The Tainted (The Tainted Series Book 1)

by Anna Hill

  Leaping over fallen trees and weaving through the dense undergrowth, Rebecca only gained speed as she made her way through the forest. While she wasn’t sure how, she knew exactly where she needed to go.

  With a final push, Rebecca burst through the tree line at the edge of her clearing and slowed herself to a stop about 10 feet away from a seated Maverick.

  He smiled up at her but made no move to stand. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to come.”

  “Have you been waiting here for me this whole time?”

  “No,” Maverick laughed, “I’m not that desperate. I’ve just been stopping by when I thought you might be here. It really is a beautiful place, so calm and relaxing.”

  Rebecca suddenly felt very protective over her clearing. The thought of having someone else coming here made her uncomfortable.

  “Anyway,” Maverick’s smile faded as his face grew serious, “will you listen to what I have to say now?”

  “Yes, but…” Rebecca started, but Maverick raised a hand, cutting her off.

  “There are no ‘buts’, either you’ll listen, or you won’t.”

  After a long moment, Rebecca finally nodded and took a seat in the grass, though she made no effort to get closer to Maverick.

  “Alright. What I have to say is going to upset you, and I won’t blame you if you choose not to believe it. But I need you to promise that you’ll listen to it, all of it. When I’m finished, feel free to ask me any questions or, if you so choose, you may leave and never speak of any of this again. Do we have a deal?”

  Rebecca waited to answer. She searched Maverick’s eyes for a hint of deception, but found none. Whatever he was going to say, she could tell he believed it full heartedly.

  “I promise,” She finally answered.

  “I’m an orphan as well.”

  Rebecca’s struggled to hide her shock. Not only did Maverick share something in common with her past, but somehow he’d known about her background.

  “At least that’s what I’d believed.” While he spoke, he maintained eye contact with Rebecca. Though he kept his features straight, there was an unmistakable anguish in his eyes.

  “When I was 12 years old, my father found me. I was living in an orphanage at the time, in southern Arizona. He came one day and asked to see the children, but he didn’t even talk to the other kids, he just came straight to me. I don’t know how, but I knew who he was from the moment I saw him.

  “He took me away immediately, and for the first time in my life I was happy, completely happy.”

  Maverick paused for a moment as his voice faltered. When he’d regained control he continued. “He knew about my strange ability. He had quite a few of his own. He told me it was normal for someone with my past to have a gift, but no matter how much I asked what he meant by that he wouldn’t tell me.

  “He helped me train and begin to master my ability. We were so happy together that it almost felt surreal. Still, through it all, my father always seemed so worried. He was constantly watching our surroundings, never allowing me to leave his side, and we never stayed anywhere longer than two weeks.

  “After about 6 months of constantly moving, the first uniformed man arrived. He was a scout, like the one who showed up yesterday. It was the first time I’d seen my father truly frightened.

  “We moved again and again, but no matter where we went, the uniformed men followed, more and more of them coming each time.

  “Finally, when it seemed there was no escape, my father explained to me what was going on, where those men were coming from, who he was, who we are.”

  Maverick took a deep breath before continuing, “They’re called the Ailill, a hidden race of highly evolved humans. They wield amazing abilities and strength that set them far apart from any human you’ve ever met. They can manipulate nature, become invisible, have senses more keen than any animal, have extended lifespans, and even mold human minds.”

  “What, like elves or something?”

  Maverick smiled slightly for the first time in a while, “I guess you could look at it like that, but without the pointy ears.” His face fell once again as he continued talking.

  “Thousands of years ago, they lived amongst the normal humans, using their gifts for the benefit of society as a whole. Somewhere along the line, however, they decided those humans were an inferior race, and chose to hide themselves away, never again to associate with what they considered to be a subordinate species. Or at least that’s what the royal family decided.

  “There were still many Ailill who loved the humans and wished to stay, to help them. But the royals wouldn’t allow it. They decreed it illegal to associate with humans, and absolutely forbidden to mate with them.”

  There was venom in Maverick’s voice as he continued. “Any offspring who shares both Ailill and human blood is considered to be impure, unworthy. They call them the Truaillithe, the Tainted. When one is born, they are immediately taken from both parents. The mind of the human parent is erased, leaving them with no recollection of what happened, and the Ailill is warned to stay away. If they seek out the child…the penalty is death.”

  “It was your father…” Shocked by the revelation, Rebecca’s thoughts instantly flashed back to her dream. She could see the little boy struggling against his captors, tears spilling down his pained face as he called out to his father. “I dreamt this…I saw the uniformed soldiers holding both a young boy, I mean you, and your father down, you slowing time…and your father giving his life so that you could escape…”

  Maverick was no longer able to maintain eye contact. He looked down at the grass in front of him, but Rebecca could still see the pain etched in his face.

  “It wasn’t fair. They stole him from me…” His voice cut off and he sat in silence for a moment, staring at the ground.

  Rebecca wanted to move closer to Maverick, to offer him condolences, but she held back. She felt deeply for him. It was obvious that even now, years after loosing his father, Maverick still hadn’t been able to move on. Yet so much of what he’d said seemed unbelievable, and, more so, she didn’t understand what any of it had to do with her.

  After a long silence Rebecca finally spoke, “Why are you telling me all of this?”

  Maverick looked back at Rebecca, his face stern. “When a Truaillithe is born, they retain one power of the Ailill. Usually it’s one of the common powers, manipulating nature, becoming invisible, keen senses, or molding human minds. But sometimes they’re born with one of the special gifts, a gift that rarely any Ailill possesses, like slowing time…or visions…”

  Rebecca’s heart had begun to beat so loudly she could hear its rapid pulse in her ears. “What are you trying to say?”

  “Haven’t you ever wondered about your dreams? Why you see things before they happen? Know people before you meet them?”

  Anxiety surged through Rebecca, causing her hands to shake uncontrollably. “I…I don’t…They’re just dreams.” But even as the words left her lips, she knew they weren’t true. She’d dreamt about Maverick and his father, about the uniformed guards, and so many times before, she’d had the feeling of déjà vu, as if she’d somehow already lived a moment. Everything Maverick had been saying seemed so crazy, so impossible, and yet somewhere deep down, she knew it to be the truth.

  “You’re a Truaillithe…you’re one of us.” The conviction in Maverick’s voice was unmistakable.

  Realization hit Rebecca like a hammer to the stomach, and she was suddenly struggling to find her breath. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she dropped her head between them and fought against the suddenly spinning world around her.

  In a swift movement, Maverick came over to her side and rested a reassuring hand on her upper back. “It’s ok Rebecca, calm down. I didn’t mean to frighten you. You just needed to know the truth.”

  Rebecca stayed hunched over for a long time, working to slow her racing thoughts and pounding heartbeat. Maverick sat quietly next to her, his close presence unexpec
tedly comforting.

  Though Rebecca could feel her anxiety threatening to return, she finally lifted her head and looked over at Maverick. She was afraid. Scared of what it would mean if she accepted this new reality. Frightened of what her life would become. But she held his gaze.

  Maverick pressed his hand more firmly on her upper back and didn’t look away. The courage and sincerity behind his unwavering gaze slowly began to give Rebecca the strength she needed.

  “How did you know about me?” She finally asked. “How did you find me?”

  Maverick removed his hand from her back before answering. Though she tried to ignore it, the place where his hand had been suddenly felt hollow, as if it yearned for his touch to return.

  “When I lost my father, I made a promise to myself that I would help others who were like me. I would tell them where they came from, who they really were, and, most importantly, show them they were loved.

  “I began searching through foster care records for reports on orphans with no family who showed signs of being, well, different. Some were easier to find than others. For instance, there’s Owen,” Maverick laughed slightly. “He can manipulate and control plants and his file was littered with instances where he’d used his gift in all too public settings. You can see how that might be alarming to others.

  “I would locate the ones I’d found and confront them. I’d tell them who they really were and, if they wanted, invite them to join me.”

  “Join you? Are you creating an army?” Rebecca raised an eyebrow.

  “No.” Maverick had hesitated slightly before answering. It had barely been noticeable, yet Rebecca had the distinct feeling his answer hadn’t been entirely truthful.

  “I should have said,” he continued, in spite of Rebecca’s questioning stare, “that the ones I found who’d never been adopted, who stood no chance of finding a happy home, I brought away with me. There were many others who had found loving homes and happy lives who chose to remain. I still stay in contact with them, in case I’m ever in need of their help.”

  Maverick paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes at her. It wasn’t in a menacing way, more like he was amused by something. “You, though, you were different. It was almost as if you found me.”

  Rebecca’s heart again started to beat rapidly, but this time it wasn’t from anxiety. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and pulled her hair back behind her ear, using that as an excuse to look away from Maverick.

  “I’d come back to our safe house after a long trip out east,” he continued, “and was about to fall asleep when I noticed a file on my desk. But I hadn’t left any file out. In fact, at the time, I didn’t have any new cases I was looking into.

  “I asked the rest of my crew if they’d placed it on my desk, but none of them had seen it before or knew anything about it. So, intrigued, I went ahead and read through the file. It was filled with copies of your records.

  “At first, I dismissed you as nothing more than an immature punk.” Maverick suddenly had to dodge as Rebecca swung a well-aimed punch at his shoulder.

  He laughed as he sat upright again, “You have to admit you were a bit of a brat. In all my searching, I’d never heard of someone being moved around that many times. I’m surprised they didn’t just throw you in juvie!”

  Rebecca crossed her arms and frowned at Maverick, but didn’t say anything. She knew full well she’d been a handful back then. Still, even though she wasn’t going to defend herself, it didn’t mean she approved of Maverick calling her a brat.

  “Sorry, I take it back,” he winked at her and laughed lightly. “Anyway, as I was saying, I threw your file away and thought nothings else about it, until the next day when it was somehow sitting neatly on my desk again. I threw it away five times, and each time it was back again the next morning, waiting for me on my desk. At that point, I realized this wasn’t going to stop until I found you.

  “I watched you for a while.”

  “Wait, you what?” Rebecca cut him off and leaned away from him, feeling slightly creeped out.

  Maverick laughed again, “Calm down Becs, it’s not like I snuck into your room and watched you changing or something. I do this with all the new cases. I have to make sure they’re one of us before I confront them.”

  Rebecca leaned back in, but she still felt a bit strange about the fact that he’d been watching her. There were several rather embarrassing things she remembered doing when she thought no one else was around, and she prayed he hadn’t seen any of them.

  “You showed all the signs of being a Truaillithe: you’re tall, love nature, and stubborn to high heaven. But you showed no signs of having inherited any ability. It wasn’t until I came to your window one night that I realized how gifted you actually are.”

  “You watched me sleep?” Rebecca shielded her body with her arms. The thought of him watching her from her window felt like a massive invasion of her privacy.

  “Yes,” Maverick seemed unfazed by her discomfort, “And I could never have predicted what would happen.”

  He paused for a moment, as a small smile split his lips, “You said my name.”

  “I what?” Rebecca dropped her arms in shock.

  “Trust me, it scared the hell out of me too.” Maverick laughed. “At first, I couldn’t believe what I’d heard, but then you said it again. Even though your eyes were closed, and even though you remained lying down in bed, it looked as if you knew I was there. As if you were watching me too.”

  “I don’t remember any of this,” Rebecca was aghast, frightened that she could have somehow done this without any recollection of it ever happening.

  Maverick’s smile faded, “That isn’t all of it though. That dream you had, of my father and I? That wasn’t just a dream. That was my memory you saw.

  “After you said my name the second time, something happened to me. I was suddenly paralyzed, and then it was like you were inside my head, sifting through my thoughts, searching my memories. I had suppressed that memory of them taking my father, but you dug it up. And as you watched it, I was forced to relive it too.

  “Then you woke up and the connection was broken.”

  Rebecca felt her skin crawl. How could she have done such a thing and yet have no knowledge of doing it? She lowered her chin onto her knees and brought them in close to her chest.

  “I’m sorry I did that to you.”

  Maverick placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn and look up at him. “You never have to apologize to me Becs. What you have is a gift, a very special gift, and you should only see it as such.”

  After a moment, Rebecca nodded and smiled slightly at him. “So what happens now? Do I have to choose whether to go away with you or to stay here until you need me?”

  Maverick’s face suddenly grew grave. “Your case is a little different now that I know the truth about your ability. See, having visions is an incredibly rare gift, so rare that even the royal family doesn’t posses it. In fact they fear it, and anyone who has it.”

  “If they find out about you Becs, they’ll hunt you down and kill you without a second thought. You’re a threat to them, to everything they stand for.”

  “Me?” Rebecca’s anxiety threatened to return. “How can I be a threat to anyone? Especially to people I didn’t even know existed until today?”

  “You can get into the minds of the Ailill, as you did with mine. You have the power not only to change their thoughts and see their memories, but your dreams also allow you to see things before they happen…to find people who don’t want to be found.

  “That scout the other day wasn’t out searching for me. It was a happy coincidence that he found me and not you, but I fear they may somehow already know about you. Trust me, where there is one soldier, many more are sure to follow.”

  “So what are you saying? I have to leave here? I don’t have a choice?”

  “You always have a choice Rebecca; I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to. I told you al
l of this because, like all of us, you deserved to know the truth about who you are and where you came from.”

  Rebecca remained silent for a long time, resting her chin on her knees. If she’d been told all of this four years earlier, she wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving. But now, everything was different. Ingrid and Thomas would be so worried if she left, and she would never want to cause them any pain. Even more concerning, she wasn’t sure she could face the idea of leaving Emily behind. She was more than just a friend to Rebecca: Emily was a sister.

  Still, one thought kept cutting into Rebecca’s mind. Something Maverick had said earlier had stuck with her more than anything else. It had awoken in her a yearning that she’d suppressed many years ago, one she’d been almost certain was gone.

  Rebecca lifted her head and looked over at Maverick, “You said earlier that the human parent’s mind is erased, and the Ailill parent is only killed if they contact the child…Does that mean my parents are alive?” She made no attempt to hide the longing in her voice or mask the pain on her face. For so many years, Rebecca had told herself she was alone in this world, that she would never have a family. The idea that her parents could be out there, that they could be alive and possibly want her as much as she wanted them, was a reality she’d never thought possible.

  Maverick lifted a hand and slowly drew back a few loose strands of hair from her face. “I don’t know about your human parent, but I can assure you that your Ailill parent still loves you, and wants to be with you very much. As with all Ailill who have a Truaillithe child, they would never have given you up if they hadn’t been forced to.”

  Rebecca breathed deep and stood tall. Maverick followed suit. She looked up into his eyes as her courage grew in her chest. “I’ll come away with you, but on one condition.”

  Maverick raised an eyebrow, but didn’t speak.

  “I want to find my parents.”