All Things in the Shadows

by B. D. Messick

  We have to go.

  “Be careful.”

  We will.

  “I love you both,” he says, his voice cracking slightly.

  We love you.

  I reach over and take Kateri's hand, leading us out of the office and back to the front door. By the time we get there, we're both wiping away tears. I clear my throat, trying to push down the flood of emotions.

  “Why was I able to touch him?” Kateri asks.

  “I don't know.”

  “I think it's like Shayds and the human world. We can interact with things and people there, even though we can't be seen, because we're only one 'layer' away. Here, we're two 'layers' away from the Human world, but only one from the Shayd world.”

  “What about the door? Why couldn't you open it?” I ask.

  “Maybe because the outer surface belongs in the Human world.”

  “But because I'm like 'in-between' I can bypass it.”

  “Maybe.”

  “This is giving me a headache.”

  “You and me both, but we really have to find Reeva.”

  “Yeah. She has to be somewhere else. Even if she got back here, I don't think she could have gotten inside,” I say.

  “Okay. So where do we go now?”

  “There,” I reply, pointing to the ominous tower in the distance.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “You mean Barad-dûr?” Kateri asks while looking at the menacing structure.

  “You are such a dork,” I reply.

  “Uh huh. Like you don't know what I mean,” she says, smirking at me.

  Of course, I know what she meant. Barad-dûr: the fortress of Sauron, the chief baddie in the Lord of the Rings, but I'm not going to admit it. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, check Wikipedia; I can't do everything.

  “You think she'd go there?” Kateri asks.

  “I'd go there if I were her.”

  “That's what you said about the Factory.” She shakes her head and smirks at me.

  “That's old news, okay? Besides, that was before I knew she wouldn't be able to get in. You know Reeva. She’d pick the place that seems like the demon central hub, and that’s it,” I say, looking at the tower as a chill runs slowly down my spine.

  “You're right. Let's get moving.”

  I take her hand and we run across the parking lot, and then she suddenly stops.

  “Wait,” she says.

  “What?”

  “We have to eat something.”

  “We have to find Reeva,” I reply.

  “I know, but I’m about to pass out. That protein bar isn’t cutting it. You have to be hungry.”

  I nod, finally realizing how run-down I really feel.

  “Come on,” I say, tugging on her hand and leading her to our little hangout; the rusting delivery truck.

  When we climb up inside, strangely, the springs don’t settle and creak like they normally do. I slip out of my pack, setting it on the floor. I look over at Kateri and I smile as I watch her digging through her bag.

  She turns suddenly and catches me staring at her.

  “What?” she asks.

  “Nothing,” I reply, taking a step closer and slipping my arm around her back.

  She smiles as I gaze into her swirling blue eyes. I know she’s thinking and feeling the same things I am; this old truck holds a special place in our hearts. I retreated here after my mother was killed and she was the one who came for me. This is where we first kissed, where I first knew that I loved her, and she loved me.

  I lean forward, tilting my head to the side and press my lips against hers. The heat sends a warm sensation coursing through my entire being. Her hand slips behind my back and pulls me closer as our mouths move together. A few moments later we both step back, and she grins at me.

  “Were you reading my mind?” she asks.

  “I wasn’t trying to.”

  “It’s okay. You knew what I wanted anyway.”

  “The same thing I wanted.”

  We kiss again, the gesture just as passionate, but tempered by the urgency of our mission.

  E ~ We should eat.

  K ~ Yeah.

  We sit down on the floor, knees touching and have a meal of bottled water, dried beef and trail mix. When we’re done, we pack everything back up and head outside.

  “You ready?”

  I look over at her, gazing briefly into those amazing eyes and give her a little nod and smile.

  And then we leap into the shadows cast by the Factory. I look over at her as we bound from rooftop to rooftop, water tower to fire-escape, and even off the side of a building once or twice. I'm becoming so confident in my streaming skills, that it only takes me a split second between landing and linking to the next point. I thought the thrill would fade with time, but it's absolutely the opposite. Eventually, I release Kateri fingers, and we each choose different paths. It's easier to stream by yourself, although I feel the sense of loss as soon as I let go of her hand. Within a few seconds, I lose sight of her, but I settle into the rhythm of my streaming, bouncing and bounding off link points with ease.

  I hit a few 'dead spots' where the darkness displaces the shadows, but I recover quickly while moving ever closer to our objective; the menacing tower in the distance. I land on the roof of a five-story condo, pausing for a moment to get my bearings before leaping again. I have my landing point in sight when something suddenly slams into my right side and then I'm falling, flipping head over heels rocketing toward the ground. I search for a new jump point, my eyes darting in a desperate attempt to save myself, but I can't focus on anything long enough to leap again. Out of nowhere, I feel arms wrap around me and I slow, but we're still plummeting out of control.

  I close my eyes and prepare for the impact. As soon as we slam into the ground, I black out.

  “Hey, you okay?” someone asks.

  I groan as I gingerly touch the back of my head.

  “Ow,” I mutter as I touch an alarmingly large lump.

  I look up, expecting to see Kateri smiling down at me, but instead, the face of a young, red-skinned demon boy is there, his bright yellow eyes studying me intently. I push myself up and move away from him, pulling my knife in the process.

  “What the—”

  A wave of dizziness washes over me as I take another step back. I reach for the wall, but it's further away than I figure, and I stumble before steadying myself. My hand finally contacts the hard, rough brick surface.

  “You should take it easy,” he says gently. “I think you hit your head pretty hard.”

  “Just stay back,” I reply, holding the knife out.

  My gesture would be more threatening if my hand wasn't shaking. He makes no move toward me, but it doesn't make me feel much better.

  E ~ Kateri. I need help.

  K ~ Where are you?

  E ~ In trouble.

  K ~ Where?

  E ~ Some alley. Not sure.

  K ~ You hurt?

  E ~ Maybe.

  K ~ I'll find you.

  “Someone's coming to help me,” I say. “You should go.”

  He looks at me for a moment before answering. “I'm not leaving you like this, when you're hurt.”

  I sigh and shake my head, but that just makes the dizziness worse. As we're standing there, I look at him, I mean really look at him for the first time. He's a handsome kid, the dark red skin, two short horns protruding through his hair, and yellow eyes aside. His sticky-up black hair is picture perfect, and only helps to enhance his good looks. His black jeans and blue Under Armor shirt fit him perfectly, and his black Skechers with white trim are exactly what you might expect to see on a human teenager. For those of us in the geek-world, he looks a little like a Zabrak from Star Wars the Old Republic online game. If you're not sure what I mean, Google it.

  “When she gets here, she's not going to be very nice,” I say, fighting the urge to sit.

  “Doesn't matter. I'm not leaving. You're hurt because of me.”
>
  I frown at him. “You ran into me while I was streaming, didn't you?”

  “Yeah.”

  I slowly lower the knife and lean back against the wall.

  “Why don't you sit while we wait?” he suggests.

  “I don't get why you won't leave. I'm fine. I'll be fine.”

  “I'm staying till I'm sure.”

  “Boys,” I grumble.

  He smiles at me, the sight of his sharp teeth a little disconcerting, but his calm demeanor and polite way offsets any worries.

  “Are you a Shayd?” he asks, tilting his head a little to the side.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Human? No. Humans can't stream,” he says, more to himself than me.

  “No questions, okay?” I’m angry that I already said too much.

  “Okay.”

  A few seconds pass before he speaks again.

  “So ... if you're not exactly a Shayd, then what are you doing here?”

  “I thought I said no questions.”

  “Oh yeah, sorry,” he says, grinning before falling silent again.

  “If you're a demon, why aren't you attacking me?” I ask, breaking my own rule.

  “I thought you said no questions,” he replies.

  “No questions apply to you.”

  “Ah. Doesn't seem quite fair.”

  “What is, huh?”

  He chuckles and smiles at me. “True. If you're a 'not exactly a Shayd', why didn't you attack me?”

  “Because I think you saved my life.”

  “I did, although I probably could have done a slightly better job,” he says, touching the back of his head. “I didn't attack you because you haven't attacked me.”

  I nod and suddenly feel dizzy. I take a small step forward and stumble. In a flash, he's by my side, holding my arm and hand, helping to steady me. I look up at him, my eyes widening as Kateri suddenly appears out of the shadows behind him, her sword raised and ready to strike.

  “Kateri! No!”

  I barely have time to draw my knife again and lift my arm to fend off her attack. The weight of her blade crashes into my much lighter dagger and knocks the weapon out of my hand and sends a shockwave down my arm. My savior ducks, but he doesn't run, instead, he holds his ground, refusing to leave my side.

  “What the fuck?” she asks, glaring at me, and then she focuses on my demon acquaintance, screaming, “Get away from her!”

  I can see the confusion on her face.

  He puts his hands up, and I notice the long, pointed nails for the first time. Kateri moves to my side, keeping an eye on him.

  “Are you okay?” she asks, a note of panic in her voice.

  “I'm okay, just hit my head,” I reply, taking her hand and squeezing her fingers. “He saved me, so don't hurt him.”

  “Saved you?” She frowns as she watches him.

  “I collided with her while she was streaming,” he volunteers.

  “You shut-up!” Kateri says, pointing her sword at him.

  “Sorry.” He puts his hands down but stands still and quiet.

  Kateri kneels next to me and I can see the worry in her eyes.

  “You sure you're okay?” she asks again, gently stroking my hair.

  “I'm good. I just need a few minutes. He really did save me, so be nice.”

  She shakes her head, slips her sword back into its scabbard and then stands and stares at him.

  “What's your name?” she more demands than asks.

  “Jax.”

  “Thanks for what you did.”

  “No problem. Thanks for not killing me.”

  “The only reason I'm not killing you is because of her,” Kateri says, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

  “Understood.”

  “I said be nice,” I say.

  I slowly get to my feet as the worse of the dizziness seems to have passed.

  “This is me being nice,” she says, keeping her eyes locked on Jax.

  “That's good to know,” he says. “Don't really want to see you not being nice.”

  “No. You don't.”

  I step up next to Kateri, placing my hand on her shoulder and extending my other hand toward this odd, funny, sarcastic demon.

  “My name's Eve.”

  He takes my hand and shakes it firmly. His skin is cooler than I expected, but maybe it's just the color that made me think it might be hot.

  “Nice to meet you, Eve.”

  When he releases my hand, I look over at Kateri and nudge her in the side.

  “Kateri,” she says without offering her hand.

  “That's pretty.”

  She frowns, and he smiles.

  “I mean scary,” he says, and I can't help but laugh.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “We're done here,” Kateri says to Jax.

  He nods and starts to turn.

  “Can you wait a sec, Jax?”

  “Sure,” he replies, shooting me a quick, but still slightly disconcerting smile.

  I take Kateri's arm and pull her aside.

  “What?” she asks, clearly annoyed with me.

  “Listen. We need to be smart here, okay. He may be able to help us.”

  “Help us? How?”

  I notice she keeps glancing at him over my shoulder, as if he might suddenly attack us.

  “Will you listen to me and stop looking at him?”

  She sighs and grumbles but turns her attention back to me.

  “We're in trouble here. We don't know where Reeva is. We're not sure what we're going to find when we reach the tower, and we're not even sure that's where we need to go.”

  “How do you know he can help us, or would even want to?”

  “I don't. That's why we need to ask him. Then we can go from there.”

  She stares at me for a few moments without replying, before finally giving me a quick nod. We turn back to Jax and he stands up a little straighter.

  “Can we go somewhere and talk?” I ask.

  “Don't like the alley?” he replies with a grin.

  “It's a little exposed.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is. We can go to my place.”

  K ~ My place?

  E ~ That's what he said.

  K ~ What are we doing here?

  E ~ We're doing what we came here to do.

  K ~ By following this ... thing ... into a trap?

  E ~ We don't know that.

  “Are you two empaths or something?” Jax asks.

  We both look at him at the same time. I know my mouth drops open, but I can't help it.

  “What?” I finally manage to ask.

  “It's pretty obvious. I mean, you're both standing there, not saying anything but giving each other knowing looks. It's weirdly awkward.”

  I shake my head and laugh, suddenly realizing how strange we must look.

  “Yeah, we are,” I admit, deciding there's no reason to hide it.

  “Was she thinking bad things about me?” he asks, looking over at Kateri.

  “A little.”

  “Shut-up,” Kateri says, frowning at me.

  “Well you were. Anyway, how far is it to your place?”

  “About six blocks away.”

  “I don't like this,” Kateri says.

  “I don't either, but we don't have any choice.”

  Jax looks at Kateri. “I could have killed either or both of you more than a dozen times, and how do I know you're not going to try and kill me?”

  “That's true. You did try and kill him once already,” I say.

  “You're not helping,” Kateri says.

  “Listen, if you want to go somewhere else, just name it.”

  “Let's just go in here,” I say, pointing to the building we're standing next to. “We can find a quiet place and talk. That okay with you?” I ask Kateri.

  “Fine with me,” she replies, staring at Jax.

  “Well then, after you,” Jax says, gesturing with his arm.

  “I'm not letting you walk b
ehind me.”

  “Oh, my God. Let's go.” I take Kateri's hand and pull her along with me. She keeps looking back at him as he follows us.

  E ~ You two are like a couple of brats.

  K ~ You're putting us in danger. I'm trying to keep us safe.

  E ~ I'm trying to find Reeva, finish this goddamn mission and get us home safe, and Jax may be our best shot at that.

  K ~ Yeah, and—

  E ~ And nothing. Do you think I'd put us in danger, put you in danger?

  K ~ No.

  E ~ Then help me.

  We reach the front of the building, which turns out to be a small bookstore. I look through the window at the rows of cases and display tables. A few customers are milling about, but it looks quiet inside. I reach for the door handle, before pulling my hand back.

  “What's the matter?” Kateri asks.

  “Maybe we should wait till someone comes out or in, so the door won't look like it just opened on its own.”

  “They'll get over it,” Jax says as he steps between us and pulls on the handle.

  I look at Kateri. She shakes her head and frowns at me. The little bell suspended on the end of a curled piece of brass, dings a few times as we're slipping inside. Only one patron even looks over, but she quickly turns her attention back to the stacks of books in front of her. The store has that wonderful smell that small bookshops tend to have; a mix of wood, dust and paper. It's hard to describe, and if you don't visit a lot, you won't know what I mean. Go visit one and inhale deeply.

  “Up there,” I say, pointing to the second floor.

  When I look over at Jax, he's standing behind a young lady with long, dark hair reading over her shoulder.

  “Jax! Come on.”

  “Oh sorry,” he says with a quick smile and a laugh.