Chapter XXXII

Album cocked an eyebrow in unrestrained irritation as she watched Nigreos slam his fist against the wall of the rundown house’s main room. Her partner was shaking with anger and she half expected him to start throwing some tantrum like a child. However, despite everything that had happened, he kept his cool enough to merely stand there, breathing heavily as he continued to take everything in. As for her, while she was just as frustrated at their defeat as he was, she had enough self-control not to lash out a wall. Album instead stood quietly in the corner, once again pushing healing magic into her limp right arm, knowing that if she didn’t attend to it as often as possible, she would lose it forever.

“Did that really happen?” Nigreos finally growled. “Did we really lose to them?”

Album snorted. “I wouldn’t call it a loss. Rather, it just further delays the inevitable. And now, there are three less targets for us to deal with. Sure, Mendez got away, but we already got the information we needed from her. It’s only a matter of time before we track her down and deal with her.”

Nigreos scoffed, turning around to glare her way. “How can you be so calm about this?! We lost the nerich, we lost Mendez, and we allowed Rina Davens to die! Now, we can’t erase her and it’ll only put this city on further alert!”

“Oh, worried about alerting the city now, are we?” she sneered. “Not two weeks ago, you were slaughtering innocents in that diner, but now you don’t want them to know we’re here? Try to be consistent, Nigreos.”

“Don't give me that,” he spat. “Those were different circumstances. Back then, I was trying to keep Reiner from knowing that anything magical was in the city. But now, it doesn’t matter! He already knows we’re here so allowing anybody to die just complicates everything! Don’t act like you don’t know that!”

She snorted her disdain and glanced away. While he was right in that matters had been made slightly more complicated, she didn’t think it was anything they needed to get so worked up about. Davens and Wright finding their way to the hideout had been surprising, but at the end of the day, they simply offered themselves up on a silver platter, primed and ready to be disposed of. Because of their idiotic actions, Evan Wright had been erased and, while it would have been preferable to erase her as well, Rina Davens was dead and no longer a problem for them.

And now, even Jay Brooks is gone, she thought with a smirk. That nerich was a failure in every sense of the word and in the end, Nigreos couldn’t even control him. We should have just erased that boy from the start.

“So, if you don’t see this as a problem, what’s your plan now?” he demanded after a moment longer of silence. “How are we going to finish this? Reiner aside, we still have five more targets to erase and we don’t know anything about them beyond their names, and that Harper and Hill live in the same damn building. Once again, we’re walking blind.”

Album shrugged. “Sure, in a way. But to be honest, I don’t think we have to do much. From the sound of it, Reiner didn’t know that Wright and Davens were coming here so imagine his surprise when he wakes up to find the girl dead, and Wright and Brooks erased.” She laughed coldly. “He’ll panic. He’ll be angry. He’ll know we’re winning and he’ll want to do everything he can to stop us. If I had to guess, Eric Reiner will make the same mistake they did… After all, Mendez knows where we’re hiding so it isn’t unlikely that she’ll tell him…and with that information…he’ll come to us.”

The Master of Darkness folded his arms and regarded her dubiously. “That’s your plan? You just want to wait and see?”

“Yes, I think it’s the smartest move at this point,” she said. “Not only am I still recovering from our last encounter with the boy, but I think it’ll be best to see how Davens’s death affects this town. The city isn’t just going to overlook the murder of a schoolgirl. There will be investigations. People will be scared and more on edge…especially after what you did at the diner.”

Nigreos scowled. “Haven’t we wasted enough time as it is?”

“Perhaps,” she muttered. “But I don’t think we have an option anymore. This isn’t the simple mission we thought it was, but in the end, the result won’t change. We just need to be more strategic about what we do and when we do it. So, my proposal is that we wait and see. Let’s take a few days and merely observe. Like I said, perhaps victory will fall into our lap.”

Her partner clicked his tongue, making his displeasure obvious. “I guess I see your point. However, at the same time, I do think we should be getting something done. At the very least, I’ll see if I can track down where Lilly Harper lives. If we can erase her and that little girl, that’s two less problems for us to put up with.”

Album nodded. “Fair enough. And how do you plan on finding them?”

“Simple,” he grunted back. “If that high school of hers is anything like the academies in Ijiria then the administration has to have records of some type that tells us where their students live. And while acquiring them will take some time, I do believe that it will be well worth the effort. In fact, if that succeeds, I’ll have Clark, Tao, and even Reiner located.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Album retorted, already skeptical of how Nigreos would even go about stealing records from a place they physically could not enter.

“Then I’ll simply have to scour the city until I find her,” he snapped. “I know she and Hill live in an apartment building so if I merge into the shadows and simply observe, as you suggested, I’m sure I’ll find them eventually. Do you have a problem with that?”

Deciding that Nigreos wouldn’t be satisfied unless he was doing something, and given that it wasn’t the worse plan, Album merely turned the subject away from locating their targets and toward a more pressing concern of hers.

“And Reiner? Are you still insistent on taking him to Ijiria or have you finally come to your senses?”

“Shut up,” he spat immediately. “I’m not discussing this with you again. You’re no longer in any position to harm him without your magic. I’m not either. I think it would be best to take him with us and I’m not changing my mind. Disagree with me all you want, Album, but I don’t give a damn what you think.”

She could tell that arguing with him wasn’t going to achieve anything, so she decided to bite her tongue and not waste her breath. They’d already clashed over the subject enough times to give her plenty of headaches. In their current predicament, she was willing to simply see where the chips fell, but if the opportunity to kill the boy ever presented itself, she wouldn’t hesitate to take it.

“Anyway, I need some air. I’ll be back later.”

With that curt goodbye, Nigreos turned and stalked from the room, leaving her standing alone in the darkened house. She made no move to stop him, and instead walked toward the cracked window in the corner and gazed out at the rainy morning sky.

This has certainly been an unexpectedly challenging mission, she mused. But that alone should be enough to tell us that we can’t afford to let Reiner live. We need to put this debacle behind us, retrieve the relic, and go home.

Album listened to the rain pattering against the roof for a moment, finding the sound calming. We’re close. We now have five of them down. There are only five more to go, and then Reiner himself. It’s almost over. I can feel it.

***

What could I have done differently? How much of this could have been avoided if I’d just been better. I no longer know what’s right and what’s not. Every choice I make seems like the wrong one, and every time I make a wrong choice, somebody dies. How much blood is on my hands now? First, Vinny was taken from me. Then they got Brad. And now, in one fell swoop, Evan, Jay, and Rina were all killed. I’m pathetic. I’m a failure. But at the very least, nobody remembered the losses. It was my burden to bear. Everybody else was allowed to stay happy and ignorant. So why?! What the hell is different this time?!

Eric was walking through the halls of West Wilham High’s first floor, listening to the whispers of the students around him. Some were crying. Some were gossiping. And none were happy. The end of the year was in sight. Summer was right around the corner, but the normal end-of-year bustle had been replaced by a tense atmosphere.

“Was she really murdered?”

“I can't believe it. I had biology with her.”

“Why would somebody do that?”

“She was always so cheerful. Whenever I asked her for help on my homework, she’d be there for me. She was so smart.”

“I didn’t know her well, but the few times we talked, she seemed really nice.”

The pained voices of his fellow students tormented him as he made his way toward the stairs. They made him want to scream all over again. He didn’t understand why it had to be this way.

Why do they remember her?! Why haven’t they forgotten Rina?! Nobody remembers Vinny or Brad or Evan or Jay! So why her?! What’s different this time?! What did Nigreos and Album do?! Are they tormenting me? Are they doing this to torture to me?!

Eric clenched his fists, wanting to seek out the club members, but also afraid to face them. He’d spoken with each of them over the phone a few times over the weekend, but he’d never gone to see them. He’d been too busy. The police had come by to question him and his father since they had been in the group that found Rina’s body. His dad had mostly dealt with it, but just the fact that there was an investigation at all scared him. After all, there was nothing to find. If the cops located Nigreos and Album then they would just become the next senseless victims of those murderers.

I just don’t get it. The others don’t remember Jay or Evan…so why Rina?

And to make matters even worse, with Evan erased and Rina dead, he had no way to find out what really went down that Friday afternoon. All he knew was that Rina had somehow managed to rescue Alice, though he didn’t even have a clue how she managed to find her.

And then there’s Jay. Why was he erased? Why would Nigreos and Album take out their own monster?

His only thought was that his actions the other night actually succeeded in breaking past the spell and to wake Jay up, but whether that was true or not, it no longer mattered. The boy was gone and there was nothing he could do for him anymore.

It’s all such a damn mystery and one that I’m nowhere close to solving. He shook his head. And then there’s Dad…

With the discovery of Rina’s body and his subsequent breakdown, he had been forced to admit everything to his father. The only thing he left out was the confirmation of his mother’s death as, at that moment, he didn’t have the heart to break that news. But he told the man everything about the stone, Nigreos and Album’s arrival, and their mission to erase them all. His father had listened to everything and then didn’t have much of a reaction. Eric wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but all his father did was flee further into himself then kept his distance for the rest of the weekend. He imagined he was processing it all, but at the very least, his father believed him.

And he’s keeping Alice hidden at the house for the time being so I guess I should be grateful for that. Not really sure what else he could do for us.

Eric reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, finding a similar sight to what was happening below. It seemed Rina’s murder was all anybody was talking about, though he didn’t find that surprising in the slightest. The diner was a shock and now, after Alice’s disappearance, another West Wilham student had gotten involved and this one was confirmed dead. It was only natural that everybody would be terrified.

The boy glanced off to the side to see Charlotte Banks sobbing as she hugged Steven McCormick, the boy who Eric recalled had been dating Rina. They were sitting against the wall opposite the lockers and he could see in McCormick’s eyes that he was desperately holding back his tears as he tried to comfort Charlotte. For a moment, the red-haired boy glanced up at him and all Eric could manage was a weak nod in a pathetic attempt to give condolences. However, McCormick quickly looked away, choosing to ignore him, so Eric continued on his way to Mrs. Kentz’s class.

I have to do something. This is too much. There has to be something I can do! That image of Rina’s…corpse has been haunting me all weekend! Nigreos and Album killed her so I need to deal with them! I’ll find some way to stop them…to kill them. Anything to make sure they never hurt anybody else ever again!

When he arrived in Mrs. Kentz’s class, he found Lilly sitting at her desk with her head down. He then scanned the room and instead looked at the group of boys sitting in the back corner that had always been there when he arrived. In the past, they would be chatting and laughing, with Brad and Evan at the head of the fun. But today, they sat in silence, their friends all forgotten. He took a deep breath and approached his girlfriend, taking a seat in Alice’s empty desk in front of her. The girl slowly looked up when she heard him.

“Eric?” she muttered. “Hey.”

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“Hey,” he managed to reply as he placed his hand over hers. “I’m sorry.”

He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. Was it for failing to protect the others? Was it for the fact that he told Alexa about magic, something they still had yet to discuss with everything that happened. Or was it because he feared there was nothing he could do to protect her, and soon, she would be taken from him as well. He didn’t know. Perhaps it was all three, he thought.

“Is…Alice really okay?” Lilly uttered after a moment, so softly that he could barely hear her.

He nodded. “To an extent. I’ve done my best to heal her, but I can’t regrow limbs. She’s alive though.”

“Can I…can I visit after school?”

“Of course.”

Their conversation was brief, and soon they returned to silence. They stayed that way for the next twenty minutes until the bell rang, and when it did, he shuffled over to his desk, knowing that paying attention in class would be pointless. He wasn’t even sure there was any point in going to school anymore. He was more there out of habit than anything.

After all, what did it matter? Everything would be over soon anyway.

***

The day wasn’t an easy one and tension and stress resulting from Rina’s murder only seemed to get worse. During lunch, the principal made an announcement over the loudspeaker that they would be holding an assembly in memory of Rina that Friday and that counselors had been called to the school for anybody who needed it. In addition, all club activities had been suspended for the foreseeable future, most likely due to the fear that other students could be killed by the mystery assailant if they were out too late. As the day passed by, Lilly was mostly on autopilot. She hardly paid attention in class, instead choosing to stare into space as she tried to prevent another panic attack. Finding out that they had lost Brad Fischer had taken a toll on her despite her inability to remember him, but only a day later, everything got even worse. According to Eric, two more of them had been erased—boys named Evan Wright and Jay Brooks. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember what either of them looked like or what her relationship was to them and, this time, Eric didn’t tell her. They were complete enigmas, just like Fischer and Mickelson, and it made her want to cry again.

And now…Rina’s dead. She was killed by Nigreos and Album, and for some reason, I still remember her. I don’t understand why. It doesn’t make sense! I thought everybody would forget about us if the Masters killed us, but they remember Rina! Does this mean…it’s not guaranteed that we’ll be forgotten? Could my family remember me if I die?

The thought that her death wouldn’t hurt her family had been one of the few things allowing her to retain some level of comfort. Knowing that they would forget about her and move on with their lives was a better thought than imagining them grieving over her passing. That was what she wanted, but now, even that wasn’t certain.

What do we do? How are we supposed to fight this? Damien and Liz keep urging us not to give up, but what reason do we have to believe we can win? Sure, Eric’s got that protection or whatever, but what good has it actually done us?

Like she had been for the past couple weeks, she thought of Natalie, still oblivious to the threat of her death. This coming weekend, Alexa and her parents were going north to visit the college her older sister planned to attend. Lilly had opted to stay home alone and, since Renee was also out that weekend, Natalie was going to be staying with her.

Assuming I even make it to the weekend, at least she’ll be close to me. That way, I’ll know she’s safe.

Lilly clenched her teeth as she closed her locker and turned in the direction of the clubroom. Despite club activities being canceled, Damien still decided to call them to the clubroom for a few minutes just so they could discuss their next move.

Next move, huh? Yeah…like there’s anything we can do now.

Yet, despite believing it to be pointless, she was going anyway. After all, there was one good thing that had come out of Friday’s tragedy: Alice was rescued. Eric had told her that he didn’t know what happened, but whatever Rina and the erased boys did, they managed to save her. Eric was keeping her at his place so Nigreos and Album could no longer use her as a hostage. Their Monday time limit had arrived, but they managed to evade it.

At least your death wasn’t in vain, Rina, Lilly thought sadly. Wherever you are now, I’ll always be grateful for that. You saved Alice’s life.

Lilly arrived at the clubroom and pulled the door open to step inside, only to come to a sudden stop upon realizing that the club members weren’t the only ones present. Alexa was also there, sitting in one of the desks with her head down. Though, when Lilly opened the door, she quickly got to her feet and faced her.

Right… And then there’s that…

With all Eric was going through, she had chosen not to confront him about revealing everything to her sister, but it was still an issue that needed to be addressed. However, there was no longer any going back, so she found herself surprised that Alexa was there.

At least she never used the stone. In the end, I guess telling her won’t matter. She’ll forget all about it.

“Alright, let’s make this quick,” Damien began. “We don’t have much time since club activities are now suspended.”

The boy was standing at the head of the classroom in the spot Eric usually took, making it clear that he would be leading the discussion this time. Liz was at his side while Eric was instead standing against the wall, that same distant look in his eyes that he’d had ever since Vinny Mickelson vanished.

“We need to figure out a plan,” he went on, showing far more composure than Lilly would have expected given the circumstances.

What are they thinking right now? Are Damien and Liz really managing to hold themselves together? Or are they just as broken as I feel?

Damien looked her way for a moment, making eye contact with her, before turning back to face everybody. “I know Rina’s death was a blow, but I don’t want that death to have been in vain. Alice is safe now because of her, so we have more freedom to move against the Masters.”

Eric shook his head, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “And how would we move against them, Damien? Davens and Wright already tried and look where that got them. They may have saved Alice, but they’re gone. They’re dead.”

“It’s not like what they did was smart,” Liz quickly added. “Going there alone was stupid, but we can’t let their sacrifice mean nothing. You have magic, Eric. You’ve survived the attack by that monster and you managed to beat them both in a fight.”

“By pure luck, Liz,” he retorted sharply. “I told you, the only reason I beat Nigreos and Album is because of whatever charm my mother left on me! But now they know about it, so I’m sure they’ll find some way to counteract it! And as for the monster—er…wait? You remember the monster?”

Liz frowned in confusion at the sudden and strange question. “Um…of course? Why wouldn’t I?”

Stunned, the boy then looked at Lilly. “You, too, Lilly?”

Why’s he so surprised? Did he think that thing got erased too or something?”

“How could I forget?” she mumbled. “I’m still having nightmares about it.”

“And did it look…familiar?”

“Familiar? No…”

Her response seemed to answer whatever question he had since he quickly returned to the melancholic attitude he had prior before he turned his attention back to the two at the front of the class.

“Anyway,” he muttered. “It doesn’t matter. The monster is gone. It’s not a problem anymore.”

Damien exhaled sharply as Eric so causally revealed what was crucial information. “Gone? Wha—? What the hell do you mean? How is it gone? Did you take it down somehow?”

All four of the others stared at the boy in curiosity, even Alexa who had remained quiet ever since she arrived. Lilly didn’t know what to think, but if the nightmarish creature that tried to kill her was gone, then that meant they had overcome at least one hurdle. Even if Nigreos and Album were still completely untouchable to her, the death of that monster would at least be a victory.

“I didn’t…” he replied meekly. “In all honesty, I don’t know how it died. I just know that, before she left, Davens told my father that it was killed. Dunno how she and Wright beat it though.”

Lilly’s eyes widened. “You’re…telling me that Rina killed that thing? Or, at least, this Wright guy did?”

“That’s what I was told,” he confirmed. “I don’t know much else but, after my own investigation this weekend, I can confirm that it’s gone. Nigreos and Album are our only enemies now, not like that changes much.”

Damien’s expression turned even more determined as he placed his hands against the teacher’s podium. “No! It’s all the more reason to keep fighting! If the monster’s down, then we just need to find some way of defeating Nigreos and Album! There’s gotta be something you haven’t tried, Eric! Maybe your mother left you something or…?”

Eric flinched and for a moment, Lilly wondered if there was actually something he hadn't brought up, but the expression was soon gone. “No, I was left with nothing…nothing I know how to use, at least.”

“But you do have something?” Liz pressed. “Cause maybe we can figure it out?”

“No,” he snapped. “There’s nothing to figure out. It’s not something we can use against them. I know that much.” The boy then sighed, placing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “Just…hide. That’s all I’m asking of you guys. I’ll see what I can do, but I don’t want you getting involved. Wright and Davens are gone…and you will follow if you fight them. I’ll find some way to save you myself.”

“But…Reiner…”

Alexa seemed to have finally decided that she needed to intervene and, when she spoke, all eyes turned to look at her. “It’s just…I’m confused, is all,” she admitted. “Which makes sense seeing as how little I know, but if you go alone and get killed, then they all die anyway. My sister’s life is at stake here so you can’t just deal with this without some sort of help. If they can help you then let them.”

“That’s the thing, they can’t!” he snarled suddenly, his temper seeming to have reached a breaking point. “Nobody here can help me! I’m the one with magic and I’m the one they can’t touch. If anybody’s going to fight them, it should be me!”

“And yet Davens managed to save Mendez. Clearly she put up some sort of fight, because she got away,” Alexa retorted fiercely, unshaken by Eric’s obvious anger..

“And in the process, she died,” the boy growled. “She saved Alice, got herself killed, and soon enough, Alice will meet the same fate if I don’t do something. You don’t want your sister to die, Harper? Then she, and Damien and Liz, should simply hide.”

“I’m not just going to hide and wait to die, Eric!” Damien snapped.

“Then you can walk headfirst into your death instead!” Eric roared back. “Is that what you want, Damien? To go on a suicide run with no hope of success and throw your entire life away? If you can’t fight then you’re only a burden!”

Damien opened his mouth to argue back, but before he could, the door to the clubroom opened and everybody in the room froze, each remaining silent as a familiar older man poked his head in. Mr. Lowe, their club advisor, glanced around the room then sighed in exasperation.

“I had a feeling you four would be here,” he muttered. “Didn’t you hear the announcement? Club activities are canceled today. You should all go home.”

The advisor eyed each of them, clearly noticing the tension in the room, especially between Damien and Eric. Lilly even suspected he might have heard the shouting, but before he could say anything about it, Eric merely nodded.

“Apologies, Mr. Lowe,” he replied softly. “We had to discuss something. We were just getting ready to leave.”

“Eric,” Damien whispered, but the boy ignored him.

“I’ll meet you out by the gate, Lilly.”

And with that curt statement, he stalked away, brushing past Mr. Lowe and moving out into the hallway. The older man glanced over his shoulder before turning his attention back to those still present.

“I won’t pry into your business,” he mumbled. “But if any of you need to talk, there are councilors down in room 1-5.”

Liz forced a smile as she replied, “Thanks, Mr. Lowe, but we’re…okay. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Lilly could tell he was unconvinced. Damien was staring down at the ground with his jaw clenched and Alexa looked like she wanted to leave as quickly as possible. She wasn’t sure what she looked like at that moment, but she wouldn’t have been surprised if she, too, was failing to hide how stressed she was.

“Alright then,” Lowe said. “Just get home safely, kids.”

Lilly watched him leave and once the door shut behind him, they were left alone once again. Damien shook his head and collapsed into one of the desks before putting his face in his hands. Liz immediately rushed to stand by his side, her earlier smile all but vanished as her true emotions came through.

“We really shouldn’t be fighting like this,” Damien grumbled. “I’m sorry for losing my temper. I just wish there was more I could do. I mean, am I wrong? Should we just hide and hope Eric can handle this or…?”

“Who knows,” Liz answered meekly. “I don’t have a clue what we’re supposed to do. I don’t want Eric to get himself killed while I sit by and do nothing but…I don’t want to be a burden either.”

Lilly turned away, no longer even having the strength to try and reason out their next move. Instead, she silently picked up her bag and left the room, grateful that the other three didn’t call out to her. At that point, all she wanted to do was talk to Alice.

***

Alexa didn’t try to stop Lilly from leaving despite her strong desire to rush after her. The only reason for this was because she knew her sister was meeting Eric at the school’s gates. If Lilly was going to be safe anywhere, it was with him. So, once the girl had left, she bid Clark and Tao a brief goodbye and went on her way as well. She wasn’t even sure what she should be doing anymore. It was one thing for Eric to claim that some supernatural beings were after the club, but it was another for an innocent girl to actually be murdered. If there was any doubt left in her mind that they were telling the truth, Rina Davens’s death wiped it away. Somebody was dead and she would never come back. Alexa thought the school was tense after the attacks at the diner and hospital, but this was far worse. Rina Davens had been relatively popular and even those who didn’t know her personally were in mourning.

And Lilly could meet the same fate! This is actually happening! Magic is real! These murderers are real! And Reiner doesn’t think there’s anything they can do to stop them! So is that it? Is my little sister actually going to die?

Alexa swallowed back her fear and shivered. She wanted to deny it, but even just witnessing that club meeting told her they were all just as terrified. Their lives were the ones on the line. Because she hadn’t ever touched their magic gem, the sorcerers wouldn’t go after her unless they were going to use her against Lilly. As long as they never found out she existed, she would be safe.

But by being safe, that means I’ll be stuck here alone. I’ll forget about my sister and be ignorant about what really happened here. I don’t want that! I don’t want to lose Lilly! And what if…I don’t forget her? What if, like Davens, they just kill her. What’s a worse fate? To forget I ever had a sister or to remember her after she dies? She shook her head. Damn it! You better fix this, Reiner! You better get her out of this alive, because if not…

She let the thought hang because she knew she wouldn’t actually do anything. No matter how much she wanted to blame him, she couldn’t. They didn’t know what they were doing and Lilly had already stressed numerous times over the weekend that she used the stone as much as Eric did.

What am I going to do?

She sighed as she walked onto the staircase just as one of the teachers almost ran into her. She stopped in surprise and he muttered a quick apology before rushing off, pushing past her and making his way up the stairs. Alexa stared after him for a moment, recognizing him as Mr. Alexander, the History teacher. For whatever reason, the man appeared to be in a rush and under different circumstances, she might have brushed the incident from her mind, but…

Why did he look so…scared?