“Do you wanna go?” I asked Steele. I shielded my eyes from the bright sun that had made an appearance.
“I think I’m gonna stay here for a little while longer, and then me and Payne are gonna hang out with Jace for a while,” he replied, his gray eyes never leaving the blue flames. He needed time to heal over this, but I couldn’t help but feel like this sudden distance was because of my problems and me. Did I want this to be my way out of here? I didn’t know if I could take the thought of him hating me. One thing was for certain; whatever I did had to assure he wouldn’t come after me.
“Let me know if you wanna do anything later …” I slowly let go of his hand. He didn’t reply, he only cut me a sideways glance and walked over to Payne who was kneeling in front of the crystal rocks with his face buried in his hands. It hurt me to see Liam leave us, but I could only imagine what it felt like for them. If one of my friends were up there, I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together like these guys. I started walking down the trail, becoming aware I was alone. Last night’s experience in the shower heightened my paranoia, and I whipped my head around at each and every tiny noise I heard. “I’ve got to get out of here for a little while,” I said to myself and broke into a run. It felt as if the shadows were chasing me, breathing down the back of my neck. I burst into the clearing with the shell of our house in view and stopped, gasping for breath. It was only my imagination, so I shook it off and went inside to change clothes to go into town. After I was dressed, I walked down to Shayla’s room.
“What’s up?” she asked. From the looks of her tousled her, she’d been trying to go back to sleep.
“I need to talk. You wanna go to The Brew Shop with me?”
“Sure. Some coffee is definitely what I need right now, anyways.” I felt a wave of relief. I needed to talk to someone about all of this crazy junk going on with me.
“Meet me at the garage in ten minutes.” Back in my room, I dabbed a little powder across my face and briskly ran mascara over my lashes. I grabbed my purse and car keys and headed to the garage, carefully making sure to avoid anyone who might be wandering the halls. Mindless chitchat and questions were something I didn’t want to deal with.
Neither of us talked on the way there. She nodded off, fighting sleep, and I tried to figure out the correct way to spill my unwanted secrets. The dark clouds, which had materialized from nowhere, made a thick blanket in the early morning sky. It was a drastic change from the bright sunny day less than an hour before. As I guided my car into town, a light drizzle started to cover the road. Downtown came into view. It was in great need of an upgrade. The buildings that lined the street were squished together with paint chipping away from their aging surfaces. Potted plants hung from the recently replaced streetlights, which gave the sidewalk a warm glow in the increasingly bad weather.
I parked my car on the side of the road by the coffee shop. Trying to dodge the rain as much as possible, we ran until we were under the cover of the old red and gray canopy that shielded the front door. The scent of coffee beans greeted my nose as I pushed open the glass door. The place was almost empty as I looked over the few people sitting at the booths and tables, most reading or working on their computers. I chose a booth near the back and sat facing the door, with Shayla across from me.
This coffee shop held great memories for me in high school. Countless nights my friends from school and I would come here for cram sessions for big exams, chemistry mostly, due to my undeniable lack of interest in the subject. Of course, these gatherings were almost always accompanied with adolescent goof offs the moment we ingested too much caffeine. It saddened me to think I would never have another experience like that again. My life didn’t have those types of everyday normal events any more. Out of nowhere, Steele popped into my thoughts. We may never have those normal moments together.
“What can I get for you?” a girl who looked no older than fifteen asked. Her jet-black hair was pulled into two bouncy pigtails, making her look twice as pale as she already was.
“Umm … can I get a Caramel Frappuccino?”
“Macchiato for me,” Shayla said.
“Absolutely! I’ll be back in just a second with them,” she replied. She turned and bounced to the counter to start our order. The bell over the door rung, and Sim Baker walked in, shaking out his rain jacket. He looked around the room and met eyes with me as I gave him a small wave.
“The weather would get shitty, wouldn’t it? But you know, when it rains, doesn’t it just make you wanna take your clothes off? You know like in The Notebook? We could totally do that. I’d be so down for that right now.” He plopped down, uninvited, beside Shayla. Thankfully, at that moment, the girl retuned with ours drinks.
“Here you go. Can I get anything for you?” she asked him with a shy smile. I could understand why he had that affect on her; hell, he still had that affect on me.
“Hell yeah, I need some coffee! I need somethin’ strong as shit. Just surprise me.”
She raised her eyebrows and looked like she wanted to protest but decided against it. She bounced away once again and began whispering to her co-worker while stealing glances at our table.
“So, what’s up? How have y’all been? You and that dude still together?”
“Nice. Start with a couple of generic questions, and then close with what you really want to know,” Shayla said.
“That’s how I roll. What can I say? So, you gonna answer me?”
“We’ve been okay but could be much better if I didn’t have certain things goin’ on. And yes, Ollie and I are still together. Although we came pretty close to breaking up over the last time I saw you,” I replied.
“Oh, the last time we rode dirt roads? I’d almost forgot about that. Did anything happen with us that night?”
“No.” He looked disappointed.
“I must’ve gotten way drunker than what I was intending to, because the last thing I remember is us sittin’ in the truck and then wakin’ up in my bed the next mornin’ with shit all over my face.”
“What did you have on your face?” Shayla asked, puzzled.
“I had dicks drawn on me with a permanent marker. I didn’t think I was ever gonna get all of it off. They were still there when I went back to work on Monday. I can’t even begin to tell you how much hell I caught about it. I’m pretty sure Jayme did it, but he still hasn’t admitted to it. Hell, I found the marker next to him on the porch.” Shayla started choking on her coffee, trying to suppress a laugh.
“What was he doin’ on the porch?” I asked.
“I don’t know. All I can figure is after he jacked my face up, he went outside and fell or somethin’ and hit his head. He had a big ass bloody spot, and he was smooth laid the fuck out cold.”
“Dang, sounds like y’all got crazy after we left you. You were kind of poundin’ them back,” I replied, trying not to laugh too hard. I wondered who Ollie and Jace had do that to them.
“I guess so. What brings you ladies out so early in the mornin’?” I sat for a minute staring at my drink and twirling the straw around. There was no way I could tell him everything I brought Shayla here for. The girl returned with a cup of coffee for Sim, giving me a few more seconds to think. He turned it up and his face twisted in disgust. “That’s the last time I give them free reign to give me whatever. That taste like shit.”
“Judging from that expression, I’ll take your word on it.” I paused. “We were just out gettin’ some coffee since we had to wake up so early.” He looked between the two of us and grunted.
“Mmmhmm, there’s somethin’ else goin’ on here. I can tell,” he said.
“It’s a little personal, Sim. Girl talk, ya know?” Shayla said.
He nodded. “I got you. I’ll be at the counter to give y’all some time to talk.” He walked up to the counter and sat down. The waitress started smiling at whatever he was saying.
“The reason I wanted to talk is because this past year or so has been absolutely crazy for me. I’ve had
so much goin’ on, and I just really needed someone to talk to.”
“Hey, you know you can always tell me whatever,” Shayla said.
I launched into telling her everything, starting with the night in Fulton all the way until the night at Kimball Lake, only leaving out the childhood vision I didn’t want to talk about. When I was done, she sat for a minute with her hand on her mouth.
“Jeez, Reese. I don’t know how you’ve kept all this to yourself for so long. And don’t ever think I’d let anyone lock you up in one of those cages. I would beat the ever lovin’ shit outta someone for that, even if it was Jace. The fact that you’re not entirely human only means I have a cooler best friend.” Tears burned my eyes. I wanted to grab her in the biggest hug imaginable, but the table was in between us. It felt so good to let someone in on everything.
“I feel like I’m on the verge of breaking down at any moment.”
“Well, you can’t do that. We need you.” I wasn’t sure how much they needed me. I could be hazardous to be around depending on what this nonhuman side was.
“Sometimes, I just feel like leaving it all behind. The guys started it, so they should finish it. If I didn’t have Ollie, I don’t think I’d still be there,” I said. I balled up my straw paper; embarrassed by the fact I would so easily give up.
“Okay, sorry to interrupt girl time, but the waitress is startin’ to freak me out. I don’t wanna get locked up for her underage ass,” Sim said, taking his place beside Shayla again.
The doorbell chimed again. Two men with dark brown hats pulled low came in wearing long, tan trench coats. They shook the beads of rain off their jackets, took a seat near the front of the shop, and pulled out newspapers. Sim and Shayla’s voices became a muffled backdrop.
I couldn’t make myself focus on them because I was completely absorbed in watching the newcomers. My eyes flicked back and forth between Shayla and Sim and the other table, trying not to make it too obvious I was watching them. There was something oddly familiar about them, even though their jacket collars were pulled high enough to meet the rim of their hats so I couldn’t see their faces. Their hands were covered in gloves, so I couldn’t see any skin. The waitress walked over to the table and asked for their order with her notepad ready, but they never replied. She looked confused and walked away.
“Are you even listening to me?” Sim asked. He waved his hand in front of my face.
“What?” I asked, finally giving him my attention.
“I asked when we’re gonna go hit some dirt roads again … well?”
“Not sure,” I replied.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” the waitress said.
One of the strange men jerked close to the wall as a cup of hot coffee spilled over onto their table. His head snapped to me, and I finally saw a face. Cold, dark eyes met mine. Leathery dark gray skin covered his very pronounced cheek and jawbones. His nose was long and pointed with several slits running up the bridge that opened with each breath. I was staring at one of the creatures that fought in the battle in my dream … a Valk … Dermetheus’s army of creatures. The waitress shrieked, making others turn in their direction. Screams erupted and people started to scatter.
I ripped out the knife strapped under my shirt and hurled it across the room. It was too fast and jumped up, shoving the waitress to the side.
“What the hell?” Sim asked, looking back as I jumped up from the table. He caught sight of the beast that was now charging us. His skin paled, and his bottom lip quivered.
“Move it,” Shayla yelled as she pushed him out on the floor.
I pulled up my pant’s leg and slid the razor sharp blades out of the sheath. Leaning to the right, I barely missed its large fist hurling at my head. I slung the blade with all my might, slicing its cheek. It howled in pain and retaliated with an uppercut that sent me flying into the opposite wall. Sim jumped on its back trying to wrestle with it while Shayla slammed it repeatedly in the face with a metal napkin holder. We were alone in the shop with them now. Everyone else had vanished, in terror, out the door. The other one unjacketed and slowly walked toward me. Its back hunched over, with knots along the spine, while its lower half was cover by a loincloth. This Valk was nothing but pure muscle. I tried to get up, but my head pounded. Its iron grip wrapped around my neck and squeezed. The corners of its black eyes turned up as it choked the life out of me. A glass coffee pot close enough for me to grab caught my eye. I stretched and wrapped my fingers around the handle. I slammed it into the side of the creature’s head, shattering glass everywhere. Its grip loosened, and I found a large piece of glass with a point and drove it deep into the under part of the chin. It grabbed at the wound and rolled off me. I pulled myself up and found one of my knives lying under a table near us. I walked in front of it and leaned down to look it in the eyes as it struggled to breathe.
“You wanna bring that war to me?” I asked quietly. “I will finish your kind. Welcome to my world.” I raised the blade, and with one motion sliced completely through its neck, sending its head rolling across the floor.
“REESE!” SIM SAID. I looked up and found the other one staring at its fallen comrade and me. Instead of charging me again, it turned and ran out the door, slamming into a group of shaken witnesses outside. A few hit the ground and howled in pain. Leaving Sim and Shayla behind, I ran after it, out into the stormy morning. The rain pounded on me as I ran down the sidewalk. The creature turned into the traffic slowly making its way through downtown and completely jumped over a truck. I darted in after it but was met with the front bumper of a car. I rolled onto the hood and shot forward when the driver slammed on the brakes, making me hit the concrete hard.
“Are you okay?” came a man’s voice from the driver’s side. I ignored his question and got up. My left leg was in pain, but I tried to run on it anyway, limping slightly. I was pretty sure I busted my stitches open too.
I searched the streets and alleyways as I ran past them but had no success. I entered the first opened business. The hum of a tattoo gun sent shivers down my back as I looked around at the black walls and white leather furniture. The walls were lined with sample tattoos, and the smell of green soap made my stomach flip.
“Can I help you?” a voice from the next room asked. I walked toward it and found a heavyset guy with thick salt and pepper hair lying across a masseuse table. The tattoo artist put the tattoo gun down on a table and stood. “Can I help you?” she repeated.
“Umm I was lookin’ for somethin’. Have you seen anything unusual in here?”
She laughed and rested both hands on top of her pulled back bleached hair with bright purple streaks. She wore a pair of faded jeans with a sparkly shirt, her face had multiple piercings, and her arms were covered in ink.
“Unusual, huh?” she said, laughing. “I think the more appropriate question for this place would be have you seen any normal things in here. I see so much unusual stuff here it’s all normal to me now.”
I glanced over at the counter and saw a business card that read, Sammie’s Slammin Ink. “Sammie, I presume?”
“The one and only,” she replied, nodding.
“Well, I’m lookin’ for a big ass gray beast, so does that more or less ring a bell with you?”
“Why didn’t you just say that to begin with? I saw it about five minutes ago. It came bustin’ in here and ran through goin’ out the back. Looked like it was bleeding,” she replied, completely unfazed.
“That doesn’t freak you out in the slightest? I mean it’s not every day you see somethin’ like that.”
“Maybe not in your world, but in mine it’s a way of life. Hell, some of the weirdest lookin’ shit is my best customers. Human or not, I guess all living things love ink.” My eyes widened at her response. I didn’t think anyone but us knew about these things.
“Yo, speaking of ink, can you get back to work on this back piece, girl?” the heavyset man from the table shouted. Sammie rolled her eyes and bit her lower lip.
“Yeah, I�
��ll be just a second. You fat ass.” She mumbled the last part. “Of course most of the weird shit is more friendly than most of these normal people. Go straight through here. My guess is he used that back door to go into the alleyway.” She pointed down a hallway.
“Thanks, and I might have to come check you out when I get brave enough to get my own tattoo.”
“I’ll be here.” She disappeared back into the tattoo room.
I cautiously crept down the dark hallway, eased the door open, and found an empty alley. Staying close to the wall, I walked until I found a black metal pull gate opened. A dark staircase with fresh, wet footprints sparked my interest. Silently, I tiptoed up the stairs until I heard low voices coming from a room at the top. An old door on the verge of deterioration was ajar, and just to the right of it was an old window with so much dirt and dust it was hard to see inside. I wiped a spot clean and peered through the window.
“You weren’t supposed to let her see you. The master isn’t going to be happy with this. You could mess up everything!” another creature that was short and bone thin said. His feathery white hair floated about while he angrily slung his hands toward the Valk. He turned away from it, pulling his round, thick glasses off and rubbed his bright yellow eyes. “You had one job. Just to go in there and watch her, but you had to go off and try to kill her. What would we have done if you’d succeeded? We have to be absolutely certain of things since we will have only a short timeframe to act.” The Valk didn’t reply, it just shook its head and looked down at the old wooden floor.
Reckoning Page 5