Caden really looked at Landry then. No eyeshine. Too long bangs. Slightly exasperated expression. It was her. It was really her. He changed his grip into a hug.
“It’s you,” he gasped.
“Yeah, it’s me, you idiot!” she gave out a choked laugh and wrapped her arms around him. “Who else would it be?”
Caden’s mouth opened and shut. This was the real Landry. The real Ross and Harvey. Hell, it was even the real Jasper Hawes. These were the souls of the people that the Behemoth had taken the bodies from. But that meant…
We’re in the Spirit Realm. Our bodies are back on Earth. The Behemoth has control of their bodies… Does it have control of mine? Caden wondered and a chill went through him.
“Oh, my God, I’m so glad you’re here! I knew you’d come save us!” she babbled against his neck. “I was so certain that if anyone could figure this out it would be you!”
Caden gently pulled back to see her face. There were tear tracks on her cheeks and she was smiling up at him so hopefully. He didn’t want to tell her the truth that this wasn’t a rescue mission, but instead, he might be trapped too.
“Landry, I…” He grimaced.
“Caden! God, things have been so insane! How long have we been gone?” Landry continued. “The light never changes. Always twilight. Or is it daybreak? No idea! And--”
“Landry--”
“I have so much to tell you. And these idiots are going to tell everything too.” Landry turned her head to glare at her brothers and Jasper behind them. “I know who is behind all of this--”
“The Behemoth,” Caden interrupted.
“You said that name before. But I’m talking about a Hydra--”
“Yes, that’s its name,” Caden said. “It’s a Spirit that can--can bind other Spirits to it. Dragon Spirits.”
Could that be what happened to Iolaire? Caden thought with a shudder. Is that why I’m here, too? Trapped? While the Behemoth uses my body, too?
“Yeah, I guess that name totally fits. I mean it's got all these heads that spit fire, acid, poison gas, just everything!” She gave herself a terrier-like shake. “It's terrible. So terrible.”
That was exactly how he would describe it. Terrible.
“Like you just look at it and know its bad news!” Landry let out a bitter laugh. “But, of course, that means my brothers are all in.”
“Landry!” Ross whined.
“No, don’t! We’re only in this mess because of you two lugheads! All this Humans First crap when all along Jasper just wanted to be a Shifter, to be on top!” Landry shouted at them with disgust. “Both of you too!” Even though her eyes were covered by her bangs Caden could feel her scowl. “All of it's been a crock. Humans First indeed!”
Both brothers dropped their heads in shame.
Landry turned her head back towards Caden. “It gets better or worse. The hypocrisy is so freaking hilarious. So Jasper, here,” she tilted her head towards the scowling, gloomy leader of Humans First, “Some weirdo Faith people come to Jasper here and tell him about the Behemoth. So Humans First and the Faith are in on it together! All of Jasper’s principals and it’s all fake!” She made air quotes around “principals”.
“Do you know who he met with?” Caden asked, becoming interested in spite of himself and their current predicament.
If they could get back--no, we will get back--then this information would be invaluable.
“I don’t know their names, but Jasper keeps records,” Landry said with a dismissive tilt of her head. “He’s the type to write everything down and I know where those records are.”
“Traitor,” Jasper hissed.
Landry’s head snapped around towards him. “What? What was that, Jasper-I-hate-Shifters-but-want-to-be-one? You want to say something about me and my loyalties?”
Jasper grimaced and looked away. Caden noted that none of the people here--and some of them must have been members of Humans First other than Ross and Harvey--stuck up for him. In fact, there were many who glared at him.
“I think you’ve stuck him in the soft parts, Landry,” Caden remarked.
“Oh, I’d like to do more than that.” She remained glaring at Jasper. Finally, she turned back to him again. “Of course, the biggest irony is that his big deal didn’t work. We went to this wall in a mountain and we were supposed to be turned into Shifters, but we just ended up here!”
