Scarlet Rain (The Escaped #2) (23 page)

“This better be over soon.” He pumped a mound of soap into his palm and scrubbed. The last time he’d had so much blood on his hands, he’d been reluctantly helping Mel’s dad dress a deer. He’d felt filthy then, but not as filthy as he did now, with images of the infected swirling in his thoughts as their blood clung to his skin. With all visible traces of his experience gone, he dried off his hands and hurried back to the keypad by the front door. He pressed the button conveniently labeled “ARM,” and rushed out the double doors.

Back in the comfort of his car, he breathed deeply for what seemed like the first time since he’d made the decision to break into Pierce’s domain.

Eva made sure to abide by all traffic laws as she slowly and cautiously maneuvered Bridget’s Camaro along the one-way streets of downtown Tulsa. The last thing she, or any of them, needed right now was the attention of the police.

She parked in the empty lot of the Jazz Hall of Fame, collected the book and a knife she’d swiped from Bridget’s kitchen, passed the bizarre iron statue jutting its obelisk-like head into the sky, and hurried to the Center of the Universe. She stood in the middle of the worn concrete circle and opened the book at her feet. “Okay,” she sighed. The word echoed back to her, and she smiled, remembering the last time she’d been to the Center of the Universe. It felt like a lifetime ago. She, her mom, and her dad had stood together in the brick circle, their laughter circling back to them in Tulsa’s strange acoustic anomaly. She’d held her father’s hand as they walked the same path she had walked only moments before. While they walked, he told her stories about the magic within the Center of the Universe. How it was a portal to other dimensions, and only those within the circle could hear the echo of what was being said, but everyone outside heard nothing. It was one of the few places they went as a family before her father left.

Feeling overwhelmed, she gripped the talisman and distracted herself with positive images. “Bridget, Mom, Alek.”
Alek. The couch….
She smiled. “Now
that’s
a positive image.” Her cheeks flushed as she twirled the softly pulsing pendant hanging around her neck. The light from the crystal warmed her fingers as the gentle fall breeze turned into hefty gusts. The book’s brittle pages whipped in the wind, and she slammed it closed. The sudden burst of air settled, and Alek stepped into the circle.

“Alek, what are you doing here?”

“My talisman.” He released the crystal and it bounced against his chest. “It brought me to you.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her necklace and tucked it back into her shirt. “I guess I was holding it and thinking about you. I didn’t know it would bring you here.”

“But it’s a good thing I have come. This does not look to be Bridget’s home.”

“Yeah, about that. James said the CDC are coming, and they’ll be way worse than the cops. Plus, we can’t let the Nosoi get out of Tulsa. We’ll never be able to defeat them if they fly to some other city. And I found this protection spell, so I decided to come here and do it, thereby protecting the rest of the world with my Oracle greatness.” She smiled in hopes that she wouldn’t have to combat some ridiculous lecture.

“Did you choose this place because of its magic?” he asked.

“What? Oh, the echo. That’s not magic. I’m pretty sure that’s science.”

“There are places within each realm where the veil between realms in thinner. Your instincts have led you to such a place.” He crouched down and placed his palm in the center of the circle. “Do you feel it?”

She flattened her hand on the concrete next to Alek’s. The ground vibrated gently, and static tickled her fingers. “How does no one else know about this?”

“No one else here is immortal or of Oracle blood.”

“But my dad knew,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s get this spell started so we can get back to Bridget’s, and figure out how to end the Nosoi for good.” She turned to the page with the protection spell, and picked up the knife. She took a deep breath and slid the blade up her forearm. Blood gushed from the wound, and she quickly coated her fingers before it closed.

“Apollo, hear me.” Her words echoed back to her as she painted the symbol of the bow on the concrete. “Your Oracle is in need. Protect this city from this nightfall to the next, so that no evil may enter or exit. I beseech you, Apollo. Please, answer my plea.” She finished drawing the arrow and smacked her palm against the bloody concrete. Blinding light shot out from beneath her hand, followed by a deafening boom. The earth shook, and car alarms honked in the distance.

“Look, Eva.” Alek stood, his chin pointing toward the sky.

Shimmering gold light rippled above them and faded into the clouds.

“It worked. He listened.” Relief washed over her as she cradled the book in her arms and led Alek to the car. “I can’t believe I just did my first spell. And nothing bad happened.”

“I wouldn’t say nothing.” Alek motioned down the street.

Every light was extinguished, leaving Tulsa black.

Deflated, Eva dropped the book into the car and sagged against the seat. “Crap.”

• • •

Eva pulled up in front of Bridget’s building, and she and Alek hurried into the lobby. Since her spell had sent Tulsa into a blackout, both sets of front doors opened freely, and Eva didn’t bother to check in with the front office.

“Ugh,” she groaned, passing in front of the unmoving elevators. “We have to take the stairs all the way up to Bridget’s place.”

Alek nodded and marched to the entrance to the stairwell.

“Climbing all these stairs doesn’t suck for you even just a little?” she asked.

“I welcome the challenge.” A glimmer of smugness rested in Alek’s grin.

“Oh, puke,” Eva mumbled as she stepped into the stairwell. Fluorescent light from the emergency exit signs bathed the stairs and cast deep shadows around each corner.

“Now that you have ensured the Nosoi’s containment—”

“For the next twenty-four hours,” Eva interjected.

“Yes. Now that the creatures are trapped, what are we to do about defeating them?”

“I think the only thing we can do is what your mothers said worked last time: trap them inside somebody and use fire, water, or earth to kill them.”

“Yes, I have come to that conclusion as well,” he said, keeping up his hurried pace.

“At least we’re on the same page.” Eva’s legs started to burn as they walked past the door leading to the fifteenth floor. “But how do we get them all into one person?”

“The missing part of the Nosoi is coming,
She
is coming, and I do not know of any follower who would be absent from their leader’s return.”

“She?” Eva paused and looked up at him. “Who’s that?”

Alek shrugged. “I cannot be sure. But that is what the Nosoi said. This realm would be under
Her
control.”

“So we have to wait until the ultimate big bad shows up? I thought the point was to stop them before it got that far.”

“I do not foresee an outcome where that’s possible, do you?”

Finally on the twentieth floor, Eva led the way down the hall while she thought about it for a moment. “Well, no. If there was a way, we would have done it by now.”

“Then our next mission is to be present when their queen arrives in this realm.”

“How in the world are we going to make sure we’re around for that?” Eva punched in Bridget’s lock code and stepped into the dark living room. “Bridge?” she called, but was met only with silence. With Bridget’s floor plan basically memorized, Eva made it to the junk drawer in the kitchen where Bridget stored her flashlight. She clicked it on and waved it around the room.

“Ahh.” Alek shielded his eyes as she flicked the bright beam across his face.

“Whoops. Sorry about that.”

“Wait, bring it back,” he instructed.

She passed the beam over his body, admiring how good he looked even in the unflattering lighting.

“Not on me. Over there.” He pointed in the direction of the dining room table.

A white square lay in the center of the cherry wood. “She left a note.” Eva picked up the paper and read Bridget’s scratchy handwriting aloud. “Your mom called to see if I’d heard from you. I lied, of course. But she has this awful cough, so I’m off to pick up some cough drops and cold meds and drop them by the house. By the way, you having my car is forcing me to take a cab. I hate cabs. You owe me. Again. Xoxox, Dr. B.”

“I have never heard this xoxox before. What is its meaning?” Alek asked.

“Hugs and kisses. X’s are the hugs and O’s are the kisses, or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, it doesn’t matter right now. What’s important is getting to my house. I don’t like the thought of my mom being sick with no way to contact me. What if it’s bronchitis or something, and she needs to go be seen by a doctor?”

“We shall make sure your mother is well. Then we must focus on the Nosoi before they overtake this realm,” Alek said flatly.

“Deal.” Eva rushed from the condo and whined under her breath as they passed the elevators.

Before Alek had the chance to follow her up the porch stairs to her front door, Eva placed her hand firmly against his shoulder. The talisman warmed her chest and shone a muted gold from under her shirt when they connected. “Don’t come in. I’m sorry, but you can’t. As far as I know, she thinks you had something to do with my abduction, and I don’t want to come up with a lie to explain why you’re here. Not yet anyway.”

“I understand. If you need me, I’ll be here.”

Dread clawed Eva’s chest as she opened the door and crept into her house. The sight of her mom curled on the couch in the fetal position sucked the air from her lungs and pinned her feet to the floor. Defeat and malady had drained the color from Lori’s face, and her pasty skin glistened in the candlelight. Broken capillaries colored the whites of her eyes, and her breath came in ragged whistles.

“Mom.” The whisper barely snuck past Eva’s lips.

“Eva, you’re back,” her mother wheezed, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she smiled weakly. “I knew you’d come home.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner.” She knelt next to her mom and warmed her cold, limp hand between her palms. “I just wanted to get everything figured out first. I didn’t want to drag you into this craziness. I was only trying to protect you.”

“Silly girl, I don’t need protecting. I need my daughter.” Spittle flew from her lips as she coughed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have no idea where I could have caught this horrible thing. I felt fine until earlier today.”

Eva offered her best attempt at a smile as she brushed the damp, matted hair from Lori’s eyes. “I am always telling you to get your flu shot.”

“This isn’t the flu, Eva. I’ve never felt anything like this. I have all of this anger. I think there’s something seriously wrong.”

“Not for long, Ms. K.” Bridget squatted on the floor next to Eva and held out a steaming cup. “I made tea.” She fanned the hot liquid, and gave a toothy smile before leaning into Eva. “This is bad news bears. I’m glad you got my note.”

“I hear talking,” Lori whispered.

Bridget and Eva exchanged confused looks.

“In my head,” Lori added. “It’s scaring me.”

“You probably have a fever,” Bridget said, sliding the mug onto the coffee table.

Eva gently felt her mom’s forehead. Heat tingled against her fingertips and her stomach clenched with terrible foreboding. “Yeah, we’re taking you to the hospital.”

Lori lifted her head. A wet ring of tiny ruby specks stippled the fabric. Her face morphed as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. A sly smile lifted her damp, pale lips.
“There is no need. We will stay with you mortals. We have much to fix before this realm can be ours.”

Despair froze Eva’s heart. “Mom?”

“She is here. She is fighting. She is strong. We like them strong. More power to use and to take.”
Lori seemed to deflate as she fell against the couch, her body rattling with coughs.

Bridget recoiled. “That stuff on the pillow. Those red dots. It’s them, isn’t it? Those things from the video and the book.”

“Get Alek and call James. Then stay outside. When James shows up, tell him to do the same,” Eva commanded. “I don’t know what this is capable of, but I know we need all the help we can get.”

Bridget scrambled toward the door.

“Something’s wrong. Something’s very wrong,” Lori whimpered.

“I know. I know. It’s fine. Everything’s going to be okay.” Tears bit at Eva’s eyes as she stroked her mom’s sweat-streaked hair. “We know someone who will help. And I’m here. I can help too.”

“They’re inside me, Eva. I can feel them. I can hear them talking. They want me to do horrible things.” Blood trickled out of Lori’s nose as she again erupted into body-shaking coughs.

“No!” Eva shouted, wiping at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. “This is not happening. I’ve already given up so much. They’re not taking you too. Do you hear that, Nosoi? You can’t have my mom! I’m not letting you win!”

Like wax transforming the skin of a dripping candle, Lori’s expression shivered, shifted, and became a stranger’s.

“You know us? Mortals do not call us by name. They say we are plague, pestilence, death. How do you know our true title?”

“I know a lot more than you think. Come out and see.”

Like a curious bird, Lori’s head twitched from side to side.
“You are strong. Like this one. Stronger even. We sense it in you.”

“That’s right.” Eva stood and glared down at the evil infecting her mother. “So let her go. Take me. I can help you. I’ll give you more power than she ever could.”

“But with the taking of this one, we will be full. Almost whole. The queen will come. Then our reign will begin. No one will escape the Nosoi. No one will escape this,”
they said, Lori’s neck swiveling robotically,
“pandemic.”

“You don’t need her. Let her go!” Panic raged within Eva’s chest as she screamed the words.

“You wish to be the vessel for our queen?”

“Yes! Anything! Just give me back my mom.”