Minutes to Midnight (22 page)

A charred, angry husk of a human stared back
at me. Her hair was gone, singed from her scalp. Her clothes were
gone as well, and the skin…her skin was black and puckered. Only
her eyes remained intact and they were solid black as a voice
screamed at me in my head.

You will pay for what you have done to
me!

I was horrified at what I'd done. Disgusted.
I took a few hesitant steps back and looked at my hand. The tattoo
circles spun in concentric circles, energized and infused. They
hadn't moved or glowed like this since before my memories stopped.
And the strength…I felt as if I could burn down the world…if I let
myself.

I looked at my left hand—

There was no tattoo. What remained was a
puckered scar where the sword had sliced the circles in two.

A part of me…some piece of me knew this was
important. That I'd somehow broken something…I just didn't know
what.

BETRAYER!

Charybdis's words followed me down the
corridors of the castle. Armored Knights tried to stop me, and one
by one I reduced them to ash with no idea what or who or if
anything dwelled inside of them. One thing I did notice; For every
knight I hit, my strength increased.

When I saw the double doors open I ran
toward them. I ran as fast as I could and the second I cleared
them, I was airborne. The wings I'd discovered in Hob's home
unfurled and beat furiously as the First Born's words ran
throughout the castle.

THE DESTROYER IS MINE!

CAiRN

From the air the Peripheral reminded me of a
battle-torn continent. The horizon stretched into eternity on all
sides and the sky was a heavy brown tinged with gray. At times I
thought maybe—just maybe—blue sky would break through enough for me
to breathe. I kept my focus on the land below, searching the
valleys and mountains for the broken crystal castle, the one that
crumbled when Mike's daughter Brendi removed Maab's head.

Finding that castle was all I thought about.
I didn't want to look back at what I'd just done. I didn't want to
remember how Rhonda looked—burned, suspended in midair—or the
strength and power in the voice that still echoed around in my
head. I was better physically because of what I'd done, but I was
scared out of my mind mentally.

Whatever kind of First Born Rhonda had
invited in wasn't like Jason's or Manuel's. No…this thing had power
behind it. It was different.

Very,
very
different.

I didn't know how long my spell would hold
it, and I didn't want to be in the 'Pheral when it failed. I was
sure Charybdis had me well within her sights. I was her number-one
target. I didn't even want to guess at the knowledge she'd gleaned
from possessing Rhonda.

About the Society. About the Revenants.

About me.

And for once I was pretty
damn happy Gabriel had fixed the
Grimoire
so Rhonda couldn't fuck with
it.

The first broken turrets of the crystal
castle appeared over a ridge. My heart thundered in my chest as I
got closer so I spiraled around to find the broken wall that
myself, Mike and Sam had traveled to. I remembered the barren
waste, but didn't see it for miles on either side. When I found the
wall, I landed not so well on the dirt and dead grass. The heels of
my bare feet kicked up a cloud of dust as the sword appeared in my
hand. My left leg threatened to buckle under me and I looked down
at the poorly bandaged wounds. It didn't look like I was still
bleeding, but I didn't want to remove it and peek, just in case
that band of tee-shirt was the only thing keeping my leg
working.

I heard a noise like the snap of a branch.
The door I needed was several feet away, but between it and me
appeared a familiar form.

Brendi.

She was dressed in a shift of light linen.
The wind moved the material against her and it defined her body.
Brendi was part of Alfheim now, as far as I knew. Her hair was
reddish blonde and moved about her shoulders in the breeze.

"Lower your sword, Uncle Dags. I'm not your
enemy."

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't make it
vanish. Something inside of me, something in the book, saw Brendi
as a threat. "I need to get to Hob, Brendi."

"It's been a long time since you were here.
After I saved you. You would leave me without a wave goodbye?"

There was something not right about her.
Something…off-kilter. I'll admit I didn't know her well. I
remembered a little girl of fourteen who loved her phone and boys.
This young woman was a stranger. "I…I'm grateful you saved me, and
Sam and your dad. And I'm glad to see you're all right, Brendi. But
I don't know how long I've been here, and I don't know if you know
or not, but a Djin overshadowed your dad—"

"I know." She vanished and reappeared in
front of me. I took a step back and my wings beat to steady me.
"There's nothing you can do now. Except stay here."

"I can't do that."

"Your world will be a safer place with you
out of it, Darren."

I swallowed. I didn't know what to do! This
was Mike's daughter…every muscle and nerve in me said KILL. But my
heart said WAIT. LISTEN. "I don't understand…."

"Pay attention to what you did to Charybdis.
What hell you've brought to Alfheim. To the world. To my
father."

"Your…" I swallowed. "Brendi, I didn't make
Ripp'n Jack take your father."

"But you gave him the idea. You taught him
how to use words to his advantage. Everything you touch will rot
and whither and die. I've seen it, Darren. If this world had a
queen, Charybdis would be such a creature. Maab finally saw you for
what you are, as did I. When I took her head, I tried to stop you
from returning to the Material World. I thought if you tasted
strong, powerful Faerie blood, the magic would keep you here with
me."

I took a step back. "Wait you…you forced
that shit into my mouth because you thought it would stop me from
leaving?"

"Yes. I had to give you a weakness. I had to
give you something I could control."

Sweat trickled down the side of my face and
I moved the back of my free hand over my forehead. "You were the
one that hired the Djin to take me. You told Klinsky about the
Faerie blood because you wanted him to cage me."

"Listen to me, Darren. Understand why this
has to be." She held her hands out to her sides. "When you escaped
Maab's enemies, you left the gate open. Hob wasn't able to stop
them. Luckily more than ninety percent of them were destroyed the
moment they touched your world. But in the midst of those
Peripheral beings wanting the Dark Mother's head, the one creature
that should never have left these walls slipped through, and
survived. Charybdis. During her time in your world she found the
perfect vessel with which to free her mother."

"You mean Rhonda. She possessed a witch. But
Rhonda doesn't have any power. I know who took it from her."

"So does Charybdis. How long
do you think it'll take her to piece together the witch's shattered
memories of you, and her, and the Wraith? She only guessed at the
power hidden in the
Grimoire
inside of you. Now you've
shown
her its power. If you escape
into the Material World, she'll follow you.

"And she will kill everyone you hold dear to
get the witch's powers and claim that book. I hired the Djin to
bring you to me. Then I realized what Carybdis intended to do with
her Lamias's mutilated food. I realized a portal that big, built in
the form of a Banishing Pentagram, would allow more of her kind,
including her brother, to escape. Chimera is already in the
Material World, Dags. They want to free their mother. I used Jack
to derail her plans."

"You used me as an incentive for him to do
what you said."

"Yes. You have a lot of
enemies,
Guardian
.
He took you as I instructed him, after Ripp'n Jack's first attempt
failed. But then you escaped and my pact with Klinsky was
dissolved. The Djin wanted another try, because he could never be
free as long as a hire was never finished. So he waited for the
opportunity to take you, after he took my father and the Revenant."
She made a deep sigh. "I did everything because you have to remain
out of the Material World, Dags. Your presence means the end of
everything."

I swallowed, the sword still held between
us. My shoulders felt stiff and sore, holding up those wings.
"How…how do you know this?"

"Because I'm a child of the God Mother. I
was a seer." She reached out and held her hand just in front of me.
"I gave a young man the secret to binding you—and that secret will
spread by word of mouth. Your weaknesses will be known, Darren. I
had to level the playing field. I had to give them a fighting
chance in case I couldn't hold you."

"Your dad is possessed by a Djin…I have to
get it out of him."

"That's not possible. My father chose the
life he has. He will have to bear the consequences."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You…would just let that thing use your own flesh and blood?"

"I would do what it takes to save the world,
Dags. If you stay here…Charybdis could choose to remain here as
well and leave the Material World untouched." She took a step
toward me. "We all have our weaknesses. And Charybdis realizes her
host's weakness is you. Stay here, Darren. Stay with me and rebuild
Alfheim."

I honestly didn't believe my staying there
was going to calm Charybdis down. Maybe the Rhonda part of her
would like that—but Charybdis herself struck me as a loose cannon.
Bug nuts crazy. "And if I don't stay?"

Brendi's expression changed. It was a subtle
shift in her face, much like what a Revenant goes through when
their First Borns step forward for control. It was both beautiful
and horrific. "I will call a Wild Hunt, Uncle Dags, and drag you
back here in iron. I will close every Cairn Maab made to hold you."
Her expression softened, but that scary hard-ass look was what
stayed with me. "What's most important is keeping your power and
hers, contained. You've hurt her for now, and she'll need time to
heal. But when Charybdis finds her way back to your world, she will
win."

"What is she?" I searched Brendi's face.
"She's not like any other First Born…."

Brendi's expression grew sadder. She lowered
her hand. "Because she's not. If that were a true title, then
Charybdis and her ilk would indeed be the first of the Dark
Children." She stepped back. "Make your decision, Darren. If you
stay here with me, I can keep you safe and hidden away from her.
She can't come into my kingdom. But if you leave—many will
die."

"I can't stay," I heard myself blurt out.
"Brendi, I have to help Mike. I have to make sure Stella is okay
because I just don't believe Ripp'n Jack. And if Stella or your dad
are hurt from this in any way," I gestured at her with the sword.
"I will hold you personally responsible. You made a deal with the
devil, Brendi. Not me. You brought that thing into our lives.
You've already caused more deaths than I ever have."

"But you will cause millions more."

I suddenly thought of
her
. Saw
her
face. Brendi's warning
about the witch's memories involving the Wraith didn't go
ignored.

"You still love Zoë."

"I don't remember her. I just have what
others tell me happened."

"You lied to protect her."

"I lied because I knew she was in
danger."

Brendi stared at me. "You have the
answer…the key to your memories. But you didn't use it."

"No. And don't ask why. I can't say."

She searched my face. "You were told to make
the wish yourself. Do you remember that?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't."

"I didn't have the chance. Mike made it for
me. I just…" The muscles in my shoulders, forearms, wrists, and
hand were on fire and shaking. What ever energy I'd gotten from
that spell was fading. "And I'm not sure I wouldn't have asked for
the same thing."

"You wouldn't have. Your wish could have
saved us all."

I took a step back from her, the sword still
ready. "Are you going to stop me, Brendi?"

She slowly shook her head.
"No. Right now you're too strong. You possess not only your power,
but that of Carybdis and the
Grimoire
. My Champion has fled with my
father's body. But I will mourn you, Uncle Dags. Do not seek refuge
here." A wind whipped at her hair and she turned into a collection
of dandelion seeds. I watched them dance on the wind and
disappear.

The sword vanished.

I turned in the direction of the door in the
broken wall and stepped through. The barren, dry desert appeared.
This time I felt heat on my face, and my wings folded and
disappeared as I took another step and quacked like a duck, the key
to the Ley Line connecting the city with the Cairn.