by Vivien Reis
"Well it was definitely fun, but I'm not sure how useful a life skill that is." She stretched her legs out in front of her, feeling the sinews in them pull and lengthen in relief. The changes in her mind and body were so gradual that she hadn't really noticed, but she could feel the pulses of electricity from her mind all the way to her pinky toe.
"Are you kidding? You have animals willingly at your beck and call. A lot of it's more for fun, but to have an affinity for it—" He shook his head. He had looked like he was going to say something positive, but his expression darkened. "It's a powerful tool. One that can be easily abused."
She could sense him about to say more and waited, watching his eyes harden.
"You remember that silly story I tried to tell you at that party?"
That seemed like so long ago, but Abi’s cheeks warmed. She looked down, letting her hair curtain most of her face for a moment as she pretended to pick at a blade of sawgrass. That had been immediately after her dad's attack, when she hadn't been keen on listening to his story.
"The King in that story was the original leader of the King's Army. He had an affinity for animals, something not altogether uncommon, but he abused it. Our energy is a flexible thing, transitioning between dark matter, and baryonic or light matter depending on your type of energy output. Do darker incantations, you become darker yourself."
"So, this King became more powerful because of his dark energy output?" She tried to picture a man from an era two thousand years ago in another realm altogether.
"After the other demi-deias witnessed the King's corruption, they sacrificed their own presence within true Elysia to expel the King, restoring balance to Elysia. They thought casting themselves out of Elysia would teach the King a lesson, but it didn't. They had no idea their powers would follow them here, scaled down, but there nonetheless. Now he didn't just have animals to manipulate, but he had people. You can imagine how quickly he amassed a following as his power grew. Our forbearers realized their error and formed the Guard to stop the King." He shook his head. "Heh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on there."
"No, I like it. It's interesting and...I've always loved history." She shrugged, not sure why she felt so vulnerable saying so.
"Well, we have plenty of history here for you to explore, even if it’s incomplete." She shot him a puzzled look, and he elaborated. He had a pleasantly deep voice and annunciated his words well and with confidence. She liked listening to him talk. "A lot of our history was lost during the Great Battle, along with some of the Old Ways. Most of what we know was passed down from those few remaining survivors, and you know how warped tales get when they're passed down through word-of-mouth. We have some pretty tall tales floating around now."
She was about to ask about those tales when a long and sleek crane landed twenty yards away from them, delicately lifting its legs out of the gentle waves as it walked.
"You want to try?" He nodded toward the bird.
"Stitching with it?" She had only just tried it with a dragonfly. A bird seemed far more complicated than a tiny bug.
"Come on, have faith. I think you can do it. Try nudging it after you stitch—suggest it fly or walk toward us or stand on one foot." That dimple showed again and Abi forced herself to look away from him.
The bird's long beak pointed toward them as it sensed her mind stretch out to it. Her threads looped around the bird, knitting together piece by piece until Abi and the crane were fused together. She gasped, the bird's mind flooding her senses in a tidal wave. But the bird let her in, showing her a world with an alien range of bright colors. Tiny fish swimming beneath the surface of the water all around the bird were easily discernible under the moving water.
Her own senses overlapped with the birds, able to see out of her own eyes then switching to the bird's at random. The rapid switch disoriented her and she concentrated on just the bird, leaving her own mind behind her.
Its feathers ruffled as she spotted herself through its eyes. The colors in her shirt had transformed into psychedelic and bright blues and greens. She looked peaceful, thank goodness. Being so new to this, she felt vulnerable leaving herself behind, and the experience was so new that she had no control over her movements or facial expressions.
Jesse watched the bird, waiting for her to nudge the animal.
Move toward us, she thought. At first, the bird turned its head mechanically left and right and she felt it thinking about her nudge. At last it followed her suggestion, walking a few paces toward them but keeping its distance.
The bird wasn't as calming as the dragonfly had been, but she enjoyed its predatory nature. She pulled back slightly, allowing the bird free reign of itself and became a passenger in its mind.
It picked for several minutes in the water before spreading its wings and propelling itself into the air. As it soared higher and higher, the changing air currents ruffled its feathers, moving past the outer layers until Abi could feel it on her own skin. The view stilled, the bird’s fantastical way of seeing the world casting the trees in neon colors. Her fear of heights disappeared as she allowed the bird's emotions to flow into her. He was hunting. Far below her, she could see pinpricks of animals moving through the underbrush, discerning mice from beetles, and even spotting a bright rabbit further inland.
The bird's wings tucked in and down it swooped, gaining speed, straight toward the fountain by the dining hall.
Abi felt her stomach in her throat and at the last second, the bird shoved its wings out, the air slowing them to a stop as it landed gently near the fountain.
She felt the bird's thirst in her own throat and then pulled her mind away from the animal. Her thread came back to her like a rubber band, slow at first and then with building momentum, snapping back into place.
"You okay?" Jesse asked.
When she opened her eyes, her vision was terrible. It took a moment to adjust, but she still felt the after-image of the bird's mind lingering in her own.
Her left cheek had something on it and when she wiped it, she realized it was wet. A tear had fallen and then a flood of emotions crashed over her. Excitement and fear and happiness and sadness all jumbled up and fought for dominance.
"Hey." Jesse grabbed her hand, a movement that seemed so natural, that felt so natural. He threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed. "You stretched your abilities on that one."
"I'm sorry," she sputtered. No more tears fell, but her eyes welled up, making it hard to see. She turned away from him, trying to look up and blink away her bleary vision. "I don't know what happened."
"It's okay," he assured her. "It's normal. Your mind doesn’t know how to react to the emotions of another animal. You should have seen Theo the first time he stitched with a bear. He cried like a baby for two hours straight! I think you're handling yourself pretty well." He gave her hand another squeeze, and she focused on that. It was warm and fit perfectly around hers. She stared down at their intertwined fingers. She had wanted this, had thought he was far out of her league, but there they were. As she watched him, he seemed so calm, so confident in his movements, and she wondered again if he felt the same way she did. Was this more of a platonic feeling for him?
He closed his eyes in a familiar expression, receiving a comm. She already knew what he was about to say. "Vikar Cecelia is ready to see you."
"Oh..." Did they have to get back to real life so soon? How was it time already to see them?
"Come on, I'll walk you." Their hands parted ways, and the warmth dissipated from her palm.
"It's okay." She stood up, climbing the stairs with him. "I don't want to make you walk all that way when you don't really have to."
"Microhopping gets old, trust me. I've reached my quota for the week, if you ask me. Hopping to and from Chicago isn't really my cup of tea. It takes a lot out of you if you do it too much."
The walk went too fast. She was dreading reaching the caves, afraid of how her meeting with the Consul afterward would go.
Myra had war
ned her that morning that Cecelia would likely access her memories to see if she could identify the voice. But what other memories would be open for the Grand Vikar to see? Would Abi be able to control what she saw, or would Cecelia be able to snoop as far as she wanted to go?
And what if they weren’t able to tell who this Vikar was? If he was really giving away Oracle locations, then this man was partly responsible for the recent attack.
Abi had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she forgot Jesse had been walking with her. “Hey, earlier I wanted to say something. I mean, I wanted to tell you something.” She stopped walking and Jesse waited, looking back at her.
“That crystal I’ve been trying to research—it’s in your house. I gave it to Cora before I was taken.” The words rushed out and time lengthened as she waited for Jesse’s reaction.
Confusion was replaced with anger, and then his demeanor changed, closing himself up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I knew you’d be upset. I had hoped the stone wasn’t important, that it was just some silly coincidence or was my mom’s Crux. I…I’m worried about Cora. We have to get that stone—”
Something odd blossomed in her chest and then peaked, making her lay her hand over her heart.
It was similar to the sensation she got when she was training with Benning, but smaller and rougher somehow. She blocked it, keeping her mind so trained on the effort that didn’t immediately hear Jesse.
"What is it? Are you okay?"
"It just felt like someone tried to pry into my mind, but it was...more subtle and sharper, I guess. I don't know how to describe it."
" Can you let me in to see it? Is it still happening?"
"I don't think I can. I don't know how to let you in without letting them in."
He stood directly in front of her. "Concentrate, okay? Your mental barrier is up, but see if you can send a thread out at the same time. Trail their thread as far as you can."
She followed his instructions, trying her best to maintain her barrier while squeezing a piece of her mind through. It snaked over and out, twisting and turning as she followed it away from her own mind.
It was familiar, but she couldn't place it when she got there. Something was off about it, wrong. She prodded further, but the person withdrew quickly, snapping Abi hard back into her own mind.
A flash of the red crystal necklace imprinted on her mind, and she tried to shake it away. Was it something the attacker had sent or a figment of her own thoughts?
"I can't." Vertigo spun her around and her knees buckled. Jesse helped her remain standing as she struggled to speak. "Some—it was cold or dark. I couldn't grasp on to who it was."
"Let's get you to Cecelia."
He half-carried her the remaining distance to the caves until she collapsed in the Consul meeting room. Other Oracles were there, and a silent wave of the Grand Vikar sent them away.
Myra rushed to her side, and Abi wondered where the rest of the Consul were before Jesse explained what had happened to her.
“This way,” Cecelia said, moving through the doorway Abi had hesitated at the day before. They walked past several doors until she stopped at one and held it open for them.
The room was nearly square, with rounded edges, and had a circular table at its center.
“Let me see,” Cecelia said, stepping closer. In the same manner that Myra had before, she reached out and closed her eyes. Abi could feel her prodding into her mind, but she knew it wasn’t her memories she was looking at.
The Vikar stiffened before pulling away like she’d been shocked. “You have a root.”
A wave of unease spread through the room.
Myra moved in and, not waiting for Abi’s permission, scanned her mind exactly how Cecelia had. “How is that possible? A root would have shown up on her medical scans. I don’t know how I didn’t sense it—”
“It’s not your job to scan her mind like that. The root’s deep. She’s likely not had any visions related to it yet,” Cecelia said.
“What’s a root?” Whatever it was, they were treating it like a parasite on her mind. A parasite she had been completely unaware of.
“A root from who?” Myra interjected.
“Male. It was dark.”
Myra looked knowingly at Cecelia.
“How do we treat it?” Jesse asked.
Abi repeated her question but Cecelia spoke over her. "We must find her a Peruvian aegis and be sure to recharge it daily. I can’t do it by myself, though.”
“But Vikar, we don’t know who this mole is. We don’t know who we can trust with this. If she really is rooted with someone in the King’s Army then him knowing about it could put us at a disadvantage here.”
“What is a root!” Abi yelled. Everyone looked at her, shocked, like she hadn’t already asked this question twice.
“It connects you permanently to another Oracle,” Myra explained. “They're very rare and take a great amount of energy to fully form.”
“I’ll need the help of the Consul to fix it,” Cecelia said. Myra shook her head and took a few steps away. “We just have to take the risk. It’s better than leaving us all vulnerable. Now, let’s see if I can identify that voice. I need you to concentrate on that memory so I can find it.”
Again, Cecelia moved closer to her. She tried to calm herself, guessing that would make things easier, and focused on the cave.
A push to her mind told her the Vikar was inside, and again, she worried about how many memories the woman would be able to access.
“Focus on the cave. I can only dive deeper into what you are thinking of.” She held a large stone in her hand and her lips moved with soundless words as she sunk into Abi’s mind.
Another push. It was if her skull weren’t big enough but it wasn’t quite painful.
After a few moments, she pulled back. “The voice has been distorted.”
“A type of cloaking cast?” Jesse asked. He was on the other side of the table, leaning forward, his knuckles pressed against the wood table. Flexed arm muscles drew Abi’s attention before he straightened again.
Was she failing to block her thoughts again?
“Perhaps. It doesn’t matter the vehicle used to distort the voice, only that it’s unclear who it could be. It sounds male, but that might be an easy thing to project as well.”
Abi didn’t like that, and from the shared look Myra and Jesse gave one another, they didn’t either. How did they know they could even trust Cecelia?
“Let’s handle that root. I’ll deal with the mole, alright?” Cecelia moved to the door and opened it.
They filed out. Jesse offered to help Abi walk but she had recovered enough to make it on her own and waved him away.
He handed her a stone. “Another thought crystal,” he whispered. “You seem to have a habit of losing them.”
“Oh my god, thank you,” she said, grabbed the crystal and squeezing it. “I’ve been panicking about this meeting and how the hell I was going to keep my foray in the caves blocked.”
Upon entering the amphitheater again, Abi’s feet froze. The rest of the Consul had already gathered there.
# THIRTY-EIGHT
As Ben neared the café, he spotted the same Mercedes he’d seen before. His legs tingled from the long walk, and yet again he cursed Gran for hiding his truck keys.
Sneaking out had been easy—Gran thought he was taking a long nap—but he worried she would check in on him before he had a chance to get back.
A bell tinkled as he swung the door open, warm, coffee-scented air hitting his face. He’d driven past this store more times than he could count and had never been inside before.
Light poured in through the front windows, but the back of the store was more dimly lit.
That was where he found Evelyn Rouge.
"Would you like to join me?" she asked. Again, he was struck by how smooth her voice was. Her hair was pulled back in a tight, intricate bun, and she wore a deep red color on her lips.
Ben looked from her to the seat and back again before pulling it out to sit. Her body was angled away from him, her crossed legs sticking out into the aisle.
But it wasn’t like someone would walk past them. Her bodyguard sat a couple tables behind her, his back against the wall. He stared at Ben, even when Ben looked back to Evelyn.
He waited for her to speak, watching her crimson nails click one by one on the wooden tabletop.
Mr. Flynn didn’t know he was there, meeting with her. But he was just there to hear her out, see what she had to offer.
"I'm glad you came." Her speech was still a slow cadence, and the corner of her lips pulled into a smirk. "Let's get to the point, shall we? I know your mother is an Oracle, and I know you are, too."
Ben's ears pricked, and he looked around them quickly, surprised at how loud she was speaking.
"Don't worry. No one will overhear us." She motioned to the table next to Ben. A wooden box sat perched on the edge, and she waited for him to grab it before continuing.
He didn’t open it. "How do I know I can trust you?" Ben wasn't interested in stories or explanations. He was there for one reason: time was running out. If he didn't find his mom or his sister, they would be lost forever and it was only a matter of time before his mind crumbled.
Mr. Flynn's way hadn't worked so far. Maybe it was time for something else.
"Your mom has information that could be dangerous in the wrong hands,” Evelyn said. “Finding her isn't optional, it's a necessity."
"And what will happen when you find her?"
"We'll turn her over to the police. After, of course, we remove said information."
Remove? What information did they think she had?
"The process won't hurt her and will ensure private information is kept just that—private."
"And the donor?"
She shrugged. "Anonymous. We're the best in the business for sticky situations like this."
His head swam, Mr. Flynn's cast already beginning to wear off. Evelyn’s responses didn’t exactly line up with Mr. Flynn’s warnings.
“How do I know you won’t hurt my mom?”
