We stepped off the elevator after the light "ding" had faded from the air. Brie led us straight to an underground loading/unloading area. The loading doors were tightly closed and locked. There were several pallets of boxes stacked on the loading deck with papers attached detailing what was inside. Brie scanned the papers, and shook her head.
"Is it possible it's in here and not listed?" I asked.
"No." Brie and Kaden answered simultaneously.
"Ok, I know why she thinks no-but why you?" I demanded.
"Because I can't 'see' it." Kaden replied.
"You could have found it this whole time and never said?" I griped.
"No, I...it's not that simple. I would need to be very close to the box to 'see' the..." He struggled for words "...aura? it gives off?" I though back to the graveyard and the weird trail Brie's bare hands left behind. Kaden's head jerked around.
"Yes-that!" Kaden encouraged. "But it looks different to me and a litter stronger than what you see." I wondered why I could see that at all.
"Oh, it's probably all the time you spent in the Banishment , or the influence of the creatures in you head." Kaden waved his hand dismissively.
"Ugh, thanks for the reminder." I groaned.
"So, what do we do now?" I asked.
"Go back home and wait until Monday, I guess." Brie responded.
"Umm your house is wrecked." I reminded her.
"Damn it! Well good-you guys can help me clean it up." I groaned at the cheer in Brie's voice at the end of that statement.
I dropped onto Brie's couch with a low moan.
"Too bad Lukoie don't have some magical cleaning abilities." I grumbled, eyeing Kaden in the seat across from me.
"I'm not a house elf." Kaden replied.
"Wait-those exist?" Brie tossed over her shoulder with excitement.
"No." Answered Kaden promptly, then he turned back to me.
"Besides, what about you?" Where's all that strength, speed and energy gone?" He teased.
"It's not a light bulb. I can't just turn it on and off with a switch, it's just an adrenaline fueled reaction." I complain.
"You can access that raw power any time you want. It's always there, the adrenaline just aids your access." Kaden replied off-hand. I mumbled a deragorty response under my breath.
"Would you like me to prove it to you?" Kaden asked, a twinkle in his eyes while reaching out a hand towards me.
"Touch me and die, monster." I growled, eyeing his hand. He laughed but didn't withdraw.
"I mean it." I warned, tensing.
"I don't think you could actually harm me." Kaden taunted.
"I bite." I snarled.
"That could be fun." Kaden replied grinning.
"Gross." I rolled my eyes at him.
"Hey, are you two going to to help me anymore?" Brie interjected with frustration. "Honestly, Rue's right, we're rubbing off on you." She mumbled. Kaden groaned loudly.
"Noo, don't say that." He whined.
We got the broken furniture and glass cleaned up as best we could, along with nailing up a piece of plastic and board over the broken window.
"Rue?" Brie's voice. When I looked at her she had a questioning look in her eyes. I had begun yawning through the light lunch Brie had made.
"It's just the stress. I can only go for so long before I crash." I replied with another yawn.
"Why don't you go lay down? We can't do anything else today anyway." Brie said. I nodded and headed towards the couch. I was asleep before my head hit the cushions. When I woke up, the house was dark and silent. I watched the shadows move around the room as a car drove by and the headlights cast their light through the remaining window. My eyes roamed the room, looking for a clock or anything that had the time.
"It's three in the morning." Kaden's voice came out of the shadows, making me jump as he stepped into the living room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just heard you wake up and thought you might not want to be alone." I sat up. My dreams were still swimming through my head, something about being smothered and watching Brie and Kaden dying in front of me. A cold chill ran down my spine as I though I heard the low chuckle of the nightmare king echo in my mind. I jumped up, the anxiety dumping adrenaline through my system. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep right now.
"I'm going for a walk." I told Kaden, and stepped towards the door.