by Jason Wilcox
“Mags! Come here, Girl,” Caden yelled into the backyard feeling the cool breeze on his face. “Mags. Come on.” He let out a loud whistle, but the only response was the neighbor’s dog barking at him. Where the blazes is she? She better not’ve gotten out. He furrowed his brow in confusion. Slowly, he stepped back into the house. Something strange was going on. He reached for his gun, but stopped halfway. You’re just overacting. There’s gotta be an explanation for this.
“Mags, did I leave you in the house?” He slowly walked into the front room and looked at the time. Bridget wasn’t supposed to be home for another hour and Mags would never run off. His stomach dropped.
He reached into his pocket for his cell phone but it wasn’t there. He rubbed his finger and thumb across his chin thinking. This was not like him. Leaving without his cell phone wasn’t an option. He had to have it for work. Suddenly, something vibrated from underneath the couch. Diving down, he found his phone and picked it up. He’d forgotten to pick it up after the picture broke.
“Hey, Caden, how’s it going?” James asked.
“Doing well enough for the moment. What can I do for you?” Caden paced as he spoke, analyzing his surroundings, trying to make sense of everything.
“I just wanted to let you know I wouldn’t be in until late tonight. I have plans that I’m not about to cancel.”
“Not a problem. I understand. Robert just wants us there some time tonight. It’s not a big deal what time you get there. I need to let you go, so I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up the phone and was about to dial Bridget’s work number when he noticed a message on his voicemail.
Caden listened intently as Bridget’s voice came on. Once the message was over, he lowered the phone and hung it up. The muscles in his face tightened as he closed his eyes.
I’m too late.
CHAPTER 7
Bridget slumped in her hard chair. She sat in the back corner of the doctor’s office where she worked. The plain white walls around her didn’t help her depressed mood. It was difficult to even focus on her patients today.
“Your next patient is checked in,” the receptionist’s cold voice spoke over Bridget’s shoulder. Sighing deeply, Bridget started to stand, but a strong hand took hold of her shoulder, calming her body.
“Sit back down,” Doctor Frasier spoke.
She could feel the heat in her face and hear her breathing shorten. Oh crap, he must’ve seen me lounging. “Yes?” Bridget asked in a meek tone.
“What’s going on? You aren’t focused.” The doctor's calm voice eased her tight muscles.
“I’m having problems with Caden,” Bridget said while moving closer to the doctor so no one would hear.
“Go home,” Frasier said with a smile then turned and walked off. “Don’t argue. Take the time you need.”
She blinked a couple of times. Should I argue with him?
Glancing from the doctor to the room where her patient waited, she saw another nurse, her co-worker, waving good-bye to her as she stepped into the room.
I’m going. Bridget didn’t allow any further debate; the doctor was right, she needed to go.
Moving quickly through the office, she made short work of getting to her car. The keys jingled as she stuck them in the ignition. Now what?
She had been eager to leave, but there was nowhere to go. Caden was at work, so she couldn’t go and deal with that situation, and home didn’t sound inviting.
Finally, the stale warm air in her car began to make her feel uneasy, so she pulled out of the parking lot and just drove. She rolled down her windows; the fresh air blew through her hair. Something clanked together next to her. A normal sound, a common sound, but it caught her attention this time.
Caden’s metals. There were two of them hanging from her mirror.
She always kept them in her car to help remind her of him. One of the amazing acts he did to get his last metal happened the same day she met him. She had been working at the military hospital. A large number of men had arrived from a gruesome battle. Hundreds of soldiers had died that day.
There was a long corridor lined with beds and soldiers. A soldier standing at the end caught her eye. He was on crutches with a bandaged leg and shoulder, staring out a small window.
As she made her way towards him, believing it was the soldier she heard rumors about, she could see blood seeping through his shoulder bandage. “Excuse me,” Bridget said softly trying to get the soldier’s attention. He looked at her with pain-filled eyes and then gazed back out the window. His heart seemed heavy.
“Are you the one that saved these soldiers?” Her voice stumbled at the end from a strange gaze he gave her. She looked down at the blood that was seeping through the shoulder wound, not knowing where else to look. There was silence for a moment as he analyzed her, almost appearing to be staring into her soul.
“Well,” she mustered the courage to speak again. His mysterious ways only captivated her more. “If it’s you, I just wanted to thank you for your bravery. You’re a hero, and I don’t think you soldiers get enough gratitude for what you do for our country.” She waited a moment for a response, but nothing came and she turned to walk away. She took a step to leave, but was stopped, as he pulled her back. His hand shook as he turned her around.
“I’m not a hero,” Caden responded. “Men died out there today. They are the true heroes, the ones to give your thanks.” He let her go and looked back out the window. She could only begin to imagine all that was going through his mind and the pain he was experiencing and probably also reliving.
“You’re right, they are heroes, and so are you.” After her stern words, she left to see to other patients. Their conversations continued and grew over the next couple of days. In only those few days, she had fallen in love.
A red light brought her out of her reminiscing. I don’t want to lose him. I love him. If he still feels uncomfortable about marrying me, then I can be patient and wait. Something seemed to wedge in her throat with the thought, but she swallowed it down, because the time to take initiative was now, and she wasn’t going to lose Caden. There had to be a way to sit down and talk things out without fighting.
A meal would be nice, especially a romantic one where she could tell him how amazing he was, and how much she loved him. There was one more night before he left, so there was still time to put something together. She headed directly to the store and picked up a fancy meal with lobster tails and all.
Before Bridget knew it, she was home. Once inside, she threw her purse down on the floor and kicked off her shoes. She heard scratching at the back door and jumped, startled by the noise. Slowly, she set her keys down on the little table by the door and made her way to the kitchen. Mags stood at the back door wagging her tail, her tongue flopping out of her mouth. Bridget exhaled. She opened the door and Mags rushed in, dancing around her in circles.
“Caden, are you home?” Her stomach filled with butterflies at the thought that maybe he was there to surprise her. She walked from room to room calling his name.
“Caden, are you in here?” she asked as she entered the spare room where Caden kept his traveling gear. Clothes and some hangers were strewn on the floor and the closet doors were wide open. All of his gear was gone. She ran her fingers through her silky hair and wrapped her arms around her stomach as a sick feeling ran through her. Did he just come by to leave his dog so he wouldn’t have to face me to say goodbye?
“Okay, I’m not going to over react, there has to be a logical explanation for this. He doesn’t leave until tomorrow,” she said under her breath. She pulled the cellphone from her purse and hurried outside into the parking lot. After a couple of tries of only reaching his voice mail, she hung up and dialed Matt’s number, while pacing on the sidewalk.
“Hey Matt, it’s Bridget. I was wondering if you know where Caden is?”
“Nope. I actually don’t for once,” Matt responded with a chuckle.
“Huh, I came home early and found Mags here and no Caden.” She pushed
dirt off the cement curb with her foot.
“Well,” Matt started saying, “he might’ve left already.”
“Why would he leave a day early?” Bridget asked. Her heart raced, pounding under her ribs.
“Didn’t he tell you? The company changed their mind. We have to report in tonight.”
“So I was right.”
“What was that? I couldn’t hear you,” Matt asked.
Bridget heard another voice on the phone in the background. “Matt, if you’re going to run this thing, then run it. If not, I’m going to take over. We need to go since they’re pushing things up.” The voice was gruff and unfamiliar. She headed back in the house as she listened.
Bridget was just about to ask who that was but before she could get a word out he cut her off. “Sorry, Bridget. Gotta go.” A click followed Matt’s abrupt and sharp goodbye.
Bridget hung up her cell phone. The room seemed to be spinning so she sat down on the couch. Feeling overwhelmed, she slammed her phone down on the end table without looking and felt a sharp prick. Pain shot through her finger as she pulled her hand back and saw blood building on the tip of it. Looking over, she saw the broken picture.
Tears built at the corners of her eyes as a drip of blood fell to the floor. “Why, Caden? What have I done? I love you so much,” she said to herself reaching for the broken picture. “Not only do you ditch your dog, but now you leave me a message like this? That’s it. It’s over.” She pulled the picture from the frame, tightened her eyes, and clenched her teeth. After a few deep breaths, she grabbed the bag of food and took it to the outside garbage can.
Whistling for Mags, Bridget picked her cell phone up and the photo. As she got into the front seat of her car, she dialed Caden’s cell again and pulled out of the driveway.
Caden’s voicemail blared in her ear. Hearing his voice was hard. She felt like all of her dreams had been torn away. Warm tears rolled down her cheek. The pain had become too much, she couldn’t control her emotions. You weren’t even man enough to tell me to my face. His cowardly and aggressive ways hurt and it was too much. Her dreams were crushed.
“Caden…” She sniffled. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s over. I’m going to go live with my mom for a while, and I don’t want to see you. I grabbed Mags, because I know you need someone to watch her while you’re away, but I’m not going to be here when you come to get her. I’m turning my phone off so don’t bother calling.” She paused for a moment. “Goodbye, Caden.”
As she hung the phone up, she let out a deep sigh. “What have I done?” She lifted her phone up and started dialing Caden’s number, but stopped on the fourth digit. “No, Bridget, stay strong.” Looking away from the phone, Bridget pushed the power button, turning it off, struggling with her conflicted emotions.
CHAPTER 8
The night was dark and the only noise was an owl in the distance singing a sad one-note song. Tagen walked up to the cabin where he had first found Mauldrin. He stood in the meadow in front of the retreat looking at the log building and the darkened windows. Putting his nose in the air, he sniffed. Nothing.
If he’s in there, I’m going to kill him. Tagen crouched and drew a squiggly line in the dirt below the meadow grass. He surveyed the cabin for a moment taking in a deep breath. I hope I don’t screw this up. Tagen let out a scream. A black-like root flew through the top of the dirt and slammed into the cabin. A small ditch was left in the dirt.
The structure moaned and creaked as the entire building lost its color, turning a gray shade. After a couple of moments, it began getting its brown hue back. A loud crack followed. Tagen jumped up with a smug smile and put his hands to his waist. If he’s in there, he has to be dead.
Moving cautiously, he walked into the cabin, going through one of the walls in shadow form. He could sense a couple of dead mice in the walls as well as a number of different bugs. The cabin was barren of life, all of it slaughtered by his power. Tagen felt his body relax as his nerves calmed, seeing that Mauldrin wasn’t there. However, it was short lived as frustration that he hadn’t found Mauldrin overpowered the relief.
Everything was tidy and clean, even the bed where Mauldrin had slept. He sniffed at the blankets. The scent was old, but still useful. It led into the bathroom and then around the room. Tagen followed the trail that led out of the building. Six feet from the cabin was as far as he got before the scent completely cut off, like it was erased. No wonder I didn’t get a strong scent out here. The real question is who’s guarding him and hiding the trail? Something wasn’t right.
His eyes studied the direction where the scent had been leading. The Witch! If the demons had come out earlier that morning, what was to stop them from following my trail to Mauldrin? They may have already taken him and killed him. They hated Mauldrin as much as they hated Triaad; they wouldn’t hesitate to torture and kill him if they found him, especially in the state he had been in.
He had to know for sure if the Witch and her evil creatures had Mauldrin. He needed to find out if he was still alive. There was no chance he could take that kind of news back to Snyp without facts.
He followed the path that he had taken the last time, heading towards the ancient forest. Once he arrived at the wood’s edge, he hid in some bushes and peered into the blackness. Tagen knew he needed to be cautious now that the demons had proven they would come out this far. He looked behind him. Maybe I should just leave now. I have enough evidence; I could even make some up. Who knows, maybe I saw them drag Mauldrin away. Snyp would have to believe that. Shifting his weight, he turned his gaze back towards the woods, the prickly branches stabbing at his face.
On the other hand, if they already did the dirty work for me by killing Mauldrin, all I would have to do is get a piece of his body and take it to Triaad. I would be a hero and take the credit for the kill. A smile stretched across his face. He licked his black lips with his equally black tongue.
Tagen leaned down to the ground and sniffed to see if he could pick up any kind of trail that might’ve been left if they had caught Mauldrin and dragged him away. His eyes turned dark red as he sniffed, he bolted out of the bush, but it was too late.
A young beautiful woman stood in front of him casting a white glow. She took a step closer, her bare feet quietly ruffling the leaves on the ground. Her beauty captivated Tagen. Her long, flowing, white hair accented skin that looked as soft and smooth as silk, and her dark blue eyes, which could calm a restless ocean, left Tagen in awe. He had heard about her captivating looks, but to see her face-to-face and this close, made him forget her abilities for a moment.
Once Tagen came back to his senses, he quickly looked around to see if there was a way to escape. Stupid. I should’ve run when I had the chance. He couldn’t see anyone else, but he could sense that her followers were all around. She moved toward him with a sweet smile on her face. Obviously, there was something she wanted, or he would be dead.
“What have you been doing in my woods?” the ancient, but young looking witch asked.
Tagen stood there listening for noises.
The witch kept talking. “It must be pretty important for you to risk your life.” There was silence as Tagen stared at her. He wasn’t about to reveal to her that Mauldrin was back. If they knew, they would be relentless to kill him before Tagen could get him.
“You have two options,” she said as she slowly circled behind him, her soft silk dress brushed against his leg. “You can tell us and we’ll let you go peacefully.” Her small white hand clasped his shoulder. “Or you can make it challenging to discover the information.” Her nails dug into his shoulder, releasing a dribble of his black blood. He tried to break from her grasp, but felt sluggish and weak.
Something crawled through Tagen’s body as it made its way down his abdomen and into his legs. The feeling stopped just above his ankles. When the witch loosened her grip, Tagen immediately tried to run for it, but the second he lifted his leg something ripped through the skin of his calves and feet. Large
brown roots shot out of his limbs and pulled his feet to the ground. He screamed in pain and struggled to move.
Black blood oozed from Tagen’s torn flesh. With all his might, he tried to release himself, but with every move, more roots ripped through him, shooting into the ground from his stomach and hands. His face slammed into the dirt as more came through his cheeks. A few patches of grass quickly turned brown from the touch of his skin.
A thud landed behind Tagen. He could feel the vibrations, which caused more pain. Stupid demons. I’m not gonna be able to sweet talk my way out of this situation. He clenched his teeth, grinding them together as another root shot out from his gums. The demon behind him let out a low-pitched growl.
The witch called out to the beast in a calm voice, “Apparently he’s not going to talk or he would’ve by now.” Tagen caught a whiff of the witch’s sweet intoxicating smell of wild flowers, which made the pain more bearable. “Do what is needed to secure his information. If he doesn’t talk soon, destroy the sinful little creature like the others.”
The others? Had they been slowly killing off the other dark souls who had been patrolling the edges of their woods? It wouldn’t be hard since Snyp had turned the patrols into skeleton crews. His anger raged with Snyp’s incompetent decisions. He had to be taken out.
“It’ll be taken care of,” the unseen demon grunted.
A strong pain shot through Tagen’s head and then everything went black. He wasn’t sure how long he had been out when he came back around. His body ached and his vision blurred. Voices could be heard, but his head was spinning so much that he could barely make out what they were saying. Pain swam through him and he closed his eyes. The voices said something about Domblin, and Tagen tried to focus on the conversation.
“I have this creature telling me Mauldrin’s back and now you’re telling me you found signs of Domblin down with the humans in their city? Where’s Kaz? Why isn’t he with you?” the witch said in the distance. Tagen gasped. He had given up information on Mauldrin, but at least they didn’t have him. If he got out of this alive, Triaad would need to know that Domblin was back.
