Aeron and Miss Mabel peered over my shoulder.
“I think we’d better leave for Mexico in the morning if this drawing will come true.”
Chapter 29
A
s much as I wanted to stay in Los Angeles with Miss Mabel, it wasn’t possible. My father was bringing the Book of Revelations to life, and I was apparently some mutant who could draw the future and whose blood could mutate people into cannibal corpses. If we managed to end this, that shit wouldn’t look good on a resume at all.
I wept like a total child as I hugged Miss Mabel goodbye the next morning. I made her swear to be there still when I got back. And I intended to come back. My father fucked up my life for too long. I would not stand for this. I’d bash his brains in with Smurfette.
Aeron let me say goodbye for as long as I wanted before Miss Mabel finally shooed me away and told me I had a job to do. She also made me swear I’d come back. It was later than usual, but we were back on the road. I’d stopped asking Aeron where Meremoth went in California or how he managed to eat when we were staying in hotels or my apartment. I was dying to know, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me. It was probably something fucking biblical.
We made our way through California, stopping at hotels for the night. I would miss the comforts California offered. We had proper beds and hot food every night. And apparently, you could get good weed if you had the hookup like Miss Mabel.
By the time we got to the gate to leave, something was wrong. There was a massive crowd at the entrance and men with guns at the top. Personally, I thought we should go the other way, but Aeron rode straight up to them.
“What’s going on?”
“The Skull Brotherhood is trying to break in. It looks like they’ve joined up with three other gangs we’ve refused to let in. They are heavily armed. We are waiting for reinforcements, but they cut a tree down, and they are using it to batter down the gate.”
Just then, the entire wall shook, and gunshots rang out. Aeron snapped to attention.
“Why isn’t there more shooting?”
The man at the gate looked furious. He ran his hand over his bald scalp and glared at Aeron.
“Yeah, we already thought of that, dickhead. They built some sort of shield wall out of car doors like they think they are fucking Vikings.”
Aeron hopped off Meremoth. Before I could dismount, he smacked the horse on the ass.
“You know what to do, boy.”
That fucking horse bolted away from the gate with his super-speed, leaving Aeron behind and me wondering what the fuck was going on. Didn’t they need as many people as possible at the gate fighting? Was Aeron fucking benching me? He had no problem fighting Rage Heads with me, but we couldn’t fight humans trying to destroy what California had built?
I was so fucking pissed off, and there was no way I could jump off Meremoth running this fast without getting hurt. I didn’t think the horse would ever stop running. And when he did, I had no idea why he stopped at the door of a bar. Meremoth stopped right at the front door and only gave me enough room to dismount and go inside.
I managed to get myself off the back of Meremoth ungracefully and tried to find the gate again to join the fight. Meremoth blocked whatever path I tried to take that wasn’t inside the bar. Can I say I hated it when Aeron and his fucking horse collaborated against me?
“Fine!” I yelled, throwing up my hands. “You’re both a horse’s ass.”
I stomped into the bar, and it was totally empty except one lone bartender. I plopped at the bar and pouted.
“Did you get benched by a fucking horse too?”
“Excuse me?”
“There’s a fight at the gate. I’d rather be there helping.”
“So would I, but I lost my leg in the war. Why’d they send you away?”
“I’m traveling with a man who thinks he always knows what’s best for me.”
“Fuck him, right? Well, you’re here. What will you have?”
“What are my options?”
“I’ve got a small brewery in the back. I can’t brew a lot because the supplies just aren’t there, but I can either get you a beer or a whiskey. It’s all rationed. You can only have two bottles of beer or three shots of whiskey, so choose wisely. House rules. I couldn’t stay in business if I let everyone get sloppy drunk every night.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Where the fuck have you been? Money is worthless now. It’s all about barter now.”
“All I have are clothes that you’d look stupid in, my bat, and a sketch pad.”
If I didn’t believe I could draw the future when I first heard it, this guy definitely would not give me a beer if I tried to tell him that. He’d probably boot my ass out his bar for fibbing.
“Tell you what. I’ll cut you a break since you’d be at that wall fighting if you could. Draw me a pretty picture for my bar, and I’ll give you a beer.”
“What would you like me to draw?”
“Surprise me.”
Oh, how I would have preferred him telling me what to draw. Apparently, when you set me loose with a sketchpad, I drew all manner of disaster. I had a feeling I would draw something fucked up, and I would not get my beer. And I really wanted that beer.
I pulled my sketch pad out my rucksack and grabbed the box of charcoal I took with me. Maybe I could draw something without having some sort of vision. Perhaps I could draw him dogs playing pool or something sweet.
I knew that was a lie as soon as I stared down at the blank page, and my vision blurred. I couldn’t have fought it if I wanted to. I couldn’t let go of the charcoal, and I couldn’t stop my hand from drawing. All I knew was that something significant was either happening or coming, and I needed to put it on paper.
I furiously drew, even when my hand started cramping. I couldn’t even make myself stop then. I couldn’t stop until my vision finally cleared. I looked down. What the fuck did I draw this time? The bartender was leaning over the bar watching me.
“If that battle at the gate goes near as well as your drawing, I’ll frame it and hang it in pride of place. Let me get you a beer.”
I had to remember my drawings were always symbolism, and I didn’t always understand them, because I certainly didn’t understand this. I had drawn Aeron standing at the top of the gate with his sword out. The sword had flames coming from the blade, and Aeron had feathery wings spread out from his back, and every single person on the other side of the gate was dead.
I’d only seen a few of my paintings about the future, but none of them were in your face obvious. I could only guess Aeron had saved the day with some crazy idea. Even if he had saved California somehow, he would still hear it from me that he sent me away. I could have helped.
“I know you barter here, but do you place bets? I’ll bet you another beer the man in that drawing will walk in this bar and tell us the wall is secure, and then I will punch him in the face.”
“You must think highly of the man you’re threatening to punch in the face if you drew him as an angel saving the city. Maybe save the punching for later. He was just trying to keep you safe.”
He opened a bottle of beer and slid it across the bar. I gulped half the bottle down and slammed it back on the bar. I didn’t take the time to savor it, even though I knew I was just getting the one.
“Tell you what. I like you, and this drawing is good. If your man gets back here with news the gate is secure, and we don’t have to worry about the Brotherhood anymore, I’ll give both of you a beer on the house.”
“Deal. You got a name? Everyone calls me Speedy. We might be here a while.”
“Jeff. You’re welcome to stay here. Are you hungry? On the house since your man is off fighting the wall.”
“He’s not my man. He’s just someone I’m traveling with.”
“Does he know that? He went out of his way to get you out of danger.”
“I could have fought. It’s like he’s saying he doesn’t trust me to take
care of myself.”
“Or maybe he cares too much to risk your life in a hostile takeover.”
“I guess.”
I hadn’t thought about it like that. I knew Aeron cared. I felt it when he used to hold me when we slept. We stopped doing that after my apartment because things just got weird. I missed it. I missed sleeping in his arms, and I hated that niggling feeling in my gut about Aeron.
He’d done nothing but protect me so far, and Miss Mabel trusted him. He took me back to my apartment, knowing those paintings were on my walls. He could have destroyed them, but he cleaned my apartment and left it the way it was for me.
Still, it didn’t sit right with me that he didn’t want Miss Mabel to tell me why I painted the things I did or that I had some weird gift when I put pen to paper. Sure, he helped after the cat was out of the bag, but if it were up to him, I’d still be in the dark. It was getting to the point that Aeron keeping secrets from me was starting to outweigh the feelings I was developing for him.
I would have thought a hostile takeover at the gate would have taken a lot longer to quash, and Aeron would have to locate where Meremoth deposited me. Still, I had only just finished the sandwich Jeff gave me when he came strolling in without a drop of blood on him. His hair looked windblown in a sexy way, not like he fought a battle.
“We can leave now.”
I grabbed the drawing off the bar and shoved it in his face.
“Care to explain this one?”
Aeron just shrugged.
“I had an idea, and we won.”
Jeff popped open two beers and slid them across the bar.
“I promised Speedy beers for both of you if you came back and said the gate was secure. If it was your idea that kept the Brotherhood out, then I’d like to offer to feed you too. Are you hungry?”
“The sandwiches are excellent, and it will be our last hot meal for a while,” I pointed out.
Aeron smacked his hand on the bar.
“Battles are best celebrated with ale, food, and wenches. I’ll take a sandwich.”
“Yeah, well, this wench is pissed off you sent me away.”
“I had to, Ariel. You might not believe this, but I care about you more than the fact that to end all this, we need your blood. I’ll protect you with my life, and if it means pissing you off, then so be it. As long as you don’t get hurt, I will keep pissing you off.”
Well, that was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. Honestly, I couldn’t remember the sweetest thing anyone could have possibly said to me, but for now, that was it. I guess I could forgive Aeron. I kept forgetting that it was my stupid mutant blood that caused all this, and I needed to stop being a dumbass and risking shit because my blood was somehow the key to stopping it.
“I’m sorry I got pissed, Aeron. I get it. Get the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It’s fucking amazing. I get why you are protecting me, but no more secrets, okay?”
Jeff started preparing the food. He handed a plate and a bowl to Aeron, who dug in.
“Care you regale us with tales of battle, brother? What was your big idea that saved the gate?”
“Divide and conquer, my brother. There was more than one gang out there, so there was more than one gang leader. Pit them against each other, and they do the work for you.”
Something didn’t seem right about that. They seemed well organized, like they spent a lot of time trying to plan how to get through those gates. I heard someone say they made a shield wall out of car doors. What did I know? I’d never fought in any type of battle before. I slept through World War III. Maybe that worked.
People started spilling into the bar, and they all wanted to clap Aeron on the back and buy him a beer. He really was the hero at the wall. I would not question it. My drawing showed him saving the day, and everyone here was certainly confirming it.
Aeron had single-handedly saved California from a gang takeover while I sat on my ass, chatting with a bartender.
I would really have to contribute more.
Chapter 30
A
eron didn’t seem to have much of an ego as everyone at the bar seemed to want to kiss his ass. If anything, it seemed to embarrass him. It made me like him more, which made me want to bleach my lizard brain. Until Aeron told me the truth about everything, I couldn’t feel that way about him. I could just tell he was keeping secrets.
We ended up having to stay at the border an additional day since the scuffle at the gate lost us several hours of daylight. Aeron didn’t have an apartment right at the border, but someone at the gate let us crash at their place. He and Aeron bonded over killing gang members, and Aeron felt safe staying there.
We had to share a sofa bed, and it was super awkward. It was only a full, and Aeron and I were cramped. I could tell he was trying not to touch me because he didn’t know how I would react, and I was trying not to fling myself across his chest and snuggle with him.
It was probably two in the morning, and both of us were awake.
“Ariel?” Aeron whispered.
“Yes?”
“Does it have to be like this?”
“You could have told me about the paintings.”
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you. A lot of shit has gone down while you were in a coma.”
“Exactly! I’m already pretty fucking overwhelmed, and my memories are gone. Do you know what it feels like when you keep my past from me because you think I can’t handle something?”
“Ariel, I’m sorry I didn’t think you could handle painting the future on top of everything else.”
“Aeron, you told me something in my blood managed to turn the majority of the world into the undead. Being able to paint the future is way less fucked up than that.”
“I guess that’s fair. You don’t like it when I try to make decisions that I think will protect you.”
“I can decide for myself what I’m ready to hear. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll go against my instincts and try to stop doing that. Can I hold you while you sleep?”
I wanted him to. I could hear the vulnerability in his voice. I wanted to feel safe in his arms. I was feeling like some fucked up mutant. I could understand why Aeron was hesitant to tell me things, but that wasn’t his decision to make. I wanted to snuggle up in his arms and forget for the night I was some kind of freak.
I wasn’t ready for that, and I was still upset with Aeron. I had a feeling he knew exactly what kind of freak I was and why I could do those things, and he was keeping it from me.
“I’m not ready for that just yet, Aeron.”
“Ariel, I vow this to you tonight. I will answer your questions, but I promise you will have all the answers once you meet my entire team.”
“Thanks, Aeron.”
I rolled over and tried to get some sleep. My side of the sofa bed felt so cold and lonely.
Chapter 31
W
e were up pretty early the next morning. For some reason, Aeron wanted me to close my eyes when we passed through the gates to leave California. He asked nicely, so I tried to do what he asked. Curiosity got the better of me, so I peeked. I immediately wished I hadn’t.
There were dead bodies everywhere. There was a team of people lining up to throw them on a massive fire, but that wasn’t what got my attention. After bashing in some Rage Head skulls, I was used to dead bodies. What the fuck had Aeron done at the gate? He said he turned the gangs against each other, but that was a lie. I saw one of the corpses before they threw it onto the fire. It was bloated and blackened like it had been dead for way longer than just one night.
“Are you going to tell me what actually happened at the gate, Aeron?”
“No, because you were a naughty girl and peeked when you weren’t supposed to.”
“Aeron, I thought we agreed on no secrets.”
“Does it really matter, Ariel? Bad people died, and we stopped them from ruining a wonderful thi
ng. You’ve seen your share of monsters since you woke up. I don’t want you to think of me as one too because of how I stopped them.”
“I don’t think of you as a monster, Aeron.”
“You aren’t focusing on what’s important, Ariel. Two more miles and we’ll reach the border to Mexico. Leif has a lab in San Quintin, and the ride there will be rough. Some cities we will pass through are overrun with Rage Heads, and some people who are still alive will slit your throat over an unlabeled can of food. San Quintin put up walls like California and cleared out the Rage Heads. That’s where the remaining military force is in Mexico, and if you think that scene at the gate in California was bad, it’s worse in San Quintin.”
“Then why are we going to Leif instead of Leif coming to us?”
“Because Leif has a top-notch research facility in San Quintin and armed guards to make sure he’s not disturbed. Those are pretty scarce now.”
I knew why I needed to meet them and do this, but I also had nightmares about the last time someone experimented on me.
“Aeron? Is Leif going to do the same things to me they did before?”
Aeron pulled me to his chest.
“Leif would never do that to you. None of us would ever hurt you.”
“But why? It’s my father doing all this, and it was my blood that caused all those people to mutate. Why did you approach me in that chatroom instead of just kidnapping me and taking what you needed?”
“Because we aren’t the evil guys, Ariel. If you hadn’t agreed to come, we would have tried harder, but even then, we wouldn’t have just kidnapped you.”
“Maybe you should have. Someone beat you to it.”
“No, we should have just played it smarter when you left. Your father probably knew Leif and I were in Mexico and was watching border crossings.”
“What’s the deal with all of you and my father?”
“Stay alert, Ariel. That’s the border to Mexico. Remember how it used to be a thing that the United States was so concerned about people crossing the border? Well, even though the United States took over Mexico during the war, Mexico doesn’t want people coming in now either. Let me do the talking.”
The Pale Rider Page 14
