Relics and Runes Anthology

by Heather Marie Adkins

  What did it mean that I wanted to kill him to keep him from talking to her?

  It meant I needed to clear my head so I’d stop thinking stupid-ass stuff.

  I slipped on the sandals and rummaged through the trunk for gloves and a hat. My hand tapped the baseball bat. No, I didn’t want that. Yes, I did. No. Yes. For the dog, I’d bring it. And for self-defense, because who knew what kind of deranged psychopath roamed a wildlife refuge in the dark.

  In flip-flops.

  5

  Stupidity clung to me like mosquitoes on a bug zapper. Jesus, what the hell was I doing in a wildlife refuge after dark on January first wearing flip-flops? A sane person would’ve stayed in the car, let myself breathe for a few seconds, then driven home and gone to bed. This moron had to walk for twenty minutes to figure that out.

  As I stopped to turn around and get out of there, I heard music. Nick played his weird violin nearby. Did I want to see him?

  If I didn’t, I’d sure picked a weird place for my evening stroll. Even I could admit that.

  Following the melody took me off the paved path. Earlier, I’d stumbled in hiking boots. Sandals didn’t make anything easier. I placed each step with care and didn’t rush. My bat made a passable walking stick.

  Ten paces toward the river, I saw his outline against the dim glow of the moon on the water’s rippling surface. As before, he scraped a discordant note and noticed me.

  “Ah. It’s you.” He lowered his violin.

  The disappointment in his tone crushed something inside me.

  “Did you come here to beat me up?”

  How did he know what I’d done to my dad? Wait. I had a metal baseball bat. He could probably see it in the moonlight.

  “No. The dog. I didn’t know-- I mean--” Every word out of my mouth sounded dumb. My stomach clenched again. If I’d eaten anything, I might’ve thrown up. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t have enough patience to deal with you.” He stood and disappeared behind a tree.

  “Wait. Please. I’m really sorry.” Why did I beg him? I didn’t need Nick for anything. He had nothing I wanted.

  “Oh, well, in that case,” Nick taunted. He hadn’t left yet.

  I reached for the nearest tree so I wouldn’t lurch forward and try to touch him. “I shouldn’t have said what I said.”

  “And you believe that’s what you did wrong. Using some harsh words.” He sounded closer, like he circled behind me and prepared to pounce.

  “Isn’t it?”

  Nick appeared beside me so suddenly that I squeaked. Warmth radiated from his body. Part of me wanted to melt into it.

  I gulped.

  His breath heated my ear. “What do you think?”

  My head spun. I leaned against the tree. At once, I wanted him to back off and come closer. “What’s wrong with me?”

  Something soft and smooth brushed the edge of my ear. The tip of his nose, maybe. I shivered.

  “You’re cold,” he whispered. The way he said it, I didn’t think he meant temperature.

  Nick left, taking his warmth. I hugged myself and curled into a ball at the base of the tree. My whole body shook. Bark ground against my forehead and heels. Sharp things dug into my back where my sweatshirt had raised and exposed my flesh.

  Sobs wracked my whole being, and I couldn't guess why. I emptied until I felt hollow, like a discarded shell.

  After an eternity, Nick crouched beside me. “Do you want help?”

  I raised my head and met his gaze. The meager light made his skin glow and eyes gleam. Though I tried to say that I didn’t know, my mouth didn’t work and I mumbled.

  He smiled. “Before, I would’ve offered you help for nothing more than the pleasure of your company. If you want it now, you have to earn it.”

  Like Dad, I’d screwed up and had to prove myself. “I’m sorry,” I managed to whisper.

  “I know.” He laid a finger across my lips. “Now you’re going to stay quiet while I tell you the story of that song which calls to your heart.”

  At his look, as if to ask if I’d behave, I nodded. The simple contact with his finger made me crave more. Or less. Or something else. My stomach churned and my head spun. Whatever he’d done to me, I wanted it undone. Or I wanted more. I couldn't tell which. No, I could, it just made me want to drown myself in the tantalizingly close river.

  “Good. A long time ago, a man and his wife decided to hate dragons, unicorns, shapeshifters, and anything else they didn’t feel met their standards of human. They hunted these beings, no matter how sentient, and murdered all those they found. But that wasn’t enough. They didn’t think they could find all the non-humans, so they crafted magical seals to bind these beings and scattered them across the world.

  “The seals cursed each type of being differently. Dragons became tiny. Unicorns lost their horns. Shapeshifters could no longer take nonhuman forms. And so on. For each kind of being, five seals bound them for eternity. That way, even if some of the beings survived, they posed no threat to humanity. And even if some of the seals were destroyed, the magic would hold.”

  Nick sounded like he considered the story factual.

  If I hadn’t seen a dragon on TV a few weeks ago, I would’ve laughed in his face.

  “Dragons aren’t tiny,” I murmured.

  “No, they aren’t. Not anymore. Someone broke their seals.”

  Though he hadn’t said as much, I knew what he wanted from me. Why else would he tell a story like that? “Where are your seals?”

  In hindsight, I wish I’d thought to ask some other, more important questions.

  He smiled and kissed my forehead. The contact felt so much different than Mom’s, though both made me feel wanted. “Crater Lake. I can feel them. I know they’re there. But I can’t leave Portland, so I can’t deal with them myself. You see, that’s the other part of the curse. All of us are bound in place, with a small area where we can roam.”

  Closing my eyes let me think. Sort of. All these creatures, stuck in one place for their entire lives... I could relate. Portland seemed like a prison to me, at times. But I could leave and go to college. Failing that, I could leave after college. I had that option. Nick didn’t. From his story, a lot of people didn’t.

  Even if I had no other reason, I wanted to help. “If I go get them for you, you’ll do what?”

  “I’ll give you what you need. And, while I’m at it, take care of your dog problem for good.”

  “What do I need?”

  His thumb swiped my cheek. “I think you know the answer to that question.”

  Did I? Maybe. Could I get it somewhere else? Probably, but where? How? “How do I do it?”

  “Dive to the bottom of the lake and focus your will on finding them. Each seal is encased inside a buried shell. You’ll have to unearth the shells and bring them to me. I can destroy them. You cannot.”

  None of that sounded feasible. I opened my eyes, intending to tell him that his plan sucked. He touched the tip of his nose to mine. His breath smelled crisp and clear, like ice water except hot. And cold. And hot.

  I closed my eyes again so I didn’t have to see him so close. “How do I do any of that? I’m not a great swimmer. I play field sports.”

  “Your strength will be a great help. When you leave me tonight, you’ll be able to breathe underwater and not feel the cold for twelve hours. ”

  Twelve hours from when I left him tonight meant he expected me to collect these terrible seals by six in the morning. Which meant I had to jump in the car and move fast as soon as he did it.

  “All you have to do is kiss me.”

  My heart stopped. I snapped open my eyes again and stared at him. “What?”

  Nick grinned. “Magic is like that.”

  Shame flooded me and I couldn’t look at him anymore. The feeling didn’t make sense, though. I hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of. Other than beating my dad almost to death, I mean. Nothing I’d done to Nick should’ve caused me shame. Except callin
g him a fag and shoving him.

  “I’m not gay.” Bravo, great way to rail against...something?

  “I don’t make the rules.” He shrugged. “If you want my help, you have to kiss me. That’s the only way I can grant you these abilities.”

  No. I couldn't do that. Not even for a safe harbor in this storm. “Let me go.”

  He touched a finger to my chin, though he didn’t push or prod. “What are you afraid of?”

  Everything. Nothing. Something? “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Then don’t.” Nick let go and stood.

  I thought he ripped out a piece of me. Gasping for air without understanding why, I surged to my feet. “Wait.” My feet wobbled on the roots and I fell forward.

  Nick caught me. His arms held me close. We stood together for a long, short time. I wanted this. He offered me something real, and I didn’t know how I’d lived without it.

  Then he kissed me.

  Warmth spread across my body. A few times, I’d kissed girls to appease the guys, and I’d never felt anything but awkward. With Nick, I wanted to climb into his skin and never leave. I could’ve drowned in him and died happy.

  If he’d asked me to jump off a bridge or murder anyone for him, I would’ve done it.

  6

  I kissed a guy and liked it. Driving down I-5 in the dark, I kept repeating those words in my head and out loud. They didn’t make sense. I couldn’t be gay.

  Nick had done something to me. He’d used magic to chase away the chill. Who knew what else he could do to a guy. Like make him enjoy a weird, gross kiss. I didn’t like guys. That one other time didn’t matter. Two times didn’t mean anything. How many times meant something?

  Three. Because it wouldn’t happen a third time.

  Firm in my convictions, I tried to worry about other problems instead. The drive took about four hours. I knew that from trips to Crater Lake in the past. Dad had taken us camping there a few times.

  He’d tasked me as his navigator. I’d sat in the back seat with a stack of regional maps. Matt had wanted to help, so I’d taught him how to read the symbols.

  How did that kid grow up to kiss a guy and like it? Normal guys had girlfriends. My little brother had one. Why not me?

  No. I had other things to worry about. Four hours to the closest parking area I knew, then four hours back. I’d have to get to the lake itself, which would probably take me an hour of walking without light. Finding Nick’s seals would probably take at least two hours. Plenty of time for the water breathing.

  That meant about twelve hours total for the trip. Calling it thirteen seemed reasonable.

  Thirteen hours from when I left put me returning to Portland at about nine in the morning. School started at 8:30. Maybe finding those seals would take less time than I thought, but I couldn't count on that.

  I hit the gas harder, pushing my speed up to ten over the limit. An extra five miles per hour over four hours caused some complicated math I couldn't do in my head. The end result, though, should mean getting to school on time.

  Without sleep. My timing didn’t allow for sleep. I’d have to stop and grab coffee to make it all the way, and then through the day. Tomorrow would suck. After school, I’d go see Nick.

  Thinking about him made a shiver wriggle down my spine.

  Nope, not thinking about it anymore. Not thinking about his hands or his breath on my ear. Also not thinking about how he tasted. Nothing else quite matched his peculiar flavor. In a way, it reminded me of jumping into the river on a summer day after a long, hard jog.

  My pants got uncomfortably tight. Again.

  I squirmed in my seat and adjusted myself. Thankful no one could see me, I turned on the air conditioner. The stupid thing blasted non-cold air onto my face, which didn’t help. Because, of course, Nick had made me immune to cold.

  At least I knew he hadn’t lied to me. No drowning tonight.

  The mileposts flashed past too slow for my tastes. To pass the time and make my brain stop thinking, I turned on the radio and searched for something that wouldn’t put me to sleep. I would’ve preferred to listen to the music on my phone, but I didn’t know where it was. Had I even brought it with me to the gym? Maybe not. I didn’t remember moving it from my jeans pocket to my sweatpants pocket.

  Halfway there, I had to stop for gas. My dumb self didn’t think to check for my phone. By then, the problem had faded into the back of my mind. Five minutes down the road, I remembered. Typical.

  I left I-5 behind in favor of route 58, heading east. The radio helped me keep static between my ears. Soon, I climbed hills. Snowbanks reflected my headlights on both sides of the two-lane road. For the next hour, a total of three cars passed me, all headed in the other direction. My route took me over a pass, then to the south, then back to the west.

  When I hit route 138, I saw a sign I didn’t want to see. The direct road to the lake had a big, fat, yellow “closed” tag slapped beside it.

  Because in January, it snows in the mountains. Way to go, dumbass.

  I’d never reach the lake. At best, I’d have to park so far from it I might not finish before dawn. Great. The water breathing magic would wear off before then.

  If I hadn’t already driven three hours, I would’ve turned back. Since I’m stupid, a fact I’d established several hours earlier, I kept going and took the long way. I knew if I left, I’d wonder if I could’ve just taken care of this. I’d whine about the gas I’d wasted to get this far with nothing to show for it.

  Maybe that’s a dumb reason, but in my defense, no matter how hard I tried not to think about Nick, I kept picturing his hands and feeling his breath on my neck. That kiss had messed me up in more ways than I could imagine. I’d left rational thought behind. Far, far behind.

  The detour added an extra hour to my drive. When I reached the south park entrance, I stopped for the bar across the road. Even at one o’clock in the morning, someone monitored the path.

  I rolled down my window and tried to smile at the woman leaning toward me. A warm yellow glow bathed her from above.

  She raised an eyebrow. “This is the entrance to Crater Lake National Park.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I know. I’d like to go in.”

  “I don’t see a pass. Have you already set up at a campground?”

  Right. Visiting a national park cost money. I pulled out my wallet. “No, ma’am. How much is it for a day pass?”

  “Thirty dollars.”

  I coughed. My wallet had two tens. “Is there a half-day pass?”

  She sighed. I recognized pity when I saw it. “Are you meeting someone?”

  If a tiny lie would get me in and save me twenty bucks, I’d tell a tiny lie. “Yes, ma’am. I’m picking someone up to take them home early.” Sort of true? In a way? My pulse ratcheted up as I scrambled to concoct fake details to add to my fake excuse.

  “Go ahead.” She waved me through with a shake of her head. “If anyone asks, tell them you lost your pass. It happens.”

  “Yes ma’am. Thank you.” I nodded and drove under the gate as it lifted, hoping she wouldn’t see the depth of my relief. Politeness had probably paid my way.

  Another half an hour up a road with snow banks so high it felt like a tunnel got me as far as I could get in my car. Rim Village had a parking area, and I recognized the cluster of buildings from previous visits. Lights blazed, glinting off the dozen or so other cars.

  Signs warned about the weather, the snow, the paths, everything. Don’t stray, don’t take chances, don’t do anything without precautions and training. Above all, don’t venture past this point.

  I stepped into the frigid night without feeling the cold. My breath puffed in thick clouds. Since it didn’t matter and sandals wouldn’t help, I left them in the car. Looking down at myself, I thought about the return trip. Wet clothes would suck. No matter how ridiculous I felt about it, I yanked off my clothes and left them in the car.

  Since I couldn’t guarantee I’d keep a grip on
my keys, I locked the car and tucked them under the front bumper. My mom had taught me that.

  Wearing only my boxer briefs and still not feeling the cold, I padded to the snowbank on the lake side and climbed onto a hard, icy crust.

  As far as I could tell, no one noticed me. If they had, I think they would’ve tried to stop me or sent a rescue party to fetch the idiot.

  Past the sign I wasn’t supposed to pass, I saw nothing but a dim white slope downward with evergreen treetops scattered across it. Getting to the lake from here wouldn’t take much effort. Returning, on the other hand... I had a long, hard slog ahead of me, and it would come after I spent time swimming and digging.

  Never mind that. I took a deep breath and stepped off the edge. My foot broke through the snowy surface and I sank to my knee. So much for an easy slide to the water.

  7

  Pushing through snow barefoot and practically naked feels weird when you don’t sense the cold. Everything my brain knew about snow involved the temperature. Since I couldn’t feel it, I had a hard time deciding how to explain it. A few steps in, I gave up trying to use the surface and broke a path with my knees.

  I reached the water and stopped to catch my breath. The surface didn’t move and the water made no sound. It could’ve been a sheet of black ice. Except I knew the lake didn’t freeze. Crater Lake stayed liquid because of some physics stuff. Matt could probably have explained it.

  Time for a leap of faith. Sort of. I knew better than to dive into water when I couldn't see the bottom, so I walked.

  With my first step, I felt the water on my foot. Like the snow, it felt weird. Wet, yes, but also neither warm nor cold. I waded deeper. Five steps in, my foot didn’t find a bottom and I dropped underwater with a surprised squawk. Gentle pressure engulfed me. So did complete darkness. What meager light I’d adjusted to disappeared.

  Water rushed into my mouth before I shut it. This also felt weird. Nick had said I’d breathe water, and I did. The liquid slid down my windpipe, circulated in my lungs, and streamed out again. Like air, only wet.