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Chapter 51; The Wizard's CurseFang had to cut Aaron's shirt off. Which wouldn't have been a big deal if he'd had scissors, but all he had was that wicked little razor sharp pocketknife he rarely went anywhere without.
Aaron sat there rigidly as Fang slashed through the fabric of his shirt in a downward motion away from his neck, "Bloody hell … You could decapitate me with that thing and I wouldn't know it until I saw my own severed neck!"
Fang didn't seem to be listening and managed to get the shirt cut off without decapitating anyone. "How are you feelin?"
"Considering how wretched I felt last night, I feel fabulous," He tried to wriggle his fingers but couldn't quite manage it. "It aches and my hand throbs. Is that normal?"
"I don't know, I've never had a broken arm before," Fang said under his breath, "Does it hurt as bad as it did last night?"
Aaron shook his head.
"Then I guess it's normal."
Max limped up wearing Fang's hooded sweatshirt and grinning, "Fang, would you mind telling me whose boxers I'm currently occupying?"
Aaron burst out laughing, "Don't look at me, all of mine are solid colors and they're not silk … Silk gives me terrible rash."
Max's face turned red and she eyed Fang for any reaction but he gave her none, save to not let her see his face.
Aaron chuckled and let Fang help him to his feet. He gripped his arm for a second and stood on shaking legs then stumbled toward the truck grinning.
Just before she turned to follow Aaron, Fang took Max by the arm, turning her toward him.
His head was bowed and after a moment he drew a black cord from around his neck and looked up at her. "You have to wear this for it to work I guess."
He slid the cord around her neck and walked away, squeezing between the chimney and the truck grill to get to the driver's seat.
Max's fingers went to the little medallion hanging on the cord and she bit her lip. She'd hidden this because wearing it hadn't felt right … Even after all these years she wasn't sure she believed in God … But looking down at it now and knowing that Fang had found it, worn it about his own neck to keep it safe just for her…
She shivered and limped toward the truck rubbing the little thing between her fingers. For some reason now she was afraid to take it off…
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Iggy had never realized exactly how much he depended on his internal GPS before… That odd sensation of just KNOWING which direction he was facing and if he was heading toward home. He hadn't known how it worked, or even if he WANTED to know how it worked. He just knew it did and it was really nice to know…
But now…
Now he was in a vacuum. Air rushing past him, that near overwhelming sense of vertigo tugging at his insides, Ella clutched to him her hands resting lightly on top of his.
"Okay, you want to like turn a little to the left up here, I remember that gas station because that's where that yummy pizza-smell was coming from."
Iggy nodded and tilted his wings slightly, raising the right and lowering the left so he coasted slightly in the direction Ella said he needed to go.
"You're squeezing me really tight, are you OK?"
"Fine," He squeaked.
He'd never been FULLY dependant on someone like this before, especially when that someone didn't have an internal GPS of her own OR wings.
Before, when he'd been blind, he could still tell where he was going, and if he didn't know his destination then SOMEONE did. There wasn't all this "a little to the left" "kind of to the right, but straight ahead to the left," business. It was all in terms he could understand.
"One O' clock" "North-north-east" "Follow my voice" Ella was more of a "Off to the right, no more to the left" no definites no specifics kind of person…
Jesus, we're never going to get home!"Maybe I should buy a GPS … You know, like those the rock climbers and hikers have?"
Iggy gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on Ella. He'd be happy if she just had a compass!
"Iggy, we've been flying for hours, can we stop? I REALLY have to go."
Boy, oh boy, THIS is gonna be fun.
"Okay … Where can we land?"
She went quiet and her hands tightened on his. "Uh … Iggy?"
He grunted to let her know he was listening.
"How are we gonna land if you can't see how far away the ground is?"
He laughed out loud.
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Max was uncomfortable… More uncomfortable that she'd been in a while, and that was saying something because she'd been carried under a Wizard's arm through a thunderstorm and burned her leg…
Aaron was shirtless and pressed against her right side, and Fang was pressed to her left … And both of them were sweating as if it were a million degrees outside, and both of them had the windows rolled down.
The pigeon had perched herself on Fang's right shoulder and cooed indignantly every time Max scooted a little bit closer to Fang to put more room between herself and Aaron's splinted arm.
She didn't like the pigeon … And she didn't like that she was the only one that seemed to notice it was COLD outside.
"Can we like, turn the heat on, I am FREEZING!" She rubbed her nose again fully expecting to find icicles hanging from her nostrils but she didn't.
Fang wiped sweat from his face and leaned over her to turn on the heater.
Max pressed herself as tightly back against the seat as possible and held her breath terrified that Fang's sweating had caused another common problem that was associated with perspiration.
But she knew even before she'd taken that deep breath that she had nothing to worry about. Fang rarely if EVER smelled bad anymore. Not after they'd decided to stay with Dr. Martinez. In fact, she'd found him quite pleasant smelling on a few occasions … Not something she could say about The Gasman…
"I feel ill," Aaron grumbled his uninjured arm going around his middle.
"If you're going to puke again warn me first, I don't want to have to wash the truck AGAIN."
Aaron sneered at him and shook his head, "My bloody arm hurts."
"You whine too much … I haven't heard Max complain about her leg all day."
"That's because Aaron's been complaining over me," She said as-matter-of-factly.
"C-can we stop, please, I feel really ill."
"We've only been driving five hours!" He snapped and glared at Aaron as if he were tempted to punch him. The air crackled with tension and Max shrunk into the seat, folding her hands on her stomach, trying not to be noticed.
What am I doing? Oh, nothing, don't mind me, I'm not even here…Max had never seen Fang so irritable and she'd seen him in PRETTY bad moods before.
The day he'd gotten the letter he'd been particularly moody. He'd even snapped at a teacher at school … Which was VERY unlike him … Unless the teacher deserved a good snapping…
"Can we please stop, I feel nauseous…"
And he broke…
"You're nauseous? YOU'RE NAUSEOUS! I've had a freaking MIGRANE of Vesuvian proportions since we found Max! I haven't slept in three days, I haven't eaten in two! AND I can't THINK with you bitching about your damned arm all the time, so shut-the-hell-UP!"
And he cupped his forehead with his left hand wincing, his eyes on the road.
Aaron went quiet.
The pigeon cooed reproachfully and walked across his shoulder and perched herself on Aaron's, as if to say 'if you're going to be like that, I don't want to sit on you anymore.'
They drove in complete silence for nearly five minutes before Fang sighed and pulled the truck into the parking lot of a small grocery store. He killed the engine and rested his head against the steering wheel his lips pursed, eyes closed.
He didn't move for close to ten minutes, and then it was just to look over at Max and Aaron apologetically with bloodshot dark blue eyes.
Max sighed, "Look, guys, we're almost home … We'll drive till sundown, get a hotel room, call my mom then fl-drive the rest of the way home, deal?" She whispered, hoping Fang didn't yell at her too, because unlike Aaron, Max didn't take Fang's crap. She'd yell right back, and maybe even punch him if she felt so inclined.
Fang nodded and turned the key in the ignition.
"I … will be with you again-" Bono's tenor voice crooned from the speakers.
Fang growled and punched the dashboard. The radio went quiet…
Max stifled a giggle and the pigeon cooed melodiously.
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They landed in the back yard shortly before sunset and Ella stumbled away from him as he landed but her hand tightened on the sleeve of his jacket to keep him upright.
"GABRIELLA MARTINEZ!" She ran out of the house her hair pulled back, a furiously worried expression plastered on her face.
Ella sucked in a hissing lungful of air and pressed her back against Iggy, who stopped in his tracks his hand in hers.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, I'VE BEEN WORRIED TO DEATH!"
Her mother crushed her in a hug, "Are you two OK? Angel told me about the Wizards attacking … Where are the others?"
Ella bit her lip, "I'm not sure where Max is, but Nick and Aaron have gone after her so she'll be fine."
Iggy heard Nudge giggle in the background, "I just realized they were named that … Nick and Aaron … Reminds me a little TOO much of the Backstreet Boys…" She hesitated before she continued, cutting both Ella and her mother off before they could speak.
"Iggy what's wrong with your eyes?"
He bit his lip and squeezed Ella's hand, wishing he could suddenly turn invisible so no one would look at him.
Angel gasped and he heard her clap her hands over her mouth. "Oh, Iggy!" And she rushed to him, hugging him around the waist and sobbing into his ribs.
He flexed his aching wings and peeled Angel away from him long enough to shuffle forward to the porch steps and sit down. He hung his head in his hands and took a shuddering breath.
"Did I do the right thing?"
Angel hugged him again tightly, "You're alive aren't you?"
"But for how long?" He whispered, "He could have lied to me and just made the visible date disappear … I could still die."
Nudge made a soft hissing sound and sank to the steps beside him, placing a hand on his back. "Iggy, I'm sorry."
He shrugged, feeling that same panic he'd experienced early that morning in the hotel room. But this time he didn't let it show, he bottled it deep inside … But he knew without a doubt that he'd more likely than not lock himself in his bedroom later and bawl his eyes out…
He'd felt useless before … But now he really was.
"That man said that this was a vaccine against the Wizards … Apparently the Wizards transmit the virus through their bite, but this will protect you if you haven't already been bitten. He offered it to me but I said no … I want to figure out what it is first," She held up the large vial then searched out the smaller one.
He heard Ella rummaging around in the backpack and he shrank in on himself, feeling increasingly useless and in the way…
"And he said THIS would like, stop you guys from expiring, but it takes away all your abilities because the expiration date is programmed into the genes that gives you the abilities … Or something like that, I wasn't paying attention…"
"It takes away your abilities?" Gasman whispered and laid a hand on Iggy's shoulder.
He shivered and was tempted to turn and shout 'DUH!' but he stopped himself. He didn't want anyone to feel sorry for him, he just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before … He just wanted everything to be OK again.
David sighed and squirmed his way into the crowd, hugging Iggy from behind, both tiny arms wrapped around his neck. "That's OK, I still like you!"
The phone started ringing and Dr. Martinez dashed back inside rubbing her eyes. "Hello?"
Iggy strained his ears, but was unable to hear who was on the other end of the line as he'd been able to do before…
"MAX! Oh, my GOD! Are you OK? Are you hurt? What ha-" She paused for a ten count, "Are you sure you're OK, other than the burns and Aaron's arm?"
Nudge was on her feet her hands clenched into fists, "Aaron I am going to KILL you when you get home, you SWORE you wouldn't get hurt! Do you know how scared I've been?"
Dr. Martinez waved Nudge off and turned away from her. "Okay, we'll expect you home by tomorrow evening … Are you sure you're OK? Yes, I am being a worry-wart, its what mothers do … Okay, I'll see you tomorrow … Bye, Max…" And she sank to the floor crying, her head in her hands.
"What happened to Aaron's arm?" Ella asked, trying to draw her mother out of the crying fit.
Her mother blinked a few times and snuffed back tears, "Max said that it was broken … Something about a Wizard biting him-"
Iggy was on his feet, stumbling down the steps arms waving. Ella grabbed him before he fell and turned to her mother her brown eyes wide, "BITTEN? Aaron was BITTEN!"
"That's what Max said … Why? Do they carry rabies or something?"
Ella groaned, "The man who helped Iggy- Ter Borcht, was bitten by one of those things. He said that it was like werewolves, once you're bitten you become one of them or die transforming."
David groaned his little hands going to his mouth, "Aaron's gonna become a Wizard too?"
Nudge choked, "No … That can't happen! Not my Aaron! Not my-" She turned and ran into the house, yanking the phone off the hook and dialing the number on the caller ID … But the gas station attendant said that the three young people had already driven off…
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Aaron shifted uncomfortably against the cheap hotel mattress and pulled the blankets tighter around him, trying not to disturb his arm. He felt cold … Incredibly cold and from the look on Max's face as she glanced at him from the other side of the room, he knew he was the only one who thought it was a bit chill.
"Aaron, are you feeling OK?" She walked to him, the almost healed burn on her leg standing out slightly pinker than her skin. She flattened her palm against his forehead and her eyebrows drew down.
She turned and pulled the blankets off the other bed, spreading them over Fang's brother then knocking loudly on the bathroom door, "Fang, hurry up in there, Aaron needs some hot water, he's freezing."
Fang grunted to let her know he heard and a few seconds later the water turned off.
"My bloody h-head hurts," He grumbled and stared miserably up at Max, searching for some kind of pity or compassion, at the moment he'd be happy with either as long as someone paid attention to him and acknowledged he was sick.
Fang came out of the bathroom at that moment, rubbing his sopping head with a towel wearing only his boxers and a pair of loose fitting sweatpants that hung off his hips. He approached the bed warily making a perplexed face much like Max's, "Jeez, you look like crap!"
"Oh, well done … If I didn't feel bad enough, now I know that I look a mess as well," He forced himself into a sitting position and the room span around, all the colors seeming to melt into one gigantic blur. The next thing he knew he was staring up at the ceiling and Fang was bending over him, smacking his face rather roughly.
Get the boy … Get number seven … Get the boy, the special one … Kill the other one … Kill the girl … Get the boy … Get the dark one…
Aaron shivered and the hackles on the back of his neck stood on end. Those sickeningly sweet … Demented kindergarten teacher voices rang in his head like little bells…
Get the boy … Kill the other one … Kill the girl … Rip them open … Eat them alive … Make them scream … Get the dark one … Kill the rest…
"Aaron?" Max hovered over him.
He's already dying … He's too weak … Won't accept the change … Too weak … Poor little Aaron … Daddy can't save him now…
He shivered again and that vice like pain he'd felt in his head let loose, possibly deflating him, releasing all the strength he had managed to accumulate and he clawed at Fang, grabbing his brother's shirt collar and drawing the dark haired boy down.
"T-they want y-you … Y-you're s-special."
Fang gave his head a shake and glanced up at Max from the corner of his eye, "Aaron … There's nothing special about me, Ter-Borcht said so … He read it right from my file."
Aaron's head wobbled and his hands fell away. "Tell Nudgie…" But no more words would come out and everything faded into a dark gray…
"A-Aaron?" Fang laid a hand on his brother's chest, his arm trembling and he came to his knees his eyes wide, fingers tangling in the dark blue T-shirt Aaron had pulled on after his bandages were changed.
"Max … Max, he's not breathing!"
She pressed her fingers to the side of his neck but Fang had already bent forward and put his ear to Aaron's chest.
She shivered … Nothing…
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Chapter 52; PanicNudge woke with a scream, her hands tearing at her nightshirt. Angel was up like a shot, lunging across the room to her, blue eyes wide.
And then everyone was in her room, thronging around her, trying to calm her, but she could only scream and clutch her chest.
"Not Aaron, Oh GOD, not Aaron!" And in the moment Nudge felt Aaron's heart stop she also felt what could only describe as having your bones suddenly turn to jelly and then back to bones in one instant. And then David gave a shout and knocked her into a deep dreamless sleep.
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Fang choked and that uncontrollable hysteria seized him again, only this time he didn't freeze, in fact he did the complete opposite … He clamped his hands together over Aaron's heart and started CPR, cursing under his breath.
Aaron couldn't be dead … It didn't make any sense, he'd been fine earlier, just before he'd climbed into the shower Aaron had been fine, he'd even made a rude joke and earned a 'sexist pig' label from Max…
Aaron couldn't be dead…
"He needs air," Max whispered, wishing now more than ever that Jeb-Voice was there to tell her how to save Aaron's life just as he'd done all those years ago when Fang had gotten those horrible jagged scars across his stomach…
She had started to do it herself, remembering how she'd been taught in health class, knowing in the pit of her sickened stomach all the while that it wasn't going to work., but Fang was there first, trying with all his might to save his brother … To save his twin.
Max watched, feeling completely and utterly useless and anxious … Hoping that Aaron would move and take a breath and Fang would be able to stop breathing for him…
But it had been nearly a minute and Aaron hadn't moved…
"Aaron, Goddamn you … Goddamn you," He mumbled and continued pressing his hands down over his brother's chest, forcing his heart to pump then forcing air between his lips.
Two minutes…
"Fang…" She whispered, her voice thin.
And the air started charging … Becoming thick with tension and Max felt a deadly pressure starting in her chest and Fang's composure started crumbling with every second Aaron was lifeless … Dead.
Dead, Aaron's dead…Three minutes…
"Fang," She said a little louder but he ignored her. And then, to her horror he seemed to loose all control and he thumped Aaron hard on the chest before resuming his frantic compressions…
"Fang, stop it…"
He shook his head and hit him again.
Max shuddered and her hands went out, grabbing Fang's wrists, "Fang, STOP!"
He looked her in the eyes … And she saw something dark swim into them, something vicious, something deadly and he took a shuddering breath his teeth grinding together so tightly she heard his jaws creak.
"Let me go, Max … I swear to God, if you don't let me go-"
And the light bulb in the lamp burst, showering the left corner of the room in shards of glass.
The only light left was that from the bathroom, but it was enough for Max to see Fang set back to work, pounding on Aaron's lifeless chest.
Four minutes…
For a moment she thought she smelled burning cloth and then Aaron's body went stiff. She jumped out of the way, knowing what was coming even before Fang rolled him over.
Fang thumped him repeatedly on the back when he choked and Max stared in a mixture of joy and revulsion…
There was an unholy screech from outside and Aaron bellowed in pain his hand going over his ear. The screech faded into the night and Aaron curled onto his side shivering, his teeth chattering.
Fang shuddered violently and for a moment he seemed to go rigid, his teeth ground together and he rocked to his knees, his head thrown back hands curling into fists.
Max heard him make a grunting noise and for a second she wasn't sure who was the one in more trouble. Aaron because he'd been dead for close to five minutes or Fang, who looked as if he were having some kind of fit.
That smoky, something-burning smell reached Max's nostrils and she turned, expecting to see the lamp in the corner in flames. But nothing was wrong.
Fang collapsed in on himself and nearly fell across Aaron. "H-Help me…"
She wasn't quite sure who he wanted her to help. So she bit back her need to pull Fang into her arms and went to Aaron, untangling the sick splattered blankets from him and sitting him up. "Just breathe for a few minutes and relax."
He nodded right hand on his chest, face wrinkled in pain.
"Do you want some water?"
Aaron shook his head, "W-want a stiff drink."
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Chapter 53; Back to BasicsIt was close to seven-thirty and the sun had disappeared behind the trees. Nudge flipped the light switch and admired her handiwork … Well, Iggy and Gasman had helped … They'd wired everything … But SHE put in the light bulbs.
"How is it?" Iggy said rubbing his hands together.
"Its perfect … Just like that parking lot, only … Less parking-lot-ish," Nudge said and stepped out onto the porch. Dr. Martinez had put up a few more lights outside, but they were all tied into the electric … So, upon arriving back home Angel and Nudge had insisted on getting solar powered lights. Believing that if the power were to go out as it had at Allan's the Wizards would still be fended off.
"MAX!" Angel screamed and ran into the yard.
A dirty, rusted and just plain beat looking red truck pulled into the driveway and Nudge's stomach clenched. She lunged right off the porch snapping her russet colored wings open and zooming straight at the truck.
She saw Aaron's face go pale and she landed on the hood as the truck stopped, her teeth ground together, "You died? You DIED … DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FREAKING SCARED I WAS!"
Aaron climbed out of the truck and stood there on shaking legs clutching the door, "Sorry … Was a bit preoccupied with the afterlife…"
She slid off the hood and hugged him tightly her cheek pressed against his. "We need to talk about your arm … It's important…"
Max climbed out and jogged to her mother, wrapping her arms around her neck.
Fang just sat there behind the wheel staring at his hands the pigeon on his shoulder.
"Nick, Allan called and left his cell number for you to call any time you wanted," Ella said sticking her head in the window, "Wow, nice pigeon, where'd you get it?"
He shook his head and opened the door, climbing slowly out and heading inside without speaking to anyone.
"Max, what's up with him? Is he OK?"
