Trickster [Fantasy, YA] Chapters 8-15 (Patreon)

Hey peeps!

Here is the middle of the book, Trickster. It's about angels and demons, basically. And a half-succubus girl. Also, a powerful trickster demon that is bound together with a teenager. Fun stuff, basically.

Hopefully you enjoy!

Shami

Chapter 8

A Ride Home

“Azra traded their souls for immortality.

Their ultimate goal… to reclaim the scattered fragments and usher in an everlasting light.”

---

Ariella hid her face in behind the driver’s seat. Her arms were wrapped around the seat, her fingers locked together around Gunner’s midriff, their skin-to-skin contact unbroken since they had left Silver River High. Ariella closed her eyes and took deep breaths. What am I doing?! I can’t believe this is happening…

Without warning, the car jerked to the left and Ariella looked up, startled. “W-what happened?”

“Sorry,” Gunner rasped. “It’s just hard to focus…”

Ariella could feel the sweat running down his skin. The vehicle smelled of lustful musk and Gunner’s breathing had been husky for some time. She smashed her face back into the fabric of the seat and muttered, “Why did you have to touch me? Lilian said no one would touch me! That people would be polite!”

“Look, I had no idea you were some kind of witch,” Gunner breathed, keeping both his hands on the steering wheel, just as she had commanded. “I’m sorry. It was wrong of me. Please, just, let me go home and… and I won’t tell anyone what’s happened. I’ll keep it a secret.”

“Oh no… What am I going to do about you? I can’t let you go… Not now… Not after you know…”

“Sure you can,” Gunner chimed in, nervously laughing. “Really, I won’t tell a soul. Trust me.”

“No!” Ariella cried.

She tightened her arms around him and took a deep breath. “No… I can’t. If I let you go… They’ll come looking for me. They’ll find me, and dad, and Lilian… My dad warned me about this, but I just wouldn’t listen. I should have just stayed on the farm, like he said. I shouldn’t have listened to Lilian! I shouldn’t have gone to school and I should have just been c-content building g-gardens forever and never leaving and never taking r-risks and, and…” Choking on her on tears, Ariella wiped her face against the driver’s side seat and held back her sobs.

“They’ll take me and dad back to the labs,” she continued, mumbling into the seat, her voice quavering. “They’ll lock us up, because dad escaped once already… or w-worse…” She felt hot tears run down her face, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. Gunner remained silent and Ariella couldn’t bring herself to continue talking.

Again, the car swerved, but Ariella didn’t comment. Her thoughts remained stagnant within her depression. The harsh beep of a siren drew her curiosity, however, and she glanced toward the passenger side mirror to see flashing blue and red lights.

“Oh no…”

Gunner glanced back at her through the rearview mirror. “We should pull over.”

Police officers just ask for license and registration. That’s what they do. License and registration. Then they’ll leave. “O-okay. Pull over.”

Gunner turned the car toward the side of the road and eventually slowed to a halt. The police car pulled up behind and came to a stop. An officer exited the vehicle and slowly approached. Ariella observed their surroundings through the windows. They were on one of the many winding paths to Leaf Valley. The road, only two lanes, had little traffic. Trees dotted the nearby landscape. The thought of running and hiding crossed Ariella’s mind, but she knew that she would be running and hiding for the rest of her life if she left now.

“Just make her go away,” Ariella commanded.

Gunner rolled down his window and turned toward the officer that walked up. “Hello,” he said in a cheery voice.

“License and registration, please,” the officer said. She wore sunglasses, obfuscating her expression. She tilted her head and scanned the vehicle, only stopping once she spotted Ariella. The officer, stepping back, took in the whole precarious picture. Two teenagers, in a car humid from heavy breathing, one with her arms under the other’s shirt…

“Get out of the car, both of you,” the officer snapped. “You think moving vehicles are a game? There’s a time and place for everything and drivingisn’t the time or the place for that.”

It had been an awkward dance to get into the car in the first place and Ariella knew she would never get away with keeping skin contact in front of the police officer, not without instantly giving away what she was. Maybe the officer already knows… This is a true nightmare. Every single person I run into seems to know something is wrong with me… Maybe I can use my powers again… Maybe I should just take the officer with me in the car and… and…

Ariella smashed her face in the seat and sobbed. “That’ll never work,” she said through short, shallow breaths.

“Out of the car,” the officer repeated. “You don’t want me to ask a third time.”

This is it. The end of the road. I’m done for. She slowly released Gunner as tears streamed down her face. It’s all my fault. I messed up. I messed up big.

Gunner jumped from the vehicle, Ariella’s influence drifting from him now that their contact was broken.

“Wait,” he said. “It isn’t what it looks like, officer!”

Ariella didn’t bother moving, despite the officer’s instructions. He’ll tell her what’s happened and then it’ll be all over.

The officer pointed to Gunner and then the car. “Young man, place your hands on the car. I know what was going on.”

Gunner pointed back to the passenger side window. “Look at her! It’s not what you think! We were just at school, in the middle of gym, when a phone call came in! Her dad’s in the hospital and I agreed to take her!”

The police officer relaxed slightly and took a hesitant step toward Gunner’s car. She stared into the backseat and Ariella glanced up at her, tears wet against her face. Ariella could hardly believe what Gunner was saying… He wasn’t under her control… and she never told him to lie…

With a frown, the officer turned back to Gunner and examined him. He was still dressed in his gym clothes. She slowly exhaled and turned back to Ariella. Her sunglasses hid her emotions well. Ariella held her breath. Finally, the officer withdrew a ticket booklet from a pouch on her belt.

“She’s not wearing a seatbelt,” the officer said in a strained tone. “I don’t care how upset she is. You don’t sit in a car like that girl’s sitting in a car, do you understand me?” She wrote down Gunner’s information and then ripped the ticket from the booklet, handing it to him with a snap of her wrist.

“It’ll never happen again,” Gunner said, smiling in relief.

“It better not.”

“Oh, you got my word, ma’am.”

Without another word, the officer turned on her heel and walked back to her vehicle. She entered and drove off, leaving Gunner and Ariella on the side of the road. Gunner ran both his hands over his head and watched the police car disappear into the distance.

Ariella opened the passenger door and stepped out. Gunner didn’t bother turning toward her. He remained still and silent, but Ariella could feel his tension. With each step she took to close the distance between them, his heartrate steadily increased. Ariella stopped when she realized that Gunner wasafraid of her. The thought disturbed her. I’m a monster…

“Look,” he said. “If you needed help you should have just asked me. I would have been willing to take you home, I swear.”

Ariella, poised to run the rest of the way home at any moment, gulped down air. “Why…? Why help me now? After I…”

“I don’t know. You seemed upset in the car. Genuinely upset. I want to help.”

“You want to help? Me?”

“Yeah,” Gunner replied as he turned around. “I mean, as long as we’re cool. No more… whatever it was you were doing.”

“Uh, o-okay.”

Gunner’s anxiety slowly drained from his body with a prolonged exhale. “Awesome. All right, let’s get back in the car. Why don’t you take the passenger seat? Might be easier for you to remember the route back.”

Ariella ducked into her giant jacket. “Uh… I doubt that will help… I don’t really know the way back. I just… I was guessing based on the signs. I haven’t really left Leaf Valley in… years.”

The teenage boy hoped into his car and opened the front passenger door. “Don’t worry, babe. I know how to get to Leaf Valley. You just got to point out your house. Might take a little bit, but I’m pretty much ditching school today as is. C’mon.” Gunner motioned for Ariella to join him.

Stunned by his willingness to continue associating, Ariella hesitated. She took a step backward, inching toward the road. I could still run… “Gunner,” she whispered. “You don’t think I’m… a monster? That I… could hurt you?”

“Hey, I know you could have done something to that cop,” Gunner replied, leaning back in the seat of his car. “You could have used your powers, or attacked with your super speed and strength… I’m sure you’ve got other tools in your workbox, but any of those would have laid that officer flat on her butt. A monster would have used them.” He gave her an exaggerated shrug.

Ariella couldn’t help letting out a laugh. But… I had given it thought… “I… er, thank you, Gunner.” She steeled herself and slowly walked around the car to the passenger seat. Then, without hesitating, she sat down and buckled herself in. “Take me home, please.”

Chapter 9

Warren von Adler

“The true names of shadows, older than time, are finite.

No matter where a true name is whispered, a shaheen will emerge.

Darkness touches all places.”

---

The bell rang again and the classroom doors all opened at once, as if programmed for a synchronized performance. Students flooded into the hallway, chatting and laughing as they streamed away from the classrooms. Lilian strained her eyes to spot the void eater. He walked with his slouched shoulders and his head down, blending with the other students like a zombie in a horde.

“There he is,” Lilian muttered. “Fox, you wait—er, Fox?”

She turned and groaned in exasperation. Surrounding Fox on all sides were girls from various classes. They grabbed at his clothing and laughed amongst themselves.

“Where did you get these?” one girl inquired.

“I made them,” Fox casually replied. “You like?”

“Wow! You’re amazing! I wish I knew how to make clothes!”

Another girl interjected with, “Can I pay you to make me an outfit?”

“Do you make dresses?!” another cut in.

“Why’re you wearing an eyepatch? Is it a fashion statement?”

Lilian stomped through the crowd of girls and took Fox by the arm. “Sorry, he has stuff to do!” she curtly stated. Fox playfully snickered as he followed behind.

“What is it, Imp? Didn’t you see I had fans? It’s been awhile since I was offered adulation.”

“Why are you so conspicuous?!” Lilian hissed under her breath. “I’m pretty sure you could be seen from outer space! You used to keep your presence hidden!”

Fox let out a sigh. “If they focus more on me no one will bother asking you why you’re here,” he calmly stated.

Lilian opened her mouth, mulled over the comment, and then closed her mouth without saying anything. Remembering why they were in the hall in the first place, Lilian turned and pointed to the void eater. “Look, nevermind that. The void eater is right over there. I’m going to go talk to him. You wait here and chat with those girls or something.”

“Very well,” Fox playfully replied. “I guess I’ll be forced to endure their fawning.” He placed the back of his wrist to his forehead and sauntered back to the high school girls. Lilian rolled her eyes before making her way down the hall. The void eater, like before, had gone straight for his locker. She slowed her pace once she neared and attempted to act casual despite her growing unease.

“Hey, Warren!” a teenage boy called out. He weaved through the crowd of students until he came to a stop at the void eater’s side.

The void eater turned toward the other boy nodded. “What is it?”

“Thanks for helping me with my math! I was wondering if you could also help me with my social studies work… I hate that class and the teacher has it out for me, I know it. And I—”

“Hey, Warren!” Lilian enthusiastically shouted as she skipped over to the two talking. Both boys turned, obviously confused. “I know you guys are in the middle of a conversation, but I was hoping to talk to Warren privately real quick.” Lilian stepped between Warren and the other boy.

The other teenage boy, freakishly tall compared to the gaggle of students rushing around him, frowned down at her with a look of distrust. “But, I—”

“I need the opinion of my best friend, okay?” Lilian snapped. “This is bestie business and I’d appreciate some space.”

“Whatever,” the boy said with a shrug. “I’ll see you at lunch, Warren.” He jogged away, leaving Lilian and Warren standing near the lockers.

Warren brushed the hair out of his eyes and lifted an eyebrow. “We’re besties, apparently?” His tone was sarcastic, but his voice raspy and rusted. “Was that in your dreams or am just missing the hundred bucks you’re supposed to slip me?”

Lilian strained to hear Warren’s song above the mish-mash of others all around her, but to no avail. She glanced around. I need someplace quiet. The bathroom… or just outside the school…

“I really do want to speak with you, actually,” she said. “My name is Lilian Montserrat. How about we talk in a more… secluded area?”

Warren gave her a dubious look. Lilian extended her hand. After a few strained moments, Warren shook his head. “Fine,” he replied. “But make it quick, I have things to do before class.”

Lilian turned her hand toward the door outside. They walked together, but Lilian’s attention snapped to another. Bishop Choi walk by, surrounded by the other basketball players. Although it was hard to determine anyone else’s song in the hallway, Bishop’s rang as clear as the bells of Notre Dame.

Now’s my chance! Lilian instantly thought. Fox is distracted! I could just go up and talk to him and, and—

Warren stopped walking and followed Lilian’s gaze. The moment his eyes landed on Bishop he snorted. “Heh. I see. You must be that girl who interrupted the basketball game this morning.”

Lilian watched Bishop disappear into the crowd of students. I need to question Warren. For Ariella’s sake. I can’t get distracted. She turned back to Warren and half-smiled. “You heard about the scene in the gymnasium?”

“Unfortunately,” he quipped. “It’s all anyone will talk about. They want to know what kind of girl interrupts an entire basketball game just because she’s got the hots for some random boy.”

“I don’t have the hots for him,” Lilian indignantly stated. “It’s a long complicated story and—”

“Oh, I’m sorry; you’ve mistaken me for someone who cares.”

Lilian placed her fists on her hips and frowned. “Well, just don’t go spreading rumors about me!”

“Sure. Whatever you say.”

Warren opened the door to the side yard. He stepped out, walked around the building a short distance and leaned against the wall. With a look of annoyance, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

Finally separated from the mass of students, Lilian could once again discriminate one song from another. However, the closer she got to Warren the more concerned she became. She couldn’t hear his song until she was only a few feet away and she had been expecting something moody or antisocial. Instead all she heard were the pained and weak notes of a fading song. She knew immediately that something had to be wrong. Perhaps he was close to death, but thankfully, she couldn’t hear his requiem… only the sadness.

She stared at Warren as though seeing him for the first time. His baggy clothing and dark colors suddenly didn’t seem like someone making a fashion statement, but someone who was genuinely sick, hiding their gaunt frame.

“Are you… okay?” she asked, holding up a hand in concern. “I think you might need to go to the hospital or something.”

“I’m fine.”

He glowered down at her with vibrant hazel eyes, but underneath were dark heavy bags brought about by lack of sleep. Lilian listened hard to his song, trying to determine what about it worried her. There were no notes of sickness. No hum of disease. No indication of physical decay. None. The song sounded as though it were suffering. Being hurt somehow.

“Are you sure?” she tepidly asked.

“You wanted to talk to me,” he snapped. “I’m here. We’re talking. What is it you want?”

Lilian glanced over her shoulder. They were alone. “Do you know anything about the shaheen?”

Warren, taken aback, suddenly straightened his posture. His eyes searched her gaze for a long moment, his long hair falling back onto his face. “Are you… the shaheen I’ve been sensing all day? No… you couldn’t be…”

“I’m not,” Lilian replied. “But I know what you are, Warren. You’re a void eater.”

Warren’s grip on his crossed arms tightened. He remained quiet, but Lilian could hear his song becoming more chaotic with each passing moment. It was clear by his expression that his thoughts were running a mile a minute.

Lilian decided to continue, despite Warren’s nonplussed state. “My real question is… are you a dedicated void eater? Like, how many shaheen would you say you’ve dealt with? Do you actively hunt them? Hypothetically, if one found one walking around school here, how do you think you would react?” Lilian tried to keep her tone playful and relaxed, but Warren’s stress was infectious. Her questions sounded more like an interrogation than casual banter.

“What are you?” Warren asked under his breath. “If you’re not shaheen, how do you know what I am?”

“I have a friend who knows, but that’s not what’s important.”

“Your friend is the shaheen then.”

“What? I never said that,” Lilian stated with a dismissive wave of her hand. “He’s just… as normal as I am.”

Warren grabbed her by the forearm and kept his voice low when he hissed, “Only shaheen call us void eaters. Everyone else knows us as shadow hunters. Your friend is a shaheen and, if he’s here—if that’s what I’ve been sensing—you’re in grave danger.” Warren pulled her toward the edge of campus, his hand sweaty and his body shaking. It appeared to Lilian as though he couldn’t physically handle the stress of the situation. His face, already very pale, became deathly sallow and his movements were jerky, as though pained.

Lilian dug her feet into the grass. “Something’s wrong with you.”

“It’s nothing. We need to go. Right now.”

“The only place you’re going to is a hospital!” Lilian and Warren glared at each other, but Warren eventually exhaled and looked away.

“The hospital can’t help me.”

When Lilian continued her glaring, Warren slowly exhaled and said, “I’ve been cursed. By a shaheen. It affects my whole family.” He locked his eyes with Lilian again, determination in his gaze. “Do you understand now? I know firsthand how dangerous shaheen can be. You need to come with me, before the shaheen finds us. My father has hunted shaheen his entire life. He’ll know what to do.”

Lilian wanted to know more about the boy, so she reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled off campus. Warren was stronger than he looked, strong like Ariella, but he hadn’t forced Lilian to go with him. I wonder if all void eaters are strong…

“Fox is illusive when he wants to be,” Lilian commented as they jogged away from the school. A small piece of her didn’t like leaving Fox without explaining to him what was going on, but another piece of her knew he would eventually find her no matter what.

“My father works for the CPE,” Warren confidently stated. “They have tools for dealing with shaheen.”

“The CPE?” Lilian repeated. The CPE… The same organization in Uncle Rahul’s journals… The same organization mom was afraid of… The same organization she was running from… the same organization Ariella and I are hiding from… “What do you know about the CPE?”

Warren pulled Lilian across the street and headed straight into town, keeping to the sidewalks where there were shops, cars and people. He glanced over his shoulder like victim in a horror movie, his breathing shallow.

“What do you know of the CPE?” Lilian repeated.

“It’s not something we should talk about out in the open,” Warren absent-mindedly stated. “You can talk to my father as soon as we get to him. He knows everything.”

“Won’t the school be angry that you left?”

“Angry? They’ll mark me absent, just like any other school.”

Lilian frowned as the school disappeared from her sight. She didn’t know Silver River like she did Leaf Valley… The smoothie shops, ice cream parlors and clothing stores were all enticing, but also daunting. If she ran into trouble she had nowhere to turn and no one to help her. In Leaf Valley she had the farm and her uncle… The mention of the CPE and the very fact she was alone forced Lilian to remember the night her mother brought her to Uncle Rahul’s.

Those half-shaheen monsters could be anywhere, she reasoned. And I don’t even know the way back home from here…

---

Warren dragged her through the parking lot of a mall and then across another large intersection. He remained focused, but his song rang with panic and chaos. Lilian laughed to herself. I can’t believe he’s this worried about Fox, of all people. He’s going to be disappointed the moment they meet. Then he’ll realize how silly this whole thing is.

They jogged past building after building, never stopping. Finally Warren turned down a long narrow road that led to only one destination: a train station. As they approached, Lilian thought it looked old, but she realized that a newer station had been built right next to it for passenger trains. The older tracks were for freight cars hauling heavy cargo. Warren ran straight up onto the platform and sighed in relief.

“My father is in San Francisco right now,” he said between breaths. “But we can take this train to another station and then transfer to another that leads straight to his office.”

They walked across the empty platform and eventually came upon a turnstile. Warren withdrew a ticket and slid it through twice. “Hurry,” he beckoned. “Before your friend finds us. I can sense him nearby… It’s like he’s been dogging us since—”

“Fancy meeting you here, Imp,” Fox said in a nonchalant tone.

Startled by his presence, Lilian took a step back and ran into the locked turnstile. The platform was empty save for Fox in his human disguise. His one eye betrayed his irritation with the situation, but Lilian quickly laughed it away.

“Fox… You scared me for a second. How did you know where we were going?”

Warren stepped in front of Lilian, physically shielding her, and glared at Fox through the strands of his long hair. “Get back,” he commanded Lilian. “It’s okay. I know you’ve probably accidently made a pact with this monster, but I’ll handle it now. He’s not going to hurt you.”

“I thought you were just going to talk to the boy?” Fox continued speaking to Lilian, completely ignoring Warren’s declarations. He threw back his white hoodie and brushed aside his raven locks. “This is far from just talking to the boy. If I didn’t know any better… I would say you were trying to avoid me.”

“Warren is taking me to see someone from the CPE,” Lilian confidently stated.

Fox froze, his gaze downcast and locked on the cement platform just a few inches in front of him. After a moment he looked up and smirked. “What did I tell you, Imp? He’s dedicating himself to hunting shaheen. He’d tell you anything to get you to come with him, most likely just to get to me. We should do away with him, before he finds Ariella.”

“Fox!” Lilian hissed, practically pushing Warren out of her way. “Why did you have to mention her? He didn’t—” Lilian stopped herself short. Fox had mentioned her name just to guarantee that action would need to be taken. Now Warren unequivocally knew at least one other shaheen was nearby. “It’s not going to work, Fox! Warren is a good guy. You’re not going to hurt him. We’re just going to go home and—”

“Don’t!” Warren shouted, taking her by the arm once more and pulling her back. “Don’t get anywhere near that thing! You can’t trust a thing he says! He’s a monster!”

“He’s my protector,” Lilian snapped, trying to wrest her arm from Warren’s grasp, but failing to do so.

“He’s obviously fooled you at some level. Shaheen don’t protect people. Stay back. I’ll get you to the CPE and they’ll protect you.”

“No they won’t!” Lilian shouted, now trying desperately to pull herself free. He was too strong and his grip only tightened the longer she struggled. “The CPE are out to kill me!”

“What? No they aren’t! They’re an organization dedicated to destroying shaheen!”

Lilian gritted her teeth and glared up at Warren through her eyelashes. “I’m pretty sure that’s wrong. Try again!”

“I’m telling you the truth! My dad works there!”

Ariella was born there! That’s what Uncle Rahul’s journal said! How could she be born there if the place specialized in destroying shaheen?! He’s lying to me! He has to be!

Warren’s grip threatened to break Lilian’s bones. “Fox! He’s hurting me!”

Within a half-second of her yelling, Fox was on top of Warren. One kick to the chest and the teen boy flew backward, hitting the cement platform hard. He slid a short distance before stopping. His back, chaffed, bled, soaking his shirt and jacket. He gasped for air, obviously winded from the sudden, brutal attack.

Fox lazily turned to Lilian and took hold of her arm. “You’ll be fine,” he said, turning it over in his hand. He glanced up to meet her gaze and narrowed his one eye. “Don’t scare me like that again, Imp.”

Lilian watched as the white sclera of Fox’s eye became black, emphasizing his amber iris.

“Fox…”

Without warning, Lilian heard Warren’s song twist into something horrific. His song—no, not a song, just screaming—caused Lilian to grab at her ears. Confused, momentarily blind and unable to hear anything else, she crouched down and tightly closed her eyes. She had never heard such a terrifying noise and, with concentration, she regained some of her senses, and forced herself to turn toward Warren.

Warren got to his feet, a knife in his hand. Both of his arms were bleeding from the crux of his elbow to the base of his wrists. The rivulets of blood were the source of the agony-filled song. Lilian knew from the chilling notes that Warren had slashed himself—harmed himself—to call upon an infernal power.

The moment Warren’s fresh blood coated his hand it coagulated and hardened into reddish-black crystal claws. The blood on his back hardened the same way, covering him in reddish-black spines. His sclera’s too, were black.

Warren threw his knife to the ground; it clacked against the hard cement, echoing throughout the empty platform. His loss of blood left him looking anemic, but even the slight movement of flicking his wrist indicated to Lilian he had become something else, something vastly more powerful than before.

He lunged forward with an overhead strike, fast as lightning, his black-crystal claws just barely missing Fox and slicing clean through a nearby bench. The finely sliced pieces of bench clattered onto the platform as though cut away with a precision laser.

Fox pushed Lilian back, giving himself space to move while simultaneously keeping her out of the fighting. Warren suddenly slashed upward, catching Fox’s left arm and cutting him across the elbow. Fox slipped backward, dropping down as though into the shadows, only to reemerge, unharmed, behind Warren. Before the boy could react, Fox wrapped his arms around him, his nails sprouting razor-sharp claws of his own, and dug deep into Warren’s stomach.

Fox pulled back, slicing flesh and soaking Warren’s already red shirt in crimson. With bestial strength, Fox lifted Warren and unceremoniously slammed him down against the cement, brutally winding him in an amazing display of strength and speed. Warren struggled to breathe, his skin colorless, and with each passing moment notes of torment were added to his already weak song.

Unexpectedly, Warren rolled to his side and slashed at Fox, catching the shaheen’s leg and splashing blood so black and shiny it might as well have been oil across the cement of the platform. Fox kicked Warren back, crushing bones in his chest from the sheer force of the blow. Warren curled up on his side, dazed, and tightly wrapped his arms across his chest. He couldn’t even defend himself when Fox casually walked over and slashed him across the hamstring of his right leg.

Warren cried out, his voice cracking. He buried his face into the crook of his arm to stifle the noise. Fox laughed, grabbed him by the back of his shirt and effortlessly threw Warren down onto the tracks.

The blood from Warren’s new injuries did not result in more shaheen-like qualities. Lilian, transfixed in horror, listened as Warren’s song waned. The moment Lilian didn’t consider herself to be in danger, she ran straight for the edge of the platform.

“Fox! Stop! He’s already sick! You’ll kill him!”

Fox knelt down at the edge of the platform and watched as Warren managed to pull himself into a sitting position. His make-shift claws faded away, melting like warm ice-cream and mixing into the blood pooling around him. Warren looked to be in terrible shape. He had a busted eyebrow, a twisted leg, broken rips, and slashed arms; his clothes were awash in vital fluid. With each breath he appeared to be slipping closer and closer to death. Lilian could hear the faint notes of his requiem starting…

“Ah. He’s a tough one,” Fox playfully commented, ignoring Lilian’s distress. “He hasn’t died yet.”

She quickly walked over and examined Fox. Not a scratch on him. “But… I saw you get hurt.” Lilian turned and stared at the small patch of oil-black blood smeared across the platform.

“I fought fearsome creatures in the past, Imp. Don’t worry about me.”

“How did he do all that?”

“Void eaters fuel their powers with their blood. It’s infused with the power of darkness, the very power the original void eaters stole from the shaheen.” Fox smirked down at Warren. “Though it was extremely amateurish to rely on blood magic, considering the state he’s in.”

Warren, despite his trembling, glared up at Fox with a gaze that could cut steel. His ragged breathing prevented him from speaking, and his blood-matted hair hung over his his face, blocking half his view.

Lilian couldn’t stand the sight of him. She turned away and bit down on her finger, guilt filling her very being. Even though he had information she wanted—information regarding the CPE that he wasn’t willing to part with—she still couldn’t bring herself to justify the torture Fox had inflicted. Warren’s sorrowful song ate at her… She leaned over to jump down on the tracks, but Fox abruptly stopped her. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back onto the platform.

“What’re you doing, Imp? Stay put. The train is on its way.”

“But, Warren—”

“Warren can talk or he can wait for the train. It’s his choice, really.”

Lilian grabbed Fox by his hoodie and pulled him away from the edge. She kept him close and tightly balled her fists around the soft fabric in her hands. Under her breath she hissed, “No. You’ve already gone far enough. We’re not killing him.”

“Well,” Fox sweetly whispered. “The train would be killing him.”

“No!” she shouted, shaking with pent up rage and frustration. She couldn’t stand the thought of killing Warren. He didn’t deserve death.

Fox motioned for her to stay quiet. “Fine, just make the boy think he’s in danger, Imp. Play along and he’ll sing for us.”

Lilian felt her rage wane the longer she mulled over Fox’s comment. She liked the sound of his plan. She let go of Fox’s white hoodie, somehow untouched by the blood or dirt, and returned to the edge overlooking Warren. He glared up at them, but his hands were unsteady and his skin was soaked in sweat rank with fear.

“Well?” Fox said, motioning to Warren. “Ask away, Imp.”

Lilian evened her breathing and tried to reassure herself that this was just a good cop, bad cop scenario. “The CPE… they took my family away,” she stated. “And I’m not shaheen.”

Warren didn’t respond.

“What do you know about the CPE?”

“I told you everything…” Warren rasped between long breaths. “My father works for them… They’re… helping us break the curse on my family…”

Lilian hesitantly turned to Fox. With great care he licked what little of Warren’s blood he had on his fingers, savoring every drop. “Fox,” she hissed, looking away out of disgust. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.”

“Well? Is any of that true?!” Before he could answer, Lilian held up a hand. She glared and pressed her lips together tightly, trying very hard to impart the seriousness of the situation. “No jokes. This is important.”

“What? I’m your lie detector now? He thinks he’s telling the truth, but like a faulty game of telephone, he’s only parroting lies from other sources. There’s no curse. I would have tasted the taint in his blood if he harbored some sort of supernatural illness or hex.”

“You’re lying!” Warren growled, his voice wet with blood. “My father and mother both said that—”

“Both said what?” Fox asked, cutting him off. “That they needed to take your blood? A void eater’s most valuable resource is his blood. It’s infused with darkness… powerful, ancient magic rests in your veins, boy. Others know that too. So, think back, how often did drawing blood become part of your treatment?”

“I—well… it…” The boy’s voice trailed off. His eyes lost focus, shifting back and forth as he hung his head and stared at the tracks. The platform vibrated, heralding the incoming train.

Fox chortled and turned to Lilian with a devilish smile. “Void eaters are resistant to the powers of darkness. Although their blood tastes like ambrosia, it’s a forbidden fruit laced with poison. Most shaheen find it difficult to overcome a void eater’s power in order to consume them. It sounds to me like your friend here has found himself ensnared in the trap… and he’s quickly bleeding out, if you catch my drift.”

“You think… someone is eating him and his family?” Lilian whispered. Eatingmight not have been the best word, but the closest mental imagine she could think of was a vampire. A creature taking blood from a family by claiming they were under some curse, by claiming their blood supernaturally diseased… only then to secretly devour everything he harvested? Lilian shuddered.

The whistle of the train and the ringing of the safety bells indicated to Lilian they were out of time. Warren jerked his head to the side, watching the train curve around and head toward the platform. It was a passenger train, not very long, but still a train easily capable of killing someone trapped on tracks.

“Okay, Fox. Pull him up.” Lilian stood up and motioned for him to go to it. When he didn’t move, she motioned again, this time with vigor. “C’mon, Fox. We don’t have all day.”

“I don’t know, Imp,” Fox drawled. “He did cut me… and endangered your wellbeing…”

“Get him off the tracks, Fox.”

“You know, I don’t actually have to follow your orders.” Fox stood up and stared at her. His expression… Lilian was momentarily stunned. His one-eyed gaze was humorless and piercing. He silently dared her to challenge him on the issue; to make a big deal of it.

Lilian took a step back. “You’re going to let him die?” Fox wouldn’t do that, she thought.

… Would he?

“B-but,” she stammered. “You said we were just tricking him! Just making him think we would kill him so he would talk!”

“I was, but… then I remembered there are only a finite number of void eaters,” he said with a smirk. “You understand.”

The train’s whistle sounded louder than ever. Could the conductor see someone on the tracks? Lilian had no doubt in her mind that Fox could somehow prevent the conductor from stopping in time. She wasn’t entirely sure how, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the train suddenly had no access to its brakes or the conductor was temporarily incapacitated.

Lilian took another step back. “Fox. This isn’t funny. Save him.”

He picked at his nails and played with the black jade beads around his wrist. “Hm. I think I’ll pass.”

The train, nearing at a surprising rate, was less than a minute from the tracks. Lilian couldn’t believe what she was hearing. If Fox were correct then Warren was being tricked and his family harmed… It reminded Lilian of her own broken family. Lilian steeled herself. She wouldn’t allow it. She wouldn’t become the demons of her nightmares and hurt other people… She wouldn’t be a participant to a heinous crime. She wouldn’t.

Without warning or hesitation, Lilian sprinted away from Fox and leapt down onto the train tracks, tumbling and slamming her leg against the hard metal. She sprang up, limped a short distance and then collapsed onto Warren. He gasped in pain as she tightly wrapped her arms around his body and linked her fingers together.

“Imp!”

Lilian could feel the vibrations of the oncoming train. She tightly closed her eyes and felt Warren’s rapid heartbeat through his chest. His song rang with disjointed notes and colorless melodies. The fading music brought tears to Lilian’s eyes. He didn’t deserve to die.

I’m not going to let him die.

Chapter 10

New Allies

“Souls cannot be taken by force.

Only the keeper, however coerced, can part with them.”

---

Lilian felt Fox grab the scruff of her shirt and pull. The sudden force and speed nearly caught her off-guard, but she clung to Warren regardless, refusing to go unless he went with her. A stinging sense of magic washed over her—a song of escape rang through the air—but the magic died when it came into contact with Warren. The power in his blood broke apart the shaheen magic, preventing them from being whisked away.

The train, mere yards away, whistled again, this time piercing Lilian’s eardrums.

She felt more magic the second time… an overload of magic in order to compensate for Warren’s inherent resistance. It coated her skin like a bottle of boiling water being drizzled down her back; her tactile senses were set ablaze by the odd, stinging sensation. The pain, fleeting, disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving Lilian nonplussed. She felt herself tumbling and spinning, her shoulders, arms and legs battering against something hard… asphalt.

Lilian opened her eyes. She was rolling over an asphalt road.

Sliding to a halt, she waited a moment before moving. Lilian slowly got up into a sitting position, carefully rubbing her neck and checking over her body. The sore feeling of pre-developed bruises covered her limbs. She shook her head and instantly regretted it.

“Ow…”

Lilian forced herself to glance around, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. The road, desperately in need of repair, had vacant buildings on either side and a gas station at the far end. The gas station sign read: SILVER RIVER STOP N SHOP. The sun, directly overhead, beat down on her with the full force of a summer afternoon. She stared at the gas station sign for a strained minute, taking in the fact she was still within Silver River’s borders. I haven’t gone far…

Before anything else happened, Lilian checked her wrist for her homemade protection charm. The thin threads with her mystic writing were slightly scuffed and torn. A steadily building panic began developing in her lower gut, rising up to her stomach and eventually filling her chest, tightening her lungs and filling her with dread. If there had been anything Uncle Rahul had warned them about incessantly, it was straying too far from a zone of protection…

Lilian turned her head and caught her breath when she spotted Warren. His body, curled up in the street’s cracked gutter, lay motionless and bleeding.

“Warren!”

She slowly stood up and ran over as fast as she could, hobbling with one leg and attempting to bite past the pain. She leaned down and threw one of Warren’s arms across her shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she breathlessly asked. “I’m so sorry about this… I didn’t think he would—er, I just… I’m sorry.” Lilian helped him up, thankful he could still move and breathe, but he remained quiet.

She glanced up and down the street. No sign of Fox, nor could she hear his song. Lilian knew it had been his teleportive magic that had saved them, but had he been left behind? Maybe Fox’s powers failed because Warren was involved, she thought. He did say void eaters were resistant.

Warren groaned and shuddered. Lilian held him close.

“Don’t worry. You’re safe. I’ll get us out of here.”

“Get off me,” he rasped, trying in vain to push away. He clutched his side, delicately holding his ribs and breathing through his teeth.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Lilian quickly stated. “Just calm down. I’ll take you to a hospital.”

Warren tightly held his eyes closed and shook his head. “No hospitals. Just… take me…”

Lilian hefted his weight up onto hers body. Years of farm work had left her with strength more than others her age. “I have everything under control. Just tell me where to go.”

“Tsk… where is… your demon?”

“He’s, er, gone. For the moment.”

“You tried to kill me…” Warren breathlessly stated as he continued his pathetic struggle to free himself of Lilian’s grip.

“I said I was sorry! Really! I mean it! I want to help you! I never wanted to kill you!”

Lilian held him close and began slowly making her way down the street. Warren eventually stopped struggling and leaned his weight heavily onto her shoulder. His breath, shallow, was hot against her arm and irregular. The notes of his fading requiem steadied, remaining at the same volume as they traveled down the road.

Lilian’s thoughts immediately turned to Uncle Rahul. He’d know where I am, but I can’t call him or else he’ll realize what I’ve done… No. I can do this. I can fix this. I’ll help Warren get to a hospital and then I’ll make it back to the farm. Whatever Uncle Rahul doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

“Warren? Stay awake. You need to give me directions, okay?”

---

“There! That’s my house!”

Gunner craned his head around to get a better view of the set-back house on the hillside. “That one? All right.” He turned the car toward the driveway.

“No!” Ariella shouted.

Slamming on the breaks, Gunner brought the car to a screeching halt mid-turn. “What’s wrong?!”

Red in the face, Ariella motioned for him to continue down the road. “My dad can’t see you, okay? Just… park far away. Real far away.”

Gunner slowly turned his car away from the driveway and drove down the road. With a quick U-turn he came to a stop. Ariella’s house remained visible through the sparse foliage of the trees. Gunner cut power to the engine and leaned back in the driver’s seat.

“Kinda looks like a farm.”

“It is,” Ariella replied. “We have goats and everything. Lilian and I were even going to add a garden to—oh gosh…” She sunk deep into her jacket and hid within the dark cave of the fabric. I left Lilian! And when dad sees we didn’t touch the north field he’ll know what happened! He’s going to be so disappointed and we’ll never leave the house ever again…

Gunner scratched at his thick neck and raised his eyebrow. “What’s wrong? You’re freaking out again.”

“Lilian and I were supposed to turn the north field into a garden… If my father finds out, he’ll know we left the farm and went to school… He’s going to be so mad…”

“Finds out? You mean he doesn’t already know?”

Ariella shook her head.

“Do you still have time to make your garden?”

“I… don’t know.” Ariella remained tucked in her jacket sanctuary, too afraid to deal with the consequences of reality. For years her father had stressed the need to stay on the farm and remain hidden… She couldn’t bear the thought of telling him everything she had done in just one afternoon. “But I’ll never be able to get it done all by myself…”

“I’ll help you.”

Ariella poked her head out just enough for her eyes to lock with Gunner’s. “You will? But… why? You’ve already done so much for me and I… I haven’t been so good to you.”

“You seem pretty distressed about, what I think of as simple tasks. I don’t mind giving you a ride or helping you garden if not doing those things gets you a one-way ticket to Hansel and Gretel’s oven.”

Ariella unexpectedly laughed. She quickly calmed herself and pulled down her jacket. “Really? You’d do that?”

“Yeah. I didn’t offer just to pull your leg.”

“But my dad can’t see you. We’ll have to be quick.”

“Is that a challenge?” he playfully asked. “I love a good challenge.”

Ariella took in Gunner’s scent. His aroma of soil and sweat reminded her of farm life. “Have you made a garden before?”

“I’ve helped my dad build a few indoor gardens for my mom. Don’t worry; I take direction well.”

“You smell like the outdoors.”

Gunner lifted an eyebrow and nervously laughed. “Er, yeah. We used to have horses. Now we just have empty acres. I help my dad maintain them.”

“All right. We should walk to the garden from here… and stay as far away from the house as possible.”

Gunner and Ariella exited the car and trudged uphill through the undergrowth until they came upon the north field. The field had been somewhat prepared ahead of time, having already been marked and weeded. Ariella knew she still needed to mix in fertilizer, till the soil, spread the seeds and then lightly water nearly an acre worth of land. It was an all-day project with her super speed and strength plus Lilian’s help…

Two sets of gardening tools were already laid out along the field. Ariella walked over to one set and begun removing her jacket. She stopped halfway through and quickly secured her jacket back into place, remembering that Gunner would be with her the entire time. Gunner took the other set and immediately went to work.

“This whole plot, right?” he asked, motioning to the rectangular outline that stretched on for some distance.

“Yeah. The whole plot.”

He nodded and started working, undeterred by the daunting task. Ariella nervously kept one eye on the path that led to her house and the other on her work. With ease she lifted the bags of fertilizer and mixed them into the dirt like a localized tornado on a mission. Her agility and strength left Gunner astonished. For a short period of time he stopped working just to watch her work, only to double his efforts afterward if only not to be shown up.

Ariella swam in her own jacket with the amount of sweat that had accumulated. She felt as though she had a waterbed strapped to her person as she lifted the till out of the dirt and threw it to the side. I can’t keep this up… He already knows what I am anyway… Ariella unfastened her jacket and threw it to the side, relieved to feel the fresh afternoon air against her skin. Her outfit, the one Lilian crafted, wasn’t the best for gardening, but it wouldn’t hinder her either.

“Whoa,” Gunner half-gasped. “Why do you ever wear a jacket? You’re gorgeous.”

Ariella, covered in dirt and fertilizer, wiped the sweat from her brow. “Ha. Ha. You look good too.”

“I’m being serious,” Gunner said, smiling. He turned his attention to his clothing and realized how dirty he had become. “Wait—you think I look terrible?”

She glanced over her shoulder. Gunner, his pants brown from the knees down and his shirt a tie-dye of bodily fluids, held himself with an air of confidence. Ariella found it attractive and, for a brief moment, admired his solid form.

“I…” She turned away, flushed. “I think you look okay.”

Gunner laughed. “Yeah. I’m sure girls like you have high standards.”

“Girls… like me?”

“It’s okay. I get it. Tens don’t settle for less. That’s why they’re tens.”

Ariella turned back to him and shook her head. “That wasn’t what I was saying!”

“Look, don’t worry about it! I know you’re probably betrothed to the Goblin King or something. It’s the destiny of all magical princesses.” Gunner hefted his till and slowly went back to work. “I’m just the farm hand who admires from afar.”

Ariella couldn’t help but laugh. She bit her lip and stared at the other boy, thankful for his jovial mood. “I would consider you a friend, Gunner.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he playfully said, holding up his hands. “Don’t you know what happens to guys like me when you say that? The Goblin King is probably listening right now, getting all furiously jealous and elaborately plotting my death. Let’s just keep this cazh, shall we?”

She continued to laugh. “You’ve got quite an imagination.”

Gunner shrugged.

“Very well, farm hand,” she said in her best mock-princess voice. “Carry this spare federalizer back to the barn.”

“As you wish, m’lady.”

Ariella picked up the last bag of fertilizer and effortless tossed it to Gunner. He caught the bag, but buckled under the heavy bag, falling to one knee. He sucked in his breath, holding back a grunt of pain.

“Are you okay?” Ariella quickly asked, taking a step closer but maintaining an arms’ length between them. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you! I thought I tossed it lightly, I swear!”

“It’s not you,” he groaned, slowly getting back to his feet. “It’s just my knee… It happens all the time when I help my dad. Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know! I shouldn’t have asked you to help!”

Gunner offered a forced smile. “Don’t worry. I knew it might be a problem, but I stayed anyway. Well worth it, in my opinion.”

Ariella, feeling somewhat guilty, half-heartedly nodded. Silence reigned between them as Gunner slung the bag onto his shoulder and headed toward the farm. He limped, obviously favoring his good leg over the other.

“Uh,” she began, jogging to catch up with him.

“What’s up?”

“You haven’t asked me about my powers.”

He turned and locked eyes with Ariella as they walked. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Well… it’s not every day you meet a magic princess,” she jokingly said. Ariella sighed and seriously continued with, “I just figured you’d be curious… I thought… I thought you would be asking more questions than you are.”

“I was trying to avoid the you know too much so now I have to kill youscene,” Gunner said, smiling. Ariella didn’t laugh. Gunner nervously tapped his fingers across the fertilizer bag. “Look. You’ve been upset since the moment I met you. Do you really need me breathing down your neck about what you’re doing with magical powers out on a farm in the middle of the tiniest town this side of the central valley?”

Ariella slowed her pace when she realized she was getting ahead of Gunner. He bit down, struggling to maintain a descent pace. Ariella took a step in front of him and stopped.

“How about you give me the bag? I’ll take it back.”

Gunner stopped and shook his head. “No,” he said. “I got this. Just give me a few minutes.”

“What happened? What’s wrong with your knee?”

He dropped the bag and gently rubbed at his injured knee.

“It doesn’t… get in the way?” Ariella quietly asked. “Like, when you play sports?”

“I don’t play sports,” Gunner quickly stated. “So there’s nothing to get in the way of.”

“But… you were in the gym. You were supposed to help the coach…”

Gunner let out a long exhale. “I used to be on the team. Now I just help the coach on my free period. It’s okay, though. I have fun with the coach and I haven’t played football for the last two years. I’m over it. Seriously, it’s not worth getting worked up over.”

“What if I told you I could help you? Would you tell me what happened then?”

For a moment Gunner looked as though he would laugh away the comment, but he quickly silenced himself. He looked at her with a very serious—hopeful—expression.

“You… can do that?” he whispered.

Emotions flared up within Ariella. Something about the desperateness of his tone excited her. She had something he wanted and she could practically taste his desire to have it. She had sensed his lust and physical desire, but this was something… more substantial.

“What happened?” she asked.

Gunner turned his gaze down to the ground as long shadows crept between them. “It’s not a grand epic or anything… A few years back one of my dad’s horses kicked me square in the knee. I was in the hospital for weeks… They told me there wasn’t much they could do. It would just be a problem for me for the rest of my life.”

“So… If I fixed your problem… would you be willing to give me something in return?” Ariella didn’t know the details of her arrangement, but she had a powerful sense deep within her. She could make a deal with him, a pact, and bind him to an agreement. It felt as if… the very shadows themselves were the ones enforcing it. She had never done something so overt before, and there was a piece of her that wanted to turn back, but… she knew what she wanted of Gunner.

“Give you something in return?” he repeated.

She nodded. “For… fixing your knee.”

“What could I possibly give you? I mean, you’re the one with magic powers. Everything I have pales in comparison to that.”

Ariella tensed. She felt like an addict who suddenly had their drug of choice unexpectedly thrust upon them. She crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back, oddly guilty about asking for something. She nervously glanced back at her house, wondering what her father would say if he saw her now.

Gunner ran a hand over the back of his neck. “But, er, I wasn’t saying I wasn’t willing. Just name your price. I’ll try my hardest to—”

“I want you to keep everything you saw today a secret,” she said, cutting him off. “You can’t tell anyone. Not about me or… my powers.”

“That’s it?” Gunner asked, nearly stumbling over his words in his haste.

“Well… not everything,” she muttered. “I also want… you to visit me. At least once a week.”

Gunner became silent. Ariella held her breath. Her interactions with humans had been limited. The long shadows and setting sun marked a day where she had finally acted on her own and befriended someone. Ariella didn’t want to see him go. She wanted him to stay. She wanted to get to know him better. And a piece of her felt selfish but… she suddenly felt jealous of all the others who had ever interacted with him before her.

“Deal,” he said, startling her. “Where do I sign?”

Ariella held out her hand. Gunner immediately took it, despite knowing what she was capable of. Her powers took hold, but not like she wanted. His breathing hitched, but the deal wasn’t struck. Some piece of her knew it wouldn’t take effect until she had completed, or started, her end of the bargain. Ariella pulled away and rubbed at her palm.

Gunner shook his head and stumbled back a few steps, dazed by her strange powers. “So… is that it? I have some sort of witch bargain on me now?”

“Yes,” Ariella slowly stated. “And if you break it—er, terrible things will happen to you. Terrible things. Your head will explode.”

“S-seriously?!” Gunner breathlessly asked in panic. “Holy… Well, then is my knee fixed?” He glanced down at his leg and flexed.

“Not yet! I have… um, a short period with which to… deliver. So to speak. Don’t worry. I’ll make it happen.”

She knew the moment she completed her end of the bargain Gunner would be compelled to follow his deal, but until then the bargain they struck was useless. She was certain nothing bad would happen if he broke the deal before she completed her end, she just didn’t want him to speak of her until then. Not only that, but she wanted to see him again sometime in the near future.

“Um, I need to finish this garden before dark,” Ariella said, looking over the substantial amount of work they had already completed. “Are you… okay taking the fertilizer back?”

“Sure… Just, give me a minute. We’ll get this done, I promise.”

---

Lilian enjoyed the sunlight. She stood in it whenever she could and basked in its glory. She didn’t know why but she always felt better after standing in the light. Her cuts and scrapes from Fox’s teleport were no longer a problem as they seemingly evaporated in the heat of the daylight glow.

With a fading smile she watched the sun disappear beyond the treetops. Dusk, the herald of the night, fell upon her.

“Warren? You okay?” she asked aloud.

The boy sat on a nearby park bench, taking slow and shallow breathes. He looked a mess but he had somehow managed to stay awake for the last few hours. Luckily for them, he wore a red shirt, making it difficult to spot the dark splotches of blood from a distance. Random citizens of Silver River occasionally gave them sideways glances, but Lilian always had a story to spin just in case anyone asked too many questions. Skateboarding accident. Crashed moped. Fell down a flight of stairs.

Fox would have been proud.

“Warren?” she tepidly asked again.

“I’m fine,” he breathed.

Warren leaned back on the park bench, exposing his neck and allowing his long, matted hair to hang away from his face. Lilian slid onto the bench next him, filled with energy from the sunlight she had been bathing in. She stared down at him. Warren opened his eyes and met her gaze.

“What is it now?” he rasped.

“You have a gap between your two front teeth.”

Warren immediately brought a hand up over his mouth and rubbed at his chin. “And?”

“I’m just making sure you’re fully awake and not phoning it in.” She smiled. “You… look like you’re a little better than you were before, actually.” Lilian glared at his injuries. The puncture wounds weren’t bleeding. She turned her attention to his leg. “Will you… ever be able to walk again?”

“Yes,” he breathed. “I just need some time to rest. I’ll recover.”

“It doesn’t look like you’ve been recovering.”

“It only works at night.”

“You feel better in the dark?” Just like Ariella.

“Yeah… part of that whole shadow hunter thing. We do better at night.” He stared at her, his bright hazel eyes slowly narrowing into a look of confusion as he scanned her blemish-free skin. He lightly grazed her shoulder. “Are you…?”

“I’m not a void eater.”

“But… mortals don’t heal like that.”

Lilian shrugged.

“And you’re not a shaheen,” Warren continued, trying to deduce everything even if she refused to offer any more information. “I would have been able to sense it by now. They have a certain presenceabout them. You… don’t have that.”

“Well, it’s not important.” She jumped off the bench. “I would love for you to get better and all that, but we should move. Aren’t we close to a hospital by now?”

“I told you once, I’ll tell you again. We’re not going to a hospital.”

Lilian stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest. “Your song is weak, Warren. You need medical attention.”

He lifted his head and glared. “My what?”

“Your song. You can’t hear it? I thought that maybe void eaters could.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Okay… but we can’t go to your house. Not when there’s a vampire there.”

“There isn’t a vampire at my house,” Warren snapped. “Your trickster shaheen was lying.”

Lilian offered him a hand. He reluctantly took it in order to stand.

“Why do you trust this Fox guy, anyway? Did you make a pact with him?”

“No. My brother sent him to protect me.”

“Sent him? Sent him when?”

“Eight years ago,” Lilian said matter-of-factly.

Warren sneered. “You’ve been eating that creature’s lies for eight years? No wonder you can’t see the truth.”

“Look, Fox has been there for me through thick and thin. He doesn’t want to harm me, or else he could have done it by now. He doesn’t always tell the truth… but he had nothing to gain from lying about your vampire. I’m certain he was telling the truth. Plus, Fox knows a good tricking when he sees it.”

Warren spit a mix of blood and saliva out onto the sidewalk, obviously cross but offering up no additional commentary. Lilian opened her mouth to continue her tirade, but she stopped herself short. Uncle Rahul never spoke of shaheen; he said they knew when people were speaking about them. Ariella, while part-shaheen, was ignorant of their ways. Warren seemed knowledgeable and he warned her out of concern, not malice.

“I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends,” she said in a jovial, but somewhat sarcastic, tone.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he quipped. “I like living.”

Despite Lilian’s hesitation, she smiled as they continued to walk in the direction Warren had pointed. I’m never going to get home in time… Uncle Rahul is going to kill me.

“My house isn’t far from here. Just a little further this way.” After a few steps he managed to use his leg once more, though it still pained him to walk on it. “Listen, I don’t know much about the CPE, but, like you trust Fox, I trust my dad. If he says they’re out to rid the world of shaheen that’s what they’re trying to do. Maybe you’re just being mistaken for someone you’re not. We should talk to my father.”

But if they are trying to kill me, and I walk right into their arms… There’s no going back after that. “I… need to think about it.”

“Look, if you can’t trust me, why should I trust you? Maybe it’s just best if we went our separate ways now.” Warren pushed off Lilian and stumbled into a standing position. The longer the night went on the better he seemed, but his weak song still sung of torment. Wait… His song!

Lilian suddenly perked up. “Actually, I have an idea.”

“What?”

“I can… hear the songs of places and people. I’ve been able to my whole life. I thought others could too, because my brother would hear songs, but apparently I’m kinda unique.”

“What are you going on about?” Warren incredulously asked.

Lilian shook her head and took hold of Warren’s forearms. “I can hear songs. Like, music that people create… from within. Sometimes places have… I dunno… an echoof the songs around them because the music is soaked into the very environment.”

“And?”

“And… you should take me to your house. I’ll know if someone is trying to deceive you once I hear the song inside your house because it’ll be an echo of the people that frequent it. Ergo, if someone is trying to trick you, I’ll hear the hum of their treachery. Are you following me?”

Warren pushed her away and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why should I even believe you? I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Echoes? Songs? Songs soaked into buildings? What are you?”

“You wouldn’t believe me,” Lilian quickly stated, mildly trying to avoid the subject.

“I’m a shadow hunter and you’re actively hanging with a monster of pure darkness,” Warren sardonically stated. “I’m pretty sure that—whatever you are—it’s not crazier than any of that.”

Lilian sighed. “I’m not entirely sure but… Fox sometimes calls me a blasphemous child of light. I just figured that meant I was some sort of hybrid-light-monster.” Like Ariella is some sort of hybrid-darkness-monster.

“You’re an azra?” Warren asked, his eyes going wide with shocked disbelief.

“Er, I don’t think I’m an azra. Just… part azra?”

His mood switched faster than most individuals with bi-polar disorder. Warren took her by the arm and motioned to the road. “All right. Let’s see what your powers have to say about my house.”

“Wait, you trust my powers now? I thought you said I was crazy?”

“My dad says azra are humanity’s saviors,” Warren explained as he walked, eager to get back to his house. “He says they’re our allies in our fight against the shaheen. I… want to hear what you have to say, and then I want you to talk to my father.”

Lilian glanced over her shoulder. She didn’t sense Fox, nor did she hear his song. And she hadn’t, not once, not since they appeared in the middle of the road. I’ll be fine without Warren. And I’ll go home right after…

Chapter 11

The Curse on House von Adler

“Shaheen are slaves to their nature.

Azra are slaves to their goal.

Humans are slaves to no force, for their souls are capable of any destiny.”

---

“That’s my house. On the corner.”

The quiet neighborhood stood apart from the city. Lilian nervously glanced from one house to the other, staring at the massive estates beyond wrought-iron bars and wondering what kind of people would live in such lavish, self-imposed prisons. Each step they took sounded and then dissipated into the darkness.

Suddenly unsure of her current mission, Lilian grabbed Warren by the arm and held him close. Man, it sure would be useful to know some defensive magic right about now, she sarcastically thought.

Warren stiffened and glared. “What’s wrong with you? There aren’t any shaheen nearby. No one here is going to hurt you.”

“I don’t trust this place. Something awful happened here. Something… sad.”

Warren became quiet and introspective, his song suddenly moving into a somber melody. Lilian let him be, content to have his company, but his hollow gaze disturbed her. She turned her attention back to the houses. She saw no cars in the driveways or people at the windows. Blinds were drawn and the chimneys were cold. There was a stillness to the place that Lilian didn’t care for. The shadows of the night weren’t helping matters. Once or twice she thought she saw movement, but it was fleeting and just outside her vision. They were playing with her.

Warren took a few deep breaths and smoothed out his clothing. Besides the holes in the shirt and the ripped up pant leg, he seemed to be in perfect working order. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and turned to face Lilian, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

Lilian stopped and gave him a questioning look. “Uh, what’s up?”

“We’re going to go inside and you’re going to tell me exactly what you hear. I want the truth. Can I trust you to do that?”

“Can you trust me? Seriously?”

“Your shaheen tried to kill me,” Warren calmly stated.

“Oh. Yeah.” Lilian nervously rubbed at the back of her neck. “Well, that wasn’t me, per se. I mean, I did agree to trick you into thinking Fox would kill you, but I didn’t actually want to kill you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Hey!” Lilian snapped, suddenly defensive. “I jumped onto those train tracks, all right! To save your scrawny ass! I could have died!”

“Language,” Warren scolded. Lilian huffed pressed her lips together. “But I suppose you make a good point,” he quickly added. “Very well. Stay close to me and keep quiet. My sister might be asleep already.”

“This early? I know it’s dark, but still.”

Warren turned back toward the house and shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets. “She’s cursed, remember? She doesn’t feel well most days.”

Lilian followed Warren up to his family’s property. “Are you going to believe me if I say you have some sort of vampire or blood-sucking shaheen on your hands?”

“I don’t know,” Warren muttered as he walked around the incomplete iron fence that half surrounded his front yard. As Lilian followed he drifted back into a pensive state. She wished he would open up, but she didn’t want to push him too far, not on a day when he had almost died twice.

In silence they crossed the yard. Lilian stayed glued to Warren’s arm, still regretting the fact she had no protection of her own. Fox had always been there for her, but now he was either acting as her adversary or completely missing. I need something for myself, she reasoned. Warren fights shaheen… Maybe he has something I could use.

Warren’s house stood leagues above Lilian’s. It had two stories, a large driveway, a landscaped yard, decorative windows and elegant chandeliers. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was the next best thing.

Warren immediately turned toward the side of the house, avoiding the front door and entering through another near the back. The back door, unlocked, swung open with a creak. He stepped inside and Lilian slowly followed him.

An expansive modern kitchen stood before Lilian. Everything from the refrigerator to the counter-tops to the table was mostly stainless steel, giving the place the warmth and comfort of a cannery. The spaciousness, however, impressed Lilian. She let go of Warren’s arm and cautiously explored the vast room. This place could fit five of Uncle Rahul’s kitchens.

“Truthfully,” Warren said, his voice carrying a hint of anger. “What do you hear?”

Lilian held her breath and listened. The room, eerily silent, told her nothing. No song. No soft hum. The place knew no love or emotion.

“Does anyone even use this kitchen?” Lilian asked with a forced laugh. “Because it’s a dead fish right now. I don’t hear anything.”

“I thought you said you could hear echoes.”

“Of places that actually have people in them. Look at this place! It looks like it came out of a creepy home catalog! There’s nothing for me to hear here!”

Struck with an idea, Warren walked over and guided her out of the kitchen. They entered a hallway and Lilian began to hear the notes of a house actually lived in. She opened her mouth to speak, but Warren held up a hand to silence her. Instead, he dragged her deeper into the house, passing several doors and making his way to the staircase.

Despite Warren’s stressful day and confrontation—not to mention his tall, thin and weak physique—he bounded up the stairs. Lilian kept pace, always ready with spare energy. The house remained dark, Warren didn’t bother with the lights, which made it hard for Lilian to see. She held onto his blood-strained jacket and tried to soak in the atmosphere of the house.

Warren eventually stopped in front of a door. He turned to her with a harsh, judgmental gaze. “Here,” he said. “Go in here and listen.”

“I can hear a song out here in the hallway, actually. It sounds like—”

“This room first,” Warren snapped, cutting her off. “Tell me what you hear in this room before you say anything else. This way I’ll know if you’re reallytelling the truth.”

Lilian, suddenly nervous, gulped down some air and hesitantly reached for the doorknob. She turned the handle and stepped into a room completely blanketed by darkness. The window at the far end, covered with heavy curtains, offered no light from the moon or stars. Lilian reached for the light switch, but Warren grabbed her hand.

“Just listen,” he commanded. “What do you hear?”

Lilian took a few steps in and closed her eyes. A sense of loneliness immediately overcame her. A haunting melody dripped from the walls, running down the plaster like hot, sticky fluid, the very mental image causing Lilian’s skin to crawl. The terrible sorrow didn’t just echo from the inanimate objects, like most songs… it permeated the space, clinging to it like someone on their deathbed clings to life…

“What do you hear?” Warren repeated in irritation.

“It’s hard to describe. It’s so… overwhelming.”

“What do you mean?” he asked in a low tone.

Lilian reached out in the darkness and felt her finger graze the soft material of a blanket. She didn’t know how, but she knew this was a children’s room.

“Someone died here,” she whispered.

Warren didn’t respond. Lilian, nonsensically, became angry at his silence. Was he going to deny it? Did he just not care? She shook her head. The feelings that impregnated the room’s melody were strong. They invaded Lilian’s thoughts and imbued her with fractions of memories and still images.

“A child,” she elaborated, her voice slow and soft. “She suffered. A long time. Like a masterpiece violin whose strings were severed one by one until the music finally, tragically, faded…” The echoed notes of a bitter requiem tugged at her very soul. With each breath Lilian felt her chest tightened in a phantom empathic pain.

“Get out,” Warren intoned.

Startled by his shift in mood, Lilian quickly stepped out of the room and watched as he slowly shut the door behind her. The song of the hallway, different than that of the room, sang with a completely different scale of notes. Lilian ignored the song and instead focused on Warren.

He placed his forehead against the door and allowed his messy hair to cover his face and eyes, obstructing his view and his visible emotions.

“I believe you,” he said in a lifelessly monotone voice. “I don’t know what power you have. But I believe you. You can hear... something I can’t.”

“Warren?” a soft voice echoed from down the hall.

Lilian instinctively slammed her back against the nearest wall and sucked in her gut, attempting to shield herself with Warren’s body. She suspected she had already long been caught, but if she could get away with not being spotted, she was going to try.

“Jessie?” Warren asked, turning away from the closed door. “What’re you doing up? I thought the doctor told you to stay in bed. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

Jessie, a thirteen-year-old girl dressed in long thermal pants, an over-sized black shirt and slippers, tilted her head from one side to the other. Although Lilian could immediately see the family resemblance, it was difficult due to Jessie’s emaciated state. Her gaunt face and thinning brown hair caused her to look older than she was, but her small frame—exaggerated by her loose and ill-fitting clothing—marked her as prepubescent. The most striking family feature, her bright hazel eyes, shifted from Warren to the door, back to Warren.

“I was worried about you,” Jessie stated, her voice so raspy it sounded as if a cadaver were trying to speak. “The school called. They said you weren’t there for most of your classes.” Jessie’s song, like Warren’s, rang weak.

Warren visibly tensed. “It’s… fine. I had to deal with something.”

“Why’re you outside Sylvia’s room? No one’s supposed to go in there.”

“I—it’s nothing, Jessie. Forget about it. I didn’t mess up the room. It’s just the way Sylvia left it.”

Jessie coughed and held her mouth for a long moment before turning her attention to Lilian. “Who’s that with you?”

“A friend from school,” Warren curtly replied. “But you really should be getting back to bed. I’m fine. I’m just—”

“Be careful,” Jessie quickly stated, cutting him off.

Warren, silent, offered her a nod.

“I’m going to go back to bed,” she said. “Next time you should call.” Jessie turned and slowly walked down the darkened hallway, her movements stiff and accompanied by the sound of crinkles and heavy coughing.

“Your sister?” Lilian asked.

“Yeah,” Warren replied. “My sister.”

“And Sylvia?”

“Just listen to whatever songs you’re hearing. If you want to know about my siblings you’ll just have to ask my dad when you see him.”

Lilian took a deep breath and once again closed her eyes. She could still feel the somber song from the room over, but the hallway had its own story to tell. Its notes rang of secrecy… Almost immediately, Lilian snapped her eyes open and frowned. “Do you keep a lot of things hidden around here? Like, secret passageways or things inside books?”

Warren, decidedly unamused, narrowed his eyes into a glare. “What do you even mean by that? This isn’t a game.”

“I’m telling you what I hear, okay! It’s not like the songs have lyrics! It’s just emotions! Your house has a lot of secrets and people are keeping things from each other. Not to mention the sadness that just leaks out of that room…”

Lilian flounced down the hall, determined to hear something else. Warren shadowed her steps, keeping close but also remaining quiet. Lilian skidded to halt when she heard a new melody—a powerful melody—emanating from another room. The notes were low and heartless, distant yet close… Lilian slowly walked toward the song, hoping to discern its cryptic meaning. So familiar…

“What is it?” Warren impatiently asked.

The closer she got the more she realized it was a song of hunger. So hungry… A greedy desire to consume filled her very being. Lilian, startled by how quickly she was taken over by the feeling, took several steps backward. She glanced up and stared at the door she found herself before.

“Who stays in this room?”

Warren pulled her back and shook his head. “Don’t worry about that part of the house. Just listen to the music elsewhere.”

“It’s there. Or… it’s been in there. The thing eating your family. I can hear its hunger song coming from this door.” Lilian took another step back, confused. The emotions within the house were more powerful than Lilian could ever remember feeling from inanimate objects. They were somehow… magical. Like her brother’s house in the mountains.

“That’s my parent’s area of the house,” Warren stated. “What’re you trying to say?”

“It’s there. It’s hiding there.” Lilian nervously turned to leave. “I want to go home now. I don’t feel safe here.” The song… So familiar, yet so strange… I want to be with people I know. Uncle Rahul. Ariella. Anywhere but here.

Warren straightened his posture and took her by the arm. “You’re… serious?” he whispered. “That’s what you hear? From my parent’s room? Is the shaheen there now? I sense nothing.”

“I don’t think so… It’s just an echo…” It must return here all the time! What if it comes back? Lilian shivered and rubbed at her arms. The feeling of consumption bled into her being. Ravenous. Insatiable. Cannibalistic. She could barely stand to listen…

“So, this confirms it,” Warren said, more to himself than to Lilian. “It is some sort of creature feeding on my family. It’s not a curse. Just… a monster.”

Lilian slowly nodded, leaning in close to hear Warren’s song. “I’m so sorry, Warren.”

“Then Sylvia… She…”

Unable to form the appropriate words for the situation, Lilian opted for silence instead. She hated listening to Warren’s pain song of grief, but it was better than the alternative. He blamed himself for something, but Lilian didn’t know exactly what.

Lilian and Warren both tensed when the door to his parent’s room suddenly swung open, leaving them standing just feet away from the entrance.

Chapter 12

Weapon of Choice

“Shaheen, weakened by the presence of the sun, cannot leave the Void.

Only those summoned by the power of a soul can venture into the light.”

---

Jessie emerged from the darkness of the room, relieving Lilian and allowing stress to drain from her body.

“Jessie,” Warren hissed, pulling her from the room and closing the door behind her. “What’re you doing?! I told you to go to bed! You know mom and dad don’t want you in there!”

“I was just getting some medicine,” Jessie breathlessly replied, bewildered and slightly shaken by her brother’s tone. She held up a palm-sized container of pills. With a frown she added, “Mom and dad don’t mind if I use them.”

Warren ripped the pills away from Jessie and crushed the container within his bony hand.

“Warren?” she rasped in disbelief. “What’re you—”

“Don’t take these anymore, Jessica,” Warren barked. “Never. Do you understand me? They aren’t helping.”

Jessie wrenched her herself from her brother’s grasp and glowered up at him. “They’re from Dr. Keegan, Warren. I’ve taken them for years.”

“Listen—I’ve discovered a lot of things today. You just have trust me. Don’t take the medicine anymore.” He took hold of her shoulder and shook his head. “Please… you know I’d never tell you this unless I believed it.”

For a long moment they stared at each other. Finally Jessie asked, “Have you told dad? He takes these every day before work.”

“I will.”

The siblings embraced. Jessie pushed away first, worn and tired from simply moving about. She shambled past Lilian, offering nothing but a sideways glance as she disappeared down the long hallway.

The creaks of the house settling reminded Lilian that the shadows were watching. She wanted to get home. “I need to go,” she muttered.

“You should speak to my father,” Warren drawled.

“No,” Lilian quickly replied.

“What? Why?”

“What if he’s—”

“He’s not,” Warren snapped.

Lilian looked at him with a wide-eyed seriousness. “… then your mother…?”

“No,” he said, understanding her implications. “No. Neither of them are the shaheen. Don’t even suggest that.”

“Aren’t void eaters part-shaheen? Maybe one of your parents is—”

Warren held up a hand and shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. I’m not a descendant of a shaheen; I’m infused with their powers. Neither of my parents are shaheen.”

“But—the room,” Lilian said, backing away. Her thoughts immediately went to her brother. He had dedicated his life to studying the shaheen… He knew so much, he would have surely understood what was going on. Maybe Uncle Rahul’s journals can help me. “I need to go. I have to… research this.”

“You have a library?” Warren suddenly asked, excitement in his voice.

“Er, sort of. Just… I need to go, okay? Right now.”

Warren ran one hand over his face, wiping the sweat away. “Fine. But I want to see you again. I want to stop this monster as soon as possible and I think I’ll need your help to find them.”

“What about your father?”

“He’s the one that told me we were under a curse so, at a certain level, he has no idea what’s going on. Once he speaks to you, however… I’m sure he’ll be convinced.”

Warren motioned to the hallway and led Lilian away from his parent’s area of the house. The increasing distance soothed Lilian. The urge to consume bothered her like no other feeling had bothered her before.

“Where do you live?” Warren asked as they reentered the massive kitchen.

“Leaf Valley.”

“I’ll call you a taxi.”

Lilian nervously laughed. “I don’t have any money.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

Warren walked over to the landline phone and dialed a taxi. Lilian waited patiently, contemplating Warren’s situation and his cursed family. It angered her to think a creature was taking advantage of them, but she couldn’t think of what she would do once she found it. Shaheen were powerful monsters made of elder shadows… Lilian couldn’t even overcome Ariella’s amateur powers; how did she ever intend on overcoming something vastly more powerful?

The moment Warren hung up the phone, Lilian said, “I need a weapon.”

With a lifted eyebrow, Warren turned to her. “Don’t you have weapons of your own? If you’re part azra I imagine you’re deadlier than the average marine.”

“Well, uh, I’m not strong like you are,” Lilian said, nervously wrapping her long hair together. “I’m about as deadly as the average baby lemur.”

“Ah. No wonder you were struggling so much walking to my house. I thought you were just a good actress, trying to blend in to avoid suspicion.”

“Nope. Those beads of sweat were real.”

Warren nodded in acknowledgment before quickly searching the kitchen. He stopped at the butcher block—large enough to be a small island—and ducked down to the bottom drawers. He pulled a wooden box out from under kitchen utensils and placed it on the counter. Warren opened the box and turned it toward Lilian. Inside were two silver Smith & Wesson 9mm handguns. She stared at the weapons, shocked.

Lilian forced a half-smile and asked, “You keep guns in the kitchen?”

“We keep guns all over the house.”

“R-really?”

“We hunt shadow monsters,” Warren sardonically replied. “We make a lot of enemies. Best to be prepared.”

“No one will mind if these are missing?”

“I doubt anyone will notice. Most of my family have been too sick to leave their beds.”

Lilian reluctantly closed the box and pulled it close. “Will… guns kill shaheen?”

“No, definitely not,” Warren said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. “But it will slow them. It’ll take time within the darkness to recover.”

“How do you kill a shaheen?”

Deep down she knew Fox would hate her for asking such a question, but she had to know.

“Shaheen are only destroyed by light,” Warren replied matter-of-factly. “Fire is a classic weapon.”

Lilian smiled. His knowledgeable answers again brought memories of her brother, and to a lesser degree Uncle Rahul, to mind. Nathan always had an answer ready, and when he didn’t, always got one. Warren was surprisingly similar…

“What is it?” Warren snapped. “You’re grinning like an idiot.”

Lilian swished her hair over her shoulder. “I was just thinking it’s a shame you don’t have a strong song.”

Warren, taken aback, asked, “Why is that?” For the first time a shrill whistle followed his s sounds, a byproduct of the gap in his teeth. He subtly slipped a hand up to his mouth, trying desperately to hide his embarrassment.

“Well, I haven’t known many people in my life…” Lilian said, turning her gaze to the shiny, tiled floor. “But all the people worth knowing always have such powerful—beautiful—songs.”

“And mine is weak?” he drawled. Warren narrowed his eyes into an irritated glare. “You’re a little gauche, you know that? Maybe it’s a good thing you haven’t interacted with many people.”

“Hey, I’m pretty amazing at interacting with people for being new at it. I’ve got a great song. My brother said so.”

“I can’t hear your loopy music, but I guess I’ll see whether your brother was right.” He turned to the window as a flash of light crossed the kitchen. “Looks like your taxi is here. I’ll walk you out.”

---

Lilian had never experienced a taxi before.

The smooth ride from Warren’s house to her own lasted longer than she would have hoped, but there was nothing she could do to speed it up. Instead, she enjoyed the smell of artificial pine trees and the driver’s soothing song. The landscape, although dark and hard see, ran past the windows, entertaining her to no end until she came back to the familiar roads of Leaf Valley. Her heart sank the moment she recognized Mrs. Benson’s house on the edge of town. Her soul yearned to escape the sleepy mountain town.

Lilian glanced down at the wooden box in her lap and fingered the edges. The two guns sat inside, tucked away in the velvet-lined casing. I wonder how I’m going to use these to my advantage…

As her thoughts wandered, the taxi came to a halt.

“We’re here,” the man behind the wheel murmured.

“Thank you!”

Lilian opened the door and jumped out into the night. Warren had paid the driver up front, leaving Lilian responsibility free. She closed the door to the taxi and ran up the driveway to her uncle’s house. Before she reached the door she froze. Panicking slightly, she snuck around the building and tip-toed to the back door. Maybe I can get in without him noticing, she thought.

With sweaty palms she opened the back door and slipped into the tiny kitchen. The lights, much to her chagrin, were still on. Lilian’s eyes immediately fell upon Uncle Rahul, pacing the far end of the kitchen, fueled by thirteen cups of coffee and hysteria.

“Lilian!” he gasped, running over and pulling her into a tight embrace. Lilian hesitatingly patted his back. He held her out at arm’s length—his fear replaced with anger.

“Lilian,” he scolded. “Where have you been?!”

“I—”

“What have I said time and time again?!” Uncle Rahul barked, cutting her off. He motioned for her to head straight to her room. Lilian sheepishly hung her head and slowly shuffled off. Uncle Rahul stayed by her side, a deep frown upon his face.

“I’m disappointed in you,” he said as they traversed the house. “I only have a few rules—rules meant for your protection. What if you had died? What if Ariella had died?”

Lilian held her gun box close to her chest as she listened to Uncle Rahul cycle through his many concerns and fears. When she passed Ariella’s room she heard her cousin’s alluring song, much to Lilian’s relief. She had made it home safely.

“We’re fine,” she said once Uncle Rahul had stopped panicking. “Nothing happened.”

Uncle Rahul stopped in front of Lilian’s room and turned to face her. Although he had been upset and angry moments ago, his emotional state had once again shifted, this time to a melancholy state.

“There is darkness everywhere, Lilian…” he said, his bright amber eyes focused on her. “You don’t know it like I do… I—” he took a deep breath, his whole body strained from a lack of oxygen, “—I couldn’t live with myself if… if you two were hurt… You understand, don’t you?”

“We weren’t getting into trouble. We just… went to school. We’re capable of taking care of ourselves. We just wanted to show you we could.”

Uncle Rahul took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. He remained silent, staring at the floor, his shoulders slumped and his breathing stuttered. Lilian waited for him to continuing scolding her, but he only shook his head and turned away. His song was wrecked with grief, anxiousness and disappointment. The melody stirred within Lilian a deep sense of guilt.

“I thought we would be back before you found out,” she earnestly stated. “I’m sorry…”

He exhaled. “We’ll… have to talk about this in the morning. It’s late. You should get to bed.

“O-okay.”

He turned and walked away, entering his room without a second glance back. Lilian silently entered her room. She hated disappointing Uncle Rahul, but she didn’t regret her day. Warren, the shaheen, Bishop… I wouldn’t have met any of them if I had stayed home.

The moment she shut the door behind her, Lilian realized she was still wearing the black shadow garments made by Fox. She rubbed them across her skin, confused by their silky sensation. Seriously? He makes better clothing than I do? Geez. Why does that make so angry? It really shouldn’t…

Lilian threw her box of guns down onto her bed and stretched. She flinched the moment she heard her window click open. A cool and ominous wind filled the room, causing shivers to run down her spine. She relaxed slightly when she saw Fox slink through shadows and emerge in the room.

“Fox,” she said, smiling. “How did you get the window to open? It’s been rusted for years…”

Her lamp flickered her died, leaving the room black with only the moonlight to silhouette the furniture. Fox traipsed over to her door and leaned his back against it.

Unlike during school, where he had been wearing a mix of colors, he appeared clothed in nothing but black; a black hoodie, black jeans, several black earrings in one ear and an assortment of raven feathers on a necklace. Though he still wore an eye patch, he stared at her so intently he could have drilled a hole through her body.

“Hey, Fox. Where have you—”

“I was hit by a train,” he curtly interjected. “I. Was hit. By a train.”

Lilian pretended to cough in order to mask her laugh. She looked over his body, admiring what she saw but turning away before her gaze became outright staring. “You look pretty good for a guy hit by a train.”

Fox pushed away from the door and brushed back his hoodie, revealing his disheveled hair. Lilian quickly backed away and bumped into her dresser, fumbling with her hands to find space in which to continue her retreat. Instead of pursuing her, Fox threw himself onto her bed like any casual teenager would do. When his eyes met hers a second time they were filled with mirth, just as usual. He lifted an eyebrow and motioned to her awkward position half on top of the dresser.

She took a deep breath and nervously laughed. “I, uh, thought you would be angrier than this.”

“Oh, I was angry,” Fox immediately responded. “As a matter of fact, my thoughts were downright murderous as I tumbled through the gears and heavy machinery of the train’s underbelly. Right about the moment I was sliced in half by the wheels I thought, was my payment really worth this? Then, once the hundred-something tons of indifferent steel sped off, I had mostly gotten over it.”

“Mostly?” Lilian tepidly asked as she tip-toped over to the bed. She grabbed her box with the guns and pulled them closer.

“Don’t worry,” Fox said with a chuckle. “One of these days, when you least expect it, I’ll get my revenge.” The light flickered back to life, revealing Fox dressed in his earlier—eccentric—clothing.

Lilian laughed and jumped onto her bed to join him. She bounced once before settling into the blankets. “Ha, ha, Fox.”

Fox chortled. “It wasn’t a joke, Imp.” He tilted his head to the side and pulled Lilian close, much to her surprise. His scent consisted of pine trees, sweat and sugar, an odd combination but one that Lilian couldn’t help but enjoy. Hot in the cheeks, she held her breath and waited.

In a dark whisper he added, “But seriously, do you know what you could have cost me with your reckless death? Pull a stunt like that again and I’ll make your life a living hell.”

He released a nonplussed Lilian and went back to relaxing across her bed as if nothing had happened between them. She straightened her shadowy clothing and steeled herself. Tightly holding her lips together, Lilian crossed her arms over her chest.

“Fox. You can’t tell me what to do. Or who to talk to.”

Fox stifled a yawn.

“And you can’t kill Warren. I’m going to help him.”

Fox lifted an eyebrow as he smirked. With one slow, lackadaisical motion he rolled onto his back and tucked his hands behind his head. “You want to tell me what I can and can’t do? You’re adorable sometimes, ya know that?”

“I’m serious,” she said, turning away to hide the heat in her face. Lilian never wanted to admit that Fox had, in fact, chosen a form that appealed to her, nor did she want to lose focus because of his compliments. “I’m not going to tolerate this any longer. Either you stop or else… I’ll be forced to tell Uncle Rahul you’re here.”

“I’m not afraid of Uncle Rahul,” Fox said with said with a chortle. He closed his eye and stretched back, unbothered. “We could always make a deal…”

“No,” Lilian snapped. “No deals. You’re going to behave yourself or…”

“This’ll be good.”

“… or… or I’ll hurt myself!” Lilian proclaimed, saying the first thing that came to her mind. Fox only seemed to care about one thing: her safety. So, if she wanted to leverage something against him, it had to be her own wellbeing.

Fox softly laughed under his breath. “Yeah. Okay. Whatever you say, Imp.”

“I’ll do it,” she said, suddenly gaining confidence in her conviction.

“Uh-huh.”

Lilian opened the wooden box and withdrew a gun. She lifted the velvet casing and found two magazines. Operating on movie-knowledge, Lilian attempted to shove the magazine into the handgun. She rammed it a few times before turning it around and completing the action. She readied a bullet into the barrel and played with the weight of the weapon in her hand.

Fox opened his eye and sat up, giving her an uncharacteristically serious gaze. “Put the gun down before you hurt yourself.”

“Make me,” Lilian defiantly said.

When Fox tensed, but made no move for the gun, Lilian rolled it over in her hand once more. Fox had never physically restrained her or stopped her from doing an action… he only attempted to protect her once the “damage” had been done. It suddenly occurred to Lilian that he might not be able to stop her…

As if Fox could read her very thoughts, he half-smiled. “Are you really going to shoot yourself to make a point?”

“I can’t let you go around telling me what to do all the time,” she whispered, staring down the barrel of the loaded weapon. “Besides, what if, in the future—”

“Fine, Imp,” Fox said, throwing himself back against the bed and sighing. “You win. I won’t kill the void eater unless he starts a fight. I won’t stop you from meeting new people.”

Lilian perked up, surprised Fox hadn’t held out longer. “Wait, this isn’t some sort of trick, is it?” She held the gun close and glared. “You gave up too easily. I want your word.”

“Well, I can’t protect you, fight monsters andconstantly worry about your melodramatic claims of suicide. That would undermine my effectiveness.” Fox picked at his teeth and once again closed his eye. “Besides… I know your level of proficiency with a gun—which is to say nonexistent—and if you keep flailing it about in front of your face you’re likely to kill yourself. That would be embarrassing for me, considering I’m supposed to be protecting you. It’d also make for a pathetic obituary.”

Half pouting, Lilian turned away. “I could learn! I need to protect myself from the darkness!”

“As an amateur you’re more of a hazard, really.”

Lilian’s armoire caught her attention. She stared at it, remembering all the spells she had taken from Uncle Rahul’s journals. “What if… the bullets were infused with light?” she whispered.

“I don’t see how that would fix your level of proficiency,” Fox quipped. “But it would make your guns considerably more deadly to shaheen.”

Lilian jumped from her bed and pulled out her metal ring and pencil. The magic temporarily infused an object with intense light. She had thought it would make for a perfect party trick, but now she thought she could put it to practical use. If she wrote the runes on the barrel of the gun, the light would infuse the bullets…

Lilian brought the metal ring and pencil back to her bed. She examined the writing she had taken from Uncle Rahul’s journal and grabbed a knife out of her nightstand. With patient hands she carefully sketched away at the metal, digging faint lines that she would use as her guide when etching the words in.

“You’re serious about helping the void eater?” Fox asked.

“That’s right. Plus, his father knows about the CPE. My brother wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”

Fox groaned and rolled over to his side. “May the darkness help me through your insanity…”

Chapter 13

Blood Investigations

“Azra see the darkness as malevolent.

With an everlasting light, the Void will be cast into flame and the shadows destroyed.”

---

Warren gingerly applied pressure to the massive discoloration forming on his ribs. Although the darkness fueled his strength and increased his metabolism to superhuman standards, his anemic state left his body weakened. The lesion, painful his touch, had steadily developed from red to full-blown purple and black, covering his side under his left armpit like hideous giant indigo lima bean tattoo.

Warren met his gaze in the mirror. Without his shirt on he looked to be a starving Ethiopian child. His visible bones and bruise made it appear as though he were abused. He braced himself against the bathroom counter, his nose mere inches away from his reflection.

Everything hurt.

His chest hurt, his ribs felt broken, and his wrists were lined with traces of his own knife wounds. Although he wanted nothing more than to sleep, he had remained awake simply to speak with his father. I can’t risk wasting a moment of time, he thought. He needs to know right away.

Warren glanced down at his cell phone. His father never took his to work. Company policy, he said.

“Warren? Are you in there?” a feminine voice from beyond the door inquired, followed by a series of sporadic knocks.

Before Warren had a chance to answer, the door slowly creaked open.

“M-mother!” he stammered, grabbing his shirt and hastily pulling it over his head before his mother had a chance to glance inside. “I could do with some privacy!”

His mother, Amber von Adler, walked into the bathroom with a frown. She had dishwater brown shoulder-length hair tied back and secured, highlighting the lines around her eyes. Like Jessie, her body carried evidence of sickness. Her arms and legs, too thin to be healthy, were blanched and devoid of color. With a sigh she crossed the bathroom and stared intently into Warren’s eyes. Shorter than her son, Amber stared up and frowned.

“I didn’t hear you come home,” Warren said, breaking the silence. “Is father here too?”

“He’s downstairs,” his mother responded, her voice low.

“I need to speak to him.”

Warren took a step to the side, but his mother blocked his path. “Warren. The school left me a voice message today about you leaving. I… think it would be best if you stayed home from now on and—”

“I’m fine,” Warren interjected. “I told you I can handle it. I left school because of a shaheen. It’s what I want to talk to dad about.”

His mother flinched at the word. Her lip quavered and she turned away. “There were actual shaheen at your school? Warren… you could have been killed.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t understand. Once they know you’re there… We’ll have to pull you from that school. Or maybe move to the Bay Area. Someplace far from here.”

Warren allowed his longer hair to cover his expression. His mother hated the occult. She made it no secret that her family had been eaten by shaheen when she was younger. Those nights alone, before members of the CPE came to investigate, still haunted her nightmares, even decades after.

“It wasn’t an actual shaheen, mother. It was some sort of… minor creature. I wasn’t in any danger.”

She narrowed her tear-glazed eyes. “Warren, don’t lie to me.”

Warren turned away. “Dad will know how to handle the situation. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Unlike her husband, Amber refused to participate in hunting shaheen. She didn’t work for the CPE, but had instead opted to a live a life as an instructor and tutor. Anything to separate herself from the darkness.

“I already lost Sylvia,” she whispered. “I can’t stand to lose you too.”

“This is important. It’ll help me and Jessie. I said I have it under control, okay? I told you. I’m strong. Nothing’ll happen.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and forced a slight smile. His mother turned to embrace him, but Warren stepped away, pretending not to notice. If she knew of his injuries she would only worry more… and Warren wasn’t sure if he could bite back the sting of his mother’s hug.

She doesn’t need any more things to worry about.

Warren exited the bathroom and quickly made his way to the staircase. The light of dawn, filtered by the foliage of trees, dappled into the living room. Warren spotted his father, Heinrich von Adler, along with Dr. Keegan, standing by the far door. His father’s work bag and jacket had been haphazardly thrown over the couch. Heinrich, holding a long black plastic case, spoke to Dr. Keegan in whispered sentences.

“Father,” Warren said.

“Hm?”

Heinrich and Dr. Keegan looked up from their conversation. Warren’s father, once a very tough and athletic individual, looked worn and ragged. He had a broad neck, but loose skin, and thick dark hair peppered with grey and white on the temples. No matter what, however, he had a clean shaven face.

He stood with the stance of a fighter, but when combined with everything else he appeared twenty years older than his actual age. Despite his pain, he continued working, harder than ever, never slowing down, either because he didn’t feel his age or because he couldn’t let others see him feel the age.

Dr. Keegan, on the other hand, stood tall and proper. He had a short graying beard and trim hair. His sun-kissed skin hid his advanced age well, but scowl lines marked his face. Warren knew the doctor well—he had drawn blood from the von Adler family for over a decade. He was short tempted and curt, but Warren suspected a life of fighting the darkness would do that to anyone.

“I need to speak with you,” Warren said, crossing the room to stand with his father.

“What about?”

Taking his father away from Dr. Keegan, Warren whispered, “I… ran across something strange at school today.”

His father pulled over a nearby end table and removed the lamp. He set down his plastic rifle case and lifted an eyebrow. “Strange? Strange like what?”

“A girl. She… claimed to be part azra.”

Heinrich opened the black case and removed half a long rifle. “Ah. I know about this azra. You remember Sharazina, don’t you? She sensed the presence of a demi-creatureearlier today. Her aura, so to speak, disappeared around Leaf Valley. I’ve been tasked with finding her and bringing her in.”

Warren, taken aback, nervously laughed. “Why? I thought azra were—”

“This demi-creature is wanted by the CPE. Apparently, she’s stolen valuable property and I need to retrieve it.” His father turned and examined Warren. “If you see her in the future—avoid her. She’s dangerous.”

Warren immediately thought back to Lilian. She had a naïve attitude… and she had been so genuine. She had insisted the CPE was trying to kill her. Could his father be wrong? “I met her at my school. I spoke with her a while. She said I wasn’t sick—that our house wasn’t cursed—and that there’s a shaheen nearby consuming our blood.”

With a laugh his father grabbed the other half of the rifle and slowly attached it. “If there had been a shaheen nearby we would have sensed it. Especially if it had been close enough to consume our blood. But, even if we were too weak to sense it, Sharazina would have been able to sense a shaheen harming our family.”

“But the azra—”

“She’s a thief,” his father interjected, removing long tranquilizer darts from his case and loading them into his rifle. “And only part azra. You shouldn’t trust what she says, Warren. If the higher-ups at the CPE say she’s untrustworthy than she’s untrustworthy.”

Warren eyed the weapon. “Will that really work against an azra?”

“If she were a full azra or shaheen, no. But she’s not. Demi-creatures are physically weaker than their parent counterparts.”

Dr. Keegan, unassociated with the conversation, suddenly turned to the father and son. He glowered and motioned with his head toward Warren. “I’ll be coming by next week to draw blood. What time would be best?”

“It’s not necessary,” Warren stated. “Thank you,” he hastily added, trying desperately not to sound too frightened or desperate. “No, thank you.”

Warren’s father turned to him and glared. “What’s wrong? You’ll die if you have too much blood in your system.” He reached out and squeezed Warren’s arm. “This isn’t because of that girl, is it?”

“What girl?” Dr. Keegan asked.

“No,” Warren, again, quickly stated. “It’s because I… I thought I sensed a shaheen at school today. I used some of my blood at the train station.” He showed his freshly slashed wrists. “I’m feeling… faint. I don’t think I need blood drawn this time.”

Dr. Keegan snorted, but said nothing else. Heinrich released Warren and shook his head, displeased.

“I want you to stay home, Warren.”

“What? Why?”

“If there really is a shaheen close, Sharazina would have likely sensed it by now. There’s a good chance you’re delusional from the lack of blood. Besides, you know what I’ve told you about appearances. Others shouldn’t know about our weaknesses, especially not when there are dangerous demi-creatures on the loose. You should stay home and rest. You’re looking unwell.”

Warren took a quick step back. “I’m not weak,” he growled under his breath, angry that his father would bring up such conversation in front of company. “And I’m not delusional. That girl knew things, father. Something is wrong with our family but it isn’t a curse. Whatever the CPE is doing it’s not making us better. We might as well try—”

“Warren,” his father hissed, cutting him off. “This isn’t up for discussion. I expect more from you. I expect you to help me help this family. Go upstairs and rest. I’ll bring in the girl and then we’ll know everything she knows. You don’t need to concern yourself.”

“But—”

“Warren. Enough.”

“You don’t understand—”

His father slammed the rifle down on the end table and glared. He said nothing, and allowed his gaze to drill in his vexation with Warren’s insubordination.

Dejected, Warren slowly lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. He turned on his heel, not bothering to say his goodbyes to Dr. Keegan, and silently stormed from the room.

Warren didn’t know why, but he was certain that Lilian hadn’t been lying to him when she sensed something sinister coming from his parent’s room. Like Sharazina, she had some sort of… ability… to know things. Additionally, she had been so young. When, exactly, had she broken into the CPE to steal valuable objects or information? She seemed out of her element just walking through town…

I need to speak to her again, Warren reasoned. Maybe I could bring her to my father and they can speak one on one. Then he’ll understand… Warren slowed his pace when he came to the stairs. Lately he had been short of breath, but he hated others telling him to take it easy, so he hid his discomforts until no one else was around.

I just need to worry about getting around her guardian shaheen. As Warren walked he turned his gaze downward. His shirt, thrown on backwards, rubbed at his neck in and odd, irritating fashion. However, in his peripheral vision he spotted a black stain smeared across the fabric. Instantly he knew it for what it was: shaheen blood.

Warren froze halfway up the staircase and held the portion of his shirt close to his face. He knew shadow hunters in olden times were blood mages, capable of controlling more than just the shadow powers stolen from the elder shaheen…

Practically acting on instinct, Warren brought the fabric up to his mouth and sucked on the patch of dried blood.

It tasted sweet and he hated himself for enjoying it.

Warren shuddered. He knew this to be the blood of an ancient shaheen. And then, like an ice cube thrown into a full glass of water, a name popped into his mind.

Ellalaharjinn.

Chapter 14

Punishment

“Elder shadows gather power to become the strongest.

They take from the light, from souls, from other shadows…

Anything to sate their lust for control.”

---

“—and once you move all the bricks you’ll need to stack them according to this guide,” Uncle Rahul said, pointing to the pages of his booklet.

Lilian crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Uncle Rahul, when are we going to talk about yesterday?”

“I need time to think about it,” he quickly replied, pushing his glasses further up onto his nose. “I have a lot to contemplate. Until then, you can stay busy assembling this grill.”

Lilian groaned. The outdoor grill had plans for an oven, a rotisserie rack and large grilling area—for more space and options than three people would ever need. Uncle Rahul had never found the time to actually construct it, and Lilian was sure this was some sort of weird form of punishment.

Uncle motioned to the pile of bricks and tools. “You have everything you need. I’ll be in the kitchen with my books should you two get thirsty. I’ll be right there in the window.” He pointed to the house and smiled. “Any questions?”

Both Lilian and Ariella shook their heads.

“Good. Well then, we’ll talk at dinner.”

He turned and walked off toward the house, stumbling upon mounds of dirt and wobbling the rest of the way to the door. Lilian snickered as she watched her uncle disappear into the house. She could smell paneer and roti cooking, which meant Uncle Rahul wasn’t as angry as he had been yesterday.

“I can’t believe he wants us to make this entiregrill,” Lilian mumbled, staring at the gigantic pile of bricks and fifty-five pound bag of mortar mix. “It’s practically a three-day project, even with your super strength.”

When she got no response, Lilian turned around and crossed her arms. “Ari? Are you even paying attention?”

Ariella, dressed in her work overalls and oversized gloves, stared off into the distance, a half-smile permanently stuck on her face. Lilian pursed her lips together in an exaggerated pout.

“What’re you so happy about?”

“We almost didn’t get caught,” Ariella said, seemingly ignoring all of Lilian’s previous statements. “If you had come home on time, dad probably never would have figured it out.”

“Really?” Lilian asked, skeptical. She turned her gaze to the north field. It looked tilled and ready for flowers. “Did you do the whole field by yourself?”

“Lily… I met someone yesterday.” Ariella walked over to the bricks and effortlessly began moving them over to the grill area. She was clearly lost in thought; humming to herself and needlessly twirling.

“You did? Who?”

“His name is Gunner. He drove me home and… he was super nice.” Ariella picked up another armful of bricks and laughed to herself. “I thought people would be so… mean and not understanding… but Gunner was different. He helped me till the field and even joked with me like a normal person. It was amazing, Lilian! You were right; we should have gone out into the world sooner!” Ariella haphazardly threw the bricks onto the pile and spun around.

Lilian, confused, lifted an eyebrow. “He helped you with the field? Did you do it slow and normal like a regular person or did you show him your super strength?”

Ariella leaned in close to Lilian and playfully bit her lip. “I used my powers on him, Lilian,” she whispered. “But then I stopped… and he was totally understanding! He didn’t get mad or yell or go to the authorities! He even said he would meet me again!”

“Again?”

“We are going to go out again, right?” Ariella anxiously asked, clapping her hands together and barely restraining her volume. “Oh! And do you think you could use your magical powers to make a healing potion or something?”

Lilian snorted back a laugh. “A healing potion? I’ve never seen anything about potionsbefore, Ari. Wait, did you say you used your powers on him? Like, you touched him? Ari… I don’t know if—”

“He promised he wouldn’t tell anyone!” Ariella immediately interjected. “And he could have! He was super sweet, Lilian! You have to believe me! I want you to meet him. We need to plan another chance to escape.”

Escape? Lilian thought with a smile. She never thought of it like that before. “What about Uncle Rahul?”

“It’ll just be for a short time. Right after school ends. Maybe just an hour or two. He doesn’t need to know.” Ariella smiled, her face beaming and her blue eyes glittering with excitement Lilian had never seen before.

“I don’t know, Ari.”

Ariella’s smile instantly faded. She stared at Lilian incredulously.

“I haven’t told you yet,” Lilian continued. “I met someone too. His family is being eaten by some sort of shaheen. It could be dangerous and—”

“Since when do you worry about things being dangerous?”

“—we need to do something about this shaheen before we can just go running around seeing boys.”

Ariella turned away. “It-it’s not as stupid as you’re making it sound! I mean… the whole reason we even went to school was so that you could meet that one boy at the bus stop!”

“This shaheen thing is more important!”

“It’s important to me!” Ariella snapped back. Silence quickly descended upon them and Ariella nervously glanced back toward the house. Uncle Rahul, engrossed in his work, sat in the nearest window but their shouting hadn’t drawn his attention. “It’s important to me,” she repeated in a whisper. “I’ve never had any friends and now there’s someone that isn’t afraid of what I am… I don’t want to lose him.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Lilian replied, her voice equally soft.

“It’s different! He’s… normal.”

Lilian stomped over to the pile of bricks and began gathering them up—nowhere as many as Ariella—but enough to strain her muscles. “I don’t know what’s up with you, Ari,” Lilian huffed as she moved the bricks over to the grill area. “But you’re acting weird.”

Ariella sheepishly turned her gaze to the ground and fidgeted with her fingernails. She opened her mouth, about to add something to the conversation, when she was cut off.

A voice drawled, “I know what’s going on.”

Both Ariella and Lilian looked up, startled. Fox, in his human form, stood by the pile of bricks, leaning heavily on the top brick, smiling with bright white teeth and amusement in his one visible eye.

“F-Fox,” Ariella stammered. “You’re a human…”

“It was only a matter of time,” Fox continued. “She is part shaheen, after all.”

“What’re you talking about?” Lilian demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Fox lazily pushed away from the bricks and strolled over, his hands in his pockets. “She finally got a taste of her heart’s desire. The boy’s scent—consumed by lust—sent tremors through her body, heat to loins, a quickening of her heart…” Fox walked around Ariella, smirking, his tone patronizing and playful. “How was it knowing the ache you inflict on others? How was it to soak your thighs with your body’s urges?’

“Fox!” Lilian hissed, grabbing the shaheen by the arm and glaring up at him.

Ariella, with tiny movements, shook her head. “It wasn’t like that.”

Fox slipped from Lilian’s grasp and slinked behind her, chuckling. “Sure it wasn’t. You denied your nature and never once thought of him as a way to satisfy your own carnal desire. Using your powers to control him brought you norush of superiority and having him fawn over you didn’t cause you to want more. You were just a normal little girl when you spoke to this Gunner boy.”

“I’m not like you,” Ariella said, her lip quavering. “He was just nice. He was…” She turned on her heel, rubbing at her eyes. “It was all an accident.” Her song cracked and wavered, slowing into a monophonic melody of reticence.

Lilian elbowed Fox, giving him a look that could kill. Fox rubbed at his stomach and returned her gaze with a sly smile.

“Apologize,” Lilian demanded.

“For what, Imp? You’re not shaheen. You don’t know what Ariella will experience.”

“She’s part human, just like me. She isn’t you.”

Fox nodded to Ariella. “She could deny my assertions.”

“J-just leave me alone,” Ariella forced herself to say. “I’m not like you!” Without turning around, she ran toward the house, crossing the distance in seconds. Fox leaned back and laughed. Lilian stomped her foot.

“Fox! What’s wrong with you?! Ariella doesn’t deserve any of that!”

“She’s old enough now that she should accept her role as a shaheen,” Fox said, walking back to the pile of bricks and then lounging across them. “The longer she fights against it the unhappier she’ll be.”

“You know what I think?” Lilian continued to huff, grabbing more bricks and furiously stacking them into her arms. “I think you’re jealous. Ariella is sweet, kind, intelligent… and can be and do whatever she wants and you’re stuck as a perpetual babysitter!”

“I glad you finally acknowledge my suffering,” Fox quipped.

Lilian turned, threw the bricks over by the grill area, and watched as one cracked upon impact with the ground. She sighed, frustrated with everything. I have to deal with this while a shaheen roams around the next town killing people.

“If you weren’t such a creepy piece of shademaybe you could actually help me deal with things instead of being part of the problem!” she half-shouted, her voice growing steadily with her anger.

“Lilian!” Uncle Rahul called out.

Lilian whipped around. Her uncle stood leaning out the window. “Y-yes?” Her eyes flicked over. Fox was nowhere to be seen.

“Why did Ariella stop helping?”

“Uh, she’s going to the little girl’s room.”

“Ah… Carry on then.”

“Yup!” Lilian said, forcing a smile. “We’re on it!”

Uncle Rahul smiled before taking his seat back in the house and closing the window. Lilian sighed. Moving bricks would be ten times as hard without Ariella’s strength, but she wanted to give the other girl some space.

I better get to work…

---

Blistered and sweaty, Lilian wandered back into the house. She shuffled her way into the bathroom and turned on the water. Jumping into the shower, she allowed her mind to wander. Warren’s problem and Uncle Rahul’s journals consumed her thoughts.

I wonder where Uncle Rahul got all his information from, she thought. My brother was always stealing books… maybe I should be trying to learn more that way as well. Although Lilian had used the mysterious writing to craft her alchemy circle and light infusing spells, she still had no idea how to read it, and she knew that would become a problem if she wanted to advance her skills.

As soon as Lilian had technically cleaned herself, she exited the shower, dried herself and dressed straight away into her pajamas; a pair of shorts and an old, tattered t-shirt.  She exited the bathroom and slowly—quietly—walked down the hall. Uncle Rahul, still seated in the kitchen, had been engrossed in his books for hours. Although Lilian was curious as to what he was reading, she didn’t want to disturb him.

Lilian stopped at the door to her room and glanced over at Ariella’s. The other girl had stayed away the entire day, despite Uncle Rahul’s task. Apparently he had given her something else to do tomorrow, believing Ariella’s I’m sick routine.

With her hand on the door to her own room, Lilian stood staring at the other girl’s door. She could leave Ariella alone, letting her deal with her own issue, but… Lilian let go of her door and walked over to Ariella’s. Without knocking, she let herself in, stepping into a room just as small as hers, only ten times darker. Ariella had specifically positioned her armoire and furniture to block the windows, most of which couldn’t be opened anyway.

Although she couldn’t see, Lilian knew the room like her own. She walked straight over to Ariella’s bed and carefully dropped down onto the mattress. The shudder of the bed, the tone of Ariella’s song and the way the blankets were folded into a ball gave Lilian all the information she needed. Ariella wasn’t asleep.

“You only curl up like this when you’re upset,” Lilian whispered as she slid into her side and held the ball of blankets like a kitten with an oversized ball of yarn. “I know you’re not sleeping.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ariella’s muffled voice drifted up. “Just leave me alone.”

“I made half a grill,” Lilian cheerfully stated. “But I have a better idea. Tomorrow we should just stack up all the stuff and use my alchemy circle to finish it.”

Ariella remained silent.

“It would be done faster that way,” Lilian continued. “And we might have some free time after… maybe even an hour or two. Ya know. Right after school got out.”

The rustle of the blankets lasted longer than Lilian anticipated. Ariella emerged from the cloth cave but kept a sheet wrapped tightly around her body. She fidgeted with her comforter.

“Forget it, Lily… I’m never going to see him again.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I just… don’t want to hurt him. You heard Fox. I’m just…”

“Did you hurt him the first time?”

Ariella shook her head.

“Look… people can hurt other people, Ari,” Lilian said, her voice low. “You don’t even need special powers for that. Sometimes you gotta do things for you, or else you’ll never be happy. You had fun today, right?”

Ariella nodded.

“And no one got hurt?”

“But… Dad said that—”

“We never would have any fun if we listened to everythingUncle Rahul told us to do!” Lilian interjected. “There are a million things to be legitimately afraid of in life… don’t let your happiness be one of them.”

Slowly, hesitantly, Ariella pulled the sheets down off her head. She tossed her blankets to the floor and scooted closer to her cousin. Lilian could feel Ariella’s breath by the time she positioned herself close.

“I wish I were confident like you, Lily,” Ariella whispered.

“I don’t know why you aren’t. You’re totally amazing, Ari. Super pretty, supernatural powers… I mean, that’s a pretty good combo, when you think about it.”

Ariella giggled. “Yeah… I guess.”

“You know your dad loves you. He’ll forgive you for having fun every once in a while. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Ariella reached for the dresser next to her bed. After a struggle with the drawer she withdrew a flashlight. One harsh click later and a light illuminated the space. Ariella’s freckled face, lit from the bottom and covered in stark shadows, stared straight into Lilian’s eyes. She held the flashlight close, fidgeting with the handle.

“What about what Fox said?” Ariella asked. “About… not being able to control myself…”

“He’s just messing with you. That’s what he does to everybody, remember?”

“Not always…” Ariella muttered under her breath, her gaze focusing on the darkness.

Lilian wanted to say more, but it occurred to her she didn’t know much about Fox outside of his presence around her. She turned the flashlight up to the ceiling and, absent-mindedly, waved her hand over the beam of light. She shaped her hand like a fox and watched the shadow puppet dance above her.

“I’m sorry, Ariella,” Lilian said, poorly mimicking Fox’s voice while moving her hand to make the fox-shadow talk. “I’m a dumb face.”

Ariella childishly snorted and laughed.

“So are we going to go tomorrow or what?” Lilian playfully asked.

“Yeah… I would like that.”

“Fox will probably follow us.”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t let what he has to say bother me.”

“It’s going to be hard distracting Uncle Rahul, though. He sat by the kitchen window all day today.”

Ariella half-smiled. “I’ll go to talk to him. I think I know how I can get him to move back into his study.” Her song, uplifting and determined, made Lilian smile.

“All right, well, I’m going to go to bed. Night, Ariella.”

She rolled off the bed and walked back to her own room, preparing herself mentally to duplicate her alchemy circle outside. I’m going to OWN that grill when I’m done, she happily thought.

Lilian’s room, dark, but nowhere near as dark as Ariella’s thanks to the stream moonlight, remained just as she left it. She flipped the light switch and waited. Nothing. No light. Lilian sighed.

“Fox,” she groaned. “I need the light to work.”

No reply.

“Fox. Stop being butthurt. I need to look at some stuff.”

Still, nothing.

Lilian stomped into the room and shut the door behind her.  For some reason she felt inadequate. Shouldn’t she be able to make light if she were a descendant of light itself? Fox could make shadows and darkness, why couldn’t she magicallymake the lamp work?

“You’re going to be running away again?” Fox’s voice rang throughout the room. “So soon?”

Lilian turned and saw the outline of Fox’s human form stretched out on her bed. He folded his arms behind his head and playfully chuckled. He patted the mattress with his foot.

“Join me, Imp. I think you need to rest.”

Chapter 15

Long Nights

“When the first human came upon the elder shadows, they struck a deal.

Humanity could call out a true name and bargain away their souls for power.

Those who misused a true name—who called it frivolously—would pay with their life.”

---

Lilian suddenly felt the weight of the day heavy on her shoulders. She walked over to her bed, yearning to close her eyes and drift away into sleep. “I’m sorry,” Lilian murmured as she took a seat on the edge of her bed. “I know you’ve been protecting me for years now, and I shouldn’t be ungrateful, but you really need to stop insulting Ariella. And telling me what to do.”

“And stop being a dumb face,” Fox quipped.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

She threw herself back on the bed and scooted closer to her shadowy companion. Her thoughts drifted to the many nights he, as a fox, had cuddled next to her, keeping her warm in the winter and acting as a silky pillow in the summer. Lilian smiled to herself, content to have him close when her mother and brother had to be so far away. She reached out through the darkness and fondly stroked his black hair. It felt like normal hair. Fox didn’t move or flinch, seemingly unconcerned with her touch.

“Wait,” Lilian said aloud, pulling her hand back. “You became a human to become appealing to me?”

“Did I say that?”

“That’s what you said at the school. You said I would admire your lithe and agile body.”

“Hm. That does sound like me…”

Lilian shot up into a sitting position. “Were you a cute, cuddly fox just so I would like you more when I was a kid? Was that it?”

“You have to admit,” Fox said with a chuckle. “I was ten times better than a stuffed animal.”

“Ohmygod! You’ve just been manipulating me!” Lilian grabbed her pillow and slammed it down on Fox. He slid the pillow off his face and lazily tossed it to the floor. She grabbed a second pillow and repeatedly whapped him across the chest. “Now I have to call into question every moment I thought you were being nice! Or comforting me! Were you ever being genuine?!”

“Of course, Imp.”

“How do I know this is even genuine?” she demanded, throwing her pillow to the side in frustration.

Fox reached up a pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh,” he cooed. “Since when have you been so suspicious? I’m a good fox, remember?” He scooted to the side and pulled her down to the bed, wrapping an arm behind her neck and gently caressing her arm.

“Now snuggle,” he playfully commanded. “I didn’t make myself look like a boy band member for nothing. I’ve perfectly calculated the amount of bad boy, testosterone and suave to make myself appealing to any teenage girl. Enjoy it.”

“Nothing is sexier than a man without depth perception,” she quipped.

She craned her head to stare at his eyepatch when she suddenly realized he wasn’t wearing one. Both his eyes were closed as he relaxed against the bed, despite the recent onslaught of pillows.

Quietly she whispered, “Why don’t you ever open both your eyes at the same time?”

“Because I like you, Imp.”

He offered no further explanation.

Lilian, although enjoying his embrace, pushed away and rolled onto her back. She stared at the ceiling. Fox knew everything about her…

“Have you protected a lot of people in the past?” she asked.

Fox laughed, clearly not expecting Lilian’s question. “No. You’re unique in more ways than one.”

“Before you were with me… what were you doing?”

“Dwelling in the Void.”

“I meant, on Earth. With people.”

“A captain called me to him,” Fox muttered, almost absent-mindedly. “He wanted me to take care of a rival ship. As an albatross I guided the ship away from their goal, crashing them against hidden rocks in the sea, killing the superstitious crew and captain in the Mediterranean.”

Lilian, seconds away for asking for reassurances that it actually happened, thought better of it. She knew it to be true. She could practically hear the sound of the waves in Fox’s song.

“What about the time before that?” Lilian asked.

His song ebbed, becoming reserved, and, for a brief moment, felt more human than it ever had in the years prior.

“There was a woman,” Fox began, his voice and thoughts distant. “Poor and destitute. She had a child in her belly. Her family… they had disowned her. I don’t know how she came upon my name, but she called for me one evening, a scheme already in her mind.”

He softly chuckled and continued with, “She didn’t want much. She wanted me to take her London—posing as husband—and stay until she had restarted her life. I struck that deal, creating our pact. I did as she wanted. She ran a business and I played the face. Her wealth brought our bargain to an end. I left and, with her new reputation, she married an aristocrat. A few short years later, she was murdered.”

“Murdered?” Lilian frowned. “What happened to her baby?”

“Katherine?” Fox reached into his pocket and pulled out his eyepatch. He secured it to his head and sat up. “She was cursed by a foolish shaheen, misunderstood by townspeople, and burned at the stake for being a witch.”

“That’s… a really sad story.”

“You have to appreciate life’s cruel sense humor.”

“Who cursed her—”

“Your uncle is coming,” he injected. “Perhaps now isn’t the best time.”

“What?” Lilian turned toward her door. She heard nothing. She glanced back at her bed and saw Fox had vanished. To her confusion, the door suddenly opened, revealing Uncle Rahul backlit by the lights in the hallway.

“Lilian?” he whispered. “You’re still up?”

She sat up and nodded. “Er, yeah. What’s up?”

Uncle Rahul stepped into her room and restlessly straightened his hair. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

Lilian lifted an eyebrow. “For what?”

“I really shouldn’t… be keeping you two cooped up like I am. I, uh, just don’t want to see you two hurt, is all. Young people have fire in their blood and a yearning to… to see the outside world, but… I know what’s out there and I just can’t bear the thought of failing you two.” Uncle Rahul weaved through the room, switch-backing back and forth as he paced toward the bed, lost in thought and conflicted with opposing emotions.

“Give me more time,” he continued, taking a seat on her bed. “I’ll think of a way to make this right. So that we can go to other places besides Leaf Valley… I just, er, I have to think of ways to do that. I’ve been reading all these books but I haven’t found a proper solution yet…”

“What about those protection runes?” Lilian chimed in. “Like, say, in bracelet form.” She gave him a giant forced smile and unconsciously pushed her bracelet into the drawer of her nightstand.

Uncle Rahul shook his head. “That’s too risky. Even the slightest tear on something so small and fragile will destroy the protection. No… I need to think of something better…”

“Can the words be written on anything and still work?” Lilian asked.

“Yes, of course. Though, the magic erodes whatever the writing is written on.”

Lilian thought back to her alchemy circle under her bed. The wood did look a lot weaker afterwards…

Although he never usually offered up more information than necessary, he fumbled with his long sleeves and folded them back down to his elbows. “Perhaps someday, when you’re older, I’ll show you how to craft protections and spells using the old language.” His arms had tattoos written across them. The words, strange and almost Arabic in design, stretched from his wrists down to his elbows, written in Eastern style from top to bottom rather than right to left.

“You have tattoos?!” Lilian gasped. “Way to go, Uncle Rahul!”

He frowned and rolled his long sleeves back down. “They were given to me by my mother. Your grandmother, I suppose… She gave them to me for protection. She gave me a lot of things, actually.”

“Are you going to give me and Ariella similar tattoos?” Lilian excitedly asked.

“No. No. Definitely not. My goal is that you’ll never be in a situation where you actually need to use them.” Uncle Rahul turned and walked back to the door, again lost in his own thoughts. “If we’re careful I might just be able to…” He turned back to Lilian and smiled. “I’m going to make this better. I have a lot to work on. You and Ariella finish the grill. I should have everything ready by then. We can talk about… options.”

“All right. Good night, Uncle Rahul.”

“Goodnight, Lilian.”

The moment he closed the door, Lilian reached into her nightstand and withdrew the bracelet. Its tattered composition worried her, but she quickly pushed it from her mind as she set to work fixing it. No one seemed to recognize me today, but I guess it’s better safe than sorry…