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“Hopeless”—BreakingBenjamin
Buffy had snuck out of the compound by telling the prospect at the gate she was going to work. He had no reason not to believe her, as she’d been with us since before he started hanging around. We would track her down later; we had enough on our plate at the moment.
Facet had talked extensively with Sloane, Phoenix’s ol’ lady, and Calix. We decided to do the summoning inside the slaughterhouse as we had discussed. After we had worked out the details, if the summoning worked, it would be less mess to deal with there.
Calix arrived as we were drawing the pentacle on the floor in pig’s blood to Sloane’s specifications. We lit candles and placed them at the points. The heavy chains and shackles were in place on the outside of the circle. Voodoo performed a ritual over each one, then arranged several stones and bits of things I didn’t recognize in the center.
Angel handed us each a small leather pouch that closed with long strips of leather cording. I shook the contents into my hand and closed my eyes to absorb the protective qualities of the six crystals inside—black tourmaline, citrine, amethyst, black obsidian, pyrite, and clear quartz. Then I carefully returned them to the pouch and placed it around my neck.
Voodoo and Calix conversed quietly off to the side as the rest of us double-checked that we hadn’t missed anything on the list Facet had printed out. They each donned a black cloak and rejoined us.
“Everything set?” Voodoo asked. Chains nodded from the corner where he was perched with a tranquilizer gun on the top of a scaffold we’d erected for this purpose. Everyone else grimly nodded.
“As far as we know.” I sighed nervously as I glanced around at my brothers. My family that was chosen, not born. People who were doing all of this for me because their loyalty to me was as strong and pure as mine to them.
A phone vibrated, and Calix cleared his throat. “Sorry, I need to take this. Let me step outside.”
The cloak he wore billowed ominously with each step he took. He flipped up the black hood on his cloak and went out the back, propping the door open so he could get back in. I knew he did it so he wouldn’t be as visible in the moonless night.
A commotion by the front door drew all eyes to the end of the wall that separated the entrance from the working space, creating a hallway of sorts leading to where we were.
Soleil barged into the room with Kira, Kira and Voodoo’s dogs, and the prospect on her heels. She walked right up to me and poked me in the chest. “You snuck out. I told you I wanted to be here.”
“And I told you it was too dangerous.” I shot a glare at the prospect who at least had the balls to meet my eyes and not cower.
“Don’t yell at him. He came to watch out for us after we threatened to take a whiskey bottle to his head like we did the other one. You’re not doing this without me here. I have a right. He took me and left me for dead. I want to see that he’s gone.” She propped her hands on her hips as she glared at me.
“Babe, this isn’t a good idea. There’s a chance things won’t go as planned. I don’t want you here if that happens.”
“I know I don’t have a say, but I believe she’s right. She needs this closure,” Kira boldly explained. “I only say this from experience.”
Voodoo stared at his wife in consternation, then took a deep breath. He looked at me and nodded. “Get her a cloak. She stays invisible or she doesn’t stay at all. Give me a minute.” He instructed the prospect to take his wife and dogs back to the clubhouse.
After she helped Soleil fasten the velvet cloak Voodoo tossed her from the chest Sloane had overnighted to us, Kira hugged her and left. Soleil stepped into the shadows as instructed, and I stormed over to her. With a kiss that held all of my anger and love, I pressed her back to the wall. “If anything happens to you, I don’t know what I’ll do,” I whispered.
“I need this,” she murmured in a pleading tone. I understood, but I didn’t like it. With one last brush of my lips against hers, I hid her hair and features with the hood.
Voodoo then went off to the small altar he had set up and knelt before it. No one said a word as he chanted under his breath with each stroke of the paint he applied to his face. By the time he was done and rose to his feet, the skeletal image was eerily realistic. He lifted his hood as Calix had done, intensifying the look.
As we all gathered around the circle, Calix came back in. With his hood up, dressed all in black, and wearing the cape, he looked like the grim reaper approaching. It felt fitting.
Following the instructions Facet had put together from Voodoo and Angel’s experience, his resources, and Sloane’s directions to protect ourselves, we silently finalized the preparations. Voodoo smudged the area with sage, then lit a small charcoal puck in a silver dish. When it had heated and glowed fiery hot, he sprinkled frankincense and myrrh resins on top. The scent slowly filled the room.
My heart was pounding as adrenaline raced through my veins. There was so much at stake that I was worked up like a motherfucker.
When Voodoo took his place at the top of the circle, the air seemed to thicken, making it almost difficult to breathe. In a deep, commanding voice, he spoke words that sent chills down my spine where I stood to his right.
The energy in the very center of the pentacle seemed to pulse and intensify. When I thought the room would explode, a small spiral of black smoke whirled in a circle almost like it was bouncing off the flat sides on the inside of the pentagram.
Then it grew to over five feet and began to fill out. As it took on features, I found myself staring in shock. Long hair fell in a curtain around the form, obscuring its face. When it had solidified, it lifted its head and stared directly at Voodoo through the tangled strands. I never expected the cacodaemon to show up as a woman. Before it could speak, I heard the gun fire, and a large dart stuck in its neck. Shock registered in its eyes for a moment before it dropped into a crumpled heap to the ground.
“Fuck,” Blade muttered from across the circle from me as we stood dumbfounded. The woman lay face down and limp.
“Move,” Voodoo demanded because the thing was already beginning to stir. I moved quickly to roll her with the help of Blade, Ghost, and Angel. Three locks down, and I was about to click the last one closed when the demon jerked out of my hold, dislodging the lock, and the shackle fell open. Like a snake striking, it had me by the neck before I could blink.
I gasped for air and tried to pry its fingers off my throat. My brothers jumped into action, but it squeezed harder, and I could feel it crushing my larynx and trachea. I clawed at its hand, trying to loosen the relentless grip it had on me. Trying to breathe was a fantasy at that point.
I fucked up, and I’m going to fucking die again. Whereas before I always hoped I wouldn’t wake up each time I kicked the damn bucket, this time I was terrified I wouldn’t.
