by Rue Volley
“Elijah.” She said again.
He looked at her sitting there with the big black book clutched to her chest.
“What? Get up!” he said.
“There is no one to find, he gave his light to my Mom.” She said.
“He what?”
“He did.”
Elijah shook his head and stared her down.
“How do you…”
She interrupted him.
“He told me.”
“When?”
“In memory Elijah, he told me what he did.”
Elijah rubbed his hair into a crazy mess and started to pace.
“And you said nothing?” he screamed at her.
“Elijah! He said not to.”
“Well don’t you think you should have!? I had things… things I could have said…” Elijah said as he stopped and looked around the room.
“I am sorry, I really am.”
“No… no you are not! You hated him, just like you hate me!” he said.
“I don’t… I don’t hate you.” She said as she pushed herself up and stared at him.
“Remember? Demons Gracie, we are nothing to you! But he was… he was my Dad!” Elijah said as his voice cracked and he started to sob. Gracie watched him and slowly walked towards him and he backed up and she continued.
“Please…” she said as she reached to him and hugged him hard. He fought her at first and then he gave in and sank into her shoulder. She let him cry and for the first time she felt him, a slight vibration and knew that he was real, he was not what she had in her mind, all evil and full of demon blood. She backed up a step and stared at his face and he watched her expression all soft and compassionate and he lunged at her and kissed her hard on the mouth, she moaned at first and then gave into him and they sank slowly to the floor.
***
“If you don’t stop fidgeting I am going to stab you and show you what a real wound is.” Sam said as she looked at Kai and tried to dress his scratch of a wound. I smiled, I had to. Even now she was still Sam, he was still Kai. I glanced at Theo and sighed as I watched him leaf through his incantation book. I looked out and saw the light swirling, the only color I could see now… that of black and I cleared my throat.
“We need to move.” I said.
Sam stood up along with Kai and I looked at them.
“We are close I can feel him.” I said.
Theo, Sam and Kai stepped up next to me and stared out across the open field.
“Before we ahhh, you know… I just want to say something…” I started to say. Theo stopped me and turned me to him.
“There is nothing to be said love, we know.” He whispered.
I hugged him and started my last run towards what I could only hope would be resolution. The final needed step in my journey and with the ones I loved the most by my side I felt that it was close at hand. I suddenly took a breath and skidded to a stop as I felt a wave of emotion go through me and I turned to see two figures running towards us. I sucked in my breath and dropped my blades and started to run to meet them and when I reached Gracie I held her so tightly she sank into me. I pulled her back and stared at her face and tears welled up in my eyes.
“Oh Gracie...” I said and she hugged me again.
Elijah looked to everyone as Theo, Sam and Kai reached us and he grinned, a grin that I knew so well and would was glad to see…that of Johnathan’s.
“Elijah!” I said as I hugged him and he hugged me back and I stepped back from him and he wiped his eyes.
“My Dad...” He started to say.
“I know.” I said as I watched his face.
“He loved you, very much Elijah.” I said.
“I know he did.”
“Okay… so kicking ass is that way right?” Gracie said as she started to walk.
“Whoa… no, no.” I said as I grabbed her arm.
“What?” she said to me.
“You need to go home Gracie, go home and I will be back.”
“Ummmm, no.” she said and I grinned as she got Josh’s defiant look on her face.
“Listen to me, where I am going is no place you should be and quite honestly it will only distract me.” I said to her.
“Oh really?” she said as she pulled out a large black book from her bag and smiled at me.
Theo snatched it from her and grinned.
“Hey!” she said.
“Thank you.” I said.
“I am going.”
I shook my head. “I will probably die if you do.” I said to her and she sighed and studied my face.
“Dramatic.” She said and I bit my lip smiling.
“Okay listen to me, you need to go back to Calvary with Elijah, go see Brooke and hunker down… a serious storm is coming.”
“Mom.” She said and it made my heart flutter to hear those words come from her mouth.
“Gracie, please.” Theo said as he stepped up to her and touched her face.
“I am totally capable of taking on some bullshit.”
“Uhhh, language please.” I said.
“Mom!”
“No Mom, no begging, no getting all kickass and stuff. I am telling you to go home… please Gracie.” I said.
I started to walk and she followed me I turned and stared her down as harshly as I could.
“Sara Grace Barrington.” I said and she stopped and looked at me.
“If you come we will all die, including your Father.” I said.
“Damn it.” She muttered and Elijah took her hand and I raised my eyebrows, he let her hand go and I placed my hand on hip.
“Really?” I said.
She shrugged her shoulders and I rolled my eyes and started to walk again.
“Mom!”
I turned with a look of “don’t even” on my face and Gracie ran to me and hugged me so hard she choked me. I laughed and she stepped back and grinned at me, showing me her crooked canines and the seriousness of what was at hand returned to me.
“I love you Grace.” I said.
“I love you to Mom, please come home.” She said to me and I turned and started to leave her, feeling my heart sinking. Elijah and Gracie ran the opposite direction of us and then I spotted it, the lake that I so needed to jump into. The sun was starting to set in the sky directly in our eyes and I held my hand up to my face and shielded my eyes from the brightness of it.
“There we go.” I said and I flashed towards it, with Theo, Kai and Sam close behind me.
I stopped at the edge and stared out at the beautiful calm water and then I touched my chest and turned back to all of them.
“I need to go alone.” I said and they all stopped and stared at me.
“What? No.” Kai said and Theo looked at Sam and back to me.
“Listen, something inside of me is telling me that I should go alone.”
“I can’t see that.” Sam said as she stepped up and I looked into her eyes.
“You go… any of you and you will die and I have enough on my heart, please.” I said to her and she looked back to Theo and he sighed.
“Samantha.”
Sam looked back to me and tilted her head.
“You are not coming back are you?” she whispered.
I studied her face and she hugged me tightly, I then saw Kai who was turned to the side, hiding his face. I walked up to him and touched his arm and he tried to shrug me off.
“Kai… please.” I said and he hugged me and picked me up off of the ground and I buried my face in his shoulder.
“I love you sis.” He said and he placed me on the ground and looked at my face.
“I love you, I always have. Listen… Gracie, she uhhh.”
“Stop it; you will be able to tell her whatever you want tomorrow.”
“Oh okay.” I said as I hugged him again and then I turned to Theo and he smiled and held his arms out to me. I ran to him and hugged him hard, letting my face bury itself deep into his chest for a moment and then he pulled me back and grin
ned as he touched my hair and then my face.
“A beautiful creature.” He whispered.
“I love you, thank you for everything.” I said to him.
“My pleasure.” He said.
I then turned and looked at the water and Theo raised his hands and it started to churn. I took a deep breath and stepped in, feeling the cold water through my leather and I waded until my feet no longer felt ground and I had to swim. I reached the middle of the lake and the churning intensified and suddenly I was sucked under and the shadows of my family faded from view.
Chapter 17
My Everything
I broke the surface of the water and coughed almost laughing as even now, even after all that I have known and done… water still wanted to kill me. I started to swim slowly at first and then I felt the sandy ground under my feet and I pulled myself up, my leather heavy with the weight of the water and I shed my outer coat and revealed the vest like leather piece beneath it. I looked down at my boots and shook them and then as I let the annoyance of the water leave me, I looked up to see the white city shining against the red rock.
I took a slow and deliberate breath and took one step and then another and pulled my blades from my back. I guess if one thing was true I was determined, nothing says that like a keeper of time who twisted everything to salvage the love in her life and I know that I did that, but now that I had truly said goodbye to my parents and let that hurt and fear leave me, I felt different, I felt as if nothing could penetrate me and I had one thing and one thing only on my mind. Finding Joshua and setting him free and insuring the safety of my family that I still had waiting.
I stopped at the top of the hill and dropped down as I watched the field in front of Valon and then I narrowed my eyes as I spotted Michael and his golden hair at the gates, his arms raised and then I saw him... my Joshua lying at his feet. I started to stand and the ground vibrated under me, almost knocking me over and then again and this time I fell and ‘oww’d’ as the ground felt hard and cold beneath me.
I rose up on my elbows and my eyes widened as I saw the ground start to move out in the large field and then the first movement happened and I leaned in and saw a blackened thing crawl out of the earth and then another. One by one, these creatures stood up and spread their wings out, shaking off the dirt and then I could see them, their wings were black as night as well as their fingernails and eyes and one by one they cried out and I covered my ears as their high shrills pierced my eardrums and made them feel as if they were going to bleed.
“Son of a bitch.” I said as I lowered behind the small mound of earth and studied my hands as they trembled.
“Okay… listen, you need to get the hell up.” I said and just as I pushed myself up the doors closed to the gates of Valon and all the creatures, Michael and Josh were gone. I shook my head and sighed again.
“Shit.” I said as I headed down the hill and started to flash across it.
I reached the gates and heard a scream and I knew it, I knew it was Josh and it just tore through me although I felt no pain this time so I had no idea why he had screamed at all. I looked at the tall gates and then I pulled my blades and slammed one into the wood and stepped up, then then I swiped my blade across the gate and a thin line of color formed, I grabbed it and pulled myself up, grabbing my blade beneath me and repeating it until I reached the top and pulled myself up, only to quickly hide my head as I spotted at least a hundred of those beasts in the square, surrounding Michael and Josh.
I heard a cry as they all raised their blades and looked towards the sky. Then I watched them start to take off and I rolled under the ledge and watched as the black wings rolled above me and the wind picked up as they slowly flapped them and left Valon. I waited until the last of them left us and I pulled myself up and looked to see Joshua standing next to Michael.
I narrowed my eyes and they walked together into the tower and I pulled myself over the gate and decided to drop down. I placed my blades into the holders on my back as I dropped and then rolled to the right as I hit the ground and stood up, quickly scanning the courtyard and immediately pulled my blades again, gripping them tightly in my hands. I gritted my teeth as I headed for the tower, now missing its once beautiful but intimidating mirror. I flashed to the entrance and slid inside, knowing this may be the last I breathe free air.
***
Elijah stepped up to a house and stared at it as Gracie took his hand and he smiled at her and then walked up the steps and the door opened up to reveal Brooke, who looked tired and her eyes were red. She immediately screamed as she saw him and Elijah let Gracie’s hand go and hugged her tightly. Brooke cried and muttered his name. Gracie stepped back and Theo touched her shoulder and they stepped down and looked at the house together.
“Home.” She said and Theo hugged her from the side.
“You also have a home love.” He said and he walked with her along with Sam and Kai until they reached Hideaway drive and Gracie stopped in front of the house and grinned.
“I never thought I would see this again.” She whispered.
“Well of course you would, home will always exist... right here.” Theo said as he tapped his finger to her heart.
“But…” Gracie started to say. Theo turned her to him and touched her face gently.
“You must know the love that Josh and Rue have for you and that also lives in you.” He said.
“I do… I love them Theo, with all my heart.”
“I know.” Theo said as he held her head and placed it to his chest and she cried for the first time, the first that she would ever remember being the worst of all as she thought of us and what we could be.
Then suddenly Elijah came out of nowhere pulling Broke behind him, he grabbed Gracie and knocked her to the ground as a black wing swooped close down on them and Theo cried out as the beast tore through him and disappeared just as quickly.
Sam cried out and pulled her blades and jumped into the air clipping the beast’s wings and he tumbled to the ground with a thud and skidded across the yard, tearing up grass and dirt. Sam fell to the ground and was on it in flash slamming her blades into it quickly and as she jerked them out, black blood sprayed and covered her white battle gear. She wiped her face as he screamed and then lay still with its mouth gapping wide and black oozing from it.
“What the fuck?” she said as she heard a scream and looked back to see Theo dropping to the ground and Brooke rushing to him. Sam dropped to her knees beside him and looked at his chest as blood seeped through the white leather and she dropped her blades and her hands started to glow, she raised them and Theo caught her hand and stared at her with tears in his eyes.
“It will take you with it… do not.” He whispered.
“No… let me heal you Theo, I can!” she yelled at him.
“No… no love. You cannot.” He looked down at his chest and hissed.
“Oh… look at that, what a mess.”
“Knock it off Theo, I got this.” Sam yelled and Theo covered his chest with his hands and started to tremble. Sam cried out and grabbed at his arms.
“No… no Samantha, you will die, this is old magic… you cannot… please I am begging you to listen to me just once in your life… just once.” He said as he held his chest tightly.
“Theo? No… no, no… you cannot, where is the book of spells? Where is it! “She screamed as she looked around.
“Samantha… Sam...” Theo said as she panicked. She then looked at him as his light started to rise.
“Oh god…Theo please… please no, please tell me what to do… tell me.” Sam said as she sobbed next to him.
Theo touched her hair.
“Kill them all.” He whispered and he pointed towards the sky. She looked up and so did everyone else and everyone started to run towards the house as black wings slowly circled overhead. Sam held his hand and shook her head slowly as she cried.
“Samantha, you have and always will be my sister and I love you… now fight.” He said to her
and his light left him and Sam rose slowly, grabbing her blades and raised them towards the sky as she screamed.
***
I stepped inside the hallway and quickly backed against the stone wall as I saw a large door close and it slammed with an echo down towards me. I bit my lip and stepped out, hoping like hell that none of those black winged beasts had stayed behind.
I have fought my fair share of demons but those things looked nasty and my last want was to run into one and have it bite into me, making me what? One of them? And what the hell were they anyway? Some bastard version of an angel? I walked slowly until I heard a screeching again and covered my ears as it tightened every muscle in my jaw and made my ears pop. It stopped and I lowered my hands, wiggling my finger in my ear.
“Suck.” I whispered to myself and then I stared at the doors and took a deep breath as I prepared myself to go in, but that moment was stolen as the doors opened and Michael stepped out. I quickly flashed around the corner and hid until he walked down the hallway, stopping for a moment almost as if he knew I was there and then continued on. I let my breath out slowly and approached the door again and slowly reached for the handle, opening it up to reveal the large council hall. I stepped into to low light and then I saw him or what I would have to know was him… Joshua, sitting in the chair on the high raised circle in the middle and I gritted my teeth as I saw his head was hanging low.
I started to walk towards him and I accidently crunched some left over skull on the floor and he moved a little and I decided to continue towards him. I stopped at the foot of the stairs and called out his name, low at first and he did nothing and then I started to climb, weary of all of it and looking back every other step to watch the door behind us. I stepped up and looked up and there he was standing before me, wings spread wide, light pulsating through them.
“Joshua?” I called out and he raised his head and his face had changed, I mean it was still him but he looked cold as stone and most disturbingly of all his eyes were black as night, not unlike the creatures that had crawled out of the earth.