Chapter 21 #2
“No. Except it makes sense. His sister suddenly doesn’t seem to exist. But now he’s interested in Allie? If Lilith was such a big deal to him, why didn’t he come help us the last time Lilith blew into town? He showed up now because Lilith needed him. That’s what I think, anyway.”
“It’s a good theory,” I admitted, remembering that in addition to singing, Mindy worked on the school paper.
Laura looked at Mindy. “So you think that Lilith took his sister, and is forcing Jared to do what she says. Deliver Allie or his sister dies.”
In the chair, Jared closed his eyes, then whispered something.
“Speak up,” I snapped.
“Not dies,” he whispered. “They’ll just keep torturing her.” His voice sounded strangled. “She’s only ten years old. Do you know how long you can torture a vampire before they die? Try forever.”
He lifted his chin, his expression as full of pain as any I’d ever seen. “I’ve always looked after Celia,” he said. “Since I was seven years old. How could I stop after we both got turned? How could I give up on her or force her to make her own way in the world, like some precocious child?”
I didn’t want to believe him. But, damn me, I did. “How do you know she’s being tortured? They’ve shown you? Telepathy?”
“Both. They took me to her once. A room, a long way from here. Dark, but with crystal walls. They had her chained. They cut her. Beat her. They made me talk to her, and then they pulled me out. They left her completely alone screaming for me to come back. To come rescue her. They could leave her for a hundred years. A thousand. She’d go mad. She’d grow weak. But she wouldn’t die.”
As he spoke, Stuart took his hands off Jared’s shoulders, leaving it to Cutter to control the vampire. I wasn’t too worried, but I was curious as to what Stuart was doing, especially when he dialed the phone he’d taken from me earlier.
I pushed down my curiosity, though, focusing instead on how Jared could help us now. Because as far as I was concerned, this vampire was only worthwhile if he provided a way to my daughter and Eric.
“So why can’t you find her?” Laura asked. “You said they showed her to you telepathically, right? So why not use that to find her? Or at least to talk to her and let her know she’s not alone.”
“Crystal walls,” I said. “He can’t talk to her. Can’t find her. Right?”
Jared nodded miserably. “They must open a door when they torture her. The only times I get flashes are when she’s in pain.”
“Help us,” I said, bending down so I was looking straight in his eyes. “Help us find Allie and Eric. If you really care for Allie—and I think you do, Jared—then please, please help us.”
He seemed to fall into himself. “I do care. For her. For you. For Mindy and Eliza.” Behind me, Mindy scoffed. “I swear. But it’s my sister. Can’t you understand that? They’ll destroy her.”
“They’ll destroy Allie, too. And who knows what they want with Eric.”
“Lilith wants a mate,” he said flatly. “Odayne’s gone, but I guess Lilith liked Eric. She wants to park one of her consorts in his human body.”
I cringed at that.
“Where have they taken them?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t believe you,” Cutter said, pressing the point so that it indented his shirt. “I stake you, your sister is all alone.”
Jared closed his eyes. “I can’t.”
“Listen to me,” I said. “Do you really want to be on their side? Allie’s special. Help her. Help her and we will find your sister.”
He shook his head. “There’s no way. You’d never find her. And, yeah, Allie’s special. But that doesn’t mean she’ll win.”
I felt the cold truth of those words, and forced myself not to think about it. “We will win. And we’ll find your sister.”
But Jared just shook his head, repeating, “I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Behind Jared, Stuart held up the phone, and I heard Father Corletti’s voice over the speaker. “He speaks the truth of his sister, mia cara. We received intel that the vampire Celia had been imprisoned by Lilith. Jared, help us and you will have the full power of Forza Scura behind you.”
“How can you find something Lilith doesn’t want found?” His voice shook. “I’m sorry. I can’t let down my sister.”
“So you’ll let down the world instead?” I snapped. “Jared, if Lilith makes her way into Allie’s body, what do you think will happen to this realm? In a year—or maybe just a day—Earth will be the real hell dimension.”
But all he did was dip his head and mutter, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I promised her. I promised my parents. I swore I would always take care of Celia.”
From the speaker, I heard Father Corletti sigh. “The boy must do what he believes is right. In a vampire, that is a rare thing. On that, at least, I do not condemn him.”
“Well, I do,” I said. “He’s sacrificing my daughter and the world. Come on, Jared. Think of the big picture.”
“Katherine.” Father Corletti’s sharp tone caught my attention. “There is still a hope. You must find them, and you must prevent the ceremony.”
“How? Allie’s phone is here and Jared ripped off her necklace.” That was a guess, but from the way he winced, I knew I was right. “My phone isn’t set to track Eric, and we don’t know where they’re going.”
“Lilith intends to move into this world, Kate. I think you do know where she will go. Where she needs to go.”
Of course. The ruins of the Stone Table. An old ritual site that predated the town itself, it had recently become a favorite location for demonic ceremonies. Not only that, it’s where Lilith had tried this trick before.
“How do we stop her? We barely survived last time. Father, I don’t have any weapon to use against a High Demon.”
“There is a way,” he said. “But you must listen carefully. Lilith will need to make the transfer into Allie’s body —once in, she would only need to place her hand on Eric’s flesh to open him up to a demonic entity. You must stop her before she enters Allie or all will indeed be lost.”
“But how?”
“She will need Eric’s blood. Prevent her from bleeding him, and you will stop the ceremony. Once he has shed even a drop, the door is open and she will attempt to come through.”
“Attempt?”
“This is the second point at which you can stop her, though the cost is high. But child, there is not a third.”
I swallowed, then met Laura’s eyes. She looked as scared as I felt, and I saw the way she clung to Cutter’s hand, her other arm around Mindy’s shoulder. In front of me, Jared’s head hung dejected. I was sorry for his sister’s torment—I was—but not enough to sacrifice my daughter or this world.
As he held the phone, Stuart looked at me. Then he mouthed, You can do this.
I closed my eyes, bolstered by his faith in me. I could do it. More than that, I had to.
“I understand,” I told Father. “Just tell me what to do.”