War

by R. S. Broadhead

  My jaw set. “Let’s go. She isn’t going to help us.”

  We turned toward the door.

  “There’s only one way to access the Nekroun Earth without a Death Dealer,” she said, drawing her words out almost lyrically.

  I stopped with my hand resting on the doorknob. “And what’s that?”

  She hummed to herself, taking her time answering the question. “Dying.”

  I hastily jerked back, bumping shoulders with Harley. Not taking my eyes off the woman who was now facing me with an amused expression plastered across her wrinkled face, I crossed the room. “Dying? Really? How would that help with anything?” She didn’t answer, only chuckled. With a scowl, I snatched the pitcher from her grasp and slammed it down on the table. “I don’t think you understand the severity of our situation. My friend is missing.”

  Her smile faded, but her eyes remained lit with amusement. “To dance with the reapers, one must be prepared to walk with them.” She pushed the thick bifocals closer to her face. “Are you ready for the fire?” With a swift movement, she twisted a lock of my hair.

  I slapped at her hand and took a step back. “Don’t touch me.”

  Tossing her head back, she cackled and proceeded to twirl around the room. “In the fires she shall go. The four will heed her message. Taste the blood of her veins. Make a believer of her, they will,” she sang.

  She pointed at the ground. “Down.”

  I paused and looked hard at Harley. This whole thing seemed like the worst idea. Part of me wanted to leave this house and not look back. She was clinically insane.

  He shrugged, shaking his head as if sending me a cue that he was thinking exactly what I was.

  “Down. And eyes closed,” she repeated. Her foot tapped against the dirt-covered floor. This was our only option. Without this, we were at a brick wall. I could only hope somewhere in the mental chaos she called a brain she knew what she was doing.

  Despite my reservations, I dropped to the ground and sat cross-legged. Harley followed my lead and matched my position, only my eyes remained slightly open.

  Minnie Mae bounced, drumming her fingers together. “Perfect!” She walked near the cages. The animals inside screeched. Feathers and balls of fur rained out through the wire. She flicked the lock up on one holding at least a dozen rabbits. “Oh, no worries, my little ones.” Reaching in, her hands wrapped around a small one scrambling across a pile of others. Once she relocked the cage, she spun on her heels. Her lips drew back in a smile that was mostly a snarl. One hand ran along the back of the rabbit until it reached the neck. In one shift movement, she twisted.

  Snap!

  The white furball went limp in her hands. Her eyes flew open wide before ripping the head completely off.

  My mouth became parched. I couldn’t believe what I witnessed. I closed my eyes and reopened them a second later. Yep, still there. Blood spilled over her hands and to the floor at her feet. She wiggled her toes in the substance before tossing the dead animal into a circle between Harley and me. My abdominal muscles tightened with spasms as I fought against dry heaves.

  The sound of fabric ripping refocused my attention back in Minnie Mae’s direction. Her shirt hung loosely off her shoulders. In a downward direction, her hands moved over her chest, streaking it with crimson life source. She swayed, her lips moving faster and faster with words of another language. I wanted to look away. It felt wrong to stare at her topless. But I continued to stare. Her voice dropped, becoming deeper and full of bass. One foot moved. She stopped and rocked. Another step in my direction.

  Uneasiness washed over me. I didn’t want her close to me. If she tried some shit like she did with that rabbit, well, she would die. I had enough blood on my hands already. I put my palms beside my legs and pushed up. Nothing happened. My body didn’t budge. I pushed harder only to get the same result. I looked at Harley. He remained oblivious to what was happening since his eyes were still closed. Why wouldn’t he be nosey like me? Men.

  Before I could refocus on Minnie Mae, her hand swiped across my forehead, leaving it sticky. I looked up as the light caught the reflection of a dagger. She brought it down with lightning speed. For a second I thought she had missed me. I was wrong. Bright red splattered in front of me. Acid-sharp pain lanced up my arm. The gaping wound slit the tattoo on my wrist in half. Glowing blue covered my skin. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the room began to shake violently. Dust speckled my clothes.

  I braced myself by gripping the floor. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. Realization crashed into me. The old woman’s words tugged at the unsettling epiphany. “To dance with the reapers one must be prepared to walk with them.”

  The strength had gone out of me, leaving shocked surprise in its aftermath. I managed to pull my body into a crouched position. Everything was frozen solid. Why was I the only one moving? Harley was still sitting in the same position he had been before I closed my eyes. Minnie Mae’s arms were locked above her head while her mouth hung open. My eyes brimmed with tears. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? A chance to reach Abby? I pushed my fears down. There was no point to it. I couldn’t escape the situation now. Pushing forward was the only logical thing to do now that I was here. Wasting this wasn’t an option, no matter how uneasy I was about it.

  I approached the curtain of glowing air. It rippled. Cautiously, I reached out and ran my fingers across it. Somewhere on the other side of this barrier were my answers. Somewhere over there was Abby. She could be dead or alive. But we needed to know either way. Bracing myself, I inched my hand through it. It tickled my skin, feeling like tiny pinpricks. I took a deep breath before becoming more confident and stepping entirely though the invisible wall. My eyes burned. I squinted, taking in the darkness surrounding me. The silence was shattered as the sound of deafening thunder roared around me. The floor vibrated. I glanced back at the shimmering wall I had come through. Before I could retreat, the overwhelming sense that I wasn’t alone any longer washed over me. I turned and came face to face with four shadowy figures.

  One stepped close to me and held up a hand, palm facing me. I stared at it. Did this thing seriously think I wanted to touch it? I caught my lip between my teeth. It was a bad idea. A hundred different scenarios ran through my mind at what the outcome could be. Possession of some kind? No thank you. I had enough of not being able to control myself with the Darkness. Death? I kind of needed to be alive to make sure the world wasn’t take over by Dermetheus, so that wouldn’t work either. It was clear. Touching him wouldn’t work. My eyes flicked up. Beneath his grotesque mask, red blazed in the hollow eyeholes. A growl resonated through his chest, so deep it shook my body.

  I was in his world now. I was playing by his rules. If he wanted to bump palms, then so be it. We were going to bump the hell out of some palms. Heart pumping, I matched his position, my breath catching just before we made contact.

  The touch was far gentler than I would have thought. He was warm. So warm in it felt as if it damn near burned. Something familiar tugged at my heartstrings. Confusion clouded my thoughts. What was it about this thing that hit so close to home? I felt complete. Whole. At peace. It had been forever since I had that. Part of me wanted to break away, but another part never wanted to pull away.

  Words couldn’t be voiced. “How are you making me feel this way?” I mouthed.

  He remained silent, his red eyes blazing into mine. I inched closer. The sense of home was overpowering. I wanted more.

  His arm dropped suddenly. Before I could react, he shoved me backwards. I fell through the invisible wall and slid across the floor at Minnie Mae’s. Shell shocked, I shook my head, clearing it of the outlandish feelings he had given me. I expected the wall to be gone, the room back to normal, but it wasn’t. To my horror, the figure stepped through. Only he wasn’t alone. He dragged something behind him. My gaze landed on a slumped form.

  His arm twisted and with the snap of his wrist, the form was thrown forward. It landed at my feet.
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  “Holy shit,” I breathed as I realized I was staring at a Banshee corpse. With the tip of my shoe, I pushed its arm. The shoulder slumped forward a bit, but remained unmoving.

  “Reese?”

  My head jerked in the direction. I took a moment to process what I was seeing. Relief flooded me. Abby’s voice had never sounded so good. She stood where the reaper had once been. It was long gone. But that didn’t matter now. The most important thing was that Abby was alive. I scrambled up, colliding with her outstretched arms.

  She stumbled backwards, but somehow managed to stay upright. “Whoa,” she said, calmly. “A little weak, so I don’t know how much longer I can stand. Especially when you’re pushing me.” Her arms went slack, and she retreated a step.

  Her expression softened. “It’s good to see you, Reese.” We locked eyes. “Really. I didn’t think I’d ever seen any of guys again. But especially you, since you left.”

  I smiled faintly. There was a beat of tense silence. I knew she didn’t mean anything by her words, but it was still a reminder that all of these bad things happened while I was gone. Would it have been different if I were here? No. That was stupid to even consider. I was only one person. My presence wouldn’t have prevented everything they went through.

  “All that matters now is I’m back, and I got you home safely.”

  17

  Dax

  My mouth dropped when Reese shuffled a nearly broken Abby through the door. The skin practically hung off her bones. The muscle mass she had once had was gone, devoured by her own body in an attempt to survive. Too bad. Abby had some nice curves on her. I wanted to reach out, but honestly, I was scared I would break her. She appeared so fragile now. She wasn’t the girl who had once made my ears ring with a backhanded slap.

  “Move!” Masey shouted from behind me. I didn’t get the chance. Between her and Raven, I face planted against the uninviting wall.

  “Abby!” they squealed together.

  I covered my ears as did Abby. Her eyes darted between the two of them without traces of recognition. Was she that out of it, not to recognize her two best friends? Of course, if they were mine I would claim forgetfulness too. I rubbed my cheekbone, tenderly nursing my wound and narrowed my eyes in their direction. Both were talking fast, blissfully unaware that she wasn’t even listening.

  “We have it from here, Reese. You can go do whatever you got to do,” Raven said, not bothering to give her a second glance.

  Masey unhooked Abby’s arm and draped it over her own shoulders. I shook my head and bit my tongue. Not even a thank you to the girl who had been gone for days trying to find their friend. Reese stood awkwardly, staring after the three of them as they chatted down the hallway. She didn’t deserve that. Hell, she didn’t deserve half of the stuff that got thrown her way. I honestly had no idea how she was still holding on.

  Her glassy eyes drifted over and stopped on me. “Any luck with the relic?” She coughed, clearing her shaky voice.

  I wanted to have the best news to give her, but I didn’t. I swallowed knowing the crushed expression I was about to get. “No. Fuzz has called everyone he knows. Nothing yet, but I’m sure it’s coming.”

  Her mouth pulled into a tight line. Yep, there it was. Heartbreaking at its best. “Hopefully.”

  “Come on,” Harley said, pulling on her hand slightly. “I’m sure a shower and some comfortable clothes will unload the stress.”

  He had no idea. Reese was obsessive about stuff like this. She wouldn’t stop, even if it meant sacrificing her own health, until she found the answers she sought. The two of them disappeared, leaving me alone. It was weird seeing her with someone else. Harley seemed like a good guy, but her face didn’t light up the way it had with Steele. She needed to be happy again. But I knew she wouldn’t worry about that until after this fight was over and Dermetheus was dead.

  I spun around with newfound determination. I wasn’t the best fighter, but I’d be damned if this relic was going to be the one that bested me. Puzzles, things that were hard for others to grasp were my forte. My fingers drummed against my pant leg as I closed the distance to the lab. The relic was locked there for safekeeping. The only people allowed to open the holding chamber were Fuzz, Masey, and me.

  I put my finger on the scanner, and the door popped open. Before now, I had done little with this thing. The thought of doing something wrong and destroying it made my asshole pucker. I exhaled through my nose and whipped the sweat from my palm on my jeans.

  “Here goes nothing. Do your thing, Dax.” With a shaky hand, I reached in and carefully lifted the cool metal object. I twisted it between my fingers. “There. See? Nothing to be scared of.”

  I laughed and turned to close the door to the holding chamber. The relic bumped the corner and was wrenched from my grasp. Time slowed like in one of those ridiculous scenes from the movies. My face twisted in horror as I reached for something I already knew in the back of my mind I wasn’t going to catch. It hit the ground and bounced a few times before coming to a stop with the bottom slightly popped out.

  I stared down at it and put my hands on the sides of my head. Pulling at the hair, I tried to calm down. Yep. Nothing was going to do that. I had this thing out a total of sixty seconds and had broken the bitch. Part of me thought something was going to happen, like the ground crack down the middle and me getting swallowed through the abyss. But to my surprise, everything remained the same. The relic lay there at my feet, practically mocking me. Maybe I could tell Fuzz it was broken when I opened it. Play it off like Masey did it. He would believe me over her any day. Nah. I couldn’t do that. Shit. Nothing to do but own this.

  I bent at the waist and scooped it up. I studied the part on the bottom that was sticking off. A small piece of paper tightly rolled up lay in the compartment. My brows slashed inward. Huh. So it wasn’t broken. There was a secret chamber. Boom! And I had been the one to discover it! My arms flung out as my feet shuffled, doing my victory dance. Only a few people had seen it, Reese being one. She claimed I looked like Bill Cosby trying to dance. Needless to say, it was the reason I never danced unless I was too hammered to care.

  I walked over to the counter and placed the relic down. With my finger and thumb, I removed the strip of paper. Sweat beaded at my temples. Why did I feel like I was about to do open heart surgery on someone? Shit. It was just a piece of paper. With shaky fingers, I unrolled it.

  Drawn to the energy, they will always be.

  I reread the words over and over again. “What the fuck does that even mean? Worse than a damn fortune cookie!”

  If the thing didn’t mean so much, I would toss it against the wall. I put my hand to my forehead and walked around the room. My anxiety built the more I couldn’t decipher the message. A loud growl erupted from the deepest part of my insides as a cramp clenched, holding me still. Panic set in, and I knew the weird ass tacos Shayla forced me to eat earlier was about to explode out. I raced around the corner and snatched the relic from where I left it. At the moment, treating it gently was out of the question. I tossed it in the holding chamber and darted in the direction of the bathroom.

  I plopped down, my body releasing. Good thing was the porcelain throne was actually the place I thought the best. I stared the back of the stall door as the constant drip from the sink outside got my wheels to turning.

  Drawn to the energy, they will always be.

  The creatures. They were drawn to the energy the portals put off even if they didn’t know they were around them. It made sense. That’s why Jackson was so overrun by them. I tossed my head back. I wanted to scream out in victory. Shit, I’m doing it.

  “Aaaaggggghhhh!”

  I quickly finished my business, washed my hands, and jerked the door open. Zeke stood on the outside with his arms crossed.

  “You birthing something good in there? I heard screams and shit. Well, not shit literally, but you get my drift.”

  “I just had an eye-opening experience.”

 
“Well, damn. Guess I’m going to have to start using that one then if you have some life changing experiences in there.”

  “Have at it. Gotta run.” I skirted through the halls. Skidding to a stop at Fuzz’s door, I didn’t bother knocking. He jumped. A frown marred his forehead in wrinkles. “I know how to find the other portals,” I spat out before he could sling the tangle of curse words dangling on his lips.

  “What do you mean?” he finally managed to choke out.

  “Well, I was looking at the relic and dropped it.” His breath sucked it. I quickly held up a hand. “It didn’t break. Well, at first I thought it did, but really it was a secret compartment that slides out. It had this in there.” I tossed the little piece of paper down in front of him.

  He picked it up and studied it for a moment. “What does this even mean?”

  I smiled. “Glad you asked. As I was taking a shit and looking at it, the answer came to me.” His face twisted as he tossed the paper down and reached for some hand sanitizer. “The portals are going to be found where the most creatures are. They’re drawn to it.”

  He blinked and jumped to his feet. “You’re on to something. I managed to get into my account from all the data I had saved on the cloud. It has a record of new creatures and attacks from all over the place. If we can run a report to analyze this to see where the most frequent number is then I think we have our two locations.” He stopped in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Dax, you’re a genius.”

  I shrugged. There was really no reason for him to tell me something that I already knew, but it was still nice of him. “Give me your account. I’ll run the report. We should have the answer within the hour.”

  Once I had it in hand, I tore from his office and went to the computer room. My fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up the data I needed. I pulled it off and implemented some other programs. The green bar to the side crept in an agonizingly slow speed. Damn Jackson. Why couldn’t they get faster Internet here? I sat back and drummed my fingers together.