by J E Mueller
My heart started to beat faster and faster at the thought he might have vanished. Something wasn’t right. Where did he go? The cold would have swept in again if he had gone back out.
Father wasn’t in his room.
Nor in Marc’s.
My room was just as I left it.
Where was my father?
“Where did you go?” I started to cry. The terror of the mystery was sinking in.
“Hush, little child…” I heard a strange voice sing.
I turned from looking at my bed to the doorway. A strange sense of dread filled me.
“Don’t you cry now… ev-er-y thing will be… just fine.” The strange voice continued to sing from the direction of the living room fire.
A strange presence filled the space around me and I felt as if I was being pushed from the safety of my room toward the sound of the voice. My feet seemed to move stiffly forward of their own accord. I didn’t want to move. I knew I needed to stay rooted in place, and yet, I couldn’t. Every step made me cry harder and harder until I was finally back in the living room.
To my surprise, no one was there. Every chair was empty. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or even more frightened. Who had been singing?
Though the door was still tightly closed, as was every window, a deep chill began to settle in the room. The fire was making no difference.
I noticed my scarf project had gone from resting on my chair to hanging off it. This time my feet moved as I willed, and I walked over to pick it up. As I grabbed it I noticed there was spots of blood all over it and quickly dropped it to the ground.
“How?” I gasped aloud. My project was ruined and there was no one here.
Again, I quickly looked around the room before feeling what felt like a drop of rain hit my hand. Looking down, I saw the crimson drop and very slowly looked up. Above me was darkness. A pit of blackness darker than any night sky was slowly leaking down, drop after drop…
I heard a footstep, and before I could turn, I felt something hot and sharp stab straight through me. I looked down and saw the fire poker had speared me, and I glanced back to see what at first looked like my father. The black soulless eyes told another story. I wanted to scream, to call out a thousand things, but all I could do was cry.
Each breath quickly got harder, and darkness spotted across my vision until I hit the floor. I remembered crumbling, but not the feel of the ground. My pain was too deep to notice other unpleasantries.
An eternity later, I saw what was my father hit the floor. Black eyes turned to white before closing – never to open again.
Someone shook me, my vision too black to make out faces as I coughed up blood. The taste of iron was so thick in my mouth I felt as if I was choking.
My eyes closed even though I wanted to know who was there.
Slowly, the pain faded. The heat was gone, and nothing but emptiness and silence replaced it for a long time.
Heat suddenly wrapped around me again. Instead of burning it was comforting, like a blanket on a cold night.
I clung to it, but felt as if it was just too far out of reach.
I remembered a voice. So soft and sweet saying it wasn’t time, that I should stay. I felt as if I was being pushed to the warmth, and finally, I could grab ahold of it.
Suddenly, I was coughing again. The taste of blood filled my mouth, but I could breathe. It wasn’t suffocating any more. The pain was still overwhelming and I blacked out, but this time I was aware I was going to be okay.
I awoke with a start. Lydia was hovering over me, a look of deep concern on her face.
“You were dreaming of it weren’t you?” she asked softly.
I closed my eyes again but nodded.
“Are you going to be okay?”
Sighing, I pushed myself into a sitting position. “It’s probably time to face it down.” I looked at her. “What do you remember?”
Lydia glanced away before settling into a more comfortable position and meeting my eyes once more. “Back then you didn’t know me and sis were in this Blessed business. Sis took care of the problem, along with mom. You were my first heal. That part you know.”
Nodding, I took a deep breath. “Do you know what actually happened then? I know Mother got home shortly after it happened.”
Lydia hesitated. “I’d rather tell you nothing than the truth.”
“I would rather be hit with the truth than have it creep up on me again later.”
We stared at one another for a long moment before Lydia gave in. “In the ritual of reviving health with a demon’s aid, a sacrifice must be made. It’s likely your father found out he was dying of something. In order to regain his health he needed the blood of an innocent and the blood of a family member. Both in one go would guarantee no ill health evermore.”
“A demon's bargain. I’m surprised he had any guts to carry it out.” I sighed, trying to process the information.
“It’s more likely he was too frightened and let one possess him to accomplish the task,” Lydia replied.
The black eyes came to mind. “Yes, that would more likely be it.” I couldn’t shake the creepiness of his expression.
“It’s nearly dawn if you would rather just get up,” Lydia commented. “Not that I’m eager to be back on the road so soon.”
“Being up and moving sounds better than dwelling on those images,” I replied, trying to untangle myself from my blanket.
This was going to be a long week.
Despite the influx of nightmares I continued to read. So what if my gifts came from my brush with death? I tried not to let the fact bother me. I learned a bit more than that, anyway. Instead of crossing, a nearby spirit could insist on the dying child’s soul staying. It wouldn’t work, however, if there was no one there to heal the dying child. If someone did heal the child in time though, the child will have had direct contact with spirits and will be gifted with the ability to see and hear them -along with another spirit related talent.
Not everyone could guide spirits to the afterlife. It turned out that was a specific gift only granted to some. Others could track spirits. Some were gifted at untangling the threads that kept spirits tied to a specific location, allowing the spirit to move freely once more. Select others could actually fight spirits. Not all who were trapped in the spirit realm were good, and some needed to be put in their place before another could make them cross where they belonged. The final role was simply called the Gate Keeper and wasn’t explained at all yet.
Another fun fact the book mentioned was that traveling angels and demons pass through the spirit realm. While they could not stop there, since they are not in fact fully dead, that mixture of magic constantly in and out of the spirit realm was what gave the child the ability to also see angels and demons.
It was hard to guess what my gift would be, but I was excited to uncover any details. All of which were explained in depth in other books. I wanted more time to read them, but as we neared the end of day three I knew we would be meeting up with more of the Blessed and I didn’t really want to include random strangers in my reading.
“You made it further than I expected,” I heard Lliam say as we trotted down a forest path.
I glanced at the spirit floating lazily beside me. It was a little odd watching him pass through trees, so I turned to face forward. “I was wondering when you would show up.”
Lydia glanced over at me, and seeing no one, shrugged. “Spirit problems?”
“Lliam’s back. I knew he was interested in traveling with us, but he hasn’t shown up until just now,” I replied simply.
“Why does he want to follow us? Sure, some demon fighting might be cool to see, but there’s got to be some better things to do with his free time,” Lydia questioned.
“Shows what she knows,” Lliam huffed.
I ignored him and responded to Lydia instead. “He had mentioned he wanted to try and help. Spirits have been able to gain the attention of humans before. An odd gust of wind might
be a good enough warning to save a life.”
“Oh yeah, Key mentioned that helping her, before didn’t she?” Lydia nodded, satisfied with the answer.
“It would be more useful if someone else could hear me,” Lliam sighed.
“Maybe,” I replied to him, “but aside from a fight, what would you say to the living, anyway?”
He considered this for a moment. “Don’t fuck up, dying sucks.”
“How eloquent.” I rolled my eyes.
“What did you expect? Blessed born and raised,” Lliam said proudly. “The fight is the most important part, but damn did dying suck.”
“Is anyone not born Blessed aside from Lee? Geez, that’s all I hear,” I muttered.
“Several, but it is a much smaller portion,” Lydia replied.
“Have you gotten much reading done then?” Lliam asked curiously. “I know I suggested against it, but let’s face it, that was never going to work.”
It was true. “I finished most of book one. It would appear that there are several possible gifts I could have associated with this magic. I may not be able to guide spirits, though. So, helping someone cross might not be possible. We’ll see as I work through those books.”
“Damn it. It was too much to hope for.” Lliam muttered several extra choice words.
“I didn’t say hope was lost, I just said it wasn’t guaranteed. What even happened that prevented you from crossing to begin with? I mean if I do have that gift, it could be the same problem anyway.”
Lliam moved to float in front of me. “It’s a bit of a story.”
“We’ve got some time before we meet up with the others,” I replied. Did he actually have some answers now? He didn’t when we first met.
With a sigh, Lliam glanced around. “I suppose it doesn’t hurt to tell. After all, it can’t kill me.” He grinned at his own joke before continuing. “It took several moments for me to realize I was dead. The intense pain was gone, and the cold that seemed to encompass my entire being left. I felt warm, and normal for the most part, if not a little shaky. After a moment I opened my eyes to see my body.
“Now that was a surprise, but it confirmed why the pain and suffering were at an end. Instead of a healing hand bringing me back, I saw my angel guide standing several feet away.
“But I waited for a moment. My friends I had been venturing with hadn’t given up on me just yet, and it felt wrong to leave. There was curses and screams before finally one decided to start the song… When they all joined in I knew that was my cue it was time to go. Vallen’s Lullaby made my death too real. I was hardly ready to leave but there was nothing more for me to do here. So, I walked over to my guide, took his outstretched hand, and for a moment ascended into the sky.
“With a sharp whack, I fell back down. It felt like a hand had swiped me back down to the ground and I stared up, confused. My guide sighed, having already expected this result. He explained no one had recently been crossing successfully, and they were looking into it. Everyone had hoped it would suddenly end, but that seemed unlikely. They have just as many answers now as they did then.” Lliam laid back, hovering lazily in the air and looked at the sky. “For immortal beings of good they sure are not all knowing.” While his tone was at ease, I noted how tightly he clenched his fists.
“So, it has to be something going on directly with the spirit realm,” I mused, remembering what I had read. “Neither angels nor demons have access to that realm, so it would make sense that any problems coming straight from there are unknown.” I tried to consider other possibilities but nothing came to mind.
“I was starting to think that too, but the spirit realm is overfull of confused spirits. I’m hoping to eventually find some more of the old guides and see what they know,” Lliam commented.
“That is actually a great idea. You may be able to solve this with their help.” I hoped it would be that easy.
Lliam seemed to think otherwise. “I’m sure it’s going to be several steps back and forth. It doesn’t seem like it can be just a spirit realm problem. That would affect the spirits of the realm, but it only affects the good going to heaven.” He moved to sit angrily, crossed legged in the air.
“I thought you said no one could cross…” I replied carefully. Only affecting the good meant a completely different matter.
“I had believed as much to be true. You can cross, at any time if you like, to the other side.” His expression turned from bored and at ease to angry and disgusted. “Forget that. I worked too hard slaying demons to ever join their fray,” Lliam spat.
“Okay, that does not sound like not just a spirit realm problem.” I glanced over at Lydia. “That sounds exactly like a demon problem. But how the heck could they prevent anyone from crossing to heaven? I think the angels would have noticed that much.”
Lydia glanced my way, confused, but listening. I’m sure she had been keeping notes on what I was saying the entire time.
“Which is why I think it’s both a spirit world and mortal world problem,” Lliam concluded. “But half the spirits I’ve met are desperate and useless messes. I need information, and I think those books will have more helpful information than not.”
“Once this adventure mess is cleared up I will get back to reading,” I promised him.
He grumbled and swore for a moment before agreeing. “Fine. I’ll return soon. I’m going to continue my search.”
With that, he was gone. That quick conversation was more tiring than I expected, but I wasn’t going to leave Lydia out of the loop. I repeated everything as best as I could, knowing we’d be meeting up with the other group soon enough.
“That’s pretty damn troubling,” she said without glancing back at me. “I don’t have any idea what could cause that to happen. Even looking at myths… No one has ever been prevented from getting where they need to go by angels or demons. It’s always some unfinished business junk. Which makes the spirit guide thing seem like a good form of magic, even if it’s uncommon.” Lydia just shook her head a moment before continuing. “So, we’re going to hunt some demons that might easily have an upper hand we don’t know about. I don’t feel like telling the others would help either.” Lydia seemed torn in her thoughts, but I didn’t have any words to comfort her.
“Well, if Key can break her curse, I’m sure we can solve this problem right? I mean it was done recently. It’s not old magic, so there have to be answers. They just might be harder to find since it is a new, never before seen, sort of problem,” I replied.
“I hope you’re right,” Lydia replied.
I hoped I was right, too.
Chapter 8
As we stopped for a quick lunch, I found myself wandering the woods. It felt good to stretch my legs, though nothing was saving my mind from wandering. Damn those demons. What could they have possibly done to alter the balance so horribly that those destined for the heavens couldn’t cross? My fists shook with rage as I continued to walk. I was finally getting somewhere, learning about my gift and now this? I wouldn’t be able to try anything additional I learned until this crossing mess was solved.
Pausing, I realized I had wandered much further than I had intended. The forest was much less dense here and covered in hundreds of wildflowers. I could see an old cemetery a short distance further. As I wandered closer, I could see just how much of the forest had taken it over. Headstones were cracked or broken to bits. Moss and ivy covered anything worth reading. What town abandoned their dead like this? I glanced around and saw no noticeable footpath. Maybe something destroyed the town long ago. I knew nothing about where I was and nothing good about where we were heading.
“You look lost.”
I spun around to see Marella standing casually behind me.
“What on earth are you doing out here?” I asked, feeling confused.
She shrugged. “I could ask you the same thing, but I already know the answers.”
“How could you possibly know?” I crossed my arms. There was no way.
; “You’re traveling to Ashgrove. There’s a fairly constant clash between lesser demons and Blessed. Occasionally, a few higher level demons will join the fray to give the Blessed a good scare, but on the whole they aren’t too interested in that at the moment. That could change if they learn you’re there and what you are.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. “What do you mean?” My voice was soft, even to me.
“Dearest Tella…” she said, walking in a slow circle around me. “I have no easy way to tell you this but you are in a lot of danger if you keep seeking answers.”
“What risks do you know of?” It seemed as if everyone needed to warn me as of late. I wasn’t sure how suddenly everyone had this information. Marella did love her secrets.
“They are hunting down anyone who can help spirits cross because you’re the only ones who can stop them. Even as untrained as you are,” Marella replied simply. Her smooth and steady voice didn’t skip a beat. “If something were to point this out to them, all attention would turn toward you. None would stop until you were dead. Now, there’s no easy way for them to know this, but I worry about you.”
“Why does a demon worry about a mortal? That doesn’t make much sense.” I didn’t know how else to respond. This was going from concerning to frustrating.
“The circumstances of my birth are the same as any angel or higher being. I was born on this side. I can choose to make of it what I will,” she supplied. The surprise must have been obvious from my expression. “Yes, demons can be born, in a way. We’re not all just sinners in hell.” Marella shrugged as if this should be common knowledge before continuing. “I’d ignore any spirits if I were you. I’m sure you’re practiced enough with that.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I agreed. I couldn’t help but feel like something bad was inevitable. “Why tell me all this?”
Marella rolled her eyes at me. “Maybe someday you’ll know. Anywho, ta-ta.” She waved her hand and was gone. No smoke or trick lights, she just simply vanished.
As I tried to process all that had just happened, I felt Lydia’s magic meet mine. I had wandered far and was gone too long. She was likely worried and I quickly headed back.
