Candy Bones Read online

  “Eyes sharp,” I tell Eris and begin the hunt. I slowly and silently make my way towards the front, keeping a close eye on the walls and ceiling. I go hunting every night. The ones I hunt aren’t invisible but this little demon will not outwit me. I pass Bran and for the first time since I can remember, I don’t pet him. His trembling has stopped, he’s stone still with one panicked eye looking about.

  “Aeeeee!” A screech erupts behind me. I turn just in time to see the beast jump out of a stack of books becoming visible mid-air. His jaw is open. I try to move out of the way but even my reaper reflexes aren’t enough. The creature latches onto my forearm. A burning pain sizzles down my arm.

  “Pustulate ghost nuggets!” I scream. All I feel is searing pain. I close my eyes to it and whip around in circles, trying to fling the offending beast off.

  “Raise your arm!” Eris’ voice seems far away, but I do as she says. I sense something flying towards me before I can feel the demon ripped off of me. It might as well have taken half of my arm with it, because that’s how it feels.

  My eyes open just in time to see the little monster pinned to a book by a glowing knife. It screams as it sizzles, bubbling into nothing. I know exactly how it feels. It’s no longer attached to me, but I still feel only burning in my arm. Breathing heavily through my teeth I fall to my knees.

  “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Eris runs over to me. I just shake my head I can’t even speak to tell her she’s being dumb. This isn’t her fault. She pulls out her phone to make a call, I start to phase out. The pain is a hot molten wave over me trying to drown me.

  “I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” a man tells me when the hot wave lets me up for a breath. Suddenly I’m being picked up. Maybe I’ll breathe better up here. I smell something cool, like a breeze of frost. It’s a nice distraction, I still feel another wave coming.

  “Come on Bran,” Eris’ voice commands before another wave takes me down, down, down, to a burning sea of sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  A crash jolts me awake. My eyes burst open and I hop out of bed. “Son of a zombie toe!” I yell ready to fight off whatever disturbed me.

  I blink repeatedly. It’s hard to see but I’ll fight every single demon running around Apres LaMort if I have to. I will definitely lose, but they won’t take me lying down.

  “Sit back down Wraith.” A fuzzy man says. I say fuzzy because I can’t see him yet.

  “Not happening bud. My Grandma didn’t raise no fool. Don’t talk to strangers. There’s no puppy in the van. And when you wake up in a fuzzy blue room with a fuzzy man telling you to get in a bed, you do not listen!” I go to swipe at him and realize one of my arms is tied down to my chest. “Hey! Untie me so I can kick your demonic hole all the way back to the underworld!”

  A deep voice laughs. “She’s a feisty one.”

  “I told you she’ll fit right in.” Eris says.

  “Eris!” I breathe a sigh of relief. I use the one hand I can move to wipe at my eyes. The world is starting to come into focus, maybe? It keeps going in and out.

  “On the off chance you’ve been kidnapped too, Eris I would like to announce this would be a good time to stir up a tornado or two.” I squint at her.

  “You’re safe, Wraith.” Eris tells me before I feel a freight train of a hug come at me.

  “Ow, ow, ow!” I cringe away from the pain in my tied-up arm.

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” Eris apologizes, quickly separating from me and patting my shoulder.

  “It’s fine.” I tell her, “Although I’m getting kind of dizzy,” I admit as the room turns a bit sideways.

  “I told you to sit down.” The man says.

  “What’s with doctor fuzzo?” I ask Eris as she leads me back to the bed. “I assume he’s a doctor at least. He sounds bossy like a doctor.”

  “Fuzzo?” The man asks.

  “Not talking to you,” I say loudly.

  “It’s fine. Everything’s fine.” Eris uses her calming voice. It’s the same one she reserves for the disoriented souls she pulls out of their fresh graves.

  “I know that voice! Did I die? Is that why I can’t see?”

  Eris laughs, “No dummy. If I brought you back, you wouldn’t be hurting at all.” She adjusts herself in her chair, “Now just listen. This is going to be hard for you to hear, and harder for me to say but I need you to listen carefully and trust me.”

  “Oh, my night! You are the reason the demons are loose, aren’t you? This is some priestess thing gone wrong. That’s why you keep apologizing!”

  “Shut uuuup Wraith! I did not cause this.” I can see her fuzzy form throw her head back the way she does when she gets annoyed with me. I smile. “I said listen!”

  “Okay fine. Listening.” I sit back against the pillow.

  “So as I was saying, you’re fine. You’re going to be fine. I killed the demon-“

  “Yeah how-“

  “Stop interrupting me I swear, or I’ll have doctor fuzzy stitch your mouth closed next!” She claps her hands together in my direction.

  “I did not agree to this title change,” the man says. I close my lips tight; I’m not going to push Eris any further. Pain makes me ornery, but I'm not willing to test angry Eris. Angry Eris has voodoo on her side, so I’ll just keep my beautifully unstitched lips quiet.

  “I killed the demon and I’ll explain that in a moment. Then I saw your arm being eaten away by the venom. I had to bring you to some friends for some help with how to fix it before you lost your arm. They repaired the damage they could and stitched you up. It’ll take a few weeks, but you’ll be okay. You’ll have full use of your arm again soon enough. Priestesses did not cause this, and we don’t know who is but as far as the priestess covens can figure there is a slow leak happening from the underworld to us. Right now, only small underworldlings can get through, but if we don’t find the leak and plug it, this could get worse, fast. So, we are going to need as much help as we can get. The counsel is working on it as well, but we are one bad attack away from another hex falling over and quarantining Apres LaMort.”

  I wait. There’s some hard part coming.

  “I didn’t cause this Wraith,” Eris says again. She says it in such a way that if anyone else had said it I would not believe them one bit, but I believe her. “But I can help defend against it, and I haven’t shared that with you or the counsel.”

  “Why?” I ask before stopping myself. Eris goes in and out of focus. She’s not angry she’s … guilty. “Okay if someone doesn’t fix my eyes, I swear I am going to go insane.” I rub them vigorously with my good arm.

  “Here., Doctor Fuzzy says. “Drink this, it will help. We had to heal you from complete blindness, it took some work but you’re lucky you can see at all. This is the strongest concoction we have. It will help your vision clear up. You should right as rain soon enough.”

  I grab the cup from him and drink as fast as I can. My throat becomes completely assaulted with salty metallic liquid. “Ugh! Please tell me this isn’t going to cause me to grow tentacles from my butt because that is so how this tastes.”

  Doctor fuzzy chuckles.

  “Ugh!” Eris groans frustrated. “I can’t take it anymore. I’m a member of nostrae nocte!”

  My neck snaps her direction, “What?!”

  “Also technically now so are you,” she says.

  “You’re serious?” I demand.

  “One more thing, the um, guy next to you. Doctor Fuzzy. Yeah that’s Oz, and I maybe knew who he was and all about him this whole time.” My eyes focus long enough to see my best friend cringe away from me.

  Chapter Eight

  So apparently, I have to murder my best friend. It’s ironic, but I’ve never thought of myself as a murderer. Since being in this backdoor speakeasy all night, my thoughts have changed. It’s not one secret, it’s a million tiny secrets she’s kept from me that all coalesce into the fat stinky bomb she just dropped on me. Actually, who am I kidding, there’s no point. She’s a
necromancer with necromancer friends, she will just come right back to annoy me further and keep secrets from me. No point in becoming a murderer just to have her haunt me forever.

  They’ve all spent almost the entire night explaining as much as they would allow to convince me not to go to the Counsel and tattle on them. The very idea of that went out the window when Counsel Hawthorn and Counsel Darkblood both showed up. I can’t tattle to the counsel when two thirteenths of them already know and probably have precautions in place to stop me if I tried. They explained that the nostrae nocte has been around almost as long as the nocturnus counsel. The counsel was first created to unite all of the nocturnus society in the dark ages when non-nuits saw monsters around every full moon and torches and pitchforks were their favorite flavor of torture. Books were written, stories were told, and non-nuits feared and hated anything of the night. Shortly after the counsel was put together, they built magically protected towns like Apres LaMort to hide our magic and abilities from non-nuit eyes. It became clear soon after that their new towns had some big divides between their members and it all revolved around titles, magic, and cash. Nostrae nocte started with a robin hood-esque crusader who decided to try to equal the classes. Then others joined his cause. They were hunted by the counsel and many killed off, so instead of being boastful they hid their secret in plain sight. They spread rumors about themselves and all they’d been up to. Around the time of the witch trials, they noticed the society was more willing to save high society members from non-nuit accusations than the lower class, or even innocent non-nuits caught in the cross hairs of medicine versus magic. They resurfaced to assist once again. And ad nauseum throughout time and according to these guys, whenever something unjust happens they resurface to help. Like almost a year ago now when immortals took over Apres LaMort and declared war on all necromancers. Nostrae nocte set up shop in this old speakeasy and helped Eris stop the immortals and bring LeVain to justice for a great many things, but also the murder of six-year-old Lenny, possibly the cutest ghost I ever assisted in crossing over, and also Counsel Darkblood’s daughter. I suspect that’s when his drinking got the best of him. Now with the rift bringing underworldlings topside, they claim to be working once again to send the creatures back to the brimstone pits. I have to decide whether or not to believe them, or to grab the crowbar leaning in the corner to my right and clock myself in the head in an attempt to factory reset my brain with all the crazy they just poured into it.

  “Are you in?” someone asks me.

  “Sure, why not?” I say leaning back into the bar stool. I’m still not feeling upright even though I can see better now.

  “This is serious.” Counsel Darkblood slaps the bar. The ice in his bourbon clinks. I don’t have to fully see him to smell it.

  “Clearly,” I tell him. “You see what I just did there, since I can’t see?” I wink exaggeratingly at him.

  “We need to be certain Wraith; you need to be certain.”

  “I’m certainly curious as to why all of you would join the most well-known clandestine group in all of time with the worst reputation. Aside from my BTF over there, I know why she joined,” I say.

  “BTF?” Tre asks. Never trust an immortal.

  “Best traitor forever.” Eris tell him, “She’s being dramatic. The last time she used that is when she found Grandma Anita teaching me family candy recipes. She’s still in, she’s just going to make us work for it.”

  “I see your guilt has dissipated,” I tell her.

  “You’re acting like a toddler,” Eris whispers at me.

  “I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t a traitorous baby running around with a glowing knife full of secrets,” I snipe back. I can’t even tell why I’m so upset. Part of me, logically, knows this is fine. I’m even happy I know. I would have probably done the same in Eris’ position. I wouldn’t have put her unnecessary danger, right? I don’t know, but I can’t seem to stop my mouth which is firmly connected to my childish heart right now and it hurts.

  “I said sorry-“

  “Alright, let’s get back on track here, shall we?” Counsel Hawthorn says. “Wraith, what’s different about those of us that you see here? From everyone else in Apres LaMort.”

  “You mean besides the fact you are a part of a society that may or may not have set free the exact demons you claim to be fighting? Ah not much. We have the wrinkly bag of best friend lies,” I point to Eris.

  “Her immortal boyfriend that sold out his own father,” I say pointing to Tre. “No hard feelings about that one buddy, that was a good call.” Tre just nods at me.

  I move to Counsel Hawthorn, “The only member of the high counsel to be a werewolf.”

  “You’re getting warmer,” she grins, her fangs gleaming.

  I move my taunts to Counsel Darkblood, “We have the town… uh… grump right here. Although he’s not nearly as cantankerous as Counsel Varkus.”

  Counsel Darkblood raises his glass to me. “Glad I made an impression.”

  “Various other townspeople who have lied to me over the years and treated me like I was a pariah and not to be trusted. Oh yeah, and the non-nuit who has a glowing sword and fights demons. You know the weirdest one of all.”

  “Could you stop? I’m about to throw a tampon at you,” Eris whispers next to me.

  “Why couldn’t you just tell me? I would have understood,” I yell at her then turn to the rest of them. “In fact you all seem like… well, outcasts. Werewolves who don’t have a pack.” I point at the Counsel. “Cala which is just a nice way of saying necromancers with no powers who’s own kind treats them poorly.” I point to Eris’ assistants. “ Don’t reapers fit right in here? Everyone either hates us or is afraid of us. Someone should have told me.”

  “This is exactly how Anya said you would react.” Counsel Darkblood chuckles taking another sip of his drink.

  My jaw drops. “Anya, my Anya? Eris why is the angry one talking about my grandmother?”

  “Okay I wasn’t going to drop that bomb today. You asked why I didn’t tell you…” Eris starts.

  “Your Grandmother has been a prominent member nostrae nocte for over a hundred years,” Counsel Hawthorn tells me. “She also made us swear not to add you until after she passed.”

  “Are you okay?” The non-nuit asks me.

  “Oh yeah I’m great. My whole life is a lie, I’m cool.” My heart clenches. Then I turn my frustration on to him, “Wait, how do you know about us?” There are plenty on non-nuit that do know about nocturnus, but most don’t. In fact, we bank on that fact.

  “I was cursed by a witch. At least I think she was a witch. You know you date the wrong nocturnus, they get scorned, and poof, suddenly you think you’re going insane because everywhere you look are monsters.” Oz grins.

  “Who are you?” I ask. He’s lying, I know he’s lying but I’m not going to say so yet. I just discovered my best friend is a part of a supposed nonexistent secret society. Anything is possible at this point. Having a non-nuit around is just dangerous.

  “Gunnery Sergeant Adam Uzbek at your service, United States Marine Corps retired. See, I’m one of the good guys.”

  “I thought you said your name was Oz?”

  He shrugs, “After I started seeing things the guys in my platoon started calling me Oddz-beck. Then someone made a Dorothy reference after I saw more than I should have during deployment. Oddz-beck turned to Oz. Non-nuit are big on nicknames, just like you and your friend.”

  “You’re lying., I blurt out suddenly. “Not about the nickname, but about much of the rest. Are you even retired, or do you still work for the U.S. Government?”

  “Listen he’s one of us, he’s been fully vetted. Maybe you don’t need to know everything. We trust him, we still need to find out if we can trust you,” Dante tells me.

  “Actually Dante, I’d say out of everyone in this room I am the most trustworthy person here.”

  “Can we trust you? You’ve figured us out, we are the outcasts. We are thos
e; although some of us are high society, that the counsels have missed. We are the ones righting the wrongs that nocturnus can’t account for. That the rules of our society have overlooked or even help get away with evil. We look out for the overlooked. We are justice in an unjust world and we are the only hope of stopping the demons.”

  “Said ever great oligarch ever.”

  Counsel Hawthorn sighs.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I believe you. If Eris trusts you, if my Grandmother trusted you too, then I do. I’m all in,” I say although a part of me isn’t so sure. Oh well, better to jump out of the plane head first and ask the about a parachute on the way down, “So, tell me how I get one of those glowy shiny weapons, and point me towards the demons.”

  Chapter Nine

  Running my fingers along his spine, I cradle ledger Bran in my arms. “You can take my eyesight away again. I don’t want to see this.” I tell Eris, Eugene, and Oz.

  “It’s not so bad.” Eugene tells me, kicking some of the candy around.

  “It’s like tornado Eris went through here, not to mention the maimed an 1827 first edition of Tamerlane and Other Poems. Of which there are only eleven in existence now.” I say. Apparently, Eris’ little tornado did much more damage than I remember, either that or more demons visited while we were gone.

  “We can get this cleaned up lickety split,” Oz says.

  “Oh, look Doctor Fluffy wants to help,” I say.

  “Hey! It’s Doctor Fuzzy… wait that’s not better. Just call me Oz.” He huffs. Dark hair falls over his eyes as he bends down to pick up a pile of books.

  “I’m so not calling you Doctor Oz.”

  “How about drop the doctor?” He puts some books on the shelf.

  “Nah. That’s the part I like,” I say. He smiles at me. It’s genuine. It stops me in my tracks. Okay so the doctor is not bad on the eyes for being non-nuit.

  After everything is cleaned up and back in order, I walk them out of the shop. “Thank you all for all your help tonight.”