Mona was sitting in the chair next to the bed, looking at an old book and grinding her teeth. She put the book down and looked at me.
“How disappointing,” she retorted. “I figured you would ask about your dear Wesley.”
“Wesley is fine. He is strong-willed. Marshall is not,” I muttered, trying to sit up. My head started to swim, causing me to fall flat onto the pillow again.
“Your ward is quite resilient. Do not doubt him,” Mona stated, placing her hand on my forehead. “Please do not move. You are nearly healed, but not enough to move about yet.”
“How is Marshall?” I demanded again, wishing to hear news of my new friend.
“He mourns, as he should. He’s preparing your funeral,” she replied softly, sitting back in the chair, and looking at me.
“You mean Prudence’s funeral. As you can see, I am very much alive,” I groaned, turning my head to face her.
“Yes, I meant Prudence,” she grumbled to herself. “I figured you would want news of the boy. It’s taken the Incubi doctors some time, but they feel they have pinpointed the cause for all his - modifications.”
Mona made several gestures with her hands. I could tell she was trying to find the right words to explain what was happening with Wesley. Modifications may not have been the correct term, but I understood what she was saying. There was far more to Wesley then met the naked eye.
“This means there was a change in him,” I said softly, closing my eyes to keep the room from spinning. I had hoped nothing had changed in him.
“You could say that. He is what they are calling an anomaly.” She leaned back and stretched out her legs.
“A what?” I asked, peeking at her through the cracks of my lids and then squeezing them tightly shut.
Why is the room still whirling with my eyes closed?
“He has traits of many. There are hints of vampire, demon, wolf, banshee, and several other bloodlines we thought to have been dead for millennia,” she yawned.
“How is that possible?” I insisted, my eyes shooting open again. I focused on her, even as the walls around her swayed.
“The scars on his body would suggest several possibilities.” Mona raised an eyebrow and pressed her lips together. She was looking at me as if I should already know what had happened to him.
“What scars? I didn’t see any scars on him.” I bit my lip angrily.
How could I have missed something like that?
“There are bites, scratches, tears in his flesh. He was a guinea pig for God’s sake.” She leaned forward, exposing her arms. “There are arteries in the arms, legs, and neck. Easily accessible by a pure-blooded creature. He can sense change, alter his image, feel death around him. When you were shot, he nearly killed the men attending to his wounds.”
Her description of Wesley did not sound right. The man I had loved was not violent in any way. Why would Miranda subject him to such torture? Force him to be experimented on by creatures I had never met, and most likely, some I would never know. I had been selfish thinking the last three days had been torture. Wesley had been subjected to daily anguish at the hands of a woman he once loved.
“He seemed so normal.” I frowned. “He seemed so - human.”
I hated myself for not being able to see what Mona was describing. I had been focused on my mission, never stopping to think anything had happened to him.
“He would. His Harbinger blood is the most dominant. It almost masks the rest of the mixture.” She put her arms down and smiled. “He is stronger than you could imagine.”
“And Marshall?” I asked, yet again. Why was she not telling me what I wanted to know?
“He doesn’t know who you are if that is what you are asking. He believes you sacrificed your body so you could save the others.” Mona’s eyes sparkled for a second.
“He is a good boy. Please make sure no harm comes to him,” I stated, wishing I could sit up.
“Nothing will happen to him or any of the captives.” She smiled. “His sister, though, we had to sedate her. Lilly has her convinced purebloods want to kill all hybrids.”
“She’s not the only one convinced of such things.” I swallowed, realizing how dry my throat was.
“We have learned. The lies and deception around that encampment were beyond the belief of any of us. These people suffered severe trauma, and it’s going to take a large amount of time to reverse what she did to them.” Mona reached out and grabbed my hand.
Yet again, Mona was right. The captives had been brainwashed to believe the world was against them. It did leave me to wonder how many others had the same thoughts throughout the Hybrid Army. How many were fighting to bring peace, and how many were out for blood?
“Where is Krista? Kelly?” I asked, attempting to roll my head toward her.
“We brought Krista and Kelly with us,” she assured me with a pat on the shoulder. “You do know you cannot become yourself quite yet. There are still a few strings to fix before we can allow that. Just know, Kelly has done well being you.” Mona pushed a strand of blonde hair from my eyes.
“They are here? Do they know I am here too?” My voice was stronger, and I could feel excitement pulsing through me. I longed to see both of them. I wanted to tell them everything; I knew they would understand.
“No. The gag still stands. Nobody can say anything. The only reason Aaron knows is because he is connected to you. Even if we didn’t tell him, he would feel you the moment he was close enough.” Mona frowned at me. “For now, you will remain here, and then we will alter your appearance one more time. Temporarily. Until we have a better plan for the switch.”
“I understand,” I sighed. I knew it was a longshot; all I wanted was to be resurrected from the dead.
I may not have been ready to take on the responsibility again, but I wanted my life back. Prudence was a nice escape from reality, but being me was far more important.
“You know what shocks me?” Mona stated as she raised an eyebrow and gave me a twisted smile.
“What?” I blinked a few times, trying to stop the room from swaying.
“All those trinkets I gave you; they held no power. Yet you managed to create illusions, craft new items from old, even turn water into blood.” She winked. “This is why my daughter feels you are superior to her.”
“We all know Wardens have equal power. I am no more powerful than her,” I groaned. I wasn’t even back in the graces of my family, and Rose was already haunting me.
“I’m not so sure about that anymore. Yes, it is said Wardens have the same power levels. However, I am not a water carrier, but yet Rose is. Her father was, but I never could do a damn thing with water.” She sighed. “I think the blessing is what did it. The Creators blessed you in a way they did not bless my daughter. Or there is far more to the Warden bloodline then what I know. Either option is plausible.”
I laid there a moment, pondering what she had just said about the division of power when a realization hit me.
“Wait! You set me up?” I felt the anger sear through me, but no fire came to my fingers.
“No. When I created the Priestess, she was simply all-powerful. There was nothing she couldn’t do. I put that thought in your head to give you confidence. I had no clue you would be so rigorously tested by Lilly and her Army.” She blinked. “I also had no idea the power you would have over her lieutenant. He must have a soft spot for all Wardens; he can’t seem to leave them alone.”
“He made it obvious he was into Prudence,” I shivered. “Wait a minute! I was able to do all that magic when he was around.”
“Yes, you were.” Mona smiled wide. “Just means he doesn’t have as much control over you as we thought. It could also mean he is only able to neutralize your Warden power and not the additional blessings you apparently have been given.”
“That doesn’t make sense though,” I moaned. I wanted to understand what she was telling me. Still, I had no idea how to accept the idea of having additional blessings. How could
all this power have been inside of me untapped and ready to burst?
“It makes perfect sense to me. Now you need to get your rest.” She patted my knee.
Why was everyone telling me I needed to rest? I felt like I had been sleeping for days.
“If you say so,” I replied dryly as she stood up and started to walk toward the wall.
Halfway there, she turned and looked at me, her face contorting oddly.
“Oh, your other boy. Adam.” She smiled again. “He remembers everything.”
The color drained from my face.
My mind swam with many thoughts. Had he confronted Kelly? What had she done? Why were his memories resurfacing so soon? I wasn’t ready to deal with the explanation as to why I had my brother messing with his memories. I didn’t want him to feel as if he had made the wrong choice by being with Rose. All things considered, I didn’t want to think about what happened between us during those fleeting moments. I closed my eyes in protest. I was going to have to face what I had done sooner or later. I had no choice but the clean up the mess I had made.
Chapter Two
Silent Confessions
“Miss Prudence?” A familiar face peeked through a slit in the wall of my immaculately white room. I still had yet to figure out the magic, which kept the room concealed.
“Marshall!” I exclaimed, putting the spoon I was eating my Jell-O with down. “What are you doing here?”
The last I had heard, he was planning Prudence’s funeral. His appearance in my room told me someone had explained to him the reason for the ruse. I felt comfort in knowing he was part of the plan now. The last thing I wanted was to lose Marshall due to Mona’s policy.
“They told me I could see you. I had to sign a ton of paperwork stating I wouldn’t speak about it to anyone. Some blonde woman touched my face, said some words, and walked away. I swear this place has the oddest visitation practices.” He smiled at me as he walked toward my bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better. The doctor said there wouldn’t be a scar.” I smiled at him sweetly. While the questions still plagued my mind, the last thing I wanted to do was ask him any questions on how he found out I was indeed alive.
“That’s great news.” He approached me, his hands in his pockets. “Would it be too forward to say I was scared to death of losing you?”
“Of course not,” I laughed.
“Great.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “That was probably the most traumatic experience of my life.”
I reached over and patted his hand.
“It’s completely understandable.” I tried to reassure him, but I was unsure if it was successful. There were no changes in his demeanor, and he seemed shaken. “Are you alright?”
He shifted his body and looked from left to right. I could tell there was something he wanted to say, but I wasn’t sure quite what it was. Did he have questions? His own set of theories? Or perhaps he was overwhelmed with everything happening.
“The man you spoke of before we were taken. Was the blonde hybrid him?” Marshall asked out of the blue.
I had to make a double-take to see he was serious. There was no feasible way; this was the question he wanted to ask. I had smiled to myself. He wanted to keep the conversation as normal as possible. It did make sense. I’m sure Mona had told him to keep the questions to a minimum.
“He knew you before all of this. He knew you well. The way he looks at you is with longing as if you are some long lost love. Someone who used to mean something to him.”
Marshall’s observation about Aaron was spot on. I had never mentioned a name when we had talked about my life. How could he have read all of that from a four-minute interaction? Still, speaking of Aaron pained me in another way. His transformation, whether my fault or not, still bothered me. I couldn’t help but feel at fault for everything happening in his life.
“There was a time when he and I shared affection for one another,” I answered monotone.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bare my heart and soul to Marshall. Yes, I had told him quite a bit about myself without ever really saying anything at all. I just did not feel I needed to explain my involvement with Aaron. That was a cut still too shallow to mend. The last thing I wanted to expose was my guilt.
“He was human once?” Marshall smiled at me, and my eyes shot open.
How could he have been able to figure that out? Aaron didn’t have the look of a fledging if the Incubi have any. My soul grew cold, and my hands began to shake.
“Oh goodness, Miss Prudence, I was just kidding.” He broke out in nervous laughter as I tried to calm my erratic heart.
“Marshall, when the time comes, I will tell you everything you could ever want to know about me. Until then, be patient.” I reached out and grabbed his hand. If he kept asking questions about Aaron, I was going to wind up breaking down.
He stood there for a second and bit his bottom in frustration. He was still fighting the questions forming in his mind.
“Are you really a Priestess?” he blurted out, instantly latching his mouth shut once the question had been asked.
“For all intents and purposes, yes.” I nodded at him, and his demeanor softened. Could this have been the question he was too scared to ask?
“Are you the Priestess Lilly said was in the prophecy?” He raised an eyebrow.
I pulled my eyes from his. Now we were hitting the more complicated questions. I had been given a role to play, and I had done it in the opposite fashion as how she had been perceived.
“No,” I answered quietly.
He seemed pleased with my answer, and he let out the breath he was holding.
“I was hoping not. They made you sound like you were bringing the apocalypse with you when you came. Thank goodness it wasn’t really you.” His stance became less rigid, and suddenly, he was at ease — no more expressions of despair or desperation. His conscience was finally at ease.
“Are they treating you well?” I asked. While I wanted off the subject of Prudence, I had hoped to keep our conversation going.
“Yes,” he replied with a smile.
“Good.” I closed my eyes. It was my turn to be put at ease. As long as they were taking good care of him, I knew he was going to be ok.
“You will never guess who I met!” he gawked, his eyes sparkling.
Whatever he was about to tell me, he was super excited about it. It’s not like the Incubi stronghold had a lot of celebrities walking around. Who could he have possibly met?
“I have no idea,” I laughed as he curled up next to me in the hospital bed, playing with my hair and stroking my arm.
“I met two Wardens! The two John always spoke so much about. You know, I thought he was lying to me about everything. How was it possible he did those horrible things?” He looked at me with childlike eyes. “I will tell you this; those girls are damaged beyond any measure.”
“They do have names,” I mentioned softly. I hated how Krista and I were both linked to John. No matter what we did in the coming battle, we would always have that link.
“Oh, I know, I just don’t remember them,” he blushed. It was apparent he had no idea how his remark had cut me. I guess I was getting better at hiding my emotions.
“Dawn is Fire, Krista is Wind, Helen is Earth, and Rose is Water,” I replied tenderly.
“Did the blonde lady tell you that?” he asked, blinking.
Blonde lady? I tried not to laugh. He must have meant Mona.
“No, love, I know a lot more about this world than one would think,” I responded, touching his face. “Now, why do you say they are damaged?”
“The blonde, Krista, her spirit is good. She has a spring in her step, but there is a darkness that looms over her. You can see it on her face when she meets people; she’s afraid any one of them could be like him. The good thing about the Neutralizer is there are only a few in this world. The chances of meeting a second one are rather slim. Still, she is going to have that fear. In a small way, she will alwa
ys have trust issues.” Marshall seemed quite in tune with Krista’s mannerisms. “The other, she’s dark. I couldn’t read much into her; it was almost as if she was a glamour. You can see the pain in her eyes, but I’m not so certain it is from the trauma John imposed upon her. Her damage could be brought on by something totally different.”
I felt my pulse increase again. He was far too good at reading people. If he could see through the spell, then how many other beings had been able to see it too?
“A glamour?” I gulped.
“You know, someone who is fake,” he laughed. “I can’t believe I just said that about a Warden. I bet she can strike me down with a blink of her eye.”
“What makes you think it’s a glamour?” I inquired. The amulet was supposed to give her all my powers and mannerisms, so how could someone like Marshall be able to figure out it wasn’t real?
“It’s intuition, really. You can watch how someone carries him or herself and create the emotion that best suits the movement.” He shrugged. “The few times I changed my flesh, I had to study the person in depth. I had to know everything; from the way, their hair fell to the tiniest blemish on their body.”
“One of these days, you will have to show me what you do.” I raised an eyebrow. I had almost forgotten he could skin walk. That would make more sense. While he could change his physical features by will, Kelly was only cloaked in magic.
“It isn’t much different than when you changed the water to blood for Lilly. The body changes form fluidly, like the water. There is momentary pain, but it numbs out quickly.” He was comfortable talking to me. I could still learn more about Miranda without having to be in her presence.
“How so?” I asked, intrigued by his explanation.
“You changed a few ions, said a few words, and that was that.” He winked. “It is really hard to explain without just showing you. Once we get out of this secret room, I’ll show you mine, and you can show me yours.” He wagged his eyebrows at me playfully.
I broke out into laughter. I knew he meant nothing by his comment. I could sense our relationship was something special. He was like a little brother.
Fizzle Page 2
