Traveler - The Price (Book 3)

We recognize the truth when we see it. This is why they say to trust our intuition. The fact is that we are not afraid of the height that the fact we can fall. We are not afraid to get into the game, but the fact that we might lose. We are not afraid of what we see, but of what we know.

I wasn’t afraid of what Eva might do to me, but of what she had done with the others. Between the injuries that hurt me badly, among the tears and blood drops, I was wondering if this time she might be able to go through with her plan. I think that “might” kept my hope alive.

“What are you going to do? I don’t think you have the same plan as before. You’re seeking revenge, aren’t you?” I ask her hoarsely.

“Josephine, ha! Who names their child like that?”

She walked around me for a minute. She examined me from the bottom to the top.

“You’re right. I seek revenge, but there’s something else. I did some digging, and I found out there’s some magic left in this world. That is why I chose to kill you on the night of the full moon, to try to free the magic and to end what I started. Maybe after this, I will be the only being able to use magic in this world, or maybe not. Either way, I will be pleased because I will get rid of you.”

I knew there was some magic left because Ema had communicated with James and me. I also knew that no one was supposed to remember anything, but somehow, I was the cause they had remembered. Maybe it was to blame the fact that I wanted so hard to believe that there was there somewhere, lost in the Universe, my happy ending. I wanted so badly a new chance in Vals, with my friends, and with Aaron. I had received what I wanted, but it didn’t last. I had to be pleased with that. I was sure that no one would be able ever to find me, dead or alive, because I was in the middle of nowhere, and the location spells were not working anymore. There was the GPS though, but in this world, I wasn’t able to keep a phone in one piece, or on me.

On that night, Eva was going to finish what she had started a long time ago. It seems like in life everyone gets what they want. The problem is that a few don’t get things the way they want.

“I heard a lot about you. I can say that I underestimated you” she says.

“Am I supposed to feel flattered? To thank you? I don’t know what you expect from me, honestly.”

“I think we are more alike than you want. It’s such a pity that we didn’t have the chance to know each other a little better!”

“Spare me!”

“I could have never imagined that my daughter would be the one Traveler who would save the world. You know there’s always a loophole, even the tiniest one, in every world? I want to take advantage of it! What makes me curious is that you have never asked me about your father.”

“He’s probably a psychopath, just like you! Otherwise, I don’t see why he left you to wander around free, knowing what kind of a person you are!”

“Oh, my dear. Your father was just as naive as you are. He thought he could change me, that he could bring out a better side of me, but he was so wrong! Such a shame! We would have done a lot together if he hadn’t turned against me!”

“You are such a miserable person…”

“Anyway, he found his ending of my hands too. I noticed that you have his temperament. Oh, and besides this, you have his eyes. Maybe where you will end up you will meet him!” she laughs.

Eva knew what I was, what I had done, and she got the moment to tell me all of it because I couldn’t do anything about it. I felt hit from time to time when she passed by me. This time, I couldn’t lay on the fact that Deby will open a portal for me, from where I could get back as good as new. Every hit hurt badly, and my wrists were near to an infection from the chains that were so tight. I didn’t know if she was telling the truth about my father, but I knew she was capable of bad things.

Then, a great noise heard from outside. I didn’t expect to be my salvation, but the attention of the men who accompanied Eva was drawn to the door, so I found the moment to try and free myself. I pulled with all my strengths, but it was in vain. All I managed to do was to make my wrists bleed.

The two men went outside, and Eva made sure she kept an eye on me. I heard some bangs, and then I saw them entering. They were dragging Andy and Aaron after them. Then I felt goosebumps on my body.

“No…” I whispered.

They tied them up just like me.

“Jo… Are you okay?” Aaron asks me.

“Blah, blah, blah! How touching!” laughs Eva. “Did you think that you can just burst inside and rescue her, as usual? It looks like this time you didn’t catch me off guard! I’m waiting for the rest of you.”

I was curious where were the others, if they had come or what was their plan. I was hoping that Ivy wasn’t there. Something told me that they had a plan, or at least that I was hoping. It was a good thing that they had managed to escape that explosion, and I couldn’t wait to hear about all of it, as soon as we would arrive home. After we got rid of Eva, of course.

“I am in doubt. How did you get out from that house? Did you kill my people again? I don’t pay them enough to die, but it seems that I’m missing something here!”

“We are always a step ahead of you!” shouts Andy.

“My dear, not this time!”

“Your people have failed, as usual, and we all got away alive! Isn’t it enough? There’s no magic in this world, so what are you planning?” asks Aaron.

“Revenge and patience, my dear. It looks like my daughter has magnificent taste in men” she laughs. “How come you got out alive from that car crash? Oh, never mind. This time neither of you are getting out alive!”

I looked at her with disgust. She seemed amused instead of worried that the others would figure some way to save us.

“Until the others show up, I say we have some fun!”

She made a sign to one of the men, and he hit Aaron straight in the face, then in his stomach. Andy protested, but he received some hits too.

“What do you accomplish with this?” I yelled.

“My dear, I love to see you failing every second you breathe! How can’t I apply the same treatment for them? It wouldn’t be fair…”

After she had got bored of hitting us, the men went out of the barn. Eva was walking across that room, and I thought those were the last three hours of my life. I didn’t know what her plans for the others were, but I hoped not the same as they were for me.

“How did you find me?” I asked.

“James” whispered Aaron.

He couldn’t tell me more because Eva turned her face to us. I realized that because James was feeling what I was feeling, it would have been possible for them to get there at his indications. It didn’t make sense, but it was the most likely scenery. So, they were out there somewhere, waiting to get us out. It would have been better if they hurried up because the time was flying.

It didn’t pass long, and my positive thoughts were shattered.

“Look what we found outside!” says one of the men.

He entered the barn, pulling Deby and Ivy after him. James wasn’t there, so I had one last moment of hope. Of course, that shattered too, when the other man walked inside with James.

“What happened dear? Why did you go blue? Did you just realize that there’s no one left to get you out of here?” Eva laughs.

The problem was that she had a point. I didn’t like to admit it, but she was right. There was no one left to save us.

“Come on inside! Here’s plenty of room for everyone!” she continues.

They chained them up too, leaving them to hang there like puppets.

“Honestly, I didn’t think that you will escape that house, but since you’re here, even if I can’t imagine how you found us, it would be good not to miss what’s coming next!”

Eva approached me, and she took out a knife. She ripped my blouse, and she cut my skin under the birthmark from my ribs. Somehow, this mark was still there, even after all my travels between the worlds.

“How long it takes for a person to be drained of blood?” she asks and cuts my skin again, only this time on my neck.

One of the men came near me and lifted me up. The other one pulled the chains, and I felt hanging from my feet, upside down. The room was already spinning around, and I felt the blood on my face.

“Why are you doing this?” asks Deby among her tears.

“I will not explain again” responds Eva. “We have almost an hour until the full moon, and Josephine here has the same.”

Eva pushed under me a recipient made from wood, where was supposed to gather my blood. I saw James couldn’t stand on his feet, and I realized that he was feeling the same things as me, only at a lower intensity. I still hoped that he wouldn’t die with me.

“Let’s hurry the process” says Eva and hits me with her leg in my stomach.

James felt the pain too because he made a sharp sound. Eva stared at him curiously, and she approached me. She hit me again, and James couldn’t keep the pain inside, so he screamed again.

“This will be interesting” she said.

In the next minute, James was hanging upside down, just like me. Eva thought it was some blood connection between us, so she cut him too and started gathering his blood in a vessel. The situation was out of control. Aaron started screaming and agitating, but Eva wasn’t angry at all. She was amused. I knew I had a little time and I felt the image spinning before my eyes.

“No! Stop this madness!” shouts Ivy.

“Shut up! What are you even doing here? What were you thinking?!” I ask her.

“I couldn’t just stay behind and do nothing!”

“You found a hell of a moment for a contradiction!” yells Andy.

I realized that Ivy hasn’t told Andy the truth because he wouldn’t let her come. I couldn’t understand why hadn’t anyone else said to him about it, but I couldn’t change anything now.

Among the screaming of the others, the crying of Deby and the laughing of Eva, I heard a great noise outside. The barn we were in has shaken. A bright light appeared through the cracks of the door, and it was blown off. Inside ran not less than six Cerberuses, and they rushed to us.

They weren’t supposed to exist in our world anymore, but there they were, running at us angry and visible hungry. I didn’t seek for a logical explanation, and I just waited there for my ending. I closed my eyes, but I thought about dying with dignity, so I opened them. A Cerberus passed right by me, dragging one of the men. The other was put down by two creatures. I couldn’t understand quite well what had just happened, but Eva ran by me with a terrified look on her face. After her were two Cerberuses, and I finally heard her screaming from the bottom of her lungs.

The Cerberuses had attacked only them, and they saved us. But why? This question was answered in a short time when I saw Ema running at me. I don’t know how, but she freed me from the chains, leaving behind a yellowish and dusty powder. She went to James, then to Aaron, and in a short time, everyone was free.

Aaron ran to me, and I saw Deby rushing to James. Ivy and Ema came to me. Andy was still recovering from the shock.

Everything was spinning around, but I knew I was going to survive. It was going to be fine, in the end.

“How did you get here?” I ask Ema hoarsely.

“From my world, I can see what is happening in the other worlds. I can’t usually contact anyone, but I did it somehow with you and James. Anyway, when I saw things were getting bad, I used all my resources, even if I didn’t know if they were enough, but from all that I can see, I managed to get here, with a couple of Cerberuses, just in time.”

“I’m glad you made it!” says Aaron.

“Jo, this was the first and last time when I could visit your world. Now I have to get back, and once with my leaving, which will be on the fool moon, I will take with me the last trace of magic that’s in this world to get home.”

“What does this mean?” asks James struggling to get up.

“This means you will no longer be linked to Jo. You will be free. The magic will disappear from this world, and this time, it will remain where it belongs, and that is in my world. For a very long time.”

“That’s fine with me” I said.

“Thank you for everything that you’ve done for us!” says Aaron.

“It’s not like I don’t want to see you guys again, but I hope I will never see you again! Theoretically, that it’s impossible. Just stay safe! I hope you will be okay!”

“You too” says Ivy.

“You saved us again. I wish there were something I can do to repay you” I whisper.

“Stay safe. This will be the repayment” she smiles. “It seems like if this was the price you had to pay, you were lucky.”

Ema touched my shoulder and Aaron hugged her. Ivy and Deby followed his example, while Andy and James said goodbye with their eyes, then she headed out from the barn. The Cerberuses followed her, and they all disappeared in the white light. She had taken with her the last drop of magic, but I didn’t feel released yet. I was quite sad actually.

I sighed. Aaron lifted me up, and he carried me in his arms to the car. Andy and Deby had lifted up James, and Ivy was walking confused behind them. We had left behind Eva and the two men, or what was left of them, and this time they were truly dead. Ivy took out a can of gasoline, and she poured it in the barn and around it. Before we left, they set that place on fire.

Ivy decided to drive to the hospital, where we were going to tell the doctors a not very credible story about how we were attacked by some wild animals, while we were camping. We needed special treatment.

We often find ourselves in the most unusual place, in the worst times, but we somehow manage to get out alive, and at that very moment, our whole live makes sense again. We learn to appreciate the little things more than before, people next to us, and we don’t judge anyone. We never know what is behind a bruise, behind a scratch or a beautiful smile.

James was smiling, even if he was hurt pretty bad,

“Why are you smiling? I thought Ema said that you don’t feel what I feel anymore.”

“Jo, I believe that this time the happiness that I feel is mine! It’s all over, and we are finally free!”

I smiled with the last drop of energy I had. I felt inside me an immense happiness when I was thinking about the fact that no one would ever bother us again. I wanted to show it better, but the wounds didn’t let me. I also had a feeling that something was missing, but I knew it was going to disappear soon.

“Ivy?”

She didn’t let me finish, and she stole my words.

“Yeah! I know! I have something to tell you, Andy!”

He looked at her lost.

“Now? Seriously?”

“Yes! I’m pregnant! You’re going to be a daddy! Congratulations!”

Suddenly, it went quiet.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” she asks.

“Ivy, damn it! You came like this with us! I can’t believe this! You couldn’t say anything before?! You guys knew about this, and you let her come? But more, you didn’t tell me?!” he yells.

“I think this is the moment when you act happy and you kiss her, pal!” says James.

“We’re alive! It’s over! You can be happy now!” Aaron tells him. “Believe me, I completely forgot about that, due to the circumstances. It’s not like it enters every day with the car in my living room my dead mother-in-law… And I think the others have some good excuses too.”

“Stop the car” he says to Ivy.

Ivy braked suddenly, angry and confused. Andy sat up from the back seat, and he hugged Ivy above us.

“Of course I am happy! But I couldn’t do this while you were driving!” he says and kisses her.

“You’re weird, man…” grumbles Aaron.

“I hope it’s a boy! But even if it’s a girl, I will still be happy! Damn it. I’m going to be a daddy!”

Everyone started laughing. My wounds hurt me, but I couldn’t help my happiness for them. On those moments, I discovered parts of me I didn’t even know they existed, and I had found the hope again, that I never thought it would come back to me. I was hoping I would never get bored to look at the sky and to run in the storm, and that I was not going to become someone who forgot to enjoy the little things in life, which give the life a real sense.