Blood and Light

by Rue Volley

  “I do...I need you Josh,” I whispered.

  He pulled me to him and I felt his hand slide to my lower back. I didn't shy away, I looked at him with no fear, just let him see me...for the first time. He touched my face and traced his finger across my lips. I sucked in my breath, under his finger. He let his breath out and it looked like white mist in the chilled air. “Rue,” he whispered.

  The lightening cracked and everything lit up. Johnathan stood there, motionless, a few feet away. I backed away from Josh and Johnathan flashed to my side. All three of us stood there in silence for a moment and then Theodore called out, as he came to a stop.

  “Take her home,” Josh said to Johnathan.

  “I am coming with you,” Johnathan said.

  Josh laughed. “Fine,” he said.

  I looked at both of them. “What...? No, we need to stay together,” I said.

  “Go with Theodore, Rue,” Johnathan said as he stared at Josh.

  “Why do either one of you think you can tell me what to do?” I said as I put my hands up.

  “I don't think you understand Rue...it's a guy thing,” Josh said, as he grinned at Johnathan.

  I swung around to look at Theodore. “For God's sake Theodore...tell them to come home, this is stupid!” I yelled at him.

  Theodore walked up and looked at all three of us. “It would be best if you come with me,” he said as he placed a hand on my arm. I felt a tinge of electricity flow through me and I staggered where I stood.

  Theodore held me up and I tried to focus, but everything started to blur slightly.

  “What...what did you do?” I said, as I started to lean against Theodore. “I feel weak,” I added.

  Josh smiled at me… “Rue...I've only made it easier for you to sleep. Once you wake you will know it was best for you to stay here, where it is safe...I will return, 307

  I will,” He said to me as I started to fall, I wanted to scream out, but I simply started to slump towards the ground.

  Theodore held me, I felt him swing my body up and we started to move. I reached out, as I saw Josh and Johnathan flash away from us.

  ******

  Josh traveled at a furious pace for half the night. Johnathan tried to keep up with him, the best he could. Finally Josh came to a stop and Johnathan almost flew past him, he came to a skidding stop as Josh threw his pack down on the ground and unzipped it. He reached in and pulled out two pieces of fruit and threw one at Johnathan as he walked towards him. Johnathan caught it and bit into it.

  “So…where are they?” Johnathan asked.

  Josh bit into his apple and grinned, as he wiped the juice from his chin. “Don't know yet...but I think we are headed in the right direction... We are going to your house, near Valon.”

  “She is going to be pissed,” Johnathan said as he sat down.

  Josh laughed… “Yep, you can count on it... We can only hope that she can be reasoned with when she wakes... I think Theodore or Sam can reason with her...I think,” he continued to chew while he talked.

  “Yea...we should have told her that we planned to do this,” Johnathan said.

  Josh threw his apple core to the ground. “Really...? Do you know her at all? Or do you just try to get in her pants all the time?”

  Johnathan threw his apple core down too. “I know her Josh...and I don't try to do that,” he said as he rose up and stretched his arms behind his back.

  Josh grinned at him and pulled out his blade. It glowed in his hand… He stood up and Johnathan stood his ground. Josh dropped to the ground on one knee and jammed it into the ground, half way up the blade. They both watched as the shimmery trail disappeared from behind them. Johnathan smiled.

  “She is going to be so pissed,” he said, as he ran his hand through his hair.

  “I am sure all the blame will find it's way to me, somehow,” Josh said.

  Johnathan sat back down on the ground. “What did you say to her anyway?”

  Josh pulled his blade out of the ground and placed it on his back. “I told her to go home.”

  “Well, when I came up it didn't look like she was mad,” Johnathan said.

  “She wasn't, I had already laced her lips with a sleeping spell,” Josh said as he put his pack back on his shoulder.

  “How?” Johnathan said.

  Josh looked at him and then back to the ground, he started to grin. “Why…?

  What does it matter…? I did it, so Theodore would be able to take her back to the house.”

  Johnathan cleared his throat. “Did you kiss her?” he asked.

  “Not that time,” Josh said as he flashed away.

  “What…? That time?” Johnathan said as he flashed after him.

  308

  ******

  Josh and Johnathan flashed through the forest with little effort, suddenly Josh came to a stop and Johnathan flashed up to his side. Josh knelt down and pressed his palm against the ground and closed his eyes. Johnathan knelt down next to him.

  “What did you mean by „not that time"?” he asked.

  Josh opened his eyes and grinned. “Shut up. Press your hand against the ground,” he said.

  Johnathan pressed his hand down. “Do you feel that?” Josh said. Johnathan closed his eyes.

  “Yea...I do… Is it Noble?” he said.

  “No...I think it's Elin...feels like static,” Josh said.

  “I asked you a question,” Johnathan said.

  “Oh shit...just drop it Johnathan,” Josh said half laughing.

  “I don't think it's funny,” Johnathan said.

  “Listen...you want to help me kill this bitch or keep chattering like a girl?” Josh said as he turned to him.

  “I'm not acting like a girl, you dick,” Johnathan said as he stood up.

  “Yea...you are,” Josh said as he flashed forward.

  Johnathan grumbled and followed him. They came up to a clearing and stopped. They both crouched down and stared out at the large house. Light glowed in the windows downstairs.

  “She is in there... I don't feel anyone else though,” Josh said as he dropped his pack to the ground. He pulled out his blades and gripped them in his hand.

  Johnathan pulled his blades out too.

  “You let me lead...got me?” Josh said. “I know her, I know what she'll do.”

  “Fine,” Johnathan said.

  Josh looked at Johnathan. “Good...follow me.”

  Josh flashed toward the house and came to a stop under a window. Johnathan flashed up to him.

  “You stay behind me,” Josh whispered.

  They crept around the back side and came to a door, Josh reached up and turned the knob slowly. He stepped inside and sucked in his breath.

  “God...her energy is just rank,” he whispered.

  Johnathan looked around in the dark. “Yea, like rotten food,” Johnathan whispered.

  “Listen...that fruit we ate will only blind us to her for about an hour longer, then she and anyone around here will be able to feel us, it is imperative that we kill her quickly and get the hell out.”

  “I understand,” Johnathan whispered.

  They crept through and started to hear noises coming from the living room. They came to a doorway and saw Elin walking back and forth in the living room on her phone.

  “I want him dead Noble! I want them all dead!” she yelled into her phone.

  309

  She paused and stopped moving. “I understand...but how do we enter?” she said. She laughed out loud, “Oh, you are too clever... That little bitch won't be able to resist that.” She muttered, “I have moved it.. It is safe, no one will be in this house. Elie and Sophie are in Valon… They think he is dead, grief is such a beautiful thing,” she added.

  “Come to me…I am hungry.” she paused. “Fine, send the driver then.” She put her phone in her pocket.

  Josh looked at Johnathan and pushed on him, nudging him backward. He pointed towards the door. Josh walked to the door and quietly left the house, while John
athan followed behind. Josh flashed back to the edge of the woods and knelt down. Johnathan came up beside him and knelt down.

  “What the hell are you doing, we could have killed her!” Johnathan said.

  “She is going to meet Noble...we need to follow,” Josh said.

  “No, lets kill her and leave... We can kill Noble later, she is right there!”

  Johnathan said as he pointed towards the house.

  Josh sighed. “Listen, Elin is not the head of the snake, she is the tail... I want to kill the master.”

  “Well what about when the spell wears off Josh...what then?” Johnathan asked as he gripped his blade.

  “Do you always talk so much?” Josh asked.

  “What...? I am trying to make sure we live, we could have killed her right then,”

  Johnathan whispered.

  They both saw a black car drive up the driveway. Elin stepped out the front door and the driver got out and opened the door to the back seat of the car for her.

  “Noble ordered take out,” Josh said as he laughed. He looked at Elin. “I can't believe you had that,” Josh said to Johnathan.

  “I didn't,” Johnathan said.

  “Your telling me that you hung out with her for two months and you didn't hit that?” Josh said as he stared at Johnathan.

  “I did not... I don't remember anyway,” Johnathan said.

  “Uh huh,” Josh said as he stood up.

  “Well, I guarantee if you did, Rue will know,” Josh said to him.

  “What...? What do you mean?” Johnathan said.

  “Elin leaves a mark on you...like a trace, it sucks,” Josh said.

  “Oh, man...did you?” Johnathan said.

  Josh smiled… “Well, if you two did…it's a shame you don't remember. She may be a psycho, but I'll tell you she can...”

  Johnathan interrupted him. “Shut up…I don't want to know,” Johnathan said.

  “Whatever,” Josh said as he laughed. “Lets go…we are running out of time.”

  They flashed forward and followed the car. They kept to the sides of buildings until they saw the car come to a stop at an old warehouse and the driver got out and opened Elin's door. She stepped out and went into the building. The driver got back into the car and sat there.

  Josh looked at Johnathan and whispered, “We have to get in there, this way.”

  310

  Josh flashed around the back of the building, that was sitting next to the warehouse. They came around the side and found a rusty ladder hanging down.

  Josh jumped up and pulled it down to the ground. He gripped it and started to climb, Johnathan followed. They reached the top and pulled themselves over.

  Josh stood there staring out across the roof top. “We have to run and jump to the next building,” he said, as he adjusted his back pack on his back.

  He ran across the rooftop and lunged over, he flew onto the rooftop of Noble"s warehouse and rolled to one side, silent as a cat. He looked back at Johnathan and raised his hand. Johnathan sucked in his breath and ran towards the edge. He jumped as hard as he could into the air, it looked like everything was fine, until he realized he was coming up short of his landing. Josh scrambled forward and grabbed his arm throwing him behind him. Johnathan hit the rooftop and rolled, not looking as graceful as Josh had when he landed. Josh shook his head and ran over to him.

  “Really...? You have to work on that,” he whispered.

  Johnathan grunted and pushed himself up. “Sorry, I don't jump rooftops everyday,” he said sarcastically.

  Josh looked across the rooftop and saw light coming out the top from glass windows. He crept over to the edge and looked down. Johnathan came up next to him and peeked over.

  “Oh...that's just wrong,” Johnathan said, as he backed away.

  Josh stood there staring, “Yea…man did you see the way she was…”

  “Yea…I saw… Listen, we need to get down there,” Johnathan said.

  Josh stood there grinning, as he looked in the window.

  Johnathan smacked his arm. “Hey,” he said.

  Josh backed away and looked at him. “Okay…lets see if we can find a way in...

  Trust me, they will be doing that for awhile.”

  “Well…we are running out of time,” Johnathan said.

  “What...? You getting nervous?” Josh said to him as he grinned.

  “No...I want to get this done and get out,” Johnathan said to him.

  “Well, we have to do it before she...ya know. Trust me she will be wicked to deal with after that happens,” Josh said as he pulled his blades out.

  “You talk about her like you know Josh,” Johnathan said as he pulled his blades out.

  “Well… Elin stayed with me for awhile… I do know, unfortunately,” Josh said as he peeked down into the window.

  “That's just gross,” Johnathan said.

  Josh laughed... “Don't act like your innocent Johnathan, I can smell her on you.”

  “You cannot,” Johnathan said.

  Josh backed up from the window and held his blades out to his side.

  “What are you doing?” Johnathan asked with his eyes wide open.

  “I'm busting in,” Josh said. “You follow my lead. I'll get Noble, you kill Elin.”

  “What?” Johnathan asked, as Josh ran at the window and busted through it, falling to the floor.

  Johnathan jumped after him and dropped to the floor, rolling to his side.

  He scrambled to his feet, just in time to see Noble fly up and scream out at Josh.

  311

  Johnathan looked to see Elin rising up naked on the bed. She smiled at him and lunged forward, jumping on top of him. He fell onto to back and almost lost his grip on his blades. She had slammed her knees onto his arms and he looked up at her. Her hair was a mess and she had blood on her lips.

  “Ahhh...Johnathan, did you come to play with me?” she asked, as she cocked her head to the side.

  Johnathan looked over as he saw Josh flash to Noble and slice his blades in front of him, Noble cried out as Josh's blade nicked his arm. “God damn it!”

  Noble yelled out. Josh came to a crouching stop and grinned at him.

  Elin raised her hands and Johnathan saw a glow start to form in her hands. He pushed up and knocked her off of him. She rolled to her side and growled. She pushed herself up and stood there, as if being naked was nothing to her. Johnathan kept his eyes locked onto hers.

  “I know you want to look at me Johnathan...” she said, as she wiped blood from her lips and sucked on them.

  “You disgust me Elin,” Johnathan muttered.

  Elin cried out and lunged at him, he twisted to his side and she grabbed at the blade in his right hand. He swung around and plunged his other blade into her side. She screamed and tried to pull his blade free. Elin reached up and clawed at his face, she scratched him on the cheek and he groaned as he stumbled backward. Elin pulled his blade from her side and watched as the blood ran down her leg. She smiled and licked her fingers from the scratch she had given him.

  “You taste so good Johnathan,” she said as she sucked in her breath. She pressed on her side and stumbled a little.

  He turned as he saw Noble flash at Josh and knocked him to the ground.

  They rolled on the floor as they battled for Josh's blade, one flew from them across the floor. Josh rolled on top of Noble and slammed his blade into his chest. Noble cried out and Elin screamed.

  “Now Johnathan...! Kill her now, I've broken the bond!”

  Johnathan looked at Elin. She grinned as she gripped his blade in her hand.

  “You cannot kill a girl Johnathan...I know you,” Elin said as her eyes softened. He sucked in his breath.

  “You don't know me at all,” he said as he lunged forward and knocked her on his back. He pinned her arms down with his legs and held his blade up over his head.

  Elin looked up at him and smiled. “Finally...you want to fuck me,” she said.

  Johnathan scre
amed out and slammed his blade into her chest. He pulled it out and she gasped for air. He felt a glow start to well up in his palms. He slammed it to her chest and she cried out, arching her back under him. She lay still with her eyes open.

  Johnathan looked over as Josh slammed his palm into Noble"s chest and a bright flash welled up in the room. Josh was knocked backward and hit his shoulder against the brick wall. He grabbed at his shoulder, as he slid down.

  312

  Noble pushed himself up and staggered back and forth. He looked at Elin, and Johnathan pushed himself off of her and scrambled away, pushing himself with his legs.

  “Elin,” Noble whispered, as he fell to his knees beside her. He touched her face and fell onto his side.

  Johnathan sat there and stared at both of them. He felt like he was stuck in mud. Josh broke him out of his trance. “Get up, damn it!” Josh yelled at him.

  Johnathan's eyes were fixed on Noble and Elin, who laid in front of him. Josh reached down, with his good arm, and grabbed his arm, dragging him upward.

  “I'm not going tell you again...they are coming,” Josh said, with irritation in his voice.

  Johnathan stood up and shook his head. “Who's coming?” he asked.

  “Oh my God, who do you think...? The guard of course,” Josh said, as he ran over to pick up his blades.

  “Get your blades Johnathan,” Josh said as he scanned the room.

  Suddenly he stopped moving and leaned down, pressing his hand to the floor.

  “Damn it!” he muttered. He pulled out his phone and hit the button.

  “What's wrong?” Johnathan said.

  Josh stood there holding the phone to his ear, he looked at Johnathan like he was an idiot. “Oh I don't know Johnathan… Maybe it's the fact that we have a dead protector here...a really old one and the guard is coming. You can't be this stupi...Sam?” he said, as the phone made a connection. “Go to Rue's room and make a portal... We have to get out of here...hurry, Noble has a mirror here...lucky for us.”

  He pressed the button on his phone and shoved it in a strap on his leg. He ran over to the large mirror standing in the corner, he scanned the room. “You got anything to write with on you, Johnathan?”

  Johnathan looked at him… “No,” he said.

  “Awesome,” Josh muttered. “Okay then.” Josh pulled out his blade and cut his palm on his left hand. “Guess I'll have to improvise,” he said.