Chapter 19

Robert had carried Christina into the living room where she was now sleeping with her head resting on Amy's lap. Katherine had made tea and they were all trying to process what had just happened. 'She like, legit died.' Dani said, her own way of coping.

'We were all there Dani.' Katherine reminded her.

'I know but she was dead, really dead.'

'Danielle.' Robert said.

'If Amy hadn't discovered her new power then she would still be dead.'

'Dani, we get it.' Lisa said, sitting on the floor in front of Christina and Amy. 'I don't know why I didn't see her ghost though?' Lisa wondered.

'Maybe she'd already moved on? You did say you can only see ghosts who can't cross to the other side peacefully.' Lauren said.

'But still, it's Chris. She wouldn't have gone without saying goodbye.' Lisa said.

'What did Abaddon do to her?' Amy asked. There was a moment of silence as they thought, but Christina answered for them.

'He took the amulets power.' She said weakly.

'Chris.' Lisa said, turning around to face her.

'I can't feel the power in me any more, he took it.' Christina explained.

'How are you feeling right now?' Katherine asked.

'Tired, weak.' Christina said, licking her lips and sitting up.

'Here.' Dani handed her a glass of water. 'Drink.'

'Thanks.' Christina smiled. She sipped the water slowly and thought. 'I died.'

'You remember?' Lauren asked.

'Yeah.' Christina said. 'I think I went to heaven. I saw mum's face smiling at me so I think it was heaven.' She looked around confused. 'How am I alive?'

'Amy.' Katherine said. 'Her power has evolved. She healed your hand and brought you back.' Christina turned to look at Amy and pulled her into a hug.

'Thank you.' She whispered in Amy's ear. 'I wasn't ready to leave you guys yet.' She admitted.

'We do have a big problem though.' Lisa reminded them. 'If he did drain you of the amulets power we need to know what he plans on doing with it.'

'He's going to start powering up his army.' Christina said.

'How do you know that?' Dani asked.

'It's what he's wanted the power for all along.' Christina said. 'And I know he at least has enough to get started.'

'So how do we stop him?' Katherine asked.

'I need to put the amulet back on and let it power me up again.' Christina said.

'What about a spell? Couldn't we just target Abaddon specifically? Like we tried to with Jonah?' Lisa asked.

'No, it won't be enough.' Christina bit her lip. 'And if I'm wearing the amulet he shouldn't be able to take it from me.'

'Chris that's so dangerous.' Katherine said gently.

'It's no more dangerous than what's already happened.' Dani said, agreeing with Christina.

'Okay then.' Katherine sighed. 'Where is it? I'll get it for you.'

'It's not here.' Christina said.

'Yes it is, I saw you put it in your bag, in the lock box?' Lisa said.

'The box is empty. I just needed everyone to think it was in there in case we were being watched, or followed.' She told them.

'Where is it really?' Amy asked.

'At home, in the basement. It's been there the whole time.' She said. 'They wont bother searching an already wrecked house if they think I'm carrying it around.'

'Oh that's good.' Grinned Lauren.

'Let's go home then.' Amy said, standing and helping Christina up after her.

'What can I do?' Robert asked as the rest of the girls stood.

'Nothing, it's to dangerous. You need to stay here.' Christina said.

'Christina, you just died.' Amy felt her flinch slightly at his words. 'I need to do something.'

'What would you like to do dad? Cheer us on from the sidelines of a demonic battlefield?' Dani asked somewhat sarcastically.

'I…' He started to respond but didn't really know what to say.

'Just, please stay here.' Katherine said gently. 'If you're here we know you're alive.'

'Okay.' He conceded.

xxxxxx

The car ride home was quiet. Christina was sitting in the middle row of seats leaning her head on the window as Katherine drove. Amy was sitting next to Christina, looking down at her hands and willing them to glow. Dani popped her head through from the very back. 'What are you doing Amy?' She asked, Lauren turning to look from her seat in the front.

'I'm trying to make them glow again.' Amy said. 'But it's not working.'

'Maybe it's not working because it doesn't need to work at this particular moment.' Katherine suggested as she kept her eyes on the road.

'No one's injured, no one needs you to do it.' Dani said. 'Makes sense.'

'And you're not really emotionally involved.' Lisa chimed in. 'It was pretty intense back there so maybe your heightened emotions triggered it?'

'Maybe.' Amy said, letting her hands flop onto her lap. She looked over at Christina, who still hadn't moved or said anything since they left their father's house. Lisa shot Amy a look of worry from the back seat. 'Christina, you're blocking me.' Amy said. 'Intentionally.'

'I'm thinking a lot.' Christina said, not moving. 'I don't want to annoy you.'

'You never annoy me.' Amy said. 'Maybe I can help, maybe we all can.' Christina sighed and turned to face into the car. She looked at her sister for a moment.

'I'm trying to process the fact that… that I died.' She cleared her throat. 'I've been hurt before, I've thought I was going to die before, but actually dying…..'

'What did it feel like?' Lauren asked quietly.

'When he was taking the energy it was draining the life out of me. That's how my own power feels sometimes but he just didn't stop. It went past the point of no return and then nothing. It was like all the lights went out.' Christina looked down at her hands, playing with her sleeves. 'There was some peace, wherever I was. I felt safe and loved, like nothing would ever hurt again. And in the darkness I saw mum, I swear to God.' She smiled as tears began to fall down her face.

'It's okay.' Amy said, wiping away her own tears as she reached over to Christina. She took her hand and held it tight. 'It's okay to cry.' Christina looked at her and nodded before breaking down completely. Amy undid her seatbelt and slid right next to Christina, holding her tight. 'We're right here.' Amy whispered.

Xxxxxx

Christina had managed to cry herself back to sleep by the time Katherine pulled the car to a stop outside their home. Amy looked down at her as Katherine turned off the engine. 'I really don't want to wake her up, she's so tired.'

'Is she okay Aimes?' Dani asked.

'I don't know. She's blocking me again.' Amy admitted.

'She can do it when she's asleep?' Lauren asked, turning in her seat.

'She's really good at it, better than you lot combined.' Amy smiled. 'I just wish she didn't feel the need to. It's been getting worse since she used the amulet.'

'We'll have to talk to her once all of this is over.' Lisa suggested.

'We can go in Amy, if you want to stay with her?' Katherine said.

'Are you sure? I want to help.' Amy said.

'This is helping, helping Chris.' Katherine assure her. 'And we just need to get the amulet and a few more supplies then we can go.'

'Speaking of that, where are we going?' Lisa asked. 'It's not like we can hide from them anymore.'

'I've been speaking to someone who has offered to help us.' Katherine told them.

'News to us.' Dani said.

'Who?' Lauren asked.

'Wendy.' Katherine said bluntly. She looked at their shocked faces whilst they digested the information.

'Demon Wendy?' Lisa said. 'Who tried to kill us. That Wendy?'

'You've got to be kidding me. She threw Chris out of a window and tried to strangle Lauren!' Amy said. 'Why are you talking to her?'

'She called me a couple of weeks ago.' Katherine admitted. 'She heard we'd defeated Belial and wanted to thank us. She also apologised for hurting Lauren and Chris.'

'And you didn't tell us because?' Lauren wondered.

'I didn't think you'd want to hear it.' Katherine said. 'But she has a house in the middle of town with shields. We won't be sensed there.'

'Demonic shields.' Lisa added.

'Yes, demonic shields.' Katherine clarified. 'If demons sense their own magic they'll just move on, they won't suspect a thing and we can recover and plan.'

'Christina is going to love this.' Dani said sarcastically.

'She won't have a choice. By the time she wakes up we'll already be there.' Katherine said getting out of the car. The others looked at each other briefly before following, leaving Amy and Christina.