by JKMelby74
“He really did that?”
“No. In reality, I had tripped and landed face first in the cake. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t face anyone and I was sulking up in my room for the rest of the day. Tyler came up later and brought me a piece of cake to make me feel better. I was the one who ruined his party, and he was trying to make me feel better. He never even made fun of me for it after. That was the kind of guy he was.” I heard her voice skip slightly.
I could see Gwen’s eyes shimmering in the darkness. A tear was tracing down along her cheek. She brushed her hand across her face quickly to wipe it off.
“He was the greatest,” Her voice broke suddenly and she began to cry. I moved toward her and she turned to me. “He’s gone! My big brother’s gone,” Her crying became more intense. Suddenly, she pushed away and I saw rage had replaced sadness in her eyes. “Because of you,” It was as though she had transformed before my eyes. Her gentle eyes were hard and angry. I had nothing to say to her accusation. She was right. I just sat quietly. “He trusted you and you lied to him and because of that, he’s dead!”
“Gwen, you don’t understand.”
“Shut up! My brother’s dead and he wouldn’t be if not for you! You don’t get to talk! You don’t get to defend yourself!”
“Jackal killed your brother!”
“I remember what Jackal said. You lied to Tyler and that’s why he’s dead now! You’re just as guilty as he is!” She pounded her hands on me quickly and with surprising force. She kept hitting and hitting until her arms weakened and she fell into my arms, exhausted.
Gwen continued to cry for nearly two hours. She cried and shared stories about growing up with Tyler and in between those, she would land a flurry of punches upon me.
The sun was just coming up as I was finally putting her down. I laid her on the bed and she was gone before I pulled the covers over her. I looked down at her. Her eyes were still puffy from her crying but despite that, she seemed so peaceful and calm. I, on the other hand, was feeling rather sore from all her punching. I knelt down beside her and gently allowed my fingers to dance lightly along the strands of her hair.
“I understand how you feel,” I whispered. “About all this. You’re right. I accept full responsibility for Tyler’s death because even though I didn’t deliver the blow myself, it was my selfishness that put him in that position. There’s nothing I can do that can bring him back, but I can make sure his death was not for nothing. I promise you I will honor your brother’s life by making his death count. I won’t fail him, or you.” Gwen snorted softly and flopped over onto her side. I got up and snuck out of the room, closing the door behind me.
I closed the blinds to keep the sun from shining into the living room and settled on the couch for my sleep. I wasn’t sure how to take what Gwen said. I laid there wondering if she really meant it. I was also worried if she was going to wake up as angry with me as she had been before she passed out. I wouldn’t fault her if she were. Tyler was dead and I was responsible. That was a fact and something I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life. Even destroying the dagger was not going to be enough to ease my conscience. The things I did and the monsters I’ve faced in my life are one thing, but when innocent people get pulled into the mess, when other people pay the price for my curse, that is something I have always had trouble accepting. Nothing I did could ever make up for the loss of someone’s life. One of the first, and hardest, lessons I’ve had to learn in my life.
Chapter 27
Escalation
Over the next couple of days, Gwen and I managed to carry on somewhat normal lives. Her angry outburst hung between us like an invisible wall, but she didn’t seem to want to acknowledge it and I felt no need to either. I decided we both needed a little down time to decompress our nerves, and since Demonica had the dagger and there was nothing we could really do until we got it back.
I showed Gwen around the town to the more popular tourist traps. I showed her the Hollywood sign and we made our way up and down the Walk of Fame. We went to Universal Studios and checked out what they had to offer. We took the tour, which Gwen enjoyed.
The days’ events were calm and uneventful which was a breath of fresh air for me. Two days without monsters. For the first time in a long time, I was feeling like a normal human being. It was a good feeling, but it was like being in the eye of the storm. I was just waiting for some kind of creature or monster to jump out of the shadows or a cryptic shaman to find me and deliver some bizarre message warning me of the impending end of the world.
“This is amazing,” Gwen said as she dug into the large slice of pizza that was sitting on her paper plate. We were having lunch on a large terrace at the Hollywood and Highland shopping center. She was staring over the edge to the street where she could see Capt. Jack Sparrow dueling with Darth Vader. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s like this whole city is just one giant movie set!” It seemed like all the anger she felt toward me about Tyler’s death had just disappeared, but I knew it was still there, like a grenade missing its pin. I decided not to question it and just went along with it.
“Yeah, sometimes it is.”
“It’s just so weird.”
“What?”
“Looking out there, the world seems so calm. It’s hard to believe there are things like werewolves or demons.”
“Not too hard. I mean, they’re natural aspects of the world. They’ve been here for centuries. Hell, in some cases millennia. It’s all this that’s new. When you think about it, we’re the ones trespassing.”
“Wasn’t there a time when everyone just lived in harmony?”
“Probably once. A long time ago. For about a millisecond.” I looked over at her and saw her shove the wedge of crust and cheese into her mouth. I laughed a little as the middle of the slice kind of fell apart in her hand. She shot me a dirty look as I handed her a napkin.
“I don’t blame you.”
“What?”
“I know I said some things the other night and maybe at first I did blame you, and I’m not saying you aren’t totally at fault here, but I don’t think I can really hold you completely responsible for Tyler. Maybe it was for the best. I can’t imagine how horrible it was living with that curse for so long. I remember once he told me about how hard it was for him,” She crumpled the napkins up and tossed them aside and bowed her head quickly. “It was a month or so before he left us. He got me up in the middle of the night in tears. He told me how much it hurt and how he wished he could be free. We talked and before long, he told me that he had been thinking about taking his own life. He was in pain, Jake, and as well as he looked, I think he was still in pain.”
“Gwen.”
“No. I truly believe he’s happier now. Don’t you?”
“You’re asking the wrong guy. I cashed in my faith in the supposed afterlife a long time ago. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in Heaven and Hell, but only because I know they exist. I can give you their addresses. Getting into one or the other does not cure your problems. There is a whole new set of issues to deal with after you get there, believe me,” I could tell my pep talk wasn’t lifting Gwen’s spirits as I had intended. “But, I’m sure wherever Tyler is, he’s better off.” I looked back into Gwen’s face. She was looking at me as if waiting for a life preserver. I understood her need. There was so much no one knew about what happens after we die. I was lucky to have some bit of insight, but not near enough to calm Gwen’s fears.
“You really don’t get this comfort thing, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Sorry.” A small crack of a smile appeared on her face, which relieved me. Suddenly, a sharp gust of cold wind blew past us. I wouldn’t have thought too much of it, except the city had been experiencing a heating trend for the past few weeks. A familiar chill ran up my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck shot out like daggers. My phone began to ring and I answered.
“What?”
“You need to get down here. Now.”
“What is it?” Ivar turned his head toward the back room where Demonica gave readings. I made my way in. I peered inside and there she was. Demonica was sitting in the corner, shivering. I knelt down to meet her eyes.
“Demonica? What’s going on?”
“They were here.”
“Who?”
“The Reborn. They came for the dagger.”
“Did they get it? Where is it?” Demonica reached into her robe and slowly pulled the dagger out and held it out to me.
“Were you able to neutralize it?”
“Not yet. The Reborn barged in here in the middle of the last rite.”
“Well, can you start it again?”
“No! You need to get this thing out of here! Now!”
“We can’t.”
“Don’t you understand? They know where the dagger is now and they certainly know what you’re planning! It’s not safe here anymore! Take it!” She pushed the dagger back into my arms. I heard a loud crash and Gwen screamed. I ran out to discover a large hulking creature standing before a large hole in the wall. It was similar to the monster that had crashed into my office. Its face had no trace of any humanity with its glowing red eyes and the razor sharp teeth jutting out from its mouth.
Ivar had Gwen in his arms shielding her from the falling debris. The creature slowly turned towards me and once I was in its eyesight, it changed its posture. It hunched down, stabbing its claws into the floorboards. With a low growl, it stalked forward and then it jumped up at me. Its full weight hit me square in my stomach and pushed me into the floor. I looked up and saw it rise up with its arm held high over its head. Just as the creature brought down his giant fist to flatten my head, I managed to free my own hand and hold it at bay. I shut my eyes and concentrated. I felt the power well up in my belly and I felt a surge. I bucked up and the monster flew off me, bringing down a large portion of the roof with him. I staggered up and turned to Ivar who was still shielding Gwen.
“Get her the Hell out of here! Now!” I heard the monster gather itself up and it came rushing at me again. It slammed into me and buried me in the wall. It pushed and ground me deeper into the wood and cement. I could hear Gwen screaming behind the chaos of the falling lights and wood. My fingers began to tingle. It was a familiar sensation and I knew what was happening.
Suddenly, I felt fire pour out from within my head and out into the world. Heat was searing my flesh from the inside and I lost all feeling in my body. I could feel my teeth clench together and my fingers dug into the monster’s shoulder. I yelled out and the voice that rang out was not my own. It was a voice as powerful as thunder. I pushed and the monster fell back again. I turned and saw my reflection in a broken mirror nearby.
My eyes were bright and giving off a silver glow. My body had bulked out and I could feel the pressure of my growing muscles pushing against my skin. My hands were large with bloody claws jutting out of my fingers and a dark aura inflamed my body. The demon had awoken. I looked over at Gwen and Ivar. He didn’t seem surprised as he had seen me like that before, but Gwen’s face was frozen in some kind of mix of fear and pity.
I returned my attention to the beast. It was lumbering up to get its footing. I charged forward and hit it hard. I pushed it down and starting beating it furiously. I rhythmically plunged my hands down on the monster’s flesh over and over. The walls shook each time I connected and it screamed out in what I could only assume was pain. It found an open moment and it clipped me pretty good and knocked me back. It leapt up and landed flat on me. My sight was filled with nothing but a glowing silver light and then darkness.
I awoke in the midst of the rubble of the store. The monster was gone, but Ivar and Gwen were still there. I got up and noticed my clothes were torn and burnt. I also noticed a great deal of police officers swarming around. Ivar came up to me.
“Are you all right?”
“Fine. Where is that thing?”
“You fought it off, but then I blacked out. I don’t know what happened after that.”
“What about Demonica?” I then realized the dagger, which she had given me, was missing. “The dagger! It’s gone!”
“Mr. Corba?” One of the officers said. He indicated me to join him. I learned a long time ago it was easier to just play along with the police than argue. I walked over to him and I saw it. A body was lying on the floor. “Sir, can you identify this person?”
“I can,” Gwen’s voice said from behind. I turned to see her standing behind me. Her face was white as a sheet and tears were pouring down her face. “That’s my brother. Tyler.”
Chapter 28
Scene Of The Crimes
Gwen was in the corner crying as Ivar tried to comfort her. I was surrounded by police at the other end of the store. My hands were cuffed and two guns were pointed at my head as Detective Lowell was questioning me.
“And how do you know the deceased?”
“He was a friend.”
“How long did you know him?”
“Not long. Look, I’ve been answering your questions for twenty minutes. How about you answer one of mine? What happened here?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out ourselves. We received a call about a disturbance at this address and when we arrived we found you here and the dead body over there. What were you two fighting about?”
“Nothing! That wasn’t the guy I was fighting!”
“Then whom were you fighting with?”
“You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
“Some great big, rotting behemoth. It crashed in here and we fought. It threw me around a little and I blacked out. When I woke up, all this was happening. Tyler over there was already dead. He was killed days ago in Blue Haven.”
“Killed?”
“By someone else. Jackal Bledsoe.”
“Did you report the murder?”
“No.”
“Why not? You are aware it’s a crime not to report a murder.”
“It was late and there were unique circumstances.”
“Such as?”
“Tyler was a werewolf. He was a werewolf and a homicidal warlock killed him. I was thinking it was going to be kind of hard to report that.”
“A werewolf and a warlock.” I was almost certain he was going to break out the straightjacket right there.
“I know that to you it sounds crazy.”
“It does, but for now, can you explain how his body is here with your fingerprints on it”
“What? Jackal killed him! We buried him right there in Blue Haven, for god’s sake!”
“We?”
“Me and his sister. Gwen.” Detective Lowell turned his head and looked over at her. She was still bawling into Ivar’s arms. He looked back at me.
“Well, whatever the case may be, we have a body here and it appears to be a fresh kill. You’re the only suspect as your fingerprints are the only ones on the body and we found this gun,” He held up one of my silver guns. I realized then my holster was empty. I began to wonder exactly how long I was out. “...And I’m willing to bet a shot from this will explain how our victim got that hole in his chest.”
“Just let me go and I’ll find some way to straighten this whole thing out.”
“That’s not going to happen. We’ll be keeping you in custody until forensics comes in here and we can get a clear picture of what happened. What really happened.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Don’t push me! I haven’t even gotten around to the missing person charge.”
“Missing person?”
“Store owner. Seems she was here, but we can’t find her anywhere. Maybe you got some idea where she went?”
“If I had anything to do with that, why am I here now?” He looked at me with his sharp eyes. It was almost as if I could hear him thinking.
“I don’t know. I get a lot of calls from this area and everytime it’s always some weird thing. I’ve come to expect the unexpected. Maybe you’re working some angle. Maybe you’re just stupid. Either way, I’m going to find out.” Detective Lowell stepped away and walked over toward Gwen. I watched them talk. I couldn’t hear a word either of them was saying. I looked down at my hands and the small set of cuffs that connected them. They didn’t seem very sturdy. I figured at least one good jerk would snap them off.
“Don’t.” I looked up and Ivar was standing before me.
“What?”
“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t do it. It’ll only make things worse.”
“Demonica and the dagger are both missing and Tyler’s dead body has landed back in our laps. So far I’m up on kidnapping and murder one. How much worse can it get?” Ivar turned from me and looked toward Gwen who was still being questioned. Her eyes were red as fire. She was probably dying all over again, seeing Tyler’s lifeless body right before her eyes.
“I know you’re innocent and so does Gwen. I’ll get back to the office and find out what I can. Until then, just play along and don’t stir anything up.”
“How? You think they’re just going to let you waltz out of here?”
“Why not? They haven’t seen me.”
“What are you talking about? They’ve all seen...” I began and then I saw two uniforms walk past Ivar without so much as blinking. I looked up at him.