Maynia Day #1
Maynia Day #2
Maynia Day #3
Maynia Day #4
Maynia Day #5
Maynia Day #6
Maynia Day #7
Maynia Day #8
Maynia Day #9
Maynia Day #10
Maynia Day #11
Maynia Day #12
Maynia Day #13
Maynia Day #14
Maynia Day #15
Maynia Day #16
Maynia Day #17
Maynia Day #18
Maynia Day #19
Maynia Day #20
Maynia Day #21
Maynia Day #22
Maynia Day #23
Maynia -- Day Twenty-Four -- 1,166 words
“So, when are ya goin’ to explain that thing I saw back in the mines?” I didn’t look up from where I sat at the back of Jack’s pickup as Z asked from beside me, bandaging my slightly injured hands.
I let out a deep breath, still not looking at Z as I said, “It’s really a long explanation..”
“I’ve got a lot of time here in my hands right now, sweetheart.” Z held my hands firmly in his big rough ones and I couldn’t help but look up at him, expecting a teasing look on his face but was instead surprised when I found him seriously looking at me as he tilted his head towards the hospital’s establishment saying, “We can talk now while Mrs. Heins fusses over Jack inside—”
I tensed at the mention of that woman being around Jack and made a move to check the silver knife hidden behind my back, when Z immediately took hold of my shoulder—accidentally pressing on the bandaged cut I had there—but it was enough to make me wince and listen to him as he blurted out, “Ah shit! Sorry but—I think you’re going after the wrong person here!” What—what did Z know about the rift’s summoner?
“You saw what that ring did to Jack! Mrs. Heins even gave that ring to her husband, she—”
“Woah woah woah, hold up! I think you’re missing the bigger picture here sweetheart—that ring came from someone else before Mrs. Heins gave it to the Mayor!” I stopped then in my tirade and kept on listening to what Z was trying to tell me, “—I just heard this from Luke before, okay?—It was actually Diana who found that ring for Mrs. Heins—”
“Diana? Deputy Diana Heins? But how—” I stopped mid-questioning, remembering something from the family dinner Jack brought me to-- “Wh—Ms. Lancaster! Oh shoot, you’re bleeding!” she promptly grabbed a hand towel near the washroom’s sink and applied pressure on my right hand.
I felt my blood boil as I gritted my teeth—That bitch had used my blood to get pass my property’s protective barriers! A few drops wouldn’t have been enough, she used that hand towel and had the Lucinor go after me like a blood hound would hunt his prey but.. it went after Ms. Chip instead. The Lucinor may not be fully working on Diana’s orders like she thought it would, and with the summoner’s key gone—
“Z, I need to get to Dr. Bliant’s, can you drop me off there?”
“If you’re looking for your cat, I think Luke’s got ‘im but they’re not at Doc Alfred’s at the moment..” Z dug out his phone and continued to read off some of his messages, “He said somethin’ ‘bout being his gramps’ personal mailman and that he’s got a male cat with him—” Z tsked at that, muttering about puns and old man jokes, before he pocketed his phone and focused back on me, “Knowing Luke, he’ll probably chill back at our house after, just to cool off from his old man’s temper.”
I breathed a sigh of relief knowing Luke at least had Jaden with him, but that left Dr. Bliant all by himself at the clinic.. I gathered my thoughts, knowing I only had a silver knife with me and an unloaded Colt—I needed more firepower—“Z, could you at least take me back to my place? Please?”
He only looked at me with an expectant look and made a gesture for me to hand over some info first, I groaned at that, “Fine! I’ll tell you everything there is to know on the way, but you have to get back here right after you drop me off at my place, you got that? I need you to be close to Jack as possible.”
Z only grinned back at me in agreement as he helped me off the back of the pickup saying, “I still think he’s a lot safer in there with his family, you know?”
Z was right on some level, but we had to cover all our bases.
Shit! That had taken longer than I expected! I cursed myself as I carried out the makeshift protective barrier I had to come up with for the moment—the barrier being more like a garden lamp, but what made it different was my blood melded into the iron it was made out of. Like the Lancaster Tower, the metal base acted like a radioactive deterrent against the demons, making the property it stood on somewhat like a steel fortress—unless someone had used an undiluted amount of my blood to get through..
I only had a spare for the guys’ house, and I had planted it there while Luke was still away, now I just had to get this to Dr. Bliant’s. Maybe I should start getting these prototypes mass produced so I didn’t have to go town-hopping every now and then..
I had just gotten off my porch steps when the screeching of tires caught my attention, I looked out my driveway and saw Jack get off his pickup and rush towards me, “Shiela!”
I tensed but got a good look at his eyes as he came closer and held me by my shoulders—they were back to their fiery blue as Jack looked at me with worry shown in his eyes, “Did I—did I do this to you?” He asked as his thumb grazed the edge of my bandaged shoulder and he took note of my bandaged hands.
I let out a shaky breath as I raised a hand and gently touched his bandaged cheek, “I did this to you too, didn’t I?” I offered him a small smile, but he only frowned at me as he held my hand tenderly to his cheek as he said, “Z.. told me everything.. even the ones you think I wouldn’t understand—but believe me Shiela, I’ve seen the other side of.. these things I—”
I gently pulled my hand away from Jack’s at that, “I need to go. I need to get there now—” I started heading to my car but Jack still followed me and called out, “I want to be involved in this, Shiela! Let me help you!” I stopped and started to turn back to Jack just as I heard his phone ringing, he must have put it on speaker mode as he answered it because Z’s voice rang out, “Jack! Luke and I are headed to Doc Alfred’s! There’s a fire going on there!”
Jack met my eyes then as he started pulling me towards his pickup, shouting back into his phone, “Call the fire department! We’ll be right there!”
Jack drove us out of there as fast as he could, while I sat there holding the protective barrier in my hands as I felt my stomach drop. Was I too late?
to be continued...
Image from Pixabay, by Phan Minh Cuong An: https://pixabay.com/users/minanfotos-9565064/ (edited with dreamscopeapp)