by Lola StVil
“You know they’re going to say no right?” Sunday says. “They’re not going let a bunch of teenagers wander the streets when they think it might not be safe.”
Aziza and Ya-Ya come back loaded down with boxes almost before he finishes saying it.
“Okay, I stand corrected,” Sunday says. “Sometimes, you have to wonder if the humans are even worth saving, don’t you, if they’re willing to risk kids handing out food packages.”
“They’re desperate, Sunday,” I say.
“I know,” he sighs. “I don’t mean it. I just…”
“I know,” I say, patting his shoulder.
We each take a box, all of which are labeled with a name and an address. We debate splitting up, but we decide against it. If the horseman finds Sailor, we need to all be together so we can help her defeat him.
We make our way around the houses, and each time we come to knock on a door, I’m tensed up, ready and waiting for an attack, but none of the grateful little old ladies we visit turn out to be vicious supernatural killers. In fact, the most eventful thing we see is two teenage boys having a fight in the street. A fight that is quickly broken up when Aziza marches over to them and threatens to end them both if they don’t clear off.
By the time we get back to the town hall, it’s almost nine and the sheriff insists we return home for the curfew. I try to argue with him, but he tells me it’s fine, most of the food packages have been delivered and the few that haven’t, he’ll take himself before he goes over to the clinic.
Defeated, we head toward the edge of town. Once we’re in the forest, we can portal the rest of the way, but we can’t risk anyone spotting us portalling in the town. We reach the edge of the woods and Ya-Ya shushes us.
“Can you hear that?” she asks.
I strain my ears and I can just hear it. A child crying. We look at each other and run in the direction of the sound. As we get closer, the crying becomes a scream, a desperate plea for help, and I recognize the voice.
“It’s Jenny,” I shout.
We rush forward and find ourselves in a small clearing. Dr. Hill has hold of Jenny and he’s dragging her along behind him. He’s muttering away to himself as he goes.
“This is all my fault. I should have seen it sooner. I should have known.”
Jenny kicks out, catching him in the shins, and he bellows at her.
“You need to die. And I will be the one to end you. You’re pure evil.”
I’ve heard enough. I step forward.
“Let her go right now,” I say.
Dr. Hill spins to face me.
“Rye. You don’t understand,” he says.
“Please help me,” Jenny cries, her eyes begging us to do something. She’s crying so hard it’s hard to understand her words, but I get the gist of it. “He killed my mommy. And now he’s going to kill me.”
“Last chance, Dr. Hill,” I say.
I draw my knife. The team have their own weapons out.
“Why do you all have knives?” Dr. Hill asks, eyes wide. He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. You have to help me kill her.”
I watch from the corner of my eye as Sailor edges away from the rest of us, circling around to the back of Dr. Hill.
“I don’t fucking think so,” I snap.
Sailor gets herself behind Dr. Hill.
“Jenny, run,” she shouts.
Her shout startles Dr. Hill, who spins to face her and releases Jenny. Sailor makes a roaring sound as she plunges the knife into Dr. Hill’s chest. His knees buckle and he collapses onto the ground on his face. Sailor comes back toward us, white faced and shaking.
“Is it over? Did I kill the horseman?” she asks.
I nod, and she drops the dagger. It falls on the ground at her feet as she looks at her blood-soaked hand in disgust. I go to her side. Mel is on her knees, hugging Jenny tightly against her chest as she sobs, and my heart breaks for the girl. I know what it’s like to be an orphan.
“Oh Jenny, you were so brave,” Mel says to her.
Jenny pulls back from Mel’s arms a little, her tears shining in the moonlight as she sniffles.
“What will happen to me now?” she asks.
“Don’t worry, Jenny. We’ll take care of everything,” Jinx says.
A noise in the undergrowth distracts me from the scene and I see a white puppy bounding through the trees.
“Archer. Come here, boy,” Jenny says, suddenly looking more excited than sad.
I feel Sailor tense up beside me.
“Mel. Get away from her. Now,” she says in a frantic voice.
Jenny turns to face us and laughs. A mirthless laugh that sends a shiver through me.
“Clever girl,” she says. “But not clever enough. Too busy being distracted to see what was right there in front of you.”
Mel scoots away from her and gets to her feet. She comes to stand with Sailor and me. The rest of the team begin to move into position beside Sailor except Aziza. Aziza throws herself on the ground, going for the dagger, which still lies on the ground where Sailor dropped it. Jenny beats her to it, snatching it up with glee. Aziza crouches low, ready to take her on for the dagger.
“Aziza, no. If you touch her skin you’ll die,” Sailor shouts. “That’s what happened to Grace, isn’t it?”
“Ah, dear trusting Grace. She was only too happy to take my little hand in hers when she found me wandering the streets crying saying I was lost.”
“You bastard,” Sunday shouts, stepping forward.
I hold him back as Jenny laughs.
“Grace knew it was you when you touched her, didn’t she? You thought she died alone, but someone found her and took her to the clinic. She was trying to tell your dad, but he thought she was delirious. But then he started to think about it, and something didn’t add up and he realized she was right. He started to put it together, seeing all of the little changes in you that he hadn’t been able to explain, didn’t he?” Sailor says.
Jenny nods, her eyes flashing with rage.
“Yes. Another one who was too clever for their own good in the end. He never really got past the fact that I was no longer allergic to peanuts. You should have seen his face the first time I ate a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in front of him. He just about died of shock. And when nothing happened to me, he started in on the blood tests. He was determined to find out what had changed. He wanted to write a thesis about me. He started watching me pretty closely after that. And the whole time I have this little brat in my head.
“Oh, it’s dark.
“Oh I’m scared.
“I want my mummy.
“I want my daddy.
“A constant whining. Until she finally faded out.”
“What do you mean faded out?” Sailor asks.
“Once you found the dagger, it woke up my powers and I was able to take over her completely. She died, Paradox. Keep up. And now you will see me in my true form, and you will kneel before the mighty Pestilence.”
I feel my mouth drop when right before my eyes, Jenny and the puppy are gone, replaced with Pestilence and his horse. Pestilence is a black, shadowy form with glowing red eyes. He sits on top of a beautiful white horse with flames for a mane and tail.
“Tell me, Paradox. What do you hope to achieve with all of this?” he asks. Jenny’s voice is gone, replaced with a deep, rumbling growl. “As if you, a little girl, can take down us, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
The horse is moving suddenly, springing toward us. We jump back, but not quickly enough. Pestilence reaches down and grabs Sailor by her throat, dragging her onto the horse with him. I grab for her, but I’m too late. Now he has Sailor and the dagger. I run forward, the team beside me. Pestilence just laughs. He waves his free hand and a powerful force hits me full in the face. I fly backwards, crashing to the ground. I try to get up, but I can’t move. All I can do is watch as he throws his head back and laughs.
“You are all paralyzed, no longer able to move or speak. But I sha
ll permit you to watch as I slit the throat of your precious Paradox with the very dagger that she planned to use on me.”
I failed you, Sailor. I’m so sorry. I love you.
He raises the dagger closer to Sailor’s limp form. I see a flicker of movement as she opens one eye, watching the dagger. She waits until the last second and then she pulls her legs up to her chest and fires them out with a roar. They strike Pestilence in the chest and he goes flying off his horse. His hands grasp for purchase. They find none, and the dagger flies from his hand as he crashes to the ground. Sailor springs after him. She crouches and grabs the dagger without it even slowing her down. She pushes the tip into Pestilence’s chest. Her eyes are ablaze with fire as she looks down at him with disgust.
“You’re wasting your time, Paradox. I’ll be resurrected,” he taunts her.
“Yeah?” she says. “Well then I’ll get the pleasure of sending you straight back to hell.”
She plunges the dagger all the way into his chest. His body becomes a swirling blast of ashes as does the body of his horse. Sailor stands in the center of them, a determined look on her face. She has never looked sexier—strong, victorious. The Paradox.
As the horseman’s ashes float away on the breeze, I realize I can move again and I jump to my feet and run to Sailor. I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly as the others run to us and pile on, shouting and cheering and congratulating Sailor. Sailor stands quiet and ashen faced in the center of the group and we begin to release her.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I killed an innocent man,” she says. “Dr. Hill.”
“I know that feeling is hard, Sailor, but try not to focus on that. Focus on the fact you’re one step closer to saving all of humanity,” Aziza says.
Sailor nods and gives her a grateful smile.
“I will. But I should have seen it sooner. I felt a pull when I saw the two of them. Like the Paradox in me recognized the horseman. But I should have known it was Jenny. It was… I didn’t even consider it could be a child.”
“Do you remember when you first came to us, Sailor? You were forever saying you guys are actual gods and you don’t know this or that and yet you expect me to. You were shocked we would expect you to know stuff we didn’t,” Mel says.
Sailor nods.
“I remember. But—”
Mel cuts her off.
“No buts. We’re gods, and none of us suspected Jenny over Dr. Hill. There was no way you could have known.”
“Let’s get back to the cabin,” I say. “And let Nexus know it’s over.”
The team are on a high, skipping and running through the woods, laughing and shoving each other. I feel their elation, but I’m worried about Sailor and I hang back with her.
“You did it for Grace. Just keep telling yourself that and it’ll get easier, I promise,” I say.
She nods and smiles at me sadly. I take her hand in mine and we walk slowly behind the others.
“Why didn’t Jenny kill me the moment I accepted the rose?” Sailor asks, breaking the comfortable silence we had fallen into.
“It’s like Nexus said. The prophecy explains that until the Paradox has the weapon to kill the horseman, they are bound to not kill the Paradox directly. It’s nature’s way of balancing the fight.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Sailor says. “It means none of the others can come for me until I can kill them.”
“It is a good thing in the way you say. But it’s not all good. It also means you have to be extra wary of anyone who’s trying a little too hard to help you find the weapons. Now you’ve killed Pestilence, the other horsemen will know you’re a force to be reckoned with. You’ll have to be vigilant all of the time.”
“There’s one more thing I haven’t been able to fathom. If Jenny was Pestilence, why was she so afraid of the Slip Demons at the carnival?”
“She wasn’t. She was the one who let them in. She was luring you into a trap, Sailor. The horsemen can’t kill you directly until you have the weapon, but they can trick you into death at someone else’s hands.”
“That’s reassuring.” She smiles.
TWO WEEKS LATER
I think Sailor is slowly letting go of the guilt she feels over Dr. Hill’s death. I wish I could feel the same about Grace’s death, but I just can’t. I’m the team leader and Grace died on my watch. I should have been more vigilant. I should have realized she was missing sooner.
I can’t change any of that, but it eats at me. It took us a lot of arguing with the authorities to get Grace’s body back. Finally, Nexus stepped in and used a spell to convince them she was Grace’s grandmother. We had a beautiful burial ceremony for her and everyone shared their memories of her.
Grace wasn’t the only life lost that night. There were seven fatalities including Jenny and her parents. The people affected by the virus slowly began to recover once Pestilence died, and everyone has now made a full recovery.
That’s good news, but seven lives are seven lives. It’s too many to have lost. I can’t bear to lose anyone else. I’ve lost my parents and Grace. I won’t let anyone else die. I won’t.
I keep asking myself what that vow means for Sailor and me, because although I have tried to ignore my feelings for her, I just can’t. They’re too strong. It’s not a matter of if something will happen between us. It’s a matter of when. And before it does, I’ll find a way to convince the gods to leave her family the hell alone. I can’t lose Sailor. And she can’t lose her dad.
One good thing has come out of all of this. The people of Whisper have really come together as a community. People rallied to help those who had lost loved ones, those who were still ill in the clinic. Friendships were made, bonds that can’t be broken. Out of tragedy came joy. Out of heartbreak came love.
And the mayor of Whisper wanted to celebrate that. He has declared today an official holiday and put on a party in the town square to celebrate the community spirit of the people of Whisper.
“Earth to Rye.” Jinx laughs.
“Huh?” I say.
“Man you were spaced out there. How the hell can you even concentrate on your own thoughts with all of this noise?”
The party is in full swing. The whole town has turned out and a band is playing. People are laughing and dancing, drinks are flowing, and the whole place has a party atmosphere. Aziza wanders over to the rest of us, carrying a tray of drinks.
“How on earth did you get those with the sheriff and all of his deputies here?” Sunday asks.
“Because they’re soda,” Aziza says as we all take a drink. She winks. “But not for long.”
She looks around making sure we’re not being watched. She pulls a bottle of vodka from her inside pocket and spikes everyone’s drinks.
“To Grace,” I say, holding up my drink.
Everyone drinks to her.
“And to Sailor and the success of her mission. Welcome to the team, Sails,” Aziza says, raising her glass.
We all drink again. Adam and Raven spot us through the crowd and begin making their way over to us.
“Incoming,” Ya-Ya hisses.
“Evening, guys. How are you enjoying the party?” Adam asks.
“It’s great,” Mel says a little too enthusiastically. She blushes a little and laughs. “Sorry. I don’t get out much.”
“Don’t apologize,” Raven says. “It’s nice to see local teens enjoying the party instead of off trying to drink or smoke weed.”
“Dad, I was going to stay with the girls tonight if that’s okay,” Sailor says.
Adam hesitates and Sailor gives him her most winning smile.
“Oh, come on, Dad. We both know you and Raven don’t want me hanging around like a third wheel,” she says.
“Biscuit, we don’t think of you that way at all,” Adam says.
“We don’t,” Raven confirms with a smile. “So just be honest and admit it’s us cramping your style rather than the other way around.”
Sailo
r gives her a grateful smile and I think given time, Sailor will come to like Raven.
“Please, Dad,” she says.
“Fine.” Adam laughs. “Just …”
“Be careful,” Sailor finishes for him. “I will. Don’t worry.”
The rest of the night goes by in a blur of fun and laughter. It’s exactly what we all need after everything we’ve been through, and when we finally have to call it a night and return to the cabin, no one is ready to go to bed. Aziza turns the music on and we continue the party there.
We haven’t been back long when my cell phone buzzes. I check it and show Sailor the message. It’s from Nexus.
“Meet me in the warehouse. Just you and Sailor.”
“What’s that about?” Sailor asks me.
I shrug. I have no idea. Nexus has already been by several times to check in on us and congratulate us on killing Pestilence.
We head out to the warehouse. I have a sense of foreboding inside of me. For Nexus to use a cell phone, it has to be important. And for her to want to see only me and Sailor, it means there’s something wrong. I just know it.
We reach the warehouse and Nexus ushers us inside and closes the door.
“You didn’t tell anyone else about me being here, did you?” she asks.
I shake my head.
“No. Nexus, what’s going on?”
“I have some information about the next horseman, War. He might be closer than any of us thought,” she says.
“Enough with the riddles, Nexus. Just tell us what you know,” I say.
“Rye, Sailor, you did a good job with Pestilence, but this quest, it’s only just beginning. And your loyalties are going to be tested in so many ways. Ways you can’t even comprehend.”
“It’s okay,” I say. “We’re ready for anything, Nexus.”
“I hope so. Because War is a member of your team...”
***
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