The Four Horsemen

by Cheree Alsop

He grabbed Aleric’s good arm. “You’ve got to help me find him. He’ll drive Pasta-Pocalypse into the ground! I can’t let that happen. It’s my dream!”

  “I’ll find him,” Aleric said. “Just promise me you’ll close your doors until we do. We can’t have this plague spreading all over the city. I need you to send every patron you have to the Edge City Hospital for treatment. I’m hoping they’ve figured out a cure by now.”

  Lilian nodded. “I’m sure with Dr. Wolf’s help, your restaurant will be up and running again in no time.”

  Her words seemed to cheer the Horseman up immensely. Aleric was touched by the way she genuinely seemed to care about the fae’s feelings. The smile she gave Perry was warm as though they were good friends, and he smiled back, his eyes bright as if he looked at an angel or one of the luminous elves in charge of painting silver lining on the clouds and sunbursts. Aleric knew how the Horseman felt, because he looked at her the same way. He had thought it was a werewolf thing, but now he wasn’t so sure.

  He cleared his throat. “We should probably go see if they need help at the hospital. You’ll close up shop?”

  “Yes,” Perry said, nodding emphatically. “I don’t want to spread the plague. You saw what happened in Drake City. If it keeps up, they’ll run me out of town.”

  “We’re closing?” one of the other cooks asked. He stopped near Perry’s elbow. Several of the other cooking and waiting staff gathered near.

  “This is the best place I’ve ever worked,” a waitress said.

  “Yes,” another cook echoed. “Who knew cooking could be so fun?”

  Perry looked at each in turn. “I apologize deeply to you all. You gave me a chance, and I let you down.”

  A waitress put a hand on his glowing arm. “No, you didn’t. You gave all of us a chance.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “We believe in this place,” a female cook said.

  More nods followed.

  “We’ll fix the plague problem and make Pasta-Pocalypse stronger than ever!” another cook said.

  The watery smile the Horseman gave them made Aleric smile in return. Perry clutched his apron in both hands. “You really want our restaurant to be up and running again?” he asked.

  “Definitely!”

  “Of course!”

  A chorus of approval ran through the staff and flowed among those who crowded in the kitchen doorway.

  Perry turned to Aleric. The Horseman put a hand on the werewolf’s shoulder. “We’re counting on you, Aleric Bayne. Find my brother and help me end this plague so that Pasta-Pocalypse can be up and functioning as a healthy, fun spaghetti restaurant again.”

  Aleric nodded. “I’ll do it. I promise.”

  Another cheer went up through the staff.

  Perry clapped his hands. “First thing’s first. Round up every patron you can and send them to Edge City Hospital.” He smiled at Aleric and Lilian. “Edge City’s finest will help them recover.”

  The staff rushed out and began ushering patrons to the door.

  “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you,” Perry said.

  Aleric gave the Horseman a worried look. “I don’t know how long the city will allow a fae to run a restaurant here.”

  “I know,” Perry replied. “But we’ve got to try, right?”

  Aleric nodded. “We do. I’ll do whatever I can to help you keep your dreams.”

  The grateful look the Horseman gave him filled Aleric with determination. “Thank you, Aleric. I owe you big time.”

  Aleric walked out the back door with Lilian at his side. They could see a long line of restaurant attendees being helped by Perry’s staff toward the hospital. Big frothing glops of purple foam colored the sidewalk.

  “Take the back way?” Aleric suggested.

  “Definitely,” Lilian replied. “We can come back for my car later.”

  Aleric gave her a careful look. “Are you sure you’re up for walking? You just got out a hospital bed yourself.”

  She smiled at him. “It feels good to stretch my legs. Sunshine is good for the soul.”

  That brought a chuckle from Aleric. At her questioning look, he explained, “Demons suck souls. Sunshine destroys demons. It’s fitting.”

  She shook her head with a half-smile. “You’ve had a strange life, Dr. Wolf.”

  Aleric nodded as he helped her around the overflowing garbage containers behind Pasta-Pocalypse. “You have no idea, and that’s probably a good thing.”

  They reached the other street. A few cars drove past and a couple walked further up the sidewalk, but it was far less busy than what Aleric was used to seeing. With the sunshine on his shoulders and the plague hopefully under control, he felt the tension easing from him. It didn’t hurt that Lilian walked at his side. His ears caught the tune she hummed quietly to herself.

  “What song is that?” he asked.

  “You heard that?” she replied. The hint of red he loved brushed her cheeks, making the blue of her eyes that much more defined.

  “I have pretty good hearing. It’s a race characteristic,” Aleric said. “I don’t mean to pry.”

  She smiled. “It’s something my mom used to sing to me when I was little. It’s always in my head. Sometimes I hum it without thinking.”

  “I’d love to hear it,” Aleric told her.

  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t sing very often.”

  “Don’t worry,” Aleric replied. “I promise I’ll be a good audience.”

  She gave him a shy look, her gaze vulnerable as though she was about to do something she never did. At his reassuring smile, she let out a breath and dropped her gaze. He thought for a moment that she would refuse, then he heard the quiet intake of air filling her lungs.

  “Dance in a drop of sunshine,

  Spin in the pouring rain,

  Skip through the starry meadows,

  Remember that life’s a game.

  Too-ee, Too-loo, Too-ee, Lou-ee

  Remember that life’s a game.

  “Breathe in the scent of flowers,

  Run through the morning dew,

  Cartwheel through the pansies,

  All of life begins with you.

  Too-ee, Too-loo, Too-ee, Lou-ee

  All of life begins with you.

  Smile at the sunlight,

  Enjoy the brand new day,

  Laugh with the calling birds,

  And dance the boredom away.”

  Too-ee, Too-loo, Too-ee, Lou-ee

  And dance the boredom away.”

  She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “It’s something my mom made up. I don’t know why I sing it, really.”

  “I like it,” Aleric replied honestly. “It may be the best song I’ve ever heard in my life.”

  She pushed his good shoulder. “Don’t tease me.”

  He gave her a wide-eyed look. “I’m being serious here. Your mother knew what she was doing. That’s a great song. It may be simple, but it’s happy.” His continued, his words a bit quiet, “The more happiness in the world, the better.”

  Her expression became one of surprise. “That’s what my mom always said.”

  “She was a smart woman,” Aleric concluded.

  Lilian nodded. Her voice was quieter when she said, “Yes, she was.”

  Her tone gripped Aleric’s heart. The sadness resonated inside him. “I lost my mother when I was four.”

  He didn’t know why he said it, but there was something about seeing Lilian sad that made him want her to understand she wasn’t alone.

  “I didn’t know that,” she replied. “I’m sorry to hear it.”

  Aleric nodded. “She was a very loving person.”

  “You miss her,” Lilian said.

  He nodded again. “Every day. I always will. She is who I think about when I think of love and safety.”

  “And your father?” Lilian asked.

  Aleric toyed with a string that frayed from the edge of his sling. “Not so much,
” he said quietly.

  “My father was the opposite,” Lilian said. At Aleric’s glance, she explained, “Before my mother passed away, he was always at work. I barely saw him. He was so involved in his job, and I couldn’t blame him. Even when I was young, I knew he was saving lives. That was very important to all of us. But when Mom got in the accident, he changed completely. He did what he could to be both mom and dad for me. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.” She looked at him. “What did you do?”

  Aleric thought of his father beating him over and over the days before his mother died. His dad had blamed him for his mother’s sickness, even though Aleric had nothing to do with it. Aleric knew now that his father hadn’t coped well with the thought of losing his true love. Werewolves never handled that well.

  “I ran away,” Aleric admitted.

  Lilian stared at him. “How old did you say you were?”

  Aleric pulled on the string. The hem near his hand unraveled. “Four,” he said without looking at her.

  “That’s horrible!” she exclaimed.

  Aleric didn’t answer. He kept his focus on the string he pulled, watching the seam unravel while his thoughts were on another life in a different time.

  Lilian put her hand over his, stopping his fingers. Both of them quit walking.

  “You’re unraveling it,” she said.

  He met her gaze. Her face was inches from his own. He felt like he was falling into the depths of her beautiful blue eyes. It was ridiculous, and he knew it. He had only known her for hours, maybe, if everything was totaled; yet in that moment he understood why his father had lost his mind at the thought of saying goodbye to the one love in his life. For the first time, Aleric truly understood.

  But she wasn’t a werewolf. There was no way Lilian could understand the way a werewolf’s heart worked. For her, as a human, there was no true one person, no immediate connection, no point where she would be unbreakably drawn to him the way he was to her.

  Aleric gave a small cough and looked away. “We’d, uh, better get back to the hospital.”

  “Yes,” she said, her words quiet past the thundering of his heart. “Yes, we should.”

  They started walking again. They were almost to the corner when a man came running out of the apartment building ahead. He looked around frantically and spotted them.

  “Diablo!” he shouted. “Diablo! In my kitchen! Come help!”

  Aleric and Lilian took off running.

  Chapter Three

  “Stay behind me,” Aleric said as he crept through the man’s small living room toward the kitchen.

  “It’s by the stove,” the man said from the doorway to the hall. His voice shook with terror. “It’s a devil for sure.”

  Aleric peered into the kitchen. He couldn’t see or smell anything that had set the man off. He looked around, his senses straining. The only thing he smelled was the peanut butter sandwich that sat untouched on the table, and a faint hint of cat.

  “What is it?” Lilian asked in a whisper.

  “I’m not sure,” Aleric replied. “I think—” A slight scratching sound caught his attention. Something between the stove and the counter was making it. “Hold on,” Aleric told Lilian.

  The werewolf crossed the rug on silent feet. His ears picked up the sound of Lilian following close behind despite his command. He reached the edge of the counter and peeked over.

  A small black creature looked up at him from where it was wedged between the back of the stove and the corner of the counter. Big golden eyes blinked at him and a small sound escaped the creature’s mouth.

  “Diablo!” the man yelled from the living room. “Save yourselves!”

  The sound of him running back into the hallway was loud in the small room.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Aleric said under his breath.

  “What is it?” Lilian asked.

  Aleric knelt next to the stove. The space was narrow. He had to wedge his good shoulder against the counter and force his arm into the crack. He gritted his teeth against the pain the strain brought to his silver wound.

  Soft fur brushed his fingers. He reached further. Sweat broke out across his forehead at the pain. Aleric clenched his jaw and leaned in.

  “Gotcha,” he said as his fingers slipped to the back of the creature’s neck. He pulled. The creature didn’t fight when he drew it forward through the crack.

  “Here’s the diablo,” he said, holding it up. The tiny black kitten gave a pitiful meow. Aleric turned it to reveal the black wings held tight to its back.

  Lilian’s hand flew to her mouth. “What is it?” she asked, her gaze filled with compassion.

  “A minky,” Aleric replied. “A winged cat. They swarm Blays once in a while, usually in the spring. It’s amazing how much trouble a flock of these can get into.”

  “It’s so cute!” Lilian exclaimed. She held out her hands. “Can I hold it?”

  Aleric deposited the creature in her hands. The little minky looked at her with its large golden eyes and it gave another tiny meow.

  To Aleric’s dismay, the scrawny kitten launched itself off Lilian’s hands and landed on his chest, clawing his shirt to avoid falling.

  “Ouch!” he exclaimed as its claws pierced his skin.

  Lilian helped him work its claws free, but as soon as she lifted the minky clear, it scrambled back into Aleric’s arms. Before he could protest, it nestled into the crook of his good arm and started to purr.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.

  Lilian gave a light, musical laugh. “She likes you!”

  “I don’t like her,” Aleric replied. He tried to lift the minky clear, but it latched onto the sleeve of his scrubs with all sets of claws. “Minkies don’t like werewolves,” Aleric protested.

  “She seems to think otherwise,” Lilian pointed out.

  “D-did you get the devil?” the man called from the hallway.

  “We’ve got it,” Aleric replied.

  He and Lilian crossed to the door. Aleric thought that maybe seeing the minky outside of the corner might calm the man’s nerves, but when he appeared in the hall, the human cowered against the wall with his fingers held out in a cross in front of him.

  “Diablo,” he cursed. “A devil in my kitchen. Destroy it!”

  “It’s just a little—”

  “Keep it away from me!” the man shouted, cutting Lilian off. He inched around both Lilian and Aleric and ran for his door. He slammed it behind him. Aleric heard him mutter, “Evil Diablo. Mangy flea-bitten devil.”

  “That’s not what I expected,” Lilian said.

  “Me, either,” Aleric replied.

  He realized the minky had moved. During the commotion caused by the human, the kitten had relocated itself to the inside of Aleric’s sling. She now rested on his arm that was held against his chest. The tiny creature gave a meow and closed her eyes, her wings held loosely against her back.

  “This is not happening,” Aleric said.

  “What?” Lilian replied. “She’s cute!”

  Aleric gave the human a straight look. “She’s a pest.”

  Lilian reached a hand into Aleric’s sling and ran a finger across the kitten’s little head. A purr emanated from the fae.

  “Stop it,” Aleric said. “You’re encouraging her.”

  Lilian smiled up at him. “You secretly like it.”

  “I hate it,” Aleric replied. “It’s nasty and horrible.”

  “She’s adorable,” Lilian coaxed.

  Aleric couldn’t keep his annoyed front up in the face of her teasing. He followed her adoring gaze to the little creature that had attached itself to him.

  “I guess she’s kind-of cute,” he admitted.

  Lilian gave him a look of triumph. “I knew you had a soft-spot.”

  Aleric shook his head. “I don’t. At all. It’s hideous.”

  She laughed as she followed him back outside. “You have a good heart.”

  �
�I do not,” Aleric denied. “Don’t start saying that. You’ll ruin my reputation.”

  She tipped her head at him. “You have a reputation?”

  Aleric nodded. “I’m heartless and mean.”

  Another laugh broke from her. “I don’t believe you for a minute, and neither does the minky.”

  They walked along in the sunshine, its warmth on their shoulders and a smile on both of their faces. They were nearly to the hospital when a thought occurred to Aleric.

  “I have a stop to make. Come with me.”

  Lilian looked surprised. “I thought you were worried about my father.”

  “If he’s going to kill me, I’d better prolong this for as long as possible. Besides, I have a promise to fulfill.”

  Lilian followed him into the convenience store. Aleric roamed the small aisles where he had made his first purchase in Edge City. He selected the biggest block of cheese he could find in the refrigerated section.

  “Do you want bread with that cheese?” Lilian asked.

  Aleric shook his head. “Just cheese.” He grabbed a box of bars and another of crackers that were also cheese flavored.

  “You must really like cheese,” Lilian noted.

  “Something like that,” Aleric replied.

  “Empty the register!”

  Aleric’s muscles tensed at the angry words. He glanced to the right over the rows of goods. The sight of two men with guns standing near the front counter sent adrenaline through Aleric’s body.

  “Here,” he said quietly to Lilian.

  Aleric was relieved when the minky didn’t protest being handed to the human. He drew off the sling and set it on a shelf with the items he had found.

  “D-don’t shoot,” the cashier, a man in his late fifties dressed in a green shirt bearing the store’s name ‘Truman’s’ begged. “I don’t have m-much. You took it last time when you shot Theo.”

  “Shut up and empty the register,” the man closest to the counter barked. He pointed to the small stack of grocery bags. “Put it in there.”

  “I think you should leave.”

  Everyone turned at the sound of Aleric’s voice.

  “Dr. Wolf, what are you doing?” Lilian asked in an undertone. A glance behind him showed that her face was pale. She held the minky close.