04 Last

by Lynnie Purcell

  Spider looked as if he had been slapped in the face – hard. Eli had been his brother, his protector from a lifetime of bullies and criminals on the streets. He had been the first to save Spider from a life of crime, to give him safety in the storm, and then he had abandoned him without as much as a word of parting. Eli had cut Spider out of his life as easily as a tailor cut a piece of thread, before moving on to another garment. To see Eli after so many months of bitter resentment and hurt was a blow to Spider’s emotions. For the first time since meeting Spider, I saw a boy crushed by the weight of his pain.

  Alex had a different reaction. Instead of pain, she felt anger. It was written across her face like a map of her emotional turmoil. I understood the anger; it was the same anger I felt at seeing the pain in Spider’s eyes. It was the same anger I felt at knowing the hurt she felt under the anger. Her anger though, went beyond anger at seeing a friend hurt. It was personal. It was the anger of being scorned by a person she could have loved. It was loss and betrayal. It was seeing a man who had fled their shared experience of the joining, rather than deal with it. Her anger flared out of control.

  There was no slow fight of milky white against brilliant blue. Her eyes shifted to white in a second’s time. Her face contorted with the emotion. A slow shifting of muscles, something that should not have been possible, started underneath her skin. It was as if another being was trying to escape her skin – which it was. She was close to turning in to a Nightstalker.

  “Alex…” I said in a low voice; a warning against the truth I saw in her face.

  It had worked before to stop her from doing something she regretted, but this time it was not enough. She was too angry, too wrapped up in her hurt. She looked at me when I spoke, awareness dawning behind the white, but she was too far gone in the change. She could not control what was happening any more than she could control her emotions. The anger was too intense – Eli’s presence was too unexpected. The monster was crawling to the surface, and she didn’t have the power to stop it. She did have the power to run away, however, to prevent others from getting hurt because of her.

  Before anyone could react, Alex took off running. She disappeared in to the darkness of the tunnels faster than I thought possible. Her running feet changed sounds as she shed her boots in favor of a more beastly set of feet. Sharp nails tore up the rock as she ran as fast as she could...away from Eli, away from the pain. The others, those who weren’t aware of what she could do, listened to the sounds in confusion. Those of us who knew the truth listened with regret. My hope was that she would not find anyone in the caves to hurt – or anyone who would hurt her first.

  I started to follow her, to stop her from herself, but Daniel stepped in front of me. He blocked my path with no fear to the way I was purposefully gripping my knife.

  “Daniel...I love you, but, move,” I said.

  “You don’t know where she’s going…you’ll end up lost and circling the caves for days,” he said. “That helps no one.”

  “I’m not just going to let her come back to me. I did that once…it was a mistake,” I said.

  “Just…wait a minute. Let’s talk about it,” he suggested.

  “You have a minute,” I said.

  Eli finally spoke. His voice was filled with hate and a tone of voice I had only heard once before – it was the voice he had used when he had found out about Alex’s condition. His own emotions of doubt and fear created a certainty grounded in his prejudice.

  “I don’t see what the problem is,” Eli said. “Just leave her to the caves. She deserves whatever fate she finds in there.”

  Spider and I had similar reactions. Jackson grabbed the boy by the shirt, before he could attack Eli and possibly get hurt. Daniel grabbed me, before I could do the same, though I had no doubt Eli would be the one doing the hurt. Daniel had to hold on tighter to me to get me to stop. It was not inhuman anger that made me strong – it was love for Alex. I fought against his touch, eager to give Eli what his comment, and actions, deserved. Eli didn’t smirk or try to rub in his comment. He merely looked at Spider and me as if he couldn’t understand our reactions.

  It was not us that Eli needed protection from, however. Reaper, cool and calm, despite the anger in his silver eyes, stepped in front of Eli. Reaper looked Eli in the eyes for a brief second then he punched Eli as hard as he could.

  Eli flew back and hit the opposite wall with a resounding ‘thud.’ Dirt and rock fell on top of him as he bounced off the wall and hit the cave floor. Silver blood trickled from Eli’s nose. Eli wiped at it angrily and a second later, it was healed.

  Reaper kept his place, not caving in to the desire in his eyes to hit Eli again while he was down. I knew how strong of a desire it was. If Daniel had not been holding me around the waist with both arms, I would have run over to Eli and kicked him a couple of times, just to make sure he got the point.

  “You are talking about one of my people,” Reaper said. “You will watch your tongue.”

  “Do you even know what she is?” Eli asked. “Do you know what sort monster you keep in your company?”

  Reaper looked at me for a second. His glance was questioning. It was also strangely aware. He knew we were keeping Alex’s condition a secret – he just didn’t know what kind of secret we were keeping. The use of the word ‘monster’ startled him. He was not prepared for such strong words – not in relation to Alex. He didn’t let the question in his eyes linger long. He had a point to make. He looked at Eli again.

  “Do you think it really matters?” Reaper asked. “She is a Saint; one of mine. That’s all I need to know.”

  Eli clamped his mouth shut and pushed off the cave floor. Serenity looked at Eli in a warning; her glance suggested she was disappointed in him. They had obviously talked about starting fights over Alex’s ability to change in to a Nightstalker. She had warned him to keep his mouth shut and not start a fight he could not win. I could see how difficult it was for him. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to hold his tongue, especially with the rest of us looking daggers at him. His anger went beyond anger for being hit. Eli was prejudiced against all Nightstalkers – one had killed his mother. He had never found the killer, so he took his anger out on all Nightstalkers. It was his personal mission to eradicate them from the world. That mission happened to include my best friend.

  Eli stepped back in to his place behind Serenity without another word. His glare spoke volumes. Reaper did not return the glare as he took a couple of steps back to join Sara and Preacher. Reaper had made his point. He didn’t waste time pushing it beyond what was necessary. Reaper thoughtfully looked at the darkness of the tunnels.

  “Someone should follow her,” Reaper pointed out. “We can’t leave her here. There’s no telling what could happen.”

  “I’m going,” I said. “I’m the only who can find her.”

  “I thought you were gung-ho about rescuing Han and Beatrice,” Daniel said, trying his best to distract me from the danger of following an enraged Nightstalker in to an unknown cave system.

  “I am,” I said. “But, let’s be serious for a minute. You know Serenity will never take me in there. It isn’t just because I’m not as Watcher-y as the rest of you. She won’t risk me dying and abstaining from my end of the bargain.”

  “She’s right,” Serenity agreed. “I was thinking Jackson, Daniel, me and the boy.”

  Spider finally looked away from Eli. His eyes were surprised at her words. He obviously had not expected to get to go inside the fortress. He had expected to be forced to sit in the cave and watch the fun from a safe distance. It was something he had put up with a lot while with the Saints. He grinned at the thought of being involved so closely in the action, his anger finding an outlet in motion. I didn’t know if it was a healthy outlet, but it would have to do for the time being.

  “I don’t…” Daniel started to protest at her selection.

  “It’s a sound group,” Reaper said. “Spider can get in to areas they have protecte
d against Watchers and you three make a formidable match against anybody looking for a fight. With Serenity’s stealth, your ability to see the future and Jackson’s brute, you can manage anything.”

  Daniel wasn’t happy at Reaper’s suggestion. It was logical, but it left Daniel with a problem: me. With everyone occupied, I would have the freedom to do as I pleased – which normally got me in trouble.

  “Which leaves Clare free to wander a cave system looking for Alex, who may or may not turn up?” Daniel asked skeptically.

  “I’ll go with her,” Reaper offered. “You do trust me to look after Clare, don’t you?”

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  Daniel ignored me. He nodded seriously at Reaper’s question. There was no doubt in his mind. He trusted Reaper with his life why not mine?

  “Yes,” Daniel replied.

  Reaper turned to Sara.

  “Would you mind getting River for me?” Reaper asked. “I need her and King to set up a little chaos here. Tell her what’s happened, bring her up to speed. Make sure she’s here for the planning of the attack.”

  “Sure,” Sara agreed.

  She slid her knife back in to a sheath she had at the small of her back and disappeared without another word. Reaper turned to Preacher when she was gone.

  “Preach, I think it’s best if you start creating your illusion. If I remember correctly, it takes a bit of time to make things respectably solid.”

  Preacher nodded in wordless agreement and sat down in the dark, away from the others but close enough to know what was going on. He closed his eyes and a group of people appeared. They looked solid, but I sensed him still working to create hardness to the shapes, to make them flesh and blood, instead of a trick of light.

  Serenity started talking about the timing of the attack and how they were going to sneak inside without being seen. As she did, Daniel pulled me toward the darkness of the caves. His hand was electric against my skin. The electricity was molded by his heightened worry. It coursed through my veins, letting me know that he didn’t let me go easily. He didn’t seem to care what the others were saying, though I knew he heard every word. He was multitasking with an easy grace. He focused on me, his green eyes full of emotion.

  “I can’t see how this turns out,” he admitted in a low voice. “I can’t see it, Clare.”

  It was an admission that told me he did not know if any of us would survive. He was operating on hope, the hope of luck and the hope that their combined skills would be enough. He didn’t know what would happen when I walked in to the dark to find Alex. He didn’t know any more than I knew. The idea scared him. It was a reminder of the last time we had been separated.

  “Everything is going to be fine,” I said.

  I instantly regretted my words. I hated asinine promises I could not keep. It was just the first thing that had sprung to my lips.

  “Don’t say that,” he said in a pained voice.

  I put a hand on his face. His skin was soft, and his eyes glittered in the light. I wanted to assure him everything would be okay – that there was nothing to be worried about – and mean it. I wanted to tell him that nothing would go wrong. But I couldn’t.

  “How about you promise me you’ll be safe, and I’ll promise you the same,” I said. “We both keep our promises, so we know it means something.”

  “True,” Daniel agreed.

  “So, a promise, then. A promise to get the other guy before he gets you,” I said.

  “Count on that,” he said.

  He pulled his gun back out of the small of his back.

  “I want you to take this,” Daniel said.

  “You need it,” I declined.

  “I can get another one from one of Saints,” Daniel said. “I’ll feel better if you have it.”

  “What’s going to attack me in the caves? Rock monsters?” I asked.

  “With you…there’s no telling,” he said.

  He took my hand and forced me to take the gun.

  “You do know how it works, right?” he asked.

  “I think I can figure it out,” I said.

  “I’ll see you when we’ve got Han and Beatrice out,” he said.

  “Now that’s a promise I like,” I said.

  Daniel smiled and, not caring that the others were watching, I put my arms around his neck and pulled him in close. I kissed him, loving the feel of his lips against mine. Through our lips, I tried to tell him all the things I was afraid to speak aloud. He got the message. He kissed me back just as passionately. His own fear transferred through our touch. Then, he gently pushed me away. He held me at arm’s length for a moment and looked me over. He put a hand on my face and smiled his boyish smile.

  “Don’t get lost.”

  “Me? Never,” I said.

  Reaper had finished handing out orders. Everyone was moving; everyone had a plan. Spider had gone back outside to watch the building and to get away from Eli. Margaret had gone outside with him, to stir up weather for the attack. Reaper was checking his gun as he walked over to us, to make sure everything was in working order. He looked a lot more certain with his gun as he stuck in to a holster at his side. He held out his hand for Daniel to shake when he reached us.

  “Be careful, old friend,” Reaper said.

  “You, too,” Daniel said, shaking Reaper’s hand.

  Reaper’s eyes shifted to mine then back to Daniel. It was enough to know that Daniel had asked a silent question through their touch and Reaper had said something back. I didn’t ask what it was, but I knew it was something along the lines of ‘I’ll watch out for her.’

  Reaper picked up the lantern and gestured for me to start walking. I hesitated as I looked at Daniel. I was leaving him to a fight I had no control over. I was trusting in Serenity’s plan more than I wanted to. Walking away at such time felt like a betrayal, as if I was abandoning him. It was difficult to leave him under such uncertain circumstances. But he was controlled, skilled and ultimately prepared for what he was about to face. He knew the risks and had the tools to combat them…unlike Alex, who only had primal emotions and a desire to find an outlet from the pain.

  The others talked behind Daniel, a mass of noise that I couldn’t find reason to. They planned and plotted. All except Eli – he was watching us. His strange eyes were enigmatic and full of a burning desire. I thought it was the desire to find Alex as well, for different reasons.

  With Reaper holding the light up so we could see, I left Daniel to his unknown fate. Daniel watched us walk without moving away; he was another stone in a cave of stones. His eyes followed my every movement. I did not turn around, but I knew if I had turned, I would have seen his dark features marred by a troubled expression.

  His doubt haunted my steps.

  Chapter 3

  The caves were a network of confusion.

  They all looked the same. There was nothing to separate one from the other. Nothing except for a trail of white clothing ripped to pieces and claw marks in the stone. They were our first clue to finding Alex.

  We followed the trail of clothing down a narrow tunnel as closed-in as the cave. I felt my skin crawl from the sense of the mountain closing in on me, but I hid it from Reaper. Getting freaked out in front of him was a sure-fire way of him turning us around before we had found Alex. I was not eager for that. I could deal with my fear better than I could deal with losing Alex.

  The first tunnel went on for a mile. We walked without speaking, our minds trained on hearing and sensing whatever was down in the depths of the mountain. We were in-tune to every shift of the mountain, any sense that Alex was near. Reaper was on the alert for sounds of a person; I was alert for sounds of a Nightstalker.

  The tunnel finally intersected with a group of five tunnels that went in five different directions. I stopped walking and took a deep breath at the choices in front of us. Choosing a tunnel at random would not get us anywhere. It would just get us lost and nowhere closer to finding my friend.

  I frowned at t
he tunnels, wondering what would happen if I choose the wrong tunnel. Was there another way? Could I limit our choices? I thought over my connection with Alex. We had always shared a bond, even before I had shared my blood with her. I thought I would be able to feel her, instinctively know where to find her. But all I felt was the sense of rock pressing down and the stench of whatever dead thing had died in the caves. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out the best course of action with the options in front of me.

  “What are you doing?” Reaper asked as I took my breath.

  “I’m thinking.”

  “Will thinking find Alex?” he asked.

  “Wandering around won’t,” I said.

  I gave him the gun Daniel had forced in to my hand and took the lantern from his to illuminate my path. He put the gun in to his belt, at his back, and made a face at me as I held up the lantern. It was a face that showcased his skepticism.

  “It’s not likely she went far. She’s bound to get tired and stop soon,” he pointed out. “We’ll catch her.”

  “Yeah, in a week or two,” I said.

  “A week or two?” he asked in a shocked voice.

  He could tell I wasn’t kidding with him. There was no limit to how far Alex could run in her changed state. She could be in Mexico before we were even done searching the caves for her.

  “Mmmhhhmmm,” I said.

  “Clare, I know you have secrets, we all do, but you have to tell me what’s going on here,” Reaper said.

  “No, I don’t,” I said.

  “I’m helping you…” he pointed out. “I volunteered to help you search for her, when I could be shooting at Seekers and helping Daniel to get his parents back.”

  “That makes you a good person…helping me without knowing what’s going on,” I said. “You should feel proud of yourself for being so dang nice… If I could just feel her, I could find her,” I fretted.