by Terry Spear
He just gave them a dark smile, and Hunter realized he was joking.
Everyone peeled out of their winter wear once they were inside, and a man took their cold weather gear and put it in a coat room.
“I’m visiting you lots,” Alana said.
“This summer for two months, right?” her dad said.
“Yeah.”
“And me.” Hunter had thought he’d be demon hunting, but he couldn’t leave Alana here for that long without seeing her.
“Absolutely,” Pappalios said. He motioned to a large living area full of couches and a wide-screen TV. “Make yourself at home, while we take care of the injured.”
Bentos went for the controller.
Hunter stayed with Alana and Celeste. “You make a lot of money as a gate guardian?” Hunter asked her dad.
“Yes. People pay me to locate family members who have been taken into a portal from the surrounding area. I’d like to say what I do is purely magnanimous, but as the humans are fond of saying, we have to pay the bills.”
Alana, Hunter, and her dad watched through a viewing window as Celeste was being x-rayed.
“But you don’t rescue everyone,” Hunter said.
“Can’t. It takes time to pinpoint where they’ve gone, even after I’ve located where the portal had opened in our world. Once I’ve done that, it may take me some time, months or years even, to locate where the individual has gone. Or individuals, as the case maybe.”
“What about Jared’s parents?” Alana asked.
“Nobody hired me to check into it. A gate guardian might not have been living in his region at the time, but I would think Jared’s uncle would know something about that.”
“We didn’t know how all of this worked from your side,” Alana said.
“Yeah, but his uncle said nothing about it.” Which Hunter thought was odd. “Jared just turned nineteen.” Which reminded Hunter he needed to do something about celebrating it.
“When did this happen?” Alana asked, sounding annoyed with him.
“Sorry. We should have celebrated it. Two days ago. We were saving demons about that time and it slipped my mind.”
“We’ll have a special celebration here,” Pappalios said.
“Okay, so what would the situation have been, let’s say twenty years ago? Jared’s uncle said Jared hadn’t been born yet when his parents were taken,” Hunter said.
“Mortimer was there at one time. He might have already died before then. We don’t have gate guardians for all regions. Not enough of us to go around. So you have been a godsend in Earth world.”
Alana frowned. “But I don’t get paid. I’m still in school, but if I was paid for everyone I”—she cast a glance at Hunter and took hold of his hand—"we rescued, we could earn a living and still do a good deed. Otherwise, we’re all going to have to go to work somewhere. We won’t have time always to do this. Not if we need to support ourselves.”
“I’ll have my financial manager handle it. He’ll have to coordinate with the regent ruler to let him know what you’re doing in Earth world and that the people who have been returned, need their families to pay for your assistance. It might seem unfair that the summoners have done this, but, as long as the demons can be returned unharmed to this world, anyone involved in the work should be paid. You can’t expect to do this without earning a living at it. All gate guardians are paid. Yours is just an exceptional case because you rescue them without anyone asking you to do so. But they’ve wanted to return, so it’s not like you’re forcing this on them. They’re forced to go to Earth world.”
“What about if the family can’t afford to pay for them?” Alana asked.
“The state has a fund for cases like that. The regent rulers don’t expect us to work for free.”
She smiled. “Yes! I thought I was going to be stuck ghostbusting with my mom.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it. Not after everyone sees the news about what you did today.”
An x-ray technician wheeled Celeste out of the room, and Celeste smiled at them. “Good news. They don’t have to rebreak the bones. Jared’s uncle was able to set them perfectly, and you helped them to begin to heal,” she said to Alana. “I’m off to the cast room. I’m glad, but this puts a damper on my surfing plans.”
“That is good news.” Alana looked hopeful hers would be just as good as she walked into the x-ray room to have her arm scanned.
Hunter was quiet then, watching Alana.
“You make a great team. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you,” Pappalios said, and handed Hunter two gold rings, both etched with strange symbols. “Wear them in good health.”
Hunter smiled. “Thanks.”
“And, don’t tell Alana I said so, but once you wear them, you’re mated. She needs your protection. She doesn’t think she does, but she does.”
“What about the astral travel business?” Hunter asked. “That’s what gets her into the most trouble.”
“I’ll work with her after dinner to share a technique that can help. But she’ll have to practice at it.”
Alana came out of the x-ray room all smiles. “Like with Celeste, the doctor did a great job setting my arm. I need to go to the cast room. Coming?”
“I’ll see to our guests,” Pappalios said, “and dinner. And a birthday party.” He gave her a warm hug. Then he left and Hunter and Alana headed for the room where Celeste had gone.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to have your arm rebroken. Come to think of it, Jared needs to have his ribs checked out.”
Alana shook her head. “I forgot all about them. But he seemed to be able to help everyone just fine.”
“Sometimes demons lie.” Hunter escorted her into the casting room, and she took a seat to wait for her turn. “I’ll be right back.”
He headed to the living area and found everyone glued to the news. Picture after picture flashed across the screen of Alana and him rescuing people from the train car in peril, and the other that had crashed into the ravine. More pictures of everyone helping to organize supplies, Bentos taking charge, even of the small group of friends trying to rescue Celeste from beneath the train.
Witness statements were offered next, and Hunter shook his head. “Glad I don’t live here permanently. I could see us being hounded by news reporters.”
“They’re already outside the gates,” Pappalios said.
Then videos and photos showed the touching moment when Hunter unzipped his parka and pulled out a kitten to show Alana, the last one rescued from the train car wrecked below. And a picture of him handing the kitten over to the twelve-year-old, twin girls he’d rescued.
Most disturbing was seeing the crashing of the car on top of the other, the train bridge shaking, Alana falling, him falling, and her finally stopping their fall.
“Who was taking all these videos and photos? I thought everyone was helping,” Hunter said.
“A historical documenter. She was on our car,” Wendell said. “She’s famous, an older woman, and unable to help much, except for documenting what happened, both for us to learn the truth, and the train department to use for conducting its investigation of the accident. There are brief videos shot by passengers of the derailment. She would be providing those to the investigator’s office.”
Jared shook his head. “I didn’t know how far you and Alana had dropped before she was able to regain her ability to levitate the two of you.”
Pappalios let out his breath. “That is going to give me nightmares for ages.”
“Hey,” Hunter said to Jared. “You need to come with me.”
“Yeah, sure. Are Alana and Celeste okay?”
“Yeah, no rebreaking their bones. They’re getting casts right now.” Hunter didn’t want any of the others to know that he wanted Jared to have his ribs x-rayed.
When they arrived at the x-ray room, Hunter asked the technician, “Can you check out my friend? His ribs were bruised, maybe, but we need to make sure there aren�
�t any breaks.”
Jared looked resigned to do this.
“Sure, come in here.”
Once the technician had taken the photographs and had the radiologist look over them, he came to speak with Jared. “You have hairline cracks on two of your ribs. There’s not much we can do for them. Within a couple of weeks, it should be healed.”
“Could be up to six weeks if you were human,” Hunter said.
“Want to sign my casts?” Celeste asked, as she was wheeled out of the cast room.
“Yeah, me first,” Jared said. “I…just need something to write with.”
Hunter went in to watch as Alana’s arm was casted.
“Did you mention anything about how someone might have hired a gate guardian to find Jared’s parents?” Alana asked him.
“No, but I had them check his ribs. Two have hairline fractures.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
“He’ll be perfectly healed in a couple of weeks.”
“Okay.”
Her cast done, she held it up to Hunter. “Do the honors?”
Hunter glanced at the technician. She smiled and handed him a purple marker.
He frowned at it.
“Oh, do it. Purple’s my favorite color,” Alana said.
“You know I’m a Matusa, don’t you?”
She laughed. “Yeah. Always.”
He wrote in the biggest message he could: Mine. Love, Hunter
She laughed and wrapped her good arm around him. “I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I love you right back. But my dad’s sure to be a terror if we don’t eat soon.”
“What about you?”
“Me too.”
She chuckled and they joined the others in the living area. He thought by now they’d be watching something else, but it was just one news story after another, interviews from everyone they had saved, tears in two of the mothers’ eyes whose babies he’d rescued. Video clips of him handing one of the babies to his father. Bentos looking horrified for a moment, but then holding the baby close to his chest for warmth and protection.
Bentos let out his breath in exasperation. “I will never be able to live this down.”
Hunter laughed. Alana smiled.
“Are we ready to eat?” Bentos suddenly said, noticing Alana was done with her cast.
Wendell looked a little glum and said, “Hey, thanks for everything. I’ve got to run and see my parents. I should have before this, but…just thanks.”
“I’ll have my butler take you to their house in the loaner van,” Pappalios said.
To everyone’s astonishment, Wendell gave Celeste a hug and a kiss. “Thanks for saving me from the Matusa.”
She looked even more surprised than everyone else.
Then the butler showed up and said, “This way, sir.”
When Wendell and the butler left the house, Samson turned to Celeste, “Should I have socked him for kissing you like that?”
She only smiled, pulled a pink marker out of her pocket, and said, “Autograph?”
15
After dinner, and a special birthday cake created for Jared, promises of birthday presents when they returned home, everyone watched Demon Ninjas on TV, except Alana and her father. He was teaching her meditation skills in another room, relaxing music playing overhead, candles burning, the lights down low. He was trying to teach her how to block the pull of a portal while in mid-flight on an airplane, or at other untenable times.
She had her eyes closed, sitting on a pillow, hands resting on her knees, thinking of a blue, tranquil lake, birds tweeting and singing in nearby pine trees, and colorful monarch butterflies flittering about milkweed flowers. Meditating. Until she sensed Hunter leaning against the doorjamb to the room, watching her. She smiled.
“She’s supposed to be concentrating on meditation,” her dad told Hunter.
“She needs to learn to be able to control her astral travel even with distractions…like me, appear.”
“She will. Eventually. She needs to practice at it.”
Hunter began to jangle something in his pocket.
She ignored him. He jangled something again.
She frowned at him.
“Good, you’re back for a moment. After all you’ve been through today, you need a break. Just to relax.”
“No, I don’t. This is much more relaxing than watching everyone rooting for their favorites in Demon Ninja. I need to learn how to do this.” Then she patted the mat beside her. “Why don’t you come join me?”
“The things I have to do for you.” Hunter sat down next to her.
“The things I have to do for you!”
He pulled out the two gold rings from his pocket and placed one on her finger. Before he could place the other on his, she took it from him and did the honor. They glowed for a second.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you’re a matched pair,” her dad said. “Wear them in good health. Now, I’ll see if your friends want anything else while the two of you…meditate.”
As soon as her dad left the room, Hunter pulled her onto his lap and kissed her mouth.
She smiled up at him. “Now this is what I call…meditating.”
He finally broke free of the kiss and frowned. “What was the business with the Matusa? Viton?”
“You were supposed to save me! But I had to save myself.”
“Well, if you wouldn’t keep appearing at portals.”
“Which means I need to learn what my dad wants me to learn.”
“We’ll do it together. We’ll make it a routine. And when you come back in the summer, you’ll have it down pat by then.”
Jared came running into the room. “We’re famous! Well, you’re famous! The two of you!”
“Now what?” Hunter asked.
“It’s…it’s all because of you. Three gate guardians heard the news about you and Alana saving all those people and how she’s a gate guardian too. And they saw the one interview I gave where I was searching for where my parents had gone.”
“Don’t tell me they offered to search for them if you paid them,” Alana said. “We would do it for free.”
“No. I mean, yes, they’re all doing it because of the news report. Because of what I did to help also. But they’re doing it for free.”
“The regent rulers will pay for it,” Hunter said, smiling. “According to Alana’s father.”
“It doesn’t matter. It means they’ll help.”
“Gate guardians. Why didn’t your uncle call for a gate guardian to locate them when they disappeared?” Alana asked, getting off Hunter’s lap.
He quickly joined her.
“He did. Miguel, one of the ones, looked, but he couldn’t find them. For two years he looked. Whenever he’s in that area, he looks. After learning that my parents had a son, who lost them, he’s renewing his effort and calling others to help with the search. Isn’t that great?”
“It is,” Alana said. “It’s great. But you know what? We have your fantastic demon trackers. And I think now that we know the location where they first were, we have a good chance of locating them. If they’re still in the area.”
Pappalios returned to the room. “I say we work in teams. And I can help you with honing your skills at the same time, Alana.”
Bentos cleared his throat at the doorway. “I’m willing to look for them.”
“You’re staying in Seplichus,” Hunter said.
The way his father smiled so deviously at him, Hunter was sure he had an offer to make. And he suspected what it was. Learn who his half brother was.
“Take me with you, and I’ll show you your half brother. Show you, not have you meet him. Not yet.”
“That is not a good idea,” Celeste said, Samson wheeling her into the room.
“You’ve had a vision?” Hunter asked.
“No. He’s a Matusa!” Celeste smiled sweetly at Bentos.
“See your half brother, or not.
Your choice.”
“What will you do to help us locate Jared’s parents?” Alana asked, taking hold of Hunter’s hand, as if she didn’t want him making a mistake in bringing his dad with them.
“What if they are being held by an evil warlock summoner? Or a Matusa has enslaved them? Or Hunter is scratched by a Matusa again, and you need me to save his life? Besides, another pair of eyes might see something the rest of you are missing. But she”—Bentos waved his hand dismissively at Celeste—"will have to stay behind. She can’t help like that.”
“She will be partnered with you, and you can wheel her around,” Hunter said.
“You know, I’m full Matusa, the one who is your father, and you should bow down to my will.”
Hunter smiled. “You can’t open a portal to go with us, so if you want to do this, you follow my rules.”
“I’ll go with Alana, to work with her on the astral travel business if that occurs while we’re searching for them,” her dad said.
Hunter slipped his arm around Alana. “I’ll be with her too.”
“Okay, so I guess that leaves you and me,” Jared said to Samson.
Someone knocked at the front door as they were still deciding how they would do this.
“We’ll return to the hall of records and leave from there. It’s close to our hotel,” Hunter said. “We were going to stay with Alana’s uncle, but we couldn’t reach him.”
“I would like to meet him,” Pappalios said.
“Me too,” Bentos said, “since he’s family.” He glanced down at Hunter and Alana’s rings. “You didn’t have them on before dinner.”
“It’s official,” Hunter said.
“I’ll say it is,” Bentos agreed.
“Sir,” the butler said, “Wendell’s back, and he’s brought his parents. They want to personally thank everyone involved in saving Wendell’s life and bringing him back to our world.”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Celeste started to wheel herself out of the room, but Samson took hold of the wheelchair and pushed it for her.
Everyone left then to greet Wendell’s family.
“Welcome,” Pappalios said.
“Good to see you, Pappalios,” the man said, shaking his hand.
