The Iron Sword

by J. M. Briggs

  “Thanks, that’d be helpful.”

  “Guys,” Bran called. “Things are clearing out.”

  There were still lots of people near them, but the packed and racked crowds were gone. Standing up, he stretched out his hands and wiggled his fingers in the empty space. They gathered up the blankets they’d borrowed from Nicki’s grandmother to pad the seats and headed for the doorways.

  Parking Lot A was a mess, full of cheering students and families trying to find their cars. Aiden knew that the other two parking lots that served the stadium had to be just as bad. At least parking lot C was across the street and thus would be a little calmer.

  “This way,” Nicki called, grabbing Alex’s hand and steering her around the massive stadium.

  Aiden and Bran followed along behind as they walked around the curved sidewalk that connected the various entrances. Then up ahead, Aiden caught sight of Arthur leaning against the side of the stadium near Entrance C. His blond hair was still slightly damp and he looked exhausted but grinned as he caught sight of them.

  Alex rushed forward and Arthur caught her up in a tight hug. Stepping away from the building, he swung Alex around twice before setting her back down on the ground. Aiden raised an eyebrow; he’d never seen anyone actually do that in real life, but Alex was grinning and Arthur looked just as silly happy.

  “Good game Arthur,” Aiden shouted.

  “Thanks for coming guys,” Arthur said, turning towards her and putting his arm around Alex’s shoulders. “Hope you had fun.”

  “We had a good time,” Nicki replied with a smile. “But we’ve seen Alex to you and I feel ready to drop.”

  “I get that,” Arthur agreed with a nod. “Thanks for walking her over here,” Arthur added more seriously.

  “‘Course,” Nicki answered. “Just make sure you get her home okay.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Arthur assured her with a small salute even as Alex rolled her eyes. But she lost interest in them and looked up at Arthur with a wide smile.

  “Come on,” Aiden told the others. “Let’s go.”

  They got stuck in the flow of people heading away from the stadium as they crossed the street into Parking Lot C. The noise around them consisted of people talking and car horns honking as everyone tried to leave the area all at once. Turning away from University Drive, Aiden led the others down the sidewalk that connected the collection of buildings together. The parking lot was still full and cheers could be heard echoing in the dark night. Aiden glanced over to a red car with a pair of students perched on the top, beers in hand. Shaking his head, he sighed ‘freshman’ softly. The police would find them soon enough he reassured himself.

  A long sidewalk stretched out of the parking lot and led into the small lawn area between the Music Building and the Math Building and continued beyond. It was a quiet route, away from the honking horns of football fans and the risk of careless drivers. Plus after being stuck in the large shifting and noisy crowd, Aiden figured they’d all be grateful for the peace. Aiden walked along beside Bran, moving at a slower pace to match the rhythm of Bran’s own steps. Nicki was just behind him and he heard the soft beeps of her cell phone.

  “Anything interesting?” he asked her, seeking a topic of conversation.

  “Nah, just Alex telling me she won’t be home,” Nicki replied before a small sound escaped her. “Uh, I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Bran said calmly. “You didn’t mean to and it’s not like we’ll give her a hard time about it.”

  “You’d better not,” Nicki replied sternly before she made a shivering sound. “Man, winter is trying to move in quickly.”

  “It is October,” Aiden remarked, but he shifted slightly to zip up his own jacket. “But it does seem colder than before.”

  “We’re out of the crowds now,” Bran remarked. “And closer to the lake; that’s probably helping us feel colder.”

  “Yeah…” Nicki said slowly.

  Aiden was suddenly aware of how alone they seemed to be. The sidewalks stretching towards the dorms were empty despite the football game just ending. It wasn’t late enough on a Saturday night to explain the strange absence of other people. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm down only to see his breath wisp out in front of him.

  “Guys,” Nicki whispered with a slight quiver in her voice. “I think we have a problem.”

  “Sídhe or Shadow?” Bran asked carefully, adjusting his pace and looking around carefully.

  “Shadow, we’re suddenly cold,” Aiden decided. “Do you think we can make the dorms?”

  “I doubt it,” Nicki answered in a low voice. “But keep moving.”

  They rushed from streetlight to streetlight in small bursts of speed that had Bran panting. Aiden was stepping forward again; the Holmes dorm parking lot was in view ahead of them with the lights of Holmes Hall just beyond that. He hit what felt like a wall of icy air that forced the air from his lungs. Gasping, he stumbled back and shivered.

  “Shit!” Bran huffed, pointing into the darkness just outside the streetlight.

  Then Aiden saw movement in the shadows as the air rippled. The Shadow slinked towards them, its movement deliberate and slow as its glowing red eyes were fixed on him. Aiden struggled to stay upright as he stumbled back. On instinct, he called a fireball to his right hand, the burst of heat thawing the chill that was threatening to take over him.

  “Aiden no!” Nicki shouted nearby, her voice ringing in the air. “No fire!”

  The words cut through the confusion that was settling over him, replacing the disorientation and fear with terror. His most natural form of magic was useless and suddenly he couldn’t remember how to use anything else. Aiden felt his fingers twitch painfully, an icy sensation crawling over them and making them ache and difficult to move. It was getting hard to breathe all of a sudden.

  This must have been like what fighting the Sídhe was like for Alex before she could use her magic, he suddenly thought. The stray realization gave him a burst of energy and he reached to his back, pushing up the hem of his jacket enough to reach the holster of his iron dagger. He had no idea if the iron would affect this thing at all, but the terror eased slightly as he gripped the weapon in his hand.

  The Shadow wasn’t deterred by the sight of the iron dagger as Aiden brought it forward. It lunged towards him and Aiden felt his body begin to shift, ready to jump to the side. Something cold and hard slashed across his side making him flinch in pain. A blast of icy air hit his face and hands just as a spear of ice thrust into the side of the creature.

  “Get back Aiden!” Nicki shouted before another ice spear embedded itself in the Shadow’s neck.

  The Shadow screamed at the impact, stumbling to the side as its front limbs began to give out on it. As before, Aiden could see ice crystals spreading over the creature’s body. Then it began to vanish, the cloak of darkness that was surrounding them lifting and exposing the Shadow to the light of the streetlight. It was gone in a second, so quickly that Aiden had barely seen it vanishing. He looked down at his side where the creature had gotten him and realized with surprise that he was bleeding.

  “Everyone okay?” Aiden asked, gripping the gash in his side carefully.

  For a moment he lamented the destruction of his jacket but was also grateful for even the limited protection it may have given him. Maybe it was time to invest in a leather coat; it was always worth an armor point in the games. A hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts just as he was realizing that he wasn’t altogether there anymore.

  “It’s okay Aiden,” Nicki told him gently. “You’re hurt, but it isn’t too deep. Come on let’s get to the dorms and I’ll patch you up.”

  “I’ll call Morgana,” Bran said from nearby, but Aiden couldn’t see him. “She can help Nicki heal you.”

  “It’s been awhile,” Nicki muttered distantly.

  “You can do it,” Bran told her, encouragingly.

  “I trust you,” Aiden hea
rd himself say as he smiled softly. “You’re a natural at it.”

  “That’s sweet of you to say,” Nicki replied even as she shook her head. “But it is stressful, kind of scary and exhausting. I hope you never have to do it.”

  In the corner of his eye, Aiden finally caught sight of Bran as his friend made an odd little shiver with a look of confusion. Bran shook his head and stepped up next to Aiden, ready to support him on his shaky feet as they headed for the dormitory. Aiden sighed gratefully as the icy chill around them faded away, but internally lamented how useless he’d been in that fight. He’d just have to learn to call on his magic in other forms while in a stressful position. He wouldn’t freeze like that again.

  14

  Catching Jenny Up

  Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Alex stepped inside Central Diner and fought off a sense of unease. The loud fifties style diner was crowded with students and the sound of laughter filled the air. It was so normal and non-threatening that Alex was able to relax a little as she looked around.

  “Can I help you honey?” an older waitress asked as she moved over to her.

  “Uh I’m meeting someone,” Alex told her just before her eyes landed on Jenny sitting alone in a small booth. Her old roommate was busy tapping away on her cell phone and hadn’t noticed her. “I just found her, thanks.”

  “Okay, someone will be over to take your order in a few minutes,” the waitress told her before rushing off to a rowdy table.

  Alex shifted the small gift bag in her hand and took a deep breath before she forced herself to smile and start walking. The diner seemed strangely long, but all too soon she was at the table and slid into the bench seat across from Jenny. She was a little touched when Jenny slipped her phone into the pocket of her purse, out of sight. Alex noted that Jenny was wearing her favorite autumn shirt, a good sign, but the nervous knot in her stomach was still there.

  “Hi, Jenny, happy early birthday,” Alex greeted with forced cheerfulness.

  “Hi, Alex,” Jenny replied giving her an uneasy smile. “Thank you.”

  Setting the bag down, Alex relaxed as a spark of interest and excitement flashed in Jenny’s eyes. Jenny tentatively reached for it only to pause and withdraw her hand. Her former roommate looked at her and chuckled softly, a resigned look in her eyes.

  “It’s weird isn’t it?”

  “A bit,” Alex admitted with a nod, shrugging out of her jacket. “But I suppose that’s natural.”

  “Maybe, but let’s force our way past it,” Jenny suggested, tossing her long dark hair over her shoulder. “How are you?”

  “Good,” Alex replied with a small nod. “I’m staying really busy between fencing club and the intramural soccer team and the other stuff. Soccer will be wrapped up next week, but we’ve had a good run and gotten further in the tournament than we did last year. And I think I’m going to do okay during midterms so I can’t complain. You?”

  “About the same, I love my broadcasting class and I’m excited for the more advanced stuff. I hate macroeconomics and can’t wait for it to be over. Spirit squad is keeping me busy. It’s harder than it was in high school since we can do more difficult techniques, but I like the training. A lot of the girls are really nice and one of them, Amanda, and I go shopping together every other Saturday. It’s nice to have friends to hang with again.” Jenny’s eyes widened as she realized what she said and Alex did her best to hide her own flinch. “But… uh, I’m a little worried about the astronomy test. Otherwise, I think I’m going to be okay in midterms,” Jenny finished with a brave face and charming smile.

  Alex inwardly grimaced; she’d lived with Jenny for months without separate rooms. She was more than capable of seeing past Jenny’s little acts, in fact, her former roommate seemed to be losing her touch.

  “I’m taking astronomy too, I could help you study. I’m doing well in that class” Alex offered with a cautious smile. “Who’s your teacher?”

  “Professor Chohan, he’s nice, but I just don’t get. Who’s yours?”

  “Professor Clarke. Listen, Nicki and I are in the same lab so she could help too if you wanted.”

  “Well if you think she’d be okay with helping me,” Jenny answered carefully. “I’d appreciate the help. I really want to do well and get my science requirements out of the way. But I don’t want to make things hard on you with the others.”

  “Jenny, look Nicki understands that what happened… a lot of things were happening outside your control. You can’t keep beating yourself up for that. I’m sure that Nicki would be glad to help you study if you needed it. But we can start with just the two of us.”

  “Thank you,” Jenny replied in a softer voice with a small smile. “You’re a good friend Alex. I know that last year must have been hard on you too.”

  “It’s the past now,” Alex insisted, not wanting to dwell on it. “I’m just glad to be able to talk with you again. I know we weren’t the best of friends, but it always seemed like we… I don’t know, clicked.”

  “Yeah,” Jenny agreed with a real smile now. “I know what you mean. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shut you out and if I ever gave you the impression that I blamed you-”

  “I blamed myself,” Alex interrupted. “But that’s just me Jenny, that’s not on you.”

  They barely noticed their waitress walk up. It was a girl about their age who looked frazzled. Pausing the conversation, Alex looked over the menu she’d neglected since her arrival. There was nothing new since the last time she’d been here with Arthur and she settled on her usual. Alex ordered a burger while Jenny ordered a salad and sandwich. As their waitress nodded and vanished into the bustle of people, Alex gave Jenny a teasing look. In her opinion, it was a serious waste to come to a classic burger diner and not get a burger.

  “I’m on spirit squad; we’ve got a healthy diet and workout system, just like the football players,” Jenny informed her, cutting off her teasing.

  “Speaking of football players-” Alex started to ask before she thought better of it and slammed her mouth shut.

  “Lance says hello when he sees me,” Jenny informed her in a calm voice. “After the homecoming game, he actually asked me out.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said no,” Jenny told her firmly, shaking her head and appearing much more relaxed with the topic than Alex was. “Lance just… he accepts all this. It doesn’t bother him at all from what I can see.”

  “Jenny, he might just want to be with you regardless,” Alex offered gently in a soft pleading voice.

  “I have no intention of letting a former lifetime control this one,” Jenny informed her with a darkening expression. “I let it happen once and it cost me Arthur and nearly got him killed.” Jenny grimaced at her own words and sighed loudly. “I’m sticking my foot in my mouth tonight, aren’t I? Please understand Alex, that I don’t regret Arthur and my relationship ending. It was time, we’d both changed, but I regret the way it ended. In all honesty, I think that’s part of why things happened the way they did with Lance. I loved Arthur, still do in many ways, but the passion I had for him in high school just started to fade away. I know that it isn’t responsible and mature, but in hindsight, it probably turned out about as well as I was willing to let it back then. I just couldn’t commit to ending the relationship.”

  “Of course,” Alex assured her, trying to not look too relieved. There was a little part of her that pointed out how beautiful Jenny was and how much history she and Arthur had far too often. She forced herself to smile and cleared her throat. “But he and I both would like to know that you’re happy and okay. Arthur still loves you in some ways and I consider you one of my friends.”

  “I’m getting there, one day at a time,” Jenny assured her. “I’ve got activities I’m taking part in now, I’m volunteering at the soup kitchen, I’m making more friends, you and I are talking again and I… I guess I’ve almost forgiven myself.”

  “You should forgive yourself.”
/>   “I’m Catholic,” Jenny replied with a short laugh. “Forgiving myself takes some time.”

  “Gee, makes me glad I’m not religious,” Alex muttered incredulously. “‘Course I don’t know how I’d figure all the stuff I see now with that.”

  “It’s a bit weird, I’ll admit, knowing that there are different worlds, but I have faith so it doesn’t bother me.”

  “Okay I guess, if it works for you,” Alex said, still slightly stunned before she laughed. “But anyway it’s good to hear that you’re doing okay.”

  “I am. How are the others?”

  “Arthur is good: his classes are going well despite his football schedule, and you saw homecoming, it was awesome.”

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t just Arthur I was asking about,” Jenny reminded her. “How are the others?”