by Alex Lux
The crowd became one being, roaring and raising its fist in anger.
Curtis raised his hand to call for attention, but his voice was too weak to be heard over the screaming. I lent my voice, but it wasn't enough.
Then Curtis called out, "Am I a monster? Am I a monster?"
The people stopped and listened.
Curtis leaned against me, his body giving out, his skin tinged with red, and yet more pale than before. "We are different, it is true," he said through shallow breaths. "But you have nothing to fear from me or my friends."
"Your kind killed my sister," screamed Billy.
"And your kind killed my father," Curtis said. "He died while out shopping late one night. A robber shot him at a convenience store. Does that make all humans murderers?"
I could see the crowd simmering, unsure about how to take his words. But Billy was still furious. "Your kind is dangerous. You can kill any of us."
This ignited the crowd again as they raised their voices. Groupthink at its best.
Curtis pulled his hospital gown off his shoulder, exposing his wound. "The monster who killed your sister also attacked me. I will die from its bite. I'm not your enemy."
Nobody listened. "It's a trick," said Billy. "They can't stop all of us. That's why they're hiding behind their fence. The law is on our side."
Curtis turned to me. "Open the gate."
I shook my head. "No, that's insane. They'll kill you."
He chuckled. "I'm already dead, but maybe my last few minutes of life can change the course of our history. Open the gate."
Father Patrick nodded, his eyes sad. Against my better judgment, against everything I believed in, I opened the gate.
And Curtis walked into the mob.
For a moment, it looked like it would work. Around him, the crowd went silent, stunned that he'd given up his protection.
He walked up to Billy. "Do you really want to kill me?"
Billy hesitated, his eyes darting around him like a wild cat. "Your kind needs to be controlled."
"I swear to you," Curtis said, "I have never broken any laws. Do you still think I deserve your fury?"
Billy remained silent, chewing on his lip.
"Here I am," said Curtis. "You can fight me, if you want. But I won't fight back."
Billy raised a stick. The crowd stood ready.
Beside me, Paul reached forward. "Curtis, no!"
"My sister's dead," said Billy, crying. "You deserve this."
"I won't fight you," Curtis said, his face calm and serene even as I was ready to beat Billy to death with his own stick.
And then Billy hit him in the gut.
Curtis collapsed.
I lifted the gate, screaming my rage.
Billy hit him again. And again. Stomach. Kidney. Knees. Arms.
I rushed toward them, pushing through the crowd as it swarmed me, ready to kill Billy and save my friend.
Curtis looked up from the ground, his body broken and bleeding, but his eyes calm. "No. Derek. Don't fight them."
I couldn't take it, couldn't let this happen. Paul screamed at me to save Curtis. Drake joined me, his fists clenched. He may not have had his super strength anymore, but he was still stronger than most of these fools.
Billy hit Curtis one more time, then stepped back, gloating.
Curtis lay on the ground, bloodied, cringing. People watched in horror, their minds splitting from the group as they saw a defenseless man being beaten to death. Some started to walk away.
"Do not fear us," Curtis said, spitting out blood.
"Shut up," Billy screamed, kicking him.
Curtis groaned and looked at the crowd, locking eyes with individuals, forcing them to see his humanity. "Do not fear us. We are not the enemy."
"I said shut up." Billy raised his stick again, but someone caught it.
A big man in flannel glared down at Billy. "Stop this."
Billy looked stunned. "He needs to pay. He's a monster, yo."
"I see only one monster here," the man said, pulling the stick away. "Get lost."
"No." Billy tried to attack Curtis again, but men grabbed him from behind, dragging him away.
"Take him home," said Flannel Man. "And don't you return, Billy. Or I'll call the cops myself, ya hear?"
I watched, stunned, as they pulled Billy away and Flannel Man and his friends picked Curtis up and carried him to us. To me.
We gathered around him. Me, Rose, Drake, Sam, Paul, Father Patrick.
Flannel Man choked back a tear as he laid Curtis on the ground in the center of us. "I'm sorry."
My anger wasn't ready to forgive. "How dare you?"
But Curtis stopped me, putting his hand on my arm. "It's okay. They'll learn. They will learn."
"You should have let me fight them," I said, knowing he was nearing the end and unwilling to face this.
"No." He closed his eyes, breathed a ragged breath, and opened them again. "I thought fighting was the answer once, but no more. No more."
"Don't die," Paul said, openly weeping. "Don't die."
"I am done with this world," Curtis said. "Thank you, for making me feel welcome."
Unbidden tears burned my eyes. "All are welcome here." I yelled toward the crowd, and toward the Bishop with his hateful heart. "All are welcome here. No matter how different. All are welcome at Elysium."
I kneeled again next to Curtis, giving Paul enough room to be by his side in these final moments.
"Elysium," Curtis smiled. "I'm glad to have been here."
SEVENTEEN
I Will Speak Daggers
DEREK
I will speak daggers to her, but use none
— William Shakespeare, Hamlet
WE DIDN'T WAIT long to have a funeral. Everyone who needed to attend was already here, so three days later we got everyone together for the service.
I had our clan shift into wolf form to dig the grave, the first one at Elysium, though not the first loss for most of the kids here. Those who escaped Rent-A-Kid saw their teachers and friends die in the final battle, and likely this brought back a lot of that pain.
Curtis had been well liked since he came out and stopped bullying, and the tears were all genuine.
Father Patrick conducted the service around the graveside and spoke of Curtis's life and courage, and his final act of heroism. "Curtis understood what we stood for. He understood that everyone deserves a chance at happiness. That everyone deserves to find Elysium."
Curtis became a martyr for our cause.
My entire pack showed up wearing the formal robes for druid ceremony, showing full honor to a boy they didn't know well but respected nonetheless.
When the Bishop showed up, Drake turned to him in shock. "Why are you here?"
"I'm not such a villain as you think I am. There is one among you who made me feel welcome, and he deserves my respect."
I'd already known the Bishop's answer. He understood what Curtis strived for.
Drake glanced at me, then turned to the Bishop. He nodded. "Thank you for coming."
I would miss Curtis more than I wanted to think about. He and I had become close during martial arts lessons, and it wouldn't be the same without him.
I had patrol as soon as the service ended. We'd set up shifts and I was up next. "I'm heading out now," I told Rose and Drake.
Rose reached for my hand. "I'm coming."
Drake nodded. "Me too, dude." He looked around for Sam, then stood still a moment, most likely communicating mentally with her. I often wondered what it would be like to have that with Rose.
We told Father Patrick where we were headed, said our goodbyes, and patrolled the perimeter of Elysium. The new name had spread through the school so fast that the craftier students had already started making t-shirts and the writers were planning a student newspaper of the same name.
It was starting to feel real, to feel like more than just a bunch of orphaned paranormals taking refuge in a big house, which made saving this place a
ll the more important.
Curtis was buried here. We couldn't leave. Ever.
"Why do you think this lycan kills our kind?" Drake asked.
I shrugged. "Like Curtis said, people hate and fear what they don't understand."
"Do you think he would have killed Curtis if he'd known him?" Rose asked, her heart-shaped face grief-stricken.
"I hope not," I said, thinking of the man who had finally stopped the insane beating, who had finally seen the truth about Curtis and his pure heart. "I hope no one could do such a thing."
"People will never stop hating those who are different, we saw that the other night," Rose said.
"And we saw that it could be overcome," I reminded her, marveling at this role reversal. She was usually the optimist, despite being betrayed by her whole family. I was usually the sullen pessimist. When had that changed?
"But this lycan isn't so different from us, is it?" Drake asked "Isn't it…" He stopped, staring off into the distance as his body shook, a vision overtaking him.
We watched and waited.
"Red eyes." He said. "It's here."
He looked past us, into the woods. I turned to follow his gaze and saw the glowing red sign of the lycan's presence.
I began to shift as the lycan charged at us. I prepared to fight, to protect my wife and best friend, but the lycan bypassed me, flew past Rose and headed straight to Drake, knocking him to the ground.
I finally got a good look at him. He was man-shaped in ways, but covered in fur, with clawed hands, red eyes, and a long snout with sharp teeth. He stood several feet taller than me and was savagely attacking Drake, who didn't have his paranormal strength to fight back.
I completed my shift in a fraction of a moment and attacked the lycan, forcing it to put its attention on me and get away from Drake.
Rose screamed as the beast swung its paw and knocked me away. My body crashed to the ground, shifting back to human against my will as I groaned, feeling broken bones trying to mend.
Rose stood, shaking, screaming, tears streaming down her face. "Leave them alone!"
The lycan looked at her and paused.
"Leave!"
It moved closer to her, and my heart clenched. I forced my bones to heal faster as I crawled forward. "No, Rose. Run!"
She ignored me, facing off against the lycan. "Leave!" She said again, her face set in its stubborn way I recognized from our own lovers' quarrels.
When the lycan moved to attack, when my heart nearly tore itself to pieces, Rose screamed out one more time. "Leave!" But this time, her words turned into a roar as she began to shift.
I expected to see her wolf form take shape, for her to drop to the ground on all fours, but instead she grew bigger, taller, her fur turning thick and long until she was a…
Oh, God. No!
She became something larger than the lycan. Something unlike any animal I'd ever seen. A giant beast, with the look of a bear. A giant bear with golden fur.
But how? This couldn't be happening. I didn't know what was worse, her shifting into a huge bear or being attacked by the lycan while I lay helpless and broken.
Both sucked.
Rose stood on her hind legs and roared. It was a deafening sound.
People began to run from the mansion toward us. Backup.
I hoped they got here soon, in time to save Rose. To save Drake, who hadn't moved since he was attacked.
The lycan, despite the immediate threat of a giant glowing bear, turned his attention back to Drake, as if he wasn't finished yet.
Rose knocked him out of the way, putting her bear self between him and Drake.
They fought, but I couldn't tell who was winning, or if the lycan had bit her yet. Would a bite in bear form be as fatal as it had been for all the others?
I couldn't lose Rose. I had to do something, but what?
It's here to kill them, and it's fast and strong and… and it went straight for Drake.
It all clicked.
My fury grew.
And I called out. "Ryder! Ryder!"
The lycan stopped and turned to face me. An odd expression of surprise on the hideous face.
While he was distracted, Rose hit him over the head so hard that he collapsed into a heap.
Rose roared again, groaned and shuddered, a look of pain on her face as she shifted back.
I prayed to whatever god was listening that all of her humanity came back with her.
And it did. My beautiful, entirely human wife, lay naked on the ground just as my bones realigned.
Still in pain, I made my way to her, bringing my shirt with me to drape over her as I pulled on my jeans.
We looked at the lycan, who now lay unconscious in human form.
Ryder.
Rose looked up at me, her face a mix of emotion. "How did you know?"
"Because he went for Drake. He wants Drake dead," I said. You protect his kind? Ryder had asked. He hated Drake's kind.
Drake's name spurred Rose to action and she ran up to him, stifling a sob. "Drake? Drake, wake up!"
What are you? I wondered of my best friend. Why did he want you dead?
Blood covered him, and I couldn't see where the wounds began, there were too many.
One thing was clear, these weren't just scratches from the lycan's claws.
Drake had been bit. More than once.
All color drained from Rose's face as she looked up at me. "Drake's dying."
We heard a sob behind us as Sam ran up, Ana trailing behind her. Sam leaned down to her husband, grabbing his hand as Father Patrick picked Ana up and walked away with her.
But we could all hear the child scream as Sam stared at her husband.
"Dada. I saw. I saw. Dada's dead."
EIGHTEEN
All That Lives Must Die
ROSE
Thou know'st 'tis common: all that lives must die,
Passing through nature to eternity.
— William Shakespeare, Hamlet
THE EARTH CRASHED into me as my body collapsed, bones breaking, limbs trembling, the world fading out from pain and fear. Shifting had never felt like this, not even the first time. The bear didn't want to give me up, didn't want to let my human side reclaim my body. I fought, pushing the bear away, holding on to my humanity through every sharp and tortuous crack and shift of muscle and bone.
Through a haze of pain, I felt Derek's hand on my hip. My human hip. "Rose, are you okay? Oh God, Rose!"
I could feel his fear for me, so I tried to smile, tried to lift my head as he pulled off his shirt and helped me slip it over my naked body.
It took a moment for the last few minutes to crash into me. I looked around, still dazed, but a new anxiety tightened in my chest. Ryder lay in human form a few feet from me. His wolf abandoned him when he lost consciousness. After he attacked us.
I looked up into Derek's eyes, still creased in concern. "How did you know?" How did you know it was Ryder?
"Because he went for Drake. He wants Drake dead," said Derek.
We both turned toward the body of our friend. On shaky legs I ran to him. "Drake? Drake, wake up!"
Drake didn't move. His body, bitten and scratched repeatedly, was covered in blood. Another wave of dizziness claimed me. "Drake's dying."
Derek's breath hitched as he reached for his friend, but we both moved away when Sam ran up screaming for her husband, Ana trailing behind her.
Sam's face crumbled in pain as she laid a hand on Drake's. "No, you can't die. I won't let you. I refuse. Not after everything we've been through. You are not leaving me, Drake. Do you hear me?"
Father Patrick picked up Ana before she could get too close, and held her to his chest as he battled with his own grief. Drake was like a son to the old priest, and the old priest like the father Drake had never known.
Ana kicked and screamed, trying to run to her father. "Dada. I saw. I saw. Dada's dead."
Her words broke Sam, who sobbed into Drake's chest.
I coul
dn't say anything, couldn't offer comfort. I hadn't been fast enough, hadn't been strong enough. I should have stopped this from happening. I looked up at Derek, our eyes locking, sharing an understanding of the profound pain Sam was in, the kind of pain I'd been in when I thought I'd destroyed Derek's soul with my dark power. When I thought I'd lost him forever. I knew this pain all too well.
We didn't notice Bishop Alaric until he sputtered out a gasp. "What happ—?"
Derek's eyes flared into wolf, and he charged the bishop, knocking him to the ground, beating on the old man until Alaric caught his fist. "I had no part in this."
Derek growled. "Liar!"
"I am sorry," he said, the fight leaving his body. "I should never have brought him here."
The bishop's heart opened to me, his true nature revealed for a moment. He was telling the truth. If he'd been working with Ryder, they would have attacked together. He loved Ryder and wouldn't have let him do this if he'd known.
I grabbed Derek, pulling him off the bishop. "Alaric didn't mean for this to happen."
Derek's body tensed under my hands, his muscles primed to push me away, but then he relaxed and pulled me into his arms instead, his body shaking from adrenaline, anger and grief.
Sam's gasp drew our attention. "I can feel him," she said. "He's still alive, but his thoughts are fleeting."
Alaric reached for Drake to carry him. "Quickly! We must get him back to the mansion."
Derek pushed him away. "I'll take care of Drake. You handle the murderer you brought into a school of innocent children."
I asked Ocean to handle the bishop and Ryder and make sure Ryder was locked up somewhere while I followed Derek to the infirmary with Drake.
Susie, our resident doctor and the woman who delivered Ana, wasted no time in examining Drake, her face drained of color from her own shock when she saw him.
Derek pulled me to the side, kissing me like a man whose life depended on it. "Are you…?"
"I'm okay." I caressed his face, rubbing a finger over his stubble.