by Cree Storm
“I can’t take you either, Destrain. I know this is hard for you all to understand, but you need to trust me.”
“Wait a minute. Does no one else think that this is some kind of a set-up? He’s taking two of the Santorini foxes, a strong older dragon, the white phoenix, our prophet,” Baldwin argued.
“He’s telling the truth,” Justice replied. “I can see it in his thoughts and memories. He hasn’t lied to us at all. But you all must go now before the portal closes on the other side.”
Future Day nodded at Justice. “Thanks, Dad.” His words surprised Justice, but Ollie could see they also made him happy.
Ollie stepped closer to future Day as Manny, Frankie, Angelo, and Ezra joined them. Wyndingo came in last and moved right to Ollie’s side. Ollie huffed in annoyance then looked away. Future Day went to the portal and put one hand through, then turned to them and said, “Who’s first?”
“I’ll go,” Ezra offered and walked right through, followed by Angelo, who was still a little dazed from the goodbye kiss his mate laid on him while Baldwin was arguing. Then he and Wyn went through together, and Manny and Frankie brought up the rear.
Just as Ollie stepped through he heard, “Not without me,” from Rune.
As he stepped into the darkness he felt a pull on his body that was almost painful, but as soon as he thought it might get worse, it went away and he stepped out into a strange land. Shit, we did go into an alien spaceship and now we’re all gonna be probed or eaten. They’re probably gonna dig our brains out with a spoon and eat it like ice cream.
“Ollie!” Pascal yelled and Ollie turned to see Pascal running toward him.
Ollie ran to Pascal and hugged him. “You’re alive!”
“Not in this world, I’m not,” Pascal said as he pulled back. “You need to prepare yourselves because…well, it’s not pretty,” Pascal said as he stepped aside, and Ollie got his first full look at the future.
The sky was a dark purple almost like the skin of an eggplant and had ripples of dark pink, orange, and red throughout it as far as the eye could see, but it was also filled with clouds and no sun could be seen.
“Is it always dark here?” Ezra asked.
“Yes. About fifteen years ago as the war escalated, those moron humans used their nuclear weapons. Very few humans still live, and about half the paranormals that were here in your time, are now gone,” Day explained.
Ollie looked around and noticed something really strange. Not that all of it wasn’t strange, but this was really unexpected. “We’re still in Colorado, right? Is this Maddox?”
“Yes. This is what is left of Maddox.”
“So where the hell is the big ass mountain?” Ollie asked, and everyone turned to look in the direction he was looking.
“Shit! The mountain is gone,” Manny gasped.
“Like I said, the humans and their weapons of mass destruction. We need to get off the streets. The rogues will be out soon. Follow me, this way,” future Day said and lead them down what used to be Main Street. The buildings were all blown apart and only a few shells remained. One wall stood here and another there, but they were all broken and lopsided. The road under his feet was cracked and pulled up in places, making them have to climb over the bigger chunks. Weeds grew through some of the cracks, but not many. The trees surrounding the area all stood still and bare like dead, black skeletons reaching up for the sunlight. Most had been snapped in half and lay dying on the ground. A few rotted old cars still dotted the street, but they looked more like piles of rust than anything else.
A clap of thunder shook the area, making them all jump. “We need to move faster. It’s only around the corner,” future Day said and quickened his pace.
“Why do we need to run?” Angelo asked.
“We don’t want to be out in the open exposed to the elements when the storm hits,” future Day answered in a rush.
They all followed him around the corner and Ollie froze. He was staring at what used to be the center of town and there sat a huge hole, like a crater, in the middle where the gazebo used to be. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled, making his feet move again. He looked and found Wyn dragging him along.
“I can run on my own, you know?”
“I’m sure you can, but look,” Wyn said and pointed toward the west side of town.
“Shit!” Ollie yelled and got his feet moving faster. Orange points of fire rained down out of the sky and it was coming toward them. As Day reached a large metal door, he pounded twice, then held a moment, then pounded another four rapid beats. Ollie was getting terrified waiting for the damn door to open. The wall of fire rain, or whatever the fuck it was, was getting closer.
“Come on! What’s happening?” Angelo cried.
Suddenly the door slid open and Day rushed inside, with everyone following. The door slammed closed behind them and Ollie heard what sounded like ten or more locks being engaged. He looked around and noticed they were in some kind of large warehouse, but he couldn’t remember it being here back in their time. It had a high ceiling and a loft around the four sides. He could see that sections had been quartered off with blankets, making the loft appear to have many rooms. The closest one had a bed inside and Ollie figured that was the bedrooms.
“I can’t believe you’re all finally here!”
Ollie spun around from the sound of Ethan’s voice, and his eyes widened at the sight of him. Ethan was a lot more muscular than he was in their time and he now had long hair to his ass. He was dressed like a badass warrior, just like the future Day was, but it was the long gash down his arm that really drew Ollie’s attention.
“We finally did it, my heart. Where are the others?” future Day said to future Ethan as he hugged him.
Ethan answered, “Illan, Justice, and Fiere took Finn and Maria to scout for herb seeds. Amelia saw some this morning when she went to Pascal and Zen’s old place. Dain wants to add them to the hydroponic field.”
“The storm is almost here,” Day said in concern.
“Drake is waiting for them in the tunnel with Six, Casimir, Ozcog, and Pelt,” Ethan answered.
“Thank the gods. And where is our sweet baby?” Day asked as they moved further into the building.
“Rhys is helping Kerrick with the solar panels. We need to replace two more.”
“Ethan,” Angelo said, and Ethan turned to face him, his eyes filling with tears.
“I’m sorry I didn’t welcome you all better. Things these days need to take precedence over others. I’m so sorry. Angelo. My gods, Ang, I can’t believe you’re here. I haven’t seen you in…” Ethan stopped as his eyes filled with tears and he swallowed. He ran to Angelo and threw his arms around him. “I have missed you so much, Ang.”
“I thought you said Illan, Justice, and Finn weren’t in this future?” Wyn asked suspiciously.
Future Day turned and gave him a sad smile. “No, the ones you know aren’t. Illan and Justice of this day are two of our sons, and Finn is one of Twixie’s. As well as Maria.”
“Angelo?” Morgan’s broken voice said from somewhere behind them.
Ollie turned to see future Morgan, who looked a hell of a lot more deadly than past Morgan, walking slowly toward them, cautiously as if he were looking at a dream.
CHAPTER 8
If this future Day was to be believed, and looking around at everything, he was believing, then what did this have to do with him and his mate? No, Ollie. Not his mate, because the man refused him. A new wave of anger flashed through Wyndingo and he clenched his jaw to try to keep it in check.
“Angelo.” The strained, disbelieving voice came to him and Wyn turned in time to see Morgan coming toward them, but it was the Morgan of the future, and he looked…horrible? No, not the word he wanted. Broken. That was the one he was looking for. The intense dragon looked even more intense, and his eyes looked dead, but right now those eyes looking at Angelo looked more confused.
Angelo gasped as his gaze fell on this future Morgan and tears formed in his eyes. Ang
elo stood frozen as he just watched Morgan approach cautiously. When he got to within a foot of Angelo, Morgan stopped, his gaze flickering all over Angelo’s face, then settled on his eyes. “My angel,” Morgan said in a broken voice as tears began to fall from his eyes.
Angelo reached out and wrapped his arms around Morgan, holding him tight as the big, intense dragon broke down.
“Is it considered cheating if he is comforting this future Morgan?” Frankie whispered from behind him. Good question, he thought.
“You’re gone, baby, and I have had to learn to live without you. How could you leave me?” Morgan cried.
Angelo looked stricken, but his arms tightened around Morgan. “I don’t know how to answer that. I’m sorry, love, but I know I would never leave you if given the choice. I would never, ever leave you intentionally. I’m so sorry, Morgan.”
Future Day stepped closer and placed a hand on Morgan’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard, buddy, but this Angelo is―”
Before future Day could finish, Morgan pulled back from Angelo and knocked Day’s hand away from him and turned to face future Day with a sneer as he ground out between clenched teeth, “You have no fucking clue, so don’t. You still have your mates by your side and your children, so don’t assume to know how hard this is.” And with that, future Morgan stormed across the room and disappeared in the shadows.
Angelo took a step in that direction, then stopped and looked at future Ethan. “Should I go after him?”
“I want to say yes for his sake, but it may not be a good idea, also for his sake. We warned him that you would be coming with the others and that maybe it would be best for him to stay away. His pain is still too great and seeing you now, even the past you, is too much. But you belong in the past and will be leaving again, so we don’t want him to have to lose you again, if that makes sense,” Ethan said.
“No, you’re right, and it does make sense, but seeing him like that…I just want to go to him and make him feel better. I want to take his pain away. I can’t bear to see him like that. It’s killing me,” Angelo cried.
Future Ethan wrapped his arms around Angelo and hugged him. “I know, Ang, but try to remember, if we can do what we are trying to do by bringing you all here from the past, then hopefully none of that will happen and Morgan won’t have to go through the pain of losing you.”
“So what is it that you want from us? You said you came back for Pascal, so he could help boost the portal’s energy, but you really came back for me and Ollie, why?” Wyn asked in a tight voice.
“What the hell is he doing here?!” An angry voice rang out and they all turned in its direction to see an irate Ollie storming across the warehouse.
“Jesus Christ, is that me? What the hell happened to me? I look so…so…” Ollie said.
“Not fabulous and like your shit don’t stink?” Frankie said.
Future Day ran to the other Ollie, wrapped an arm around his waist, stopping future Ollie. “We explained this to you, Ollie. This is why we needed you to come in and help us,” Day replied.
“No, you said that if I came here to help you that you would bring Pascal here from the past. You said nothing about bringing that piece of shit here! This is all his fault! Because of him, my brother is dead! Because of him, so many people that we all love are now gone, and this fucking world is a shit hole. Because of him―”
“Because of you, Ollie,” another voice came to them and Toby stepped out of the shadows. “Let’s be honest here shall we, because it’s the only thing that may save us and all of them. This all started because of you,” Toby said in a cold, unfeeling voice.
“He’s the one that blew up the whole fucking town! He’s the one that went all nuclear and wiped Maddox off the face of the earth and started world war three!” future Ollie argued angrily.
“Wait just a damn minute!” Wyn growled as he took a step closer. “Are you accusing me of starting this so-called war you’re all talking about?”
“It’s not a so-called war in the least, Wyndingo. It is a war,” future Dain said as he joined them. “A war that didn’t have to be. A war that started by mistake, but killed most of the earth’s population, none the less. A war started out of pain and misunderstanding, and escalated, causing us all to lose so much. Even those we may not have lost in the initial blast have been lost to us in one way or the other. Many who survived the first blast, have died in the years since while fighting, while others once called brother are now enemy.”
“I don’t understand any of this. Are you saying I caused the first explosion that started this war?” Wyn asked in horror.
“That’s exactly what he’s saying, you fucking psycho,” future Ollie seethed as he fought to get out of future Day’s hold.
“But how? And why would I do this?” Wyn asked.
“Because of Ollie,” future Toby said.
“Wait, what?” present Ollie said is shock.
Future Toby looked to present Ollie. “You started this by rejecting your mate. I know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but you not embracing your mate and celebrating the gift that fate gave you, started this chain reaction.”
“Fuck you, Toby! I didn’t do this! He did!” future Ollie seethed.
Future Toby spun around to face future Ollie. “You were the catalyst, Ollie! It was because of you rejecting Wyndingo that he lost control of his powers and blew up Maddox in the first place and my Nash is dead! And you know what I’m saying is true. That’s why you stay away from all of us. That’s why you have spent all these years hiding from us and not wanting to be here. You know that what I am saying is true, and the guilt of that, along with the guilt of what happened taking so many from us, including my mate and Pascal, has ripped you away from us.”
“Wait a minute. I lost control of my powers? I don’t believe that. I am a very old dragon and know how to control my powers. There is no way I would have―”
“But you did,” future Day said forcefully. “Even now I can see it in your eyes. When I faced you and the others in the cell of the council building today, I could see the anger and pain in your eyes then and that’s how I knew I was in the right place at the right time. As I said, you and Ollie were the reason I came back. We need to stop whatever happened to make you lose control and your powers to build to a point you imploded on yourself and took out everyone and everything within a mile radius of you.”
Ethan looked to Wyn with soft eyes. “Once that happened, along with what was left of Fallon’s fairies being out there without a leader, they took advantage of the situation of our loss and grief, and those loyal to Fallon came after us. Destrain’s pixies and Kerrick’s elves did everything they could to stop them. Magic ruled the fight, and too much was being thrown around that it started a series of unfortunate events.”
“Then the humans joined in,” a strange deep voice came out of the shadows and they all turned. A large, young man of maybe twenty-five that was as big as Day, but had Ethan’s icy blue eyes, and Rhys’s features and long black hair, dressed in black cargo pants, black tee, with a bullet proof vest over his chest, a gun strapped under his arm and two short blades crossed on his back, walked slowly toward them.
“Kalen, you’re all back. Did everything go okay?” Ethan asked as he went to Kalen and kissed his cheek.
“Yeah, Papa, everything went well. Maria and Finn are carrying the boxes of seeds they found into Dain’s lab now. But they did run into a small problem while they were there. They were spotted by Shadow and Sulex,” Kalen replied through clenched teeth.
“Is everyone alright?” future Day asked as he stepped away from future Ollie and went to Kalen.
Kalen gave future Day a tight smile. “Illan took a bullet to the thigh, but he’s okay, Dad. And Fiere thinks he may have killed Jewel, but he’s not sure.”
“What?!” Ezra raged as he stepped forward. The vampire had been so quiet all this time that Wyn even forgot he was there.
“And who are you?” Kalen asked
as he puffed out his chest and stared Ezra down, his eyes going almost feral.
“I am his mate!” Ezra seethed.
Future Day placed a hand on Kalen’s chest, holding him back. “Stand down, son. This is Ezra from the past. Jewel’s mate. It’s not easy for him to hear what you just said, so please, give him some patience.”
“Fine,” Kalen ground out. “But that little shit was trying to cast a spell on Amelia, and Fiere stepped in and stopped him. He opened fire on them and saw Jewel hit the ground, but then the acid rain started and they had to get back into the tunnels.”
“What the hell kind of future is this? Acid rain, casting spells on our allies and shooting them? What the hell?” Rune asked as he stepped forward and looked at future Dain.
Dain gave Rune a sad smile as his eyes brimmed with tears as he said softly, “It’s so good to see you again, love. I know you are Rune from long ago, but…I have missed you so.”
“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here and why your people are shooting at my mate?” Ezra seethed.
Future Day turned to face him, and his eyes became sorrowful. “Because in this world many of us have fallen, but some of us have become enemies. They would say that we were enemies as well. But when some mates died, others couldn’t take it and started to blame others. People took sides and others pulled away from all of us and have hidden,” Day replied and looked to future Ollie as he said the last part.
“So, you’re telling me that my Jewel took up arms against all of you because I died, and he blamed you for my death?” Ezra asked.
“He blamed Wyndingo and Ollie at first, then blamed the rest of us for not handing Ollie over so that he and the others who thought like him, could kill him,” Day replied.
Ezra just stared at future Day for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Kalen and asked, “Where is he?”
Kalen narrowed his eyes at Ezra as he clenched his jaw. “If he is still alive, then his people have taken him back to their hideout in the hills. But I suggest you don’t go there.”
