by Peach, Hanna
“Who was it?” she demanded through gritted teeth. Jordan and Tobias looked at each other, appearing to fear that her anger would explode when they told her the name.
She was close to screaming when Israel’s fingers found her gripped hands under the table. His touch was like a balm, calming her. He coaxed his fingers through hers. Then he squeezed her hand. I’m here. Like that, their fighting seemed to be forgotten. It seemed so unimportant now.
Tobias took a slow breath. “It was Elysia.”
The room spun. Sweet Elysia. Bubbly, excitable Elysia. Alyx remembered her first encounter with Elysia. They had been the only two seraphelle younglings in Symon’s flock at the time. This was enough to cause Elysia to bounce over to Alyx and claim her as her new best friend. Alyx had resisted at first, of course. But Elysia, with her bright plump face, her tight curls and her girlish voice that tripped and skittered as structureless as free-flow jazz, had persisted with Alyx. She had persisted even through Alyx’s dark moods and thick distrust.
That was until a day, several months later... Alyx had been cowering in the reeds of the Great Lake as two older lightwarrior bullies were fast approaching. She had been shocked when Elysia confronted them. With her coquettish giggles and desperately-long blinking eyelashes, Elysia had quelled the fire from the bullies. They had left Alyx alone that day, thanks to Elysia.
Elysia saved Alyx then. But Alyx couldn’t save her now.
In the crowded office space of Tobias’s room, Alyx gritted her teeth as if they could hold back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She sent out a silent promise to Elysia, wherever she may be, that she would kill Samyara. Samyara and all his followers. Whatever it took, she would make him pay.
Chapter 10
“Don’t,” Israel commanded roughly from the shadows of one of the large gray pillars that marked the edge of the spacious back porch of Aradale Asylum.
Israel saw Jordan pause in his approach to Alyx, hovering between the threshold of the building and the rolling green lawn that dove down to the garden, then further into a set of darker trees.
Jordan, it seemed to Israel, never walked anywhere – he flew. Not like Alyx. But Israel suspected that Alyx made it a point to stay on the ground as much as possible around him. He wasn’t sure why. Seeing Jordan hover a few feet off the ground like that reminded Israel that, even though they looked like him, these creatures, these Seraphim, and most importantly... Alyx... were different from him.
For a moment Israel and Jordan both stood watching the lone figure of a petite but fierce warrior taking out her pain and anger in a series of katas, two blades slashing at the unfortunate leaves that hung too low from the large trees above her.
“She is upset. She needs comfort,” Jordan said, and the fingers of his right hand twitched. “She needs... rest.”
“You want to knock her out, don’t you?” Israel said with realization. “Don’t you dare. She won’t stand for it.”
Jordan snapped his head towards Israel, his green eyes blazing. “You will have her wear herself out through this pointless display instead?”
“It’s how she copes. It’s what she needs. She’ll be better once she gets it out.”
“You think you know what she needs, boy?”
Israel bristled at being called “boy”. He pulled himself up to full height. “I know her. You don’t. So don’t pretend to.”
Jordan let out a curt laugh and a smirk pulled at his lips. “Your crush is pointless, boy.”
There was that boy again. If he said it one more time, Israel was going to mess up that pretty-boy face.
“It’s not a crush.”
“How old are you? Twenty? Twenty-one?”
“I’m old enough.”
“I have lived far longer than you.” Jordan turned, eyeing Alyx off in the distance again, his voice taking on a dismissive authority that made Israel fume. “I’ve had much, much more experience with women. I think I know what she needs.”
“If you make another move towards her, I won’t hesitate to take a swing at you, magic or not. Thanks to your training, I’m pretty sure that I’ll get in at least two good hits and one loud enough yell to bring Alyx over before your DreamWalker knocks me out. When I wake, I won’t hesitate to let her know that you planned on knocking her out like a helpless pup. We’ll see how well your new friendship will survive that.”
A low growl came from Jordan’s throat. Israel could see the frown marring Jordan’s clean profile, his hair swept away from his face and tied at the base of his neck in a short ponytail. Jordan swung around to face Israel. Even though Israel was slightly taller than Jordan, Jordan now hovered far enough off the ground to tower over him. “What will you have me do instead?”
Israel spoke again; this time his voice was softer. “She just needs to be left alone for a little bit longer. I promise, she’ll feel better after she has gotten it out. I can keep an eye on her.”
The Rogue was silent. Apart from the crease that remained at his brows, there was no other sign of emotion on his face. Nothing behind his eyes, just a cool unemotive facade. Israel couldn’t tell what this Rogue was thinking.
“If you’re wrong and that doesn’t help her, or if she hurts herself or does something stupid, you will answer to me.” Jordan gave Israel one last hard look then swept back into Aradale.
Israel let go of the breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding, and he sank back into the shadows to keep watch over Alyx’s fighting form.
* * *
Out on the back grounds of Aradale, Alyx threw down her swords so that they stuck up out of the ground. Her arms had that pleasant ache from working the swords. But her legs could still take more. She began to move without weapons in an unarmed kata, a series of fighting movements using just her body. The katas were Symon’s basics. They always calmed her when she wasn’t feeling right. And right now she wasn’t feeling right.
As a warrior under the command of the Elders, Alyx had always just accepted that she would die performing her duty. Death, although sad, was just part of a warrior’s life. It was part of their function. But now... with everything she had learned, with everything she now thought, death felt pointless. It felt unfair and real.
She wondered how Symon was taking Elysia’s death. Or Xavier. Or Lutando. She wondered what they thought when they found out that it was Alyx’s name written on Elysia’s stomach. She wondered if they would ever forgive her.
“You can come out, now,” Alyx said without pausing. She had felt his eyes on her even as she had begun her katas. “I know you’re there.”
She heard a small grumble, then a rustle of bushes as her watcher stepped forward.
“How did you know?” Ky said, his hands in his pockets.
“I could hear you. Has no one ever taught you to move silently?”
“No. No one teaches me anything cool. I’m too young.”
Too young? What a strange concept.
“How old are you?”
“Twelve winters,” he said proudly.
“I was already training at your age.” Alyx frowned. It really was so irresponsible to leave this youngling untrained. Alyx tilted her head towards the spot next to her. “Don’t I owe you a training lesson? Get in line, warrior.”
“Oh cool,” Ky said as he practically bounced into position.
“We’re going to go though some basics. First, this is your stance.”
Alyx took Ky through the basic stance, how to hold his hand properly in a fist, the basic unarmed combat movements and how to block each one.
Ky was a quick learner. He already had a naturally higher level of body awareness than most other Seraphim starting out. Probably because he was older than the youngling warriors were, she thought as she adjusted his arms.
They were just about through the lesson when a female voice rang out, “Get the hell away from my son.”
Alyx spun. She was stunned at the sight of Ana storming towards them.
“How dar
e you! I did not give you permission to teach him any of that fighting stuff.”
Ky stepped out in front of Alyx. “But Mama—”
“Ky, I am not discussing this with you right now. Go to your room.” The glare that Ana gave him was enough to send Ky flying back towards the Aradale building.
“Alyx,” Ana said when Ky had gone, “I did not give you permission to train my son. Do not do it again.”
“What is your prejudice against me?”
“It’s not against you... I just don’t believe that it is right to teach children how to fight.”
“Ky is turning into a man. He needs to know how to defend himself. Especially out here.”
“No.” Ana shook her head furiously. “We came out here so we could get away from all that. So we could be safe.”
Alyx pressed her lips together. “There is nowhere safe right now. Not while the Darkened and the Elders are up to something.”
“Do you have children?”
Alyx’s fingers flinched towards her belly. “No.”
“Then you wouldn’t understand.” Ana sighed. “I know you must think I’m being too hard on him. But he’s already too brash, too bold…” Ana’s fingers went to her forehead.
“Ana, you won’t be able to continue to protect him like you do.”
Ana shook her head. “Ky is my son and I shall protect him how a mother knows best. Don’t train him anymore. He is not to become a warrior. I won’t let it happen.”
Ana stormed off back to the building. Alyx stared at her retreating form. There was more to Ana’s story than Ana had told her. But Alyx doubted that Ana would share this with her now. And she doubted that Ana would be sympathetic if she confided in Ana about her possible pregnancy.
Yael,
This is the last letter I will ever write to you. I have tried for many weeks now to hold onto faith that you will find your way back to me. But now I understand that you do not want to return.
I leave tonight for Aradale. And when I do, I will leave all hope for us ever being together again behind. Know that I will keep a part of you − a part of us − with me always.
Siana
Chapter 11
The next morning they were all summoned to Tobias’s room. The others had obviously been told about Elysia because Alyx could see the mournful glances that were cast her way. Alyx gritted her teeth. She didn’t want pity. The best thing she could do for Elysia was to stop Samyara.
“The swallows have started returning,” Tobias said. “A community in Thailand has advised us that one of the Buddha statues in a Hindu temple was carved from Black Stone. Unfortunately, that statue was stolen a few days ago.”
Marin looked like he was going to start ranting, but Tobias put up his hand to halt him. “Not all the swallows are back. We could still get lucky.”
“Meanwhile they keep stealing Black Stone before we can get to them,” Marin grumbled.
Something was whirring in Alyx’s head as she thought over the items that they knew had been stolen. Meteors in mortal museums, mortal monuments, mortal statues...
“Maybe we’re looking for answers in the wrong place,” said Alyx, leaning forward. “Jordan, didn’t you say that Black Stone came back to Earth as meteors?”
Jordan nodded.
Alyx continued, spurred on by a sliver of hope, “What if we look through the mortal records? Surely they keep records of all the meteors that have crashed to earth. Maybe they would even have a record of whether the meteors were kept intact or whether they were used to create something else such as a statue.”
Jordan was leaning forward now as well. “Black Stone is a beautiful and incredibly strong but easily forged metal. It’s not surprising that it appears to have been utilized by the mortals to make statues and the like.”
“It’ll take too much time to go through all of the mortal libraries looking for records,” Marin said. “We don’t have the time.”
“At least it’s a start,” said Alyx.
“It’ll be even faster if we get access to a meteorite database,” said Israel. “If I can get access to the internet I can do a bit of digging.” Israel looked at Tobias. “You guys have access to the internet here, don’t you?”
Tobias shook his head.
Israel’s face twisted in disbelief. “At least tell me you know what the internet is?”
“Yes, we know what the internet is, but we don’t allow access in Aradale. There are too many risks that outweigh the possible benefits of having an internet connection. We need to keep Aradale as safe as possible.”
“Okay, then we’ll find internet access outside somewhere. The local library usually provides free internet access.”
“I’ll go,” said Alyx. “You just tell me what to look for.”
Israel raised his eyebrows at her. “Have you ever used the internet before?”
Alyx blanched. “What? It can’t be that hard, can it?”
Israel shook his head. “You need me. I’m coming with you. The library should be open during the day, which is better for us if we’re walking around, right? No Darkened and lightwarriors running around when it’s light, isn’t that right?”
Alyx was about to argue back, but Vix spoke up, “It would be safer during the day and there are still a few hours of light left. And it would be faster if we had someone researching who knew what he was doing. I say let him go, Tobias.”
“Yeah,” Marin interjected, “the mortal should be doing something to earn his keep.”
Alyx couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Surely Tobias would see the danger in letting Israel leave Aradale…
Tobias spoke slowly, “If you were to go with him during the daylight hours, Alyx, I think that should mitigate the risks. How soon can you leave?”
* * *
The Nordlingen library was near the center of town, a block away from the Saint George cathedral. It was too far on foot, but Tobias had instructed one of the resident Seraphim to drive them in Aradale’s sole vehicle: an ancient van with rusted doors that wailed when they were opened and a passenger side window that wouldn’t wind down.
Through the scratched glass, Alyx could see that the streets of Nordlingen were narrow with no sidewalks, the level road extending right up to the blunt face of the three- to four-story buildings that lined it, which made Alyx feel like they were driving through a trench. Ornate Victorian lamps hung from hooks that extended out from buildings at about the height of the first story.
Finally, they pulled up to the Nordlingen library, a gray brick building with steps leading up to the entrance and dusty-looking pillars standing guard. The Seraphim driving said that he would let them out here, then find a place to park.
Alyx stepped out onto the cobbled street, scouring the faces of the people who passed by. She stepped in front of Israel, holding him behind her and glaring at a group of passing students.
“No offense,” Israel said, “but I thought the point was to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, her eyes snapping to the faces of a couple who were crossing the street towards them.
“You. Looking like you’re about to kick the ass of anyone who comes too close to us. Relax a little.”
Alyx felt his fingers thread through hers and her arm tingled all the way up to her elbow, causing her shoulders to soften. As he pulled her towards the library entrance, his thumb rubbed small circles on the back of her hand and the feeling of release grew. It was so strange that his touch could ease the tension in her like that.
Inside, Alyx and Israel made their way past the reception desk and towards a small section that had four boxy-looking computers. There was only one harried-looking youth sitting at one; the others were free. Israel pulled a chair over to a computer and motioned for Alyx to sit next to him. Alyx sat quietly, watching curiously as Israel leaned over the keyboard.
“Here,” he said after a few minutes, “the Bureau of Meteorology. And it looks like they ha
ve a database of known meteor landings.” His fingers tapped at the keys as he said, “I’m just putting in a bunch of search criteria. Hopefully we’ll get lucky.”
Alyx nodded, feeling a sense of gratefulness that Israel was here with her. She studied the crinkle that he got between his eyebrows and the purse of his full bottom lip when he concentrated. The light from the monitor cast his perfectly imperfect profile in a silver halo. He looked over and caught her staring. “What?”
Alyx shook off the growing blush and looked down into her lap. “Nothing. Just... nothing.” Out of her periphery she could see a smile tugging at his lips even as he fixed his sights back on the monitor. Apparently her blush hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“I think I have it,” he said finally. “It looks like there have been several meteors of Black Stone-like substances across the world.” His brow furrowed. “Dammit.”
“What?”
“It looks like all of the meteors have been removed from their original locations.”
“Does it say where they’ve been taken?”
Israel frowned and clicked the mouse some more. “There are a few addresses here… museums. I recognize one of them as being that science museum in Germine that was robbed. I’ll see what I can find about the others.”
He opened another window and began typing in those addresses. As each search result came up, Israel began to look more and more morose. Finally he pushed back in his chair and blew out a huff. “The Darkened have been busier than we thought. All of these museums have been robbed of their meteors in the last few weeks. These addresses are located worldwide, which would explain why we didn’t hear about most of them.”
When Israel turned to her, his face crinkled with a mixture of frustration and hopelessness. “What the hell do we do now?”
Alyx became very aware of how near their faces were. She leaned back. She mustn’t let herself get carried away with him again. “Those are just the sites of the registered meteors, aren’t they?”
