And then, to add to the noise factor, flame woman decided to let out a deafening wail.
Aleesa screamed as she jumped to her feet, in a fearful panic. Aislin’s eyes and my eyes snapped wide as Aleesa took off running through the cemetery heading for the iron gate.
I glanced from the flaming woman to Aislin, hesitating, wondering if Aislin needed me or if I should go chase Aleesa down.
“Go get her!” Aislin cried, her hands out to the side of her, her eyes locked on the flame woman. “I’ll be fine.”
I casted one last look at the flame woman and then I was on my feet, charging through the night, my DC’s hammering against the ground as I zigzagged around the headstones dotting the graveyard.
“Where did she go,” I muttered, searching the darkness as I ran. Then, I spotted her climbing over the fence, and I sped up, running faster than I ever thought was possible. With one quick leap, I was up and over the fence.
For a split second, I stood there stunned, blinking back at the fence I had just jumped over. Did I seriously just do that? I shook my head—that was beside the point—and scanned the road to my left, then right, but nothing. No Aleesa.
Crap. Okay, if I were Aleesa, where would I go? I had no idea how to answer my question, so I took off to my right, since it was the way to the house. As I barreled around the corner at full speed, I slammed into something that almost knocked me to the ground. I shook off my stumble, figuring it was Aleesa. But when a looked up, my heart stopped.
He was tall, with skin as pale as snow, his eyes as black as the night sky. He sized me up with his dark eyes and then smiled.
My heart stopped.
Sharp, shiny fangs.
A vampire.
Chapter 21
“Why, hello there?” The vampire purred, stepping toward me. He was dressed head-to-toe in black and his bleach blond hair was gelled back. The scent of rust and salt flowed off him. “I think I’ve ran into a bit of luck, haven’t I.”
Luck. Just what kind of luck was he talking about?
I started to back away. But the vampire followed my movement, taking a step toward me every time I inched back, as if we were dancing. He pushed up the sleeve of his long-sleeve black shirt preparing to do who knows what to me. My jaw dropped at the Mark of Malefiscus tracing up the back of his hand. Same mark, different spot, but I’m sure it meant the same thing.
First the witch, Medea, and now a vampire. The Mark of Malefiscus was showing up everywhere.
“Didn’t you know that wandering around at night is a dangerous thing?” He nodded at the cemetery gate. “Especially at a place like this.” His fangs glinted in the moonlight and his eyes were as dark as death.
I needed to do something and quick to get myself out of this situation. I could Foresee my way back to the house, but what kind of person would I be to bail on Aislin like that. I racked my brain, trying to remember how to kill a vampire. Stake to the heart? Yeah, I didn’t have one of those. But I was a Keeper now, so there had to be a way, right? I found myself thinking: what would Alex do in this situation?
Before I could conjure up an answer, the vampire lunged for me, and with one swift movement I kicked him right between the legs. Okay, that probably wasn’t what Alex would have done, but it worked. The vampire collapsed to the ground, and taking advantage of his momentary weakness, I moved to jump back over the fence. But the vampire grabbed my ankle and dragged me back down. I tripped forward and smacked my head onto the iron fence.
I saw stars and not just in the sky. I blinked. Focus, Gemma. Foresee your way to Aislin.
I shut my eyes and focused on the graveyard, but then the vampire sank its teeth into my leg. Without even thinking, I grabbed a nearby stick off the ground, turned and stuck it in the vampires back. Blood. Ashes. More Stars. Alex. Then, blackness engulfed me.
I woke up with a killer headache and my leg burned so badly it felt like it was on fire. It was light outside, the sun sparkling warmly against my back. How long had I been out?I pushed myself up to my feet and immediately shut my eyes against the stingingly bright light.
“Do you see it?” A muffled voice asked.
I squinted behind me, looking for someone in the light.
“Look for it, Gemma” the voice urged. “Look past the light.”
“Dad?” I asked. “Is that you?”
Silence.
“Hello,” I called out, taking a blind step forward.
“Gemma,” the voice appeared again. “Focus your mind…see past the light.”
This time I knew the voice was my dad’s. I focused my eyes, only to be blinded in return by the light.
“Open your mind,” he commanded. “Let it see what it needs to see...let it see past the obvious”
It reminded me of a page in the Foreseers book, about the mind showing me what I needed to see in times of great need. I let my eyes relax, along with my body, and let my Foreseer power take over. The light shifted dark, and then flickered like a strobe light, before fading away completely.
I was standing in the center of main street in Afton. It was dark and shadowed with a heavy fog, and the buildings, which once had life, were dead and broken and burning with fire. The sky was black, the moon full. Painful cries filled the cold air and there was the smell of death nearby.
A vampire darted past me, fangs out, eyes black, the Mark of Malefiscus on his arm. He moved up to a figure that stepped out of the building’s shadows. The figure’s dark hair matched his dark eyes and the fire that blazed up and down the street lit up the scar on his left cheek.
Stephan.
“Good work,” Stephan said to the vampire, his eyes glowing like coals in the bright orange glow of the fires. “I see this is all working out.”
The vampire hissed through his fangs in delight.“Just as you wanted.”
Stephan glanced up and down the streets, smiling at the chaos. “Yes, exactly as I wanted.”
The picture slowly faded and I stood there waiting for my dad to speak again.
“Do you understand, Gemma?” His voice floated all around me. “Do you understand what this means?”
I shook my head. “I thought the world ended in ice, not fire…Is this before the Death Walkers freeze everything over? Is this when the witches, vampires, and fey come out?”
“You have to understand,” he said. “You need to prepare yourself.”
Why did he always have to tiptoe around the details? “Dad, I don’t get what you’re saying…I don’t get any of this. Why did I see the world ending in fire…And how am I supposed to get into the mapping ball you gave me?”
The light flickered and I drifted away.
“Dad,” I called out, willing my mind to stay longer. “Please tell me what to do…I need to know what to do.”
“You will know in time,” his voice echoed after me. “You have to figure it out on your own. Just remember to let your mind see what it needs to see….let it see passed what’s in front of you.”
Before I could say anything else, I was gone.
Chapter 22
When I opened my eyes again the sun was ascending over the mountains, and sparkling the valley with hues of pink and orange. I blinked against the morning sky as I pushed myself to my feet. There was no sign of the vampire anywhere, but a pile of black ash stained the gravel.
I stretched out my back and headed across the cemetery to look for Aislin, trying not to think about the disturbing image I had seen, or my father’s unsettling words.
Aislin ended up being exactly where I left her. She was gathering up her candles, looking rather pleased, which I took as a good sign that maybe the spell had worked.
But when she caught sight of me, her pleased looked slipped into a frown. “You didn’t find her.”
I gave her a funny look. “Who…Oh! Aleesa.” I shook my head. “I completely forgot.” I turned around, preparing to leave to go search for Aleesa.
“Wait, Gemma,” Aislin called after me. “Why is your leg bleeding?”
I glanced at my leg, scarred with the bloody marks of vampire fangs. Then I let out a heavy sigh and told her what happened.
“So you saw the streets burning and my father was there?” Aislin asked as we walked the streets, looking for Aleesa.
I nodded. “I almost wondered if, you know, it was like the prequel to the ice vision I saw—the one in Vegas where the streets were empty and frozen over…I’m not sure though….especially since my dad said I needed to prepare myself.”
Aislin let out a shudder as we crossed the street. “God, what if that’s what it means—what if that’s what actually happens.
“I don’t know…But, if anything, seeing that makes me want to get into the mapping ball quicker.”
We hopped over the curb and started across the park’s lawn, hoping to spot Aleesa.
“I don’t think she’s here.” Aislin sighed worriedly. “Where would she go?”
I shook my head, worried about Aleesa too. She was so new to everything and I feared something might happen to her. But I was also worried about what my father had said—that I needed to prepare myself.I mean, was he doubting I could save the world? I let out a frustrated sigh. Why couldn’t he just give me a straight answer?
“Who is that?” Aislin asked.
I followed her gaze to a car pulling up in front of the park. “Ah, crap.”
Aislin’s face dropped. “Wait, is that your car?”
It was indeed a Mitsubishi Mirage. The door opened up and Alex stepped out, looking pissed. At first I thought it was because we had snuck out of the house, but then I saw a pair of bright yellow eyes peer at us from the passenger-side window.
“Did you two lose something?” he asked, his hands tucked in his pockets as he walked across the lawn toward us.
Aislin let out a guilty laugh. “Where did you find her?”
Alex shook his head, annoyed. “She came running into the house, screaming at the top of her lungs.” He paused in front of us. “When I got her to calm down, she told me you two were at the cemetery and that there was a crying fire woman there.”