24. Chapter 24 #3
The container was empty. Neither his face or the cold link told her whether he asked because he wanted to know if she was finished or doing okay. Her heart sank, tears blurring her sight once more.
Click.
Red lights filled the room. Kate spun around as the wire to the bell thumper pulled tight. No! She jumped to stop it.
The thumper struck Lucifer’s Bell.
A chilling timbre vibrated through Kate—low and high frequencies, clashing minor and major notes—and locked her muscles in spasming pain, worse than any taser she’d ever experienced. She groaned, tears pricking at her eyes as the notes seemed to rip and warp the very fiber of her being.
Silence.
Kate collapsed, and something banged against metal behind her—Raz and Caige both falling to the floor. Were they possessed? Raz’s face was red while Caige rubbed his head.
“What the fuck was that?” Caige hissed.
“Lucifer’s Bell.” Raz climbed to his feet first, stumbled to the Bell, and snapped the metal thumper in half.
Kate released a breath of relief. Right.
Dragons can’t get possessed by demons either.
But if a human like Sajani had been in here—was that red light a warning for her to run?
She eyed the entrance where multiple pairs of ear protection lined a wall.
Sajani had warned her that everyone had to wear hearing protection when they came into this room because of the Bell.
She’d forgotten in her haste to help Naomi.
Kate rubbed her arms, hoping to move the itching sensation crawling along her spirit and skin.
“That’s pure fucking torture,” Caige said.
Naomi lay on the bed, body stiff and her fists clenched. Nausea burned in Kate’s throat as she said, “Matsuda must have started using it against Naomi when he learned that it hurts the Fallen to hear it.”
He just tortured her because she probably refused to do something for him like he’s been doing for fifty years. A heavy silence filled the room as if everyone had come to the same conclusion.
“You guys good?” Raz asked.
“Sure,” Caige said, shakily standing.
Kate heaved herself back to her feet and nodded. “Can someone pick her up?”
Caige rushed over and gingerly swept her up into his arms. Naomi’s hands grew lax as he carried her bone-like form to the coffin. Then he froze.
“Someone’s coming,” Caige whispered.
“You guys all right?” Danielle’s voice floated down to them. “I saw the alarm for the Bell go off.”
Kate jumped over the coffin. She can’t see what we’re doing!
Danielle stood in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Why aren’t you wearing earplugs?” Danielle stumbled back through the entrance and grabbed the door to lock it behind her.
“No!” Kate launched forward and grasped the door’s edge. Metal crushed her fingers to metal. Searing pain shot up her arm. She screamed. Danielle released the door and ran down the hall.
Kate used her good hand to pry the door back open and bolted after Danielle. Pounding footsteps against metal followed Kate.
“Stop, Danielle,” Kate yelled, cradling her hurt hand as she ran.
Danielle glanced back, face beading with sweat. “Fuck you, demon.”
Danielle’s fear didn’t surprise Kate. According to Sajani, the last accident with the Bell summoned demons that took possession of the humans onboard, and they killed each other. But Kate wasn’t a demon—she was a Fallen.
As Danielle rounded a corner of exhaust pipes, Kate vaulted over them and tackled her.
Danielle screamed and kicked Kate’s shoulder to free herself.
Kate hissed through the pain and grabbed Danielle’s leg while focusing on her miracle abilities.
Pulling energy from her feathers, she transported Danielle’s mind back through time, just as she had Sajani’s.
Danielle collapsed, her body chilled under Kate’s grasp.
Hardly able to catch her breath, Kate scooted onto her knees and touched Danielle’s forehead.
Her Influence power acted like molasses, barely moving under her coaxing.
But she needed to fix Danielle’s memories so she believed she tripped on her way to the room after the alarm, knocking herself unconscious.
Kate pushed herself, and a lightning pain raged in her head.
Liquid tickled her nose and over her lips as her vision blurred.
“Kate. Stop,” Raz shouted, shaking her away from her concentration. “What are you doing?”
She twisted free of his grip, and dots swam before her vision. “I’m rebuilding her memories.”
“You don’t have the strength for that.”
Wiping at the tickling on her face, she smeared blood across her hand. “I have to.”
“We’ll find another way.”
“I can do this. Just please get Midnight out of here. I can’t fail her again.”
Raz’s jaw clenched, but he nodded.
He was a man of honor, and even if he didn’t know everything about Midnight and thought her a murderer, he wouldn’t leave her behind.
Releasing a breath, Kate continued her work.
Pain flourished across her head and blood trickled down her face.
Kate created the memory piece by piece until darkness took her.