The Zodiac Collector Page 23

  James twists his upper body. He’s playing with his freaking lip ring again. “Nah. It’s Devans.”

  Chew, snap, chew, pop. He saunters to us and sticks the flashlight into my face again. “Wanna try that again?”

  “I’m Anne D-Devans.”

  “Anne Devans. Your parents are worried sick about you. Get out of the car.” The cop waves over a couple more officers and puts cuffs on James.

  “Hey, what’s this for?” James protests.

  “Did you know Ms. Devans escaped from a psychiatric ward earlier tonight?” Chew, pop.

  James groans. “Will, I’m gonna rip you a new one for this.”

  “Best keep quiet, son, unless we ask you a question.” The cop gestures for him to stay at the car hood. “Don’t move.”

  A woman cop opens William’s door and swings her arm. “Get out, please.”

  “William!” I claw at his sleeve.

  “Chant, Anne. Anything. Just get us out of here.” He caresses my cheek and slides out of the seat. “Remember, I got your back.”

  A third cop opens my door. “Come here, Anne.” His hand cinches around my arm. He drags me to James and William. “What’re you doing with these boys?”

  “I’m not crazy. My mother is. The nurse threatened to call CPS. I didn’t belong there.” I blubber, the exact wrong thing to do when you’re trying to convince people you’re sane.

  William reaches out to me, but the woman cop blocks him and says, “Sit tight, sir.”

  “Chant,” he says. One word. A simple command.

  An impossible feat.

  “I need your help, Mary.” I close my eyes and focus inward. The sounds of cops milling about, radio signals, and car engines dim. Exhaust fumes, stale cigarette smoke, and the cleansing scent of rain fades.

  I take a slow breath.

  A tingling, at first faint, then stronger, builds in my mind.

  “What is she doing?” James asks.

  I tune him out. “Mary. Help.”

  In the blackness of my closed eyes, a speck of light is born. It wiggles, sends off a flash, and grows. A web of gold flows out from the pin of energy.

  Touch William! Mary barks.

  I open my eyes and tear away from the cop restraining me. William yelps as I throw my arms around him. On contact, the light explodes around us and consumes us.

  The rest of the world disappears.

  Wind, thunder, and lightning imprison us in a cell of crackling currents and shearing drafts. The leaden tongue of gravity lashes out while the puffy arms of air buoy me. There’s nothing beneath my feet. The only thing to hold onto is William.

  I scream.

  William hugs me tighter. His chin digs into my scalp and my cheek is pasted against his chest.

  “Mary!” What has she done?

  Hang on!

  We smack into something hard. The air gets knocked out of my lungs. William’s weight squishes me into whatever I’m lying on.

  I open my eyes. We’re in a field. Blades of grass seem to touch the sky, but it’s only my perspective. “Can’t…breathe.”

  William lifts his head. “Oh! Sorry.” He rolls his upper body off me. Our legs are still tangled. I don’t mind. His hand lingers on my face. That doesn’t bother me either.

  “You okay?”

  He nods, panting. His breath is warm and fresh. “You?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where are we?”

  Streetlights dot the background. They backlight one-story shacks and Tudor-style shoppes. It’s like the faire, but in a different layout. We couldn’t possibly have been transported to the next site.

  Yes! We made it! Mary claps. Sounds like canon fire in my head.

  “The next faire. Help me up,” I say.

  We hook arms and rise to our feet.

  “How do you know?” William brushes off his pants and shirt.

  I do the same. “Mary says so.”

  He taps my forehead. “Thanks, Mary.”

  I swat him away, but smile. “Get out of here.”

  He grins. “Couldn’t resist.”

  Mary whimpers. She’s close, Anne.

  My heart flutters against my ribcage like a canary trying to escape its cage. I spin, searching the shadows for an old woman dressed in a cloak. “Can she sense our arrival?”

  Maybe.

  Dad always says the best defense is a good offense. I swallow the rising terror and stride ahead of William. He’s got longer legs than me, though, and he catches up easily.

  “So, where exactly are you headed?” he asks, still breathing hard.

  “We need to find Zeena.” A flash of lightning highlights my exasperation.

  She’s closer, Mary says.

  I freeze. Did I call her by saying her name? “Where?”

  Not sure.

  “I’ll walk around. Let me know if we’re getting hotter or colder.”

  Okay. Hold onto William’s hand. It makes us stronger.

  I latch onto William’s hand and tug him along. He doesn’t resist. In fact, he laces his fingers tight with mine.

  We walk toward the center of the faire grounds—I assume it’s the center anyway, because more permanent-looking structures line a wider path. We follow the treeline until we find a thin, winding trail leading into the carefully cultivated forest. A sign marks the entry. It reads, “Mystic Wood.”

  Zeena likes the cover of trees and the mystery of wooded areas. Like any good Renaissance Faire, woods are a magickal place, full of darkness and the unknown. The ideal playground for an evil sorceress.

  “What will we do when we actually find her?” William whispers into my ear. His breath tickles my neck.

  I shudder and fight the urge to touch my skin where his breath lingers. “I don’t know.”

  Maybe you should call Castor and Pollux and Libra, you know, before we come across Z, Mary offers.

  As if the twins hear her, more lightning streaks across the sky and deep rolls of thunder rumble over our heads.

  “Every time I call them, things get worse. Besides, I thought you hated magick,” I mumble.

  William frowns at me.

  “I’m talking to Mary.”

  “I thought so, but sometimes it’s hard to tell,” he says.

  I don’t like it, but we have no other option and now that we’re working together, we have a better chance of success. Mary points out.

  “Are you suggesting we fight fire with fire?”

  No, I’m suggesting we fight fire with air and water.

  “Touché. But what do I say?”

  “To who?” William answers.

  I wave a hand at him.

  “What should I do?” He kicks a few pebbles out of his way.

  “Stay with me.” I squeeze his hand.

  “Always.” William squeezes back.

  A smile tickles my lips.

  Mary laughs. So romantic.

  “Shut up,” I say.

  His brow furrows.

  I purse my lips. “Mary’s making fun of us.”

  No I’m not!

  “Now she says she’s not.”

  William bites his bottom lip. “This is weird, having the both of you in there. Like we’re alone, but not really.”

  I don’t like being in here either. Imagine how weird it is for me.

  “Mary says she doesn’t like being inside me either.”

  He frames my face with both hands and presses his lips to my forehead, using it as a microphone. “This message is for Mary: We’ll figure out how to get you out of there.”

  She snorts.

  I bat him away. “Very funny.”

  We lace fingers again and carry on. Fueled by William’s Libra power and Mary’s half of the Gemini power, a chant takes shape in my mind. I mumble the words at first, gaining focus with every step.

  “Castor and Pollux,

  Hear our plea,

  Show Zeena to me

  Before she flees.

  Castor and Pollux,

/>   I beseech thee,

  Restore the signs

  And my sister to me!”

  William swings my arm. “Will it help if I chant with you?”

  I nod. “Yes.”

  Mary joins us. Her voice buzzes in my skull as William’s and mine echo into the night. Our combined efforts drive the wind from a stiff breeze to a body-slamming gust that pushes and pulls at us at the same time. Air is forced up my nose, and down my throat, and debris from the ground flies at us from all around. Dirt gets into my mouth. Grit coats my tongue and sticks to my teeth. William ducks and tries to rub his eyes. I drag him ahead, refusing to give up.

  His weight is against me. Our bodies touch from stem to stern. We’re glued together. My toes curl. A guillotine of air slices the molecules between us and we fall apart.

  “William!” I scream, flailing my arms. I catch the hem of his shirt.

  Our gazes lock.

  Another gust rips my hand away from him and we’re carried in opposite directions. I’m twirled, spun, twisted, and beaten like pretzel dough. After about a dozen somersaults, I topple onto the ground square on my back. Streaks of pain wrap around my torso.

  Mary pats my back—on the inside. She’s here.

  “William! Where are you?” I bleat.

  Oh, miracle of miracles, he’s at my side pulling me up. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m alright. You?”

  “A little windswept.”

  I smirk.

  A thick bolt of lightning snaps nearby. It flashes again and a hunched figure emerges from the trees. The blustering wind attacks her robe, whipping the fabric around her legs. Her gray hair flies loose from her hood. She shoves it out of her face and trains her eyes on me. They glow an angry red, raging with a fire all their own.

  “How dare you call upon the twins, you little witch! And Libra? Silly boy, the Scales are no match for my power,” she roars. “All the signs belong to me. Just like you. Just like your sister. And just like your friends.”

  “Reverse the spell, Zeena!” I call back, fingers digging into William’s waist as I strain to hold on.

  “Castor and Pollux, what do you think of this little girl telling me what to do?” She throws her head back, arms raised to the sky.

  The twins answer her by dumping rain. A deluge of water hits me like a million simultaneous rubber-band snaps. I nestle into William’s shoulder and he ducks his head.

  “Come to me, children. And you can all be together forever.” She cackles, lowering her arms until they are stretched toward us. Though I can’t see her legs move, she approaches like a leaf pushed along by the wind. Guided by unnatural speed, she’s within inches of us before I can blink. She buries her fingers in my hair and pulls me from William’s arms.

  “William, don’t let go!” I cry.

  Zeena tosses me to the ground like a discarded rag. She points her index finger at him and chants:

  “Castor and Pollux,

  I order thee to do my bidding!

  Bring me Libra and Gemini.

  Scales of Libra,

  I order thee to do my bidding.

  Let these children come into my being!”

  A light wire shoots out her index finger and impales him in the chest. He grimaces and drops to his knees.

  “William!” I cry.

  He yells, and then he is gone.

  Lightning strikes a transformer nearby, sending sparks across the sky in arcs of orange. My eyes and nose run from the sting of melted metal. Despite the rain, flames trickle along the electric pole and slice along the wires, cocooned in a shroud of billowing smoke.

  Without Zeena to provoke it, the rain trickles to a stop, the wind settles, and the lightning and thunder cease.

  My breath rattles in my chest and oozes out of my mouth. I cover my mouth with a shaky hand to strangle a yell. The memory of Zeena’s touch makes my skin crawl.

  Mary cries. Tears slide down my cheeks, matching hers.

  I close my eyes and peer inward. “Mary, can you tell where Z is?”

  She sniffs. No.

  “You’re scared. It’s okay, but I need you to try to find her. Please.”

  I can’t. Mary shakes her head. My brain sloshes with it. I open my eyes and find something to focus on to stop the swirling.

  “Yes. You. Can. Do this for William. For me. For yourself. If Z catches me, we’re all goners.”

  Mary tightens and my spine tingles with fury. Okay, I’ll do it.

  She stretches out like tendrils from a spider web swaying in a midnight breeze. My own spirit tries to follow, but it’s trapped in my body. I’m thankful that we have an anchor, but also worried what will happen if I let go. Will I die? Will she die if she lets go? Will we be trapped in the spirit world with our bodies wandering around zombified like Shequan’s?

  Wiry arms wrap around me. The scent of death and rot fills my sinuses. “I’ve got you now.”

  I scream.

  I’m sorry! Mary cries.

  Zeena chants, the sound is distant, even though she’s holding onto me with an unforgiving grip. I struggle and buck against her. She’s an old woman. I should be able to peel myself from her claws.

  “Castor—” I yelp.

  She cuts me off by clamping a cold hand over my mouth. “Hush.”

  A paralyzing chill spreads down my throat, over my arms and legs, and ties me to the ground. I tighten my muscles, but my body doesn’t respond.

  Mary! I scream inside my head. Chant something like last time. You got us away from the cops, you can get us away from Zeena.

  She’s deadly silent, unmoving, sitting like a marble statue on my vertebrae.

  Zeena waves a small object in front of my eyes. It’s the symbol for Libra, the scales. William.

  “I have to thank you, Anne. Without you, I would not have completed my collection so easily. You see, I couldn’t just take anyone. They had to show proficiency with contacting the stars. Poor Shequan discovered that the hard way, and Evan, thank you for bringing him to the Zodiac. Brave William proved himself so valiant by helping you. A mighty Cardinal sign and a wonderful addition to my collection.”

  I squirm, hot tears slithering down my cheeks.

  “Don’t move.” She chants again.

  My feet root into the earth, my heart slows, and a heavy tiredness draws my eyelids shut. Next, my thoughts creak to a halt. The world slips further away—there’s no sound, no smells, nothing.

  Zeena plants both hands against my back and gives me a shove.

  I’m falling and condensing all at once. Spinning uncontrollably, my body contorts and writhes, free from the bonds of nature but tethered to an even more powerful force—Zeena.

  Her voice echoes in the void. It cuts through the whooshing vortex. I open my eyes. Yellow smoke spirals around me, forming a funnel that pulls me down, down, down toward a gleaming metallic object forming into a symbol. I’ve seen it before.

  II

  The Gemini symbol.

  My arms coil tightly around my body. Clenching my abdominal muscles to twist counterclockwise away from the spin, I slow my progression, but only slightly. The wind howls louder, compressing my ears, stuffing into my nose and lungs. I squeeze my eyes shut and slide my arms up but they seem glued to my sides. I grunt with the effort—one finger, two, now my hands are loose.

  My feet touch the trinket. A crack! grabs my attention and I look down. The symbol has split open, emitting a light so bright it blinds me. I pull my knees up, but it’s too late. I’m caught in the tractor beam.

  I clench my eyes shut and scream as my bones crunch together, shrinking, shrinking more, and then I disappear into the cocoon of light.

  My first thought—this should totally hurt more.

  My second thought—where the heck am I?

  Have I become some puff of smoke spirit trapped in a trinket the size of a quarter? I suck in a shaky breath. I can hear it! If my senses are intact, then I must be made of something solid. Right?

  Bu
t I’m not touching anything. Is my body gone? Wandering somewhere out there without me, a psychotic zombie mumbling incoherently?

  “Oh God, oh God, oh God!” I rant.

  Someone giggles.

  My eyes fly open. In front of me, Mary’s kneeling at my head. A big grin splits her face.

  We’re surrounded by a gray haze, shimmering here and there with streaks of yellow. The smoke shifts, and between the swirls two tall pillars emerge on either side of us.

  “What is this place?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “Dunno. But it doesn’t matter. We’re together!” She dives for me and wraps me in a hug. Her lavender-scented curly hair slaps me in the face while her delicate arms squeeze my ribcage.

  My sister. She’s here. We’re together. And we’re touching. I stiffen and pull back. “Are these our real bodies?”

  Mary’s smile fades. Fear settles behind her eyes. “I don’t know. I think so.”

  “Have you been here before?”

  She looks around, takes in the pillars, and watches the smoke spiral around. “I remember the fog, but…not the pillars. I didn’t really explore much before you called me.”

  I slump. We’re stuck, alone, with no idea where we are or how to get out. Zeena has won. Questions zing at me. Are we going to die here? Starve to death? Wait around for Zeena to call us out and do her bidding? How does all of this work?

  “Anne?”

  I shake my head, pressing the heels of my palms to my eyes. “What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?” I roar louder than a lion screaming through a megaphone.

  Mary squeaks. “Um…Anne? Are you okay?”

  I drop my hands and pound my thighs with both fists. “No I’m not okay. That old witch has won. We’re trapped who knows where, William’s gone, Evan and Shequan are gone, and we’re all alone with a bunch of freaking smoke! What if we’re stuck here forever, like this is some form of purgatory?” I swing my arms.

  “Have you gone bonkers?” She slides away.

  “Mom thinks I’m crazy. She committed me. So why not act crazy?” I rotate a finger in the air at my temple.

  “We need to figure out how to get out of here.” She folds her arms across her chest.

  I bend my knees and wrap my arms around my legs. “I’m sick of figuring things out. I only make it worse. You decide what to do.”