“Then I suggest you come up with a better plan, because this one is pathetic,” Tristan said, challenging me. “You can’t hurt her, Gideon. You’d have to get through me.” My fireball evaporated into air in his hands, and he was gone again.
“That is one angry prince,” someone said behind me.
I turned around at the sound of D’s voice. She was calm and smiling, as though there weren’t chaos all around us. She had on a short black dress and a seductive smile. Around her neck dangled an elaborate necklace with hundreds, thousands of rough-cut crystals that glowed every time a soul died—which was every second, so the necklace never stopped shimmering.
D was the only friend I had. She was the Grim Reaper and the keeper of the Underworld. It was her job to lead dead souls to the Underworld, and her being here could only meant she’d came to take the souls of those I’d just killed.
“And he’s just made one angry Gideon,” I growled, making an attempt to rush Tristan. D stopped me.
“Patience, handsome. You aren’t going to get anywhere near his human by being Gideon.”
“How the hell am I supposed to kill her then?” Her hand was only lightly resting on my arm, but I couldn’t break her grip on me. Just how strong was she?
“I suggest if you want to kill the girl, you befriend her first.”
I frowned, puzzled. That was the dumbest idea I’d ever heard. Why the hell should I waste my time befriending a human?
She noticed my hesitation. “Trust me, it would be brilliant. Tristan isn’t going to leave her side, but you might just be able to get close to her by joining her circle. As a friend. ”
Her plan didn’t seem so dumb when I realized she was right.
“The prince did say I needed a new plan.” My anger was fading. I didn’t know how the whole friendship thing worked, but this was a challenge I couldn’t pass up.
HOW YOU LEARN TO LIVE ALONE
Tristan
“Better to light a candle
than to curse the darkness.”
Chinese Proverb
Chaos.
Everywhere I looked all I saw was chaos.
I didn’t see Gideon.
The thing with Gideon? He only stayed for the killing, always leaving me to clean up after him.
I started questioning if I’d be able to protect Abigail from Gideon. I’d taken my eyes off her for a second, and she’d nearly died. But then, amazingly, she hadn’t died. And that hadn’t been my doing. She had protected herself, and done it pretty well.
A police car pulled over, not far from where we stood. The policemen rushed out of the car.
“Good heavens,” one of them whispered.
I knew what he was feeling, pain, just like everyone around me.
He approached Abby and her friends. “Is everyone all right?” He asked when he reached them. They look up at him without answering. “I’m Officer Ronald Andrews.” He showed them his badge.
I turned around at the flash of cameras behind us. Apparently, tomorrow was going to be a busy news day.
“Who was the driver of this vehicle?” Andrews asked, eying the Toyota.
“Jake was,” Danny answered.
Before the officer could respond, a voice from among the cameras called out. “That’s Abigail Cells!”
“Abigail Cells?”
“Oh, my god, its Mercy Cell’s daughter,” said another, and the lights from several camera crews focused on her for a moment.
Andrews placed himself between the cameras and Abigail. “You four, come with me. I have some questions to ask, and it seems like you won’t be able to answer them out here.” He helped Jake up from the ground.
Sarah took Jake’s hand, and together they followed the policeman. Abigail, looking sad and battered, took Sarah’s other hand.
I wanted to help the wounded around me. Their cries for help were so agonizing! But I couldn’t leave Abigail for fear Gideon might come back.
There seemed to be more people milling around the accident scene. Abigail held her head, trying to shield her face with her hair as people snapped pictures of her on their cell phones when she and her friends passed.
It didn’t take long for Andrews to get Abigail and her friends to the no entry zone, away from the crowd.
He took out a pen and a pad. “Your car was the first in front of the traffic, right?” he asked, and Sarah nodded. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Massacre, not accident, I thought, but since I was invisible and couldn’t speak my mind, I kept quiet.
“Well,” Jake muttered, and they all looked at him amazed, because none of them was expecting him to be the one to break the silence. “I stopped when the traffic light went red and then… ” he paused and tried to find words. “The range rover was over there,” he pointed, “and all of a sudden, it was out of control. It curved toward us and then…”
Abigail cut in. “The driver of the range rover curved away from us, and crashed into the three cars behind us.” This was clearly a lie, but she didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself, and there had been so much confusion that there would likely be a million different stories, all of them different, so her account wouldn’t stand out.
I couldn’t get the image of Abigail in the driver’s seat in Jake’s lap out of my head. She was quick, and what’s more, she was brave, something that made me think maybe I actually had a chance against Gideon.
“We need to get these kids out of here,” said another policeman who appeared from behind Andrews. “The press now knows Abigail Cells was involved, and they are arriving by the dozen.” Abigail drew in a sharp breath and looked pained.
“You do that,” Andrews said. “Well, thank you very much for your time. Now that we have your statements, Detective Martin here will take you home.”
“This way,” Martin volunteered. They followed him without hesitation. By now shock had worn off for many in the crowd and they were becoming quite emotional. Sarah was sobbing. But I noticed that Abigail had largely regained her composure.
As she and her friends got into the cruiser, I made up my mind to follow her home. I was ragged. Seeing her almost die, twice, in one day had sent my fear level off the roof. I had no idea how I was going to protect her. But here she was, safe and whole, and already steady again. Maybe she could be strong for both of us.
I was just about ready to fly after the cruiser when D appeared.
“Don’t bother. He’s gone home to find a way to befriend the human,” she said.
Befriend her?
But whatever his reasons, he was no longer a danger to Abigail tonight, so I could afford to stay here and help. I watched the policeman drive away with Abigail and her friends, and then turned my attention to the scene.
The street was a jumble of ambulances, though slowly they were giving way to tow trucks and news crews.
And D. I looked over her shoulder at the forms she had pinned to her clipboard.
“Are there survivors?” I asked. I made an attempt to get closer to the accident scene, but D held me back.
She nodded. “Yes, and they’re going to live. There are no more names on my list for this little escapade. Let the humans do their thing.” I stopped struggling in her grasp, and she let me go. I leaned my head on her shoulder for a moment.
It was surprising how comforting a presence D could be. She’d told me once that not everyone was so surprised to find her comforting. I didn’t think I would every quite understand her.
There’s a lot I don’t understand.
I remembered meeting Gideon, back when we’d both been boys of six. He’d been all big eyes and tousled black hair. I didn’t understand how that boy could grow up to be so evil.
It had been Gideon’s sixth birthday, the day we’d all learned of his true nature. He’d caused a fire at the Town Square, and I’d come to help the wounded and trapped. I’d put out the fire and healed the angels that had been hurt without really understanding how I
could do those things.
And then I’d gone to Gideon’s house, because I could sense that he needed healing, too. To be honest, it was also just to see him for myself. Such power! I was stupid for going there, I know that now, but I was also only six, and I was curious. I could have been hurt, but I wasn’t.
When I reached Gideon’s house he was home alone, and crying.
“Mother! Father!” he had shouted, walking from room to room. No one answered him. He searched the rooms again and again, until finally he gave up and slumped down on the stairs. “I didn’t mean it! I was hungry, and then, before I knew it, everything was burning. I didn’t mean it. I don’t even know how I did it! Mother? Mother where are you?” And then he started to cry again.
He went to his room, climbed up in his window and sat, perched precariously on the sill. I could feel anger and deep sadness run through him in successive waves as he kept saying, to the empty air, that he hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. He sniffled and started calling again for his parents, who never came.
I knew that day was his birthday, because I’d overheard Mother and Father talking about it. I felt sorry that his parents weren’t home for his birthday: everyone in Lumens had lighted a sky lantern for me on my birthday. A lonely birthday like Gideon’s seemed huge and horrible to me.
It is huge and horrible when you’re six.
So I made a sky lantern appear in the clouds in front of his house. He saw it, and his tears slowed, and then stopped. He didn’t take his eyes off the lantern as I made it drift toward him. I wanted him to know that someone remembered him, someone believed him, and so when the lantern reached him, I made it burst into fireworks, and made the sparks spell Happy birthday! I made a wish for you, and I know you didn’t mean it.
He looked around him, startled, wondering who might be responsible for this, but I knew he couldn’t see me. A little while later he’d nodded to himself, and smiled. Just as I’d turned to leave I heard him whisper “Thank you,” and I decided that I’d light a birthday candle for him every year.
That was the little boy I saw whenever I looked at Gideon, a sad, confused little boy, so innocent, who had been so happy when a stranger had lighted a lantern for him. Obviously that little boy was long gone, and obviously I had long ago learned to see him as he truly was—a monster. I’d kept my promise. I sent him a sky lantern every year, and each year he would come to stand by his window to see it. I wasn’t sure if he knew I was the one sending them, and I wasn’t sure if sending them had been a good idea after all. Look at him! Look what he’d become!
“Tristan!” D was shouting my name and snapping her fingers in front of my face. “Where is your head?”
I brought my attention back to the present. “I need to do something. I can’t just stand here.” The paramedics were doing what they could, but they were so limited. So human.
“There’s nothing you can do right now, Tristan. If it helps, there’s nothing I can do right now either.”
It didn’t help, but I was still grateful to her for the attempt.
D and I got along. I mean, we didn’t sit around exchanging skincare tips, but still, we got along. We had our moment, like now. I wondered what her moments with Gideon were like. Did they talk about killing, or the usual OMG she didn’t! She did? No! Did a killer and the Grim Reaper gossip? It was an odd thought.
Together she and I stood on the sidelines, just watching. Being so near all the suffering meant more pain for me. I felt helpless. I had no idea what D felt.
Finally I couldn’t stand it anymore. I made myself visible and rushed over to volunteer. One of the state troopers looked up at my approach. “Sir!” he shouted. “Hey! I’m going to need you to clear the scene. Please, give the paramedics room to work. You’ll only be in the way. Young man! You! Stand aside, please.”
D took my hand. “We should go.”
I MADE SURE to replace my bloodstained clothing before I knocked on Sela’s door.
After I’d done what I could for Gideon’s victims, checked in again on Abigail, and assured myself I couldn’t sense Gideon anywhere on Earth, I’d decided to pay Sela a visit to let her know I was all right. I’d stopped by my parents’ on the way there, and Mother hadn’t wanted me to leave. I’d had to promise her I’d come back before she would let me go.
“Tristan!” Sela threw her arms around me the moment she opened the door. “You’re alive! You’re here!” She started to cry. “You’re here.”
Leaving was going to be hard. “I told you I’d be fine.”
She pulled back to look at my face. “You don’t sound fine.” She checked me over for injuries. “Did something happen? Are you hungry?”
Yeah, I was weak. I needed to feed, but I could hang on a little longer.
I pulled her inside her room and closed the door behind us.
“I’m fine, really. It was just a long day.”
Sela let go of me, keeping hold of one hand. “Is Abigail all right?”
Was she all right? She did manage to save her friends. I was just as surprised as Gideon was when she did this. Whatever Logan was teaching her was working. He should probably ask fro a raise. I knew I would.
“I’m not sure, but I need to get back to her before Gideon does.” Sela’s eyes clouded with sadness, and she let go of my hand.
“You’re going back there already?”
“Gideon is unpredictable. I never know what he’s going to do, so I need to be around Abigail all the time. I almost lost her today.” Saying this aloud made it too real.
“Can’t you ask your father to reassign Gideon?” Sela asked, although I was sure she already knew the answer.
I’d gone to Abigail’s when I left with D. Her mother had had a fit when she’d arrived home with a policeman. I listened to her shout, growing stronger moment by moment, because underneath the shouting she was bursting with relief and with joy. I had to come and see Sela too, because I knew she’d be worried sick if I didn’t come.
She nodded in understanding. “Please come back tomorrow so I know you’re safe.”
Giving her a nod, I turned to leave.
“Wait a minute!” she called and I stopped in my tracks “Are you not going to say goodbye?”
Of course not. I waved at her, “Goodbye.”
“Gah! A wave!” This made both of us break into laughter. “Giving your best friend a wussy little wave is simply not normal, Big Guy.”
I went back to her, pulled her close, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
I missed having her close.
I pressed another kiss on the top of her head, on the orange curls. “I promise, I’m working on being normal. I’ll normal it right up just as soon as I can, but now I really have to go.”
Normal. At this point I’d have given anything in this universe to have time to worry about being normal, or at least to go back to the days where Gideon was as far away from Abigail as Neptune was from the Sun.
BEST FRIENDS FORNEVER
Gideon
The plan was simple.
Befriend her. Find her weakness, make her vulnerable, and then kill her.
When I arrived at school the next day, reporters had surrounded the grounds. I heard Abigail’s name floating around as a dozen reporters with elaborately blow-dried hair discussed her heroism to the cameras. What the hell was going on here? What had I missed?
I snapped my fingers and found myself outside our classroom. “Abigail,” Sarah was saying, “I didn’t know they were reporters. And besides, you didn’t say not to tell anyone you saved us.”
There was no way Abigail could have saved them. And if she had, how had she done it? What kind of a human was she, anyway?
“Sarah, it’s all right. I don’t mind,” Abigail sighed, lifting her head. She didn’t sound as though she didn’t mind.
No one paid much attention to lessons today. Before I knew it, the school bell was ringing and chemistry class was over. I must have shut everything out, out of boredom, becaus
e I don’t even remember what happened at lunch, or if I even went.
“Remember, class, this problem set is due Friday!” the teacher called as students filed out. Abigail, her friends, Tristan, and I were the last students in the room gathering our books.
“You want to get something before our next class, Abby?” Tristan asked. “Or I can grab you something if you want.”
“I’m fine. Go on ahead. I’ll join you later.” Obviously she was lying, but Tristan didn’t tell her he could tell.
Tristan hesitated, showing me he didn’t want to leave Abigail behind with me, but when Danny nodded his head toward the door, he left without argument.
Befriend her. I repeated the words in my head before I stood and made my way over to Abigail.
The moment I reached her table, Tristan appeared in the room, invisible.
He was everywhere!
I took a seat beside Abigail, and pretended not to notice Tristan. “It seems it’s just you and me now, Miss Cells. How about that tour?”
Abigail turned to me. “It’s just you, actually. I’m leaving” She looked like she’d been crying.
“So, was that a yes to the tour?”
Abigail did not look particularly friendly. Was I doing this befriending thing right? “I take it you either haven’t heard the news or you don’t care. You aren’t grilling me with questions, so which is it?”
“Oh, I heard about what happened. It’s everywhere.” I stood and stepped right beside her. Tristan also took a step closer, but I continued to ignore his presence. “I heard you’re the new Wonder Woman.”
She finished packing up her things. “Unfortunately,” she sounded annoyed. “Sorry, I just can’t think of the accident without—” Her voice cracked. “Sorry.” And with that, she picked up her backpack and started heading for the door.
This friendship thing was going to be more difficult than I thought. I had to listen to her whining?
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