The Marradith Ryder Series Parts 31 & 32

SINS OF THE SON

The guard was named Billy. He was probably seventeen, maybe eighteen by Nora’s guess, and he approached her door with measured caution.

She was sitting in theliving room, with a cup of coffee, her regular night time ritual. Billy’s eyes widened a little , as if he were preparing himself for verbal chastisement.

“Mrs. Ryder,” he said. “You have a guest.”

“At this time of night?” she started. It was half past midnight. There was only one person that would come to see her so late.

“He told me that I should give you his apologies,” he paused, “but that I should emphasize that he must speak with you.”

A moment of silence passed, and Nora glared at him. “Tell Rafael to come up,” she said.

****

Rafael Castillo was a barrel chested man with olive skin and black hair. He wore a small, thin beard - a change since the last time that she had seen him. When he smiled she noticed the fine lines around his eyes. He was the kind of man who exuded power, even in his casual clothing.

“Nora. How are you?”

“I have been better. How’s your wife?”

“Fiona is well,” he said with a proud grin. “And Paul? I assume the staff are taking care of the three of you well? You should let me know if there is anything else we can do to make you comfortable?”

“You know that the house is fine. My husband and my little boy are fine. Did you come here to talk about Marradith?”

He paused. ” She’s doing very well, adapting to the challenges before her. But I didn’t come to talk about Marradith. I came to talk about Scott.”

Oh, here it comes, Nora thought.

Rafael took a seat, but he looked oddly uncomfortable. The fancy, ladylike furniture seemed constricting to his large frame.

“It’s come to my attention that Scott re-entered the country two days ago. Were you aware that he was coming back from Japan?”

“I wasn’t aware that he was in Japan,” she replied frostily.

“I see. Just like you didn’t know that your daughter had manifested. You know, we are trying to help you here, but you’re making it very difficult.”

“My son is a grown man. What exactly do you expect me to do with him?”

Rafael took a deep breath. “Nora. I am not questioning how you raised your children. The problem here is you haven’t been forthcoming.”

“Forthcoming? And what would that have done?”

“It would have at least allowed me a chance to control the situation. We got lucky with Marradith. Justin pulled her out just in time; The Circle was literally within an hour of dispatching men for her. Of course we know that was not the case for Scott. We all regret that he did not make the right judgment. The problem now is, Scott is deeply entrenched into The Circle. And once we have him, our people will not be likely to grant him mercy.”

Her eyes filled with outraged tears.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“It may be too late for him, and there is nothing I can do about it. But you have two other children. If nothing else, let this be a lesson. No more holding back information. Forgiveness is a hard commodity for members of the Circle to come by. Or those who are closely associated with them.”

Nora did not take the bait.

“Scott’s done enough all on his own,” Rafael continued. It’s late, and I have no desire to rehash all the things he’s done. But we’ll do that as well. We’re going to sit down sometime in the next few days, after you’ve had some time to think. And you’re going to tell me all you truly know about Marradith‘s powers. And about Danny, if there is anything to know. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes.”

 ***

Danny was awake.

He laid in bed with his IPod, listening to the same playlist for the third time. This was one his older sister had downloaded for him a few months ago. He missed her. Neither Mom or Dad would talk about it, but he knew something was wrong. Did they think he was stupid?

She ghost hovered somewhere in the corner of the room. He could not really see her, but he perceived her there. “I hate it here,” he said to her.

“Why?” She asked, her voice coming like a whisper in his ear.

“Because, they give you anything that you want, but its like a prison. We can’t leave here.”

She sighed. Or at least that’s how he understood it. Though he knew she had stopped breathing a long time ago. Since she would not tell him her name, he always called her Shadow.

“It won’t be much longer, Daniel. Just wait. You’ll be leaving here soon.”

“And how do you know?” he said, irritated.

“I just do,” Shadow replied sweetly. “You should rest sometime, you know.”

“Sleep is a freaking waste of time.”

“Language?” Shadow replied. He imagined that she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Those who can rest do not appreciate that it is a privilege,” she remarked.

He turned his music off, and pulled the covers up around him. He had the feeling that Shadow was upset. But as always, she was careful what she said. She remained quiet and watchful, waiting for him to go to sleep.

He’d always assumed that it was fun being a ghost, slipping in and out of places when you felt like it.

Maybe not.

***********************

SILENT SCREAM

The door stood open.

It looks like a crime scene, Will thought. He tried to side step the blood, compelled to go forward even though he wanted to turn and run the opposite direction.

He looked at the stairway. He was drawn to it.

At least it wasn’t smeared with blood.

Marradith appeared at the top of the stairs. He almost jumped out of his skin. “Is your brother here..?”

She opened her mouth.

It looked like she was screaming. Her hands were curled into fists, her mouth in a perfect “O”. Her body trembled.

He turned around.

Syd, in his werewolf form, was only two steps behind him. He howled in pain and clasped his hands over his ears. Drool escaped his snout as he cried out. He turned and ran out the door.

Will put his back against the wall.

“Thanks,” he said. “Um, why didn’t you fry him?”

“Not sure that I could have. Besides, you were in between us. Syd lured you here, but I need your help.”

****

She lead Will to the bedroom where her brother lay unconscious on the floor.

“Ah shit,” Will said. “You gave him the Marradith special.”

Scott didn’t move. The flesh on his neck was charred. The smell filled Will’s nose and made him want to gag.

“Help me get him on the bed at least, we don’t have much time.”

He didn’t argue. Together they put him on the bed. She came up behind him with a rope in her hand. “We need to tie him down.”

“What? You sure? He’s burned like hell.”

She shook her head. “If he’s like me those burns won’t last long.”

While he tied Scott down, Marradith started pulling dresser drawers open. “There’s all kinds of weapons in this house,” she told him. “Leighton has more guns than clothes. They’re everywhere. Do you know how to shoot?”

“Yeah.”

“I always wondered why Dad started taking me to the shooting range when I was nine,” she said . “Now I know why. I suggest you grab yourself one of these,” she said, checking the safety on a pearl handled gun. “And as many packs of silver bullets as you can carry. You and I are about to go Wolf hunting.”

*******

“Be still,” Fiona whispered.

Justin shivered from the cold. His arms were sore. He was mottled from small cuts where glass had scratched him when Fiona shot out part of the  greenhouse roof, and the supports that held him bound.

They were in the forest again, pursuing Leighton.

Justin was behind her. They both paused and listened. Leighton was only yards ahead of them. Justin could hear his voice.

Justin felt his body tensing; he was phasing back into a Wolf.

“Wait..!” Fiona hissed, digging her nails into his arm.

She could have sworn she saw a female form in the clearing, a flash. Perhaps a trick of the moonlight?

“Caroline!” Leighton cried. “Leave me alone!”

 

©2009 Lori Titus

Lori Titus’s The Marradith Ryder Series appears each Wednesday on Flashes in the Dark. She is the short story editor for Sonar4 ezine. Her stories have appeared on MicroHorror, Shadeworks, and The Daily Tourniquet. Her first anthology of horror stories,Tales for the Dark, is scheduled for release in 2010.

Tags: Lori Titus, The Marradith Ryder Series

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