by Holly Hook
"Alyssa, sit up. I'm the jerk here, not you. I let you go hungry."
"It's not your job to take care of me," I said, sitting up.
We were facing each other. I heard a bottle slosh as Liliana poured some antiseptic out for Janine. She hissed as she and George applied it to her wound. She said nothing bad about me.
"We're battle partners. We're supposed to look out for each other," Xavier said. "I've done a bad job of that lately. I know I've kept my distance. It's not because of you. It's because of Thoreau."
The look in his eyes was soft. The color in them was bright. He still smelled of bacon but I could control myself now. I wasn't fully sated but I was close enough.
"You have to," I said, hating that I was saying it.
"I know I do," Xavier said with real regret. "Thoreau is making things very hard for us. We have to find a way to take him out. Do you think your new magic can?"
"I don't know," I said.
"I think that the green magic you have, you need to summon," Xavier said. "It doesn't work like the fire magic from Gaozu does."
"I'm not sure how to do it," I said. "It just happened."
Xavier sat down next to me. Maybe he didn't look at me like a beast after all--but there had been something about the way he acted when I talked about using Beatrix's portal to get to our parents. I didn't like it but I didn't think I could just come out and ask him why he acted that way.
"Anyway, I think Janine will be fine. You weren't as bad to her as you were to the bus driver, who by the way, deserved it."
"You always give me pep talks."
"That's what I'm here for."
I wondered if giving me pep talks made Xavier feel better about his own deeds. We often tried to lift each other up. I didn't think I'd keep my sanity without Xavier.
Even thinking of Thoreau brought that dread feeling back to my insides.
"So," I said, trying to change the subject. "How do we go after our parents? We keep putting this off."
"Not because we want to," Xavier said. "It's clear the ATC has security way hiked after the airport."
Things were different now that I had already faced Death and woken up that part inside of me. I had already done what Thoreau wanted. "That really does leave Beatrix's portal," I said. "I saw who was lying in the magical sleep right along with you. Thoreau has a lot of people in that room who can fight. If we free them, we have more help against the mayor. We're two people, four if you count the others." George didn't want much to do with this Abnormal stuff, much like I had been when Xavier and I first met. "I'm realistic. We have to get backup if we're going to go against the mayor. That's why we need to go for Beatrix's portal." It was better than Thoreau's and whatever trap he had for me.
Xavier went silent again. "We need to have demon blood on both sides of the portal to use it. That's why they say only a demon can let you out of the Infernal Dimension. And if we use Beatrix's portal, we'll come out in a different part of the Infernal than where our people are. I'm not sure if the Infernal corresponds to this world. It might. If that's the case, Beatrix's portal will drop us in a part of the Infernal that's not far from where our parents are."
Excitement raced through me. "We're going to do this?"
"I will," Xavier said. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go, though. I'll head through and see what's on the other side before we decide anything else. If the Infernal Dimension corresponds to our world, it'll be the same distance and direction from Beatrix's portal as the ATC building is to The Pit."
"That makes sense," I said. "Why are you so worried about me going into the Infernal Dimension?"
"It's full of demons and fire wraiths."
"I've dealt with those," I said. "And I'm fire proof thanks to Gaozu. Wouldn't I be the better one to go in?"
"I don't know," he said quickly, folding his hands on his lap. "Thoreau did want you to go in."
"But we won't be using the same portal," I said.
Xavier gave me a strange look just then. "You'd never know what Thoreau has planned," he said.
I'd had enough of this. "We have to move fast," I said, getting off the mattress. A part of me knew that this was a bad idea, but another part knew this might be the one chance to get my father out of the Infernal. I went out into the living room, where George was flicking through channels and Janine was on the couch, a bandage bulging under her shirt. She swallowed some ibuprofen and managed to smile at me.
"I'm doing okay," she said. "I think I just need to eat a big breakfast and I'll be fine. Liliana poured more antiseptic on me than I've ever seen so I know I'm not going to get an infection." In the kitchen, Liliana was moving plates around, probably getting some food for Janine.
"You need it," I said, barely able to look at her. "I'm s--"
"Stop saying you're sorry," Janine said. "You didn't bite Xavier and that's the important thing. Bite anyone but him at least until Thoreau is out of the way. Then you guys can have all the fun you want." She winked at me and Xavier turned red next to me.
"I can't believe you have your sense of humor after this," I said.
"Well, it's my weapon."
Janine was a lot less freaked out than I thought she would be. She wasn't like Hannah at all but I didn't want to make this mistake again. "Xavier and I are going to look for Beatrix's portal again," I said. "We're not far from it if I remember right."
"You mean the one in that nightclub?" she asked.
"Beatrix and her gang aren't there," I said. "Now's the time."
"But don't you need to find a demon?" Janine asked.
"We'll look around The Pit," Xavier said. I could hear the anxiety in his words. "There might be something there we can use. I'm sure Beatrix doesn't like cutting herself every time she wants to use the portal."
"I haven't thought of that," I said. The woman hadn't had any scars that I could see but then again, she healed fast. If I were her, I wouldn't want to spill my blood every time I wanted to use the portal. There just might be something inside The Pit that we could use even if we didn't go through the portal today.
George glared at us. "You're going off again to do dangerous stuff?"
"Yes," Xavier told him. "Being an adult, I'm sure you'll try to stop us. They all try to stop us but they won't do the dirty work."
"Trish helped out last time," I said.
"I don't know where she is right now," Xavier said with worry. "It's all the reason to get our fighters out of there. We're going to need them."
George wanted to say something but he held it back. He turned towards the TV, which was now playing the morning news. A couple of well-groomed reporters sat behind a counter. He had the volume down like usual, but after the reporters read their greeting, the screen switched to the ATC building like I expected. Police were still milling around it and the text in the corner of the screen said that it was live. The security was still very high, all right.
George turned up the television and they were talking about a large-scale Abnormal attack in the middle of the night. No one was injured thanks to heightened security. The male reporter talked about fear spreading through Cumberland and the news switched to an interview with a random woman on the street, who brushed the hair from her face as she talked about no longer feeling safe to leave her house.
"I'm glad the ATC is stepping things up," she told the reporter. She finished with a smile. "I'm definitely voting for Thoreau when he runs for President."
Xavier made a gagging sound. "More divide and conquer. Great."
"I hate this attitude," George said.
"Hey," Xavier told him. "You're responsible for the airport scare."
"The ATC deserved it," George snapped. "I didn't attack any regular people."
"Don't bring that up to him," I told Xavier in a low voice. George was ashamed of being a werewolf and it had taken everything for him to barge in and get us out of the airport. I understood how he felt and what kind of things would bother him.
I couldn't he
lp but see the woman's point. Things were scary right now. She just didn't know that they were even more scary for Abnormals than Normals. Besides, I had attacked people. I had just attacked my best friend. It was a horrible feeling, realizing that the people who hated you might be right about you no matter how hard you tried. It was worse than I told you so.
And I didn't have anything to protect me from that anymore.
I had no more Normal life. No more soccer practices, no more fencing tournaments, no more martial arts besides what Thorne could teach me in the Underground.
I didn't think I would ever stop mourning the loss and it was all thanks to Death.
Janine settled into the couch, lying there and watching the television. The report changed to another story. Bold text on the bottom of the screen read RECORD ATC ADMISSIONS CONTINUE.
Xavier swore. On the screen there were dozens of black ATC vans parked in front of a building we hadn't seen before. This was a low, gray, circular structure that was obviously outside the city and surrounded with a high chain link fence. It looked like the entrance to a bunker. Black-clad ATC agents stood outside the door while another agent opened the back door to a van and waved out its prisoners. This was happening live. The word in the corner of the screen told me that.
"Who do they have now?" Liliana asked, walking back into the living room.
The first of the prisoners jumped down from the van, hands behind their backs and bound with those horrible zip ties.
I died inside.
It was Trish and Elsina. Trish ducked her head, trying to keep her eyes from the sun, but even on television I could tell that she was in pain. Elsina shuffled along the best she could as more agents led them into the open maw of the bunker entrance. Both of them vanished inside and Elsina's long blue robe vanished.
I could only watch in horror. More Abnormals got out of the van. A pair of greenish pixies. A woman I couldn't tell the species of. Then Thorne jumped down, hands bound. He was alive after all.
"What do they have Thorne for?" I asked, unsure whether to feel relieved or terrified. "He's Normal!" In my shock it was all I could manage to get out.
An ATC agent gave him a push towards the bunker entrance and he, too, vanished inside the open door. Another van backed towards the entrance and the empty one drove off. The agents opened the back doors to the second van and waved the prisoners out.
Liliana gasped.
The first prisoner was Primrose, hands bound.
Following were several Elder War Mages, all stooped and having trouble jumping down from the van.
A plume of pure horror spread through me. I knew what this meant.
Thoreau and Leon had sold out the entire Underground.
Chapter Seven
"I can't believe Leon betrayed his own daughter," Xavier said, shuffling through George's closet for something for me to wear. We were heading to The Pit and now. It couldn't wait. Getting our folks out along with the other fighters could mean the difference between life and death for the entire Underground.
The news kept droning out in the living room. It had turned into a special report about the colony of dangerous Abnormals just discovered living under Cumberland. The TV kept playing the same footage of Primrose and Trish and Thorne and the others being led into the bunker as if it wanted to hammer the point home.
Things were going from bad to worse.
I imagined that the entire Underground had been taken thanks to the Leon/Thoreau hybrid. Thoreau had marched out of the Underground knowing its secrets, its entrances and hiding places. He might have even plucked the details from Leon's mind without Leon's knowing.
The Elders hadn't listened and now the entire Underground was paying the price.
"So much for her being his favorite," I said, eyeing the TV while George stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists. I didn't even feel vindicated. I just felt horrible for not doing a better job of protecting our people.
"We have to get them out of there," Xavier said. "Thoreau's ready to make his final moves. I don't know where that bunker is. I thought they used to take Abnormals to the ATC building?"
"They have treatment centers all over," George said. "I know there's one inside the ATC building but it's not big."
"There isn't a treatment center there," I said. "They say there's one there but it's a lie. That's where Thoreau has his portal to the Infernal Dimension. He takes Abnormals through that. I wouldn't be shocked if every treatment center really has a portal inside and most people just don't know it."
"What if they do?" George asked.
"Then we have to get to Beatrix's portal faster," Xavier said. He pulled a winter coat out of the closet that was way too big for me, but right now, I viewed it only as protection from the sun. It would work. "Put this on."
George took a step closer. "I'm coming with you. You might need me."
I faced the guy. He had tied his dreadlocks back and put on a new shirt. "I thought you didn't want to get involved with this stuff?"
"I am now," he said. "I can't ignore it anymore. It's no one's fault if they're Abnormal and it's not fair that they're doing this to so many people." He pointed at the TV behind him which was showing the same horrible footage again.
It was almost as if someone wanted the whole city to see it. Thoreau might be counting on Xavier and I to see it and find that bunker. There was no other reason for the news to display a disturbing image that might make even some prejudiced Normals start changing their minds. The footage did not suggest the nice treatment centers that Normals liked to think of when they voted for Thoreau. Armed guards and bunkers broke the ideas of clean cafeterias and comfortable rooms. This was not the image the ATC wanted to make for itself.
Thoreau had reached the point where he didn't care about keeping up a good image anymore. He thought he was close to winning and it wouldn't matter. Why else would he be getting reckless?
The dread feeling returned in my gut. I wished Thoreau's blood would get flushed out of my system already. It wasn't quite like the Shadow Wraith feeling but it was close. It was no wonder demons and Shadow Wraiths got along.
I put the coat over me. Janine leaned forward, studying the bunker on the TV. "I don't know where that is," she said, "but I'm going to look at some maps and see if I can find it. I'll call George if I figure it out."
"Thanks," I said. She would be the best one to look. Janine was the researcher. Besides, she needed to recover from what I'd done and The Pit wasn't a place for her. It wasn't a place for us, either.
"I take it I'm supposed to stay?" Liliana asked.
Xavier patted her on the head. "How'd you guess?"
She sighed. "I guess I'll help Janine look for the bunker."
"We'll have fun," Janine told her. She managed to sound bright and happy no matter what happened. It was partly because of her that Xavier hadn't succumbed to Shadow Sickness before I saved him. At least, I liked to believe that.
"If you count saving my aunt fun," Liliana said. She faced Xavier. "Don't be too much of an idiot, please."
"I won't," Xavier promised her with a smile. "I'm glad you're calling me an idiot again."
This might be their last moment together. There was a possibility Xavier and I would peek into the Infernal Dimension and fight demons. At least our strength was mostly back up and I didn't have the urge to bite anybody.
George stood by the door. I made sure the heavy winter coat was covering as much of me as possible and I put the hood on as well. We'd be going underground most of the way again, which was a shame since we had to get there as fast as we could.
A headache crept up my neck and into my skull, even with the hood over me, but at least it was bearable. The light, no. I swore, there were more sunny days than usual lately. Cumberland had a lot of cloudy ones and those I could tolerate being out in for up to half an hour at a time, but not this. It was making me wonder how I ever got through my soccer practices.
Or if actually biting people made me more sensi
tive to the sun.
We took the same way to The Pit as we had for Mack's place. This was George's first time traveling via sewer and the poor guy was getting a full load of the smells down here. His sense of smell must be even more powerful than mine, because I couldn't quite pick up on the things that he was complaining about.
"Man," George said. "Something died way back behind us in the tunnel."
"I can't smell it," I said.
"I think it's a few miles away," he said. "I hate my nose sometimes. You smell a lot of things you don't want to smell. I found a body once because of this."
"You what?" I asked, whirling around on him as I continued to walk and splash through the shallow runoff water.
"It was in the wilderness," George said. "An old hunter died up there. I reported it."
"That's nice," Xavier said, picking up his pace.
We continued our way under the sewers for some time. At last, we reached the manhole cover that would take us to Mack's junkyard. I shook my head as Xavier began to climb the ladder, remembered that he couldn't see me in this gloom, and told him to stop.
"We can't go up that way," I said. "Mack is still waiting for me to help him become Normal. I'm going to have to tell him that I didn't get the chance to ask Death to grant his wish."
"Oh," Xavier said while he climbed back down. "We'd better not go back out there in that case. Moving on. We'll see if something pops out closer to The Pit."
"Are we close now?" George asked. I could tell he couldn't wait to get out of the sewer. I couldn't, either. His doggy smell was strong down here and I knew that wasn't his fault. I wouldn't want to smell like that, either, even if only certain other Abnormals could pick up on it.
"We're close," Xavier told him. "If we can come out next to Beatrix's market, we'll be fine. There won't be a doorman this time to report us to Beatrix. If we're lucky."
"Well, Beatrix and Thoreau are best buds now," I said, thinking of what might have happened between them. "Or at least, Beatrix is there for Leon."