by Lola StVil
“You asked for the dagger and we got you the stupid dagger. Whatever happens after that is your business; now give us passage.” Bex says.
“In exchange for what? This dagger doesn’t dive into the complex nature of love like it was supposed to.” Fain says.
“We have no control over that Fain. You can’t back out on this deal.” I warn him.
“You have wasted our time.” Payton says angrily.
“We will not be making a deal with you today.” Enessa says, losing interest in the subject.
“You are out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to let my father get killed because you didn’t get ‘high’ off a dagger.” Aaden warns.
“And what would you do to us Noru?”
“You don’t want to push me.” Aaden says in a deadly tone.
Enessa laughs, places a dismissive hand on Aaden’s shoulder and says good-bye. But as she makes contact with Aaden’s body, her eyes begin to glow just like when she was holding the dagger.
“Enessa, what is it?” Payton asks.
“The half demon, Silver…there’s something in…” she replies.
“Really Enessa, we don’t need to absorb anymore wrath and rage. That’s so last spring.” Fain says.
“No, that’s not what it is.” She says.
“What are you sensing?” Harlow asks.
“It’s…it’s something very strong. It’s…”
“Love?” Fain asks.
“No, it’s stronger than that; love and sacrifice. It’s a blend. A very powerful one.” She says.
The four Elements come closer and hold their hand out to touch Aaden; I quickly stand in front of them.
“You touch a member of my team and we will have a problem.” I promise them.
“But we need to absorb this energy we need to know how deep it goes. We need to know what it is.” Payton says.
“Sounds like a personal problem to me.” Bex replies.
“Fine, what do you want in exchange to let us absorb Silver?” Fain asks.
“You know what we want.” Aaden says.
“Fine, we will allow passage so long as we get to absorb what’s inside of the half demon.” Harlow says.
“Will it hurt him to have you inside his head like that?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter.” Aaden says.
“It matters to me.” Swoop says protectively.
“It matters to all of us, including your father.” East reminds him.
“We won’t hurt a hair on his pretty little head.” Harlow says with a wicked smile.
“Good because if you do, I’ll come for you and Omnis himself won’t be able to stop me.” I promise them.
“Fine, now can we get our hands on Silver?” Enessa says.
Aaden signals that he’s ready and the four Elements touch the center of his chest where his heart would be.
The moment they make contact, the four Elements start to glow and levitate. A beam of light forms from Aaden’s chest and spreads out to the four Elements. In a matter of seconds all four of them become translucent. The more power they absorb from Aaden, the weaker he gets.
“Aaden, they’re going to kill you, we have to stop!” I shout at him.
“No…” He says in a weak voice as he falls to his knees.
The beam continues to power the Elements while it weakens Aaden, who can no longer keep his eyes open.
“Damn it, they are going to kill him, I have to sever the connection.” I shout to the team.
“No…” Aaden begs in a weak voice.
“We have to stop this.” Swoop says as the elements glow even brighter in the air and rotate.
I reach out to cut the connection but Key, stops me.
“Pry, don’t! If you stop it now it could hurt Silver. The Elements have to let go slowly. Cutting off the connection now would shock his system and kill him.”
We look on as the four Elements absorb even more of Aaden’s energy. Every inch of their bodies is glowing.
Omnis, please don’t let him die…
Just when Aaden is about to pass out, the four Elements implode from the power surge and are rendered into beams of light. There bodies are now gone. We all look around not sure what to expect.
Then slowly Aaden starts to get stronger and the light particles start to form arms and legs. Soon, the four Elements are restored back to their original bodies; they collapse on to the floor. We help Aaden and the four pains in the ass back to their feet.
“Silver you okay?” Bex asks.
“He’s fine. We sent the energy back to him.” Fain says breathlessly.
“That was…how have you been able to harbor that kind of energy? It’s beyond anything we’ve ever felt.” Harlow says gasping.
“We have never absorbed as much as we have today. We have never lost our physical self before.” Enessa says.
“I’m glad a good time was had by all.” Aaden says sardonically as he gathers himself.
“We want more. How can we—”
“—there is no more. You almost killed him you bitch. I should cut your damn throat.” Swoop says to Harlow.
“We had no idea it would cause him so much pain.” Harlow lies.
Swoop motions towards Harlow, ready to attack. I take her hand and signal for her to stay calm.
“We did our part. Now it’s your turn.” I remind them.
“Fine” Payton says.
She signals to the other Elements, they wave their hands in the air and a portal opens up. It’s dark and hard to see what’s beyond it.
“You gave us more than we could have asked for so we are cutting your travel time in half. We can place one of you right on the border of the Forest of Remains.” Harlow says.
“What do you mean one of us?” I ask.
“We need passage for the whole team minus Randy—sorry.” Swoop says to my best friend.
“We never permitted angels into our land. We made an exception but it is an exception for one being.” Enessa says.
“No, we all need to go.” I insist.
“That will not happen.” Payton says.
“Yet if we were demons, we’d be able to come and go as we please. How is that fair?” East asks.
“Quo, who said you were allowed to speak?” Fain says.
“Fuck you!” East counters.
“The half breed is very rude.” Harlow says.
“You talk to East like that again, I’ll make you pull your damn arm off and feed it to your sidekicks.” Bex warns Fain.
“Do you really want a problem with me Para?” Fain asks.
“I think the question is do you want an issue with a Noru.” Key says with filled quiet rage.
“We have enjoyed our time here and we’d love to do this again but we have places to be.” Harlow says with a fake smile.
“How will the being get out of the forest?” Aaden asks.
“If the Byelle doesn’t rip them into pieces, then the being can simply fly out of the Forest. Flying out is not a problem. The problem is getting in. You wanted access and now we have given it to you. So, which one of you is ready to face the Byelle and the possibility of dismemberment?” Fain says.
I turn to Aaden who already looks like he’s going to say something that will piss me off.
I signal for the team to come closer to me and away from the four Elements. We need to confer.
“Don’t even think about going into that portal.” I warn Aaden.
“Why not? It’s my father out there.” He reminds me.
“You’ve just had the life almost drained out of you.” I counter.
“She’s right. I can go.” Bex says.
“No, you can’t go into the Forest alone, that’s suicide and you know it.” Key says.
“I should go, I’m faster than all of you. I can be in and out within seconds.” Swoop says.
“No, you aren’t going. I am stronger than you, I will go.” Key says.
“The hell you will!” Bex says.
“Everyone stay calm. I am going and that’s final.” I reply.
“No, it’s not. I need to be the one that does this.” Aaden says.
“I think I should try. I mean I can pop in on the Port and pop back out in no time.” East suggests.
“You know a Port doesn’t work everywhere. What if you go in and can’t get back out?” I ask.
“I’m willing to risk it.” East replies.
“Well, I’m not.” I counter.
The team and I argue back and forth heatedly for several minutes.
“I see you’ve made your choice.” Enessa says.
“What? We haven’t decided anything yet.” I reply.
“We told you, only one member of your team is allowed passage and you already sent one.” Harlow says.
“We didn’t send anyone. Everyone from the team is right here.” Aaden says.
“Not everyone…” Bex replies.
“Where’s Randy?” Swoop asks.
The four Elements smile at each other, delighting in our panic. Fain replies to Swoop with a pleasant, cruel tone.
“Your human entered the portal. He is now in the Forest of Remains.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE PLAN
Randy is on the edge of the Forest of Remains. He’s going to die. He’s being ripped apart right now and I can’t save him. Is he screaming? Is there a lot of blood? Did he pass out before the end?
“PRYOR!!!” Bex calls out.
“W-what?” I reply.
“You have to stay with us,” Bex says.
“Randy’s gone. He’s gone,” I reply in complete bewilderment.
“No, we can find him,” Key promises.
I can’t think positive right now. All I can see in my mind’s eye is Randy’s lifeless body scattered throughout the trees.
“Hey, we know this is hard, but you are the First Noru, so pull it together,” East orders.
“Okay,” I reply, still in a trance.
“Pryor!” Key yells.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I reply finally, starting to get a grip on reality.
“GET RANDY BACK HERE!” Aaden rages at the elements. The four of them give us a wicked smile and disappear on the walkways they came in on. Completely distraught, Aaden grabs a chair, lifts it above his head, and hurls it out the window after them.
“I know you care about the human, but I’m going to kill Randy,” Aaden says, growing angrier by the second.
“I think he just wanted to help,” Swoop says.
“I don’t give a damn what he wanted to do; he just got my father killed, not to mention himself,” Aaden adds.
“Your father still has time,” I reply, refusing to give in to the panic that arises from Randy’s actions or the fact that now both he and Uncle Rage are in danger.
“Argh! What the hell was Randy thinking?” Bex roars.
“Pry, we have to fix this. We have to go get him and Uncle Rage, now!” Swoop says.
“I’m so done with this.” Aaden swears as he heads out the door of the now perfectly normal looking science lab. Everything is back to the way it was. There is no sign that the four elements were ever even there. That is, apart from the window that Aaden smashed.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“I’m going to do what I should have done in the first place: turn myself in to Malakaro,” he snaps.
“You can’t do that,” I remind him.
“WHY THE HELL NOT?”
“Because the team—”
“I know, Pry, I know. I’m the second in command and the team can’t lose me. I got it. But right now, I don’t care,” Aaden admits.
“Aaden, it’s not just the team…I…you and me…we…” I can’t find the words to tell him how much of my soul is attached to his. Or how gutted I would feel if he died. He looks back at me and his expression softens.
“Pry…I don’t know what else to do,” Aaden replies. And for the first time, it’s not wrath or anger in his voice but desperation and grief. He doesn’t sound like a pissed off half demon. He sounds like a guy about to lose a parent for the second time.
“Actually, I have an idea,” Key says.
“What is it?” Aaden asks.
“The four elements have a signature they leave behind when they use their powers. That’s what mind wipes the humans so they don’t recall ever having met them,” Key replies.
“Yeah, so?” East wonders.
“So if I can make a mixture to enhance the signature, maybe I can recreate the portal.”
“Can you really do that?” I ask.
“I think so, but there’s one problem: I can’t do it alone. It’s a complex mixture and I would need help.”
“We can get a Healer from the clinic to help us,” Swoop says.
“I don’t think they will. Opening a portal that’s forbidden by the four elements isn’t exactly a smart thing to do; they can be ruthless. No one wants to be on their bad side.”
“So you need a Healer who is okay at pissing people off?” Aaden asks.
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll take care of it,” Aaden says as he takes out his cell and texts someone.
“Who did you contact?” East asks.
“Someone who can help,” Aaden replies.
“How long will it take to do this?” I ask Key.
“Only a few minutes, but we need the other Healer here as soon as possible so the signature doesn’t fade,” Key replies.
“I’ve got it handled. You set up whatever you need,” Aaden says.
Key instructs her sister and Bex on the things she will need to make the mixture. They take off in search of the ingredients. Meanwhile, East helps Key get all the containers she will need. This is where the science lab comes in very handy.
“Randy’s been in the edge of the forest by himself for ten minutes now,” I say to Aaden.
“I know…” he replies, equally worried.
We both know that in all likelihood Randy may be dead but neither of us is ready to say it out loud. Not long after, the team returns with all the items Key requested.
“Okay, we’re ready. Where’s the other Healer?” Key asks.
“Right here,” she announces.
We turn and find Ruin sitting on a Port. Although her wings aren’t high in the air, she is fully recovered. Her face is back to its unmistakable beauty. Her curves and her “come hither” eyes are more dangerous than ever. For some reason, whenever I see her I want to run and get a boob job.
“You called Ruin?” I ask Aaden.
“Who else was he going to call?” she says.
“She’s only going to make this situation worse,” I tell him.
“Key needs another Healer to help her reopen the portal. We really don’t have a choice,” Aaden explains.
“Yes, well that’s why this will come as a bitter surprise to you, Silver, but I can’t help you,” Ruin says simply.
“What? Diana, you have to do this,” Aaden pleads.
“No, I don’t. I don’t have to do anything for you.”
“Then why the hell are you here?” Bex asks.
“I wanted to deliver the news in person,” Ruin informs us.
“How can you be so damn selfish?” East says.
“HEY, SCREW ALL OF YOU! I GAVE UP MY DAMN WINGS AND I GOT BACK NOTHING!” Her outburst comes so suddenly I think she even surprised herself.
“Diana, we have only sixty minutes to save both my father and Randy...Diana, please,” Aaden says.
Something about the desperation in his voice gets to me. He needs her so much, it’s like they are still romantically linked. I know they aren’t together and I also know this isn’t the right time for jealousy, but…
“Silver, you saved me a few times in the past, so I tried to help your father. We are even now. So don’t call, don’t text, don’t do anything to contact me again,” Ruin says.
