Healed (6 page)

Ami and I took turns driving and she told me
some more about the history of paranormals. Ami and her family
never really told me much more than the basics. The basics only
included telling me that paranormal creatures existed, in secret,
and I was one of them, but they didn’t know what I was. We had
studied a lot of the popular, more common, paranormals but couldn’t
really find anything about how I would fit in. Since I didn’t have
the Asian heritage, we immediately knocked out all of those rare
kinds. When we started this mission, it would be a couple years
before Ami parents’ death. Afterwards, all things paranormal almost
became taboo in our house. We tried to ignore it the best we could.
I knew that it hurt Ami to lose the one person in her life that
could fully understand the paranormal world like she could. I would
never be that person for her because I didn’t grow up in it like
Ami.

“So you know how I say Gods instead of God?
I know we never explained that.” Ami started while she flipped
through her iPod looking for more music to play that she hadn’t
already forced us to listen to a million times over. I tried to
take over the radio but Ami said that my soft-voiced Indie girl
music was going to make her hurl if she had to listen to another
minute of it.

“Anyway, so paranormals are sort of
separate. There are five categories, I guess you could call it.
Humans would say four but for paranormals there are five elements.
Fire, water, earth, wind, and spirit. Each paranormal can be
grouped into one of these categories. As a Djinn I am spirit, same
as Elijah.” Every time she said his name she always gave me a look.
Her eyebrows are slightly raised, her piercing winking in the
sunlight, and the left side of her lip where it was also pierced
lifted up a little. I tried my best to ignore it.

“All shifters and were-creatures, depending
on the type of which they are, but they are usually earth, same
with dryads. Fire creatures are tricky because, well, Phoenixes
don’t exist anymore but they were fire creatures that had a mostly
human form, some people wanted to consider them shifters. They
aren’t. Anyway, fire creatures are rare and far between. Wind
creatures are kind of the same. Were-creatures that are birds or
animals of flight consider themselves wind but, fuck, I don’t know.
Water creatures are like mermaids, sirens, things of that nature.”
Ami turned up the music again and started to sing along. She had a
beautiful voice but instead of using her real singing voice she
would always end up screaming things. I drove on.

“So what does that have to do with the
Gods?” I asked quietly.

“We are all born from one God, in a sense.
Five Gods, five categories. Get it?”

I nodded.

●●●

The rain was coming down really hard the
closer and closer we got to New York. Our old car didn’t do very
well in the rain and it was starting to spurt and die on us. I
pulled over, jostling Ami out of her nap.

“What is going on?” She mumbled as she
turned over.

“The car stopped.” I whispered, looking all
around us. We were truly in the middle of nowhere. Ami had
“suggested” using only back roads, and when I say suggested I mean
practically threw a temper tantrum when I said that the interstate
would be much faster. That is what she thought the Wraith would do,
so we needed to use back roads as much as we could. Now it had
stranded us in the middle of nowhere.

“The rain is coming down too hard and the
car is acting strange again.” I look over at her and she looked
annoyed.

“I have to know what is wrong with the car
in order to fix it,” she muttered, looking over at me for a moment.
“Fuck.”

“It’s only rain.” I answered but looking
outside again it was more than just rain. It was a downpour.

“Well shit, I guess we will have to wait
until it lets up. Fuckedy fuck, fuck.” She emphasized her words by
hitting the dashboard.

“It’s okay, I am sure it will let up in a
little bit, and I am sure that El-the Wraith, will have to stop as
well. Plus, he doesn’t know we are heading towards New York. There
are lots of small states around there.” I tried to reason. Looking
out at the road, I could only sigh. There was nothing but road and
woods.

“What the fuck is that?” Ami said, staring
out of her window. I looked in the same direction. Standing on the
edge of the woods was a hideous creature. Its skin was a strange
almost grey color as if decaying but pulled tight against its skin.
It was pulled so tightly there were sharp wrinkles in its skin that
were visible even as far as it was from us. Its body was sort of
crooked, it wasn’t standing quite right. It started to move closer.
Even with its oddly shaped body, it moved with a sort of grace. As
it moved closer, Ami started to swear more. She turned to me. “Try
to turn on the fucking car.”

“What?” I asked, thoroughly freaked out. My
eyes were wide and my heart was slamming against my ribcage.

“It’s a fucking Banshee!”

Chapter 7 –
Elijah

Following them proved to be easier than I
suspected. I changed my mode of transport. A car would have been
better to make our way back to the York’s clan headquarters. Now
that my subject had escaped my grasp once more, I needed a faster,
more agile transport. I had taken the first motorcycle that I came
across. The make and model did not matter to me as long as it was
fast. Before I left, I managed to merge minds with Valentine, but
before I could get any information from her, she pushed me out. My
body reacted to the memory of our merge dream, but my mind remained
on task.

As I started to fly down the interstate I
felt her power. I made a quick exit. It was fading but it would
lead me in the direction they might have been going. A more solid
lead than the one I was headed on now. Heading towards the residue
of her power, I discovered the hotel they were staying at.
Questioning the clerk was easy enough; he was more than willing to
speak after a few seconds in his mind and showing him his worst
fears come to life. The clerk had only told me they were headed in
the direction I was already going, north.

Walking into the woods, I continued to
follow her energy. I stopped as I watched an aura of rainbow white
light shine from the ground. She had been there, healing. I felt my
lips twitch. I believe I was truly smiling. Slightly. I turned on
my heel back towards the bike I had taken. My lips shifted a little
higher, they were still pressed together but my teeth had clicked
firmly together.

“Oh my little light, you will be mine. Very
soon.”

Chapter 8 –
Valentine

“What’s a Banshee?” I asked, shifting in my
seat, watching the creature that was getting closer and closer to
us. It was really hideous but even as it moved towards us with an
unnatural grace, I couldn’t feel any of the black energy that
surrounded Elijah and that I had noticed around others before.

“It’s a motherfucking soul-sucking, fucker
from Ireland. Those bitches are insane; when men look at them they
see these beautiful creatures. Either way they don’t care what kind
of soul they take and fuck at the same time. They just want-” Ami
didn’t finish because the Banshee made it within five feet of the
car, and Ami focused her attention outside. “Damn, damn, damn, it’s
too wet outside, I can’t make any fire.”

“Maybe we don’t have to, it doesn’t seem
dangerous.” My eyes couldn’t leave the creature’s eyes. I wasn’t
sure whether it was a woman or a male, but its eyes were beautiful.
A bright grey, they almost looked silver. I felt my body moving
toward the door, as if it wanted out.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Ami grabbed my arm, her nails biting into my skin. I couldn’t get
over the feeling that this creature wasn’t dangerous though.

“Ami, it won’t hurt us.”

“That bitch out there will kill you. Do you
understand what I’m saying? She will fucking kill you. Take that
pretty little soul of yours and eat it like it was a light snack.
No, we aren’t going out there. Once the rain stops, I will
barricade the car in fire and singe the bitch back to hell, where
she belongs.” Ami kept her eyes focused on the Banshee that was
coming around to my side of the car. It hadn’t taken its eyes off
of me yet and I couldn’t explain why but that pull I felt when
someone needed my help started to react. That is when I noticed,
the creature wasn’t as graceful as I thought. It was subtle but it
limped on its left leg. I tried to pull away from Ami once
again.

“She’s hurt, Ami! I have to help her.” I had
too. I looked at my best friend, my eyes pleading for her to
understand.

“You know what, what the fuck! I already
lost my parents, why not my fucking sister as well. Go for it
Virgin Mary – save the unsaveable.”

“I think you mean Mother Teresa.” I muttered
before moving toward the door once again.

“Fuck you.” she answered, looking forward.
Her jaw was set and eyes unblinking. I noticed her arms, which were
pulled tightly across her chest, moved in beat with her rapid
breathing.

“She won’t hurt me.” I answered softly.
Going outside, the rain was practically pounding down on me and I
was soaked through in seconds. The Banshee looked at me and smiled,
her teeth were jagged, misplaced, and rotting, but her smile was
luminous.

“Ah, sweet one.” Her voice was like silk on
my skin. It was a cool caress making me want to move closer towards
her. “Shhh, I won’t harm you little one.” Suddenly she was in front
of me. She was taller than I thought, and towered over me, much
like Ami. Her gnarled hand came up and touched my cheek.

“Your leg is hurt.” I looked the creature in
the eyes. Her grey eyes lost the silvery quality to them.

“Yes, my sweet little healer. What
will
you do about it?” She now had her hand cupped behind my
neck and pulling me closer. I tried to stand my ground, but
appearances were deceiving. She was much stronger than what I
thought her fragile looking form would be capable of.

“I can help you, but…” I swallowed when she
brought her head down to my neck. I could feel her shriveled up
tongue caress my neck. I cringed, grinding my teeth together,
trying my hardest not to shove her away. I needed to keep her close
and not offend her. While my heart was racing, I kept my exterior
blank, hoping that she wouldn’t be able to sense my uneasiness.
Though I couldn’t feel any evil from her, I was starting to doubt
my instincts.

“Get your fugly, fucking, fingers off my
sister.” Ami’s voice was like thunder in the storm, loud, crashing
and undeniable. The Banshee moved away from me a step or two before
turning to Ami.

“Ahh, a Djinn as well, my master will eat
well tonight.”

“Your master isn’t eating tonight.” Ami
looked dangerous. Her hair was plastered to her head and her nose
ring was shining in the bursts of lightning. Ami moved in, chains
appearing in each hand. She threw one forward and it wrapped around
the Banshee who screamed. The sound was piercing my eardrums and I
went down holding onto my ears, trying to block out the noise.

“Iron!” The Banshee screamed again.

“Yeah, you little fucker! I knew you
couldn’t hold up against that!” Ami announced, coming around to
lift me from the ground. My dress was completely ruined by the mud.
I didn’t even register it though, looking down at the creature at
our feet. She was crying out noises much like the dying rabbit. I
couldn’t have walked away even if I had wanted to. I moved closer.
Ami latched on to me again.

“We need to leave. If this bitch is working
for another paranormal, it’s probably close by. We cannot get
caught by another clan, Valentine.” Though Ami was pleading, I
could see that she wanted to go, her foot tapping, and her body was
humming with excess energy; but I couldn’t leave the Banshee.

“I have to help her, Ami. I have to.” Ami
watched me a little longer before letting my arm go.

“For fuck sakes, I don’t know why I do
anything for you.” The iron chains flashed away in a puff of smoke
when Ami turned away and headed back towards the car. She didn’t go
inside but watched my interaction with the Banshee.

The Banshee was staring at me again, her
eyes slightly unfocused from the pain. I could feel it coming off
in waves. I bent down and pressed my hands over her heart and tried
to reassure her with a smile.

I let my body relax and let my mind take
over. Exploring her body, I found all the wounds and they began to
heal; the burns from the iron that had been wrapped around her
wrist and the small cuts that weren’t visible. The last one, the
one causing her the most amount of pain, was in her leg, her left
leg. I tried to heal it but there was something preventing it to
heal.

“You will not cure me of that ailment,
little one.” Her voice was a sweet whisper. I looked down at
her.

“What’s wrong with your leg?” My voice
cracked a few times, my energy slipping away.

“It’s an old wound that can never be healed,
unless I am freed.” Her voice was pleading and when I looked up at
Ami, I knew there was only one way to sway her to help me, help the
Banshee.

I stared at Ami with wide pleading eyes for
several seconds. Then I quietly said her name, “Ami…”

“Fuck, no.” Her eyes flashed with anger.

“But it would take two people, we can do
this. We can help her.”

“What part of fuck no don’t you understand?
She is probably better off where she is. Not stealing little
children then eating their souls, are you?” Ami asked, looking at
the Banshee who we had moved onto the edge of the backseat. We were
standing outside – thankfully the rain had settled slightly. It was
only a light drizzle.

“I can’t take out the iron piece in her
ankle and heal her at the same time. Please, Ami, she won’t hurt
us.” I looked over at the Banshee once more. I hoped that Ami would
trust me. I knew this creature would never harm us and I knew that
probably setting it free to the world would be a risk but I
honestly hadn’t felt any evil flow from its aura since we had
arrived. If anything it only wanted peace.