Fall From Grace (33 page)

Peering down into the gapping space, I see lots of debris as it opens into another big room, this one filled with bookcases and filing cabinets, all toppled over. On the right, almost missing it, I see a pair of legs. There is something very familiar about those legs, but they are pinned underneath a big stack of books, I'm unable to see who they belong to.

Climbing down the broken pipes and jumping to the top of one standing bookcase, I quickly make my way down into the room. Flinging book after book off of the legs, I now know who they belong to. They belong to Ash. This makes my heart thud so loudly in my ears I can barely breathe. There just seems to be more and more books on top of him the faster I move. Finally I get to his torso and face; he's unconscious but I still feel a life force flowing through him, albeit very faint. Screaming on the top of my lungs I lean over him and lift his head and body into my arms. Blood is pouring all over me, mixing with the heavy flow of tears and constant dust and smoke. My voice can't get out the words, I'm screaming and absolutely no one can hear me, nor are they going to help me. This is the part when I wake up.

Sitting up in bed, slick with sweat and somehow tasting smoke on my tastebuds, I don't know if I've screamed and woken myself up, or just been jolted out of the new nightmare I keep on having. I haven't had the other one in awhile, since I met Ash actually. But this one is new. Horrible and new. I never get past that moment, it's just a repetitive loop that I can't kick. How some people dream about rainbows and kittens, I'll never be able to relate. Lately they've become more intense and vivid, and perhaps now I know why.

Flipping back the covers, I hear a little rustle of paper that's been placed beside me. Grabbing the note, I already know it's from Ash. I guess who else would it be right? He and Hunter have gone to town to see if they can get any more news on this demon. All the info Ash gathered for Gabby to review from his Register contact has been very helpful but sometimes you need to get out there and use your street smarts for more; or if that fails, they'll beat it out of them. Nice.

Opening the door to the kitchen, the smell of coffee hits me right away with Gabby sitting where I left her last night at the kitchen table, surrounded by loads of hand written notes, her hair messily up in a bun with a few pencils poking out.

"Morning bella, how'd you sleep?" she asks, swivelling to greet me.

"Aw you know, demon nightmares, hot sweats, itchy hotel bedding, the usual. You?"

"Same." She spins back to the laptop after giving me an encouraging smile as I shuffle to the coffee machine.
 

"Thanks for making this, I need a good dose of caffeine this morning." Taking a seat beside her, I push the papers towards the middle, reading a few notes she's written. It seems she's learned quite a bit about the demon world in the last 24hrs. Impressive.

"So any new news?"

"Not really. I mean, I've done some background on him which wasn't too substantial, but what's been quite interesting is researching the wick he comes from. It's unbelievable really, the conditions they thrive in. Freezing cold, no sun, like ever, no human could actually survive the cold if thrown into that dimension, it's truly awful. Makes me want to hit a tanning bed and enjoy some warmth." She shrugs up her shoulders in a shiver.

"I guess The Register has it's work cut out for them, keeping those demons outta dodge."

"Ya, and that's the other interesting thing. The Register. Hunter was
actually
being helpful last night and filled me in on some of the work they do there, I know, Hell hath frozen over. Did you know there was like one or more offices in each and every state, including a whole whack abroad too. The number of employees is also staggering, but what is super cool is the way they've kept their existence all a secret from us humans," she says making quote marks in the air. "I mean I don't know if Hunter was 100% honest in his answers, those chances are pretty slim, but there have been some pret-ty famous demons that you and I have both heard of. The Register can actually perform a glamour on them to make it look like they're aging and then they just die off in our world, disappear for a few decades and do it all again."

"Wow, that's really neat Gabs," I say feebly, taking a long drink and enjoying the burn as it makes its' way down.
 

"Shit dude, I'm sorry. I'm babbling again. What I'm terribly getting at is the hope that they might be actually able to help us. Grab him before he gets to town. They've set up a perimeter watch along the Pennsylvania/New York border which is great, something to be hopeful about right?"

"Definitely. You're right Gabby, this could all blow over by tomorrow and he could be caught and sent back and all would be back to usual right?" I smile hopefully at her as a whip of wind comes at my back, the front door flinging open.

"Ok so, the Shit eater got through the perimeter, we are royally screwed." Hunter bursts through the door with the news, Ash trailing behind with a grimace.

"Alright then, Plan B. Here's to not dying today." I hold up my mug and down it all in one gulp.
 

"So that's it, The Register won't be helping us any further? I just don't get it?! They are going to wait until I get chopped into little pieces before they act on this? That is so effed up!" Agitated and pacing, this news was not what I wanted to hear.

Ash has been trying to calm me down to no avail, I'm furious. "Stella, you have to understand that The Register has no knowledge of you right now. You were never profiled by your mother, and so technically you don't exist. They were going on a strong tip that this demon portaled in but they have no idea why or whom he is coming after and I think it would be better if we kept it that way. They are searching for this
guy
but only because he somehow made it through an illegal portal. As far as they know, he came to earth and went to Disney World."

"Yeah, how did he even get through here anyways?" Pipes Gabby.

"My source tells me they don't know who helped him, just that they got tips on the portal, who came through it, and that he was heading east."

"But don't you think they would help us if they knew about me? I mean, maybe it would be better to come clean and sign me up?"
 

"No Stella, that wouldn't be good at all. Trust me on this, it's better that they don't know about you at all." Ash is firm and not budging an inch.

"Ash is actually right, I mean, The Register can do some good deeds but at the end of the day, they seek their own best interests and protecting demons isn't actually a priority. Maintaining control and anonymity is paramount. Right now all they care about is how this illegal portal made them look weak and inefficient," Hunter interjects. "We live mostly civilized here on earth, but sometimes the powers that be like to turn their head, let the demons duke it out and clean up their own messes."

I plunk down on the couch, with my head in my hands. Ash rubs his hand up and down my back, easing my tension a bit.

"Ok so what are we facing here?" I ask.

"From what we gathered last night, word is out that he passed the border after midnight which would mean that he could be here already," Ash answered.

"Well from what I've read on him, I think he'll wait a bit before seeking you out Stells." Gabs jumps up from the couch and grabs some of her papers from the table, deciphering her notes.
 

"Apparently they are a bit like a human with OCD. They are quite meticulous in their planning and don't like to jump into things blindly," she reads, "which is interesting considering where they actually live." Gabs trails off reading through the rest of the page in silence until she gets to the part she was searching for.

"The Ubiquatar demon requires a certain standard while performing their rituals and will sometimes spend days in planning before execution." She looks up from her paper. "My hunch is that he'll check into a hotel in town and start his preparations."

"God Gabby, that is great. Ok let's get on the horn to the local hot spots seeing as they have higher then normal standards and see if we can find out where he's staying. It could work to our advantage to impede his planning, dropping hints that you've been taken by another demon thereby encouraging him to act a little off the cuff. It might just ruffle his feathers enough to get him to make a mistake," Ash states, getting up to grab a mug from the cupboard.
 

"
The Willow
would have to be the best place in town. They have giant suites that he'd probably be drawn to for privacy?" Gabby adds.

"Thanks, I'll give them a call." Ash grabs his phone and heads into the bedroom. Seeing those two jump into action makes me feel guilty and useless. These people are laying their life on the line because of me, and I'm just sitting here doing nothing.

"So Gabby, tell me how would a properly chaste girl like you would know all about big sex suites at the local hotel? Got a secret fetish I would love to meet?" Hunter raises his eyebrows and kicks his boots up onto the couch to spread out. Gabby flips him the bird without looking over, continuing to gather her papers together.

I guess I'm not the only useless one.
 

A few hours later we are gearing up to leave. It's early afternoon but might as well get this moving as fast as we can, the sitting around is killing me. Gabby's hunch was right, a guy matching his description checked into
The Willow
this morning. Hunter just left, eager to get in on the action. He'll play our decoy and get this Ass to come search for us in the woods. Ash is getting his backpack of weapons together, checking and double checking until it makes me insane. Gabby is standing nervously behind him, peering over his shoulder and making him irritated as she asks a zillion questions. He doesn't retaliate though, knowing we are all under a lot of pressure and we certainly don't need any arguments right now. For that I am so grateful. My head is swimming with questions, scary scenarios and curiosity on whether we'll all make it out alive. I'm not too optimistic.

I haven't had a moment alone with Ash since last night. I want to be able to say good-bye but I know he's been avoiding that conversation like the plague.
 

"Ok so promise me you will be careful and no one is going to die today." Gabby is standing in front of me, nervously running her fingers through her hair, worry etched all over her face. It must be pretty bad to be the one stuck behind too. She'll have no idea how it ends until someone comes back to tell her. IF there is someone to come back at all.

"I promise Gabriella." I lean forward and give her a strong hug that lasts a little too long. I breathe in her familiar shampoo scent which comforts me. It makes me remember the simpler times between us and reminds me of the dumb things we used to stress about, like mid-terms and prom dresses. God I'd give anything to give a crap about that again.

Pulling away, I see Ash standing behind her ready to go. He fakes a smile that never reaches his eyes.

"Ready to kick some demon ass team Grey? I say with attempted enthusiasm.

"Born ready."

Hiking through the woods in silence, neither of us have the words to articulate the feeling between us. Funny where life takes you. Last time we were here together it was my 18th birthday. Good times seem to surround us.
 

I chose a particular clearing I was familiar with because of the advantage the forest would give. Ample hiding spots for Ash and a large area for him to cause a sinkhole big enough to take the demon out.

Basically the plan is to get the earth to swallow him up, disorienting him enough so that Ash could come out and take him by surprise. The only known kill method is to chop off his head. Yup, killing him couldn't have been easy right - the only thing that would do the trick is decapitation. Nice.

Once we reach the clearing, Ash paces around the spot figuring out the best place for him to be. He's talking aloud but I can't hear a thing he's saying.

"Ash can you stop for a second?"

"What?" Not stopping at all, he's still circling like mad. "Yes I think this place would be the best spot for me to get into. Lots of ways to keep and eye on you and also close enough for me to get to him once the ground opens... "

"STOP!" I impatiently yell.

"What?" This gets him to pay attention at least.

"Can we just take a second and talk about what's going to happen here Ash?"

"Uh Stella, I think that was what I was doing." And he continues pacing about. I turn to grab his arm and force him to stop and listen to me.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it."

He's breaking I can tell. "Look Stella, what do you want me to say, everything is going to be ok? My God I WISH I could say that and believe it. I wish so many things right now. But what I wish most is that you don't actually make me say good-bye to you right now cause I don't think I could take it." Stepping back from my grasp to regain control, he runs his hands through his hair and stares everywhere but at my face.

"You know, that was what I first loved about you." Changing the subject I continue. "You running your hands through your hair like that. It made me crazy for you." I smile at him as he looks back at me with a confused look on his face.

"I remember you did it that first day at school when we met. You came up behind me at the vending machines, completely in control and knowing what effect you were having on me. Then you ran your fingers through your hair and the deal was done, I was smitten."