Guardians(46)
“You have something that doesn’t belong to you,” I reply.
“I have several things that don’t belong to me. Let’s see I have skulls, ribs, fingers…you’re going to have to be more specific.”
“The Amulet.”
“Oh, this?” he says innocently.
“Yes.”
“I knew it had to be important but I never knew why. It was given to me by a Pawn who tried to con me with fake weeping oil. When I found him, he gave me everything he owned. But when it came to this Amulet, he actually tired to keep me from taking it. I promised him that if he handed it over peacefully, I wouldn’t kill him. I believe one of the spines glued to the base of my throne is his,” he says, looking around to see where he had glued the Pawn’s remains.
“You give me the Amulet and we’ll leave you alone,” I inform him.
“Said the Angel behind the force field,” Kairo muses.
“I came for the Amulet. I’m going to get it,” I promise him.
“I like you, Guardian. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret most people don’t know about me: I’m kind of a geek.”
“Yeah, I got that from the PC reference,” I retort.
“I mean, I love puzzles. In fact, I have three for you today. And if you and your human solve all three, I will let you choose which blade I fillet your girlfriend with.”
“We’re not here to play games, Kairo,”
“Well, that’s good because while this is a game for me, it’s incredibly serious for you.”
Kairo points the Loop at Emmy and a glass box springs up from the floor and encases her.
“No! Let me be in the box. I’ll go in the box. Not her. Leave her alone, you freak!” I protest.
He laughs heartily as he looks on. Emmy examines her glass prison anxiously. She bangs on it repeatedly. I run over to her and try to smash it. I hit the glass with every ounce of strength I have. It has absolutely no impact.
“Here’s the deal, Guardian. Your girl is being stripped of oxygen. She can only survive three minutes, at which point, parts of the brain will begin to die. Read the clues engraved on the glass, solve the riddle, and save her.”
“Why would you do this?” Emmy screams at Kairo.
“Because dear, killing outright gets old. When you have the answer, Guardian, just call it out. By the way, you get three guesses. Every time you guess wrong, the air depletes faster.”
He points the Loop towards the glass and yells, “Begin!”
CHAPTER THRITEEN: THIS MUCH I KNOW
Almost immediately, Emmy starts to panic as the air is being sucked out of the glass. I lean in and reassure her that I will not let anything happen to her. I read the riddle out loud to her so that she can both help and focus on something other than the lack of oxygen.
What Am I?
I have no legs but I can run
I have no arms but I hang on
I am water that is no longer wet
“Marcus, I don’t know,” she says.
“It’s okay. Let’s think about this for a sec” I reply, trying very hard not to lose it. Then from a few feet away, Kairo begins to laugh.
“She has two minutes and thirty seconds,” he says.
Emmy begins to look all over the glass box to try and find some kind of opening. I know right away that will be a waste of precious time.
“Emmy, look at me and nowhere else okay?”
“Okay.”
“What has no legs but can run?” I ask her.
“Time!”
“Yes, time can “run” out!”
“The answer is ‘Time,’” I tell Kairo.
He shakes his head and suddenly, Emmy is gasping for air.
“No!” I shout.
“You have two more chances, Guardian” Kairo informs me with delight.
“Don’t look at him Emmy. Focus.”
“It’s not time…maybe it’s…it’s…” Her voice is getting weaker. The lack of oxygen will be effecting her brain soon, if not already.
“One minute left,” Kairo announces.
“Shut up!” I blare at him. His only reply is to laugh even harder.
“What has no arms?” I say to myself.
“I don’t know…can’t…think,” she whispers. She’s turning slightly blue.
“Could he mean the ‘hands’ of time? No time is the wrong answer,” I say, thinking out loud.
“Sun…chair…go…” Emmy is getting delirious. She has no idea what she’s saying now.
“It’s the hands of time!” I call out to the Demon.
“Wrong again!” he says in a sing-song voice.
Emmy’s eyes are rolling to the back of her head. I turn away from her knowing I will never be able to concentrate if I see her withering away. I force myself to focus only on the riddle. I read and reread all the clues. I feel like I’m missing something that’s right in front of my face.