“You realize the chasm is forty feet wide by at least thirty feet deep?” Jas asked. “What is twenty feet of wire going to do?”
“It should be enough,” Sepia said, “just need to avoid those spikes on the floor.”
“Should be?” Jas asked. “What are you going to do, throw me across?”
“Something like that,” Sepia replied. “Once the stone pushes us out we jump across.”
Jas gave her a long stare. “You’re insane. We’re going to die here.”
“Maybe,” Sepia answered, “but I’m not going to go out sitting around and waiting for it. You ready?”
“No, I’m not,” Jas said. “You’re deadlier than the gauntlet right now.”
“So I’ve been told,” Sepia said with a smile. “Choose, then—me or the gauntlet?”
“Is that really a choice? I think I prefer the gauntlet,” Jas said. “At least it’s not actively trying to kill me. Oh, wait, you changed the setting—so yes, yes it’s trying to kill me right now, thank you for that, and ruining what is going to be my very short life.”
Sepia crossed her arms and stared at Jas. The muscles in her jaw rippled as she took a deep breath before speaking.
“I’m giving you a moment because I know you’re scared shitless,” Sepia said. “Don’t confuse my patience for weakness. Get it together or I leave you here—alone. Ready?”
“I’m not scared,” Jas whispered. “I’m ready.”
“Good, let’s go,” Sepia said and entered the corridor with Jas by her side. Once past the threshold of the corridor a large stone block crashed into place behind them and began inching forward, pushing them slowly to the chasm.
“What was I thinking doing this on my own?” Jas said as she pushed against the wall in a futile effort to stop the stone block. “There’s no block in the training setting.”
“Try not to panic, and stop that,” Sepia said as she stepped slowly ahead of the stone. “You can’t stop it. Better to conserve your energy for the climb.”
“Climb? What climb?” Jas asked. “You said there were spikes at the bottom.”
“There are, go check for yourself.”
Jas walked to the edge of the corridor and looked down into the chasm. Steel spikes glinted in the low light of the gauntlet. Sepia unspooled the wire and tied it around Jas’s chest in a large loop. She tied another loop around her own waist and secured it, connecting them. She pulled it tight and made sure there was little slack and looked back to see where the block was. She walked back to the stone with Jas in tow. She attached the wire to the knife she held.
“You run next to me and keep pace,” Sepia said and grabbed Jas by the hand. “When I say let go, you let go, understood?”
Jas nodded. “You want us to jump over the chasm?”
“No, we’re jumping into it,” Sepia said. “Ready?”
“What do you think?”
Sepia smiled and began to run. She had wanted to run the gauntlet to test her aligned state. It was why she had it on the highest setting. Even without Perdition, she still had increased strength and heightened reflexes. It was that strength she counted on now as she ran down the corridor at full speed almost carrying Jas in her wake. She saw Jas try to keep up and fail. She was going too fast. The edge raced at them as they approached the end of the corridor.
She clamped down on Jas’s hand and pushed off the edge hard as they leaped into the chasm. They floated for a brief moment before gravity pulled them down into the chasm. Sepia drove a knife into the opposite wall with all her might. She buried it almost to the hilt and stopped their fall a quarter of the way down the wall.
“Let go…and hold on to the wire,” Sepia said as she strained to position them for the climb out of the chasm. Jas locked her hand even tighter around Sepia’s and began scrambling on the wall. The movement threatened to dislodge them. Sepia buried her second knife in the wall to stabilize them.
“We’re going to fall,” Jas said, looking down at the spikes below them. “We’re going to fall!”
“Jas, stop!” Sepia yelled. “Look at me. Look up at me.”
Jas looked up and became still.
“This isn’t going to work,” Jas whispered. “Why did you think this would work?”
“I know you’re scared,” Sepia said calmly. “Listen to my voice and keep your eyes on me. Can you do that?”
Jas nodded.
“Good, I need you to let go of my hand and hold on to the wire.”
Sepia guided her hand to the wire that hung between them. After a few seconds Jas let go and grabbed the wire.
“Okay, I need you to climb up to the knife and hold on to it. Ready?
Jas nodded and climbed up.
She can function in spite of her fear, good.
Jas reached the knife and held tight.
“I’m going to undo the wire from the knife,” Sepia said, and Jas opened her eyes wide. “You’ll still be connected to me. I’m just going to move up a bit and then we do the climb again, got it?”
Sepia undid the wire and pulled up, reaching the top edge of the chasm. She gripped the edge and plunged her last knife into the stone above them. She tied the wire and climbed over the edge, pulling Jas up and out of the chasm.
“Thank you,” Jas said and sighed as she lay on the cool stone floor. “You saved my life. Oh, man, Anna is going to kill me.”
“Yes, she did, and I’m still considering it,” a voice said from above them. It was Anna.
FIVE
“Can you explain what you were doing down here without authorization, Jasmine?” Anna asked.
Behind her stood Shanti, her face impassive. Next to them, a doorway led upstairs out of the gauntlet.
“I just wanted—I mean, I have to pass the chasm,” Jas said. “I didn’t know it was set on lethal when I started.”
“Yet you continued once you did know,” Anna replied. “You could have—would have—been killed if not for Sepia. What were you thinking?”
“That she didn’t want to be kicked out of the Sisters?” Sepia said as Jas nodded and looked at the floor. Anna turned to Sepia, who had re-laced her boots.
“I’m going to assume the different setting was your doing?”
“I needed to work on my alignment without my weapon—needed to see if it’s even possible.”
“Shanti, please escort Jas and her friend Cyn to their quarters for disciplinary action,” Anna said, as Jas winced.
“Cyn had nothing to do with this,” Jas said as the words spilled out. “It was all my idea.”
“Duly noted,” Anna said. “And yet she didn’t try to stop you or prevent you from trying the course alone.”
“She did,” Jas said. “She warned me. She tried to stop me.”
“Did she succeed?” Anna asked. “Did she stop you?”
“No.”
“Then she didn’t try hard enough,” Anna replied. “This means she bears some of the responsibility here as well.”
Anna stepped farther into the gauntlet and motioned to Sepia. “The gauntlet is disabled, but we need to talk.”
Shanti gave a brief nod and stepped into the doorway with Jas in tow.
“Don’t be too hard on her,” Sepia said. “She was only trying to practice the course.”
“She broke the rules,” Anna said quietly but with force. “She could have gotten herself and her friend killed.”
“She did what she felt was necessary,” Sepia answered in the same tone. “Failure means she loses her home, right? She didn’t know about the different setting.”
“This is the only reason she is still with us.”
“You’re telling me you never broke a rule in your life?” Sepia asked.
“When I break a rule, which is rare, I’m prepared to face the consequences of my actions regardless of the outcome,” Anna said. “Can you say the same?”
“Is this about her or me?”
“Both,” Anna said. “Why did you save her?”
&nb
sp; They walked down the corridor and came to a large space filled with ramps in various states of incline. At the bottom of each ramp there was a small pit filled with liquid.
“This area looks pleasant,” Sepia said as she walked over to one of the small pits and smelled the liquid. “Acid?”
Anna nodded. “When enabled, the ramps shift and cycle through different inclines.”
“Forcing the trainees to adjust and not step into the acid,” Sepia said mostly to herself. “How potent is it?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I know,” Sepia said and ran her hand through her white shock of hair. “Look, she was in trouble, it was my fault, and she needed my help. It’s that simple.”
“You could have left her to her fate,” Anna said. “Although I think she would have failed the chasm.”
“Me too,” Sepia answered. “Have any of the trainees passed that thing? The howl of the Dreadwolves was a nice touch. I’m guessing a recording?”
“Yes, and yes, trainees have managed to pass the chasm without the help of a Hunter,” Anna said. “You realize what you have done?”
“She gets detention or the Sister equivalent of it complete with disgusting chores until she learns the error of her ways?”
Anna gave her a smile cold enough to drop the temperature of the area by several degrees.
“This isn’t the Order,” Anna said. “You saved her life, which means you’re now responsible for her.”
“Wait, hold on,” Sepia protested. “She has parents or Sisters who watch out for her, doesn’t she?”
“Jasmine Desant was given up for adoption when she failed the trials,” Anna said. “Adding insult to injury, at least according to her parents, she began to demonstrate extraordinary abilities, just not of the Hunter variety.”
“Which they couldn’t accept,” Sepia said. “So they turned on her.”
Anna nodded. “It’s not unheard of, especially when it comes to the trials,” she said. “We get many candidates to the Sisters this way.”
“So they left her with you.”
“They did, and I’ve watched over her since, but your action takes precedence according to our beliefs and principles,” Anna said. “In the Sisters you choose your family. You chose her.”
“What do you mean I chose her?” Sepia said. “I didn’t choose anyone. She needed help.”
“And you chose to take action.”
“Wait—Desant, I know that name,” Sepia said. “Her mother was a Hunter, wasn’t she?”
Anna nodded. “A class two. When Jasmine failed, her mother never recovered or forgave her.”
“I’m not a Sister.”
“You are not a Hunter, anymore either,” Anna said.
“Now I have to babysit some spoiled kid with a sense of entitlement?”
“Babysit is a strong word,” Anna said. “Think more along the lines of mentoring.”
“If I’d known I would’ve left her to figure it out on her own,” Sepia said. “Saved myself the trouble.”
“Would you have?” Anna said, and looked at Sepia closely. “No, I think not. You may not play well with others, but you were not going to watch her die.”
“You don’t know me.”
“Better than you can imagine,” Anna answered. “In any case, it’s done. She’s now your ward. Her actions will reflect directly on you and her success or failure is now in your hands. You handled the chasm quite well, I might add.”
“First you take Perdition, then you give me her?” Sepia asked. “I’m not seeing how this is even remotely fair.”
“You were required to give up your weapon, for your safety and that of the Sisters as a whole,” Anna said. “And you chose to save her life earning you the position of mentor. Think of it as advanced patience training. I certainly have.”
“You said something about abilities, what abilities?”
“Yes, I did, and I will let her share that with you, but we have a bigger problem than your new charge.”
“You’ve reconsidered taking my sword and think I should have it back?”
“Is that what passes for Hunter humor these days?” Anna asked, deadpanned. “If so, it needs work.”
“Then what?” Sepia asked as Anna pressed several panels on the wall and revealed another doorway with a stairway leading up. She began climbing the stairs.
“Do you recall Overseer Marks?”
“Hard to forget someone who wants you dead, so yes, I remember him.”
“We had a brief conversation this morning,” Anna answered. “He was…displeased about the dispensation and would prefer your extermination.”
They arrived at a landing and faced a blank wall. Sepia looked around but couldn’t see another exit.
“He has declared war on the Sisters because of you, or rather because we failed to kill you.”
“What do you mean declared war?” Sepia asked. “Is he insane enough to threaten the Sisters?”
“It is not the first time,” replied Anna. “Men and their egos quickly forget the lessons of history and repeat past errors.”
“So he intends to do what—write a strongly worded memo to Regional?” Sepia said. “He’s not going to actually attack you, Marks is a coward.”
“Don’t underestimate him,” Anna said. “He wields real power and presents an imminent threat.”
“That sounds like a perfect reason to give me my weapon back.”
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”
“Rules?” Sepia asked. “You want me to wait, defenseless, while he comes and attacks us?”
“Rules are what allow us to function in this chaotic world,” Anna said. “Your error lies in the fact that you think you are defenseless without your sword—for a Sister, everything and anything can be a weapon.”
“You want me to embrace becoming a Sister,” Sepia said.
“Precisely, and more importantly make sure Jasmine becomes one as well.”
Anna placed a hand on another panel and the wall slid away, revealing another corridor out of the gauntlet.
“Her room is that way,” Anna said, and pointed down the corridor.
“What—now?”
“No time like the present,” Anna said with the hint of a smile. “Go introduce yourself. I’ve taken the liberty of having your things moved into your new room.”
“That was fast,” Sepia said.
“You travel light,” Anna replied. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare a response to Overseer Marks declaration of war.”
Anna turned and left Sepia in the corridor.
“This day just keeps getting better,” Sepia said.
SIX
Sepia found herself at the door to her new living quarters and knocked.
Why am I knocking? This is my room too.
She tried the handle, opened the door, and stepped inside. The room was larger than her previous quarters. The furniture was sparse but sturdy wood. Two beds, with one unoccupied, sat on opposite sides of the room. A large area rug, the color of rust, dominated the center of the floor. The color scheme was mostly browns and deep reds with a hint of white and magenta as accents. A citrus scent wafted through the space and Sepia traced its origin to a candle that sat on one of the dressers. In the bed across the floor lay Jas with her back to the door.
“Hey, you okay?” Sepia asked as she moved her bag from the bed. “What was the verdict?”
Jasmine remained silent. Sepia began putting her clothes in the dresser. It was a long five minutes before she was done.
“Is that all you carry?” Jas asked as she turned around.
Tear streaks ran down both sides of her face.
“Don’t really need much more,” Sepia said. “Means less to take when I need to leave.”
“I wish I could leave,” Jas said. “I’m sorry about today—the gauntlet, I mean.”
“It was my fault,” Sepia said. “If I hadn’t reset it, this wouldn’t be an issue.”
“I’m not allowed to spend time with my Sisters until I pass the course—for real this time,” Jas said. “I can’t hang with Cyn especially.”
“That’s it? That’s the punishment?”
“Don’t you have family?” Jas asked. “In the Sisters you pick your family. Cyn is my family.”
Sepia remained silent for a few moments and then nodded.
“No. I don’t have any family,” she said. “Except for Gan and he’s as cuddly as a two-by- four with nails sticking out one end.”
“Speaking of family, Anna told me I have to watch out for you now.”
“I heard,” Jas said. “She’s giving me up too. Just like my mom.”
“I don’t think it’s like that—” Sepia began.
“It’s okay, I’m used to it,” Jas said. “In the end we’re alone anyway.”
“I won’t leave you alone,” Sepia said. “It’s not like I have much of a choice.”
“Everyone says that until they find out what a freak I am—then it’s poof, gone,” Jas said as she mimicked explosions with her hands.
“I don’t really have anyone else so you’re the one stuck with me it seems,” Sepia said.
At least until I get out of here and get my sword back.
SEVEN
“We couldn’t do this over the phone?” Marks asked. “I’m not comfortable with having you here in person.”
“Are you nervous?” she said. “No one knows.”
“Nervous? No. Your presence, if discovered, could compromise my plans,” he answered. “No one is going to stop me. We could have discussed this over a secure line.”
He looked out the open window of his office into the night, keeping his back to her as if to deny her presence in the room with him. From this floor, he could see most of the city. The Order did not keep locations close to the park as a precautionary measure and this location was an unofficial site. Perfect for this meeting.
“Too dangerous,” the woman in the gray fatigues answered. “Especially after your little stunt with the Sisters. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that when I give an order it needs to be carried out, not passed over to some proxy,” Marks retorted. “A dispensation, really? Who thought of that one?”
Sepia Blue-Sisters: A Sepia Blue Thriller Page 3
