Mother was right. Elizabeth had nothing to be afraid of. People had traveled in cars regularly since before her parents were born. If anything, she had been waiting for this adventure, a life outside of the farm for years. But something felt…off.
She better not be getting sick from pollution. The windows of the car had been closed tight since they’d entered the city limits. The silver car’s upholstery shined bright, but a sickly odor of mold or mildew permeated the car. It could be the men in the front. The driver’s slicked-back hair looked greasy and the man next to him, with dark sunglasses, possessed an unsettling stillness.
It’s probably just homesickness. City people are bound to be different.
She yelped as the car hit a large bump in the road.
Uncle Jeremiah patted her knee. “Just a pot hole, dear.”
She pulled her sweater around her tighter. He had a sharp coldness about him. She’d never felt comfortable with him, but he offered her a future she couldn’t get back on the farm. So she ignored his heavy hand.
He probably meant to be comforting, but she felt like a child instead. She was eighteen years of age, heading to meet her future husband—not a child at all.
She hated to admit it to herself, but part of her ached for her parents. They’d seemed so distant when she said goodbye. This was their idea, though, and had been planned for years. It was for the best.
Out the car window, weathered buildings and abandoned store fronts flashed by. This run down city held no attraction for Elizabeth. Why anyone would choose to stay here was a mystery. Her thoughts traveled to her sister Rebecca, who’d run away to the city years ago, only to die at the hands of some street thug.
“Rebecca was always a wild one,” her father had often said.
Mother called it a rebellious spirit and warned Elizabeth against the same. “Even if it doesn’t have the eyes of a demon, it can still be evil.”
She worried how her parents were going to get on without both of their daughters. Once married, maybe she could live nearby her family’s homestead.
“Can you tell me about my fiancé?” she asked her uncle, hoping to ease the worry knotting in her stomach.
“He’s older. Wealthy, of course. His grace and influence is unmatched.” With a quick glance at Elizabeth, he added, “Quite handsome, too, from what the other women say.”
She tried to smile and push out the picture of a wrinkling man sitting in a mansion. Once again she had to remind herself just how lucky she was.
Countless stars watched from above as Caleb and Becca finished burying her parents. They worked hard to hide the graves near the river. She rubbed her numb hands together.
All feeling had fled into the cold air, mirroring her insides. Her tears had run dry, and no words could ever make this right.
They headed back to the basement. The flashlight trembled in her hand, bouncing along the path ahead. Revenge kept her moving, urging her to get on the road quick and find answers. Luckily, no one had come to check out the fire yet. The hollow sounds of her heels echoed across the basement.
Caleb snatched a couple bottles of water off a nearby shelf. “So how far is this witch’s house?”
“A couple hours.” She grabbed a nearby backpack and loaded it with water and food from the cupboards for the ride back. She hadn’t eaten all day and didn’t feel like it now, but had to keep her strength up. “And this witch will know something about the fires?
How strong is she?” He had a deep edge to his voice she wasn’t familiar with.
“Not terribly strong, but she does have magic. It will be difficult getting answers, especially if she doesn’t want to give them.” A bottomless ache resonated in her chest, and her determination to get answers, one way or another, grew. They finished packing supplies and headed back to the bike.
“Come to think of it.” She stopped suddenly and turned, forcing Caleb to bump into her. “Mariah will be more talkative if I’m alone.”
He started shaking his head before she finished her sentence. “You’re not going in alone. It’s too risky.”
“I know, but I’ll have a better chance by myself.” That’s what mattered.
“You’re not the only one who lost everything.” He closed the distance between them.
She lifted her chin to meet his gaze.
“It’s not worth the risk,” he said.
She steadied her emotions, the raw pain turning to anger at those responsible.
“Let me try,” she said. “I’ll keep her on the porch. And if I need help, you’ll be ready with your bow.” It was the best plan she could think of. “She could use you against me. You’re more dangerous, where she can’t see you.”
He spoke through gritted teeth, “All right. But one false move, and I’ll pin her to the door frame.”
“I’m counting on that.”
They found the bike sticking out of a nearby bush. The crash felt like an eon ago, despite the road rash burning her leg.
Caleb inspected the bike. “Will it run?”
“It better. Nikko will have my hide otherwise.” She already worried about having enough gas since Mariah’s place was miles out of the way for the trip back.
He picked up the bike. “Nikko?”
“My boss. Usually pretty reasonable, but he loves Dedra.” She yanked a branch out from the handle bars and knew there would be hell to pay. “Longest relationship he’s ever had.”
Caleb swung a leg around, taking the driver’s seat.
She pulled up short and frowned. “Umm, I think since it’s my boss’s, I better drive. This bike is worth more than my job.”
His lips pulled up in a crooked smile. “We both know who the better driver is. Plus, I gave you the last argument.”
It had been years, but the familiarity of their conversations, even their arguments summoned a soft comfort she didn’t realize she missed.
“I beat you a couple times, you know?” She’d forgotten their makeshift racing around their property.
“Because you cheat.” He turned on the engine, tuning out her rebuttal.
She rolled her eyes, threw on the backpack and his bow, and climbed on, holding on as he sped forward. Her chest tightened at the forced closeness. He wasn’t a stranger, but she’d sure changed. Was it possible to repair the damage to their friendship and start anew? She would have to think about that later, for they had a witch to visit.
Her raw throat burned from yelling directions for the last couple hours. The motorcycle slowed as she saw the flames shooting up amid the forest.
Her stomach clenched, in anger. It had to be Mariah’s house. Their only chance for answers burned in the distance. Becca rubbed the back of her neck. What happened?
They watched from the safety of the forest. The second story had collapsed in on the house. It had been burning for a while and was another controlled burn since it wasn’t spreading to the rest of the forest. Anyone who might be responsible was long gone.
Becca leaned back, putting space between them. “I shouldn’t have left without more information.”
“You had to,” he reminded her.
“Maybe.” But now the trail and any chance of answers were lost. What was the connection between her family and Mariah? The only link she could think of was herself. That wasn’t good.
“You want to wait to investigate?”
“No.” There would be nothing left.
“Where next?” Caleb asked. “We have less than a quarter tank of gas.”
There was one person who might have answers. The only wizard she really knew. Someone she’d trusted, maybe even loved once, until he lied to her repeatedly. Darion.
“I have an old acquaintance in the city. He may have some answers.” Ex-boyfriend was not something she wanted to admit, to anyone. And introducing him as such to Caleb felt even more off.
“Okay.” Caleb peeled out in the dirt and shot forward.
She held on, trying to focus. The trip back would take longer as they
had to enter at a city gate. While anyone could leave the city through the coven’s invisible wards, entrance was only possible at certain points.
Trees thinned and night had fallen as they finally approached city limits, and Dedra sputtered to a stop.
“It went farther than I thought,” she said.
They both climbed off, stretching their legs. Caleb pulled the flashlight out of the backpack.
“No light.” She pushed it down. “We don’t need any unwanted attention.”
“Right. Right,” he said putting it back. “I must be more tired than I thought.”
Even in the moonlight, Becca could see his heavy eyes and slow steps. “When’s the last time you slept?”
“You mean before I buried my parents?” His voice held no anger, just a numbness that tore at her heart and ignited her need for vengeance.
“It’s only four or so miles to the city. We can rest at my place.” Out in the open and exposed as they were, they didn’t have the luxury of rest.
He pushed Dedra down the dirt path, lining the side of the road. “Your place, huh?”
“It’s not much.”
She scanned the area but couldn’t see past the shadows of trees and bushes. She didn’t like this. They were too exposed. The cloudless night offered little cover. Going through the woods wouldn’t work, since pushing Dedra without a trail would be noisy.
Noticing Caleb’s watchful gaze, she asked. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“No, what?”
“I keep wondering if this is real, if you’re real. It’s been four years. But with you here—” He glanced at her again. “—I never thought I’d see you again.”
“Me either.” It was surreal, walking with Caleb in the forest. Yet here he was, awakening those old memories and feelings that she never thought she’d experience again. Part of her died that night when she left. The other half was scarred for life.
They continued on in silence, the bright stars shining down with unearthly promises. A disconcerting rustle sounded in the trees up ahead. Taking the bow off her back, she handed it to Caleb, more sure of his ability than hers.
“Just in case,” she whispered.
She took the backpack from him and grabbed the bike’s handles. He notched an arrow, and kept it low and ready.
About the time she began to wonder if maybe she imagined things, something rushed out from the darkness.
CHAPTER 5
A man tackled Becca to the ground, his size overwhelming. His weight crushed her, and her breath rushed out. He pressed a large branch of some kind against her chest, trapping her on her back.
How could an elephant of this size move so quietly? She fought against the make shift staff as it inched its way to her windpipe, and wished for the knife at her side.
“Get that bike out of here,” the man shouted.
She struggled and turned her head in time to see a handful of men take off with Dedra. A classic stab and grab. Thugs. Nikko was going to kill her.
Several feet away one man lay on the ground with an arrow sticking out of him, while another man rushed Caleb. There wasn’t enough time to get off a shot, so he punched him in the face. The man staggered back, and then charged forward. Caleb was strong, but these men fought dirty.
She turned back to her attacker, as anger rose bringing a sour taste to her mouth. Pressing in her heels, she pushed against his body, struggling against the man’s massive size. The movement tipped him forward just enough for her to catch the scent of rotting fish. The stomach roiling stench made her gag.
Slamming her forehead into his nose, she ignored the gushing blood and the resulting pain from the hit. Swearing, he reared back and reached for his nose, releasing the pressure on the stick at her throat. Taking advantage of his distraction, she grabbed the knife from her waist and struck repeatedly. He hollered in pain.
Rolling out from under him, she jumped to her feet ready to strike again. Caleb’s bow thrummed, beating her to the punch, his arrow piercing the large man’s throat. He collapsed in a gurgled heap at her feet.
She stepped back. The trees spun around her as she tried to clear her head. Dedra was long gone. Caleb stood on shaky legs as his bow was aimed on the last attacker still standing.
The small dark fellow retreated, hands raised, and then turned tail and ran. They let him. He wasn’t worth chasing.
She dusted off the backpack while Caleb collected the arrows. Their movements were quiet, only the sound of their breaths mingled with the wind in the trees. She turned her head as he yanked it from the man’s throat. This hadn’t been her first fight, but death never settled well with her.
“Thanks,” she told Caleb. This was one fight she wouldn’t have survived alone.
Branches broke nearby and Becca turned, knife at the ready. More friends?
Something small pushed through the underbrush. A short demon scurried out and attacked the dead body. The demon wore the shape of a mongrel dog, but with a thin torso that twisted and arched unnaturally. It tore at the man she fought only moments ago. Bile rose in the back of her throat.
The twang of the bow cut through the night as Caleb released another shot, and it found its mark. He walked over, put his boot on the demon’s head, and yanked out the arrow.
She quietly backed up, her limbs tingling with exhaustion.
He cleaned the gore off his arrow, but motioned to her shirt. “You okay?”
Looking down, she noticed the blood covering her chest and shuddered in disgust. “Yeah. It’s not mine. I could use a shower, though. And you?”
“Nothing that can’t wait till we’re out of here.” He started out, heading deeper into the woods, a tired rasp to his voice.
After five or ten minutes, fatigue pulled at her. Her dragging feet were making too much noise, and she struggled to soften her step. Her body ached, and she could feel that last fight. A little farther along, Caleb started favoring his right leg, which spoke more of his injuries than he would.
She slowed down. “Drink?”
He nodded and took the bottle
She checked her watch. They had a few more hours until dawn. They might make it, but without sleep and rest, if they ran into anyone else they might not fend so well. “Let’s find a spot to hole up in. We both could use a couple hours of rest.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
His easy agreement told Becca she made the right decision. He could still move with a hunter’s step, silently among the cluster of fallen branches and leaves, but his shoulders hung heavy.
They found a cluster of oak trees that should provide some protection while they rested. She turned sideways to slide into the grouping. Branches snagged at her clothing, but there was enough room to hide. She sank down against a tree trunk. Caleb snapped off a couple branches before he lowered himself to the ground. His bow, still intact, lay across his lap.
She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the world and the last twelve hours. As the night settled quietly around them, she could hear Caleb pulling off his jacket. She scooted toward him and turned on her flashlight, pointing it at the ground. “What happened?”
“He stabbed me with something. Not a knife. Not a real one at least.” Blood soaked the material.
She rolled his sleeve up. Blood smeared over his thick, muscled arm. The gaping cut bled slowly. “Probably homemade.”
Grabbing her backpack, she pulled out the water bottle and some gauze and duct tape. She wished for alcohol, but that would have to wait until they got back. Dirty weapons made for infectious wounds.
He held the flashlight low while she went to work. Maybe it was the attack, or the darkness surrounding them, but she was very aware of the short distance between them. His sweet breath on her brow. Her cold hands fumbled with the tape.
The past drew her back to the warm memories of them together. Long afternoons of hiking and climbing, of summers spent playing in the trees, swimming in the river, and convincing the
mselves they could live off of squirrels and leaves. They’d shared their first kiss. He had known her inside and out.
Things were different now, she reminded herself, as she carefully finished binding his wound. He sat quiet, watching her work.
A quick look at his worn, beaten face told her she wasn’t the only one who had changed. “That will have to do. I’ll clean it again when we get back. How’s the leg?”
Clearing his throat, he looked down. “Fine.”
Realizing she still held his arm, she quickly let go, hoping the flashlight didn’t catch her embarrassment.
“What happened to you Becca? Why did you leave?” Shadows hid his features.
She threw the tape in the backpack and zipped it up. Such a simple question, but she didn’t have a simple answer.
“Last I heard,” he said. “You were being shipped off to live with your uncle to find a spouse. Instead, I find you fighting like you’ve made it your profession.” His voice held a soft-spoken agony. “You left me with nothing, Becca. I couldn’t even put my foot on your land without your father using me for target practice. I thought I deserved better.”
She would rather he yelled. It would give her something to fight against. His kind demeanor tore at her heart.
It was a reminder of when things began to change between them. The awkward moments and stolen glances, that slowly turned into something more. Something neither had ever experienced but both wanted to.
Then they were caught. Her uncle, who came by for a visit, found them together in the barn, making out. The last time she saw Caleb, her uncle threatened to kill him for taking away her virtue. They didn’t have sex, but it was heading that way. That day Caleb was forced to leave, but that wasn’t why she left him.
She took a deep breath, shame bubbling up in her throat. “I couldn’t face the future my uncle and parents had planned for me.” Her voice broke, unable to tell him the whole truth. She couldn’t face what she let happen to her. “I took off. Headed for the city to get lost.”
Demon Rising (Dark Rising Trilogy Book 1) Page 3
