by Bell, A. C.
Up above, a lamp light flicked on in Raiden and Slade’s apartment. I brushed the snow from a nearby bench so I could sit and calm down. I wasn’t ready to go back in yet. The events of the day weighed too heavily on my mind and heart. Did the Hunters know Alexandra was a seer? Would they try to use her? Or would they kill her for just being involved? And the way she’d said his name…was he really her ex-husband? Had she been married to him when he’d killed my father?
I just sat there, cold and alone until footfalls crunched lightly through the snow on the sidewalk. Raiden’s hands were tucked in the pockets of his double-breasted coat, out of place with his flannel pajama bottoms and sneakers. My heart warmed at the sight of him and his pleasant smile. I used my sleeve to clear a spot for him on the bench.
“Hi,” he greeted as he nestled beside me.
“Hi.” My smile helped thaw my cold face.
There was no way I could tell him what I knew, ‘knew’ being a loose term here. He didn’t ask how I was. Didn’t need to after today. His arm found its way around my shoulders and he kissed the side of my forehead, so I rested against him and held his hand, grateful for his warmth. His rhythmic breathing helped to ease my tension a little.
Festival of Light
Even at a distance, they could see the grounds of the Manor glowing, a second sun setting on the horizon. Adeline was preoccupied watching the icy road, but her glance kept shooting to the aura in awe. Nikki wasn’t even trying to hide the wonder in her wide, hazel eyes. Peter grinned.
“Light is something most spellcasting species can create,” he explained as he leaned forward between the front seats. “And on a day when a majority of supernatural species can cast at least a minimal amount of magic, they like to show off their power with as much flare as they can.”
“But doesn’t this risk exposing them? People are going to see that, it isn’t exactly subtle,” Nikki retorted.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere in the middle of December,” he said with a laugh. “Who’s going to be out here?”
Nikki crossed her arms sassily. “Well some people are crazy enough to camp during the winter, or have cabins.”
Peter set his chin beside her headrest. “Then it’ll just look like someone’s having a big party. You can pick holes in anything, can’t you?” he teased.
“Call it a gift,” she said gleaming tauntingly.
Peter reached around the seat, poking his fingers into her ticklish side. Nikki tried to squirm out of reach amidst a flurry of squeals and laughter. Adeline chortled, trying to focus on the road. With the number of people who had undoubtedly arrived, the roads became better driven the closer they got to the Manor. Guests had likely been arriving all day. The sun had almost completely dipped below the horizon now, making the lights even more enchanting against the rich blue sky.
Along the mile-long stone driveway, designated parking areas had been set up on the grass to accommodate the population. The glowing orbs that hung above the driveway and around and throughout the parking areas warmed the air enough that the snow had melted. The grass beneath had been rejuvenated to a vibrant Spring green by dryads.
A man directed Adeline to an empty spot. The alluring sound of violins danced faintly on the breeze when they piled out of the car. Nikki beamed and pulled Adeline by the hand toward the sound, both giggling. Peter laughed and locked the car up, shutting the door Adeline hadn’t had time to shut before being hauled away.
On the left side of the house, a brightly illuminated area was filled with several hundred people. Almost all were casting some kind of magic, whether elemental, illusionary, or transformative. One man had erected a crude window from nothing, through which everyone appeared about a hundred years old. He snapped his fingers and everyone was two feet tall with blue skin. A woman at his side laughed. Three women in full length skirts and bare feet trailed around hand in hand and everywhere they stepped small wild flowers bloomed.
A round wooden stage had been erected at the center of the gathering, surrounded by an excited crowd. A petite woman hopped energetically around the stage while playing a lively song on a violin. With no amps in the area, the sound must have been amplified with magic. Other men and women danced around her and when the song reached a climactic moment, all six dancers jumped into the air. They spun clockwise and fire flared from their outstretched hands. The crowd cheered and the fire dancers continued to accentuate their dance moves with flames. Adeline and Nikki watched excitedly. The excitement in the air was infectious and giddiness rose in Peter’s chest, as it did every year.
“They’re kitsunes,” he shouted over the noise. “They can usually only cast illusions, but tonight they have full access to the fire magic their ancestors had.”
A trail of leaves swirled between Peter and the girls all of a sudden. After whirling around Adeline, it circled Nikki. They turned to see the dryad girls waving them over to where people were dancing. Nikki hopped over gleefully. One of the dryads, wearing an ivory dress to contrast her dark skin, draped a ringlet of pink flowers over Nikki’s head.
The dryads began a sequence of flowing dance moves, perfectly in sync with each other, and as a fast learner in such arts, Nikki repeated what they did. When the dryads realized her talent, they giggled and came up with more moves for her to emulate. Peter couldn’t take his eyes away and therefore didn’t notice Adeline move behind him to push.
“Allons-y!” She shouted in reference to his favorite television show as she shoved him forward. Nikki caught him in surprise as he stumbled into her, but didn’t let go as readily. Peter also stayed near as he straightened. The dryads began dancing in a circle around them. Nikki grinned and put Peter’s left hand on her waist and held his other in hers, assuming a ballroom dancing position. Peter’s eyes widened.
“Wait, I don’t—”
Nikki ignored him and started dancing, pulling him around to show him how. He clumsily tried to follow along. The dryads became more encouraged and, during a turn, showered them with a sprinkling of tiny lights before trailing off to leave them be. The energetic song fueled Peter’s enthusiasm and he started leading Nikki instead, though he couldn’t have been doing it correctly. Nikki wailed in laughter when he scooped her up and spun around with her. When he set her down, she laced her fingers with his again and spun away from him before spinning back into him. She repeated the action and twirled to face him again. They continued dancing, oblivious to those around them.
***
I beamed victoriously, leaving Nikki and Peter to their dancing. There was still no sign of Raiden or Slade as I looped around the crowd, but finding them in this many people would be difficult. A few children sprinted past me with their arms outstretched as if pretending to fly. They moved quicker than normal and a faint light streaked behind them as they ran. Something wooshed past me, tousling my hair into a mess. A blur of light flitted in front of the kids and they halted before their scowling mother.
“You know better than to run off where I can’t see you,” she scolded. They started to complain, but the sound was drowned out as I got farther away.
I spotted Kendra sitting alone on a stone bench beside the Manor. Her ankle was propped on her other knee and she was cleaning the underside of her nails with a bowie knife out of boredom. I meandered over, slowly. She didn’t look up at my approach, but I knew she heard me coming. There wasn’t room to sit beside her. I assumed this was her intent with spreading out, so I stood beside her and folded my arms over my chest.
“Too cool for parties?” I asked.
“They have one of these twice a year,” she drawled.
“Any idea where Slade and Raiden are?”
“With his sister, that way,” she said with a vague gesture to the right. “Eager to find them before your bedtime? Mortals are so cute with their ‘jobs’.”
“Well, I won’t be at work for a while.”
"Are you taking time off to ‘find yourself' like you Millennials seem to do?"
I balked. Not because of the comment, but because I realized Slade hadn’t warned her that Hunters were actually here. He was likely afraid that she would leave, but I didn’t think that was fair after what the Hunters had done to them.
“Kendra,” I said quietly.
Her cobalt eyes flicked up to me, but her comical smile faded when she picked up on my tone. “What?”
I hesitated, unsure how she would react. “My boss was abducted yesterday. By Hunters.”
A dark edge creeped into her eyes and her lips pinched in anger. She stood and pushed past me in the direction she had indicated the guys were, so I followed. She scoured the crowd with the eyes of a skilled bounty hunter until she found her target. Slade, Raiden, Michelle and Wynona were watching a man and a woman swirling water around themselves as they danced on stage.
“Hey!” Kendra snapped. All four looked over and amusement stripped from Slade’s face. He neared with a petrified look.
“How dare you, you had no right to keep this from me,” she accused.
“Kendra, I—”
“No!”
Slade tried to step closer, but she backed away. “I was afraid you would leave if I told you,” he explained desperately.
“That’s my choice! You don’t get to make it for me by keeping secrets and lying! I told you what they did to me after the Purge.”
“Kendra—”
Before he could continue, Kendra turned on her heel and stomped away. Slade’s grey-blue eyes moved to mine. The hurt and betrayal in them was painful. I flinched.
“She has the right to know,” I managed to mumble.
Slade’s disapproval stared me down for a few more agonizing moments and then he marched around me to follow her. I closed my eyes and took a deep, sad breath. A hand touched my arm. Raiden’s eyes were concerned, but not accusatory or judgmental.
“What was that about?”
“The Hunters,” I said guiltily.
Raiden’s fingers brushed hair away from my face. “They’ll work it out. Come on.”
He tugged me by the hand over to Michelle and Wynona. The latter was as intimidating as before. Her strange fiery eyes glowed even brighter than before as they peeked out beneath the white hood, glaring down at me from her height of six feet.
“Hi,” I greeted.
She, of course, did not respond, though she did smile the tiniest bit.
“I haven’t seen Wyn have this much fun in quite a while,” Michelle said, beaming.
She turned her attention to the artist on stage, who continued to play powerfully. I never would have imagined a violin could sound so…industrial. Michelle bobbed up and down excitedly and Wynona, I noticed, was bobbing her shoulders up and down with the beat just a little. She really was enjoying herself in her unsettlingly reserved way. I only half paid attention to the music, my mind drawn to remorseful thoughts of Slade and Kendra. I nibbled anxiously on the tip of my thumb, leaning against Raiden’s side. My insides squirmed guiltily, making it impossible to enjoy myself.
Raiden’s hand stroked my waist, sending a soothing shimmer through me. “You should find them.” He smiled encouragingly when I looked over at him. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I shook my head and smiled. “It’s my mess. I’ll clean it up.”
“I’ll walk you to the house, then.”
We laced our fingers together and ventured around the crowd. The music got quieter the further we got. Finally, I was able to hear myself think. Raiden, too, seemed to be mulling something over. He frowned at the ground distractedly.
I bumped my shoulder into his. “What’s wrong?”
“Huh?” He looked up, confused as I pulled him from his thoughts. Then he scratched the back of his neck, looking at the ground again. “Oh. I, uh, I had a meeting yesterday. One of the guys talked about how he blames his dad for his alcoholism, for exposing him to it at a young age.”
“Do you blame your dad?”
Raiden shook his head. “I can’t. I actually wish I could go back and act differently. I was so cold to him, so angry that he couldn’t step up and ‘be a man’ after Mom died, but now I know what he went through. It’s so much harder to fight than I used to think. I should have been there for him, like Michelle was. She and our farmhand Anna took care of him the way he needed. I was too busy hating him.”
We rounded the corner of the building to the circular driveway around the fountain. Indecision warred within me, about whether or not to ask what I wanted to ask. My desire to get to know him better won.
“What happened to your dad?”
Raiden’s fingers twitched in mine and his thumb stroked mine. “He died the night I was turned. I didn’t even know what was happening at the house at first. There was a fire in the hay barn and one of them attacked me. He was pinning me to the wall and I bit his arm to get him off me. That’s when I saw the house burning, but the virus took over and I passed out. When I came to, Michelle was crying over me.”
“I…” It felt as if words would just bounce uselessly off the edges of what he was feeling. Still, I had to say something. “I’m so sorry,” I said lamely.
Raiden shook his head. “It happened a long time ago.”
I stopped and tugged on his hand to pull him to me so I could wrap my arms around him. He sighed contentedly and held me close. My heart felt tight in my chest, sad for what he’d been through.
“Thank you for telling me,” I said softly.
He made a confirmatory sound and pressed his lips to the side of my head. “You should find Kendra before she leaves.”
“Yeah.” I kissed him, lingering briefly. He smiled into the kiss and played with my fingers. Then I reluctantly pulled away and started up the steps.
Renenet had left the door unlocked, likely so tenants could get back into their rooms. The house was dark inside so it wouldn’t draw attention away from the beauty outside. My ears felt relieved at the quiet at first, but quickly started to ring as the silence screamed at me. I used the flashlight on my phone to lurk through the entryway, which was oddly creepy as shadows flickered in the moving light. At the branch of hallways at the end of the entryway, a pair of staircases wound up and around to meet at a landing on the second floor. Kendra had been given a room on the top floor. If she was getting ready to leave, that’s where she and Slade would be. Footsteps echoed mine back in the entryway.
“Wait up,” Michelle called up.
“Oh, hey.” I tried to grin through my anxiety and my eagerness to hurry on. Kendra didn’t have many belongings, so she might even be gone already.
“I wanted to catch a chance to talk to you, one on one.”
Uh oh. She caught my look and her eyes bugged as we climbed the stairs.
“Oh, not like that! I’m sure you’re perfect for my brother. He wouldn’t date you otherwise. Anyway, I just wanted to get to know you better.”
So, I “regaled” her with facts about my life. She made a show of enthusiasm as she listened, even when I just talked about what lame jobs I’d had or my obsession with old fiction.
“It’s almost like a part of you always knew,” she mused. “Like you were pushed toward stories that whispered about the supernatural.”
I laughed. We continued chatting about books until we got to the third landing. Kendra’s raised voice called both of our attention then. I turned down her hallway and found a feminine figure silhouetted against the backlit window.
“Kendra?” I asked.
No, that wasn’t Kendra. Kendra was still shouting somewhere. I halted and threw an arm out to stop Michelle. The woman’s long dark hair obscured anything I could have seen of her face in the light of the window as her head dipped toward me. Something felt wrong.
“I have a bad feeling,” Michelle whispered, reiterating my thoughts.
As soon as the woman turned her body toward us, I knew why my instincts were screaming at me. Stone tile crunched beneath her unnatural weight as she stomped toward us. She picked up speed instantly.
I took Michelle’s hand and flared my strength up, barreling into the nearest door. Light from the festival below glared through the paned window. A queen-sized bed sat against the left wall, dressed to the nines, and a small fireplace was fixed into the wall on the right. Barely three steps into the room, Michelle let out a squeal. The Hohl, as Worg had dubbed them, had a hold of her and was trying to pull her away from me. I wove around Michelle and used the momentum to drive my metal fist into the creature’s snarling face. This time, my strike did hurt her. She fell onto her back, decimating the tile below her. She held her jaw in stunned pain.
Now free, Michelle sprinted past me to the window. I walked backwards toward her to keep an eye on the monster. A rack of fireplace pokers and what-not was tucked beside the brick base, so I pulled an iron poker out.
Michelle looked helplessly out one of the tall, narrow windows. “What do we do? We’re three stories up!
Tall stories, too, I noted, with the building’s high ceilings. “Get the mattress,” I told her.
A cursory glance told me that no one was close enough to the building below, so I smashed the window with my iron rod while Michelle hauled the finely dressed mattress to the window by its handles. If we chucked it out onto the lawn, people below would hopefully get the point and help Michelle land softly on it with whatever magic they had access to. As I lifted it to toss it out, however, hands grabbed me roughly and threw me away. I dropped the poker so I couldn’t accidentally impale myself and landed on the box spring—still in the bed frame—and bounced across to the other side.
Michelle let out a shriek. The Hohl reached for her, but she ducked nimbly out of reach. I stood to help when someone else flew past me. Kendra hopped onto the bed and used the height to leap into the creature feet first. Both crashed through what was left of the window, plummeting out of view. A few moments later, Slade swung into the room.
“Where did she go?”
