The Dark Souls (The Viral Superhero Series Book 1) Read online

  "So, Faraday was possessed by an evil spirit?" Jennifer put her hand to her forehead. "That's why he was trying to kill me?"

  "I'm afraid so. The Faraday you knew is dead. He's been replaced."

  "And what about my dad?"

  Sheriff Norris remained silent in the driver seat, now going upwards of 90 miles per hour.

  "Don’t worry, he’s still alive and himself." Erica spoke carefully. "I sort of implanted some things in your dad's brain, like a way to find me if I'm in trouble."

  Jennifer punched the seat in front of her. "You brainwashed my dad! Not cool!"

  Dhiraj cleared his throat. "Catfight."

  Jennifer and Erica gave the same look to Dhiraj at the same time. He shrunk from the confrontation.

  Erica turned her focus back to Jennifer. "I didn't brainwash him. He'll be fine."

  The truck skidded to a stop in an area of town Erica vaguely recalled. It was the gravel path to the woods.

  "Where am I driving?"

  "I don't like that my dad sounds like an app, Erica. You better fix him soon."

  Erica focused on the path ahead. Something felt strangely familiar about the intersection.

  "Drive to the woods. There's nothing else out here."

  The sheriff burned rubber and the truck went flying down the gravel path. Even if they split up, the woods were big enough that it'd be easy to hide Ted and open the portal before the four of them could find Nigel and his crew. They needed specific directions.

  "Sheriff, you know the woods pretty well, right? That's where you found my body."

  "She was dead?" Jennifer whispered to herself. "You were dead?"

  Erica had been afraid of this.

  She turned toward her friend. "I’m sorry."

  "How did she – how did you die?"

  The sheriff spoke up. "I’m not sure where he’d be. There’s a lot of uncharted territory out here."

  "Just keep driving." Erica looked her friend in the eye. "I don’t know how she died, but I have all of her other memories. Beyond all the booze and the guys, she loved you, Jen."

  Jennifer shook her head. "This is all my fault."

  A beep on the radio signaled an incoming message.

  "This is Hank up in the copter. My instruments are nonresponsive. I'm stuck in the air above the caves."

  Erica’s adrenaline surged. "Drive to the caves, now!" She put her hand on Jennifer’s knee. "You did everything you could to keep her safe."

  Dhiraj leaned toward Jennifer. "I’m sorry, Jen."

  Jennifer’s tears started to flow as she wrapped her arms around Dhiraj. The truck sped toward a metal chain-link fence. Dhiraj awkwardly patted Jennifer’s back as the truck plowed through the barrier with ease. It would take less than a minute to reach the mouth of the cave.

  Jennifer pushed off Dhiraj and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "So Erica is dead and you’re here to help Ted save the world?"

  Erica nodded. "Pretty much. If we find him in time."

  Jennifer leaned back in her seat. The sadness in her eyes faded, replaced by pure determination. "Step on it, Dad."

  Sheriff Norris pressed harder on the accelerator.

  The engine purred as the cave appeared just beyond the horizon.

  Erica stared into the darkness as it grew before them.

  Come on, Ted. Be alive.

  35

  The henchmen took off Ted's hood and pulled him out of the van. Ted listened to the wind, hoping to hear a certain sound. When he caught some noise from the propeller of the helicopter, he knew he'd laid out all the breadcrumbs he could for Erica to find him. He just hoped there was enough time.

  Ted couldn't get his bearings in the short spurt before Tank and the Torellos marched him into the mouth of the cave. There were a few cave networks nearby and Ted had gone on a field trip to one of them as a kid. He recalled feeling claustrophobic in the dark, damp cavern. Now didn't feel any different. He wondered if every bad guy needed a foul-smelling underground lair to consider himself a true villain.

  With every step, Ted got the feeling he'd been there before. Certain rock faces started to look familiar. When Nigel picked up a torch and lit it with a lighter, it all came rushing to the front of his brain. The torch was in his dream. So was the cave. If things played true to his premonition, the sword would come next, followed by the portal and the possession of all his friends.

  Ted surveyed his options. His arms were still bound, not that he could have done much with them anyway. If he tried to use his powers offensively, Nigel and the others would block them and likely beat him senseless. There was only one option he could think of. He'd need to talk his way out of this one.

  "So how does this work exactly?" Ted resisted the urge to scratch his itchy wrists. "You stab me and all your friends come out to play?"

  Nigel turned back. He looked otherworldly with the light from the torch flame flickering on his face. "It's more than that, Ted."

  "What, balloons come out, too?"

  Nigel smirked. "People who’ve wasted their lives get a second chance to live as someone greater. They won't have control over what they do. One of our brothers or sisters will take care of that. But a small part of them gets to be a miracle on Earth." He pointed the torch toward Ted’s chest. "Plus, one added bonus: you die."

  Ted’s chest tightened, but he made every effort to keep his voice neutral.

  Time to bait the hook.

  "Do you think you'll be in charge when the other dark souls cross over?"

  Tank grunted. "What do you mean, in charge?"

  Gotcha.

  "You've got an army coming to take over our world. Do you think the other dark souls will make you a general? Do you think you'll get some kind of reward for what you've done?"

  Tank scrunched up his face.

  "We don't need to be in charge, Ted." Nigel rolled his eyes. "This is all for the good of our people."

  Tank didn't respond. Neither did the twins.

  "You're all soldiers." Ted’s raised voice echoed in the enclosed space. "You're on the front lines doing the dirty work. All of you are outsiders and that's what you'll be when the rest of the army comes."

  Nigel stopped the group again. He waved the torch in Ted's face. "Your fate is sealed, Ted. You can beg for your world all you want, but the decision has already been made. Tank, shut him up."

  Tank crossed his arms. "I wanna hear more. What do you think'll happen after we kill you?"

  Nigel glared at his cohort.

  "You won't be in charge." Ted stepped toward his massive captor. "When they cross over, you'll still be doing their dirty work. Right now, you're more free than you'll ever be again."

  Nigel laughed. "That is far from the truth."

  But Tank and the twins had tuned Nigel out. Ted had their attention.

  "What do you suggest we do instead?" Phil asked.

  "Walk away. Be stronger than 99% of the people here. Live as gods."

  Nigel’s face flashed with rage in the flickering torchlight. "Tank, get the sword."

  He gestured over to a part of the wall that had been covered up by a gray sheet. Ted looked at Tank. He and the twins were as motionless as the stone walls. As Nigel continued to stare them down, Ted tried to use his powers to bust out of his restraints, but they were too thick and strong. He spotted a sharp-looking part of the wall jutting out near where he was standing. He edged over to it and began rubbing his restraints against the rock.

  "Tank! Get me the sword, now!"

  Tank eyed the gray sheet. Ted felt his restraints begin to tear.

  Tank turned his attention to Nigel. "The kid has a good point."

  Nigel seethed with anger. "This is what our people have been seeking for hundreds of years, Tank."

  "What's the point? Right now, we're stronger and better than anybody else. If we stab him, we'll be the same. I want to live like a god."

  Nigel pointed at the Torellos. "You two, get me the sword!"

  Ted’s restrain
ts began to loosen as Nigel slammed his fist against the side of the cave. The walls shook around them as the henchmen remained motionless.

  "You want to live like a god?" Nigel’s eyes grew incredibly wide. "You can die like one, too."

  Nigel lifted up the gray sheet and opened an ancient-looking case. Ted expected to see the weapon that would cause the end of the world. Instead, it was just an empty box.

  "Where is it?" Nigel’s head darted from side to side. "What have you done with it?"

  Tank massaged his hands as if he was expecting to use them. "I don’t know where your sword is, but I’m glad it’s gone."

  Ted broke his restraints completely, but he kept his hands behind his back.

  Nigel let the torch fall to the ground, casting an eerie glow under all their faces. "Until I find it, I'll kill you the old-fashioned way."

  The Brit dashed forward with unbelievable speed and locked Tank in a grapple. As they grunted and struggled, Ted knew this was his moment. He let his restraints fall to the ground, lifted his hand into the air, and pulled the lit torch toward him. Before it could reach his hands, Jason slammed into Ted’s side. Pain shot through his ribs as he used his powers to cushion his fall. The torch dropped onto the rocks below and the school bully was on top of him in a hurry.

  "This is for my cell phone." Jason wound back and threw his fist toward Ted with all his might.

  Ted rolled at just the last second, causing Jason’s hand to crack against the cave floor.

  Jason screamed and looked at his useless hand as Ted spun away. Before he could stand, Phil Torello leapt into his path and kicked out Ted’s legs. He landed hard on his back, sending nearly all the oxygen out of his lungs.

  Phil towered over him. "Don't you hurt my brother."

  "Stop, drop, and roll."

  "Huh?"

  Ted used his mind to throw the still-burning torch like a javelin.

  Phil’s high-pitched yelp couldn’t stop the flame from igniting his clothes. As he slammed himself into the wall trying to put out the fire, Ted safely floated the torch into his hand.

  As Ted prepared to run away, he looked back to see Tank and Nigel battling to the death. Tank appeared to briefly have the upper hand, knocking Nigel back against the cave wall multiple times. But then, just before Ted began to sprint, Nigel punched his opponent with so much force that his hand went clean through Tank's body.

  Ted ignored the urge to vomit as he dashed into the darkness.

  36

  As the sheriff’s truck came to a stop, Erica looked up to see the helicopter flying away. Ted had to be inside the caves somewhere, or he wouldn't have let go of the aircraft.

  "They must've gone in another entrance." Erica’s stomach twisted. "Have any of you ever been in the caves?"

  The sheriff nodded. "There are several different paths in there. If we don't split up, we may never find Ted."

  She consented for lack of a better option.

  Dhiraj nearly tripped exiting the truck. "We should probably wait for backup, or something, right?"

  "Not enough time." Erica stared into the cave. "Got any weapons?"

  "I have my pistol and a stun gun."

  Jennifer snatched the Taser from her father’s hand. "Ooh, I've always liked these."

  Dhiraj cocked an eyebrow. "Always?"

  "A sheriff's kid occasionally gets to play with a sheriff's toys."

  Dhiraj pursed his lips. "If there's nothing else, I'll just use my wits. They've gotten me this far."

  Erica pulled her massive wrench out of the truck bed. "You come with me, Dhiraj." She spied a two-way split about 20 feet into the cave. "We'll go to the right."

  The sheriff tossed Dhiraj a flashlight. He nearly dropped it but caught it after two fumbles.

  Jennifer’s fingers brushed Erica’s shoulder. "Be careful in there. I’m not losing you twice."

  Erica sighed. "You too. And if you see Ted, don’t let him get stabbed."

  Jennifer nodded as she and her father took the path to the left.

  Erica jogged ahead as Dhiraj did his best to keep up. "So, how many times have you had to protect someone like Ted?"

  "Three times."

  Erica had been to the human world more than 20 times in total, but not all of the missions had been for protection. The others could be better defined as assassination plots.

  "Are you always a smokin' hot teenage girl when you cross over?"

  A laugh escaped Erica's mouth and bounced around the cave.

  "Thanks, Dhiraj. No. I'm not even always a woman."

  The light ahead flickered as Dhiraj almost dropped his flashlight again. He regained his composure. "You've been a dude? Ted kissed a former dude? I can't wait to tell him."

  There were so many missions in which Erica had to keep her identity a secret. It felt nice to be able to talk about it, even if it was with Dhiraj who didn’t seem like the secret-keeping type.

  She heard a footstep in the distance. "Shhh. I hear something."

  The cave bent up ahead and Dhiraj and Erica slowed their pace. Another light was steadily pointing from the other direction.

  "Ted?"

  There was no answer.

  Erica motioned for Dhiraj to tread lightly. As they went around the bend, the sound of a gun clicking into place echoed through the cave. Deputy Daly stepped out of the shadows.

  "Hey, Erica. Did you miss me?"

  The memories of her murder and killer all came back to Erica at once. She’d loved the deputy to the point of obsession. He’d rewarded her with a mid-kiss knife to the stomach. The pain and blood filled Erica’s mind as she shivered with fear.

  "Baby, you need to let me explain." Erica’s hands shook. "I'm not going to tell anybody what happened."

  "Baby?" Dhiraj put his hands in the air. "You know this guy?"

  Erica felt her heart beating too fast. She knew she needed to act, but she was paralyzed.

  "Of course she knows me." Daly focused his weapon right between her eyes. "I killed her. And I plan on doing it again."

  Erica fought hard to get the words out. "You need to wait. I'm trying to save the world. It's life or death."

  "You're wrong." Deputy Daly flexed his trigger finger. "It's just death."

  Erica closed her eyes and prepared for the other side.

  37

  Ever since the first time Erica had died, she'd left behind people she loved. Her mind went back to the first people she'd lost, her human mother and father. When the images lingered a moment too long, she realized the gun never went off. She opened her eyes.

  A swift kick from behind Daly connected with his crotch. As he groaned and reached for his aching region, he moved the gun away from Erica’s head. The deputy turned to face his assailant and took a strong blow to the face from the side of a glimmering sword. He fell to the ground and the gun skidded across the cave floor. The deputy was out cold, and the sword-bearer stepped forward.

  Dhiraj’s face lit up. "Natalie?"

  The athlete was drenched in sweat. "You need to make better choices in men." Natalie used the sword to prop herself up like a cane. "Dhiraj, what the hell are you doing here?"

  "Saving Ted."

  "Ted's here?"

  Erica let out a heavy breath. "You saved my life. Thank you."

  Natalie paused for a second before giving a nod. The jewels on the sword’s hilt reflected light onto the cave’s walls.

  Erica bent down and removed the magazine from the gun. "We don’t have much time. Have you seen Ted?"

  "I haven’t. Why are you guys – just tell me what’s going on."

  Dhiraj drew in a breath. "Bad guys are trying to stab Ted with a sword and bring on the apocalypse."

  Erica smiled at Dhiraj. "I really should have you explain everything. Can you help us?"

  "I've got your back. Point me in the direction."

  Erica stepped over the deputy's unconscious body and the others followed.

  "If we have the sword they want to use to kill
Ted, shouldn't we be running away?" Dhiraj jogged to keep up. "Or hiding it?"

  "The sword also kills the dark souls." Erica focused on the darkness ahead. "If we keep the pointy end away from Ted, maybe all of us can live through this one."

  Natalie kept pace with Erica. "The deputy said he killed you. Was he wrong?"

  "Daly killed this body. The same people who gave Ted his powers sent me to take it over. I'm here to protect him."

  As Natalie soaked in the strange truth, Erica saw an illuminated room in the distance. The three of them headed straight for it.

  "If you're protecting him, why did you try to kiss him?"

  Erica saw the hurt in Natalie's eyes. She hadn't really considered anybody else when she'd pressed her lips against Ted's. The old Erica would have done the same thing.

  "It's complicated. Can I explain it when all of this is over?"

  Natalie nodded and put on her game face. "Fine. Just tell me who to stab."

  Erica grinned as the three of them entered the lit-up room. There was no electric light source they could see at first glance. The walls seemed to glow red and blue with an ancient writing. Erica recognized the language from another world. From home.

  Dhiraj squinted. "What is it, Swahili?"

  "I think it's a letter. It's a communication from the other side. I've never seen anything like it."

  Erica knew that barriers had been put up between the various worlds for protection. It seemed that someone or something was breaking them down.

  "What's it say?"

  Erica translated. The language of her world was a struggle when she first learned it. Second languages can be a challenge for anyone, particularly when it's one filled with concepts that aren't represented in humanity.

  "There's an army waiting to cross over. As soon as a portal opens up, they're prepared to take over the planet. But I have no idea how this got here."

  Erica felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. She turned toward the entryway. Standing there with a look that could best be described as bloodlust was Nigel. His arms were drenched with crimson. The Torello twins flanked him, with Phil sporting a charred shirt and Jason favoring one side.