(Recap)
I needed to tell Ethan. I stood up a little unsteadily at first from getting up too fast and then found my momentum. I rushed down the stairs sometimes taking two at a time.
I saw Ethan at the door, he was turned towards me. He must have heard me coming down the stairs. My foot slipped and Ethan was there in a blink of an eye, barely noticing,
“Ethan, Ethan, I just had a dream.” Brandon burst through the door out of breathe, like he had run a marathon.
“Ethan we have trouble. Cecidit s-“ Before he could finish his sentence we heard howling and screeching, it sounded like a bunch of wild animals were headed our way and I knew it was too late… he had found us.
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Chapter 33
Ethan’s POV
I had left Violet curled up under the covers after she had fallen asleep a few hours ago. I was still stunned to know that she still wanted me, never mind loved me, after everything I had told her, everything that I had done and most importantly, what I was.
She now knew everything about me, all that I was and all that I am, and still she stayed with me. Every time I looked at her my heart responds, feeling like it wants to jump right out of my chest, right towards its new owner.
I reluctantly turned away from her walking down the stairs to find my phone. The sun had already started to set and I still hadn’t heard anything from anybody. I reached for my phone to call Tommy and found out, if he had found anything yet and saw I had one voice mail from him. It was left last night; I pressed the button and listened to it.
“Ethan, I found out what’s happening, why D wants your girl and it’s not good man. I need to talk to you. I found this book and…” He said sounding out of breath. There was silence on the line for a short while then I heard him whisper,
“Shit.” Silence again then,
“I was wondering when you’d find me.” He said distantly and I knew he wasn’t talking to me, then the line went dead. Crap Tommy was in trouble that could have been D. I needed to get to him.
I quickly dial Connor and waited on an answer. They hadn’t checked in since going after Violets family and I was worried about them as well. The phone went straight to voice mail.
“Shit.”
I dialed Tatiana… “Hello Ethan, everything okay?” She asked, concern clear in her voice.
“I’m fine, but I think Tommy’s in trouble. He left a voice mail and I think that he was attacked last night. I need you to check out if everything’s okay.”
“I’m on it.”
“Good… Have you heard anything from Connor or Jonathan?” I asked hoping that they might have called her instead.
“No they haven’t checked in yet.” She was quiet before she asked, “Do you think D got to them?” I knew she was talking about Connor as well as Tommy and I didn’t know how to answer that.
“I hope not. I seriously hope not.”
“I’ll call you if I find out anything. Make sure you do the same.”
“I will and be safe.”
“You too Ethan.” Then she hung up.
I walked over to the kitchen window and just stared outside. Everything feels like its falling apart and we’re running out of places to hide. Soon D will find us, we’ll need to leave here soon, with or without Connor and the others. We’ve already stayed here too long as it is.
“Is everything okay?” I turned at the sound of the new voice and found Vicky standing just within the shadows.
“Yes, fine.”
“Have you heard from Connor yet?” She asked crossing over to the nearby couch.
“No I haven’t, but I’ll inform you when I do.” I wasn’t sure how to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, because I wasn’t even sure on that fact.
“How are you holding up?” I was a bit stumped at Vicky’s question mainly because I wasn’t expecting to be asked that.
“I’m okay I guess, could have been better considering … how are you holding up after…” I trailed not really sure how to asked her how she felt about now knowing that we weren’t exactly human, never mind the fact that we were partially dead.
“I’m… I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. He...he broke up with me you know. I still have feelings for him, I still want him, even though he’s…a Reaper but he doesn’t want me, it’s that or he…” She trailed glancing away, staring into the fire. I could see tears forming in her eyes as she stared into the flames as if trying to draw strength from it.
He doesn’t want her to end up like Violet so he broke it off with her. I didn’t say it out loud but that’s what happened. Heck I tried to do the same, the operative word being tried and failed miserably at it. Now look where we are, hiding with Violet in more danger than she was ever in before, with her family missing. I hope for Vicky’s sake he succeeds in where I had failed.
“I’m sorry to hear-“
“It’s okay, sometimes these things just… don’t work out.” I could see she was hurting, could see that whatever Connor said to her, hurt her, yet she still loved him. Perhaps because she knew he said those things to protect her from ending up being hunted like Violet.
“You want some cocoa?” I asked, hoping to change the subject or get her to think about something else, or at least she looked like she needed to be alone.
“Er… yea thanks that’ll be nice.” So I got up and went to the kitchen and started heating up the milk.
While I was waiting my phone began to ring and I checked the caller id and saw that it was Tatiana.
“Tia did you find him.”
“It’s bad Ethan. His apartment is currently on fire. Marcus found his car still parked next to the building in the alleyway, trashed and I’m not talking like someone took a baseball bat to it, I mean it was shredded like it was thrown through a woodchipper.”
“But no sign of him?”
“No, we did find blood… lots of it and we had found black power… lots of that too. “
“Crap is it… from the ink’s?”
“It would appear so. It looks like there was an army of them.”
“Do you think he could have gotten out of that alive?” She was quiet for awhile and I knew my question was too hopeful. Killing one of those things was nearly impossible, but an army….
“I’m sorry Ethan, but judging by the amount of blood… no it doesn’t look like he could have survived.” Damn it. I punched the hardwood table splitting it nearly in two. As cranky and antisocial as he was he was still my friend and he was always there when we I needed him. I can’t believe Tommy’s gone, was he killed for a book or for helping with me?
“You didn’t find anything else… like a book or something?”
“No nothing else.”
“Okay then head back, we need to find Connor and Jonathan.”
“On my way.” Then she hung up.
I quickly got the milk and mixed it with the cocoa, taking it inside. I saw Van was with Vicky, sitting with her on the couch and was glad I made enough. I handed Vicky’s mug and went back to get Van a mug, quickly returning to her and handed it over. The TV was on blaring, some kind of old horror movie, where the women screamed more than talked, but they weren’t watching the movie, they were in a deep discussion, talking about Connor no doubt and I really didn’t want to be roped into that so I figured I’ll just go outside and do a perimeter check with Brandon. I was about to stand up when I heard a scream, I wasn’t sure if it had come from the movie, but it sounded like it came from outside.
I stood up, listening intently for a little while, trying to catch the sound if someone screamed again. I walked over to the nearest window and scanned the area and saw nothing except the stillness of the forest. It was quiet… too quiet. Nothing was making a sound and usually the night was noisier than the day, something was most definitely wrong.
When I saw nothing I stood up straight and walking towards the front door, I called out to the two girls who were still in a deep conversation not noticing anything out of place.
“I’m going to give Brandon a hand outside. “ I said my hand on the door, just then I heard hurried footsteps coming down and turned to see Violet rushing down the stairs, nearly tripping and falling. I rushed over to her, catching her before she fell.
She looked a bit pale and she was shaking. Her eyes were huge, and she seemed to be hyperventilating.
“Ethan, Ethan, I just had a dream. “Brandon burst through the door out of breathe, he looked flushed and he had his blade out.
“Ethan we have trouble. Cecidit s-“ Before he could finish his sentence we heard howling and screeching, it was the sound of the ink’s.
“What the hell? That sounds like those things from the cemetery.” Vicky said jumping up and clinging to Van.
“It is. We need to leave now. Ethan… he has the Cecidit with him.” Brandon said, he looked stressed and anxious. The Cecidit weren’t supposed to have been able to leave hell. How did D get the Demons to the surface and more importantly, how is he controlling them? “I’ve already messaged Tatiana and she’s going to meet us at the warehouse.”
“What about Connor?” Vicky asked
“And Jonathan?” Van asked followed by Violet, “And my sister and aunt?”
“We’ll get a message to them, but we can’t stay here we need to leave, now.” I started ushering them through the back door. I brought up the front while Brandon protected from the back.
I led them through an old deer trail towards the river, it was the fastest way through the forest to where we needed to be, and I wasn’t looking forward to crossing that river. The trail was slightly overgrown, but had enough space for us to walk through. On the other side was a town, hopefully the river would throw them off our trail when we crossed it.
“I know you’re out there Ethan, I can practically smell you.” That was D, so he was with the ink’s. One thing about an army of shadows, they were endless, especially in the night and that was the least of our worries, he had the Demons obeying him.
The Cecidit weren’t always bad, they were once fierce angel warriors, powered by the light of God, when they fell they lost that power and they had to find an alternative power source. They had somehow discovered that the human soul was powerful, nothing like the light of God, maybe because humans are the children of God and they were created from the light of God.
Somehow they’ve discovered that by consuming the souls of humans they could get that power back but only in small bursts, kind of like an adrenalin shot. How long it lasted was up to the purity of the soul.
The less corrupt the soul was the more it maintained the Light of God and the closer the soul was to God, the more powerful it was. The purest souls are of course those of children, their lives just beginning had no time to commit any sin, so their light was the brightest, purest source, the Cecidit or demons preyed mostly on children.
They were banished to hell, there they feasted on the tormented, taking their power, but the good doesn’t go to hell, so the souls they feasted on had infinitely less power. And now that they have surfaced… no-one was safe. No wonder there was so much death, they were gorging themselves.
And with them being controlled by D… let’s just say that I hope Connor and Jonathan had gotten to Violets little sister before they had.
I glanced over and looked back at Violet, she looked worried, her mind a little preoccupied. Her eyes never wondering from the ground as she moved. She walked really quiet, careful of where she placed her feet. Almost as if she was trying to think of nothing else but walking and not making a sound.
I turned back to the task at hand and we walked until we came across a drop with a slight slope, like a slide, just with sharp jagged edges. It wasn’t very steep, but steep enough to ensure we took the climb down carefully.
I climbed down first so I could help the girls climb down after me. They all crowded the edge, in a hurry to get down and away from the continuous howling and screeching the Cecidit and inks were making. Violet was supposed to go first, but the edge was weak and it gave way under their combined weight, the girls screamed as they slid down and I heard the howls of excitement of the inks behind us. They landed safely in a pile at the bottom, they were however covered in dirt and dead foliage and it would have been funny if I wasn’t so freaked out about D being so close to us.
They stood up shakily while Brandon jumped the rest of the way, landing neatly in a predators crouch. He didn’t seem fazed by the noise D and his bands of monsters were making, but then again nothing ever really gets to Brandon.
We started on our trek again, I could smell the moisture in the air and I could hear the running water. My muscles tensed at the sound of flowing water and a light sweat broke out at the thought of what I had to do next.
“I thought you said this place was protected?” I heard Violet whisper to me, breaking the mini panic attack that was slow starting. Latching on to the topic like a life line I said,
“It was, he shouldn’t have been able to find us. He must be getting stronger or someone told him of our location.”
“Ethan I had a dream… a memory dream.” She said and her voice shook and I caught her swallowing hard then rubbing her hands over her arms, like she was cold. I glanced up and noticed something flying very close by.
“We can talk about it later, for now, we need to be quiet, and stay out of sight, else risk being found.” I whispered to her and she nodded her head to let me know that she under stood.
I looked back to see if Brandon was still following and to see if there were anything else following us.
Twigs snapped under the girl’s feet, they weren’t used to running through the woods, or trying to be invisible, heck they could barely see.
The trail had over grown since the last time I had been here, so I had to push low hanging tree branches and small shrubs aside, to get past, further slowing our progress.
“I can hear you scampering through the trees Ethan.” D shouted again, this time sounding closer than what he was before. “My pets smell blood.” D said sounding joyful as his creatures screamed louder. No doubt they found the little ledge were we had not too long ago climbed down from.
“Girls you need to try to be quiet. Try not to step onto twigs.” I said glancing back, to see Vicky and Van swatting at the leaves and branches. Their arms were scrapped, from the tumble they had from the ledge.
“It’s not like we have freaking night vision, like you guys most probably do.” Van said with a frown on her face as she tried to feel around a rock with the feet.
“I know but you need to try.” Brandon said from behind.
“Don’t you think that we are? We’re not like-”
“Shh…” Brandon said cutting Vicky’s rant off by placing his hand over her mouth, which only upset her more.
“I said shh… Ethan I hear someone behind us. We need to move faster.” He said and released Vicky. I nodded and took off running for the river, the girls and Brandon close behind.
I heard D laughing at our efforts and looked up and saw him. He had his wings out, which was made of bone and a thin membrane of skin, like those of a bat. It looked like a skeletal bats wing or more appropriately large boney hands protruding from his back. The bone shone in the moons light and he swirled around us like a vulture, it was then that I realized that he was… playing with us.
We reached the river and I spotted the rickety bridge which was nothing more than old rope and rotting wood. I tried not to think of falling into the water or how the icy flow felt on my skin or having my head submerged in it. I thought of nothing but getting to the other side.
When we got there I didn’t hesitate and ran across, I heard Violet say, “This doesn’t look safe.” But she still followed me. The bridge shook from our weight and swayed wildly as we ran across it. I felt the bridge abruptly shake up and down and slowed, clutching onto the rope on both sides. I looked back and saw that two inks landed on the rope behind us like birds sitting on a power line, watching us with excitement as their wind folded and unfolded. Violet and the others stopped behind me and I looked back to see D landing softly between them, smiling back at us, surrounded by his minions. I heard a swoosh and turned around to see two Cecidit land right in front of us, blocking our escape. I pushed back the terror at seeing the Cecidit again and concentrated on D.
“Hello Ethan, been looking for you all over.” D smiled and glanced at every single one of us.
“Did you have fun on your little adventure Pet?”
“D…” Was all I could say through my clenched teeth.
“Nice to see you again too, Violet and I see you brought some of your friends along. Victoria Schmitz and Vanessa Dolts pleasure meeting you.” He said their full names knowing that it would freak them out and judging from their quick intake of breath and the sudden tensing in their shoulders it had worked.
“What do you want?” Violet asked, her voice shaking a little but her shoulders were back and she stood up straight and tall.
“Well you know what I want dear, don’t ask stupid questions.” He said with an annoyed look, “I want you of course.”
“Well you cannot have her.” I shouted back, pulling Violet closer towards me to protect her.
“Did Violet tell you about the dream she had.” D asked smiling like a shark. I said nothing just glared at him and his smile grew.
“Oh joy I get to tell you in person and see your reaction.” I felt Violet stiffen against me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Better yet let me show you.” D smiled and stepped aside to reveal my sister.
“Ellie.” I whispered, she was reaped years ago and was supposed to have been with my parents in the after life or reborn into another.
She looked exactly the same as the last time I saw her, same blond hair, same happy blue eyes although it didn’t look so happy right now. She looked real; I could see the rise and fall of her little chest, her hair that moved in the wind.
“Ethan? Ethan is that you?” Her voice was the same as I remembered it, innocent and so child like. She sounded scared as her eyes darted around as if searching for a place to hide, but she never moved from her spot besides D.
“It’s me.” I said acround the lump that now formed.
“B-but the river… it swallowed you. I saw it, it swallowed you and you never came up again.” She said crying. D was holding her back, his hand on her shoulder as she cried. D had a sadistic smirk plastered on his face.
“Enough of this, It grows tiresome. Ethan you have a choice, your lover or your dear beloved sister. Choose.” D said holding her back when she tried to get to me.
I looked at Violet and then back at my sister I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t decide. I felt a light touch on my arm and looked down at Violets hand.
“It’s okay Ethan, I’ll go to him. For your sister.” I saw her conviction; I saw that she was serious.
”Violet no-“
“It’s okay Ethan. Let me make this sacrifice.”
“You are trying my patience Ethan. Decide now or the little one dies.” I looked between Violet and my sister again, not wanting to lose either.
“I’ll come-“
“No, it’s a trick Ethan she’s not real. You know she’s dead, you saw her die. See pass the guise he’s presenting.” Brandon shouted and I looked harder and I noticed her feet weren’t touching the ground and she had no shadow. Even though it was night time, the light of the full moon was bright, and we all had shadows, but for my sister.
“You do not know what you speak of Brandon. I have his sister and I shall do with her as I please. Is that a risk you’re willing to take Ethan?” D asked the last to me. I knew my sister was dead, and I knew that there was no way that she could be here now… unless she was a ghost and he had kept her all these years.
“You’re taking too long and I’m tired of waiting so I’ll take what I want.” D said and signaled something to his minions. Two of his demons took flight, with gleeful looks as they stared at us.
“RUN.” Brandon shouted and I turned and ran for the safety of the other side, but before I could reach it, D cut the ropes at his end and the bridge collapsed, slamming into the rock face. The force knocked Vicky off and unfortunately Brandon grabbed a rotten board that broke under his grip, they both plummeted into the river, the roar of the rushing water nearly drowning out the smacking sound as their bodies hit the water.
”VICKY.” I heard Violet and Van scream as their friend and Brandon were swept away by the violently strong current, disappearing over the edge of the drop.
“They don’t make bridges like they used to.” D tisked turning his gaze back to us with a disappointed shake of his head and a sigh, “Ah well and then there were three.” I heard D say as I caught his eye. He was smiling happily, no doubt having the time of his life toying with us.
“Come on, we need to keep moving.” I called over the roar of the rushing waters below us.
“But what about Vicky and Brandon?” Violet asked glancing up to meet my eyes.
“There’s nothing we can do for them. We need to move now.” I said and Violet nodded sadly glancing back down to where Vicky disappeared. I notice something from above move closer and towards us and I just about managed to create a long curved saber with a sharp hook, curving away from the blade.
The Cecidit swooped down wanting to grab Violet, she screamed as he neared, ducking into the destroyed bridge as he neared her. I stabbed him when he was a hairs breadth away from snatching her, the hook of my blade stank into his pale skin and stuck to him like white on rice, I flung him away, the blade holding onto him so that he couldn’t pull himself off before I willed the blade away. He screamed from the pain and I watched with satisfaction as he crashed into the cliff side slightly below us, the rocks crashing from the impact and loose dirt and dust rained down on him, before he disappeared into the water.
“Come on.” I shouted at the girls and started climbing up, creating a throwing knife and sinking it into an ink that was at the top waiting to pounce on us. I held off the inks while Van and Violet reached the top and then ushered them into forest.
“Run.” I shouted as I protected their back. Violet was in the front, followed by Van and they ran uncaring of the thin branches whipping them until they bled.
I kept fending the inks and Cecidits off as they neared from the rear, stabbing every now and again when one came within range.
“Turn right …NOW.” I shouted and without hesitation Violet turned right.
We ran head long into the forest, the branches of the trees swatting us as we passed them. The girls tripped over exposed roots in their hast to get away but kept going.
I saw the dim lights of the small town up ahead and I shouted at Violet to keep going. The howls of the of the inks just behind us grew as they noticed the town, while I heard the muted muttering of the flying demons, as they flew above us. We were protected from them while we ran under the trees; the dense branches of the very trees that wounded us as we passed them protected us from above, preventing us from being grabbed from the Cecidits.
“Run into the street light, towards the church.” I shouted towards Violet.
This was when we were the most vulnerable; we were leaving the safety of the trees for the open air of the road and leaving us free to be attacked by the flying demons.
I put away the saber and opted for a throwing knife, figuring it would be better as a far range weapon than a broad sword, incase Violet or Van were attacked ahead.
One swooped down almost as soon as we were exposed and I let loose my dagger hitting the target square in the throat, he made a gurgling sound before it hit the ground motionless.
We passed it and a few more tried to grab us but every time I would pull a dagger and throw it. It made it easy to not have to search for a weapon to attack and I thanked the power that D gave me, to master the reapers shadows. I had always considered it a curse, something that I could do that made me less human, less of who I used to be.
Now it seemed the thing that I once saw as a curse was now my greatest asset against my enemies as well as against the one person who cursed me.
We reached the huge oak doors illuminated by the dim light above it, even though the light was dim, it shone like the sun, a beacon of hope for us against the sea of darkness that followed in our wake. Violet ran up the five little steps and flung the doors open.
I knew that the church was open through out the night for any that needed it. One of the few that did so and I thanked my lucky stars that the inside was abandoned. It was late but sometimes that didn’t stop the visitors.
As soon as we crossed the threshold I closed the doors and locked it,
“Close the windows and light all the candles.” Van and Violet rushed to it, Van closing the windows while Violet started to light the candles, I rushed to the door at the back and locked it.
The priests were asleep in their beds and the innkeeper was keeping the barkeeper company, hopefully he stayed there for the night.
I knew this because simply I was a reaper and it was my business to know where my targets were. It makes pick ups easy, another gift given by D. All I needed was to think about the person and their whereabouts would be known, but sometimes D would supply the name and place especially if he wanted it to be a surprise or if it was a sudden death.
“Will they get in?” Van asked as she closed the last window.
“It’ll keep the demons and the inks out. This is hallowed ground, but it won’t keep D out. You can’t hide from Death, he is everywhere.”
“What?” Violet asked pausing in her task of lighting the candles. Van had started helping her when they both stopped and faced me.
“Then what’s the point of this?” Van asked.
“I’m going to at least stall him, and while I do that I’m going to need you to not open the door and not go outside. Keep the lights on and stay in the centre of the church.”
“What are you going to do?” Van asked
“Where are you going?” Violet asked.
“I’m going to meditate?”
“What? You going to play Gandhi while we’re holed up in a church with hell on our doorstep. Have you gone completely mad?” Van asked, disbelief written all over her face.
“I’m going to meditate to transform this place into a place D can’t go into.”
”And where’s that?”
“The after life.”
“What as in heaven or hell?” Violet asked
“Yes.”
When they said nothing but stared, I sighed and just closed my eyes. There was no time to explain that I needed to travel to the other side and bring back a piece of it so that this place will be cloaked from D at least for a little while. There are some rules even Death can’t break and there are places that even he can’t reach. Once Death has played his part he is no longer needed.