Chapter 41
Rachel
I listened but I didn't believe a word of it. Jake couldn't be that…thing ahead of us. The girl I had shoved away from our table- that couldn't be her. A dog.
And yet, here I was, a girl who could become a wolf herself talking. But my mind fought- that was different. Monsters- mythical things, dragons, vampires, werewolves- they didn't exist. Monsters like Visser Three, Crayak- they did.
We stayed silent until he finished speaking, which must've been two hours later. The darkness had grown impenetrable. I couldn't see an inch in front of me.
I had been leaning against a tree the whole time, and now I stretched. I turned to where I thought Marco was.
"Well, Marco, that was a nice story. But we have to find Jake now."
"That is Jake, Rachel."
I started to morph, when a heavy weight fell on top of me. I let out all my air, and went down. Hard. The weight still on me.
Don't believe this?
A low, throaty growl, teeth the size of a knife less than inches in front of me. Drool and spittle on my face. Red coal eyes burning into mine, hypnotizing me. Making me-
Suddenly, the beast-Kari-was sent rolling by-
"JAKE!" I cried out.
I began to morph.
Chapter 42
Kari
Jake flung himself into me, and I rolled off of Rachel. I turned myself to fight Jake, teeth bared. Marco was staring around, trying to find where the sounds were coming from. At the thought of Marco, my heart softened- I had told him I would-
I felt teeth sink into my leg, teeth that worried my leg like a bird neck. I focused on the fight, and swiped with new energy, snapping and slashing at him.
Jake cried out with each hit, though he managed to get a few scratches in me, but most hit only fur.
Suddenly, I felt a pain in my back- turned- and I saw an Andalite and a wolf biting me, fighting. Marco had found the direction, was walking forward-a paw knocked him out. There was now four more fighters: an Andalite, a wolf, a grizzly bear, and a red-tailed hawk.
I gave a howl, and all but the bear froze at the sound, and that gave me time to slash Jake's eyes, causing him to howl with pain.
I warned you, wolfling.
Jake's bloody eyes stared at me, not seeing. The hair raised on the wolf's back.
Jake! Are you okay!?
Fine he answered faintly. He was almost spent. Unlike me, he had sat in the shadows. The moon had strengthened me during Marco's explanation.
This time, I would win, Marco or not.
Chapter 43
Cassie
Jake's eyes were gouged out, he couldn't see. He couldn't fight without his eyes!
I leapt forward, angry at the monster before me. Angry…
Kari dodged and I hit the ground hard. Missed. Kari was fast; fast like the leopard had been fast. I was lead, she was liquid steel. She might look ugly- but she was fast at a whole new level.
I ran to Jake's side to protect him, while Ax and Rachel and Tobias attacked. Jake was still on the ground, blood seeping from his wounds while he slowly bled to death. Why couldn't he fix himself? Why…
Kari dodged our attacks nimbly, when I noticed something. Ax, Rachel, Tobias, Jake and I were here, but where was Marco?
I searched the ground, my eyes not working well in the dark, relying on my nose. But even my nose couldn't penetrate the darkness. Jake was dying! What…
Cassie…
His voice was so faint in my head. I laid beside him. Cried inside. Jake was dying. The blood was everywhere. Blood….Jake….dying!
Chapter 44
Jake
I was dying. I knew that. Cassie was crying, I could hear mental sobs in my head, could hear and smell battle around me. Blood blotted my vision, my eyes-…
Cassie…I moaned mentally. I was melting, my mind fading in and out, noises fading and rising, smells drifting away. My thoughts were muddling in my head. I was…
Where was my mom? She was calling me, I could hear her, see her- but where was she? I could see…but I couldn't. Where?
No wait, it wasn't mom! It was Tom. Talking about the Sharing. Telling me, encouraging me to go and join. Sneering at me, crying to me, laughing at me.
Now it was my dad. Telling me about his day. Taking us to…
Rachel laughing. Marco joking. Cassie crying. Ax speaking about…something.
Images and sounds and smells I couldn't make sense of, stuck together here and there, melting my perception, I was dying, oh where was that Ellimist now? Where were the Andalites? Where was Cassie?
I couldn't see anymore. Just red. Cassie crying. Sounds of battle so faint. So….
And then I said hello to the blackness of nothing.
Chapter 45
Tobias
Jake's dead! Jake's dead!!! Blood everywhere….Jake, wake up. Oh….
Cassie's voice! I had morphed finally to one of my few morphs, one that could see, or at least hear in the dark of the night: Ax.
I was copying his moves, because I didn't know anything about being Andalite. But now..
Now, I turned to Cassie's voice, I turned and moved towards Jake, who was dying. Dying on the grass, red eyes- red eyes of blood!
I ran to him, to Cassie, to-
Ohh he's dead! Jake! Wake up, Jake…
Sobs and cries were rising and falling, Rachel still fighting, Ax pulling back, pulling back to see Jake, where was Marco?
Jake's dead. Blood everywhere…Red eyes.
Cassie, it's ok. It's ok. I moved awkwardly to her, and put a hand on her shoulder.
Cassie leaned against me, crying, saying words I couldn't make out.
"What…happened?" Asked Marco.
Jake's dead!! Cassie moaned.
I heard Marco fumbling in the dark to find us. From somewhere, there was laughing. Familiar laughing, at that. Coming from…
All the sudden, the darkness turned to light. We could see everything, all the details. Jake's eyes…His side, there must've been a foot long scratch…
Not only that, everyone was demorphed. Except, of course, Jake and Kari. And there- was the Drode.
Chapter 46
Marco
"What's going on?" I demanded.
The giant prune-man simply laughed. Kari's eyes had become their normal color, and had become slits. She was staring at the Drode.
Who is this? She asked.
"The Drode." He said, with a bow. "Crayak has sent me, because of Jake's…departure." He started laughing again.
"What's so ******* funny?" I demanded. "I make the jokes around here."
Drode stopped laughing. "Well he's tried so long to get rid of Jake. And now- a wolf has done it for him. This will open up the slots in Master Crayak's ranks." He said the last part to Kari.
I work for no one. I kill who I want. I don't do some eyeball's work.
My lips twitched. Even after what she had done, I still felt-
I shook my head. Kari was a murderer. She killed Jake.
Drode shrugged. "Well, the offer is always there. But in that case…"
Suddenly-
The Ellimist appeared.
I threw my hands into the air. "Well, now that Jake's gone it's a party! Come on, let's get Ax some Cinnamon Buns."
DRODE. WHY ARE YOU HERE?
"Isn't it obvious? Crayak's messenger has come to collect."
HAHAHAHA. IF THE GIRL DOESN'T WISH TO JOIN, WHY NOT BARGAIN WITH HER? I'M SURE SHE COULD DO THE SAME TO YOU EASILY. OR I.
"But the rules-"
I KNOW THEM. LET THE GIRL DECIDE. PERHAPS YOU'LL GET SOMETHING YOU WANT ANYWAY.
Drode sneered, but turned to Kari.
"Well? Do you want something?"
"Yes."
I noticed that Kari had become human again. But how? And…
Suddenly, it seemed as if Kari had noticed too. "What the…"
I THOUGHT IT MIGHT MAKE EVEYRONE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH YOU IN A LESS DANGEROUS FORM.
I rolled my eyes. Jake was dead, and here he was talking about werewolves becoming human…
"What is it you want?"
"I…want…"
I noticed everyone staring at her…
IF SHE CAN'T DECIDE, I HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOUR MASTER CRAYAK DRODE.
"Yes…?"
GET RID OF THE TIME MACHINE AND THE NEW ENTRANCES.
"What?! Ar-"
CRAYAK HAS WHAT HE WANTS. JAKE IS DEAD. DO IT.
Drode looked furious, and disappeared for a minute. Then he came back.
"Crayak agrees. He even expresses his thanks to the girl- he still will give her whatever she wishes."
Kari looked from me to the others to the shiny blue light that was the Ellimist to Drode and back. Thought.
"I choose…I…"
Everyone stared at her, willing her to decide, trying to get her to…
To…
"I…want…"
Hard stares. Drode looking smug. Rachel looking angry. Cassie looking like she would like to die. Tobias looking…fierce, as always. And Ax looking… sad? Missing his Prince?
Kari… What?
I remembered the words Jake had said when we were dealing with Aftran.
I guess sometimes you have to choose between smart, sane, ruthlessness, and totally stupid, insane hope.
I guess I said it aloud, because now they were staring at me. Cassie and Rachel smiling vaguely, remembering too.
Drode's smug look was fading. Finally, Kari turned to him. Face set, jaw clenched. Cassie and Rachel's looks returning a little, the smile still there, faintly pressed on them.
Jake lay on the floor. Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias, Ax, Kari, Drode, Ellimist, and I. Waiting. Waiting to decide the fate that could affect everyone, or no one, or…
"Drode. I choose…"