Chapter 10: The Wardens

Jenna did not relax her grip on his throat.

She held him up against the wall with just one hand, his feet hovering several inches above the floor. His face alternated between being purple and a sickly shade of blue, and his fingernails scratched at her arm, but she ignored it all.

“How many?” Jenna demanded coolly, as if asking about the weather.

“How many what?” Vance squeaked.

“Demons on campus. How many?” Jenna reiterated sternly.

“Three... Lesser demons possessing the students... Nobody important...

“Where is the portal opening?”

“Hostel basement. Tonight, a blood moon. Three days...” His face contorted as he cried.

I looked at Dorian. He was sitting against the wall on the floor, one hand pressed to his chest. The dark liquid had slowed, but not stopped. His skin had gone pale.

Jenna didn't look away. “Who's helping you, Vance? Anyone besides the council.”

Vance chuckled wetly. “Did you think I was working alone? There are about a dozen of us on the campus, professors, students, and even a couple of janitors. We work for the demon council, and they pay very well.”

Jenna pulled him in close so that their faces were only inches apart. “Mira, when does she arrive?”

Vance looked at me for half a second, then back at Jenna. “She landed an hour ago,” he said, choking slightly. “She's at the hostel, waiting... Brought six enforcers. She isn't after me, little witch. She's after you.”

I shivered. I let the rusty iron bar slip out of my grip and clang against the floor.

Dorian took hold of my foot. His hand felt cold and wet. “Don't,” he croaked hoarsely, his hand sliding away. “Don't run off just yet.”

“I was…”

“You were considering it,” he whispered, lying back against the wall. “I can tell by your face.”

I said nothing.

Jenna stepped back, letting Vance fall to the floor, struggling and rubbing his throat. Then, she faced me.

“You,” she growled. “What are you?”

I blinked. “Pardon?”

“Your magic. It’s different from any other form of witch power.” She tilted her head slightly and caught the silvery gleam of her eyes in the light. “Your energy – when you broke that wire – was so old. Older than you are. Older than me.”

I didn’t quite know what to say. There was still a buzz inside me, the magic lingering in my chest. “It’s just… my family bloodline. I heard my mom call it that once.”

Jenna nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, sure.”

Dorian cleared his throat. “Maybe let’s concentrate on the part where Mira is stuck in the hostel with six vampires and a grimoire?”

Jenna regarded him. “You haven’t healed yet.”

“Observation skill points go up here.” He shifted against the wall. “Nephilim blade. Leaves a mark. Needs some time to – uh – burn off.”

I crouched down next to Dorian and took a closer look at his injury. The edges were blackened, as though scorched with fire. “Will he be okay?” I wondered aloud.

Jenna squatted and studied the injury as well. “Eventually. Vampire healing takes its time, but heals everything.” She rose. “But eventually won’t be enough. We have one hour before Mira figures out Vance doesn’t answer and comes here searching for answers.”

Vance snickered from where he was lying on the ground. He had sat up by then and was massaging his neck. “You should realize by now that you’re all dead. Did anyone tell you that? The Council doesn’t lose. The portal opens in three days, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

Jenna approached him, silently studying Vance with her silver gaze.

Vance stopped laughing.

“Who are you?” he whispered.

Jenna smiled a nasty smile. “Something ancient even compared to your gods.”

Vance paled.

Dorian pulled my arm to get up. My weight almost made me stumble, but I managed to remain steady on my feet. He smelled of copper and bitter cold air.

“Let’s take you outside. I have to – I need to feed.”

“Feed?”

“No, not on you.” He gritted his teeth. “Rabbit. Outside, under the bushes. I can smell it.”

I exchanged glances with Jenna. Her nod confirmed it was okay for me to leave. “Go,” she mouthed. “I’ll take care of Vance.”

I helped Dorian stand straighter and started dragging him towards the door. He was heavier than he looked, but he was still pretty cold.

The snowfall outside had stopped; the clouds were moving apart, revealing the clear night sky and the bright moon above. I led Dorian towards a bush close to the side of the shed.

“There,” he pointed out.

There it was – a brown rabbit, hugging the wall.

I watched how he released my hand, stood up, and, with unbelievable swiftness, fell onto his knees. In less than five seconds, he caught the rabbit in his hands. I turned away. I heard a muffled sound; then all went silent.

When I turned back around, I could see no trace of the poor little creature. Dorian was standing in front of me; his pallor seemed to return. The wound in his chest was still there, but its edges seemed not as dark as before.

“Better?” I asked quietly.

“Much better,” he replied.

We stood still, staring into each other's faces. The moonlight was enough to form long shadows under our feet. My breath showed as clouds in the air.

“Arya,” Dorian started suddenly. “I did not come to the shed to save your life. At least not for that reason. I came here because…” He hesitated.

“Because…” I prompted.

“Because if they get you, they take your magic; therefore, they open the portal anyway. It wasn't personal,” he clarified.

My heart cracked a little bit, like glass. “Right, of course.”

“It's not… look, I'm not good at this; I'm not good at being a decent human being,” he admitted. “I'm dead for too long; and besides, I forget what words should mean.”

“Don't try, then,” I urged gently.

He turned to me again; the dark look in his eyes was softer now, but still unsettling in some strange way.

The door of the shed opened behind us with a sharp creaking noise. Jenna stepped out and wiped her hands on her jeans. “Vance is restrained. He will stay where he is for several hours.” She turned to both of us. “We need to get to the hostel; we don't have much time.”

“Mira has the grimoire; what else do we need?” I asked.

“Other spells. Another spell. A spell older and much more powerful,” she explained. “Arya, we need your help; the other thing we require from you is not going to be easy.”

“What do you mean?” I started walking after her.

She did not answer.

We turned around the gym, and we saw the hostel. All the lights were off except one window on the third floor. That's my window.

Someone was standing there.

Mira.

She was staring down at me. I could even see her smiling from a distance.

“See?” whispered Dorian. “She's already here.”

Tightness in my throat. Chills running through my body. But then, right under all that, there was another feeling. Heat growing in my ribs. The buzzing in my bones.

“Let's get started,” I said.

Jenna held me by the arm. “Not so fast.”

I turned around.

“There's one more thing,” Jenna said. Her silvery eyes met mine. “Older magic I mentioned? Not only will it trap the demon, but it'll also tie him to a living person. His prison forever.”

My blood turned to ice in my veins. “What?”

“The one to sacrifice your life to imprisoning Raze must not be an unwilling victim such as Zoe. He needs a living soul ready to be tied to him forever. With magic in their veins.”

“No,” Dorian growled.

Ignoring him, Jenna continued. “The one is you, Arya. To destroy the portal, you have to be his host.”

Looking out the window, I realized Mira was no longer there.

The lamp in my bedroom suddenly went off.