Chapter 21 – Cerberus
CERBERUS
I’m standing outside the bar, debating about what to say to Stacy , when I hear someone call my name. Spinning around, I see Stacy and Kayla grinning beneath an umbrella. They have shopping bags on their arms.
“Hey, girlie,” Kayla greets. “We tried to call you about joining us shopping.”
I wince. “Sorry, I have my phone charging at the apartment.”
When they get closer to me, their smiles falter.
“What’s wrong?” Stacy asks.
Suddenly, my mouth feels dry. How do I tell the only two human friends I’ve ever had that I’m leaving and not coming back?
“I—“
After a minute, Kayla puts the umbrella over me too. “You’re soaking wet!”
“I’m leaving,” I say.
Her face falls.
Stacy shakes her head. “What are you talking about?”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry. I know me leaving means less help with the animals, and less help at the bar.”
“We don’t care about that.” Kayla holds my gaze. “Why are you going?”
A lie comes easily to my lips. But looking at both of them, I just can’t do it. “I told you that my father is a dangerous man. And he’s coming for me. I knew he would. I just hoped I’d have more time.”
Kayla looks angry. “He can’t just send you running! We’ll tell the sheriff! Stacy and I—“
“No,” I say, even though her anger touches me. “But thank you.”
“So what’s the plan?” Stacy presses. “You just keep running forever?”
I look at her, but I can’t quite read her face. “I don’t have another choice.”
“You could stand your ground.”
“You don’t understand—“
Her gaze meets mine. “I know what it is to run from your problems, and sweetheart, I got to tell you, your problems always find you. The only way to ever be free from them is to deal with them head on. That’s what I did when I faced Billy’s dad in court.
Yeah, it’s true if I screw up for one second he’ll ruin me, but by facing him in court I made it so I wasn’t just a kidnapper in the eyes of our government.
I could settle in one place with Billy and have a real life. You deserve that too.”
If I was human, maybe that would be true. But they can’t possibly imagine what it’d be like to be collared and dragged into the darkness. They can’t possibly know what it’s like to be a prisoner.
So, I fight down the sadness that rolls through me. “I didn’t want to just disappear.”
Silence slips between us.
“Did you say goodbye to your guys too?” Kayla asks, but I can tell she wants to say something else.
“Not yet, but I will.”
She nods. “Well, Cerce, I want you to know you always have a home here with us. If you ever need anything, just call.”
“Thank you.”
Unexpectedly, she leans forward and hugs me. I stand frozen, emotions rolling through me.
The thing is, I’ve never been hugged before. I don’t think so… maybe from another monster. Maybe in another life. But not like this.
Reluctantly, I put my arms around her too.
When she releases me, Stacy hugs me too. “Be careful out there, sweetheart.”
“I will,” I promise.
We remain standing together, the rain falling around us. And in this moment, I feel sad. Like I’m losing something, even though I’m not really. Moving from town to town was part of the plan. I can’t suddenly complain.
“When are you going?” Stacy asks.
“Tonight. I think.”
Kayla clears her throat, and I can see tears rolling down her cheeks. “Well, you have our numbers.”
I nod then step away from them, back out into the rain. “I just want you both to know that you’ve done more for me than anyone has ever done. And you can always call me your friend.”
Then, turning, I jog off into the rain. I can’t look at them anymore. I can’t feel like this anymore. All I can do is stay focused and get out of here before I bring any more trouble down on everyone.
The walk home seems to grow colder with each step as night descends. The wind howls and moves through the trees, and the street lights flicker on. When I reach my apartment, I briefly look at my neighbors’ door.
Not yet. I won’t tell them yet.
Inside my apartment, I put the few items I’ll really need into a black duffle bag and pull out the bus schedule. I’ll take it as far as it’ll go. Then I’ll settle down in a new place, find a new job, and hope to have another roof over my head.
A far better life than the one I had with my father.
Outside, I lock my door and then stare at the door across from mine. It’s now or never. But maybe it should be never. After how hard the goodbye with the women was, I can’t imagine what this will be like.
I take a step, not sure which direction to go in, when I hear screaming over the sound of the rain and the wind. Every muscle in my body tightens, and I remember the man spotted outside of my apartment.
It’s time to say goodbye. It’s time to leave this place before Hades finds me.
And yet, I can’t walk away if someone is in danger.
Dropping my bag, I stuff my phone and important information into it. Then take off in the direction of the scream. I hear it again when I reach the bottom of the stairs, and move faster until I reach the trees. There, I slip into the shadows and strip off my clothes.
Shifting, I wince as my bones crack and my muscles change shape.
Within seconds, I’m my hellhound once more, and she’s grateful to be unleashed.
All these emotions. All these changes. They’ve made both of us uneasy.
And neither of us can think of a better way to let out our anger than unleashing it onto an evil man.
Starting through the woods, I’m briefly tense. With the wind and rain, it makes it hard to catch any scents. And yet, the screaming person can’t be far from here.
Picking a direction, my hellhound moves through the woods at a light run. Her eyes see through the shadows better than I can, searching for movement, searching for any signs of danger. And yet, we see nothing.
And then the scream comes again.
We switch directions, confident now on where it came from. My hellhound picks up speed and we’re racing until we get closer. Then we hear the scream again and slow down. It’s just up ahead. We’re almost there.
Lingering in the shadows, we prowl forward. A man leans over a body. In the shadows, he would blend in entirely with his surroundings, but unfortunately for him my hellhound can spot him even in the dark.
Anger leaps within me. I jump out and barrel toward the man, ready to save the woman, ready to tear his throat out. The man turns as I approach, and suddenly I’m staring at Soren.
I scramble to stop. My hellhound’s instincts are to attack, but I fight for control over her. I look to the ground, to the victim Soren stood over. But it isn’t a woman, just a pile of clothing shaped into a person with a tape-recorder stuffed into it.
Moving slowly backwards, panic unravels inside of me. What is this? What is Soren doing here?
He rises, a strange expression on his face. When he reaches behind him, he withdraws a long sword. Within seconds, his flesh changes into a strange grey color, and wings sprout upon his back.
I stop. My heart is in my throat.
Soren’s… a gargoyle?
It’s impossible. Gargoyles kill monsters like me. But most of them are extinct. Hades couldn’t have… but he did. He sent this gargoyle here to kill me. A gargoyle I was tricked by.
Turning, I start to race away.
Something heavy drops from a tree branch. Another gargoyle.
Not just another gargoyle. Kage.
No. No. This isn’t happening.
They’ve been tricking me? Setting me up for this trap? But now I see it clearly. Of course every moment with them was part of a plan. Things that are too good to be true usually are.
And yet, I can’t hurt them. No matter what they’ve done.
I switch directions, using all my strength to push myself forward and away from them. A shadow separates itself from behind a tree. Another gargoyle with a blade. Draven.
Betrayal tastes like ash upon my tongue. I try to maneuver myself to escape them, but everywhere I go is closed off.
They swing their swords at me. I leap out of the way, my heart racing.
Suddenly, a blade bites into my shoulder. A yelp leaves my lips, and I jump to one direction. But I’m not fast enough to avoid a boot that hits my side.
Slipping to the side, a blade digs into the earth beside me.
“Stop moving!” Kage puffs.
What? He expects me just to let them kill me?
I turn, growling, my hair standing on end. I see before me weaknesses. If I latched onto a leg or an arm, I could avoid their blades. But just the thought of attacking them makes me sick.
I need to escape. Now.
Continuing to back up, I shift and move each time a blade swings toward me. The wound in my shoulder protests, and I smell my own blood in the air, but I keep going.
Another blade hits me, and then another. But I’m fast, they just barely sting my flesh, and yet, the blows hurt. Not just because of the sharp steel, but also because it’s them hurting me. The three men who’d touched me so gently just the night before.
I growl again, my head swinging from side to side to keep them all in view.
“Why isn’t it attacking?” Soren asks, puffing.
“The beast knows its beat,” Draven says, and his gaze is narrowed and cruel.
This time when he swings at me, I leap out of the way and bite down softly on his hand. His blade tumbles to the ground, and I try to keep myself positioned over it. I can’t possibly get away from three armed gargoyles.
Kage attacks next, and my new plan is clear: disarm them with as little damage as possible.
I wrestle his blade free and leap out of the way before Soren can attack.
But I’m foolish enough not to keep the other two in sight for half a second.
Suddenly, blows are being rained down on me.
Fists. Kicks. They pommel my body like the Soulless who ripped me to shreds in the Underworld.
Only, these men aren’t just tearing my body to shreds, they’re tearing my heart too.