Book of the Hidden

by Annalynne Thorne

  It was a week since Seth and his brother left, and Vivian stood on the side of a bridge twenty miles away from the Underground. She must be taking up every problem that arisen, like this one, of a teenage girl hitchhiker who would be hit by a red truck at 2:00 in the morning.

  Vivian checked her watch for the fifth time. It was 1:58. She leaned back against the railing, resting her elbows on it, and tapping out a messed-up rhythm with her foot. Probably shouldn't have left so early, but Jean.... Ugh.... Vivian thought to herself. She shook her head, no, it wasn't Jean's fault, her sister was only worried about her, just like Vivian would be about her.

  Checking her watch again, it was 2:00. Okay, where are you red truck, where are you hitchhiker? Just as the thought had entered her mind, a rusty red truck came around the far corner to her left. Vivian looked to the right, and saw a short, very young looking girl. She must have been only thirteen-years-old, and her hair was bright red, curling down to her waist. She kept her head down, not even noticing that a truck was headed her way.

  Vivian hated the feeling that always came over her, when she felt like she was going to freeze up, but she shook her head of what was "supposed" to happen to what will happen. Turning her back towards the girl, she held out her palm, aiming it at the engine. Black smoke curled up out of the hood, obscuring the drivers view, he turned his wheel to the right, driving over the sidewalk, and with a piercing, squealing sound, he hit his brakes, but a little too late, for he hit the railing, destroying the front of his truck.

  She had thought he would come out of his truck, but he didn't. There was no sound, except for the water slapping against the rocks beneath them. She hoped that he would just be unconscious. Then the girl whimpered, jolting her out of her thoughts.

  "Is he dead?" She said between gasps.

  Vivian looked over her shoulder at her, and shrugged, and then back at the truck. It was over..... So Vivian thought, and she thought too soon, because the driver, a middle-aged balding man with gray hair, and dirty overalls, threw the door open, cursing his car. His words were slurred, and a crazed look came from his eyes. The man was drunk.

  Vivian looked quickly over her shoulder to see where the hitchhiker girl had gone, and she was there, standing a short ways away, with an impression of a deer in headlights. When Vivian directed her attention back to the driver, his butt was showing out of the open door, next he pulled out a shotgun. Vivian's eyes widened. The man was a lunatic!

  "YOU STUPID TRUCK!" The man cursed, shooting the tires out with each loud fire cracking sound. Vivian's hands flew up to cover her ears.

  After six loud shots at the tires, he turned around to see the two girls ahead of him. A wicked smile showed his cracked yellow-stained teeth. "Oh... Y-you want to run... Tell the c-coppers," the man advanced with stumbling steps.

  "Leave us alone..." Vivian really didn't want to resort to magic. Perhaps if she engaged him in conversation, he would simply leave them alone, even though she knew that wasn't the case.

  "Can't do that p-pretty." The drunken man slurred.

  "Please don't hurt us..." The hitchhiker girl said, a short ways behind Vivian. She could feel her presence shivering, scared, and completely helpless.

  "You’re drunk, you don't know what you're doing, so put down the gun!"

  The man laughed, pulling his gun up as though he spotted some easy animal he captured in a corner. Vivian ran back, grabbing the girl around her waist, throwing her to the ground, forgetting her magic, when something hit her left side.

  "NOOOO!"

  Vivian’s ears seemed to be muffled by something, everything was blurry. Where was the girl? Where was the mad-man? Vivian closed her eyes, and felt warm sticky goo pasted to her side. There was no pain though, her side was numb, but the rest of her was cold, very cold, as if someone covered her in ice.

  No, not again. Please, Maeve, someone.....

  This had to be a dream. She had to be somewhere else. Seth was standing above her, brushing her hair away from her face. His hands were cold too, it chilled her. She looked down, Seth's hand lifted her blood-soaked shirt, uncovering her wound, he put his hand over it, letting the blood run through his fingers. Vivian cried out in pain, but through it, she could hear Seth's whispered words in her ear, "let me heal your wounds...."

  Vivian's eyes shot open, sitting upright in bed. She looked wildly around, but Seth wasn't there, no one was. She was in her bed. Her hand went under her shirt, feeling her side, but instead of feeling flesh, she felt raw material, looking down she saw a clean white bandage that had been wrapped around her. Seth was just her imagination.

  "Lay back down, you need to rest." A calm soothing voice came from the corner of the room. Looking over, she saw Leo. That wasn't his name, but a nickname most of them gave him, for other creatures, it was hard to pronounce the elfish name.

  "Leo... What happened to the girl?"

  "You take your job very seriously."

  "Of course I do, it's what we do here. Now, please Leo, tell me what happened!"

  "The girl is safe. She is home. She says she is indebted to you."

  Vivian smiled. "No, she isn't, but it's good to know she's alright."

  "Lay back. I have specific orders from Akia and Jean." Leo said.

  Elves, they didn't carry much humor, and when they made a joke, they still didn’t smile. It was instinct to know when Leo made a joke, which was rare. Akia and Jean may have given him orders, but Elves don't take orders, not even Leo, not even from Vivian.

  "You take your job seriously too." Viviain said.

  "I treat serious wounds." Leo replied.

  "My wounds are just fine. If you remember I've been shot before."

  "Yes, I healed that wound too. Alas, your luck has been quite poor."

  "Where is my sister," Vivian changed the subject.

  "She stayed by your side all night. This morning Flint called her to the circular room."

  "Can I go see her?"

  "Finish the concoction."

  On her bedside table, was a tall glass. Lined at the bottom was a thick puckish green color. Vivian downed it quickly, but the taste of ale resting on her tongue, and the thickness of the potion going slowly down her throat, she coughed, and sputtered, but kept swallowing, until that thin line that seemed to never end, was gone. Putting the glass down, she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, feeling as though she was going to be sick, her side was on fire.

  Clutching her bandaged wound, she got out of bed. Her door had been left slightly ajar, a thin stream of light creeping inside. She could hear happy voices outside. It seemed to come from the circular room.

  Vivian squinted her eyes against the sudden light, as she stepped out, tiny bumps rising on her legs and arms as the cold stone floor touched her bare feet. When she reached the archway to the circular room, gasps and squeals erupted. Akia also standing by the archway, smiled to her, and nodded towards the middle of the room. She watched as the human-sized Flint kneeled on the ground before her sister, taking her hand with his.

  "Jean, I could never be more happy with anyone than I am with you. What we are, our love is blind to. For you, I would give up my wings, my place in life. All I ask is for your hand in marriage, will you accept?"

  Vivian saw tears shining in Jean's eyes, and Flint desperately holding his back.

  "Yes, oh yes," Jean cried out, throwing her arms around Flint before he could stand. With her laying on top of him, he slipped a sparkling ring onto her left ring finger.

  When the newly engaged couple stood, everyone embraced them, yelling their congratulations. The room was bursting with happiness, and love, and it never looked so lively. Vivian thought the place would outshine any light on earth at that moment.

  After hugging the last person, Jean spotted Vivian. She ran up, and grabbed her sister into a tight hug.

  "Ouch!" Vivian felt a sharp stabbing in her side where the bullet once was.

  "Oh, I'm sorry Viv...." Jean stepped back.

  "I'
m so happy for you sis."

  "You deserve this too, you know," she wiped away tears on Vivian's cheeks that she didn't know she had.

  "Don't lecture me, not now."

  Jean straightened up, glancing over her shoulder at her fiancé. She looked back at Vivian and grinned. "I have to lecture you, you're my sister. You need to learn how to follow your heart. I did."

  "I'm not you. I can't forgive our family. I can't drag people into danger."

  "You just don't want to get close to him. Because our family left us, you’re afraid he'll leave too."

  Vivian looked over her shoulder at the awaiting crowd. "Come on," she pulled Jean back into the room. "It's your day, we should be celebrating."

  "You should - "

  "Be resting," Vivian finished the sentence for her, with a half smile. "Not today." In a louder tone she addressed the rest around them, "Today, we raise our glasses."

  And everyone in the room raised their glasses.

  "To my dear sister Jean and my soon-to-be brother in-law. May they always be happy together and never be separated. Cheers!"

  "CHEERS!"

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Cold Stone

  "So when do you want the wedding to be?" Vivian was bent over Jean's hand, taking a close look at the diamond embedded in a gold band, on her finger.

  "Hmm, not sure." Jean replied.

  Vivian gave a small smile, sitting back in the chair, propping her sock covered feet on the coffee table. Her side no longer hurt, it never hurt as much as seeing Jean and Flint so happily together. It only reminded her that she threw away her only chance at love. But she put on a smile, which wasn't entirely fake, she really was happy for her sister and her beau, and the fact that she was to be the maid of honor.

  "How about beige?" Jean suggested.

  Vivian cringed. "Beige?"

  "Yes! It's a good color for a fall wedding!"

  "It's your wedding...."

  "Okay, how about this sister. You wear whatever I put you in for my wedding, and I will wear whatever you put me in for yours?" Jean shook her head quickly, seeing the grin on Vivian's face. "Never mind, you can have your input. No beige." Jean put a great red slash of an 'x' over the many colors that splashed onto the wedding catalog.

  Flint appeared behind Jean at that moment, leaning down to kiss her cheek. It left the slightest sting in Vivian, and she hated the way she felt. She was living, without really breathing, her heart no longer beating.

  "I have some things to do, excuse me," standing up, Vivian turned her back towards them to go to her room, shutting the door, resting her back against it. The few places Vivian could find refuge and peace anymore.

  Peace came hard now-a-days though. Ever since Seth left, the stone that rested against her heart burned like fire. She pulled it out from her shirt, seeing it literally turn from its beautiful gray and black to a garnet red. She racked her brain to think of what Akia said. Then it came to her, "sometimes dear, when a person loves someone else, and they hold such a treasure received by them against their heart, they know when the other is in danger, or when they are needed. It is a bit of old magic, and a lot of true love." Vivian dropped it back into her shirt, and the moment it hit her chest, something weird happened. It was like she was in a dream, a screen playing in her mind, but the screen was pitch black, she could only hear, and what she heard made her thankful that she couldn't see. "HELP!" Next was a gunshot, and that was it, she was back in her room, facing her door.

  When Vivian opened the door, Akia was standing there, she went to say something, but Vivian didn't give her a chance. "I know, I know, I'm on it," she spat out, running to the circular room.

  "Vivian?" Jean looked at her curiously.

  Vivian didn't offer explanation, she hoped Akia would do that, and continued running out the front door, out to the field, to her jeep. Maybe it was her imagination, but her stone seemed to burn more fierce against her chest, and by the time she jumped into the drivers side, she had to pull it out from her shirt. Pulling down the neckline, a small burn the size of the stone was shining brightly. Vivian, pulled away from the side of the road, keeping one hand on the wheel, the other on her chest, the burn disappeared.

  Both hands on the wheel now, she closed her eyes, feeling energy flow through her hands. No matter the situation, the feeling of magic in her veins, and feeling it move, was the most wonderful experience. It was something that couldn't be explained. When she opened her eyes, and let go, the jeep was steering itself towards wherever Seth was.

  With her hands free, she was able to slip the necklace off. Holding it in her palm, she closed her fingers around it, and leaned back, trying to concentrate her power to make the burning stop. It felt as though it was going to melt her hand, but she had to make the burning stop. Suddenly she was lurched forward, as the jeep slammed on the brakes. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was nowhere near the dirt road, nowhere near anything that she knew of.

  Apartments were lined up in a parking lot, and a boy with blonde spiked hair and strong broad shoulders stood outside by them. He stood there, a paper bag in one arm, the other extended outward in peace towards a man dressed darkly, with a black hood over his face. But the jeep and headlights had caught his attention, and no longer was he pointing the gun at Seth, but at Vivian.

  She ducked under the steering wheel, stuffing the stone in her pocket. Loud shots erupted like the roll of thunder, and she clutched her side as the memory of her being shot came back. Suddenly, there were no more shots, only a grunt and rustling. Vivian took in a shaky breath and crawled out beneath the steering wheel holding onto the door with her fingers as she peered over.

  Seth was on top of the man, trying desperately to hold the gun in his hand down. He banged his wrist against the concrete several times, his skin becoming raw and bloody, but to no avail. He wasn't letting go of the gun. It was then the gunman took one of his arms away from him, and hit him in the side. Seth's arm weakened with the blow, and the man was able to point his gun directly at his stomach.

  Vivian directed her hand at the gunman. It was an exact moment, the spell hit him, and the gun went off. The gunman laid there, still and silent, but he would live. Seth's hand went over his stomach, and he fell sideways onto the ground.

  Vivian fumbled with the handle, pushing the door open, running to his side. The closer she got the more the scene became clear. Blood soaked through his white shirt, showing so clearly by the moon. She placed a hand on his. He was freezing.

  "Seth!" He tried to open his eyes when his brother came running out of the door, sitting next to Vivian. Tears formed in his wide eyes, he shook Seth as if trying to wake him.

  "Jake, listen to me," Vivian clutched his arm hard, her fingernails digging in. "Go inside, call the police, but stay inside, don't go outside. You understand?"

  Jake didn't give a response, he didn't even bother to look over at her, his eyes were locked on his bloody brother. Any rosy color that once was on Jake's cheeks was no longer there.

  "Do as I say, and go! Now Jake!" She screamed, her throat straining. She was sure that someone else in their apartment had woken up from the noise.

  Jake didn't say anything else, but ran inside, and Vivian, feeling it was too unsafe to carry him, used magic to hover him over to the backseat of the jeep. Despite herself, it brought back memories, placing him in the backseat. What hurt more is thinking that it might be the last time she would lay him there, attempting to save him, because this time, she might fail.

  Again, she used magic on the jeep to drive them back to the Underground. There was no way that human doctors could help him, their medicines may be powerful, but Leo's was more so, and if anyone could save Seth, it would be him. Just like he saved her.

  With the jeep driving the way to the Underground, Vivian climbed over the front seats, but one foot over, she saw her jacket lying in the passenger seat. Grabbing it, she kneeled on the floor, by Seth's head. His face was drained, his hairline wet with sweat.
<
br />   She placed the jacket over his wound, pressing down, hoping to slow the bleeding, to buy time. But it wasn't long before the jacket was soaked. Warm, and gooey, it seeped through her fingers, and she began to cry.

  "Seth? Seth, please stay with me, open your eyes. Please," she choked on her words.

  Seth opened his eyes a fraction of the way. "Vivian...." He mumbled his words, barely moving his lips.

  Her heart soared. "Yes, I'm here."

  "Please, take care of Jake."

  "Shhhh...." She didn't want to hear this.

  "I wouldn't have left," he proclaimed hoarsely.

  Vivian started sobbing then. "I know. I saw you. I saw you in the Silver Reflections. You were never going to leave. I'm so sorry Seth."

  Seth gave a small nod of the head, and his eyes closed slowly, and softly. Vivian's tears were trickling down her neck. She wasn't going to let him go, not that easily. She wasn't Maeve, or Leo, but there was no time. Flattening her hand on his stomach, she put all the energy she could into making the bullet disappear, to heal the wounds. Her magic flooded into him slowly, the bullet dissolving gradually, but it wasn't fast enough, the bullet was still there. She pushed her mind and energy a little more, her energy flailing. She was starting to feel tired, beads of sweat spotting on her forehead. Not much farther, the bullet was starting to melt away bit by bit. With one more push of her magic, the bullet disappeared, and she let go falling back on her heels, leaning against the back of the seat.

  Vivian's breath had become ragged. The back of her throat felt raw, so raw that she feared one swallow would make it bleed. She clutched a stitch at her side, and when everything seemed to slow down she pushed against the seat toward Seth.

  His face was blurred by her tears, and her hand tightened in her jacket, her fingers deepening in the blood. "I love you Seth, I love you so much." She kissed his lips when she noticed the stone that had been burning in her pocket, was no longer hot. In fact, it was cold as ice.