Death's Dilemma (DHAD #2) (15 page)

“Excuse me.”

“Yeah, you heard right. He doesn’t know it yet, but I can see it. Fate is funny, huh?”

“How do you know it’s not a trick to fool you?”

“I know Drake; it’s no trick. The way I’ve seen him act around her is actually quite funny. He gets all nervous and stuff. I can tell, just by the way he looks at her and she looks back at him. They haven’t quite got it all figured out yet, but it’s amusing to watch. And the way he gets all flustered when he talks about her, I just know.” And the fact they’ve been hanging out all week apparently, and he hasn’t killed her yet, but that was another tell-tale sign that I wouldn’t let slip.

“It’ll never work.”

“Not now, but once Mobrolantis
is gone, I don’t see why not. She’s human; he’s a Reaper. It could work.”

“Doubtful, and people kill people they love all the time.”

“He wouldn’t. Seriously, just trust me on this. People do insane things for the other when they love them.”

“Like what…save their lives?” he said, making me blink. “I have to tell the others. If someone finds out he was here and that I knew about it and didn’t say anything, I’d lose my ranking. I’m sorry. I know he means something to you, but I have to say something.”

“You will not. It’s not fair to them.”

“My only concern is for her life.”

“Listen, just trust me. She’s safer if he’s around. If you have any trust in me at all, you will leave it alone.”

“Don’t make this about you Cendall.”

“It is, though, isn’t it? Have I not proven myself time and time again that her safety is my number one concern? How many more times do I have to save her life for you to fully trust me?”

“I do trust you. It’s him I don’t trust.”

“You should. He was the most talented Reaper in my class. No one but me was ever able to beat him in anything. If anything, he brings up her protection up a notch. I’ve seen your Guardians in battle, and I’d want him on my side before any of them.” His eyes narrowed.

“He’s better than any Guardian here, huh? I’ll show him, when I make him leave.”

He turned and went to head for the door. I jumped on his back and tackled him to the ground before he could turn the knob. We fought for position, not bothering to stop for the desk, mirror, or chair that got in the way. He tried to grab hold of my wrist to pin me against the next wall we crashed into, but I slipped away and leapt for my scythe that was on the bed. My only chance was knocking him out. Before I could get a grasp on it though, he flipped me around and pinned me against the bed, with my arms raised in the air. Our breaths became heavy as I locked my eyes onto his.

“Trust me.” I finally got out. He stared at me for what seemed like hours. If he’d been a Demon, I’d swear he was searching for the answer deep within my soul.

“Deep down, I’ve always trusted you, even when my instincts fought against it. Don’t let me ever lose that trust,” he said as he bent down closer. Our lips were about to meet when the door burst open. Abram walked in.

“What happened here? This whole place is destroyed! What were you doing, Trevor?” His tirade stopped abruptly as he caught a glimpse of our position.

We separated. Quickly.

“Training,” we said in unison.

“Sure doesn’t look—“

“Abram,” Trevor interrupted “Did you need something?”

“Ah… yes. I was just coming to tell you that Lacie wanted to see you.” With that, he left the room with a disgusted scowl on his face. Trevor turned around to follow him but stopped and looked back towards me.

“When you said you know Drake would never hurt Lacie because he loves her….how do you know what that looks like if you haven’t experienced it yourself?”

“Uh…” I shuddered.

“That’s what I thought. You know we’ve kissed twice now. Do you think that’s normal behavior between friends? When are you going to stop trying so hard not to like me?”

“Don’t tell her you know. She doesn’t know I know either,” I answered, returning the conversation to Lacie.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Catch Up

“Trevor is crankier than usual today,” Lacie said as she sat down next to me on the couch downstairs.

“All I wanted to ask him about was when we had to leave so I could plan my goodbyes, and he was super short with me, which makes no sense. Nothing happened yesterday. We actually made it through a public event with no one dying. That’s a miracle within itself. He should be happy.”

“Your… um… human friend is here,” Abram said to Lacie as he came from the kitchen. We raced over to the monitor and saw Myah standing at the gate. I pressed the buzzer.

“Hey Myah, what’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s Cameron,” she wheezed between sobs. “Something’s wrong. He called me, and I don’t know. I tried calling the police, but they said they called and spoke with him and his mom, but something isn’t right.”

Lacie looked at me and mouthed, “Please.”

“I can’t. He has a Guardian…”

“Oh that one?” Lacie said as she pointed to Catherine who we could conveniently see through the kitchen windows as she sat on the porch with Trevor and some of the other Guardians. “Look, Cendall, I know you don’t like to interfere, but we’re almost positive that your mom was a Guardian too, so technically, you’d only be going against half of what you are. And plus, those people turned their back on you forever ago. I didn’t ask you to save anyone at the fair, or anywhere else we’ve been, but it’s Cameron. And she’s his Guardian.”

“You get Myah in here, and tell the Guardians if they ask that it’s about a boy. Then go straight to your room, and Drake will be there.”

“Drake?” Her face flushed red.

“Yes, I won’t leave you without someone who can port you away. I know you’ve been porting away with him.”

“I...”

“Not now. Now once Drake is there, don’t let anyone else in your room. He’ll be able wipe Myah’s memories of him being there. The other Guardians shouldn’t be able to feel him because they’ll think the Reaper presence they feel is me. So under no circumstances, should you let a Guardian in your room. Got it?”

“Okay.”

“Shit,” I said as I let out a deep breath and ported to outside of Cameron’s house.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hide and Seek

The screen door was broken and open. Cameron’s house was worse than I’d imagined. I’d gotten glimpses of what it looked like in his mind when I first touched him, but that must have been from years ago, as this place looked abandoned. The grass was overtaken by weeds that covered the front lawn and seeped through the cracks of the broken wooden porch. There was one car in the driveway, but judging by the two missing tires the back, and the tall grass that surrounded it, that thing hadn’t left the driveway in a while. I opened my ears as I crept up the porch steps. There were no sounds. No birds, no grasshoppers, nothing. This had happened only one other time. I brought out my scythe as I entered his home, now wishing I would have told Drake to come here with me instead of going to a house that already had adequate protection. The look on his face was one I’d never forget though. I knew for certain he was in love with her. He asked no questions, and had no hesitation when I asked him to go over there.

The living room floor of Cameron’s home was covered in mud that ran all over the hardwood floors. There was a white couch that had black stains covering its ripped cushions. A boxed 1980’s TV was against the wall, and broken picture frames were scattered along the floor. I tried to walk quietly into the next room but found it impossible due to the floor creaking with every step. I gave up and stormed into the kitchen where Cameron was tied to a chair with steel chains and barbed wire. His head was slumped over. I rushed to his side and felt for a pulse. It was faint but still there.

I started cutting through the wire when I felt several blades run down my back. I spun quickly, back handing whatever it was into the fridge on the other side of the kitchen. I turned and confirmed my suspicions of this being a Demon as it stared back at me, preparing to strike again with its black, hollowed out eyes. The veins on its arms were a deep purple and rose on the skin as thick red tar seeped from its lips. Judging by the decompensation on the human’s face, I’d guess this Demon would have one more day in its shell. This shell looked familiar though.

“I’m sorry I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She drinks…but she’s never…” Cameron’s weak voice called from behind me. So that was why she looked familiar, it was his mom that I’d seen glimpses of. She’d probably been dead for weeks now.

“Shut up, boy,” The Demon called to Cameron. I turned and threw my light at it, and watched as its body shook from the strike. I held the light there, waiting for it to explode from the electric pulses that were electrocuting its body.

“Cendall, please stop. You’re going to kill her.” I closed my fists, forcing it to stop, and a sharp pain spiked up my arms.

“It’s not your mother. Cameron, I’m going to need you to close your eyes.” I’d have to get him out of here before I killed the Demon. It just wasn’t right to kill someone’s mother in front of them, even though she was long gone a while ago.

“Why, Cendall? What are you going to do? She’ll pass out soon. We can forget this ever happened. I’ll try and enroll her in meetings again. Don’t hurt her, Cendall,” he said as the blood poured from his barbed wire bound hands and neck.

“This is no longer your mother. Please close your eyes, Cameron.” I walked towards him.

“Cendall, NO! Please! I promise she didn’t mean to hurt me. She’s just having a bad spell.” I walked over to him, and right before I placed my hand on his knee, I felt a Reaper port in as his blade came for my face. I turned quickly and knocked it away with the blade of my scythe. “Lacie’s,” I said as I ported Cameron. I leaned to the left, taking another blade that was thrown in my shoulder; it was meant for Cameron’s face.

“Saving another human are we?” John asked as he smiled and brought out his scythe. “I’m trained against your spells now traitor.” I turned back to him in the living room with a wide smile on my face. His eyes tightened, confused by my expression. I’d been itching for a fight for days, and considering I wasn’t able to fill that craving with souls, his life would have to do. Threaten me once, and I can let it go, twice was not tolerable.

I flung my light at him, and just as he said, he had been training. He hit it with his scythe and tried to knock it in my direction. Stupid, John. I used this time to run at him full speed. I grabbed onto his torso, tackling him onto the ground. He tried to punch me to get me off as we fell to the ground, but I didn’t let go. In our fall, he let go of his scythe, but so did I. What could I do? Ah… Shit! This was going to hurt. I let the electricity once again leave my fingertips as I was latched onto him and electrocuted both of us. John screamed out in pain in sync with me, and I stared at his eyes, waiting for him to pass out from the pain and praying he would reach that point before I did. A burning flesh scent filled my nostrils as the pain rippled through my body. Blood began to drip from John’s eyes and ears; it wouldn’t be long now. After a few more seconds that felt like an eternity, his eyes closed, and I closed my fist, making the light stop.

I slowly raised up off of him and watched blood drip from my body onto his and pool on the floor. My hands felt my ears, and like John’s, blood was dripping from them and left red pools on my shoulders. Wonder how much longer I could have taken it? The raised hair on my arms told me not much longer. I looked across the living room in a cracked mirror, and in any other circumstance, I would have laughed as my hair stuck straight out, looking like a huge, red afro.

“AHHHHHH!” I screamed as the Demon latched onto my back and took a chunk out of my shoulder with her jagged, sharp teeth. I grabbed onto her and threw her in front of me. With one downward swipe of my scythe, her head separated from her torso, and I watched Cameron’s mom’s soul release. Her mist like figure past before my face in a somber but relieved aura, as she wondered away. She’d more than likely end up a lost soul, wandering earth for a while, but that was better than where she would have gone if the Demon took her. I brought my scythe back up and headed over to where John lay unconscious on his side. The bleeding had stopped, but he was still out. I rolled him over with my foot, and as I went to check for a pulse, something hard and heavy crashed into the back of my skull.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Wakey Wakey

I awoke and blinked my eyes rapidly, hoping my vision would clear, but all I saw was black. I shook my head and felt the cloth graze my cheeks. They must have a hood over my head. I tried to move my arms but found they were bound behind my back. One point for whoever had done this.

“Eddie, I’ve forgotten how quick you can be. Thank you for the pleasant reminder,” I said, and he lifted the bag off my face. His face looked confused, and he opened his mouth to say something, but not a word came out.

“Let me go, now.”

“I can’t.”

“Don’t make the same mistake John did. Let me go now, before I have to hurt you too.”

“I can’t. I’ve been directly ordered, and I saw you save that boy. I didn’t want to believe it, though maybe there could be some explanation for why you saved that girl last year, and remained protecting her, but I saw you save that other soul for no reason at all besides the fact that they were human.”

“And it wasn’t his time.”

“What does that matter? They die all the time when it’s not their time due to free will.”

“Yes, but his potential vulnerability was put into place by a Demon and a Reaper. Don’t you remember our rules? We aren’t allowed to make them vulnerable.”

“They said you’d say things to try and trick my mind. Make me think differently.”

“Listen to your own mind on what I just said, Eddie. What would Drake think?”

“Drake is clouded because of you.”

“Did they say that too?” His face told me they had.

“Stop spitting out their lines and think for yourself!”

“I…”

“Stop talking to her,” John said as he came from the other room.