by J. M. Briggs
Violet Blaze was a small buffet located off Main Street that had been through at least seven owners in Aiden’s lifetime, but somehow always managed to stay in business. The menu rotated with a blend of American staples on Mondays, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and seemingly random ethnic dishes on the other days plus a consistent salad bar. Aiden’s father loved the place while his mother hated it, but he like any good college student supported the idea of all you can eat.
It didn’t take them very long to get inside and pay for their meals. It was still a bit early for dinner so there were only a handful of people scattered in the small dining room and a long bar full of fresh steaming food. Aiden grinned, pleased to have gotten there early enough for the first batch of the night. They walked past the front counter with their drinks and found a table tucked back in the corner. Aiden glanced around in the corners quickly, checking just to make sure that there were no unexpected monsters hiding anywhere.
“Check it out,” Bran said in a low voice, gesturing towards the other side of the dining room.
Aiden did a double take to where Bran was pointing. Jenny and Lance were standing off to the side talking in low voices. Judging from the expressions on their faces it wasn’t an exactly pleasant conservation. They were half blocking the kitchen, but the staff members coming in and out were giving them a wide berth.
“I’m surprised they’re still in town,” Bran observed beside him as he put one of the little sugar packets into his iced tea. “‘Course I’m also surprised that they’re talking.”
“Maybe they are on a date,” Aiden suggested with a shrug. He doubted that, but still, if it were true then it would thrill Alex. He got a doubtful look from Bran and chuckled in agreement.
“What do you think?” Bran asked curiously. “Say hi or pretend we don’t see them?”
“This place isn’t that busy,” Aiden remarked even as he inwardly cringed. “Besides, I know that it means a lot to Alex that things work out with them.”
“Yeah,” Bran agreed with a soft sigh and a nod. “After you then.”
“Thanks,” Aiden grumbled, but he stepped forward and put on a wide smile. “Lance, Jenny,” he called with a small wave. “Hey there.”
The two in question turned to look at them sharply. Jenny’s eyes were wide, almost panicked, but she forced a little smile. Lance recovered quickly and his stance relaxed even as he glanced towards Jenny.
“Oh hi… Aiden and Bran,” Lance greeted politely with a hint of uncertainty in his voice at their names.
“Lance, Jenny good to see you both,” Bran replied kindly with a soft smile. “How were your finals?”
“They went fine,” Lance told them at the same time that Jenny said, “Good.” They glanced at each other and Aiden nearly shivered at the tension.
“Are you going home for Christmas?”
“My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon,” Jenny replied with a nod.
“I’m heading out tomorrow morning, you two?”
“I’m local,” Aiden replied with a small shrug.
“I’m staying for work reasons,” Bran answered calmly drawing a confused look from both Lance and Jenny for a moment.
He could tell the exact second that it dawned on them what Bran was referring to. It was almost funny how they both shifted nervously with a hint of guilt visible on both faces. Aiden couldn’t help but feel both sorry for them and frustrated with the pair. It actually wasn’t that different from how he’d felt about Alex at first when she was so stubborn about magic.
“So what brings you here?” Bran asked pleasantly taking over the small talk. “Are you on a date?” he asked with a little smirk that wasn’t as pleasant as his tone.
“What? No!” Jenny answered far too quickly, earning a small flinch from Lance. Aiden had to wonder what it was that the guy saw in her. “We just ran into each other. My friends-” She turned and gestured to a corner, but there was an empty table with messy plates and empty glasses. “Anyway,” she said quickly turning back to them and trying to hide a flash of hurt. “How are you guys doing?”
“Everyone is doing well,” Bran told her gently. “Things have been… intense lately,” he paused and nibbled at his lip for a moment. “It’s good that you’re leaving town for a bit.”
They didn’t ask anything further and Aiden knew that they didn’t need to say anything more. He nudged Bran’s elbow softly and nodded towards the buffet. The pair of them grabbed their trays and tried to ignore Jenny and Lance as they went to opposite sides of the restaurant. Lance sat back down with a small group of big guys that Aiden figured were other members of the football team. Jenny collected her jacket from the back of a chair, a sad expression on her face. He made a mental note to tell Alex to give her a call tomorrow as he reached for the spoon in the peaches.
Suddenly Bran stopped moving in the line, his breathing becoming strained as his hands shook. The plate of salad slipped from his grasp, crashing onto the floor as Bran swayed wildly. Lunging Aiden tried to grab Bran, but his friend twitched violently and stumbled back. Plates tumbled to the floor and there was a burst of noise around them. Everything seemed to slow down and Aiden was already cringing when Bran’s leg struck the side of the table with a crunch of plastic and the sharp metallic clang of the edge of the table against his brace. A look of intense pain took over Bran’s features as he fell back towards the buffet once more. Then his features became neutral, and he crumpled to the ground.
Aiden dropped to his knees next to him, nearly putting a knee into Bran’s dropped salad. At first, he thought his friend was unconscious; his eyes were open but glassy. His fingers were twitching very softly, but he was whispering something in too low a voice for Aiden to make out. The few other patrons in the restaurant were moving toward them, but there was a flash of purple in the corner of Aiden’s eye as Jenny rushed over with Lance close behind. The football player blocked off several of the other people coming close as Jenny stood right next to him nervously tugging at the hem of her shirt.
“Aiden,” Bran hissed as he grabbed onto his shoulder with a painful grip. “The lake, you’ve got to get to the lake. Chernobog, Alex needs help-”
Nodding, Aiden shifted closer to Bran, trying to sort out what to do as Bran’s eyes closed and he groaned in pain. He glanced down at Bran’s leg, noticing that the brace looked damaged from the impact and was digging into his leg.
“Oh my god is he okay?” Someone asked behind him. “I’ll call an ambulance.”
“No I’m fine,” Bran groaned his voice tight and gravely. It was obvious that he wasn’t alright, but as he lifted his eyes to meet Aiden’s he understood the desperate glint shining in Bran’s eyes.
“We’re good,” Aiden said quickly turning to look at the staff members hovering nearby. “He needs some space,” he insisted as he turned to look at the small crowd that had gathered.
“That looked like a seizure,” someone called from across the room.
Bran nodded and started wheezing as he struggled to breathe. Thankfully the half dozen people gathered around stepped back giving them some room. “They’re in danger, Alex… Arthur, the lake,” Bran groaned again, reaching up and rubbing his temples as if he had a migraine.
At Bran’s words, a soft gasp escaped Jenny. She had a horrified expression on her face and Aiden couldn’t but wonder which one she was more worried about: Alex or Arthur. Lance glanced her way, but then bent lower and slipped Bran’s arm over his shoulder, helping him to his feet. Aiden moved back to give the football player room to maneuver Bran over to a table away from the spectators. Rushing ahead of them, he moved aside a few chairs to give Lance enough space to lower his fellow mage into a chair.
Jenny was right behind them carrying Bran’s cane in hand which she handed to Bran once he was seated. Aiden shivered at the dark look that Bran gave the thing as he took it and leaned it against the wall. He knelt by his friend, trying to judge how badly the leg brace had been damaged or shifted. With some luck maybe B
ran would be back up quickly.
“Can I get you something?” a member of staff asked, wringing her hands with worry. “Some water? Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“I’m fine, but some water would be nice thank you,” Bran told her with a painfully forced smile. She nodded and hurried back towards the kitchen.
“What-”
Bran turned wide wild eyes on him. “Aiden go! I’ll be fine and I’ll call the others. Alex needs help, she’s in danger!” Bran’s eyes began glassy and distant, “Something… something isn’t right… I saw…” He shook his head, “The north side of the lake; you have to hurry and look out, there are shadow monsters everywhere.”
“Are you-”
“I’ll be fine,” Bran grimaced as he tried to move his leg, a wince shaking his entire body. “But I’m out of this fight, now go.”
“Go,” Jenny ordered sharply in a low voice with a glance around the people who were still watching. “We’ll stay with him.”
“We’ll get him home or wherever he needs to go,” Lance added seriously, his face stern with determination.
It went against every instinct to just leave him there, but Bran’s warning was ringing loud and clear in his ears. As he slowly got to his feet Bran was already pulling out his cell phone. The waitress came back with a glass of water and gave him a startled look as he pulled on his coat.
“I’ve got to go back to our dorm and grab his medicine,” Aiden explained quickly, feeling sick to his stomach. “He’s calling for extra help. Someone will be here soon, our other friends are going to stay until then.”
Aiden resisted the urge to look back at Jenny and Lance; their earlier nervousness didn’t fill him with confidence, but he felt helpless. Alex had faith in them, so he’d just have to hope that she was right. Everyone was watching him as he rushed out of the diner as if Sídhe hounds were at his heels. His truck was around the block and Aiden nearly slipped on a patch of ice in his rush. His fingers fumbled with his keys and he quietly repeated everything Bran had said. Taking a deep breath as he climbed into his truck and started it up, Aiden fought to keep panic at bay and pulled out into traffic.
He kept going faster and faster as the traffic thinned and he left the last of the buildings behind. Only a few side roads with scattered houses were around him now. His fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel and he kept glancing towards the lake. The half-moon was shining down brightly and the last rays of the sun were almost gone behind the mountains. He wondered if Bran’s vision was before or after Chernobog appeared; was there any chance that he’d find them before the danger even started?
Finally, the bridge appeared and Aiden sighed in relief, he was almost there and he thought he could see a car a couple of miles or so down the road. Then in the corner of his eye, he saw something changing on the lake and turned his head slightly to watch. It was getting darker all of a sudden as the last rays of the sun disappeared and a thick cloud appeared above the lake blocking the moonlight. Slowing down the truck, Aiden kept glancing towards the lake as a huge figure emerged from the surface of the water.
A strange sickening green glow was radiating off of a skeletal face. Aiden felt a chill taking over his limbs making them seem heavy and sluggish. There was a terrible sense of fear creeping into his mind, an urge to turn back, but he pulled his eyes away from Chernobog and focused on the road ahead of him. Shadows began to move outside the truck, but Aiden tried to ignore them even as he began to drive down the middle of the road. Metal scraping sounds from his truck made him shiver as another shadow monster burst onto the road and attacked. More were spilling out onto the road in front of him and turning to face him.
Slamming down on the accelerator, Aiden glared at the shadow monsters and did his best to ignore the flutter in his heart as his headlights began to flicker. The truck sped up and the shadow creatures leapt out of the way with shrieks of anger. There was another loud scraping sound as one of the larger ones swung at the truck. More and more were coming up from the lake and down from the hills.
Then everything began to sputter to a stop as the creatures swarmed around the truck. Aiden could feel the truck slowing down and glanced at the dashboard lights. They were flickering right along with the headlights. There was a hard bump against the driver’s side and his truck slammed to the right, slipping on a patch of ice. The whole truck spun, the dark scenery swirling around him as Aiden slammed his eyes shut. He hit something and the truck stopped as his head knocked against the headrest. Aiden pulled his shaking hands off the steering wheel. The truck was still running, but he was in the ditch in a pile of snow. He took a slow deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the chattering and screeching sounds from outside.
Aiden pulled off his gloves and tossed them into the passenger seat before pushing open the door. It resisted for a moment, the snow piled up tight against it, but after a moment it gave way. Climbing out of the truck, Aiden avoided even glancing at the damage. Instead, he reached under his coat and shirt to the leather sheath that secured his iron dagger. He pulled it out quickly and tightened his fingers around it nervously. Aiden knew that it wouldn’t do much against the shadow monsters; they weren’t weak to it like the Sídhe were, but it made him feel a little better. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, quickly locating the small spark in his gut that fueled his magic. Pulling on that spark, Aiden felt it expand and felt a wave of warmth wash through his entire body. His fingers tingled pleasantly and it was easier to breathe the icy night air.
The headlights of his truck flickered completely off and Aiden was left standing alone in the dark with the cackling of the shadows closing in around him. On instinct, he summoned a flame to his hands and his magic responded instantly to the familiar command. Flames licked sweetly at his bare skin and illuminated the immediate area. He wasn’t far from the road and Aiden ignored the dark shapes moving in his peripheral vision and trudged through the snow. It wasn’t really that deep; he’d been lucky and hit a drift rather than a tree, but with each step, he was aware of the creatures stalking him and Bran’s warning of danger. There wasn’t much time. Even if Bran had called the others right away he would still be the closest. As his feet escaped from the snow and tapped against the paved road a shiver went up his spine as the creatures came closer.
From his place on the road, Aiden could see the looming figure more clearly. Chernobog was surrounded by a mass of dark clouds that looked like a billowing cloak. It was massive, his skull-like head illuminated only by glowing neon green eyes so unlike anything he had imagined. The Old One didn’t seem to be moving yet, standing deathly still in the water and Aiden could only wonder just how large this thing truly was.
There were small flashes of dark silver magical light coming from up ahead: he was close to Alex and there was a shimmer of Arthur’s white magic. Bran’s vision may have given him enough warning to get moving, but he was too late to join them before the battle began. Swallowing, Aiden tried to find the distinct shapes of the shadow monsters circling him, but the long limbs and glowing red eyes all blurred together in the rippling darkness of their flesh. In his hand the flame flickered, the warmth draining out of it in the presence of the monsters.
If there was ever a time to get it right this was it, Aiden told himself. He could do this: he had to. Aiden could see his breath dancing on the air in soft wisps with every exhale and it felt like ice was creeping up the small of his back. With every moment the temperature around him was getting colder and more shadow monsters seemed to be spilling out of the woods.
Calling forth more magic, Aiden felt the spark in his gut grow and there was a soft thrumming in his legs and arms. The fire in his hands heightened and the creatures made a strange noise that almost sounded like laughter. He couldn’t do anything to them with his fire and they knew it. Aiden considered putting it out completely, but couldn’t stand the idea of the darkness. His hands were shaking, his mouth was completely dry and terror was slinking over him.
“I can do this,” Aiden said out loud, his voice cracking, but the words broke through the mess of noise.
The terror receded for a moment and Aiden let the flame in his hand wither as he focused on pulling back his magic. The darkness closed in around him and in the span of a heartbeat, he expected to be ripped apart. Magic jolted to his fingers, but instead of calling on his fire Aiden allowed the tiny flickers of power to sputter from his hand. They wafted lazily in the chilly air around him and the creatures made odd sounds at the sight. The front row pulled back suspiciously giving Aiden some space.
Closing his eyes, Aiden pictured a snowy day, like the blizzard that had shut down the schools for two days when he was nine. He and Nicki had begged to go out and play together, but his parents hadn’t been willing to brave the roads the first day. He could see the fat snowflakes and feel the biting wind that he’d braved for only half an hour before running back inside. Focusing everything he had, Aiden pushed that image to the front of his mind and commanded the magic: do that.