Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 15

Thea. Dani was shaking her arm. Theyre talking to you.The visions were g matchless. Thea was standing in Grans workshop, seeing everything as if through a distorting lens. Peoples spunks att terminati wholenessd to stretch their voices seemed to drag.I asked, how did you learn the magic trick for summoning spirits? Gran utter slowly.Eric. He wont wait hell start without me. Or go a focusing he? I told him not to. entirely hell be worrying about the party.The party. All those kids even junior-grade kids. Humans, hardly people. like baby chicks with a hawk up above. How many of them will balance up like Kevin?The invocation for summoning spirits Gran was shouting, as if Thea were hard of hearing.I we I heard you at Samhain two years ago. In Vermont. I saw the summoning the Inner Circle did. Even her own voice sounded weird and distorted.We saw you. Both of us. We were hiding behind the trees and you neer even noticed, Blaise said clearly, and the bells rang again.Dimly, Thea felt appreciation. simply most of her mind was reeling from horrible thought to thought. Eric and if I try to rent to him, if the Inner Circle finds out hes involved that will get him killed. A human who k directlys about the Night World. Immediate death sentence.But Suzanne. If he burns those dummies, Suzanne will kill him the way she killed Kevin.No press what happened, Eric was going to end up dead. UnlessWhich of the spirits did you call? Gran was shouting, as if Thea was now not only hard of hearing but slow of understanding. UnlessThats what I want to tell you, Thea said. She could see the way. It would mean the end for her, but she might possibly save Eric. If t present was adequate time, if they would allow her alone, if Eric wasnt right now act to be a hero.I want to tell you about it, Thea said again. And and so the words were tumbling out in a rush, fast-paced and faster, as if some dam had broken inside her. And Ill tell you everything-but please, Grandma, ple ase, you set out to permit me go out now. Just for a little while. thithers something I have to do. You have to let me go, and accordingly Ill come back here and you butt do whatever you want to me.Hold on a minute, Mother Cybele said, but Thea couldnt stop.Please-please. Grandma. Ive do a terrible thing-and Im the only one who can take care of it. Ill come back-Wait, wait, wait. Calm down, Gran said. She looked agitated herself. Whats this rush all of abrupt? Try it slowly. What do you think you have to do?I have to instal her back. Thea saw that she was going to have to give some explanation. She tried to give tongue to affectionately and slowly, to desexualise them understand. The spirit I let out, Grandma. Her name is Suzanne Blanchet and she was burned in the sixteen hundreds. And shes out, out there, and shes already killed a human.Everyone was listening now, some joust forward, some frowning. Thea looked near at the circle of faces, talking to all of them. She was still terrified, but what did that matter? Eric mattered.Last week she killed a boy at my lofty school. And tonight shes going to kill more people, at the high school Halloween party. I cant explain how I know-there isnt time. But I do know. And Im the only one who can stop her. I called her Im the only one who can put her back.Yes, but unfortunately its not that easy, a low voice said. Thea turned and gravel Rhys, a wiry man in a white lab coat. If the spirits at large- I know about that, but I have a way to trap her.Its all set up, and I Thea hesitated. Ive tricked somebody into helping me, she said slowly. And hes in danger right now. Which is why you have to let me go, let me take care of this. Please.You want to go to the high school, where the party is, Aunt Ursula said. Although her lips were as thin as ever, she didnt sound angry. More-astute.Thea opened her mouth to affirm no, and then stopped, confused again.The party-or the desert? If Suzanne was really killing peop le at the party, she should go there. But only if Eric wasnt doing something to attract Suzanne to the desert. He was still more important to her than anyone else. But if he wasnt doing something-and if Suzanne was at the party-she might kill before Thea and Eric could lure her. Im going crazy.She felt, literally, as if she might faint. Her head was swimming. There were too many possibilities. It all depended on where Suzanne was right now, and there was no way to know that.Thea began to shake violently, black dots dancing in scarer of her eyes. I dont know what to do.Im sorry could everybody listen for a moment? Im seeing something.It was Aradias voice, quiet and gently self-possessed. Mature, even though she was only a little older than Thea. Thea tried to see her through the black dots.I think its something important, something about what were talking about, Aradia said. Her beautifulface, with its smooth skin the color of coffee with cream, was turned toward Thea. Her wide brow n eyes looked straight ahead without focus, the way they always did.Aradia couldnt see with those eyes-but then she didnt need to. She saw with her mind-and saw things that were hidden to most people.Im seeing a boy-hes dressed in some old-fashioned costume. Hes beside a put forward, inside a circle of stones.Eric.Hes got a stick-an ember. Hes looking around. nowadays hes going to it looks like a scarecrow. I cant see it well. Theres a pile of sticks underneath it. Hes bending. Hes twinkle the sticks.No.I have to go, Thea said. She wasnt asking permission anymore.Aradia was still speaking. Okay, the sticks are catching fire. Now I can see better and its not a scarecrow it looks sort of like a witch. A doll. She stopped, her lovely blind eyes widening. Its-and its moving-no, theres something moving it. I can see it now-a spirit. A spirit is moving the doll. Its coming out now-toward the boy-I have to go, Thea said. And then she was moving, pushing her way between Rhys and Old Bob , breaking out of the circle. The beads of the shroud struck her face, clattering as they fell back behind her.Thea, wait a minuteThea, come back hereUrsula, you go get her-The jeep. My backpacks in the jeep. I have to get it first.The keys to the Lincoln were hanging on a nail by the back door. Thea grabbed them.She pushed the back door open just as three or four people came hurrying through the bead curtain. She slammed the door in their faces.Get to the car. Fast. Now drive.She backed out of the alley, tires squealing. She could see light spill as the door to the shop opened, but by then she was turning onto Barren Street.She found herself driving at some new level, squeezing through the tail end of yellow lights, recognizing shortcuts in the profane. In just a few legal proceeding she was at the Night World club with the jack-o-lanterns on the porch.There was no grade to park the Lincoln. She left it in the middle of the street, with the keys still in the ignition. She pu lled the key to the jeep out of her belt and jumped in.Hurry. Hurry. She burned rubber again getting the jeep moving.Hurry. The freeway.Just let me get to him. And let it not be too late. Thats all I ask, after that I dont care.Would you give up everything?The voice didnt seem like a stranger this time, didnt seem menacing. Just curious. And Thea had an answer.Yes.If I can just get there, in time, I can throw him international. I can tell him some story, make him go somehow. Make him hide. Ill tell the Circle I tricked him or enchanted him into helping I wont even tell them his name. They cant make me.Whatever they do to me, hell be safe. Thats all I care about. Thats all Im asking.But even that was a lot, and she knew it, so she kept her foot mashed down on the gas pedal. Freeway off ramp. Side roadway. She drove crazily fast. The pounding inside her head kept saying hurry, hurry, even as she was careening off curbs. Desert.Now the road was bad. It was hard to see the moon was a lmost down. The jeep lunged over bumps and lurched into potholes.Eric, be doing something. Be talking to her, be running. Youre so smart, please, please, be smart now. foreclose her distracted, keep her hair away from your neck.How strong was a spirit? Thea didnt know. Please, I see everything so clearly now. Ive been selfish, only thinking of me, what would make me happy. All that incased in ice garbage. I should have been dancing in the street. As long as Eric is all right, I dont care if he lives on Mars, I dont care if I never see him again. As long as hes well Im happier than anybody has a right to be.A jolt rattled her teeth. She was off the road now, driving by landmarks. Through forests of dead yuccas that looked like skinny gray Cousin Its.Its taking so long, its too long. Hurry. Hurry.She could see red sandstone in front of her. Pillars in the headlights.Thats it Go, goThe jeep rocketed over clumps of blackbrush. She could see fire in the depression between the pillars. She drove straight toward it.Fire-movement-the top of a silhouetteEricShe was cheering even as she slammed on the brakes. The jeep ground to a shuddering stop a few inches from a misshapen sandstone tower.Eric She had the backpack in her hand. She rupture the door open and jumped out, running.Thea Stay out of hereShe saw him.The light of the fire cast an eerie glow onto the already lurid sandstone. Everything seemed red, as if this place were bathed in blood. The roar of the jeeps engine and the roar of the fire merged to sound like the flames of hell.But Brie was alive and fighting. Fighting it.Thea threw herself at it, even as her wiz was registering impressions.A wraith shape that looked at one second like a cleaning lady, and the next second like tattered clouds. Part of it seemed to be spiral around Eric, and he had both hands at his throat. Bits of the pine-needle amulet Thea had made for him were scattered around his feet. Useless.Get away from him Im the one who set this up Thea screamed. She r distributivelyed Eric and grabbed wildly at the wraith, at the part of it around his throat. Her hands felt Erics hands, felt cold air.No-Thea, watch out-She saw the thing come free of Eric, who staggered. She saw it re-form, gather, then dive straight for her.Thea Eric knocked her sideways. Cold air rushed by.She and Eric fell in a heap. She gasped Eric, go, even before she got up. She tried to shove at him, looking around for the wraith. Go-get out of here The jeeps running-get in and just drive. Ill call you later.Stay back to back, Eric said breathlessly. Shes incredibly fast. He added through his teeth, You know Im not leaving.This is witch stuff, you shoot she snarled, standing back to back. I dont want you. Youll just get in my wayIt was a valiant effort. She even managed to inject something like hatred into her voice. And Eric wasnt perfect. He turned around, grabbed her by the shoulder, and yelled, You know Im not going, so dont waste any more timeT hen he shoved her sideways again and freezing betray streaked by her cheek, leaving her ear numb.Sorry, he said in his normal voice. You okay?Thea spun and looked behind her. The wraith was bobbing there. It was shaped like a woman made of vapor, with arms and legs only suggested, but with a long tail of hair that whipped around.Ive got the stuff, Thea muttered to Eric. Admit-ting she knew hed never leave. But itll take a few minutes to do the spell. Well have to keep out of- She was watching the lashing tail, but she wasnt fast enough. There was a sound-something between the snap of a whip and the cranch of electricity- and the tail flashed out. It was around her neck.At first it just felt cold. Insubstantial but icy, like a scarf of subzero wind. But then the wraith gave a jerk and it tightened and it did have substance. It felt like metal, like a pipe full of supercooled liquid, like the tentacle of some alien creature with ice for blood. It was choking her.She couldnt blow ov er and she couldnt get her fingers under it. It squeezed tighter, hurting her. She could feel her eyes start to bulge.Look at me Eric yelled. He had a stick that was blazing at one end and he was dancing up and down like a crazy person on the other side of the fire. Look Suzanne Im going to get your little sister He poked the hot stick at the dummy Lucienne, not at the wood piled around her, but at the actual doll.There There How do you like that? He jabbed at the doll. A ring of fire blossomed in the black clothes. Confess youre a witchThea felt something slide away and her neck was free.She tried to shout a warning to Eric, but all that came out was a croak. He was already diving to one side anyway. That moldiness be what hes been doing all this time.Dodging.Eric, keep it upOkay, but work fast He threw himself the other way.She forced herself to turn her attention from him. Her backpack was at the bound of the circle where shed dropped it. She grabbed it and dumped the contents out on the ground.She had to do this right and she had to do it faster than shed ever worked a spell before.Oak and ash. She threw them on the central fire, then scooted toward it, dragging the other materials close with a sweep of her arm.She ripped open a plastic bag and grabbed the quassia chips. They were light, and she had to thrust her hand into the flames to make sure they very went in the fire. Blessed thistle was powder she threw it. Mandrake root was solid, she threw it, too.She had just grabbed the ounce vial when Eric shouted, Thea, duck.She didnt look up to see what she was ducking. She fell flat instantly. It saved her. polar wind blew her hair almost into the fire.Suzanne Eric was yelling. Ive got your brother LookThere were fires at all three stakes now, and Eric was dashing between them, poking at one figure after another.Thea pulled the plastic cap off the vial with her teeth. She shook it into the fire, her hand in the flames again. One, two, three.The fire roar ed up, louder than ever, and pure blue. Thea fell back from it.Suzanne Over here Erics voice was faint beyond the roar.Tears were running down Theas face, her nose and eyes stinging from the acrid smell. She fumbled for the last object necessary for the sending-back the bag of symmetricalness from the bronze bowl. She took a handful in her left hand and dropped it between two charcoaled logs at the edge of the fire.Then she stood up-and saw that Eric was in trouble.Hed lost his burning stick. The wraith had him by the throat and it was whirling him around, changing shape every second. His mouth was open, but Thea couldnt hear any sound.May I be abandoned the Power of the Words of HecateShe screamed it, into the roaring fire, toward the wheeling, changing spirit shape.And the words came, rolling off her tongue with a powerfulness of their ownFrom the heart of the flame I send you back Through the narrow path I send you backShe put all her own power into the words, too, screaming t hem with an authority that shed never felt in herself before. Because the wraith was fighting. It didnt want to go anywhere.To the airy void I send you back Through the mist of years I send you backEric staggered, was jerked sideways. He seemed to be lifted off his feet by the wraith.To beyond the veil I send you back Go speedily, conveniently, and without delayErics feet were kicking in the air. This is how Kevin died, Thea realized suddenly and with absolute certainty.She found herself yelling words shed never heard before. By the power of Earth and Air and Water By the power of Fire on this night of Hecate By my own power as a daughter of Hellewise Go speedily, conveniently and without delay, you bitchShe had no idea where that came from. But the next instant Eric fell. The wraith had dropped him.It shot toward Thea-but then it stopped as if it had slammed into an invisible brick wall. It was directly over the fire.Caught.The blue flames were belching smoke-but sideways. Thea cou ld see the wraith dearly above them. And for the first time, it didnt look like a cloud shape. It looked like a woman.A girl. Older than Thea, but still in her teens. With long dark hair that floated around her and a disgusted face and huge sad eyes. Her lips were parted as if she were trying to speak.Thea stared. She heard herself whisper, SuzanneThe girl held out a pale hand toward her. But at the same moment the fire flared up again. It seemed to turn the girls hair to fire, too. Dark fire was burning all around her and there was an expression of infinite sadness on her face. Thea reached out a hand instinctively-The fire roared-And there was a flash like lightning.Suzanne had been drawn to the heart of the flame. And now the lightning formed a cone the narrow path.Plastic bags and other debris whipped around the circle as if caught in a whirlwind.Suzanne and the cone of white lightning disappeared into each other.To the airy void. Through the mist of years.The fire flared up ab ove Theas head, and then sank down. The blue seemed to fall to the bottom. The flames turned yellow, like ordinary fire.It was as if a curtain had been drawn.To beyond the veil.That was where Suzanne was now.At the edge of the bonfire, where the residue had been, there was a lump of soft clay. Thea knelt and picked it up. She looked into the center of the flames-and saw a coil of long hair, the color of mahogany. The ends were offset to blacken and shrinkin the fire.Thea reached in to grab it. She folded the hair over and quickly pressed the clay around it. It was a clumsy job, Blaise would have done much better, but the hair was enclosed. She groped on the ground for the wooden seal, found it, punched it into the clay. Suzannes symbol, the cabalistic sign for her name, was printed.It was done.The amulet was restored, Suzanne was trapped again. Shed stay where she belonged unless somebody else was stupid enough to summon her.Thea dropped the amulet without looking at it, got up, an d staggered around the fire to where Eric was lying. Her vision was strangely gray.After all this he has to be all right oh, please, let him beHe moved when she reached him.Eric, we did it. Shes gone. We did it.He grinned faintly. Said in a scratchy voice, You dont have to cry.She hadnt realized she was.Eric sat up. He was terminally mussed, his hair wild, his face dirty. He looked wonderful to her.We did it, she whispered again. She reached out to smooth his hair, and her hand stayed there.He glanced at the fire, then back at her. I kind of hated to say those things to her. I mean, no matter how bad she was He touched Theas neck, stroking gently. Are you okay? I think youve got a bruise.Me? Youre the one who really got it. She put her free hand to his throat, fingers just barely touching. But I know what you mean, she whispered. I felt-sorry-for her at the end.Dont cry again. Please. I really hate that, he whispered, and he put his free arm around her.And then they were just kissin g madly. Deliriously. Laughing and kissing and holding each other. She could taste her own tears on his lips, warming with his warmth, and she was trembling like a bird in a thicket.A few moments later a noise broke in. Thea didnt want to move, but Eric looked, and then he stiffened.Uh, weve got company.Thea looked up.There were cars just outside the sandstone pillars. Parked cars. They must have driven up sometime during the fight with Suzanne, while the roar of the fire blocked out the sound of their engines, while Theas attention was focused on the wraith trying to Ml her.Because the people were already out of the cars. Grandma Harman, back up by Aunt Ursula. Rhys in his lab coat. Dumpling-shaped Mother Cybele, with her hand on Aradias arm. Old Bob, Nans Buruku.Most of the Inner Circle was here.