“But I saw—”
“You were probably in shock. Your mind was making shit up. I did what I could, but it was nothing special.”
I was about to say more, when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
“Good morning, boys,” Desiree said and took a seat next to me.
Our conversation quickly died. Desiree tried to engage us, but Jeremy wasn’t offering much to build a conversation on.
He left a few minutes later, wandering back into the cathedral.
“What’s with him?” she asked.
“He’s having a hard time.”
“Aren’t we all. It’s got to be more than that.”
“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “But he’s not one for sharing his feelings.”
I was worried about him. Jeremy had changed ever since he killed Kafka. I was sure that killing someone was a life-changing experience, but I was afraid he’d never get back to his old self, and that his current disposition would consume him until there was nothing left.
The others in our group came out from the cathedral and got breakfast one at a time, until pretty soon, the camp was fully alive on this clear, blue morning. I noticed Ingrid and Saebra return from the trees and saunter back to their respective masters. It was a relief to have them back, quite a shift from when I’d met them only a few days earlier.
“Room for two more?” Darius asked. Amber, his little sister, peeked out from behind him, holding her plate of food with both hands. She’d actually parted with her stuffed animal frog.
“Always,” Desiree said and gestured for me to scoot. She scooted with me so Darius and Amber could sit beside her. Logan, Autumn, Darius’s parents, Mr. Gordon, and Matilda were already seated around the campfire. We now completed the circle.
“So what’s the plan?” Darius’s mother, Jacqueline, asked Mr. Gordon and Matilda.
“We need a new base camp for starters,” Mr. Gordon said. “We can’t remain here for long. We’re still too close to the last one.”
“Agreed,” said Darius’s father, Beda. “Does Nicholae have a new location picked out?”
“He has some ideas back in your home plane,” Matilda said. “After our ambush yesterday, this plane is too dangerous to remain in. We thought we’d worked out the complications of the collapsing plane above, but I guess not.”
“Those spikes were brutal,” Beda said.
“And costly,” Matilda added.
“And once we reach the new camp?” Jacqueline asked.
“Then we rebuild and regroup.”
“Who are the people in the huts nearby?” Darius asked.
“A small village of people from Acanombia,” Mr. Gordon said. “That’s why there’s no one left in the plane above—or what remains of it. Everyone was displaced.”
“Are we going to take them with us?” Desiree asked.
“Probably not. They wouldn’t understand our war. They’re not going to fight to preserve their way of life.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Isn’t the destruction of their plane reason enough?”
“The regular people from Acanombia don’t look at the world around them—at life—the same way as people in the lower planes. They have a humble connection with the universe that makes fighting irrelevant. They don’t have an ambition to join sides, instead they practice peaceful singularity.” Mr. Gordon looked over his shoulder at the sound of the other Lornes dispersing from their campfire.
Nicholae approached with Cassandra. Cassandra’s straight black hair billowed out behind her like a cape as she walked with a dancer’s swagger. They stopped and stood directly behind Mr. Gordon and Matilda.
“Matilda will take most of you to the new camp,” Nicholae said. “She gets the immense privilege of rebuilding. And the rest of you get to help her set up.”
“I’m so honored,” Matilda said sarcastically.
“I knew you would be.” Nicholae smirked and gave her a light tap with his leather boot. “You all should leave as soon as you can assemble.
“Daniel, Oliver, and Jeremy—you’re coming with me and Cassandra.”
“We’re not going to the new camp?” I asked.
“No,” Nicholae answered. “We’re going to find the remaining guardians before Kafka, protect them, and hopefully defeat Kafka in the process.”
“Just us four?”
“The team will be small, but I have chosen a few more to accompany us.”
“What about me?” Desiree protested.
“You’re going to the camp,” he said without giving her a second thought.
“No, she’s coming with us,” I insisted.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s too dangerous for her, but not for me?”
“I will be protecting you and Jeremy personally. I will not take responsibility for her as well.”
“Then I will,” I said, getting to my feet. “I need her with me just like you need me with you. I won’t know if she’s safe at the camp; I’ll only know with her right beside me. I need her with me.”
Nicholae didn’t immediately respond, but the expression on his face remained skeptical.
“I’m in love with her. She’s my responsibility,” I said after a moment of communal silence, looking Nicholae directly in the eyes—partially to uphold my conviction and partially to keep myself from glancing down at Desiree.
“Fine,” Nicholae finally said. “She can come, but I’m not guaranteeing her safety.”
“Understood,” I said.
“You couldn’t guarantee it anyway,” Desiree said defiantly.
“I’m coming, too,” Logan said, also standing up.
Nicholae didn’t even try to fight Logan’s insistence. “Why not? If either one of you slow us down, then I’m leaving you behind. Finish your breakfasts and we’ll convene in the cathedral in five.” Nicholae turned on his heel and left, headed for the crooked cathedral stairs.
I watched them as they walked away. The rest of the people gathered around our campfire were silent. I felt way too many eyes on the back of my head. Slowly, I turned and looked down at the beautiful girl seated beside me, her big green eyes staring up at me in…surprise? Horror? Affection? I couldn’t tell.
“You’re in love with me?” she asked, just slightly above a whisper.
“I’m going to gather my things,” Cassandra said and left, too. Matilda and Mr. Gordon followed closely behind her.
The Fitz’s began talking amongst themselves and Logan strolled off without saying a word, headed for the trees.
How was I going to answer her? I could say I was. I could say I was being dramatic to try and convince Nicholae (which worked). I could say “got ya!” I couldn’t read her expression for the best way to respond. But in the end, I was tired of over-thinking so much, over-thinking every difficult decision I ever had to make. We’d been through so much together. We’d developed a special bond from the first time she spoke to me, but we’d connected even more through our shared trauma—which I was sure was the most important thing. No use hiding my true feelings; let the consequences be damned. If she was going to leave, there wouldn’t be a better time than right now.
“Yes,” I finally said and dropped to a seated position to face her on the same level. “I love you, Desiree.” And I meant it. There was no other girl in the back of my mind this time. Desiree was the only one and she always had been.
I paused for a moment to see if she’d reciprocate, or at least respond. And when she didn’t, I continued. “I wish I hadn’t said it for the first time like that…you know, to Nicholae instead of you directly…and not in front of all those people. But I don’t regret having these feelings.”
She leaned in to hug me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. “I love that you said it,” she said with her head still on my shoulder, her sweet words tickling my ear. When she let go, our lips were drawn together like the opposite poles of two magnets. My lower lip tingled from a static shock. She didn’t say it back, but she
showed me with her body, which I hoped was nearly the same thing.
When our personal bubble finally burst and I reopened my eyes, we found ourselves around a dying campfire alone. I gazed down at the Elliott Smith on her sweatshirt, and then realized it may have looked like I was gazing at the silhouette of her breasts, but I wasn’t even thinking about them in that moment. Elliott Smith represented our special connection from two worlds away and the magic of this one. The name was everything in our relationship. She was everything to me. Then my attention fell to her left wrist, to the DNA brand tattoo peeking out of her sleeve that Mr. Gordon had placed there, a design nearly matching my own. I traced a finger across her smooth skin, over the intricate design. One more reminder of how far we’d come. Desiree hadn’t reciprocated verbally, but she wasn’t running screaming for the hills, either.
Standing at the top of the steps, Logan called for us to join the others in the cathedral.
“I guess I never asked, are you actually good with coming along?” I asked as we both got to our feet.
“After what happened, do you honestly think retreating to the new camp will be any safer?”
“I don’t know.”
“Exactly,” Desiree said, taking my hand as we made our way toward the cathedral. “There’s no safe path anymore. Each one has its risks. I’d much rather be with you than not.”
“Okay then,” I said, smiling wide. “I feel the same way.”
“I know.” She smirked at me, and it felt like a jab, but I didn’t let it dampen my spirits. Jeremy was damp enough for all of us.
Inside, our group had gathered in a loose circle, with Nicholae giving instructions. Ingrid sat stoically at his side. The circle opened as we approached, allowing us a comfortable space. Everyone looked like they were already prepared for battle.
“Oliver, where’s your gear?” Nicholae demanded. His arms were folded over his armored chest, his sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms to reveal more tattoo ink than skin.
“In the front row where I was sleeping,” I said.
“Then go get it. This isn’t a vacation.” He turned his attention to Desiree. “What about you?”
“I—I don’t have anything,” she said timidly.
As I walked off to retrieve my gear, I saw Nicholae drop his arms. As soon as he did, a vest and gun belt materialized in each hand.
I’d stuffed my belt and vest under the front pew last night. After strapping on the belt, I removed the semi-automatic pistol from its holster and popped out the magazine. Fully loaded. If I remembered right, I hadn’t fired a single shot during the camp ambush. I had wanted to shoot Eli, but I hesitated too long and lost the chance. I clicked the clip back into place, checked the safety, and shoved the gun back into the holster. The belt also contained two spare clips, both of which were also fully loaded. The last remaining item I owned in this plane was the stuffed animal Frolics. I wasn’t about to leave him behind now. With his small furry head sticking out from my front pocket, I rejoined my group.
Desiree was sporting her newly acquired army gear when I returned, and it was pretty hot.
“What?” she asked.
I must have had a stupid grin on my face. “Nothing.”
“As I was saying,” Nicholae said. “There are two guardians left. Erik and Cassandra believe they know where they are located from their exploration of the station of the first fallen guardian before it completely disappeared. We acted too late to save the second guardian, but I believe we’ve evened up the playing field now.
“I’ve divided us into two teams of five—I mean six. Alpha Team consists of Daniel, Colton, Oliver, Jeremy, Desiree, and myself. And Beta Team consists of Erik, Cassandra, Duncan, Yvette, Gulliver, and Logan. Erik, you’re the team leader.”
Erik beamed with pride while Cassandra glowered at him through darkly shadowed eyes.
I didn’t recognize three of the people on Beta Team.
“The clock is ticking,” Nicholae continued. “If Kafka is not already on his way to the next guardian, he will be soon.”
“How do we know which one he’s attacking next?” I asked.
“We don’t,” Nicholae said. “If our coordinates are correct, we know which one is closer. I can only assume he’ll hit the closer one first, but that’s just a guess.”
“How big are his teams?”
“Larger than ours.”
“Double? Hundreds? More?”
“He had been traveling with a group of about fifty. There may be more now. He may be moving faster with less. I don’t know.”
“How’re we supposed to—” Jeremy began, but was quickly cut off.
“We don’t have to defeat everyone. We just have to defeat Kafka,” Nicholae said in a powerful, authoritative voice. “Everyone else is in the way, but they really don’t matter. I’m not making you come. You volunteered, remember?”
“You don’t have to remind me. I know what I signed up for. I’m just making damn sure everyone else does, too.” Jeremy stared defiantly at Nicholae for a short eternity before finally dropping his eyes, allowing Nicholae to continue.
“This is what we’ve been working toward. These will be our most important actions yet. If you want out, now is the time.” Nicholae scanned the circle, reading individual reactions within the group.
“I’m ready to kick some ass!” Colton exclaimed.
His excitement garnished some laughs and clapping, mostly from the soldiers I didn’t know. Mr. Gordon didn’t react. Jeremy looked inconceivably more sullen than before.
“And we will,” Nicholae said after giving the teams a celebratory moment. “Go say goodbye to whomever you need to say goodbye to. We’re leaving in fifteen.” He walked through the middle of the circle, headed for the door. Erik and Cassandra followed.
The rest of the group disbursed once the Lornes had vacated the area.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Gordon?” I asked.
“Just mentally preparing,” he answered. “This isn’t going to be an easy mission. To keep my abilities sharp, I need to mentally prepare and condition myself daily, so I am as strong and alert as I can possibly be…for you, for all of you…so I don’t let you down.”
“You couldn’t let us down,” Desiree said. “You’re always there when we need you.”
“I try, but that won’t always be the case. Circumstances beyond my control will arise. I have my limitations.”
“How do you feel about Matilda going to the camp?”
“She’ll do a wonderful job. It’s a great opportunity for her to help a lot of people. I’m sure it will be—”
“No,” Desiree interrupted. “How do you feel about it?”
“I feel fine about it.”
“You’re not worried about her?”
Mr. Gordon smiled, lifted his horn-rimmed glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, I’m not,” he said and put his glasses back into place. “She can take better care of me than I can of her.”
Desiree decided to drop her line of questioning, knowing she wasn’t going to corner him into admitting any romantic feelings toward the fiery redhead. I had to admit, I was becoming quite curious myself.
Logan slapped me on the shoulder. He was in full battle gear.
Mr. Gordon excused himself and headed outside and Jeremy retreated to sit alone in one of the pews.
“I guess this is goodbye again—not that you said goodbye the first time,” Logan said.
“I didn’t have a chance,” I said recalling the escape from the castle.
Mom had woken Jeremy and me up while it was still dark with one glowing orb floating over her head. The orb lit the apartment as we had moved through it. Once we had reached the halls of the castle, she extinguished the orb, met up with Nicholae, and made our escape as a fugitive family through the shadows. Nicholae told Ingrid to wait for him there. The castle disappeared behind us and we were swallowed up by the surrounding forest of elms and pines.
“I was given a last-minute warni
ng and then we had to go. There was no time to come and visit you,” I said. I had visited Logan earlier that day before we left the castle, at the hut where he was recovering from his fall. “And besides, you hadn’t said goodbye when you left the first time.”
“You got me there,” Logan said and laughed. “Come on, we were like five or six. We were kind of at the mercy of our parents.”
“Then what are you jumping down my throat for?”
“It’s still so weird to me that you two are childhood friends,” Desiree said. “I was just getting used to Oliver having no childhood history.”
“Hey, I had friends back in Lake Arrowhead,” I said. “I just wasn’t very good at keeping in touch. And I didn’t really have a lot of time to miss them once all of this happened.” I gestured at the craziness surrounding us.
“Okay, that’s not what I meant,” she said. “I just meant…I don’t know what I meant. I’m happy you found each other.”
“Just in time to be split up again,” Logan said.
“Murphy’s Law,” I said. “But you’ll be fine.”
“I know. I’m stealth, remember? If I can slip through Alexandria’s fingers, I can slip through anyone’s.”
“Like a cat with four left paws,” I said, smiling, momentarily transported back to our innocent conversation in the castle.
“Yeah,” Logan said. “Take care of yourself. Okay?”
“You, too,” I said just before being pulled into a strong hug, which I thought would be awkward, but it wasn’t. Even though we spent much of our lives apart, we shared a history that connected us like brothers.
Logan left. Desiree kissed me on the cheek and squeezed my hand before approaching Jeremy and taking a seat beside him.
Now I was the one standing alone. Others around me were still saying their goodbyes as the groups prepared to go their separate ways. I watched Desiree wrap an arm around Jeremy’s shoulder. His head dropped toward his knees.
I decided not to interrupt and ventured outside. Mr. Gordon broke a hug with Matilda. He shook Darius’s hand, then his parents’. Darius noticed me standing at the top of the stairs and nodded. I gave him a half wave, not sure if he saw it as an invitation to come over. But he didn’t.
Doria Falls Page 17
