Necromancer Legacy - 23. Static

They met again in the other dimension. The first thing he noticed was an unusually thick blackish fog shrouding their makeshift battlefield. Even for this place, it was extreme. Nick could see, with a tightening of his chest, that there were many people in the other group—definitely fifty, maybe more—but he couldn’t make out their faces clearly.

Despite the fog, he could discern the outline of the shimmering white river in the distance. In Hell, the light never came from the sky. It was backwards; the light always seemed to be emanating from the ground. Right now, the white powdery ground glowed dully, allowing Nick to see the depth of the valley, and the way Liv’s army stood, in five rows of about ten people each in neat lines behind her.

The river seemed agitated. Roaring, its pearly waters overflowed onto the bank, almost licking the feet of the people standing farthest back.

Nick’s focus was sharply brought back to his own, much more modest group as suddenly one of the smaller wolves ran off. Nick recognized Hazel’s silvery coat. She’d been frightened by something. Well, Hell could do that to a person—or wolf, apparently. But still, he’d warned them about sticking together no matter what. Damn it.

Nick was quick to react, and he was the first to catch up to her, before she could get too far. They rolled over in the white dust, the wolf pinning him down with her legs.

“Hazel,” he said very calmly, trying to ignore the fact that she was snarling at him with really intimidating fangs, “we need to fight, remember? And I’m not the enemy. We need to do this, for Sasha…”

Well apparently that was the key word. Something flickered in her gray eyes and she let go of him. They hurried back together toward their group. Cyan sent them a glance but said nothing. Hazel stayed really close to Nick, like a dog with her owner. Still frightened, perhaps, but determined.

For a moment everything was still. A storm was coming. They could smell it in the air. It was like electricity crackling all around, waiting to burst at the seams. Nick thought he heard thunder roaring but it was faint.

Then Louis revealed himself from the shadows—elegant in a flawless, slim navy suit—stepping forth until he stood in between their two groups.

“What are you doing here?” Cyan asked sharply.

Nick jumped slightly as suddenly Cyan unfolded his massive feathery wings in a flash of pure gold. Like the ground, Cyan’s wings, too, seemed to glow with a pale light.

“I shall be the referee,” Louis answered. His voice was calm, his French accent discernable but not thick—like it was calculated.

Cyan made a tsk noise, that probably only Nick heard. Instead of granting Louis with a reply, Cyan unsheathed his long, sharp silver blade.

Liv and Lucas emerged from a cloud of dark fog, flanking Louis’s sides. Liv stood tall, her brown curls wild and free, her dark blue eyes like icy daggers. She pointed at Shay.

“What I want to know is, what is that doing here?”

Shay didn’t answer because, well, he was a fox. But he seemed to glow with renewed energy. There was a warm, bright aura about him, and he clashed in this dark realm. He looked like something that didn’t belong here.

“Very good question,” Lucas added sharply. His wings were deployed as well. They were all black. Like the yin to Cyan’s yang.

There was a sudden roar of thunder. And lightning pierced the black sky somewhere in the distance, beyond the white river. The wolves seemed nervous, and some of them whimpered, but they held their ground. Black fog curled around their legs, but it wasn’t hurting them.

Nick leaned closer to Cyan. “What’s with all the black stuff?”

“That’s Lucas. He likes to create an atmosphere.”

“Charming.”

“Why is there a referee?” Cyan said, much louder. “There’s never a referee. There are no rules.”

“That doesn’t change, mate,” Lucas said. He stood about ten feet away from Cyan, and the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife. “There are no rules. Louis just wanted to be here. He’s our leader, after all, and New York is an important city.”

Nick was craning his neck, trying to locate Sasha among the neat rows of people. But it wasn’t easy. Stupid Lucas with his fog.

He couldn’t find Sasha. Couldn’t see Devin, either. Was that good or bad? Was Sasha okay? Nick thought he saw Zelda, though. She was in the back, easy to spot with her red hair.

Liv’s brothers were in the front row. As the fog diverted around them momentarily, revealing their faces, Nick felt cold as he was struck again by how brain-dead they looked. One was tall and broad-shouldered and the other smaller; Chris and Jamie, he remembered. People who’d once pointed a gun at you had a tendency of leaving an impression.

They both looked like zombies—pale, drained, their eyes unfocused. Brainwashed, just like Liv had done to so many people. And she would do it again.

With renewed spite Nick took out his sword, the dark blade gleaming like black mica even in the darkness. He had to stop her tonight. Had to. The hilt of his sword, with the delicate red snake carved around it, cut into his palm from clutching it too hard. But he didn’t care. He welcomed the dull ache. It calmed him.

“Our leader?” Cyan echoed. “When did that happen? I wasn’t asked to vote.”

“Vote for whom?” Lucas retorted, spreading his arms almost as wide as his wings. “I don’t see any other candidates.”

Cyan’s stare was like steel. “I can think of one,” he said.

Lucas’s face was an unreadable mask. “I’m sure you can,” he mused.

Another roar of thunder came. This time, the wind rose with it, cold and harsh and carrying the smell of rain.

Louis jabbed an accusing finger toward Shay, much like Liv had done before.

“It should be against the rules. He shouldn’t be here. These fights ought to be more rigorously regulated, and I will not stand for—”

Cyan and Lucas spoke at once. “Shut up, Louis.”

Louis went quiet.

“There are no rules,” Cyan said again in a lower voice. He leaned in to speak to Nick. His light blue eyes looked straight ahead, as clear as Nick had ever seen them. “This is life or death, mate. Don’t screw up.”

“I won’t.” He clutched his sword with both hands.

Lightning stroke once more, momentarily basking the entire valley in a vibrant, terrifying light. And with it came the rain, pouring hard. Louis hastened to walk away, surely so he could stand and watch from a distance.

As though moving on instinct Shane and Riley slowly came to flank Nick’s sides, raising their swords clumsily. They were placing his life before theirs, weren’t they? Nick’s heart tightened painfully. What if something happened to them? That was on him. He was no better than Liv. The thought gripped him suddenly, making his chest ache with renewed intensity.

“This ends now,” Lucas said to Cyan, speaking loudly to be heard over the sudden downpour.

Cyan stepped forward, wielding his sword, his blonde hair matted by the rain. “I know you hate me. But is all this really necessary? Shouldn’t we settle this just the two of us, like in the old days?”

Was there some kind of last minute guilt laced within Cyan’s words? Nick’s heart leaped with a desperate hope that maybe all this could be averted.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Cyan.

“Tell me the truth, Lucas,” Cyan added, “what is this really about?” His tone was almost pleading.

But Lucas wasn’t answering.

Nick’s heart sank; Cyan’s pathetic effort was too little, too late. This was happening. Nick couldn’t believe he’d dragged Shane here. This wasn’t a video game. This was real.

Liv raked a sneer over Cyan. “Not everything is about you!” she snapped.

She raised a hand, shouted something over the rain, and her army stirred.

It was starting. Nick’s gaze darted about, searching for Sasha again, but he couldn’t see him. The wolves, their restlessness almost tangible, leaped forward, growling and snarling, all fangs and claws.

Everything happened fast—as fast as the lightning that pierced the sky, closer to their battleground than ever before.

As the wolves started to clash with the first row of Liv’s army, Nick was gripped by despair. Granted, the wolves were strong and fast, and Liv’s army seemed to consist mostly of normal people rather than trained fighters, but still, the wolves were ridiculously outnumbered.

But then, just as some of the wolves bit into flesh, and some others got kicked and even stabbed at—seemed some of Liv’s people had weapons—Shay broke into a sprint. In a flash of red, the fox circled Liv’s army and stopped abruptly as he neared the river. Before Nick could start to wonder what Shay was up to, a terrifying wall of fire soared out of nowhere in front of the fox, its flames pure red and orange, casting a vibrant glow across the valley.

The fire leaped at least six feet high in the air and it started to expand into a greater wall that ran swiftly, cutting across Liv’s army. Nick’s eyes widened as the zombie-like people screamed and flailed, trying to run away from the fire. The wall of flames formed a circle, closing near the river, and Nick couldn’t help but smile as he realized that at least half of Liv’s people were trapped inside it. Nick wasn’t clear on how long Shay could keep this up in this rain, though. This was their chance.

Liv was swiftly ordering some of her guys to attack Shay. “The fox!” she exclaimed. “Get the fox!”

But as they tried to do so, flames rose around Shay as well, and Liv’s guys backed away, frightened.

Neither Lucas nor Cyan seemed aware that all of this was happening around them. They met in a clash of metal, their wings making them look like an apocalyptic painting from another era.

Even with Shay’s magical flames, Nick’s side was still outnumbered. The wolves had to fight at least five people each. Shane and Riley got separated as the battle reached them.

Nick snapped out of it abruptly as Chris and Jamie teamed up against him. Blinking rain away, Nick raised his sword. But he was too slow. The tall, dark-haired one—Chris—punched Nick in the stomach, hard, and the shock of the blow made his sword slip from his grasp. Breathless, Nick reached for the sword but the ground was slippery and he fell. Jamie’s sneaker kicked the sword further away before Nick’s fingers could close around the hilt.

Merciless, Chris kicked into Nick’s ribs. Sharp pain lancing his side, Nick tried to twist away from the next attack and get up, but he’d forgotten about Jamie.

Jamie grabbed his neck in a hawk-like grip and pushed him back against the ground in a splatter of rain. Jamie’s boyish face was emotionless as he tried to strangle him. Nick couldn’t breathe. Chris towered over them both, watching dispassionately.

Nick’s slippery hands pushed at Jamie’s arms but they were like steel closing around his neck. He was choking.

‘You need my help.’

It was that voice in his mind. Nick was suddenly brought back weeks ago, what seemed like a lifetime ago, before all this had started. ‘Your brother never used it. Will you?’ It was the same voice.

Nick shuddered. But he gave in all the same. He needed to breathe, he needed to live.

‘I can give you so much power.’

Yes. He needed it. He was desperate.

Something stirred inside him, like doors opening up in his mind where there had only been walls. At first it was painful, but then it felt amazing. Like an adrenaline rush. He closed his eyes for a split-second, saw red, and when he opened them again, time seemed to slow down.

Suddenly precise and strong, his fingers closed in on Jamie’s arms like claws, and he was pretty sure he heard a wrist bone snap. As Jamie yelped in pain, Nick broke free, breathing in deeply. Ignoring the pain in his throat, he rolled to the side and leaped up in one fast motion. Nick grabbed Jamie’s shoulders as his knee collided into his stomach, hard. A somewhat shocked look in his eyes, Jamie staggered back, gasping for air.

Chris tried a roundabout kick but Nick saw it coming and brought up a quick hand to stop it mid-motion. He yanked at Chris’s leg and threw him against Jamie. They both fell in the mud.

Nick pushed dark wet strands of hair away from his eyes and turned away from them. Catching a flash of shimmering black steel from the corner of his eye, he went to pick up his sword.

As he looked up, he saw Liv. She strode toward him, with two others dragging along behind her.

The rain fell hard, yet Shay’s flames still soared fiercely, crimson, orange and yellow, coiling high in the air and basking the battlefield in a reddish light.

Around Nick, wolves growled and bounced, and people fought back, or cried out and fell. Nearby, Lucas and Cyan sparred while shouting angrily at one another.

Somewhere behind Nick, one wolf let out a pained whimper. Worry gripped at Nick’s heart. Was the wolf okay?

Someone screamed in pain, and the blood drained from Nick’s face as he recognized Shane’s voice. Nick started to spin so he could try to see where Shane was but Liv closed the distance between them.

“Nicholas,” she said simply, her clear voice snapping him out of it.

He took a fighting stance, raising his sword, his gaze focusing on her. But he barely noticed a few details about her—her slim red jacket, her dark curls matted and straightened by the weight of the rain—before recognizing the faces of the two standing behind her.

Sasha and Devin. Devin looked perfectly healthy. Sasha—not so much.

“What did you do?” Nick asked.

Nick’s eyes met Liv’s, and she stared right back, a smile dancing across her face. Her irises were a rare shade of blue, with turquoise flecks in them. She was beautiful. Only she looked ugly to him.

Something was different about her. Nick could feel it and it made him falter; some kind of warm, bright aura. Something that didn’t belong to her.

His heart racing, Nick forced himself to glance at Sasha. He leaned heavily against Devin. Nick noticed Devin had both his hands, but they were hidden in gloves. Sasha wore ill-fitting clothes, he had dark circles under his eyes, rashes on his skin, dry lips, tangled hair. He looked broken, empty, like a ghost of his former self. Devin’s arm around Sasha’s waist made Nick wince inside.

They had stolen all of his powers. They must have. Nick clutched his sword so tight that he couldn’t feel his fingers anymore.

“Sasha’s been very generous,” Liv beamed. She opened a palm and a small flame appeared. But it got killed by the rain right away. “Well, I still need some practice,” she amended, sniffing. “Lucas insisted we should have a bit of,” she waved her hand about, “atmosphere. Very cliché, if you ask me.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Nick said.

‘Take more power,’ the voice urged in his mind.

So he did. It rushed through his veins like electricity. His sword was like an extension of his arm; he wasn’t aware of where his arm ended or where the sword began. He was in perfect control, and his mind was clear.

It was like everything surrounding him vibrated to a slightly different frequency.

He moved fast—his entire body, every muscle, every nerve synchronizing into the attack—raising the blade and then slashing the air, and just as he was about to cut Liv’s throat, he stopped and pulled back. And he breathed out, shocked.

At the last moment, Sasha had slipped in front of Liv to protect her. The tip of Nick’s sword had grazed Sasha’s neck.

Nick raked his gaze over him. Sasha’s eyes had lost their brightness completely. He wasn’t himself at all. He was brainwashed. Gone. Standing a little farther back, Devin flashed a content grin.

“He won’t let you hurt me,” Liv chimed. The thunder roared, and Nick thought he could feel the ground shaking. Liv continued: “Why would he?” Her red-tipped fingers stroked Sasha’s arms almost lovingly. “I saved him. He owes me his life. Don’t you know how this works yet, Nicholas? Look at those two fighting over there. They don’t have to be here. But they are. For you.”

Nick was afraid to follow her glance. But he did, turning away from her briefly. Shane and Riley were back to back now, outnumbered. Six ragged-looking people surrounded them, closing in on them. Nick’s friends were panting, and hurt. Riley still had his sword, but Shane had lost his somewhere along the way. Zombies or not, the people surrounding them were clearly getting ready to finish them off.

He couldn’t let that happen.

Spinning on his heel, Nick faced Liv again, and moved bluntly; he just grabbed Sasha by his shirt and threw him to the side. Looking all offended, Devin rushed to put his arms around Sasha, fussing over him. Liv’s startled expression—almost comical—revealed that she hadn’t expected Nick to do that, and that was precisely what he was counting on.

Still, when he swung his sword at her, she managed to twist herself away and the sword only tore her red jacket. Nick wasn’t the only one who could move fast.

In a split-second she was behind him, and as he whirled he caught her reaching for the gun at her belt.

Nick was faster. He caught her wrist in his fist and crushed it. She yelped and dropped her weapon.

“I fucking hate guns,” Nick said.

But she had another weapon at her belt. A knife. She took it out with her free hand and plunged it in Nick’s stomach. His eyes widened in shock. She pulled back the knife, as though getting ready to strike again. Nick felt cold. The shock was replaced by pain, and the pain was worse.

‘Doesn’t matter. Take more. All of it. Give in completely. Don’t look back.’

Yes. His heart started beating faster, and faster. This time he felt like he was about to burst. The pain vanished. Everything else was slow and clumsy. Even Liv. As he looked at her he knew he could do this. He could move faster than he could think. She seemed to misinterpret his reaction; she probably thought he was too hurt to make a move. Instead of attacking again, she just nursed her bruised wrist, looking annoyed.

And, Nick thought wildly, screw that bullshit about his non-dark-angel blade not being good enough to kill her. He would make it good enough.

As he sliced the air with his sword he saw black and red flames licking the dark blade. Liv barely even had time to be surprised. He slashed her chest. Then he drew back and pounced again, stabbing her in the heart. Her lips parted as though to scream but only blood came pouring out.

Something moved in Nick’s palm, so he loosened his grip on the hilt. The red snake came to life and started to slither around the blade, the dark flames disappearing like the snake was feeding off them. The snake then jumped to Liv’s neck, wrapping its scaly form around it to strangle her. Choking in her blood, she fell down to her knees. Nick let go of the sword.

Liv looked up at Nick one last time, and everything seemed to fall silent around them; the wolves stopped growling, the clash of metal was interrupted, people held their breath. But Nick didn’t look away from Liv. She had an incredulous look in her eyes.

The snake curled back around the hilt, static, like nothing had happened. Nick’s shaky fingers slowly closed around it and he pulled the sword back. Blood gushed out of Liv’s wound as she dropped, lifeless. The puddles turned to red.

Like a domino effect, the rain stopped, everyone went very still, and Shay’s flames subsided, plunging the battlefield in near darkness.

Nick swallowed hard, looking down at his sword. He felt like if he tried to look elsewhere, he would be overwhelmed. So he just focused on his blade. It was red with blood now. Drops of blood formed at the tip and fell like red tears on his boots.

He didn’t want to look, but he looked anyway.

Liv’s body. It was gone.