Chapter 605 - Reunited

Before they could ask any other questions, they heard the sound of footsteps off in the distance. Aaron and Elliott exchanged glances, not sure if they should brace for the worst or assume that was their friends. Part of him didn’t want to know who else was trapped in here. He could easily guess Holland would want Jamie, possibly Brandon, but who else she would target, he had no idea.

“Dad?” The sound of Brandon’s voice echoed off the rock walls around them, and he came running in their direction even as the girl cursed him for being loud. Elliott didn’t pay her any mind either and shot off to embrace his son in a tight squeeze.

“I hate that you’re here, boy, but at least you’re okay.”

“I’m glad it’s you and not... Cass,” he replied, patting his dad on the back. A few seconds later, the others came into focus.

“Damn it,” Aaron muttered, shaking his head when he saw Dax. It was bad enough one kid had ended up in here, but Dax was so new to the team, so young. Aaron should’ve never let him come to the Eidolon Festival.

“Well, at least we’ve got a Healer,” Elliott said, reaching for Jamie’s hand. They hugged instead, and Jamie looked happy to see the two of them but not happy to be there. As soon as his hand made contact with Elliott, the scratches the hellcat had left on his shoulder healed up, leaving only a ripped jacket and a bit of blood as a reminder of the encounter. Elliott thanked Jamie before the Healer even realized what he’d done.

Alex brought up the rear, and once they’d all greeted each other, and Aaron apologized that any of them had been put in this position, the woman cleared her throat and said, “Y’all done with the waterworks or shall I pull out my embroidered handkerchief and let you pass it around?”

“I’m sorry—who are you?” Jamie asked, looking at Aaron and then Elliott.

“Don’t matter much who I am, young feller,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Y’all are gonna help me get out of here, and when that portal opens, I’m gonna be the first one out, ya hear?”

“Who...? What...?” Brandon stammered.

“Our new friend here saved me from some sort of hellcat. She’s been here a long time, and we’re all gonna figure out a way for us all to get out of here. She says there’s a key hidden in here somewhere, and on top of that, the portal opens every six hours. So... we’ve got some options.” It was the friendliest Elliott had been to the girl since she’d saved him.

“Oh, thank God,” Dax stammered wiping at his eyes. He was the only one who looked like he’d actually been crying, so Aaron assumed that’s who what’s-her-name had been referring to when she mentioned her handkerchief. He had his cell phone in his hands, which Aaron figured was pointless except for maybe as a flashlight, but Dax only glanced away from it momentarily as the girl started talking to him.

“Ain’t as easy as that, now. You’ll find out soon enough. Soon as you hear a poppin’ sound and there’s a little whoosh of all the fog shifted in one direction, you’ll know the damn thing is open. But ya can’t just go sprintin’ out. We ain’t exactly in the moon I reckon, but sometimes the sucker’ll open up right into the middle of outer space. Or the center of the Earth, or the middle of the damn ocean. So you gotta look before you leap.”

“Good to know,” Jamie nodded. “Anything else?”

“Yes, what is it that’s making all of those unpleasant noises? Hellcats you say?” Alex asked in his proper way.

“All kids of demons and shit,” she replied. “You gotta be careful. You can die in here jest as sure as you can die out there. Don’t matter what you is. It’s like bein’ a human all over again.”

“Well, unfortunately, dear woman, I have to say that’s likely not true. You see, Dr. Sanderson and myself have come through the Blue Moon Portal, so, it seems we are not capable of dying.”

The girl’s eyes shifted from Alex to Elliott and then back again. “I highly doubt that’s true in here. But maybe we’ll find out. Also, why is that unfortunate?”

“It’s... a long story.” Aaron interjected, thinking now was not the time to go into it.

“Where is the door to hell?” Brandon asked, and they all turned and looked at him. “I mean, if this is a portal, like you said, used by demons and hellcats and what-have-you, isn’t there a door to hell?”

“Yep. It’s that way.” She pointed way off into the blackness. “You’ll wanna steer clear of there. That’s where the worst beasties hang out, where they come through. I’ve checked for the damn key back there and nearly gotten eaten alive. I don’t think it’s back there.”

“But if whoever threw you in here didn’t want you to get out, isn’t that where they would’ve put it?” Dax asked.

“Nah, they ain’t got no control over the key. Demons did that. I was put here by Vampires, my own kind. Well, sort of my own kind. I ain’t really gotta kind.” For a moment, her rambunctiousness turned into sorrow, and Aaron felt slightly sorry for her again, though it was hard to when she was tough as nails.

“What do you mean?” Brandon asked, taking a step closer to her.

“Nothin’. I don’t like to talk about it.”

He continued to stare at her for a moment, studying her face, his eyes flickering to her hair before he asked, “What did you say your name was again?”

“Told you, it don’t matter. Ain’t nobody missing me.”

“I’m not sure that’s the case,” the teen replied. “We gotta call you something. May as well be your name.”

“Fine. If you insist.” With a deep breath, she said, “You can call me Heather.”