Buttercup entered the Leary Building fifteen minutes early, dressed in a dark burgundy skirt with a white pullover top and burgundy heels. She was nervous and extremely tired. Nervous because of working so close to the Bottoms. It was quite possible that someone from the neighborhood who knew her would see her and then she was sure Alana Leary would toss her out without warning. No one needed an ex-hooker working for them. Bad for the image and all. She was also nervous because Karl just vanished. She had not seen Rhychard's brother since Thursday. She knew it was too much to hope that the youngest Bartlett would stay gone.She was also tired because of her sessions with Tansy and the other witches that morning. She was improving at tapping into her power and even managed to light a candle. Yet, there was still so much more to learn and she felt as if she would never know it all. To make matters worse, Jayden stopped going to The Murky Cauldron since the night the two Valentine sisters
"Too violent for you?" Alana asked, noticing Buttercup's reaction to the paintings. "We can have them removed if you like and replaced with something a little cheerier."Buttercup felt chills run up her arms and crossed her arms over her chest, her hands on her upper arms attempting to rub some warmth into them. "They're fine. Really. I think the air conditioning just gave me a chill is all.""All right. If you're sure." Alana walked over to the paintings, running her hand along the frame. "I think they depict a sense of feminine strength against the forces of nature and evil men. Too long women have suffered the indignities the male population would force upon them. This painting reminds me that women have power.""Are those women in the water? I thought they looked like mermaids."Alana snapped her head around. "They're merrow; not mermaids. Mermaids are not as ferocious as the merrow." She seemed to catch her outburst and took a deep breath. "But yet, they are women, even if they ar
The next few days were brutal. Everyone was going in different directions, always missing each other as they slipped in and out of the condo. Rhychard met Kendalais out in the magical clearing, each day suffering another pummeling by the Warrior Master. Kendalais taught Rhychard to reach into the sword and communicate with the other Warriors. With the Guardian Sword across his lap, Rhychard could close his eyes and envision the other Warriors, all of them standing and conversing together or one on one, as he learned their stories and listened to their advice. The fact the Guardian chose a human to be a Warrior surprised them all, but all accepted Rhychard, and not just because they had to in order to defeat Mephalus. Each day, two more individuals introduced themselves to Rhychard and gave him history lessons he could never find in history books.While Rhychard trained, Kree kept up his patrol of the Bottoms with Renny and Famallumi's help. Timmy became a constant shadow of the coshey'
That was a good question. They still had no answers about anyone being held captive by Bertram Leary nor had Rhychard heard anything about the murder of Karl's roommate from the police. While he knew what happened, that didn't mean they did, and Karl could still be a suspect for all they knew. Of course, the youngest Bartlett pulled his usual vanishing act and no one saw or heard from him since last Thursday. Not that Rhychard had the time or energy to deal with his brother right then. It took every ounce of energy he could muster just to survive the rigorous training Kendalais hurled at him. "You are not an elf, therefore you do not have the strength or stamina of an elf," the Warrior Master told him. "You must overcome that weakness and learn new things to balance it out in battle or your opponents may very well be able to finish you off."Kendalais was blunt if he was anything. The grueling sessions always left Rhychard sore and exhausted with barely enough time to rest before he aw
Rhychard pulled the truck in front of Timmy's house and then let Kree out of the back when he was sure no one watched them. It didn't matter, however. Kree had become such a fixture in the Bottoms over the past few days that no one would have batted an eye at his appearance. At the sound of the truck, Timmy came barreling out of the front door of his house, racing straight towards Kree, who just stood there and waited for the embrace. Rhychard just shook his head. :Making friends while I've been gone, huh?::Everyone needs friends,: Kree said. :Even a coshey.:Rhychard reached out and rubbed the elven hound's mane. He then turned to Timmy. "I hope you've been staying out of trouble.""I can take care of myself, I told you," Timmy said. Famallumi stepped up to join them and Timmy and he did some sort of fancy handshake as if members of some secret club together. Rhychard couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at how Timmy got along with their little band of misfits.Then t
Buttercup handed Alana Leary the files on a new medical center going up near Feather Lakes, all the forms signed and notarized. Alana asked her to stay a little later than normal today because of those files, which, apparently, Bertram needed ASAP. It didn't matter to Buttercup—Laci—as they paid her by the hour and she needed all the money she could earn in a legitimate way. She wanted to be able to repay Rhychard for some of the many things he did for her. She was ready to start carrying her own weight in this world. Besides, she wasn't due at The Murky Cauldron until nine, so she had plenty of time. The store was just downtown, close enough to the Leary Building for her to walk. After all, it wasn't like it would be the first time she walked these streets at night. "Thank you, Laci," Alana said, taking the files from Buttercup's hand. "Bertram will be pleased this is completed. It's been a roadblock to getting this medical center up and running.""Glad I could get it done then." But
Alex sat on the cushion, a bottle of water in his hands. Buttercup glanced at the spot where she knew her sister should be sitting, a twinge of guilt once again twisting in her gut. She glanced over at Tansy and noticed the woman giving her a sympathetic smile. Luckily, she didn't say anything about Jayden, though."With everything you've seen, you doubt it?" Tansy asked her. "Many different races make up the faerie world, both Seelie and Unseelie. The merrow are just one of them, and not the good ones. They are also not the most popular ones, so I find it odd that your boss would know of them or even be able to pick them out of a painting. When non-believers see a depiction of a merrow, they just assume it's a mermaid.""Oh, she knew they were merrow all right, and got quite pissed off when I called them mermaids," Buttercup said."Why would she even care?" Kayla asked. "I mean, it wasn't like you insulted her family or anything."Why, indeed? Buttercup wished she knew. None of it mad
Rhychard stared at his brother's body, blood covering Karl's face, his nose crooked as if broken, one eye swollen. These kids beat the shit out of him and then had the balls to bring Karl's shattered body to Rhychard. :Kree, is he..?: Rhychard stared at Karl's chest, begging to see it rise and fall with his breathing.:Yes, Warrior, your sibling lives. I can heal him, but I need to get to him soon.::Do it. I'll keep these asses from stopping you.: Rhychard turned his gaze to the one who seemed to be in charge, the Warrior's eyes narrow slits as he took a deep breath, rage fueling his words. "There better be a damn good reason for this or so help me, you won't live to regret it."The leader laughed, turning back to his men as they joined in his laughter. In numbers, foolish people were brave. Rhychard would teach them the falsehood of their bravado. The dark-skinned man turned back to Rhychard, his smile gone, a sneer in its place. "Yeah, your brother said you imagined yourself some ty
While their mother piddled in the kitchen fixing them a plate of fajitas, the Valentine sisters sat on the living room sofa, legs folded under them. Maria Valentine put most of the house back in order after Baltabek's attack, but the destruction remained obvious to Laci. She held tight to her sister ever since the Summerlands, scared to let her go. Jayden, of course, fussed at her to stop being a mother hen.Once everyone arrived back at Rhychard's Thinking Rock, a place Renny decided would cause the least amount of sightseers, the witches and Famallumi returned to the Murky Cauldron while Rhychard placed a still-weak Jayden in the back of Laci's car. The eldest Valentine wasted no time or words as she headed straight for home."I almost lost you," Laci said. "I don't know what I would have done if that happened.""Probably moved into my room since it's the biggest," Jayden said with a shrug."That's not even funny," Laci snapped, shoving Jayden's hand away from her in disgust.Jayden
Rhychard wasn't sure what he hit, but he found himself spinning backward, the Guardian Sword leaving his hand as he hit the ground with a hard thud, the air whooshing out of his lungs. Scrambling to his feet, a pain tugging at the back of his head from where he hit the ground, the first thing he noticed was Laci sprawled on top of Kree. Renny! He jerked his attention around until he saw her still gripping Jayden's arm as both women lay stretched out on the grass. However, he didn't see the wall he ran into, knocking him back on his ass. Another glance around, and he noticed the salt circle and the three witches sitting on the ground, eyes closed as they chanted. An older man he didn't recognize stood behind Wanda, his face a mask of admiration.A groan alerted Rhychard to Baltabek stirring, and Rhychard lunged for his sword. The demon moved faster, however, and shot a burst of his demonic power at the Warrior, knocking him back against the invisible barrier, the air he just managed to
Rhychard heard screams, but he couldn't tell whose or where they originated. They might have even been his for all he knew. Pieces of the broken table jabbed him in his back and legs, and he felt blood making a trail down his side. Groaning, he tried to sit up. He must get up. Renny needed his protection as did his parents.:Warrior, Baltabek is heading to your home,: Kree sent. Rhychard could hear the elven hound moving toward him through their connection. :He hid among the woods along the creek.:"Rhychard!" Renny shouted, and then he felt her hands on his arms along with someone else's on his other side.:Well, he knows how to make an entrance.: Rhychard sent.He could hear shouts of panic coming from the parking lot and other apartments, people screaming at the sudden explosion.Glancing up, he noticed the other set of hands helping him to his feet belonged to his father. His mother stood by the sofa, her face pinched with concern, and Tryna picked herself up off the floor from whe
Tansy walked over to where Alex's backpack lay on the ground from where the gnome dropped it when they first entered the Summerlands, pulling out the container of salt that rolled halfway out. As she stood, she couldn't take her gaze off the dark pack, remembering its owner and how far he came since walking into the Murky Cauldron that first day. Her heart twisted, and she did her best to keep the tears at bay. She didn't know how much time they had, so she needed to make sure she completed the barrier spell before Renny arrived with Baltabek.Kayla and Wanda sat off to the side, Kayla with her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared at the last spot she saw Alex, and Wanda absorbing her surroundings. Since the demons had been cast out of the Summerlands, the dank grayish color slowly faded away, replaced once more by the lush greens and vibrant colors of the flowers that filled the Land of the Dead. They had even seen the return of some of those who had already passed on from the
"Mom! Dad. What are you doing here?" Rhychard just stood there, staring. He didn't need this right now."Your father thought I was crazy," Catherine Bartlett said. "He even made sure I didn't have any hidden wine bottles anywhere. Empty wine bottles, that is. I had to drag him here to see for himself.""You're alive," Rhychard's father said as he stood there and stared at Renny, his brows bunched in disbelief. "How is this even possible?"Rhychard sighed. "I've discovered just about anything is possible these days.""Hello, Mr. Bartlett," Renny said as she casually closed her purse, hiding the gnomes from sight for now. Catherine didn't handle them well last time, and Renny didn't know how Rhychard's father would react. "I'm sorry we didn't come over and tell you. We've just been…well, we've had our hands full."James Bartlett swooped in, wrapping his arms around Renny and giving her the tightest bear hug she ever had. "I can imagine you have," he told her, his voice filled with enthus
Rhychard watched as Renny gathered up the other Warriors and returned them to the Guardian Sword, only to reappear a moment later with Pux on her shoulder. Laci paced the entire time until Renny returned, eager to be on her way to protecting her sister. With the bridges gone, she had no other way back to the Land Above than Renny. None of them did, actually. Rhychard ran a hand over his long, dark hair, worried about what they would find when they arrived in the Valentine household, concerned for his brother, just as Laci showed concern for her sister.Tansy still stood off to the side, holding a sobbing Kayla and a shaking Wanda. Both witches shifted back to normal once the demons left them, but still wore the wear and tear from the possession. Rhychard hoped they would continue to heal with time, at least physically. He highly doubted Kayla would heal emotionally anytime soon considering her hands snapped Alex's neck even though the demon controlled her. That would be a heavy weight
Karl stood there, still not sure what he should be doing or even what was actually happening. He saw what those demons did to downtown. He couldn't possibly stop one if it showed up now and took over Jayden's body. Glancing over at Famallumi, he wondered just how much power the elves possessed. Gormec seemed to always have his giant hammer nearby, and while Karl had seen its power before, was it enough to stop the demons? There were only five of them against a demon like the ones who killed a witch and almost defeated his brother, the Warrior. Karl didn't particularly care for his odds."How do you feel?" he asked Jayden, his hands over his chest."I'd feel better if you'd stop staring at me like I'm about to go off my meds," Jayden snapped."How about I go and fix us all some lemonade?" Jayden's mother suggested. "It'll give us something to do while we wait for the others.""Do we even know they're going to be here?" Gormec asked, leaning on the handle of his hammer. "It's been longer
The witches continued to shout their chant, their power strengthened with their success. Baltabek sent a blast toward them, but Rhychard blocked it and hurled the power at the demon's feet, the ground exploding and shoving Baltabek up and backward into the air. The other Warriors quickly pressed their attack while the demon lay on the ground.Kayla let out a wail, slicing the air, and dropped to her knees. The demon inside of her wasn't so easily taken, however. With clenched fists, he shoved his power at the witches, doing his best to stop their chanting. Rhychard caught one of the bolts before it struck Tansy, but the next slipped past him and struck Laci in the chest, somersaulting her backward to land on the ground in a heap.Kree leaped up on his back paws, spinning in midair before racing over to the fallen witch. Rhychard could hear her moan and breathed a sigh of relief that she still lived. :Is she okay?: he asked Kree.Kree leaned down, pressing his muzzle against Laci's sho
Rhychard blocked another blast, sending it off to the side to explode into the ground. The gnomes fought from inside the ground, churning up the soil the demons stood upon and causing them to slip and lose their balance. Kree darted in all directions, drawing the demons' fire while he attempted to get close enough to bite one of them. The witches sent their power at the demons, Rose from behind and the others in front, doing their best to keep Baltabek and the others from focusing on any one person. They all did their best to bide Renny time to bring the other Warriors out of the sword, but Rhychard wasn't sure how much longer they could keep it up.The demons who possessed the witches spun, one sending a bolt of power at Rhychard's head and the other one sending one at his feet. He swung his sword, blocking the bolt to his head, but missing the one aimed at his feet. The magic snatched at his ankles, spinning him around and dragging him to the ground. His sword arm hit the ground, his