Sweet Burden

by K L Ogden

  “That’s pathetic,” Obi rolled his eyes. “Maybe you should have done your job instead of playing around with the humans so much.”

  “That’s a bold statement from someone with a dagger at his neck. And for someone who has become so utterly obsessed with a human on a list.”

  Obi’s nostrils flared and with the quickness of lightning, Obi grabbed Dom’s arm from his neck and brought Domitori over his back. Slamming Domitori first on the ground, then he picked him up by his collar and threw him towards the doors. He crashed through the glass, but easily landed on his feet.

  “What can you do to me with a blade?” Obi tilted his head from side to side letting out a loud crack.

  Domitori lifted his head and glared at Obi. He brushed the shards from his shoulders and spun the knife around in his fingers. “Come out here and find out. Or maybe I should just go track down your girlfriend.”

  Obi’s jaw clenched as he charged Dom, but he quickly vanished before Obi could reach him. Obi stopped at the doorway and carefully stepped outside feeling the air around him.

  “Too slow Obsidian,” Domitori called down to him from the air above him.

  Obsidian gave a huff and pulled off his suit jacket. He dropped it to the ground and then started unbuttoning his shirt. He peeled it from his sweat soaked skin as a large set of jet black wings appeared from his shoulder blades. Each wing stretched out the length of almost seven feet. He rustled his wings as he dropped the shirt and quickly he took off into the air after Domitori.

  Domitori flew up above the school as Obi caught up with him. He grabbed at his leg with the intent of yanking him downward, but the leg disappeared from Obi’s reach. Obi tucked his wings in spinning around to find Domitori behind him. Domitori slashed at him with the blade, but with Obi’s wings around him they acted as a shield.

  Obi swiftly spun around and twisted landing a kick to Domitori’s chest sending him hurling backwards. Domitori tucked his wings in as he flipped through the air and then with a slight jerk his wings opened righting himself. Domitori smiled and then teleported again ending up right in front of Obi. He stabbed at Obi, but Obi easily blocked it and landed a punch to his face. Domitori shook his head, but the blow hardly fazed him.

  Trying for another kick, Obi spun around only to miss Domitori as he vanished. Domitori again reappeared behind Obi. Obi avoided another stab and flapped his wings flying higher into the sky. Obi closed his eyes as he sensed the air around him. The vibrations in the air were smooth and they wrapped around him.

  Suddenly the vibrations were disturbed. Obi reached out in front of him grabbing Domitori as he teleported. Domitori opened his mouth in surprise as Obi clung to him. With his other arm, Obi slammed Dom’s face with his elbow. Stilling clinging to him, before Domitori became completely aware again, Obi used his strength and pushed him downward. They fell quickly to the school roof, the weight and force of them causing the cement to crack. Obi landed on top of him and rolled over onto his back as his wings tucked back into his shoulder blades.

  Domitori let out a cough as Obi pulled himself up to his feet. He glared down at him as Dom started laughing. Domitori shifted his hand revealing the blade in his grasp, now dripping with blood. Obi’s eyes widened as he looked down at his abdomen. He put his hands over the wound as he dropped to his knees. Domitori easily rolled over onto his knees and stood up. He walked over to Obi and carefully wiped the blood off onto his pants. Obi started to feel a burning sensation running through his veins.

  “That’s how my blade can hurt you,” Domitori snickered and put his boot on Obi’s shoulder pushing Obi down onto his side.

  Obi squeezed his fists in pain and let out a yell. “How…did…” Obi grunted in agony clutching his stomach. He let out another scream as Domitori knelt down beside him. Obi felt as though electricity was running through his body and striking every nerve one at a time.

  “A blade soaked in the blood of the living,” Domitori sighed. “Does it hurt? I’ve heard when our kind are actually killed it is excruciating. As their blood combines with ours…well, I’ve just heard it’s like you are on fire from the inside out. Is that what it feels like?”

  Obi squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think about the pain, but it was entering every single cell in his body. The burning was unbearable and he let out another screech of suffering.

  “Just enough blood has entered your system to kill you, but it will take a little longer. It only takes one single drop. Watching you slowly die will be breathtaking.” Domitori sighed. “I have to say, your skills were quite disappointing. I thought we might fight a bit longer. Although you did give me a bit of a surprise.” He snickered. “I wonder how you’re little human girlfriend will handle the news. But don’t worry, I’ll be there for her.”

  Obi let out another yell. The pain was getting more intense, but he was more concerned about Hitomi in the clutches of Domitori. “Don’t you touch her!” he managed to roar.

  Domitori’s breath was at his ear. “Don’t worry. She’ll have fun before she dies. I give you my personal guarantee of that,” he whispered.

  “I’m going to kill you!” Obi screeched.

  “I don’t think you are in any shape to be making threats.”

  Obi buried his head in his arm as his other hand clasped at his abdomen. He curled his body tighter into a fetal position. Every movement stung. The burning was getting hotter. It felt like acid was tearing into his skin.

  “Oh, decisions decisions. Should I stay to watch your end? Or do I want you to die knowing that I am with your lovely Hitomi? What is a…” Domitori suddenly bellowed in agony. He heard Dom fall to the ground beside him. He forced his eyes open. Domitori lay on the roof beside him holding his head and screaming in pain.

  Obi was barely able to lift his eyes to the shadowed figure that walked up in between them. Through the blazing of his body, he could not sense who it was and he dropped his head back down to the cement. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. “Hitomi,” he whispered.

  Chapter 9

  Hitomi ran the entire way home. Her legs aching once she arrived at her front door. Her feet were sore and bleeding. But none of that seemed to matter. She found the key tucked under a flower pot and opened the door, rushing into the house. Once inside she slammed the door and flipped all the locks. Trying to catch her breath, she leaned back against the door in the dimness.

  She was thankful that her mother wasn’t home. She didn’t know if she should call the police, call her mom or just hide. Her chest still pounding, she ran upstairs to her room tripping the entire way. Shutting the door, she turned the lock and backed away towards her bed. She took refuge on her bed and grabbed her pillow hugging it to her chest. She sat in the quiet darkness and tried to understand everything that had happened.

  Shaking her head, she tried to eliminate the revelation that Obi had been sent to kill her. But he had protected her. He had lain in the bed next to her. He had touched her gently. He had almost kissed her. She couldn’t believe that he was evil, but she had been wrong. She wondered if he had killed other people. Then she gasped as she thought of the two men from the alley. Had he killed them? Hitomi had let herself care for him. She ached when he was not near. She ached for him now.

  But what was he? It was clear that he was not human. And the other guy was obviously not human. The damn guy was invisible. Her breathing staggered and she returned her thoughts back to Obi, or Obsidian as the other guy had called him.

  She had been so stupid. She let him into her house. She took care of him. Her attachment to him was growing and growing every day. Hitomi dropped her head into her trembling hands. She had let herself start to love him. He had captured her heart.

  Suddenly there was a banging at her window causing her to jump. Her body shook harder and she tried to stay as still as her heaving chest would allow.

  “Open your window!” a boy’s voice said and there was another bang against the glass.

  Hitomi’s fingers ache
d from squeezing the pillow so hard.

  “I know you’re in there.”

  Then she heard Obi shriek. It sounded like he was in pain.

  “Obi?” she whispered as she lifted her head.

  “Hitomi, open your window now. Obi needs help.” The glass rattled again.

  “Obi wants to kill me,” she countered unable to remain silent.

  “No he doesn’t. That’s why he protected to you. Now open your god damn window or I am going to kick it in. We are running out of time.”

  Hitomi reached over and practically knocked the lamp off her table as she turned it on. Her entire body was shaking. She slowly climbed off the bed and walked over to the window. She was convinced the entire thing was some sort of trap, but she had heard the pain in Obi’s voice. Her fingers crept up to the drapes and she pulled them back.

  Her eyes widened at the shirtless boy hovering at her window. She instantly recognized him as the boy who had stopped her fall at Club Scarlet. He was the one who had left the weird handprints on her. She blinked her eyes and then became fully aware of the large set of grey wings flapping up and down gradually behind him. Her eyes widened almost mesmerized by the elegant up and down motion.

  “Open the window,” he said sternly.

  Hitomi finally noticed the limp body of Obi tucked in his arm. She took in a sharp breath and quickly fumbled with the window lock. She pushed the lower half up and the boy grabbed onto the windowsill. With his other arm he shoved Obi through the opening. Hitomi tried to grab him, but the boy pushed him in too fast and Obi was too heavy. Obi hit the floor with a thud and let out a piercing scream.

  “What happened?” she dropped down to her knees beside him and looked up to the boy crawling through the window. His wings had disappeared and he turned shutting the window. He locked the window and drew the curtains. “Who are you?” she asked as she pulled Obi’s head onto her lap.

  He moved over to her and practically pushed her aside as he picked Obi back up and carried him to the bed.

  “What is going on? What’s wrong with Obi?”

  Still she got no response. He placed Obi down on the bed and Obi cried out as his back arched. The boy pulled his beanie off of his head and pushed it down onto Obi’s bare stomach. He turned back to her still on the floor and reached over with his free hand grabbing her wrist.

  “Come here,” he demanded.

  “What? Why?”

  “Now,” he yanked her up from the floor with considerable strength. She stumbled to her feet and he pulled her next to the bed.

  Hitomi’s eyes settled on the gaping, bloody wound in Obi’s abdomen. She gasped as she put her hand over her mouth. “Is he going to die?”

  “No.” The boy grabbed her other wrist from her face. He moved her hands toward the wound.

  “What are you doing?” She tried to pull her hands away. The boy did not pay any attention to her as she protested. He smashed her hands down onto the wound squishing her fingers into the warm blood. Hitomi had to hold back her overwhelming feeling to throw up. Her stomach churned as the boy held her hands in place. Obi had completely stopped moving or making any noises.

  “Concentrate,” the boy instructed.

  “On what?” she turned away.

  “On him. Look at him. Think about healing him. Think about keeping him alive.”

  “I can’t,” she shook her head.

  “Yes you can. You have to or he will die.”

  Hitomi’s eyes widened and she forced herself to turn back. She looked down at Obi’s face. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t leave her. She needed him. She closed her eyes as she leaned over him. “Obi, you can’t leave me now. You have to be okay. I need you,” she whispered. She put her queasy stomach aside and began to visualize the wound healing as the boy instructed. Suddenly her hands began to tingle and her fingertips got warm.

  “Whatever you are doing, keep doing it,” the boy said releasing her wrists and letting out a loud sigh.

  Hitomi opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. Her fingertips were beginning to glow with a bright white light. She didn’t understand what was exactly going on, but she didn’t dare stop thinking about Obi. She stared at the wound as her body became calmer. Without knowing why, she started to run her fingers along the open skin while visualizing the deep puncture closing. Her fingers became warmer as the light spread entirely over each hand.

  The boy stood behind her watching. Unexpectedly she felt something blocking the healing. Running her fingers around the edges, she felt what seemed like a small pebble under his skin. She couldn’t stop herself from pushing her fingers inside the wound. Hitomi closed her fingers around the hard object and pulled it out. She dropped what looked like a red crystal onto the beanie sitting on Obi’s chest.

  Immediately Obi gasped taking in a huge breath of air. He started to struggle against her as he let out an agonizing screech. Hitomi returned her hand back to his abdomen.

  “Hold him still. He needs to stop moving,” Hitomi instructed as she glanced at Obi’s face. He was overcome with pain and she wanted to make it go away.

  She turned her head away as the boy grabbed Obi’s shoulders and attempted to hold him down. His legs started to kick as she tried to concentrate, but his movements kept slipping her hands off of him.

  “I’m not letting you die,” she said as her jaw tightened. She moved over onto the bed and straddled him, sitting on him to keep him from moving. She pushed her hands down onto him harder as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Please stop moving Obi,” she pleaded as her hands were completely illuminated now. She pressed down on him as hard as she could.

  Her hands began glowing so brightly she had to close her eyes. She felt an energy moving through her entire body, traveling up and down through each vein and then flowing through her fingers. She was determined to heal him. Hitomi felt another little hard crystal object and she pulled it out.

  Instantaneously Obi’s thrashing stopped and his screams turned into uncomfortable whimpers. Hitomi kept her hands in place remaining focused.

  “Hitomi…” Obi said between staggered breaths and slight groans. “Hitomi…”

  “She’s right here Obi,” the boy said releasing his shoulders.

  Hitomi opened her eyes and looked at Obi’s face. The pain was dissipating and he was trying to catch his breath. She let out a sigh of relief as all of a sudden she felt light headed. The light quickly faded from her hands as her chest rose and fell deeply. Her body began to go limp.

  “Hitomi!” the boy rushed over and caught her before she fell to the ground. “Are you alright?”

  “I feel really tired,” she whispered. She felt so weak she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

  “You used a great deal of energy. You need to lie down.” He picked her up off of Obi and then maneuvered her over him, laying her down on the other side of him.

  “I’m okay,” she mumbled. “He needs to be able to rest.”

  “He’ll recover faster the closer you are. And you need to recover your strength,” the boy replied. “Do you have any medical supplies?”

  “Who or what are you?” Hitomi mumbled as she stared up at the grey-haired boy.

  He gave her a wide grin. “Just get some rest. I’ll tell you what I can when you wake up. Now, where are those medical supplies?” he said in a soothing voice practically lulling her to sleep.

  “Bathroom.” She rolled onto her side and glanced at Obi before her eyes shut. A shiver ripped through her body. Without even asking, the boy placed a blanket over top of her and she heard him leave the room. She listened to Obi still taking in staggered breaths, but at least he was not screaming or thrashing around. Hitomi let out a sigh and drifted off to sleep.

  ****

  He could still smell Hitomi. He may have been dead, but somehow he had the memories of her. Obi couldn’t have asked for anything more in death. He thought of the first time he laid eyes on her, the way he filled with anticipation of seeing her when he s
at on the bench, and the way that her smile made him want to smile.

  But even with the thoughts of her flooding his mind, he thought of Domitori’s words. She would be unprotected. Had Domitori found her? Was he hurting her? Was she calling for him? He squeezed his eyes tightly and tensed his fists. He could feel the anger inside him. He could feel his hands.

  Obi fluttered his eyes open and he glanced around the room. Was this his hell? Spending eternity in the only place he had felt happiness and knowing he would never feel it again. Domitori had pierced him with living blood. He had to be dead. Well, as dead as he was able to be. But everything felt real. The pillow under his head felt squishy and soft. He pulled the fabric of the sheet on top of him between his fingers. It felt the same as it had the previous day. And the scent of Hitomi was so strong. He could practically feel her next to him. He wanted to turn and look, but the fear of her not being there overwhelmed him. His body shivered. He had to see.