Blood

by Emily Thompson

  “Open your eyes,” he said, keeping his voice firm but kind.

  “Get away from me!” Jonas growled, struggling to pull away. Twist held on and forced Jonas’s back against the wooden pillar that stood just behind him. Jonas’s protests stilled for an instant as he realized that he was well trapped.

  “Open your eyes.”

  “Bugger off!” Jonas snapped, his eyes tightly closed even as a glistening tear escaped the edge of one. A fresh wave of anger billowed through Twist’s Sight, but it only encouraged him to hang on just a little longer.

  “I’m not letting go until you look at me.”

  Something deep inside of Jonas’s will seemed to give way, and his resolve crumbled before Twist’s eyes. Jonas slipped down against the pillar, his legs giving out as well. Twist let go of him, stunned. Despite it all, Jonas managed to keep his eyes closed as his tears fought for freedom. He fell to the floor before Twist and curled up against himself, his hands over his face.

  Twist crouched down quietly beside him. At a total loss of any possible solutions to the puzzle in front of him, Twist simply sat beside him. After grappling with his own fear at exposing himself to Jonas’s pain once again, he took his friend’s hand. The fog that met Twist’s Sight was darker, colder, and deeper than anything Twist had ever felt in him before, but the thought that his touch might offer some measure of comfort was all he needed to remain in that terrifying space. Jonas said nothing else, but he held tightly to Twist’s hand. It felt like an infinity in that darkness before Jonas’s breath finally slowed down into calm and his tears stopped. When he spoke, his voice was raw and thin.

  “The first time I ever saw a death, it was my father’s.”

  Numbed by all of Jonas’s emotions, Twist was only vaguely aware of the weight of those words. He looked to Jonas quietly, unable to find anything at all to say in response. Jonas’s eyes were now open and looking away from Twist, but he could just catch the color of them. They looked like dull, tarnished pewter.

  “I used to tell Ara every future vision I got, when we were little,” Jonas continued, as if propelled by an outside power; his own will was clearly exhausted. “She loved to see if I would be right, even though I always was. She thought it was like a game. After a while, I started to think that telling the future was what made it happen. So, when I saw the fire…” He paused, staring at nothing.

  Twist waited silently, unsure if he wanted to hear any more.

  “I thought it might not happen if I didn’t say anything,” Jonas went on again. “Almost two weeks, and I said nothing about it. I hardly talked at all. And then it happened. Not just my father, but both of them died, just the way I saw it. I learned then that it doesn’t matter what I do. I can’t stop my visions from coming true. Nothing can.”

  As he listened, Twist felt some of the weight on Jonas’s heart lift. Jonas took a deep sigh, appearing to feel it too. It took a moment, bathed in the other man’s dark thoughts, before Twist understood the significance of what Jonas had shared with him.

  “You’ve never told this to anyone else,” Twist muttered.

  Jonas shook his head, keeping his eyes off of Twist.

  “Not even Arabel?”

  “How could I?” Jonas asked, putting on a hollow smile. “She’d blame me for not warning them. She’d never forgive me. I know I can’t.”

  “You shouldn’t blame yourself,” Twist said softly. “You just said you can’t change what you see. If it truly doesn’t matter what you do, then what happened to them wasn’t your fault.”

  The fog chilled quickly in his mind, and Jonas’s eyes closed again. Twist almost expected him to pull away or throw some sort of nasty remark to distance Twist, but his strength seemed to be far too well spent. There was clearly something else, some deeper fear that Jonas couldn’t voice. Twist let his Sight linger in his friend’s thoughts for a moment longer, trying to be sure before he made his next move.

  “Jonas, there’s no shame in being afraid to lose the people you love.”

  Clearly caught off guard by this, Jonas looked up to him in confusion. The instant his eyes caught on Twist’s, he felt the fog lighten and warm just a little. Twist held his gaze, desperate to keep it as he felt Jonas’s tension and pain begin to ease with agonizing slowness.

  “You told yourself a lie, didn’t you?” Twist continued. “You thought you could keep yourself from caring about anyone. The little boy you were could believe it. But it’s not true. And trying not to care about people only adds more pain to your life. You’re not a coward, Jonas. Don’t act like one.”

  Jonas stared back at him, his eyes full of thoughts as they slowly changed to silver green. The fog in Twist’s mind continued to warm and brighten steadily. Twist found himself relaxing as Jonas’s emotions started to lose their weight. Jonas leaned closer, looking at him with a sudden earnestness.

  “Twist, don’t go. Never set foot in that building. Don’t slam that door. Change the future, just this once.”

  The other man’s desperation flowed down Twist’s spine like cold water, making him shiver. Twist nearly opened his mouth to agree—whether he was able to or not, given that Jonas had just said that his visions couldn’t be changed—but then a new inspiration struck him.

  “I can do you one better than that,” Twist said, giving Jonas a confident smile. “I can live through your vision and prove to you that my eyes really are safe.”

  Jonas jerked his gaze off of Twist suddenly, as if he’d only just realized that he’d looked at him at all. “I like my plan better.”

  “But reality might unravel if the future doesn’t happen.”

  Jonas gave him an indignant look. Twist smiled to see him finally strong enough to call up such an expression. Jonas’s eyes took on a hint of more green before he looked away to shake his head. “Reality deserves a little unraveling, if you ask me,” Jonas muttered.

  “It’s done plenty of that since I met you,” Twist said with sigh. “Or have you forgotten about the talking monkey?”

  Jonas gave a light breath of a laugh, calming Twist’s nerves greatly.

  “Honestly, Jonas. I promise you I will survive this vision. You simply cannot see my death. So what you saw cannot be my death. I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

  “I suppose it’s useless, anyway,” Jonas said, shaking his head. “My damned visions always happen, no matter what I do.” Twist felt Jonas’s heart grow heavy again with grief.

  “They’re not always so bad, are they?” Twist asked. “Do you ever have nice ones?”

  Jonas smiled ever so subtly, nodding slowly. Twist watched curiously as Jonas’s emotions quickly lifted. “Yes, I have nice ones once in a while,” Jonas admitted.

  “Like what?” Twist asked, hoping that speaking of these pleasant visions might further mend his friend’s emotions. “Tell me a good one.”

  Jonas glanced to him as the slightest hint of blue flashed through his eyes. “I’m not telling you every one of my secrets, Twist. And I know what you’re doing.”

  “Is there something wrong with trying to make you feel better?” Twist asked back.

  Jonas shrugged, not looking at him.

  “Well, I know one good vision you’ve had,” Twist pressed on, not about to lose the ground he’d already gained. “Remember my first lychee?”

  Jonas smiled, clearly following him back to that sunset-bathed beach, on the day that Myra had come back to life. Twist struggled to remember a life before it. Everything in his world had changed that day, leading him here to the shadows deep inside a pirate airship, on his way to nearly be killed by a few dozen vampires. Even in light of all the fear and pain he’d known since that fateful day, Twist could easily think of countless moments of joy and beauty that he’d experienced as well. Thinking back over his adventures, he realized with a smile that he’d never trade them for any amount of safety and quiet.

  Jonas took his hand out of Twist’s absent grasp. Twist’s mind emptied of Jonas’s emotions, and he in
stantly felt significantly lighter.

  “Thanks,” Jonas said, glancing at him with sea-green eyes. “You’re a good friend.”

  Twist smiled at the compliment, rather proud of himself for earning it.

  “Now,” Jonas said, looking up to the boards above their heads, “how the hell are we going to explain what just happened to all of them without getting anywhere near the truth? Myra, for one, is going to be inconsolable if we tell her.”

  Twist winced against the idea. Yes, telling Myra would be a mistake. Especially if Twist was correct and he did end up surviving. “None of them need an explanation,” Twist finally said with a shrug.

  “They’re bloody well going to ask for one,” Jonas said, looking worried now.

  “They can ask all they like.”

  Jonas looked to him skeptically.

  “They’re not entitled to anything. Or have you forgotten my secret-keeping prowess?”

  Jonas smiled, his eyes taking on a nearly blue glint. “You’re loyal to a bloody fault.”

  Twist smiled back at him, pleased with the compliment, and said nothing to deflect it.

  The buzzing at Twist’s neck remained icy and dim no matter how Twist tried to banish Jonas’s fears, but Jonas seemed to calm at least outwardly in response to his efforts. After giving Jonas a little longer to gather his composure—his eyes no longer red around the edges and the flush on his face finally gone—Twist went ahead of him to the upper deck. He found Skye and Myra standing together at the top of the stairs. They looked to Twist when he met them, each one clearly concerned. Twist put on a calm expression.

  “Well, that took forever,” Skye said.

  “What happened?” Myra asked.

  “Is he all right?” Skye asked.

  Twist held up a hand to quiet them. “Everything’s fine. Please, try to forget it.”

  “Forget it?” Skye scoffed. “I didn’t know Jonas was capable of fear until today. What the hell happened? Did he have a vision?”

  Myra bit her lip anxiously, looking at Twist for his reply. Twist realized with a start that Myra knew enough about Jonas’s Sight to guess at what his vision might have entailed, without even having to tell her a thing. He wondered if deflecting the subject might be a prudent move.

  “Really, everything is fine,” Twist said as calmly as he could. “And if you want to help Jonas, then you’ll take care not to speak to him about his visions, unless he brings up the topic himself.”

  Skye crossed her arms, looking at Twist sternly. “Is there anything I can do to make you tell me the truth?”

  “Nothing,” Twist answered, repaying her sternness with his own.

  Myra glanced quickly between them, looking rather distraught. He moved closer and took her hand. His Sight instantly flashed with her fears.

  “There’s no reason to concern yourself, either, my dear,” he said gently to her.

  “But, Twist,” she breathed, not yet any calmer, “he was looking at you.”

  “I’ll be fine, I promise you,” Twist said, forcing every ounce of credibility he had into the words. She seemed to calm slightly, though she still looked anxious. “Now, please,” Twist said, looking to Skye as well, “for his sake, can we all try to move on? You gave me the same credit earlier today.” Skye gave a sigh but nodded. “Wait, where are the others?” Twist asked, realizing that the gypsies were nowhere in sight.

  “They’re still sitting down over there,” Skye said, waving a hand down the deck. “They said it’s best to leave Jonas alone whenever he runs off. Myra said they were idiots.”

  “Oh, don’t go discouraging them,” Jonas said, appearing at the top of the stairs. Twist and the others turned to him quickly, finding a light smile on his face as he looked at Myra. “I’ve worked very hard to get people to leave me the hell alone when I want them to.”

  “How come Twist doesn’t have to leave you alone?” Skye asked, hooking a thumb at him.

  Jonas looked at Twist with a smirk, his eyes a colorless gray. “He can’t take a hint.”

  Twist dismissed the insult easily, finding no true malice of any kind in it. But the darkness in Jonas still remained, as cold and miserable as ever.

  “Well,” Skye said, sounding impatient, “there’s still one thing that I can do better than Twist.”

  Skye stepped closer to Jonas. Jonas’s face shaded with confusion, and he kept his gaze away from her. Skye reached up to catch him by the shoulder with one hand and slipped her other hand against the curve of his jaw. Jonas froze, his eyes snapping closed, and Skye moved in quickly, pressing a kiss to his lips. Twist glanced away instantly, feeling a flash of heat at the buzz in his neck, but Myra watched with an unabashed smile.

  “At least,” Skye said, pulling away and releasing Jonas, “I hope you think I’m better at that than Twist.”

  Twist struggled to come up with a hasty exit from this suddenly private moment. At the very least, perhaps Skye would be able to chase the chill out of Jonas’s heart. Twist was about to turn to Myra to suggest they leave.

  “I don’t know…” Jonas said, his eyes still closed while she lingered before him. “Twist tastes pretty good.”

  “What?” Twist snapped.

  Skye gasped, turning to Twist with wonder in her eyes. Myra looked at Jonas, alarmed.

  Twist gaped at Jonas. “No! What? No, I nev—! Jonas, what the hell?”

  Jonas was smiling wickedly when Twist looked to him, but Twist felt no mirth or lightness anywhere in his friend’s spirit. Looking into Jonas’s dull, lifeless gray eyes, Twist began to understand. He was being ridiculous on purpose, keeping his and the others’ thoughts off of his vision. It did seem to be working.

  Myra snatched at his arm, pulling him to look at her. “He’s joking, right?” she asked, her tone warning.

  “Of course, he’s joking!” Twist answered, forcing himself to sound exasperated. He shot Jonas a glare for good measure and crossed his arms. “The damned, bloody scoundrel of a pirate cur,” he grumbled as convincingly as he could.

  Twist felt the slightest ghost of relief in the buzzing at his neck. “Thank you,” Jonas replied, sounding smug. Twist tried to smile back at him, but the expression faltered as a cold wave of sadness bloomed in the buzzing at Twist’s neck.

  “All right, Twist,” Skye said, taking Jonas’s hand, “you’ve hogged him long enough. Now it’s my turn to do some cheering up,” she added, turning to Jonas with a very dangerous-looking smile.

  Jonas glanced away from her with an uncertain look. “I don’t need any cheering up.”

  “Whatever,” Skye said, leaning closer to him again.

  “Look, Sk—” Jonas began to pull away, but he paused when Skye placed a small kiss on the gentle curve of his neck.

  Twist turned swiftly to Myra, once again meaning to suggest that they leave the two alone. Before he could do much more than put on a nervous smile and open his mouth, however, he felt a sudden tightness at his neck and heard Jonas speak again.

  “Please, Skye,” Jonas said, his tone suddenly cold and devoid of all mirth.

  Confused, Twist glanced back to find him holding her at arm’s length. Jonas’s jaw was set and his eyes tightly closed, while Skye looked back at him, stunned and uncertain. Jonas put on a smile that lacked all sincerity as he pulled his goggles on over his eyes.

  “I’ll be at the bow if anyone needs me,” Jonas announced, a bit too casually. He then turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Skye and the others behind without another word.

  “What was that?” Skye asked Twist the moment Jonas had vanished into the crates farther up the deck. For the first time that Twist had ever seen, she appeared honestly unnerved.

  Twist’s understanding fell into place, chilling his thoughts. Jonas still believed that he had seen Twist’s imminent demise and could do nothing to stop it. Given such a black thought, Twist assumed that Jonas might not want to spend the energy it would take to hide his emotions from the others, Skye included, and so sought
solitude so that he wouldn’t have to. Perhaps he simply wanted the quiet to allow himself a chance to figure out some solution. Either way, it was difficult for Twist to believe that the thought that his own death lay on the horizon was so distressing to Jonas that the man felt the need to refuse any offered comforts in favor of solitude.

  “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Twist said in answer to Skye, offering her the best smile he could. “Just give him a little while alone.”

  Myra gave a quiet sigh, her emotions turning melancholy in Twist’s Sight. When Twist looked to her, she put on a brave smile for him. “Yes, I’m sure you’re right, dear,” she said supportively.

  “Is it just me,” Skye began, glancing over her shoulder in the direction that Jonas had gone, “or is that guy a lot more complicated than he pretends to be?”

  “Aren’t we all?” Twist replied.

  “Come along, now,” Myra said sweetly to them both. “Let’s go find the others and talk of happier things, shall we? After all,” she added, catching Twist’s eye with a meaningful glance, “everything will be fine, will it not?”

  “Perfectly fine,” Twist agreed with a nod and his best attempt at confidence.

  Myra took Twist’s hand and led him and Skye back to the gypsies, who were still seated on low crates to one side of the deck, where Twist and Jonas had left them. The gypsies paused in their conversation the moment Twist, Myra, and Skye stepped into view, looking up at them with curious eyes.

  “Did he say anything?” Luca asked, peering around Twist but not finding Jonas.

  Everything Jonas had said to him in that private moment billowed instantly to mind. Twist shook his head. “Nothing, really.”

  “It was a vision, wasn’t it?” Luca asked. “Did he see something troubling in the future?”