Two more times I went to the edge of my mind and stared out at nothing. Each trip made me tired, both physically and mentally. After the second time, I came back with a dodgy feeling, as if I was being watched.
"I'm done for the day," I said, yawning and stretching out.
Vincent looked at me for a few moments as though contemplating what to say.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. I mean, I'm going to get my bag from your car."
After Vincent left, I checked the time and decided to chance calling Gran.
"Hi Gran, how are things going at Mom's?"
"Darlin', I'm going to be happy to get back home and out of this house."
Einar wanted to kill me and someone was sending me dead bunnies that spring back to life, the idea of Gran coming back home was terrifying. "What time tomorrow does Mom get back?"
"Late in the evenin'. With any luck, I'll be home tomorrow night."
"We have a guest staying with us. He may still be around tomorrow night."
"Is it that man of yours? I should already know these things. I threw out four of your mother's fake trees, but it hasn't done a lick of good. I keep runnin' into more." Gran tried to sound light-hearted, but her frustration came through loud and clear. “Maybe Anala keeps them around to block her own ability, because it sure as heck blocks mine.”
"It's Vincent."
"Oh, I knew he'd be back at some point. It'll be good to see him back in his room."
"Hmm." I didn't want to comment on Vincent being back. Mostly because I didn't know how I felt about him living down the hall.
"I've been in the dark for days. We'll catch up tomorrow night."
"Sure thing, Gran. See you tomorrow."
"Is Margaret coming over tomorrow?" Vincent asked.
I jumped and turned, nearly tripping. "Don't sneak up on people like that." A trace of a smile slid over Vincent's face. "Gran's done with house sitting tomorrow. She's coming home."
His smile was gone. "You look worried about that."
"Aren't you? We have balls of violent energy floating around and a dead rabbit in the laundry room."
"Can you suggest that she extend her visit for a few more days? It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to stay out of the house for a while, too."
"No one is chasing me away from my home. Gran's going to be even more adamant about that. Besides, she hates it at my mother's house."
"Tomorrow we can see about getting some extra security for the house."
"What type of security?"
"We'll have to figure that out. Maybe do some research. Rider said this is magic, maybe there's some way to repel the effects."
"Do you really believe there's magic?" The question had come to my mind several times in the past day.
"You read marks no one can see. I walk between dimensions. Who says that isn't magic?"
"Those are abilities, not magic."
"I've seen a lot of things so far in my life. The idea of magic is simplistic next to some of the things I've witnessed."
My interest was piqued. "Like what?"
The shadows of a frown formed and Vincent took his time answering. "Like trees made out of energy, ripped through from an ethereal world."
I rolled my eyes. It was obvious he wasn't going to tell me anything I didn't already know. "Well, we're not going to solve this tonight. Do you need anything?"
Vincent shook his head, still looking agitated by my question.
"Well, help yourself to anything. I'm going to go check on the rabbit."
"There's nothing you can do for it."
I put my hands on my hips. "It's not his fault this happened." To myself I added, besides, I want to make sure he's still in the cage.
Vincent looked like he was going to say something. Instead, he shook his head and went upstairs.
"Goodnight to you, too," I muttered.
The rabbit was still safe in his cage. It was pretty obvious he was still dead, even though his little nose was scrunching up as he stared at me.
I firmly shut the door. Then I leaned on it, rattled the doorknob, and then opened the door and started the whole thing from scratch again. The idea of going to sleep when Night of the Living Dead: Bunny Edition was taking place in the house wasn't easy to digest.
Upstairs, I paused in the hallway before going into my room. It was strange to have Vincent back. Somehow, it felt right, though. Even when he was cranky. I wasn't even sure what I had done to aggravate him. It was only a question.
Sleep didn't come easy. The storm had died down, but the rain continued.
And Vincent was down the hall.
Last fall, on his final night here before he disappeared, we were kissing in the hallway and I had been hoping for more. Now, I’ve had those feelings shoved down for so long, it was hard to know what I wanted.
I rolled over and twisted my pillow into a more comfortable position. Thoughts of Vincent had to stay shut away, he made that clear. It was a stupid decision, but it had been made all the same.
Luckily, I had Ethan. At least I think I had him. It seemed to change by the hour. Still, we had parted on a good note tonight. That was promising. It wouldn't be easy with Ethan, but could it be easy with anyone? Not someone normal. It would never be easy with a human, unless they had a special ability or were familiar with the Lost.
Still, Ethan was cute, smart, and he was trying his hardest to get a grasp on the craziness that is my life.
My eyes shot open, seeing nothing but darkness. My heart was pumping fast and I laid there, still and silent. Rain blew hard against my windows. Had I fallen asleep? Had the storm woken me up?
Listening for sounds in your house, in the middle of the night, is a recipe for unease. Especially in a storm and with a dead animal that doesn’t realize it shouldn’t be moving anymore.
My heartbeat started to slow. Lightning illuminated someone sitting in my chair and my breath caught. I wasn't alone in the room.
"Dammit, Vincent! What are you doing?" My anger shot straight through the roof, and I threw off my blankets. He didn't move. Thunder reverberated around the room and it was lit once again.
I thought my heart would stop. "You're not Vincent."
Chapter 24
I do not understand this world. The words were clear in my mind, and Einar sounded somber.
"What do you mean?" I scrambled back onto my bed to put more distance between us.
Vincent walked into the room wearing nothing but PJ pants and his gun, which was pointed straight at Einar.
Einar didn't even look up at Vincent. The citizens are despondent towards their government, yet they do nothing but watch it grow larger.
"Is that why you have been killing government employees?" Vincent asked.
Einar stood with a speed that couldn't be followed. One moment he was sitting, the next standing and watching Vincent.
I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to dislodge what had to be a nightmare playing out.
What is this before me? Am I no longer doomed to have only this broken female to speak with?
My fury began to rise in earnest. "Excuse me?"
"Cass, move behind me." Vincent's eyes never left Einar.
A part of me wanted to argue. Guns were useless against Einar. Still, putting some distance between this monster and myself seemed like a good move. Especially now that I wanted to smack the crap out of him.
When I slowly began to move back away from my bed and toward Vincent, Einar leaned forward. He was keeping his distance, but inspecting Vincent.
I reached Vincent's side, ready to stand beside him and face whatever was going to happen here. Vincent took my hand and began to yank me around behind him. I was willing to take a step back, especially with Einar so intent on Vincent, but there was no way I would hide behind him.
"Idiot," I breathed. I gripped Vincent's hand and didn't move any farther. It would have been more convincing if my hand wasn't trembling.
The momentary flash
of a grin told me that Vincent had heard. He returned the pressure of my grip then eased his hand away.
Are you Einar?
"I was under the impression that you were Einar," Vincent said.
I am Einar. She is Einar. You are...something else."
"I'm the one that is taking you on a trip between the worlds," Vincent said.
Air sucked into my lungs.
Between the worlds?
"Like hell you are." I reached for the Path and struggled against the darkness blocking my way.
Vincent ignored me, focusing on Einar instead. "The monsters there will make short work of you."
Einar shook his head. I name you Walker. None was thought to have survived. Yet, you are here. Broken, but standing before me.
Knowing how poorly I react when someone calls me broken, meant that I was ready for the sudden burst of anger that exploded out of Vincent. Something in the shadowy darkness between my mind and the Path stirred.
"You will know the meaning of broken before the day is through." Vincent stepped forward.
Instinctively, I reached out and put my hand on his waist. For the first time since entering the room, he was distracted from Einar. Some of the anger swirling around the room melted away.
If I am taken between the worlds, I shall only return. Those old roads are familiar to me.
"Only Walkers and those they bring with them can travel between the worlds."
This is true. Alas, Walkers, as with the Einar, cannot be allowed to continue. I do not cherish the task that is set before me, but know that I will make it painless for you both.
"Wait!" It came out more of a screech than I anticipated. "You are Einar."
Once my tasks are complete, I will join you in the next life. Einar stepped forward.
"Wait!" Einar's expressionless face looked at me and fear took hold. "Why can't the Walkers live?"
They are tools that will be wielded against men and Others. Einar turned his attention back to Vincent. In another time, we would have looked upon each other as friends. I will not make you suffer by watching me take the woman. She shall follow behind you without pain.
No, no, no. My mind ran against the darkness as Einar walked forward. Vincent fired the gun eight times. Einar continued towards him.
May you find peace.
I scrambled for Vincent’s hand and felt the warmth of our connection. My energy and his reached out towards each other. It sped through the blackness between my mind and the Path and swirled around my soul. It was a tiny fragment of a break, but I charged through it.
Naked, raging Path poured over me. As Einar reached towards Vincent, I snatched Vincent's Path and yanked him backward, bodily. It was sloppy and burned through more energy than I anticipated, but Vincent was out of the way.
Einar's darkened Path surrounded him. The radiant threads wove in and out quickly. Around his core, they were brighter and thicker.
Einar looked at me as though he were trying to solve a puzzle.
Vincent said something behind me, but I couldn't hear him over the roar of the Path around me. The storm raged through the Path as though seeking vengeance. Vincent grabbed me from behind. I shoved him back. With a glance, I burned through more energy to put a bubble of pure energy around him. He would be safe while I stood against Einar.
Anger and frustration began to fill the room. I soaked it up, adding it to my own power. Deep inside me, something shifted and butted up against my soul.
I do not understand what it is that you do.
Cocking my head, I grinned and stepped up to Einar. An arrogance that wasn't my own was trying to move forward. What I wanted to do was reckless, so I drew on that foreign ego, but strove to maintain control.
Up close, the bright tendrils of Path around Einar reached towards me. "There's a lot we don't understand about each other. I'm going to fix that and find out what you're all about."
Vincent cursed behind me.
My hand stood a breath away from Einar's Path. Colors drew themselves out of his darkness and stretched.
"Vincent, if this doesn't work, I'm sorry." There was so much more I left unsaid.
But, this would work, right?
My hand plunged into the eager twirl of colors in Einar's Path. They wriggled, gripped my hand, and then sunk into me. I'm not sure if the scream was Einar’s or mine. Maybe it was both.
A white void spread over me and my world was gone.
***
When I opened my eyes, the sun hung high in the sky. Breathing deeply, I expected to smell the grass on the breeze. For some reason, smells of a storm reached my nose. Had there been rain? Blue skies wrapped themselves from horizon to horizon.
It must be that old witch next door. It raised my hackles to live so close to that woman. It was unnatural how she twisted the world. Like so many others, she wanted to find a way home, but now she was bending things too far. My nose, indeed the nose of any werewolf I know, had never been tricked.
The trees in the distance hid her house from view. Maybe Ellen would talk to the old crow. It was a well-known fact that the witch hated men. She would probably make everything smell like decay if I approached with a complaint. My wife, on the other hand, had a silver tongue and could quell the old woman.
Clouds started to form in my mind and a calm settled over the grassy hill. It took moments to realize that the animals no longer stirred. Birds ceased their chirping and burrowing creatures stopped shifting below ground. A growl formed in my throat as unease drifted over the landscape.
Ellen. Something was going wrong in my territory, and every particle of my being screamed at me to get home to my wife. Everyone knew trouble was looming. Perhaps it arrived earlier than anyone else had expected.
Turning, I almost walked directly into Henry and took a step back.
"Henry, where do you come from?"
"You must have had your mind on other things and missed my approach."
"Yes, other things." It's no wonder the day went strange. Everything turns out that way when you have a Walker around.
Henry was looking off into the distance towards the witch’s house.
"Do you sense the oddities as well?" I asked to Henry's surprise. "The old woman is up to something."
"Maybe she found her way home." Henry's voice was devoid of emotion. "I pray that she does before I get there."
I felt myself take another step back and stopped. "Of course," I said uneasily. "I'm sure many feel the same when approaching her home."
"Why do you live so close?" Henry asked.
"Someone has to." When Henry said nothing I continued. "Ellen enjoys her company."
"Upon reflection, it was an unwise decision for the Others to live so close together."
I let out a bark of nervous laughter. "And we should reside among the humans?"
"Perhaps things would have turned out differently if you had." Henry met my gaze.
I was looking at someone who was staring into the face of hell. "What is it, Henry?" The hair on the back of my neck began to rise.
"I am sorry, old friend."
Henry grasped my wrist, and I watched his eyes turn black. I started to struggle, but weakness was already coming forth.
"What is the meaning of this?" I asked, trying to wrench my hand away.
"We must sacrifice a few for the benefit of many."
Punching as hard as I could muster would not break his hold. He didn't try to fight back. I felt myself draining away. My thoughts flew to Ellen, and Henry seemed to read my mind.
"Do not fear for Ellen," Henry said, "you are joining her."
"Ellen!" In my mind I was screaming, but to my ears, it was a mere whisper. "You will pay for this." My world began to grow dim around the edges.
As the last feelings of myself flowed away, I heard Henry say, "When my task is complete, I promise you, everyone will pay for this."
***
My bones ached more fiercely than they had all summer. The sun was shining, but th
ere was a storm on its way. I took a pinch of ash and threw it on the ground. It was the largest curse I dare lay on the land while my feet still walked on its surface.
There was a knock on the door and I sighed. It would be that fool from next door. Anytime I made an attempt to return home, he would come over and raise a fuss. Maybe Ellen will have a word with him.
I took my time heaving my tired bones out of the chair. The knock came again before I reached the door.
"Who's there?" My voice was scratchy. When had I become old? Even if I made it home, Oris would want to see the young woman who had gone into the woods. Not the old crone that was still trying to return.
"It is Henry."
Henry. Not the type that I would normally want to visit on his own. Still, maybe the man would be of some use. He walked between the worlds. Maybe there was some way he could help me bore my way between them.
My hand hesitated on the door handle. There was something in the air that had not been there last night.
"Has that wolf sent you?" I asked.
"He has not. I have come to see you."
My skin prickled, but I opened the door. As I aged, my fear had grown. It seems that you can't get one without the other.
"Good day, Henry. Would you care to come inside?" Years ago, I never would have dreamed of letting a man into my house. I was a married woman, though no one in this wretched world had met my Oris. Still, if I wanted information from the man, I would have to get him inside and comfortable.
"I am sorry to say that I am unable to stay. I've come to deliver a message."
Some trick of the light made my tired old eyes see what could not be there. "Just a moment." I tried to keep my voice calm, but a tremor came out. Henry was not alone. There were at least four, no five more, twisting around inside him. "Wait right here." Steadily, I closed the door, but Henry put out a boot and prevented me from latching it in place.
AIR Series Box Set Page 81
