Death's Mantle: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Revelations Book 1) (3 page)

“Hey buddy, why the long face?” Ian called, waving his hand at Jesse.

“No reason.” Jesse slumped his head even lower, burying it in the crook of his arms as he stared out at the yellowed baseball field below so all Ian could see of his head was his mop of black hair.

“No reason or some reason?” Ian asked, poking his friend in the side with one slender finger.

Jesse turned his head so one brown eye was staring up at Ian. “I said no reason.”

“Jesse, we both know you’re upset because Amy didn’t come to school today. Care to tell me why?” Ian slapped his hand on Jesse’s back in some sort of attempt at a friendly gesture. Honestly, he wasn’t quite sure what the appropriate physical contact would be in this situation.

“Not really…” Jesse turned back toward the baseball field. “We had a fight after school, yesterday. I’m worried that’s why she didn’t come to school today.”

“Um… why? What did you guys fight about?” Ian asked, glancing behind him toward the open door. He wasn’t exactly sure how much longer he had in the passing period, but it couldn’t be much longer. If he didn’t get inside soon, he’d be late.

“I honestly don’t even really remember. It seemed silly at the time.” Jesse exhaled so hard it could have blown down all of the three little pigs’ houses. “Still, you’d think she would have called me if she was going to ditch, especially since she normally drives me here. I was almost late waiting for her. I wound up running all the way to school.”

Ian was instantly concerned, though he wasn’t quite sure why. He had hoped there would be a simple explanation for Amy’s sudden absence, like she was touring a college campus somewhere. Evidently, that wasn’t the case. The urge to go over to her house and check on her was so overwhelming, he almost didn’t hear Jesse’s next words.

“I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer. Now I’m all twisted up. I can’t concentrate, and it just sucks.” Jesse turned and stared at Ian. The look of anguish on his face made Ian’s heart twist into a knot. “Do you think she’s going to break up with me?” As he said the words, Ian felt guilt crawl up the back of his neck like a sticky-fingered insect. If that was why she ditched, well that would mean she was single… Ian swallowed, pushing the thought away. Now wasn’t the time for that line of thinking. Besides, Jesse was his friend, right?

“I doubt that.” Ian looked away, staring out into the parking lot. It was hard for him to admit it, but he hadn’t considered the possibility that the two of them might break up. If they did, could he date Amy? No, no, that would make him like Caden with Kim. He had been friends with Jesse since they were five. He couldn’t do that to him. No, Amy was off limits.

Ian steeled himself and turned back to stare at his friend. “I guess we’ll just have to go to her house and check on her then. We’ll chalk it up to a senior ditch day.”

“But we have class.” Jesse glanced toward the stairs leading down to the parking lot.

“We have biology. We’re learning about cells and ribosomes. Everyone knows about that stuff.” Ian waved his hand dismissively as he moved toward the stairs.

“But…”

Ian looked back over his shoulder as he pulled out his keys and dangled them in the air. “This is a onetime offer. Either you come with me right now, or you drop it for the rest of the day. What’s it going to be?”

“Fine,” Jesse replied, stomping toward him as the tardy bell rang.

Ian 01:02

“Don’t say I never did anything for you,” Ian said as they pulled into Amy’s driveway. He was about to say something additional when he was struck completely dumb by the sight of a large grey llama chained to a decorative wooden post in the front yard. It was a little weird because other than the llama, the yard seemed rather normal. Nothing but a freshly mowed green expanse that stretched up toward a small, flowerbed filled with a green hedge trimmed into the shape of a heart.

The llama looked up at them, watching them carefully with large doleful eyes as they got out of the car. Jesse glanced at the llama, but said nothing of it. Ian swallowed. He didn’t remember Amy having a llama, but then again, he’d never been to her house before.

Ian sidled up next to Jesse as they made their way up the cement walkway cutting through the manicured lawn. He waited as far away from the llama as possible while Jesse knocked on the door. Ian peered at it, mouthing the words, “I can see you!”

It whined in the way only a llama could and walked toward him. With each step it took, Ian grew more horrified. His breathing quickened and his palms began to sweat. The chain snapped taut, and the llama jerked to a stop. It stood there, staring at him for what felt like ever before pawing at the ground with one foot, narrowing its eyes at him as its lips curled back to reveal huge white teeth.

The door swung open, and Amy stood there, looking at them. Shock and rage rippled across her face in equal measure as she cinched her pink bathrobe tighter around her body. Despite the robe, Ian could make out what looked like fresh cuts running up across her chest and neck like someone had tried to carve geometric symbols into her flesh.

The urge to reach out and take her into his arms was so overpowering, he very nearly did it. Instead, he bit his lip and glanced at Jesse who stood there open-mouthed before shaking himself like a huge dog and swallowing hard. Why wasn’t he doing something?

“Hey Ames, is everything okay?” Jesse asked, reaching out toward her with one hand. Evidently, he had decided not to ask her about the cuts, but why? “I’m worried about you. I mean, you didn’t come to school, and well, you never miss classes…” he trailed off, his eyes roaming over the wounds lining his girlfriend’s body.

“I’m okay. Thanks for your concern,” she replied, tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she stepped back into the house, her hand still gripping the door like she might slam it shut at any second. “I just needed a break.”

“Amy, what’s wrong?” Jesse asked, his voice strangely hard and angry. “Why won’t you tell me what happened?”

“I can’t really remember. I must have blacked out. My mom made me a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow.” She paused and rubbed her wrists. They were stained an ugly purplish blue. “Truth be told, it could have just been a bad dream.”

“Bad dreams don’t leave marks like that,” Jesse replied, pointing at her wrist. “Did someone hurt you?”

Instead of replying, she moved to shut the door, and Jesse stepped into the doorway, blocking it with his body. “How could you not remember what happened?” He gestured at her. “You’re all sliced up.”

Amy narrowed her eyes, and Ian could have sworn the temperature around them rose a couple degrees. “I said I don’t want to talk about it with you. Can’t you just drop it?”

Anger blazed across Jesse’s face, and just as his friend’s lips started to move, Ian stepped up next to him. “Uh…” Ian wiped his palms on his pants. “Nice llama.” He turned his body, blocking Jesse from view as he pointed at the creature struggling to pull itself free from the chain.

“Thanks, I raised him myself,” Amy said, an edge of happiness tingeing the current of her words. “His name is Charles, and my dad bought him for me when he was just a cria. A cria is a baby llama, if you didn’t know.” She smiled at him and it was like watching the sunrise.

“Charles the llama?” Ian asked, one eyebrow snaking up his forehead. “That’s an interesting name.”

Amy nodded. “Well, Dolly was taken.”

“Uh… huh.” Ian smirked in spite of himself. “I didn’t know people could have llamas here.”

“We had to get a special permit.” Amy looked away from the llama, her eyes settling on Jesse. Her lips tightened into a thin line. “I think I’m going to go lay back down.”

“Can we come in?” Ian interjected. “Maybe we can just keep you company for a while?”

“Um… I don’t think so… I’m not supposed to have boys in the house when mom isn’t here,” Amy responded quietly, her hands hidden once again beneath the sleeves of her robe. The words seemed to force her cheeks to blush and her head to hang.

The look she received from Ian immediately upon completing that statement was the same look commonly received by people who suddenly have another head spring up. Ian was astonished. One of his eyes opened a bit more than the other, and his lips quivered like a dying fish. He took several deep breaths and allowed the words to rattle around inside his head for a moment.. “Let me get this straight… You don’t let boys in your house?”

“Pretty much.” Amy stared at the floor, her cheeks coloring. “At least not when my parents aren’t home.”

“Um… why? Are you crazy? Give it to me straight. I can take it.” He held his arms up as though ready to defend himself from an avalanche.

“My mom just doesn’t allow me to have boys in the house when she isn’t here. It’s not like I made the rule—”

Ian walked past her into the living room. He glanced around, not sure where to go and decided on a random hallway. “Don’t worry, I’ll try to contain my sexy,” he added with a dismissive wave though it didn’t matter because Jesse and Amy were already ignoring him, speaking in low, hushed voices.

All the pictures of Amy with her mom and dad jumped out at him from the walls. He stopped for a second and looked at them. Everyone seemed so happy. They all smiled back at him. He touched one carefully, his finger smoothing away the dust. Ian pulled his hand back quickly as though a snake had attacked him.

A sigh escaped him, even when his mom had been alive, they’d never taken family photos like that. More than a little depressed, he turned the corner and saw the llama coming toward him, broken chain clanking roughly against the wooden floor. He tried to back away, but the llama was too fast. It plowed past him, knocking him down in its haste to get through the hallway. He fell backward and smashed his head into the floor, everything instantly exploding into inky darkness.

Something was licking his ear. The realization hit him like a roofie at a frat party. He pulled back in disgust, but the llama kept frantically licking him. The creature’s eyes met his own, and he realized it had been trying to awaken him after it’d knocked him down. He scrambled to his feet, nearly pinned beneath the llama’s girth.

“Stupid llama!” he cried, shoving the beast away. “If you wanted me awake, you shouldn’t have knocked me unconscious!”

It neighed at him and swung its head toward a doorway to his left, except there was no door there. The door lay across the room like someone had torn it from the hinges and tossed it back over one shoulder. An icy shiver trailed down his spine as he looked around, worry filling him.

The llama moved past him, toward the main room, and because he had no idea what to do, followed along behind the creature. The banister on the staircase was cracked and in one spot, missing completely. The llama neighed at him from the bottom step, and Ian shook his head.

“You want me to go up there?” he asked, not quite sure why he was asking a llama for advice.

The creature seemed to smile as it thrust its face up toward the second floor. His gaze followed the llama’s motion toward a heavy wooden door directly across from the top step. It bore a heavy crack as though someone had struck it a bit too hard, and the sight of it filled it with panic.

“How can this be happening?” Ian murmured half to himself and half to the llama as he bounded up the stairs, desperate to find his friends and make sure they were okay. As he reached the top step, a voice he’d never heard before filled his ears from the other side of the door. Heart racing, he took two quick steps closer and listened, trying to make out the muffled words on the other side of the door.

“Change of plans, Bellum. Instead of using you as bait for the others, the master has decided to take you now. Even as we speak, Polyphemus is preparing to take the others.” There was a loud thud from within the room and purple light exploded from beneath the door.

Ian flung open the door, the urge to help his friends suddenly overwhelming. No one was on the other side. The carpet in the center of the room had been reduced to ash. He took a step backward as smoke filled his nostrils. “Amy? Jesse?” he called, but there was no response as the window shade flapped in the breeze.

Malcom 01:02

Malcom leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling while his professor prattled on about data and Y-intercepts in an almost monotone voice that made it nearly impossible to stay awake, much less concentrate. The teacher was a tall, thin man with a head full of bright, clown-red hair. The longer he babbled, the more restless Malcom felt. He put his hands out on his desk and stared at them. Something was wrong, only he didn’t know what. He raised his hand, about to ask for a bathroom pass so he could go investigate when sheer, unadulterated panic exploded through his mind like a gunshot.

He cried out in pain, his body lurching to the side as what felt like a million volts of electricity tore roughshod through his veins. As the feeling subsided, Malcom found himself lying face down on the dirty laminate floor beside his desk. Something was wrong, only he didn’t know how he knew that. Surely, he was just being an idiot, right?

Malcom looked around as the rest of the class stared at him like he was a crazy person. The wrongness of the situation propelled him to his feet. Something was definitely wrong. He didn’t know how he knew, but right now, he couldn’t have stayed in class even if he wanted to do so.

He bolted from the room, leaving the other students looking at each other in bewilderment. As he rounded the corner of the building his teacher stepped out and called to him, waving. “Malcom, what’s wrong?”

He tried to reply, tried to focus his mouth on the making of words, but for some reason, he couldn’t. Kim was in trouble. The thought exploded through his brain as he threw open the hallway doors and burst outside into the freezing wind. He swung his head toward the archway on his left. That way! Toward the history building! That’s where Kim had class… She was in AP Government right now.

When he reached the stairwell in the middle of the history building, his blood turned to ice and warning bells went off in the back of his mind. The urge to find Kim filled him from the tips of his toes to the top of his shaved head. He had to get to her! Now!