All is Fair in Love and War

F   i   f   t   e   e   n

All is Fair in Love and War

 

Claire

           

            The news came to me as such a shock I couldn’t contain the gasp that came out. Jesse had an amused smirk on his face, but was able to remain serious.

            “When Irena found out she begged our Creator to give me a second chance. He was graceful enough to see my repentance and forgive my sin. He developed a Transporter so that I could travel dimensionally and be made new. I no longer have the rights to be a Protector, but I am an overseer for Irena and Avery here on earth.”

            “Wow. I would not have guessed that this was your story. I now understand what was really going on when Becky took a few months off of school. Everyone said she was a foreign exchange student in Japan. I just have one question now.” I paused for a second to get my bearings. “Where is Fara?”

            “Everything had to be under the radar no one – not even her parents knew about the baby. She used the excuse that she was going to Japan as a foreign exchange student when all along she was here in this cabin during her pregnancy. I would take her to the little town that Avery took you so she could get out of the house. She would write letters to her mom and I’d deliver them to her personally. It pained her that she wasn’t able to tell them what was going on, but that’s what had to happen. During her labor we brought in an out of town midwife to help with the delivery of the child. It was all very thought through. Becky would return after her pregnancy and go on with life as if nothing had happened. She went to school and I would watch Fara during the day. She would return and watch Fara in the evening. The night of Becky’s death, she was on a midnight walk with Fara. I suppose she hadn’t thought that anyone would be around and she wanted to spend some alone time with her. When Becky was hit, no one saw the child and she was never found. She disappeared and basically vanished into thin air. It’s my mission to find her and I know in my heart I will. Some part of me still has to believe that she is alive.” The clock struck the hour and began to chime. We both waited to talk until it was done, but by the time it was it had reached twelve and I knew my time had ran out to discuss this with Jesse.

            “Why did you tell me all this especially when you haven’t told Avery yet? He would be crushed.”

            “This is my story to tell to whomever I please at the time of my choosing. I wanted you to know so that you might begin to understand a little bit about what another Protection went through similarly. Things aren’t the same, but at the same time they are beginning to transform into a pattern that resembles one another greatly. I just wanted you to know.” Jesse said. Avery walked in before Jesse finished his last sentence.

            “You just wanted her to know what?” Avery asked.

            “That she should keep her mind opened and aware at all times.” Avery nodded in agreement.

            “Wise words.” He stated in acknowledgement to our conversation. Then he turned to me. “Are you ready, Claire?” I managed a nod and then he pulled me up. I glanced back at Jesse before we walked out the door. His face was concerned, but at the same time hopeful. I turned back around as the cool midnight air hit my skin. Avery’s arm was wrapped around my shoulders and it tightened ever so slightly to reel me in closer. He rubbed my arm in a failed attempt to make me warmer. “So are you going to tell me something?”

            “What?” I asked even though I had a sick feeling I knew what he wanted to know and that he wanted a direct answer.

            “What were you and Jesse talking about?”

            “It’s not my place to say. He asked you to leave the room for a reason.”

            “Claire,” He crossed over in front of me and stopped so I couldn’t go on. “I am your Protector. I need to know everything that goes on in order to do the best I can. Anything you can tell me could help me prevent you from potential harm. So please, what did Jesse tell you?” His voice remained calm, but was stern.

            “It does not concern you as of now. Jesse will tell you on his own time when you both are ready. His words were meant for my ears only and I will not betray him for the excuse of my safety. I will not abuse his trust in me to keep his words secret just like I will not abuse the ones you have spoken to me.”

            “I’m not asking again, Claire.”

            “And I’m not telling you again.” I pushed my way past him. He grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him.

            “Claire.” His eyes penetrated mine. “Tell me.”

            “No.” I tried pulling myself from him. His grip tightened.

            “I need to know!”

            “It isn’t your right to know. Now let go!” I felt my eyes widen at the sound of my voice and how loud I had said that. His eyes dimmed to a regular hazel and then faded slowly to black. I felt his stare. Just two black holes peered at me. I was terrified. This wasn’t my Avery any more. He threw me to the ground and then let out a loud high pitched screeching sound like the one I had heard in the other dimension when it was directed towards Irena. A door slammed in the distance and before I knew it Jesse was fighting his brother. I felt so helpless and I had no idea what was happening. Was Avery alright? What was going on? I licked my chapped lips and felt salt. It was then I noticed that I had been crying and that my cheeks were stained with the trails of tears. I looked at my burning hands and saw scratch marks that traced the palms. As I pulled myself off the pavement, I saw Avery throw his hands back and yell. Bright green beams shined from his eyes and Jesse fell off his back onto the ground. Jesse jumped back on him, but it was then I noticed that they weren’t fighting each other. They were both fighting together against an invisible enemy. Avery appeared to pull something off his back and slam it to the ground. Jesse took this as an opportunity; he pounced. During this midair lunge Jesse became invisible as he tackled the unseen thing. Avery did the same. The action was gone from my human eyes no matter how hard I stared or searched for it. I was anxious. It was unbearable knowing what was going on.

            A sudden hand covered my mouth as it knocked me from my feet. It hushed the scream that my mouth released. I was pulled backwards and into a shady brush.

            “Sssshhhh! Listen. Stay calm. As of now, you are safe. If you talk or make any sudden movements it won’t end well.” The hand was released. I looked up into two blue spheres that shined down at me.

            “Irena!” I gasped with relief. “What is going on?”

            “I said don’t talk!” I bit my tongue.

            “Do you have the Transporter with you? Don’t talk just nod if you do.”  My hands flew up to my neck and I felt for the chain. There it was. I hadn’t taken it off since Avery put it on. I followed it down underneath my shirt till I reached the locked. I pulled it out and held it up. Irena slapped my hand down.

            “I said no sudden movements. I need you to do exactly what I say. I need you to open the locket.” I tried, but I couldn’t find any place to pull it apart at. “It doesn’t open the same way a regular locket would. Here.” She opened my hand and put a safety pin in it. Confusion crossed my face. “Prick your self enough to draw blood.”

            “What will that do?”

            “Oh, Claire. Just because you can’t see danger doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Her voice was hasty and nervous. “I told you not to talk you have approximately five seconds after I’ve finished explaining to do what I say. I can’t help you from then on. Like I said, prick your finger and draw blood. Place a drop of blood in the center of the heart locket. That will make it open. I need you to cry so that a tear can fall into the inside. Normally we would just need a grain of salt, but tears are all we have right now. As soon as it is closed I will give you the purest of light to complete the task. Just hold on and enjoy the ride. When you get to the destination, don’t wander. Stay where you are until someone is sent to come get you. All your questions will be explained when you return.” I jabbed the pin into my finger. Her words and my fear numbed the pain, but I allowed the tears to well into my eyes. I squeezed my finger and a drop of red fell onto the middle of the heart; it clicked and I pulled the sides apart. Water filled over and down my cheeks again and a tear fell into the center. I closed it quickly and held it up. My eyes flicked behind her and I saw someone standing there. It was a guy, a very attractive guy. I stared at him in a trance.

            “Irena! Look!” I said pointing behind her. The guy looked directly at me and stared into my eyes. I wondered if he was another Protector looking for us. Maybe he was here to help us. Maybe I didn’t have to go. For the first time I saw fear in Irena’s eyes as they stared back at me. I could tell she was holding something back. The guy crept closer. Her eyes lit up and shot straight at the heart a beam of glowing blue light. It was quick and precise, but in that moment right before I began my travels, I saw the danger she was speaking of. The dark looking creature loomed over her staring directly at me. Its eyes were dark and lightless like Avery’s had transformed into. A twisted line turned up into a greedy smile and revealed a sharp layer of teeth. The guy was only a guy to my eyes. To a Protector’s eyes it revealed he was something else entirely.

            The creature roared as he pushed Irena aside and lunged for me, but at that second a blast of light enveloped me. My surroundings dissolved into pixels of colored light that flew by all round me. My body felt worn out for no reason at all. Pressure flooded against my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my fists hard enough so that my nails cut the flesh. It felt like my brain was twisting around and forcing itself out. Before my anxiousness could be relieved, a sudden throb hit me hard and I was no longer conscious.

›š›š›š›š

Avery

            Jesse jumped after the mongrel into the spiritual dimension. I jumped right after him. They were wrestling back and forth. Before I let myself go, I took a good look around. Darkness enveloped everything here. There was only one other thing darker than the darkness of this dimension. It was the creatures that dwelled here. Shadowed figures emerged from there hiding places to join us in the fight. They were racing faster and faster to get to us and help there kind with his disadvantage. We desperately needed the Creator’s help in this fight. There were only the two of us managing against one Outcast now, but if we didn’t hurry it would be two against approximately six at this point. I let go of my thoughts and helped Jesse finish the current one off. With a flicker of an eternal flame and a puff of intoxicating smoke the job was complete. We jumped back to the reality we were most needed just before the creatures were about to attack.

            A sickening feeling, another inherited human trait, hibernated in the pit of my stomach. Where was Claire? What had I done to her in the midst of all the chaos? I was afraid to know. I distinct and horrid smell filled my nose.

            “There’s an Outcast nearby.” I said glancing at Jesse.

            “I know. I can smell him.” All of a sudden my face twisted in terror as another odor shrouded my nose. I had instinctively been able to identify the smell. It wasn’t strong, but nonetheless it was still there. “What?”

            “I smell blood too. It’s Claire’s.” Panic overtook me and I ran towards the origin of the bloody smell. Jesse ran with me.

            “How can you be so sure?” He asked.

            “It’s Claire. How can I not be?”  My feet stopped abruptly when the smell had reached its peak. I did a thirty degree turn and crawled beneath a brush. Jesse was right behind me. I stopped and stared at the ground. Just one drop of blood lingered on a blade of grass.

            “Well, that’s an interesting, but delightful piece of evidence.”  Jesse fell backwards onto the grass and let out a deep sigh.

            “It’s not delightful until she’s back in my arms. Although, I will admit it does bring up the question as to what happened. By the way, thanks for the help back there. I’m becoming more human as each day passes it seems. That was the first time an Outcast has ever been able to attack me let alone bring forth any oppression.”

            “You’re more than welcome, buddy. Just do me a favor.”

            “Anything, you name it.”

            “Take a break from Claire. Go back and rejuvenate. You need it; if you don’t you will regret the opportunity and life isn’t so fond of giving you second chances.”

            “It all depends. I put Claire first. When I know she is safe, I will take care of that.”

            “No, Avery. By doing this, you are putting Claire first.”

            “Speaking of Claire, I should probably start looking for her.” I moved backwards and my hand found its place in a recent depression. A broken twig rested uncomfortably underneath my skin. Images flashed in front of my eyes. Footprints, A drop of blood, fear embedded in Protector’s eyes and written on a Protection’s face, the snare of teeth, a shrieking roar, a flash of light, two missing beings, and danger. “Well, that’s new.”

            “What is?”

            “New ability. I can see the past events and people that surround certain objects. An Outcast was after Claire and Irena got in the way. Now they’re both missing. I sense danger, but I can’t determine the strength or location.”

            “Sounds nifty. Where should we start?”

            “We should start with the one thing we know. There was an Outcast in the past and an Outcast in our present. I say we hunt him down and see what he leads us to.”

            “Let’s put that plan into action!”

            “The sooner we get going the less time it will be until Claire and I are reunited.”

            “Then let’s roll.”

 

© By Amanda Gloth