Five: Out of the Pit (Five #2)

by Anderson, Holli

  All was silent as we contemplated what that would mean. Ungifted Humans weren’t welcome in the Netherworld and they probably wouldn’t last long there. If we did as Joe suggested, they would learn what it’s like to be molested and abused by those stronger than them.

  I squared my shoulders. “I think that’s perfect justice for them.”

  The chill of being outside all day had worn off and I unbuttoned my jacket without thinking. As I shrugged it off my shoulders, Seth gasped and looked at the ground. “Uhh, Paige, your shirt…” His face burned red.

  I blushed along with him as I looked down at my torn shirt, my bra embarrassingly visible through the tear. I pulled the two sides together to cover myself but not before everyone had looked to see what Seth was talking about.

  “Did he… did he do that…” Johnathan stood; he pointed at my shirt with a shaky hand. “Did he do that? Did he… touch you?”

  I nodded without looking up. Johnathan punched the wall. Hard. His fist went clear through the dry wall and out the other side. “Let’s go.”

  Alec and Seth jumped to their feet.

  “Wait, guys. I’m exhausted. Halli’s asleep, and hurt. Maybe we should wait until morning. Those men aren’t going anywhere.”

  Joe stood, too. “We should go soon. You and Halli can stay here, the boys can handle this.”

  “Not in a million years,” I said. “I’m going with you if I have to crawl.”

  Joe sighed. “Okay. I’ll stay here with Halli. You all can portal to the cave. Paige, Alec can portal you, you’re in no shape to attempt that again today.”

  I nodded my agreement. “We’d better wake Halli and ask her. She’ll be furious if we leave without at least giving her the opportunity to come along.”

  I knelt on the floor next to where Halli lay on the couch. “Hal,” I whispered. “Hey, wake up sleepy head.” I shook her a little.

  She opened her eyes and mumbled, “I’m not sleeping.”

  I smiled. “Okay, Hal. We’re going to go back to where we trapped those men. I know you’re hurt and tired, so why don’t you stay here with Joe, and me and the boys’ll take care of things.”

  “No, I’m okay. I’m coming.” She pushed herself into a sitting position and grabbed her head. “Ow.”

  “Halli, I really think you should stay here. All we’re going to do is banish them to the Netherworld. No excitement. Stay here with Joe.”

  Her face turned a deathly pale and the eruption of puke from her throat was enough of an answer. “I miss… all… the fun,” she said between heaves.

  I patted her back. The boys all vacated the room rather quickly as the odor from the vomit, mostly green bile, invaded the room. Boys are such pansies.

  Joe gathered some towels to clean up the mess, and a bucket for any future episodes. Halli lay back down and closed her eyes. The color slowly returned to her face.

  The boys huddled in the kitchen. After I changed into my one remaining clean and/or un-ripped shirt, I joined them. Some of my energy had returned and I thought it would be a good idea to help it along with some food. The rate at which my energy had been sapped surprised me and I resolved to build strength and endurance by practicing more. I’d been slacking in my practice sessions since losing my sight, even though Joe pushed me hard, I hadn’t been giving it my all. Now that I could see again, and I wasn’t afraid I’d accidentally maim or kill one of my friends, I would put my heart and soul back into it.

  I raided Trey’s cupboards, very happy to see he had peanut butter. I gulped down a sandwich and a glass of milk—something I hadn’t been able to enjoy for far too long—then turned to the guys. “Let’s go.”

  Alec and Seth had been sitting on the bar stools, anxiously waiting for me to finish, while Johnathan paced, head down, fists clenched. They all looked up, Alec and Seth nearly tipping their stools over when they stood.

  “Finally,” Alec said under his breath.

  I leveled a steely gaze at him. “Sorry. Not everyone was able to enjoy a nice Italian meal like you and your girlfriends.” The memory of seeing Johnathan with another girl made my heart hurt. I pressed a hand to my chest involuntarily.

  Johnathan looked away, his face going red.

  “Paige, I’m—”

  I pinned Alec with a homicidal look, halting his words. “Let’s go. Portal to the cave, we’ll make a plan there.”

  I took Alec’s hand in mine. Before I could even prepare myself, we were sucked into the void and spit out at the designated spot.

  I shook my head. “Wow. You’re good at that.”

  Seth and Johnathan appeared almost simultaneously, Johnathan beating him by just a couple of seconds.

  “Show us where they are, Paige,” Johnathan said, low and menacing.

  “Follow me. We’ll have to figure out a way to get in there. We blocked it off pretty good.”

  I led them on the short hike that ended when the narrow trail between cliffs became blocked by the massive rock wall Halli and I created.

  “Wow,” Seth said. “Good job, Paige.”

  “I was angry.”

  “Yeah,” Seth replied, staring at the devastation with mouth wide open.

  “How are we going to get in there? It’ll take hours to climb.” Johnathan’s anxiousness annoyed me. I wanted to get in there and finish them off, too, but my anger at Johnathan was grating.

  I swallowed. “Well, portalling is out, right? Since I’m the only one that’s been in there?”

  Seth looked up at the high cliff. “Maybe we could levitate up and over?”

  “Nah, I’m not very good at levitation.” Alec shook his head.

  “Don’t worry, Alice. I’d be happy to levitate you up and over,” I said. “Down, though? I’m not so sure about down. I wouldn’t expect a nice soft landing if I were you.”

  He opened his mouth then closed it. “I said I was sorry, jeez.”

  Johnathan wouldn’t look me in the eye. “Maybe Alec could portal in with you, Paige. You could link with him so he could portal but use your recollection of the place. You two would have to subdue the… men and then Alec could come back out and get me and then Seth.”

  The thought of being alone in there with those bottom dwellers for even a few seconds made me shudder. But I didn’t want the boys to know I was scared. “That could possibly work,” I said, without acknowledging Johnathan.

  “Let’s do this, then,” Alec said.

  “Does anyone have any better ideas?” I asked, still worried about being alone.

  I took their silence to mean no.

  I sighed and turned to Alec. “Have you ever done this before? Linked with someone to portal?”

  “Yeah. Joe and I have done it a few times.”

  “Okay. There are three of them left. They’re somewhat beat up but they all look and fight like cage fighters. We’ll have to incapacitate them quickly. Be prepared to throw a binding spell.”

  Alec nodded and pulled his channeling rod from his belt. He held out his hand and I grabbed it. Before I could close my eyes to link with him, Johnathan said, “Be careful. I love you, Paige.”

  I involuntarily squeezed Alec’s hand as my broken heart faltered at Johnathan’s words. I closed my eyes and concentrated on linking magic with Alec. Energy flowed through my hand to his, then I sent an image of the inside of the rock prison through the link. The link flowed both ways and I felt Alec take hold of the image. As soon as he had it, we were pulled into the void and spit out into the center of the ring.

  I stumbled as my feet hit the ground. Large chunks of rock flew at us from three directions. I raised my shield bracelet and deflected most of them.

  One obviously got through to Alec because he cussed. “Ouch, you son of a…” He threw a powerful binding spell at the man who’d flung the rock that hit him. I threw one at the guy nearest me then quickly looked around for the third one.

  “Where’s the other one?” Alec asked, moving around in circles trying to find him.

 
; I looked at the two men struggling on the ground and groaned. “It’s Grease Ball. The one who… yeah. He’s the one that’s missing. Maybe he’s dead,” I said hopefully.

  “Let’s find out.” Alec jogged over to one side of the pile of rubble. I started toward the other side.

  A pebble hit the dirt to my left. I swiveled in that direction and blasted the vacant ground with a blue bolt of electricity. I realized my mistake a split second too late as two enormous, greasy hands grabbed me around the waist. Grease Ball, wedged into a small opening between a couple of fallen rocks, pulled me tight against him, using my body to cover his.

  His arms wrapped around my abdomen so tight I could barely breathe. I tried to pull his hands away but it was useless. I couldn’t even use the defense of a head butt—I would have just smashed my head against the rocks if I’d tried. “Alec,” I squeaked out. “A little help here?”

  He ran over and stopped when he saw my predicament.

  I heard Johnathan’s worried voice bounce off the high rock walls as if he stood right next to me. “What’s going on in there? Paige? Alec?” That’s how the thugs had known we were coming, they’d been able to hear everything we’d said.

  “We ran into a bit of a snag. But, everything’ll be under control momentarily Johnny Boy.” Alec yelled, even though it wasn’t necessary to yell. The walls were like an amphitheater.

  “Paige?” Johnathan called frantically.

  I couldn’t answer him. I could barely get enough air to keep from passing out. My mind worked frenziedly to try to figure a way out of this without toppling the mountain of teetering rocks down on top of all of us. I could see Alec’s mind going through the same thought process.

  Grease Ball tightened his vise even more and said nasally, “You’re gonna pay for breakin’ my freakin’ nose, girl.” Keeping his grip with one arm he moved the hand of the other one up to my face, stopping to grope my chest painfully along the way.

  Before he could carry out whatever he had planned, I grabbed the hand that had violated me and bent it back in a hold Halli taught me. His grip on my waist tightened and he let out a grunt of pain as his fingers nearly touched the back of his forearm. Alec saw his opening. He lunged forward and touched his blasting rod to the arm around my waist and said, “Cludere,” which made Grease Ball’s entire body go limp. I jumped out of the way as he fell forward onto his already fractured face.

  I stomped on the fingers of his groping hand. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

  Alec was humanitarian enough to tip the loser’s head to the side with a nudge of his foot so the creep could breath.

  “Hey! You guys gonna let us know what’s going on in there?” Seth yelled. “Johnathan’s freaking out. He’s gonna break through these rocks any second.”

  “Everything’s fine. I’ll be out to escort him in in the blink of an eye.” Alec winked at me, closed his eyes and faded out of existence.

  I threw a double binding spell on the prostrate Grease Ball. I started to walk over to check on the other bound men, forgetting how fast Alec could portal. He and Johnathan appeared right in front of me and I stepped right into Johnathan. His arms came around me instantly in a ferocious clench that closed around my arms and pulled me up off my feet.

  He lowered his face into the hair near my ear and whispered hoarsely, “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. Now, put me down.”

  He gave one last squeeze before obeying.

  I stepped back without looking at him and said to Alec, “You’d better go get Seth before he tries to climb in here.”

  Alec nodded and looked at Johnathan with raised eyebrows before disappearing again.

  “What happened?” Johnathan asked.

  I answered in monotone. “They were waiting for us. I’m sure they could hear us coming for quite a while. They spread out and threw rocks at us when we appeared. I blocked most of them with a shield. We couldn’t find the ring-leader. I made a mistake and he got a hold of me from his hiding place in the rocks over there. Alec helped, I got away, and there he lays, paralyzed and bound.”

  “Did he hurt you?” His soft voice dripped with danger.

  “Not really. The worst part was that he groped me a little.” I knew I shouldn’t have told him, but I kind of wanted to see what he’d do.

  “He… he groped you? He… touched you… again?” The fury rose in his voice and in the redness of his face.

  He strode over to the mewling coward and rolled him over onto his back. Johnathan grabbed him by the shirt and lifted his torso up, head lolling back on his limp neck. Grease Ball’s eyes bulged in fear as spittle ran from the corner of his mouth. “I should kill you right now. I should send you to your maker. You will pay dearly for laying your filthy hands on her.

  “Paige, unbind him.”

  “What? Why would I do that?”

  “Because I’m going to show him what I think of perverts that get a thrill out of hurting girls and I don’t want it to be said that I wailed on a helpless dope.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Let’s just do what we planned with him. Seth and Alec should be in here by now. What’s taking them so long?”

  “I told them to give us a few minutes alone.” Johnathan ducked his head and dropped Grease Ball back to the ground.

  “Why?” I spat. I wasn’t ready for any alone time. I just wanted to get this over with and go home to check on Halli. And, finally slip in between the sheets of my new bed—wearing Trey’s silk shirt as a nightgown just for spite.

  “I need to explain about today.” Johnathan pleaded.

  “No. I don’t want to hear it. This isn’t exactly the place for that anyway.” I tipped my head back and yelled, “Come on you two, get in here!”

  “Paige, please…” Johnathan begged. I refused to look at his face. I might cave in if I did.

  “No. Not here.”

  He sighed. “Will you please remove the binding spell at least?”

  Alec and Seth appeared.

  “Do it yourself.” I walked away and started to examine the rock wall.

  “It’s easier if the person who cast the spell removes it. Please? I need to release some of this anger.”

  I thought about it. I honestly did. It would have been good therapy for me to see Johnathan pummel that freak-show. But my desire to get this horrible day over with won out. “No. Let’s do what we came here to do. I’m tired and hurt and I want to go home.”

  Johnathan kicked Grease Ball in the ribs hard enough to crack several of them. He cried out like a broken-nosed baby.

  Johnathan dragged Grease Ball to the center of the enclosure. Alec and Seth did the same with the other two. They arranged the whimpering men head to feet. I drew the circle around them and closed it with a drop of my blood.

  One of the burned men, eyes wide with fear, whined, “What are you doing? What are you gonna do to us?”

  I smiled. “No less than you deserve.”

  “Witch, please,” another one of them cried. “It was Carl’s idea. We didn’t do nothin’. We didn’t even touch you.”

  I bent down to look him in the eye. “You”—I pointed—“You are one of the ones who knocked Halli out. It was really brave of you to hit a little girl, you sniveling monster.”

  I stood and walked slowly around the circle as I chanted the words that would send them to their own personal hell. I wanted to see each of their faces before they went. “Lacio… expello… locus… exigo.”

  The ground opened up beneath them. They floated, suspended between the two realms for a few seconds. Then, they were sucked into the Netherworld as the gateway closed on their terrified screams.

  lec didn’t even seem phased in the slightest from portalling so many times in such a short period. I felt almost as tired as I’d been earlier. I slumped to the ground, hugged my knees to my chest, dropped my head to my knees, and cried.

  Now that it was over and the fatigue returned, images from the last several hours came crashing do
wn on my fragile mind. The crumpled and broken body of the man I’d killed when I blasted him away from me. Halli’s unconscious form, knife poised above her throat. The putrid smell of Grease Ball’s breath in my face—alcohol, stale cigarettes, and rotten teeth. I gagged as the memory of his mouth on mine flashed, unbidden and unwanted.

  Johnathan sat beside me and pulled me to him. I sobbed and allowed him to hold me until the memory of his betrayal resurfaced. I pushed him away and wiped the tears from my cheeks with a wince when my hands brushed across the bruised flesh. “Don’t.” I stared at the ground. “You don’t get to comfort me.”

  “Paige—”

  I interrupted Johnathan’s pleading and looked up at Alec. “Will you please portal me back to the house? I don’t think I have the energy to make it there on my own.”

  He nodded, uncharacteristically silent.

  I stood and held my hand out to him. He took it and we were standing in the kitchen of the house before I had time to blink.

  I let a brief moment of dizziness pass before I walked wearily to the living room where Halli lay on the couch, Joe sitting in a chair next to her.

  “How’s she doing?”

  “Better. She’s asleep again. I made her drink a little chicken broth and so far she’s kept it down. How did things go?”

  “Mostly as planned. They’re in the Netherworld. I hope they enjoy their stay.”

  Seth and Johnathan came through the front door. They must have portalled into the yard. I turned and walked wearily toward my room.

  “Where are you going?” Joe asked.

  “To take a shower and get some much needed rest. Please, no one bug me until morning—late morning—unless it’s very, very important.”

  There was no lock on my door, but I didn’t need one. I shot a locking spell at the doorknob. No one would be opening that door until I wanted it opened. I turned the shower as hot as I could stand it, then turned it up a little more. I scrubbed my skin nearly raw, paying particular attention to the areas Grease Ball had touched me. I’d never been so glad to see my toothbrush as I pulled it from my dusty backpack. I brushed my teeth, gargled, and repeated the process a few more times.