by Lola StVil
“Well as you can see, she’s not unguarded, but I can see how you made the mistake of believing she was. So why don’t you just let her go and I might let you live,” I say.
I see the flash of anger in their eyes as I taunt them. Good. Anger makes guards drop and mistakes happen when guards are down. Before my eyes, the two men change as their anger consumes them. They no longer look human. Both of their bodies are now jet-black, their eyes red. Their hair is gone, replaced by oily dreadlocks that spike out at the bottom. One sting from those and Sailor is dead for sure. Their fangs hang over their bottom lips, and the one holding her licks his, leaving a trail of green sludgy venom behind.
As I suspected, the demons are Shadow Walkers. They are known for their cruelty. If either of them hurt Sailor, I swear I’ll rip them to shreds and I’ll make sure it fucking hurts. The thought of them hurting Sailor is like a physical pain inside me, but I ignore it. I have to stay focused so I don’t make a mistake.
“Why do you two care about the Paradox?” I ask.
I’m trying to buy us some time and keep the Shadows talking, but I’m also a little curious. Shadows can feed off powers both good and evil, so it doesn’t matter to them one way or the other whether the horsemen defeat Sailor or she defeats them.
I purposely refrain from looking at Sailor, keeping my focus on the Shadow that holds her.
“Power unimaginable,” he responds.
His voice is a quiet, lisping sound now he has reverted to his true form. I raise an eyebrow.
“How do you figure? You think the horsemen will reward you if you take her out?”
“We won’t need the horsemen if we kill her. The Soul Gems are in Whisper. Shadows are getting close to them. Only the Paradox can stop us.”
“Bullshit,” I say. “No one knows the location of the Soul Gems.”
Except Nexus said she believes that one of them is indeed in town and someone is close to finding it.
“How little you know, God,” the Shadow spits. “We are closer than ever, and once we find the first one, the rest is easy. Just follow the clues right? The first one reveals the clue to the second and so on until we have all seven.”
“So kind of like National Treasure for Gods and Demons?” Sailor puts in.
“What?” the Shadow holding her says.
Well fuck me. She’s gone and done it. I’ve been trying to distract him, and one strange human reference and Sailor has got his attention. Sailor rolls her eyes.
“I’m supposed to know what gods, Soul Gems, horsemen, and Slip Demons are, and I make one human reference and you all look at me like I’m the crazy one,” she says.
The Shadow loosens his grip slightly and I see our chance. I finally allow myself to look at Sailor. I give her a barely perceptible nod and she bursts into action as three more Shadows run into the clearing.
I spin to the side to face the new threat as Sailor bends slightly at the waist and throws the Shadow over her head. She pulls a knife out of one of her boots and runs it across his throat before he has a chance to recover. She makes a face as a black tarry ooze spills from the wound.
I pull out my own knife and stick it into the chest of one of the new Shadows. I have to take these ones down quickly so I can get to Sailor before the other one gets to her. He was frozen for a moment, but he’s reacting now. He reaches for her as I run toward the second new Shadow and stick my knife into his eye. He howls and goes down, a slurry of black ooze running down his body.
Sailor sees the threat coming. She’s still low from throwing herself down to cut the original Shadow’s throat. She crouches lower and sticks her knife into the Shadow’s knee. He howls and goes down.
I know she’s got this, and instead of killing the final Shadow, I grab him, holding my knife to his throat.
“You and I are going to have a little chat,” I say.
Sailor waits for the Shadow to crash to the ground and then she springs to her feet. She reaches down and grabs his head, twisting it viciously until his neck snaps with an audible cracking sound that makes me look away. Unfazed, Sailor pulls her knife back out of his knee and wipes it off on the grass before pushing it back into her boot.
“You took your time.” She grins at me. She nods at the Shadow who has fallen still in my grip. “What about ugly there?”
“I have a few questions for him,” I say.
I turn him around and release him and then I punch him hard in the face. He swats out at me, but for all of their cruelty, Shadows aren’t known for their fighting skills. They rely on stealth and outnumbering their victims. I punch him again and he goes down, clutching his face.
I kick him hard in the ribs until I hear a cracking sound. He won’t talk unless I make him talk. I kick him once more in the now broken rib for good measure. He howls in pain.
“How did you get into Whisper?” I demand.
He just laughs. I kick him again and he howls.
“How did you get in?” I repeat.
“The protection is weakening. Everyone is coming for the stones,” he shouts.
It’s not a reassuring answer but I sense it’s the truth.
“How do they know it’s here?” I ask.
More silence. I put the heel of my boot on one of the Shadow’s hands and grind it down until he starts talking.
“The horsemen,” he shrieks.
“Why would the horsemen care who gets the Gems?” I ask.
He doesn’t need to be coerced into answering me this time. He laughs hysterically, the pain sending him a little mad.
“Because they want you distracted.”
His laughter continues. Tears of mirth run down his face and his laughter reaches a new pitch of hysteria. I know I won’t get any sense out of him now. I reach down and push my knife through his heart.
“We can’t…” I say, turning to Sailor, but she’s already walking away.
This girl will be the fucking death of me. Keeping her safe is like trying to stop a lemming from walking off a cliff top. I hurry to catch up with her.
“Thanks, Rye,” I snap.
She rolls her eyes.
“Thank you for saving my life, but it changes nothing. I have nothing more to say to you, Rye. Just go back to the cabin.”
“You know I can’t do that. You just saw what happens when I leave you alone for a second. And where there’s one Shadow, there’s more,” I say.
“Whatever. But if you’re walking me home, you better hurry up. I told my dad I’d be home by six to play happy family and I intend to keep my word.”
I don’t even bother trying to talk to her. What’s the point? It’s better this way. At least if she hates me, it’s only hurting me instead of her. I up my pace and we practically run to Sailor’s front door. Once we reach it and I know she’s safe, I turn to leave, but the door opens quickly.
“Oh hi.” Sailor’s dad smiles, extending his hand to me. “I’m Adam, Sailor’s dad.”
“Rye,” I reply.
“Rye, Sailor, this is Raven,” Adam says.
He stands to one side, revealing a gorgeous woman with long black hair and legs that go on forever. Sailor and I exchange a glance.
“Ms. Price?” Sailor says.
“What? Do you know each other?” Adam asks, clearly confused.
“She’s my history teacher,” Sailor says.
Raven steps forward and slips her hand into Adam’s.
“Guilty as charged.” She laughs. “You didn’t tell me your daughter went to the high school. For some reason, I assumed she was younger.”
This is awkward to say the least and I really want no part of it.
“Nice to meet you, Adam,” I say. “I just wanted to make sure Sailor got home okay. See you at school, Sailor.”
“Nonsense. They say chivalry is dead and here’s the living proof it’s not. The least we can do is give you dinner. Come on in,” Adam says.
Sailor glares at me. A look that says don’t you dare.
“Umm�
�I…” I say.
“Oh come on. It’ll be nice to get to know another one of Sailor’s friends,” Adam says.
I can’t see any way out of this without being rude or obnoxious, and before I can think of anything, I am ushered inside.
Sailor glares daggers at me and then her dad.
“I’m going to get freshened up,” she announces.
She storms up the stairs before any of us can react. Adam laughs awkwardly and leads us into the dining room. I sit down at the place he’s indicated and look out into the hallway, watching the staircase, waiting for Sailor to return. Raven sits down opposite me. Adam rushes around setting an extra place at the table. He finishes and goes off into the kitchen, leaving me and Raven alone.
“So how are things, Ms. Price?” I ask when the silence becomes unbearable.
“It’s Raven when we’re outside of school.” She smiles. “And things are good thank you.”
Well that ended that conversation. It’s bad enough being forced to go to high school without having to socialize with my teachers too. Movement from the stairs catches my eye and I catch my breath as I look at Sailor. She changed into a dress that sits mid-thigh on her with knee-high boots, and her hair is pinned up in a way that shows off the adorable little birthmark beneath her right ear. She isn’t wearing a scrap of makeup, and she looks younger, more vulnerable. It’s a simple look, but to me, she has never looked more beautiful.
“You look nice, Sailor,” Raven says as Adam comes back in and begins to put serving bowls on the table.
“Thank you,” Sailor says.
She sits down, not making eye contact with anyone.
“Dig in, guys,” Adam says, seemingly oblivious to the icy cold atmosphere that fills the room.
Raven helps herself to a large portion of pasta bake and passes the bowl to me. I take a scoop and pass it to Sailor. She slops some onto her plate and slams the bowl down in front of Adam. I reach for a slice of garlic bread, more to have something to do with my hands than anything else.
I start to eat. I’m not really hungry and the atmosphere is making swallowing difficult, but I have to admit that Adam sure knows his way around a kitchen.
“It’s good,” I say, smiling at him.
“Thank you. It’s my mom’s recipe,” he says. “I should really pass it down to Sailor, but cooking isn’t her thing, is it Biscuit?”
Biscuit? Really?
Oh, I can see why she didn’t want me to come in here. Sailor shrugs.
“A bit like history.” Raven smiles.
“I’m more interested in the future than the past,” Sailor snaps.
Adam gives her a warning look, but Raven just carries on.
“We learn how to make the future better by learning from the mistakes of the past,” she says.
Sailor gives her a look that would make most people squirm, but being a teacher, Raven has probably seen much worse. She turns to me and smiles.
“Where’s your gang this evening?” she asks.
Adam looks up sharply and I laugh and quickly correct Raven.
“If by gang you mean my friends, they’re at home,” I say.
“They seem to have taken you under their wing haven’t they, Sailor?” she says. “Honestly, I was quite surprised to see you hanging around with Ya-Ya.”
“Why?” Sailor asks. “Ya-Ya’s lovely. If it wasn’t for her, I would have been a laughingstock on my first day. I managed to fall into a muddy puddle and she lent me some clothes.”
“I just thought she would be a bit shallow for your tastes,” Raven says. “And that Grace girl. She’s a bit too good to be true, isn’t she?”
I am more than a little shocked to hear Raven bitching about her students like this, but I keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to make a scene at Sailor’s house.
“So you would rather I hung out with someone less nice?” Sailor says.
“I’m just saying that I don’t really see you with them. Just be careful, Sailor, is all I’m saying. They’re not known for accepting strangers into their little clique. Especially not girls like you.”
“I’m sorry, but do you really think that’s an appropriate thing for a teacher to say about her students?” Sailor demands, slamming her fork down.
Adam jumps to his feet, a fake smile plastered over his face.
“Sailor. A word in the kitchen. Now.”
Sailor looks ready to argue but she reluctantly gets up and follows Adam into the kitchen. They should have just had the conversation at the table because Raven and I can hear every word of it.
“What’s gotten into you, Biscuit? Is Raven right? Are these friends of yours bad influences on you? You’re being rude.”
“I’m being rude?” Sailor says. “Your date is implying that I’m not good enough for my friends, and you think I’m the one being rude. Honestly, Dad, wake up. And for the record, no, my friends aren’t bad influences. In fact, they’ve all literally saved my life.”
“Saved your life? What are you talking about?” Adam demands.
I tense up. What is she going to tell him?
“They saved me from being the butt of every joke for the rest of the school year, they saved me when I was all alone, and they saved me from being that nerdy kid that no one will talk to. Happy now?”
Sailor doesn’t wait for an answer. She comes back to the dining room and gives Raven the most fake smile I’ve ever seen.
“My apologies, Ms. Price. It seems my dad thinks I was rude to you.”
“Honestly, it’s fine. There’s no need to apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Sailor ignores her and turns to me.
“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you out.”
I get to my feet.
“Thank you for dinner, Adam,” I say. “It was nice to meet you. And to see you too, Raven.”
Adam shakes my hand.
“Thank you for joining us, thought I am not quite sure what got into my daughter, you are welcome anytime, Rye.”
He might think so, but Sailor is staring daggers at me again and it’s clear she disagrees with his statement. I follow her into the hallway. She slams the dining room door.
“Sailor,” I start, but she’s in no mood for talking.
I can see the tears shimmering in her eyes as she shakes her head. I reach out for her but she steps around me and opens the front door. I hate to leave her like this but it’s obvious that’s what she wants and I step outside. I turn back to speak to her, but she’s already closing the door. As it closes, I get a glimpse of the frantic look in her eyes. It’s like she’s pushing me away but begging me to stay at the same time.
I walk around to the side of the house already knowing that there’s a fifty percent chance Sailor is going to tell me to just fuck off and leave her alone. Well I won’t. Not until I know she’s okay. I look up at the room I heard Sailor moving around in earlier when she went to get changed. I spot a drainpipe and shimmy up it and slip into Sailor’s open window.
She’s lying on the bed, her body curled in the fetal position, and I can hear her anguished sobs. Hearing her crying like that breaks my heart and I can’t help but think of what she said to Aziza. How must she feel to think her dad is replacing her mom with someone she doesn’t like?
I move to the bed knowing I shouldn’t do it and yet I lie down beside Sailor anyway.
“Sailor—” I start.
She cuts me off again, but this time she doesn’t do it by pushing me away. She does it by throwing herself into my arms. She’s sobbing so hard I can feel her body shaking and her tears soaking through my shirt. I don’t know what to say to make it better, so I don’t say anything. I pull her blankets over her and just hold her.
“Rye?” she whispers when her sobs have trailed off to hiccupping gulps. “Please don’t leave me.”
I know I have to leave her. Staying is too much; it will anger the gods. I open my mouth to tell her I have to go and I’m sorry.
“Never,” I whis
per back instead.
And I mean it. For as long as Sailor wants to be next to me, I’ll hold her in my arms and protect her from the world. And if that incurs the wrath of the gods, then I’ll fight them too.
Sailor and I walk along a winding path through green fields and rows of sweet jasmine. Her hand is in mine and I can feel the love for her radiating out of me. She turns her head and smiles at me, a smile that lights up my entire body, and I stop walking and kiss her. She squeals with delight when I pick her up and spin her around.
The scene flashes. Sailor and I lie on our backs on a beach, side by side; as she stares up at the stars in the night sky, all I see is her. She squeals in pure delight when a shooting star flies across the sky and tells me to make a wish. I squeeze her hand and tell her I have everything I’ll ever need right here. She rolls over and straddles me, leaning down to kiss me, and everything is perfect in the world.
The scene changes again. I’m walking Sailor home. She’s practically skipping along beside me, telling me what an amazing day it’s been. She doesn’t have to tell me; I know. We turn a corner and see Sailor’s house. It’s consumed by flames. Sailor rips her hand from mine and runs toward the house screaming for her dad. I run after her. Three gods stand before the house. They refuse to let Sailor in.
“We warned the god, Paradox. He knew the consequences.”
“Where is my father, you bastards!!!” Sailor screams.
“The god ignored our warning and your father paid the price with his life.”
Sailor screams and falls to her knees. She looks up at me, raw hatred in her streaming eyes. Her voice is ice cold as she speaks.
“First you killed your family and now mine. This is all your fault.”
I jolt awake, instantly aware that I’m in Sailor’s bed and she’s lying beside me wrapped in my arms. I gently disentangle myself from her, already missing the warmth of her body. I get dressed as quietly as I can and go to the window. I swore I wouldn’t leave her, but it’s better for her if I’m gone when she wakes up.
“You don’t have to sneak out. My dad already left for work,” Sailor says from behind me.
Dammit.
I turn around and she’s propped up on one elbow smiling at me. Her face is still heavy with sleep and she has a crease down one cheek where her face was lying, but she looks more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her.