Chapter 29
KHLOE GILES
“Wrong.” The blond headed woman grinned at us. She stopped a few feet away and in the darkness, she looked just like Lil.
“What the hell are you?” Sara and I asked at the same time. The thing laughed.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m wearing Lil’s skin, but I’m not Lil. You see, that’s the pain of transferring dimensions. Finding the right vessel. Sometimes I burn through hundreds trying to find the right one. Luckily, daddy already had this one warming up. And I’ve got to say, I really like it here. It’s all nice and toasty.” The grin she gave was dark and evil. “My name is Melondia. I’m the daughter of the king of hell and he sent me here to kill you.”
“Now!” I ordered. Neither Sara nor Sonia hesitated. Potion bottles flew through the air and Sonia began casting spells.
“Rejiciuntur.” The potion bottles exploded midair.
“Da Mihi.” There is an explosion of blue in the air as she built a defense around her. “Nice try ladies. Now prepare to die.”
“What is up with these bad guys and their B-rated pick-up lines?” Sara asked, I could practically see her eyes rolling in disgust.
“I don’t know, but I’m ready to end this, what about you girls?”
"Yes Miss. Khloe." Sonia replied, "On your command."
"You really think this sword is going to work on me?" Fake Lil asked, laughing.
"Let's find out." I grinned, giving a short nod to the girls.
"Now!" I shouted and charge forward, behind me Sonia and Sara were casting spells again. The sword slashed through her gut before she had time to fight back. She cried out in pain as black veins swept over her features, standing out against her unnaturally pale skin.
"I guess you were wrong." I jerked the sword upwards and then out, watching as her body fell to the ground and she struggled for air.
"Guess even gods fall hard."
"Let's find Scott and Will and get out of here before anymore fallow suite." Sara suggested, looking around nervously.
"Couldn't agree more." I looked around. "She could've hidden them anywhere."
"Let's do a circle cast." Sonia suggested and I nodded in agreement.
"Lead the way."
"Let's old hands. Sara and I will utter the spell while you call for Scott and Will." Sonia said as we all took hands. "I'll start, Sara you join in and then you chant names."
"Sounds good." I agreed.
"Close your eyes and center yourself. Focus on Scotty and Will, their faces and what they look like. What they sound like. What the feel like-“
“Ew!” Sara made a face.
“Focus,” Sonia and I chided at the same time.
There was silence as we concentrated before Sonia's voice began to fill the night.
"Quod petimus, ut mihi." Sonia began to repeat the chant and soon Sara joined in. I called out Scotty and Will's name, feeling a shift in the air. A soft breeze circled around us, where there was none before. In the distance, I could hear Will's voice as he pleaded for help. He sounded lost, disoriented. My eyes opened on their own and in the darkness of the forest I saw a glowing light.
"There! They are there!” I shouted, pointing in the direction.
"Let's go." Sonia said and we began running towards the light.
"What if it is another trap?" Sara asked suddenly. I paused for a moment, looking around.
"It isn't a trap." I said, certain. Sara didn’t argue with me and neither did Sonia. There wasn't time to argue. The run took forever, especially lugging a heavy backpack and a sword. When we finally reached the glowing light, my legs were shaking, and I was not sure I can run anymore. Luckily Will saw us from a distance and came running to greet his sister.
"What happened?" Sonia questioned.
"Lil came running up to his, said she escaped. But it wasn't Lil and she tricked us. She zapped us here. Scotty is hurt bad. I can't use my powers to heal him."
Panic filled my chest as we followed Will to the place where Fake-Lil banished them. Scotty was leaned up against a tree. Blood was trickling down the side of his face in a thin sheet and his eyes were closed. I pulled him into my arms and held him carefully.
"Scotty? Scotty?" I called his name, but his eyes didn’t answer, "Sanguis sanguine vulnus sanandum." I placed my hands over the wound and repeated the healing curse over and over. Sonia, Will and Sara joined me, but the spell doesn't work, and nothing happened.
"I think fake-Lil cursed this place. No magic is working."
"Then we have to get out of here. We have to go back to the house, and we can heal him there." I said, moving to stand up.
"We won't have time." Sonia said quietly, "If we cannot heal him here, he will die. He has lost too much blood. His brain is swelling. I can feel it inside of him." Sonia said.
"No!" I shouted, holding Scotty tightly, "No, he can't die!"
"I'm so sorry Khloe." She murmured softly.
"There has to be something we can do isn't there?" Sara asked and I could hear the sorrow in her voice.
Sonia and Will exchanged looks, having one of their private conversations before they nodded. They stood up, holding their left hands together and standing side by side.
"What are you doing?" I asked curiously.
"We are going to try to erase the magical curse put on this place from the inside out. I don't know if it will work or how long it will take." Sonia explained.
"Libera me de custodia, ad dextram amet maledictionem." They repeated the chant over and over again. Sara and I watched in awe as blue sparks light up the night where the curse was placed. Soon, the blue sparks turned into golden fireworks as the curse was broken. They broke hands and Sonia hurried back to Scotty, placing her hand on his forehead.
"We don't have much time. If we are going to do anything we have to do it now." She told me.
"What do we do?" I asked.
"You keep your hands on his forehead. Everyone else join hands. Will, place your hands on Scotty. You will be our connection to Khloe through him." She explained as everyone follows ordered. As soon as everyone joined hands she began to chant, a moment later we all joined in.
“summi numinis potestate quæsumus, amoris et pacis sanare servus.”
My voice choked on the words though as I realized that I'm crying. I cradled Scotty in my arms, rocking him back and forth in tune to the spell chant. Nothing seemed to be happening. The chanting stopped and there was a loud gasp.
"It's too late." Sonia whispered softly, "There's nothing else we can do. Scotty has taken his last breath."
"No, no!" I shouted, cradling him tightly in my arms, turning him to face me. "Scotty wake up." I demanded, arguing and mumbling to the lifeless body in front of me. Scotty couldn't be dead. He just couldn’t be. There was a numbing pain inside of my chest that refused to believe it. My own tears trickled down to his blood-spattered face.
"Khloe, we have to go." Sara said quietly.
"No. Give me a minute, give me just a minute!" I shouted, refusing to let go of the body in front of me. There was silence as I cry.
"Wait, look." Sonia said, breaking the silence of the forest. I saw it to as I pulled back from kissing Scotty's forehead.
"What is that?" I asked, seeing the lines of silver-gold etching across his face.
"The spell is working." Sonia told me.
"No, Your tears are healing him!" Will cried.
"Scotty?" I called his name, shaking him, "Please, please wake up!"
There was another loud breath and a moan escaped Scotty's lips.
"Join hands. Repeat the spell again." Sonia ordered Sara and Will. They do and the golden beams electrified, growing brighter and brighter before dimming and Scotty's eyes opened. The wound on his forehead was gone and so was the blood.
"What happened?" Scotty asked, confused, frowning as he looked up at me, "What are you crying?"
"Because you nearly died on me you ass wipe." I replied, laughing in relief.
"I died?" Scotty asked, confused.
"Yes you did and if you do it again, I'm going to murder you." I informed him, helping him to his feet.
"Welcome back." Will greeted.
"Thanks man." He groaned and stretched. "Let's get the hell out of here. This place is giving me the creeps." Scotty made a face and shook his head, looking around.
"Ditto." Sara agreed and Sonia and I made noises of agreement. Together, we started back for the Underground.