Chapter 20 #2
“Like what?” Olivia tilted her head as she studied him, and when he turned his gaze back on her, his dark eyes were serious.
“I’ve been having the same dream for a while now,” he told her.
“Deep in the woods, in a clearing much like you described but covered in snow, there is a man staked to the ground in the circle with his chest torn open, and his heart has been removed. The tree in the center of the clearing is surrounded by a burning star.”
“A burning star?”
“A shape,” he clarified. “Burning along the ground.”
“Do you mean a pentagram?”
She flicked through the book she was still holding and held up an illustration of one.
“Yes, that’s it.” He nodded. “The tree splits open, and a man claws his way out of the ground, and when he speaks, it’s Nathaniel’s voice. It never made any sense until now.”
“God.” Olivia blew out a breath. “This is so far above my pay grade.”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind,” she muttered. “I’ve just never had to deal with the concept of real live demons before, and now I find one is intimately tied to my family, and not just my family, but yours too. This can’t be a coincidence.”
“You know what we need to do, don’t you?” Theo’s gaze tracked to the window.
“Yes,” Olivia replied reluctantly. “We need to go into the woods and get a look at the Hollow.”
“Although,” Theo watched her contemplatively. “Maybe you shouldn’t venture out into the woods again. Whatever is out there has already tried luring you in. I could call Jake, and we could—”
“Don’t even finish that sentence,” she warned, her eyes flashing. “I may not want to go out into the woods, but I damn well will. Apparently, this is my family’s mess to clean up.”
“Not just yours,” Theo returned, just as resolutely.
“Fine then,” Olivia snapped. “Both of us.”
“Get your boots on, I’ll be right back.”
When Theo finally reappeared, Olivia was already wearing her winter boots and coat and was pulling a warm hat over her ponytail.
“Where did you get that?” Her eyes widened when she saw he was carrying a gun.
“Jake,” Theo answered, pulling his own coat on.
“Do you even know how to use it?”
“He showed me this morning.” He tucked the weapon into his coat pocket.
“Oh.” She studied him for several long seconds before finally shrugging. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he repeated slowly. “What does okay mean?”
“It means okay.” She rolled her eyes. “Just try not to shoot anything important. You know, fingers, toes...me.”
“I would never harm you.” He followed her out of the door, shutting it behind them.
“Relax, Theo, I was joking.” Olivia smiled, pulling her coat tighter. “God, it’s getting cold. We’ll have snow before long.”
They looked at each other in silence, her innocent remark reminding them both of Theo’s dream. Folding her hand in his, they hurried down the porch steps and across the sparse grass.
“Are you ready?” Theo asked as they paused at the edge of the woods and glanced at the huge ancient trees.
She nodded, squeezing his hand in assurance before they both disappeared under the huge canopy of half-bare trees.
The ground was littered with a carpet of colorful leaves that crunched underfoot with every step.
For Olivia, it was like stepping straight back into her childhood.
Apart from the night she had stumbled drunkenly across Adam Miller’s body and the night she had wandered in a dream-like trance, she hadn’t set foot inside the woods since she’d returned home.
The rusty, slightly damp smell was familiar and oddly comforting. She’d allowed the murders and her own fear to change her love for this place into something darker, but the truth was these were her woods and that would never change.
They moved forward warily, deeper into the trees, but nothing seemed amiss.
The stillness was punctuated every now and then by the ripple of leaves falling or the rustle of small creatures burrowing into the undergrowth.
A bird’s cry echoed high above them, but they didn’t pause or slow down, knowing that soon they would lose the light, and they definitely didn’t want to be caught there after darkness fell.
The closer they got to the clearing, the quieter the woods became; Theo felt the hairs at the nape of his neck rise. Suddenly, the tree line opened, and he got his first look at the clearing.
The Hollow speared up from the center, twisted and cruel looking. The ground itself was nothing but hardened mud. Olivia was right, nothing grew here, not even a stray weed.
“Look at this,” Olivia called to him.
She stood in front of one of the trees encircling the clearing. Pulling away some of the moss covering the thick trunk, she traced her fingers along the markings carved deep into the bark.
“These are wards.” She moved to the next tree and found another one. “And they’re old, very old.”
“Are they here to protect the circle?”
“No,” she decided. “More like the other way around. They were designed to keep something in the circle from getting out.”
She stroked the bark of the tree and closed her eyes. She could feel the low thrum of power surrounding the clearing. It was weak but still there.
“You said that Hester sealed the devil’s trap with her own blood?”
Olivia nodded. “Blood magic. It’s very old and very powerful,” she replied. “Even I don’t have the skill necessary for something like that.”
“Do you think Hester placed these wards on the trees?”
“I would imagine so.” Olivia glanced into the center of the clearing, her gaze falling on the dead tree. “Is there really a demon locked in there?” she murmured.
“Let’s take a closer look.”
“Theo, no!” She reached for him, but it was too late. He had stepped across the line.
“What?” He turned back to look at her.
She opened her mouth, but a sudden growl had her eyes widening in alarm. Both turned, their eyes scanning their surroundings, but they couldn’t see anything. The growl came again, closer and more chilling. Theo grabbed Olivia’s hand and yanked her close to his side.
“RUN!”
Holding hands tightly, they darted into the woods.
Olivia tried to steer them through the trees back toward the house and the safety of her protective wards, but every time they turned in the right direction, the growling was in front of them.
It didn’t take long for them to realize they were being herded further and further away from the safety of the house.
They finally broke through the tree line and came to a grinding halt.
Far from home, they were standing at the edge of a sheer drop down into the icy waters of the lake.
The shoreline had obviously eroded over time, causing earth to tumble into the water, leaving no easy way down.
Sharp, jagged rocks just below the water’s surface also meant they couldn’t jump.
Turning back, they watched a shape emerge from the woods.
It rippled like a mirage in the dying light The growl was deep and menacing as the churning mass coalesced into a solid form.
Theo’s eyes widened and he pushed Olivia behind him, drawing his weapon and releasing the safety.
“Another hellhound,” Olivia gasped.
The beast took a slow step toward them, like it was stalking them.
Theo raised the gun and aimed. Olivia’s heart pounded wildly in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins like fire.
There was a strange, tinny ringing in her ears and a feeling of detachment washed over her.
She felt as if she’d stepped outside her body and once again left her emotions behind.
Now able to view the perilous situation with a clinical indifference, she became aware of someone standing behind her.
“Metal and gunpowder will not harm it,” a familiar voice murmured in her ear. “It is a creature of the Hell dimensions, and only a weapon of Hell can stop it.”
Olivia turned, her gaze falling on the beautiful form of the goddess Diana. She was dressed the same as when she had appeared to Olivia in front of her house the night they had encountered the first hellhound. How had she forgotten?
“How?” Olivia’s thoughts drew back to the hellhound as it released another wet, menacing growl.
“The fire, daughter. You called it forth before, and it will heed your call again.”
“I’m afraid.” Olivia swallowed as her heart began to pound.
“Then face the fear.” Diana’s voice echoed in her mind.
Turning back to the scene before her, she was dimly aware of the hound snarling as it rushed at Theo. He fired, emptying his clip, but it didn’t even slow down.
Theo tried in vain to shield her with his own body, but Olivia stepped out from behind him calmly.
“You know what to do, daughter.”
She felt the vast, inescapable power roar through her, and this time she owned it. It was hers. No longer overwhelmed, she welcomed the whip and thrill of it as it surged through her body, amping up her heartbeat.
She felt the goddess place a hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t look back.
Raising her own hands in front of her, she drew her fists apart, and as she did, a bow of pure fire burst to life in her palms. The flames burned deep sapphire blue edged in black, and as she took aim, notched in the bow was a jet-black arrow.
The hellhound leaped straight for her, snapping and growling.
She let the arrow loose, it whistled through the air, and for one brief second, time slowed.
Trapped in a moment that existed between one breath and the next.
The falling leaves caught on the early evening breeze, hanging suspended in the dim light.
The hellhound froze in midair as it leaped.
Theo paused, even as he lunged forward to protect her, and the arrow, blazing brightly with a searing blue flame, made its way through the air, twisting at an infinitesimal rate.
She didn’t see the satisfied smile curving at the corner of Diana’s mouth, but she did hear the whisper deep within her mind as the arrow struck true, penetrating the hound’s chest and spearing its lifeless heart.
Daughter of fire...
Something deep inside her clenched in recognition at the words, even as everything roared back into focus with painful acuity.
The hound exploded, showering the ground with ash.
A wave of blue lightning burst outward, shaking the trees and knocking both Olivia and Theo to the cold, hard ground.
The earth shook beneath them like the aftershock of an earthquake.
As the tremors subsided, Theo stood, pulling Olivia to her feet and checking to make sure she wasn’t injured.
“Are you alright?” he asked in concern, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other hand cupping her jaw.
“I’m fine.” She pulled away and dusted the leaves and dirt from her jeans.
“Olivia.” Theo his brows drew down, his expression troubled. “How did you do that?”
“I’m not exactly sure.” She looked down at her hands, turning them over as if they were different somehow. Had she just been speaking to someone? She had the vague feeling someone had been standing behind her, but the feeling was already beginning to fade like the remnants of a fading dream.
A blue spark formed in her palm. It swirled and churned, pulsing and growing in size.
It felt different from the red and gold fire she usually conjured.
That fire was as familiar to her as the sky and earth.
It was of this world, earthfire. But the seething mass of blue and black flames crackling in her palm was something else entirely.
It came from someplace else, someplace darker.
It was born of magic, and it held so much power.
When she held it, she could feel the eternal vastness of thousands upon thousands of years.
“What is it?” Theo asked in awe as he stared at the writhing blue mass in her hand.
When her eyes met his, he could have sworn he saw the gateway to an infinite number of worlds.
“It’s hellfire,” she whispered.