“I get that you’re going through some sort of emo-intensive, Brittany-Spears-type emotional trauma, and you’re looking to let your rebel flag fly. That’s cool. I say go for it. But for God sake, limit your mileage. At the very least keep it within this state.”
Screw it. I’m done. I’m starting to think she’s not going to budge, and if she doesn’t do this for me I can’t go with him. The world will go to crap, and we’ll all be forced to endure buckets of blood, literally.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say with a touch of reluctance. Trying to find a starting point for a confession like this makes me twitchy. I’m like a mouse caught in the claws of a cat. My hands come over all clammy, and my throat suddenly feels tight. But if there is anyone in the world that’s going to believe, and be able to digest the secrets I’ve been keeping, it’s Leah. She has a massive tolerance for all things strange. That’s why we gel so well.
“You have to swear never to breathe a word of what I’m about to tell you to anyone, ever.”
Her eyes slip around in their sockets, and she half-heartedly traces a cross over her chest. I open my bag, grab the knife, and show it to Leah.
She inspects it with squinted eyes. Naturally, she’s disappointed when it’s less than shiny and sits stationary on my palm.
“Is something supposed to happen?” she questions, leaning closer, giving it a sniff.
“I found it.”
“What exactly is it?”
“It’s a knife.”
“Looks more like a dog chew.” Repulsed, Leah cranes her neck back.
“Trust me, it’s a knife, but it’s not just any kind of knife. And Jack, he’s not…well he’s not what you’d call a real boy.”
I tell Leah about Jack and his stone shell. I tell her about the knife and what it’s capable of. I tell her about breaking into the storage building and my encounter with the slack-jawed she-devil. I even tell her about the shower of demon entrails I received last night.
“Seriously though, are you on glue? Because you know that shit rots your brain and makes you see things, right?” she says when I’m finished.
“I am not now, nor have I ever been, huffing mind-altering substances. Leah,” I snatch hold of the tops of her arms and squeeze. “I’m not kidding around.” Her eyebrows tilt inward and the black-cherry grin on her lips perishes. Her skin possibly pales, but it’s hard to tell because she wears white foundation. Still, she looks convinced.
“You realize how insane this is right? I mean, for a warped story of epic proportions, you’re acting incredibly cavalier.” She laughs nervously.
“He needs my help, Leah.”
“Demons,” she mumbles to herself, as if coming to terms with the idea. “I can’t even...there are no words,” she concludes, flinging her fingertips to her forehead and starting to massage slow circles. Brain sting must be setting in.
“So you’re leaving now?” she says, eyeing my bag.
I nod. “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days. Flight gets into Bulgaria around seven tonight. That gives us Saturday and Sunday to do what needs to be done.” I’m hoping she doesn’t probe the ‘what needs to be done’ part of that sentence. It’s not pretty. When Jack said the knife couldn’t be destroyed in mortal fire he meant we’d need to throw it in immortal fire. Apparently, there’s only one place that we’ll find that. It’s not the sort of place you can locate on Google maps. I guess I’m not probing it either. Not yet. Not until I absolutely have to.
“When will you be back?” Leah asks.
“Flight is booked for early Monday morning. I told Mom we had free classes, and I’d be staying over at your house on Sunday. She’s not back from work till around eight on Monday. That gives me the whole day to get home.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”
We stand for a minute in a mourning sort of stillness -- until Leah launches herself at me. She
Screw it. I’m done. I’m starting to think she’s not going to budge, and if she doesn’t do this for me I can’t go with him. The world will go to crap, and we’ll all be forced to endure buckets of blood, literally.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say with a touch of reluctance. Trying to find a starting point for a confession like this makes me twitchy. I’m like a mouse caught in the claws of a cat. My hands come over all clammy, and my throat suddenly feels tight. But if there is anyone in the world that’s going to believe, and be able to digest the secrets I’ve been keeping, it’s Leah. She has a massive tolerance for all things strange. That’s why we gel so well.
“You have to swear never to breathe a word of what I’m about to tell you to anyone, ever.”
Her eyes slip around in their sockets, and she half-heartedly traces a cross over her chest. I open my bag, grab the knife, and show it to Leah.
She inspects it with squinted eyes. Naturally, she’s disappointed when it’s less than shiny and sits stationary on my palm.
“Is something supposed to happen?” she questions, leaning closer, giving it a sniff.
“I found it.”
“What exactly is it?”
“It’s a knife.”
“Looks more like a dog chew.” Repulsed, Leah cranes her neck back.
“Trust me, it’s a knife, but it’s not just any kind of knife. And Jack, he’s not…well he’s not what you’d call a real boy.”
I tell Leah about Jack and his stone shell. I tell her about the knife and what it’s capable of. I tell her about breaking into the storage building and my encounter with the slack-jawed she-devil. I even tell her about the shower of demon entrails I received last night.
“Seriously though, are you on glue? Because you know that shit rots your brain and makes you see things, right?” she says when I’m finished.
“I am not now, nor have I ever been, huffing mind-altering substances. Leah,” I snatch hold of the tops of her arms and squeeze. “I’m not kidding around.” Her eyebrows tilt inward and the black-cherry grin on her lips perishes. Her skin possibly pales, but it’s hard to tell because she wears white foundation. Still, she looks convinced.
“You realize how insane this is right? I mean, for a warped story of epic proportions, you’re acting incredibly cavalier.” She laughs nervously.
“He needs my help, Leah.”
“Demons,” she mumbles to herself, as if coming to terms with the idea. “I can’t even...there are no words,” she concludes, flinging her fingertips to her forehead and starting to massage slow circles. Brain sting must be setting in.
“So you’re leaving now?” she says, eyeing my bag.
I nod. “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days. Flight gets into Bulgaria around seven tonight. That gives us Saturday and Sunday to do what needs to be done.” I’m hoping she doesn’t probe the ‘what needs to be done’ part of that sentence. It’s not pretty. When Jack said the knife couldn’t be destroyed in mortal fire he meant we’d need to throw it in immortal fire. Apparently, there’s only one place that we’ll find that. It’s not the sort of place you can locate on Google maps. I guess I’m not probing it either. Not yet. Not until I absolutely have to.
“When will you be back?” Leah asks.
“Flight is booked for early Monday morning. I told Mom we had free classes, and I’d be staying over at your house on Sunday. She’s not back from work till around eight on Monday. That gives me the whole day to get home.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”
We stand for a minute in a mourning sort of stillness -- until Leah launches herself at me. She
Similar Books
