by Allison West
Arianna snapped her mouth shut and gulped. No one said a word, but the city was anything but silent with the bustle of traffic and people wandering the streets. "Still not the point. She's a child right now. What you're suggesting is murder!"
"How can you, of all people, excuse her crimes?" Orla asked. "She abandoned you for a stupid object. You're an orphan because of her."
Arianna stomped her foot hard on the ground as she inched closer to Orla. "Her actions, what she's done, it hasn't happened yet." She clenched her jaw and bunched her hands into fists at her side. "You're talking about killing an innocent child! It's cold-blooded murder."
Lil reached out and rested a hand on Arianna's shoulder as a small measure of support. "Arianna's right," Lil said. "Her actions, though inexcusable, haven't yet happened. Can't we change the course of events by intervening now, before she destroys Orenda? Can't we go to Nightblood Academy and inform the headmaster of what will happen? Perhaps they can stop her from ever discovering Pandora's box."
Hudson remained silent, taking a step back as he no longer needed to keep the two of them from fighting.
Orla shook her head. "Absolutely not. We only get one chance. We're lucky we were sent into the past and not some distant future that we have no control over. If we screw this up, our world won't have a second chance."
Hudson shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't look like he agreed with the plan, but he wasn't helping to stop it, either. "No one even knows if it'll work."
"Trust me. If I shove a dagger into her chest, she'll bleed." Orla knew her way around a weapon, and when the time came, she seemed to have no qualms about being the one to do the job.
Hudson's brow furrowed. "That wasn't what I meant. Suppose Eilith's dead. Who's to say that another sorceress doesn't find Pandora's Box?" He glanced around the busy street; no one paid them any attention. "Maybe we should hide it someplace else? There has to be another way to keep the future from coming to pass as we know it."
"You want to dig the biggest weapon in existence up and what, rebury it?" Orla's eyes were wide, and her mouth hung agape. "Please tell me you're joking. It's been buried for millennia. I think it's hidden in a pretty reliable location."
"Hudson's right," Lil said. "Arianna has to know where the box is hidden. We'd need to find it and destroy it. That would be the safest way to save our world."
"Can it even be destroyed?" Arianna asked.
Orla held up her hands. "Why are we even having this discussion? If you two want to find and destroy the box, by all means, go ahead." She gestured at Lil and Arianna. "I'm going to protect our future by stopping Eilith while we still can. Hudson, are you with me?"
Willow crouched behind the hill. She kept her head down, her eyes on Jamie. His skin glistened with sweat, and though it was hot outside, Willow knew that hadn't been the cause. She refrained from touching the wound or removing the arrow. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him further.
She waited for what felt like hours but knew it hadn't been that long. The sun had barely moved across the sky. Footsteps padded on dry earth, forcing her to remain low to the ground.
"It's just me," Rawlie said as he climbed over the hill and reached Willow and Jamie. "How's he doing?"
Willow shook her head. It didn't look good. She stood up, seeing a man dressed in native attire. She'd never been to this region before, perhaps in this part of Orenda, they dressed differently due to the climate. "Are you sure we can trust him?" Willow asked.
"I hope so," Rawlie said and nodded.
Willow couldn't tell if he was pretending to be confident or if he trusted these people. Who were they and why had they felt it necessary to shoot without warning? Her gut told her something was still off. "Okay," she said, running her hand over Jamie's forehead. "We need to get him water. He's burning up."
"He'll be fine," Rawlie said. "It's hot outside. I'm sure that's it." Rawlie lifted his hand and gestured for the young man to come over. "Willow, this is Cole."
Out of the bushes, two more joined Cole, a young man and woman, a few years older than Rawlie. They couldn't have been older than twenty-one or twenty-two. Together, they carried a cot made of thick, dense leaves held together by a wood frame.
"What are you planning on doing with that?" Willow asked Cole. She stepped between them and guarded her younger brother. "You're not taking him anywhere." He needed medical attention, but why couldn't they provide it onsite?
"You're welcome to come with us, all of you," Cole said, offering a warm smile. "The New Orenda Order has established a small base camp a few miles in toward the mainland."
Willow's stomach flopped. She glanced behind her at Jamie. Would he make it through the night without their help? Their only other option was to use their power and return to the other world, seek medical treatment, and then what?
Rawlie rested a warm hand on Willow's arm. His touch was soothing, whether he intended it to be or not. "They can help Jamie. Let them."
Willow had her doubts but kept them to herself. It seemed Rawlie trusted them, and what other choice did she have? She loved her brother immensely and needed to keep him alive. This was their best option. She watched as the two carrying the stretcher placed it on the ground and carefully lifted Jamie onto it. She bent down, taking his hand, feeling it icy as she put it between hers to warm him up.
They lifted Jamie, waist-high, and began walking in the direction from which they'd come.
"Where are you taking him?" Willow asked, walking right behind him. She reached out, touching Jamie's cold cheek. He'd grown pale, his skin was clammy, and sweat slicked his forehead, matting his hair to his forehead. It had been a while since he'd last woken. The pain had probably knocked him unconscious.
"To our camp. We have a small supply of medicine and tools that will help your friend," Cole said, following far too close behind Willow; it made her uncomfortable.
"He's my brother," Willow said, correcting Cole. "He's family."
The walk to the New Orenda Order camp felt tedious. Branches were constantly in the way, along with roots of trees growing haphazardly in the lush forest surrounding them. She ignored the cuts and scrapes, the small bites of bugs sucking at her skin. It felt like a jungle, at least what she imagined one to be from the books she'd read.
She had no idea how long they'd traveled and didn't care to guess. Her hand stayed planted on Jamie in any way possible. Her fingers brushed his forehead and rustled through his hair as she hoped he'd wake up again.
"Will he be okay?" Rawlie asked, walking beside Willow. He turned his head toward Cole, awaiting an answer.
"Our doctors will do the best that they can. We've treated injuries like this before," the woman said as she carried Jamie deeper into the forest.
Did they make a habit of shooting innocent people? Willow kept her mouth shut, deciding it would be best to let them heal Jamie first, and then make a wise remark. She didn't trust these people. How could she, when they'd attacked her younger brother? Did Rawlie trust them? Or were they solely accepting their help because they had no other option? She let out an enormous sigh and kept walking until they reached a hill on one side covered in moss. The other, it appeared a tree was growing out its side. She tilted her head, examining the scene in front of her when Cole walked around and released the trap for the hidden door. "This way," he said, letting his men carry Jamie in first.
The narrow and dark passageway left enough room for one person to walk at a time. Willow stayed as close to her brother as possible, hating that she could no longer touch him or feel him in front of her. He had to be okay; she couldn't imagine a life without Jamie pestering her and begging to take part in the next adventure.
She felt Rawlie right behind her. His hand gently patted her back, long enough for her to reach behind her, taking his hand in hers. Willow squeezed it tight, taking some of his silent offering of reassurance.
"How much farther?" Rawlie asked, coughing. The air was thick with dirt, and it was humid.
A side tunnel ventured toward their right, but they kept their course.
"A few more paces. We're taking the boy directly to our medical facility."
The two who carried Jamie seemed to be particularly quiet the entire journey. Or perhaps they knew better than to speak?
Willow blindly followed toward the medical center, her eyes stinging as they approached the epicenter. Light poured in from every angle. At least, it felt that way after the tunnel. Squinting, Willow held up a hand, slowly adjusting.
The two carrying her brother whisked him past a set of doors that pushed inward, making it easy to enter while carrying a stretcher. They carried Jamie to the nearest makeshift hospital bed. She paid no attention to the metal trays of tools or bright blinding lights that towered above when she followed him inside the room.
"One of our arrows pierced through the boy's chest. We haven't been able to see the extent of the damage. He's been unconscious since we found him, about twenty paces from the shoreline," the woman who carried Jamie on the stretcher said.
"You have to get out!" a man in yellow plastic scrubs said. "This room needs to remain sterile." Willow suspected he probably was the doctor. At least, he looked the part. Could he save her brother's life?
Willow's eyes glazed over. "No." She refused to leave Jamie's side.
"I'll go," Rawlie said in agreement, "but she stays with her brother."
"This isn't a negotiation," the doctor said. "We need to keep his risk of infection to a minimum. Out, now!"
Rawlie headed for the door and glanced back at Willow. He didn't come after her or try to change her mind.
Cole cleared his throat and rested a hand on Willow's back, gently guiding her toward the door where Rawlie stood. "The doctor is right. You gave your brother the best chance he has by bringing him to us. You can't do anything more to help."
Willow's bottom lip trembled. "You can't know that!" He had no idea the things she was capable of, traveling between worlds. She could have brought Jamie back to Lil's world, and maybe she should have. She hung her head and followed him out of the room. No part of her wanted to leave Jamie's side, but the mere thought of her causing more harm to him was horrifying. She'd wait out here. Hopefully, they'd remove the arrow, stitch him up, and they could be on their way before nightfall.
Cole's hands rested in front of him, folded together as he spoke. "Again, I'm sorry about your brother."
"Jamie," Willow said, growing annoyed by everyone calling him her brother or the boy. "His name is Jamie."
Cole nodded, his brow pinched together. "Right. I'm sorry about what happened to Jamie. I don't want it to destroy the foundation we're building as we work together to create the New Orenda Order."
Willow crossed her arms and locked eyes on Cole. "What exactly is this New Orenda Order?"
"It's simple, really. We believe in a world without magic and the use of limited technology. An advancement in technology, which is what happened in the mid-80s, entwined with magic brought about significant change to our world. We know we can't turn back time or change history, but we do believe we can shape the future to prevent another massacre."
Willow's eyes narrowed. "How do you plan on doing that when Eilith is still roaming the globe freely? At any moment, she could destroy this island like she has Elfinland. Much of the world is decimated."
"Simple," Cole answered, gesturing toward the world around them. "She's forgotten about us. Look at where we live. Society has prospered with the pixies' help."
"I thought your laws forbid magic?" Rawlie asked.
"Humans have no right to use magic," Cole said. "We don't rule over fairies or pixies, but we do ask them to consider our request."
"Pixies hate to be told what to do," Willow said. "I can't imagine the fae like it, either, but I guess you're lucky most of them were wiped out by Eilith in her last attack."
Cole frowned. "It was most unfortunate."
Willow couldn't tell if he meant for any hint of sorrow to exist, because it certainly hadn't sounded like he cared. Cole was right about one thing; banding together, human, pixie, and fae would be the only way to defeat Eilith.
Cole glanced over at Rawlie and turned to Willow. Had he intended to comfort her? She kept her distance and her guard up. "Your friend Rawlie was telling me how the three of you came into a rather unfortunate circumstance with your boat sinking out in the ocean. Lucky for you, the three of you were able to swim to shore." His tone held a sing-song quality, like a man hiding something or preparing to prove a point. Willow could feel the energy radiating off him, the mistrust wasn't entirely one direction.
She caught a glance at Rawlie; he looked incredibly calm. She hoped she wasn't being set up by Cole to reveal more than there was to tell. "Yes, that's right." Willow let out an exhaustive breath and lifted her head, meeting Cole's stare. "I don't see how any of that has to do with you shooting my brother." She wasn't about to let this become an interrogation on them.
Cole shifted his weight on his feet, his brow glistening with sweat. "As I explained to your friend, the New Orenda Order has outlawed magic. Technology is used on a limited basis and under the strictest of regulations, to ensure the survival of the human race." His eyes narrowed, and Willow noticed how his chin was round but his nose narrow and sharp from his profile. He had a strange face, chubby cheeks with a nose and set of lips that seemed too small and too petite for his features. She would have laughed, had any part of this situation been amusing. Cole frowned and shook his head. "Back to my point," he said, turning his attention on Rawlie. "You mentioned arriving by boat, but all three of you were perfectly dry. How is that possible?"
Willow stepped closer to Cole, unafraid of him. "Easy. The sun produces what we call heat," she said, talking down to him. "We were outside enough time that our clothes and hair dried before your incompetent men fired on my brother. We didn't just wash up on shore. Any more questions?"
Cole shut his mouth and walked away, leaving Willow and Rawlie alone. She waited until she was confident the man had left.
"What now?" She didn't trust any part of this new establishment of government that they were trying to concoct. Whether their methods were sound or not did in no way justify their methods. Shooting an unarmed child was horrific. Who knew what else they would resort to with their line of thinking.
"I'm confident they're watching us or listening in," Rawlie said and glanced at the door to where Jamie was undergoing surgery. "He'll be okay." He reached for Willow's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Your brother is a fighter. He's always wanted to prove himself, now he's been given the chance."
Willow shook her head, disgusted. Her bottom lip quivered, and she expelled a loud sigh and shifted her weight on her feet. Any hint of movement was enough to dispel the tears that were surfacing. She would not cry. Jamie was alive. There was no reason to grieve.
Arianna stared up at the apartment complex and the thirty or so floors that towered toward the sky. They stood just outside of where her mother had grown up as a child. She didn't know quite how she remembered the building. Her grandmother lived there, but the last time she'd visited, Arianna had been three or four. Maybe she was wrong and they were staking out the wrong complex.
Arianna shut her mouth and quit begging Orla to agree to another way to change the course of events. Maybe she was right. Nothing would change without action. She may not have liked what had to be done, but the child was Eilith. She would grow up to be the demon sorceress who would destroy their entire world.
The sun had fallen just over the horizon, and the street lamps flickered on.
"We follow someone else into the building," Orla said. "You'll take us up to the right floor."
"No, I won't." Arianna hadn't told Orla where her mother had grown up. They'd found it in the records stolen from Manhattan Academy. "I'm staying out here."
"Fine. Stay out of the way." Orla dug the crumpled page from her back pocket. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted while reading the words in the da
rkness.
"Lil, Hudson. Either of you coming up with me?"
"Not if you're planning on murdering a child," Hudson said. "I won't stop you, but I'm not getting my hands bloody."
"I think it's too late for that." Lil shifted on her feet. "Count me out. Isn't there another option?"
"Like what? Wait until she's massacred an entire race or civilization?" Arianna asked. "I don't like this idea any more than the rest of you, but Orla is right. We can't take the risk that she will undoubtedly destroy Orenda. We've all seen what she's capable of."
Orla glanced at Arianna. "Finally come to your senses?"
"How about Lil and I try to find your mother, Orla?" Hudson suggested.
Sighing, Orla didn't look the least bit thrilled. "Fine. Too many of us might draw suspicion. Lil and Hudson, go find Morgan. I'll stay with Arianna and make sure the job gets done." She glanced the human girl once over. "Don't want you to cower out."
Lil and Hudson wordlessly headed down the road, neither of them so much as glancing back at Arianna and Orla.
Watching the stairs, Arianna felt anxious. Would she need to break into her mother's apartment? She didn't have much of a plan, only a dagger tucked into her boot.
A woman and her young daughter stepped outside and walked down the front steps. Her dark brown hair and chocolate eyes looked so much like Arianna's when she was a child. The resemblance was uncanny.
Arianna exhaled a nervous breath. Quietly, she slipped the dagger from her pants leg and glanced at Orla. "Distract the mother."
"What are you doing?" Orla asked, glancing Arianna over. "You don't have the strength to murder your own mother."
"I'm the only one who can do it," Arianna said. "She's the reason I exist. If I don't do it, then I most certainly won't exist. I'm willing to take a chance, hope that our future changes, but I want to be there to experience it. My life means something to me."
Orla sighed, considering her request. "Fine, but be quick. We can't afford to get caught, and without the use of the wand, I can't transport us to safety. We don't want to spend the next thirty years behind bars in prison."
