Sapphire Speaks (complete)

Chapter 11

Brandon looked at Kyra. He knew what that meant. Crash had given him a snippet of Kyra's abilities.
Crash cleared his throat. "Uh- Yonna, this is my lil sister, Kyra. Kyra this is Yonna."
Yonna placed the strawberry smoothie in front of Kyra."You just popping out with all kinds of siblings," she tried to joke.
Kyra cocked her head as she examined Yonna. Yes, she knew her. "Yonna, right? Thanks."
Yonna handed Crash his drink and hurried away. The energy at the table was starting to scare her. She could've sworn that the girl's eyes had changed colors, but that had to have been a trick of the light. No one's eyes changed from brown to orange. Right?
Crash took a sip of his juice and turned to Kyra. "You know her?"
Kyra nodded. "You don't?"
Crash shrugged. "I can't get anything from her. She just has a cool vibe. It's one of the reasons I like coming here."
Kyra asked Brandon if he felt it.
"I felt something right before she walked over here. But I just like talking to her. She's -- usually she's a breath of fresh air. Not today though."
"I felt that," Crash agreed.
Kyra looked around. There were only four other patrons besides them. They were all focused on their phones and their food to pay them any mind. "Something's here. She has something attached to her. Y'all didn't pick up on that?"
Brandon looked over his shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"It smells like death in here. She's dying."
"That's just today," Crash rushed to explain. "It's never been here any other day. I've been coming here for almost a year."
Kyra shook her head. She knew what she felt. She knew what she saw. She just didn't know how it had been hidden from Crash. He had one of the clearest visions she'd seen in someone who wasn't a mystic. Brandon had to have sensed the change in the girl's spirit. He had to. Kyra lifted the cup to her lips. She was getting ready to take a sip when a burst of energy knocked the cup from her hand.
"Damn, Kyra," Crash exclaimed as he grabbed napkins and tried to clean up the mess.
"Stop," Kyra said.
Brandon held some napkins out to Kyra, but she refused to take them. Her eyes had turned orange. He glanced around. No one was paying them any attention. He felt the shift in dimensions.
Crash called for his staff. He knew that Kyra wouldn't shift them unless need be. Brandon did the same and once he had his sword, the both of them stood. They looked to Kyra for guidance.
"She's cursed," Kyra said as she exited the booth. "It's a strong curse. It may be why y'all couldn't feel it. But it's so thick. It's hard for me to breathe."
"Cursed? Like I was?" Brandon asked. He was still green and ignorant about aspects of their divinity.
"No, she's been cursed since birth. Something really wanted to keep her suppressed. I know her. It's like I've always known her. We have to save her."
"Let's head to the kitchen," Crash directed.
Together, the three of them walked tensely to the back of the bar. They passed through the swinging door and saw that Yonna was standing with her back to them preparing Brandon's and Crash's order. A dark aura surrounded her. Its foul energy and vibrations sickened the trio. They felt their stomachs turn. Crash and Brandon raised their weapons to the ready. Her orange aura was being strangled by the gray.
Now that they were close to her and one another plane, in another dimension, the remnants and evidence of the curse were clear. A shadow caught Crash's attention. He turned quickly.
The shadow hovered above ground. It had no face. It couldn't be called corporeal in shape, because it was just a blob. Kyra raised her arms and started to chant. Slowly, the shadow started to take form.
Brandon guarded Yonna's body with his as he held his sword at the ready, ready for whatever was about to happen. He shook in anticipation. He was wired. Full of energy as he waited.
Crash called for an ancestor, but they were all silent. He couldn't evoke a god nor would his Orisha answer him. That made him grip his staff tighter as the shadow finally materialized.
Kyra frowned. She looked from the shadow to Crash. "Who is she?"
Crash gritted his teeth. "Her co-worker. I don't let her fix my food. Her vibe has always been off."
Brandon nodded. "Now, we know why. What do we do?"
Kyra waved her right hand and commanded the shadow to speak. "You will answer. Why are you here?"
The shadow smirked. "I answer not to you, mystic."
Kyra took a deep breath and exhaled. "Brandon, ask it."
Brandon nodded. "Why are you here?"
The shadow turned to face Brandon. "To keep the girl defeated. She must never know her true power."
"Who sent you?" Brandon asked.
The shadow opened its mouth, but instead of words, ashes came from its mouth. The ashes filled the room. Kyra couldn't see. The ashes blurred her vision. No matter how many spells she cast, nothing happened. Brandon attempted to slice through the ashes with his sword. Nothing happened. Crash spun his staff around his head. A whirlpool of wind was created and the ashes were quickly sucked into the eye of the vortex.
"Save your parlor tricks, proxy," Crash demanded. "You are a lost cause. You have sold yourself, your soul, your essence, to whatever cursed her. You are worthless."
Crash attacked. He jumped into the air, levitated there for a few seconds and swung his staff he was Hank Aaron. The Staff connected with the shadow's head with a resounding and sickening whack! It echoed throughout the kitchen, bouncing off of the stainless steel appliances. The shadow recovered quickly. It pulled two daggers from its waist and threw them simultaneously. One was headed toward Brandon's chest and the other for Kyra's torso.
Brandon blocked the dagger with a quick swipe of his sword. Kyra wasn't as lucky. Pain flooded her body as she looked down and saw the dagger protruding from her stomach. She blocked the pain as she removed the dagger and dropped it to the floor.
Brandon realized that the room was too small for the three of them to attack the shadow and win. "Kyra, we need to leave. We can't fight it in here," he yelled across the room.
Kyra nodded and they were quickly transported to an empty lot. The Shadow grinned, but it looked more like a grimace. "You will not save her. You cannot save her." It looked at Crash. "How can you save her when you couldn't even save your grandmother?"
Crash let out a bellowing scream and ran full speed at the shadow. Brandon followed his lead. Together they attacked the shadow. Wood and Metal connecting with flesh. It was a glorious, victorious symphony. It was truly music in Brandon's ears. Suddenly, he was flung backwards. He felt pressure around his neck. Crash was locked in hand to hand combat with the shadow. Surprisingly, they were evenly matched. Everytime Crash landed a punch, the Shadow would counter with two. If Crash used his staff, he inflicted more damage. Blood flew through the air. Electricity crackled around the battle.
Brandon felt useless. He needed to help Crash. Where was Kyra? He kept his sword in his hand as he tried to relieve the pressure from around his neck. It felt as if he were being strangled. He glanced around the empty lot. Kyra was on the other side of the epic battle. He could see her on her knees with her shirt lifted up. He groaned when he saw her wound. It was deep and bleeding horribly. She needed help. He summoned all of his strength. "I. Am. Okay. I. Can. Breathe," he forced out. Air filled his lungs. He coughed as he ran across the lot to Kyra.
Crash spat blood from his mouth as he exchanged blows with the shadow. Although, it had taken female form, there was nothing stereotypical feminine about the way it fought. All blows were calculated and delivered maximum pain when they landed. Crash kicked the shadow, creating much needed distance between them. Again, he called for help. None came. He called again as he blocked a left hook, but caught a jab to the solar plexus.
"Find your tribe. Use your tribe."
Crash looked around. He knew his grandmother's voice. She was with him. He placed both hands on his staff, a foot apart, and used it to block every blow. He looked around for Kyra and Brandon. He saw them on the sideline. He gritted his teeth as he felt the familiar sting of a knife. The shadow had caught him in the thigh. Using his uninjured leg, he kicked the shadow in the head. When it landed on its back, he leapt onto its chest. He used the staff as a garrotte and pressed down with all of his weight. The shadow's eyes bulged. "Brandon! Kyra! I need you," Crash called out.
It was words that he never thought that he would speak, but they were true. They were at his side as quickly as they could muster.
"Kyra, what can you see?" He asked her.
Kyra held her hand to her wound as she peered into the shadow's bulging eyes. "It has been with her for years. Taking many forms. There is always a proxy. She has been cursed since birth. Even if we defeat it here, another will take its place."
"Brandon?" Crash tagged him in.
"Why is Yonna so important? Why did she need to be cursed from birth?" He was standing and the tip of his sword was at the shadow's neck. When it didn't answer fast enough, he applied pressure, and the blood that trickled down meshed with the blood from the injuries from Crash.
"She is important because she alone can help him or stop him. Her power was evident before birth. It has been with him in every life. Her energy cycles and recycles. It is reborn as she is. There is no saving her."
Crash applied more pressure. "We'll save her." He looked up at Brandon and nodded.
Together, he and Brandon pressed down on their respective weapons. Eyes bulged and blood flowed before the shadow faded away.
"We gotta get back," Crash said. "I'll help you, Kyra." Brandon helped Crash to his feet and then they helped Kyra up. When it became evident that she couldn't stand, Crash scooped her into his arms.
"Kyra, tell us what to do," Brandon said.
Kyra reached out and grabbed Brandon's hands. The knowledge was transferred to him.