Consume

by Shelly Crane

  Eli took a swift breath in surprise of my comment. Magenta just kept smiling. "Clara," he chastised.

  "How dare you judge the whys of our relationship," I kept going. "You want me to be angry at him for feeling that way? Well I don't. Isn't that what love is supposed to be? Completely consumed by someone to the point that even the thought of not being with them through eternity is agony? He loves me, I don't doubt that. And I love him. If I had to go back to my life before him…I can't imagine that hell."

  "Is that really how you feel?" she asked after a pause.

  "Yes."

  "Strike three. I'm afraid I can't do a whole lot for you," she said and leaned forward. "Love is beautiful, keen, tenacious, willing, all consuming an' sacrificial. I see all of dat in ya both. But the problem is that the sacrifice of love sometimes costs us more than we pay."

  "But…" I thought hard of a way to convince her. "If it's love you're looking for-"

  "It's not." She leaned back and looked contemplative. "You got three strikes which means you're deserving. You sure are deserving of it, girl. But I'm sorry. You've sacrificed all there is. You have nothing left to give."

  My throat caught on a sob. "So this is it for me?"

  "You won't survive if the Devourer blood wins. I'm sorry."

  "No," Eli voiced a tortured plea. "No, please, madam."

  "It's out of my hands," she told us and looked at Eli long and hard. He eventually turned away from her and gripped me behind my neck to pull me to him. He shhed me as another sob broke through. His face was a picture of agony as he tried to soothe me.

  Enoch cursed and stood. "That can't be the end of it."

  She spoke in that same haunting tone, "There is nothing you can do either."

  "Well…" He looked at Eli and I knew what was coming. I begged him silently not to say it, but he was an idiot. "The bond will break this way. At least she can go peacefully and you can be you again."

  Eli put me aside gently and lunged for him. I put my head in my hands and refused to watch and Eli shoved Enoch to the wall. He growled all sorts of things in his brother's face before backing up. His eyes were wild as he looked at me and came to help me stand. "Come on, love. Let's go home."

  I didn't want to, but I let him take me. The thought of Mrs. Ruth and Pastor trying to figure out what was wrong with me and watching me die was not an option.

  I thought about that as Eli led me silently down the stairs. Bridgette was standing at the bottom of them, waiting with her mate and a whole group of others silently. It was as if they'd been expecting us to leave unhappy. She patted my arm as we passed.

  Enoch followed behind, but was silent as well. My mind raced. We arrived back at The Wall entrance and Eli found the sliver. We went through, but he let it go just in time to stop Enoch. I heard him muttering as he opened it for himself.

  We walked through the brush and moved the large branches from our way, and then we were on the bank again. It wasn't until we were there that I realized we left Cavuto.

  "Cavuto," I said to Eli.

  "He's fine where he is. It's better for him there anyway."

  Then bright lights were suddenly shone on us from the trees. It hurt so bad that I screamed as I pressed my face into Eli's shirt front. My senses were still on high alert. It was dark here now, but we had company.

  "Well, well, well," someone said and laughed. "Thames boys."

  "So tacky to start off a villainous speech with well, well, well," Enoch snorted, but when I glanced at him he looked peeved. "Didn’t Hatch teach you that before we put him in Resting Place?"

  "Are you admitting to being a traitor along with your brother?" the man asked. He moved forward to block a stream of the headlights. I could see a little better. They were about five or six cars out there.

  The Horde.

  "Traitor is a strong word," Enoch muttered.

  "Boys," the man said. "Let's not keep them waiting."

  "Where, Reece?" someone else yelled and he looked around.

  "Doesn’t matter. Retribution can happen anywhere."

  Retribution! That's what Finn said the Horde wanted to do to Eli. I cringed into his side as I heard so many people moving around us. Eli kissed my forehead, his eyes shut tightly. Before I even realized what was happening, I heard scuffles and something was thrown over Eli's head. Then mine.

  This time when my head seemed to explode, it wasn't my headache to blame, it was someone's fist.

  ~ ~ ~

  I woke with a gasp. My head was still covered and I heard them talking around me. My earplugs had been removed. Eli was begging them not to do something. I'd never heard him so desperate before. I tried to move, but arms were holding mine. Then I felt the chill of the wind and flushed as I realized they'd taken my shirt off. I was bare except for my bra from the waist up.

  I wiggled, but the arms clamped on me tighter. The bag was snatched from my head to reveal Eli in a similar situation. His shirt was off and he was being held by three Devourers across from me in a small clearing of the bushes. He shook his head over and over as if trying to remove a thought.

  Enoch was off to the side, his neck twisted at a sick angle. He'd be pissed when he woke up later.

  "I'm Reece," the man from before said. "I'm the new leader of the Horde, thanks to you and your tame Devourer."

  I said nothing. My gaze flickered from Reece's to Eli's. They had built a fire in between us and when he reached for something I knew what they were going to do. I begged with everything that was in me.

  "Please don't. Please. Take me and destroy me, do whatever you want." I was dying anyway right? "But please don't burn Eli again."

  They all laughed reluctantly, as if they couldn't believe what I was saying. Reece spoke, his voice full of malicious joy. He twisted the brand iron in his fingers. "Sweetheart," he crooned sweetly. "This isn't for Eli. This is for you."

  My heart stopped. Well…at least if they didn't do Eli again… I looked at Eli and tried to push as much resolve into my stare as possible. Then Finn came forward from the back masses. My heart stopped for the second time.

  "Finn?" Eli accused.

  "I warned you," he said. "I told you not to go into the rebel camp. That was it. That was when I knew there was no saving you." He crossed his arms. "You fed Angelina to the Horde to save yourself."

  "She's the one who called them, not me."

  "You fed her to them to save yourself!" he repeated in a yell.

  Eli stopped and twisted his lips. "Yes. I did that. I let them take her knowing full well that I was lying to them."

  Finn looked like he'd been punched. Then he nodded. "You knew I was obsessed with her."

  "You knew she wasn't obsessed with you."

  "But I bet she will be now," he said and smiled suddenly. My eyes grew to impossible size as a healthy and happy Angelina emerged. He opened his arm for her and she went right to it. "Now that I've brought down the ultimate traitor in our race and handed the Horde an unsuspecting rebel camp." He laughed at our expressions. "A little History lesson? Angelina joined the Horde when she realized you were a lost cause. They followed you and kept tabs on you. When she told them about Clara, they knew it was only a matter of time before you sought out a rebel camp. We'd never have guessed they'd plant one smack in the middle of The Wall!" He laughed. "That was a pleasant surprise. You all made it just a little too easy. Now, we're going to make an example of you."

  Angelina smiled at me, but said nothing. I wondered about the train. Could that nightmare have been a reverie?

  Eli's head hung in defeat. I tried to send him my love, I tried to force some calm and resolve toward him. His eyes jerked up.

  He shook his head again, his face lined with blue angry veins. "Stop it, Clara! Stop it! Reece," he implored, "listen to me. I'll give you everything I have. I have two accounts, each with at least a couple hundred grand. Take them. Take anything you want. Burn me, burn me for the rest of my life! Please, man, just please don't do this to her."

/>   "Such sweet sorrow from you, Eli," Reece mocked, "but I'm afraid we have no deal."

  He let the stick dance in the flames for a moment and then moved forward to me. I heard Eli's grunts and pleas from behind Reece, but I was too focused on the glowing end of the stick he was about to press into my skin.

  Then he switched directions mid-stride and went straight to Eli.

  "On second thought," he muttered and looked back at me as he pressed it to Eli's chest right on the spot he already had a scar. I screamed as Eli held it in, his face and arms blue with the strain and anger. Then Reece stopped.

  He put it back in the fire…and came my way. My breaths were so fast I felt lightheaded. I steeled myself, hearing Eli's yells and pleas behind Reece. And then the most blinding pain I'd ever had seared through my chest as he pressed the circle brand over my heart. I turned my head and didn't know if I was screaming or not. My senses were still high and everything seemed to echo around me. He kept pressing me, the seconds turning into minutes.

  Then Reece was hit from the side and thrown into the fire. He yelled and rolled to get out. Enoch stood, his angry blue veins standing at attention as he blurred to stand in front of me. Reece stood, his clothes burned in spots, but otherwise fine.

  "You can't fight us all, Enoch."

  "Good thing he won't have to," a voice called from the woods and suddenly we were being swarmed. The rebel camp. They were risking exposure, risking their lives for us. Why?

  The men who held me released me and I fell against my will to the ground. Eli was there in seconds as the melee went on around us. He didn't care about anything but me. He didn't say anything, just picked up my upper half and held me to him, careful of my burn. I pushed him back a little and saw the angry mark on his chest was already starting to heal. I let my fingers hover over it as he watched me.

  "I'm so sorry-" he began, but it was a pointless effort.

  "You could no sooner hurt me than I could hurt you. Stop it." I started to shake, my arms and fingers twitching.

  "You're going into shock," he told me and held me gently.

  "No," I said and felt it. Deep down, I knew. "It's getting worse. Eli, I'm -"

  "Don't you dare say those words," he growled and pressed his head to mine. "Just stay with me."

  "I love you."

  He cursed softly. "I love you," he said through gritted teeth. "I love you, Clara, and I'll always be only yours."

  I felt the tears come. The ache in my chest was unbearable for two reasons: the burn and the heartache. I reached up to kiss him and he met me half way. His lips were wet and I opened my eyes to see his face streaked with tears. My breath caught as I reached for his cheek. He didn't shy away, ashamed, he just watched me as I examined the wetness. Real tears. Not blue or supernatural. Just real, salty tears.

  I kissed him again, and we soon realized that the noise had died down. I peeked my eyes open to find an army. There had to be at least a hundred of them. The Horde was down on the ground. Of course they weren't dead, but they were down for now.

  Bridgette pulled a bag off of her shoulder and knelt down beside us. "Let me put something on this," she said and rummaged through her bag. She brought out a small cloth and a bandage. She opened the cloth, folding down the corners to reveal some small leaves. She poured a little water on the leaves from her water bottle and they sizzled. She smiled as I shied away. "It's ok."

  She put the wet leaves on my skin gently with her thumb and secured the bandage. Eli found my shirt on the ground near us and pulled it over my head. Then he pulled me into his lap. The masses had gathered around the fire and we all soaked in the moment. Finally Franz came forward, giving Eli a wry smile. "I tried to get you stay at The Wall if you recall."

  "How did you do all this? How did you know that we needed you?"

  He sat down and the others followed suit. "The Horde has been hovering around. Asking questions. Going to the clubs. We knew they were up to something. And then you show up…bonded to a human." He smiled. "We knew that was the reason."

  "But why help us?" Eli's brow bunched. "We brought them to your front door basically."

  "Because that's what rebels do. Because we’d like you to join us. Because most of us know what it's like to be in your shoes. Because sometimes the sacrifice of love costs too much to pay by yourself."

  Twenty

  "We should go," Eli said. "They'll wake up soon."

  "Nah," Franz said and laughed. "Those boys and girls are down for the count."

  "What do you mean?"

  He nodded to someone and he dragged a body in the middle of us. The Devourer had a large…tooth protruding from his chest. I peeked up. His eyes were black. Goblins?

  "How? How did you…" Eli asked.

  "Goblin's teeth," Franz explained. "A Goblin's bite is what paralyzes them, that doesn't mean the Goblin has to do the actual biting." He grinned.

  "Goblin's teeth," Eli said as if tasting the phrase.

  "Cavuto," I explained. "Cavuto kept saying 'A Goblin's tooth is all you need'. But how did he know? And why are the teeth so big when they look so small on a Goblin?"

  "Big gums," someone said and they all laughed.

  "Well," Eli said and sighed. "I really appreciate what you did, but I need to get Clara home." He looked and me and swallowed. "She needs to see her family…"

  "We won't keep you, but we'd love it if you'd stay. Or visit. There aren't that many of us rebels anymore," Franz said sadly.

  Eli nodded and helped me stand. I looked up at him. Something was gnawing at me. Something wanting to make itself known. It felt like we had unfinished business. Maybe that was just my subconscious not wanting to admit that it was almost over.

  "Well, like I said before," Franz said and paused. "Nothing wrong with asking for help every now and again. The sacrifice of love is sometimes more than you can pay."

  "Why does everyone keep saying that?" Enoch said in a huff.

  "It's something Magenta says," Franz explained and turned back to Eli. "She's been with us for a few years now. I know you were wondering."

  But Eli was lost in thought. He cocked his head slowly as if catching some idea. Then he gasped and looked at me. Everyone waited patiently for him to work it out, and his face split with the biggest grin. He grabbed my face gently and kissed me. "That old bat and her riddles," he mused.

  "What?"

  "She said you couldn't pay the sacrifice!" he explained and grinned. "She didn't say I couldn't."

  "What are you-"

  "No time." He cursed. "Ah! We don't have a Witch's stone to get back in."

  "You mean one of these?" Franz said and held a stone between his fingers. "We have a few young Witches who aspire to be rebels," he said and grinned as a girl came forward. She wrapped her arms around his waist and shook her head good naturedly. She was the Witch, I assumed. His Witch. She wasn't old and crusty like the others I'd seen though.

  "Franz, thank you," Eli said sincerely.

  "No sweat. Let's go."

  ~ ~ ~

  We ran down the streets of the market all the way back to the rebel camp house. Enoch grumbled all the way behind us. Eli burst through the doors and took me all the way back upstairs. Magenta was in the same spot she'd been in when we left. She smiled when we entered…and even looked a little relieved.

  "You returned." Then her smile slipped. "And not a moment too soon."

  She was looking at me. Eli turned and did a double take. He lifted his hand and rubbed the end of my nose. He brought it back and there was blue on his thumb. I was bleeding…Devourer blood. Oh, no.

  He rushed on. "I get it. I'm here to offer the sacrifice. The sacrifice that Clara couldn't pay, I'm here to pay it. Tell me what to do."

  "It's a little mo' complicated than all that, Eli." She motioned for us to sit again. Enoch was there again. For a guy who hated me, he sure was stuck to me like glue. "The sacrifice that is required may be more than you can pay as well."

  Eli slumped in anger on
ce more. "What do you mean? No more riddles, Magenta, just tell me!"

  "I didn't tell you before because you had to figure it out for yo'self. But now that you have, I'll tell you this." She leaned forward. "The sacrifice you haft to make is you."

  "What?" I said angrily. "No."

  "My life for hers?" Eli said calmly.

  "Your essence," she said cryptically. "See…the way to fix her is to stab her." Eli gasped and stood up to yell, she held up her hand. "Stab her to kill the Devourer blood with a Goblin's tooth. The Devourer in her will die…but so will the Devourer in you. Through da bond."