Wendy appeared beside her, a rare grin on her face. ”Hello Cresta Karr,” she said. “I may have left psionic breadcrumbs for Momma to follow, in case the situation became-Well, what the situation has become. Please do not be angry with me.”
“I’m not angry,” I said, thinking of Ezra’s flickering tongue.
“Take this,” Dahlia said, handing me a small black bag.
“What the hell is this?” I asked. Pulling it out, I saw a black and white suit that matched the one she was wearing. “I don’t have time for a change of clothes. My mother’s out there. I have to find her. This’ll take too long.”
“It won’t take near as long if you stop arguing with me,” Dahlia said flatly. “Everyone out there is looking for you. The Raven’s lunatics might know what you look like, but the others don’t.”
“Who are the others?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “You called the Council of Masons didn’t you?”
“You went rogue. You stole my daughter and disobeyed direct orders from your superiors. You’ve lost the right to be indignant.”
“She didn’t steal me, Momma,” Wendy said, but Dahlia quieted her with a raised hand.
“But yes, I did. And the Council sent us reinforcements; reinforcements that have been ordered to stop the apocalypse at all cost.” She pointed out the door. “Look at that. The sun is almost up. I was never a fan of this idea, but seeing as how we’ve come this far, I won’t have the entire ordeal spoiled by a trigger happy Breaker who wants to make a name for themselves. I need you to blend in, and you can’t really do that in a wedding dress, can you. So, yes. We will save your mother, and, fate knows, all the other people you managed to convince to join you in this disaster. But first, you will strip.”
Reluctantly, I slid out of my wedding dress and into the small (and ridiculously formfitting) outfit that Dahlia gave me. Usually, I would have been shy about changing in front of someone, even if that someone is another female. But I figured after watching my house explode, getting locked up by cultist superheroes, going on the most ill-fated road trip ever, waking up to a looney tune’s marriage proposal, and slashing the guy I love with the aforementioned looney tune’s knife, that it wouldn’t be so bad.
“There,” I said, letting the leather slap against my shoulders. “Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” Dahlia said, and marched up the stairs. “Now follow me. Stay close and, by fate’s hand, try not to get yourselves killed.”
Crestview was on fire, and only part of it was figurative. Main Street, a ghost town even on its busiest days, was now overflowing with dueling Breakers. The rush of them was unlike anything I had ever seen outside of a sci-fi movie or maybe a wartime documentary. Blood stained the potholed road and, when I heard a crunch underfoot, I looked down to find teeth were strewn across the ground too.
Turning around, I saw the door we left, which apparently doubled for the entrance to Allister Leeman’s holdfast, was Miss Armie’s Cool Country Cupboard; a diner/ice cream parlor that had been long closed even when I moved to Crestview. How long had Allister Leeman’s men been here? Dahlia must be kicking herself for having missed it the first time she came to town.
A body; a girl around my age in a flowing black dress and matching headpiece, came whizzing by my head. When she landed, crashing against the bench where Mrs. Cartwright and her church friends always sat and gossiped about the week gone by, I saw that she was dead.
Mom was nowhere to be found. Casper, Owen, even Merrin; I didn’t see any of them. I wanted to scream “Here I am!”, but Dahlia’s words were fresh in my mind. So I crouched low and tried to blend in. A bright flash of light stole my vision for a second and, when it came back, a line of fire raged inches away from my face.
“Come Cresta Karr!” Wendy pulled me away from the heat. We slid behind an old Cadillac, listening to the screams of burning men and women.
But where was everyone? Where were the peace (and gossip) loving citizens of Crestview? I gasped as the answer came to me. Hiding behind the Cadillac, Wendy and I faced the window of the general store. Mr Carter, Mr Jenkins, and the rest of the early birds sat along the counting. They were drinking their coffee; just laughing, just talking. It was like they had no idea any of this was going on. My breath caught in my throat as I realized they didn’t. They couldn’t see or hear any of the chaos going on around them. To them, it was just another lazy Crestview morning.
“We have to end this,” I said standing.
“The ending comes with the sunrise,” Wendy answered.
“People are dying. That’s not quick enough!” I started to move. Wendy stood quickly.
“The path is set,” she said, and shoved me hard in the opposite direction. I went winding, collapsing into lanky familiar arms.
“Good to see you too,” Casper whispered. His face was still swollen. New bruises covered his eyes and cheeks, and a sting of pain ran through me, wondering what Allister Leeman did to him for his insolence.
“Thank God!” I wrapped my arms around him. “There was a fire. We lost Mom. We lost Dahlia. It’s just us.”
“Us?” He asked.
“Yeah, me and Wendy,” I said, but when I turned, the seer was gone. “Dammit. That girl’s gonna get herself killed.”
An explosion so loud that it shook the inside of my eardrums sounded in front of us. Mr. Carter and the early birds continued sipping their coffees, blissfully unaware.
“If I were you, I’d worry about all of us who can’t see the bullets coming before they’re shot.” Casper pulled me behind him. Pain seesawed up and down my tired legs, and I was sure Casper had no idea where he was leading me, but if we kept moving, we might have a chance of actually surviving this. Or, at least that’s how I saw it.
“We have to find my Mom,” I said loud enough for him to hear me but quiet enough to keep it from the rushing mobs surrounding us.
A man wearing a tuxedo holding a chainsaw popped out in front of us. Casper spun, pulling me away from him just as the chainsaw went past my face, sparking as the blade met the pavement.
“Kinda busy Cress,” he said without stopping.
We slid off Main Street and down an alley behind what used to be Walt’s Antique Barnyard (which was now on fire). About as loud as the freeway in Chicago during rush hour, it was still the quietest place we could find, and perhaps the only one where bullets weren’t flying.
“We’re staying here until the sun comes up, and these crazies tired themselves out.” He slid exhausted against the alley wall. “Casper has spoken.”
“You don’t get it. Mom said there was a place; a place where I would be safe. She said it’s where my dad came from, and it’s where we belong. We have to find her before this whole thing dies down. Dahlia said they wanted her for questioning and, if that happens, who knows what those crazy Masons will do to her.” I huffed. “We have to get her, find Owen, convince him to come with us and go. Now!”
“Cresta.” There was a serious look on Casper’s face. “You saw his tattoo. You know what he is. We-You can’t bring him with you, no matter where you go.”
“Why, because Allister Leeman thinks he’s the stupid dragon?”
“Because Allister Leeman thinks he’s gonna kill you one day,” he answered.
“He’s gonna kill the Bloodmoon. The sun will be up in five minutes and everybody will know that,” I folded my arms.
“Prophecies are weird. These people are weird. Some crazy person thinks they have a destiny that involves killing somebody that may or may not be you. I’m not taking the chance.” Now Casper folded his arms too.
“It’s not your chance to take. I believe in Owen, just like you believe in me.”
“Who said I believe in you? When did I say that? I believe you’re stupider than you look.”
“It’s happening Casper. Learn to love it,” I said, and took off back into the fray.
I heard Casper muttering. “Maybe I’m the friggin’ dragon, cause you’re working on my last ner
ve, little girl.” But, like I knew, he followed me anyway. The world spun in a rush of heat, sounds, and light. Nothing was familiar. I thought I might have saw Echo in the distance but, as quickly as he appeared, he was gone, and I couldn’t tell. Then, in a flash of horror, I thought I saw Allister Leeman. Mercifully, I was pushed away by the tide of people. The only thing that stayed constant, the only thing that kept me sane, was Casper’s hand in mine.
I felt a rush at my side, and then I was off my feet. The pavement rushed up to meet me. My head smacked against the pavement. I stood woozily. Looking up, I saw Casper. He had been knocked over too.
What was that?
He was getting to his feet slowly. The rush of people stretched out behind him until forever. Suddenly, I felt a presence at my side.
“There is but one path, Cresta Karr.” It was Wendy. She was calm and unshaken. “Do try to keep that in mind.” She touched my shoulder. “When Papa asks, tell him it was. It really was.”
“What?” I asked, but she was gone; rushing toward Casper. She whispered something quickly into his ear, and threw him back to the ground. Just as quickly, Wendy went rigid. Blood exploded onto her immaculate white shirt.
“Oh God,” I said, as she folded to the ground beside Casper. I rushed them. Casper had scooped her close to him, but the glint in his eyes when he looked at me said he had no idea what to do. Blood was soaking through Wendy’s shirt in one, two, three places. She coughed as her body tensed and jerked.
“Why did you do that?” Casper asked, as tears filled his green eyes. “You shouldn’t have done that. Why did you do that?”
Her face, always pale, grew even whiter. A smile, slow and strangely content, started to spread her lips.
“You knew,” I mumbled, leaning down to meet her. The craziness that had engulfed Crestview still raged on, but I hardly noticed it now. “You knew how this would end.”
“You knew this would happen?” Casper brushed strands of black hair out of Wendy’s pale eyes. “And you came anyway? Aww Wendy, you should have…” But his voice trailed off. “Be still,” he cleared his throat. “I’m gonna move you. I’m gonna get you to someone who can help.”
“There is no help, not for this. Help comes later, too late. Every time it is too late,” she put her hand on his forearm. “This is the way, the one path. Sacrifices must be made. Truths must be earned. There is no more for me. Do not be sad.”
“What do you know?” Casper asked. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks. “You’re just a girl. You never even got to live. You shouldn’t have done that. You shouldn’t have saved me.” He shook his head hard.
“We are not done Casper Rhodes.” Coughs marred Wendy’s words, but her eyes shone clear and intent. “I told you our love would break the anchors, and it will. But this is what must be. This is what I chose. To look but never touch, to see but never feel, to watch the pieces fall into place but never be one with them; that is no life. I choose this. I choose friends, and adventure.” She coughed hard, her body shaking and convulsing. She lifted her hand to Casper’s face. “I choose a… boy with hair… as bright… as the-“
Her hand fell back to her chest, never reaching Casper’s face. Her expression fell away, and the light left her pale seer’s eyes.
“She never even got to live, Cress,” Casper said through gritted teeth. “She never even…”
“Fate save us!” A voice pulled me from the moment. Merrin and Owen stood over us. Him, bare chested and cut; her, with her perfectly manicured hand stretched over her mouth. “A seer is dead.”
“She had a name!” Casper looked at her with flared nostrils. Wendy’s head was still in his lap.
“We killed a seer, Owen,” Merrin said, ignoring Casper. “Maybe not with our own hands, but this is our doing. We are responsible.” She looked sick and beyond defeat. “Do you have any idea what they’ll do to us? There’s no going back from this.”
“There was never any going back,” I said, standing and wiping fresh tears from my eyes. I was sick of crying, sick of having reasons to cry. The night sky had lightened to a thick navy blue. The sun would be up in minutes. “We’re going to find my mother.”
I marched through the crowd. I wasn’t sure who was following me, and I didn’t care. I was done with this. People had died for this. An innocent girl had died. Let these people have their crazy. Let them kill each other until the end of time looking for someone who might never come. I didn’t care.
The sky was rapidly brightening now. There was no sun yet, but the moon had dulled to a flat pale. As for the stars, there was only one left. But wouldn’t you know; it pinged to me. I struck off running, breaking through the throngs of people as quickly as my legs would allow. I made it through Main Street and past the schoolyard before I knew it. The star kept pinging; brightly and over and over. It called to me, loud and intense. This wasn’t like before, when the tones opened something inside my head. This was deeper than that. It was in my bones, in my cells, in my soul. It rang to me, it sang to me and, as I made my way to the ruined steps of where my house used to be, I saw why.
My mother stood flatly on the steps, with Allister Leeman behind her. He had a knife at her throat.
“Mom,” I screamed.
“Enough!” Allister Leeman jerked her so hard I was afraid he was going to tear her in two. “Enough of this! You will kill one of those people right now, this instant, or I will slit her throat!”
I felt people at my sides. Owen, Casper, and Merrin had followed me.
“Now!” He shouted and pressed the knife at her throat. A trickle of blood appeared on her neck.
“Cresta, go! Just run!” Mom yelled, but Allister Leeman jerked her again, shutting her up.
“If you run,she dies,” he spat. “No kill one of them!”
I didn’t know what to do, what move to make. I had done all of this for my mother, but I couldn’t kill someone, not even for her.
“You wanna play with me girl?” Allister Leeman asked, looking nervously at the sky. “Fine!”
He started to slide the knife across her throat.
“No!” I screamed. Mom spun, she hit Allister Leeman in the chest and both of them went down. I ran over to them, but it was over by then. And, when Mom stood up, Allister Leeman’s knife was buried in her chest.
She fell into my arms, blood trickling from her mouth. “Mom…” I choked.
“It’s okay, love. You’re going to be okay. Everything happens for a reason, even this.” Her arms fell limply at my sides. I was the only thing holding her up, as I felt the up and down of her chest grow slighter and slighter.
“Mom, don’t leave me,” I whisperedly begged. “Please don’t go.”
“It was worth it,” she said. “I love you Cresta. I always loved y-“
The movement of her chest stopped. So did her breath. So did her heart.
“You brought this upon yourself,” Allister Leeman was in front of me, huffing and scowling. “If you would have just done your duty, none of this would have been necessary. All this destruction, all this death; it’s your fault.”
I laid my mother carefully on the ground as he marched toward me. The sun was slowly peeking in the sky, almost risen. Anger rose like a flood within me, and with it, something else. An energy, unlike any I had ever felt before took me over. Like water bursting through the walls of a damn, it filled in every inch of me. I felt everything now. The ground underfoot, the sky overhead, and everything in between; it was all a part of me now. And with it, a heartbreak so real and raw that it threatened to overtake everything else. Well, everything except the anger.
“My fault?!” I screamed. They were just words, but they seemed to have to power to throw Allister Leeman backward. “You are a monster! You…”
I didn’t will my feet to move, but somehow I was moving closer to him. His eyes got large and his face colorless.
“You want me to kill! Is that what you want?!”
A strange thought occurred to me. There was
shade all around here, stopping the citizens of Crestview from seeing, hearing, or otherwise experiencing what was going on around them. The shade covered them completely. They reacted because of what the shade told them. If I controlled the shade, if I told it to convince Allister Leeman that he couldn’t breathe, that there was no air around him, would his body react to it? Would his lungs burn and then shut down? Would his heart race, and then stop? Would the life drain out of him like it did with my mother?
As I thought it, it seemed to happen. I felt the shade twist and turn, shaping to my will. Allister Leeman panicked. He rose suddenly, straining his body as he struggled uselessly trying to force it to breathe. He clawed at his throat, before falling to his knees in front of me.
“It can’t be me,” he choked out with what little air remained in his lungs. “It doesn’t end like that. Anyone but me.”
His logic didn’t matter to me though. I barely heard it. All I could hear, all I could see, was my mother dying in front of me, telling me that everything would be okay. Nothing would ever be okay again. She was gone, never coming back. And it was all Allister Leeman’s fault.
I could kill him.
I will kill him.
He struggled at my feet and, in my heightened state; I could sense his heart straining for the oxygen it needed to keep pumping. It wouldn’t be long now, and then the bastard would never be able to hurt anyone again.
“Cresta.” Owen was at my side, his hands on my shoulder and back. His voice was low, as though he was very far away. “Don’t do this. We’re so close, baby.” He leaned in closer. I felt the heat of him on my neck. It was different than the heat of the anger. The anger tore me up. Owen put me back together.
“Think of your mom, Cresta.”
Anger flashed in my again, and Allister Leeman struck the ground with his fist, begging for release.
“No. Think of who she was. She loved you so much, baby. She gave her whole life for you, so you wouldn’t become this. And she died for you too. Don’t make it all for nothing, not now, not after she gave so much. Think of your mom. Think of Wendy. Think of me and Casper. We all love you so much. I love you so much. Come back to me, Cresta.”
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 384