Chapter 7

I looked at the strap and gave it a little squeeze in my hand. I would have to thank Victor again, without it I never stayed up here this long before. My legs were getting tired though, staying in this position for so long. Looking down, I watched people leaving the club. I had seen many go in and out since night had come, but I knew what I saw, and here was where I needed to be. I wandered most of the day, looking, then remembering a symbol that I knew, but wasn’t sure from where.

It finally came to me that it was on the one wall of the club so many liked to go to. I don’t know why anyone would, it was smelly, and the vibes were just wrong, but if I saw it, then was true.

I looked around, it was dark enough now that I could go down and find a hidden corner inside the club to watch from. I didn’t know if Alona and Emil would be in there, but I had to watch and find the time I had seen inside my head.

Checking that my pack was closed, I put it on my back and stood up. My head was a little dizzy, and legs were shaky, but I knew I was safe and wouldn’t fall from the ledge because Victor’s gift made sure of that.

When my legs felt right, I unclipped the strap and slowly worked my way along until I was at the roof’s edge. Once there, I could go down the fire escape at the back and slip in the door, as I had many times before.

The flash in my mind had finally shown me that the man was watching Emil and Alona, I didn’t know if it was at the same time, but he saw them. I wasn’t sure what the image of the snake I kept seeing had to do with any of it, but I was hoping to think more on that, later.

Once inside I went and squatted down in a dark corner I had used before. I took my pack and looped it on the front of me, knowing that someone couldn’t take it then. No one saw me here, but how could they, when they weren’t looking for me? I looked at all the people moving around and tried really hard not to smell the awful scent this place always had.

It was so loud here, the music and people talking over the music, all to be heard at once. I wondered if any of them ever thought to listen to the silence.

A tall woman came out of one of the corners and walked up to the bar. I got up to move closer, she looked like Alona, but I needed her to turn so I could make sure. Grabbing onto someone, only to find out they weren’t who you thought they were never ended well. When she did turn, I went quickly over to her and grasped her wrist, tugging on it so she’d follow me back to the corner.

When we got there, I smiled at her. “You’re here.” I nodded. “Why are you here again?” Didn’t she know they watched for her?

“Crissy?” She frowned at me and leaned down. “Do not tell me we have to hurry, then pass out on me again.”

I checked inside my head. “No, I’m good today, there aren’t too many”

“I don’t even want to know.” She said and then looked over her shoulder, “What do you want with me?”

I had forgot she didn’t know. “You can’t come here. They know.”

“Who knows what?” She straightened and turned so her back wasn’t to the rest of the room. “I come here to…” she shook her head. “I just need to.”

I looked around seeing if Emil was here. “Have you seen a man with black hair…” I touched my shoulder. “To here, with serious grey eyes?”

She gave me a strange look. “Is that who you’re here with? You’ve lost him in the crowd?”

Her black hair was so shiny in the lights. I shook my head. “No, I didn’t lose him, I saw him, but now I’m trying to find him.” I nodded.

With wide eyes, she continued to just look down at me. She wasn’t as tall as Rafael or Victor, but I still had to look up at her.

“I know you’re old. My friends are too.” I paused and thought. “Not Daxx though, but she may be now, I never got to ask her what happens now that she has a king.” I gave her an abrupt nod. “Their eyes go red… not Chase though, he’s different.” I looked at her mouth. “Do you have fangs?” I wondered if girl fangs looked different.

She gave me a gentle push, so we were right in the corner. “Have you been following me?”

Slowly shaking my head, I looked up at her. “No. I could only see you and it took forever to find you.”

Heaving an exasperated sigh, she glared at me. “I really have no idea what to make of you.”

I frowned, how could she make anything with me? I wasn’t an ingredient. “You should meet my friends, you’re not safe.” I looked around the room, watching for Emil.

“I’m not as harmless as you’d think.” She told me quietly.

A shiver went up my spine, I grabbed her arm and looked around again. The man I’d seen was here. “He’s here.”

“The man with the black hair?” She turned and looked.

“No. The bad one watching you.”

She backed up into the wall and turned her head slowly. “Where?”

“His eyes go yellow and he’s bad.” I glanced and seen the symbol on the wall. “I don’t see Emil,” I mumbled quietly.

“Where is the bad man?” she asked leaning down to look in my eyes.

“Over by the end of the bar. He is very tall and has no hair.” I didn’t look away from him as I told her.

“I see him.” She nodded. “Why is he watching me?”

“He knows what you are, and they want you on their side.” I whispered. Another man walked over to the bad one, then they both started looking around. I dropped down to squat when I saw his eyes. They were purple. When he turned, the light shone on him and I saw a snake tattoo on his throat. I pulled Alona’s hand down, so she would make herself small too. “Purple eyes. Stay away from purple eyes.” I said quietly.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

They started walking toward us. “I have to go. You have to go. We have to hurry.” I grabbed her hand and tried to decide which way to go. Then I remembered. “If you need help.” She wasn’t looking at me, I tugged on her hand. “If you’re not safe. Go to the fish factory and paint an x on the wall. My friends will help you.”

“Fine.” She nodded and started to get up. “Let’s get out of here.”

I was so happy she saw now. We started to move along the wall. There were so many people and so much sound, we should have been invisible, but the bad one with yellow eyes saw us and started pushing through the crowd. I lost my grip on Alona’s arm.

“Go.” She told me when I turned around to take her hand. “They can’t follow both of us if we split up.”

I nodded. It made sense. “The factory.”

She pushed me in the other direction. “Yes, yes an x.”

I paused long enough to see the yellow-eyed man spot her and followed her. When I turned to go the other way, the new man with the purple eyes blocked my way. Now what? Huffing out a breath, I spun around and pushed into the crowd of people. I had to be careful, I was much smaller than most of them. I knew if I could get to the back hall again I would be able to slip out the same door I came in. I hurried as much as a body could with all these people in my way.

Turning, I darted down the hall and reached the door. I wanted to look behind me to see if he followed, but I was afraid to know. Shoving the door, I ran out into the alley and kept my legs moving as fast as I could. My new boots were very good, my feet didn’t slip at all. I was almost to the end, where I knew I could vanish when something hit my back. It was so forceful I stumbled several steps and almost fell. My back burned like it was on fire, but I kept running, I had to keep going until I could hide.

My legs hurt, and I was shaking by the time I reached the building site. Stopping, I gasped to breathe and looked behind me. No one was there. My body was shaking and the pain was getting worse. I should check why, but I didn’t feel safe, so I turned and looked up at the beams that were like the building’s skeleton. I needed to go higher.

As I climbed up the ladder, and went across a beam, my knees started to shake more. The burning was so bad I needed to stop. If I fell, Victor would be very upset with me. Crawling across the last few feet, I looked down. No one would look up here. Taking the strap off my pack, I looked around and saw a small metal bar I could clip on to. My hands were vibrating, and it took a lot of talking to myself to get it hooked on. I leaned over the bar and put my head down, trying to catch my breath.

I had to check my back, maybe I did get burned or cut. I took off my pack and hooked it through my one arm so it wouldn’t fall to the ground. It was a long way down. My head was dizzy now and I didn’t like how that felt. It took me three tries to unzip my pocket and get my phone. Turning it on, I watched the colors on the screen, then my eyes fogged and they weren’t clear.

Hearing the sound that told me it was on, I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them so I could try to see the buttons to push. I wasn’t sure, but I think I called Victor. It didn’t matter, the only people in my phone were my friends from Alterealm and Daxx. Leaning down to the phone, because I couldn’t move my arms without the burning hurting more, I rested my forehead against the bar.

“Cristy, I was just about to explain to everyone…”

“Victor…” I closed my eyes and took another breath, “I’m not okay.”

“Where are you? Are you injured?” His voice was very loud now.

I opened my eyes but everything was blurry. “He had purple eyes…” I panted out a few breaths, why was it so hard to breathe? “My back is burning…”

“Criss, it’s Daxx, where are you. Talk to me.”

“Daxx.” I smiled, she would find me, she always found me. “I don’t know.” I could hear other voices.

“Crissy, stay with me. What do you see?”

“It’s blurry,” I told her. “I ran.” I couldn’t even move my head to nod. “From the gross club…”

“Which way, Crissy? Tell me.” Her voice was very loud or maybe I had hit the volume button on my phone.

“Out the back.” My arm dropped and heard my pack hit the ground below. I tried to see where it fell but it seemed to be getting darker and darker out.

“Are you in the ally?” Someone else said something but I couldn’t hear it. “Crissy!”

“No. Daxx?”

“I’m here.” Her voice made me feel better.

“I’m not okay.” I told her, she would know to come and get me.

“Crissy…”

It was Rafael. “Raf, I dropped the cookies.”

“I’ll get you more. Where are you, we’ll come and get you.”

“My back hurts, I feel sick...” I tried to take a deep breath and it hurt more. “I ran…” My other arm started to go numb which was very bad, it was the one through Victor’s strap and holding the phone. “to the new building, they’re making…”

“You’re at a construction site?”

“Yes.” I smiled, at least I think I did.

“I think I know where she is.” Daxx said sounding far away.

“I’m coming to get you, Cristy.” Victor said in hard voice.

I closed my eyes. “Okay. I’ll wait.” I don’t know if they hung up or I dropped my phone, but there were no more voices. My whole body felt like it was floating, which I knew it couldn’t do.

~

I heard people running and hoped the man hadn’t found me.

“Here’s her backpack.”

Was that Rafael?

“And what’s left of her phone.”

Daxx was going to be mad, I needed a new phone, again.

“Do you think they got her?” Daxx’s asked.

“No.” It was Victor. “She’s up there somewhere.”

“Holy hell, Victor there’s a hundred beams up there.” It was Quinton.

All of them had come to get me. If I didn’t think I would throw up, I would call down to them so they could find me.

“Get some kind of light so we can see.” Victor said, not sounding happy at all.

I tried to focus and listen, but my head felt like it was swaying, like a swing would when someone jumps out of it.

~

“Cristy…” Victor sounded so close now, his voice softer. I felt someone touch my face and wanted to cry, they found me.

“Victor. My back…” I swallowed and even that hurt. “I feel wrong.”

“Get some rope up here, it’s the only way we’ll get her down.” He said to someone.

I felt bad to create such a problem. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You got away and hid, that’s all that matters right now.” I could feel his hand brushing my hair out of my face.

“I used the strap.”

“I see that. I don’t want to think what would have happened if you hadn’t.”

I heard someone on the other side of me.

“It looks like backlash from a spell gone wrong.”

It was Rafael, but I didn’t know what he was saying.

“She’s not as impervious to magic as Daxx is, but still has a resistance.” Victor told him, but I didn’t understand.

“I can’t feel…” I swallowed the sick feeling down, “my body.” I closed my eyes, hoping the strange feeling would end.

“I’ve got you.” Victor said close to my ear.

“Okay.”

~

I didn’t know where I was, but there were voices all around me.

“You can’t ingest it, Victor! We don’t know if it’s magic or poison.” Troy said from behind me.

“Get me that idiot mage, Romulus. Now! And find me a witch and that useless doctor.” Victor yelled. He was very angry with someone.

I didn’t like knowing that. “Vic…” talking was so hard, I wasn’t sure if I said that in my head or out of it.

“I’m here.” I could feel his breath on my face and it made me feel better with him close.

“I need more bars,” I told him, so I wouldn’t forget.

He brushed the hair off my face, and his palm felt cool against my skin. It felt good. “Did you like them?”

I hadn’t thought to eat one myself. “I gave them…” I swallowed that sick feeling again, “to others with no food.”

He made a strange sound and rested his head against mine. “Of course, you did.” I felt him kiss my forehead and thought that was a nice thing to do. “When you’re well, you can hand out cases of them if you must. I will even carry them for you.”

He sounded calmer now. “Okay.” I closed my eyes again. “Is Daxx mad?” I tried to keep thinking, so this feeling didn’t scare me. “I lost my phone again.”

“We found it,” he told me quietly, “we’ll get you new one.”

I wanted to nod, but I had no strength to do it. “Okay.”

“Romulus is here.” Quinton said.

I remembered. “Quinton…”

“He’s right behind you,” Victor said to me.

“The fish factory…” I tried to focus to say the words. “If Alona is in trouble…” I panted out a breath. Why was it so hard to breathe? “she will paint an x on wall.”

“You were with Alona tonight?” Victor’s breath brushed against my face.

“Yes.”

“I need to test to see what type of spell was used.” A strange voice said from behind me.

“Get on with it.” Victor growled. I wondered if he had fangs right now. “Did they get Alona?” His voice was softer again.

I hoped not. “We went two different ways.” I tried exhaling slowly to see if talking was easier. “Yellow eyed man went after her…”

“Quinton, get Tim a device and take him to this place.” Troy’s voice said roughly. “Have him stay there and watch in case she makes it there. We’ll set up a few shifts to watch for her.”

“I’m on it.” Quinton said. “What does Alona look like.”

“Tall, long black hair, sexy green eyes.” Rafael said from behind Victor.

“Of course, you’d take the time notice that,” Chase drawled from somewhere in the room.

“I observe things.” Rafael told him.

“I’m sure you do.” Chase snorted.

“I’ll go wait for her, Crissy.” Quinton sounded like he was over my head when he said it.

“Okay. Thank you.” I felt cool flesh against my face and tried to move into it. Victor’s hand held the back of my head in a soothing way. Later, when I wasn’t feeling so wrong, I would think how I knew it was his hand. “I told her you were… like she is… and would help.”

“We’ll find her, little one.” Victor kissed my forehead again.

“I’m going to need a salve to counteract this. It’s very strong.” The strange voice said. “I don’t know how she survived. They probably gave up thinking she’d be dead in a few minutes’ time.”

I felt Victor stiffen, but he didn’t say anything. I didn’t know how long it had been, but knew it had been longer than a few minutes. Someone would tell me if I was dying, wouldn’t they?

“Clairee is on her way here.” Daxx told him.

“I’ll go tell her what we need.” He answered, sounding like he was walking out of the room.

“Romulus,” Victor’s voice boomed in my ear, “will blood help her?”

“Not until I stop the magic trace bubbling in the wound. If you heal it shut, I will never get it out of her. After that, blood will take care of closing it, and the side effects.” There was a pause. “A cool bath will slow absorption further though.”

“Thank you.” I heard Daxx answer. “Mitz can you turn on the tub?”

“Yes, love. All of you men get out so we can make her decent.”

I realized they were talking about me. I was thankful Daxx and Mitz were here.

I had to know. “Am I dying?” I asked when I felt Victor moving away from me. “I have more living to do.” I told him.

“You are not dying.” He told me in a very firm way.

I believed him. Victor told the truth. “Good.”

“Victor, you can come back in and hold her in the water.” Mitz assured him.

“I’m going.”

I felt him kiss my forehead once more. It was very sweet of him.

“Cristy, did you see who did this to you?” His voice was soft but quite serious sounding.

“I just need a description.” I thought I heard Michael say.

“Snake.” I said as loud as I could. “On neck.”

“A snake tattoo on his neck.” Victor repeated.

“I’ll go get Wanda to do a search for me.” Michael said. “Using a sample Romulus took of the magic.”

“Michael, if you find him. He is mine.” Victor said in a voice I was sure I never wanted directed at me.

“Understood.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but if I was the man with the purple eyes and snake tattoo, I would hide. Forever.

“Now get out, Victor, so we can get her ready for the bath.”

He kissed me again. I had never been kissed this much ever. It would have been nice if I wasn’t feeling this way, but maybe sometime he might kiss me again when I felt better.

I heard Daxx behind me. “We’ll have to cut the tank top.”

“Daxx?”

“I’m here.” She said near my ear.

“Is my new jacket ruined?”

She snorted. “We’ll get you ten more later.”

“Only need one.”

“We’re going to change you, love, so you are covered and can soak with Victor.” Mitz told me softly.

“Okay.” I closed my eyes feeling like I just needed to rest for a minute.