Explosive Resistance

by Linda Jordan

  “I heard she’s an amazing fighter.”

  “Yes, she is. Evangeline is amazing at everything she decides to do.”

  “I hope I get to learn from her.”

  “You’ll have a good teacher then.”

  Evangeline drank more water and then felt tired again.

  “Are you hungry?” asked Maci. “I’ve got some warm chicken soup over on the stove.”

  “No,” said Evangeline. She was hungry, but didn’t feel like eating. It felt too hard to explain.

  “You want to lie back down?” asked Maci.

  “Yes, sleep.”

  Then she was out again.

  Evangeline must have woken a couple more times before she could be awake for more than a minute or two. She had no idea what day it was. It was pouring outside and dark, although it was daytime.

  She could hear Jackie and Maci over at Maci’s table, speaking quietly, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  Evangeline felt strong enough to sit up on her own. She couldn’t reach the water though. Maci noticed her moving and came over.

  “Good, you’re getting better. Here, let me help.”

  Maci got the water and handed it to Evangeline, helping her steady it. Evangeline drank several long sips of the cool, fresh water, feeling the coldness run down her throat and into her empty stomach. Then pushed the glass away.

  “I think I need some food.”

  “I’ve got just the thing,” said Maci. She set the glass down and went to get a bowl from the wood stove.

  Maci held the warm bowl and Evangeline spooned soup into her mouth. There was goat meat, carrots and sage. Onions too. It tasted delicious.

  “I thought you said it was chicken soup.”

  “That was three days ago.”

  “How long have I been out?”

  “It’s been five days since you were injured,” said Jackie, who’d come to stand by the other side of the bed.

  “Five days! It feels like one.”

  “Five days,” said Maci. “You’ve had us really worried.”

  “Did the raid go okay?”

  “Yes,” said Jackie. “They got a lot of weapons. Plus three wagons and horses to pull them. And three riding horses.”

  “And there’s been no attack from the villagers?”

  “Not a peep from them,” said Jackie.

  “Eat,” said Maci. “We don’t know how long your strength will hold out.”

  “I’m awake,” said Evangeline. “Really awake. I think I’m ready to get up.”

  “Finish the soup,” said Maci.

  Evangeline did.

  “Can I get up now?”

  “I’ll let you walk around here a bit, with Jackie by your side. You might not be that stable. You can stretch out a bit and I’ll change the bedding. Then it’s back to bed with you,” said Maci.

  “I need to change out of these stinky clothes,” said Evangeline. “Clean up some.”

  “You can use my bathroom,” said Maci. “I’ll get some clothes out that might fit you, for now.”

  Jackie stood nearby and held out her arm. Evangeline needed help to get out of bed. Then she was able to let go and walk very slowly. Still, she felt wobbly and uncertain. She hoped this was temporary and would go away soon. Otherwise, it would be a long climb back to being in good shape.

  She only felt a little dizzy as she undressed and washed herself off with a cloth. Maci had hot water in her bathroom. A luxury Evangeline hadn’t experienced since she’d left the Zoo. It felt wonderful to be able to clean herself off. Jackie stood nearby in case Evangeline lost her balance.

  Sticking her head under the tap, she rubbed soap on it and washed her hair. Grateful that it was short and easy to clean.

  Afterwards, she dressed in loose green pants and an equally loose blue shirt. There were no socks, but then again, she was going back to bed.

  By the time Evangeline finished dressing, she felt exhausted. She still sat up in the bed. Wanting to know what had happened while she was out.

  “After the raid, there was a huge feast. Everyone came, except for the few guards on duty. And Maci and I were in here. Damon brought us huge plates of food, but I was sick of it, having been cooking for days,” said Jackie.

  “Morrigu was there and she gave a long speech. All about welcoming the new recruits and promising everyone a better life once the war was won. That once again, we’d live like we had in the Zoo, with coffee and luxuries like we had before,” said Maci.

  “Does everyone hate it here this much?” asked Evangeline.

  “I don’t,” said Jackie. “I do miss the coffee, that’s true. And having easy access to meat, herbs and spices. But it’s been an interesting challenge to make do with what we’ve got. And to cook for fewer people than in the Zoo.”

  “I miss the cleanliness of the Zoo,” said Maci. “And the doctors. I’m not experienced enough, nor do I have the equipment to deal with real problems.”

  “You want to heal everyone,” said Jackie.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I miss having hot water,” said Evangeline. “How come you have hot water?”

  “Because this is the Med-Center,” said Maci.

  “We have hot water in the kitchens,” said Jackie.

  “I don’t have hot water,” said Evangeline.

  “I think hot water tanks are on the list of things for Carlos and Martina to get to, but they’re working on getting a network up and running first. And getting all the new barracks hooked up to the electrical system.”

  “It was so nice to wash my hair in warm water,” said Evangeline. “I really miss hot showers and baths.”

  “Me too,” said Jackie.

  “Do you hate this place, Evangeline?” asked Maci.

  “No. I don’t. I’ve changed my life here. It’s challenging, this new life, but there’s a sort of peace here in this village that I never felt at the Zoo. I feel like I belong here.”

  “Well, it’ll be interesting to see what happens. Morrigu has gone off to meet with some possible allies. She said we’ve got till spring to add more people to the army. And train. Gather more arms. About six months to prepare for war,” said Jackie.

  “Then what?” asked Evangeline.

  “Then we move East,” said Maci.

  “All of us?”

  “I don’t know if it’s just the army, or those of us who are support,” said Jackie. “They’ll still need to eat. They’ll need medical care. I don’t have details. I just know that Angie’s been hard at work researching how to dry and cure meat for the army to travel with.”

  Evangeline didn’t want to leave the village. She wanted to stay and create a life. Yemaya was here. But if everyone else left, there would be no village. And if she was going to learn how to be a healer, Evangeline would need to follow Maci and Jackie.

  Evangeline managed to stay awake long enough to eat two more meals. On the third day after she’d woken up, Maci let her get out of bed for the whole day. But she couldn’t leave the MedCenter. Jackie had brought over some of Evangeline’s clothes and she changed into them, relieved at the familiarity.

  She watched Maci work, patching up one of the new recruits whose foot had been stepped on by one of the heavy horses.

  “I’m afraid those three toes are broken,” said Maci.

  “Stupid horse,” said the dark-haired young man.

  “Stupid you for putting your foot beneath hers,” said Mila, who’d brought him over.

  He didn’t say anything. Mila stood frowning at him, then came over to where Evangeline was sitting at the table.

  “How are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m healing. Soon Maci’s going to let me go outside.”

  “I hope this hasn’t soured you on riding. You were doing really well for it being your first time on a horse.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it,” said Evangeline. “She really is a nice horse.”

  “Yes, she is. She was able to stay under
you, even when you got knocked out, until I could get to you.”

  Evangeline hadn’t realized that.

  “Do all horses do that?”

  “Well-trained ones do. It helps that she’s older and more experienced. The black one Morrigu rode is still pretty young and wild.”

  “I’ll come visit her when Maci lets me out. I’d like to thank her.”

  “Bring a carrot or an apple, she’d like that.”

  “A carrot? Horses eat carrots and apples? I thought they only liked grass.”

  “Grass is their main food. The other things are treats. I better get back to work,” said Mila. She turned and left, waving goodby to Maci and the young man who was sitting on the bed with an ice pack on his foot.

  On the fifth day after she woke up, Yemaya came to visit. Maci had run over to the Cap to get them some lunch.

  Yemaya walked in the door, rain dripping off her, but not diminishing the glowing light surrounding her.

  “You’re up,” said Yemaya. “Good.”

  The Goddess came closer and embraced Evangeline. Then withdrew and put her hand over Evangeline’s heart.

  “You are healing. That is also good. I don’t see any sign of your magic though. Do you remember that night?”

  “I remember pieces of it. Of trying to hold the net, but feeling so cold. And diminished.”

  Yemaya nodded.

  “I cannot fill you up again. Only you can do that. Are you afraid of your magic? Of the power you hold?”

  It had been terrifying to hold that space for Morrigu. And the way she tortured that man. The villagers had been frozen with fear.

  “Did you absorb the villagers fear, let it in?”

  “Perhaps I did.”

  “Then you must banish that. As long as you’re afraid of your power, it will escape you. For humans, it is sometimes safer to be without power. The choice is yours.”

  Evangeline nodded. If she wanted to do the work, her power could return. She would then be of great use to Morrigu. As a healer for the masses of wounded bodies a war would create. Then again, she’d also be at Morrigu’s disposal for the kind of thing that happened in that village. She shuddered.

  Was gaining more healing ability worth taking that risk?

  “I must go,” said Yemaya.

  “Will I see you again?” asked Evangeline.

  “You know where I live,” said Yemaya. “You can find me there.”

  Evangeline put her hands together in the ancient gesture and bowed her head against them. The door opened and closed. Yemaya was gone.

  Leaving Evangeline pondering if she really wanted her magic to return.

  12

  Cady

  Cady was cleaning up after breakfast. She’d slept badly last night. Had nightmares about deities attacking the village. She wiped crumbs off her wood table with a wet rag, then shook the cloth out her door.

  It felt chilly outside. Another drizzly late fall day. She closed the door and draped the rag over a nail above the sink. Rinsed her hands with cold water from the tap, drying them on another clean rag.

  Cady didn’t want to stay indoors or at home today. She was feeling restless, stir crazy. If it hadn’t been raining outside, today would have been a good day to tend her greens, which were growing nicely under a low tent of clear plastic.

  Bao had helped her make the mini greenhouse after she showed him the picture in the book. A wood frame that was a couple of feet off the ground, then old windows set into the frame. The front windows on hinges, so they could be opened to let in cool air or tend to the plants. With a metal screen six feet off the ground above the mini greenhouse to keep falling tree branches from breaking the windows. The trees around here were always losing branches in windstorms. Cady hadn’t needed a huge greenhouse just to grow a few greens through the winter.

  But it looked like it would be another full day of rain. Just like the last two. She’d cleaned her house, mended everything that needed it, read all her books. There was nothing left to do here. The question was, who to go visit? Everyone else must be as bored as she was.

  Monster raced through the cat door, growling and hissing. Right behind him came a black muzzle, teeth bared.

  Cady grabbed her broom and poked at the door until the face retreated. She quickly latched the cat door closed and looked out the window. There were five massive dog-like creatures. Their eyes glowed red and their wet fur was black. They circled her house in the pouring rain, leaping at the window when they saw her.

  She quickly pulled all the curtains in the house, afraid they might jump up and break the glass. They weren’t ordinary dogs.

  Hellhounds.

  She’d never seen one before, only read about them in one of Gia’s old books about Greek myths. What if they went into the village? They’d kill anyone outside.

  Could hellhounds be killed?

  Only one way to find out. She pulled her loaded rifle from the wall where it hung.

  Parted the curtain and slid open the window a crack. The screen would just have to get a hole in it.

  She could smell the beasts’ foul stench. Like something dead and rotting for a week.

  She aimed and fired.

  The hound she was aiming at yelped, more in surprise than pain. She had hit the hound. The bullet just didn’t have much effect.

  The demon snarled at her. Then gathered its muscles as if to lunge at the window.

  Cady quickly closed the window and the curtain. Backed away across the room. Her heart beating wildly.

  Behind her, Monster was under the bed. Still growling.

  Damn things couldn’t be killed. Not with bullets, anyway. She still held the rifle, not willing to put it down.

  Magic then?

  What would harm a hellhound? They were demons. Creatures of fire. Would water hurt them?

  But they were standing out there in the rain. Obviously not hampered at all. More fire? Doubtful.

  “Stop thinking,” she told herself. “Act.”

  Cady went to another window. She opened it. Then drew up power from the earth and down from the sky. Felt them merge in her body. Air, wind and earth combined. She shot that energy out through her hands at the pack of hounds and watched them stand, snarling at her. None of them attacked. Their fur rippled as if being blown by the power.

  She didn’t want to hurt them. Just chase them away so they’d run far off and never return again.

  She saw Tank and Mateo moving stealthily on the other side of the bridge, Both of them armed. Which wouldn’t do any good if the hounds attacked them.

  “Stay back!” she yelled to the men.

  Cady drew in more energy from the earth and air. Shot another blast of power at the hounds. Surrounding them to drive the Hellhounds back towards the other side of the lake. Away from the village.

  “Begone beasts of hell!” she yelled at them.

  The hounds ran. She slapped them with power again, adding to their momentum. The demons kept running through the forest until they were lost from her sight.

  Cady kept the energy running for another minute. Then released it. She rested the butt of the rifle on the floor, hands gripping the barrel. She leaned on it slightly. Her entire body tingled painfully from running so much power. Hands ached.

  Through the window, Cady saw Mateo and Tank run across the bridge towards her house. Mateo ran around the lake side of her house, the direction the hounds had gone. Tank came in through her door.

  “You all right?” asked Tank.

  Cady looked at him, trying to form words. Then she heard her rifle hit the floor. She nearly did too, but Tank caught her and half carried her over to one of the chairs.

  He sat her upright in the hard wood chair. Then got a full mug of water.

  “Drink,” he said. “Remember what you told me. You need to ground yourself after using magic. Looks like you just used a whole lot of powerful magic. I thought you were going to pull the entire sky down on us.”

  It took a few minutes, b
ut Cady’s heart began to beat normally. By then Mateo had come into the house.

  “They’re gone. Burnt a trail through the forest wide enough to get a wagon through. Actually burnt it, trees, bushes and all. What were those things?”

  “Hellhounds,” said Cady. Her body still tingled. “Can you get me that black rock?” She pointed to a fist-sized shiny rock on the windowsill. Not trusting herself to stand.

  Tank brought her the rock and she took it, feeling the stone’s solidness. Obsidian. She’d found it in the ruins of an old store, long ago. It helped her drain off some of the excess energy. Finally, her body stopped tingling.

  Mateo had picked up her rifle and stood over at the open window.

  “Look at this,” he said, standing aside.

  There was a black hole burned through the screen. About a foot wide. The center of which was completely open, the screen gone.

  “No bullet did this,” said Mateo.

  “The bullet hole’s in the other window,” she said, trying to return to herself.

  “Wow, your magic did that Cady?” said Tank, his eyes open in wonder.

  “Did you hit one of them with a bullet?” asked Mateo. He closed the window.

  “I did. It didn’t bother the beast at all,” she said.

  “Your magic sure did,” said Mateo. “We heard the shot and both of us came running. Good thing we didn’t try shooting them. Thank you for warning us.”

  “Have you ever seen them before?” Tank asked.

  “No. And I hope I never do again.” Cady drained the mug of water.

  There was a scuffling noise and Monster came out from under the bed. He stalked around the room, his nose and tail twitched in an agitated way.

  “That was more excitement than I care for in a morning,” said Cady, wiping the stray hairs off her forehead.

  “Me too,” said Tank. He was a big man who looked like a red-haired Celtic warrior, but with the heart of an innocent child.

  Cady felt exhausted, as if she’d used up every ounce of her strength running a race. She slowly stood, although her legs felt wobbly. She went to one of the windows and opened the curtains to let more light in. Mateo quickly moved to open all the others before she could. He hung her rifle back on the wall where she kept it.