In Smoke And Ruins

by Gina Shafer

  Vara stands over Elijah. An evil smile pulls her lips over her teeth, and my stomach rolls at the sight. I hate her. When she leans over to brush a smudge of dirt off of his cheek, I attempt to take her out but realize I’m frozen. Because this is a memory, and I can’t change a thing about it.

  I try to find a comfortable position inside myself, but the prickles are still there. I ignore them, struggling to concentrate on what Vara’s saying.

  She talks quietly to the man next to her. “And you have no idea where the baby is?”

  “No, ma’am. She’s not with them, that’s for sure. Those kids we killed never saw a baby. And believe me, we extracted every bit of information from them, down to what color the walls were in that damn warehouse.”

  She crosses her arms, tapping her shoe. “Keep trying,” she huffs and then begins to walk away.

  The man stays behind, and just when I think he’s about to leave, he kicks Elijah hard in the stomach. I hear a groan, and a distant one that lingers in my ear like an echo.

  “There’s something else….” The demon trails off.

  “Don’t waste my time. What is it?” she demands.

  “There was mention of Soren in the children’s memories. It was cloudy, almost protected under some sort of magic. But it was there.”

  Vara eyes become dark slits filled with curiosity and anger.

  After that, things change. I’m in a white room, with nothing in it but a hospital bed. Elijah is strapped down with leather bindings, and Vara stands in front of him, holding the evidence of her torture in a small blade in her left hand. It’s his dagger. My throat bobs as I swallow vomit. Elijah has passed out, either from pain or exhaustion.

  “Well that didn’t take long.” She laughs. “Maybe you should up his food rations a bit so he doesn’t pass out after five minutes,” she mentions casually to the man behind me. He walks through me like I’m not even there.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he says as He takes the dagger from her, wipes it on his sleeve, and tucks it in his waistband.

  “Anything else on the baby?” she asks.

  “We have intel she’s being held away from Karina. That they’ve been separated this whole time,” he tells her.

  “Hm. What kind of mother leaves her newborn? Good choice, idiot.” She spits at Elijah, kicking against his shoe.

  “Ma’am, if that’s all….”

  “Jeffrey, if you don’t get me that baby soon, I’m going to have to have a word with you. Do you understand? I can’t wait any longer,” Vara says in the sweetest tone, though her eyes show nothing but malice.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jeffrey says.

  Again the world around me shifts. We’re back in the cell, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounds me. When I finally do, I see that they have Elijah tied to a post in the center of the room. He’s sitting down, and his arms are behind his back. His knees are drawn up, almost like he’s subconsciously protecting himself from punishment. His head is tilted back, and blood pools from his nose and drips over his lips and teeth and into his mouth.

  “Jeffrey!” Vara calls, and almost instantly a figure appears at her side. He’s different now, inside a stronger, darker body. It’s the man that was with her when we got Elijah back.

  “Ma’am,” he answers.

  She turns immediately, raking her nails down his face, drawing blood. The man doesn’t even flinch, accepting the pain like she’s done nothing. I want to close my eyes but instead, I listen closer.

  “There’s the word I promised to have with you the last time. Now tell me, have you found the answers to my problems? You know I cannot do this spell unless I have a child with Elijah’s blood. And you know I missed my chance when I had my son. We. Need. That. Blood. So tell me, have you found the baby?”

  “We have, ma’am,” he says.

  Abruptly I’m forced back into the backseat, clutching Elijah’s hand, covered in a cold sweat. I lean over, emptying my stomach on the floor, snot leaking from my nose. Elijah sits straight moments after, and as soon as I’ve recovered, I look up.

  “We’re here,” Soren says, pointing to the warehouse. Only it’s different. Never have I seen such panic. People are running in every direction. Willow barks from the back, clearly feeling the energy. It’s nearly pandemonium, and for a moment I wish I were back in Elijah’s memories.

  Anything is better than seeing something you once thought was so powerful whittled down to fear. Elijah touches my cheek, holding me together for a moment, and then a mask slides over his face, the one that says he’s ready for anything the demons might bring our way. I slip mine on too, and step out of the car.

  “They’re coming for the baby. For Rayna,” I say as we march quickly to the arms room, collecting whatever weapons are left. I have my swords on my back already, but I don’t hesitate to take an extra knife and slip it into the sheath at my ankle. “That’s what I saw in Elijah’s visions. She needs a child with Elijah’s blood to complete some spell, and she thinks Rayna is ours.”

  “We’ve got to find the others,” Soren says, grabbing hold of a Sicarri named Robert just entering the room. “Have you seen Marcel?”

  “He’s upstairs on the roof with Xo, Ted, and Micha,” he answers, reaching for a pistol, clearing it, then shoving it into his holster.

  “Where’s Micha’s wife?” Elijah asks.

  “Hell if I know. I’ve got my own family to look after.” Robert breaks away heads out of the warehouse.

  “Come on,” Soren says, and Willow is the first to follow him.

  We scramble out after, and I bump into Lu. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Karina! Oh, you shouldn’t have come back,” she says. “An army of shadow-walkers will be here any minute, and we have nowhere else to go. Marcel has ordered those brave enough to stay and fight, and you know Sicarri, almost everyone stayed.”

  “He called me, told me that we should return if we could,” Soren explains.

  “I wouldn’t doubt it. He’s almost lost it, but I don’t blame him. The Sicarri is the only thing standing in the way of the unburnt and demons now. The unburnt haven’t been as trusting lately, giving us trouble when we’re on patrols. It’s like they don’t want our help anymore. I don’t blame them either. We’ve lost more unburnt than ever before, and during our patrols too. It’s been a real fucking shit-show,” she says.

  “Shit,” I say. “I’m sorry we left you here to deal with that alone.” I wrap my arms around her in a hug. When I let go I realize she’s got her eyes on Elijah.

  “Hell, at least you finished what you set out to do.” She tilts her head at Elijah, smiling.

  “Yeah…” I say.

  “Sorry guys, but I’ve gotta go,” she says.

  “Wait!” I call. “Have you seen Scarlett?”

  “Micha’s wife? She’s hiding in one of the closets on level two,” she tells us and then quickly leaves.

  “I’ll go look for her,” I say.

  “We’re staying together,” Elijah says, gripping my arm. I frown, not understanding. “I’m not letting any of you out of my sight. Last time I did, one of us was taken. Never again. We stick together. Even you.” He points at Willow, who yelps.

  “Okay,” I say. “Let’s go.”

  We get up to the second level as quickly as possible. It doesn’t take us long to find Scarlett either, thanks to Willow sniffing her out. Willow raises a paw at the locked door and scratches, leaving claw marks in the paint.

  I walk up to the door slowly and rap my knuckles against the frame. “Scarlett, it’s me, Karina.” I hear a gasp. “Open up.”

  For a moment, there is only silence. I raise my hand to knock one more time, but the lock clicks. Scarlett appears, frightened and full of anguish. She’s worried for her baby, her husband, and herself, and every single one of those worries is so clear, it’s almost as though they’re written across her forehead.

  “Oh, Karina.” She clutches me like I’m a raft in
the middle of a roaring ocean. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she cries. A loud bang from the roof reminds us of the danger present. Scarlett smiles at the men behind me and finally sees Willow at my feet. “I missed you most of all,” she says, bending to scratch Willow’s ears.

  “Scarlett, we have to get you and Rayna somewhere safer than here.” I place a hand on her shoulder.

  She looks at me and then back into the dark closet. Scarlett stands and walks back into the room, appearing again after a few moments with a sleeping Rayna. She’s so much bigger than when I left, and I find myself getting lost in her beautiful face.

  Soren clears his throat and I straighten.

  “Where can we go?” I ask.

  “There’s a cellar,” Lincoln tells us, and Elijah’s face lights up. “It’s where I used to hide before the warehouse became Sicarri headquarters.” He leads us down to the kitchen. In a small broom closet, a trap door hides under a heavy industrial rug.

  “This can’t be real,” Soren mutters, and Willow brushes against his leg.

  “I’ve tried to keep it a secret,” Lincoln admits as he steps down into the dark space.

  We trail after him. Elijah goes last; he doesn’t close the door behind us.

  Lincoln pulls a candle from his pocket and lights it with a flick of his fingers. I realize how small the space is. There’s a blanket in the corner, and I guide Scarlett and Rayna to it. They sit, and I lightly touch Rayna’s blonde curls. She’s still sleeping, her lips pursed into a sucking motion, like she’s nursing in her dreams.

  “Vara is looking for you… for Rayna,” I say.

  Scarlett clutches her daughter to her chest. “Why? I don’t understand,” Scarlett whispers.

  “It’s a long story, but just know we’re going to protect you. We’re going to make sure she doesn’t get to either of you, okay? Just stay down here. You’ll be safe.”

  She nods, though I know she wants to press more. “Take care of him too,” Scarlett says, her eyes filling with tears, and I know she’s referring to her husband.

  The rest of us go back up to the fight. When the last one of us is in the kitchen, Lincoln covers the trapdoor with the rug and shuts the closet door.

  “Let’s go to the roof,” Elijah says.

  My hands itch to grab my swords off my back, but I ignore it for now. I see many Sicarri I grew up with, panicked and grief-stricken. An announcement comes through the speakers that normally play music. We should expect contact in five minutes.

  When we reach the door to the roof, Soren and Elijah push it open, knocking over a barricade.

  “Holy shit.” Marcel says. Then I see his face. The man that saved me when I was a little girl and was much like a father to me. His sister is the cause of this.

  Then, I see Ted, Xo, and Micha are here, as is Shea and another Sicarri named Marcus. There’s also a pile of weapons and ammo.

  “I can’t believe you made it,” Marcel says, wrapping Elijah in a hug.

  “Looks like you could use the help,” Elijah jokes, and I’m thankful for the humor in this tense moment. The men around me look like they’re heading to their graves, and it makes me feel sick.

  “Here, help me with this,” Marcel says, motioning to the fallen barricade of bricks. They restack them while I greet Micha, pulling him into a hug.

  “Scarlett and Rayna are safe. Don’t worry about them,” I whisper before pulling away. His throat bobs as he swallows.

  “Get over here, you firecracker,” Xo calls.

  I grew up with these people, and even though we had our differences when Elijah was taken, I can’t deny that I missed them. They all get hugs.

  “They’re here,” Lincoln announces, and my stomach drops.

  A group of demons and shadow-walkers march toward us from across the acreage surrounding the warehouse. The sun is going down behind them, making visibility low. Not good. I suck in a breath and reach for my swords. I didn’t have time to grab the magic oil that fires them, but Lincoln doesn’t miss a beat. He flicks his fingers, and my swords light up.

  The others draw their weapons. Xo picks up a grenade, ready to pull the pin and toss it as soon as the demons are close enough. We wait on edge, tense and alert to every little movement.

  The demons and shadow-walkers charge, their screeches audible from miles away and piercing to our ears. I fight not to flinch from the sound. Xo throws his grenade into a group of shadow-walkers, and when it explodes, blood and flesh fly. Their shrieks grow louder, and the demons in the group charge harder, their eyes coated in liquid steel.

  I grab a nearby pistol and fire, along with the others, hitting shadow-walkers and demons, using the bullets as a vessel for my hatred, punching through them with explosive rounds.

  The shadow-walkers and demons break through our counterattacks with ease, storming the warehouse. Their sheer number is outstanding. It’s like every single one of them has been called here. I consider that. What the hell could Vara need Rayna for so badly that she would bring every soldier she has to a fight?

  The roof door bangs open with a force that nearly knocks it off the hinges and a shadow-walkers surge through. Marcel shoots one in the face, setting it on fire. They’re so close together that three of them catch fire from the first flame. They leap from the roof, screaming in pain the whole way down.

  I charge, slicing through them with my blade. I kill two or three before more come through the doorway. Elijah is with me now, a blade in one hand and a pistol in the other, twisting and turning, taking them out one by one. It isn’t long before we succeed in killing the first wave of shadow-walkers. Their burned and blackened bodies surround us. Marcel takes a book of matches from his back pocket and lights it. He shoves it back into the pack and throws it on the ground, engulfing the dead in flames.

  Then I hear it… a sound that makes my toes curl. A sound that makes my skin crawl and my body shiver. The sound no one wants to hear in a time like this.

  The sound of a baby crying.

  Only it’s like I’m the only one who hears it, because no one else gets frantic, no one else whips their heads back and forth, trying to locate the cry. No one else is panicking so bad, they don’t have time to explain before racing down the stairs and through the warehouse, dodging demons and shadow-walkers left and right, slicing through the battle like they’ve got nothing to lose.

  Nope. No one else is doing that. Only me.

  I open the main door leading out front, the side that isn’t surrounded by shadow-walkers and demons, and when I do I realize that there’s nothing there. Emptiness. Not a soul in sight for miles.

  Elijah crashes into me from behind, pushing our way outside. Soon after, Soren comes bursting through the door with Willow and Lincoln hot on his heels.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Elijah asks, bending over to catch his breath. I hadn’t realized that I’m out of breath too until I start timing my breaths with his.

  I have no idea what to say, so I go with the truth. “I thought I heard a baby crying,” I tell them, putting away my swords.

  “What?” Elijah says, straightening and tensing, scoping the area around us for danger. The Fight still ensues inside, but out here… it’s almost like you could hear a pin drop.

  Soren suddenly falls to the ground beside us. I turn, shocked. What the hell is going on? I flip Soren onto his back, and Elijah shakes him, trying to get him to open his eyes. When he finally does, I notice Willow. She’s hunched over, teeth bared, her eyes nearly black as she growls at something behind us. At Lincoln.

  He looks different. He smiles, oddly, and then he blinks and silver films his eyes.

  “Get back! He must be under a spell!” I scream, standing and reaching for my swords, but before I can get hold of them, I’m flung across the cement, landing hard on my back. The wind is knocked out of me, and I gasp for air, lungs burning.

  “Lincoln, what the fuck?” Elijah says. He’s torn between helping Soren or helping me. He never gets to decide tho
ugh, because Lincoln smashes him in the head with the butt of his gun, and Elijah falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

  Willow goes for his leg, but Lincoln kicks her hard in the jaw, and she yelps, pawing at the pain. Soren rouses, and Lincoln grabs him by the shirt and lifts him in the air. The fabric tears, and the sound slices through me. What the hell is going on?

  “Lincoln!” I call when I can take a breath again. Lincoln wraps his hands around Soren’s throat, squeezing, and I charge them, knocking Soren to the ground. Lincoln slams me into the metal siding of the warehouse, making me bite my tongue. I spit blood as Soren picks himself up and goes for Lincoln. He rams into him full force, but Lincoln doesn’t budge. He knocks his head against Soren’s, and while Soren is down, Lincoln picks up Elijah’s pistol and aims it at Soren.

  Horrified, I reach for my magic, letting it flow through me, letting every ounce of my power take over as I try in vain to make Lincoln fall to the ground like I have before, like he taught me to do when we needed to stop McCade. But nothing I do works. It’s like he’s blocked somehow.

  A shot goes off, and at the sound Elijah startles awake, pulling himself up. Soren dodges the first shot, rolling to avoid the bullet, but Lincoln aims again, and this time, I know he’s going to kill Soren.

  I remember the dagger I hid at my ankle earlier. I yank up my pant leg and pull out the blade, gripping it hard. I spring forward as Lincoln’s finger begins to flex on the trigger. Before he can get the shot off, I drive the knife with all of my strength in the back of his neck, severing his spinal cord from his brain. He falls to the ground, dead.

  Dropping to my knees, gasping for air and letting too much out at the same time. I wail, the sound of my cries deaf to my ringing ears. What have I done? What the hell just happened?

  I killed Lincoln.

  Elijah slides up behind me, pulling me into an embrace. I‘m shaking Willow barks. There are gunshots and fighting on the other side of the door.

  Most of all, I hear a baby crying. Scarlett runs toward us with Rayna clutched tightly in her arms. Rayna is howling, her face almost purple.