Page 57 of The Shadows of Excess

“I hope Elijah’s insured,” Damon muttered.

Justice slowly loosened his embrace, yet he kept me close, offering a silent comfort I didn’t realize I needed until now. I turned my gaze to the Porsche, which now bore the scars of our escape. It resembled a piece of burnt toast. Its once-sleek black surface was scorched and blistered, the tires reduced to misshapen lumps of melted rubber.

Disbelief and gratitude washed over me. We had survived, but the vehicle that had been our salvation was now a ruined husk of its former glory.

Justice looked at me with admiration. “We’re here.”

I glanced around in astonishment, my breath catching in my throat. It was as if we had stepped into the photograph from Echoes of the Eternal: An Illustrated Guide to Mystic Ridge’s Graveyards. The aspens and pine trees stood before us, their arrangement mirroring the image from the book. Here, too, were the angel and Celtic cross tombstones that had captivated me earlier, their solemn beauty even more striking in person.

And there, etched into the stone, were the same strange inscriptions we had seen in the photograph, their ancient symbols within arm’s reach. A shiver of disbelief ran through me. It was undeniable. We had arrived at Whispering Shadows Cemetery, a place that seemed to straddle the line between the physical world and the pages of history.

I slowly walked around the cemetery, inhaling the scents that took the edge off the stink of burning rubber. A myriad of flowers perfumed the air—bright columbines in vibrant blues and purples, clusters of wildflowers that swayed gently in the breeze, adding splashes of color to the somber landscape. Interspersed among the floral tribute were various herbs, and I wondered if the witches used them to conjure their spells.

My breath caught as I spotted a patch of phoenix grass near an angelic tombstone. “Guys, look at this,” I exclaimed.

Justice stepped closer, his gaze following mine. “This confirms it. We’re definitely in the right place.”

Damon, however, remained ever vigilant. He squinted up at the sky. “Not to rain on our grave-hopping parade, but should we be more worried about our flaming tail? You know, the dragon-sized one?”

“Someone’s here,” Justice mumbled and immediately stepped in front of me.

Soft footsteps stilled my heart, then Lisa emerged from behind the angelic tombstone. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she wore a red checkered flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. If I didn’t know better, I would think she was a hiker rather than a powerful witch.

It was enough to fill me with stomach-jumping, heart-fluttering, lung-stopping joy. I rubbed my eyes, not believing what I was seeing. I didn’t know if I should jump up and down or burst into tears again.

Lisa’s lips stretched into a toothy grin as she nodded toward the dark, looming forest. “The dragon can’t cross the barrier,” she assured us with a hint of mischief. “I was wondering when you three would finally catch up with me.”

“Really?” I couldn’t believe I replied with such a silly word.

“Maci is evil. She can’t penetrate the tunnel or the woods around the cemetery,” Lisa explained. “Believe me, she’s tried several times. Her foul demons can’t, either. That’s why your rose tattoo isn’t burning.”

She looked at my brother. “I presume you’re Damon.”

He cocked his eyebrow. “Lisa?”

She gave him a flippant smile. “You just became Elijah’s number one enemy.” She gestured to the Porsche. “That’s his baby.”

Damon chuckled. “Tell me something I don’t know, Sherlock.”

Justice studied her. “You knew we were coming?”

At that moment, a magnificent phoenix soared into the air, its feathers ablaze with hues of gold and crimson. Aurora, Lisa’s majestic companion, circled above us before gracefully descending to perch atop a nearby tombstone. The sight was breathtaking, a moment so poignant and magical that it felt like time itself had paused.

“Yes, I did,” Lisa affirmed, her fingers gently caressing the phoenix’s feathers. “But leaving wasn’t an option. Not with Aurora. We barely escaped to this place before Maci’s demons caught up to us. I’ve already lost one dear friend. Losing Aurora was unthinkable.”

As she spoke, a shared sense of grief passed between Justice, Damon, and me. The weight of her loss was palpable in the air. I cleared the lump in my throat and offered my condolences, “I’m so sorry about Becky, Lisa.”

She drew a deep, shaky breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Becky sacrificed herself so Aurora and I could escape. Her bravery saved us.”

Damon met Lisa’s gaze with a somber expression. “We need to understand more about these demonic coins. What’s their purpose?”

Lisa frowned. “Didn’t Elijah explain? The coins are designed to trap souls. Becky…” Her voice faltered. “Becky’s soul is now bound to the demons of Greed.”

Damon’s eyes widened, a hint of understanding flashing across his face. “Demons of Greed? So, they’re the ones we’ve been dealing with?”

My heart ached with empathy as I looked at Lisa. “Does that mean Becky…is she in hell?”

Lisa shook her head, her voice tinged with sorrow. “No, it’s not as simple as that. Becky’s soul has been consumed, not damned. The coins are tools for the Demons of Greed, enabling them to amass more power. They’re fundamentally different from the Gluttony Demons. The Gluttony ones feed like vampires, draining life to sustain themselves.

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