AetherBlood

by Alexis N Sage

“How she acted?”

  “More the choices she made. She’s quite young and it sounds like he was the first authority figure she had. I’m certain he did everything he could to brainwash the poor girl into following his orders.”

  “Did he ever!” Nola yelped, “That prick made sure that girls like her lived and breathed by his theories of hatred. Everyone he pulled off the streets pretty much salivated at the mouth from all his promises.”

  “Not everyone,” Ruby said, thinking of her own grandmother.

  “True. But most did. Happy even to give him their powers willingly. The rest of us that were born into it hated those days, but the street girls… Not them. They all but lined up outside his doors offering themselves up like sacrificial lambs. It was disgusting.”

  Leah pushed the basket of fries she had completely annihilated back towards Nola. “It sounds pretty nasty,” she added, watching her pick up a dried-out fry to eat.

  “Meh. It is what it is,” Nola brushed it off, “just saying cut the kid some slack or something.”

  “You mean me, right?” Ruby asked.

  There was no answer to her question. Nola simply raised her eyebrows, giving her a look that implied that there was no one else at the table that she could be referring to.

  “It’s not that easy, you know. I can’t just trust random kids that show up. Especially her and especially after everything she did last time. She’s the reason we all almost died. She’s the reason Alice died!” She yelled. “I can’t trust her. I can’t trust anyone anymore. It’s suffocating to live like this. Always afraid of the next day.” Her breath quivered and she placed her palms on the table, trying to pull air into her lungs. She felt like her heart was going to explode from her chest. Sweat started to form at the edge of her hairline. Her eyes concentrated on the mixed drink in front of her that was about to shatter from the waves she had created in it.

  “Ruby, sweetheart. It’s alright.” Elena rubbed a palm on her back, trying to calm her down. “You don’t have to be afraid. It’s not all on you. Please don’t ever think that you have to do this alone.”

  “But I do have to do this alone. Everyone keeps asking me for plans and what I think of this or that. I don’t think anything. I think I don’t want to die, and I think that I don’t want that bastard to kill all of you. That’s all I got right now!”

  “Oh, honey! I wish I had known you were putting this much pressure on yourself. You’re not going to die. None of us are. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

  “Okay. I’m okay.” She lied, shaking her back slightly to get Elena’s palm off. She didn’t want them worried about her. The last thing she needed was for them to be thinking about her well-being instead of concentrating on the fight ahead of them. What she needed even less was for this to get back to Liam somehow.

  She wasn’t okay. She knew that for certain. No matter what Elena might have said, she couldn’t count on them to make the decisions that she knew would need to be made. She most definitely couldn’t strap them with the fallout of those decisions. The guilt that choosing to end a life might bring. The comfort of Elena’s words was fleeting. Death was coming and she would have to be the one to bring it.

  She needed to kill Demas and everyone who stood in her way before everything she loved got ripped away from her.

  Chapter 28

  The mail never rests

  The light of the moon sparkled brilliantly against the metal benches lining the garden walkway on Ruby’s way back to her room. Feeling suddenly exhausted, she left the rest of the girls at the bar for the comfort of a good night's sleep. She was hoping Liam would be back by the time she got in and rushed down the winding trail, almost tripping over her own feet several times.

  “Crap!” she cursed as her foot caught a loose stone, making her lose her balance once more and knocking the room key out of her hand.

  Her head buzzed as soon as she bent down to reach for it, the nights festivities already rearing their ugly head. Drinking had never sat well with her and she was regretting staying for as long as she did. I’ll definitely pay for this in the morning.

  A light tap sounded behind her.

  “Excuse me?” a female voice echoed, “are you Ruby? Ruby Black?”

  Ruby whipped her head around, taking in the sight of the stranger behind her. She was still on the ground and had to crane her neck to be able to see the tall woman fully. Her sharp features lay in complete contrast to her accentuated curves, making her look like a replica of an old pin up model. “Maybe I have the wrong person,” the woman said, flipping her wavy blonde hair over her left shoulder.

  “No, no. That’s me.” Ruby said and raised herself to stand. Even with the added height, she still had to arch her back slightly to meet the stranger’s eyes.

  “Oh, wonderful! I’m sorry if I startled you.”

  “Do I know you?”

  The woman crinkled her small nose and slapped her palm against her forehead, “I am such a fool, I must be really scaring you right now.”

  Ruby waited for her to start talking again but the woman just blinked rapidly and tilted her head to the side. “Uhm, kind of,” Ruby said, crossing her arms.

  “Well, I won’t keep you. I was supposed to deliver something to you.”

  A courier. That makes more sense. Ruby thought, relieved enough to relax her shoulders.

  The woman reached around and flipped a golden toned cross body bag to her hips. With a quick motion, she pulled out an envelope and handed it to Ruby.

  “You guys deliver this late?” she asked as she took the envelope from the courier.

  “Oh, you know, the mail never rests!” The woman sang and skipped down the walkway towards the street. “You have yourself a great night, Ruby!”

  Well, that was weird. She thought and brushed a hand over the dirt on her jeans.

  She looked down to her hands holding a standard white envelope, the type she’d seen her mom use to send out Christmas cards. There was no sender information, in fact, there was no writing anywhere on the envelope other than Ruby’s own name on the front. Her finger slid under the flap, tearing the glue away in a swift glide. Her hands squeezed the paper inside on either side, forming indents that were beginning to rip at the edges. She wanted to scream. Loud enough for everyone in the motel to hear her. Loud enough to shatter glass. Instead, she sat on the edge of one of the benches and read.

  “My darling Ruby,

  I’m glad you’re finally getting to spend some time with the ladies. I was beginning to worry you don’t get out enough.

  To a lovely night,

  Demas

  PS. How was the pizza? It looked divine! I must try it the next time I’m in town.”

  The hairs on the back of her neck were at attention and sweat started to pool at the base of her neck, running down her back until her shirt was soaked, even in the cold of the evening. He was there. He saw them tonight at the bar. What else had he seen? Did he watch Liam and the rest of the group leave? Did he know where they were? Were they in danger?

  Her brain was a battlefield of questions. She pushed herself up, her head still dizzy, and turned to run back into the bar. Her hands shot up in front of her a moment before Ray appeared in her peripheral. There was no stopping the collision. She met Ray’s forehead with her own, causing a dull pain to spark between her temples and knocking her backside to the ground.

  The moon still glistened as the two stared at one another. One in shock and one in fear. Both rubbing the red bumps growing on their foreheads.

  Chapter 29

  One of us

  “Ow!” she yelled and shook her head. “Watch where you’re going, will ya?”

  “Uhm, you’re the one that ran into me!” Ray scoffed back, angling her hips to the side and crossing her arms.

  Ruby slowly got herself up from the ground. Her hip was already starting to hurt, and she was sure she’d be completely bruised tomorrow. Great! Just freakin’ great!

  “Hey, what’s that?
” Ray asked, pointing at the note in her hands.

  She quickly crumbled the page, shoving it in her pocket before Ray could glimpse any of the writing. “Nothing. It’s not important. What are you doing out here anyway?”

  “Going to my room. Obviously. What else would I be doing out here?”

  “I don’t know. Where are the others?”

  “Still in that dumb forest. I got bored so I figured I might as well get some sleep.”

  The forest? Why were they there so late? What if Demas attacked while they were there? If he kept an eye on her then he might be doing the same with them. She needed to get there right away. The wooded area was only a ten-minute drive from the motel. Or a half hour jog. If she started now, she could get there fairly quick but still not quick enough if there was an attack coming their way. She squeezed her fists tight enough to indent her nails into the skin of her palms. She could text Liam to warn him and check on the girls instead. But what if she was wrong and they were perfectly safe? She’d look like a paranoid lunatic. “It’s kind of late, no?” She said quietly, not sure if Ray could pick up on her anxiousness.

  “Relax. They’re leaving soon. Zag texted me when I got here saying Leah and them already went home and that they were heading back too.” Her eyes moved up and down Ruby’s face, “you need to chill out more, you know. Maybe get some sleep or something. You look like crap.”

  “Wow. Thanks.”

  “Just sayin’,” Ray shrugged.

  “Well, don’t.”

  “Okay, geez. Don’t bite my head off,” she raised her arms defensively, “I’ll keep my concern to myself.”

  “So, you and Zag are pretty friendly,” Ruby sneered, trying to change the topic.

  “What? Why? He’s just being nice. More than I can say for the rest of you. You know, you should be more appreciative of someone trying to help you.”

  Here we go! More ‘tude from this kid! She thought and scowled, “Look, Ray, no offense but you’ll never be one of us. You will always be the kid that faked her own death to spy on us to report back to Demas. No matter how nice Zag is.”

  Ray’s face dropped, her once self-assured expression was nothing but a shattered and hopeless void. Was she actually showing some sort of emotion? Maybe she was being too harsh on her. After all, it was possible that Ray truly had changed and wanted to help them. Ruby started to feel bad for the girl. Standing there in the middle of the night, her purple hair making her features look even more melancholy than they usually were, she could almost relate to her. That is until Ray kicked a pebble with her shoe into the bushes and pushed her way past her with a huff. “No wonder you have no friends!” She wailed before stomping away.

  Her fingers traced the edges of the note still tucked in her pocket when she finally breathed out, relieved to be free of Ray for the night. If she knew it was that easy to get rid of her, she would have put her in her place long ago. The streetlamps in the garden passage flickered a few times before returning to their golden glare, awakening the miniature trees around her. Everyone was safe. There was no attack. It felt like she had won a lottery: the gift of a worry-free night and some sleep. With a smile, Ruby turned around to trek back to her room, her fingers dancing quietly at her side, calling on the plants around her to rustle and bend as she passed.

  Chapter 30

  It’s my job to protect

  Liam lounged in the motel bed, using his right arm to prop up his head and drew lazy circles with his finger across her stomach. The sheets were neatly draped over him, revealing every curve of his chest which she was certain he had done on purpose to tease her. Not that she minded the view one bit. They had been quiet for quite some time, trying to acclimate to the day after making a mess of each other upon waking.

  Raising herself halfway up, she rested her elbows on the pillow behind her and sighed loudly, “I am really not into getting up right now.”

  “We can stay here for a bit longer,” Liam said with a sly wink. “I’m in no rush to get up.”

  His hand started to travel down towards her navel, twirling in circles as it inched further down. The grin on his face told Ruby that unless she wanted to lose another hour of her day, she had better start getting dressed. She swatted at his fingers with her palm, laughing when he jerked his hand away and cursed under his breath.

  “We need to get up.”

  “What’s the hurry?” he asked but she was already halfway to the bathroom.

  Ruby almost gasped when she met her own gaze in the mirror. It was as if she was staring at a stranger. The girl standing in front of her was nothing like who she remembered herself to be. She wasn’t meek and eerily skinny with a fear in her eyes that dressed her entire face. This girl, this woman really, was strong and confident. She was shapely, with strong muscles protruding from limbs Ruby felt could not be her own. She ran a finger over her bicep, feeling the pounding strength within it. Her attention holding on the warrior in front of her for a few more moments before splashing cold water on her face and reaching for the toothbrush.

  “Hey! Doooo huu know whahh hime everyhum hot hack laaat night?” she asked.

  “What?”

  She spat the toothpaste into the sink and quickly rinsed her mouth. “Sorry. I said, do you know what time everyone got back last night?” She asked again, leaning her side against the door frame.

  “Oh! Not sure. Probably midnight or so. Why?”

  “No reason. Just asking. I ran into Ray, and she said you guys were still in that forest, so I was worried.”

  “You were worried about a bunch of Elementals with powers being on their own?” He smirked, “or just me?”

  “Get a grip. It was late and we’re in a place we know nothing about.”

  “It’s Sherfield. There’s probably fifty people total living here. What could happen?”

  “Anything really,” she said under her breath.

  “Wait, you’re not still worried that he’ll come back, are you? Because he’s gone, Rue. To wherever he’s going next. You said it yourself, remember?”

  “I guess. But that was before–” she stopped.

  “Before what?”

  “Nothing. No matter.”

  “Rue. Before what?”

  She bit her lower lip and looked down at her toes. Counting each one to avoid making eye contact with him. “Okay. I’m going to show you something, but you have to promise not to overreact,” she said and walked over to her backpack. Her hand reached into the front pocket and she sat down next to him on the bed, tossing the letters into his lap.

  “What is this?”

  “They’re letters. From him. He sent more.”

  Liam unfolded each new letter and quietly read them over. When he was done, he read them again. And again. Until she could see his back and thighs grow as rigid as stone. She reached over to put her palm on his arm, but he jerked it back. “How long have you had these?”

  “I don’t know. Not long. A few days. He left one of them in my pocket after the last attack.”

  “And the one from last night? Where did you find it?”

  “He had some courier drop it off for me. In the garden after the bar.”

  “Do you even understand what a huge deal this is?” He asked, “How could you not tell me? And why are even keeping these letters?”

  “I know it’s a big deal and I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d freak out. Like you’re doing right now.”

  “And?”

  “And I don’t know why I’m keeping them. Maybe they mean something. I mean, why would he even write them?”

  “To scare you! Don’t you get that? He’s trying to scare you shitless so you don’t follow him around.” Liam slapped his hands on his thighs and sat back down next to her. He slumped his head, breathing slow and deep. “You can’t hide this stuff from me. It’s not your job to protect me.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s my job to protect everyone!”

  “Not me, Rue. Never me. I’m the one that has to wat
ch out for you. If he hurt you last night, if you hid those letters and there was a threat in there that you didn’t realize, and he hurt you–” he shook his head violently, “I don’t know what I’d do. I’d kill him. I’d probably die trying but I would do it.”

  She tried to reach for him again and this time he let her. Her fingers entwined with his as she let the coolness of her Water powers collide with his Fire. Her other hand rested on his cheek, stroking it gently. “I know,” she whispered, “I understand. I’m sorry.” Ruby pulled him in lightly until his head was nestled in between her neck and shoulder and continued to stroke his face. Their silence enveloped them, spreading from their bodies to the bed, the floor, to every inch of the room. She held him until she was sure his body temperature returned to normal, as normal as a Fire Elemental’s temperature can be. When she was certain he was no longer fuming, she elbowed his side lightly. “Wanna throw those out and have some coffee?”

  “Coffee sounds amazing right now,” he said, shifting his attention to the letters. “But maybe you’re right, let’s hang on to these. Just in case.”

  “You sure?”

  “Not really,” he smiled.

  Ruby got up and headed for the coffee machine near the front door, catching a glimpse of her vibrating phone on her way. She ran to the table, catching the cellphone right before it fell on the floor.

  “Oh! It’s Shay!” she cheered. “I wonder what she wants!”

  Chapter 31

  Darkness and plasma

  “What the hell were you thinking?” she shouted at Jake, watching him cower in the doorway.

  “Morning to you too. Wanna come in maybe?” he stepped aside and let her trample into his room, “that’s quite the greeting, by the way.”

  “I could seriously kill you right now.”