I sat on Kassia’s bed again, looking at her picture, trying to remember her voice. Suddenly, it dawned on me there was a way I could hear it again. I dug my phone out of my pocket and dialed her cell phone number. Her voicemail immediately picked up, “Hi! You’ve reached my phone. I’m not here right now or rather I left my phone somewhere. Leave a message and if I ever find it again, I’ll call you back. Bye!”
Hearing her voice brought tears to my eyes. She sounded so happy. I listened to it a couple more times before burying my head in her pillow and falling asleep.
* * *
Another month passed by before I knew it. I lost my sense of time. Every day my body was pushed to its limits, and every night my mind wandered to the ‘what ifs’.
I was sitting at lunch one day staring at my sandwich when Zane sat down next to me. “Mira, come with me.” With one hand, he picked up my food. With the other, he took my hand and gently pulled me to the garden. We sat on the bench. He stared at me and I blushed. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, I think.” I couldn’t have looked beautiful. I hadn’t dressed up or even put on make-up since the first week training had begun. It was pointless. The make-up just ended up smeared, making me look more horrible than going without it. I took a bite of my sandwich. “How are you doing?” I asked, my mouth full of food.
“I’m fine. It’s just been tiring.”
“Yeah, for sure.” I took another bite. I was hungry, and I didn’t care if Zane was watching me stuff my face.
“How are you handling—”
“Stop.” I put up my hand. “If you say her name, I will become a basket case for the rest of the day. I can’t have that happen.”
“Okay.”
I was silent for a minute. I had to push back all the feelings that were threatening to come to the front of my mind. “Kiss me.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“You heard me. Kiss me.”
He didn’t wait for me to say it again. He moved closer and leaned in, hesitating for a few seconds as he let his warm breath fall on my lips. Then he pressed them against mine. I leaned into the kiss and pressed back. His hands were around me now, holding me against his body. My body responded by heating up and getting all tingly. I pushed him back and sat in his lap, facing him. He smiled, obviously enjoying this side of me.
I took his head in my hands and pressed my lips to his. Then I kissed his cheek, his ear, and his neck. Next, I made my way back to his mouth. My heart was racing, and I was breathing fast. I nibbled on his lip and tugged on it as I pulled away.
“Wow…” he whispered.
“Sorry,” I apologized for getting carried away.
“Don’t be sorry. That was…amazing.”
“Hey you two!” an adult yelled. “What are you doing back here? The bell rang, you are supposed to be in training!”
“Oops.”
We both giggled and hurried back to the courtyard. I crammed the rest of my sandwich in my mouth and threw away my garbage. Arian was watching. I bet she’s the one who sent people after us. For some reason, even with Kassia gone, she still hated us. I thought about compelling her to do something that would get her in trouble, but I figured it would just backfire and get me in trouble instead.
Zane winked at me and went to his group. Auralee caught my eye. She went up to Arian and raised her voice, which was rare for Auralee. I got closer so I could listen. “Not only am I watching you, I’m also reading your mind. You try getting any of my friends in trouble again, you will be sorry.” The look on Arian’s face was priceless. She didn’t see that coming. I chuckled a little. She started to say something, but Auralee cut her off, “Don’t go there.” That was a side of Auralee I didn’t see often.
A few days later, I saw Daxton sitting in the courtyard alone. I walked over and sat beside him. He smiled at me, but it was a forced smile. “Hey,” I managed to say. I liked Daxton, but when I was around him I felt Kassia more and that was hard. I wanted to be there for him, but sometimes seeing his hurt was like looking into a mirror. “How ya doing?”
He shrugged. “’Bout the same.”
“Wanna talk?”
His eyes were cast down. “I just miss her.”
“Me too.”
“I feel like I shouldn’t. I feel like everyone is waiting for me to pick up the pieces and move on, but I don’t want to.”
“That’s how I feel too. You loved her, and it’s okay to mourn for her. I do all the time.”
“You seem so together though.”
“Oh Daxton.” I sighed. “Sometimes I look tough on the outside, I have to. But inside I guarantee you, I’m a mess. I cry every night. Every night,” I emphasized. “The pain won’t go away. She was a part of my life for six years. It doesn’t just disappear.”
“I only knew her for a short time, but I felt so drawn to her. I still do. I don’t know how to move on.”
“Daxton?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you ever use your gift to see her? Can you even do that?” I asked. He looked up at me startled. “Oh my God, you do!”
“Mira…it’s…”
“You’ve been doing it. Oh Daxton, you have to take me there. You have to!” I insisted.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“It’s addicting, and she’s not real. It’s hard to remember it’s not really her.”
“But, to see her one more time.” My heart ached.
“And then what, Mira? What about the next time?”
“Just once,” I pleaded.
He shook his head. “I shouldn’t.”
“You’re being selfish! You’re keeping this all to yourself.” I accused him.
“It’s not like that. It’s just…a fantasy world, a dream world. It’s not real!”
“Then why do you do it? Why do you go there?”
He didn’t answer. I felt bad for him, but he had a way to see Kassia and I didn’t. Right now, I wanted to see her badly. Tears flowed down my cheeks. “Okay,” he said, giving in. “But, only for a minute and that’s only because I care about you, and I don’t want you to lose touch with reality.”
I nodded, agreeing to anything.
He shook his head. “I shouldn’t be doing this.” He placed his hands on mine, and I was whisked away in a heartbeat. Daxton and I were standing on a white sand beach. The sun was shining down on us. The smell of the ocean tickled my nose.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“She loved this beach.” He smiled, looking towards the ocean.
I followed his gaze and gasped when I saw her. Kassia was sitting on the beach with her feet in the water. I knew she wasn’t real, but she sure looked it. My heart was racing, and I could feel the tears falling down my face.
As we walked closer to her, she turned and waved, looking more beautiful than I remembered. Her eyes lit up like we were the only two people in the world who mattered. Her face had color in it unlike the last time I had seen her. I had to laugh when I saw her perfect lip-gloss sparkling in the sunlight. Her long, auburn hair blew in the ocean breeze. She looked so alive and happy.
I started wondering if I could talk to her and hug her, but I knew I’d be happy if I could just sit next to her and be with her. There was no place I’d rather be. Suddenly, I was pulled from the dream and found myself back in reality.
“What the hell?”
It wasn’t just Daxton and me anymore. Noe was standing next to us. Her eyes were wild. She was searching for something.
Auralee was running up to us. She shot us disapproving looks. “You two shouldn’t be doing this. We’ll get to that later. What is it Noe?”
She put her finger up and made us wait a minute. “It’s almost time.”
“Time for?”
“The battle to start.” Her words were hushed. “I can’t see everything, but it looks like they’re coming here. We have to tell Eaton.”
Jumping up, we all hurried to Eaton’s office where Noe filled him in. “Here?” he asked.
“From what I can tell, Kern wants to get rid of the gifted and faeries first, then move on to the rest of the world. He’s going to attack the schools. He personally holds a grudge towards our school because of Kassia. He wants to see the demons bring us down,” Noe said talking fast, pacing around the room. “We have to prepare everyone.”
Mr. Eaton looked out of his window. “Noe, how bad will it be?”
“We will lose some, Sir. I can’t see the ending yet, too many demons in the way.”
He nodded somberly. “How long do we have?”
“Two weeks…give or take. As soon as I know, I’ll let you know.”
“I’ll step up the training,” Mr. Eaton said.
We were excused and walked back outside. Auralee turned to Daxton and me and started pointing her finger and yelling at us. “What were you two thinking? That’s a dream, it’s not real! Why would you do that to yourselves?”
“I had to see her again.” I defended myself.
“Not like that.”
“Why not? She was alive and happy!”
“It’s not real, Mira!” Noe chimed in. “I know you’re both hurting tremendously, and I would love to see her again, but that isn’t her. You’re just prolonging your healing.”
Daxton and I looked down, feeling ashamed. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad,” Auralee said. “I’m just worried about you. Please let your hearts heal now.”
I thought about seeing Kassia on the beach. It was a pleasant thought. Maybe that’s all I needed. Thinking of her somewhere happy and safe made me smile, and that was better than remembering her dead and colorless.
Auralee nodded. “You’re right. Remember her like that.” She reached over and hugged me. “She’s always going to be here with us.” She put her hand over my heart. “She’ll always be with you.”
I looked over at Daxton. “She’s right. You’ve got to let her go. We have to prepare for this battle. We need to be ready.”
“I’ll try. It’s hard because it’s something I can do anytime.”
“I know. Try for us,” I said, knowing that I’d have to talk to Zane and have him keep an eye on Daxton.
“I will.”
I gave him a big hug before walking away. I pulled out my cell phone and called Zane. “I need you to meet me in the courtyard,” I told him.
“Be right there.”
I waited for him by the door of his building. When he stepped out, I threw my arms around him and planted a kiss on his lips. I led him to a nearby bench, and we sat down. “There’s a couple things going on.”
“Okay…” He looked concerned.
“First, Noe said the battle will be soon. In the next two weeks.”
“Really?”
“That’s what she says.” I laughed. “You don’t question what she says.”
“Okay, what do we do?”
“We talked to Eaton. He’s going to step up the training. I guess that’s all we can do. The other thing is about Daxton. He’s been seeing Kassia—”
“What?” he interrupted me. “How?”
“He’s been using his gift and seeing her that way. He…uh…I talked him into letting me see her today.”
“Oh Mira.”
“I know, but I had to. It was quick. Just a minute or two. And she was so happy, Zane. She was on a beach and full of life. Seeing her like that made me happy,” I said, letting the tears fall down my face.
He took my hands. “I get it. I do. The last time you saw her she was dead. Seeing her alive like that made you think she was in a good place. Closure.”
I nodded. “Yeah, sort of.”
“But?”
“Daxton. It’s like he’s addicted to seeing her. He can’t stop because he can see her as much as he wants. It’s hurting him. It’s keeping him from healing. He promised today that he’d try and stop, but he needs a friend…you. You need to help him. Please.”
“Of course I will,” he responded.
“Thank you.”
He put his arm around me, and we sat there until the sun went down. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, you will.” I smiled and we kissed again before I went back to my room. When I got there, I picked up the picture of Kassia and me and sat down on her bed. I ran my finger over her picture. “I miss you so much. So incredibly much. I don’t want you to think I’m forgetting you because I’m really not. I will never, ever forget you. I know it wasn’t you that I saw today, but seeing you like that made me hope that you are happy somewhere. And that means I can start to heal…” I clutched the picture to my chest and lay down on her bed. This was the one place I could still smell her. I cried until I could cry no more, and then my tired body fell asleep.
The next week was brutal. Mr. Eaton had informed everybody that he believed the demons were coming, and we needed to be ready. We stopped all regular classes and concentrated on the physical and gifted training. We got up earlier and went to bed later. I had fought these demons before. I knew how freaky they were, and I wasn’t taking any chances with my life or the lives of my friends.
Noe pounded on my door one morning. “Today Mira!” she yelled, when I opened it.
“When?”
“Nightfall.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“I know you will.” She forced a smile.
I showered, knowing very well it could be my last time. We all sat at our table for breakfast. I laughed seeing Auralee’s shirt. It read: ‘The End Is Near’. Nobody spoke. We knew exactly what was coming, and it scared each of us. Noe told Mr. Eaton that they would be here by dusk. I ate everything on my plate; I wanted to make sure I had enough energy for the battle.
Once Mr. Eaton made the announcement that tonight was the night, the atmosphere at school changed. I think most the kids here thought they were being played. Now, it was real. They were nervous and scared.
Around three, I checked my dagger. I saw that a lot of the other kids were doing the same. The five of us met up an hour later. I crammed a chocolate bar in my mouth and scanned the courtyard. Noe hadn’t said where they would show up, so I was just watching.
About half an hour later, Noe stood and started walking around the building. We followed her. On the way, we called Mr. Eaton, and he joined us. She pointed and said, “They will surround the school, coming from every direction. There will be many of them. Some that we haven’t seen before,” she paused. “Warn the other schools. They will attack at the same time.” She stopped talking and a confused expression crossed her face for a moment, but she shook her head and sat down on the grass. She muttered something to herself and then said, “Any time now.”
After making some phone calls on his cell, Mr. Eaton had the students line up around the school and then we waited. I could feel the tension all around me. The hair on my neck and arms was standing straight up. I could feel something coming.
We didn’t have to wait long. First the cat-hounds, as Kassia had called them, showed up sniffing the ground. Behind them, thousands of the little guys moved in, showing off their fanged teeth. It was truly one of the scariest sights I had ever seen. The stink coming from them was horrendous. Their red eyes, full of evil, sent tremors through me.
“My God!” Mr. Eaton staggered.
We held our position; they had to make the first move. I thought about all the kids at the school. There were probably 500 of us. And I looked out at the demons approaching. There had to be at least 5,000 of them. How would we ever survive this?
When the first one leapt in the air at one of us, someone yelled, “GO!” We charged at the demons. With my dagger out, I stabbed demon after demon. They kept coming at us, and I kept thrusting my dagger into them watching them fall to the ground. Every couple minutes, I’d look up and check on my friends, making sure they were all good. I noticed bodies on the ground, but I turned away, not wanting to think about that r
ight now. Besides, Eaton was supposed to have a healer here and extra medical staff. I continued on, killing one after another.
A few times, I had to use the martial arts skills to keep demons off me. I took a few deep breaths. My arms were tired and they wanted a break, but when I looked up I couldn’t see an end in sight. The demons were still everywhere. Zane ran up to me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I nodded. Taking a deep breath, I raised my dagger again, and we were able to clear out a small section of demons only to have to move on to another. Bit by bit, we gained a little ground, the five of us together. I had no idea how the other side of the school fared.
The horrid cat-hounds seemed to be gone now, leaving a ton of the smaller ones behind. Although they died easily, it was hard to keep up because there were just so many of them. The daggers were the only things that actually killed them. I could send one flying with a kick, but I couldn’t kill it unless I stabbed it.
I found myself fighting through tears. The leader of these horrible creatures had killed my best friend. I hated them, and I made sure they knew it.
After we killed some more, I stood straight up to look around and saw her standing there. My heart stopped. Am I dead? I blinked a few times, but she was still there. Standing in the middle of the side yard was Kassia. Her hair was whipping in the wind, but it was the look in her eyes that made me shudder. She was staring straight at us, but instead of a smile, she was giving us her death stare.
Chapter Eighteen
Kassia
The next two months were merciless. I welcomed it, but my body hated me for it. I worked from sunrise to sunset with only a couple of breaks. By the end of the second month, I could drop almost all the bugs in the area in less than five seconds. Vala and Ramsey added distractions while I was concentrating by talking, playing music, or even running in front of me.
“You need to be able to handle distractions, ignore them, and focus on what you’re there to do. You can’t hurt the people or the faeries, you can only hurt the demons.” Ramsey said. It had taken a long time to master that, but I had done it.
Ramsey tested my powers with different kinds of bugs and at different times of the day. One night, he had me find all the mosquitoes and fireflies. Then he told me to kill the mosquitoes but keep the fireflies alive. That took more work, but I was able to do it…almost.
One morning Ramsey announced that he had come across some demons. How does one even just happen upon demons? He called them scouts. They were sent to look around and report back. “I want to use them in your training,” he said, throwing me off guard. “I am going to release them all at the same time, and I want you to kill them as quickly as you can.”