Chapter 16
The passage was long, entwining, as they ran through the open doors, passing stairs of iron rungs. Long, twisting and spiral. A familiar aroma of candle smoke choked their surroundings. Muddled with the reeking stench of mildew and moss. The gray-glacial walls were all sewn together with cement and grilled openings on the roof through which they could glimpse bluish-purple light pouring down in a patchy, misty mire.
Upon climbing the coppered steps, they heard soft, musical chords playing in the distance. Some sort of classical, chamber music.
“For a djinn,” whispered Phoebe. “This demonic force sure has weird taste in music.”
“Yes, perhaps the death march would be more to his liking.” Answered Perdita vapidly. “Well here goes nothing.” Perdita hugged Phoebe.
Together they stood motionless for a second. They knew this meant goodbye. At least for now.
“Let’s do it.” Phoebe whispered.
Sudden fear held Phoebe motionless and silent. She knew dark, primitive fear had her now. It was something strange and energy zapping. A new experience she’d never felt before, even when vanquishing all those demons that had come before.
This feeling was unnerving, a feeling of helplessness wrapped with hope. Why weren’t Prue and Piper here? Together they could come up with a spell to protect Perdita. With them out of the picture, Phoebe had to act fast, think fast; think alone.
Powers of light
Forces of good
Illuminate a path for your servant so true
Keep her, protect her
From all that will ensue.
Phoebe hoped it would work. She wished she had some silvery, sparkling moondust to throw at her for added good measure; or could see some fireflies sparkle. Wait fireflies were supposed to signal romance. Not good luck. Well it was the spell that was important no matter how it was sealed.
They found Sabroh wanting. Embers of light enthralled their surroundings as Perdita began to chant. The air was shrouded in mist and dry ice. Phoebe called out to Sabroh,
“Hey you scary djinn over here!”
“I’ve been expecting you.” He grunted.
He turned to catch sight of her dashing towards one of the silk screens. She did her best to distract him as fireballs and flames from Sabroh’s palms marred her every movement. Shooting like lit arrows in all directions and angles.
“Hey over here!” She called out. Ducking and diving behind rock formations, pillars and columns. The whole room came alive with dancing shadows.
“Hurry Perdita.” She whispered.
Perdita placed the spherical prism on the ground behind Sabroh to form a right angle in direct correlation with the amulet around her neck, as she glanced Phoebe running around from the corner of her eye.
As she chanted more mist gathered and soon the whole cavern was in vapours.
Perdita’s chant was a beautiful resonance of a soothing melody to human ears. A variation on old Castillian Spanish and Persian Farsi. But to Sabroh’s ears it was a mesmerizing din.
Phoebe understood what was being said as another voice, that of Minah, seemed to be translating and repeating the chant into English for Phoebe’s ears. It was as though music was being broadcast simultaneously on two distinct, yet separate radio stations.
Beneath gilded embers
Crystals twisting, precious, strong
We are the children of a forgotten past
A future – that lies forward – less beauty has its strong hold overcast
And left us with dreams.
Our desires fade as the last remnants of a distant meteor shower;
Whilst he grows.
Pull away this chilling entity, foreboding the holy and divine
Fine line betwixt evil and good
Emprism this djinn’s legacy within your dome-encrusted structure
Leave this earthly plane
Return it from whence it came.
Perdita could feel herself being drawn inwards towards the mirror as it began to project strange illuminations. She thought she was hallucinating as she saw white figures flying inside the mirror. Fierce wind blew from every direction, as her chanting grew stronger. Uncannily Sabroh couldn’t hear Perdita, it was as though he was oblivious to her presence.
The fire escaped from his body then suddenly the light went out. He could feel his strength, his power being drained, ebbing away into an abyss. Sabroh knew he must fight back. Then it dawned. The eerie memory. This had happened once before. Minah. But she was dead. Had she been playing tricks? Lying dormant somewhere ready to awaken when the right moment was at hand. His mind began to wander and finally from over his shoulder he turned to hear strange chanting again. This time it wasn’t Minah’s heavenly chords.
“Cursed it. It is Perdita. I must destroy or be destroyed!” He shook his fiery fist of rage, attempting to release his presence from the numb dawning of the real truth.
Perdita chanted. The wind enraged and howled stronger; a whirlwind began spinning around the room, gathering momentum.
Sabroh wavered. Shivered against the dry ice. He was being vanquished. Impossible for a djinn. Resistance was useless. He failed in every defeated attempt to free himself from the cataclysmic vortex parring, gathering immense speed with each syllable she uttered.
Perdita stood, reflected in the glorious flicker of light and shadows, arms reaching out, extending, in angelic fashion. Eyes closed as in deep meditation. Her hair flying loose and care free against the torment of the gusting wind.
Phoebe ran for cover behind a marble post. The first force of the circling vortex knocked her off her feet but she clung onto the post by the skin of her fingers and the end of her nails. She was nearly pummelled by the spasmic, cosmic veils of the inflating gale.
Sabroh was sucked into the prism’s cold, icy glare. Echoes of his screams, wild animal cries, resounded and rebounded against the hollow walls. Long, icy hands reached out from the crystalline prism to grab him. Pulling him, dragging him mercilessly. Sabroh clung on. His claws screeching, marks patterned the floor. In an instant he was gone. Finality had returned. The prism, containing Sabroh’s inflammable remains had melted to ripples of glassy water. Then vanished.
There was no escape from the tyranny of the tumultuous ending Perdita knew was about to abruptly mark the end. Her end.
The mirror crashed to the floor as shards of blue halos radiated around her. In the blink of an eye she’d disappeared too. It seemed she had been sucked through the depthless glitter of the broken mirror. Only her amulet remained heaped within a pile of sand and dust.
Daylight blistered the torn walls of the vacant room. Perdita’s destiny had been fulfilled. Phoebe’s vision had proved hauntingly harsh and ghostly true.
Phoebe didn’t have an explanation for what took place. It was beyond words. She picked up the amulet and turned it over. In the back she saw a symbol. It was their sign. The symbol of the Charmed Ones.
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