Jackson 05 - The Immortals by J.T. Ellison Read Free Book Online Page A

perfectly attuned, and he began to chant. The others followed a fraction of a second later. Their voices carried through the graveyard.
    Azræl Azræl Az-rah-el.
    Azræl Azræl Az-rah-el.
    Azræl Azræl Azzzz-raaaah-elllll.
    Angel of darkness, come bless us.
    Angel of darkness, come bend us.
    Angel of darkness, bring our true natures to the fore.
    Bring us your power, and a sign of your blessing. We call to you, O ancient one, who dwells beyond the realms.
    You who once reigned in the time before time. Come, hear our call.
    Assist us to open the way, give us the power!
    They repeated the poem three times, building into a tuneless chant.
    Then Raven spoke, his arms spread wide, his head thrown back. “Bless us for finding the strength to rid the world of those who hurt us, who deceived and tortured. Fight our oppressors—punish those who are cruel to us. Allow us to know your divinity, to understand your ways, to find a painless path to keep us from shame. Show us the way, oh, Azræl. Night and need give life to your helping fire. Rectify our darkness, spread your wings of shadow through our souls. Watch over our houses, deflect their ire.”
    At the end, they repeated their nocturnal God’s nameover and over and over, turning in circles, winding themselves around each other, sinuous as snakes, then at the moment they felt the energy peak, consecrated their prayers with the Great Act. Raven and Thorn were so attuned to each other that they were able to climax at the same time. Their energy, like their seed, spilled into the earth, sanctifying their pact. The girls kissed, and the boys. They smeared the fluids along each other’s bodies, intricate glowing trails of symbols, then switched partners. The men writhed together while the women brought each other to a wild, breathless climax. They were all so good together, so right. The strongest magick was cast during the Great Act at the moment of shared orgasm.
    Panting in the dust, they allowed their minds to come back. They stood, shakily, and unbound their cords. Raven thanked the corners, bid them hail and farewell. He closed the circle, careful to walk deosil, clockwise, to close their downward portal.
    There was still energy in the air, crisp and crackling, so Raven told his coven to ground again so it wouldn’t drain their essences. Raven shut his eyes and envisioned a long, glowing root leaving his body and securing itself in the land, then let all his extra energy pour down the root. He felt better when he finished, smiled at Fane. They busied themselves with ending their prayers, burying the stone and the finger, blowing out the candles, dressing silently.
    A breeze started, getting stronger until their hair was whipping around their faces. Thunder rumbled in the distance, then again, and lightning flashed, suddenly close. The sharp scent of ozone invaded Raven’s nose. He smiled.
    â€œI didn’t think it was going to rain tonight,” Fane whispered.
    â€œIt wasn’t. Azræl has blessed our prayers,” Raven said. “We have been blessed. Nothing can stop us now.”

Five
    Nashville
7:50 p.m.
    B aldwin circled the Vanderwoods’ house until he found a quiet spot in the backyard.
    â€œSorry about that, Garrett. Needed to get clear of a situation. What’s up?”
    â€œWell, I don’t have good news. The crypto boys sent a report in about some things they found on Charlotte Douglas’s computer.”
    Baldwin stood straighter. Charlotte Douglas was a profiler he’d worked with years ago, and again just a few months back, on the Snow White case. She’d ended up embarrassing the Bureau before her untimely demise at the hands of a killer she’d recruited into her life—the same killer who stalked Taylor now. The Pretender was Charlotte’s creation, first an apprentice of the Snow White, then a self-named terror who’d invaded all of their lives.
    Charlotte had brought