The Dimension Break

SIXTEEN

It was a painfully clear night a few days later. Each detail of the sky was sharp instead of being a plane of black, the splotches of gray and silver were so much more clear. It was like seeing through a pair of head-hurtingly clear glasses. I was ahead of the group, as always, a thread of air around Finn (as tiring as he was getting to keep in an element).

Why was this night so memorable? It was the first time in a few days that Belamy visited me. Which, normally, he stopped by a lot...

Hello Emma! You'll never guess where I went for the weekend. Go on, guess!

I wanted to kill him. I wanted to see him suffer.

Las Angeles! Did you go there or Vegas? Yeah, you went there. I used my human form. I think I might appear to you and show you my human form soon. I think you'll like it. I look just your type!

I wouldn't full my anger. I said nothing in response, but I did wish to Croma that I could push him out of my head.

Oh, by the way, Salt is coming.

The warning was issued a few moments before the demon appeared in front of us, white hair a wave at his back. "Finn, grab them!"

It happened in the blink of an eye. Or half of one. My element was snapped loose and Finn pounced at me. I let out a cry of shock, and batlike demons sprung out from the shadows in large numbers. They tackled the rest of the group, at least two demons per person. Ace sprang free from the chaos, gun in hand, and shot at Finn.

Salt stepped back, leaving the boy alone to deal with the problem himself. Finn dodged the bullet. While he was dodging, I saw an opening, but he turned and hit my stomach. He stood upright, unruffled, a bit of question in his eyes as they darted between Ace and I.

I clutched my stomach. It hurt, but at least he didn't hit with all his might. "Dude, what about everything we talked about?"

He opened his mouth as if he was going to reply, but jsut closed it.His hand opened instead, cackling with liught and energy. The energy struck out like a snake and wove like a rope around us. Was it shock, or was all this really happeniong as fast a lightening?

Salt grinned. "Good girl." Finn winced. "I know where your loyalties lie. You're too soft to ever hurt me." The demon walked past Finn, eyeing Ace and I. "Ready to die?"

I glanced at Ace. "If you'd helped someone else, you wouldn't be in this situation."

Ace rolled his eyes, "I guess I thought I owed you since my brother likes you. I don't know. I didn't hhink it through. Maybe I do like you, too"

"Little too late to be friends, don't you think?"

Salt picked up my sword that had slid out of its sheath and touched the side of the blade with his tongue. "Shut up."

Everything seemed to be happening in a moment's notice today. I could hardly beleive it when the head of a dagger poked through Salt's belly, a spurt of blood following the deadly tip. A look of utter betrayal wiped over his face. Behind him, head lifted to peek around the body, was Finn, face streaked with tears.

"I can hurt you. You taught me to hurt people..." When Finn pulled the dagger out, every demon on the plane vanished with nothing more than the hint of a gasp.

The electric ropes were gone. Ace and I, along with the whole group, glanced at Finn.

"Oh." He gave a wry smile. "You didn't think I'd really betray you, did you?"

***

It was the same night, probably an hour or two before we should stop for the day, that I overheard Ace and Dillan talking about Nahara.

"What will we do about her when we get back?"

"We? You're the one leaving, right?" Ace asked, although I could tell he was concerned about Dillan.

The tacosexual sighed. "Yeah, just... You're staying with her?"

"I love her..."

"...I do too."

"She took my immortality, you know. I mean, that means a lot."

I whirled around to see if anyone else heard. Oliver's eyes met mine, and I could seerthe tears starting to form. I'm sorry, I thought.

"Oh, I didn't... I know that means a lot, but..."

"I don't know, Dillan. We'll take it a day at a time, my friend."

"...Thank you."