Taken: The Pteron Chronicles

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  The eye burning was even worse this time. If I hadn’t been so determined I probably would have looked away earlier.

  “That was even worse for me.” Cade had his hand over his eyes. “And just as helpful, huh?”

  “Agreed. What is this supposed to be telling us? How does any of this help?” I was getting so tired of the confusing messages.

  “It helps. We just have to figure out the why.” Noah walked around the table and took his seat. “I assume we’re taking a break?”

  “My eyes could use it,” I admitted. “I’m usually really good at dealing with physical pain. This isn’t like me.”

  “I don’t think it’s pain as much as exhaustion.”

  “Weird question, but do you guys remember every word?” I wondered if I did because I was a Lightness.

  “Yes,” they replied unanimously.

  “Then maybe it was literally burning itself into our brains.” Not a pretty picture, but it was what I could come up with.

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Noah blinked rapidly.

  “Great minds think alike.” I pressed a palm to my forehead. Thankfully the pain was subsiding.

  “Maybe I chose the wrong journey,” Cade mumbled.

  “So much for being glad you came.”

  “I am glad, but I didn’t sign up to have something burned into me.”

  “The burning sensation doesn’t last forever at least.”

  “The second time was worse than the first though. Maybe we should be careful how much we read right now.” We were dealing with something none of us fully understood. “And I’m sorry guys.”

  “Sorry for what exactly?” Cade asked.

  “I had you do that with me. Eloise suggested I do it alone, and I didn’t listen.”

  “We don’t blame you.” Noah leaned back in his chair. “But maybe since you’re the Lightness you want to try the next one on your own?”

  “Is it still burning you guys?” I was almost afraid to ask.

  “Oh, yeah.” Cade leaned forward.

  “It’s nearly stopped for me now. Yeah. I feel awful.” The guilt grew and grew.

  “Please don’t feel bad. None of this is your fault.” Eloise covered my hand with hers. “Following your instincts is important.”

  “It is when they’re right.” Clearly, I needed to think long and hard before trusting mine.

  “Maybe it was right. This way if something happens to you the rest of us know the info,” Noah suggested.

  “Should I deck him or let you do it?” Cade snapped.

  “It’s a fair point.” I looked at Noah. “I did tell you to speak up about things.”

  “You told him to share ideas. Not suggest that bad things are going to happen to you.”

  “You know that’s not what I was doing. I was looking at the situation from all angles. That’s what I’m trained to do.”

  “As a police officer?” Eloise asked.

  “Yes, and as a member of a pack.”

  “Okay. I need something to eat before we go any further.” Cade pushed his chair back. “Hopefully your uncle stocked some food.”

  “Have at it.” I gestured to the cabinets. “But no promises he has anything edible.”

  “At this point I could eat anything.” Cade stood and walked across the kitchen.

  “For once I agree with you.” Eloise stood. So did Noah.

  I sat alone at the table wishing I had some idea of what to do next.

  11

  Glendale

  There is nothing redeemable about the realm of the dead. I have heard that it beats other places for the non-living, but it is so grey and bleak I find it hard to justify any positive words about it. I have also heard the experience is different if you are truly supposed to be there. But I wasn’t. At least not yet. And if I was careful not anytime soon.

  Georgina seemed unperturbed by the bleak locale at first. She’d dusted off her shirt—even though there was no dust on it—and looked around the dark forest fairly contentedly. “Thank you for the transportation.”

  “You are welcome. I still can’t imagine why you wanted to come here. You were living a rather nice life.” I stepped to the side as I noticed a few bugs crawling among the leaves. I didn’t realize anything living resided in this realm. Or maybe they weren’t living, but I’d never seen a non-living yet animated bug before.

  “I am looking for someone. And you know as well as I do that my life was going to change even if I didn’t take this journey.” She looked down at her arms, and her expression turned to one of mild alarm. “I do believe I am turning grey.”

  “Side effect of being here. It is the first of many I assume you will be experiencing.” It wasn’t exactly pleasant for me, but being a demon it didn’t change much about my appearance. For a human, the realm was debilitating to say the least.

  “Well, I’ve had grey hair for years already. What’s grey skin matter?” She looked all around. “Okay. I believe I have my bearings now.”

  “Just so we are clear, my part of this is over.” I was ready to get out of there and find Hailey.

  “As I said I have my bearings now. Thank you again for the transportation. You may leave.”

  “I cannot take you back anyway,” I rationalized. There was really no reason to stick around.

  “We have been over this.” She started to walk.

  “And it is okay if I leave?” I padded after her.

  She stopped in her tracks. “Would it matter if I told you it wasn’t? You are a demon. Since when have you cared about others?”

  “It’s all Daisy’s fault.” The words flew out of my mouth. Maybe it was a strange side effect of the realm. Honesty. “She’s ruined me.” I still remembered meeting that Allure. She’d been so sweet and innocent—so perfectly wrong for the life she’d been cast into. In some ways she was my exact opposite. Hailey wasn’t like Daisy, but they were more similar than either girl could imagine. And there was just something about the Pteron that drew me in. A power one could not deny.

  “You aren’t ruined. You are more complex. That is not a bad thing at all as long as you never let it get in the way.” She had a far-off look in her eyes. I imagined she was examining her own life and decisions. But maybe that was just me romanticizing the situation.

  “Anything that softens a demon is bad.”

  “If you want to leave, leave. Do not stay on my account.” She was telling the truth. That startled me. Here was a weak human unafraid to face the unknown. Sure, I was not exactly trustworthy, but I was a companion and presumably protection. Yet she was fine being left entirely alone.

  “You’ve said that already.” I made no plans to leave quite yet. Surely Hailey would be fine if I stayed just a little longer. “If you would like my company for a short while longer, I can provide it. But fair warning, I may leave at any time.”

  Georgina smiled. “I wouldn’t mind the company, but we need to move fast.”

  “Where are we going exactly?”

  “To find an old friend.”

  “An old friend living in the realm of the dead?” I’d asked very few questions before transporting her. Perhaps I should have questioned her more.

  “Yes.” She picked up the pace.

  I kept up right beside her. “Oh. You keep in touch?”

  She gave me an annoyed look. “Glendale, really.”

  “Sorry. I had to.” I cannot really remember when I started making jokes. It certainly wasn’t part of my initial makeup, but as the centuries passed, so did I.

  “I’m not sure your reasons for remaining with me, but you are going to have to put a lot of trust in my decisions. Otherwise, you are free to leave.”

  “I don’t trust easily.”

  “Well, neither do I. There. I guess we do have something in common.”

  “We have more than that in common. I rather like your decorating.” I rubbed up against her leg without really thinking.

  She glanced down at me. “You are entirely
different than what you seem on the surface.”

  “Really? I’ve been told my personality matches that of a typical feline.” Depending on who you talked to that was either a very good, or very bad, thing.

  “I don’t mean your form. I mean the initial impression you give.”

  “Oh.” I let her words sink in. “Do I make a good impression?”

  “Do you really care what answer I give?” She stepped around a fallen tree.

  I jumped over the log. “No. But this place is not my favorite. I rather like the distraction of conversation.”

  “There is a beauty here though, isn’t there?” She pushed back a large branch.

  I crouched down lower to move under the branch and met back up with her on either side. “It is entirely grey.” I assumed we were seeing the place similarly. I may have been in a cat’s body, but my vision was stronger, sharper, and more detailed than a typical feline. Besides, I could choose to view a place as nearly any creature. Being a Helzin Demon came with some perks.

  “Maybe—but it’s all different types of grey, and they work together so well.” She spread her arms out in front of her.

  “I’ve never heard anyone describe this place that way.” I needed to give this woman more credit.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like what’s building up inside right now.”

  “Oh. I’ve heard about that. Desperation? Pain?” I didn’t feel any of it myself, but it was the typical response creatures got when they entered this realm before their time. It was supposed to serve as a warning—or so I’d heard. A kind of last chance to turn around before certain doom sort of message. But that was when it was still possible to leave the realm on your own. All but a select few had lost that privilege long before.

  “Yes. But I am strong enough to handle all of that and more.” She pressed on, stepping around boulders, maneuvering around branches. It was rather impressive considering she was wearing boots more appropriate for dress than a journey—but what did I know?

  “Yes, you are. Or I think you are. You are also not like what you appear—both first impressions and your outside appearance.”

  “I am not weak if that is what you’re implying.”

  “My point is you’re a whole lot stronger than you look.” I generally avoided dolling out compliments, but she deserved one. Besides, it might help her. Her success in the realm would be helpful to the cause.

  The hair on my back stood up. There was another demon around. “You need to hide.”

  “Hide?” Georgina stopped short. “Why?”

  “Trust me just this once.”

  “I do hope you are being truthful.” She hurried off toward a thick cluster of trees.

  I turned back to wait for our company.

  The company came in the form of a young man with dark hair that nearly touched his shoulders. Even though the outside form was entirely different from anyone I had met before, his eyes gave him away. “Hello, Mort.”

  “Glendale. I never expected to see you here so soon. Pray tell me how you finally met your demise.”

  “I am only here for a visit.”

  “A visit?” He crinkled his nose. “A business visit I presume? Still involved with only the finest Earth has to offer?”

  “Something like that.” I ignored his insult. It wasn’t really an insult anyway.

  He sniffed. “You smell like human.”

  “Do I?” I remained still. One benefit of my chosen form was that my expressions were very difficult to read.

  “Yes. Why do you waste your time with such weak creatures?” He crossed his arms. “You had such potential.”

  “They aren’t all weak.” I felt surprisingly defensive of Georgina. No one—let alone a has-been like Mort—was going to call her weak.

  “They live short, miserable, little lives. They accomplish so little when you really think about it.”

  “Actually some have accomplished a whole lot. Entire civilizations. Delightful cuisines. Cures for diseases.” I stopped before I could rattle off everything. “Are you sure you aren’t projecting your own experiences on them?”

  He smiled a cruel smile. “Entire civilizations that always fall. Delightful cuisines? Who needs to eat? And only the weak get ill in the first place.”

  “Yet you died somehow.”

  “I moved on when I was ready. It’s normal to grow tired after a few millennia.”

  “Grow tired?” I licked my paw. “Is that what you call it?”

  “I see you still have no understanding for your own kind.”

  “I am not of the same kind as you.”

  “My kind and yours are not that different. We are both demons.”

  “Yes. But I am, and have always been, superior.” I looked into his eyes. I was positive he’d blink first. He did.

  He laughed an annoying, haughty laugh. “If I weren’t in such a good mood I’d have to retaliate against you for that comment.”

  “What is the good mood about?”

  “I will be moving on soon. I’m ready.”

  “You have been here a rather long time, haven’t you? Tired of it?” I couldn’t resist one more jab.

  “I’ve been held back by a few things, but I believe I’m just about ready now. My therapist thinks I am.”

  “Your therapist.” I flipped my tail back and forth. “I must hear about this.”

  “Don’t mock. There is nothing wrong with discussing your feelings.”

  “I wish I could record you.”

  “One day you will understand, little Glendale.”

  “I am not little.” I arched my back.

  “Yet you are.” He bent down to my height. “Even smaller than the humans you play with.”

  “But not smaller than you.”

  “I wouldn’t push me too hard.” He returned to his normal height.

  “Oh yeah? And why is that?”

  “Because I still have power you don’t want to see. I would hate to hurt my friend.” His eyes darkened.

  “You and I have never been friends.”

  “We almost were.” There was something almost mournful in his tone. Very un-Mort like.

  “Almost doesn’t count.” He’d actually been the one to teach me that the hard way. But I wasn’t going to remind him of that.

  “Sure it does.”

  “Let’s not do this.” I yawned.

  “Who’s the tired one now?” His eyes gleamed. “Is the realm getting to you? It really isn’t bad once you’re dead.”

  “I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.” At least not if I had my way.

  “Then I would choose better company.”

  “What are you implying?” I sensed Georgina moving. Was she going to use the distraction as a chance to move? There was no way she could get passed Mort undetected, but I didn’t blame her for trying. I couldn’t risk it by turning around to check.

  “I’m implying I’d stay away from humans. They only lead to trouble.”

  “The same can be said for demons.”

  “Yes, it can… usually.” He grinned.

  “I haven’t gone soft.”

  “No. You couldn’t. You weren’t made that way. But some can.”

  “She’s doing well you know.” Here it was. Time to bring up the ultimate distraction.

  “Who?”

  “Come off it. Delilah. I know exactly what you want to know.”

  His entire body went rigid at the sound of her name, but he tried to hide it, to play it off.

  “Yeah? She’s okay?”

  “She is.” I sensed Georgina close. She couldn’t have moved far.

  “She alone?”

  “Yeah. But I think she likes it that way.”

  He cracked a smile. “She always did.”

  “But not with you.”

  “No, not with me.” His eyes misted over.

  “You’ll see her again one day.”

  “Nah. I want her to live forever.”

  “No creature can live fo
rever. Not even our kind. Tired of waiting? Your being should have disappeared decades ago. Your yearning for her must be really strong.”

  “It’s not just her. I have some unfinished business I am working through. But as I said, I’m almost there.”

  “Well, please return to your business.” And don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

  “You can let the human come out. She isn’t very good at hiding.”

  “Yeah, I figured you knew.” But I’d been hoping he wouldn’t concern himself with it. I should have known.

  Georgina walked over from a different direction than she’d originally hidden. I’d been right. She’d moved.

  Mort looked at her. “I know you.”

  “You do?” Georgina flinched.

  “Yes. Or I know of you. We’ve never met.” He held out a hand. “Mort. Pleasure to meet you.”

  She looked at his hand for a split second before shaking it. His hand slipped straight through hers. So he was starting to fade out. “I hope you have heard good things.”

  “About you? Yes. Only good things. But I have heard you have more than your fair share of secrets.”

  “I’d say it’s a very fair share.” Georgina straightened her shoulders.

  “I’m sure you would.” Mort’s eyes zeroed in on her face.

  “I’m missing something.” What did Mort know about Georgina that I didn’t know? I didn’t like it one bit.

  “You are, but that’s nothing new.” Mort smiled, but it didn’t get anywhere near reaching his eyes.

  “Very funny.” I tried to hide my distaste and apprehension. I wasn’t supposed to care.

  “Does your knowledge of me also tell you why I’m here?” Georgina clasped her hands in front of her.

  “The realm is affecting you whether you want to admit it or not.” Mort walked all around her.

  Georgina shrugged in a barely noticeable way, as if the motion had been out of her control despite trying to stop it. “It affects all of the living who come here. You are denying the nature of things by coming.”

  “Yet you are here. And you aren’t afraid of what is to come.”