"Damon...well...Damon is an ex-boyfriend of mine...You know what it's
like, meet a cute guy, he seems nice, caring...understands you...he's
like you in a very important way. The second I met him, I thought that
I had met my soul mate, he told me he was Akashic too...Oh I was such
an idiot!"
She slammed her head against Jesse's tombstone and then continued.
"One night I found him beating up a girl, a ghost, but a girl nonetheless...He saw me and he sort of shimmered away, taking her with him. Ten minutes later, he came back and attempted to explain himself. Said he was a bounty hunter, there was a number on her head. Said that people paid him to find things for them...powerful tools, mystical creatures, ghosts they have some issues with, sometimes even living breathing people. They would pay him with money sometimes, but most of the time, they would grant him a new ability or power. I told him we were through, never to speak to me or come near me again...the next day, I was asked out...and the night of our date, they found him dismembered in his room with the words, "Mine forever" written on his wall in blood...It was Damon. Mae moved us to a new apartment in NY, but he followed us...sent lackeys he had picked up over the years to try and bring me back...eventually it got so bad that we moved here. The first time I met you, that was one of those lackeys...now he's kidnapped someone...probably torturing them relentlessly...just so I will give him my life for theirs...Goddammit!!!"
She slammed her head against the tombstone again before jumping up.
"Suze, I have to go...I need to get that rose so I can track him and then I need to save whoever he's got. Can you get that rose for me? Bring it to me out here at lunch?"
I nodded vigorously and she walked me back to the courtyard.
"I'll be waiting here..."
I waved and walked back inside. By that time, there was only about ten minutes left in algebra, so I calmly walked in, took the rose, and then casually sat down in my seat. I got an odd stare from the teacher, but he's old and probably senile so he left it alone and continued talking. When lunchtime rolled around, I ran out to the tree that I knew Wraith would be hiding behind. I rounded it and she snatched it from my hand. I was about to make a sarcastic comment about rudeness, but she muttered a low sorry and then began concentrating on the rose. About thirty seconds later, she looked up.
"An old packaging warehouse about thirty miles away..."
She glanced around, and when she saw that no one was around, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Five minutes later, she poofed back.
"Shit! Shit shit shit! He has a barrier spell! He'll know if anyone smokes within a two block radius. I'll have to ride out..."
She started biting her nail and then walked out from behind the tree and started heading across the courtyard. She was about halfway across with me ten feet behind her when Paul calmly blocked my path.
"Hey Suze, where have you been?"
"Leave me alone Paul, there's an issue..."
I stopped as he grabbed me and pulled me out of hearing distance.
"Don't tell me it's another charity case you're taking on...I've told you a million times that you don't have to do that..."
I slapped his hand from my shoulder and began looking for Wraith. She was muscling her way through the courtyard and towards the parking lot.
"Get off me Paul, it's not that...WRAITH!"
With that I ran off towards her, she was now stepping onto the sidewalk that would lead her to her normal parking spot. I caught up to her just as she ran into Father Dom, who had obviously been looking for her judging by the look of relief on his face.
"Melyranth, I am so glad to have found you, now what is this I hear about an episode in class?" Wraith stared at him for a few moments before removing his hands from her shoulders.
"Father, I respect your worry, but I have bigger things to worry about right now. Good bye." She then sidestepped and continued walking to her bike. I reached it just as she was putting the chain around her waist. I grabbed the red helmet and then slipped it on. She turned to me and frowned.
"No Suze, I won't be able to live with myself if Damon hurts you. Stay here."
Of course I, being Suze, immediately argued.
"I can take care of myself. I won't let you go alone! That is suicide..."
I saw Wraith glance behind me. Her frown deepened.
"I suppose you'll be wanting to go too...Go away Slater, and take her with you. I don't need any more on my conscience."
She then slipped on her helmet and sat down. I sat down behind her as she pulled away. I heard Paul's voice yelling behind me, but she didn't slow down, even when there was a red light, she would just wind through the traffic and pull ahead. After about fifteen minutes of this, she pulled up in front of a large wrought iron gate. She walked up to a large speaker and pressed a red button.
"Jake! Let me in! I need some supplies!"
The gate started to slowly creak open, and as she was walking in, I heard a car skid to a stop behind us. I turned around to see Paul's silver convertible. He was jumping out and attempting to undo his seatbelt at the same time. I heard Wraith sigh and then she pushed the red button again. "I've got two visitors that will be staying here for a while. Will you take the proper measures?"
I heard a crackly
'Yes'
, and then she waved us in the gate. We walked through a heavily wooded area on a thin trail before there was a large clearing and I saw the most awesome house ever. It was about three times the size of Paul's house, (which is saying something.) there was a large stone staircase with a statue lion leading up to the huge oak door. She bent down and pulled a large key from her shoe. When she straightened, I saw that it was really huge like the ones they use for castles. She stuck it in the key hole and then threw open the door, (I probably would have sprained something even attempting that...) and walked in. I gasped as I walked into the main hall. It was done in this cool black paint that had a purplish tint, and the floor was white. There was a fountain and two stairways leading in opposite directions. She headed towards the right one and started running up, leaving me and Paul to try and keep up. When she reached the top, she turned right and headed down another amazing hallway. When I had counted nine doors, she stopped and waited for us to catch our breath. She then threw open these doors as well, and I almost had to shield my eyes. The room was done in bright red, and on the wall directly on front of us were thousands of weapons. Swords, Katanas, crossbows, knives...She walked over to a wardrobe in the corner and threw it open. There were shelves with those strange V.P. outfits on them. She pulled one down and then walked back to the door. "Stay in here...I'll be right back." She was right back too, but she had changed into the outfit she had just taken and put her hair back. She walked over to the wall with all the weapons on it and started taking things down. She took a sword sheath and strapped around her waist, and then began tucking knives into the straps on her boots. She then took a knife holster and strapped it around her right thigh. She then went to the other side of the wall and grabbed a large sword, putting it in the sheath she had just acquired, she then grabbed a crossbow, and about fifty bolts, tucking them into slots on the holster on her thigh. She then took another of those holsters and put it on her upper arm, and then slipped a small dagger in it. Apparently she had forgotten that we were there, because when Paul spoke, she gave as close to a jump as she's likely to get.
"Um, exactly how does that sword get rid of ghosts?"
She pulled it out and looked at it.
"Point 1, that wasn't exactly a ghost, and Point 2, this is a spelled sword. Amonch..."
She put her hand on the base of the blade and it began to glow, and then tendrils of blue energy swarmed from the hilt to float around the blade. She nodded her head and all of the tendrils shot into it and the blade stopped glowing. Paul looked stunned, and I'm sure that I did too. Wraith hadn't changed her facial expression though. She simply sheathed her sword and then started tapping the bolt that was in her crossbow against her leg.
"Bye, I hope to be seeing you soon."
With that, she attempted to walk out the door, but she wasn't counting on Paul picking her up to stop her, or attempting to. Wraith grabbed his hand and squeezed, I heard Paul groan, and then he let go. She turned around to face him.
"Were you expecting to risk your life by going with me?"
Paul looked at her oddly.
"I can handle a few ghosts, Wraith."
She pushed her bangs behind her ear and sighed.
"Their not just ghosts, Slater, and Damon is even worse than that. He'll kill you on sight just because you enter with me."
He cocked his head...
"Who the hell is Damon? And why would he want to kill me?"
Wraith simply shook her head and walked out the door.
"JAKE! Get over here!"
A guy about our age with shoulder length white hair and green eyes did the smoky thing and appeared right in front of her.
"You rang, Wraith?"
She slammed her head against Jesse's tombstone and then continued.
"One night I found him beating up a girl, a ghost, but a girl nonetheless...He saw me and he sort of shimmered away, taking her with him. Ten minutes later, he came back and attempted to explain himself. Said he was a bounty hunter, there was a number on her head. Said that people paid him to find things for them...powerful tools, mystical creatures, ghosts they have some issues with, sometimes even living breathing people. They would pay him with money sometimes, but most of the time, they would grant him a new ability or power. I told him we were through, never to speak to me or come near me again...the next day, I was asked out...and the night of our date, they found him dismembered in his room with the words, "Mine forever" written on his wall in blood...It was Damon. Mae moved us to a new apartment in NY, but he followed us...sent lackeys he had picked up over the years to try and bring me back...eventually it got so bad that we moved here. The first time I met you, that was one of those lackeys...now he's kidnapped someone...probably torturing them relentlessly...just so I will give him my life for theirs...Goddammit!!!"
She slammed her head against the tombstone again before jumping up.
"Suze, I have to go...I need to get that rose so I can track him and then I need to save whoever he's got. Can you get that rose for me? Bring it to me out here at lunch?"
I nodded vigorously and she walked me back to the courtyard.
"I'll be waiting here..."
I waved and walked back inside. By that time, there was only about ten minutes left in algebra, so I calmly walked in, took the rose, and then casually sat down in my seat. I got an odd stare from the teacher, but he's old and probably senile so he left it alone and continued talking. When lunchtime rolled around, I ran out to the tree that I knew Wraith would be hiding behind. I rounded it and she snatched it from my hand. I was about to make a sarcastic comment about rudeness, but she muttered a low sorry and then began concentrating on the rose. About thirty seconds later, she looked up.
"An old packaging warehouse about thirty miles away..."
She glanced around, and when she saw that no one was around, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Five minutes later, she poofed back.
"Shit! Shit shit shit! He has a barrier spell! He'll know if anyone smokes within a two block radius. I'll have to ride out..."
She started biting her nail and then walked out from behind the tree and started heading across the courtyard. She was about halfway across with me ten feet behind her when Paul calmly blocked my path.
"Hey Suze, where have you been?"
"Leave me alone Paul, there's an issue..."
I stopped as he grabbed me and pulled me out of hearing distance.
"Don't tell me it's another charity case you're taking on...I've told you a million times that you don't have to do that..."
I slapped his hand from my shoulder and began looking for Wraith. She was muscling her way through the courtyard and towards the parking lot.
"Get off me Paul, it's not that...WRAITH!"
With that I ran off towards her, she was now stepping onto the sidewalk that would lead her to her normal parking spot. I caught up to her just as she ran into Father Dom, who had obviously been looking for her judging by the look of relief on his face.
"Melyranth, I am so glad to have found you, now what is this I hear about an episode in class?" Wraith stared at him for a few moments before removing his hands from her shoulders.
"Father, I respect your worry, but I have bigger things to worry about right now. Good bye." She then sidestepped and continued walking to her bike. I reached it just as she was putting the chain around her waist. I grabbed the red helmet and then slipped it on. She turned to me and frowned.
"No Suze, I won't be able to live with myself if Damon hurts you. Stay here."
Of course I, being Suze, immediately argued.
"I can take care of myself. I won't let you go alone! That is suicide..."
I saw Wraith glance behind me. Her frown deepened.
"I suppose you'll be wanting to go too...Go away Slater, and take her with you. I don't need any more on my conscience."
She then slipped on her helmet and sat down. I sat down behind her as she pulled away. I heard Paul's voice yelling behind me, but she didn't slow down, even when there was a red light, she would just wind through the traffic and pull ahead. After about fifteen minutes of this, she pulled up in front of a large wrought iron gate. She walked up to a large speaker and pressed a red button.
"Jake! Let me in! I need some supplies!"
The gate started to slowly creak open, and as she was walking in, I heard a car skid to a stop behind us. I turned around to see Paul's silver convertible. He was jumping out and attempting to undo his seatbelt at the same time. I heard Wraith sigh and then she pushed the red button again. "I've got two visitors that will be staying here for a while. Will you take the proper measures?"
I heard a crackly
'Yes'
, and then she waved us in the gate. We walked through a heavily wooded area on a thin trail before there was a large clearing and I saw the most awesome house ever. It was about three times the size of Paul's house, (which is saying something.) there was a large stone staircase with a statue lion leading up to the huge oak door. She bent down and pulled a large key from her shoe. When she straightened, I saw that it was really huge like the ones they use for castles. She stuck it in the key hole and then threw open the door, (I probably would have sprained something even attempting that...) and walked in. I gasped as I walked into the main hall. It was done in this cool black paint that had a purplish tint, and the floor was white. There was a fountain and two stairways leading in opposite directions. She headed towards the right one and started running up, leaving me and Paul to try and keep up. When she reached the top, she turned right and headed down another amazing hallway. When I had counted nine doors, she stopped and waited for us to catch our breath. She then threw open these doors as well, and I almost had to shield my eyes. The room was done in bright red, and on the wall directly on front of us were thousands of weapons. Swords, Katanas, crossbows, knives...She walked over to a wardrobe in the corner and threw it open. There were shelves with those strange V.P. outfits on them. She pulled one down and then walked back to the door. "Stay in here...I'll be right back." She was right back too, but she had changed into the outfit she had just taken and put her hair back. She walked over to the wall with all the weapons on it and started taking things down. She took a sword sheath and strapped around her waist, and then began tucking knives into the straps on her boots. She then took a knife holster and strapped it around her right thigh. She then went to the other side of the wall and grabbed a large sword, putting it in the sheath she had just acquired, she then grabbed a crossbow, and about fifty bolts, tucking them into slots on the holster on her thigh. She then took another of those holsters and put it on her upper arm, and then slipped a small dagger in it. Apparently she had forgotten that we were there, because when Paul spoke, she gave as close to a jump as she's likely to get.
"Um, exactly how does that sword get rid of ghosts?"
She pulled it out and looked at it.
"Point 1, that wasn't exactly a ghost, and Point 2, this is a spelled sword. Amonch..."
She put her hand on the base of the blade and it began to glow, and then tendrils of blue energy swarmed from the hilt to float around the blade. She nodded her head and all of the tendrils shot into it and the blade stopped glowing. Paul looked stunned, and I'm sure that I did too. Wraith hadn't changed her facial expression though. She simply sheathed her sword and then started tapping the bolt that was in her crossbow against her leg.
"Bye, I hope to be seeing you soon."
With that, she attempted to walk out the door, but she wasn't counting on Paul picking her up to stop her, or attempting to. Wraith grabbed his hand and squeezed, I heard Paul groan, and then he let go. She turned around to face him.
"Were you expecting to risk your life by going with me?"
Paul looked at her oddly.
"I can handle a few ghosts, Wraith."
She pushed her bangs behind her ear and sighed.
"Their not just ghosts, Slater, and Damon is even worse than that. He'll kill you on sight just because you enter with me."
He cocked his head...
"Who the hell is Damon? And why would he want to kill me?"
Wraith simply shook her head and walked out the door.
"JAKE! Get over here!"
A guy about our age with shoulder length white hair and green eyes did the smoky thing and appeared right in front of her.
"You rang, Wraith?"