by Sarah Jaune
“I know,” she ground out as she shifted to keep the family in sight. “But we have to risk it! The point of the Guard is to make sure the kids are okay.”
“But if we give the Guard away by letting one of them read our minds, we’re sunk, and so are all the kids that they’ve been protecting,” he pointed out, as his anxiety leaked out in exasperation. It was easier to get mad rather than to tell her that he was afraid. It was something Maia reminded him about constantly. Fear was harder than anger, which meant Eli always hopped right over fear and blew up in rage. He took in a deep breath, knowing exactly what he was doing and why. “Sorry.”
“I know the risks,” Ivy assured him quietly as she packed the binoculars back in the small backpack they’d brought along, “but we have to check. Come on, or we’ll lose sight of them.”
They climbed down a ladder out of the attic and shimmied out a small crack in the wall of the derelict, abandoned building.
“We can probably sleep here if we need to,” Eli pointed out as he glanced around to make sure no one was watching before they moved out onto the street, blending into the many people who were out on the beautiful, autumn evening.
“We may need to,” Ivy agreed. They had the jeep, which they had slept in before, but they’d left it on the edge of town, hidden out of the way so that no one would spot it. It was a nice car, and a couple of teenagers driving it was always cause for a raised eyebrow.
He and his brothers had enhanced the paint job on the blue jeep after he’d arrived back home the previous winter. They’d wanted it to blend in, but they’d left the interior alone. It might look old from the outside, but if someone peered in, they’d know it was a mask.
The streets along the River Walk were narrow, winding along the river with cobbled stones, turning into bricks, turning into lose gravel, then back into stones again. It seemed to be as eclectic a mixture of surfaces as the buildings around them. There were beautiful homes set next to seedy, unkempt shops that sold things Eli had only read about. Next there would be a nice enough book shop, followed by a single home that needed new paint. Nothing was consistent or made sense, and yet, the whole thing melded together beautifully as though they had all been there for thousands of years. The buildings seemed to say that they were the perfect neighbors, all different, but all looking for the same thing: a view of the lazy, winding river.
The best part, Eli decided, was the food. There weren’t many restaurants in any zone Eli had lived in, but here there seemed to be an abundance of them, and all of them seemed to pour out spicy, tangy scents that beckoned the wanderer to come in and take a taste.
Ivy pointed towards a footbridge that crossed the span of the river, arching over with bricks and a tall, decorative railing of carved oak. “Let’s cross right there, and see if we can get closer.”
“Not too close,” Eli reminded her as they crossed over the bridge, merging in with other travelers to see that the family of the Overseer appeared to be heading to one of the restaurants a few doors down. “We won’t be able to follow.”
“No,” Ivy agreed as they moved along. The crowd that was between them and the family shifted a bit. “We’ll have to see what they—” she gasped and froze so that Eli actually plowed into her, almost knocking her over.
He grabbed her arms and stuck her upright again. “What?”
“The… the…” Ivy stammered as the oldest girl in the family came into view, talking to her father.
Eli nearly panicked and steered Ivy over to the rail along the River Walk. “See the ducks?” he pointed down as though they were actually watching the ducks.
“I just want a book, Dad,” the girl said. “I’ll be in in a moment. You can trust me.”
Eli glanced over his shoulder to see the Overseer of San Antonio’s exasperated expression. He almost bolted for the girl then, but the man’s words stopped him. “I don’t like this.”
“She’ll be fine,” the older woman, clearly the girl’s mother, came into sight. “She wants to learn something.”
The two ladies stared at each other, and the man threw up his arms, laughing. “I can’t win against you two, not with you having that conversation in your head. Alright, Coral, be off with you. Fifteen minutes and no more.”
The Overseer held out his arm for his wife, and the two made their way into the restaurant, towards the other children who waited on the steps of the building. He still used his cane, but up close Eli could see it wasn’t required for walking and appeared to be more for balance. He glanced back to see where the girl had gone, only to find her staring at him.
She smiled, winked, and inclined her head in a very clear, ‘follow me’ gesture.
“Uh…” Ivy almost laughed in relief. “I think we’ll be heading home tomorrow.”
They followed the girl for barely a minute before she’d led them down a back alley to a small, empty, outdoor coffee shop with a couple of tables under some red, striped umbrellas. The girl sat down at one and gestured for them to sit.
“I am so glad to meet you two!” she gushed the moment they sat across from her. Up close, Eli saw that she was pretty, but it wasn’t overt or showy. Her hair was a light brown, her eyes hazel, and her lips were full and smiling constantly. The thing that stood out most to him was that she seemed to be on an entirely different level of existence because she practically radiated energy and happiness. It was so overwhelming that Eli wasn’t sure if he wanted to sit back further in his seat, run away, or smile. “I know,” the girl laughed as she turned to him. “I have that effect on a lot of people. You’ll get used to it. I’m Coral, by the way. You’re Eli and Ivy! I didn’t think I’d have the chance to meet you.”
“Uh…” Ivy said, which Eli thought was all he’d have been able to say, too.
“It was Zen,” Coral explained quickly and things started to click. “You’ll know about my power of telepathy, Ivy, and oh… well, it’s flattering to know I’m that powerful, of course, but, Zen wasn’t able to hide from me about your adventure together. I’ve never met a diviner before! I’ve only heard myths about them. Goodness, that’s exciting, and I have to tell you that I’m just as curious about where you got your power from as well. I would assume it was from your mother’s side.”
She said all of this without really taking a breath.
Eli turned to Ivy and was grateful to see no one else was around them.
Coral clapped a hand to her mouth and giggled. “I’m so, so sorry! Zen would be teasing me so much right now. I’ll slow down, okay? It’s simply that we don’t have a lot of time before I’m missed. First off, though, you have to know my parents are wonderful, and I’m very happy here. I’m really glad you came to check, but we’re fine.”
A waitress approached them cautiously, but at Coral’s wide smile, the older woman relaxed. “I’ll have a tea, she’ll have water, and he wants lemonade. Thank you and please put it on my father’s tab.”
“Absolutely, miss,” the waitress turned to walk away.
“Really, that’s just annoying,” Eli decided the second they were alone. There was no point in keeping it to himself since Coral obviously knew exactly what he was thinking.
Coral’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “I like that, you saying what you think. Ivy wants to know more about my power. I think she’s mainly concerned that I will give you two away, but I can assure you that I won’t.”
“But, your mom—” Ivy began, but cut off when Coral shook her head.
“Let me tell you about telepathy, and how we’ve managed not to be killed off over the years, besides from the obvious that we’d see the attack coming,” Coral said as she thanked the woman who brought their drinks.
The lemonade was excellent, and it was what Eli would have ordered if he’d been thinking about it.
“First off, I’m excellent at keeping secrets, and I’ll tell you why,” she looked at Eli as she spoke, because he had been about to ask why. “I see into your head and heart, and I know better than anyone else
just what it would do to a person if those secrets were all spilled out. I…” Coral hesitated for a moment, glancing between them in confusion.
“What?” Ivy probed, sitting forward in her seat.
Coral shook her head. “I’ll get to that, but first things first. My brain is hardwired to hear a hundred different conversations around me without going crazy. I don’t even have to hear them all, but sometimes the important thoughts come out and grab my attention. That’s what happened with you two. I knew you were up in that attic watching me. I knew you were waiting. My mother sensed something as well, so we decided to go out for dinner tonight so that I could have a chance to speak with you. We like what you’re doing and we’ll keep it to ourselves, I promise. In fact, I swear on my life that we want you to continue on.”
Eli heard nothing but frank conviction and honesty in her tone. He glanced towards Ivy who seemed to agree with him. “Okay, but…”
“But, you’re wondering how I’m not totally nuts from everything,” Coral smiled again, something she seemed to perpetually do, showing off white, even teeth. “It’s why Eli’s muscles work to lift very heavy things without them breaking. He’s simply built differently. It’s amazing that you have more than one power, the both of you.”
“We’re hearing that a lot,” Ivy grimaced. “But we’re also trying not to spread it around.”
“I know, but that isn’t exactly something Eli can hide,” Coral replied simply. “Zen told me about it, well… he told me after I picked it out of his brain. He misses you two, as well, by the way. I think you should know that. I saw him a few weeks ago, and he was wishing he could see you. So, if you’re in Savannah you should stop in.”
“You saw him again recently?” Eli asked, thinking there was something in that. “Did you make an alliance with Pistol, then?”
That had been Zen’s parents’ goal in bringing Coral and her sisters to Savannah. In the elite, magical families it was common practice for alliances to be formed between the families by marrying the children off. In Eli’s case, it would have been ‘told’ not ‘asked’, but for Zen and his older brother, Pistol, they were likely going to be able to choose who they eventually married.
It was a good arrangement, in some ways, but it left Eli feeling decidedly uncomfortable. The difference between an alliance and an attachment was that an alliance was a contract between two Overseers to marry off their children and make a political alliance. An attachment was a magical bond that meant the two were utterly compatible.
“No, no alliance with Pistol,” Coral shook her head, clearly amused. “Pistol took one look at me and thought, ‘she’s not nearly as pretty as my girlfriend.’ Also, I was able to meet his girlfriend, and I have to agree. She’s much prettier than I am, and such an amazing girl. I think they’re perfect for each other. They don’t have an attachment, of course, since she’s not magical, but I think they’re as close as two people can be. I think his father is going to come around, too. I sensed in him that he’s softening. Zen’s kidnapping greatly affected his father. Zen’s mom has been hard pressed to keep his father from going after your dad, Eli.”
“He could go after him,” Eli shrugged that off. “I certainly wouldn’t care. He’d deserve it.”
“But that would openly defy the council,” Coral reminded him. “Politically, that’s bad.”
Ivy tapped a finger on the table. “There’s something you aren’t telling us. I can see it in your eyes. You almost look smug.”
Coral hesitated a moment, shooting Eli an appraising look. “Do you ever feel like there is a time and a place for something and maybe now isn’t it? That’s what I feel like, but I can hear the cogs turning, Ivy, so I’ll tell you anyway, even though I don’t think you’ll thank me for it later.”
“What,” Eli said a little testily, “does that mean?”
“My attachment wasn’t with Pistol,” Coral smiled apologetically. “It was with Zen.”
CHAPTER 3
THE PRICE WE PAY
Eli felt as though someone had punched him.
“Listen, I don’t have a lot of time left,” Coral went on as though she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on them. “My father is starting to wonder where I am, and my mom is trying really hard to keep him from coming after me. Thankfully, my mom and I can be miles apart but still communicate. Our bond is that strong. But—”
Eli held up his hands, needing her to stop nattering on. “Wait! You and Zen?”
“Yeah,” Coral’s whole face transformed into something akin to awe and utter peace. “It was amazing to feel. I can’t even begin to describe it. We were just… so perfect. That’s also helped his parents calm down about his older brother, because they were still able to form the alliance with my family.”
Eli spun to look at Ivy, but saw her whole expression was blank.
“She’s a little shocked,” Coral told him. “She can’t imagine Zen and me together, but when you think about it, Ivy, you’ll see what I mean. He has that stunning gift for healing the body, and I know exactly where to go in the mind.”
When she put it that way, Eli could see it, too.
“One night we sat on the beach for hours, holding hands and watching the moon rise over the ocean while we talked about what we want to do when we’re older,” Coral explained as she closed her eyes. Even Eli could hear the longing in her voice. “We’re going to travel to the various zones and help heal people. We both want that, and after what he saw in Chicago, Zen can’t think of doing anything else.”
There was nothing Eli could think to say to that.
“It seems like there are attachments everywhere,” Ivy said with a sigh.
“You thought they were rare,” Coral said with a nod. “But they aren’t. From what I’ve seen, those who have a heart open for it are led to their match. It just happens, but I don’t know how. I’ve seen more magical people with one than not, and no,” she said as she turned back to Eli, “it isn’t just the people I am meeting. I see hearts, Eli.”
He wanted to ask if they were squishy and red, and from Coral’s crinkled nose she knew it.
Eli didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling defensive and cynical, but he kept his mouth shut so he wouldn’t say something stupid; or worse, hurtful.
Coral held up her two hands with her fingers split apart. “An open heart, one that hasn’t been through what you two have been through, is ready to make the connection when the time is right. They end up melding like this,” she explained as she laced her fingers so that they fit snuggly together. “It’s easy, effortless, and like holding a hand, you simply know it’s there.”
“So,” Ivy hesitated before asking, “What does my heart look like?”
“It’s closed,” Coral shrugged as she pulled her fingers apart and made a fist. “It’s the same for Eli, but what’s weird is that it seems like you two are very in sync otherwise. You’re both closed, but,” she fisted her other hand and lined her knuckles up, one hand pressed to the other. Eli had to resist doing the same thing with his own hands, just to see how it felt. He saw what she meant, though. Her fists lined up together in a way that made it clear they were a match. “I think that’s why you two get along so well. It’s why you understand each other and you’re so comfortable together. You’re a good match.”
“But we’re not attached,” Ivy interjected quickly, sitting forward and refusing to look at Eli. “We don’t have that.”
Coral shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean to imply you did. It’s just that even though you’re both injured and closed up you’re still at the same level together. That might change some day, but for right now, you’re pretty much exactly what the other needs.”
All of which made Eli extremely uncomfortable and wishing desperately to change the subject. He didn’t want to think about any of this.
“You have things,” Coral went on as she reached out to touch a finger to his hand. Eli couldn’t stop himself from jumping at the contact. “There are things in your pa
st that you do not let out, Eli. You have spaces in your heart that no one touches, and it’s what keeps you from moving forward in your life. When you’re ready, it will ease up.”
Eli pulled his hand away from her slowly. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he also didn’t want the connection with her that she was making.
“Ivy,” Coral said as she let him withdraw, “you know what I want to say to you. You know why you are the way you are. Eli doesn’t, though. That still confuses him because he doesn’t see the situation the way you do.”
“Vague,” Eli grumbled, feeling like he was being completely left out of the conversation.
“Time and place,” Coral repeated. “This isn’t the time or place. Someday, I’m sure it will be.”
Eli hated that, but didn’t argue because there was no point in arguing. It wasn’t like he wanted to discuss his issues, either, even though Coral seemed to read him easier than a book.
