by K J Carr
“Nica.” Ridwan’s tone was warning.
“Stop. Just stop. You guys don’t tell me everything, so I won’t tell you everything. This is something else. These stones will protect my family. They are in the diner, on Marcus and Kaitie and Vern; they are in my house and Marcus’s house and with him in the hospital. I have it on good authority that they will protect them. I have to hope they will protect them.” My voice got colder with each word.
We were passing Eighth street and I glanced down it. There were police cars on the street and I could see an ambulance. I hoped that Torry was okay, but Malak would see to him. I was even more worried that innocent people had been hurt, in this war Achilah had against me.
“Malak is there now.” Inias touched my shoulder briefly, noticing my glance.
I nodded, getting prepared for whatever we would find when we got to Kaitie’s house. The thing was, the more I thought about what Achilah was doing, the angrier I got. It was like a slow burn in my core, getting hotter and hotter. By the time we pulled up at Kaitie’s house, I was about to explode.
Before the car had come to a complete stop, I flung the door open.
Inias reached for me but missed. “Nica!” He threw his door open. I could hear Ridwan behind us, swearing as he parked the car haphazardly in the street.
I didn’t even think but put out my hand. My sword, for the first time, appeared in my hand, glowing, as I stalked towards the crowd of daemons trying to get into my friend’s house. Only a few in the back had turned to look at us when Inias had shouted at me, but more started to face us once they realized we were there.
I didn’t care. I was here to protect what was mine.
“Shit.” Even though Ridwan mumbled it under his breath, I heard him. I could hear every. Little. Thing.
“Double shit.” I heard the awe in Inias’s voice, but it wasn’t important right now. Those daemons who had started coming at me were my sole focus. I found myself in my hyper-focus state, with only one goal — to destroy those who threatened my family.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword, taking the first daemon’s head off completely. I felt similar motions on either side of me from Ridwan and Inias, but I only looked in front of me, knowing they would protect my back.
It was Take-No-Prisoners time, and I would make Achilah regret he was coming after those that I protected.
A big bear of a daemon parted the waves and came barreling straight for me. I stopped and went into a defensive stance, staring at him. Somehow, I could see that this one was different. His heart was a little lower and to the center than most were, and his neck appeared to be reinforced with…something extremely hard. I suspected that it might not be a material I could just cut through easily with my sword.
I changed tactics and went for a different part of his body. I mean, if it works? I took off the arm that was carrying a large axe, stepping back and out of the way as it fell. Watching his face, his eyes went wide in surprise before he pulled a sword from his back with his other hand.
“Give it up. I took your arm.” I growled.
“It’s just a flesh wound. I can fight just as well with my left hand.” He growled back at me.
“Are you Black Knighting me? Seriously?” I yelled at him as I went after his other arm. “I saw Monty Python too, you dimwit!” With that I sliced into his leg. “I know how this turns out!” I sliced into his other.
The daemon fell back on his back and I moved to stand over him, my sword raised and pointed at his heart. I pushed down, leaning into my sword. “It doesn’t have a good ending for the Black Knight.” I hissed.
“Nica!” Ridwan yelled from across the yard, and I automatically ducked a little lower, tucking my head slightly. A dark form flew over my shoulder to roll at my side.
I glowered as I stayed kneeling on the Black Knight corpse. That damn black panther daemon whirled around and came back at me.
I guessed it had expected me to stand after killing the bear daemon, allowing it direct access to my neck. Finding me on my knees as it started to leap made it hesitate. I braced my sword on my knee, allowing it to fall onto the blade, skewering it.
I then stood, holding the sword steady as the blade ripped through the daemon’s torso from mid-section to neck. I kicked it away and looked for the next one.
Except, there were no more.
Inias and Ridwan were standing, their chests heaving. They were surrounded by dead bodies. The only thing more frightening to me, though, was the number of dead daemons surrounding me.
Me – who hadn’t even handled a sword until recently.
Inias walked over to me and put a hand over mine, on my hilt. “Stand down, Nica.” He watched me intently.
At first, my eyes were locked on the smear of blood running down his face. It took me awhile until I could slip out of my hyper-focus mode and really see anything else. My eyes rose slowly to look at his pale blue eyes, which were drilling into my own.
“Inias.”
A small smile graced his lips.
“Good job, Nica.” He was proud of me.
I wanted to just drop down onto the ground, but instead I glanced at Ridwan over his shoulder. His eyes widened, a slight gasp opening his lips.
“What? What’s wrong?” I stared at the two men.
Inias shook his head and turned away. “Nothing.”
“Your eyes are glowing, Nica. A sparkling…. purple.” It was Ridwan who really answered. He just lowered himself to his knees before me.
“What the hell, Ridwan?”
He looked up and laughed. “My soon-to-be-General. I bow before thee.” His voice was deeper than usual, but the smile was a full out smirk.
I couldn’t deal with this right now. Lifting a foot, I pushed against his shoulder, toppling him onto the bloody ground. I carried that movement through and started walking up the walkway to Kaitie’s house. I saw the curtains move and then her door opened, and she ran into my arms. I had to hold my sword away from her to not hurt her.
Inias came up behind me and took it from my outstretched hand. I smiled thankfully at him, before enveloping my friend fully. “Are you okay, Kaitie?” I whispered into her hair. She nodded, tightening her arms around me completely.
I could hear Ridwan and Inias’s soft, but urgent conversation behind me. Not the actual words, but I could tell from the tone that Inias was resolute, while Ridwan was defensive. I tried to ignore them, but Inias came up behind me and reached over my shoulder to touch Kaitie’s forehead. She slumped.
“What the fuck, Inias?” I screeched, holding her up.
Ridwan jumped up beside us and opened the door. He then took Kaitie out of my arms and carried her into her living room. I whirled to stare at the blond Tennin.
“She watched you fight, Nica. She watched us all fight. She saw the daemons in their true forms. She cannot know what you are or what we are.” He shrugged. “I just gave her another explanation for what they were and why they all are gone – the gang members ran away when we came.”
I looked across the yard, at the countless bodies that were in pieces in the grass. “Ran away?” My eyebrows rose in sarcasm.
Inias just turned and looked as well. Several Tennin started teleporting in, taking bodies away and removing the bloody areas of the yard.
“I had shielded the area around her house once we arrived, so the neighbors couldn’t see anything. We are cleaning up the mess, as you can see. In a few minutes, it will be as it was, for the most part.” He turned his head and looked me over. “Except you. We need to clean you up, so she doesn’t freak out when she wakes up.”
I sighed noisily. I really, really wanted to punch him, but I understood why he was doing this. “So, teleport home, get cleaned up, and then come back to talk to Kaitie?”
He nodded.
“Kaitie will stay unaware until I get back?”
He nodded again.
“And you two will stay with her?”
He shook his head no. Ridwan appear
ed in the doorway. “I will stay with her, but Ridwan will go with you. We need to protect you since Achilah has obviously decided to come after you.”
“Damn daemon.” I muttered. I turned and walked back down the steps. “Come on, teleport boy. Let’s get me home and cleaned up so I can make sure my bestie is okay.”
Ridwan grinned, jumped down the steps and grabbed my arm, teleporting us back to my house in an instant.
Chapter 18/
By the time Ridwan and I had made it back to Kaitie’s, Malak had appeared with Torry. Torry looked exhausted, and he limped slightly. There was also a bandage on his forearm, which he must have used to block something.
“Kaitie saw him injured so we cannot heal him completely.” Ridwan leaned in and whispered to me. That made sense.
Kaitie was still asleep on her couch. I looked down on her.
“How’s Marcus? Is he safe?” I was hoping that the daemons couldn’t get to him in the hospital, but I knew that nowhere was truly safe anymore from Achilah.
Torrey’s face twisted in pain as he lowered himself into a chair. “I hate this,” he grumbled, not used to staying injured for the sake of appearances.
“Sucks to be you, doesn’t it?” I smirked. “Interesting, isn’t it, the things we do for love?”
Torry glowered at me, but his face softened when he looked back at Kaitie. Well, bite me. Perhaps he really did love her.
“Indeed.” His voice was soft and almost whimsical. He then turned back to me. “Malak and I visited Marcus before coming here. There are Tennin around protecting him, per Enoch’s orders. So far, Achilah hasn’t gone after him again.”
Torry paused and then his face hardened. “What I don’t understand is what is so special about you? Why does he hurt those around you in order to get to you? What did you do to get him so riled up, Nica?” He flung his accusations at me, and they hit me hard.
“Me? I did nothing, Torry!” I flung up my hands, instantly angry. “You guys approached me, you guys made me decide! But even before that, he wanted me. I am just an old lady who has lived my life my way, somewhat quietly. I have never had this much trouble with anyone. Perhaps this is more about you Tennin!” My voice was loud by the time I reached the end of my tirade. I was furious, but there were tears leaking out of my eyes.
Malak came up behind me and wrapped me in his arms, but I pushed him away.
“No! You can’t just hug this away. I know very little about this whole new world you guys dropped me in. I had no powers until I talked with him.” I pointed at Malak. “I knew nothing about fighting until I worked with them.” This time, my arm gestured towards Inias and Ridwan. “I never shot a gun or even touched a sword until you guys came into my life! Do. Not. Blame. Me!” I screamed and stepped into the Void.
∞∞∞
A part of me expected to see El, but she wasn’t there. It was just the colors and the quiet. I sat there and wiped at my face, surprised to find that tears were flowing down my cheeks. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. Achilah was hitting me at my critical areas by attacking my family. I almost wished he would just come after me directly – that the fight would just be him and I. I didn’t think I was ready to fight him or even had a chance of winning, but at least then this might be over.
I sadly laughed and then hiccuped. Of course, I knew that just because he killed me didn’t mean that bastard would leave my family alone. I had to find a way to keep them safe from him forever. But I didn’t know how, except to kill him, which was an impossible dream.
I put my head in my hands and cried bitterly. When I felt the hand on my shoulder, I didn’t even flinch. I also didn’t acknowledge it. I just cried until there were no more tears.
“Why is he doing this, El?” I asked quietly, tired after my bout of sadness.
“Because he believes that this is the right thing for him to do.” I wasn’t surprised to find that El was sitting beside me, just letting me know she was there. I had figured she would have sensed me here and would show up at some point. She had recreated the cave around us, with a small fire in a fireplace and pillows under our butts as we sat on the floor.
“Hurting people is right?” I looked at her.
“He doesn’t see it quite that way. He is just trying to bring you to him. He believes you are better off with him than with the Tennins.”
“Do you know that to be true or are you guessing this is what he wants?” I really wasn’t interested, but I had to ask.
She shrugged. “All evidence points that way.”
I snorted. “You sound like a Magic Eight ball.” I paused. “What do you think? Should I be a daemon or a Tennin?”
Her gaze sharpened. “Neither. You are neither, Nica. Even if you take one of those paths, you will divert off it.”
“So, what am I?” Now my curiosity was peaked. She had eluded to this many times, but this was the closest she had come to telling me anything of importance.
Her voice softened. “I cannot tell you yet, Nica. Just know you are more. More than Tennin. It is who you are in here.” She pointed at my chest, towards my heart. “And here.” Her finger lifted towards my head.
“More.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I am just me, El. Just me. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“You are that which will change things for many of us, Nica.”
I stood. “How can I change things for anyone if I cannot help myself?”
I stepped, intentionally going to the area around the hospital. I needed to see my brother and make sure he was okay. I just couldn’t trust anyone’s word today.
∞∞∞
Stepping out into the mid-afternoon sunlight, I made sure I hadn’t been seen. I was still getting used to figuring out how to appear without freaking anyone out, let alone ending up on top of someone or something.
Unfortunately, the first thing I saw was Vern. Vern, running around the parking lot, no leash, no person. Wait…Vern was loose? Why was he and was my brother okay?
My heart in my throat, I couldn’t call out to the puppy, so I knelt and clapped. Vern turned and looked at me and then came barreling over, leaping into my arms. I wrapped my arms around him and stood.
Oomph! This pup was getting big! Unfortunately, I didn’t have a leash with me, so I had to carry this squirming mass.
“Ridwan!” I screamed in my head. “Vern is loose! Who the fuck was watching Marcus?” And then I ran.
Well, maybe more like waddled, because Vern was like an animated twenty-five-pound sack of potatoes. I burst through the doors of the hospital and headed for the elevators. The receptionist made to stop me before she recognized the puppy and her eyes widened.
“I am going to be back down here to talk to you and security,” I yelled, sliding around the corner towards the elevators. I hit the button and waited, shifting the dog around as he moved.
“Damn it, Vern! I am trying to get you back to Marcus! Can you just stay still for about ten minutes?” I grumped.
A couple stopped next to me, eying the two of us. I smiled slightly and then slammed my hand on the button again. They slowly backed away, not turning their backs to me, their eyes wide. The bell dinged, and the doors swooshed open. I entered and leaned out.
“Going up?”
They shook their heads vigorously. “No, no. You take this one. We just remembered we need to talk to the receptionist… about something.” The man grabbed his wife’s arm and they disappeared around the corner.
I stood up and waited for the doors to close. Huh! And I wasn’t even that scary.
At the last minute, a man slipped into the space. Vern started growling. I looked down at the puppy and then up at the man. Shit and damn! Can’t I get a break from these freaking daemons!
The man’s eyes turned red and he faced me, his hands growing claws. I couldn’t do anything with a struggling puppy in my hands, so I dropped him, hoping that he would be okay. The man lunged at me and I dropped to the floor quickly, rolling beneath his feet, barely
clearing them. As he turned, I called my knife and leaned back to slammed it down through his boot. Vern attacked the leg that was pinned, almost as if he knew that was a safer bet. The man roared, as he tried to move his foot.
Standing, I started to call my sword but then realized that blood in a public elevator may not go over very well, either with the humans or the Tennins. So, I hit the button to stop the elevator and ripped my knife from the man’s foot. Grabbing his arm, I flipped him over my hip as I stepped into the Void, dropping him when I got there. And then I stepped back out into the elevator.
Vern was sniffing around, growling and looking for the man. I hit the button to get the elevator going again, sticking my knife into my belt at the base of my spine to try to hide it a little via my shirt. I picked up the pup, and we exited into the hallway.
Hearing me run down the hall, the nurses looked up in surprise. I slid a little to stop, lifting Vern up slightly in my hands.
“Somehow, this little rug rat got outside.” I shrugged, struggling to grin. I felt like it was somewhat fake, but it was the best I could do at the time. I think it worked, because they just shook their heads.
“Marcus will be glad to see him.” One of the nurses replied, writing on a chart behind the desk.
“Yep. Let me get him back to him.” I started walking swiftly towards my brother’s room.
I could see nothing out of the ordinary, but I was still worried. As I approached the door, I almost turned around and walked away before I realized that someone must have been repulsing everyone from entering his room. Fucking ward.
“Damned if they will keep me from my brother!” I grumbled, trying to push through the feeling. I could feel my knife warm up, so I pulled it out and put it in front of Vern and myself. The runes on the knife flared, cutting a path for me through the ward. I slipped into Marcus’s room.