Wind Catche

by Jeff Altabef

  “Don’t listen to his lies!” Sicheii spits out.

  The Seeker’s fingers flutter across the keyboard for a minute and play a quick paced tune, one I have never heard before. His hands stop as abruptly as they started. He glares at Sicheii. “You have been thwarting me for years, Jake Stone, medicine man. I admire what you’ve done. You’re a man of action. I can use a man such as you. How about you work for me. Switch sides to the triumphant.”

  “Never! You are evil.” Sicheii’s hands turn to fists. “You are Coyote’s pawn. You seek to destroy us.”

  The Seeker pounds out two dark chords on the piano. “Oh, seriously. You don’t really believe in that nonsense, do you? I’m not the one who killed the Judge or Samuel Baker. You did that on your own.”

  “What?” I say.

  “Jake Stone, you didn’t tell your granddaughter. Shall I tell her instead?”

  Sicheii glances at me, his eyes hard and unwavering. “They were weak. They would have broken their oaths before we were ready.” His hands fall useless to his sides, and his shoulders slump. He looks unsteady on his feet, his age draping over him like a loose fitting jacket.

  “They were your friends. They were part of your order.”

  “I had no choice. They knew what was at stake when they took the oaths.”

  I turn my back on him. I can’t look at him. I don’t want to see his pain or have him ask for forgiveness. It isn’t mine to give.

  “Don’t be like that, Juliet Stone. He did the right thing,” the Seeker says. “Charles Roundtree was stubborn and strong minded. My henchmen could not crack him, but we would have made the other two talk. I just wish we could have beaten him to it. We could have saved some time. Not that that matters now.”

  “Shut up, you devil!” Sicheii lunges toward the Seeker. I expect him to flinch or turn or react, but he stays perfectly still. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a chair fly at Sicheii. It crashes into his head and wood splinters. He drops to the ground hard, unconscious, six feet in front of the Seeker.

  “Sicheii!” I yell and reach for him. I throw aside the splintered wood. Blood, thick and dark, seeps from his scalp down the right side of his face toward his ear. Air sticks in my lungs. I’ve never seen Sicheii hurt. He’s never even been sick. Some part of me thought that so long as he was with me, everything would work out. He would find a way to make sure we were all right. Now he’s still, his breath shallow and tentative.

  I brush back his white hair from his wound. His hair is soft. My fingertips touch his cheek and blood spoils them.

  I glance up at the Seeker. Anger races through my body and it trembles. I bite my lip and taste blood.

  “You could have tried to save him, Juliet Stone. You could have used your mind to stop that chair. It wouldn’t have worked. You are no match for me, but you could have slowed it down. You let him get hurt.”

  My hands ball up into fists.

  “We all make choices. Do not be angry with me, Juliet Stone. You should be irate with yourself.”

  I slowly rise.

  “Now listen to me carefully. He’s not dead. None of the people you care about are dead... yet.” He smiles, pets the dog with his long fingers and closes the cover on the piano’s keyboard.

  I want to smash the piano over his head.

  “You have a decision to make, a side to take. If you choose poorly, they will all die a horrible death. Your grandfather and mother and Troy and Ayden. I know them all. Trust me; everyone you care about will meet a grisly end. Choose wisely and a world of riches will be yours, and they all will live.”

  Their faces flash through my mind. My phone buzzes again. I’m frozen.

  “First, you must know the whole story.”

  Truth is a tricky thing. Some people think there are absolute truths that are always correct. That’s foolish. Truth depends upon your perspective. My truth might be different from Troy’s, which may be very different from Katie’s. Who knows what the Seeker’s truth is? I’m not sure I want to know, but finding out his truth is the only way I will survive this.

  He looks relaxed as he sits comfortably on the piano bench, his posture perfect. The purple flecks in his blue eyes bore into mine. Still, there is tension in his jaw and his shoulders.

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “I won’t lie to you. A decision based upon falsehoods is built on shifting sand. It’s useless. You can see where untruths have gotten your grandfather.”

  My eyes tighten into slits. “He never lied to me.”

  The Seeker’s long fingers softly caress the top of his bald head. “Lies of omission are just as bad as outright falsehoods. You know that. Don’t play games.” He pauses for a second and his eyes sharpen as if he’s taken a whetstone to them and peers into my thoughts. “Anger is a good thing. If properly focused, it can help you achieve much. Alphians have hot blood. We’ve always been short tempered. Some believe extreme emotions are uncivilized, that we should evolve past those feelings. They’re fools.” He makes the word evolve sound dirty. “I wonder if your anger issues are Alphian induced.”

  “Alphian, what’s that?” I have a sick feeling I already know, and it’s connected to my visions.

  The Seeker flattens his hands together and gently purses his lips against his fingertips. “They haven’t told you much. I assumed the fusion would have informed you more. They obviously don’t trust you. You see the differences between us? I will freely answer all you questions. Knowledge is power.”

  I shrug. I wish I understood what was going on but won’t let him know that I’m lost. That would be weak. I can’t be weak.

  He sighs. “Alpha is the name of my home-planet. It’s the first planet in the known universe to contain intelligent life—life with a soul. Humans on Earth are newborn babies when compared to Alphians. We are stronger, smarter, and more powerful than you and every other creature that has ever existed. My people split into two factions. Those of the old guard and us Deltites of the circle and the triangle.” He points to the insignia on his shirt.

  “There was a trial. Your kind were judged guilty.” I remember the glimmering stadium from my dream. It was no dream, but a memory implanted in my body somehow.

  “Not guilty, but innocent. You see, it’s just a matter of perception. Alphians are superior to other life forms. It’s our right, in our nature, to dominate other life, but we evolved beyond that over centuries. My group, the Deltites, wanted to bring back the old ways, the true ways, but the Elders refused. They banished us to a far-reaching part of the universe on a planet just barely able to sustain life. They should have killed us, but they were too civilized and weak and evolved.” He snorts, but his eyes turn melancholy.

  “We lost many of our faction during the early days, until the ship came. Adam, our first leader, predicted it would come, and he was proven correct. Alphians are curious by nature and many still secretly believed in our cause. After the first ship came, the rest was easy. We grew in numbers and our power multiplied.”

  “What does this have to do with me or Earth?” Sicheii twitches his hand, so I shift away from him. I don’t want the Seeker to notice him move.

  He chuckles. “You, Juliet Stone, are a pawn in their games. The Elders still underestimate us, but others realize the threat we’ve become.”

  “Humans are the closest in DNA to Alphians in the known universe. You are weaklings compared to us, much like a pet dog is to his master.” He strokes the husky’s fur. “But there are biological similarities that cannot be denied. Thousands of years ago, some Alphians even mated with your kind and the connection was close enough to hold. The result wasn’t quite human nor Alphian, but a mix of the two. They were hybrids. Weak compared to a pure blood Alphian, but stronger than common humans. They were abominations, really, a defiling of our blood and uniqueness, but still they happened.”

  “Alphians have visited Earth before?”

  “Most definitely! Earth is a rich planet full of resources. You’re blessed wi
th much, although you’re content to throw it away in the selfish pursuit of the present. Still, we became aware of Earth only a few thousand years ago. What a pity we acted solely as observers restricted by the modern philosophies of the current Elders.”

  “What does that have to do with me?” Sicheii stirs, his leg shifts, so I step farther from him. The Seeker’s full attention is on me. He doesn’t notice.

  “Good question. Those Alphians who fear us realized we will take Earth. Earth will be extraordinarily valuable to us. Earth will help us reclaim the universe.”

  “By killing us and taking over the planet!” Visions of the massacre of the short and brutish people flash in front of my eyes. They were merciless. Would it be as easy for them to conquer Earth?

  “Don’t be silly, Juliet Stone.” He smiles. “We won’t kill everyone. We aren’t going to march down on Earth with an army. Earth is too large and well populated. Besides, there are easier ways to take the planet. We are infiltrating your institutions, both political and industrial. Our leader is close to achieving the influence he wants and needs. When he is ready, we will come and humans will unwittingly welcome us with open arms. An army of humans will come in handy, which leads me to your involvement.” He pauses for a second and removes a crystal hilt like mine from his pocket and places it on the edge of the piano keys. My heart falters.

  “I believe they injected you with Alphian DNA when you were first born. Your newborn body absorbed that DNA, allowing you to have some of our character traits. Although meager, they make you exceptional among humans. I am sure the old guard wants you to act as their agent, help them in leading a defense of the planet against us and thwart our leader’s plan. Utter nonsense.” He waves his hand as if he is shooing away a fly.

  “I’ve lived on this planet for fifty years now as I wait for the invasion, waiting for enough progress to be made, waiting for our time to come. I still can’t stand the smell.” He nods toward the towering incense candles. “My wait is almost complete. Earth’s time is quickly running out.”

  “So you want to kill me.” My hand slides toward my back and my fingers inch toward the sword hilt.

  “No, Juliet Stone.” His voice rises and falls with amusement. “They’ve fused certain information with you. Information that, once we know it, will make it easier for us to take the planet and defeat whatever plans they might be developing. Once the information presents itself, you only need to tell us.”

  “I just have to betray my entire planet and race so you can make everyone slaves!”

  “Humans are lost anyway. I will let you and your loved ones live. I’ll also give you power and wealth. You will live like a queen, wealthier and more powerful than all the students at Bartens combined. Why not take our side? It is the only logical choice. Deltites are meant to rule. Choose the Alphians and everyone dies a miserable death, and we still control Earth—only more humans will die in the process, starting with your family.” One side of his lips turns up, giving him a sinister half-smile.

  He will kill everyone I care about if I don’t help him—Troy and Mom and Sicheii and Ayden and all my friends. What chance do I have against him? How can I stand up to him? Only one decision makes sense. I can make a deal. Would that make me bad?

  He snaps his fingers and the husky sits at attention. He smiles at the dog. “She’s a beautiful animal. Primitive but beautiful. She’s happiest with a strong master. She wants to follow my directions.”

  I know he’s talking about humans. He thinks we’re no better than dogs.

  His smile widens as both sides of his lips curl upward. “Well, Juliet Stone? You obviously see the wisdom of my choice. You only have one chance to accept my offer.”

  The husky barks as Sicheii staggers to his feet. He clutches a stone knife in his hand, dried blood smeared against the side of his face. “You can’t have her, you devil. Don’t listen to him, Juliet.” Sicheii’s voice is rich with defiance and years of sacrifice. He lunges forward, knife held in his outstretched hand.

  The Seeker moves in a blur and grabs the hilt of his crystal sword. The air shimmers, and the blade appears as he thrusts it through Sicheii’s chest in one smooth motion. Sicheii swings his stone knife, but he is too far away to reach him. All the strength leaves his body, and the knife clatters across the wooden floor as he falls to his knees.

  “No!” I scream. The world spins, and my heart feels as if it’s about to explode. I can’t lose him now, not when I just learned all that he sacrificed for me.

  The Seeker slides his sword from Sicheii’s chest.

  Blood bubbles from his mouth.

  “What a fool. I overestimated him.” The Seeker stares down at Sicheii. His features are hard like stone. He’s evil. He might not be Coyote’s pawn, but he is the picture of evil.

  I race to Sicheii’s side and stuff my hands into the wound, hoping to stop the flow from the cut, but sticky blood seeps through my fingers. “You’ll be okay. We just need a... doctor.” My voice cracks. His life is slipping from him. I feel numb. I want to scream, but no words come out.

  “Even rocks crumble eventually, Little Bird.” He grabs my wrists with both of his hands. “I’m so sorry I’ve gotten you into this. I did what I thought was right. You’re stronger than he is. You just need to see it. For all of us.”

  Sicheii shoots me a look right before the light leaves his eyes. It’s the same look he’s thrown at me my entire life. I used to be scared of that look. I feared it was some type of rebuke or reflected some disappointment that I didn’t live up to his standards. Now I realize it was just his way of saying he loved me.

  A hole rips in my heart and the pain singes me down deep past flesh and bone. He won’t be with me anymore to teach me or show me the world in a different light. I’ll miss his weirdness. I wish I had known that before.

  I rise on steady feet. The Seeker gazes at me. Blood drips from his blade—my grandfather’s blood. I’m not sure when I grabbed the hilt of my sword, but I hold it steady. The crystal blade appears out of thin air.

  “I see you’ve made your decision. You’re no smarter than he was. What a pity. You are truly just a silly little girl.”

  “I am Juliet Wildfire Stone, Jake Clearwater Stone’s granddaughter, the Chosen.”

  The Seeker closes the distance between us with two quick steps, slashing his sword in a flurry of sideswipes. My hand moves fast, parrying the cuts just before they score. He is strong, and my arm shakes from the force of his blows. When the blades clash, they clang and the room fills with the sound of breaking glass.

  I sense his confidence as he presses the dizzying attack—six, eight, ten strokes. I retreat under the barrage. Sweat stings my eyes. He dips the edge of his blade on a backstroke against my side. The edge cuts my shirt and draws a trickle of blood. The blade feels cold as it kisses my flesh, almost as if it’s made from ice.

  Just as quickly as he started the attack, he stops and smiles. “Being fused with the knowledge of swordplay is one thing, but there is no substitute for real combat. You move stiffly and awkwardly, Juliet Stone. I fear you won’t present me with much of a challenge.”

  Adrenaline races through me and my vision tunnels around him. I’m thinking too much. I have to let my hand move on its own, let the knowledge the fusion gave me work, unhampered by thoughts.

  I dart forward and slash at his side. He sidesteps me, lets me rush past him and slices me on the leg. I stumble into the piano bench and topple it over with my foot. Luckily, I maintain my balance and spin back at him.

  He chuckles. It sounds like fingers scraping against a chalkboard.

  I breathe heavily. I want to rush him, hurt him for killing Sicheii, but next time he will kill me. He’s too good. Too fast. Too strong. I need an advantage.

  I back up and start talking to buy time. “You said you’ve been here for fifty years, but you don’t look that old.” Of course, I have no idea how old Deltites are supposed to look.

  The Seeker grins, his blade held s
teady in front of him. Candlelight flickers off its edge and the drops of blood that still cling to it. “We don’t age at the same rate as humans. We are not children. We can use our minds to control our body. I wonder if you have that ability.” He shrugs. “I guess we will never find out.”

  I scan the living room and search for something to use. I spot the candlesticks. What good will they be if the sword doesn’t work?

  The Seeker attacks when my attention drifts. He feints a forward side slash. I move my blade to cover. He twirls and cuts me across my left shoulder. I feel ice again and dart behind a chair, keeping it between us. My chest tightens and my eyes widen. Oxygen bursts into my lungs in uneven gasps. I can’t let the panic grip me—all will be lost. Too much is at stake, too many people rely upon me, so I beat it down.

  “There is no place for you to hide.” He kicks the chair between us, and it explodes toward me, crashing into my head.

  I see stars and stagger backward. Blood drips from a cut on my forehead and seeps into my eyes, blurring my vision.

  “I’m going to kill you now.” He laughs and it sounds as if he’s scratching his fingernails across a blackboard.

  I fear he’s right when I notice the husky standing behind him, watching us.

  Sicheii’s voice speaks to me. “Use the dog. Use your gifts.”

  I feel the dog’s energy and in an instant, I am the dog. I see the Seeker’s back, confident and strong. I force my anger into the animal and direct it at the Seeker. “Attack!” I command the husky and retreat from the animal’s mind.

  The dog launches himself at the Seeker and sinks his teeth in his right thigh, catching him off guard. He spins and the husky clamps down even harder, snarling and angry. The Seeker screeches and swings the sword down at the dog. He hacks him a second and a third time. The dog’s snow-white fur turns red as he butchers the animal.