by Dakota Lake
“Kenzie, slow down.”
“Sorry but we need to hurry up. I keep envisioning Cam cutting off my balls.”
“A little too dramatic don't you think?”
“Damn I hate walking. I never walk anywhere. How do humans get anywhere? This takes ages.” “Well not all of us are demons, fading isn't in our DNA. Anyway that's what they invented cars for.” “Well I've never needed a car. If I want to go anywhere I just think of the place I want to go and I go there.”
We reached a long metal gate which looked like the proper entrance to the park not the back way entrance Brandon had brought me in.
“Tell me about this thing Emmett has been doing? This yodelling stuff.” he asked. “Chanting,” I laughed trying to keep up with him.
His legs weren't much longer than mine but he somehow managed to put distance between us with every step. “He comes into my room chants some random words. Don't ask me to remember what they were because I can't. Then he lights a candle and sets it on my nightstand. End of story.” “Why would Cam not want you to get your memories back?”
“Because if I don't remember anything or get my memories back I would never want to leave the manor. I would have no reason to. At least that's what I make of it.”
“How could he do something like that to you?”
“He has his reasons. If I didn't remember anything I would never want to leave, it's simple logic I guess.”
“Except it didn't work you still wanted to leave.”
“Kenzie, do you know where Jessie is?”
“Sort of. From the place you described I have a pretty good idea.”
“Can you take me there?”
“No way.”
“Why not? It's your fault Jessie is locked up down in the tunnels.”
“My fault, how is it my fault?”
“You said it yourself, you're the one that bought him down to Under.”
“Yes on Cam's orders. You don't question Cam.”
“Kenzie you need to help me get Jessie out of there.”
Kenzie started shaking his head. “No there's obviously a reason why Cam put him down there.” “Kenzie...”
“No it's not happening. There's no way I'm taking you down to the tunnels Cam would kill me. Anyway I wouldn't even know where to look there are thousands of tunnels in Hell.” “Kenzie we need to...,”
“No Ruby. All we need to do right now is get you back and I somehow need to do it without you getting seen. You don't get it. If what you've been saying is right and Cam finds out about this he will lock you up for sure until he finds another way to get rid of your memories. So we need to get you back without anyone else finding out.”
“So are you going to tell Cam about this? I asked.
“No. He would put you on lock down and have you guarded with no freedom at all. Is that what you want?”
“No. But I don't want Cam taking my memories permanently either. It's just a matter of time before he finds another way, another person like Senka to,”
Kenzie cut me off. “There's no one else like Senka he's one of a kind. The only other person that could do anything like that to you would be Maite.”
“Who's Maite?”
“A witch, she lives in the woods somewhere in Under. Cam's been looking for her for months, I didn't know it had anything to do with you though.”
“Kenzie I don't want Cam to take my memories.”
“I know and we will figure it out. But first we need to get you back.”
“So that big house 'Rose Cottage' it's just a front. It's really a doorway to the underworld?” “Yes. In the beginning it was just a hole in the ground and over time a house was built on top of it which has been enlarged and modernised over the years.”
“Is that the only way into Under?”
“No there are other doorways just in different locations.”
We crossed the main road and kept to the grassy verge. I made sure to stay a good distance away from the puddles, I didn't want to get drenched again from another passing car.
It took us about thirty minutes to get back to the area I vaguely remembered from last night. “Get down,” he said ducking down into a coloured shrubs, his vibrant red hoodie blended in amongst the leaves. We peeked through the leaves at Rose Cottage which was across the street. There wasn't much to see, large walls with overgrown ivy trailing everywhere and a pair of large black iron gates.
“In the bushes again, this is becoming a habit.” I said to myself.
“So why are we hiding if it's an empty house? If no one lives there we could go straight in and if anyone comes along I could hide in a closet or something.”
“I never said no one lives there,” he looked sideways at me. “Em lives in there.”
“That's Em's house?”
“Yep and he's probably in there right now, middle of the day with nothing to do.” he said pulling his cell out.
“Wait if it's the middle of the day up here, then it's 11.50pm down there which means Em might be on his way to my room to light his voodoo candle.”
“That's what I was thinking.”
“He didn't last night though, which is odd after I told Vivienne what he'd been up to she said she'd sort it. Do you think whatever she said worked?”
“Maybe, maybe not. He usually does as he's told.” Kenzie grunted a laugh.
“Why would he listen to the Doctor over Cam?”
“Cause Vivienne is his big mama.”
“Really? How come no one ever told me?” I asked surprised Emmett had never mentioned before that Vivienne was his mother.
Kenzie shrugged. “It's no secret I assumed you knew. How could you not tell? He looks just like her but he's a boy obviously.”
“Huh, learn something new everyday or in my case a new bombshell drops on my head everyday.” Kenzie put his cell to his ear and held his finger to his lips shushing me. I leaned closer and pulled his shoulder towards me so I could listen in. I could hear the phone ringing on the other end after four rings Em picked up.
“Kenzie what's up?”
“Hi Em, what you up to?”
“What right now?”
“Yes. That's what I asked.” Kenzie said.
“Oh I was actually still looking for Ruby. I can't find her anywhere. No one has seen her since lunch time. Don't you think it's strange she's just disappeared?”
“What are you talking about? She's been at my cottage on and off all day. Then at dinnertime she said she wasn't hungry, that's why she skipped dinner. I thought I told you.”
“Skipped dinner, since when did skipping dinner become optional? She knows she's meant to be at dinner whether she eats it or not. It's one of the few ways I can keep tabs on her. Well where is she now?”
“She said something about going upstairs to play air hockey with someone.”
“With who?”
“I dunno?” Kenzie looked over at me, he was getting frustrated with Emmett which wasn't hard. Emmett huffed loudly.
“What's wrong?” Kenzie asked grinning.
“You know I'm not allowed up there.”
“Oh didims no one likes you up there. I forgot.” Kenzie said trying not to laugh. I pinched him in the arm.
“So why were you calling again?” Emmett snapped at him.
“I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out?”
“Right now?”
“Yeah. I've had a busy day. You know busy collecting dead people's souls and I'm just letting off some steam. I'm a little drunk.” Kenzie shrugged, even he didn't know what he was saying. “Up here in Heaven's Point. You wanna join me? I'm in a bar.”
“Yeah. No that sounds cool man. It will be like the good ol' days. Remember them?” “No.” Kenzie replied bluntly.
I smacked him on the arm and he quickly changed his tune.
“Yes that's exactly what I was thinking.” Kenzie said.
“We should hang out more often.” Emmett said, sounding rather excited at the idea. “So which bar are y
ou at? It sounds really quiet there.”
Kenzie looked at me for ideas. I just held up my hands.
“I'm outside, I don't know the name of the place.” he said looking at me like I had all the answers. “Hmm one that's open all day.....” Emmett said mulling it over.
I looked over at Kenzie, it was the middle of the day not many places would be open. “Is it Jinx? Oooo is it Blue Murder?” Emmett asked excitedly.
“Err maybe, Yeah, no that one.”
“Which one?” Emmett asked.
“Blue...Murder.” Kenzie replied hesitantly.
“Coolio I'll be there in ten.” Emmett said trying to sound all cool and casual like Kenzie but it just sounded out of place.
“Coolio.” Kenzie said back to him before he hung up.
“There's really a place called Blue Murder?” I asked.
“I have no idea, I don't hang out in bars or clubs.”
“So now what?” I asked.
“Now we wait for him to leave.”
“So when you've got me back inside are you going to go meet him?” I asked.
“What no way.” he said pulling a face.
“Kenzie that's so mean, did you hear how excited he was?”
“That's cause he has no friends. Talking to Cam's bird is exciting to him.”
“Kenzie,” I said in a stern tone.
“Really you want me to go meet him in some weird bar where they probably have cages and people dressed up in gimp suits?”
“What? When did you last go to a bar?”
“I haven't. Have you?”
“I can't remember. Remember? Anyway it's the middle of the day, I don't think they get the whips and chains out until after dark,” Kenzie looked horrified. “I'm kidding. Anyway you told him it was a bar not a sex club and he listed them off to you. Maybe it won't be as bad as you're expecting?” “Probably worse. I'll be squashed in between a hundred people all gyrating against me.” Kenzie said shivering in disgust.
“Okay calm down germaphobe.”
“I'm not a germaphobe. I just like being clean and not having dirty smelly humans touching me.” “So I'm dirty and smelly?” I joked.
“Nah! You're a Neph and you smell lovely, like strawberries.”
The sound of a car engine caught our attention and we both ducked down lower, I wasn't sure how much lower we could actually get. We ended up on our elbows and knees in the dirt. The sound of an engine revved loudly as the gates opened. A large yellow Hummer pulled out onto the street with music blasting loudly out the speakers.
“What is that?” I asked.
“That is Emmett being over the top and flaunting his wealth, well not even his more like Cam's. Everyone's meant to keep a low profile coming and going from Rose Cottage but not Em. He likes the attention it brings him.”
“Kenzie what is Em?”
“What apart from being an annoying pain in my ass.”
“I'm a Neph, you're a death tracker. The servants at the manor are humans, they are humans right?” “No robots,” he joked. “Yes humans.”
“And Em is what exactly?” I asked watching the Hummer turn the corner at the end of the street. “A lonely teenage boy that craves attention.”
“No there's something else...”
“There is but it's a question for another day.” he said.
“Can I help you?” said a snobby accent from behind us.
I quickly stood back up and brushed my legs down.
“My shoes are dirty.” Kenzie said turning his heel out to inspect.
The lady coughed loudly looking at me crossing her arms.
“We were looking for something on the floor.” I said trying to be casual about it. “Great another pot head in my garden. Do I need to call the police?”
“What no we were just going.” I said looking over at Kenzie who was grinning.
“What's funny?” I asked smiling at him.
He shrugged but carried on grinning.
“We, who's we?” the lady asked looking around. “There's another one of you?”
“Err...” I looked sideways at Kenzie who was still smiling.
“She can't see you?” I blurted out.
“Who are you talking to? That's it I'm calling the police.”
“No don't do that. I'm leaving. Look I'm walking away.” I said stepping away from the bush. “The next time I see you or any other of your pot head friends in my garden I'm calling the police. I know where you come from, using these back gardens as your own personal passageway to that pit over the back.”
I assumed she was talking about the trailer park.
“Stay out of my bush!” she said loudly as I stepped onto the street. Kenzie followed me snickering. “Well I for one will not be going anywhere near her bush.” he said.
I burst out laughing and looked back at her. It was as if she knew I was laughing at her and she stomped off up the drive.
“Come on,” he jogged over to the side gate.
“So you can make yourself invisible, is that a death tracker thing? When were you going to tell me about that? She thought I was crazy. Thanks for that by the way.”
“Yes it is and it only works on humans.”
“So you can't do that in front of me?”
“No. So before you freak out. No I haven't been watching you in the shower.”
“I wasn't thinking about you. I was thinking about Cam.”
“You think about Cam in the shower?” he gasped opening the gate for me.
“No you know that's not what I meant, stop twisting my words. I thought we were on a serious mission here?”
“We are but you bring out that side of me.”
“The childish side.”
“Yeah that one.” he smiled.
“How old are you?”
“Not that old I'm pretty young compared to everyone else.”
“Which means what exactly? I get the feeling everyone is in the three digit age bracket.” “Well I was born in....drum roll....1912.”
“That makes you,” I tried to work it out in my head but I was no good with numbers. “Old.” I finally replied.
“Not that old. Don't let Shasta hear you calling her old. She would totally flip out. Anyway Roman's like nine hundred and something. Tal's around six hundred and Ryu's even older than Roman.” I followed close by his side as we walked around the trees keeping to the edge of the wall. The lawn was trimmed to a perfect length, weeping willow trees swayed around in the gentle breeze. The garden had a pond with a small water feature in the middle. Large pots spilled out with flowers and red roses covered most of the garden. It looked almost too good to be true, a perfect front. No one would ever guess it was a gateway to the underworld.
“So how old is Cam?” I asked.
“How old is old? Age has no limit when you're immortal. Let's just say he's been running things for a while along side his father and before him there was no one else.”
“Where is Cam's father?”
“Another story for another day.”
I snagged my trouser on a rose bush, Kenzie came to my rescue and unhooked me. “What's with all the roses? It's the same in Under.”
“Cam's mother liked roses, so I'm told.”
“You've never met her?”
“No she'd moved away by the time I moved in. But from what I'm told she was a bitch, according to Roman anyway. Apparently she used to boss everyone around. She was a total queen B.” “Why did she leave?”
“No idea.”
“What was her name?”
“Rose.” he said skipping ahead of me towards the garages.
“Jeez! How many cars do you guys have stashed round her?”
I counted eleven cars all lined up in a row. Different models but they were all black. “A lot. If the guys downstairs want to go out and about they all need transport. There's more garages round the back as well.”
“Well if you were going for low key it isn't working. This screams look at us we're part
of a drugs cartel.”
“We're in Oregon not Mexico and Cam's no drug lord.” he laughed.
“What if someone comes out and catches us?” I said looking over at the house.
“It would only be one of the fallen and they would know to keep their mouth shut if I told them to.” “So is there sort of an order about who listens to who around here?”
“Kind of. I listen to Cam he's the boss when his father isn't here. Then I guess it goes us then fallen. Fallen take orders from Cam but we have a higher status to them so they do as they're told if I had to tell them to do something.”
“So they're Cam's little minions running the underworld?”
“Yes but a few of those little minions (as you like to put it) have a slightly higher influence. He's put Senka in charge of certain things in Under which means Senka has certain sway down there. I would be surprised if he hasn't got the other fallen searching the manor for you right now.” “You're joking right?”
“I dunno he was getting really agitated earlier that he couldn't find you. That boy is totally in love with yoooooooou!” He stopped outside the last garage.
“Where does Em fit into all this?” I asked still curious about him.
“He just got lucky. Cam's father gave Vivienne the Doctor job and she bought Em along with her. He sort of leached himself onto Cam so he could do whatever he wanted around the place. But no one really listens to him. But those two have known each other a really long time and Cam trusts him. Ready?”
“Ready for what?” I asked looking at the green garage door.
Kenzie keyed in a code of numbers into the keypad on the wall and the door started to lift. We walked into an empty garage and I mean empty it was completely bare except for the fluorescent light that was hanging from the ceiling switched on. He pushed a switch and the door started to close.
“What are we doing in here, I thought we were heading for the elevator?”
“We are.” He smiled and walked over to a different switch. He pushed it and the floor started to move. My reflexes kicked in and my arms went out to balance myself even though I wasn't falling. Kenzie laughed. “Don't panic it's not an earthquake.”
The light above swayed and I had the weird sensation we were moving downwards. “Is this another elevator?” I asked.
“Yes, the back entrance so to speak. How do you think we managed to get cars down there?” “Huh, I hadn't thought of that.”