The Unmaking (The Rayne Whitmore Series Book 1) Page 5

  I want to look at Selene to see if she is just as petrified as I am, but I can’t tear my eyes off of this… Demon. I say the word in my mind and know the truth of it. The feel of evil radiates off of its being. I can almost taste it in my mouth, so potent is its energy. Then, It walks over to my sister and leans over her body. I see one of its mouths start to open and…

  There’s a scream, sharp and breaking me from my frozen state. “No!” I barely register that the scream comes from my body before I realize that I am no longer in the closet and the Demon is no longer focused on Jasmine. Its soulless, sightless sockets are now focused on me. Another mouth opens in a disgusting gurgle and I find my resolve quickly evaporating. I nearly fall over from the terror I feel as the Demon takes a step towards me. However, before I faint, fall over, or worse, Selene jumps in front of me, arms stretched out, and palms glowing.

  She looks back at me and speaks softly as if there are other people she doesn’t want to hear her words, her voice filled with power and sorrow, “I’m sorry Rayne, I didn’t want you to find out like this.” Her hair starts to flow around her in an invisible wind and the air around us starts to crackle.

  I take one step back away from Selene and barely notice that the Demon has done the same. Then, a low growl escapes one of its mouths just as Selene slams her hands together, creating a boom and something that can only be described as a large burst of energy that engulfs the entire room. I fall to the ground, covering my head with both hands, as pieces of the ceiling collapse all around me.

  The avalanche of debris pauses and as I begin to regain my footing, I see that Selene is the only one of us standing. Part of me wonders if it is she that I should fear. There are goose bumps on my arms and tiny drops of blood running down my forehead. Quickly, I wipe it away, just in time to see the thing rush Selene with a speed that should be impossible for something of its size. Selene barely has enough time to register what’s going on before the thing is on her. Yet, somehow, she manages to dive away. I feel my heart beating forcefully, threatening to escape from my chest as I watch this scene unfold in front of me.

  Popping up swiftly, Selene opens her hands once more and begins to speak quickly and quietly. It isn’t quick enough and I can only watch as the Demon descends on Selene again with the power of a Mack truck. I hear the crunch of Selene’s body hitting the wall before my mind registers what I just saw: Selene’s eyes going wide, her arms bracing herself, and her lips moving before the Demon lands a blow so hard that it causes Selene to fly into the wall, pieces of wood splintering everywhere. When I see that Selene is unmoving, I break from my stupor.

  She doesn’t deserve to die here; this isn’t her fault. My sister died trying to protect me and here I am simply watching as Selene is dying in front of my eyes, trying to shield me as well. How could I tell her that I loved her and yet do nothing? If we aren’t going to make it out of here alive, then I might as well fight for the little time I had left. I run towards the Demon despite the stench of death it is carrying, screaming my lungs out for It to stop. I did not want it to take another step toward Selene who was now struggling to move even an inch.

  “No! You son of a bitch, you murdered my family, but I won’t let you hurt her too.” I stand my ground despite the fact that my bowels were threatening to release at any moment. I stand my ground despite the fact that the floor starts to shake with every slow step it takes after turning back towards me.

  I try my best to slow my heart beat, to find some peace in the last seconds of my life. I take one more look at Selene and my heart is relieved to see her sitting up. She mouths some words to me, but they take a second to register. By the time they do, the Demon has closed the gap and slices my left arm from the shoulder to my wrist before I manage to get out the way.

  I scream in pain as a burning sensation like nothing I’ve ever felt in my life settles in. The pain is so overwhelming that I want to rip my own arm off so the pain will stop. I nearly black out from the pain. Hesitantly, I glance at the damage and see bone. I can still somehow move my arm, but it wouldn’t do me much good. I know that I won’t be able to last against something that can slice me open at any second. Selene’s words hit me again as I do the only thing that I can think of to save at least her. ‘Buy me time,’ she said. Praying to God that this works, hoping that the Demon will choose to follow me, the easy prey instead of Selene who clearly knows how to defend herself. I crash through the second story window, glass pieces cutting into me, roll off the roof and land on the hard ground underneath.

  Another scream rips through me as the thing slams down on my ankle. The crunch itself of broken, shattered bone is enough to have me dry heaving as my back arches from the impact and pain. I don’t remain that way for long as It grabs me by my throat, all three mouths opening at once. I kick and wiggle as much as I can as pools of tears roll down my eyes. I know I am in danger of passing out at any second and as I fight, I wonder why it doesn’t just finish the job quickly.

  Then, I stop struggling and choose to fight the battle another way. If the Demon is going to kill me, I am going to stare it down for as long as it takes for it to be finished. I will no longer give this thing the satisfaction of watching me struggle helplessly. The only thing that is left for me to do is defy it. I just hope Selene understands my sacrifice and makes it out of here. Alive. Then, I will rejoin my family in the next life.

  One of its mouths closes and I feel the Demon’s grip on me loosen, but still, I don’t stop my death stare. Out of one of the other mouths, a long, jagged tongue snakes out and slices against my face. I hiss in pain, but don’t stop staring. The Demon hisses in frustration and shakes me. Then, as if I’m painful to touch, it drops me to the ground. The gurgling noise that it made earlier becomes louder and begins to sound painful. Looking between the Demon’s legs, I find that Selene is standing behind the Demon looking like a vengeful goddess.

  The monster falls to the ground, body smoking. The stench of death is thick in the air as its flesh begins to sizzle. I hear Selene taking closer steps to the monster, and speaking words, at least I think they are words, quickly. Her hair is floating, the front of her shirt torn, exposing part of her bra, and she is trying to compensate for a limp. That same spark I saw in her eyes when Damien burned his hand earlier today is there again and I know, this time, I’m not imagining things.

  “Taloq Rukem, mocre balim, jaloq yrvik,” over and over she repeats. Her voice becomes louder and I realize that it’s because she is standing over me protectively, her back now towards me. My vision comes and goes and I have to blink repeatedly in order to stop seeing double. Soon, there are no more screams.

  “Shh,” I can hear her cooing to me. “Rest now. I will keep you safe.”

  I try to sit up, but the pain is overwhelming my senses. Dizziness is the least of my worries as the adrenaline begins to leave my body. It ignites a firestorm of pain unlike anything I’ve felt before. As my consciousness fades, I make an attempt to call out to Selene. Then, darkness swallows me.

  Chapter Six

  Despair, confusion, anger, fear, pain. I feel all of these at once as I make an attempt to open my eyes, but become afraid of what I might find when I do.

  “You’re safe Rayne. I promise. Please, come back to me now.” I can hear the pleading in her voice and I want to feel sorry for her, but I can’t because, I remember. I’m the one who just lost everything. For a second I stop breathing. I don’t even remember how to inhale air into my lungs.

  Still, I choose to open my eyes and find that even though the only light in the room is from the drawn curtains, it still takes an effort for my eyes to adjust. Then, I become thirsty, very thirsty as if I’ve swallowed a gallon of sand. I start to open my mouth to ask for something, but as if she’s reading my mind, Selene tilts a cup to my mouth.

  “Here, drink this.”

  I close my eyes again and take a sip from the cup, only to spit out the bitter tasting liquid, now knowing the truth of it all, that Selene in
tends to poison me.

  No, no, that can’t be right. My mind is foggy and I can’t shake away the clouds of confusion. I love Selene, she wouldn’t harm me.

  But the world may have other plans. Who said that? I don’t remember.

  Frustration, hatred, defeat. It all floods my heart.

  “I’m sorry Rayne. I keep screwing up. I should have told you what it was before you drank it. It is water laced with a special Brazilian medicinal herb. It will numb your pain,” Selene explains.

  Which pain will it numb? Certainly not my missing heart that has left a black hole in its place, swallowing me. I’m left empty.

  “Just water,” I demand, my voice raw and raspy, sounding nothing like me.

  Selene nods and leaves the room. When she comes back she is holding a sealed water bottle in her hand and makes an effort to show that it has not been tampered with. I drink the whole bottle and then we both sit quietly, her waiting for me to speak. The clock on the wall’s ticking sounds like a drum beating against our silence. I observe the room finally and discover that I am not in the hospital as I first assumed.

  The room is a normal bedroom, plain and empty of anything but the clock, bed, and a nightstand. I also see that I am not hooked up to any monitors. Yet, when I look at my left arm, recalling my injury, the slice down to the bone, I see that it is bandaged and the pain decides to make itself known all over again. Although, what I’m feeling now is nothing like the pain from last night. I don’t even want to think about my ankle which I don’t seem to feel at all. Weird.

  Tears fall freely down my face and Selene starts to reach for me but stops. Good. I don’t want to be touched, to be consoled, I just want my life back. Impossible, I know, but it will take a while for my mind to grasp that my entire world has exploded so much that there may never be any pieces left to pick up. I don’t even know where to begin, so many questions go through my mind and they may have answers that I don’t want to hear.

  Fuck it. What can be worse than the horror I just witnessed?

  “Is it dead?” I surprise myself when the question falls out of my mouth. I guess hatred is the first emotion to rule.

  “I’m sorry Rayne, but I wasn’t strong enough. That’s why we’re here, in hiding,” Selene answers me sadly.

  “Hiding?”

  “Yes. We are in a safe house that Damien arranged. I was able to contact him before the police arrived. He knew what to do in case something like this happened and he has bought us your safety.” The answer only creates more questions.

  Angrily, I spit, “What the hell are you Selene? And what do you mean in case something like this happened? What do you know? Does this have something to do with what’s going on between you and Damien? How can I trust you after what I saw you do? What did I see you do Selene?” I want to cry but I can’t. I’m afraid and confused and I have more questions that need to be answered.

  Selene takes a deep breath and I see that tears are threatening to fall from her green eyes as well. “Never in a million years did I think I would have to be the one to tell you this Rayne. I think I know what your father wanted you to know but was afraid to tell you. I will get to that in a minute, because you’re right, you need to know what I am.”

  With a sad smile that I was getting too used to seeing on her face, Selene admits, “I am witch born, Rayne. Next in line to be high priestess of my people. The magic is my birthright.”

  I look over at the empty water bottle, examine the top for tampering, and read the label slowly. Surely, she found a way to lace it with something. I can tell when I look back at Selene that she knows I don’t believe her. She continues anyway.

  “There are things Rayne, that you cannot begin to understand. Accept it and you will be stronger because of it. You saw that thing and you saw what I did to it. Do not doubt the power of others simply because it is new to you.” A compelling argument, one that as of now, I can’t dispute.

  “So if you are, ‘witch born’, as you say, what does that mean and what was that, thing?”

  “You know what it was. I can see it in your eyes.” She crosses her arms, determined.

  “Demon. It wasn’t just a monster, it was a demon,” I say automatically, knowing the truth in my words, again. Evil. Filth. Destruction.

  “You are correct. And from what I understand now, it wasn’t just any demon, it was a Devourer. It was sent, no, summoned there for a purpose, clearly revenge. Devourers feed off of three things and that is why it has three mouths: flesh, fear, and souls. As for why it was sent, I will get to that later. I know this is too much to take in, but believe me; I will help you and protect you now more than ever. Now that you know what I am, I can do that to the fullest,” Selene assures me even though I don’t know if I’m ready to believe that.

  “As for what it means to be witch born is simply as the name suggests. I am not a normal human that dabbles in magic. We true witches are our own race. We can have children with normal humans, but the magic may or may not pass on. When true witches have children with other true witches, our children will always be witch born. I control the magic inside me and the type of power I specifically possess, I get from the elements.”

  I rub my forehead as I process this information and Selene gives me a small smile before continuing.

  “Others may be healers, necromancers which are those who can speak with or even control the dead, seers who can see somewhat into the future or even more, or someone simply able to convene with nature and animals. There are many witch born talents just like people who can swim really well or jump really high. But, our gift is limited only to that power we are born with. I will never be a healer for example, but the fact that my power is elemental means that I am vastly much stronger than many others.”

  Selene’s voice rises in excitement as she scoots forward in her chair, brushing some unruly strands of her silky hair back with her left hand. “This is why I was supposed to be a high priestess and why my father wanted me to marry Sergio. He too was a witch and he was an elemental like me. Our type is probably the most common even though it seems as if we’re special, but the strength comes from how much magic we can hold, our chakra or chi if you will. I am special because of those limits. In sports terms, most elementals would be considered sprinters, but I would be more of a cross country runner,” Selene admits.

  Relief flows through her as she finally tells her secret. I believe her. I see the truth in her words. Even if I didn’t believe her, the ball of light she’s now forming in her hand would be enough to convince me.

  I also caught something she said. “What do you mean was? What is Sergio now?” I ask curiously, for a second, forgetting about my own issues.

  She puts out her light ball and says, “Now, he’s dead. I couldn’t tell you this before Rayne, but there’s another reason I understood your father. After Sergio raped me, I told you that I had escaped on my own. I did, I escaped only because I killed him. No, that’s not true. I could probably have escaped without killing him, but I just didn’t want to at the time. How he made me feel, what he did to me, I had to make him pay. I needed revenge and I delivered it to him myself. He drugged me so that my chi flow was disrupted, like the flu for a magic user, but my body burned the poison out much faster than he’d imagined. That mistake cost him his life.”

  I pause at that thought. Revenge. It comes full circle to me now. My dad’s researchers were taken and tortured, he got revenge on that man, that man who had a look in his eyes that was evil and wrong. I was afraid of him because I knew immediately that he wasn’t normal. He had to be ‘other,’ maybe not Demon and maybe not like Selene, but he was something. I can feel it now and I become more fearful as the truth finds me on its own. No, not on its own, my eyes were forced open.

  Revenge. This is all a destructive cycle that must have begun to moment my father built his reputation by doing the unthinkable. My father tortured and killed that man and then whoever he worked for sent that Devourer to our home to murder my fami
ly. Daddy had to know about witches and demons, certainly Damien did and that’s what he was hinting to Selene about. That’s what he wanted to tell me. When my dad said to the man something about ‘his kind’ I didn’t know what he was referring to, but now I know. That man wanted something of my father’s that he wasn’t willing to give up and now they were all dead because of it. I would be just as dead if I had been home, if I wasn’t so angry with my father that I stayed the entire day hiding out at Selene’s. I shudder at the thought, not necessarily thankful because I would switch places with Jasmine in a second if I could.

  I barely lean over in time to vomit in the trash can on the side of my bed as I picture Jazzy lying dead on the floor with her throat slashed, that thing, that Devourer coming back to feed on her flesh. The way my mom’s broken body had hung out the window, neck broken sends chills through me. How many times had I vomited in the past few days? I start to hyperventilate and I want to run away and hope that I can outrun my pain. Before Selene can come to my side, I fling the cover off of me and try to stand up, completely forgetting that my ankle is broken.

  Immediately, I fall to the ground and let out a scream similar to the one last night when I felt my ankle being crushed.

  Selene lets out a curse and then lifts me up, back on the bed. Next, she empties the now full trash can in another room before coming back to sit beside me, upset. “That damn healer told me that you shouldn’t be in pain like that anymore. I’ve been giving you the damn herbs everyday like he said!”

  “What do you mean every day?” I ask accusingly, panting as Selene tries to make me comfortable. Then she reaches for the drink she gave me earlier. This time, I drink it without spitting it out even though it tastes like dirt.