Page 80 of Death Card

I’ve hit the end of the line. Either I watch Joelle die a grisly death or I allow the demon to use my body to destroy the world.

I tilt my head back, staring up at the tiny patch of sky visible through the trees. The full moon shines bright and whole. A shudder runs through me as I’m thrust into a familiar vision: a copse of trees, the gleam of a blade, Joelle’s magnificent brown eyes.

Gran’s voice returns to me, ringing clear in my ears.Death can be its own sort of transformation.

“All right,” I say, snapping back to the present. “Draw the circle. I’ll do it.”

“No!” Orion and Joelle both scream at the same time.

Britney slaps a hand over Joelle’s mouth as she gestures to Christine. “You heard her. Let’s give the demon what it wants.”

Christine draws a large ring of salt as Orion tries to get my attention.

“Mikaela, what are you doing?” he shouts. “You’ll be trapped. We’ll all die!”

I stare at my brother head-on and tighten my fists. I step into his mind with ease.“The vision can’t be prevented. It’s all going to come true.”His brow knits together in confusion, but I rush to continue, “Remember Sabine’s gift and thank her for me after I’m gone.”

“Mikaela,” he says aloud, but Christine is beckoning me forward. The circle is complete.

She uses a pocketknife to slice her palm open, drippingblack-tinged blood into the circle. I remember Aria’s instructions: The demon can either be called forth by name or with something that belongs to it. These psychos have given themselves over to it completely.

Christine snatches her hand away as a flash of light blinds us. When darkness falls over the clearing once more, I open my eyes to find Gazannol in all its inky blackness. Its eyes betray the insatiable hunger within. The demon steeples its fingers, nearly vibrating with anticipation and glee. It stalks the edge of the summoning circle, absorbing the sight of us.

“Come here, girl.” Its voice grates on my nerves like nails running down a chalkboard. “Let me taste you.”

As soon as I breach the circle, it’ll take over. My body will no longer be my own. Gazannol will be able to do whatever it pleases, and it’ll have full access to the depths of its power. Not to mention it’ll use my power as well. Through me, it will be able to reach the celestial plane where the ancestors reside.

Gazannol will be truly unstoppable.

Death was once something I feared. When I pulled Joelle’s card, I couldn’t fathom the thought of leaving Gramps and Orion behind. But they’ll be okay. Together, they’ll find a new Witch Queen to lead the coven, and I can only hope they’ll lean on each other after losing me.

I catch Orion’s eye. He’s fallen to his knees. Tyler grips the back of his shirt, but Orion’s no longer fighting back.

“Don’t do this,” he begs through our tether.“I won’t be able to bring you back.”

“I know.”I push all the love in my body into our bond. Weentered this world together, he and I. And now I have to leave him to it. The loss won’t break him. Everything we’ve been through has only strengthened us.“I love you, Ri. Goodbye.”

I shatter the bond, and Orion screams at the sudden emptiness inside his head. Christine sneers and waves me over. Every step feels like an eternity until my toes rest at the edge of the circle. Gazannol towers over me, and the smell of sulfur fills my nostrils.

“Are you ready to invite me in, witch?”

Behind me, Orion and Joelle are both screaming at me to stop. They know as well as I do that there’s no other way out of this. At least they’ll live. My fate is sealed, but their stories are still being written.

“I’ll allow you to possess my body for as long as I live, demon.” I face Gazannol when I speak, but my next words are meant for me. “I’ll be the leader that my coven deserves.” With a single breath, I step over the salt and into Gazannol’s embrace.

37

There’s a rushof blinding darkness as numbness settles into all four of my limbs. My hearing is the last sense to leave me. It’s like someone has flipped a switch, cutting off all sound from the outside world. For as long as I live (which won’t be long), I won’t be able to scrape the sound of Joelle’s and Orion’s screams out of my head. They’re nothing but pure terror and grief. And yet, there is still more to be done. This night is far from over.

Gazannol’s laughter echoes through the recesses of my head. I’m trapped in a pool of nothingness. All I can do is breathe and wait.

“Stupid girl,” it says, voice gleeful. “What did you think you would accomplish? Wait, don’t answer that. Your desires don’t matter anymore.” The edges of Gazannol’s nails scratch against the surface of my consciousness. “You’ve helped me accomplish a goal I set centuries ago, and I am grateful for your sacrifice. To honor that, I’ll do you the kindness of allowing you to watch as I take over your world.”

Light rushes in as the demon returns my sight. I blink, staring through eyes that no longer belong to me.

In the clearing, the hateful trio have abandoned their captives.They kneel outside the circle, staring down at the gold streaks of light that glow beneath their skin. It’s all the power they stole from the witches magnified tenfold. I glance over at Joelle and Orion, but only for a moment. The last thing I want is for Gazannol to turn its attention to them. The two of them huddle together, fervently whispering. My gaze snaps back to Britney, Tyler, and Christine.

Gazannol has silenced my voice. When it speaks, its shrill voice staggers from my lips. “You’ve served me well, disciples,” it says, addressing the trio. “In return, I will allow you to live through my reign until you reach the end of your natural lives.”