The Third Sin Read online

  I snort at the thought and the others turn their heads to me.

  “Sorry,” I say, lowering my toast. “Sometimes it hits me how strange this all is. Surreal.”

  Quinn takes a cup of coffee from Vicky without looking at her. “Surreal or not, this is no joke. And if we want to save your mother, we’ll have to hurry.”

  D’Maeo stands up. “He’s right. Your mother is running out of time and we don’t know how long we have before that boxer’s soul is snatched by those sand demons.”

  “Or how long before Vicky gets sucked back into the Shadow World and won’t be able to come back,” Jeep adds.

  Vicky shivers at his words and I shove the rest of my toast into my mouth. “Righ’, le’s go.”

  I halt in front of Quinn and wait for instructions.

  He nods approvingly. “Breaking the spell that makes you forget your premonitions about the Devil isn’t easy.”

  “What else is new?” I mumble.

  “We’ll need to mix your blood with that of a creature from Hell.”

  I let out my breath. “That’s it? No problem. We’ll catch one of those sand bastards, cut it and put our blood together in a bowl.”

  Quinn stares at me without moving. “That won’t work. The blood has to be mixed inside you.”

  Instinctively I back up. “What?”

  Jeep grabs a knife from the table and waves it in front of my face. “He’s saying we have to cut you and make the demon bleed into the wound.”

  Vicky takes my hand. “That can’t be healthy.”

  “It’s the only way,” Quinn says with a sigh.

  I push the fingers of my free hand onto my eyes for a second. “Okay, no problem. I’ve got my Shield to watch over me, I’ll be fine.”

  Maël takes out her wand and holds it out in front of me. “We’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  A smile creeps around the corners of my mouth. “Thank you.” I love how she always manages to whip out her staff at the right time. She’s my Gandalf, only much prettier and better dressed.

  I turn my attention back to Quinn. “So what happens after this blood mixing?”

  “I jumpstart a premonition.”

  In my mind I see him connecting some cables to my mind.

  “It won’t be pleasant,” he adds.

  I pull my shoulders back. “Well, unpleasant is my new way of life. Tell me the plan.”

  Quinn slams a hand onto my shoulder. “We lure a demon here. You guys fight it, but don’t kill it. Leave the rest to me.”

  CHAPTER 17

  It turns out luring a demon isn’t very hard. We leave Mona at Darkwood Manor with Mom and drive to my house. It looks nice and quiet, as if nothing has ever happened here. But that doesn’t ease my nerves anymore. I know now that evil can jump you from any direction at any moment, even when you’re prepared. There are different means of protecting yourself, but also many ways to break through that protection. At least I have my Shield with me now and an angel.

  We get out of the car and Jeep points at the front door. “Time to trip over the threshold again, Dante.”

  I smirk at him. “You’re so funny.”

  He takes off his hat and bows. “I know.”

  D’Maeo and Quinn step forward and scan the sides of the house, while Maël watches the street behind us.

  I beckon the others. “Okay, let’s concentrate. If you guys hide inside, we might be able to surprise the demon.”

  They blink out of sight without a word and for a moment I’m alone in the street I grew up on. I hear the wind rustling through the trees and the sound of traffic in the distance. Birds sing and the sun warms my face. In my mind, I’m transported back to my early childhood, when Mom was still healthy, Dad was still with us and I had no idea magic was real. Good, quiet times.

  I turn back to the house. Maël is watching me from my bedroom window, her staff firmly in her hand. Although she doesn’t speak much, I feel connected to her just as much as I do to the rest of my Shield. It’s as if an elastic band is tied between all of us, keeping us together, making us stronger as each of our different trades are combined. As much as I would like to go back to a quiet, non-magical life, I don’t want to lose these new friends, either. I guess I’ll have to keep fighting to have it all.

  With a few large strides, I reach the front door, unlock it and walk in, deliberately disturbing the line of salt at the doorstep. I give the door a push with my foot, but not hard enough to close it completely.

  “I’d better pack some clothes to take to Darkwood Manor. And tools, I need tools.” I pretend to be lost in thought as I walk through the house, collecting things I need to stay at the mansion. Meanwhile, I keep one eye on the front door and check for my athame and Morningstar in my pockets.

  “Don’t depend on your battle weapons too much,” Quinn’s voice says in my head. “Your magical powers are much stronger. Use them. But remember, don’t kill the demon.”

  Easy for you to say.

  I drop a suitcase on the couch, carry an armload of clothes downstairs and start folding them. It’s not easy to fake calmness, since adrenaline is pumping through my veins. With every shirt that goes into the suitcase, my heart beats faster. My focus never leaves the energy core in my chest.

  When I’m halfway through the pile of clothes, there’s a rustle behind me. Sand slides between my feet and I whirl around. “Oh, crap.”

  Instead of the one demon we were hoping for, there are two. Their tentacles fill the whole room and their long, muscular arms throw the furniture between us aside.

  “Sure, destroy more of our stuff. Why not?” I slowly close the suitcase and push it off the couch. I still need those clothes if I get out of this alive.

  The sand at my feet catches fire and I jump out of the way, tumbling over the back of the couch. When I push myself back up, a tentacle smashes down. It hits my legs full force as I duck. My knees give in and a strong arm pulls me off the ground.

  “Use your powers,” Quinn says in my mind.

  Oh, right, I forgot.

  The energy is not far away. While I’m dangling upside down between the couch and the sideboard, I summon a bolt of lightning. It glows brightly, making the demon turn its lizard head away. Its remaining three arms grab blindly for my hand, but before they can reach me I release the bolt.

  Everything around me seems to explode and bits of reptile skin rain down on me. The demon howls, but doesn’t let go. It slams me hard onto the floor. Black spots fill my vision and the light in my hand flickers and dies.

  “Guys?” I grumble, fighting to stay conscious.

  There’s a battle cry on my left and the dark shape above me drags me along as it turns towards it. I kick the arm with my free foot, but it doesn’t even notice. It’s slithering left and right to avoid the sword that tries to cut it into pieces. I squint to see who’s holding it. When the black spots subside, I can make out a wrinkled warrior’s face surrounded by gray hair. D’Maeo.

  Somewhere behind me I can hear Jeep yelling instructions.

  I concentrate on my core again and think about ice. The tentacles below me sweep D’Maeo off his feet. As soon as the old ghost is down, the scaled head turns my way and spits sand onto the arm holding me. The sand catches fire, and the flames defrost the part I just froze. I increase the surge of power going into the demon. The flames extinguish and the beast roars. Its tongue shoots out of its mouth and hits me square in the eyes. I shake my head to get rid of the sand that blocks my view, but it doesn’t do much good.

  I feel my body floating through the air and wonder how far I am from getting eaten.

  “Get that sand out of his eyes!” Vicky yells.

  For a moment I wonder why she sounds so panicked. Then it hits me. Any second now the demon will light up the sand stuck onto my face.

  I quickly push my hands against my eyes and let my power surge through them. My head gets colder and colder.


  “Kill it!” Vicky screams. “We can use the other one.”

  The temperature inside me goes up with a jolt.

  Vicky’s voice gets closer. “Hurry!”

  My hands ache from the cold coursing through them. Still, my face gets warmer and warmer.

  “Hold on!”

  I want to answer, but a sharp pain shoots through my left ear. My hand smacks it and the feeling subsides. Suddenly the hand gripping my foot lets go. I tumble face forward into a solid body. There’s a sound of bones clattering and panic cuts off my power. Who did I just land on?

  Cold water washes over me and I gulp for air. The hot sand slides off my face.

  I blink. I’m on the ground. White bones are scattered all around me. A skeleton. Its brother, or sister, is standing next to me with a bowl in its hands.

  A grin turns up the corners of my mouth. “Thank you, Jeep!”

  The skeleton hands me the empty bowl and jumps on what’s left of the lizard demon.

  “You’re welcome!” Jeep calls out.

  Quinn’s voice pops into my head again. “I made a trap at the top of the stairs. Can you lure the demon there?”

  My gaze sweeps the room. D’Maeo and Taylar are on top of the demon that got me. His head is the only thing still moving and the human skeleton has already joined its animal brothers trying to prevent the other demon from escaping through the front door.

  Vicky is dancing in front of it, moving further towards the stairs with every evasive move, while Maël slams the tentacles away from her. Behind the turned-over coffee table, the tattooed ghost is moving his hands at the speed of lightning, making all the skeletons do what he wants.

  No problem, I tell Quinn. Give me a minute or two.

  I sprint to where Vicky is jumping around and duck when one of the beast’s arms almost grabs my neck. “This thing is way too strong!” I open my eyes wide and hope the demon falls for my trick. As I step closer to the stairs, I take Vicky’s hand. “Follow me, there are more weapons upstairs.”

  She pulls back her arm. “Wait, I can hypnotize it.”

  “Okay, but be careful.” I watch her for a few seconds, while a skeleton behind me sweeps a tentacle away before it can hit me in the head.

  “Come on, you ugly thing,” Vicky says under her breath. “Look at me.”

  Ducking every now and then, I follow the demon’s eye movements. Vicky has its attention, but it never looks at her face.

  I pull at her arm again. “Forget it, it knows what you’re trying to do.” I bring my mouth closer to her ear. “We should really go upstairs to get more weapons.”

  Realization hits her eyes and she follows me.

  Halfway up the stairs I pause and look back. “Oh no!” I exclaim, maybe a bit over-dramatically. “Those skeletons are falling apart. We have to hurry!”

  Jeep winks at me before I turn back and I hear bones hitting the ground as he cuts the virtual cords connecting him to the corpses.

  A deep, guttural chuckle rises from the demon’s throat as it launches itself after us.

  The banister creaks as tentacles wrap around it. I pick up my pace and dive around the corner at the top of the stairs.

  Without warning, Vicky is pulled away from me.

  I grab the nearest door handle and brace myself.

  Vicky lets out an earsplitting scream that startles me so much I accidentally let go of her. My back smashes against the door and I wince. Without hesitation I run after her.

  The demon has wrapped her inside its tentacles. The head bends forward to take a better look at her. Slowly the mouth opens and the tongue slips out and touches her cheek.

  I take a step closer. “Let go of her, you ugly bastard.”

  Vicky wriggles in its grasp, mumbling something under her breath. When I summon a lightning bolt in my palm, the demon fixes its gaze on me. Grains of sand jump from its body and make their way over to me.

  But neither of us gets a chance to attack, because Vicky frees one leg and starts kicking furiously. One of her arms slips free and without hesitation she pulls the nearest tentacle towards her and sinks her teeth into it. The demon shrieks in agony.

  The bolt in my hand flickers and dies as I watch my girl rip flesh off and spit it at the beast. She bares her blood-stained teeth at it. Then she bends backwards further than what should be possible and pulls so hard at one of the tentacles that it rips from the body.

  Two arms come done to smash in her head, but she pushes herself up and looks the unsuspecting demon straight in the eye.

  The arms freeze mid motion. Then they slowly make their way to the scaled chest. The sand slides away and the monster moans as its own fingers push their way through its flesh.

  “Vicky, no!” Jeep yells. “We need it alive!”

  She doesn’t seem to hear him, not even when he steps closer and pulls at her arm.

  Her words rise in volume and a chill runs up my spine. She’s speaking a language I don’t understand, but it is one that I have heard many times before.

  I turn to the others standing behind me. “It’s the curse. She’s having a fit.”

  Taylar closes his mouth that had fallen open. “She’ll tear it apart if we don’t stop her.”

  Maël holds out her staff. “I’m on it.”

  She starts to speak quickly and sparks fly from the entwined twigs that form the tip of her wand.

  Vicky’s thrashing slows down. When I carefully step closer, I can see the madness in her eyes. Her fingers are bent into angry claws and her whole body is rigid. I hardly recognize her.

  “No time to waste,” D’Maeo says, as he takes Vicky’s arm and nods at me to do the same on her other side.

  It’s hard to move her, since she’s struggling in slow motion. It feels weird to pull her away from the demon. She’s like a doll whose batteries are slowly dying. Her body is stiff and she’s even colder than usual.

  “Hand her over to Jeep and take blood from the demon’s wound,” Quinn’s voice says in my mind.

  My eyes search for the tattooed ghost. He understands immediately and takes Vicky from me. D’Maeo hands him the hand cuffs.

  “I’ve got about a minute left,” Maël says between chants.

  My breath catches in my throat at the thought of mixing my blood with that demon’s. But I have no choice. If this can help me save Mom, I have to do it. I have to trust Quinn. No time to think.

  I turn, pull my athame out, slice the palm of my hand open with one quick swipe and duck under the approaching monster. It turns its elongated snout inch by inch in my direction, its tongue halfway out of its mouth. Sand sluggishly makes its way out of its pores and towards the gap in its chest. The four arms move down to grab me, but I avoid them easily.

  When the wound is within arm’s reach, I plunge my dagger into it. Drops of blood form a line between the demon’s body and my injured hand. While I wait for it to connect with my blood, I grip my athame tighter, ready to slice the lizard open up to its neck.

  Then a sledge hammer hits me full force and everything around me drops into a black hole.

  CHAPTER 18

  For a moment I’m afraid I ended the world. But when I raise my head, I realize not everything is gone. There’s a flickering light in the distance. Orange lines paint the sky above me. A piercing scream makes me jump to my feet and hold out my athame. Except, my hands are empty. No dagger, and in my pocket, no Morningstar. The wound in my palm is gone.

  It must have worked. I’m in one of my premonitions about the Devil.

  The air is thick around me. Smoke rises from the ground as I start walking.

  Dark shapes rise in the distance, lit by flames. When I get closer, I can make out sharp rocks. Something moves between them. An evil creature with pale claws. It turns its head one hundred and eighty degrees and stares at me through black holes. I ball my hands into fists and keep going.

  With every step it gets harder to move forward. An invisibl
e force leans against me. It gets hotter and hotter on my face and squeezes my throat shut.

  I close my eyes and push with all my might. I picture Mom in my head, smiling at me, moving her feet to the beat of Dancing Queen. Turning my head sideways, I gulp in as much air as I can. With all my weight I push forward.

  Then the pressure suddenly passes and I hit the ground hard.

  A hollow laugh resonates through my body and leaves a chill inside my heart. I know whose voice that is.

  “It’s time,” he says. The words roll through the air like thunder. “No one is going to stop me anymore.”

  Flames rise up high and light a bulky form with pointy horns.

  I grit my teeth. There he is. Lucifer. The Devil. An army of monsters has gathered around him. Their skin hangs from their bones like dirty rags. Their arms reach up to touch their king.

  He looks down on them and growls. “I will prove this prophecy wrong. That boy and his pitiful band of minions are nothing. This time we will succeed and I will rule the Earth!”

  Is he talking about me and the Shield? I haul myself to my feet and walk closer.

  The Devil has turned his back on me. He stretches a long, skinny arm at something. When I move to my right I can see what it is. Or rather, who it is.

  I clasp my hand over my mouth. Mom!

  She’s crouched down on a rock, her wrists and ankles held by claws of flame. They give her just enough room to scramble left and right and avoid the hungry mouths surrounding her. Long dark scratches cover her bare arms and legs.

  The spider demon that took her, the one that caused those marks, is standing tall behind her. It prods her in the back with a hiss.

  She stumbles forward, kicking out behind her. The demon sprays hot pitch on her neck and she shakes her head frantically and screams in pain. Tears run down her cheeks and my chest tightens.

  The huge form of the Devil looms over her, making her tremble.