by Dale Furse
Cay-Meka, startled, leapt to the side. She gasped; horror filled her eyes and she fell to the floor with a sickening thud.
Nadar's smile vanished and he stooped to withdraw the knife.
Nell screamed and fell to her knees. ‘Cay-Meka,’ she breathed. Blood began to saturate the front of Cay-Meka's dress and pool on the floor under her. She was alive, but how long would she stay that way. Rising to her feet, Nell rounded on the Corl.
He waved the bloody dagger menacingly. ‘You are responsible, cursed child. I would never have hurt the Phib.’ He turned towards the wall and placed his hand on it. A door-sized opening appeared in front of him and a flight of stairs led up to what must have been another floor.
Before she could say anything, Sam's head appeared around the doorway. Nell had to quickly alter her stream of words. ‘No! We will need help,’ she said. The words were meant for Sam, but she hoped Nadar thought she was speaking to him, because he had stepped into the opening.
Sam looked torn between helping Cay-Meka and staying put.
Nell used her eyes to convince Sam that he must stay there. Her shoulders relaxed in relief as he retreated out of sight.
Nadar ignored Nell’s words and stooped down so far he nearly disappeared. When he resurfaced, he turned to her, a brown book in one hand and the bloodied dagger in the other. She knew the book immediately.
‘Yes,’ Nadar said. ‘I believe it is time to raise the stakes. I will have a physician treat the girl and I may even allow you access to the book.’
Heat seared Nell's cheeks.
‘Yes, yes, Wexkia's last book.’ Nadar nodded. ‘Will you come with me?’
Her indecision must have showed because he held the book at arms’ length and raised his hairless eyebrows.
She gazed at Cay-Meka's still form.
‘She is not dead. As I said, my physician will see to her once she joins us on the ship.’
He flipped his ashen grey cape over his shoulders, stepped over Cay-Meka's legs and advanced on Nell. Although he looked like a lummox, he was quick on his feet. He placed the dagger on the table behind the sofa and took Nell's arm in his grasp.
She didn't resist. She was numb. Although he had said Cay-Meka was alive, Nell couldn't comprehend the amount of blood on the floor and her knees weakened at the sight of it. If she hadn’t scared her cousin into jumping, the girl wouldn’t be hurt. Tears stung her eyes. It was her fault. Nell willed Sam with all her might to stay in the other room. He had to tell her father and Dar-Seldra.
Nell nodded.
He tightened his grip and in that instant, all the colours of the rainbow surrounded Nell, though with this Corl, the colours appeared washed out. He had said he was taking them to a ship. Before she could think about anything else, she was standing in a small room, first with Nadar, then alone. The room was empty except for a bed. Nell screwed up her nose. Ugh. Pink sheets, pillowcases and blankets.
She only had time to look around for a few seconds before Nadar reappeared with Cay-Meka. He placed her on the bed and lumbered past Nell to a door she hadn't noticed before.
She spoke quickly before he disappeared through it. ‘Where are you taking us?’
Appearing not to be in any hurry, he said, ‘I will have another bed brought in when the physician inspects the Phib.’ As if in afterthought, he added, ‘I hope you like the decor.’ The door snapped shut behind him and the familiar music code sounded as he locked the door.
‘If only Sam was here,’ she said, eyeing off the code box on the wall. She turned her attention to Cay-Meka. Relieved to find her still breathing, Nell gently rolled her onto her back to inspect the wound. So much blood. Unsure what else to do, she placed her hand over it. Maybe she could stop more from escaping.
Musical notes sounded and the door opened. A man entered while a Wintar waited outside with a bed on wheels. The man was the skinniest Phib Nell had seen. His blue eyes seemed to pop out of his brown skin. He ignored Nell and holding what looked like a pencil, moved to Cay-Meka’s bedside. Confusion spread over his face. He removed the blanket, fully exposing the girl’s pale face. ‘Cay-Meka,’ he whispered in a distraught tone, and bent over and kissed her cheek. ‘She's cold. I have to work quickly.’
‘You know her?’ Nell moved beside him. Cay-Meka, not being in any position to fight, let him manhandle her. Nell held his arm to stop him.
The man paused. ‘I am Cay-reace, a physician. I work with Dar-Seldra at Kafir’s restoration,’ he said politely.
‘You work with Dar-Seldra?’ Nell eyed him. ‘Cay, huh? You’re related to Cay-tatel aren’t you? And that makes you related to all the Cay family including, Cay-Meka. What are you doing here with Nadar?’ She wiped her hands on the sides of her cargo pants and turned away. After taking several big deliberate breaths, she about-faced. ‘You don't seem like a criminal. Why are you here with Nadar?’
‘Nadar needed a physician and I tricked me into coming aboard. Once here, Cay-tatel made it more than clear I had no choice but to agree to work.’
‘Why?’
‘My other sister’s family lives on Corl. She and her partner have two small children.’
‘But isn’t she also Cay-tatel’s sister?’
‘Yes.’
He seemed resigned to his fate. In threatening a whole family, a family related to her, Cay-tatel was clearly as mad as Nadar.
Returning to the head of the bed, Cay-reace dropped to his knees and held his niece’s hand. ‘I will change Nadar’s mind,’ he said, before facing Nell. ‘I don’t have time to answer any more questions. Please believe that I am here to save her.’
Glancing at her cousin, Nell sighed, let go and stepped back to give him more room.
He fished into his coat pocket and pulled out a set of scissors, appearing to take great care cutting the dress away. He gasped. Blood still seeped from the puncture mark in her stomach. Straightening, he shook his head. ‘I will do my best to save her,’ he said, without looking at Nell. He nodded at the Wintar to help him lift Cay-Meka onto the bed in the hall.
The Wintar picked the unconscious girl up easily. Nell glared at the dark, red-stained bed. She spun around at the sound of the door whooshing shut. Plonking onto the floor, she pushed her face into her hands and cried. With every tear that fell, her body weakened. After some time her muscles couldn’t keep her body erect any longer and, ignored the coldness of the floor, she lay down.
Sometime later, a shuffling noise roused her. She tilted her head. A Corl humphed at the murky sheets and disappeared with the entire bed. He returned with a newly fitted bed and disappeared again.
Ugh. More pink sheets. Nell eyed the door and unable to shed any more tears, waited.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before more movement chinked behind her. Why couldn’t Corls use the door like normal people? She turned and drew in a quick breath. Cay-Meka. The Corl who brought her disappeared and Nell jumped up and rushed to her cousin’s bedside. ‘You’re okay.’
‘Get away from me,’ Cay-Meka hissed.
‘What?’ Nell frowned as she straightened.
Cay-Meka used her hands on the mattress to push herself higher onto the pillow. She groaned. Her pallid lips appeared slightly pinker but no colour had returned to her cheeks.
Disregarding her cousin’s objections, Nell peeked under the dressing. All she could find was a tiny red mark where just a little while before, blood had gushed out of an angry hole. ‘It's gone,’ she said, not believing her own words as she put the dressing back in place and stepped back.
‘What do you mean? What's gone? And where am I?’ Cay-Meka's voice was weak.
‘I think a relly of yours just saved your life,’ Nell smiled. ‘Thank goodness.’
Cay-Meka seemed to digest this information. Feeling her wound, she said, ‘I … I remember pain like I've never felt before, then … only blackness.’ Her eyes were childlike. ‘What happened? What do you mean ‘a relly’?’
‘A relative. He said his n
ame was Cay-reace.’
‘Cay-reace? He’s here?’
‘Yep. Apparently Cay-tatel threatened to hurt his family if he didn’t work for Nadar.’
‘Oh.’
Through Cay-Meka's eyes, her core was exposed and all Nell saw was a frightened child. She thought of Nadar. He'd been peeled and his core was blacker than the darkest moonless night.
‘Nadar stabbed you right in front of me. You were dying, Cay-Meka.’ Nell allowed her emotion to show. ‘At least I thought you were.’
The girl wiped her face on the hem of her dress. ‘Do you know where we are?’
‘I think we’re on some sort of ship. At least, that's where Nadar said he would get a physician to help you.’
Cay-Meka tried to raise herself higher but immediately fell back. She groaned and placed her hand to her head. ‘I feel sick.’ She only just managed the words before she leaned over the bed and vomited violently.
The sound of her dry retching sickened Nell. The only thing the girl managed to bring up was some yellow bile. Nell was helpless. All she could do was pat her heaving back until the spasms subsided. When they finally stopped, she helped put Cay-Meka’s head back on the pillow.
‘Thank you,’ she said in a small voice.
‘That's okay.’ Nell stood and paced the width of the room once. ‘Do you remember Nadar had the book?’
‘The only thing I remember is feeling pain.’ Cay-Meka paused and narrowed her eyes at Nell. ‘He said your mind would collapse.’
‘You've got to be joking. You believed that mad man? Do I look like my mind is collapsing?’
‘Of course not, but … I know you have abilities like no other and if there were more like you and another war began, we know who would win.’
‘At the moment, I'm more interested in that Book of Wexkia than winning any war. What it says about all of us might stop the wars.’ Nell paced back and forth. ‘He has it, here on the ship, Cay-Meka. He showed it to me and he also said he might let me read it.’
‘I don't believe it,’ Cay-Meka sighed.
‘What? That he'll let me read the book or that we, Wintars and Phibs are one race?’
‘Both.’
‘You're probably right about him not letting me read the book but I told you the truth about the part I did read.’ Nell frowned. ‘That has to be why the maniac wanted me. He really does think I’m the child in the book. But how would he know about my abilities? Somebody close to me must be telling him what I can do.’
‘I just want to go home.’ Cay-Meka's complexion paled even more as her head sagged.
Nell’s throat tightened when her cousin’s breathing became so shallow that her chest didn't appear to move at all as she inhaled.
‘Settle down.’ Nell patted her arm. ‘You need to rest.’ She wondered if Cay-Meka would believe her even if she read the book herself.
Music sounded at the door and Cay-reace appeared and proceeded to examine Cay-Meka. ‘Ah. I’m happy with your progress and I am confident you are healed,’ he said, repositioning her on her side.
Cay-Meka's tear-streaked face looked up at him. ‘Cay-reace?’ she whispered.
He nodded.
‘I don't feel healed,’ she said, as if every syllable was more difficult than the last.
The doctor’s eyes softened and he moved the pencil-like instrument over her chest. ‘Your wound may have healed but you have lost a lot of blood.’ He spoke to Nell. ‘She needs a blood transfusion.’
‘She can have as much of mine as she needs,’ Nell said.
‘The donor has to be a blood relative.’
‘I'm her cousin. Can we do it now?’ Nell didn’t want to deal with what waiting too long would do. Cay-Meka's eyes rolled back into her head.
The doctor gently shook Cay-Meka when she didn't open her eyes. ‘She is asleep,’ he said. ‘I'm sorry, I thought she was healed but she has lost too much blood. I'm not sure a transfusion could even save her.’
‘We have to try,’ Nell declared.
‘I will need Nadar's permission.’ He strode to the door, pressed a small button on the bottom and spoke into it. ‘Nadar, Cay-reace here. The child requires a transfusion. The other child advises me she is related. Can I go ahead?’
Nadar shouted through the speaker. ‘NO! Wait there for me.’
CHAPTER TWENTY
AT THE SOUND OF NADAR’S VOICE, CAY-REACE jumped away from the box on the wall as if it had bitten him.
Nell stared at the code box on the wall, trying to contain the anger surging through her. She was concentrating so deeply, she didn't hear Nadar appear in the room.
‘This child's blood will not be used.’
The coldness in his voice made Nell wince. Without thinking, she lurched forward and attacked Nadar with her fists. ‘You monster. She needs my blood. She can't die!’
He held his arms over his face and let her hit him anywhere else her fists made contact. She hardly noticed the whoosh of the door but nearly at the same time strong arms enclosed her waist from behind and pulled her away from the Corl.
‘Let me go!’ Her fury flared even brighter as she closed her hands over her captor's bare muscular forearms and forced her way into his mind. She swirled through it like a tornado.
His cry ripped through the room. Excruciating pain, surprise, confusion and remorse was wrapped in that single ear-piercing syllable.
Gaping open-mouthed, Cay-reace gasped as the Wintar fell to the floor.
His wings and talons exposed, the fallen man cradled his head in his arms and brought his knees to his chin. Nell stared at the trembling figure. Nadar and the doctor pulled their hoods over their heads.
The three of them stood as if hypnotised by the sight before them until Cay-Meka's weak voice broke their trance. ‘Nell?’
Her mind blurred and she looked from Phib to Corl to Cay-Meka. Cay-reace shuffled backwards and as though he was frightened to look at Nell, he began to examine his niece with his instrument.
Nadar appeared pleased by Nell's obvious agitation. ‘Cay-tatel, Cay-Meka's aunt, will be used for the transfusion,’ he said, trying to instil some feeling into his voice. ‘You are not fully Phib and we do not know how your blood would react in another, even a family member.’
Cay-reace straightened at the mention of Cay-tatel’s name.
But Nell couldn’t take her eyes off the man on the floor. She wouldn’t want something like that to happen to her cousin.
She studied Nadar and Cay-reace again. The only exposed skin was on their faces. As stunned as she was, it registered somewhere in her brain that they had pulled their hoods up quickly. Her rage, like a molten lava flow, had punctured the poor Wintar's mind. She eyed the Corl through her lashes and wondered if she could get that angry again. If she could get to the skin on his face …
A small sound like a smothered cough came through the door. She emerged from her reverie. The source of the cough was another Wintar. She blinked. Tanat. Tanat was standing in the hall. Her hands rolled into tight fists. He was in league with Nadar and his maniacal army. That's how the monster knew about her abilities. She gave Tanat her most despising look and wished he could read her thoughts.
There were too many enemies in the room and Nell couldn't hurt them all at the same time. She had to think of Cay-Meka's wellbeing first. ‘Where is Cay-Meka's aunt?’ Nell asked.
‘About two hours away.’ Nadar raised his non-existent eyebrows towards the physician. ‘Cay-reace?’
‘Yes, she will survive the flight. However, Cay-tatel—’
‘I will speak with you later.’ Nadar kicked the fallen Wintar. ‘Get him out and send someone in to clean that up.’ He waved his gloved hand over the mess beside Cay-Meka's bed and disappeared.
Tanat helped Cay-reace haul the injured man out and as the door shut behind them, Nell gazed at her cell mate.
Cay-Meka’s eyes flickered at Nell. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
‘Why? I couldn't help you.’
‘
Because you tried.’ She gave a weak smile but didn't open her eyes. ‘Even … even after the malice I have shown you.’
‘Hey, we're family, aren't we?’ Nell let out a small laugh. ‘The doctor said you would be okay,’ she said as airily as she could manage.
‘Mmm,’ Cay-Meka immediately went to sleep.
Not wanting to upset the girl, Nell said nothing about Tanat being on the ship. Dar-Seldra should choose her friends more carefully because her daughter was right not to trust Wintars. Nell hadn't met one she would trust but it was hard to believe the affection Tanat showed Nell and her family was fabricated. She decided not to think about him or his reasons for being with Nadar. He was just another traitor. They all wanted Nell disposed of like smelly prawn shells.
Her thoughts turned to the Book of Wexkia. If she was really a child of Wexkia, the book was her property by birthright. She pictured it just as she had seen it in Nadar's hands. Quickly re-reading it in her mind, she stopped at the last unfinished sentence. '…will regain all Wexkian—'. All Wexkian what? She guessed the next word was 'abilities' or something like it, and she hoped that if it was, the book listed them. Wexkian abilities are far greater than Phib and Wintar put together. It would be nice to know what they are.
The code box that opened the door to their prison was the only other thing in the room. Huh. If she could read Wexkian, she should be able to figure out the code. Nell made her way to the box. However, there were no code buttons on it, only a speaker. It couldn’t be opened from the inside. The door must have been open when they first arrived.
Returning to the bed, she touched Cay-Meka's hand. Her skin was ashen. After wrestling the blanket out from under her, Nell covered her with it. She sat, waited, and worried that the poor thing had little time left. The girl’s aunt might not be a good match. Nell was certain the blood types had to be the same. That’s the way it was for Human transfusions.
Sometime later the familiar music of the door code played. A short Wintar pushed a bed to the opposite wall. It also had pink bed covers. Nell rolled her eyes at it.
