Look out ! Behind you!
”
Michelle screamed.

Callum lit a
victorious gleam. Claudia tried to free herself, but to no av a il.
“
Watch your friends die.
”

With a
twist of his wrist, Davin sp un his sword, slic ing lilies nearby . He threw them at the demons surrounding him.
Distracted by the flowers , Davin was able to plung e his sword into them. The demons crumble d into ashes .
Davin gl ib ly said , “
Another one bites the dust.
”

Immediately, he
turn ed to give Caleb a high five and scan ned for Avalon , who was nowhere in sight. Hurt, betrayed , and confused, he block ed it out of his mind when a red flash nick ed him on the shoulder. It made a slit through his T-shirt , but the wound healed quickly.

Austin
spr u ng over several demons and surprise d them from behind . With a flick of his wrist, he threw a new weapon he’d created . Two short blades stuck out on both ends .
Like a boomerang, it decapitated numerous demons and it flew back to him. Proud of his creation , he cuffed it back to the loop of his jeans.

Fighting adjacent to Austin, Michael
pull ed two demons into his hold and bash ed their heads together , causing them to fall, but he always ke pt one eye on Claudia.
Holly, Michelle and Gracie spr u ng to the top of the trees .
Caleb and Vivian stood back to back as the y cove red the local grounds .

Demons fought back, red fire
flash ing from the palms of their hands. Claudia and Callum duck ed as one pass ed over their heads , barely missed them . T
hey were forced to dive away.
When Callum lost his grip on Claudia, she sprang out and hid behind a tree. Heaving with fright, she will ed her bow and shot a demon heading right toward her.

Spotting Cl
audia, Michael and Austin rushed over and stood by her , one on each side. Looking at the two of them —the one that ma de her heart float on clouds, Michael, and the other who had been there for her, Austin —she didn ’
t know what to do.
“
Thank you for being here. I know I ’
ve made some bad choices.
”
She felt ashamed and was now willing to be agreeable.