The Seventh Crow Read online

  I snort. “If you say so. Personally, I think I have exactly the right amount of awesome friends to help me.”

  “Hear hear!” Charlie shouts, and he raises his cup. “Now, can we please order something to eat? I’m starving.”

  We all burst into laughter, and the mood lightens a bit. Slowly, a sense of pride awakens in my chest. Who would’ve thought a simple boy from Blackford, Idaho, would be the one to save us all. I certainly didn’t. But saving everyone is what I will do, even if it means giving my life for it.

  CHAPTER 16

  Darkness seems to fall faster than usual, but I don’t mind. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired. Even my worries are overshadowed by exhaustion.

  Everyone around the table starts to yawn.

  I push my chair back and stretch my arms above my head. “I suggest we all have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I want to go back to that Mahaha girl. We might still be in time to save her. After all, it can’t be easy to let a Mahaha relive her death and make her eat so much it could be called gluttony.”

  Vicky scrutinizes me. I can tell she’s reading my emotions. “You don’t seem worried anymore.”

  I rub my eyes. “Of course I’m worried, but I don’t want to give in to that feeling of desperation anymore. Think of what we’ve accomplished already. Think of what I’m destined to do.” I make quotation marks in the air at the word destined and place both hands on the back of my chair. “It’s hard not to worry, and sometimes I lose faith in our chances to win this fight. But if Quinn believes in me, in us, and God does too… we should trust in that.” My arms are getting tired, so I stand up straight again. “And I think…” I hesitate. “… maybe… maybe we should stop counting only the souls we’ve saved. We’ve done more than just that. We met Charon, made friends in other worlds, beat the Four Horsemen, killed dozens of demons and saved four out of six souls. That’s a lot, right?”

  “It is,” Maël confirms.

  Charlie takes a whole packet of cookies from Mona when she offers him only one. He stuffs the first cookie into his mouth whole. It’s gone in seconds, and he sighs delightedly. “I needed that.”

  Mona chuckles and takes another packet of cookies from the kitchen counter.

  Charlie holds up his finger. “Hey, you know what else is cause for celebration?”

  I smile at the sight of his crumb-covered lips. “Please tell us.”

  “Well…” He pauses when Gisella wipes the crumbs from his mouth. “If you compare what we achieved to what Satan did, it sounds even better.” He holds up one hand and starts counting. “Okay, he’s got two souls out of six. That’s more than we hoped for, but not nearly enough to get through the nine circles and reach Earth. Other than that, what did he get?”

  “Mom, Jeep and D’Maeo,” I say.

  Charlie shakes his head. “No, he didn’t. We don’t know if the Black Void, or chaos residue, or whatever you want to call it, was working for the Devil. I’m not sure those things ever obey anyone.”

  I nod slowly. “True… but─”

  “No buts. Even if it was working for him, we got D’Maeo back.” He gestures at the old ghost. “Jeep was captured by Shelton Banks, who is probably working for the Devil, but…” He points two fingers at the tattooed ghost. “We got him back too! And Trevor has your mother, but he won’t harm her.”

  I bite my lip. “No, but Lucifer will.”

  He grins at me. “Not if we get her back first.”

  I stare at him for several seconds before I respond, “I like the way you think. I always told you, you should become a motivational speaker.”

  He throws his hair over his shoulder dramatically. “I know. I’m awesome.”

  Gisella pushes him, and his chair almost tips over. “Hey! I wasn’t finished yet.” He wipes a stray lock from his forehead. “Where was I?”

  Kessley leans forward on the table. “You were talking about what the Devil got, besides two souls.”

  “Right. So, he’s got two souls, your mother─if he gets really really lucky─and he killed an angel, and maybe got three angels on his side. That’s it.”

  A sharp pain shoots through my chest at the thought that he may have gotten to Mom already. “That’s still more than he should have gotten.”

  Charlie’s face clouds over. “I didn’t mean to make it sound insignificant.”

  Briefly, I close my eyes. “I know. And you’re right. He hasn’t gotten much success up till now. And that’s what I meant. We need to focus on the bigger picture. We’ll keep trying to save as many people as possible, but the fight won’t be over if we lose another soul, or even two. Although I would prefer if we didn’t.”

  Jeep rubs his tattoos, more out of habit than need, I think, since there are no more souls trapped inside. “I’m proud of how much we’ve accomplished already. And don’t forget the pixies and trolls we killed at Shelton Banks’ house, and how much you’ve helped all of us with our struggles. Thanks to you, we’re all a lot saner and happier, Dante.”

  I feel a blush creeping up from my neck. “I didn’t do any of that on my own.”

  “Yes, you did,” Maël interrupts. “You helped me find peace with my past. So thank you.”

  I think back to our trip into her memories and realize she’s right. I did do that on my own. “Well, you’re welcome. I’m glad I could help.”

  Charlie walks over to me and slaps me on the shoulder, sending crumbs everywhere. “You should become a therapist.”

  With a snort, I wipe the crumbs from my clothes. “No, thank you. I’ve seen enough shit to last a lifetime.”

  “I hear you, man. Listen, I’m going to crash at home. My mom was complaining about how little she sees of me. And Gisella is going home too anyway.” He salutes me with half a grin. “Stay safe and call if anything happens.”

  “I will.”

  They say goodbye to the others, and I walk them to the front door.

  “Wait!” Vicky calls out when I reach for the doorknob.

  I freeze. “What?”

  She apparates to my side. “The crows!”

  I let go of the doorknob immediately. “Oh, right. I forgot.”

  Charlie’s shoulder sag. “So how are we supposed to get home? I’m not walking all the way back from the silver mine, you know. My feet hurt enough as it is.”

  “I can take you,” Mona says from behind us.

  My best friend lets out a sigh, and Gisella looks relieved too. “That would be great.”

  We say goodbye again, and they disappear, surrounded by yellow sparks.

  I walk back and lean against the kitchen door post. “And now I’m really going to bed. Goodnight.”

  Vicky says goodnight too, and we drag ourselves up the stairs. I’m halfway through taking off my clothes when I collapse on the bed. “You know what? Screw this, I’m too tired to undress.”

  Vicky lifts my feet onto the bed and snuggles up beside me. Her kiss on my lips is the last thing I feel and hear.

  Terrible heat. It burns my neck and cheeks, and if I stand still for too long, blisters form on the soles of my feet. So I do the only thing I can think of: run to find shelter.

  For miles there’s nothing but bare, scorching rock. No trees, no water and no living thing. There aren’t even insects or birds here. Not that I’m surprised. Not much could survive here.

  After what feels like an hour of running, I can no longer go on. My legs refuse to obey any longer, and my heart has gone into overdrive. The heat makes it difficult to think, but I have an idea of where I am. I was here before, although only in my mind.

  I come to a sudden halt and try to ignore the pain in my feet.

  “This isn’t real,” I tell myself. “It’s a dream.”

  Or… No, not a dream. A premonition. Another peek into Satan’s plans.

  As soon as the thought hits me, the pain in my feet fades. Nothing here can hurt me.

  I squint in all directions
in an attempt to find something other than smoldering rock. There’s a shift in the air, a temporary blur, and three figures appear. I recognize all three instantly. The one towering over the other two with a menacing grin sends a shiver down my spine. Satan. He’s in his human form: tall, dark-haired and handsome. The fire in his eyes burns bright as he addresses the man standing next to him, dressed in a familiar burgundy suit that has dark stains all over it. “I’ve had enough of this, Trevor. You have this woman, and still I don’t see any progress. The boy escaped The Nothing, so it’s up to you to deal with him. For good this time. Am I clear?”

  Trevor bends his brown-haired head. “Of course, master.”

  Mom stands beside Lucifer, still with that dazed expression on her face. She barely notices the intimidating figure or the venomous words that escape his lips. I’m relieved to see it, because it means she has no idea what’s going on. Trevor’s love potion–or should I say mine, since I made it–seems to be a blessing in disguise. Not only does she feel no fear, Trevor also makes sure she won’t be harmed.

  But that thought is quickly crushed when Satan grabs her arm and turns her with her back against his chest. She responds with nothing but a quick intake of breath while my stomach is turned upside down and every part of me freezes. I no longer feel the heat, yet sweat trickles down my spine.

  Satan brings his hand to Mom’s throat and forces her chin up. “If I’d known your son would cause me so much trouble, I would’ve made sure he was never born.”

  Trevor shifts his feet uncomfortably. “I can still beat him, master. We’ve trapped him before; we can do it again.”

  The Devil sticks out his forked, black tongue. It glides slowly over Mom’s cheek, and I ball my fists. If I was really here, I would knock him over and rip his heart out. If he even has one.

  But I’m not, so there’s nothing I can do except watch and make sure I remember everything.

  Trevor’s growing unease pleases me. I was right to trust him with Mom’s life. He’ll do whatever he can to keep her safe. I just hope it will be enough.

  Satan buries his nose in Mom’s neck. “No fear at all. How boring.”

  I bury my fingernails so far into the palm of my hand it would bleed if this was real. I let out a cry of frustration and wipe the sweat from my forehead.

  Lucifer lifts his head and sniffs. He lets go of Mom so suddenly that she stumbles. Trevor catches her and strokes her arm before shoving her half behind him.

  The Devil grows even taller. The scales under his skin become clearer, and horns grow from his skull. He turns his head and breathes in deeply. “He’s here. I can smell him.”

  “Who is?” Trevor asks carefully, following his gaze.

  “That damned boy.”

  I smother a cry with one hand and duck at the same time. He can sense me? How is this possible?

  Trevor changes into his stone form in the blink of an eye. “I’ll take care of him.”

  Lucifer leans closer to him, his horns touching the top of Trevor’s head. Smoke rises from Trevor’s skull as the heat from Satan’s skin turns his hair to ash. “Consider this your last chance.”

  “Yes, master. I won’t disappoint you.” After another bow, he turns and drags Mom with him.

  Satan slowly changes back into his full human form. “Oh, and Trevor?” he says sweetly.

  The earth elemental comes to a sudden halt. I can see him sucking in air before he turns back to the ruler of Hell. “Yes, master?”

  “Use everything you’ve got to trap the boy. Your crush too.”

  Trevor’s shoulders go rigid. “Crush, master?”

  “DON’T PLAY ME FOR A FOOL!” Satan bellows, turning red all over. He takes two steps closer, leaving burn marks on the rocks. “You think I haven’t noticed your sickening love for this woman?”

  Trevor gulps. “Eh…”

  “I’m the king of Hell; you can’t hide anything from me.”

  Trevor bows his head. “Of course not, master. I never thought I could. I… I mean I didn’t want to─”

  “SILENCE!” Lucifer is suddenly only inches from Trevor, and he grabs Trevor’s ear between his fingers. Smoke rises from it as it turns bright red.

  Trevor moans but manages to stay still. I almost admire him for it. “Make sure you use these. Now, listen carefully. I’ll repeat it one more time.” He lets go and waits for Trevor to look up at him. “This is your last chance to take care of the boy. If you fail, you will suffer for eternity, and you will take your crush with you. Do you understand?”

  For the first time I see Trevor trembling. His teeth even chatter a bit.

  “Do you understand?” Satan repeats.

  “I understand, master. I will make you happy.”

  “You have served me well up till now. I would be sad to lose you. And I don’t think you’ll like me very much when I’m sad, Trevor. Especially not if you’re the one responsible for it.”

  Trevor shakes his head. “Yes, master. I mean, no, master. I won’t make you sad.”

  “Good.” The Devil straightens up. He pats Mom, who has been standing next to Trevor like a statue, on the head gently. “Use her to get the boy, and I’ll see what I can do to keep you together.”

  Trevor bows deeper than humanly possible. “Yes, master. Thank you, master.”

  “Go. He’s close. This could be over before the end of the day.” Lucifer cracks his knuckles and grins. “Everything will soon be ready for the last phase.”

  He disappears in a cloud of red smoke, and Trevor breathes in and out a couple of times. He touches Mom’s cheek gently. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She smiles her hypnotized smile at him and bends over to kiss him.

  That’s when I can’t stand it any longer. I veer upright, shouting, “Hey! Get away from her!”

  There’s a weird echo, and Trevor’s gaze turns to it. The corners of his mouth move up to form a content grin. “Well well, looks like Lucifer was right. You are here.”

  I watch as my future self walks up to him with big, angry strides. He stops two feet from Trevor and Mom when steam rises from the ground.

  “Break the spell on my mother and give her back.”

  Trevor is still grinning, but even from a distance, I can tell he’s not happy. Sadness falls over him as he turns back into his human form. “I will.”

  My future self recoils. “What?”

  Curious and now confident that they can’t see me, I creep closer. Now I can see that Trevor not only looks sad, but also tired, exhausted even. He doesn’t seem as confident and strong as he did the last time I saw him.

  “You heard the master, didn’t you?” he continues. “I’ve got orders to do whatever it takes to stop you from interfering with our plans. I’m to use Susan to get what he wants.”

  “So you’re going to hurt her?” my other self asks incredulously.

  “Of course not,” Trevor huffs. “She means the world to me.”

  “Then why are you dragging her through Hell and forcing her to like you?” Dante makes quotation marks in the air at the word ‘like’.

  Trevor lowers his gaze and sighs. “I was so desperate to have her. To spend time with her. I wanted to know what it felt like to be loved back.”

  The other Dante crosses his arms. “And what did it feel like?” The smug expression on his face leaves no doubt about the expected answer.

  “Good and awful at the same time.” Trevor’s voice has become hoarse. He rubs his forehead. “I know I was wrong, and I hope she’ll be able to forgive me one day.”

  My other self is as stunned as I am. What has happened to the cold and cruel Trevor we know? Has he come to his senses, or is this a trick?

  “Whatever,” future Dante says, coming to the same conclusion I do. “Do you really think I’ll fall for this? There’s not a decent bone in your body. If there was, you never would’ve put that spell on Mom or kidnapped her, and you nev
er would’ve sided with the Devil.”

  Anger flashes across Trevor’s face, his dark eyebrows knit together. “You can think whatever you want, Dante, but I really love your mother. Taking her and influencing her was wrong, I admit that. We all make mistakes sometimes. Me working for Lucifer is not one of them. My master is powerful,l and he can make the world great again. Earth will be cleansed, and only the truly strong ones will survive. It is the only right path.”

  Dante snorts. “Are you serious? You think wiping out most of humanity is the right thing to do?”

  Some of Trevor’s attitude returns as he straightens his back. Part of his face turns to stone. “The human race is the foulest of all. We ruined the beautiful things that God made; we have no respect for any form of life. The world will be a better place with less of us around.”

  I nod and so does my other self. “True,” he says. “But now that all of those people are alive, you can’t just kill them. How does that show respect for life?”

  Trevor shakes his head impatiently. “You don’t get it. If we get rid of the biggest part of human kind, we will save countless other species. Plants, animals, Earth itself. It is how God intended it.”

  Dante raises his hands in despair. “I don’t get it? Listen to yourself! If God wants us all dead, he would kill us himself. I bet he could do it with one twirl of a finger. So why doesn’t he do it?”

  Trevor sighs dramatically. “God has grown soft.”

  “Right.” Dante taps his foot on the rock in front of him. “So you join his arch enemy. Sounds logical.”

  Trevor presses a hand against his forehead. The stone parts turn back to normal skin. “Look, we don’t have to agree on this. Let’s just agree on the need to take Susan somewhere safe.”

  My other self tilts his head and narrows his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not falling for any of your tricks. If you want to fight me, fight me. If not, get out of my way.”

  Trevor’s mouth forms a straight line. His hands ball into fists. I want to hurry over and snatch Mom away from him, but I know I can’t. I’m only a spectator here; I can’t change anything.