Forever Young (18 page)

My heart fluttered at his words. Caiden truly believed in me. He saw something in me that I couldn't see at times. It made me realize I needed to look harder and trust in myself. Through Caiden's trust in my abilities, my confidence suddenly skyrocketed upwards. I was ready for tonight.

Davis, Payton and I met outside of our dormitory and flew together to the south side of the island where we were scheduled to meet Sarah. She was standing by the elevator, looking as if we were half an hour late, when in fact, we were a few minutes early.

She looked each of us over, taking in our combat attire. I was wearing a pair of black utility pants that had plenty of pockets and loops to carry my gear. Said gear included a mini flashlight, a switchblade and a GPS tracker. Oh, and my trusty iPhone...in case I got a chance to text someone. I chose a light long-sleeved black sweater with leather patches at the elbows and shoulders for added protection. And because they looked bad-ass, I wore a pair of lug sole combat boots that would go a long ways toward bashing in a daimon's head. I had a battle axe strapped across my back in a leather harness. It was a fairly plain looking weapon and belonged to the school. We would not get our own weapons until after we passed the actual field trial.

While Davis was dressed similarly to me, Payton chose to make more of a fashion statement. She had on skin tight, black leather pants with a black leather jacket. Her black leather boots were sleek and had a slight heel. How in the world did she plan to run in those things? Her weapon was a thin rapier, belted to her hip. I doubted it would do much against scaly demon skin but she was our magical expert so it probably didn't matter. I whistled in appreciation when I saw Davis had strapped to his broad shoulders a scimitar that looked like it would cut the Statue of Liberty in half. He gave me a cocky grin and a wink when he saw me admiring it.

Sarah turned from us and punched the elevator door button. "Well, you recruits at least dressed the part. Let's see if you actually have some skills to back up your costumes."

I looked at Davis who just rolled his eyes at me.
This was going to be a pleasant evening.

As we made our way to our battle location, Sarah filled us in with more information. We knew we would be battling an Ossius daimon but I was surprised it would be within closed quarters. Apparently, we would be using an old abandoned warehouse in Hunts Point. The area was filled with dilapidated old buildings that would give us privacy but as an added measure, Sarah would be providing a warding spell to keep other people away from the area.

Our physical appearances were glamoured as we rode the subway. Using our harnessed magic, we changed our appearances just enough so no one would freak out over our battle gear and weapons. While I didn't expect much of a pep talk from Sarah, I did expect her to be a bit more involved. So far, she had not even asked about our battle plan or offered us any advice. So be it. We didn't need her.

When we made it to Hunts Point, I noted the streets were eerily quiet. The night air was cool and crisp. While I missed the warm tropical breezes of Semper Terra, I felt the chill in the air made it easier to fight. I felt clear headed and strangely confident.

The building that housed the Ossius daimon was not overly large. It was two stories and made of brick. Large windows ran the length of the building on the top floor. A side doorway had a large chain and padlock on it and I'm assuming they locked the Ossius daimon in there some time prior to our arrival. I wondered if it knew we were coming.

Sarah produced a key and removed the lock. Davis and I pulled our weapons and Payton kept hers sheathed. With both hands free, she could launch two spells at a time. Davis and Payton looked confident which was a bonus. I don't know what I would have done if I had to deal with nerves from my teammates. Mine were surprisingly, and thankfully, calm.

Without even so much as a "good luck", Sarah opened the door and motioned us in. She followed us in and shut the door. I watched as she moved off to the side and melted into the shadows, presumably to watch our performance. It was then that I noticed that she had not even brought a weapon. Maybe she was confident enough in us that she didn't think we needed help.

Payton looked at Davis and me, and we nodded to her that we were ready. She crept forward lightly with Davis and I fanned out behind her. We all looked left and right, searching for our target. The interior of the warehouse was mostly bare with the exception of some rows of crates stacked at least fifteen feet high toward the east side of the building.

Looking up, I noted that there was not a second floor as I had originally assumed from my outside perusal but just an incredibly high ceiling studded with steel beams. There was a loft area that ran along the west side of the building and a staircase to reach it. On the loft floor, I saw smaller crates stacked about six feet high.

I touched Payton on the shoulder and she glanced back at me. I pointed to the stacks of crates on the floor as well as the ones in the loft, indicating that is most likely where the Ossius was hiding. She nodded her understanding and started heading toward the staircase. I silently applauded her decision to let us clear that area first. If we searched the stacks of crates on the floor and the Ossius was in the loft area, it would have a bird's eye view to pick us off with its projectile daggers.

Payton silently climbed the stairs, her palms facing toward the loft so she could launch a magical strike if needed. Davis and I followed but we kept our eyes trained on the warehouse floor, in particular the large stacks of crates. The Ossius could easily attack while we navigated the staircase upwards.

The warehouse didn't have any internal lights but the windows around the top were so large, they let in enough ambient light from the sulphurous street lamps that we could see where we were going. The problem was it threw large, dark shadows around the crates, helping to hide a potentially lurking daimon.

We made it up the staircase without incident. We silently crept behind Payton as she made her way around the stacks. Every corner we turned, my heart would jump in anticipation of a battle. But it never came. After carefully navigating our way around the entire loft, we determined the Ossius was not there. Payton pointed back to the staircase and we started our way down.

The Ossius had to be among the rows of large crates on the opposite side of the building. There would clearly be no surprise now either, as it was a good bet the Ossius knew we were inside. We inched along the length of the wall, using the shadows there to hide our advance.

As we approached the crates, Payton stopped and raised her right hand for us to do the same. She cocked her head to the side, as if listening for something and I saw her body slightly stiffen. I went on high alert and mentally braced myself. I could feel the tension coming off of Davis behind me.

Then I heard it. A slight shuffling noise from deep within the stacks. The daimon was in there and it was waiting for us to come in. It would be highly dangerous, hunting the daimon in those dark aisles. Then without any warning, Payton flicked her right wrist which she still had held in the air and up shot a silver ball of light. It arced in the air and hung still over crates, casting a luminescent glow all around. My breath caught and we waited to see what happened. The Ossius issued a snarl from deep within the rows of boxes and suddenly, wood was exploding all over the place as the daimon crashed through the crates straight at us.

Payton let out a startled yelp and brought her hands up to cast another spell. The daimon had frightening speed though and back handed her across the face, sending her flying into the wall. I watched in horror as she crumpled to the floor like a wet noodle.

My battle axe was already in hand and as the Ossius' red eyes turned toward me, I let it fly. My aim was true but with inhuman speed, the Ossius turned to the side and my axe whizzed by, sticking in a wooden post. With impressive speed of my own, I didn't even wait to see the axe hit, but launched a weighted spell that was the equivalent of an atomic punch, right to the daimon's stomach.

As with any good team effort, Davis was running toward the daimon on the heels of my spell. When the daimon doubled over from the blow it took to its stomach, I watched as Davis changed his scimitar from his right hand into his left, and drilled an upper cut into the monster's chin. The force lifted the Ossius off its feet and propelled it backward into the pile of wood rubble it had just crashed through. The dark creature lay motionless but I could see it was still breathing.

Davis stood over the daimon with his scimitar drawn. I rushed over to Payton and as I reached her, she started to sit up. She had a trickle of blood running down her chin but her eyes looked clear. I reached a hand down and helped her up.

"Want the killing blow?" I asked her. I glanced back at Davis who nodded in agreement.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise but her look was wary.

"I don't deserve it. I was knocked flat on my ass while you two managed to take the daimon down in just a few seconds."

"Yeah, well, your light spell flushed him out and prevented us from getting ambushed. Which is exactly what would have happened if we had to walk among those crates. Plus, I figure you were first in harm's way since you were the leader."

"Come on, Payton," Davis encouraged her. "Get over here and lop this thing's head off."

Payton glanced back and forth between Davis and me. I know she thought we were pulling her leg, so I gave her a push toward the Ossius.

"Do it. Before the damn thing wakes up."

Payton pulled out her rapier but I stopped her. "Better use something a little more heavy duty."

I walked over to my axe and pulled it from the wooden post. I handed it to her and she tested the weight in her hands. I looked back toward the door to the warehouse, looking for Sarah but I couldn't see her. Apparently she was still hiding in the shadows.

Payton, Davis and I walked up to the Ossius and formed a circle. Looking at its rubbery face, it looked almost peaceful while it enjoyed its unconsciousness. But for the oily, black aura coating his body, you'd never know this was an evil creature who murdered aimlessly.

Payton positioned herself beside the beast and squatted so she could get good leverage to take off its head. Just as she raised the axe above her head to strike, the daimon's eyes flew open and glared at her in a blood red haze. Its hand shot out and grabbed Payton's ankle.

The move surprised me so much, I actually let out a tiny yip and jumped back. Payton, however, never missed a beat. The axe was forgotten and dropped from her grip. She thrust her left hand out and a white, hot light erupted from her palm. It shot into the creature's chest, boring a hole straight through its black heart.

The Ossius’ body bowed upwards from the floor and it let out a piercing shriek. I could hear its flesh sizzling and it smelled like a skunk’s butt which had been dragged through rotten eggs. I fought my gag reflex and won.

The light from Payton's palm retracted and for a split second, I could see straight through the daimon's chest to the concrete floor below it. Then the body lit up with a brilliant glow which throbbed for just a second before it was gone.

"Holy crap. What was that spell?" Davis asked in amazement.

Payton grinned. "I've been trying to channel electricity. I think that was about 100,000 volts right there." As if to emphasize her statement, she itched the palm of her hand a few times and stared at it as if incredulous she had been able to throw the spell.

"Witchy weather woman," I said with respect, as I picked my axe up off the floor. "Remind me not to sit near you during an electrical storm."

"As if I'd let you sit near me at all," Payton scoffed. But I noticed she had a small smile on her face from my compliment.

"Well, let's go find Sarah. I can't believe she hasn't come to congratulate us. Or berate us for something I'm sure we did wrong." Davis coughed into his hand and then we all started laughing. But then I heard something weird. It was the sound of the door opening, and then closing again.

I glanced over to the warehouse door that we came into, but it was surrounded in darkness. I couldn't see anything. I started walking toward it.

"Sarah? We're ready for our praise and back slaps now."

She didn't respond. I walked to the door and peered around the area. I couldn't see her so I reached to open the door. The knob twisted in my hand but when I went to open it, it only budged about an inch. Through the crack, I could see the chain and padlock were back in place, effectively sealing us inside.

I looked over my shoulder to Davis and Payton who were approaching. "The door's locked from the outside."

"Maybe there's another door we're supposed to go out," Payton suggested.

"Maybe," I concurred.

Glancing around, I couldn't see anything but then I realized. There must be hangar type doors behind the wooden crates where the Ossius daimon was hiding. That would be the only way to load and unload those huge boxes. "Stay here. I'll go check."

I jogged back over to the crates and walked along the outside row to the back of the building. Once I got there, I saw there were indeed two sets of hangar doors. I tried each one, pulling up as hard as I could. They wouldn't budge. Those were clearly locked as well from the outside as I couldn't see any type of latch release from the inside.

My mind started racing. This could be Sarah's idea of a joke, but then I realized the woman was completely devoid of a sense of humor. I thought briefly that this could be part of our test, but that was stupid. If we wanted to get out of this locked warehouse, we could blast our way through the doors.

No, this was something more and my inside alarm bells started ringing. Before I could entertain another thought, I heard Payton scream.

Holding tight to my axe, I sprinted around the crates into the middle of the warehouse and skidded to a shocked halt. I was horrified to see a group of daimons near the entrance. They were not all of the same species. Some were scaly, others were slimy. But they all had black auras around them and thus were probably hell bent on killing us. One of the creatures had its arm wrapped around Payton's throat and a knife resting against her carotid. Davis had his arms up in surrender as another daimon held a gun on him.

I immediately reached my hand down and slapped at the GPS unit that was in my pocket. It had an SOS beacon signal that recruits could use if they were in peril. It would go out to all Alliance members and hopefully someone was in the vicinity that could respond. But honestly, I had no clue where any of the other students, instructors and mentors were training. They could be miles away. And I wasn't even sure I triggered the signal correctly since I didn't have time to pull the thing out of my pants. Instead, I hoped that I hit the correct button to send the alert out and keep the unit safely hidden in my pocket.

"You. Throw your axe down and get over here now." This came from a large, hairy daimon that looked fairly human except for the massive amount of fur that covered it from head to toe. I think it may have been a Wookie.

I let my axe clatter to the ground and held my hands out. I started walking slowly toward the group of daimons, looking at both Payton and Davis. Thankfully, I saw that both of them were pissed and ready to tangle if necessary. Unfortunately, we were outnumbered two to one and I couldn't see any way we could take this group as a whole.

Then I had a sickening thought. Had they killed Sarah? Maybe she had escaped and would bring help but something told me not to rely on that. She would be fighting the daimons right now if she were here.

Reaching the group of daimons, I looked at the furry one.

"So, what do you want with us, Chewbacca?" The furry beast did nothing more than growl at me.

One of the other daimons stepped forward and grabbed me by the back of the neck, its claws digging into my skin. My adrenaline kicked in and it took everything in my power not to fight. I was afraid any sudden action would cause the daimons to strike at Payton and Davis.

And then a voice came from the shadows. "They want to deliver you to me."

My jaw dropped open as Sarah emerged from the shadows and walked forward. And she wasn't alone. I almost did a double take when I saw Jimmy Patere step up beside her. His expression was bland as his gaze flicked back and forth among the daimons. I looked back at Sarah and she had a victorious look on her face.

"What's going on Sarah?" I asked with trepidation.

Sarah gave what I would consider an evil laugh. Not one of those "mwah-ha-ha-ha" types you hear in old movies, but a laugh that was filled with poison and blades of ice.

"Well, by the looks of it...I'd say you and your friends are about to get slaughtered by a rogue horde of daimons."

I saw Jimmy Patere slightly stiffen and he had a fleeting look of surprise on his face but he said nothing.

"Slaughter us," I stammered. "But why?"

Sarah laughed again and my blood ran cold. "Because I can't afford to have you live, Charlie. Unfortunately, the other two will have to be collateral damage."

How could she be so cavalier about killing the three of us? I glanced again at Payton and Davis, and yup, they were still pissed. That was good. I needed them to be ready to fight because there was no way in hell we were going to roll over and let Sarah kill us. I gritted my teeth.

"Again, I ask why?"

Sarah's voice was frigid with menace. "Let's just say you've become a liability."

A liability? What in the hell was she talking about. Was this because of my relationship with Caiden? Because killing me seemed to be an awful extreme measure to take if she wanted him. I didn't think she would appreciate it if I offered to do rock, paper, scissors with her.

It just didn't make sense at all, but I had to ask. "Is this because I'm seeing Caiden?"

Sarah laughed again, except this time it was patronizing. "Silly twit. I could care less about you and Caiden. Although, with you out of the way, maybe I can still bring him back into the fold."

I gave a quick glance back to Jimmy and I saw him looking around at the group of daimons, his eyes paying particular attention to the two that held Payton and Davis. I pushed forward with more conversation. I was hoping every minute I stalled, help could be responding to my SOS signal.

"Then why were you always trying to get between me and Caiden?" I honestly could have cared less about her answer, but if it kept her talking then I would delve for the creepy truth.

Sarah sneered at me. "I could see Caiden was falling for you. And the last thing I needed was his hero complex interfering with my attempts to get you out of the school."

"And you wanted me out of the school, why?" I felt like I was leading a five year old child through a school lesson or something.

"Because away from Semper Terra you'd be easier to kill. No offense." She gave a girlish giggle that was completely out of place and made me realize that she may be bordering on insanity.

"Offense taken. Then if it isn't about Caiden...I mean...what could I have done to warrant my death? You're my headmaster. You should be protecting me."

I tried to sound accusatory, hoping to prevail to some sense of sympathy she may have. I was desperate to try anything that would buy more time.

Sarah looked at me appraisingly. I could see it on her face. She was wondering if she should take the time to humor me with an explanation. I put a pleading look on my face, hoping to induce her to talk. Finally, she sighed and I knew she would spill information.

"It really was a fluke I found out about you. I would have never known you were special had Sebastian not mentioned to me your ability to see daimons in the First Dimension."

I couldn't say I was exactly shocked to hear this. I knew there was something other than my sparkling personality that caused Sarah to want me out of the school. And since she confirmed that it had nothing to do with Caiden, it was not that much of a stretch to figure out it was my ability to see the true nature of daimons. Still, it didn't explain why that warranted my death.

I was very careful choosing my next words. "I guess I still don't understand, Sarah. What is so special about my ability to see daimons in the First Dimension?"

"I don't have the time or the inclination to give you the details. Let's just say my employer believes that you are part of a prophecy that could thwart some very big plans he has. His orders were to take you out. And I never disobey his orders."

I had the feeling that Sarah was done entertaining my curiosity but I still pressed forward.

"Who do you work for? Who wants me dead?"

She was silent for a few seconds, staring me straight in my eyes, and I thought she would tell me what I needed to know. Instead, she flicked her hand toward us and said, "Kill them."

I tensed, ready to tear loose from my captor's hold when I heard Jimmy bark, "Wait!"

Sarah turned to him with a look of surprise on her face.

"I want to be the one to kill, Charlie," Jimmy said softly as he looked me in the eyes.

Sarah sauntered up to Jimmy and placed a hand on his cheek. He pulled his look from me and focused on her. A look of desire filled her eyes and she practically devoured him with her gaze. I almost gagged at the thought that my death could turn her on. Her voice was husky when she said, "Jimmy, you surprise me. Tell me...why do you want to kill her?"

He laid his prosthetic hand over hers. "Let's just say that this is a good way to get back at Caiden. Snuffing her out. I think it might make us even."

Sarah gave a throaty laugh and stepped back. "She's all yours darling."

I was reeling. He was going to kill me so that he would be even with Caiden for cutting off his hand? I watched as Jimmy advanced toward me. The daimon that had his claws in my neck released me and pushed me toward him. I stumbled but he caught me, his hands grasping my arms to keep me upright. Looking down at his prosthetic hand, I was shocked and a little grossed out to see that the plastic had shaped and formed to fit tightly around my wrist. He must be using his magic to give the prosthetic motion.

Jimmy looked over at Sarah. "Her own battle axe will do nicely, I think."

He quickly released one of my arms and I felt the plastic hand mold around my throat. He then dragged me back to the middle of the warehouse to retrieve my weapon. I dug my heels in to slow his progress but accomplished nothing more than an easy slide across the floor as he pulled me along. I squirmed around to look back over my shoulder and I could see Payton and Davis struggling with their captors. Sarah had her arms folded across her chest, amusement glowing all over her face.

Jimmy bent down to pick my axe up with his plastic hand still around my throat. This was my shot. I threw my body backward and brought my knee up into his chin, mentally high fiving myself when his head snapped back from the blow. But his hold was too strong and he didn't let go. Instead, he stood straight up and looked at me with amusement. I wanted to slap that little smirk right off his face.

He pulled me in closer and squeezed my neck hard, but not enough to cut my air supply. He bent his head close into mine and whispered for my ears only.

"Listen close. When I raise the axe, I want you to let lose your most powerful spell toward Sarah. Do you understand?"

For a moment, I didn't think I heard him correctly but the look on his face was dead serious. Jimmy Patere was going to help me?

I nodded my head ever so slightly as I didn't want Sarah to notice. I saw him searching deep into my eyes and I hoped he understood I was on board with his plan. I had no clue what he was up to but I was out of options at this point. I had no choice but to trust him.

Without waiting any further, he released me. I was facing Sarah and Jimmy had his back to her. I used the moment to verify that she was still standing in the same position watching us. She didn't seem to suspect anything was wrong. The daimons still had their weapons trained on Payton and Davis. I hoped fervently that they were ready to strike when I let my spell loose.

Jimmy straightened up, bringing the axe up and holding it lightly in front of his chest.

He said loudly so that everyone could hear, "I don't know if there is anything that I will ever enjoy more than what I'm about to do right now." I heard Sarah laugh out loud and I think Payton yelled, "No."

Jimmy raised the axe above his head and his eyes were looking straight into mine. They held intent. Not to kill me, I saw it clearly. But something more...almost like a feral protection of sorts.

I brought my arms up as if to shield myself from his blow, hoping it looked innocuous enough to Sarah. But I made sure my palms were facing toward her so that I could let my spell blast from my currently held position. When the blade of the axe reached the apex of Jimmy's swing, I conjured a ball of energy and hurled it at Sarah. The missile shot across the warehouse with amazing speed and she had no time to react. My energy was nowhere near as powerful as Payton's electricity she had shot into the Ossius but it was strong enough to lift Sarah off of her feet and propel her backward. I heard her hit the wall behind her with a thud.

The other daimons were momentarily shocked and never made a move. It was enough of an opportunity that Jimmy swung around and launched my axe at the daimon holding Payton. It caught him right between the eyes and he fell backward as his head burst open in a spray of blood. Its body never even hit the floor before the white light consumed it completely, causing my battle axe to clatter against the concrete. I barely had time to register that Davis gave a vicious kick to the knee of the daimon holding him and it went down with an outraged howl.

And then the fight was on.

I ran toward the other daimons only to be surpassed when Jimmy took to the air and flew past me in a blur. I saw him slam into two daimons and they all crashed to the floor in a furious wave of arms and legs. It never even occurred to me to fly but by the time I figured it out, I was at the daimon that had been standing closest to Sarah.

It stood in a squat stance, thick legs waiting to spring at me. I lowered my shoulder and rushed my attack, catching the beast by surprise right in the middle of its sternum. The edge of my shoulder made contact with its breast bone and I heard a crack. I wasn't sure if it was my shoulder or the daimon's chest that splintered, but I felt a blaze of pain ricochet down my arm. The creature flew backward and landed on its back.

While that daimon was down, I lunged toward and grabbed my battle axe. I was able to see Payton and Davis were each battling a daimon. I almost had to look twice to be sure what I saw, but Jimmy's prosthetic hand had turned into a gleaming, metal sword blade and he was battling two daimons at the same time with it. I still couldn't comprehend why Jimmy was helping but I couldn't spend any time thinking about it. The daimon I had just knocked to the ground was already on its feet. It peeled its lips back and snarled at me. Thick, viscous drool the color of scrambled eggs dripped from its fangs, hissing and steaming when it hit the floor. I made a note to myself to avoid its slobber. It clearly was poisonous.

Crouching down again, it sprang at me. Thankfully, all of the training I had been doing with Caiden made it almost seem effortless. I spun easily to the side and as the daimon rushed by me, I added a power kick to its butt, sending it sprawling again to the concrete floor. I didn't wait though and immediately launched a lethargy spell at its back as it was laying there. It hit the daimon right between its shoulder blades and I knew it worked when I saw it trying to get up off the ground in almost a slow motion.

Even though I had plenty of time thanks to the lethargy spell, I hurried over and took the daimon's head off with my axe. I was rewarded with the bright light that flared briefly, then receded, taking the daimon's body away.