All Things in the Shadows II

by B. D. Messick

  I close my eyes and concentrate on the sounds of the surrounding city; a delivery truck rumbling by on the street below, the buzz of the electric wires passing overhead, and the occasional bird fluttering by.

  “Hey,” Gabriella says from behind.

  I turn and look back at her. “Hey.”

  “I’m not bothering you, am I?”

  “No…not at all,” I reply, scooting over a little and patting the ground.

  She sits down next to me, resting her hands on the railing.

  “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” I ask.

  “Couldn’t.”

  “Same,” I reply and then we fall silent.

  We both look out across the small apartment buildings, little shops and businesses. After a few moments I look over at her.

  “How are you fitting in?” I ask.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “Everyone treating you nice?”

  “Yeah. Everyone’s great. It’s just hard being the new girl. I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

  I chuckle quietly.

  “Trust me. I know what you mean, but you seem to be getting it remarkably fast.”

  “Thanks. How did you get here? You seem different…or…at least that’s what everyone says.”

  “They do? What do they say?”

  “Nothing bad,” she says, shaking her head. “They say you’re special…different from everyone else.”

  “I guess I am.”

  “Are you what they were trying to make, back in the Abyss?”

  I nod in response.

  “Half human-half Shayd?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You didn’t always live here though, right? You were normal.”

  “Yeah. I used to be normal,” I say, quietly.

  “What happened?”

  “They came for me. They killed…or I thought they killed my mother. I had no place else to go,” I say, a slight pain in my chest when those terrible memories come flooding back.

  “You had a choice though, right?”

  “You mean to stay here or not?”

  She nods, her eyes locked with mine.

  “I did.”

  “Why did you stay?”

  “It felt like this is where I always belonged,” I say, a small smile coming to my lips, “and I met someone.”

  “Kateri?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s pretty awesome.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  Once again, for a few minutes, silence falls across us like a soft blanket

  “Is there something wrong? Do you want to leave?” I eventually ask.

  “No. I have no place to go either,” she says, her voice sad and heavy with resignation.

  I reach over and place my hand on top of hers.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “What happened to you? How did you end up in the Abyss?”

  She pauses for a moment, turning and looking down over the side of the building.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “We’ve got time.”

  “It’s a sad story.”

  “We all have sad stories,” I say, squeezing her fingers gently. “All of us. No one comes here without a tragic past.”

  She takes in a deep breath and holds it for a few seconds before releasing it slowly.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “You said you have no place to go. What about your family?”

  “I have no family. My parents didn’t want me. They dropped me off at a fire station when I was two and I never saw them again,” she says, her voice steady and matter-of-fact.

  “That must have been hard.”

  She shrugs.

  “It is what it is. Anyway, I was put into foster care and I moved from family to family for ten years.”

  “How many families?” I ask, frowning and immediately wish I hadn’t asked.

  “Eighteen.”

  “Wow,” I whisper.

  “I told you it was a sad story.”

  “Why did you get shifted around so much? Problems with the families or something?”

  “I was trouble,” she says, staring at me.

  “You? I can’t believe that,” I reply, and slowly I let a small smile sneak out, and she responds in kind.

  “You’re making fun of me.”

  “Maybe a little. You were forcing them to send you somewhere else, weren’t you?”

  “Probably. I just…I just didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere.”

  “I know what that feels like.”

  “I did whatever I could to be moved on; fighting, running away, stealing.”

  “But how did you end up in the Abyss?”

  “Honestly, it’s a blur. I was out, at night, probably doing something I shouldn’t have been doing with a couple other kids, bad kids mostly,” she says, looking at me to see if I’m judging her or not. “This…thing came out of the dark and attacked us. I thought it was a dog at first, or maybe a wolf, so I ran. I didn’t get very far. Something hit me in the back of the head and that’s the last thing I remember before waking up in that cell.”

  She sighs quietly. I can’t sense any thoughts from her, but it may be because she hasn’t been Shayd long enough.

  “I didn’t mean to make you bring all that up.”

  “It’s okay. It’s in the past now,” she says, giving me a small but genuine smile.

  We sit in comfortable silence again, just looking out over the city or down the side of the Factory.

  “Do you feel like you fit in here?” I eventually ask.

  She looks at me and nods.

  “It feels like home,” she replies and then pulls me into a powerful embrace.

  I wrap my arms around her and we hold each other for a few minutes. When she finally releases me, she stands and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “Thanks,” she says quietly.

  “For what?”

  “For saving me.”

  “You are more than welcome.”

  She grins at me again before turning and heading for the stairs.

  “Get some sleep,” she says, calling from across the roof.

  “You too!” I shout back.

  After she leaves and quiet descends over the rooftop again, I sit for a few minutes just staring off into the darkness and then I slowly push myself up and head to the door.

  I’m in the shower even before the first rays of the sun sneak their way through the blinds into our apartment. The door slides open and Kateri’s standing there, smiling at me.

  “Morning,” she says, leaning in and kissing me.

  I kiss her back, water running down my face and pooling where our lips meet. She pulls back, and I look at her.

  “Coming in?” I ask.

  She smiles seductively, taking my hand and then pulling me out with a chuckle before slipping inside.

  “Yeah,” she says with a wink, as she closes the door.

  Part of me wants to open the door again and join her, but the other part knows that we need to get on the move, and that will just make us late…although it would be worth it. I shake my head and pull the towel down off the top of the door frame, before replacing it with a dry one for her.

  “Thanks,” she says from behind the glass.

  I dry off quickly before wrapping the towel around my head and walking into the bedroom. I’m startled when someone pounds on the door. I pull a t-shirt over my head and slip into a pair of sleep pants before opening it. Water is still dripping off my hair, soaking into the thin fabric of my shirt. Evan is standing there, a worried expression on his face.

  “There’s been another attack,” he says.

  My heart sinks, feelings of dread and gloom nearly overwhelming all the happier thoughts from the morning and evening.

  “We’ll be right there,” I say.

  “Should I wait?”

  “No, we’ll meet you in Father’s office.”

 
He nods, before turning and rushing down the hall toward the elevator. I walk back into the bathroom and slide the shower door open. Kateri looks at me and smiles, shampoo coating her hair.

  “Coming in?” she asks.

  “There’s been another attack.”

  She frowns and nods.

  “Give me a second,” she says, closing the door again.

  I rush back into the bedroom and change into jeans, boots and a heavier button-down shirt. After strapping the sword belt around my waist, I grab the crossbow off the table in the corner. I run a brush through my hair, tying it back quickly just as Kateri walks out of the bathroom.

  She dresses as quickly as I did. Neither of us says a word. In less than five minutes, we’re jogging down the hall to the lift.

  “Did they say where it was?” Kateri asks as the doors slide open.

  “No,” I reply, shaking my head.

  She reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing my fingers gently. I sigh and manage a small smile, more for her than for me. The lift stops and the doors open. Reeva is standing there with Jax by her side.

  “Hey,” I say.

  “Hey,” Reeva replies quietly. “Have you heard anything else?”

  “No. Nothing.”

  “Where was it?” I ask Jax.

  “Minneapolis.”

  “Shit.”

  “Wait!” Gabby calls out to us as she sprints down the hall, carrying her weapons in her hands.

  Kateri stops the doors from closing with her boot.

  “Thanks,” Gabby says as she climbs aboard, the rest of us trying to make room.

  “Where’s Clay?” I ask.

  “He’s out,” she replies as she’s buckling her sword belt.

  I nod, giving her a grim smile. She returns the gesture with little enthusiasm. I look at her as the lift begins to move again. She is the epitome of a Shayd warrior; strong, fierce and fearless. She’s only had a few months to come to terms with this new life, but it’s almost as if she was born to do this.

  As soon as we reach the main floor, the four of us run down the hall toward Father’s office, our weapons clanging and clinking as we move. The globe room is complete chaos, with dozens of additional people crammed into the already tight space, all of them speaking with Shayds all around the world, their faces drawn and worried. I can see Father, Sela and my mother up in his office. We rush up the stairs, crowding into the tiny space.

  “What happened?” I ask.

  Father looks at me and his eyes are tired.

  “A thousand,” is all he says.

  “A thousand what?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer that I already know. My heart rate is already off the chart.

  Kateri takes in a quick breath and Reeva covers her mouth as tears come to her eyes. Jax wraps his arm around her, offering as much support as he can. Gabby grabs my arm and she starts to cry. I pull her against me, softly rubbing her back. I look over at my mom. Her expression is completely different. I can see the horror at the magnitude of the toll, but there is a cold, detached seriousness that rivals Sela’s.

  Revenge is in her eyes.

  “What the hell happened?” I ask, while trying to remain in control of my emotions.

  “It was apparently the same M.O. as the two other attacks,” Father replies.

  “So what do we do now?”

  “You’re going to Minneapolis now,” he says.

  “What about New York?”

  “I’m sending Reeva and Clay. Where is he, by the way?”

  “Out,” I reply.

  “Fine, you’ll be heading out as soon as we can make the necessary arrangements,” Father says.

  “What about me?” Gabby asks, wiping her face.

  Father looks at her and sighs.

  “I don’t think you’re ready for this,” he replies.

  She frowns, and I put my hand on her shoulder.

  “We can’t send everyone, Gabby. Someone needs to stay here,” I say.

  She shakes her head.

  “That’s what people say to little kids when they want them to stay out of something.”

  “It’s what you say when you need someone to do something important while you’re away,” I reiterate. “Someone that you trust.”

  Gabby looks at me for a second before glancing at the other, much more experienced faces scattered about the room. She nods, but I can tell she’s still not happy. I notice Father look over at my mother, and then he clears his throat.

  “So, you two will be leaving later today, but there’s one other thing that we need to take care of.”

  K ~ What’s he talking about?

  E ~ No idea.

  “We have a new member with us,” Father says, looking kindly at Gabby. She blushes and lowers her head, “someone who has proven herself within a very short span of time. Normally, this is something that we save for a lavish ceremony to be performed in front of the entire community, but considering what’s going on, I think this will have to do.”

  He nods toward Gabby and extends his hand. She takes it, somewhat reluctantly, and he pulls her gently toward him until they’re standing side-by-side. I smile at her, and finally, a grin breaks through.

  “Today, Gabriella Skillson officially becomes one of us, a Shayd. One of the defenders of the light, enemy of the dark, denizen of the shadows. To celebrate this, she has chosen a new name to cast off the last remnants of her old life in the Solas. Gabby?” he asks, turning to her.

  She looks up at him and nods before she swallows hard.

  “What name have you chosen?”

  “Wren,” she replies, her voice solid and confident, but also somewhat quiet.

  Father nods and smiles.

  “That’s a fine choice. I think it fits you.”

  She smiles back at him and then she looks at me, and I give her a quick wink.

  “Thank you, all of you,” she says, gazing around the room.

  “I’m sorry that this is all we can do for you,” Father says.

  “This is perfect. The people I care about are all here,” Wren says, smiling at Kateri and I. “That’s all that matters.”

  “Good. Now, we all have work to do. Anyone leaving town should take the opportunity to gather whatever equipment you think you’ll need. Evan will text you with your flight information,” he says.

  “Yes, Father,” I reply. “Gab—” I start but catch myself. “I mean Wren, let’s talk for a second.”

  While everyone goes back to their individual tasks, the three of us head down the steps and then through the control room. Just as we’re stepping through the doors into the cafeteria, Clay comes rushing up to us, out of breath and disheveled.

  “Hey,” he says. “What did I miss?”

  “Where have you been?” Kateri asks.

  “Out on an incursion,” he replies. “You guys heading to New York?”

  “Change of plans. There’s been an attack in Minneapolis, we’re going there,” Kateri says.

  “Jesus. What about New York?”

  “You and Reeva are going,” I answer.

  “What about Jax?” he asks, his tone an obvious clue that he’s not a fan of our demon ally.

  “Father has him staying behind to work on something.”

  He nods and wipes a sheen of sweat off his forehead. His expression is unreadable, and his thoughts closed off.

  “Okay. Well, I better go talk to Father.”

  “Yeah. He was looking for you.”

  He turns and jogs into the control room and I look over at Wren, who didn’t say a word the whole time Clay was talking with us.

  “What’s the matter?” I ask, placing my hand on her shoulder.

  “Nothing. I—”

  She stops mid-sentence and shakes her head.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah,” she replies, nodding. “I’m sure.”

  “If you say so. Come on,” I say, taking her hand.

  The three of us sit down
at one of the long tables, Kateri and I on one side and Wren on the other.

  “I’m sorry you can’t go, Wren, but we really need someone to stand guard here, to protect the place and to deal with any incursions. Can you do that for us, for me?” I ask.

  “I can do that.”

  “It’s not a job for a baby, or a kid. It’s a job for a warrior.”

  “I know,” she replies. “I am a warrior. I am Shayd.”

  Kateri and I head back upstairs to pack our bags while we wait for the text from Evan. It only takes a few minutes and we’re back downstairs. Several Shayds bid us farewell, say good luck or other words of support as we walk through the Library. Suddenly, my phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket.

  United 691 – Pittsburgh Intl – 2:15 Direct

  “Got it,” I say to Kateri. “We ready?”

  “I’m ready,” she replies with a grim smile.

  We push the door open and step into the parking lot, nearly colliding with Trista. She’s standing near the entrance, leaning on a pair of silver crutches. The bottom of the right leg of her sleep pants in pinned up, further accentuating the loss of her leg. She turns and looks at the two of us, outfitted for battle.

  “Hey,” I say. “We’re heading out.”

  “I know…I heard,” she replies.

  “Is it okay for you to be up? Did you ask the Doc?”

  “He said it was okay…at least that’s what I figured he would have said if I’d asked him.”

  Kateri shakes her head.

  “Trista.”

  “I can’t just lie around. I’ve spent too long just lying around,” she says. Her eyes look haunted as she talks.

  “I get it, Trista…I do, but you need to take care of yourself,” I say.

  “I will. I just needed some air,” she says, looking up at the sky.

  Kateri puts her arm over Trista’s shoulder and pulls her close.

  “Heal up, girl. We need you in this fight,” she says.

  “I need to be in it,” she replies, a small, determined smile coming to her lips.

  “You want us to get someone to help you get back upstairs?”

  “No,” she replies, shaking her head. “A girl’s gotta do things for herself, you know.”