Rivals (6 page)

“Nightmares,” she said.

“Yes,
Freddy
would be pleased with these nightmares.” Ethan rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “We aren’t protected from dream feeders in this place.”

“Something is eating my dreams?”

Ethan nodded and gave up trying to wake up. “Sort of, I can think of at least seven prisoners that can enter your dreams, each with their own agenda. They give you the nightmares, and in exchange you give them your fear, or whatever emotion they want to elicit from you.”

“What do I do?”

“Nothing, they’re harmless, for the most part. Just acknowledge they are dreams and try to mentally remove the invading thoughts. It takes some practice, but now that they’ve found you, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to work on it.”

Cori reached over and pinched Ethan’s arm.

“Ouch!” he yelped.

“Just making sure this isn’t a dream.”

“You’re supposed to pinch yourself.” Ethan pinched her back.

“Ouch! How much longer do we have?” she asked, wiping her eyes and running her fingers through her hair.

“After a short supper of air and water, we will be done with day two.”

“Three more days?” She shoved his shoulder as if it were his fault. “Why do we even have to come in here?”

“Observation. Danato likes to keep track of wizards. Plus he seems really concerned about the conditions inside the bubble.”

“How long were you here the first time?”

“Just a day. Danato showed me the basics.”

“How long the second time?”

“A couple weeks,” he said.

Cori’s mouth dropped, awestruck. “How did you survive here for two weeks?”

Ethan shrugged. “Keep moving. Eat what you find. Kill what you can. Avoid confrontation. It’s just a lot of hide and seek.”   

Her face saddened and she shook her head. He couldn’t pin down the emotions flickering across her face, but she seemed mortified. “You think I’m pathetic, don’t you?” she asked.

“What?” he asked, shaking his head. “Where did that come from?”

“I’m going nuts after two days, and you survived here two weeks alone.”

“I didn’t exactly come out very sane after two weeks. This place gets to you, whether it’s two days or two weeks.” Ethan shivered, thinking of his last time there.

Cori curled up on the floor facing away from him.

He reached over and rubbed her back. “I’m glad I have somebody with me this time around. Keeps the crazy from sinking in too deep.”

She rolled over to face him. “Yesterday, why didn’t you agree to have sex with me?”Ethan’s eyes widened and he pulled his hand away from her as if it were an incendiary device for this explosive conversation. The last bit of lethargy left his body. “Because I’m not a dick,” he said with a “no duh” attitude. “I saw your distress. You were reacting, not really thinking.”

“But…” Cori paused. She sat up, putting more distance between them. “That is something you would be interested in?”

Ethan cleared his throat and rubbed his face, trying to compel his cheeks not to blush. He couldn’t believe she could say that so casually to him. “Yes, I think that would be an accurate statement.” His cheeks burned red from his admission.

“Then you should have taken the opportunity,” she said coldly. Ethan tried to hold her gaze, but couldn’t. “If you want something,” she continued, “you should seize any opportunity to have it, even if that opportunity is a little morally compromising.”

He pinched himself to check if
he
was dreaming. Was she asking him to make a pass at her? “Are you saying you want me to… What are you saying?”

“I’m saying don’t let inexperience or naivety stop you from achieving any goal. Whether that be a job, a lover, or simply an object of desire; take any opportunity you can to shine.”

Ethan struggled to read between the lines. He rewound their conversation to see where she’d found her tangent. “This is about you trying to become warden, isn’t it?” He hugged his knees to his chest.

“Yes. I took the opportunity to steal it from you. And you should take any opportunity to take it back.”

“First of all, you haven’t stolen it yet. Second, I made it perfectly clear I wouldn’t roll over for you when it came to the job.”

“Bullshit!” She said it so harshly he almost recoiled. As it was, he tensed as if she might attack him. “You talk the talk, but would you actually grind me into the ground to get it?” He didn’t fully understand her at that moment. She was angry with him for
not
being a jerk?

“So, I should be underhanded and conniving to get the position?” he said.

“Yes, you clearly know you’re more qualified for it. My behavior here only proves it.” 

“I should steamroll you any chance I get, is that it?”

“Yes,” she said solemnly.

“Even if I hurt you in the process?”

“Of course!” Even in her state of low self-esteem, Cori still managed to be a bully.

Ethan looked at the entrance. He stood up and extended his hand to her. “Come on,” he growled. She raised an eyebrow at his hand, but she took it. His fingers clamped down on hers and he guided her out of the teepee.

“Is this safe?” Cori dragged behind him through the trees.

“I never see them around sunset, I don’t know why.” He released her hand and scaled a stack of boulders that seemed out of place. Cori stumbled behind him at her own pace.

At the top, he sat on the highest boulder and directed her to the flat rock in front of him. After she positioned herself on the ledge, he pointed at the sunset over her shoulder. “Isn’t that the most beautiful sunset you’ve ever seen?”

Cori looked over the sky that was on perfect display for them at this height. Layers of peach, orange, and pink were highlights to the purple haze above the tree line. The sun was small and pink in the midst of it all. “Yes, it is,” she agreed.

“I don’t know what it is about this place, but the sunset is always spectacular. I watched it almost every night when I was here. It helped put things in perspective.”

“Why are you showing me this?” she asked.

He lowered his forehead onto her shoulder with an exhale. “Because you need perspective,” he said, leaning back. “You may still be figuring out who you are, or who you want to be, but I’m not. I’ve never had anybody to help define me. After my parents died, I jumped from foster home to foster home. I learned to find home in myself.

“So believe me when I say I’m not a dick. I actually give a crap about you and your wellbeing.” He leaned forward to whisper into her ear. “Maybe steamrolling is your way of getting things you want, but it’s not mine. I have no intention of sacrificing my principles just so you can feel better about your tactics. You want to be the warden? Then be stronger than that cocky image you portray.”

She didn’t say anything in response. He watched the sunset pretending that the madness of the day was melting into the ground, just like the sun.

9

The morning of day three was cold and damp, but at least the rain had stopped. Ethan went out to scout the area before they could leave. Cori stayed in the tent trying to erase the images of last night’s dreams from her psyche. Having a sorrow demon reminding her about Vince’s death and nightmares reliving her capture into slave labor was taking its toll on her sanity.

She heard a shout from outside the tent. She peeked out the flap and saw Ethan with a wizard. “Damn it.”

“I am the wizard Dolf,” the chubby bald man announced. “Who are you?”

“I am the wizard E…” Before Ethan could answer, he was up in the air choking, while Dolf played the part of Darth Vader.

Cori wanted to run out and fight him, but given his powers, she knew it would be useless. She remembered what the first wizard had said about Dolf being dumb, and she hoped it was true.

Ethan felt the invisible grip tighten around his neck, and he wondered if Dolf would bore of him eventually and release him, or just kill him for sport. Without a voice, he could not even plead for mercy or surrender.

There was a low growl behind him, similar to a bear. It caught Dolf’s attention as well. Unfortunately, his grip didn’t waver.

The low growl stopped and a laugh followed. Dolf’s attention was fully attained, and he lowered Ethan to the ground. He could breathe a little better, but his movement was limited.

He turned his head just enough to see the tent flap moving open and shut with each “ha” of the laugh, steam rising from the tent as it did.

“Why do you attack my lunch?” The deep voice spoke from within as the tent flap mouthed the words.

Ethan cringed, thinking how ridiculous this ploy was, but Dolf’s eyes were big. He was buying every bit of it.

“Kill my lunch, and I will need a replacement,” the tent said. “You look mighty tasty.”

Without another word, Dolf released Ethan and ran off in the opposite direction. Ethan dropped to the ground and gasped. When it was clear, Cori ran out to his aid.

“I can’t believe that worked,” she said, raising Ethan’s arms in the air so his lungs could fully expand.

“Neither can I, he must be the stupidest wizard ever.”

“According to Demnok he probably is,” she said.

“Demnok?”

“It was mentioned in passing when he thought I was a wizard in disguise.”

“Good memory,” Ethan said.

“Thanks.” Cori slapped her hands together, apparently exhilarated by saving his life. “Where to today?”

He wondered how long that enthusiasm would last when they started walking again. “The caves are probably the least hospitable lodging, but the safest.”

“Safe is good.” Cori helped Ethan up. He wasn’t really in that bad shape, but he liked it when she took care of him. It had been a long time since he had anyone to nurture him. “I didn’t know the wizards could pull a Darth Vader.”

Ethan smiled. “Their powers are limited to manipulating the human body.”

“Just people, not animals?”

“No.” Ethan shook his head.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know; something about the type of magic in them. Animals fall under a different category.”

“Why are they so stupid?”

“They aren’t stupid. They are insane. Granted, their insanity makes them easier to dupe, but you can’t underestimate their powers. Every one of them could snap our necks with a flick of their wrists. Literally.”

“Why don’t they?”

“They barely remember themselves, let alone who their colleagues are. That’s why I introduced myself as a wizard to Demnok. He has no idea if I’m lying, and he can hardly risk getting into a battle with another wizard. It gets bloody.”

“So you just bullshit your way out of trouble?”

“Yep.” Ethan nodded. “As long as I am a mystery, I am safe.”

“Why did Dolf attack you then?”

“He must have seen me scouting the area. He must have known I wasn’t one of them.”

“Close call, huh?”

Ethan smiled. “Not with the great and powerful teepee at my back.”

Cori nodded, but didn’t smile at his quip. 

10

Ethan was happy to have someone to keep him company on his travels this time around. He wasn’t, however, entirely prepared to entertain that someone. Cori hadn’t taken well to the long walking and her hunger had changed from cranky to something far worse: feisty. “You know what I hate the most about this place,” Cori said loudly as she traipsed along behind him. “The walking. Walk here. Walk there. I am so sick of walking.”

Ethan pulled the granola bar from his bag and tossed it over his shoulder to her. She caught it. “This won’t change how I feel about walking,” she said, brandishing the bar at him when he glanced back.

He didn’t stop or respond to her. He felt a push from behind. He stumbled forward a few steps and turned around. “What do you want me to do about it, Cori?”

“I don’t know,” she said, frustrated.

“Do you want to stop and rest?” He felt as if he was talking to a two-year-old that needed a nap, but refused to fall asleep.

“No,” she moaned. “How much further?”

“Longer than you want it to be,” he said. “Eat the granola bar. You’ll feel better.”

“I don’t want to eat the granola bar.
You
don’t need a granola bar.”

“Cori!” He turned around to face her. “Either eat it, or rest, or shut the hell up. I don’t want to get attacked again because you want to starve competitively.”

She abruptly sat down Indian style with a huff and started eating the granola bar. “I hate this place,” she mumbled with her mouth full. Half way through she offered the rest to Ethan. He nodded for her to finish it. “Please eat it, so I don’t have to feel like an ass.” She thrust it up at him.