Evil - Tijan Page 0,97
to hold that memory in your mind, and then I’ll send you back to your father’s kingdom. You will fall back to hell, and he’ll never let you return to the ground. That will be your ending.”
Kellan’s growl was deepening, becoming more primal. He was going to act soon, and I didn’t know what he would do. I worried, for the first time scared for Kellan’s life. Sweat dripped down my back, mixing with the cold shivers wracking down my spine, too. My palms grew warm, and I began trembling. The fear was creeping in. I couldn’t hold it at bay any longer.
This was the end. I felt it coming.
“Father.” Damien jerked forward. His eyes were wild, skirting between Kellan and Sachiel. “You said I could return to my family after this.”
“Yes, yes.” Sachiel’s eyes were gleaming as he continued to stare at Kellan, hard. “I will uphold that promise once I’ve taken both of their power.” He swung to Aumae, who froze with her hands in the air. “And I see you brought me an extra treat. Aumae, it’s been so long.”
She had dressed in a black sweater with a hood pulled over. It was knocked off and her hair was blowing in the wind. Her arms froze, blood dripping from her fingertips, and her eyes were wild and dilated like Damien’s. I traced the blood. I couldn’t see where it came from since her sweatshirt was black, but she was wearing a white dress underneath and the ends were red. She stepped forward, and I saw her feet were barefoot. They were bloodied as well, mixing with dirt.
What was she doing?
As I thought that, she spoke in my mind, “You and Kellan hold on to each other. Hold on to Damien as well.”
“What are you doing?”
“Pay me no mind, child. I have loved you like a daughter. I’ll not let this asshole take you away, not until your time is done.” She raised her arms. “And it’s not done, not by a long shot.”
“Aumae?” Sachiel drew closer to her, his head tilting the other way. “What are you doing?”
“You.” She sneered. Her eyes turned black. “You used my sister for another child. You picked her on purpose, knowing she was half-messenger, and then you assaulted her body when you tried to rip your daughter from her womb.”
“He did what?”
Damien moved closer to me, his hip bumping into mine. “Get ready, you guys.”
No. I shook my head. Damien didn’t know something else was going on. The plan wouldn’t work. I reached back and found Kellan’s hand. I felt his tension. He knew my aunt was going her own way. He tucked me behind him.
I murmured to him, “We all have to be touching.”
Kellan nodded, still tucking me behind him.
Damien frowned, hearing me. “What? What are you talking about?”
Sachiel was drawing closer to Aumae. He was curious, but that would shift. Whatever Aumae had planned, it wasn’t good. He would kill her, if he were smart. He’d strike first before she could finish whatever she was doing.
“Kellan.” I thought, “We have to do something. We have to stall him.”
“I know.” Then he spoke up, “You can’t beat us all.”
It worked.
Sachiel turned to us, his back now to my aunt. “Is the begging already starting, demon?”
Kellan growled, actually showing his teeth. His anger was boiling up, but he was keeping it contained. “Without Shay, I’m a full demon.”
“My daughter is three-fourths messenger. My son is half-messenger. Aumae is half herself, and you, yes, I suppose you are almost a full demon. There’s a small sliver of humanity in you. I can see it. It’s like a pumping heart. It’s doomed to turn black within the hour, but even then, you are no match for me.”
“Guys,” Damien said under his breath. “What is going on?”
“I thought you were supposed to drain us of our powers. That was your plan, wasn’t it?” Kellan wasn’t backing down. He moved even closer to my father. I went with him, but clamped onto Damien and jerked him with us.
“What are you doing?” he barked at me.
Kellan ignored us, saying, “But you couldn’t take on my father.”
Sachiel was silent, not moving for a full ten seconds as he stared down Kellan. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“What are they talking about?” Damien whispered to me.
Kellan answered for me, “Calling my father.”
“What?” he whispered again to me. “That wasn’t the plan. Why are you guys changing the plan?”
“The plan?” My father didn’t sound surprised. “So you were going to betray me,