The Seventh Crow Read online

  “Okay,” Trevor says, his voice trembling as he tries to stay calm. “I’m going to say this only once, so listen carefully.” He points at my copy. “We are enemies. I will do what I can to take you down. But I don’t want Susan to be stuck in the middle. Lucifer wants me to use her. If I don’t, he’ll torture her himself until you give in. I can’t let that happen, so I need you to take her somewhere safe. I’ll make sure I have the injuries to prove I tried to stop you.”

  Once again, we’re both speechless. He’s letting me go? He’s letting Mom go?

  My future self holds out his hand before my brain gets a chance to process what it’s just heard. “Deal.”

  With a weak, relieved smile, Trevor copies the gesture.

  But before their hands meet, the rocks between them explode.

  From the depth below rises the monstrous form of Satan. Fumes escape his nostrils, and the fire in his eyes burns bright. He towers over us, and we all back up in horror. Even Mom seems to wake from her catatonic state a bit.

  “Traitor,” Satan hisses at Trevor. “You really thought I wouldn’t find out about your betrayal? You think I ever trust anyone completely?”

  Trevor’s whole body trembles as he bows. “No, master. I was merely trying to win the boy’s trust.”

  Flames erupt all over the Devil’s body. “DO NOT LIE TO ME!”

  His burning arm pushes Trevor so hard he’s thrown back several feet. Then he reaches for Mom, and my future self and I call out in unison. “Nooo!”

  CHAPTER 17

  “Wow, calm down. You’re alright.” Vicky’s soothing voice seeps through the noise of screaming and the roaring of fire.

  I open my eyes, but I still see Mom disappearing into the flames. Shiver after shiver runs across my back while Vicky holds me close. Tears fall upon her leather jacket. Her soft hair touches my cheek, and her hand moves to my neck.

  “You’re alright,” she repeats.

  I wait for the inevitable ‘it was just a dream’, but it doesn’t come. Vicky knows as well as I do that this phrase is rarely true for me.

  Slowly, my breathing steadies, and the images go up in proverbial smoke.

  I pull myself from Vicky’s embrace and lean against the bedpost. “Holy shit.”

  Vicky almost crushes my hand. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

  I recoil. “You left? Where’d you go?”

  She pats her endless pocket. “To refill my supplies.” She strokes my neck. “What did you see?”

  “I saw Mom… and Trevor. In Hell.” It takes several breaths to be able to continue. “The Devil… he wants Trevor to torture my mother to get to me.” I press my fingers against my temples to drive out the images drifting back in.

  Vicky waits silently for me to continue, stroking my arm gently.

  “Trevor wanted to send Mom back with me. But Satan was listening. He tossed Trevor aside and grabbed Mom.”

  “Wait.” Vicky frowns at me. “You were also there? In Hell?”

  I nod and wipe the tears from my cheeks.

  “And Trevor didn’t try to kill you?”

  “No, he was only thinking of Mom’s safety.”

  To my surprise, Vicky smiles broadly. “That’s great! I knew his love for your mother would come in handy someday.”

  I shake my head. “Not really, babe. Satan still got her, and Trevor couldn’t do anything to save her.”

  Vicky bends over me and pokes me in the chest. “But you can.”

  She stares at me, waiting for her words to sink in.

  I go over them again in my head. “You mean…” I sit up straight. “You mean I can prevent this from happening, because I’ve seen it.”

  It’s not a question, but she nods feverishly. “Exactly.”

  I slip to the end of the bed and slide out. “So, this is actually good news?”

  I peer through the curtains. The sun is rising, and the seven large crows are already up, sitting silently in the trees, watching the house for any sign of movement. When they get a glimpse of me, they peck each other. Soon, all heads are turned toward me, the red eyes gleaming in the early light.

  Vicky startles me when she presses her body against mine from behind. “It certainly is good news. You were right about Trevor. He really loves your mother, and he will do anything to save her. We can use that.”

  I drop the curtain and turn to face her. “Have I told you how amazing you are?”

  Her eyes twinkle. “Constantly. But I can’t remember the exact words.”

  I laugh and grab her butt. “You are super super amazing. More amazing than anything and anyone in the world.”

  She tilts her head. “Only in this world?”

  “Of course not, I meant in any world.”

  She brings her head closer to mine. “I can live with that.”

  Our lips meet, and electricity flows through me. The ache in my heart and the restless feeling pressing on my shoulders evaporate. All I can feel is warmth and…

  The door is thrown open, and we both look up.

  “Oh, good, you’re both awake. I’m sorry, I forgot to knock. I almost apparated in here, but I wouldn’t want to interrupt…” Kessley falls silent. Her hand moves up to gesture at us. “… well, something like this.” She blushes. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I say, letting go of Vicky with a pang of longing. “What’s wrong?”

  “I thought it wasn’t that special, but Maël and D’Maeo, and even Mona, seemed shocked, so I offered to go and get you before we went to check it out ourselves,” she goes on in a flurry of words. “Not that we can step outside with those creepy birds ready to rip us apart, but─”

  “Just tell us already!” Vicky exclaims.

  Kessley cringes. “Right. Sorry. This is all just so exciting for me. Being on the chosen one’s team, fighting by Dante’s side, and…” She slams her hand against her mouth when Vicky throws her an angry look. “Right. The reason I came up here…” She takes a deep breath. “There’s someone at the door.”

  I frown. “That’s all?” Sure, that doesn’t happen often, but still, it’s not world news.

  “No.” Kessley nervously rubs her hands together. “It’s someone we’ve seen before. We’re not sure…” She hesitates, and Vicky takes a step closer. “It might be a trap again,” Kess finishes quickly.

  I pat my hair and straighten my clothes. “Let’s check this visitor out then.”

  Kessley takes the lead. As we hurry down the stairs, I can see the others standing in the study, looking through the windows.

  “Who is it?” I say, pushing past them to reach the window. I’m half expecting Trevor to be standing there with that smug grin on his face, but it’s not. It’s the Mahaha’s friend, the slender one with the moving hair. Only now do I understand what Kessley meant by that. While the girl is pacing up and down between the steps at our front door and her car, her hair seems to have a will of its own. Instead of flowing naturally with the wind, it winds and unwinds around her upper arms constantly.

  “She looks desperate,” Vicky comments.

  I tear my gaze away from the girl’s hair and focus on her face. “Why haven’t the crows attacked her?” I can clearly see them sitting in the trees, watching our every move.

  “Because it’s a trap?” Jeep offers.

  Mona shakes her head. “Maybe not. They might be smart enough to wait until we open the door for this girl. After all, they’re not really birds.”

  I take the girl in from head to toe again. “And if we don’t?”

  Mona turns to face me. “Then they’ll probably torture her until we do.”

  “Great,” I mumble. I don’t want her to get hurt, but after what happened at the Mahaha’s house, I’m not inclined to trust strangers anymore. On the other hand, she might’ve had nothing to do with the trap.

  With a grunt, I walk over to the front door. “We have to let her in. Or at least find out whether she�
��s able to cross the line of salt. That should tell us enough, right?”

  “What about the crows?” Kessley’s voice rises in panic.

  I shrug. “It doesn’t make a difference whether the door is open or closed. They can’t get past our protection.”

  “Are you sure? Your spell didn’t work on them either.”

  I bite my lower lip and walk back into the study. “Good point.”

  Maël bends closer to the window. “We cannot leave the girl out there. Eventually, the crows will attack.”

  Jeep waves at her, and I frown. “What are you doing?”

  “Telling her to run. Get ready to open the door.”

  As I walk back to the front door, Jeep points at the large birds, and the girl turns to look at them. She nods to let us know she’s seen them. Then the tattooed ghost gestures to the door and holds up his hand. One by one, he drops his fingers. My hand folds around the doorknob.

  “Three, two…” Jeep counts out loud. I can’t see the girl anymore, but on ‘one’, Jeep’s head turns with her movements.

  A furious screeching fills the driveway, followed by the loud flapping of wings.

  I keep my gaze locked on Jeep, who’s counting back on his fingers again. “Two, one…” I open the door, and the girl nearly trips over the threshold. The first crow is only inches behind her. I slam the door closed in its face. There’s a loud thump as it hits the wood. More banging follows, plus a lot of scratching and pecking. It sounds as if an army of killer rats is trying to get through the door.

  “Thanks for letting me in,” the girl pants, her arms resting on her upper legs.

  The banging on the front door stops, and the crows return to their branches, from where they continue to watch the house intently.

  “What are they?” the girl asks, her lip curling up in disgust.

  “It’s a long story.” I make sure the door is closed properly before beckoning everyone back to the kitchen.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Tea?” Mona asks. “Or coffee?”

  We all go for coffee, and I gesture at Charlie’s empty chair.

  The girl sits down and stares at the table for a while before speaking. “I’m sorry to barge in here like this, but I didn’t know where else to turn.”

  “It’s okay,” I assure her. “I’m Dante by the way. These are my friends Vicky, Kessley, Maël, D’Maeo, Jeep, Taylar and Mona.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she says, shrinking a little under our inquiring stares. “My name is Ginda. I’m a chlorokinetic witch.”

  I frown. “What does that mean?”

  She smiles and holds her hands above the table. “It means I can create and manipulate plants.” Out of nowhere, a green stalk grows. Tiny white flowers pop out of it. She raises one hand and moves her fingers fast, as if she’s trickling salt onto a dish. Pink, purple and yellow roses grow from the table.

  Kessley’s mouth has fallen open, and with a chuckle, Ginda makes a throwing motion toward her, showering her with roses.

  “That is amazing,” Mona says, putting a steaming cup in front of Ginda. “Such a beautiful power.”

  “Thank you,” Ginda says.

  I wrap my hands around the cup that Mona gives me and lean forward. “So, how can we help you?”

  Ginda takes a large swig of her coffee. “I came to ask you to help my friend.”

  “Your friend the Mahaha?” Taylar asks bluntly.

  “Yes.”

  I try to hide my surprise behind my cup. “Why did you come to us?”

  “We saw you at the bar. When we left, I didn’t want to worry Chloe, my friend, but I knew you were following us. I saw you disappear at Chloe’s house. At first, I thought someone saved us, but soon, Chloe started to act strangely. I think she’s in trouble.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  Ginda’s fingertip follows the edges of the small white flowers, and a blue glow spreads across them. “Mahahas normally don’t eat much, but lately, she’s been gulping down food as if she’s afraid to starve.”

  I exchange a meaningful look with the others. So the Mahaha is indeed the seventh soul.

  “That still doesn’t explain why you came to us. And how did you find us?” D’Maeo enquires.

  “I took a picture of you through the window, in case you were the enemy and we needed to fight you later.” She sends us an apologetic smile.

  Jeep shrugs. “Sounds reasonable to me.”

  “When Chloe’s behavior started to change, I figured you probably weren’t the bad guys. I showed the picture to some people in town. The owner of Rodney’s DIY-Shop gave me this address. Told me to be careful, that this place was cursed. But it was the only thing I could think of. Chloe and I don’t have any family left, and people are generally not fond of helping a Mahaha in need.”

  “Can’t blame them,” Vicky mumbles. “Mahahas usually aren’t much fun to be around.”

  Ginda nods. “True. But not all are evil. Chloe is kind and caring. She looked after me when my parents and brother were killed in an accident.”

  I look at Vicky, who’s watching the flower witch intently. Ginda meets her gaze without fear or hesitation.

  There’s a long silence in which Mona’s sparks pass around chocolate cookies everyone declines.

  Finally, Vicky turns to me. “I think she’s telling the truth. She’s genuinely worried, and I also picked up a glimpse of hope. Nothing even resembling hate or anger.”

  “Good.” I hold up my cup to Mona. “It’s time to fill Ginda in on our mission. I think more coffee won’t hurt.”

  Mona lowers herself onto D’Maeo’s lap and sends more sparks to fetch the coffee can. While it goes around to refill our cups, I give the chlorokinetic witch the short version of our adventure. I tell her about the Devil’s plans, the nine circles, me and my Shield, the souls we lost and, of course, the souls we saved.

  Ginda keeps shaking her head, as if she can’t believe it. When I finish my story, she stares into her coffee. “So, Chloe is the seventh soul Lucifer needs to escape Hell?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And someone is making her hungry…” She scratches the side of her head. “Why again?”

  “Because to break through the circles of Hell, the Devil needs the sin to be strong,” D’Maeo explains. “He needs souls that aren’t prone to committing the sin. In this case, someone who never eats enough. Convincing that person to switch to over-eating isn’t easy, but it can be done by making her relive her death.”

  Ginda’s eyes grow wide. The flower she’s touching withers and falls apart. She withdraws her hand quickly. “Someone is pushing Chloe to eat herself to death?”

  That does sound horrible, but there’s no use in sugarcoating, so I give her a simple ‘Yes’.

  When she moves her fingers above the table again, only black flowers bloom. She looks defeated. Her brown locks stop moving, and her face goes pale.

  “We’ll do what we can to save Chloe,” I promise her.

  She keeps staring at the flowers she created. Her hand hovers above them, and slowly, the black gets lighter. “Thank you.” With a gentle touch, she adds some gold to the gray of the petals. Gradually, the whole flowers turn gold. She picks one up and holds it out to me. I have to stand up to grab it.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s a peony. It brings luck to the receiver. Gold is the color of success.”

  I bring it closer to my face to study it. “Thank you. We can use all the luck we can get.”

  She sends me a hopeful smile. “What will you do now?”

  I flop back into my chair. “Now we have breakfast, and after that, we’re going to find your friend, or the person trying to kill her, whichever crosses our path first.”

  Once we’re all satisfied, I call Charlie to tell him about our plans.

  “I’m picking up Gisella as we speak,” he says. “Where do you want to meet?”

  �
��Ginda says her friend is a regular at the Winged Centaur, so I guess that’s our best shot. And if we don’t find her there, we’ll go to her house. Ginda can lead us around the back, in case another trap is set up at the front.”

  “Sounds good to me. See you in a bit.”

  Charlie’s cheerfulness gives me energy and hope, even though we don’t have a plan to defeat the Black Horseman yet. If we end up in The Nothing again, getting out will be even harder than last time, since we gave the godmothers’ rings back.

  “Are you ready?” I ask Ginda. Since we don’t want to walk from the mines to the city center again, we came up with a plan to reach the car.

  The flower witch folds her hands around the edge of the table and squeezes hard, breathing in and out deeply. Then she pushes back her chair and stands up. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Vicky asks.

  Ginda nods. “Can you stand there? As a model?”

  “Sure.” Vicky walks around the table and stops in front of the back door.

  I peer through the windows in the annex to check on the crows. “One, two… four… six, seven. They’re all there; they can’t see you.”

  “Good.” Ginda sizes Vicky up and starts to move her hands and fingers.

  She looks as if she’s playing the piano and doing magic tricks at the same time. With every movement, vines, stems, leaves and flowers appear. Slowly, she guides them into a human shape. The vines form the outline, and she colors the figure in with the rest. Skin-colored leaves for the head and hands, black flowers for the clothes.

  “That is brilliant,” Kessley whispers.

  I silently agree. The figure next to Vicky is an exact copy of my girlfriend but made of plants.

  Kess hops from one foot to the other. “This is going to work!”

  Ginda drops her hands and takes some more deep breaths.

  Vicky reaches out to her. “Are you okay?”

  The chlorokinetic witch smiles wearily. “A little tired, but fine.” She stretches her fingers a couple of times and moves her arms around. Then she cracks her neck and rolls her shoulders. “I’m ready.”