by S L Mason
He opens his mouth to say something. I put my hand up. “You’re right, we should find some adults to take care of the littler kids. They need to be educated, loved, and coddled.” I look around, knowing the only adults within five miles are my parents. I can’t take anyone there. The rest of the adults are gangbangers and criminals, probably a few rapists too. “They aren’t going to get any of that with us. I don’t know how we would find good adults that are alive. I don’t want to go over this again.” I heave a sigh, blowing my bangs out of my eyes.
All of their parents are dead. I’m not going to dissuade them of the belief that mine aren’t dead as well. My parents are safer if everyone thinks they are dead.
My head rolls to the side, creating a pop in my neck. My eyes slide around the warehouse. I focus in on one of the kids, Twitchy. He’s good with electronics. So is his buddy, Doug, the super geek. I turn my head back to Nick, cross my arms, and change the subject. “Has Doug found anything on the radio?”
“They’re still playing music. He says most of the news isn’t worth listening to. The public service announcement to check in is still running.” Nick gazes off to nowhere.
“We don’t want to send a reply. You don’t know who’s on the other end of that radio. They will find us and take all the supplies or worse. I’m sorry, but I think we’re just stuck with this for now. Our best bet is to keep organizing the softer teenagers to take care of the littler kids.” He doesn’t turn to look at me but nods his head. He stands up straighter and stomps off to the other side of the warehouse.
“Is he trying to get rid of us again?” Zoe is always nearby. The truth is she’d make a perfect spy. She moves without a sound. She’s so tiny. I’m sure we could secret her away in a cupboard to eavesdrop on someone’s conversations.
“He’s not trying to get rid of you. He’s trying to keep people safe. He knows we’re not adults, and little kids need love and somewhere safe to call home. We’re all so traumatized. I’m not sure we have it in us.” I rub my forehead. I don’t have all the answers.
“I love my sister. I help out with little kids as much as I can. You’re right; they need love,” her eyes plead with me. “We’re the adults now. Don’t let Nick talk you into getting rid of us.” Fear etches her face. The same fear grips me.
“Do you really think Nick has the ability to talk me into anything? Don’t worry about it. Nick’s not in charge. We stay together until we find a better option.” My eyes follow Nick’s movements across the warehouse.
Like Nick, I want to go back, but to save Arty. I’d only been in the Fae realm for a few days, but time had marched on, resulting in three months passing on in the human realm. It has been two weeks my time since I returned to the surface, and I can’t figure out how much time had passed in Fae. A few hours?
What do they say about procrastination? You may delay, but time will not.
CHAPTER 2
All my plans are taking too long.
I keep running the picture in my mind. Arty’s black hair in free fall, his eye’s focusing on Olive and throwing her back on the platform. The last minute when our eyes met before he sank over the side and my stomach lurched. How did Arty wake-up? Everybody else was asleep. If Olive hadn’t tumbled over the side, he’d still be here.
It’s not even a choice I want to think about. Olive didn’t deserve to be saved more than Arty. Arty would have wanted her saved before than him. She’s little, with a whole life to live. Arty would want her to live. He was sweet like that.
I said it like he’s dead. He’s not dead; he’s stuck underground with the life-sucking Fae, I think.
No one here is capable of withstanding the Fae. They would all become entranced, and it would be a big waste of their lives. Mine and Nick’s plan is the only way, and I can’t stay here.
I flip through the pictures on Arty’s phone, most of them of me.
“Looking at the pictures of your boyfriend again?” I grit my teeth and shift my eyes to him. Nick grates on me sometimes by pushing just the right button.
“He’s not my boyfriend. I’ve told you that; he’s my best friend,” I retort.
His dry laugh always follows. “I don’t know any guy who has that many pictures of a girl that he doesn’t want to bone.”
“You’re a real Shakespearean there, Nick. It isn’t like that. Arty isn’t into me, more like I’m his sister or something.” I close my eyes. I can hear Arty’s words before we were taken. He told me to save yourself. Isn’t that what I was doing? No, you’re procrastinating. Yeah, to save lives.
“Poor Arty, friend-zoned for all time. I’m sorry, Sarah! I’m not buying it. You’re good-looking and available. You like him, and you hang out with him. He’s your boyfriend whether you admit it or not.” Nick crosses his arms, forcing his biceps to bulge and making them appear larger than they are and they are large.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Kissing Arty would be like kissing my brother. Gross. We’re friends, that’s it. I literally lost my best friend. Could you leave me alone about it?” I grumble, shifting my eyes from him and back to the phone before pushing the off button and sliding it back into my pocket.
“I know you just lost your friend. We all lost somebody. You never once asked me why I was there or who I went with.” The chiding tone of his voice mists over me like a cold fog and my head hangs as I run my fingers through my hair. Long, thick and unruly, my hair is a pain in the ass, but it covers the point at the end of my ears.
“I’m sorry! I never asked you whom you went in with. I didn’t ask you why the Fae were holding you at the tree. Who was so important they tied your lives together? I didn’t ask, not because I don’t care.” I chance a glance at him and then around the warehouse. “Everybody’s got their own demons. I didn’t think it was my business to pry into yours. Want to tell me? I’d be happy to listen.” I turn my full attention on him.
He looks down and away, his shoulder rises as he draws in a breath. Then everything about him sags. “My sister. I have a twin sister. I’m Nicholas, she’s Nicolette. I know, cheesy. If you knew my parents, you would’ve understood. I’m sure based on what you told me about the maze that she made it through. Nikki’s really smart. She’s the smarter of the two of us. Now you know who I’m going back for—you to get your friend, me to get my sister. I don’t care if you’re in love with him. All I care about is Nikki. She’s in there, fighting for her life alone. I’m her brother. I’m supposed to be by her side, always.” Obviously, his sister is the one in charge of their relationship. He’ll do anything to save her. So, if it’s a choice between Arty and his sister, he’s always gonna choose his sister. Which is okay because that’s kind of what I would expect. If it was my sister, I would choose her over somebody’s friend every time. I would choose Arty.
I dart my eyes around. “Is this why you keep pushing me? You don’t want to be responsible so we can go back and save Nikki?” I tap my hands together, lightly letting the tips of my fingers meet.
“Yes, that and frankly I’m not ready to be micro-dad. Some of these kids, they look up to us like we’re supposed to be their parents. I’m not ready for that. I’m not sure I would ever be ready for it. Until a couple weeks ago, the only thing I wanted to do was play football and get into a good college. That’s it.” His words come out hard and pleading at the same time. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else other than girls. Now all I can think about is Nikki, killing Fae, and getting revenge.” His right fist smashes into his left hand, flexing the muscles in his upper body at the same time. Nick likes to put on a show of strength. For a moment there, the bravado vanishes and I see the real Nick. The guy without all the brawn and he is hurting and alone. Just like the rest of us. I stand up, keeping my eyes on his, I pat his arm, and turn my mind away from all our losses.
I know how he feels. Before all of this, the only thing I was worried about was finishing high school and who I’d go to prom with.
It had all been so clear when I spoke to
my parents. I had to go back in the Hallowed Hills and find Arty. But the longer I think about it, the more I realize it won’t be that easy. What if he’s dead? The what-ifs play a broken record in my head. There is only one way to make them stop. That is why Nick and I made our pact.