by Rue Volley
He flashed to me. I felt the air blow my hair forward and he stood far too close for comfort behind me. I stood still waiting for his sarcasm. He grabbed my arm and spun me around.
“You infuriate me. You should have stayed at home, safe like I told you...”
I looked up at him and he didn't look mad, in fact he had a softened look to his face now.
“I couldn't let you die Josh, I couldn't,” I whispered.
“And why would that be?” he said.
I pulled my arm from him and pulled myself up. I held my hand out to him and he grinned as he pulled himself up behind me, and we moved on.
We rode for another ten minutes before I started to feel weak. I leaned forward and Josh grabbed at my sides. The horse came to a stop and Josh pulled himself down, pulling me with him. I could barely keep my eyes open. My stomach ached, but I didn't have the strength to eat, I just didn't.
Josh touched my face and pulled out his blade. He cut his palm and pressed it to my mouth. I grunted and tried to push his hand away from me, but some of his blood entered my mouth and I sucked my breath in and groaned opening my mouth up to his warm blood. I let it flow down my throat and I could feel him tense up against me. I raised my hand and pressed it harder to my mouth and Josh groaned.
I opened my eyes and everything had a shimmer to it, including his face as he stared down at me. I pulled his hand away from me and looked into his eyes. He leaned closer and I could feel his breath at my mouth. I still had his blood on my lips and his heart beat rapidly against me.
I reached up and touched his face, blue traced on his skin from under my fingertips. He closed his eyes and drew in his breath. He leaned in and let his lips barely touch mine. It was gentler than what I expected it to be. Josh was so aggressive normally, I expected him to press against me so I would feel a sudden need to struggle away from him. He gently let his lips trace mine, and I closed my eyes tasting his blood sweet in my mouth. He backed away from me and pulled me up. I felt lightheaded.
He suddenly pulled his blades and a blur of white flashed by me, and Josh disappeared with it. I screamed out and watched as they rolled to the side, blades flashing. I felt a vibration in my whole body as another tracker flashed up to me and the girl stopped just as she sliced her blade by my face. I leaned backward and twisted, almost knocking myself off balance. I heard a cry come from the direction that Josh had rolled to, and I flashed to his side. He stood up, blood all over him. The tracker lay motionless at his feet.
He reached behind me and spun me out of the way, as another blade flashed by me. I fell this time, just as I watched Josh bring his blades up and the tracker fell to her knees. A bright glow came from his hand and he slammed his hand into her chest. She screamed out and arched her back. Josh threw his head back, and turned his head to me in a blur.
“We have to go now!” he yelled at me.
He reached out his hand and we flashed to the horse that waited. Josh jumped onto his back and reached down as the horse started to move, he grabbed my arm and dragged me up with one lift. We raced out of the forest and into an open field. I looked behind us as I saw more coming.
I placed my hand on the horse’s side and we started to flash forward. Josh sucked in his breath and held onto his hair as we flew across the field at lightning speed. We raced until we could see that an end was coming. He gripped the horse’s hair and urged him forward, I knew we were going to jump and I didn't know if we would survive.
Josh yelled out to me, “When we hit the air, I need for you have your blades glowing! Focus on the symbol you etched on me. You have to throw them into the water before we hit!”
I pulled my blades out and closed my eyes, I felt the energy start to flow from my hands into the metal. I visualized the symbol before me and pushed it into the metal. I looked down and they both were swirling with every color, a bright symbol etching into the metal before my eyes.
“I think I did it!” I yelled out to him.
We hit the edge and the horse cried out as we started to drop through the air. I squeezed onto Josh's sides, as tightly as I could.
“Throw them into the water now Rue!” he cried out.
I held my hands out and threw them with every ounce of strength that I had in me. I watched them hurl towards the water’s surface before us.
“Do not let go of me… no matter what!” he yelled.
I buried my head against his back and wrapped my arms around his chest, right before we hit the surface.
***
Johnathan had been pacing back and forth messing with his blades. He kept looking around the room and saw that nothing was happening.
“I'm going to Valon... this is ridiculous,” he said, as he headed for the door.
“And what Johnathan? You really think that they will just trade you for Josh?” Sam said as she sat down on the wood floor.
“Well, yea... why not?”
Sam shifted her weight and crossed her legs. “They will keep you but Josh will not be released, and if Rue is within her walls, she will remain also.”
“Are you always this optimistic?” he asked as he raised his eyebrows.
Kai laughed and then cleared his throat. Sam shot him a look.
“I am a realist. I’m just saying what no one here will.”
Johnathan walked to Theodore, who was feeling the mirror along the wall. “And you? Are you as cheery as your sister?”
Theodore kept feeling along the mirror.
“Theodore?” he asked, to the back of his head. Theodore turned and looked him in the eye.
“It is true that if you go, you will not return. Your offer to trade yourself is folly.”
Johnathan turned to Samantha. “You said it was a good idea!”
“I said it sounded fair. Feasible is a whole other matter,” Sam said as she pushed herself up.
“Well, then what do we do now?” Johnathan asked with a slight tremble in his voice.
“We wait,” Theodore said.
Suddenly he stopped moving. He looked up at the ceiling. “Do you feel that Samantha?” he called out to her.
Sam looked upward and grinned. “Holy shit...” she whispered.
“What?” Johnathan said as he looked around.
“They are coming!” Theodore yelled out. “Move!” he flashed back and pulled Johnathan with him.
Sam flashed to Kai and pulled him with her against the wall.
They all looked at the ceiling as it started to wave like water, suddenly horses hooves materialized through the mirror and came barreling through with two figures clinging onto its back.
The horse hit the wood floor and slid, until it stopped. Josh leaned up and spit water out of his mouth, he turned and looked at me and we started to laugh so hard we almost fell off the horses back.
Theodore clapped his hands together and walked towards us, with the biggest grin on his face.
Sam smiled and flashed up with Kai at her side.
“Where the hell did you guys get a horse?” she asked.
Josh slid off and reached up to me. He held me a little too long as he finally let my feet touch the ground. I looked up at him and he grinned.
“Rue?”
I turned and looked at Johnathan. I looked back to Josh and let him go. I ran to Johnathan and he squeezed me so hard I thought he'd make me pass out, from lack of oxygen. I looked over at Josh as Johnathan held me. He pulled me back from him and leaned in kissing me hard on the mouth. I let it happen for a few seconds, and then pulled my face away from his. He held me close to him again.
“I'm okay Johnathan... I swear,” I said as I felt his heart beating hard against my chest.
Josh stared at me and then at the ground, Theodore touched his arm and then hugged him while he laughed out loud.
“I think I've seen it all now,” Theodore said as he backed away from him. He stared at the symbol that I had cut into his chest.
Sam stepped up and hugged him. Josh held his arms out like it was somethi
ng that never happened. Truth was it probably wasn't, knowing Sam. The hugging stuff, you know. She backed away from him.
“I am glad to see you,” she said as she grinned at him.
“Well, it's because of Rue,” Josh said as he pointed toward me.
I pulled away from Johnathan and looked at all of them.
“I'm hungry,” I said, and everyone busted out into laughter.
We all looked up as the mirror started to roll like waves, Theodore pushed at us to get out of the room. We stood at the double doors and watched as Theodore hurled a flash of light into the room. He pulled the doors closed and we could hear the mirrored room shatter to the floor.
Chapter 16
You Are Making Me Hungry
We all successfully made it back to house with no drama. We let the horse hang out in the woods. Sam insisted that she ride him back and once we flashed from the house. I walked... just at a normal pace, like I used to. I had enough flashing, enough of everything… really. Josh raced Kai for the rights to picking the video game selection and Johnathan walked with me. He tried to talk to me, but my mind wondered. I did a lot of “Uh huh” and “I agree” during his one sided conversation.
A couple minutes in, he just reached over and grabbed my hand, and we walked in silence. I had so much I could say to him, but nothing came out. I wished for a second, that he could just reach over, like Josh, and see it in my mind and then those three little words, that carry so much weight, crossed my mind. Josh said he loved me. I had to chalk it up to the moment... I mean, we thought there was a ninety nine percent chance that we were dropping to our deaths, and people say the craziest things when they are pushed... right? I’d kissed him back though. It wasn't a panic kiss, or forceful... it was the kind of kiss that you feel on your lips for a while. God Damn it. I didn't need any more crazy, I really didn't.
We stepped up to the house and I stopped and looked at it. Johnathan stopped too. I could see that he was looking at me. I sighed and stepped forward. We stepped up onto the porch and he pulled my hand back, before I could step inside. I turned to look at him.
“What are you thinking about?” he said.
I looked down at his hand in mine and then out to the woods.
“I can't even begin to tell you what happened out there,” I said, as I intentionally didn't make eye contact with him.
“Well… I know that you grabbed a horse somehow.”
I looked up at him. “Yea... the horse is great... amazing really.”
“Yea, I've been on horses since I was little, my mom thought it would be a great thing to add to college applications. Umm, I wanted to ask you if you happened to see my mom, or Sophie while you were there.”
I looked at him and he had a strange look on his face. Tell you the truth I was relieved that he asked, even though I had nothing.
“No… sorry. I met some jerk named Erik. I saw Sophia Graph and others, I don't know their names. There were humans there too… but I didn't really talk to anyone, other than Sophia.”
He walked to the swing and sat down. He ran his hand through his hair. I walked over and sat down next to him, pushing us into a slight swinging motion. I pulled my legs up and sighed. Johnathan didn't look at me, but out towards the woods and then he started to talk again.
“I'm sorry, I guess I just hoped that maybe you saw them. I know it's selfish… I mean shit, you almost died Rue. I don't know what I would of done if you hadn't come back when you did.”
I leaned against him.
“I did come back… I didn't know if I would be able to, but I'm here.”
He lifted his arm and put it around me.
“You know that I love you… I really do,” he said.
I didn't look at him I just lowered my head.
“I know you do Johnathan, I love you too,” I said as I pressed my head down on the top of my knees.
“I'm not going to ask you what all happened. You just tell me when you are ready to, or don't tell me at all… I only care that you are here Rue.”
I lifted my head up as the front door opened and Josh stepped out. I turned to see him staring at both of us. I pushed up off the swing and passed him by, as I walked into the house.
“You know, she is amazing Johnathan,” Josh said to him as he turned his head behind him to watch me go in.
“I know exactly what she is,” Johnathan said as he pushed himself up, and walked towards the door. He stopped in front of Josh and looked him in the eye.
“Thanks for pushing me through the mirror… but I could have handled myself.”
Josh laughed. “There's always a ‘but’ with you… just thank me and leave it at that.”
“Thank you,” Johnathan said as he pushed by him.
“Uh huh,” Josh muttered.
I watched as Johnathan walked through the house and up the stairs. He didn't even look at me as I sat at the table stuffing my face with all the delicious food that Theodore had laid out. Josh stopped as he stepped in and then looked over at me. I hope that he doesn't want to talk, unless it's the regular talk that always ends up with me being aggravated. He grinned and came over to the table. He sat down across from me and picked up some bread. He looked at it for a moment and then popped it in his mouth. “Mmm,” he said as he chewed, looking at me. I looked back down at my plate and stuck my fork into some left over spaghetti. I put it into my mouth and looked up, as Josh was staring at my mouth. I chewed it up quickly and swallowed.
“Johnathan isn't hungry?” I asked him.
“I don't know, I didn't ask him... I guess if he is, he'll eat,” Josh said as he piled spaghetti on his plate.
I spun my fork again and lifted more from my plate. I looked up as Josh was shoving some into his mouth, he grinned and licked his fingers, slowly. I lowered my fork and picked up my glass, I chugged it down. Real food felt so good as it reached my stomach. It wasn't what I really wanted, but it was a great pacifier. I stood up and took my plate to the sink. I stood there looking out the window for a moment. I reached up into the cabinet and pulled another plate and piled some more spaghetti on it then grabbed a fork. I started to walk across the kitchen and Josh laughed.
“He is able to feed himself,” Josh muttered.
“I thought that I would get him something...” I muttered.
“Whatever,” Josh replied.
I walked past him and headed for the stairs. Josh said something, but I couldn't understand it. I shrugged it off and headed upstairs.
Theodore had been unnaturally quiet; he sat down next to Josh and placed his hand on his arm.
“I am thankful that you are here,” he said to Josh. Josh lowered his fork and looked at him.
“Where else would I be?” Josh asked as he grinned.
“Tell me how you escaped Joshua,” Theodore said to him.
Sam pulled herself up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Kai kept kicking butt with his video game. He glanced towards the kitchen, but then back at the screen as he leaned on the couch, letting out a, “Whoo”. Samantha rolled her eyes and looked at Josh.
“What?” Josh said.
“Well, what do you think Josh...? You were in Valon, we need to know how the hell you got out of there,” Sam said as she reached for the bread.
“Listen, I was strapped to the mirror in the tower. The next thing I knew. Rue was sitting on top of me,” he said as he continued to eat.
“Stop,” Theodore said to him. “This isn't something that we can just dismiss Josh. No one has ever escaped Valon... not alive anyway, especially if they are trapped on the mirror.”
“Well we did,” he said as he grabbed his glass. Sam reached up and grabbed his glass.
“Would it be easier if Theodore just took the memory?” She said.
Josh grinned and lowered his glass, she let go. “Okay, listen... Rue took her blade and marked me with a symbol, then she had me mark her too. We slid off of the mirror and we fell into the black water u
nder it.”
Theodore stood up and stared at him. “You... both of you, fell into the black water that pools under the mirror?” he said.
Josh cleared his throat. “Yea, that's exactly what happened, we came up in some pond, with that horse she found.”
“That is unbelievable,” Sam said.
“Well, believe it... because we are here now,” Josh said, as he shoved the last of what remained on his plate, into his mouth.
“We are going to be in great danger now, we have to fortify this town,” Theodore said as he walked across the kitchen, and out into the living room.
“I know that,” Josh said. “We need to place symbols all over, everywhere. We should start at the outer edges and work our way in.”
“We should destroy every mirror,” Sam said as she pushed herself up.
“Probably a good idea,” Josh said, as he leaned back.
“Water... there is a huge lake that skirts this town, perhaps that is how Mikah got in,” Theodore said as he looked off, in deep thought.
“You think that Mikah took that kind of risk…? No one has ever used water to portal, well not until now,” Josh said as he looked upstairs.
Sam looked towards the stairs too. “She is very clever.”
Josh grinned. Who… Rue? Yea, she is… very special.”
Sam looked at him. “You need to stop right now Josh.”
“What…? I just said she was special, that's all.”
Sam crossed her arms. “I know that look Josh, leave her alone... she is a child.”
Josh laughed and picked up his plate. “She is far from a child, Sam,” he said, as he placed it in the sink. He turned back to her. “And since when do you care what I'm doing?”
She grumbled and looked at Theodore. Theodore smiled.
“Samantha, I am sure that your brother here, is not trying to seduce our Rue,” he said, half laughing.
“Uh huh,” she said, as she looked back to Josh. “Well, he better not be... she has Johnathan.”
Josh turned and looked out the window. “I am well aware of that,” he said as he placed his hands on the sink. He stood still for a moment, and placed his hand on the side of his neck and then he spun around.