by Jen Pretty
Jax pulled out his sword, but I couldn't remember how I was supposed to kill the hog.
"Shit," I whispered.
"What?" Jax asked. "What shit?"
"I don't know how to kill it," I said.
"Can't we just chop it up?" Jax pulled his sword over his head and ran straight toward the giant pig, swinging his sword down as he approached. The hog dodged him, quick as a cat, but as Jax brought his sword down, the tip grazed the pig.
Unfortunately, the blade didn't even leave a mark on the pig's thick hide.
"Shit," I said again.
Falcor grabbed my elbow and sifted us to the other side of the road, letting me catch another quick glimpse of some children laying in rows in a forest. Could it be Colvin and the children? There was no time to think about it.
The hog spun as soon as we vanished and charged again. "What do we do?" Jax yelled.
Crow appeared and dropped my book of monsters on the sidewalk beside me. I scooped it up just before Falcor sifted us a block down the road.
"You read, I'll keep us alive," Falcor said.
I flipped through the pages, skimming each one to try and get to the right page.
"Hurry up, Selena," Falcor said, sifting us again as the giant hog bared down on us.
I got to the end of the book and must have flipped past it. "Damn it."
Jax intercepted the beast this time, trying in vain to slice through its thick skin. His sword bounced off and the slathering animal managed to hook his tusk around Jax's leg, and a resounding crack rang through the deserted street.
"Selena!" Falcor yelled.
"Stop yelling at me! Here it is!"
The words slowly morphed to ones I could read, and I skimmed down until I got to the part about killing the thing.
"Oh barf, you have to stab him down his throat."
Jax was being thrashed around by his broken leg at this point, his body a wet noodle for the hog to play with.
"Get us over there," I said, tucking the book into the back of my pants.
Instead, Falcor disappeared and reappeared right beside Jax, His magic flashed out into the shape of a sword and in a single quick move sliced right down the monster's throat.
The beast let out a scream that split the air and rang in my ears even from where I stood across the street. Then it collapsed, releasing Jax.
"Walk it off," Falcor said with a grin to the vampire who lay on the road a trampled mess, his clothes torn.
"I could have done that," I said.
"Yeah, but I did it," Falcor said. "Now can we go find some other things to kill?"
"I'll be right behind you," Jax called out. He was sitting up now but still looked pretty rough. He was tugging on his leg like he could take it off.
I crossed to where he sat. "Do you need some help?"
"Yeah, hold this would ya?" he asked, lifting his leg that seemed bent the wrong way.
I grabbed his foot and winced at the awkward feeling of it. Kind of loose and floppy.
"Hold tight," I braced myself, widening my stance.
Jax threw himself backward and twisted and rolling slightly. The sound of bone grinding on bone turned my stomach and I dropped his leg, but the sigh he let out suggested it hadn't hurt the way I thought it should.
"That's better." He rubbed his leg a moment and bent it a few times before rising and gingerly putting some weight on it.
"Are you still moping?" Falcor grumbled.
"His leg was broken," I said with a scowl.
"He's a vampire," Falcor replied. "Let's go."
I shook my head, but Jax hopped in place a few times like a boxer, then started down the road with Falcor. I followed along behind.
"The town’s going to start waking up soon," I said.
"All the more reason to get moving," Falcor replied.
"What about the kids?" I asked.
"The kids are safe," Falcor said.
"How do you know?" I asked, remembering the flash I saw of some kids when Falcor sifted us.
He looked back at me but kept walking. "You saw them, too. They are safe there."
"Where is there?" I asked.
"With my ancestors."
"In the graveyard in Phoenix?"
Falcor laughed but was cut off from answering by a scream coming from a back alley up ahead. The scream sounded like a woman.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
We raced up the street and around a corner into a dark alleyway. A woman stood there, a blank look on her face. She was wearing a shirt with a logo from the bakery we had passed, and a bag of garbage sat at her feet as if she was just taking out the trash. She blinked up at us.
There was a dark shape in the corner of the alley that looked like it had antlers. But it wasn't moving.
I could only assume that meant the beast had taken over the woman's body. She still hadn't moved, but her eyes slowly morphed from shocked to angry. She lowered her head, dropping into a crouch and launched herself at me.
Crow screamed from somewhere above in the second before the woman morphed from a normal-looking lady to a great horned elk. Horns that a second later nearly impaled me, but the blow was diverted by Jax, who once again put himself in the line of fire and literally grabbed the beast by the horns, turning its head so it missed me by inches.
I grunted as I was knocked back to the ground. I really needed to get better at this, or I was going to be dead. I pulled out my knife and threw myself toward the beast that was shaking its head to try and dislodge Jax. Meanwhile, Falcor had a sword made of his magic and was trying to aim for a clear area of the creature.
Crow called out again and for some reason, my magic stirred in my stomach, roiling like the ocean in a hurricane. I slammed my knife down into the back of the beast, knowing I would have to get up higher to kill it. But at the same time, the thought came to me, that maybe I could save the woman.
I had been thinking about it since the first monster I saw. Could I save the human who had been taken over by the darkness?
I was shaken off and landed on my ass, dangerously underfoot as the elk thrashed with Jax.
My magic burst out, flooring the alley with blue sparks and the only thought in my mind was to save the woman instead of killing the beast. At the time I thought it was crazy. The thing was going to kill one of us if we didn't stop it. But my magic had already decided. It poured around the monster, circling it and closing in. I kept feeding the magic out as fast as I could, letting it do what I had a feeling it was trying to do.
As soon as my magic touched the monster, the thing let out a scream and collapsed to the ground where it thrashed around, struggling against the power that was slowly consuming it.
Blue sparks covered the monster, swirling around it faster and faster until I screamed and poured the very last of my magic at it. Completely empty, I collapsed, too.
Thankfully I didn't pass out and was able to see well enough to watch as the monster writhed and stretched until it burst like a balloon.
A wraith shaped like the horned elk lifted from the still form of the woman who had been standing in the alley when we arrived. Her eyes stared back at me with a look of shock and faded, her face smoothing out. Her body went limp as the wraith moved away from her and toward its empty shell in the corner of the alley. Jax lurched forward, stumbling over some garbage, then righted himself and swung his sword hard and fast at the limp body a moment before the wraith touched down and disappeared back into its body.
It didn't even have time to scream. It went limp and black blood oozed out of the wound.
I set my head down on the damp, dirty ground and closed my eyes for a second. Just a quick minute, then I would get up and go after more of the monsters.
I just needed to rest a minute.
"Selena," Falcor's voice reached me, an edge of worry making it a bit shaky. What could possibly make the warlock worried? I had vanquished evil and whatever.
I forced my eyes open, squinting into the morning light and turned m
y head in the direction Falcor's voice had come from.
He was looking past me, up the street. I tilted my head the other way, probably getting all kinds of gross stuff stuck in my hair.
But when my eyes focused in the distance, I could see a horde of creatures, skulking up the middle of the street toward us.
"Oh, shit," I whispered.
"You are too tired to fight them right now. Let's go," Falcor strode toward me. I put my hand out to stop him, but he didn't wait. He just grabbed Jax, reached out and yanked my arm, the world tipped, and we were back in the destroyed cafeteria of the Sanctuary.
"Fuck, Falcor! We can't just leave them there!"
A bunch of men in uniforms swarmed into the cafeteria, guns aimed at us.
"Oh, fuck off!" I yelled, having had enough of people pointing guns at me and screaming for me to get on the floor. I let out my magic and it swarmed around us, spinning so fast the guards were almost obscured.
"Take me back!" I said, pointing a finger right in Falcor's face.
"No," he replied casually.
"You idiot!" I stormed off, pulling my magic along with me. The guards must have figured out who I was because they backed off and let me pass.
I had no idea where I was going, but my feet carried me to the Auditorium.
By the time I got there, my anger had faded, and I smiled at the guards watching the door. They were waiting for the kids to come back.
I wanted to check on Colvin but knew he was probably safer wherever he was. I was tired of things happening to me. I wanted to get some control of the situation. Be proactive. Kill all the nasty creatures and end the stupid war. It sounded like a lot.
But as I stepped into the auditorium and magic flowed into me like a river, I let out the tension I had been holding.
This place was still the same and it made me wonder who's magic controlled it if it wasn't Niri's. I pushed that thought aside for later contemplation and moved to the middle to the room, my shoes squeaking on the tile floor.
I collapsed in a heap, then drew my legs in to sit cross-legged on the floor and stared at the blank wall where Colvin had shown me his portal. There was no sign at all that he had torn open time and space and led all the children through to safety. He must have been scared.
A chill raced down my spine and the guards in the corner stirred but didn't speak.
"Colvin," I whispered, burying my face in my hands. I still hadn't mourned Niri or even Nick, for that matter. But tears ran for the little boy who was so far away. Yes, he was safe. Or so I assumed. But the world felt colder without him in it. As if his absence had some effect on the entire earth, not just me. I let the tears fall as my body began to feel bloated with magic. I let them stream down my face and fall to the hard tile floor. I was exhausted and overwhelmed, but I knew what I had to do.
The door behind me opened and all the magic wanted to rush towards the vampire behind me. I wasn't sure who it was until he spoke.
"You are supposed to be resting," Jax said, softly.
And suddenly, nothing else mattered. I pushed to my feet and turned to face him. When he caught sight of my puffy red eyes, his features moved from curious to sad. His face matching mine so completely, that I almost felt as though he had taken some of the burdens from me. Like my sorrow was his.
That seemed to leave enough room for all the other pain to come rushing in. The pain of losing Nick and Niri and Dorothy. I stepped toward him and he opened his arms, gathering me to his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He wrapped me up as fresh tears ran down my cheeks.
My plan to be strong and bad-ass was gone. I was weak and trembling. There was no way I could take on all these foes by myself.
"You aren't alone," Jax whispered as if he could read my thoughts.
I shook my head. He didn't understand. All the solid footing I had made for myself had crumbled. My world kept shifting until I didn't even recognize my own face.
Jax's hand cupped the side of my head, his thumb brushing across my forehead in the exact place I knew a blue feather graced my skin. It was as if he was tracing the outline of it and it grew warm. Like a gentle tingle of heat, it spread further until it heated my whole face, then continued until my upper body and finally all of me, right down to my toes was warm and relaxed.
"You still have me." He bent down and kissed my forehead and I tipped my head back to look into his eyes. He was so strong and beautiful, his features dark and chiselled like a statue. He would always look like that, I reminded myself. He was a vampire.
His mouth moved toward mine and I pressed up onto my toes to bridge the gap faster. He was invincible, too. Just like me. I wouldn't live forever, I had to know that. But at that moment, I didn't care about anything but the feel of his soft lips on mine.
His body was wrapped around me, strong and dependable. And I realized he was right. Despite the fact, my world shattered every time I had the least bit of something good happening. Jax was here and that was good enough.
When we broke away, my breathing was ragged and Jax's chest was heaving, but I felt lighter. He looked down into my eyes as if he was searching for something. A small feeling of rightness slipped into my despair and forced a smile to my lips.
Jax's face mirrored mine, a smile making his handsome features turn breathtaking. I wanted the moment to last forever, just escape to a bit of happiness in all the sadness, but that wasn't meant to be.
"If you are just going to make out, we might as well go fight the monsters," Falcor said, his voice like a bucket of cold water.
"Fuck," I whispered, stepping out of Jax's arms.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jax walked beside me, his hand in mine, as we followed Falcor's shadow down the hall. I felt stronger than I had a few minutes before, so sue me.
But when we turned the corner into the now spotless cafeteria, I stopped dead. It looked as if nothing had ever happened there. As if Niri hadn't died and monsters hadn't ripped the room apart.
"What the fuck?" I whispered.
"Falcor has some pretty strong magic," Jax whispered.
"He also has excellent hearing," Falcor muttered.
"Not as good as some," Jax countered. "Is your father on his way to the Sanctuary?"
Falcor looked grumpy but nodded before turning away.
The head of the DPI, Mr. Havisham, was deep in conversation with a woman when we walked in, but his eyes widened, and he stepped away from her when he saw me. "Selena! So glad to see you back here."
"Can't stay," I said, tugging Jax toward Falcor.
"If I could just have a moment of your time," Mr. Havisham continued.
I sighed. "Fine, but then can I go save the world?" I asked with enough sarcasm, I was sure wherever Dorothy was, she was scowling at my tone.
"Of course! I understand you are very busy. I just wondered if you could perhaps raise Niri to settle a few things for us."
All the blood drained from my face and the room tilted slightly. Jax's arm slipped around my back and I could see Falcor stepping closer to me, so it was the three of us facing the CEO jerkwad.
"No," I finally said. The word popped out louder than I had planned, and Mr. Havisham's eyebrows rose. "I mean, not today. I still have too much to do and I'd like to bury him properly before I raise him for any reason. He deserves that."
"Of course, of course. It's just that I don't want to go against his wishes for the Sanctuary."
"Fine. It can wait though. Just keep this place safe until I get back." I stepped closer to Falcor and whispered, "Let's go."
His hand clamped on my arm and suddenly we were back on the street. I didn't have any time to finish thinking about anything to do with Niri or the smarmy feeling I got from Mr. Havisham because the street was torn apart and magic beasts were everywhere. A few gorilla shaped monsters were climbing electrical poles and hanging from wires. A giant bear had knocked over dumpsters, leaving garbage all over the street. A helicopter circled up above.
&
nbsp; "Great, the world is going to see this," I muttered just as every single one of the monsters turned its head and looked at me as if they were all controlled by one mind.
A roar split the air as they moved en masse toward us.
Jax pulled out his sword as Falcor's magic sprang to life, looking like a lightsaber.
My magic seemed unsure until the first beast got within range. Then it burst free, aiming for the largest gorilla. It circled him and the monster stopped running, but still pressed forward toward us, his massive feet digging into the pavement.
"Go for its neck!" I yelled.
Jax was the first to launch into movement, his sword swinging abruptly toward the beast. With his added speed as a vampire, he was able to get in a full swing before the monster could put up an arm to block, and we were all witness to the gorilla's decapitation. Its body writhed for a second as it hit the pavement and then smoke billowed up from the pitch-black spray of blood.
"I've got the other one," Falcor called out as he dove toward the stampeding gorilla. I didn't have time to watch and make sure he had it, because the lion was leading a few bears in a charge toward me. They were moving fast and closing in faster.
I pressed my magic toward them, catching the lion in a net that stopped him dead. The bears kept coming though and suddenly Jax was by my side.
"You got this?" He asked.
"Sure," I replied, sounding more confident than I was. I pulled out my blade, so I would have it when the bear got close enough.
"What is this, Noah's Ark?" Falcor yelled behind us.
I didn't have time to turn around, I just hoped whatever was attacking Falcor didn't kill him. He was more breakable than Jax or me.
My magic was still holding the lion, so at least it was a fair fight.
When the bears were only a few strides away, Jax dashed forward and sliced at the bear who roared in pain then spun around to charge at Jax again, leaving me plenty of space to dodge out of the way of the charging bear that was nearly on top of me. As I swung to the side, I lashed out with my sword, but not as fast as the bear who lashed out one massive paw and caught me on the hip. The feeling of my clothes and skin shredding sent a scream of pain from my mouth, but a second later, my blade caught flesh, too, slicing the animal's side.