Stephanie Thomas - Lucidity

by Unknown

  “There she is.” He motions to me with a hand, as if I were a guest he was waiting for this whole time. “Come back to save her darling Gabriel, I assume. If that is really you under there.”

  I don’t bother to yank off my helmet. He can assume who I am all he wants. “The sooner you give him up, the sooner we will be out of your camp.”

  “It’s a little too late for that now, isn’t it Seer Beatrice. Or … should I say, Keeper Beatrice?” Moses smirks, and with another gesture of his hand, two guards drag a bloodied and beaten Gabe out, forcing him down to his knees. “You’ve not only started war between us and the Seers, but it looks like we’ve a war between us and the Dreamcatchers as well. And it is a pity, really. I was really hoping that we could all get along.”

  Gabe lifts his head just barely. His eyes are swollen almost shut. It’s a wonder he can see anything at all. His face is bruised to the point of being mostly purple and black, and he has cuts down his arms, as if he were trying to defend himself from something at some point. I hurt for him. I left him behind when I could have fought for him in the first place. And now look. Look how broken he is. He stares at me with a distant, vacant gaze, one that slows the racing of my heart, frozen with the fear that I’ve already lost him.

  Echo’s guards continue to shoot into the area around us, keeping back some zealous Rogues who try and bound forward to attack. Echo, Elan, Brandon, and I all stand in one line, our sights set on Moses.

  “It is what it is now, Moses. There’s no going back. All you can do is protect the rest of your people by handing Gabe over. Be a good leader and think of them first.” I am desperate to get Gabe away from the Rogues that are holding him. I’m desperate to get him back, period.

  “Is that what you did? Did you think a good leader leaves their own behind to save their enemy?” Moses inquires.

  I glare at him, thankful for the visor that keeps Moses from seeing my anger.

  As I open my mouth to respond, something happens. The ground shakes from under us, and I grab onto Echo and Elan to keep myself standing.

  “What … was that?” Brandon looks to the rest of us.

  And then, there is a shrill whistle followed by an explosion. Flames rise into the sky, mushrooming into a cloud of smoke. Half of the camp is on fire. But from what?

  “What in the hell … ” Moses stares behind us, his mouth agape.

  I turn to see what it is he is staring at, and that’s when I notice the Dreamcatcher ships have all turned, their weapons trained on a ship that is much, much larger than our own. They shoot at it with everything they have, but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything at all.

  Another shrill whistling noise as a streak of purple-red tears across the sky and rips into the camp, exploding closely enough that it knocks us all to the ground.

  Elan rushes to his feet, lunging forward to grab Gabe by his collar while his guards lie stunned on the ground. “Let’s go!”

  I snap out of it and scream to Echo’s soldiers. “Go back to our ship! Go back to our ship!”

  Brandon helps with Gabe, hauling him off the ground and throwing him over a shoulder. We don’t have long to react before Moses and his own men open fire on us.

  “Run! Run!” Echo calls back as we wobbly move across the shaking ground and into what seems to be a wall of pinkish flames. One of the Dreamcatcher ships falls from the sky and lands in the camp in a ball of flames. “Damn it, I hope our ship is still there when we get there.”

  The same thought runs through my mind. We could be stranded here with whatever it is that is attacking us.

  I shoot back at Moses and his men, trying to keep them at bay. When I cast a look over my shoulder to see how far away they are, I barely have time to throw myself on top of Echo as another whistling streak of fire strikes Moses’ tent, blowing it to pieces. We both tumble onto the ground, pushed forward by the force of the explosion. I land on my right arm, which catches on a piece of shrapnel and tears open.

  Then, I scream. “My arm!”

  Echo carefully pushes me off him, then yanks me back to my feet. “We have to keep moving, Beatrice!”

  How can I move when every motion sends a jolt of searing pain through my arm and down my body? I shake my head, cradling my bloodied arm to my chest, my gun hanging to my side by its strap. “I’ve cut myself deep. There’s so much blood …”

  “We can’t worry about that now! Do you want to die here?” Echo pushes me, and I will myself to keep running. No, I don’t want to die here. I don’t want to die at all.

  We jump over the sandbags and make a dash for Echo’s ship, which is waiting for us some hundred yards away. It seems so close and so far away all at once. As we close the distance between us and our salvation, the large, mysterious ship in the sky creates a deep, thrumming noise, as if charging something up. It hums and everything stops, save for the Dreamcatcher ships, which continue to shoot.

  It demands our attention, and we all slow down, stopping just before Echo’s ship to look up into the sky and watch.

  “What is it doing?” Elan asks, pulling the visor of his helmet up to get a better look.

  Another jolt of pain hits me, but this time, it’s not from my arm. No. It’s a Vision. A flash of a Vision. A Vision of light. Bright light. Too bright to bear. And then, there is nothing. Blackness.

  “Beatrice?” Echo puts a hand on my good arm to check to see if I am okay.

  It’s just enough time for me to shout, “Close your eyes! Look away!”

  The light is too bright when it comes. It swallows everything up, and I have an instant to squeeze my eyes shut as it blankets over the whole area. There’s no heat, no telling if the light is still on us or not, so I grab out and feel for Echo and nudge him toward his ship. “On the ship! Keep your eyes closed!”

  We scramble in the direction of the ship, and I trip over the ramp on my way inside. I can hear the footsteps upon metal behind me, which means the others have found their way inside, too. “Elan? Brandon? Echo? Gabe?”

  “Here!” Elan calls, followed by Brandon and a grunt from Gabe.

  Echo bangs his hand on the hull of the ship. “Close it up! Go straight for the City. No stopping! Go, go!”

  The ramp pulls up and seals shut. After we are all safely inside, the ship lurches forward and speeds in the direction of the City. We are finally going home.

  I tentatively open my eyes and peek around to make sure we are, in fact, all here. And that we are all okay, too. “Help me get my helmet off.”

  Echo reaches over and tugs the helmet off my head, then stares into my eyes, which are probably glowing from the Vision. “What was that thing?”

  “I have no idea.” I push on the wound on my arm to try and stop the bleeding, then chew on my lip to abate the pain. “How is Gabe?”

  “I’m fine,” Gabe mutters, slumped in his seat. Somehow, he manages to smile in my direction, his lips cracked and bloodied. “You came back for me.”

  “Of course I did.” I smile through my pain. “Of course I did … ”

  The light starts to dim the farther away we get from the mysterious ship. Echo helps to wrap a makeshift tourniquet around the cut, tying it off tightly. I smile through my pain to thank him, and he smiles back heavily. When he is done, I move over to the window to peek back at the burning camp and see that the other Dreamcatcher ships have turned and followed us as well. Some of them are smoking and obviously damaged, but at least they’ve escaped. Content that we are safe, for now, I sink down into the seat next to Gabe and suck in a deep, calming breath.

  That’s when I realize that Elan is kneeling in front of Brandon, trying to pry his hands from over his eyes. “Let me see, you big oaf!”

  I get back up and walk over to the two of them, concerned. “What is wrong here? Brandon?” I kneel down beside Elan and look up at Brandon’s face, hidden behind his very large hands. “Brandon?”

  With a final tug, Elan manages to pull Brandon’s hands away, and when he looks at us, we
can’t do anything but stare back in shock.

  “I didn’t look away in time … ” he whispers.

  I stare into his eyes, which are no longer violet, but are all black instead, his pupils fully dilated.

  “I couldn’t look away in time … ” Tears form in his eyes, rimming them before falling down his cheeks.

  Echo comes to stand by my side, and we are all quiet, unsure of what to do or say.

  “I can’t see.” Brandon reaches out for one of us, and I take his hands in mine to console him. “I can’t see … ” He repeats himself over and over again and begins to sob. Elan looks away, unable to watch his fellow Seer cry. A Seer who can no longer see.

  Whatever that ship was, whomever was in it, they’ve figured something out that can destroy all of us.

  They know how to steal our power.

  Chapter 21

  Brandon cried the whole way back to the City. On the way, we decided it would be best for only one of the ships to approach, to spare all of us from being blown out of the sky by the Watchmen. Thankfully, Elan was able to negotiate our arrival, and just as soon as the City shield was deactivated, we touched down on the roof of a nearby building.

  Now as the ship powers down, I worry about how the Seers will receive me. I worry about the state of Brandon, of Gabe, and what will become of Echo and the other Dreamcatchers once we are back at the Institution. We stand side-by-side in front of the bay door, waiting for it to open, Echo to my left and Gabe barely standing on my right. I cradle my wounded right arm in my left, wincing through the pain, but feeling guilty because I’m certain it doesn’t amount to the type of pain Gabe and Brandon are experiencing.

  The door cracks open and lowers to the floor, and with every inch of opening, I see the many faces of Seers who have gathered to witness our return. The ones in the front are holding rifles, which are pointed our way. The others are all in their black robes like a unified front—a wall of hesitation, anger, and curiosity.

  Here I stand, their Keeper. The Keeper who abandoned them to follow some Dreamcatcher to Maker-Knows-Where. Only the sound of the wind and the resting ship exists around us. They are waiting for me to speak, or perhaps I am waiting for them to show me that they aren’t going to take me to be executed by firing squad.

  “Bea,” Gabe whispers my name in encouragement, but it only serves to remind me of the medical attention he and Brandon are in need of.

  “We need medics, please.” I call the words to the Seers below us, hoping that the words are neutral enough to not start out on a wrong foot.

  A few glances are exchanged to one another, and a few of them finally decide to break off and find a couple of stretchers, which they promptly bring back. As they approach the ship to get Gabe and Brandon, I watch as their brows pull together in pain as they get closer to where Echo and I stand.

  I have to continue with the momentum. Now is my chance. I step forward and clear my throat. “My fellow Seers, I know my departure has upset you. I know you do not understand it, and you probably don’t care right now about the ‘whys’ of the matter. But, as you can see, there have been some changes … some issues … and I really need you to trust me right now. I really …” The words get stuck between my brain and my mouth. I take a moment to look into some of their eyes, and I can see the betrayal written all over their faces.

  When I continue, I cut right to the important issue at hand. “We will be attacked. Soon. And when we are, we might very well all be dead by the end of it.”

  The looks of betrayal are replaced with confusion and worry. They begin to murmur amongst themselves, and I keep talking, because if I don’t roll with the momentum, they might not ever give me the chance to speak again.

  “And it won’t be by the Dreamcatchers. Whomever or whatever it is, it has the ability to rob us of our Sight, as it did with Brandon.” My gaze moves to the stretchers as Gabe and Brandon are brought off the ship and away to medical care.

  “It is true that I left you to pursue the Dreamcatchers.” These words bring an audible whisper of disapproval from the gathered Seers. “And it is true that I have brought the Dreamcatchers back here with me.” I glance over my shoulder at Echo, who in turn gives me a solemn nod of his head. “In fact, I’ve brought back the very King of the Dreamcatchers, Echo. I brought them back because we have no choice right now. We need to coexist and work together or we will cease to exist and die together.”

  “And how can we trust you now?” one of the Seers calls out above the others, and the rest of them echo their concern in a wave of muttered conversation.

  I think over the question, pretending that I am in their shoes, pretending that I am standing before the Keeper who chose to follow the enemy instead of staying behind to help heal the recently attacked City, its Citizens, and its Seers. Getting them to trust me will not be easy. I don’t even know if it is possible, but I do know that I have to try, or we will lose everything that we know.

  I suck in a deep breath and roll my shoulders back, standing as tall and straight as I possibly can. I think of the Dreamcatcher Queen, and how she so easily demanded the respect, attention, and trust of her fellow Dreamcatchers. I think of the Keeper before me, my mother whom I have never known, and how she didn’t expect respect; she commanded it.

  And who will I be like?

  “I don’t know.” The not-so-convincing reply leaves my lips in a sigh wrapped in defeat. “I can’t make you trust me again. I’m not going to force you to trust me for that matter. The only thing I can do right now is be honest with you.” I look back at Echo, staring into those captivating blue eyes of his. He smiles back in encouragement, and I try to calm my fluttering heart. At the end of this, I will have to say goodbye to Echo. He has a kingdom to rule, and I have a City to govern. But for now? For now, I have him.

  “The truth is, Echo and I have been joined in marriage.” I look away from him and back at the crowd of stunned Seers. “It is a long story, and when we’ve the time to discuss it all in detail, I will not hide anything from you. Our intent is to end the marriage, but now we’ve not the time. I put this all before you if only so that you can see that I do not plan on hiding anything from you, my fellow Seers. I never did. So please,” I beg, folding my hands together in plight, “please believe me. This City is all that we have.”

  Elan stands on my right, and the way his hands ball into angry fists tells me that he is feeling much the same as the other Seers. He has yet to forgive me, and I don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.

  Surprisingly though, he steps forward in front of me and the other Seers. He doesn’t seem so small right now, as he has in the past. Elan has had to grow up quickly, as have we all. “Seers! I have witnessed our new enemy with my own eyes. I’ve also fought alongside the Dreamcatchers in order to rescue one of our own: Seer Gabriel. Our Keeper has been true to her word this whole time. I, too, am still angry with her for leaving us, but now is not the time for my anger! Now is the time to decide! If you want to fight with us, please step forward. If you don’t want to fight with us, that is fine. You will have to retreat into the City and find cover, so please don’t waste anymore of your time and do it now.”

  I blink a couple of times, suppressing a surprised smirk. Elan is definitely no longer a little boy. He is fierce and convincing.

  My gaze returns to the crowd, waiting to see who will retreat and who will step forward. The Seers exchange unsure glances with each other, some even murmur back and forth, and from time-to-time they look back up at the three of us standing before them, begging for their help.

  After an unsure minute or two, a female Seer steps forward and calls out, “I will fight with you.” Another steps forward, then another, and soon the whole mass of Seers moves forward in unison, pledging their help in the fight.

  Maybe I’m not supposed to show emotion as the Keeper, I don’t ever remember my mother showing much emotion aside from impassioned, blind ambition, but tears well up in my eyes, and relief and joy simultaneously
swell in my chest. I am rendered breathless, and when I try to say “thank you” no sound comes from my moving lips.

  Elan smiles back at me, then sweeps his hand out in an “it’s all yours” gesture.

  I step forward toward the Seers, and they bow their head in respect for their Keeper.

  Chapter 22

  After I had the chance to visit the infirmary and let them repair my arm, I call a meeting of advisors and ask for the most talented Seer that we have in combat. The man put before me is probably twice my age. His features are all dark, angular, and sharp, like the glare he uses when he looks at me and Echo.

  “Hello, Seer. I am told you are the best soldier we have. Have I been told correctly?” I invite him to sit at the large table that occupies a generous portion of the Keeper’s quarters.

  “I have many years of experience, My Keeper,” the man replies, his words taking on two meanings; no one is ever thrilled to be given orders by someone half their age, and this Seer is probably not all-too-thrilled with speaking to his deserter of a Keeper, the wife of the Dreamcatcher King. He pulls out one of the large, leather and wood chairs and sits.

  “And what is your name?” I sit as well, and only then does Echo sit, too.

  “Seer Jeremy, My Keeper.” His violet stare shifts to Echo, untrusting, and his brows come together as his face contorts in discomfort from the headache that comes with being in close contact with a Dreamcatcher.

  I note the exchange and lift my chin just slightly. “You can rest easy, Seer Jeremy. My husband has no intentions on doing any of us harm.” I purposely call Echo my husband, even if it is still strange to say. I want them to know that he is on our side, even if our marriage is not meant to last.

  To Jeremy, I slide a small bottle of the potion used to take away the pain from the headaches. “Take this. It will help with the pain in your head.”

  He eyes the liquid with suspicion, but eventually uncorks the bottle and tosses back the contents. The bottle is returned to the table and he stares at me and Echo, waiting.