Blood and Light

by Rue Volley

  Josh dipped his fingers into his own blood and started to scribble symbols onto the mirror. He stood back from it and started to chant in Latin. He turned to see that Johnathan was still staring at Elin, lying on the floor.

  “You really shouldn't be staring at a naked girl that you just killed Johnathan, in some places that would be considered freaky,” Josh said as he started to laugh.

  “I killed her Josh,” Johnathan said, as he looked at his blades in his hand.

  “Looks that way and I killed her perverted grandpa there,” Josh said, as he waved his blade at Noble's body.

  His eyes lifted to Johnathan, who had a pained look on his face.

  “Oh, for God's sake Johnathan, get over it...! It was her or you… You survived…

  You should be glad,” Josh said as he looked at the mirror. “What the hell is taking so long?” he asked. He started to see a small ripple in the middle of the mirror.

  “About time Sam,” he muttered.

  Suddenly they could feel something coming towards them.

  “Oh shit,” Josh said as he spun around, looking across the room. “Get behind 313

  me,” he said to Johnathan as he held his blades out, his left hand was trembling from the ache in his shoulder. “Get ready,” he added.

  Johnathan spun around and saw three guards flash into the room, they stopped a few feet from the two of them. Josh tilted his blades and thought about lunging forward, as soon as the thought went through his mind, another blur flashed into the room. She stopped in between the guards.

  Sophia stood there, fully dressed in battle gear. She looked down at the floor and saw Noble laying next to Elin's body. She walked to him and knelt down, placing her hand on his chest. She raised back up and looked at the blood on her fingers. Her gaze glitched back in a blur to Josh, who gripped his blades in his hands.

  “You should not of come here Joshua,” she said.

  Josh grinned. “Oh but I did, and I have dispensed of this trash you see before you.”

  Sophia smiled. “And I see that you have returned my grandson to me.”

  “I am not your grandson,” Johnathan said as he took a step forward.

  “Oh,” Sophia started to laugh. “Seems we need to bond.”

  “Don't think so,” Johnathan said.

  Josh reached out and pulled him back to his side. “Be quiet,” Josh muttered to him.

  “No, let him speak Joshua...” Sophia said as she stared at Johnathan.

  Josh peeked behind him and saw that the mirror was waving like water.

  “Get behind me,” he whispered.

  Johnathan stepped behind him and Josh turned and pushed Johnathan at the mirror as hard as he could. Johnathan hit the mirror"s surface with a shocked look on his face, and disappeared through it.

  ******

  Josh tried to flash at the mirror and Sophia flashed in front of him, with a look of anger on her face. She waved her hand at the mirror and Josh lunged at her with his blades crossed above his head. She waved a hand at him and spoke. “Bind,” she said, as he fell to the floor. His blades fell out of his hands and slid across the wood floor. Josh hit on his side and grunted as the air got knocked out of him. He rolled onto his back and lifted his hands to see that his hands were bound in light. Sophia grinned at him and turned back to the mirror.

  “What a nuisance you are Joshua Barrington… I will retrieve Johnathan myself.”

  She took one step towards the mirror and the waves became violent on it's surface. A high pitch filled the room. Everyone covered their ears except for Sophia, who stood before it. She turned her head and a small trace of blood dripped from her ear. She flashed a few feet back, just avoiding the mirror cracking and blowing out towards all of them. Josh held his bound hands up as the mirror shards flew across the room, one cut across his cheek and he hissed.

  The room was silent.

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  Sophia walked across the floor crunching pieces of mirror under her feet and stood in front of the empty frame that once held it. She reached up and touched the frame, then turned to Josh who laid on the floor.

  “Seems you had a destination Joshua,” Sophia said to him in an even tone.

  Josh smiled at her. “It' just Josh...Phia,” he said as he wiped blood from his cheek and looked at it on his hand.

  Sophia flashed to him and pressed her knee into his side. He groaned as she shifted her weight to cause pressure on his ribcage.

  “You do not call me Phia,” she whispered in his ear. She reached down and wiped blood from his cheek and tasted it. She spit it on the floor next to him.

  “Bring him to Valon,” she said as she raised up. Two guards grabbed him by his arms and drug him to his feet. They followed Sophia as she exited the room.

  ******

  I was half in and half out. I knew someone was carrying me through the forest. My vision started to focus and I could see that Theodore had me in his arms. I heard the front door, knew I was being placed onto my bed. I wanted to punch somebody. I swear it was like that crazy zombie dust they talk about in books , some kind of voodoo. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. It was like sleepwalking but worse, I was aware....pretty much I guess.

  I saw Sam lean over me and whisper, “Bind.”

  I groaned…I opened my mouth and words finally started to come out.

  “I swear to God!” I coughed. “I am going to kick your ass when I get up!” I coughed again.

  Theodore leaned over me on the bed.

  “Listen, love...you could not go with them… You could not,” Theodore said, with compassion in his voice.

  “Let me up,” I said with my teeth gritting in my mouth.

  “She is really pissed…maybe we should let her up.” I heard Kai say off to the side.

  “That is why she will stay exactly where she is, for now,” Sam said, her voice trailing off as she pulled them from the room. I heard my door close.

  “Oh My God!” I screamed. I looked down and saw that my body had a white glow around it. I tried to lift my arms, but they felt like lead...my feet too.

  “I am going to blow this house apart when I get free!” I yelled out. No one answered.

  I rolled my eyes and looked around my room. “I can't believe this,” I muttered.

  I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. “Oh shit,” I said.

  I tried my best to rock back and forth, it felt like I was stuck in mud...finally I felt myself move a little. I tried to press my leg against my mattress to push my phone out of my pocket. The vibration stopped.

  “Damn it!” I yelled out.

  “Hello?” I heard a voice come out of nowhere. “Sara?” I said.

  “Hey! Rue…god, where have you been?” Sara said. I tried to look down at my phone in my pocket, I must have of pressed speaker on it.

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  “Sara...hey listen, come on over…I wanna hang out... Hey, climb up to my window, I'm grounded,” I said.

  “OMG...for sure girlie…! I'm on my way!” I heard a click, she was gone.

  “Awesome,” I whispered. Sara knows I'm here, she will climb the tree to my window.

  We did that a lot when we were little...hopefully she'll park her car away from the house, well of course she will, she knows... Okay then…a plan. I don't know what I'll say to her when she sees me in this glowing cocoon, but I can't worry about that right now. I need to get out of here and get to Josh and Johnathan, god what idiots!

  ******

  I laid there staring at my ceiling, trying to slow my breathing. My stomach growled and a pain went through it. “Ouch,” I said out loud.

  “I'm hungry!” I yelled at my door. Nothing.

  “You guys suck!” I yelled again. Still nothing.

  I hate them so much right now. I guess if I yell out some crap until she gets here they will think that I am still pissed and they won't come in. I laid there for another ten minutes, blurting out stuff so they would avoid me like the plague.

  I heard a tap at my w
indow finally.

  “Come in,” I said as quietly as I could.

  I looked over to see Sara lifting the window up gently. Thank god she is as devious as me. She slid in and stood up and then she blinked a few times when she saw me on the bed.

  “What the fudge sickle?” she said in a breathless whisper.

  “Ummm, yea… Listen Sara…I don't have time to explain, just come here,” I whispered to her.

  “You said you were grounded Rue...this is not „grounded". This…” She reached towards the light surrounding my body, “Is sci fi crap for real girl.”

  “Yea...sci fi, right... Listen, I need you to help me here.” I said as I watched her face light up from the glow.

  “I don't know how I could help with this Rue,” she said, as she held her stomach.

  “Do not freak out on me Sara... I need you to reach through the light and touch me, anywhere... My arm will be fine, just as long as your skin is touching mine,” I said as calmly as I could.

  “I don't know about that Rue,” Sara said as her voice was shaking.

  “I don't need you to think Sara…I need you to do... Okay...? Please,” I said with compassion.

  “Oh....oh god... Okay Rue...oh god.” Sara lifted her hand and started to reach towards me, her hand barely touched the light and she started to jerk it back.

  “Oh my god...! It's like water...it's cold,” she said.

  “Shhhh,” I said. “Be quiet Sara, please, just reach in and touch me... I'm begging you,” I whispered.

  316

  “Ewwwwe...” she said as she reached through and grabbed my arm. I focused on her heartbeat and started to draw energy from her. “What the heck are you doing Rue!” she yelled out.

  I hurried up, I was sure someone had to hear her that time. I felt a vibration in my arm from where her hand touched my arm. My other hand came free and I grabbed her hand. She tried to pull back, but I could feel the electricity leaving her body and coming into mine. She staggered and it snapped me back to my senses.

  I caught her as she started to fall and I placed her on my bed. “Oh god Sara,” I whispered as I held her face.

  My door flew open and Sam stood there looking at me wide eyed. I looked up and braced myself, I thought for sure she was going to come at me, but instead she ran in and started to scribble symbols on my mirror.

  “What is going on!?” I yelled at her.

  Theodore and Kai ran into the room and Theodore looked at Sara laying on my bed. “Get her out of here!” he yelled at Kai.

  Kai came over and scooped Sara up in his arms and ran out with her. I looked at Theodore and asked again. He slammed his hands together and started to chant in Latin in front of the mirror.

  Sam turned to me, “You better get out of the way... They are coming!” she yelled.

  “Who is coming?” I said as I stared at her.

  “Josh and Johnathan...they are coming now!” she yelled.

  Just as I started to move out of the way Johnathan came barreling through the mirror at me, he knocked me over the bed and I hit my head on my wall. I reached up and grabbed the back of my head. “Ouch!” I yelled out.

  Johnathan scrambled to his feet. “Josh should be coming!” he yelled.

  We all waited...nothing came through.

  Sam looked back at Johnathan . “Where is he?” she said with a shaky voice.

  “I don't know, he was right there in front of me. He pushed me through...he should have been right behind me!” Johnathan said as he took a step towards the mirror.

  “Break it!” Theodore called out. “Break it now Sam!”

  Sam lifted her blade and I screamed as I lunged towards her. Her blade came down on the surface of the mirror and a crack started to form on it. I tried to reach at it, but she held me back. A high pitch filled the room and we all covered our ears. Then the mirror shattered all over my floor. I stood there like I was in shock. I reached down and picked up a piece of the mirror and stared at it. My reflection looked tired and beaten down. I dropped it to floor and let it break into more pieces.

  “Where is he?” I said as I turned to Johnathan.

  “We were in the warehouse, Noble's warehouse...and Sophia came with her guard.”

  Theodore let his hands drop by his side. “Oh dear,” he muttered.

  I stood there for a moment and thought it through. “Okay then, where will he be...? Valon right...? Sophia will take him to Valon,” I said to anyone listening.

  “Okay, get some things packed, we are going to get him.”

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  I took a step forward and Sam grabbed my arm. I looked at her and her facial expression softened. “We cannot do that Rue,” she whispered.

  I jerked my arm from her grip and looked at all of them. “Oh yes we are... We will go there and get him back,” I said.

  Theodore stepped up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You cannot enter Valon Rue…none of us can. Sophia has bound us I am sure, to enter would be instant death.”

  “You don't know that!” I yelled at him. “You cannot be sure, and if there is a chance that we can go...we are. Josh would for any of us, he would!”

  “No...Josh would cut his losses. He would not sacrifice himself or any of us...for one, he would not,” Theodore said to me.

  “But we went there, we got Johnathan out!” I said, as I turned to look at Johnathan, who was leaning against my wall.

  “We went to the outskirts of Valon to retrieve him. If he had been within the city…

  he would remain there,” Sam said.

  “What...? So what are you saying…that we just let Josh go…? We don't even try then?” I yelled out.

  “For every end there is a beginning love,” Theodore said to me.

  “Don't give me that crap...! I don't want metaphors right now. I want to go and kill everyone in our way until we reach him and bring him home!” I said as I felt a vibration welling up in me.

  “You need to calm down,” Sam said.

  “Really?”

  I lowered my head and felt my feet getting heavy, the wind started to whip through the room. I could see the core churning in front of me, twisting and melted. I drew everything I could from it and my body started to glow the brightest blue I've ever seen.

  “Please, listen to reason Rue…” I heard Theodore's voice, but it sounded like it was in a tunnel.

  “I love all of you, but if you will not help me, I will do this alone,” I muttered.

  Theodore raised his hand and I could see a glow coming from him...

  “Sleep” I thought and he fell to the floor. Sam yelled out and ran to him.

  “He is fine Sam...come with me,” I whispered. She stood up and started to chant, I thought of the word sleep again and she fell to the floor.

  I turned around to Johnathan, who stood there lit up in blue from the glow coming off of me. “And you?” I said.

  “I will follow you anywhere,” Johnathan said to me.

  I reached out my hand and he fell onto the bed.

  “I just wanted to know,” I whispered.

  ******

  I looked around the room and flashed out of my bedroom window, I knew Kai was okay and he would take care of them for me.

  I raised my hands up towards the sky and blue mist left my fingers, it reached the clouds and blue lightening flashed. I closed my eyes and focused on 318

  Josh. I could hear his heart beating. He was alive...for now. I needed to find him as quickly as I could…and I will.

  I flashed through the forest as fast as I could travel. I heard cries from animals as I passed them by. I knew I would have to eat at some point, but it didn't hit me until I came to a stop, grabbing at my stomach. The pain was welling up so bad that I felt light headed. I looked around and heard a rustling in the trees. I knew something was out there that I could feed on, but I didn't know how to find it. I'm not a hunter. Well...I don't know what I am, but I do know that I have to eat something soon or this mission is going to be ove
r before it started.

  I looked up and saw that the air was laced with color, I reached out and it swirled around my hand. I cupped my hand around some of it and pulled it to my mouth. I could taste the energy as I opened my mouth and breathed it in. I opened my eyes and knelt down. I pressed my hand into the earth and spread my fingers out. A trail opened up to me and I took off after it.

  My stomach ached with every step I took, I finally reached the edge of the forest and looked out of the clearing. A house stood there, only one light on downstairs. I watched as the color swirled around it. My heart fluttered. I hope there is an animal somewhere close by... I am not feeding on a human…I am not going to do that. I looked out across the property and noticed a barn, the swirls were also settling around it too.

  I stood up and flashed to the barn. I leaned against the outer wall and felt heartbeats through the wall, on my back. I sucked in my breath and pulled on the door. I stepped in and closed it behind me, as quietly as a barn door will close. I looked out into the darkness and followed the heart beats, strong and steady. I stopped at a neck high door and looked inside.

  A beautiful black horse stood there motionless, staring me down. I opened the door up slowly and put my hand out to him. He huffed and shifted his weight.

  I needed to feed, but I didn't want to hurt him. He was so pretty, his coat shined like black water from the moonlight. He stared at me, like he could hear me. He leaned forward and let me touch him. I ran my hand down his head and onto his neck. I could feel his heartbeat under my fingers and my stomach growled. He shifted like he heard it too.

  “I just need to borrow some energy,” I whispered to him.

  He blinked at me and I placed my hands on him. I could feel him tremble under my fingers...his heart sped up and then started to slow, matching mine. I closed my eyes and felt his energy start to enter my body. I felt a humming in my hands as it started to radiate throughout my body. I had flashes of every color behind my eyes and I gasped as it surged through me. I fell to my knees and let my head fall forward. I opened my hands up and saw blue swirling on my skin… I looked up and he had blue radiating from him. I pushed myself up and touched him. He felt like me.