AetherBlood

by Alexis N Sage

  “No one is playing today.”

  Chapter 23

  One by one

  The dagger shook as black plasma shot from the blade and hurled through the air towards Demas. His head craned to the side allowing the plasma to miss his face by a fraction, grazing one of his dark curls and singing its ends. “Straight to business I see,” he grinned, ripping his hands upwards and shooting a bolt of darkness back at Ruby. She tried to swerve out of the way, but the bolt moved as if it were magnetized to her body, hitting her in the stomach and knocking her back until she toppled to the ground.

  “Rue!” Liam yelled from behind her.

  “I’m fine,” she returned, hopping back on her feet, ready to attack again.

  She gestured for Nola, who ran in her direction immediately, positioning herself to the right of the dagger. To her surprise, Ray jogged closer to them as well, attempting to help in the fight.

  Ruby’s hands moved in circles, collecting energy into a ball between them. She met Nola’s gaze with a side glance. Intuitively, Nola repeated the motion and gestured for Ray to do the same. They continued to move, picking up speed with each pass as black fog formed in the winds their palms were creating. Ruby closed her eyes. Her thoughts emptied; the only thing left was the power of the dagger surging through her. She connected herself to it, urging it to feed on the AetherBorns next to her, to demand their strength for itself. The dagger obliged, sucking in the fog winds Nola and Ray were creating, powering her up as she stole their powers for herself.

  When the black fog in her hands was too heavy to hold, she forced her palms forward, catapulting it at Demas’ grinning face in front of them.

  This should knock him down, she thought as the ball of fog transformed into a rock of plasma mid-flight.

  She waited for the hit. For the agonizing scream as the plasma burnt into his flesh but there was nothing of the sort. Nothing but a whispering bang as the plasmic rock collided with the shadow wall that Demas had formed around him.

  “He’s got a shield!” Liam yelled out, shooting a ball of fire at the shadow wall to demonstrate. The ball flashed on the shadow wall, hit, and disappeared as if it never existed. “We need more force!”

  His cry alerted Elena and she was working within seconds. Her eyes closed, hands moving quickly to rip deathly winds through the shadow wall.

  Nothing worked.

  She watched as Demas laughed behind the wall, mocking them. The shadows crept around his legs, crawling up his thighs until he was completely encased in it. The wall fell with one quick swoosh, revealing only a darkness in the air where Demas just was.

  “Elena! We need to see him!” She yelled.

  Elena’s arms outstretched, blowing more wind in his direction. The air breathed its life through the shadows and dispersed them upon impact. Her eyes darted around trying to find Demas. He was gone. He was just there and now he was gone. Ruby felt like she was in a bad magic show. Her legs started to turn to survey the clearing when a sharp pain hit the curve of her back.

  Her teeth clattered together, and she bit down on her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She could feel its iron taste swirling in her mouth. The pain in her back intensified, growing as it moved up her shoulders and down her thighs. It felts like a thousand hot irons were being pressed against her, pushing her to the ground. She wanted to cry out, but all she was able to do was kneel before hitting the ground stomach first.

  There were screams all around her. From her ground level sightline, she could see Liam turn his heels, shuffling, likely shooting Demas who had somehow managed to creep up behind them and attack. She couldn’t turn her head to see but she was sure that Elena, Nola and Ray were doing the same. One by one she heard a thud on the ground next to her, cries of pain. Nola and Ray’s cries. Whatever he hit her with, they were paying the same price.

  In the distance, Jake, Cyril and the knights had Eros cornered. Zag and Leah had built a wall around him, containing him in a cage of earth.

  Get him! Kill him!

  Cyril had formed a grip of ice around his legs while Jake flushed a current of water into his open mouth.

  They’re trying to drown him!

  Eros coughed, blowing air out of his lungs and pushing his hands in front of his face to keep the current out. His legs tightened and every muscle in them screamed as he ripped the ice shackles away. The shards of ice flew back at Cyril and Jake, shattering their flesh to pieces with small, ragged cuts. They rubbed their eyes, trying to regain a line of sight with no success.

  With his friends on the ground, Zag circled around the barrier of earth and rock and stretched an arm in each direction. His face was as red as blood, covered in sweat as he pulled the trees from around the field towards Eros. Their branches flying in like sharpened knives.

  Before the first branch could make contact, Eros ducked. Rolling away from the center of the attack. His arm reached back and when he turned to face Zag, he was pointing a ready to fire bow at his heart. Eros stretched back the bowstring with self-assured ease, cocking his head to the side and winking before letting go of an arrow. A plasmic arrow. An arrow of pure death.

  “No!” Leah yelled out, dropped her hold on the wall she was maintaining and reached for the trees instead. Her body shook but she managed to pull one of the branches in fast enough to knock Zag out of the way.

  The dirt sloshed between Ruby’s fingers while she tried to get herself back up. She was halfway lifted on her forearms, her back screaming in pain with each move. Next to her, another thud sounded. Heavier this time. Not Elena. Someone with more weight.

  “Liam!” She finally shouted, watching his body fall next to her. His entire front side covered in shadow. A shadow that seemed to be burning him from the inside out. Her hand reached for him, wrapping around his fingers to let him know it would be alright. But she couldn’t promise that, not right now.

  Ruby tightened her grasp on the dagger and pushed the blade into the ground, using it to help her steady herself until she was on her knees. Her gaze fell to Eros and she was about to raise her legs to stand when she suddenly couldn’t move. It was like everything around her froze. The knife still breathed life into her while she tried to figure out why her body would not respond. She was staring right at Eros when it happened, his hands twitched and then…

  The bastard can stop time!

  This wasn’t anything like what she did the night of the peace treaty. When Ruby turned back time, she had almost lost herself to the sword’s energy. Eros seemed to be able to control it with just a wave of the hand. She wanted to be strong like him, to have the power over time that he possessed, but she didn’t even know how she controlled it in the first place let alone how to summon the power that easily.

  Each second that passed she fought within herself. Something about the dagger kept her mind intact and functioning throughout but even her breathing was suspended. All she could do was kneel and watch.

  Watch as Eros shook the debris out of his beachy hair.

  Watch as his hand drew a large circle in the air, revealing a glowing light that shimmered with the Aether Plane air.

  Watch as Demas walked by her kneeling body and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek moments before jumping in through the portal after his brother.

  When the portal closed, she fell forward, using the palms of her hands to break her fall. Her breaths were quick and shallow even though she knew she wasn’t really suffocating. She looked around at the rest of the group. Some were still unconscious, and some were slowly getting up, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her own back was starting to heal, and she crawled towards Liam, lifting his head up to rest on her lap.

  “What happened? Where did they go?” He asked as his eyes searched through the clearing.

  She didn’t answer. She just held him and stared into the empty spot in the field where the portal was moments ago, feeling for the first time that they might not have a fighting chance.

  Chapter 24

 
Never-ending train of crow feathers

  A small pool of blood started to form on the bathroom tile floor from the soaked shirt Ruby discarded. She stared at it, mesmerized by the movement of the deep red liquid before grabbing a towel to wipe up the mess. The shredded skin on her back and legs had already started to heal, and the pink flesh made it look more like she had fallen asleep in the sun than been seared by a bolt of other worldly darkness.

  She reached down to the bath to test the temperature before turning the faucet off. Leg by leg, she lowered herself into the calm of the water, her blood tinting it a dirty shade of orange. Splashing her palm on the surface, Ruby let her shoulders finally relax as she sank deeper into the bath. Her thoughts were jumbled, a tightly woven throw stitched with memories of the fight and her own anger.

  A light knock on the door rippled through the air.

  “You okay?” Liam said on the other side of the door in an almost whisper.

  She closed her eyes and rolled her head back over the edge of the tub. “I’m fine,” she responded, letting sleep roll over her until the world she knew was well beyond her reach.

  Ruby’s leg draped over the tub, landing on the slick floor. She looked down, seeing only black and her own reflection. Wherever she was, it wasn’t in the hotel bathroom. Hopping over the edge, she landed on the dark water, standing atop it just as she had in her previous vision.

  Here? Again?

  Her eyes searched the space for something to cover herself with but there was not a sheet of fabric in sight. Instinctively, her hands grasped to shield herself despite knowing that nothing she experienced here was real.

  She took one step forward. Then another. Stopping short when she felt something graze her toes.

  The black water swirled beneath her, rising higher and higher up her legs. Teasing her with its touch as it scaled her body until it was just above her breasts. She swatted at the murky liquid, trying to wipe it off but it wouldn’t budge. Instead, it mutated around her. Water that grew frills and lace. She watched in awe as the liquid dressed her in itself. First a deep cut corset, then black lace sleeves, all the way down to a never-ending train of crow feathers.

  Ruby’s mouth gaped, twirling to see the full details of the gown. It was exquisite.

  She ran her hands down the bodice which felt like it was made of thousands of small needles. Her breath caught suddenly. The corset was shrinking, tightening with each breath she tried to take. The dress was killing her.

  Her hands tried to rip at the fabric, but each grasp only made it worse. She toppled to her knees, gasping for air.

  Feeling her heartbeat slow, she rolled to her side, letting the waters envelop her in their cocoon. She sank. Deeper and deeper until there was nothing of her left on the surface.

  Ruby jerked out of the bath, gasping to breathe. Her hair was soaked from sinking to the bottom of the tub. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and she coughed up bath water as she draped herself over the edge of the tub. Tears and mucous covered her face. Tears and mucous and fear.

  Grabbing the nearest towel, she dried herself off, ringing out the water from her hair before gathering her bloodied clothes. She was about to throw them into the sink for a scrubbing when her hand grazed an odd shape in her jean pocket. Discarding the rest of the pile, she reached in to see what she was feeling.

  Eyes as wide as a four-lane highway, she traced the blood-stained paper with her fingers. This was no vision; she was sure of it.

  Demas had left another note.

  Chapter 25

  Wishful thinking

  Ruby unfolded the paper like she was waiting for a booby trap. A fold at a time, careful not to rush through it. A part of her wanted to tear it to shreds and erase the memory of Demas and his horrid letters but she knew she had to read it. Whatever performance he was putting on; she was the only one in the audience. The only one invited to the show.

  With an unsure hand, she traced the words with her fingers, hoping that it might incite a vision of his whereabouts or at least some clue to his next move. Her last few visions were entirely useless. Some queen she was. Wasn’t the sword supposed to offer her the power of sight? What point was it to have any visions at all if they weren’t helping her when she most needed them?

  She sat, balanced on the edge of the tub, and urged herself to read.

  “My darling Ruby,

  I am certain that you are full of the predictable self-loathing you crown yourself with as you’re reading this.

  Why kill this girl?

  Why torture her?

  Why– well, you know the rest.

  Would it surprise you to know that I used to find myself asking the same questions? Not about this worthless Elemental, of course, but of my dear Eirene. Did you get a chance to find out more about her?

  You really should. She was extraordinary. Taken too soon, but exceptional just as well.

  I am hopeful that by the time this letter finds its way to you, I will be on to the next adventure. It’s shocking how many Elementals I’ve been able to uncover outside of your little center; it seems my job to rid the world of them will be a bigger project than I thought. Lucky I always enjoyed a good project.

  You strike me as someone who would enjoy that as well. It’s a shame your grandmother was not more loyal to our family tree; I have a feeling that the two of us would have gotten along quite well under different circumstances.

  Oh, well. Wishful thinking, I suppose.

  Before we part, I’d love to offer you a word of advice if I may. Don’t be too hard on yourself, my darling. There is nothing you can do to stop what’s coming. Enjoy the time you have left with the Fire elder. Smell the roses and so on.

  Until we meet again.

  The best of wishes,

  Demas”

  A tear dropped on the page, smearing his name until the letters were barely legible. She crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it into the wastebasket. Her eyes bloodshot from the tears and almost drowning earlier.

  This was madness. Why was he leaving her these notes? To torture her? To confuse her? Perhaps to throw them off his tracks? Whatever his reasoning was, she needed to get one step ahead of him. She hated how little they knew of his plans, and that to figure them out, she needed to think like him. But, how could she? How could she possibly find a way to relate to this monster? This heartless creature that wanted nothing more than revenge for something that these people were not even responsible for. She hated him. With every cell in her body, she hated him.

  There was one thing they knew now that might prove to be useful. He most definitely wasn’t alone. Eros, his brother as it turned out, was going to be a problem. He was much stronger than she anticipated a deity to be. The bow alone could take out dozens of them in a heartbeat. Not to mention his ability to manipulate time or to open that portal. With him by Demas’ side, they could go anywhere within seconds. It would be nearly impossible to keep up.

  Nearly.

  Ruby considered what Ray had said about her knowledge of the Aether Plane. If she really knew how the plane functioned and its layout, they could use it to track Demas and his family. Find out where they’re planning to go next. Get ahead. The only issue was that she would have to trust Ray. Trust her enough to follow her into the plane, blindly and without any proof. Possibly into a trap that could lead to catastrophe.

  Zag seemed to have no problem falling for her little act. Swooning over her and defying Ruby to protect her. But she wasn’t him. She wasn’t so foolish and easy to trust. She’d lost too much to allow that.

  Tightening the knot on her robe, she walked to the wastebasket and pulled the crumpled note back out, straightening the paper and folding it again into her pocket.

  She needed help, all the help she could get to make this decision. Everyone who was here with her now was risking their lives based on her idea to follow Demas around the country. The least she could do was lean on them for support.

  “Babe?” She called out, pulling
her wet hair out of her face. “You think everyone might be up for a drink?”

  Chapter 26

  We’re just toys

  The bar next door to the motel complex had just opened for the evening when their large group arrived. The eager look on the hostess’ face spoke volumes as she led them to the large banquet table next to the kitchen. Ruby doubted this place had a steady volume of foot traffic, making the eight of them the highlight of the night for the staff. She fought the urge to ask for privacy while everyone on shift rushed around them– adding place settings, detailing the specials and attempting to make small-talk about their visit to Sherfield. Instead, she settled into her seat and grinned while Cyril made up a story about a non-existent cousin’s wedding. When they finally managed to place their orders, she pushed a napkin into her lap, pinching the corners of it to calm her nerves.

  “Sorry to drag everyone out,” she said, “I thought it might be good to get a change of scenery for the night.”

  “I don’t know about you guys, but I could sure use a drink after today!” Zag boasted, rubbing the side of his neck where the hints of a fresh bruise were starting to form. “Anyone else feel like they were run over by a car a few times?”

  Nola and Jake sighed in unison, their faces covered in puffy scratches, making them both look like they had fought a clowder of cats and lost. “More like a bus. That was on fire,” Nola added.

  “Any ideas on what we’re dealing with?” Liam asked no one in particular.

  Their attention shifted to Ray who was particularly quiet while sipping a diet coke. Her silence made Ruby uneasy, either the kid was afraid, or she was trying to act like the rest of them to gain her trust. She hated not knowing which one was true. More so, she hated that she needed Ray’s insight to move forward.