C H A P T E R 1 5
Raphael messages all three of us with instructions to meet him at seven o'clock outside Bay Station. I was hoping to bump into him after leaving Ms. Samson's class, just to talk to him about everything, but wasn't able to find him anywhere. I couldn't help being disappointed. I know I'm not supposed to have feelings for him, but really, what harm is there in me having a little crush? I don't understand why Ms. Samson is so freaked out about it. A guy as hot as Raphael isn't going to go for someone like me anyway. Even if I am kind of a superhero.
Before I leave the apartment, I give Mom a massive hug and kiss. After all, I may never see her again. This nearly starts me blubbering, especially when I think of Mom dealing with the loss of another daughter. I know that would kill her. Literally.
On the flip side, if we are successful, I won't be coming back alone. The possibility of returning Jade to Mom makes the danger I'm about to face more than worth it.
"What is all of this hugging me like a boa constrictor about?" she asks, laughing. Her brown eyes sparkle; she's getting healthier by the day. "Did you do something wrong in school? Should I expect a call any minute?"
"I just want you to know how much I love you," I say, my throat tightening. "How lucky I feel to have such a great mom."
"I'm lucky as well," she replies, hugging me back. "Now go and meet your friends. What did you say their names are?"
"Cassandra and Lily. And Raphael's going to be there too."
Mom raises an eyebrow at me. "I think he likes you,mija."
I shake my head. "No, Mom, I really don't think he does," I say, remembering how he pushed me away when I tried to kiss him.
"How could he not like my beautiful daughter? Besides, I've noticed the way he looks at you." She winks at me. "Now go and meet your friends and have fun."
If only she knew.
The sun is just setting, casting long shadows in front of me as I power walk. Sweat rolls down my face and drips into my eyes, making them sting like crazy. Even the sun slipping below the horizon doesn't seem to affect the temperature much anymore; the air is still heavy and hot. Cicadas sing from the trees.
I'm over ten minutes late and everyone is already waiting for me outside the station. Cassandra makes a point of looking at her watch.
"Sorry," I say, breathlessly. I'm hoping I don't have massive pit stains on my T-shirt.
"Not a worry," Raphael says, smiling at me. "You're not that late, and I've just finished filling these two in on what we might expect."
I look at him. "What should we expect? Will it be the same as last time we were there?"
"I really don't know," Raphael says. "But if we are able to get through the gateway, we'll be back in London. At what point in history we arrive, is uncertain. What is guaranteed is that it will be a time when there was an abundance of negative energy and human suffering."
"How do we get through the gateway?" Cassandra asks. She takes a clear elastic band out of her jeans pocket and twists her long, glossy black hair back off her face and into a loose bun. I can't help noticing how angular her face is and how beautiful she looks with her hair off her face. A twinge of jealousy runs through me like a shock; I hope Raphael isn't noticing this as well. "Is it like a magic door or something that suddenly opens up?" I detect a slight sarcastic edge to her words. Clearly she doesn't believe everything she's been told. Not that I blame her. Even seeing this stuff with my own eyes wasn't enough to convince me at first.
"I didn't see anything — I mean there was no door or gate or anything like that," I reply as the four of us descend into the subway station. We hit our cards against the fare readers and head down the next set of steps. "I thought it was just another power failure happening. But when the lights came back on, I was in London during the Second World War. Or at least, that's where I thought I was."
We stop at the southbound platform. I have a feeling it doesn't really matter what direction we travel or which train we get on. The usual smattering of commuters are milling around us, waiting impatiently. It's early in the evening, so there are still loads of business people in suits wanting to get home, their faces red and sweaty from the heat.
Business people hardly ever used to use public transit, but since the government began charging fifty dollars, per trip, to drive cars in the city, that's changed. It was one of the things they did a few years ago to try to stop climate change. But it was far too little, too late.
Lily is nervously biting her fingernails. She glances over at me. "How are we supposed to get to your sister if there are demonic things down there waiting for us?" she asks.
"I'm not exactly sure," I admit. "But Raphael says they can't hurt us unless they become powerful. Negative feelings, like fear and anger, are their power source." I don't tell her how my fear made one of them strong enough to grab me in a vise-like grip as I ran along the tracks. Some things are better left unsaid.
"Well, that's not good, because if any of this stuff is real, I'm going to be pretty scared." She looks at me with wide eyes. "Actually, forget the future tense. I'm totally scared right now."
There's a low rumbling from inside the tunnel, and a shimmer of light appears. The next train is approaching. I'm relieved because I don't have anything to say to make Lily feel better.
The train slides alongside the platform. We walk on, find seats, and sit down. Cassandra is beside Raphael. It makes sense. I was talking to Lily just before we got on. Still, that little twinge of jealousy rears its ugly head again.
"What do we do now?" Cassandra asks as the subway car makes its next stop. I watch about a dozen people get off, only to be replaced by new travellers.
Raphael looks at me. "Think about Jade," he says. "Try to visualize her the way she was when you saw her on the stairwell. Maybe that will help connect the two of you."
I'm so scared. I want to go and rescue Jade, but I'm afraid of what we're going to need to face in order to get to her. I can't be this afraid when we cross over.
"Do it, Jazz," he says, this time more gently. "We're here together. If anything happens, just remember you can battle demons. All Seers can."
"Should we really be having this crazy conversation here," Cassandra asks, jerking her head in the direction of the other passengers, "in public?"
"This lot will just think we're talking about some new video game or something," Raphael says. "Not to worry."
But I am worried. Worried because I wasn't able to keep my fear under control last time I was sucked into the Place-in-Between, and I have a strong feeling that Cassandra and Lily won't be able to either. Especially Lily. So, if three Seers are down there feeling terrified, won't that make the demons super-strong?
"How do we battle them?" I ask. "With our bare hands? In case you haven't noticed, I'm all of five foot three and weigh a hundred pounds."
"The three of you have strength that you don't yet realize," Raphael says. "Demons need to be beheaded. That will kill them."
"Oh, God," Lily says, putting her hand to her mouth. She looks like she might be sick.
"We don't have much time," Raphael says. "We need to find Jade and get her out of there. It's no place for the living."
"That's what I thought!" I say, leaning over Cassandra and grabbing his arm. "Just before we ended up back here."
"Go on, Jasmine. She's still alive. If the gateway is open, we can get her."
I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, and close my eyes. I try to picture my sister on the stairs of the London subway station the moment before she grabbed my hand.
I can see Jade in my mind, making her way down the steps at Bethnal Green station, her eyes meeting mine.
Lily screams as the subway lurches to one side. The train seems to be navigating a sharp turn in the tracks. I'm tempted to open my eyes, but force myself to continue thinking of Jade.
The crazy thing is, Jade is no longer on the stairs. In my mind, she's now running down a narrow, cobbled street. She keeps looking back over her shoulder, as though she's running from someone. Or something. She's wearing a long, embroidered velvet dress with puffy sleeves and a high collar. Her dark hair trails out behind her as she runs. Her eyes are pools of terror. The vision is so real I feel like I could reach out and touch her.
"Get me off of here!" Lily screams as the subway lurches again. Her voice sounds distant, though, as if she's far away from me, yelling through a dense fog.
There's a sudden screeching of brakes and we're all thrown forward. I open my eyes.
Everything is dark, like a night without the moon.