“I think I can slip in while you’re showing them the authorization,” Aydan replied. In response to his brother’s comment, Donovan lumbered back to the car.
Introducing herself at the front desk, Danny showed her electronic signature, while Aydan ducked in through the front doors. “I’m sorry we can’t let you in at this hour,” the tired clerk said. Danny nodded solemnly. Once outside she listened for any sign of Aydan. Her Ogham announced a message. She silenced it and read: I’m inside, come around to the backdoor, I’ll let you in.
“This door was left ajar for some reason. We could’ve gotten in this way,” Aydan pointed out as he held the door for her.
“Thanks. Do you think it’ll be okay if we do this?”
“This hotel is ancient. None of the security cameras I checked are even up-to-date. If Cassidy’s in her room, we’ll just leave. If not. We may have bigger problems. Do you remember her room number?”
Danny led the way to Cassidy’s second-story room. In brass numbers, 217, adorned the painted door. Pressing her ear to the narrow gap between the carpet and door, Danny remarked, “I don’t hear anything.” She tried messaging Cassidy. Her friend’s Ogham responded, but she didn’t hear Cassidy’s breathing. “Unlock the door,” she directed Aydan.
“This is an electronic lock. What do you think I am, some kind of Hollywood-Houdini magician? You and Cassidy just think I’m some kind of universal lock pick at your disposal.”
Danny looked around for something she could use to break the lock. She spotted a vase of flowers on a table in the hallway, and approached it.
“What are you doing?” Aydan asked.
“I’m going to break the lock.”
Sighing, he produced a metal hair accessory he’d clipped inside his towel. He wears that hair thing with every outfit, Danny realized. He must keep it with him at all times—even the shower. With a pin he removed from the fastener and a razor blade he separated from the decorative component, Aydan took off the face of the lock. He fiddled with the wiring until the light on the handle turned green and the door swung open.
“If anyone asks, I can’t do that. Taban would always buy such expensive stuff that he didn’t need. He could always buy more, but instead he kept buying fancier locks for his bedroom,” Aydan explained.
The room was void of Cassidy, but populated by pieces of a broken lamp. Scouring the room, Aydan discovered Cassidy’s Ogham on the night stand. Danny indicated the muddy foot prints on the floor, while he plucked a bleach-blond hair from the window ledge.
“He couldn’t,” Danny whispered in horror and disbelief. “This is the second story.”
“According to Eadowen, second-story windows were Taban’s specialty when they lived together in a dorm.”
“Did you notice any mud by the backdoor? Cassidy would probably have trouble fighting Taban since she likes him so much. If her fight-flight response kicked in, she’d probably flee in this situation. What am I saying? I don’t understand people.” Danny’s voice cracked in distress.
“You give yourself too little credit,” Aydan replied, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Where would she have gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think, Danny.”
“If she didn’t have her Ogham and she didn’t contact the front desk for help …,” Danny said. “Toward us—she’d head toward the hostel.”
“Makes sense to me.”
“Really?”
“Well, you were right about this.” Aydan gestured around the room. “I don’t know how your mind works, but I’m inclined to trust it—in this situation at least.”
“Aydan … thank you.”
In nonverbal acknowledgment, he gave her a quick hug. They snuck out of the hotel and returned to Marja’s car to debrief Donovan.
“I messaged her about forty minutes ago and her Ogham was on sleep mode,” Danny explained. “She may have made it close to the hostel by now.”
“I’ll take the car back to the hostel and head into the woods from that direction,” Aydan instructed. “Try to find where she would’ve gone into the trees. We’ll message each other if we find her. Oh, and take this.” He tossed Danny his meter-and-half long whip, which he’d retrieved from the back seat. “Do you know how to use it?” She swung the lash around, enjoying a whooshing sound, but no crack. “You’ll figure it out,” Aydan assured her as he started the car.
“Which way?” Donovan asked her.
“Aren’t you going with Aydan?”
“No.”
From the back door of the hotel, Donovan and Danny followed freshly beaten-down grass into the forest. Navigating with her Ogham, they hurried through the dense woods. Knowing every scratch would burn horribly due to her new intolerance to pain, Danny stayed directly behind Donovan. Aware of this fact, he cleared their path broadly and used his Ogham to light the way, while Danny told him which direction to go. “If she didn’t have her Ogham Cassidy would’ve used the stars,” Danny shouted to Donovan. “According to my Ogham, our hostel is only slightly east of north. On this map it shows a large clear-cut area about two kilometers in. When we get there, we should look for any trails that might be hers.”
Their teamwork allowed them to reach the nearly quarter-kilometer field in good time. They edged around the perimeter looking for any sign Cassidy may have left. Behind a small rise in the ground at the far end of the field, Danny heard what sounded like a muffled comment followed by rustling grass. She tugged on Donovan’s shirt and gestured in the direction of the noise. He squinted into the distance. Then his eyes widened and he dashed toward it. Danny followed, but couldn’t keep pace with his impressive sprint. She prepared her Ogham to message Aydan.
***
Her cheek still throbbing from his strike, Cassidy watched Taban glance around frantically to locate the intruder. A look of recognition crossed his face as he slipped a vial out of the bag that held the syringes. Uncapping the vial with his teeth, Taban let the clear liquid spill into his mouth and over his face. He smeared the oily substance over his arms, hands, and chest. With a much more assured expression, Taban held another syringe, and faced Donovan’s charge.
Too discombobulated to stand, Cassidy grabbed Taban’s ankle. “Look out! His hand!” she shouted, before Taban delivered a back kick to her gut.
Donovan took a moment to assess the situation, but once he saw Cassidy’s state, he didn’t hold back. Knocking the syringe out of Taban’s hand, Donovan took a swing at him. His fist made contact with Taban’s chest. He crumpled on impact. With Donovan’s second punch, Taban fell backward to the ground, holding his core, as though paralyzed in pain. Weakened, Taban regarded Donovan with the same pathetic eyes he had used on Cassidy. Staring at Taban skeptically, Donovan touched his fist as though the impact didn’t match the outcome.
While they fought, Cassidy attempted to stand with disappointing results. When she finally managed to get solid footing, the blow she’d received to her stomach relieved her of her dinner. Wiping off her mouth, she stumbled toward Taban. Donovan held up a warning hand to her. Just arriving, Danny also advanced on Taban, ignoring Donovan’s direction. He scooped up Danny, put himself in between Cassidy and Taban, and set Danny down, such that he was guarding both of them. Cautiously, he approached Taban, who lay on the ground holding his ribs.
“I don’t think I can stand,” Taban coughed. His whole face warped by pain, Taban crawled away from Donovan.
“What’s making his skin all shiny?” Danny asked, as she supported an unsteady Cassidy. “It looks like oil.”
Stooping, Donovan grabbed Taban to stop him from moving. The moment Donovan touched him, Taban whirled around. Coiling his arms around Donovan’s neck, which he used for support as he kneed him in the solar plexus, Taban clung to Donovan.
Danny’s comment triggered Cassidy’s memory of Taban’s off-color joke a month earlier. “He’s covered in peanut oil!” she shouted, her voice hoarse.
Clawing at Donovan’s eyes,
Taban wrapped his legs around his waist. Donovan stood, trying to pry Taban off of his torso. Danny rushed forward to help Donovan. She kicked Taban in the back hard enough to make him scream. Pain shot up her entire leg.
“Stay back,” Donovan growled at her through his teeth. He pursed his lips as Taban attempted to shove his oiled fingers down his throat. Though, Donovan managed to pin Taban’s arms, Taban still managed to lick him on the mouth. Wrenching Taban off, Donovan threw him onto the ground with a heavy thud.
Danny inspected the whip she’d left on the ground next to Cassidy, whose drugged body wasn’t faring well.
Donovan’s face started to swell and he gasped for air. Each swing became easier for Taban to dodge, but Donovan continued to stand in front of Danny and Cassidy.
“I have an Epipen. If you all stop fighting me, I’ll help Donovan,” Taban said. Donovan made it clear with his fist that he didn’t believe Taban. “You’ll die, you moron!” Taban shouted at him.
Adjusting her grip on the whip, Danny hurled herself at Taban. She knew two things: 1. She was still stronger than she looked. 2. She only had one shot to beat him.
Unable to breathe, Donovan collapsed. Cassidy staggered to him. Throwing herself on his chest, she beat against him, attempting to keep him alive through clumsy CPR.
Faking a kick at Taban’s groin, Danny jumped into an instep half-kick at his knee. When he faltered, she clubbed him on the head with the whip handle. He struck her chest. Her breast throbbed like a knife had been shoved in it. Choking, she caught him under the knee with a low hook kick and drove her elbow into his solar plexus. His legs swept out from underneath him, Taban fell with a heavy thud, and she landed on top of him. Though her head spun from the rebound of her attacks, she beat the whip handle against his chest. A sickening crack resounded in her ears, through her own pain, she realized she’d broken some of his ribs. His nails ripped into the flesh of her arms. Her vision blurring with the intense sensation, she swung even more aggressively with the handle. Accompanying screams bombarded her ears.
“Danny, throw me the bag in his pocket,” Cassidy yelled, vomit burning on her tongue.
To prevent him from hurting her while she fished in his jacket pocket, Danny shoved the whip handle in his mouth when he screamed. She located the bag and flung it to Cassidy. It landed about a meter off mark, but Cassidy stumbled to it, located the Epipen and administered it to Donovan’s thigh.
“Come on Donovan breathe,” Cassidy murmured. He gasped for air, but his chest started to move on its own again. She marveled at his perseverance. Assured of his recovery, Cassidy turned her attention back to Danny. “Donovan’s okay,” she called, but Danny didn’t seem to hear her words. Back arched with a mass of hair obscuring her face, Danny continued to clobber Taban, even though his screams had stopped. “Stop! You’ll kill him!” Cassidy could tell Danny didn’t comprehend a word she coughed out. Desperately attempting to move, Cassidy realized she’d used the last of her strength to pump Donovan’s chest.
The creature on top of Taban had focused too much of its mind to blocking its own pain. Its body acted on the motions Edana had set it to before shutting off her humanity. Only a blur remained of her senses—hearing, sight, touch, had all faded. It had no empathy for the young man who no longer struggled.
In a hastily donned jacket and pants, Aydan burst out of the trees. “What the heck happened?!” He shouted when he saw Donovan’s swollen face and Cassidy’s vomit covered clothes.
“Stop Danny!” Cassidy commanded.
Aydan attempted to pull Danny off of Taban, catching a collateral elbow to the shoulder, which knocked him backward. Collecting himself, Aydan slid past her blows and spoke to her gently. “Danny, can you hear me. He’s not fighting you anymore.” Swiftly, Aydan avoided another backhand. “It’s safe now.” Maintaining his silvery tone, he carefully stroked her back. “All your friends are safe.”
Inside the monster, Danny felt Aydan’s caress and heard Cassidy’s guarantees that she was okay. “Edana Reyes.” Her own name freed her from the place in which she’d temporarily locked her soul. Scorching and slicing pain coursed through her body. Blood dripped from her knuckles onto Taban’s battered body. Terror filled her when she saw what she had done. Then shame consumed her, as hot tears began to run down her cheeks.
“He’s still alive,” Aydan assured her as he lifted her off of Taban. He carefully laid her on the grass, where she remained motionless.
Taban’s eyelids opened hesitantly.
“Why did you steal the journal?” Aydan demanded. He stood over Taban, cradling the shoulder Danny had hit.
“I destroyed it.” Taban wheezed. “I need to destroy the other part.”
“Why should we believe you?” Aydan replied.
“Torture me if you have to. Break more bones, except my legs, because I still have one more person to go to.”
“Who’re you talking about?”
“Telyn … my sister,” he explained, his voice cracking. “I have to tell her that I destroyed the journal. My dad will eventually blame me for not succeeding in helping Abigail.” Tears streamed down Taban’s bruised face. “You wouldn’t understand. You all have people who care about you. I’m just an empty shell for everyone to project their own desires onto. So is Telyn. I’m all she has …”
“There is nothing in your track record that allows me to believe your touching story,” Aydan’s voice was like ice.
“Torture me then. You’re the one with the whip and the razor blades.” There was a heavy rasp in Taban’s words, as though each syllable caused him physical pain.
With a frown of disgust, Aydan replied, “I can’t do that.”
Regaining some of her strength, Cassidy dug through Taban’s bag. “Here’s something that might work as a truth serum.” She held out the labeled syringe.
“Use that,” Taban advised.
Aydan administered it into Taban, who blacked out. “He might have been trying to protect us,” Aydan said. “As much as I despised him, there is a possibility he favored us over the researchers. I think he truly cared about Eadowen—a little at least.”
“Why can’t it be villains and heroes?” Danny mumbled. Only her mouth moved, the rest of her body remained still as stone.
“Life would be so much easier if it was black and white, not shades of grey.” Cassidy bowed her head.
“Yeah, life sucks that way,” Aydan agreed. “What should we do if we decide he is telling the truth?”
“Does he really have a sister?” Cassidy asked.
“Yes, he and Eadowen used to talk about her.”
“We should let him go to his sister,” Cassidy decided. “If he is telling the truth. Speaking of sisters, how’re you doing over there, Danny?”
“What have I done,” Danny said to the sky.
“You saved Donovan’s life,” Cassidy replied. “Taban used peanut oil to subdue Donovan,” she explained for Aydan’s benefit. With harsh eyes, Donovan silently informed her that he didn’t want that information shared.
“You big guys all think you’re invincible. Try being my size for a day and see how that works for you!” Aydan screeched. “How many times do I have to tell you to carry an Epipen with you?!”
“Usually do.”
The grass rustled as Taban stirred. “How did you destroy the journal?” Aydan asked.
“I ground it into sand and burned all the paper copies.”
“I’m still not sure I believe him,” Aydan mumbled. “But I don’t know what to do.”
Taban started to choke; he gagged up phlegm and blood. “I’ll do anything, just don’t let me die before I can help my sister,” Taban begged. His face contorted with agony and grief, Taban looked nothing like the vibrant man Cassidy had met on the plane.
Donovan walked over to Taban, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and held him up by it. Taban vocalized his pain. Leveling him to the ground, Donovan wrenched his head back and stared into Taban’s blue eyes. “He’s tellin
g the truth,” Donovan stated.
“Why did I fall for you?” Cassidy asked, more to herself than Taban, but he answered her anyway.
“I’m a Peach Whisky.”
“A what?” Aydan said.
“You’re not the only descendants of an ancient race. I’m a—oh I don’t know how to say it. I can’t lift my arm to look it up on my Ogham.”
He swims like a fish and he’s inexplicably alluring, Danny thought. “He’s an Egg Frisbee!” She said aloud.
“Those sea gods that could lure people,” Cassidy explained. She hadn’t put together all the pieces, but she remembered her own butchered pronunciation of the deities. With a baffled eyebrow, Aydan stared at his companions.
“Each Uisge?” Donovan said.
“Yes,” Taban confirmed.
“Are there more of you?” Aydan demanded.
A light breeze whistled through the grass, but Taban gave no reply.
“Are there?” Aydan yelled. The shadows from the moonlight across his face emphasized his anger.
“If there are more of you GFs then there are more of my kind too.”
“Don’t ever come near our family or friends again,” Aydan said.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Taban replied. “I hope none of you will ever see me again. Leave me here. I’ll call the hospital and I’ll tell them some thugs beat me up for money.”
Helping Cassidy to her feet, Aydan stabilized her. The bloody scratches on his hands from battling through the forest suggested to her that he was in a great deal of pain as well. They supported each other on their trek back into the forest. Donovan picked up Danny, who was still unable to move. Once several meters into the woods, the foursome ducked behind trees to watch and make sure Taban would do as he had promised. The medical helicopter arrived several minutes later blowing brush and dirt in their faces. Huddling together, Cassidy and Danny guarded each other’s eyes, as did the Tolymie brothers. The helicopter took Taban away. Cassidy didn’t know how she should feel. The only emotion she distinguished was relief that Danny was safe.
At last, Danny found the power to move her throbbing body. As they made their way back to the hostel, she felt as though a piece had been excised from her soul. “Cassidy?” she said as she supported herself on her friend’s shoulder.
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