by C. S. Moore
She thought of John, and Mae’s father. Remembering the look of peace and happiness they had right before crossing over, and the high that she felt knowing that she had helped them out of their Hell.
I’m not one anymore. She realized.
She looked down at Cole wondering if he still wanted her knowing what she now was. She wondered how much time she had left to hold him with arms that looked soft and feminine.
Will I just wake up one morning jagged and nine feet tall? She thought.
“What is she doing?” Cole asked, bringing her out of her selfish thoughts and back to reality.
She was about to answer with a simple, I don’t know, but decided to see if she could find out. Closing her eyes she felt the dull hum in the air and traced it back to Shiphra’s mind, which was open to her. She reeled back into herself when she saw what Shiphra was doing.
“She’s trying to kill him.” She whispered.
“What…can she do that?” He asked in a whisper. She was about to tell him what Armaan had said to her, but was interrupted.
“Sure. Only an Ancient can kill an Ancient.” Armaan said quickly. “Aren’t you going to help her Amanda?” Shiphra stood a mere fifteen feet away, but she may as well have been a mile away. She was shut off from everything around her and didn’t seem to be able to hear their conversation.
“Help her kill someone?” She gaffed. “Listen I know that you think I am this revolution princess or something, but killing people isn’t really what I do.” She looked up at Shiphra’s face. Some of the light drained from it as the hum in the air began to hurt her ears.
“You’re just going to sit here?” Armaan demanded. “How can you just sit here, do you know how long she has waited for this to happen?” He screamed making Cole attempt to stand up.
“Listen, she doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Now back off!” Cole shouted swaying side to side struggling to keep his balance.
“Don’t make me out to be the villain here Cole she is supposed to want to help…”
“Armaan I am fine.” Shiphra spoke with confidence, though it seemed hard. “She has already helped more than you know. This is more difficult than it appears to be. He is fighting a good fight, so be quiet now…and possibly take cover.” She was quiet again and the humming increased another level, vibrating the ground more fiercely, causing bits of gravel and rock to move about.
“What does she mean fighting a good fight? He isn’t even moving.” Cole whispered.
“She is trying to break down his energy, but with his Uleery right there it is hard for her.” Armaan said in frustration.
“Uleery?” Cole asked.
“Good lord do you know nothing about the Ancients? Can’t you feel the massive amounts of energy that comes off of them? They’re one hundred times more powerful than you or I, but that fountain of energy you feel isn’t them. It is the Uleery, the givers of energy. Every Ancient possesses one and only the Ancients can see them; but anyone that pays attention can feel them.” Armaan said. Cole closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them in shock.
“You have one too, don’t you?” He asked her in surprise. Amanda looked behind her at her wolf standing at attention, ready for anything.
“Yeah I guess so.” She said dismissively, not wanting to talk or even think about her and the Ancient’s similarities. “So how is she supposed to kill him when he has a never ending energy supply?”
“It isn’t never ending; she just has to have more energy than him at a given moment. That’s why you should be helping her, two Ancient’s versus one has higher odds of only one of them dying.” Armaan said.
“Leave it alone Armaan you heard Shiphra, she doesn’t need help.” Cole said. Amanda could tell by Cole’s tone that he stood by her choice, but didn’t agree with it.
Am I wrong to not want to kill someone again? Murder is wrong. So why do I feel terrible for doing the right thing? She wondered.
“It isn’t a matter of want.” She looked up at the small struggling woman, her eyes where still closed and her mouth was unmoving. This was a private conversation between them.
“I don’t want to kill anyone. It’s a matter of necessity. Elijah has had over seven hundred years to choose his path. This is more than us. It isn’t like I am choosing my life over his. I am choosing the freedom of thousands over his selfish existence.” Shiphra finished sounding weak.
The two Ancients, frozen in place, appeared weaker by the second. But Amanda couldn’t be sure if Shiphra’s energy was draining slower than Elijah’s or not. Shiphra’s crinkled forehead broke out in a heavy sweat and her raised arms began to shake. Making Armaan and Cole grow more agitated.
“Isn’t there something we can do to help her?” Cole demanded to a frantic Armaan who was pacing behind his leader.
“Don’t you think I would help her if I could?” He screamed. “We can’t do anything against an Ancient.” Shiphra, still lost in a trance let out a blood curdling scream.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” Armaan’s pacing quickened. Cole glanced over at Amanda, his dark eyes unsure.
“I know that you hate violence, you weren’t trained like me or Armaan. And I respect whatever you chose to do, but…” He paused seeming unsure if he should continue. “I just want you to understand what your choice means…If you don’t do something, Shiphra could die. She is the only good Ancient left; she is the only one that can help the Healers find freedom, the only one that can help you find your little trapped spirit. If she dies, hope dies with her.” He finished. Amanda looked up at Shiphra’s struggling form. Her whole body had started shaking.
I can’t allow her to die. She thought still feeling torn.
“Murderer!” Carter’s voice echoed in her mind dissuading her for a moment, but she pressed on.
What good would come from them both dying? Having no answer, she walked towards Shiphra. But Carter’s mangled body appeared between her and the old woman. Shocked and horrified by his appearance, she collapsed to her knees.
“Amanda!” Cole shouted, but she didn’t respond.
She had seen terrible things in her life as a Healer, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Carter. His aging corpse looked more gruesome than it had in her dreams. His once full head of hair had charred and fallen away leaving him closely resembling a mangy dog. His face, if it could be called such, looked more alien than human. So much skin had melted and rotten away that his eyeballs seemed in danger of rolling out of their sockets, having nothing to hold them in place.
“Murdererrr!” He whispered. His eyes rolled around in their sockets, struggling to look at her. “You did this to me you selfish witch!” His milky eyes had finally locked on her, and though they looked similar to Kaedin’s unseeing eyes, she could sense that these eyes could see. Not just what most eyes see on the surface, but beyond that. She could feel them boring into her very soul.
“Amanda what’s going on? Are you okay?” Cole said shaking her, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from Carter.
What did I do? How could I do that to you? She thought miserably. I’m a Healer, I am supposed to build, not destroy. Cole brought a hand to her moist, tear wrecked face.
“Armaan, help me please! Something’s happening to her.” Cole screamed at the tall pacing boy. Armaan looked over at the pair of them and his heart stopped. Amanda was frozen in place and crying uncontrollably. He couldn’t be sure of what she was saying because it was broken up by sobs, but he thought she was saying a name…Carter?
“Why is she saying Carter? Does she mean my brothers right hand man? What’s he got to do with any of this?” Armaan asked as he knelt on Amanda’s other side. Cole’s face contorted for a moment than lit up in recognition.
“We had a run in with him, she put up a shield in front of him as he was about to hurl a spell at her and it ended up killing him.” Cole said.
“Okay, well what is going on with her?” Armaan asked.
“I’m not s
ure; I know that she has been struggling with it. She feels like she was in the wrong, like she murdered him in cold blood or something. I mean he really killed himself she did nothing but put up a shield.” Cole said frantically hoping that what he said would bring her out of her state. Armaan threw his hands up in disbelief.
“Is that why she isn’t helping Shiphra?” He asked moving Close to Amanda’s ear. “Carter deserved more than what he got Amanda!” He shouted. Amanda could hear Armaan’s voice saying something in the back of her mind, but Carter’s haunting eyes held her in a trance.
“You don’t understand. Carter was evil. I saw him hurt women, I watched him torture innocent people for fun.” Armaan’s voice was becoming clearer and Carter’s gaze fell away from her and focused on him in anger.
You tortured people? She thought feeling less dazed.
“I tortured people? Look at what you’ve done to me! You are the murderer girly. You’ve always been a bad seed. I remember the day you showed up to the Hovel. Everyone thought you were a prodigy, falling into your first scar at the tender age of six. HA!” His laugh turned into a cough and after a few choking hacks he spit out a large hunk of flesh.
“You were weak, you’ve always been weak. You let everyone down; then again you’ve always done that too.” Amanda felt herself slipping back into despair.
“Amanda, listen to me!” Armaan’s voice sounded muffled and distant, but still reached her. “Stop this! You are strong, you inspire, you started a revolution with an incomplete sentence!” Under the desperation, she could still hear a smile in his voice as he recalled their conversation.
“I was on the Guard, so you can believe me when I say he was the murderer, not you. He has killed many and was trying to kill you that day. Please come out of this, help Shiphra. It’s what you were meant to do.” Cole’s deep voice begged. Carter crouched as if to pounce, hunched over he looked less human still and more menacing than ever.
“You will not help her; you could never do to another person what you did to me.” He hissed.
Even in death you are a slave to them aren’t you? She wondered and, seeing him straighten, continued. I didn’t do this to you Carter, you can blame me if you want, but you made your choices…She looked up at the two struggling Ancients, Shiphra’s hold on Elijah was lessening and he jerked violently side to side trying to break the bonds.
And so did Elijah! She thought.
“No!” Carter cried before disappearing into nothingness.
Amanda jumped to her feet and ran to Shiphra; placing a hand on her frail shoulder she channeled her energy into the old woman. The large wolf was at her side in a flash resting his nose on her back keeping her strong. Shiphra immediately straightened and opened her bright eyes. Elijah’s struggle seized.
“Please!” Elijah cried out. “Please Shiphra, I’ll do anything. I have no allegiance to Baal, just ask it of me.” He begged.
“Go back in time, erase the eight centuries that you have tarnished with your evil.” Shiphra said. “I know that what I ask even you aren’t powerful enough to accomplish. I’m sorry Elijah; you made this decision for me long ago.”
“Please Shiphra, Please…” His voice cut out as a bright beam of light shot out of his open mouth. The light was overpowering and Amanda had to shield her eyes. The earth beneath her feet trembled violently.
“Armaan grab him and go!” Shiphra said quickly.
“What? I’m not leaving Amanda!” Cole said defiantly. The ground shifted and cracked almost knocking her off of her feet.
“Get out of here Cole, now!” Amanda demanded. But he ignored her words, moving close and wrapping his arms around her protectively.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He said as the ground shuddered again.
“If you stay you’ll need to put up a shield!” Shiphra said in a rush.
“I already have one around her.” Cole said.
“Not around her, around you!” Shiphra huffed. Cole didn’t say anything in response, just continued to hold her tightly. “Amanda, protect him. Where we stand will be a crater shortly.” She whispered.
Amanda continued to lend her energy to the small woman and wrapped a shield around Cole. She sensed an evil seeping out of Elijah so sick and concentrated it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Darkness, death, and hatred. She hadn’t felt such a presence since her encounter with the demon in Kaedin’s scar.
How can that be coming from him? She wondered.
She had definitely concluded that the Ancients were evil, but somehow feeling his true nature frightened her. An ear splitting crack rang out as a fissure ran up his torso making her scream. The jagged crevice broke his tattooed skin like the rumbling had broken the earth. Seeing him being split apart wasn’t as gruesome as she would have thought. There was no blood or tissue flying everywhere.
Maybe all that was human dried up centuries ago. She thought. Her thoughts were drowned out by an explosion of sound and light. Shiphra seized pulling energy and she knew it was over, they had killed Elijah. Amanda couldn’t see anything, chunks of earth hurdled at them at terrible speeds. She held her shield over Cole with everything she had. Never being in any type of explosion she was surprised by the sonic wave that ripped through her chest leaving her feeling a bit dizzy. Cole’s shield over her had been destroyed by the eruption, but luckily hers held through the worst. After a few moments of silence she opened her eyes.
She was still wrapped tightly in Cole’s arms, and he didn’t seem to be loosening his grip so she turned to face him. Smoke and dirt still hung in the air around them and his handsome face was all she could see. The familiar contours of his face were caked in a layer of blood and dirt. She lifted her hand to the slash Elijah had put on his cheek and gently caressed it with her thumb until it was healed. He raised his hand to hers squeezing it tightly. His shoulders heaved out a muffled sob and he dropped his head before pulling her hand into his chest.
He didn’t say anything, he just held her small hand like he would never let go of it again, like if he held it tightly enough she would become a part of him. And in that moment she wanted to be, she wanted to wrap her arms around his shoulders and melt into him. But their moment, and the ringing in her ears, was interrupted.
“Ah, young love. Nothing can keep it down-not even almost being blown to bits apparently.” Shiphra said in a musical voice. She stood in front of them gazing at them with her large kind eyes; her Uleery was perched on her shoulder gazing at them with the same intensity.
“Sorry.” Amanda said blushing; hoping Shiphra hadn’t seen the many things flashing through her mind while in Cole’s arms.
“No worries, no worries child. I remember being young, no not really…” She barked out a hearty laugh and with a wave of her hand the smoke and dirt cleared away revealing the deep crater gouged into the earth. The soil had been stained black, as if an oil well had been dug there.
“All that’s left of Elijah.” Shiphra said in a sigh. “I really tried to channel his energy back into the earth, but I guess it didn’t want him. Ha!” She laughed. “Well I’m not leaving this place looking the way it does, and it takes more energy to build than to destroy; so why don’t you come over here and help me.” Amanda joined her immediately, unsure of what she wanted her to do.
“Um…What are we building?” She asked.
“A McDonald’s, I could use a Big Mac about now.” Amanda looked at her in surprise. “We aren’t in the business of construction my dear. We are simply letting our energy into the Earth. Allowing the plants to heal themselves and grow. It’s not polite to burn down a mile of forest and run.” Shiphra said with a smile as she picked up her hand.
“Now just lend your energy to the earth let it flow out of your feet into the soil, just like you gave me the energy I needed.” She said closing her eyes. Amanda closed hers too and tried to drain her energy out through the souls of her shoes. She was surprised to feel the eagerness in the ground’s acceptance of what she had t
o give. Her knees buckled underneath her, but she stayed on her feet.
“There that should do it.” Shiphra said. “There is so much life in that soil it would take all of your energy if you let it.”
No kidding. Amanda thought feeling weak. She opened her eyes and her jaw fell open. The burnt, destroyed clearing was green and beautiful. Even the enormous crater was covered in luscious red peony blossoms; hiding the black mark Elijah had left. Oriental Cyprus saplings happily stretched toward the sun and small shoots of bamboo grew out of the cracks created by the shifting ground.
“Well we should get out of here, your friend Madgie still needs some medical attention. And the rest of the Guard, and maybe even the rest of the Ancients, will likely be here shortly.” Shiphra said as she turned.
“Madgie! Oh my gosh.” Amanda exclaimed before spinning to Cole. “Where is Madgie?” She asked pointedly.
“Don’t worry; I stashed her in a thicket. She is hidden and perfectly safe.” Cole assured.
Chapter 22
He had to get out of there, he knew that he could be killed for running in the line of duty, but what else was he suppose to do? Choke and suffocate in that horrible burning smoke? His feet were flying over the terrain taking him in the opposite direction of the clearing. But the farther away from the immediate danger he got the more frightened he became of his future.
They will find me and kill me for running, probably not a quick death either. He worried.
Where could he go now, he couldn’t go back to the Hovel. When Elijah returned he would surely feel his fury. He stopped running, thinking seriously about going back to the clearing and dying in the smoke, when someone burst out of the thicket to his right. He crouched down, quickly concealing himself. The person passed without a glance in his direction.
He turned to look at the wake of destruction left by the runner, it looked like a bear had just torn through the forest leaving branches and saplings broken and dangling. The path led out of a thick bush that had a frail unmoving hand peaking out.
