“Just making sure no one’s listening.” He inhaled, deep and slow. “What I’m about to tell you stays between us, you understand?” Rebekah nodded solemnly, her own eyes starting to search for intruders. “Okay. THIS . . . is why I don’t want you in there.” Marcus started to tell her about the dream. It took him a full ten minutes to make sure he got all the details right. Rebekah listened carefully, trying not to show any kind of reaction in her face. But as the tale continued, her eyes started to show more and more of her disquiet. When it was all over, the two of them sat at the base of a tree. Marcus’s face was drawn out with concern.
“But you can stop it, right?” Rebekah asked, her tone unsure. Marcus put a hand to his eyes and shrugged.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had a dream like this one. Not one that had such . . . finality. Uther thinks it has a positive resolution. I just don’t see one yet.” A long, silent moment passed between them. Rebekah closed her eyes, a small prayer in her heart. She opened them again and looked at Marcus.
“I love you. And I want you to know that. It’ll be all right. I can feel it. The entire thing will be fine. If you can’t trust yourself to solve it, you can always trust the rest of us. We’ll pick up the slack.” She stood, holding her hand out to him. Marcus took it and stood, putting his arms around her.
“I know that. I’m just used to handling things myself.” Marcus looked at her, and felt his concerns fading. She looked back at him, watching the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders for just a moment. “You always know exactly what to say when things get rough. You know that?” Rebekah smiled.
“That's one of my many talents.” She thought about it for a moment. “We know from the beginning that the dream is already in motion. That girl is already here.” Marcus grimaced at that. No need to say her name.
“You understand why my brain shut off the other night?” Marcus asked. Rebekah guffawed at that.
“I’m surprised you didn’t have a stroke.” Marcus nodded. It was as close as he had ever come to having his head explode. “I’ve got this feeling inside. If I think hard enough, I can figure this dream out. I think I can decipher it for you.”
“I wish you would,” Marcus stated. A moment passed. The two stared at each other for a time, their eyes locked on each other, as though some unseen force held their gaze in place. Marcus leaned in and kissed her, softly and nervously. Rebekah felt her knees starting to buckle. Marcus's grip tightened around her waist as he pulled her closer. The kiss seemed to go on forever as a million sensations passed between them. It was enthralling. Intoxicating.
That’s when the flashbulb went off.
“I’m gonna be rich.” Marcus jumped at the whine of a camera’s lens resetting, seeing a young man with a camera standing six feet from them. The boy couldn’t have been more than fourteen, standing in a hastily sewn together paladin disguise. He went to snap a second picture, but saw them both moving toward him. He started to move.
“Don’t!” Marcus barked. Rebekah saw Marcus’s face go dark as he reached out, crushing the camera in his hand. The boy yelped in surprise, looking at his fingers to make sure they were all attached.
“Run.” The boy did as Marcus commanded, turning and running for the trees. Within a second, he was gone. Lacey did a quick scan, confirming no one else was in the vicinity. Marcus opened his hand, letting the twisted pieces of plastic fall to the earth. Hundreds of little shards clattered on the dirt at his feet. He frowned as they did.
“What’s wrong?” Rebekah asked, her mind still not quite back from the kiss.
“No memory card.” Marcus tapped a button on his glove “Lacey, what’s this camera's memory capacity?” Lacey whirred a moment and then toned.
“The camera does not contain a memory device of any kind. But it does transfer information over a local network connection. I cannot trace the signal properly. The device is designed to scramble information as it is downloaded. The code is very complex.” Marcus knelt down to inspect the splintered camera.
“Did it transmit the last picture?” Lacey whirred again.
“Affirmative.” Marcus looked up at Rebekah and frowned. He could see her shoulders slump. This was a problem.
“That has to be the most boring math teacher on campus,” Jack said as they left the class. “Which means, it’s the most boring math class ever.” Ian and Aiko walked beside him, paying only enough attention to keep up with what he said. It didn’t take much to see that the two were very interested in one another, to the exclusion of almost everyone else. Aiko leaned in, whispering something into Ian’s ear that brought a smile to his face.
Jack readjusted his bag, clearing his throat to signal that he was still there. Ian and Aiko both got embarrassed looks on their face and settled for just holding hands. Jack smiled.
“I know you guys are a thing and all, but can you keep it a little lower key around me please?” Ian put a hand on Jack’s shoulder.
“What’s the matter Jack? Don’t like public displays of affection? Or is it your lack of a vacuous arm piece lately?” Jack shook his head. Ian was referring to Sydney, though that didn't bother him too much at the moment.
“It’s not that,” he said. “I just don’t have the intestinal fortitude to deal with them when it isn’t me doing the displaying. Besides, if I did have someone with me, we could ignore you.” Ian let out a laugh, pulling Aiko just a little closer to him. “You two certainly got chummy in a hurry.” Ian shrugged.
“I was nervous before. I’m not now.” Aiko didn’t nod, but her face read of agreement. Something told Jack that the formal nature of Aiko Maeda was still in full swing. She welcomed Ian’s affection, but she was still nervous about the level of exhibition.
“Whatever, man. Just try to tone it down, okay? I don’t wanna see it, and I certainly don’t wanna hear it.” Jack tried not to move too quickly to his next class. Not that Sir Kasidyne’s class was uninteresting at all. On the contrary, Marcus’s class was lately the highlight of Jack’s day. But Jack figured he needed a moment to unwind his brain before gearing up for another period.
"After watching you and Sydney trying to kiss each other's faces off, I think you can take a few PDAs. Besides, we’re not doing anything even close to your level of exhibition." Jack frowned at that.
“You should be so lucky,” he muttered. “And if you wouldn’t mention her name, I would be ever so grateful.” Jack let out another groan. “So, did either of you feel like your head was gonna explode in there?” he asked finally, throwing a thumb back at the classroom door.
“You do not like math Jack?” Aiko asked, not very deftly changing the subject. Jack started to push his way through the throngs of people in the Quad, shrugging a little. To be honest, he didn’t see much use for more than basic math himself. Working formulas and knowing FOIL was for the support guys. Like Sir Lefein.
“This is what, your third time taking her class?” Ian asked distractedly. Jack shrugged.
“Fourth,” he admitted. “They ought to figure I can’t learn this stuff by now.” The crowds were not thinning. Apparently, some news had them rushing towards the temporary stadium that had gone up in Nikko Park. Jack watched the crowd moving and wished he’d been able to afford tickets to at least one of the events.
“I had my struggles with math Jack,” Aiko offered. “My tutors taught me that math is just another language. It has rules and syntax and subtlety. You must think of it differently.” Jack nodded a little, then smiled.
“How are your math grades now?” he asked slyly. Aiko blushed a little.
“I am no longer in formal school. But at the end, I was passing my math class.” That got a nod out of Jack.
“Yeah. I can only dream of passing.” Ian chuckled a little.
“Maybe if you did your homework, you wouldn’t be so behind.” That made sense suddenly.
“It’s not like I have anyone eating up all my free time.” Jack took a breath and was about to say something else.
“Excuse me,” she mumbled as she staggered through them and made a beeline for the Holodrome. Jack and Ian both stopped.
“Mary, what’s up?” Jack called. Mary didn’t look up, and she didn’t waver in her path. She simply ducked into the Holodrome and disappeared.
“What was that about?” Ian asked.
“Did she look scared to either of you?” Aiko said. Jack started to shake his head, when he felt a pair of hands grab him from behind. He spun suddenly, turning to see Ellis, whose face was set with rage. Ellis reared back and gave Jack a sudden shove.
“You’re not funny Jack!” Ellis said, tossing the small slip of paper at him. Jack looked confused. He wasn’t sure what Ellis was on about.
“Why would I be?” he asked, a little befuddled sounding. Ellis threw down his book bag, his fists clenching at his sides. The bag’s contents splayed out across the ground, revealing a series of books that Ian had never seen before. One of them Ian did recognize. The picture of Jennifer Burton on the back was unmistakable.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve Jack! You think I care what you think?”
"You seem to." Ian said calmly, holding up a stilling hand.
"Stay out of this Sodaro!" Ellis fumed venomously.
"What is this?" Jack reached down and picked up the note from the floor, only to have Ellis slap it away.
“Don’t act like you don’t know! I know you wrote that!” Jack stood in wide-eyed amazement at the five-foot four berserker in front of him. He’d never seen Ellis in such a rage.
“She is out of your league,” Aiko said from the side, the note in hand. Ellis glanced over, his face stricken at the statement. Jack glanced back at the Holodrome doors, and then at Ellis. The math of the situation suddenly made sense.
“Is that what this’s about?” Ellis didn’t answer.
“What’d you say to Mary?” Ian asked. Ellis didn’t seem to be listening. His eyes were entirely focused on Jack. Uther stepped in behind Ellis, listening quietly to the exchange.
“She doesn’t like you Jack!” Ellis spat. Jack stood there without a good response.
“Uh . . . No one said she did. I gave you that note to toss in the trash. Proctor wrote it to me. It wasn’t even about you. It’s about me and Sydney.” Ellis wasn’t listening. “Look, why don’t you calm down a second, and maybe you can tell me what you’re talking about.” Ellis shook his head. He wasn’t ready to calm down.
“She IS in my league. She would’ve gone to the dance with me if you hadn’t taken her.” Jack put up his hands in surrender, trying not to say anything that might offend his classmate.
“You mean Mary? Hey man, I just needed a date. I asked her at the last minute. Mary did me a favor.” Ellis sucked in a ragged breath.
“I’ll just bet!” Jack could barely react in time. Ellis lurched forward, and Ian began to move between them. Ellis’s fists flew out, missing Jack by a fraction of an inch. Ian went to restrain the boy, only to get tossed aside. Aiko stepped in front of Ellis, holding her arms out to block his advance. Ellis just shoved her out of the way and continued toward Jack.
“Ellis! Cool it man!” Ellis threw another punch, missing Jack by a hair.
“I don’t want to cool it! I want you to bleed!” Ellis lunged at Jack, but something stopped him. It was the silver-black hands of Uther, grabbing Ellis by the face from behind that stopped it all. The edges of Uther’s hands flashed with unknown power for a split-second, and the boy froze.
Ellis let out a shattering cry as Uther’s hands pressed into his cheeks. He tried to move, but found his body immobilized. He opened his eyes to see, only glimpsing the perplexed faces around him. Jack, Ian and Aiko all watched in shock and amazement. A crowd was forming at the sound of his screaming. Ellis felt his hands drop to his sides as his body started to go limp.
“You will calm yourself Ellis Burke. Or I will calm you.” Uther’s voice was even, but stern. He focused himself on his grip, closing his eyes and lowering his head. Ellis cried out again, louder and angrier this time. It was then that Uther’s hands, crawling across Ellis’s jaw, started to visibly ripple. Streams of light began to lance away from his hands, small scintillas arcing between his fingers.
“What is he doing?” Aiko said, starting to stand. She was going to separate them, even if it got her hurt. Ian reached out, grabbing her arm.
“Don’t. It’s all right.” The crowd didn’t come any closer. Uther and Ellis had several feet between them and the circle of people around them. No one dared to touch the two, for fear of being hurt by Uther’s touch or the roiling beams of light. The sight cowed even Monroe Prit and his gang. The air around them began to gather into a funnel separating them from the crowd.
“Be still Ellis.” Ellis felt himself slipping as he tried to fight, but the voice in his mind was undeniable. Uther was in his head, speaking calming words and humming to him. He could almost make out a melody. He started to feel the tears on his face. The song was so familiar. The voice was so calming. He knew who it was that was humming. It wasn’t Uther. It was someone else. It was something he hadn’t heard in a very long time.
“Mommy?” Ellis squeaked out, his eyes no longer focused. He let out a fluid choked cry and felt the hands release from his face. Ellis fell to his knees, crying in the dirt. Uther stood there for a moment, tears soaking his gray face. He lowered his hands, a little embarrassed by what he’d done. The air around him seemed to pop as the funnel dissipated. The light faded and the Quad was left in utter silence. The entire of the class stood around in a semi-circle, unaware of what they’d just seen.
“What’s going on here?” Lady Safira said, muscling through the crowd of students. She stopped short, seeing Ellis on the ground with Uther standing over him.
“Nothing,” Ellis whispered. Uther knelt down tentatively, placing a hand on Ellis’s trembling shoulder. Ellis looked up for a moment, and Uther could almost see the rage on his face again. But Ellis surprised them all, leaping up and hugging Uther around the neck. Uther wasn’t sure what to make of that, but patted Ellis on the back in return.
“You are well my friend,” Uther said genuinely. Ellis let go with body-racking sobs, feeling the anger gone and nothing but his own sorrow and shame in its place. He cried on Uther for a long time, and allowed himself the luxury of not caring what anyone else thought. Uther had reminded him of something. He’d given him back a very precious memory.
Chapter 14
Mediocre Planning
Mary walked into the Holodrome’s Archival Office and for the first time in her life, didn’t pick up a book. She had heard about the incident in the Quad, and about the trouble that Uther and Ellis were facing. She’d not seen it, but she understood. People around campus were scared and confused.
It had only been a few hours since the incident. Mary had gone to a quiet corner of the Holodrome to ponder and pray. Now, with her mind calmed, she returned to the library to confirm her suspicions. The desk where she was to meet Captain Dirk was thankfully empty. It gave her a moment to compose herself. Marcus had canceled class for the day, citing a need to speak to Sir Stonebraker about Ellis. Again, Mary didn't know exactly what to think about that, but she hadn’t wanted to be in class anyway. It afforded her a moment's reprieve as she dealt with her problem. She was sure that she needed to be here.
It couldn’t be, could it? she asked herself. The idea was just too terrifying to consider. But the evidence was overwhelming, if her research was correct.
Donavan was looking for a specter of some kind. A speaking black shadow that had eluded her searching for the last several days, until today. She had been reading during Lady Safira’s Algebra lesson. Not that she was doing anything wrong in that. She already had the homework done, and held the highest grade in the class. Math had never been a problem for h
er. She barely even needed to take notes, only doing so because she was required to.
But the book had been less than helpful in her search. She was perusing it a second time, hoping that maybe she had missed something. And she had. Not something that had been written in the original text. Instead, she had forgotten to check the appendices. With all that had been happening lately, Mary had simply lost her concentration in her research. The normally thorough job she usually did was suddenly compromised by her life. She was spending time with friends and even doing a little phys ed.
But in this new found burst of activity, she had fallen off on her study habits. Algebra was the only class she didn't need to do heaps of note-taking in, so she cracked open the book she needed to read, leafing through the appendices almost casually. In them was a hastily scribbled note page, showing its age by the yellowing of the paper, both in the note, and the page it had rested on.
Mary pulled it from her book bag and stared at it a moment. It was odd. She figured the paper to be at least a decade old by the yellowing. It had exactly the information she was looking for on it. She found that strange. But not so strange as she found the information itself. She read the passage again.
‘Many things in this world are capable of projecting themselves outward in an effort to communicate. Current science has found several ways to do this, including radio waves, satellite transmission and the simple understanding of sound transmission. Even paladins seem to be gifted on occasion with the ability to project their thoughts to others in an emergency. (*Note: Research mental communication later)
‘But seemingly inanimate objects have been known to do this as well, transmitting a shadowed form over great distances, begging for help of some kind. It is the considered opinion of most that these things are hallucinations or even a form of temporary insanity.
The Paladin Archives Book Two The Withering Falseblade Page 25
