Reckoning

by R. S. Broadhead

  I heard footsteps and more voices coming from the alleyway. I searched around looking for a place to hide. There was only one option … to go up. The walls were tight enough to use both sides to climb up to the wooden beams running back and forth overhead. I was careful not to put too much weight on one beam. Judging from the door, there was no telling if these boards would support much.

  Derek and Wheeler came into view and entered the room with the other two. My stomach churned, Derek frightened me, but Wheeler was another thing. I watched him die, and now here he was.

  “What’s wrong?” Derek demanded.

  “There was a problem with the plan,” the little creature said. I carefully moved forward so I could look over into the room.

  “What kind of problem?” Derek asked as he walked over to the Valk, grabbing a handful of its jacket and picking it up off the ground with one hand. “All you were supposed to do was watch her. How hard is that?”

  “She saw us. There was nothing we could do. The stupid waitress caused it all to happen,” came the Valk’s shaking voice. “All we were trying to do was scare her. She was with him. The one you think is the answer.”

  “Really? I guess your human memories were right,” he replied, looking at Wheeler and putting the Valk down. “You should’ve grabbed him when you had the chance instead of wreaking havoc all over this little town. You are supposed to remain low key until the time comes to rise. Now we’ll have to get to him another day. On a much brighter note, my morning job was much more successful than this fools. We have secured another follower, one that will prove to be very beneficial to us and our journey to victory. If this turns out as planned, it will make it much easier for us to slip in unexpectedly.”

  “Who is it? The Demon King?” the little creature asked. It adjusted its glasses on the protruding hump of its nose. Derek grunted loudly.

  “I do not want to think of him right now! It still burns me alive that he questions my power. In due time, I will regain my true form, and he will have no choice but to join me or die. Either way is of no difference to me.”

  “I’m sorry for bringing him up, master.”

  “It’s okay my little technological Magal. You’ll find out soon who it is. They are working on their first job as we speak.” A powerful gust blew against the building, making the old windows rattle with deafening force. “Let’s move this meeting to a more stable environment, shall we?” Derek said. He ushered everyone out the door and down the stairs.

  I waited about twenty minutes before descending from my hiding spot and went back out into the rain. I found Sim leaning against a wall near my car and Shayla talking on the phone. Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine. I jerked back instinctively.

  “What’re you doin’?” I shouted through the rain. My annoyance didn’t seem to faze him.

  “I didn’t think I was gonna see you again after you ran off after that thing. Shayla filled me in on what y’all do. Reese … I don’t like it,” he said, looking down at me with pitiful eyes.

  “Really?” I turned to Shayla and threw up my arms.

  “What was I supposed to do? He just saw us fightin’ with some weird ass junk. By the way, Fuzz already has a clean-up crew in route.” I was worried about Sim after the conversation I’d just overheard. Sim was obviously some kind of a factor in whatever Derek was trying to accomplish.

  “What about all those people that saw everything?” I asked.

  “No worries. I got them all to go back into the coffee shop. When Fuzz’s people get here, they can work their magic. They’ll also dispose of that big ass thing you whacked in there. Me and Sim pulled it to a back room and locked it so no one would be able to get a good look at it,” she said.

  “Maybe they can get this thing under control,” I said.

  “So, did you catch it? Cause if you didn’t I got a shotgun in the back of my truck that we can whip out and do some huntin’.”

  “I didn’t kill it, but I did follow it. We really need to get goin,’ Sim, but stay close to the phone because I’ll probably give you a call in just a little while.” As I stared at his face covered in raindrops, I couldn’t help but think of the living hell Derek might have in store for him. What answers could Sim possibly give him? It didn’t make sense. If Sim was in danger then I had to protect him, but until I talked with Fuzz there was no need to worry him right now.

  “All right. Here, I got your knives you left in there. Pretty badass pieces. Not to mention you look really hot fighting with them.” I rolled my eyes, making him laugh. “Those people were pretty shaken up after y’all ran out. I’ll hang around and make sure none of them leave until your people get here.”

  “Stay in your car. If anything comes up to you, haul ass. Please, don’t try to be a hero,” I warned him. I didn’t give him a chance to argue with me. I slammed my car into drive and left. I needed to hurry. Every second he was alone was a chance for them to take him. I would have brought him with us, but I didn’t want to make that decision for Fuzz.

  Once back at the training facility I went directly to Fuzz’s office and beat on the door. His furious stare melted when he saw my soaked clothes and face that probably had make-up running down it.

  “Reese! What the hell happened to you?” he asked. He guided me into the room while wrapping a thick, fuzzy plaid blanket around my shoulders. I let the warmth swaddle me in a cocoon of comfort before telling him of my exciting morning. When I finished, I was completely out of breath and looking to him for answers. “Well?”

  “Derek is obviously grouping allies without us gettin’ word of it.”

  “Who’s the Demon King?” I asked. The creases in his face seemed to multiply.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Fuzz, I know you’re lyin’. I don’t need lies right now. I have things goin’ on with me that are confusing enough without havin’ you tell me stories. Now who’s the Demon King?” I asked again, trying to suppress my frustration. I knew he had the answers.

  He let out a long, overdrawn sigh.

  “His name is Varcies. I’ve had run-ins with him before, and none of them ever end well for those involved. If he’s here in Jackson, then nothin’ good can come of it, especially if Derek has reached out to him.

  “So at this point do you think Derek is tryin’ to build an army? I mean, before it was a different story since he was focused on gettin’ his lover, Wheeler, back,” I said sarcastically. “But now things are different. All these weird creatures are startin’ to appear more out in the open.”

  “It’s very possible he’s tryin’ to do somethin’ like that. He’s strategizing if he’s got a Magal workin’ with him. Those things are experts on tinkering with things. My guess would be that’s where the spider came from that night in Washington County.” I had forgotten about that thing. “How did you know that thing was there to harm you?”

  “Who? The Valk?” I asked. He snapped his eyes to me.

  “How did you know that’s what they’re called? They’re not in our system, so you wouldn’t have studied them.”

  “I heard them called that in my dreams,” I said.

  “Oh. Well, how did you know?” he repeated, watching me intently.

  “I just figured the way he looked at me when he saw me staring at him that he was goin’ to attack. It’s been my experience so far to react that way because if you don’t, you’ll probably end up dead.”

  “That makes sense.” He paused briefly. “I think we should have Sim come stay here with us until we can get this figured out. He doesn’t need to be out in the open for somethin’ to take him if Derek is thinking he can somehow play a part in his plan. We don’t want that to happen.”

  “I don’t think people here will like that idea,” I said. All the guys would be extremely pissed.

  “Well, there comes a time when people have to put their personal problems to the side and deal with shit. We can’t leave him unprotected because it’s our job
to protect those that can’t do it for themselves.”

  “Don’t ever let him hear you say that or he’ll freak out.”

  “I’m sure Sim Baker could handle himself in just about any normal situation, but he doesn’t know anything about these creatures. He’s probably been in enough bar fights to keep up, somewhat, with living here. That’s why I’m not too worried about him staying here.”

  “Should I call him and let him know?” I hated to hear what Steele was going to say about this. This was only going to make things more complicated.

  “Yeah, I think that’d be a good idea since you told him you’d probably be calling him. I imagine that you’ll probably have to meet him somewhere and let him follow you back out here because this place is kinda difficult to give directions to.”

  “I agree. I never would’ve been able to find it. But Fuzz, there’s still one thing that just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Why do you think Derek always has someone or somethin’ watchin’ me? I mean, at first it started with the spider thing, then him at Shayla’s house that night, and now he has these Valks following me. Why isn’t he this worried with everyone else?” Was I supposed to join him? He certainly seemed interested in me.

  “He’s probably concerned with all of you, but you’re the strongest out of all of them. He’s not stupid, he knows that and it scares him, and to be honest he’s probably tryin’ to figure you out. He sees a normal teenage girl one day and the next she’s a lethal fighting machine. That kind of thing doesn’t just happen overnight unless you’re unique somehow.”

  “It’s creepy. Now I always feel like someone’s watchin’ me and its gettin’ worse.”

  “It will get better.”

  “You know more than what you tell us, don’t you Fuzz?” I asked. He got up and went to a back table to pour me some hot chocolate, leaving my question hanging. He handed me the cup and repositioned in the chair across from me.

  “Reese, I know too much sometimes. It kills me not to be able to tell you everything. My offer to train you to fight had to be your decision and yours alone. This is like that. This journey is yours to discover, and I’m merely here to help guide you to its discovery. I don’t intentionally not tell you things to harm you, so don’t think that.”

  “I understand. I just wish I had all the answers now. It gets old always bein’ in the dark. So … are you gonna break the news to all these guys that we’ll have a new roomie?” I asked. I picked up my phone, preparing to call Sim.

  “I think I’m gonna let you do that. Especially Steele. After that night y’all went ridin’ with him, I’m sure he’s gonna love this.”

  “It seems kind of heartless for us to do it right after what happened with Liam. They’re gonna think they’re havin’ the shittiest week ever,” I said.

  “It’s not like we have a choice to wait until they’re in better moods.”

  “True. So how should I word this?” Before Fuzz could answer me, an ear-piercing scream ripped through the underground camp. It made every hair on my body stand. “Shayla …” I said.

  “ARE YOU COMIN’ out for Liam’s services?” Masey asked. Her concern grated under my skin. I knew she was waiting on me to break the emotional barricade I’d built the last few weeks. Normally, I would have confided everything in my twin, but things seemed to be changing between us. She was getting closer to the others as I pulled away. Training changed me. Being down here, fighting things, made me a new person. I couldn’t say I hated this new me. In fact, it was a nice change. It was hard constantly being compared to your sister. Despite being the moodier of the two of us, Masey always had more friends. I never understood that. Granted, most of the time my cheeriness was fake, I thought I played it off extremely genuine. They didn’t know I was full of shit.

  “I’ll be up in a few minutes,” I lied. I tried to act like I was busy with schoolwork when really I just opened the book because I heard her footsteps outside my door. She looked unsatisfied with my answer but didn’t argue. I glanced up as I heard the clicking of my door being closed after her. I threw the book to the side and put my hands over my eyes. I was so confused and frustrated with my confusion. I needed to get out of here. These walls felt like they were closing in on me more and more with each passing day. But where would I go? The thought of being alone made me uneasy. Damn having a twin! I depended on her too much. It was us against the world growing up, that is, until Abby came along. The two of them gossiped about me. I could feel their judgmental eyes on me daily. Not to mention their critical opinions over Jace.

  I slipped on my sneakers and opened the door to my room to find the hall empty. It was silent, so it was safe to assume everyone had already gathered outside on the grounds. I wasn’t wasting my time mourning someone I didn’t care about. Liam never took much notice in me, not like Jace. He deserved what he got. I went and grabbed a set of keys that went to one of the black SUVs and took the elevator up to the garage.

  The car purred to life as I started the engine. I was excited about getting to drive one, but a little intimidated at the same time. I felt so little in this big, oversized ride, but after a few miles, the uneasiness wore off. I turned the music up to drown the world out as I glanced in the rearview mirror. I needed to get away from everyone, even my sister, which was odd for us. It was crazy to think our entire lives we went from being as close as we were, and then one day we were totally different. I saw things differently, questioned if I really wanted this life. Maybe fighting wasn’t for me. Maybe I was meant to be normal.

  As I drove to nowhere in particular, I knew that was a lie. I wanted more than what I had. I didn’t want to be normal like I’d said the night before. Sure, I was good at making things that could disintegrate anything, but that wasn’t enough. I was only an average fighter and weapon handler. Reese, Shayla, and Abby were amazing with their weapons. Everyday they got better. No matter how much I trained at their skills, I couldn’t keep up with them. Mentally, I fought hard to block the jealous feelings. They started the night the Wendigo almost killed me. I wanted the power they had, to know I could destroy something’s life with my bare hands. I was weak, and I hated it more than anything. I would do whatever it took to be better than them.

  Before I knew it, I had driven to Washington County. I found a narrow dirt road that led down to Bassett’s Creek. Somewhere my parents took Masey and me to swim on hot, summer days when we were younger.

  I parked the SUV and fought through a trail of brush and briars until I made it to the water’s edge. The sound of water rushing by soothed my troubled thoughts. I cleared my mind, and his face popped into my promiscuous daydreams. I didn’t want to think about him, but no matter how hard I tried not to he was always there, smiling his gorgeous smile. I knew Jace wanted me just as bad as I wanted him. The way he talked and looked at me when Shayla wasn’t there or even when she wasn’t looking. Our feelings only got stronger with each passing day in class. All that time together alone, it was bound to happen. Sure, he acted like he was so in love with Shayla in front of everyone, but that wasn’t the way he acted when we were together. He always found little ways to touch me. Thinking of his fingertips tucking my hair behind my ear, made my insides burn. He cared about me. All he needed was a little push for him to admit it. If only I had made it to the table at Jada’s party then it would be Jace and I together, not him and her. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I knew he wouldn’t admit his feelings as long as they were together.

  “Looks like you’re having some deep thoughts there,” came a voice from behind me. I turned to find Derek leaning against a tree, eyeing me while he pulled the leaves off a low-lying limb. I had no idea what to do. I was no match to fight him alone.

  “Are you gonna kill me?”

  He smirked and let out a dry laugh. I stuck my shaking hands between my legs to keep him from seeing.

  “Do you want me to?”

  “I’d prefer not, but if you
are, can you at least make it quick?” He looked up at the rising sun that had just peaked a few moments before. Its heat was starting to beat down on us.

  “I’ve thought about it, but I think I should at least give you the chance of convincing me otherwise first. Would you be okay with having a conversation with me?”

  What other choice did I have, so I nodded. He walked over and sat near me in the cool, white sand that was sprinkled with bits of leaves and sticks from the trees that hung over us. “Why are you out here alone?”

  “I couldn’t stand to be there right now. I got into a huge fight with everyone the other night,” I said. I felt a twinge of guilt for opening up to him. I trained to stop him, not be friendly with him. But then again, I was basing everything I knew of him off of what others said.

  “I know.” My mouth dropped as we locked eyes. I desperately wanted to avoid looking at him, but I couldn’t help it; his voice and demeanor were so smooth.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I was there long before all of you saw me at the edge of the water. I heard the entire thing. I knew it wouldn’t be long before you all found your way there, so once I finished with the Book of Being I went back to wait for you. But to my surprise, you got there faster than I had expected. I caught the tail end of that disastrous fight. It makes me cringe to think you all are the ones that are supposed to end me.” He laughed, it was obviously a ridiculous concept to him. “Casey, you don’t deserve to watch things of that nature and have those detestable feelings of sorrow and anguish. They should respect you more than they do. Not everyone is blessed with abilities. It seems to me like they want to be a team without you, like you’re holding them back.”

  “Maybe I am holding them back. What I do isn’t that great. I think they’d be just fine if I wasn’t there anymore. I’ll never be more than what I am now.” It hurt to say it out loud. I didn’t want to admit it, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  “Oh, you could be much more than what you think, and being with the right group would prove to you your worth.”