Death (The Devil's Roses #5) 7

"What. Was. That?" My entire body is blushing.

He grins and crawls between my legs smugly. "It's just the start."

Aimee

His face is killing me, "You never told me she was with us again." His eyes are watching me accusingly.

I don’t have an excuse. I look down and mumble, "I didn’t realize. I mean, she's not really. She's not with us."

"YOU TRADED HER TO MARCUS?" His furious spittle lands on my arms.

I look up at him as he leaves. He's gone. I'm alone in the kitchen holding my mug of apple cider Annabelle made me. "It wasn’t my idea." I mutter and softly stroke my white feather.

Lorri comes into the kitchen with Lydia, "We need you. Just in case."

I tuck the feather in my bra again. Over my heart.

I stand and touch Lorri's hand. Instantly we are in a dark cold place. The dank air is ripe with something bad. Something dark and sinister.

"Stay beside me." Lorri whispers harshly.

"I'm sorry about Dorian." I whisper back.

She looks back at me like I am nothing more than an insect, "You should be." Her words are cold and cut right through me.

We walk through the dark until we come to a dimly lit room. My whole body buzzes when we enter. I tremble and twitch.

Ophelia is tied to the wall. Her eyes are swirls of gold and black. Her hair moves as if there is a breeze but the air is still. She smiles at me, "Your sorrow is exquisite."

I frown, "What?"

"Your broken heart. I can taste it in the air." Her voice is freaky.

"Dude we need an old priest and a young priest." I lean into Lydia, who scowls at me, "Focus."

Ophelia's smile is creepy and weird. She looks disturbed.

Lorri looks at her watch. She always looks at it.

Phillip and Trist flash into the room. Phillip smiles politely, but Trist rushes his sister.

"O, oh my god. You look haggard." He looks worried.

She laughs, "Give me a kiss brother."

He almost steps into her but then steps back and points, "What is that?"

"That is your sister on drugs." I mutter.

He looks at me harshly, "You did this!"

Lorri grabs his arm and pulls him back, "No, she didn’t. O did this to herself. She saved Oliver's soul."

Tristan looks horrified, "She sucked the darkness from him?"

Lydia nods, "Yes. Now we have almost no time left to get your father before time is up. Now let's do this. Call the sisters."

Phillip looks at Tristan and nods.

Tristan closes his eyes and whispers. The blue balls of light flit into the rooms as one and then separate slowly, hovering in the air.

'Death dealer, you must suck from her as we fill her up. Take her poison."

I frown, "Me?"

Lorri sighs, "Of course you."

"Won't she die if I suck from her?"

Lorri turns her face sharply, "No, you idiot. They're replacing her soul. You take the damaged old one and they give her the new one that’s combined with their goodness."

"So Ophelia will no longer be O, she'll be the combined effort of these other girls?"

Lorri snarls at me. I put my hands up defensively, "I'm just checking. I don’t think this is very fair."

"It's not, but since she became evil it's our only chance. It's suck and blow time." She grabs my arm and shoves me at Ophelia. I look into her golden fiery eyes and try desperately to see something of the girl who was my friend.

Oliver flashes into the room with Giselle. His eyes are puffy. I'm certain we look the same. I'm terrified he knows what's about to happen.

"There might be another way."

Lorri shakes her head, "We can't chance it. Not once she has the power." She shoves me again. I stumble forward and look back growling. Lorri's growl is scarier, so I look back at O.

Giselle steps forward, "Don't do it Aimes."

"I don’t have any choice."

Oliver's voice lowers, "Don't touch her. We might find another way."

I reach my hand out and take a deep breath. The blue balls of light hover above Ophelia, who starts laughing. It sounds panicked and sharp. She looks at Oliver and smirks, "I loved you baby."

He lunges forward, but Lorri grabs him midair and then they're both gone.

I grab her arm and release the hold I have over myself. As the first blue light jumps into her mouth, she screams toward the ceiling. A burst of darkness, sweet incense tasting darkness, fills me up. The second light floats in and I grab on with my other hand. It's too much. I'm filling up and screaming in sync with her. Giselle grabs my face and plants her lips on mine and pulls from me. We scream inside each other's mouths in unison for second and then it stops. I drop to the hard stone floor. Pools of black blood gather under my hands. I'm panting and twitching still. Giselle is next to me. She's a funny color, ashen. I glance over, "Thanks."

She gags a little, "You taste bad." She wipes my black blood from her lips.

I nod, "Thanks."

She laughs weakly and glances up at O. I'm too scared to look.

Oliver and Lorri flash in and out of the room for a minute. Both punching and wrestling with each other.

Lydia grabs my arm and helps me up. Her touch soothes me instantly. "Are you alright my dear?"

I nod and look at O. She blinks a few times and speaks with the voices of all of them, "It worked."

My stomach tightens, "Is she in there too?"

She doesn’t answer for a moment and then frowns, "She isn’t."

Tristan screams. Phillip cries but holds back his man. The room is in tears. Oliver flashes in free of Lorri. He grabs both of Ophelia's hand. He looks deeply into her eyes and looks back at me. My gaze drops. He looks at Lydia and Giselle but none of us can hold his accusing gaze.

Lydia's voice breaks, "Tristan it's your turn."

Giselle snaps, "Give him a minute for god's sake."

Tristan is being help up completely by Phillip. Lydia touches his face. A smile crosses his lips. He looks up and laughs, "Thank you."

I know she has given him back all of his memories. Ophelia puts a hand out. Tristan takes it. He grips and shakes his head, "I don’t think I can do this."

It's too late. The sisters use their magic to pull. His body instantly vibrates. His feet lift off the ground. They pull back and he drops. Phillip helps him stand on shaky legs.

Ophelia rubs her hands together. "We are ready."

"Where is she?" Oliver asks.

"Heaven." Lydia's voice is almost a whisper.

Oliver looks at me. I know what he's about to ask but I can't. We might need him. Lorri flashes into the room, "Done?"

Ophelia nods. Her mannerisms are creepy and mechanical. Lorri takes her hand and flashes back out. "I hate how she is so heartless sometimes." The words leave my mouth before I can check them.

Oliver dives at me and winks. We are in a room with a bed and a bucket. It looks like a prison cell.

I'm not afraid of him but I can't shake the memory of him ripping my clothes off.

"Do it."

"Where are we?" I ask.

He puts a hand out, "Do it. Do it now while I'm pure and clean and I can go to her again. I'll feed Aimee. I'll kill again. Then I can never get back to where she is. The fallen were never allowed back but she saved me." His eyes are filled with desperation.

I take his hand in mine. The idea of eating again makes me gag almost. I close my eyes and let it loose.

"I'm sorry Oliver." I whisper.

I suck until there is nothing left. He drops to the floor becoming nothing but a pile of black feathers. There is no white one. I know he took it with him.

My heart can't break anymore than it has. I'm numb and frozen. Sam thinks I've betrayed him. O and Oliver are gone. Dorian is gone. Aleks hates me. Lorri hates me, which really isn’t any different than any other day of the week. Tristan is non magical now.

"There you are."

I spin in the cell to see Phillip. I frown, "Hi." The timeline flashes into my mind. Oliver was his father. I open my mouth but he shakes his head, "He told me already. He warned me well in advance. He was a great father until about six months ago. Then he was washed and became a total douche."

I frown, "Washed?"

He sighs and nods, "Yeah. He was madly in love with O and ready to go and get her and blah blah blah. He was always there for Trist and I and then six months ago, boom. Arse."

I look down at the floor. "What happened six months ago?"

"Well, I just told you that part. Aimes, you're super bad at listening."

I look up, "What? No. I'm talking to myself. Thinking aloud." I start to pace. Nothing sticks out in my mind. I pause and look at him, "You called me Aimes."

He nods, "Yeah. We used to be friends, you and I. Lydia just gave me back my memories too. I had forgotten how much I liked you."

"Thanks."

"So, I followed you here because I need a favor."

I look at him and frown, "What?"

He looks conflicted. I honestly have a moment where I'm terrified that he's going to reveal his bad guy status. It would make sense. Someone has clearly betrayed us. Someone other that Daniel, who we have kept in check. Or so we thought.

"I was hoping to get a place in the South of France, where he and I could live out the rest of our lives and I want to surprise him. When I text you, could you wink him there?"

I grin. I love the anxious tone in his voice.

"I know you're super busy and obviously this is bad timing, but he's got no magic and he's all alone. If I were to fight with you all, he would be defenseless."

"Of course. I'd be happy to do something fun for a change. Drastic change."

His face relaxes, "Thanks so much." He frowns, "I'm sorry about Dorian and Shane. I know you liked them both a lot."