The Traveler

by Melissa Delport

  All too soon I get to the opposite corner of the sheet and I peer over the edge of the landing.

  “I’m still too high!” Noah cries, his legs scissoring frantically beneath him in mid-air. I had known that this would happen, but I also know that he will survive the relatively small drop. I hadn’t told him in case he refused to go down.

  “Noah, you need to let go; you need to drop down!” I coax, but he shakes his head desperately. “You’ll be okay, I promise!” Keeping a firm hold on my end of the sheet I slowly sink down so that I am lying on my stomach, trying to lower him even further, my arms hanging over the edge of the landing. I feel it shudder beneath my weight and my stomach drops in alarm. It’s completely unstable – it could collapse any second. Noah is now only a few feet off the floor. “Noah!” I plead, my arms aching from holding his weight at this awkward angle, the sharp wood under my arms biting into my tender skin. My hands are still in agony from my burns and slashes, and I can see fresh blood seeping through the clean bandages.

  “Don’t let me fall!” Noah yells at the same moment that I see Dex appear in the mangled doorway. Just then the landing beneath me gives a sickening crack and I feel my own body hurtling toward the ground.

  Chapter 28

  As I land pain explodes in a dozen different parts of my body, but the shooting pain in my abdomen is the only one I really notice. Strong hands grab me and turn me over so that I am lying on my back facing the ceiling which, from down here, seems very far away. I can taste blood, and my nose feels as though it’s been pulverized. Not surprising, seeing as I landed face down.

  “Rachel! Open your eyes!” I do as Dex says and his face swims before me, shifting in and out of focus.

  “Aaaargh!” My body convulses in agony and I clutch at my stomach with my hands. It feels sticky and warm. Blood. There is so much blood. “Dex,” I try and speak his name, but more blood gurgles from my mouth.

  “Oh God, Rachel, just hold on.” I can hear the panic and the terror in his voice. The reason becomes clear as I glance down at the wooden stake protruding through my stomach. I have landed on one of those sharp splinters of wood, about half an inch in diameter and it has impaled my abdomen.

  “Noah,” I garble but Dex ignores me. I try and lift my head to look for the boy but Dex pushes me back to the ground.

  “Voka!” he roars over his shoulder, and I am too weak to even contemplate why he would be calling for his sister. A minute later she appears beside him.

  “Gross,” she wrinkles her nose as she gazes disdainfully down at me. I can feel my body shuddering uncontrollably and my vision blurs again.

  “Voka!” Dex growls, rocking back and forth on his haunches and cradling my body to his.

  “I won’t do it,” she begins petulantly, “this is for the best, Dexon. Now you can get back to our mission. No distractions...” her words are cut off as Dex leaps to his feet and grabs her around the throat.

  “You will do this, sister,” he hisses, “or you will die the second she does.”

  Voka rolls her eyes, but I can see the fear reflected behind her blasé facade.

  “Fine,” she gasps, “but you can be the one to tell father about this.”

  “I’ll be happy to.” He drops her and she rubs at her reddened neck before deliberately stepping around him and crouching down beside me. The look she gives me is pure malice and hatred, but mercifully I don’t have to witness her hateful expression for long as my eyes flutter and then close.

  Warmth. There is an unbelievable warmth in my stomach spreading through my body. It feels as though the sun's very rays have somehow filtered through my skin. I open my eyes and Voka is still leaning over me, her long raven hair trailing over her shoulder and falling across her perfect face. Her hands are suspended over my stomach and her eyes are glowing iridescent. She is so like Dex, I think. The absence of pain is striking and slowly my body begins to feel stronger and incredibly energized – as if I have been resting for days.

  Voka blinks and stands abruptly, her eyes back to their normal human green. I gaze down at my bloodied shirt, lifting it and staring dumbstruck at the unmarked skin below. Dex flies to my side, his eyes frantically assessing me.

  “You’re okay?” he asks.

  “I... I’m fine,” I answer, still trying to absorb that I am healed. I quickly unravel the bandage from my left hand, which was burned, but there is not so much as a mark on my skin. I hastily do the same to my right hand, but that too, is healed. I gaze up at Voka, who is pointedly looking anywhere but at me.

  “Thank you,” I manage. She sighs as she meets my eyes and then she glares at Dex.

  “It’s my pleasure,” she says insincerely and then she heads outside.

  Dex helps me to my feet and I brush off my clothes. They are filthy, covered in blood and dust. I am trying to make sense of what just happened. Suddenly I remember Noah.

  “Noah!” I yelp, scanning the area around us. I scramble over the enormous mountain of debris, careful to avoid any sharp points, and I spot him, sitting quietly beside his grandfather’s body. “Noah,” I approach him from behind, putting an arm around his small shoulders. Dex follows me, crouching down on his other side.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmur, watching as silent tears course down his cheeks. It’s not fair, I think. He has already lost so much in his young life and now this. Nicholas looks peaceful, his eyes closed almost as though in slumber. Noah still has his backpack on his shoulders and looks uninjured, although his jeans are torn over one knee, and a nasty graze appears through the ripped fabric. He also has a bruise on his forehead. “Are you okay?” I ask, pushing his dark hair off of his forehead. He doesn’t answer, but he turns his grief-stricken face toward me and a lifetime of pain shines in his brown eyes. A million different responses die on my lips. There is nothing that I can say to ease his pain. “Let’s go,” I whisper, taking his arm and leading him outside.

  Voka is standing near the house looking bored. Anger rises like bile in my chest and I open my mouth to yell at her – to hold her accountable for the death of two innocent people – but before I can say anything, Noah stiffens at my side. Without a word, he hurtles forward, running straight for her, his backpack jostling on his back with every step. Voka looks startled, turning her head left and right as though searching for an escape route. I call a warning, but it is too late - Noah has already reached her. To my utter disbelief he throws himself at her, wrapping his little arms around her legs and burying his face in her concave stomach. Voka looks as though she just swallowed something that didn’t agree with her. Her eyes blaze for an instant but then, inexplicably, her arms come around Noah and she gives him a small, albeit awkward, hug. Then her arms drop limply to her sides and her face resumes its disdainful expression.

  “Noah,” I pull him off her and turn him to face me, but he clutches her leg with one arm, resisting all my attempts to pull him away. I glance helplessly up at Dex, but he doesn’t look in the least bit concerned. In fact, a small smile is playing about his lips. Obviously Voka must not pose any real danger to the child, and I stand up straight, facing her.

  “Thank you,” I repeat, “for saving me.” I resist the urge to mention the elderly couple she murdered.

  “Don’t,” she raises her head haughtily, “I did it for my brother, although I don’t know what good it did. You’ll be dead soon anyway.” Noah whimpers and she glances down at him with a mixture of irritation and regret. “It’s all right,” she gives a little shake of her leg, but Noah won’t budge. “Get him off me,” she pleads, but Dex simply shrugs his broad shoulders.

  “Looks like you’ve got your own human to worry about,” he drawls.

  We head for the road determined to make as much progress as possible today. Voka stays with us, much to my surprise and Noah trots along beside her. I raise my eyes quizzically at Dex wondering what her plan is, but he just shakes his head. It is now day five since the Venites arrived and declared war on our planet. It is also the third d
ay that Kate will be spending with Amarox.

  “Where is he?” I ask Voka, “Amarox?”

  “How do I know?” she snarls back. “I’m not my brother’s keeper. He’s probably doing his job, right now, though – unlike us.”

  “He’s coming after us,” I murmur.

  “Like I said,” she replies airily, “you’re as good as...” She trails off, eyeing Noah warily, “D-E-A-D.” She spells it out.

  “That’s enough, Voka,” Dex warns and she heaves a dramatic sigh.

  “I definitely need to reprioritize. I’m officially replacing you as my favorite brother.”

  “Yeah, sure. You hate Amarox.”

  “I don’t hate him. And he’s certainly never made me do anything like this,” she gestures at our small party. “You have treated me terribly Dexon.”

  “What about the time you got yourself caught in that angry mob on planet Paleo? I assume you appreciated me then?”

  “Well, yes, I suppose there’s that. But still – Amarox has never forced me to do something I really didn’t want to do.” She eyes me pointedly.

  “You’re forgetting Ralon,” he retorts, and even though I have no idea what they are referring to, it’s impossible not to notice the flash of hurt in Voka’s eyes.

  “I will never forget Ralon,” she snarls, all traces of light in her voice gone. She purposely increases her pace trying to shake off Noah who is still walking close beside her, his hand resting on her leg. The sudden increase in speed unbalances him and he stumbles, banging his injured knee painfully on the tarmac. It starts to bleed again. Voka whirls back around, guilt etched on her face. She is back before I can even reach Noah and she swats me aside as I reach for his injured leg. Dex grabs my arm pulling me farther away and I round on him in confusion.

  “Leave it,” he murmurs, “trust me, Rachel.”

  I watch as Voka raises her hand and holds it palm down above Noah’s knee. I can’t see her face but I know that her eyes are glowing. A few seconds later Noah’s leg is healed. He beams up at her and I wish I could see her reaction to his obvious adoration. Voka takes his hand and continues up the road. As we follow behind them Dex chuckles.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Dexon,” she calls angrily, “but you’re wrong.”

  “We’ll see,” he answers softly.

  We walk about ten miles until we come across a small town. Dex finds an abandoned Chevy with the keys still in the ignition and a half tank of gas. It is already past noon as we all pile in and Dex guns the engine, pulling away from the curb and heading west. Noah is exhausted, although Dex had carried him on his shoulders for most of the journey. His cheeks are sun-kissed, and his head is on Voka’s lap in the back seat.

  “What are you doing Dexon?” Voka asks once she is sure Noah is asleep. Dex meets her eye in the rear-view mirror; no doubt he understands her question far better than I do.

  “I love her,” he answers, without any embarrassment. My own cheeks flush at his honesty.

  “Obviously,” she curls her lip, “but that still doesn’t explain what you are doing. Do you honestly think you can protect her forever?” His silence is deafening. “It’s nothing personal,” she adds, glancing at me, “but you’re human. And we came here for one purpose – to destroy you.”

  “I know,” I gulp.

  “Why didn’t you kill the boy, Voka?” Dex asks.

  “This isn’t about me,” she snaps, “and don’t be fooled Dexon. If it comes down to a choice between his life or mine, believe me, I will have no problem ending him.” The words are cold and harsh and ring with truth. I can only pray that it doesn’t come to that.

  We drive on in silence for about two hours until we eventually find another abandoned gas station. We wouldn’t have made it very much further - we had hit the reserve tank a few miles back. Noah wakes up as we pull up in front of the gas station, but Voka orders him to stay in the car.

  “Both of you,” she adds, and I am more than happy to stay put, given the disaster that occurred the last time I entered a convenience store. The two Venites enter the store without any hesitation, not even checking around for would-be assailants. What do they have to fear I remind myself. I turn to face the back seat and smile at Noah’s grubby face.

  “So, you like Voka, huh?” I prompt and he nods. “Why?” I can’t help but ask and he ferrets around the floor space at his feet. Pulling his backpack onto his lap he unzips it and rummages around inside. Wordlessly he hands me the framed photograph he brought from his bedroom. Turning it over understanding dawns on me. It’s a picture of Noah as a baby, along with his parents. Nicholas was right - he does have his father’s brown eyes, but it is not the man in the photograph who draws my attention, it's the raven-haired woman holding the bouncing baby boy. She is strikingly beautiful – her black-fringed eyes as green as Dex’s. She looks just like Voka. This is why Noah is so drawn to Dex’s sister – she is almost the spitting image of his mother. He has no idea that she is responsible for the death of his grandparents and I will not be the one to tell him. I understand now what Dex is trying to do – he is hoping that his siblings will bond with humans as he has, and cease to fight against us. He knows Amarox and Voka far better than I do, but I still can’t help thinking that he is being dangerously optimistic.

  I nod indulgently as I pass the picture back and Noah stows it carefully away. We aim to be in the mountains near Yancey County the day after tomorrow, to rendezvous with the others. They will be in Burnsville, but we will signal them on our arrival to let them know where to find us. We’ll hike the last leg of our journey through the mountains.

  Noah is delighted when the siblings return bearing crisps and sodas. I smile as he rips the foil packaging with his teeth and crams whole fistfuls into his mouth. Voka sits beside him looking mildly amused by his antics. Dex is outside filling the tank with gas.

  “Why don’t you show Voka your picture, Noah?” He hesitates, staring uncertainly up at her, and then seems to come to a decision. Dusting his hands on his dark blue tracksuit pants, he gets the photograph out of his backpack.

  Voka’s reaction is both predictable and unexpected. She peers at the photograph and I can tell the instant she finds Noah’s mother. Her green eyes widen in surprise and understanding for only a second before she puts her guard firmly back in place and her face resumes its usual unreadable expression. She hands the photograph back with a curt, “That’s a lovely picture,” but she gives no indication that she has even noticed the striking resemblance. Noah’s dejected face as he carefully returns the frame to his backpack breaks my heart.

  Disgusted I throw open my door and make my way over to Dex, needing some fresh air and a break from the claustrophobic atmosphere inside the car. Dex smiles at me as I approach and I feel the familiar tug in the pit of my stomach.

  “Who is Ralon?” I keep my voice low so that Voka won’t hear me. Dex hesitates for a moment and then he replaces the pump and closes the fuel cap.

  “Ralon was Voka’s husband,” he finally answers.

  “Was?” I pick up the past tense immediately.

  “My father didn’t feel that Ralon was good enough for Voka,” he explains, “so Voka, being Voka, eloped. I think she expected that once it was done, he would have to accept it.”

  “I’m guessing he didn’t?”

  “No. As soon as he heard about the wedding he had Amarox take Ralon on an exploratory mission. Amarox’s instructions were that Ralon was not to return.”

  “He... he left him there?” I ask incredulously.

  “He died,” Dex replies grimly, glancing across at Voka, still sitting in the car, but distracted by a conversation with Noah.

  “Died?” I ask, a sick feeling creeping over me, “you mean... Amarox killed him?”

  “I have no idea what really happened,” Dex admits, “but I suspect so.”

  “That is disgusting! How could he do that to his own sister?”

  “My father told him to,” Dex replies simply.


  “And yet Voka defends Amarox! How can she side with him after... after he... ”

  “Rachel,” his voice is low but gentle, “she’s here, with us, isn’t she?”

  “What’s the deal with her and Noah?” I ask. “You seem to think he’s safe with her.”

  “He is safe with her.”

  “How can you know that? What if she hurts him?”

  “She won’t hurt him,” he insists, and then, seeing that I am not going to let it go, he sighs. “Voka has always been good with children. She’s very maternal…” I fight the urge to snort with derision. From what I have seen so far Voka is a murderous bitch. Dex, of course, knows exactly what I’m thinking and he smiles. “Voka has a child of her own – very close to Noah in age. In fact, Noah is not unlike him.”

  “She has a child?” I gape at him I in disbelief. “Where is he now?”

  “On Venon. He doesn’t live with Voka.”

  “Why?”

  “My father forbade it. Voka’s child was born out of a marriage he deemed unfit. The child has been denied his royal status and Voka was instructed to hand him over to another couple to be raised. We don’t talk about it – it’s like it never happened.”