“Jade sent you?” Zach asked. He seemed so vulnerable that Raven hated to dash his hopes.
“No. I need your help. It has to do with being a Death Keeper.” Raven said.
Zach opened the door, “We don’t have long. My Dad’s in the garage.”
“Aunt Bertha’s in the car. She didn’t want to come in. I think she’s having trouble getting around,” Raven followed Zach through the door. To be honest, she was curious about what a Death Keeper’s house might look like.
What a disappointment! There was nothing unique in the house at all, not even book shelves with crazy titles. Anyone could have lived here. She said, “Where’s your bat cave?”
Zach just raised an eyebrow.
“Your super powers. Why don’t you have anything weird in the house, anything that says, ‘Hey, look at me. I’m a Death Keeper.” Raven ran her hand along the back of the dark green sofa. Everything looked so elegant.
Barking laughter, Zach said, “As if you have anything in your house that says, ‘Look at me. I’m an Elemental.’”
“True enough.” Raven sat down on the sofa, sinking into the plush cushion and wondering where to start.
Zach started for her, “What’s going on?”
“We need you to get a key and rescue my Mom. We’re going to try to find the evil guy who originally had the gift of Time because there are apparently only two people in the entire universe with the ability to get to her. He has to agree to take us to her, but then he would be out of his cage,” Raven leaned back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling. While all of the kids at school were thinking about what they were going to be and do after high school, Raven was trying to rescue her Mom. It hardly seemed fair.
“First of all, not all the Death Keepers get along or even respect one another, so I can tell you without a doubt that no one wants Petrodus set free, if he can be which is not certain. He should be long dead by now,” Zach took the opposite end of the couch, his hands folded between his knees. He slumped, and Raven thought he looked more depressed than Aunt Bertha, who had been moping around the house for weeks.
“Assume he’s alive. Can you help us get to him?” Raven heard a crow caw outside the window. It gave her an eerie feeling of being watched. If she could watch through crows, what others had the gift? She asked, “Can you close the curtains?”
When Zach stood up, it was a bit too quickly, too hurried, and he looked absolutely haunted. As he fumbled with the cord to the curtains, he said, “I lost my Death Keeper gift. I’m grounded.”
“What? But you were just with Jade this morning! How do you lose your gift from one hour to the next?” Raven tried to keep calm. She was starting to sound shrill. That never worked in trying to sweet-talk someone into something As the curtains fell closed, Raven felt better.
Zach stared down at his hands, his cheeks flush as he admitted, “I cheated. My job this morning was to escort Jade to the land beyond life. We have the ability to heal, but only at the Universe’s direction. I disobeyed the direction and saved her life. She is supposed to be dead. I just…I couldn’t, and now the Universe won’t talk to me, not even to punish me. Everything gone. I’m all alone inside myself.”
As Zach said the words, Raven knew how very alone he felt. It oozed out of him. Raven understood. She remembered those dark days not so long ago when Air was silent.
“Well, the Unmaker didn’t say we needed a Death Keeper with power. He just said we needed a Death Keeper. The next full moon falls on Sunday, October 16th at 12:23 AM. We’ll probably be out most of the night. Will you help?” Raven asked.
Zach looked lost. Raven thought that if Jade was sitting here on the sofa right now, that she would instantly forgive Zach and all would be well. His sadness seemed to encompass the whole of his being. He shrugged, “I’d do anything for Jade. Anything. If this will help you find your Mom, I’ll be there.”
“Come to our house then, on the Sunday of the full moon,” Raven said softly, “I’m sorry about Jade. We’ve been running from your order for years. You have to understand what it meant to her to discover you were one of them.”
Zach looked so handsome in his navy blue button up shirt and tight jeans. Raven couldn’t believe Jade landed him in the first place much less why she threw him out of the house for being a Death Keeper. He smiled ruefully and said, “I wouldn’t change my decision, even though I lost Jade. I lost the Universe, too, but I would rather she live and hate me than be…well, you know.”
Raven knew. She thanked him and was surprised when he pulled her into a hug. She gripped him back, realizing how lonely he must be without the Universe. She said, “Thank you. I hope you get the Universe back. You seem like one of the good guys.”
“I try to be.”
The hug felt normal, the parting awkward. Raven could never tell Jade, even though it was completely innocent. Jade was so jealous of Raven’s black hair and perky nose. Raven knew she was cute. She also knew she was not Zach’s type. The hug was platonic and comforting for both of them. Raven had a flickering thought that he was like a brother…in-law. He felt like family.
Chapter 10
~~ Jade ~~
Jade missed a volleyball game and a week of school. Even though her wound had healed up, she could barely walk from room to room and tired easily. Raven couldn’t stop talking about the plans to rescue Mom. The whole week had been napping and listening to ideas. Not that Jade had anything to add. She wanted to save her mother more than anything, but she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes open.
Even now, in English class, Jade put her head on the desk. She was exhausted. The class’s laughter woke her up. She blinked, confused. Mr. Tanner only added to the laughter when he said, “I understand most of you find Shakespeare boring. I’d only ask that snoring be kept to a minimum."
Rubbing her eyes, Jade refused to engage. Sometimes school felt like a fake life. Danika tittered, her grating chuckle enough to make Jade want to punch her. Fire thought toasty buns would be a better idea. Jade wanted so much to agree.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Tanner,” Jade straightened in her seat. The worst thing was that the heavy feeling in her arms and legs just wouldn’t go away. Sometimes she felt like she could barely move.
The class moved on. Jade felt dread in the pit of her stomach, like a cold stone that just sank to the bottom of her heart. She would soon see Zach for the first time since the whole Death Keeper revelation. The minutes on those clocks just kept moving forward, and she didn’t think she could bear the thought of sitting in cold silence with him when she really wanted to burst into tears and snuggle.
Chemistry came all too soon.
At least Zach had the good grace to look as awkward as Jade felt. She gave him a shy, “Hello.”
It was a crumb that brought out a warm smile. He thought he was forgiven and said, “Homecoming is on Friday. Are you still up to it? I got a tux and everything.”
The whole class stopped talking, as if listening on baited breath. As if her life was a soap opera.
Great!
Jade wanted to go. With Zach. He was a Death Keeper. She wanted to go. His order killed her Dad right in front of her. Lowering her voice to a bare whisper, she said, “No, Zach. I’m sorry. I can be civil as a lab partner, but we’re through.”
The rest of chemistry was awkward to say the least. She and Zach barely spoke to each other at all. She thought since she did the breaking up that it would be easier, but the truth was, she had fallen in love with him. She wasn’t the type to just fall out of love again, even if he did betray her.
Cindy Mason saw Jade in the hall. She said, “I’m glad you’re back. I hope you’re feeling better.” It was the first kind thing Jade had heard all day. Her heart was already breaking. This was like the wind that shook the shattered glass and made her fall apart.
She nodded and said, “Thanks.” Barely able to get the word out.
“Hey, are you okay?” Cindy asked.
“Yeah, just me and Zach. I’
ll see you at volleyball, ‘kay?” Jade felt that she was suffocating. She somehow disengaged from Cindy and found the nearest bathroom. She couldn’t fall apart yet. She still had American History. Grabbing paper towels she ran them under cold water. As her tears fell silently into the sink, Jade washed her cheeks and eyes with cold water. Okay, Jade, pull yourself together.
A warmth spread through her body, You’ll be okay. This happens at your age while you try to find yourself. Fire spoke with the wisdom of the ages. The words didn’t sink in, but the warmth did.
Able to pull herself together, Jade said thank you.
She ran down the hall, slipping into her seat just as the bell rang.
~~ Zach ~~
Jade said no.
Zach couldn’t actually believe it. She said hello as if they were going to be friends again, and then embarrassed him in front of everyone. He was stopped in the hall by Danika, not one of his favorite people.
Danika smiled coyly up at him, her doe eyes wide and seemingly innocent. Zach knew better. Danika’s sharp tongue made her more harpy than maiden, witch then sweetheart. She said, “Look, you and I both have a problem. Matt and I had a huge fight. I don’t have anyone to go to Homecoming with and now you don’t either.”
“Where’d you hear that?” Zach asked with the twin thoughts, ‘Who did she tell?’ and ‘Jade wouldn’t say anything.’
“Come on, Zach. Everyone in Chemistry heard the question. Even if we didn’t hear what Jade said, your body language was enough. Look, if you go with me, I guarantee you Jade will be jealous. So will Matt. This is just a business agreement between friends. We go to Homecoming together, take what joy we can from the experience, and then our real partners will realize what they’ve almost lost and come crawling back.”
Zach had lost a lot of face in Chemistry today, and Danika made sense. Who else was he going to find at this late hour? They might as well enjoy the night. Maybe Jade would come to her senses.
His conscience told him to say no. His conscience told him that he’d hurt Jade. He asked the Universe for His opinion. The Universe was silent. His selfish thought said, Do it. She cost you your gift.
That settled it, then. Zach said, “All right. We’ll go together, but just as friends.”
The look of triumph on Danika’s face almost made Zach change his mind. He trudged down the hall feeling lower than a worm drying up on the sidewalk at the end of a rain. He wasn’t even happy that he had a date to Homecoming. That should have told him something.
~~ Jade ~~
By noon the news was all over school. One guess on who spread it. Zach and Danika were going to Homecoming together. The worst was the fact that Jade had quickly become the center of the whole conversation. Some of the girls on the volleyball team touched her arm and said how sorry they were. The girls who hated her put their noses in the air and acted like she deserved his double betrayal, not that anyone knew about the first.
Raven was sitting alone at one of the tables. Jade slid in the seat beside her, “Where’s Shelly?”
It was a sore subject for Raven, one she’d kept to herself. When she was part of the Void, she didn’t much care, but now that she was whole and complete, she felt the loss of her best friend keenly.
“Her Mom pulled her out of school and shipped her off to stay with her cousin,” Raven got most of the news from friends at school. Shelly’s only communication to Raven since the party had been to text Raven to tell her how it was all her fault, that if Raven had told her she had a bad feeling about the party, she should have said it up front. Shelly wouldn’t accept Raven’s explanations or apology. She considered it a breach of friendship that Raven left her alone at the party.
“I’m sorry,” Jade took a bite of applesauce and made a face, “You’d think they could come up with something more appealing.”
One of Raven and Shelly’s mutual friends grabbed the chair on the other side of Jade. She was overweight, but her face was cute, so she had that chubby angelic look that the cherubs in a renaissance painting wore. “I bet you’re furious with Danika.”
Jade broke the tab on her Coke, “I’ll never be a fan. So what did she say about me this time?”
“You don’t know? It’s all over school. She’s going to Homecoming with Zach,” she said.
It was a physical blow to the gut. Jade said, “Danika? That makes no sense. He doesn’t even like her.”
Raven glared at her friend. She said, “I’ll ask him straight up. I bet it’s a dumb rumor.”
“I wish I hadn’t wasted money on a dress,” Jade said, thinking of the satin green gown in her closet. The green played off the red highlights in her hair. While she wouldn’t say she looked stunning, she at least managed to feel feminine.
“It’s not a waste. I’ll wear it next year,” Raven joked. “Seriously. You should just tell Zach you changed your mind and want to go with him.”
“No way. He lied to me. And what he is…that’s not something I can get over.” Jade sipped her Coke. A couple of the Moms were lobbying hard to get rid of the machine in the lobby. Until they did, Jade would use it with glee.
Jade hated the way Raven took Zach’s side. Raven started listing all of his virtues, his level of cuteness, intelligence, and kindness. That last one was rare.
After fourth period, Raven caught her in the hall to confirm that Zach really had agreed to go with Danika, but that she had asked him. During fifth period, Matt, Danika’s ex-boyfriend stopped Jade in the hall. He said, “Would you want to go with me to Homecoming?”
The whole world tilted a little. Matt…asking Jade? Why? She said, “But you like Danika.”
“Yeah, and you like Zach. But they’re not available right now. So how about it?” Matt wasn’t bad looking. It’s just Jade never imagined anything with him, not even having a conversation in the hall. He had spent years ignoring her very existence.
Jade was surprised at how steady she sounded when she said, “Yes.”
The day dragged on and on. Now everyone stopped by Jade’s desk to ask her if she broke up with Zach and if she knew about Danika and why didn’t she do something about it. Jade didn’t add to the rumor by mentioning Matt. By fifth period, everyone knew that tidbit as well.
Jade just wanted to go home and sleep. Volleyball practice was terrible. Jade could hardly hit a serve over the net, and she kept missing the ball on the returns.
Finally the day was over. When Jade got home, she changed into her long t-shirt and went straight to bed. Mindy fussed, but Jade felt so heavy in spirit that she just didn’t have the energy to deal with it. She was grateful when Raven told Mindy to come out into the living room and let Jade sleep and that Jade had had a rough day, which was an understatement.
~~ Raven ~~
At dinner, Aunt Bertha looked outright ill. She was holding her hand in the small of her back, and squirming uncomfortably in her chair. Jade was still asleep. Mindy drove everyone crazy with her whiny discontent.
“Mom.” Mindy said, her eyebrows scrunched up in a frown.
“I know you want Mom, but she’s not here.” Claire dumped a spoonful of lumpy mashed potatoes on Mindy’s plate.
“Maybe we should talk about Mom,” Raven said quietly. She waited until Claire was at her seat.
“Shouldn’t we wake Jade?” Claire asked as she poked around her potatoes. She took a bite and grimaced, “What did I do wrong?”
“As for Jade, no. As for the potatoes, you need to actually use the mixer and not stir them three times and call them mashed,” Raven softened her words with a teasing smile. With Mom gone, they had been kinder to one another. At least that was something.
Aunt Bertha sipped a glass of water, her plate woefully empty. Claire tried to fill it up, but Bertha wouldn’t have it. Raven worried. There were so many things to worry about. Bertha said, “Your Mom has been taken out of this dimension. Only a very few members have the kind of power to do that.”
Raven said, “The Unmaker said our only real
chance at rescuing her is to use Petrodus. He’s evil and unmanageable, but the Void didn’t know how to find the second person with the key to that dimension. There are only two.”
“I may be young.” Claire hesitated and then just pushed ahead bluntly, “Okay. I’m just going to say it. This is a horrible plan. I mean, release our arch-nemesis of all-time on the word of the group who has been chasing after us the other half of the time, a group he belongs to, no less. It’s crazy.”
“Or leave Amy where she is and live our lives without her,” Aunt Bertha said, “She is trapped, but it is a gilded cage.”
“What do you think?” Claire asked Aunt Bertha.
Raven noticed that Bertha’s hands had developed tremors. Somehow in the last six months, she’d gotten old. As far back as Raven could remember, Aunt Bertha had always had white hair, but as elderly people go, she’d been spry and on her toes, eager to join in whatever game or adventure the girls were planning. Now she was quiet, tired, and more likely to sit in her arm chair and read.
Aunt Bertha removed her glasses and carefully cleaned the lenses with her napkin. She spent so long on those glasses that Raven thought she might have forgotten Claire’s question. Finally she said, “You won’t have long. If you don’t act on the next full moon, you won’t see your Mother again in this lifetime. Petrodus is cunning and dangerous. If he is accidentally loosed on the world, the price will be too steep. If I were your mother, I would want you to say goodbye and leave me in that dimension rather than risk letting a murderer go.”
“What if she were your Mom?” Raven asked.
Aunt Bertha lost her mother at a young age. She was eight when her mother died of a stroke, far too young. Some say it was the denying of her powers that did it. Bertha pressed her lips together and said, “I would save her regardless of her feelings.”
“We all need to be in agreement. Jade is in. I already spoke to her. We need Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Death to come together on the next full moon. At Diana’s sacred waterfall, we will open the door.” Raven looked from Claire to Mindy, “It will be dangerous.”
A Time to Die (Elemental Rage Book 2) Page 11