by K. F. Ridley
“We understand that,” Rowen says, “but we have to find more serum and Henry must remain in hiding to work on the formula. It’s our only choice.”
Cy speaks up from his trance, “If you’re going to go then you need to go now. Ruis is headed to the Doorway of Feda. He is going to lock you in. You must go without haste.”
“I’m going with you,” Coll says staring in my direction. I’m in total disbelief.“I want to make sure you bring my brother back.”
“You must go now,” Alder urges.
As we head toward the door, Ivy grabs my hand, her porcelain face stained with tracks of tears. “Come back to us, Ashe; I could not bear to lose you, too.”
“I will,” I say as I hug her tightly. Montana only has a limited supply of muck and it will have to last between the three of us. We’ll have to return in order to survive. Hopefully, we’ll have enough to last us until Dad can conjure up more. I’m not dead and I have Rowen, so it seems hope is enough…at least for now.
We rush out, mount the horses, and fly toward the Doorway of Feda. I hate leaving my father behind, but I know he’s safer in Durt than he’d be back in Montana.
I’m not thrilled about having Coll with us, but I know we need him. His gift is irreplaceable. There is uncertainty of what we are about to face, but I know having Coll can only increase our odds of success.
Rowen pushes Ruamna to her limit, and the horses soar like eagles, the wind blustering against us. On the ground below us, I see black capes flowing on the backs of huge spotted creatures. The Thorn is on the ground headed for the doorway. Instead of horses, the black carpets ride massive cheetahs, their heads twice normal size. Their bodies are muscular and they run at speeds defying the capabilities of any car I’ve ever seen.
We race them from the sky and at this point we’re ahead of them, but only by a small margin. They spot us overhead and force their creatures onward.
Hitting the ground hard on the landing. I almost fall off of Ruamna, but Rowen keeps me astride. We dismount and run for the oak tree. It’s the same monstrous tree we portaled through in Rowen’s Camaro. Its branches are twisted and tangled, reaching out over and empty meadow as if it owns the land. Its trunk is several feet wide and the bark a smooth rusty brown. There’s no time to get Rowen’s car. We have to make a run for it.
The Thorn burst through the forest wall with their beasts gnashing and gnarling. With only two or three strides, they are on our heels. Coll runs through first, a burst of golden light beams from the tree on his entry. The Thorn is right behind us. I pause for a moment looking back. Ruis watches me as Rowen pulls me along.
The lost sentry locks eyes to mine. I think I see an ounce of his true self seep through the vapidity of his eyes, but hope will not help him. He’s gone and he isn’t coming back. He wants my blood as Straif does. He’d drink the elixir of life at my sacrifice and never give it a second thought.
Ruis stands alone with no sign of Straif. The dark leader must have sent Ruis to do his dirty work.
“We’ve got to move, Ashe, let’s go,” Rowen says.
As we lunge into the trunk of the tree, a rush of light flashes in front of me. As I float through the portal, I’m in a moment of weightlessness. Then, something grabs hold of my heel. It’s a member of The Thorn. I shake my foot and lose him for a split second as we are flushed out of the doorway onto Montana’s soil. Rowen pulls the key from my pocket and pushes it through a knot in the tree. Instantly, the bark of the tree begins to change to a glowing brown, surging up through each limb and every leaf. A loud squeal pierces our ears and a hand protrudes from the trunk, turning into wood. The hand looks like a malformed branch and becomes a part of the tree itself.
“That’s what happens when the door is locked and someone is still in the doorway. Gotta hurt,” Coll says.
I’m breathing heavily. The brothers are also a little out of breath, but not as much as I am.
“We made it,” Rowen says.
We walk toward the highway. I’m so glad to be home, to see something familiar.
The sun starts to set and we need to get to the Birches’ house as soon as possible. We can figure things out in the morning. Even though my house is gone, I’m home and it feels good.
“So, this is your beloved Montana? Not much to look at.” Coll’s sarcasm is going to get old.
As we approach the Birches house, Coll’s face changes. He blushes a bit. Their home is immaculate and bigger than anything he’s seen before, except for Acrimony. He isn’t going to admit it, but he’s impressed.
I’ll sleep better this night alongside Rowen. I know with the door locked from this side, we’re safe from The Thorn. Maybe, he could stay with me here in my world, but then I think about it and know without my dad, I can’t stay anywhere. Without the yellow muck I’ll disappear. I’m unsure of how much muck Dad has buried and I don’t know when we’ll have to return to Durt, but I’m going to enjoy my time here while it lasts.
When I wake early the next morning, I notice the air doesn’t have the same refreshing feeling it usually does and I quickly remember I’m not in Durt anymore. I look to my left and Rowen is sleeping peacefully his face glowing as it did in his homeland. I brush the back of my hand on his cheek and he grins. His eyes still closed, he pulls me closer, and kisses me fully. I want him more each second.
“It’s only us here you know?” I say, trying to be seductive, something I’m not skilled at and probably have no business attempting.
“No, we’re not alone. Coll is here.”
“That’s an excuse,” I say. “Are you scared of me?” I’m trying to be flirtatious, but I know I’m failing miserably.
“Yes, I am scared,” he says.
“Of what?” I’m sure the look on my face spells loser.
“Of what might happen if we did.”
“There’s no one here, except for Coll. Nothing will happen if we don’t want it to.” I think I’m starting to sound desperate, but my feelings are overpowering. For the first time I feel we’re, well, adults. Alone. No one here to tell us no.
“Did you ever think about what might happen if we had a child?” he asks.
Honestly, until this moment it hadn’t crossed my mind. I know I want him and that’s all I can think about.
“Our child would be the first…well…the first of its kind. I don’t even know what it would be capable of.” I have the biggest lump in my gut. This is the worst kind of rejection I could have imagined. He kneels down beside me on the bed, looks deep into my eyes. “I want you more than anything. You have to know that. I’d sacrifice anything for you. I’d sacrifice anything to be with you…except…except our child. I don’t want him or her to go through what you have gone through.” I know I look pitiful. “We’ll work through all of this, but it’s going to take time. For now, know I love you.”
“I know you do…but…why do you have to be so sensible?”
He chuckles. “You think I’m sensible? The first time I laid eyes on you I lost all sensibility.” And he kisses me softly again. I don’t want him to stop…ever.
“Hey, how do you turn the water on in here?” I hear Coll calling from the kitchen. He’s lost and I love it, but he stops Rowen in the midst of our ecstasy and I don’t appreciate that at all.
“Come. We have a lot to do and a lot to figure out.” Rowen takes my hand pulling me away from the bed.
“Hey, somebody show me how to find the water in here?” Coll is flustered. An unfamiliar feeling he doesn’t like.
I turn the respective knobs, “hot and cold.”
I pull some dried cereal together for breakfast. The milk has gone bad and the bread molded.
After breakfast Rowen tries to crank the Birches old Thunderbird, but it won’t start. It’s been rebuilt like Rowen’s Camaro. “Needs water.”
“No problem. I’ll get the hose.”
“That’s not going to help. We have to use water brought here from Durt. The water here has too many contaminants
.”
I once thought Darby was the purest place in the world. Really, there isn’t a place as clean and perfect as Durt.
“We’re going to need a car. I can call Taylie.”
“Can she keep her mouth shut?” Coll says.
“We’re going to have to hope she does. She’s the only person around here I trust.”
“That doesn’t say much.” Coll cuts everything I say with a butcher knife.
Rowen jumps in.“You two are going to have to get along if we’re going to get anywhere.”
“I’m not about to try and meet him half-way. I didn’t ask him to come. He volunteered.”
“Get hurt again and I bet you won’t say that, bithling,” Coll sneers.
“Enough! If you don’t want to be here, Coll, then go back to Durt. I’ll gladly open the door for you! Why did you come?” I’ve never heard Rowen raise his voice before. “I love her and you’re going to have to accept it…or leave.”
Coll doesn’t say a word. He sits in a state of morose silence when he finally finds words to respond. “Because you are my only brother. Because I don’t want to lose you. That’s why I’m here.”
21
“ Taylie?’
“This is Taylie.”
I pause for a response, uncertain of what to say. I’m going to
shock the crap out of her and that ’s all there is to it.
“Who is this?”
“Taylie, it’s me, Ashe.”
“This can’t be Ashe. She’s dead! Who is this? Why are you
calling me? ” She becomes hysterical and then I hear a dial tone. “That didn’t go so well. She freaked out and hung up.” “My car may still be at my house. We can walk there if we go
through the woods. I can ’t take the risk of anyone seeing me.” We wait for the sun to set before we venture out. We don’t use flashlights to limit the risk of being noticed.
The moon glows over every bit of moisture that glazes the forest. I’ve walked through these woods many times before without a care in the world. I’m always at peace with my surroundings here, a peace that soaks me to the bone, a peace that makes me glad to be in Montana, a peace that makes me glad to be human, when I thought I was human. Now, as I weave in and out of the paths of the trees and brush, I sense the presence of evil following me with blood shot eyes of loathing.
I hold Rowen’s hand as we trek through the brush trying to reach my home that’s now a pile of rubble. “What is it?” he asks.
“ What? I’m fine,” I respond attempting to hide my apprehension.
“I can sense a fear building in you.”
I stop in my tracks. I jerk away from his grip and look at my hands as if they’re some kind of lethal weapon. I realize that whatever I’m feeling can kill him. “I’m sorry, I forgot. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.”
He reaches for my hand and gently puts it back into his. His palm is warm and soft. “You’re not going to hurt me. Remember, I have the gift of resistance. We’ll have to see how much I can resist.”
“It’s not worth the risk,” I tell him.
“I would risk everything to touch you. I can’t live my life without being able to feel. Holding you makes me alive. It reminds me how real we are,” he says slowly, gracefully tracing his finger from the soft part of my wrist, down my palm, marking his path to the tip of my finger. A sensual warmth covers me.
I smile. “I love you,” I say.
“I know.” His eyes glisten along with the dampness of the forest.
“We better catch up with your brother. He looks like he’s wandering.” Coll is ahead of us and has no idea where he’s going. We pick up our pace. “This way,” I say as I move ahead still sensitive to a foreboding feeling of evil lurking in the trees.
After about an hour of walking we make it to my house of ashes. My car and Dad’s truck are gone. The shed is empty. Nothing’s left except for some yellow tape surrounding the area, reading“Crime Scene. Do Not Enter.”
I tread through the charred remains of my home and find a picture of my mother scorched around the edges lying underneath some metal sheets that barely survived the blaze. I pick it up, black soot covering my hands. Smoke has taken its toll on the photograph, fading the beautiful eyes that used to graciously look at me.
“What is it?’ Rowen asks. I hand him the picture. “Nuin,” he says.
I nod.
“Where is the serum?” Coll paces around the yard.
“It should be buried in this area here,” I point to the edge of the yard, close to the forest wall. “I’m not sure exactly. I never really paid much attention to where Dad dug,” I say thinking I probably should have.
We have nothing to use to dig.“Let’s head back to the Birches and we’ll try and get Taylie. I don’t know what else to do.” I agree with Rowen. We don’t have any other choice. We have to be as inconspicuous as possible. No one can to know I’m alive. I’m better off dead. At least, it’s better for everyone to think I’m dead.
We make it back to the house. I try to think of a way to keep from upsetting Taylie.
As the phone rings, I feel the anticipation of Taylie’s reaction. “Taylie, Taylie, don’t hang up.”
“Who is this?” she says her voice shaking.
“It’s me. It’s really me, Taylie.” There’s nothing, but sudden silence. “Taylie? Taylie? Are you there?”
“Ashe….is it really you?” she whispers.
“It’s really me. But you can’t tell anyone I’m here. You can’t say a word to anyone. Not even your parents.”
“Where are you?”
“We are at the Birches.”
“We? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Come over as soon as you can. But Taylie, don’t tell anyone.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
I know Taylie will keep her word, but I’m worried she might freak when she sees me. There’s no easy way to do this.
About thirty minutes later the doorbell rings. I open the door and Taylie gets weak at the knees and all color runs from her face. She’s about to go down when Coll comes out of nowhere, catching her, breaking her from the fall.
“You’re alive. What happened? Where have you been? And who is this?” she says as she looks up and catches the steel blue of Coll’s eyes. She gathers her strength after a brief moment of discombobulating surprise. Coll helps her to her feet, never saying a word. Rowen stands behind me. “What’s going on?”
“Sit down, Taylie.”
Coll leads her down two steps into the den and then to the couch. Her bewilderment gives her an intoxicated appearance.
“This is Coll, Rowen’s twin brother.”
Taylie tries to absorb the surrealistic news that I’m alive. I don’t think she really understands it all. I don’t understand it all.
“Ashe, this is all a bit much.”
Coll watches Taylie, almost gawking, never saying a word. I know Taylie is beautiful, but Coll always acts as if he’s beyond that, beyond anything human. He’s out of character, at least the Coll I know.
Rowen and I explain everything that’s happened: Straif, The Dark Thorn, who I am, who my mom was and where she came from. We tell her everything. Taylie sits motionless on the couch trying to reach beyond unbelievability.
“So, what happens now?” she asks.
“We need your help.”
“Of course.” She doesn’t hesitate, even after everything she’s heard.
Rowen explains to her that the serum is necessary to keep me alive and he and Coll need it while they’re here. “Without it she’ll die, well, more like disappear.”
“Where’s the serum?”
I’m surprised how well Taylie is holding up. She is accepting all of this better than I did, but then again, she isn’t being hunted.
“Buried in the backyard at my house.”
Taylie starts to giggle. “What’s so funny?’’ I can’t believe she’s laughing.
“Y
our dad. He’s not so crazy after all.”
“No, I guess he isn’t,” I say as I give her a big hug. She holds on for a minute.
“Don’t ever do this to me again,” she whispers in my ear squeezing me tighter.
“Never again. I promise.”
“Everyone thinks you and your dad are dead and they think he killed you.” She points to Rowen.
“Why would they think that? No one here Rowen.”
“W…w…well, probably because of me. After burned down, I told them he was stalking you, so I gave them his description. They did a sketch. They’re looking for him. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I thought you were dead, too. I thought he killed you.” Regret fills the spaces between her words.
“It’s alright, Taylie.”
even knows
your house “We’re going to have to be really careful. We can’t be discovered. We need to retrieve the serum, but we’ll have to do this at night,” Rowen says. “How soon can you take us?”
“ Tonight. I’ll give my parents some excuse. Don’t worry. I’ll be here.”
Taylie gives me another squeeze as she walks out of the door.
“See you tonight. Thanks so much for helping us,” Rowen says standing behind me as we walk Taylie out. Coll stands in the back of the room, silent and out of his element.
“Nice to meet you, Coll,” she says peeking around me. He nods awkwardly in response to her subconsciously flirtatious tone.
“See you at sunset.”
She picks us up as the sky turns pink and the Montana air develops the sharp edge of a cooler breeze. We take shovels from the Birches’ shed and a few empty boxes in which to place the muck along with a couple of flashlights. The ground is still wet from an earlier rain. I have a vague remembrance of Dad digging on the north side of the yard so that’s where we start looking. Coll and Rowen move dirt like it’s nothing. Even though the ground is soft from a rain days earlier, I make no real difference in the process. Most of the time, I watch Rowen, admiring every piece of him.
I ’m a little worried because I haven’t had muck for a couple of days and I might start dissipating soon. Coll and Rowen will start to age. We have to find something. As they dig, I see the vapor from the warmth of their breath touching the midnight air with the slightest elegance.
