Page 131 of Vervain

“It burns!” Reyes screams.

Serun grunts, and when I glance at him, his shadows peel back, devoured by the light, and his skin cracks.

Almost there. A few more seconds. My magik cleanses Reyes, and I slump back, my powers reduced to a vibration. Reyes rolls to the side once Serun releases his grip, coughing up red blood. Their flaked skin pinches together, healing almost instantly.

“Fuck me, I could use a damn fuck right now,” Reyes groans.

Serun laughs, patting his back. “Come. We should go home. More are coming, and they’re bringing machines to pry the door open.”

As I rise, my heart stirs when I look to the tank Cole floats in. I rest my hand against the glass and breathe, “Sur bonur.”

Nothing. He floats in the tank, and my magik doesn’t come alive.

“Sur bonur,” I say again. “Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur. Sur bonur.” Tears stream down my cheeks with every desperate word, hoping that my magik would tingle at least once.

“Darling,” Serun says, touching my arm. “We will come back for him. My family has already agreed. We will do this together. The slayers and the white coats must be stopped.”

My hand slips from the tank. “Okay,” I croak.

Serun moves me toward a slumped Reyes. He grabs his brother, lifting him until half his weight leans against him. “Use the orb and take us home, Saya.”

I pluck the orb from my pocket, and the small object seems to weigh heavily in my hand. Rolling it between my fingers, I turn away from the tank and the memories of Cole, and towards the wall Serun waits. With the memory of how he did it the first time, I push the orb into the wall. White light blinds me, and I wince at the harshness. It illuminates the room further, revealing torn bodies and blood splatters. And in the corner of my eye, the door creaks open, groaning as the metal bends.

“Kamai, home,” Serun repeats.

Home… The portal opens, and as Serun reaches for my wrist, he crashes to his hands and knees. Reyes falls forward, hitting me, and I stumble into the light. As I twist to face Serun, my eyes widen at the man behind him. Hand lowered, magik pulses from him, and my Blessed’s intense green eyes watch me, a broad grin on his face. “Found you, Saya Claymore.”

Serun lifts his head, and as Reyes rises, launching towards my Blessed, Serun spits, “Het gu.” A rush of intense wind pulses from him, and both Reyes and I are pulled into the portal.

“Serun!” I scream, my lungs torn and desperate, as I reach for him through it, but it slowly closes.

Those red eyes crinkle as my Blessed grabs the shadows and lifts his head. Serun’s shadows drop, revealing him for the first time. Then, light sparks, and a blade appears in my Blessed’s hand. As my Blessed watches me, a cruel glint in his eyes, he slices the blade across Serun’s shoulders, severing his head.

“No!” I screech, a pulse of red erupting from my entire body, sparking in the static air. Serun’s body falls to the side, and as my Blessed looks at me, the portal closes.

I land on my back with a grunt. Black flakes of dust stir in the air from my sudden impact. Rolling over, my mind dazed and my head spinning, I inhale the smoke. Pushing up on the black dirt, tears fall, and my breathing turns panicked as my lungs struggle to keep up with the rapid beat of my heart.

Cracks split under my fingertips, and a red aura swirls around me, sparking like thunder. The ground collapses, and heat washes up from below, insect noises chattering in my ears, when a stiff, rough hand touches my cheek and guides my head up to Serun, crouched before me. “I’m here.”

“Wha…” No longer bound by shadows, Serun lowers his hand to mine when I fling myself forward, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. The aura around me fades, and the crack in the ground seals over, a nightmare lying dormant beneath the surface.

“It’s okay,” Serun says, his arms around me. “It’s okay, my Blessed.”

“How?” I tremble, tears of relief and despair streaming as I remember leaving my brother behind.

“I split myself, like the time you stabbed me,” he murmurs, his mouth against my temple. “A little trick, all thanks to you telling me about your dream.”

“Where are we?” Reyes moans.

The wind howls, whistling violence into my pricked ears. Lowering my hands, I open my eyes. A shallow breath escapes as I take in the dead valley where moonflowers used to grow. Beyond that, thin streams of smoke rise from the village, now nothing but ash.

Home. My thoughts brought me here, but as I rise, taking weak steps forward, I follow the path of death and silent ghosts.

It’s gone.

Everything is gone.

EPILOGUE