“Galina, it’s us!” Benchley bent into the car to hug her.
“Oh, Benchley!” Galina cried out. “I remember you!”
Samantha yelped as the ground lurched under her feet, knocking her into the car. Jeff grabbed her. They both lost their balance and fell to the blacktop.
“Oh, shit!” Baptiste exclaimed, hands held out trying to keep his balance as the road trembled.
Samantha and Jeff fought to get to their feet just in time to witness the remains of the interstate falling into the massive chasm opening beneath it.
“Get Galina out of here!” Samantha shouted at Benchley.
“I want to fight!” Benchley protested.
“No! Go!” Samantha shoved the big guy. “You have to get her away from here.”
Benchley’s mouth twisted in frustration, then he nodded. Grabbing Galina’s arm, he heaved her into his arms. The blood from Cian granted him strength and swiftness he didn’t usually have. He rushed toward the van.
Alexia drew her pistols out of her backpack and took a deep breath. “We’re going in, aren’t we?”
“Yeah,” Jeff sighed.
“I’ll see you down there.” Samantha closed her eyes, summoning her powers. Her magic instantly spread out from the core of her being and filled the air around her. The sparkling mist of her magic was a comfort amidst the bedlam. She summoned the ghosts to her side and felt them rushing to answer. When she reopened her eyes, they were glowing white with tiny black specks spiraling within them.
“Sam, wait!” Jeff cried out.
“I love you, babe, but I gotta get down there. The Summoner fucked up by not killing me. I’m The Phasmagus and I’m about to show him what that means.”
The rush of spectral beings zoomed over the cars like a milky-white fog and caught her up in their arms. Riding the crest of the massive wave, Samantha was swept up and over the crashed cars.
The gigantic crater below was filled with darkness and death, but Samantha wasn’t afraid anymore. The Summoner couldn’t control the ghosts, but she could.
The sparkling wave of phantasms descended into the sink hole carrying her into the darkness.
The Mayan temple was nothing more than a ruin. It had been swallowed long ago by the earth. Maybe it had been sheltered in a cavern all that time, but now it lay exposed to the fine rain falling from the storm clouds above. The walls covered in glyphs and elaborate stonework lay in shambles. The heads of stone serpents were broken in pieces, but a few still snarled at the base of the remains of the temple.
Crumpled cars littered the floor of the cavern. Bodies lay broken all around the temple, blood oozing along the rocks and pooling in the dirt. None had hit the desecrated temple, which didn’t surprise Amaliya. The black magic of the sword would protect everything but the human innocents.
Their descent was in silence. Much to Amaliya’s relief, the sword had released its hold on her and allowed her freedom of movement. She knew she could not strike out yet, or else she would meet with failure. Amaliya clutched Bianca to her side, supporting the smaller woman. Clearly overwhelmed, tears streamed over Bianca’s cheeks. Failure weighed heavily on both of them.
Amaliya couldn’t use her necromancy or The Summoner would seize her power and use it against her. That left her vampire abilities to fight with. It made her feel weak, but she trusted herself. She could and would find a way out of the situation. Plus, she had seen Cian, which meant the others were coming to help her fight. She had hope, which was enough to keep her walking into the dark behind her creator instead of foolishly trying to flee.
The Summoner strode before them. Etzli behind. The witches, demons, were-jaguars, infused humans, and elemagus finished off the procession.
The Sword of Lucifer soared over the center of the broken temple and illuminated the ruins with its golden radiance. The top of the building had broken away, but a flat surface remained.
The slope that the elemagus had formed was firm beneath her, but Amaliya kicked off her heels anyway. The dirt was frozen beneath her feet. Everyone always associated black magic, demons, and Lucifer with flames and heat, but all she felt was a marrow-deep cold.
When they reached the base of the temple, The Summoner easily scaled the broken steps rising to the platform. Amaliya followed. Keeping a tight clamp on her necromancy, Amaliya focused on her desperate, but only plan.
A giant serpent hewn from stone lay in pieces in the center of the temple floor. The head was massive, with a gaping mouth and ornate stonework creating elegant, gruesome designs over its surface. The sword hovered just above it. The black witches strode ahead of the group and took their positions in a circle around the head. Raising their hands to the sword, they began to chant.
“Bianca,” The Summoner said, extending his hand to her, “it’s time to usher in the new world.”
With a whimper, Bianca lowered her eyes understanding now what her fate was to be. “I knew it. He always wanted just you, Amaliya.”
“No, you can’t.” Amaliya protectively shoved Bianca behind her.
The Summoner’s blue eyes focused on her, cruel and demanding. “Amaliya, we discussed this.”
“Get the girl,” Etzli ordered from behind Amaliya.
Amaliya twisted about, snatched Etzli’s bone dagger from her waist, and slashed her throat in one swift movement. Etzli gasped in shock, her fingers gripping Amaliya’s shoulders. Amaliya was aware of the others descending on her, but ignored them. Thrusting the dagger into Etzli’s heart, she shoved the woman to the ground. The shock on Etzli’s face was satisfying, but not as much as the feel of her heart clutched in Amaliya’s fingers.
“Bye, bitch,” Amaliya hissed.
Amaliya yanked her hand out of the woman’s chest and shoved the organ into her mouth. She swallowed the bloody thing as the were-jaguars hauled her away from Etzli’s body.
“No!” Gregorio cried out, falling to his knees beside Etzli.
Blood dripping from her mouth, Amaliya smirked at The Summoner.
With an angry howl, he grabbed Bianca, who was staring in shock at Amaliya.
Etzli’s blood power surged into Amaliya a second later. It took her a few seconds to find the red thread of Etzli’s power mingling with her own, then Amaliya summoned all the blood from Etzli’s body. In a mighty gush it exploded out of the hole in Etzli’s chest and splashed over Amaliya and the six were-jaguars clutching her. Taking advantage of their shock, Amaliya wrenched free of their slippery grip. The blood soaking the were-jaguars turned into a supernatural vice as Amaliya attempted to utilize Etzli’s power over blood. The were-jaguars thrashed about in an attempt to break free of the blood encapsulating them while Amaliya struggled to contain the vampire blood magic. Etzli’s power was foreign to her, but Amaliya was good at winging it. She finally yanked the red thread of power taut in her mind’s eye and was rewarded when Etzli’s blood tightened around the were-jaguars and popped them like ticks. As their destroyed bodies fell, Amaliya kicked Gregorio down the stairs of the temple and he vanished into the rubble.
The murk lit up with a red glow and the demons turned toward Amaliya, their hands aflame.
“Shit!”
To her surprise, Aimee landed in front of her and the witch lobbed balls of white magic at the demons. They immediately scattered. Cassandra appeared, silver knives flashing as she fought her way through a cluster of Etzli’s vampires charging up the broken stairs toward them.
Then Cian was there, handsome, fierce, and armed with his obsidian dagger. She wanted to drag him into her arms and kiss him, but she had to save Bianca. She raced toward the serpent’s head where The Summoner was attempting to hold down Bianca and Cian followed in her wake. Bianca had bought them some time by actually fighting against The Summoner. The slender girl battled savagely, kicking and punching, and to Amaliya’s relief, was not using her necromancy.