“Did you know about Eros?” She asked her, hiding her emotions beneath an icy glare, “When you told us about Nyx and Hemera. Did you know he might be involved?”
Ray shook her head violently, widening her eyes. “Of course not! I wasn’t even sure about the other two. I mean, I kind of had a feeling but I didn’t know. If Eros is here, we’re in shit.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s almost unbeatable,” Zag answered for her. “If what the books in the library say are true, he’s stronger than most of the other deities. Crazy strong! Girlfriend here is right, we’re in shit.”
Ruby took note of his use of the word ‘girlfriend’, the tone of it softer than when he threw it around on other occasions.
“What I don’t understand is why they’re helping him. And why he wants their help.” Elena said.
“How so?” Cyril asked.
“From everything Ruby has told us, these are the same people that locked him away in the underworld. Why would they help him now? And doesn’t he despise his family for creating all of us in the first place?”
“It’s not that black and white for him,” Nola spoke up, “He’s a slimy bastard but he’s not an idiot. He knows he can’t get rid of every Elemental on his own. Especially now that Ruby ripped apart his AetherBorn army. He needs help.”
“He was always planning on bringing them here. The other deities, I mean,” Ruby added and ran her fingers across the raised scars on her arms. “I didn’t know why he’d care but I guess this is it. Army or not, he always needed their powers to wipe us all out.”
“Yeah, well, do you blame him? That Eros isn’t just a pretty face! They almost killed us today and that was just the two of them. If Ray’s right and there’s two more– I don’t know about you peeps, but I do not want to find out how that plays out!” Zag exclaimed.
Ruby’s gaze shifted from him to Leah, whose face was knotted with thought. “What do you think?”
“Who? Me?” Leah asked, startled by the attention. “I just keep thinking about the Aether Plane. If Eros, Nyx and Hemera have been there this whole time with God knows who else, why leave? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“It does if you think about who you’re dealing with here,” Ray said bluntly.
“Meaning?”
“You’re all way off. You’re trying to put yourself in his shoes, right?”
“Of course,” Ruby said.
“Yeah, well, that’s dumb. No offense,” Ray smiled apologetically, but it seemed to come off more mocking than she had aimed for, “You’ll never get anywhere that way.”
“So, what’s your solution?”
“Try to think like the most powerful beings in the freaking universe. That would be a better start. These aren’t just some randoms that you’re dealing with. They’re deities! The originals! They don’t have feelings like we do. And they definitely don’t have feelings for us. From all the stories you’ve heard, Demas is the only deity that hooked up with someone on this planet. What does that tell you?”
They stared at her quietly, eyes blinking fast. Not a single answer around the table.
“That he’s the least of your worries, that’s what! You think he’s bad? We’re just toys to the rest of them. Him wanting to kill all you people is the good part. Eros and Nyx just want to play! They’ve been chillin’ in the Aether Plane forever and are probably bored as hell! Demas was the perfect excuse for them to come out of hiding. And trust me, if we can’t figure this crap out and end it, you’ll be praying for him to kill you by the time the other two are done with you.”
The seven of them were silenced entirely. There was not so much as a breath escaping their lips as they took in her words. There was a rapid shuffle of legs next to their table that sounded more like a herd of elephants than the server delivering their second round of drinks.
“Let’s see here. We got one gin tonic, three rapid fires, a pint of light and–” she ran off the order as she placed the glasses in front of them, “looks like I’m missing the diet coke. Sorry about that folks! I’ll be right back with it!”
She tossed the tray under her arm and bounced away towards the bar in the back giving everyone time to readjust in their seats. Nola took as sip of her drink, barely flinching at the double shot of gin in her glass.
“She’s right,” she said and met Ruby’s gaze. “Demas is garbage but these deities– They’re something else entirely.”
“So, what? We just sit back and wait to be taken one by one?” Jake asked, his face turning an angry shade of red that Ruby has not seen before. He took his glasses off, cleaning them with a napkin on the table before continuing, “We need a plan. You hear me, Rue? What do we do now?”
“I–” she stammered. “I don’t know.”
Liam shoved his elbow in front of her on the table as if he was protecting her from an attack. “You have any ideas yourself or are you just going to put this all on her?”
“I want to know what she thinks we should do. Pretty sure I’m not the only one,” Jake fired back. He motioned around the table, but no one spoke up. “See?”
Her hand rubbed the stone on her necklace, tracing the finely shaped edges of it in a circular motion. She seized Liam’s leg with her other hand, feeling his thigh tense then relax under her grip. Jake wasn’t wrong. They needed a plan and she needed to give it to them. Especially after dragging them out on this goose chase across the country and almost getting them killed today. Her thoughts rushed to think of the next steps or at least some semblance of an idea.
She was tired, she was jaded, and she was afraid.
Forcing the defeat from her eyes, she let her hands rest on the table, silencing the slow burn of the power that was building in them. “We can’t get ahead of someone that does not have a rational plan,” she said finally.
“Girl, you need to work on your delivery. That’s not really reassuring,” Zag scrunched up his face, flipping a red lock of hair from his face.
“We can’t get ahead of his family,” she continued, disregarding the interruption, “but Demas isn’t like them. At least not entirely from what we’ve seen. Nola, you said it yourself, he is nothing if not calculating. Everything he does has a reason, a well thought out reason. We don’t need to figure out how to fight off Eros and Nyx. At least not yet. What we need to do right now is figure out where Demas is going to hit next and be there before him. If we can surprise them, maybe we’ll actually stand a chance.”
“And how do we do that exactly? Call him up and ask?” Jake smirked.
Her head turned away from him to the opposite end of the bar table. “We use what Ray knows about the Aether Plane.”
“Oh, look at that! Suddenly I’m not so bad, huh?” She hissed from behind her purple bangs.
“You said you know how the plane is laid out. Does that mean there are entrances and exits in it?”
“Sort of. It’s not like a hallway or something.”
“What is it like then?”
“The plane isn’t a place. You need to stop thinking of it that way. It’s everywhere.”
Jake laughed. “Another incredibly helpful explanation. Is this an AetherBorn thing?”
“Shut it, pretty boy! Or I’ll make you eat that sweater vest!” she barked. “Anyway, the plane isn’t a solid place. It’s more of an energy field of sorts. Something that exists outside of the physical place we live in but is dependent on it.”
“Like an in between layer?”
“Exactly like that!”
“Uhm, in between what?” Leah asked.
Ray grinned at Ruby, happy that at least someone in the group was catching on. “In between where we are and where the deities are. Think of it like a train station. Some parts of our world are closer to it, making it easier for those of us with ties to it to get in.”
“Anchor points,” Ruby whispered to herself.
“See? Your queen bee is getting it!” Ray’s eyes twinkled mischievously while she spoke, “Circling
back to our little lesson here. There are no entrances and exits. But there are places where it’s easier to get through to the plane.”
“The old library in Lakeside?” Zag asked.
“Yep.”
Ruby’s mind ignited, a plan burrowing its way to the surface. “And probably everywhere the bodies have been dumped so far,” her eyes shifted to Elena apologetically. She knew how careless that must have sounded considering her nephew’s death but they could not afford to be sentimental right now. “Judging by the portal Eros opened in that clearing, I’m willing to bet that he is also constricted to these anchor points. And if that’s true–”
“Then I can give you a list of the places I remember from when I travelled in the plane with Demas to cross reference with Elemental populations.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for anyway. If we can narrow down the locations, they’re able to go to by using the plane, we can maybe find out where they’re planning to go next,” she sighed. She knew it was a long shot, but they had nothing else they could try right now. She needed to give them some hope at least. “Zag, you think you can work with Ray to map this thing out? Maybe Elena and Cyril could help with the breakdown of Elementals?” she asked, knowing that if anyone had the knowledge on where every Elemental in the country lived it would be the two elders that used to lord it over them.
“What about the rest of us?” Jake asked.
“The rest of us are going to figure out what we should expect from the deities. If we have to fight again, I don’t want to be unprepared like we were today.”
“Here’s the diet coke folks!” The server chimed at the edge of the table. The bar had a few more patrons now, and Ruby didn’t even hear her creep up next to them. She used the interruption to pull Leah aside without anyone noticing.
“Can you do me a favor?” she asked quietly.
“What’s wrong? Why are we whispering?”
“I just don’t want this to be a huge deal in case it doesn’t work.”
“In case what doesn’t work?”
“I was hoping you could maybe try something.”
Leah wrinkled her nose to show her confusion. “Okay…”
“Do you think it would be possible for you to try that thing with the animals? Talking to them, I mean.”
“Uhm, okay. Why?”
“This is probably a long shot, but I thought you might be able to use it to check the clearing again. See if there is anything–” she paused. “Never mind, it’s probably a stupid idea.”
“Are you kidding? It’s not stupid at all! I’ll go back tomorrow, see if I can find any wildlife. No guarantees it’ll work though.”
“I know. Thanks for trying anyways. Every small thing helps, you know.”
“For sure. Oh, and Ruby?” Leah smiled shyly, “I don’t actually talk to them. You know that, right?”
“Yeah. But it sounds way cooler the way I said it,” she laughed and made her way back to her seat.
The group seemed to have moved on from the grim situation they were in and were already yelling over each other, filling the long table with multiple conversations. She pulled out the stool next to Liam and squeezed in close to him. His eyes trailed over her face, questioning if she was alright without any words. She nodded and reached up to run her fingers through his messy hair.
We’ll be fine, she told herself. Almost believing it.
Chapter 27
No opinions
Liam kissed her forehead and offered a sly wink before leaving the bar. He was careful not to show too much affection around Jake and she appreciated his effort to keep the seas calm for the time being. The group had decided to split up for the evening when Dominik suggested target practice in the woods, leaving only Elena, Leah, Nola and herself at the bar. With the exception of Ray who stuck to Zag like a wet Band-Aid, this was the closest to a girl’s night Ruby had had since they left Westerlake. The realization made her miss Shaylah instantly and she made a quick mental note to call her in the morning.
Their stomachs were growling beasts by the time the chipper server dropped off their meals; and Ruby ripped into her pizza, swallowing the cheesy crust with minimal chewing. “Hopefully the guys keep their powers to a minimum in case they’re still patrolling the woods,” she said, wiping the oil off the side of her mouth.
“I’m sure they’re clever enough to figure that out,” Elena said reassuringly.
“Not all of them,” Nola added under her breath and shoved a French fry in her mouth. She pushed the basket over to the center of the table, but Ruby was unsure if it was her cue to share or if she’d simply had enough of the meal. “I’d check in if I was you. Just in case.”
Leah’s small hand reached into the basket, swiping a few fries for her own plate. “They’ll be fine. It’s nice to have a break away from them.”
“You mean from your brother, right?”
“Who else? He’s too much sometimes!”
“Well, definitely not from Dominik,” Nola raised her eyebrows devilishly.
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, please! You’re crushing hard. It’s so obvious!”
“Shut up, Nola! I am not,” Leah’s cheeks burned, and her face was starting to resemble a freshly plucked tomato. “Rue, tell her she’s crazy.”
“I mean–” she hesitated. “It’s a little obvious.”
Leah crossed her arms and puffed out a breath of air. Her body slumped in the chair and she looked down at the table, still a solid shade of red.
“But it’s good!” Ruby sang, “This way he’ll definitely catch on. And he’d be an idiot not to like you. So good play!”
“You think so?” Leah raised her eyes slowly, like a timid child.
“Of course! You’ll see.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Elena will settle this!” Nola yelled, fixing her dark eyes on the mayor. “Think our girl has a chance or what?”
Elena’s mind seemed to have been drifting elsewhere, deep in thought and concentration. She was twirling the edge of her fork mindlessly in the bowl of spaghetti in front of her, barely noticing Nola’s gaze on her. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” She asked, quickly rearranging herself to show interest in the group.
“Leah and Dominik. What are the chances do you think?” Nola repeated the question with a slightly annoyed tone. The lack of respect for the elders that she projected always took Ruby by surprise, and she found that when it came to Nola, she had to constantly remind herself that she did not have the same relationship with the Elementals. Until quite recently, they were people that she was raised to hate. She couldn’t very well expect her to start bowing down to the elders as though the first part of her life with Demas never took place.
“Oh! I had no idea you were interested in him, Leah!” she blurted.
“See? It’s not that obvious,” Leah smirked and stuck her tongue out at the two of them.
“But if you are interested, I can tell you the same thing I would tell my daughters if they were your age. Go for it! Life’s too short so have fun while you can!”
“Ha!” Nola laughed boldly, “It’s not always fun you know. Just ask Demas.”
“Geez, Nola! Way to make everything super gruesome!” Leah said and tapped a light punch in her friend’s ribs.
“Yeah, Noles. That was a touch harsh,” Ruby added.
“Are you defending him? You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m not defending anyone. Just saying that despite who he is now, the guy lost the only person he cared about. That’s pretty rough. I don’t know what I would do if someone did that to Liam.”
“Well, you probably wouldn’t go on a murder spree. That’s for sure. And he’s not a guy. He’s a deity. You’re giving him way too much credit. Don’t compare him to us.”
She focused her gaze on Nola whose posture was completely rigid. Quickly realizing her mistake, she refilled the AetherBorn’s water glass and pushed it closer to her. “I’m sorr
y. I didn’t mean for it to sound like I was defending him. What he’s done isn’t okay. The way he made you live isn’t okay.”
“It wasn’t all bad,” Nola said, drooping her shoulders a little. “I had my mom and some of the other AetherBorns that weren’t too into the crap he was spewing. When he wasn’t using us to suck our powers dry it really was just like anywhere else. Just with more chicks.” She laughed at some distant memory that only she was privy to.
“You didn’t feel trapped at all?” Elena asked.
“Not really. I mean, I knew I couldn’t leave. Mom made that pretty clear from day one but it’s not like it was some cult or something. More like a homeschooling situation. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wanted to get the hell out of there a lot of times!”
“How come you didn’t?”
“And leave my mom? And the rest of the girls? No way!” She smiled stiffly, dipping two fingers in the water glass and running them through her platinum locks. “Like I said, it wasn’t all bad. It’s girls like Ray I actually feel bad for.”
“Why? What’s wrong with her?” Leah’s ears perked at the name. “Other than the obvious.”
“Well, she was screwed right from the start. No family, no friends. Total loner. Her little hacking stints didn’t exactly pay the bills, so she was basically living on the street when Demas found her. Brought her to us like a wounded bird.”
“She seemed to have fit in just fine with him,” Ruby added, furrowing her brow in disgust.
“I doubt she had a choice. He wrapped his evil fingers around her and squeezed until she had no opinions other than the ones he was feeding her. I’m sure she just saw it as a way out of whatever hell she was living in before him. I mean, I hate her guts and all. But you know.”
“Still not an excuse.”
“Maybe not, sweetie,” Elena flicked her long hair over her shoulder, revealing a neckline that exposed more of her chest than Ruby was comfortable with, “but it is understandable.”
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