by Rani Clark
“Oh my . . . oh my god. That’s a Mothman!”
“A what?”
“It’s one of the Shadow Creatures. They’re odd creatures from different worlds that inhabit earth.” Leif bent down and looked at the thing. It wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either. The creature was three feet tall. “Like the Loch Ness Monster. This thing must be an offspring of the Mothman. It’s kinda cute.”
When he tried to touch it, the little Mothman hid behind Jaska. It gripped his leg with its claws.
“And it likes you.”
“Why did Zachary bring it here?”
“Part of necromancy skills, the part that a lot of them neglect, is a knack for dealing with monsters. Maybe its parents are dead. Nobody can live forever. Vladimir’s great with animals so Zachary must have wanted him to take care of it. Well, Zachary’s master.”
“Who is his master?”
“A monster hunter by the name of Salvian Morgan. Unpleasant nut-job of an asshole.”
“Why wouldn’t he take care of it?”
“He shouldn’t take care of anyone, let alone that.” Leif smiled, “This is so cool!”
Jaska wasn’t sure what was cool about it. He looked down at the monster. The Mothman looked up at him with its large eyes, the antenna atop its head twitching. “What do I do with it? Is it a boy or a girl or . . . has a name or something?”
“You can name it I guess. Him.”
“What?”
“Looks like a boy to me.”
Jaska knelt down and reached out, petting the creature softly. Its coat was soft and feathery, as if it had fur as well as feathers. The black was the darkest he had ever seen, but the creature was very cute. “Do you like me, Lantern?”
The creature cooed and leaned into him. The newly named Lantern cuddled into his stomach and closed his massive eyes. Jaska couldn’t help but smile. Lantern was soft and warm. Cute and comforting. Something about him made Jaska happy. “Will Mr. Ragnar make me give him back?”
“I don’t know. Probably not.” Leif looked into the box. He picked up the letter inside, “How did you come up with Lantern?”
“I don’t know. Just thought it sounded good.”
“Fair enough.”
“What does that letter say?”
“Just that this guy needs to be taken care of. Doesn’t say why.” He shrugged and folded the letter back up. “Looks like Lantern is yours for the time being. Hope you wanted a pet.”
Jaska nodded, "Are you hungry?”
Lantern opened his eyes and nodded, jumping up on his two legs. Jaska stood and walked to the kitchen. Lantern walked beside him. “What does he eat?”
Leif shrugged, “Dunno. Try feeding him something, see what he likes I guess.”
Jaska gave Lantern an apple that he gobbled up. Three more pieces of fruit were no problem, but meat was off the menu. He wouldn’t eat meat and he stopped eating after a carrot. Strangely enough, the thing drank out of a cup. It was slightly messy, but he did it all the same. Lantern would need a sippy cup to keep the drinks from getting in his fur.
“You look tired. Want a nap?”
Lantern nodded and followed Jaska into the living room. He curled up on the couch, falling asleep immediately. The creature must have been exhausted from being delivered to their doorstep.
Leif looked down at the creature, “Vladimir should be happy about this.”
“If he’s as nice as you keep saying he’ll let me keep him.” Jaska sat on the couch next to Lantern, smiling as he curled up next to him.
Leif put his jacket on, “I’m going to pick some stuff up for him. Kid plates and sippy cups, sound good?”
“Yes, thank you. Will you also get more fruits and vegetables?”
“No problem. See you in a few,” Leif waved as he walked out the door.
He didn’t think he would ever feel happy trapped in Vladimir Ragnar’s house. Lantern was doing something to make him happy. The moth-creature was filling his chest with warmth, just like he had felt last night. Something was going on and he didn’t understand what.
15
The message had startled him. He wasn’t sure what to think or what to do. Ty didn’t want Lilly Ann to know about the calls he had been receiving or the relationship he was developing with a man who had a disgusting and atrocious appetite. Elias Kircher was an interesting man. The more Ty talked to him, the more Ty liked him. Despite the fact that he had molested close to twenty kids, he was nice to talk to. He made Ty laugh. And now, after everything he had said over the phone, he was being given a chance to talk to him in person. For a reason unspecified, Elias was in the United States.
Lilly Ann would be angry if she knew what he was walking into. Elias would be waiting at a coffee shop for him in a few minutes. Ty told Margo and Lilly Ann that he was meeting some friends to study. He had been aiming to tell them he was playing soccer, but it had started raining.
Ty shivered as he walked, rubbing his arm before he zipped up his jacket. The coffee shop he was walking to was only a few minutes away and Lilly Ann was busy making dinner. Still he thought Lilly Ann might see him. His heart pounded in his chest the closer he got. What was he expecting when he got there? Elias had told him many times how much he enjoyed having a friend. From the sound of things, the man hadn’t had a friend in a long time. Mr. Ragnar merely tolerated him and Jaska didn’t know him well enough to like him. Ty pushed open the door to the warm coffee shop, happy to finally be somewhere dry and cozy.
Elias was sitting in a chair in the corner, sipping coffee. He waved and stood when he saw Ty. “It is good to see you,” he said with a smile, pulling him into a gentle hug.
Ty sat in the chair across from him, “Hey, Elias. Your message startled me. I didn’t think you traveled much.”
“I don’t.” Elias looked at him for a moment. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. Cold, but fine. What are you doing here? It can’t just be to see me?”
“It is, actually.” He stood, “Let’s take a walk.”
Ty purchased a cup of hot chocolate before they left to walk around. Elias walked close to him. “You really came to see me?”
“Yes. Mr. Ragnar sent me something to give you. It’s a letter from Jaska.”
Ty felt happiness swell in his chest, “Really?”
“Yes. I have them for his mother and sister as well.”
Elias did something then. Ty was busy thinking about a letter when he felt an arm around his waist. “Elias?”
“What?”
Ty sipped the hot chocolate, “Is-is Jaska ok? Do you know?”
“Sorry, no. I didn’t read the letters and Mr. Ragnar didn’t say anything to me about him. He’s most likely fine if he wrote you a letter.”
“I thought you said he would hurt you if you did anything to me.”
“I said if I forced you. I’m not forcing anything.” Elias looked up at the sky, “I have a very nice hotel room.”
Ty stopped walking. Elias’s hand slipped from his waist. “What do you think is going on?”
He shrugged, “I think I want to get out of this rain. My place is comfortable and I thought you might want a drink or something. I won’t drug you or try anything nefarious. You should know that by now.”
There was nothing about what he said that made Ty uncomfortable. He walked with Elias to the most expensive hotel in town. The room was huge with a sunken in living room and a massive flat-screen. The bed was king sized and there was a dining room. Elias took off his coat, asking Ty for his jacket, before he went into the kitchen. “Are you hungry? I have cookies. I love cookies.”
“No, thank you.” Ty sat on the couch, “Mr. Ragnar better be treating him alright.”
“I’m sure he is.” Elias came back with cookies and set them on the coffee table. He sat close to Ty, their thighs touching. “I wouldn’t worry so much about Jaska. Like I said, Mr. Ragnar won’t hurt him.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
The heater kicked on
as Elias reached over and put his hand on Ty’s neck, pulling him into a soft kiss. Ty blinked in surprise, but didn’t push the man away. Elias put his hand on Ty’s waist. If this was what Jaska felt when he was kissed, Ty didn’t understand why he hated it so much. Warmth crept into his cheeks as Elias moved from his lips and kissed his neck, nuzzling his ear.
“Elias,” Ty spoke quietly, “what are you doing?”
Elias chuckled, “What do you think I’m doing?”
“I-I think you’re . . . an adult kissing a teenager,” was what came out of his mouth.
“Yes, I am. And for the first time that teenager is willing and not someone I preyed upon.”
“I don’t think I can do this.”
“Why not? You’ve never done this before, you said so yourself, and I can give you what you never had. No one in this small town will be able to do what I can and will do. What I’m willing to make you feel.” Elias kissed his neck again, “But I won’t force you. Just stop me if you want me to stop.”
Ty pushed him gently away, “This is the first time I’ve ever kissed someone like this. It-it’s all I want right now.”
“That’s fine, but I’m only here for a few days. Phone sex will have to be something you get used to if you wish to experience anything with me.”
There was little else to say on the matter. Ty wouldn’t be ready for a physical relationship with someone for months and maybe not ever if it was Elias. He didn’t speak as Elias kissed him, feeling his chest and hips. Ty pulled away and looked down at his lap. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do at this point, what he was supposed to say. Beyond the few kisses he had shared with Jaska, he didn’t understand any of this.
“Something wrong?” Elias asked.
“Yes. I mean no. I-I don’t know. This is my first time.”
“I know. Relax about it.” He reached across the table and took a cookie, “Want to go to dinner? I haven’t been to the states before.”
“Oh, um, sure. Do you want me to give the letters to Lilly Ann or-?”
“Then she would know you’ve been seeing me. I plan to give them to her in person and explain things, as Mr. Ragnar instructed.”
“Did you say anything about me?”
“I don’t have a reason to tell him and neither do you. I’m not hurting you.”
He said it a lot. Ty noticed he seemed to want to reiterate that he wasn’t actually harming him. Everything they were doing was mutual. “Where do you want to go to dinner?”
“You know this place better than I do, you can pick.” He stood, “Shall we?”
Ty nodded and followed him out of the hotel. “There’s a really good restaurant around the corner.”
“Great! I’m in the mood for . . . I don’t know. Anything.” He smiled and put his hands in his pockets.
The restaurant was a favorite of Ty’s. He liked the food, it was Thai. Elias behaved just like any of his friends would. Smiling and asking him about his day; they talked about school and he asked Elias about his clocks. There wasn’t a lull in the conversation, Elias was quite animated most of the time. Ty was beginning to loosen up until he heard a familiar voice. His mother’s voice made him cringe. His breath quickened and his hands began to shake.
“What’s wrong?” Elias asked as he sipped his beer. “You look terrified.”
“It-it’s nothing.”
He heard his father’s voice then. Neither of them sounded happy. Chances were this dinner was to talk about things. He glanced over and saw them sitting at a table across the restaurant. A lawyer was with them. At least, he assumed was a lawyer. “Maybe we should go.”
“Why? I want some dessert.” Elias turned his head in the direction Ty had glanced in, “Are those your parents?”
“Yes. They’re getting a divorce. I’m staying with Lilly Ann until it’s over. My father told me he never wants to see me again and my mother barely defended me.” Ty shrugged, “Its ok I guess.”
“It isn’t ok.” Elias took out his wallet, “We’ll go if you want to go.”
Ty was about to give him his answer until he heard his name being called. His mother stood and made her way over to his table. “Ty. How are things with Ms. Byrne?”
“They’re fine. What are you guys doing here?”
“Just talking in a civilized manner. We’re discussing a few . . . things.” She looked at Elias, “Who’s your friend?”
“Oh, um, this is Mr. Elias Kircher. Elias, this is my mother Alyssa Montgomery.”
Elias stood and shook her hand, “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Montgomery.”
“You’re from Australia?”
“Originally. I live in Germany. I met Ty while he was with his friend. They came into my shop.”
“What sort of shop?”
“I own a clock shop where Jaska’s grandparents live. I’m here dropping something off for Ms. Byrne and Ty agreed to accompany me to dinner.”
“This is his favorite restaurant,” she replied with a smile. “I’ll leave you to it. Have fun.” She squeezed his shoulder as she walked away.
“You look exceedingly uncomfortable. Let’s go somewhere else for dessert.” He paid the bill and stood, “Your father is glaring at me.”
“He hates me.”
“Want to give him more of a reason to?”
Ty stopped as they exited the restaurant, “No, I don’t. My father hasn’t always been the best person, but I thought he loved me once upon a time. He’s my dad.”
Elias’s smile faded, “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. Your father sounds like a prick.”
“I guess.” He looked up at the darkening sky. “He hit me when Jaska hugged me. He hit Jaska too.”
“What an ass.” Elias held out his arm, “Shall we? I’m in the mood for ice cream.”
Ty hesitated but took his arm a moment later before they started off. “Do you have the letters with you?”
“Yes. Do you want yours?”
“Yes, of course. I miss Jaska.”
The ice cream shop was practically empty on such a cold day. They sat down with their banana splits at a table by the window. Elias reached into his jacket and took out an envelope. “For you.”
Ty took it and ripped it open, taking out the papers. He began to read the letter, taking delight in the fact that his friend was writing to him until he got further down the pages. His heart pounded at the mention of what he had gone through. “Oh my god,” he gasped. “Oh my god.”
“What?”
“He shot him. Mr. Ragnar shot Jaska.”
“Already?”
“He-he said that in order to become a necromancer he had to die. Mr. Ragnar shot him.” He set the letter down, “He said he would be safe.”
“He’s alive though?”
“He shot him. Wait? What do you mean already?”
Elias popped a cherry into his mouth, “Living people can’t exactly communicate with the dead. When an apprentice starts their training they have to be killed, sent into the land of the dead, and then brought back to life. That way they can find something called a Spirit Guide. It’s a creature that helps them with the whole necromancer thing. It’s a difficult process that all necromancers are trained in. It isn’t like he was in any danger.”
“He was still shot. Mr. Ragnar didn’t tell him anything about it.” He shook his head, “He says Leif is talkative. If there’s one thing Jaska doesn’t like it’s a chatterbox.”
“You’re very talkative.”
“I know. I try not to be.”
“I’m sure Jaska like’s Leif. Anything else going on?”
“He’s miserable and I can’t do anything about it.”
Elias frowned, “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”
The letter made him feel slightly worse. He folded the papers back up and slipped them into the envelope. “I don’t think he knew Mr. Ragnar was going to kill him.”
“He did it to Leif I’m assuming.”
“You don’t know?”
Ty flinched. Elias shook his head, “That isn’t what I meant. I’m just-”
“I know what you meant.” Ty took several bites of his banana split before speaking again, “I suppose we should head over to Lilly Ann’s. She’s been texting me.”