Half-Breed

by Zachary Smith

  Chapter 21

  How can I feel relief? This burden I have carried with me since my powers manifest, this unavoidable fate I was sure I’d fulfil is no longer weighing me down, I’m free. Yet, I cannot jump for joy nor can I take that soothing breath; that final breath taken by an athlete at a finish line after all their hard work has paid off. Because this relief is tainted, overshadowed and consumed by a sadness. It’s not over, there’s no finish line. This is the beginning, the start of a whole new destiny, for my burden has simply been transferred to my brother, Matthew. “I-I-I wouldn’t hurt anyone,” he stutters, stumbling back and nudging a bookcase, rocking it back and forth.

  He’s frightened. Scared of himself. And rightly so, but still, he has no idea what’s to come. Will I have to be the one to tell him? Where would I even start?

  But for now, the only thing I do know is I have to get him to calm down. “It’s going to be ok,” I promise, taking a small step towards him. “We’ll fix this.”

  And in the chaos, I miss the sound of laughter coming from behind. And it’s not until it’s a full roar that I turn to find Miah and Darcy in stitches. Confused, I hesitate a step in their direction, but abandon it, and instead, stand awkwardly in the middle of the office, between Matthew and them. Much like I would at school when the P.E teachers would allow my classmates to pick a team, of course, I was always picked last and the only person to be left in the middle of the two groups – yes P.E teacher, that’s a great way to build self-esteem.

  “Oh, Miah,” Darcy chuckles. “You are naughty sometimes.”

  Completely baffled, Matthew and I remain silent, and a creak from a floorboard behind is barely noticeable over the laughter, but I know it’s him slowly creeping back into the office.

  Matthew forces a laugh, one in which sounds like it could easily be replaced with a sob. “It… was a joke?” he nervously asks.

  Tears in her eyes, Miah takes a deep breath to steady her quivering body. “I’m so sorry Matthew, I couldn’t resist. Ya just looked the type of person that could take it, is all.”

  Darcy then pulls him in for a sympathetic squeeze, noting she’d forgot to tell us of Miah’s wicked sense of humour. But if that’s the case, then it really was a joke. And for a moment, I was free of my unwanted fate, no longer tied to a future I’d foreseen.

  “I not going to kill everyone?” asks a timid Matthew.

  Pulling him in for another squeeze, Darcy assures him it was all just some stupid joke. He seems oblivious to it, flopping into her embrace in a docile state like his mind can’t process what she’s saying.

  “I promise ya, you’re fine,” Miah affirms, leaning back into her chair with a smirk. “But I do have some bad news.”

  “What?” he frantically asks.

  “Only one power. Photokinesis.”

  Darcy then pulls out one of her many books, holding it up for Matthew to see as she explains what his power can do. Basically, he can generate and control light very much like the ability I have over fire, yet she confirms this is a “well-respected” power associated with the Celestials. “So it’s true.” She gasps. “You really are born one of the Daemon and one of the Celestial.”

  Shaking her head in disbelief, she hands Matthew the book and fires off a few pages numbers in relation to his power she thinks he should research. “Well then,” she says rubbing her hands together. “I’ll pop the kettle on!”

  Echoing the sound of her overly high pink heels through the office, Darcy struts out the room without so much of an answer from any of us and immediately the room falls into a subdue quietness, one that I can feel. But at least this gives me a perfect opportunity to speak with Darcy about rituals while everyone else is preoccupied; Matthew engrossed in the book she gave him and Miah on her mobile. “I’ll go help Darcy,” I murmur, barely above a whisper. Although somehow they both manage to hear me, as Matthew grunts and Miah nods from behind her phone.

  The kitchen is small – smaller than mine – and simple, but with a stylish stove and oven, and a matching American style fridge freezer that looks too big for the room. Darcy is talking to herself when I enter, questioning where she’s hid the teabags and yelps when she sees me. “You gave me a fright.” She laughs. “I guess that’s payback for our little joke.”

  Nothing could ever be payback for a joke like that, but in their defence, they have no idea about who I truly am or the dreams I’ve been having.

  With four cups lined on the counter top, Darcy leans into one of the overhead cupboards, stretching up onto her top-toes to edge in deeper. “I forgot to ask,” she says, her voice muffled inside the cupboard. “Milk and sugar?”

  “Just milk for both of us,” I reply, taking a seat around the small kitchen table.

  “Ah, the same! Is that a twin thing?” She giggles

  “It’s about the only thing we agree on.”

  The old style kettle then begins to whistle atop the stove, like the ones I’ve seen on TV on old documentaries. “That’s fancy,” I note.

  Throwing teabags at cups and missing two entirely, Darcy removes the kettle and waits for the whistle to fade before pouring. “Thanks, darling. As you can tell, I love anything old.”

  “And the fridge freeze?” I question, raising an eyebrow.

  “Miah’s idea.” She scoffs. “But, something tells me you haven’t come up here to talk about my kitchen appliances? Am I right darling?”

  I shake my head nervously, unsure of a good way to ask her, so start with the basics. “How’s your knowledge of rituals?”

  Darcy thinks to herself for a while before confirming it’s basic at best, but she does inform me she knows a few shamans who might be able to help. “Anyone in particular?” she asks.

  “The Kalayaan ritual.”

  She then hands me two cups before twirling on her heels to grab the remaining two, while asking why I need the information. “Bit of an odd topic for a teenager,” she adds.

  Feeling a pang of guilt hit my gut, I squirm on my seat before answering. “It’s for Talia,” I lie. Or at least a half-lie, as it really is for her. I just happened to leave out the part where we plan to execute it. Although had she asked what I wanted to do with the information, I still would have lied, there’s no doubt about that.

  She nods in agreement, noting it would make sense that a Nexus-Being was interested in rituals, as they are the main force behind them. “Ok darling,” she adds. “I’ll get right on it.”

  Matthew, still fixated with the book but aware of my presence, raises his hand out for me to place the cup in, then grasps it tight. “Your welcome.” I abruptly say, but he still doesn’t take any notice.

  Never one to wait for my drinks to cool, I take a swig of the burning hot tea. Normally I’d feel the intense pain as I scold the tip of my tongue, followed by numbness, something I’d become accustomed to, but now I’m immune to fire – burning to be precise – I feel nothing and in a strange way I kind of miss it. It reminds me of my fading humanity, first, it’s something small like the burning sensation, but what’s next? My comparison for others? Is this how it all starts, I wonder.

  Flipping the page of the book gripped within his hands, Matthew mentions an ability called light aura and his eyes widen as he begins to read a passage. “So it says, the user – me – can surround themselves in light as a means to blind anyone who would gaze upon them, this can be used as a form of protection and used offensively, by releasing all the built up energy/light in the direction of a target.” His mouth hits the floor reading the latter. “Seriously! This just keeps getting better.”

  Narrowing my eyes at him, I let slip a silent sigh. Is it really just me who has difficulty with their power? Even knowing a power like that could be used against someone is enough to persuade me that I’ve made the right choice, as no one should bare such a force within them.

  With a cough, Miah then catches my attention and signals for me to follow her. Tea in hand, I excuse myself and walk through a small hallway into
the back garden where Miah stands waiting. “What was that?” she asks.

  Confused, I look behind, unsure as to whether I’d missed something on my travels. “What was what?” I question.

  She pouts her full lips and tuts. “Ya know what I mean hun, that look ya just gave your brother?”

  Swaying her hips as she strides towards me, Miah tauntingly flashes a smirk my way. “Are ya… jealous?” she asks.

  Instantly, my chest becomes tight like my lungs refuse air, and my palms dampen. “No!” I shoot back.

  “So ya just turn ya face up for no reason?”

  “No.” I protest, feeling my throat begin to tighten. “I didn’t turn my face up.”

  Nearly upon me, she bites her lip and scrunches her nose. “Ya must have that resting-screwed-up-face syndrome then?” she sniggers.

  “No! I didn’t screw my face up!”

  I then pass her and walk deeper into the garden to hide my burning face from view while also distancing myself from her laughter, but it’s not long before she joins me, apologising. “It was just a joke,” she adds. “Complete opposite to ya brother, ain’t ya?”

  Flustered, I blurt out. “Then why didn’t you ask him to join you out here instead?”

  And to my amazement, there’s no quick witty reply, instead, she just stands there silent, as do I. Until she speaks first, noting how she spoke with Matthew while I was upstairs with Darcy. “He’s into sports.” She recalls. “Like, really into sports.”

  “So?”

  She playfully shoves me, causing me to lose my balance and spill some of my tea. “For starters, I can’t kick or throw a ball to save my life and I’ve no idea what the rules are to any sporting event. And quite frankly, I hate rugby, football and anything that involves me having to run.”

  I nod slowly in agreement, all the while trying my hardest to contain my joy. Have I finally found someone that won’t succumb to Matthew’s spell?

  Circling the garden, Miah finds a patch of grass in the direct sunlight and pats it down to check if it’s dry. Lying flat, she looks up to the sky, shielding her eyes with her hands. Unsure whether she wanted me to follow, my foot kicks out to begin walking, but I pull it back and remain rigidly stood alone.

  “Ya gonna join me?” she hollers, patting the grass beside her. “Or just stand there staring like a crazy person?”

  Conscious of how I’m walking – feeling like I’m on display – I develop some kind of awkward waddle, but for once I’m in luck as she’s not looking my way. Lying next to her is no simple task either, I give her space, enough so we’re not touching, but not too far that it looks like I’m overly nervous – even though I am. Turning to face me, a single curl of hair falls and rests gently across her cheek. “So,” she says.

  “So?”

  The corner of her mouth beings to raise, like the beginning of a smile, as light shines down on us both, exposing a cute little mole just above the edge of her lip. “I’m guessing sports ain’t ya thing?”

  For once I can say I’m not the sporty kind and be happy about it. Normally my interests are overshadowed by the rugby player and his medals and trophy. Sadly, none of my interests comes with a prize at the end.

  “What is ya thing then?” she asks.

  “Just stuff,” I reply.

  “Like?” she urges.

  Her eyes narrow in on me, making me feel exposed and nervous. “Just stuff! Nothing you’d be interested in.” I murmur. I don’t mean to say it the way I do, but I just know this will be the moment I put her off, she won’t like the real me… no one does.

  “Because you’d know what everyone’s thinking? Some kinda extra power I didn’t read or something?” she jokes.

  “Fine,” I shrug. “I read comic books, a lot. I enjoy the different styles each cartoonist draws to represent the same character. So art, that’s my main interest, sketching and photography mainly. I like being able to capture a memory, it’s not just about the picture in front of me, but capturing the feeling I had when I take it. Something I can always hold on to and never forget.” I then sit up and cradle my legs, tucking them tight to my body. “There you go, that’s me!”

  “Finally! For someone who can start fires, it takes a while to get a decent spark from ya!” She beams.

  Joining me by my side, Miah shakes out her hair letting it spring outward before falling back to her shoulders. She says she’s always had an interest in photography herself, but never had a chance to practise, so I offer her a lesson. “Do you have one of those big cameras?” She asks.

  “Yeah,” I reply in a voice higher than my own.

  “Great,” she says, jumping to her feet and offering out her hand. “It’s a date.”

  A date!? I know people can call anything a date nowadays, so which one is she referring to? Is it a date-date, or more of a friendly catch up, I’m guessing a friend-date? I can’t ask her, that would be social suicide. So I just smile as we make my way back to the office.

  Inside, Matthew and Darcy are no longer reading, but sat across from each other laughing and joking. For a moment I forget they’ve only just met and feel as if I’ve interrupted two long lost friends during a much-needed catch-up. “There you are, we were beginning to worry.” Matthew jokes.

  “Worry for ya self, hun,” Miah shoots back, walking through the middle of them without so much as a glance in Matthew’s direction. “You were the one left with Dee.”

  Obviously, Matthew is still uncertain with Miah, as he recoils at her comments, giving her no jokey come back in return. Had it been me on the other hand, he’d have slain me with a downpour of words.

  “Sorry to break up the party,” I jest, although it really is like a reunion. “But we’ll need to go now, our train is in about ten minutes.”

  “Already?!” Matthew and Darcy say simultaneously.

  Getting to the front door is a challenge, Matthew constantly turns back to speak with Darcy and each time I think they’ve finished, he starts up again about something completely different. Noticing my frustration, Miah laughs and mockingly points to the clock, reminding me of the little amount of time we have left.

  “Such a pleasure to meet you, Matthew.” Says Darcy as she grabs a dusty worn book from a shelf. “Here, take this with you. It should answer some of the questions we didn’t get a chance to talk about.”

  I can’t help think she wasn’t this friendly when I first met her, but this is Matthew and he’s always had a special charm with the ladies; maybe it’s a hidden power, anything is possible to me now.

  Stepping to the pavement and already power walking to the station, Matthew turns back to me while I get one last look at Miah and give her a quick nervous wave. “Mitchell?! Hello?!” he calls out. “Are you coming or what?!”