Mortal Sight

by Sandra Fernandez Rhoads

  I stop him. “I don’t need to be carried. Thanks to the serum, the pain isn’t excruciating. I can manage.”

  “I don’t doubt that.” Devon’s mouth twitches. “But we’re running out of time.” On cue, police sirens blip and squawk. It sounds as if they’re a block away. With my leg dragging behind me, I couldn’t outrun a caterpillar if I tried.

  “Fine.” I sigh. “Go ahead.”

  After an eternity of embarrassment being bounced around in Devon’s arms while he navigates through quiet streets and parked cars, I muster the courage to break his concentrated silence. “Did I really make a mistake with the Legions?” The warm feeling in my stomach turns hollow as guilt settles in, the same way it always does when I screw things up. “Maddox made that perfectly clear, but . . .”

  “But nothing.” Sweat dampens Devon’s collar, magnifying his earthy scent. “We’re all alive. Harper’s alive because of you.” Devon says that last part in almost a whisper. Kindness returns to his eyes. Despite my inability to walk, for the first time in my life, I don’t feel that useless.

  Thunder rumbles in the distance. I check the surrounding buildings for signs of mist. Nothing, so far.

  Wrapping my arm tighter around Devon’s neck, I hold myself upright as much as possible to lessen the burden of my weight.

  “Pop knows some people on the inside. They’ll see more good in you than anything else,” Devon says with a confidence I wish I could believe. “When they do, we can rally their support and keep you safe.”

  His pace slows as he turns another corner. This road I recognize. I remember the line of parked cars, rickety buildings, and the weathered blue door to his apartment building halfway down the road.

  Another round of thunder shakes the ground as we reach the building. Devon slows near a dented streetlamp. When his arms slacken, I take that as my cue to slide down and stand on my own. Once my feet touch the ground, he lets go.

  The door flings open. “The girl can’t help it,” Pop says to the person behind him as they exit the building. He’s dressed in a red flannel shirt and tan corduroys. The clothes are so sturdy, they hide how frail he really is. He adjusts his dark glasses and reaches for the rusted handrail that lines the steps to the sidewalk. “She has a pull toward Sage that she doesn’t understand. You can’t be telling her what to do and expect her to act like an Awakened. She’s not.”

  Maddox follows right after him, holding the door open. Not only does he look unsettled, but he is struggling to keep a stack of flapping papers from escaping his grip. “Then how can I protect—” He cuts himself off as soon as our eyes meet and then quickly looks away. At least he’s not scowling at me anymore; now he’s just talking behind my back.

  Devon props me up. “Pop, we’re back.”

  “Are they here?” Harper rushes out of the door with a duffle bag in hand. As soon as she spots me, she dashes over and drops the bag on the ground. She flings my arm over her shoulder while putting her arm around my waist. “We need to get you upstairs. I’ve got to clean up that burn. Yours too,” she says to Devon.

  “We’d better move. I want to be long gone before those creatures come around.” Devon picks up the bag and heads toward a white town car parked by the curb.

  Pop carefully reaches the bottom step. “Devon’s right. Better to patch her up en route.”

  “In the car?” Harper’s pink lips gape open. “How good of a Healer do you think I am?”

  “The best I’ve ever known,” Devon says. At his comment, Harper’s lips twist with a flirty smile. The two of them lock eyes until another round of thunder rolls overhead.

  Devon clears his throat. “Did you gather supplies?”

  Harper’s cheeks flush. “I put them in the bag.”

  A cold wind whips down the sidewalk, chilling my exposed skin.

  “Where are we going?” I try to suppress a shiver because the air slips through my shirt. I glance down. Claw marks from the generator coils have slashed the front.

  Devon holds the car door open as Pop lowers himself into the front seat. “Honey, the Cormorants know your scent. The Legions know your voice. Both sense the feel of your Current.” Pop fishes around for the seat belt. “The only place you’ll be safe from Sage is The Estate.”

  “The Estate?” I never heard that mentioned before.

  “The Gardens,” Maddox mutters, more to himself than to me. He sounds bitter and looks just as repulsed.

  “The Council Estate is the only place where Sage’s power—including those serving him—can’t reach,” Devon says, putting the bag in the back seat. “They’re forbidden to enter. And if they try, well, it’s worse for them than Paradise Steel to the heart. We get you behind those walls, and there’s no way Sage can touch you.”

  “Sage has been circlin’ in closer,” Pop says. “Even set up some shop in a town not far from here, lookin’ for artwork that might lead him to someone like you.”

  “Wait.” My heart falters. “Like a gallery?” Elysium’s Edge. The edge of paradise. A shiver crawls over my skin. I almost brought Mom’s drawings to Mark. Mark, whose strange chemical scent rivaled the Legions. Maddox was in the square not far from the gallery when I first saw him. I look over at him. Did he know? Maybe not. I can’t read anything but frustration in his taut expression.

  A violent wind tangles my hair. Did I come face-to-face with Sage?

  No. Mark had the patch of red skin at the base of his neck, said he was part owner . . . Mark was a Dissenter. He must have sensed something in me. That must be why he offered me so much and wouldn’t stop calling. And I bought right into it.

  Devon looks at me. “You okay?”

  “Mm-hmm.” I bite my lip and hobble toward the back seat where Maddox waits, holding the door open. Had Maddox not found me. . . Sage would have. I grip the top of the car with one hand and hold the doorframe with the other, ready to lower myself. Devon places a hand on Maddox’s shoulder.

  “If you don’t wanna go, I understand. Pop and I can take it from here.”

  Maddox shakes his head. “No, it’s probably about time I go back.” He glances my way, but only for a split second.

  Booming thunder shakes the ground, rattling the car. I grip the doorframe. The wind swirls trash on the street as a low hum vibrates the ash-scented air. My hairs stand on end. The sound carried on the wind is clear. Hornets. Although I can’t see them, I know they’re swarming in the distance. “I hear Legions. Not two or three, but an entire hive.”

  Devon jerks his head up, scanning the sky. “Where are they?”

  Thunder cracks. A gale-force wind smelling of ash knocks me off balance and thrashes my hair in my face. The air turns a sickish green. When I look up at the sky, I find them, and my blood turns cold.

  “There.” I point at a sagging raincloud stretching the entire length of East Ridge. “Rain doesn’t pour out of the side of a cloud like a waterfall. Those are Legions.”

  Devon pushes me. “Get in the car, now!”

  Hail hammers the car roof as Devon peels onto the road. We’re packed in the town car, squished too close for my comfort. Pop in the front seat, and me, sandwiched between Harper and Maddox in the back. My heart pounds harder than the rain pummeling the asphalt. I can’t see anything through the steamed window. I turn to get a look out the back, keeping my leg propped up so Harper can tend to the burn. But in this cramped space, I end up pressing against Maddox’s arm.

  A hunk of ice hurls against Harper’s door. I jump. Harper gasps. Her hands tremble, but she doesn’t stop slathering my burn with a cold ointment.

  Devon steps on the gas, flying faster down the open road. Another round of ice bombs bullet the back window. Harper screams. My hands fly up to cover my head, anticipating shattered glass, but somehow the cracked window stays together. Although I’m not sure how much longer it will hold.

  I check the front window, searching for Legions in the storm. The frantic wiper blades struggle to beat away the dumping rain. The whole window is
blurry except for one peephole where the vent is aimed and blowing on high. We can’t see two feet in front of us, but that doesn’t slow Devon down. He races through the blinding downpour as I press my fists into the faded velour seat. There’s no need for me to count the seconds in the storm. Lightning and thunder collide as one.

  Maddox’s jaw is clenched. Even Pop grips his cane between his knees. Harper is the only one moving, and that’s because she’s wrapping my leg. No one says a word. It’s as if we all know we’re about to die.

  We’re just waiting for the crash.

  I search Devon’s face in the rearview mirror to confirm my fear. His eyes narrow in concentration. Every now and then he flicks his gaze to the right, then the left. I can’t tell if he’s memorized the path and is recalling landmarks, or if he can somehow see through the bucketing rain and ice. I doubt it’s the latter. His eyes briefly meet mine in the mirror before fixing back on the road. “Do you see any Legions?”

  I glance out every possible window, all of them fogging in the heated air. “I can’t tell.” My voice quivers. For all I know there could be a Legion riding on the back of the car or right alongside us. But being unable to see a thing in this storm, I’m useless.

  Pop exhales deeply while rubbing out his knee. “Don’t use your eyes, Honey,” he says, seeming to sense my thoughts. Though even he sounds tense.

  I follow his advice and close my eyes to listen over the whacking hail, the drumming rain, and the howling wind squeezing through the cracked glass. I don’t hear hornets or smell ash. Only rain. Whether the scent is coming from Maddox or from outside, I’m not sure. But I’m positive something hovers around us because my insides harden, turning cold.

  “There’s something—” Suddenly a wind gust shoves the car. Devon fights to regain control of a violent fishtail. The end of the car whips around and back again as Pop grabs the dashboard. Harper’s shaky fingers wrap my leg faster. My heart feels caught in my throat, blocking my scream. Maddox grabs my hand and holds tight as I bury my head into the back seat and brace for impact.

  By some miracle, Devon recovers.

  That gust wasn’t just wind. In my gut I know it was Moloch. He’s stealth hunting in the torrential rain, tracking us the same way he did Jess. I pull my hand away from Maddox and grip the back of Devon’s seat. “It’s a Cormorant.”

  “Moloch?” Maddox asks, but only loud enough for me to hear. When I nod, color slowly drains from his face.

  Without a word, Devon guns the engine, flying faster through the blinding rain. Pop grunts, tightening his grip on the dashboard.

  Can we really outrace the Cormorant while we’re caged in this tin can, unable to see through the pouring rain? We can’t even find a place to hide the way Maddox and I did the last time. My insides feel as if they’re about to explode, demanding I do something. We can’t die. Not now. Not like this.

  Strength surges from deep inside me. I pull my leg away as Harper finishes securing my bandage. “Let me out.” I reach for the door. “I’ll lead him away.” It’s an impulsive thought, with no plan, but the only one I know will keep them alive.

  Maddox grabs my waist, holding me back. “You can’t go out there.”

  “I have to do something!” I try to pull away, but Maddox won’t let go. Harper blocks the door handle with her arm. The harder I fight, the tighter Maddox holds on. “Let go of me!” I wrestle against him, but he’s much stronger and a better fighter. He slips his arms around me and pulls my back up against his chest, locking my arms so I can’t push him off. His breath labors against my ear. “Cera, stop.”

  “Honey, calm yourself!” Pop yells over the pouring rain as water drips through the cracks in the windshield. “You want to help? Be on our side. Stop fighting and trust Devon to get us through.” He cracks his cane on the dashboard, the sound as sharp as a slap across my face.

  I slacken. I am on their side. Maddox’s heart pounds as I slump in his arms. Pop is right. Fighting won’t help us right now—but how are we supposed to trust Devon when he can’t see where we’re headed?

  Pop’s words somehow cut through my panic. If what Pop said on the balcony is true and the beasts really are on my side . . .

  I think fast. The Legions followed when I told them to. I lured them, commanded them, away. Maybe I can do it again. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I visualize Moloch flying somewhere above us and mutter, “Stay back and leave me alone.” I wasn’t talking to Maddox, but he releases me just the same. I lean forward between the front seats.

  In that instant, the rain turns into nothing more than a light mist. We now have a clear view of the country road and the street signs marking the sharp turn ahead.

  “Where’s the Cormorant?” Harper’s voice quivers as much as her hands.

  I turn around and look through a clear spot in the rear window. A water wall spreads across the road, hiding most of East Ridge. Moloch is caught behind it. His wings beat the water as his talons scrape through the wall. He’s staying back. I can’t believe it. “He’s not following us. He’s staying inside the storm.”

  “Hmph,” Pop grunts. “Well, good. You just go on and stay focused. Keep a lookout in case he changes his mind.”

  I nod and keep watch. The wet country road glistens with a honey glow as it reflects the sky. The windshield wipers slow, squeaking over the dry glass. “What about everyone at Hesperian?” I look at the dark cloud hovering over the city. “With the flood of Legions, won’t they find the hideout?”

  Devon glances at me in the mirror. “After last night’s attack, Kellan and Tanji set up a few alternative locations around East Ridge to throw them off. And with the team of Blades that Council sent in, they’ll be all right. The backup locations will buy us some time, because once those creatures find out you’re gone, they’ll come after us and won’t stop searching until they find you.”

  I say a silent thank-you to the courageous ones who left Hesperian. Not only are they protecting the others, but also the five of us as I am whisked to who knows how far away. The same way Mom would every year around my birthday.

  We drive for over two hours. I continue staring out the front window, searching for the creatures. The thick silence in the cramped car makes it hard to breathe. That, and I can feel Maddox looking at me like he wants to say something. There’s nothing left to say. I pull my good leg up and rest my chin on my knee, pretending to focus on the road.

  When we’re far enough away, and the threats seem long gone, I slouch back in the seat, scrunched between Maddox, who keeps his arms folded across his chest and stares out the window, and Harper, who reaches over and squeezes my hand before letting go.

  I may have saved her life, but in doing so, I opened a door that can’t be closed. Now that the Legions know I’m a Blight, and the Cormorants know my scent, I’ll be forever hunted.

  After driving to the other side of the world, Devon finally turns down a clearing covered with fallen leaves. I don’t see anything but a forest with aspen-yellow leaves drifting like confetti announcing our arrival. A few broken logs litter the underbrush, but the woods are clear of sneaking black mist. Most of the trees stand like soldiers at attention. Only a few dare to lean.

  I don’t hear Cormorants, only branches scraping the top of the car, the wind whistling through the crack in the broken windshield, and pebbles from the gravel road popping under the tires. The deeper we head into the forest, the harder it is to tell that we’re even on a road. Twisted tree branches seem to close behind us as drifting leaves blanket the tire tracks.

  Through the quiet hum of the car engine, Milton whispers in my thoughts: “To thee I have revealed / What might have else to human race be hid.”

  Yes, I know that now, Milton. From the beginning you asked me to “see and tell / Of things invisible to mortal sight.” I didn’t know what this verse meant back then, but I understand now. You were teaching me about the visions and the second realm all along.

  I stare out the window and watch
the sun burn through the forest. I never wanted to change the world, let alone imagine that a world I didn’t know existed would change me. But now, whether I like it or not, I’m caught in the fight. And according to Pop, only one place is safe. A garden somewhere beyond the gray horizon of barren trees where Sage’s powers don’t extend. These garden walls will be my sanctuary, my prison, or both—if I’m even allowed to live another day.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This story would never have come to life it weren’t for community. I’m grateful to so many who have walked alongside me in this journey, encouraged me, believed in the story, and sacrificed so that I could chase after an unruly idea in my imagination. I’m thankful to God for opening every door, for the people, the community, the late nights, the tears, and the joy that this journey has been.

  Thank you to Steve Laube who saw the potential, encouraged me to dust off the manuscript, and gave me this opportunity to tell the story. And to Lisa Laube for being an amazing editor, making this story better than I could ever imagine. A huge thank-you to Jordan, Trissina and the fabulous Enclave team for the opportunity to bring the story into the world. And to Lindsay Franklin for the wonderful copy editing magic.

  Donna Wallace for incredible guidance and helping me see the sunshine when the skies felt too dark. The Veritas Vixens Writing Community and Zena for challenging me to dig deeper and loving the story as their own. Jamie Downer for being an incredible sounding board and preliminary editor. Susan Warm for opening her home as a haven and sanctuary in the final stretch of writing.

  My heart is forever grateful to my Art House Dallas community and Fort Worth Writers group for their love and support in an artist community that’s as close to Hesperian as anything can get.

  Mary Gammill, who opened the door that set me on this adventure. Sue Brower, who encouraged me to finish the manuscript and labored over the draft, making it a million times better. Annemieke, who listened to my crazy ideas over countless cups of coffee. Alanna, for daring to read the manuscript in its roughest form. Mary David, for being an endless font of support in the journey. Erin Turek, for being my partner-in-crime on writing research adventures. My amazing beta readers: Sarah S., Molly D., Elisabeth G., Isabelle K., and Sloane C. who pushed me to tell a better story.