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Dee held the knife up, tilting it to watch the light slide down the blade. It was a beautiful weapon. The blade was eight inches long, double-edged and slightly curved. The outward curving edge had two sharp teeth, which reminded Dee of deadly waves. The other edge had a single tooth at the bottom. The bottom half of the blade was flat in the middle, and this had been inscribed with runes. Dee didn't know what they meant, and had never gotten around to trying to find out. It was a blade meant not just for stabbing and slicing, but twisting and yanking, causing as much damage as possible. The hilt was wrapped in black leather, the pommel a silver wolf head with sapphire eyes, the cross guard silver entwined snakes. She had started collecting knives after the games, but this was her favorite, though she'd never used it, and never shown it to anyone.
She hadn't always been a fan of knives. She'd preferred hand-to-hand fighting, her body against the world. She'd learned some weapons fighting, but only because her instructor insisted on it and because it helped hone her muscles and increase her speed. Her only knife had been for cutting ropes.
That was before the first game.
During the game, for the first time ever, she'd wished for a weapon. Any weapon, although her preference was for an enchanted, demon-slaying sword.
During the second game, as she was cornered by the snake and wolf, the desire for a weapon returned. She could fight humans okay, but magical animals with sharp teeth were a little harder. When Tom had told her he'd shot the snake and maybe the wolf, she'd wanted to hurt him. An untrained idiot with a gun had done more damage than she had. Had been able to protect Jenny where she had failed.
Dee rubbed the rag over the blade again. She didn't think it needed to be polished, oiled, or sharpened. Ever. It might not be a demon-slaying sword, but she was fairly certain it was enchanted. Julian wouldn't have given her an ordinary knife.
******
Julian grabbed her, pulling her into a dimly lit room marked "Employees Only" as the rest of her friends explored the arcade.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"Jenny."
She glared. Did he think he was being funny? "Why do you want to talk to me?"
He smiled slightly. That was when she realized he seemed wrong, almost defeated. "Jenny," he answered again. He went on before she could snap at him or hit him. "I want her safe. And happy. And I might not be able to give that to her."
"She'd never be happy with you."
"She would be. But if she wins, I can't protect her anymore. Animals will bite her and muggers will attack her, just like anyone else. No one's ever won three games before, but Jenny might." He looked over Dee's shoulder towards the door. Dee heard Jenny's voice, though not the words. Julian looked like he was in pain. "If I can't protect her, you'll have to," he whispered. He looked at Dee again. On anyone else, Dee would have said it was the expression of someone trying not to cry. "Take care of her. Promise me that."
"I'll always take care of her and protect her. I don't have to make any promises to evil Shadow Jerks to guarantee that."
Julian smiled, a real one with a hint of danger, like she was amusing at the moment but he'd hurt her if she kept it up. Dee was glad. Evil, dangerous Julian she could deal with.
"Here," he'd said, and handed her a knife in a black leather sheath. "To protect Jenny."
Dee unsheathed it and gasped, twisting to better see it in the dim light. It was the most beautiful, perfect weapon she had ever seen.
"What happens if I use it on you?"
But he was gone.
******
She had never really believed Julian until that moment. How could someone so evil love? She thought he saw Jenny as a possession, a prize. Maybe he did, but he had loved her in his own way. Loved her enough to make certain she would be taken care of if he wasn't there.
Dee had stuck the knife in her backpack and forgotten about it in the horror of finding Jenny's grandfather and P.C. and Slug. She'd forgotten about it until she'd swung her bag on the conveyor belt to be x-rayed at the airport. It went through with no problems.
She'd grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom, locking herself in a stall. She opened the bag, expecting the knife to be gone, or turned into a plastic toy. But it was still there, still real and solid and deadly. Holding it in her hand, she realized how right Julian had been. He had protected Jenny from a lot of the world, and now she was defenseless. "I'll take care of her," she had whispered, promising herself and Julian's ghost.
*****
She had failed. Or was failing, at least. There might still be hope.
The games had left permanent marks on all of them. But even permanent marks fade, sometimes to almost nothing, so only by looking closely can anyone see them.
Jenny and Tom's marks were fading fast.
The only sign Dee could see of the games was Jenny wearing Julian's ring, and Tom not objecting. Otherwise they had gone back to their old relationship. They were becoming one person, and that person was Tom. Jenny followed his decision in everything. She was wearing long skirts and tying her hair back. They talked about college, pretended to discuss and debate, but it was obvious that Tom would do whatever he wanted, and Jenny would follow.
Dee sheathed the knife, thinking back to the first game. She'd survived her nightmare, separated from Jenny, and found a door. She had waited there for Jenny, watching the door to make sure it didn't vanish. Then *he* was there.
******
"Deirdre."
She hadn't heard or seen him approach, and she jumped and whirled at the sound of his voice.
He smiled. "You did well. You survived your nightmare. But you have another fear."
"And what's that?" she demanded.
"Love."
She almost laughed. "I'm not afraid of love."
He raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you tell Jenny? Tell her you love her. That you hate Tom not because he's a chauvinistic, irritating, stereotypical jock and you hate all boys in the boyfriend role, but because she loves him." He smiled again. "It's something we have in common."
"That's not true. You're wrong."
He nodded. "Alright. We both hate Tom for his personality as well. Jenny loving him just makes it ten times worse." He sighed. "How can she love that obnoxious whiner?"
"I don't know." Dee mentally slapped herself. She shouldn't answer him at all; he'd just take it as a sign she agreed with him.
"There's something I've always wondered about you, Deirdre."
She hated him using her full name. No one was allowed to call her Deirdre.
"Is it all girls, or just Jenny?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." *Just Jenny,* her mind whispered. *Always Jenny.*
"You love her. You want to protect her and at the same time to help her explore her wild, dangerous side. The side Tom tries to deny exists and tries to destroy when he sees it. You want to encourage that side, want to be with her when she discovers the thrill of fear, of overcoming challenges and taking risks. You'll get that wish, by the way."
"You're crazy. Jenny's my friend, but I'm not in love with her."
"But you are. Head over heels, desperately in love with her. Another thing we have in common. And you're afraid. Afraid she'll hate you, that you'll lose her forever if you ever let her know. It's the one risk you refuse to take. That's where we're different. I'm taking that risk. And I'll win. I'll have her."
"I'll stop you."
He laughed. "You'll try. I always win."
******
But he hadn't. He'd lost. He'd taken that risk and lost everything. He'd almost won her at the end, but the dead don't win anything. And now Tom would destroy the good Julian had done. He'd turn Jenny into an obedient slave, with no opinions or life outside of him.
Dee would protect her.
******
"Hi Tom," Dee said.
"Dee, hi. What's up? Did you watch the practice?"
The two of them walked towards the parking lot and their cars. There was no one else around.
"Yeah. It was pretty good. Have you decided which school's scholarship you'll take?"
"Probably Miami or Notre Dame, but I'm still looking at some of the others."
"Jenny doesn't like either of those."
"Sure she does."
If he'd asked why Dee thought that, or even bothered to argue with her, Dee would have waited. She would have talked to Tom and Jenny, tried to help them be separate people again. But Tom had dismissed Dee and ignored all signs of unhappiness from Jenny. Talking wasn't enough.
She stopped and faced Tom. "It's my job to protect Jenny."
Tom patted her shoulder patronizingly. "That's my job, Dee. I appreciate the thought, but I don't need your help."
The knife was out and in Tom's gut before he could take his hand off of her. He gasped, the hand on her shoulder convulsing, his legs giving out. Warm blood spilled over Dee's hand. The weight of Tom's body pressed on the blade as he collapsed, lengthening the tear in his stomach. Dee let go off the knife and caught him, lowering him to the ground.
"I'm sorry Tom. You're my friend, even if you are a jerk. But Jenny means more to me than you, and I promised to protect her."
******
Dee hugged Jenny. She was so beautiful, Dee thought, even with her eyes and face red from crying and her nose running. Solid black really wasn't her color. But her hair was loose and the dress skirt was shorter than Tom would have picked out, the neckline lower than he would have liked. She was already healing.
They walked from the church, Dee's arm still around Jenny's shoulders, looking like a comforting friend. Two people had loved Jenny, confessed their love and wooed her in their own ways, and died because of her. It would take Jenny a long time to heal, but eventually she'd be ready to love again. Jenny couldn't not love. And maybe the next person would die too. Maybe Jenny was doomed to have her loved ones die and break the hearts of those who could not help loving her. Maybe Jenny would find another man to replace her two dead boys, maybe she'd be disgusted at the idea of being with a woman, or maybe she'd be betrayed that her best friend's feelings weren't of friendship.
And maybe not.
Dee was ready to take that risk.
Dee held the knife up, tilting it to watch the light slide down the blade. It was a beautiful weapon. The blade was eight inches long, double-edged and slightly curved. The outward curving edge had two sharp teeth, which reminded Dee of deadly waves. The other edge had a single tooth at the bottom. The bottom half of the blade was flat in the middle, and this had been inscribed with runes. Dee didn't know what they meant, and had never gotten around to trying to find out. It was a blade meant not just for stabbing and slicing, but twisting and yanking, causing as much damage as possible. The hilt was wrapped in black leather, the pommel a silver wolf head with sapphire eyes, the cross guard silver entwined snakes. She had started collecting knives after the games, but this was her favorite, though she'd never used it, and never shown it to anyone.
She hadn't always been a fan of knives. She'd preferred hand-to-hand fighting, her body against the world. She'd learned some weapons fighting, but only because her instructor insisted on it and because it helped hone her muscles and increase her speed. Her only knife had been for cutting ropes.
That was before the first game.
During the game, for the first time ever, she'd wished for a weapon. Any weapon, although her preference was for an enchanted, demon-slaying sword.
During the second game, as she was cornered by the snake and wolf, the desire for a weapon returned. She could fight humans okay, but magical animals with sharp teeth were a little harder. When Tom had told her he'd shot the snake and maybe the wolf, she'd wanted to hurt him. An untrained idiot with a gun had done more damage than she had. Had been able to protect Jenny where she had failed.
Dee rubbed the rag over the blade again. She didn't think it needed to be polished, oiled, or sharpened. Ever. It might not be a demon-slaying sword, but she was fairly certain it was enchanted. Julian wouldn't have given her an ordinary knife.
******
Julian grabbed her, pulling her into a dimly lit room marked "Employees Only" as the rest of her friends explored the arcade.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"Jenny."
She glared. Did he think he was being funny? "Why do you want to talk to me?"
He smiled slightly. That was when she realized he seemed wrong, almost defeated. "Jenny," he answered again. He went on before she could snap at him or hit him. "I want her safe. And happy. And I might not be able to give that to her."
"She'd never be happy with you."
"She would be. But if she wins, I can't protect her anymore. Animals will bite her and muggers will attack her, just like anyone else. No one's ever won three games before, but Jenny might." He looked over Dee's shoulder towards the door. Dee heard Jenny's voice, though not the words. Julian looked like he was in pain. "If I can't protect her, you'll have to," he whispered. He looked at Dee again. On anyone else, Dee would have said it was the expression of someone trying not to cry. "Take care of her. Promise me that."
"I'll always take care of her and protect her. I don't have to make any promises to evil Shadow Jerks to guarantee that."
Julian smiled, a real one with a hint of danger, like she was amusing at the moment but he'd hurt her if she kept it up. Dee was glad. Evil, dangerous Julian she could deal with.
"Here," he'd said, and handed her a knife in a black leather sheath. "To protect Jenny."
Dee unsheathed it and gasped, twisting to better see it in the dim light. It was the most beautiful, perfect weapon she had ever seen.
"What happens if I use it on you?"
But he was gone.
******
She had never really believed Julian until that moment. How could someone so evil love? She thought he saw Jenny as a possession, a prize. Maybe he did, but he had loved her in his own way. Loved her enough to make certain she would be taken care of if he wasn't there.
Dee had stuck the knife in her backpack and forgotten about it in the horror of finding Jenny's grandfather and P.C. and Slug. She'd forgotten about it until she'd swung her bag on the conveyor belt to be x-rayed at the airport. It went through with no problems.
She'd grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom, locking herself in a stall. She opened the bag, expecting the knife to be gone, or turned into a plastic toy. But it was still there, still real and solid and deadly. Holding it in her hand, she realized how right Julian had been. He had protected Jenny from a lot of the world, and now she was defenseless. "I'll take care of her," she had whispered, promising herself and Julian's ghost.
*****
She had failed. Or was failing, at least. There might still be hope.
The games had left permanent marks on all of them. But even permanent marks fade, sometimes to almost nothing, so only by looking closely can anyone see them.
Jenny and Tom's marks were fading fast.
The only sign Dee could see of the games was Jenny wearing Julian's ring, and Tom not objecting. Otherwise they had gone back to their old relationship. They were becoming one person, and that person was Tom. Jenny followed his decision in everything. She was wearing long skirts and tying her hair back. They talked about college, pretended to discuss and debate, but it was obvious that Tom would do whatever he wanted, and Jenny would follow.
Dee sheathed the knife, thinking back to the first game. She'd survived her nightmare, separated from Jenny, and found a door. She had waited there for Jenny, watching the door to make sure it didn't vanish. Then *he* was there.
******
"Deirdre."
She hadn't heard or seen him approach, and she jumped and whirled at the sound of his voice.
He smiled. "You did well. You survived your nightmare. But you have another fear."
"And what's that?" she demanded.
"Love."
She almost laughed. "I'm not afraid of love."
He raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you tell Jenny? Tell her you love her. That you hate Tom not because he's a chauvinistic, irritating, stereotypical jock and you hate all boys in the boyfriend role, but because she loves him." He smiled again. "It's something we have in common."
"That's not true. You're wrong."
He nodded. "Alright. We both hate Tom for his personality as well. Jenny loving him just makes it ten times worse." He sighed. "How can she love that obnoxious whiner?"
"I don't know." Dee mentally slapped herself. She shouldn't answer him at all; he'd just take it as a sign she agreed with him.
"There's something I've always wondered about you, Deirdre."
She hated him using her full name. No one was allowed to call her Deirdre.
"Is it all girls, or just Jenny?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." *Just Jenny,* her mind whispered. *Always Jenny.*
"You love her. You want to protect her and at the same time to help her explore her wild, dangerous side. The side Tom tries to deny exists and tries to destroy when he sees it. You want to encourage that side, want to be with her when she discovers the thrill of fear, of overcoming challenges and taking risks. You'll get that wish, by the way."
"You're crazy. Jenny's my friend, but I'm not in love with her."
"But you are. Head over heels, desperately in love with her. Another thing we have in common. And you're afraid. Afraid she'll hate you, that you'll lose her forever if you ever let her know. It's the one risk you refuse to take. That's where we're different. I'm taking that risk. And I'll win. I'll have her."
"I'll stop you."
He laughed. "You'll try. I always win."
******
But he hadn't. He'd lost. He'd taken that risk and lost everything. He'd almost won her at the end, but the dead don't win anything. And now Tom would destroy the good Julian had done. He'd turn Jenny into an obedient slave, with no opinions or life outside of him.
Dee would protect her.
******
"Hi Tom," Dee said.
"Dee, hi. What's up? Did you watch the practice?"
The two of them walked towards the parking lot and their cars. There was no one else around.
"Yeah. It was pretty good. Have you decided which school's scholarship you'll take?"
"Probably Miami or Notre Dame, but I'm still looking at some of the others."
"Jenny doesn't like either of those."
"Sure she does."
If he'd asked why Dee thought that, or even bothered to argue with her, Dee would have waited. She would have talked to Tom and Jenny, tried to help them be separate people again. But Tom had dismissed Dee and ignored all signs of unhappiness from Jenny. Talking wasn't enough.
She stopped and faced Tom. "It's my job to protect Jenny."
Tom patted her shoulder patronizingly. "That's my job, Dee. I appreciate the thought, but I don't need your help."
The knife was out and in Tom's gut before he could take his hand off of her. He gasped, the hand on her shoulder convulsing, his legs giving out. Warm blood spilled over Dee's hand. The weight of Tom's body pressed on the blade as he collapsed, lengthening the tear in his stomach. Dee let go off the knife and caught him, lowering him to the ground.
"I'm sorry Tom. You're my friend, even if you are a jerk. But Jenny means more to me than you, and I promised to protect her."
******
Dee hugged Jenny. She was so beautiful, Dee thought, even with her eyes and face red from crying and her nose running. Solid black really wasn't her color. But her hair was loose and the dress skirt was shorter than Tom would have picked out, the neckline lower than he would have liked. She was already healing.
They walked from the church, Dee's arm still around Jenny's shoulders, looking like a comforting friend. Two people had loved Jenny, confessed their love and wooed her in their own ways, and died because of her. It would take Jenny a long time to heal, but eventually she'd be ready to love again. Jenny couldn't not love. And maybe the next person would die too. Maybe Jenny was doomed to have her loved ones die and break the hearts of those who could not help loving her. Maybe Jenny would find another man to replace her two dead boys, maybe she'd be disgusted at the idea of being with a woman, or maybe she'd be betrayed that her best friend's feelings weren't of friendship.
And maybe not.
Dee was ready to take that risk.