In the Beginning

Chapter 10

"To be honest, I would rather not be doing this."

"Kell, just eat your Powerbar and shut up."

A car zoomed by, headlights illuminating the group of twelve sloshing along the side of the road. It was the first one to pass by in hours. Dense forests surrounded the road, ominous and dark.

Rain poured down in heavy sheets. Kell scowled, pulling his hood tighter over his head.

"Are you gonna eat your Powerbar?"

Cade shifted Krissa's weight on his back. The little girl sighed in her sleep, curling closer. Kell felt bad. Cade had been carrying her and his stuff for a couple miles now.

"Nah man, here you go."

He handed the Powerbar over to Cade, then reached in his belt loop for his new sword. Before they'd left the truck, Ro had opened two boxes - she discreetly took an old journal from one, and opened the other box for everyone to grab a weapon of their choice. Kell had never held a real sword before, but this one felt right in his hands; about a foot and a half long, glinting gray metal, with an embossed family crest on the leather hilt.

Cade had taken a black 9mm handgun, hooked under his belt with the safety on. Ira didn't really need a weapon, but had taken the other sword anyways, and was using the rain to clean off the (suspicous) dried blood stains on it. Addie had the hunting daggers, three tiny silver knifes small enough to fit between her fingers. Kell hadn't seen what anyone else had taken - but he knew that even Jake and Zoe had weapons now. Somehow, it made this whole journey seem real. More...dangerous.

Kell bit his lip hard, tasting a hint of blood. His legs ached and they were still in the middle of nowhere, with night falling quickly. Stars shone overhead in a dark sky.

The forest thinned up ahead, just enough that Kell could actually see into it. Ira stopped. Akim bumped into her, cursing. His pink hair stuck to his forehead.

Ira pulled up the sleeve of her leather jacket, checking a watch.

"It's almost 10," she said loudly. The group listened, shifting from foot to foot. "We can keep walking and hope there's a town nearby, or camp out somewhere for the night."

"Camp out!"

"Yes, god, my feet are killing me."

"It'll be easier for potential threats to catch up with us, though," Ira warned. Her eyes scanned the group, hard as steel.

"We'll just take watch," Cade suggested. "I volunteer for first shift."

"Great," Ira said. Even she looked relieved, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Let's go set up, then."

Everyone followed her into the forest. Kell's sneakers squelched on the muddy ground. Dark shapes moved overhead, hoots and animal calls echoing in the distance. Eventually, the group came to a small clearing, obviously used for camping before. A pile of burnt logs lay in a fire pit in the middle.

"Do you have the tents?" Ira asked, whipping around to face Akim.

"Sure do, ma'am," he said frostily. He dug around in his duffel bag, pulling out two squares of dark green cloth no bigger than books. Remy cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"What." Cade said flatly.

"Magic," Ira explained. The group nodded with an ohh.

She set her sword on the ground, pulling out her wand - a swishy piece of birch wood about 12 inches long. Akim threw the squares in the air. They hovered there for a moment while Ira flicked her wand in a complicated figure eight movement, muttering a spell.