Ambrosia Shore (The Water Keepers, Book 3)

by Christie Anderson

  Rayne took my hand and pulled it closer, as if he were afraid to let it go.

  “Are you okay?” I asked softly.

  When he finally answered, his voice sounded strained. “Sadie, when I came back with the car after the explosion you were passed out. I didn’t know what to do. I thought your Water System had finally given out. Your father insisted that they had seen you this way before, that you would be fine after a little rest, but I’ve come so close to losing you so many times, I just…” Rayne paused, unable to finish.

  “Rayne,” I said gently, “look at me.” I waited as he turned his gaze. “Look into my eyes,” I urged again. “Look at them and tell me what you see.”

  He looked back at me, searching, as if he could see straight to the center of all that was me. His expression turned soft, almost wistful. “I see… radiance,” he breathed. “I see a light inside you, coming from within, a light so bright and deep it’s like your soul is calling to me.”

  Emotion welled inside my chest. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes. His words seemed to make it all true; all the things I had been feeling for so long but couldn’t recognize until now.

  “Something changed in me,” I whispered back. “When I passed through the Threshold with the stone, something happened. I’m different now. All this time I had myself convinced it was the Briolette. But it wasn’t; it was me. I don’t know how to explain it, I just feel this energy inside me, and when I concentrate… I can use it to heal people.”

  Rayne gazed back at me in awe, his words flowing slowly, as if each word were a new discovery. “I… saw it,” he said. “I saw you heal your father.”

  I nodded with quiet earnest. “Yes…”

  Rayne slid his fingers through the hair behind my ear, moved his face close to mine as he murmured, “I always knew there was something special about you.”

  We both looked at each other for a long moment, as if the realization was too overwhelming to speak.

  I finally pulled out my voice, feeling almost anxious to let the words out. “I don’t think I even need Healing Water for myself anymore,” I began. “When Voss shot me, I couldn’t have been out for more than a couple of minutes, and the other day I cut my finger at Heather’s house and it healed instantly, right before my eyes. I had the stone with me, but I didn’t need it. I can feel it; I’m sure of it. My body healed itself.”

  Rayne’s face was bewildered. “I guess it would make sense. I mean, if you have this power to heal other people, you would think you should be able to heal yourself too.”

  The car suddenly came to a stop. We both glanced up as if being kicked out of a dream.

  A firm but considerate voice came from one of the agents in the front seat. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but we’re here. It’s time to go.”

  I stared back at the agent and blinked. I hadn’t realized we were so close.

  “It’s already time?” I wondered aloud.

  Rayne glanced at me with concern. “If you need more time, I can talk to them about postponing.”

  “No, I’m fine,” I said. I squeezed his hand. “I’m ready.”

  ***

  A few minutes later, my parents and I were sitting together in a beautifully furnished living room inside a large home located right next to one of the gates to the border. I didn’t recognize the area outside before we came in, and I could tell it wasn’t the same gate that Rayne had taken me to a few weeks earlier. This house was also much grander than the one I had been to before up in these hills, and by the way everyone here was treating my father like royalty, I had a feeling that this house was one they reserved for only their most dignified guests.

  As we waited for Rayne to return with the Council members who would conduct our orientation meeting, several agents in black suits stood quietly in the corners, along with a few border patrol guards dressed in blue uniforms. One of the agents had a pleasant face that reminded me of Agent Duke. Now that the commotion of the day had settled down a bit, it finally hit me that Agent Duke had been inside one of those vehicles outside my house when they exploded.

  I didn’t know him all that well, but I did know that he didn’t deserve to die. He had kept us safe and fulfilled his duty, all with a quiet dignity that hardly asked to be recognized. Now that he was gone, I felt a keen sense of gratitude for his sacrifice. And I couldn’t help but wonder… if I had come to understand my gift sooner, maybe I could have done something to help him. Maybe I could have saved him.

  A sad sort of longing and regret moved through me as I watched my parents talk to each other cheerfully about Ambrosia and our future. Apparently, my mother knew quite a bit about it now. Once they were in the custody of the agents, my father had been given clearance to start explaining things to her, and during the hour long ride to the border, he had the opportunity to explain quite a bit. Now, I could see it in my mother’s face, enlightened and full of anticipation at the possibilities.

  I should have felt incredibly lucky and relieved. Rayne and my parents were safe. They were happy. And I did feel incredibly blessed to have so much to look forward to in Banya, a chance to share a life with Rayne, a chance to grow a relationship with my dad. Even my small carry-on bag, which contained all of my most prized possessions, was sitting safely in my lap at this very moment, thanks to my mother who, even after such a tragedy, remembered to go back inside the house to grab it for me while I was unconscious.

  But even with all of these wonderful things to be grateful for, there was still a burden weighing down on my thoughts. I had just discovered a great power inside me, an amazing gift, and I was about to move to the one place where nobody would ever need it. Every single person living on Ambrosia had the power to heal, without even trying. The Healing Water lived within the atmosphere, surrounded the people with every single breath.

  The weight pushed down on me harder. What was the good of having such a miraculous gift if there would never be a reason to use it again?

  “Sadie?” I heard my mom say. “Are you feeling okay?”

  I lifted my head abruptly, realizing that I hadn’t heard a word my parents were saying.

  I tried to focus. “Sorry. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”

  My mom gave a sympathetic look and moved next to me on the couch. “Of course you do,” she said. She lifted her hand to my back, rubbing in a pattern of soothing circles, speaking with soft encouragement. “It’s okay to feel scared,” she said. “This is a big change for all of us. And I know it’s hard to lose most of your things, but when we get to this new city your father says there will be a bunch of beautiful boutiques and department stores. Whenever you’re ready, the two of us are going to go out and buy entirely new wardrobes. How does that sound?”

  I pushed out a smile. “Yeah, that sounds great, Mom.”

  The fact that our clothes and luggage had been obliterated in an explosion was definitely a pain, but it wasn’t my biggest concern at the moment. In just a few minutes, several members of the Council would be standing before us, expecting me to profess my loyalty to Ambrosia forever, and I was suddenly questioning my decision to even go there. What I wanted now more than anything else was a way to use this gift inside me.

  My heart started drumming in my chest. What was I going to do? Orion told me that if I chose to stay on Earth the Council would strip me of my memories. I would forget about Ambrosia and even about Rayne. Did that mean I would forget my father too? And if my mom went with him…

  I took in a deep breath, trying to calm myself. There was no way that was the answer. I wasn’t even going to think about it. Then, it suddenly occurred to me that there was a good chance that whatever method the Council used to erase memories probably wouldn’t even work on me. My body could heal itself. It would restore anything they tried to damage or remove. But even if that were true, it didn’t matter at this point. I wanted to be with my parents, not just remember them.

  There was only one option that calmed my rampant heart, one option th
at resonated clear. The only way I could have the life that I dreamed of and still use my gift to help those in need, was to convince them to let me into the Ambassadors Academy. I had to become a Water Keeper.

  Rayne’s face appeared through the doorway, and my father moved to stand. Rayne wore a look of both respect and duty, the one he always wore when he was near my father. As Rayne took his place along the far wall, he shot a quick glance, an encouraging smile, in my direction, giving me an extra boost of confidence. My mother and I followed my father’s example and stood from the couch, turning to watch as three members of the Council entered the room.

  The men greeted us warmly, extending their hands and nodding as my father made introductions. There was Councilman Orion Bennett, who of course both my mother and I already knew. There was Councilman Zieg Thompson, who I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting once before when he questioned me at the Court of Ambassadors for Rayne’s hearing, and who I noticed was now being referred to as Ambassador. And then there was a sweet-looking, elderly man who my father called Councilman Bernruffenlad Gibbson, but who insisted right away that we just call him Gibbs.

  The three councilmen ushered us away from the sitting area to an impressively long, rectangular table located in an adjoining room. They invited me, my parents, and Rayne to sit next to each other on one side of the table, while they each took a chair straight across from us along the other, so as to face us directly as we spoke. The agents and guards filed in all around us, securing the room just as they did the first.

  Councilman Thompson took the lead, folding his hands properly in front of him and resting them on the table. “By now you should have been fully briefed on the purpose of this meeting, as well as both the benefits and consequences of choosing to proceed. Is this correct?”

  I looked at my mom. She smiled and nodded, assuring me that she understood and was ready to move forward. I almost couldn’t believe how composed and certain she seemed. What exactly did my dad tell her while they were on the drive over? Did she understand that we were going to an entirely different planet halfway across the universe? Did she understand that this really was her last chance to change her mind?

  But as I watched my mom answer yes to the councilman’s question, whether or not she understood these things was beside the point. I had never seen my mother look so happy, not in my entire life, as she did when she was with both me and my dad, together as a family. The place we lived didn’t matter to her, as long as the three of us were together at last.

  I, on the other hand, found myself hesitating.

  “Sadie?” Councilman Thompson prompted. “Do you understand the benefits and consequences of this choice?”

  My throat felt tight. I tried to swallow. “Uh, yes,” I finally managed. “I understand.”

  He smiled pleasantly. “Well then, we shall go ahead and proceed with the oath of allegiance. Leena, we will begin with you. Please rise.” My mother and all three of the Council members stood from their chairs.

  “Please repeat after me,” he said. “I, state your full name…”

  My mother followed. “I, Leena Michelle James…”

  “Now renounce my allegiance to Earth and any other land of which I have been a citizen… and pledge my full heart and loyalty to the world of Ambrosia and the people who reside therein… I swear to abide by the laws set forth by the Ambassadors Council, and to do my duty to defend the rights and welfare of my fellow citizens of Ambrosia…”

  My palms were getting hot. Just hours earlier, I was so sure this was what I wanted, but now something festered inside me, putting me on edge.

  My mother continued to repeat his words. “I understand that I may in no way return to any other land for the entirety of my life… unless express permission is otherwise given by direct authority of the Ambassadors Council… and that I must never speak of this world named Ambrosia or its inhabitants… or of the existence of the Sacred Pool and the reviving properties of the Healing Water, which sustains the survival of this people… to any non-citizen or persons residing outside the Threshold border.”

  Just before my mother could complete the last line of the oath, I found myself suddenly blurting out, as if I could barely control myself.

  “Wait!” I cried.

  Everyone stared at me in stunned silence. Rayne’s eyes went wide, turned and studied me with troubled concern.

  “Are you having second thoughts?” Councilman Thompson questioned gently.

  “No,” I said. “I mean, yes. I mean, I’m not sure.”

  The councilman looked at me with patience, as if he wasn’t the least bit surprised. “We understand that this is a great commitment,” he began. “Perhaps there is a question or two we could answer that might help ease your uncertainties?”

  I could feel the burden of every eye in the room staring down at me. I took a deep breath, and let the burning question inside me finally release. “If I become a citizen of Ambrosia, is there any possible way that I would ever be allowed to be admitted to the Ambassadors Academy?”

  Councilman Thompson’s brow pinched with vexed surprise. “I’m sorry. That would be impossible. We have clear laws against this, set in place to ensure the security of our people. You must be a natural-born citizen to become an agent or hold any office that allows for travel back across the border.”

  “But my father was an Ambassador,” I protested. “The blood of William Fairbanks himself runs through my veins.”

  “This may be, but that doesn’t change the fact that you were raised as a citizen of Earth. You have to understand that every time we allow someone to cross through this border, the safety of every citizen of Ambrosia is put at risk. There are just some risks that we are not willing to take.”

  I stood from my chair in earnest. “I swear I would never do anything to put Ambrosia or its people in danger. I would do whatever the Council wanted me to do in order to prove my loyalty. I just… have to become a Water Keeper.”

  The councilman stood firm. “Even if this were possible, the Council would have to agree through a majority vote. I couldn’t give you a sure answer even if I wanted to, but I have to make myself clear that this possibility would be very slight.”

  “Please,” I said, “there has to be a way. I’m supposed to be a Water Keeper. I know I am.”

  “I’m sorry. It just isn’t possible.”

  I stared at their faces, not knowing what to do. The desperation clenched through my chest, a well of tears pushing to break free. I was born to be a Water Keeper. I had to show them. I had to make them understand.

  Then, without thinking, in a burst of pure adrenalin, I reached for Rayne’s pocket, grabbed the small knife that I knew he always kept there, flipped open the blade, and groaned in pain as I raked it straight down my arm.

  In an instant, my mother cried out with fear, my dad burst from his chair, Rayne tore the knife from my fingers, and I looked up to find every agent and guard in the room with a gun pointed in my direction.

  Orion leapt from his chair. “Hold your fire!” he commanded.

  I didn’t stop. I held out my blood-covered arm, showing the massive gash, ripped from elbow to wrist. Then it happened just as I knew in my heart it would. Within seconds, the flesh across my arm pulled itself inward. My body responded, healing and repairing anything that was damaged; tendon, vein, muscle, skin.

  Every jaw in the room dropped, every eye went wide, as my arm healed itself right before their eyes.

  “Someone gave you Healing Water,” Councilman Thompson accused.

  I shook my head frantically. “No, I don’t have any. None of us do. My body can heal itself.”

  Rayne stood abruptly. “Sir, she’s telling the truth. You can search us if you have to.”

  Just as the councilman moved to respond, my father stepped forward. “That won’t be necessary. These men here know that I am a man of honor, a man of my word. Is that not so?”

  Orion spoke first. “Of course we do,” he said. Councilman
Thompson and Gibbs nodded in agreement.

  “I swear that what my daughter has claimed is the truth,” my father declared. “Not only do we not have a single drop of Healing Water in our possession, but I was fatally wounded, to the point of no return, in that explosion planted by Voss this morning, and I can attest without hesitation that if it were not for my daughter, and whatever this unexplainable power is within her to heal, that I would in fact be dead. She, on her own, without the aid of Healing Water or any other device, brought my dying body back to life, through her own inner resources, and restored my body from all injuries. Sadie’s mother and Agent Stevens were both there and can bear witness to this event.”

  Councilman Thompson examined my father’s face. “Hamlin, I’ve seen a body heal itself countless times on Ambrosia in my lifetime, seen many injuries, even fatal ones, repaired outside the Threshold by the Healing Water, but I have never once, in my entire life, heard of any person who could take the power of healing from within themselves and transfer it to someone else. As much as I want to trust you on this, I find it difficult to believe.”

  Suddenly, Rayne interjected. “She can show you. I have a wound on my leg from the explosion. Sadie can heal it right here.”

  The older man, Gibbs, tried to push himself up from his chair with shaky arms, and with renewed interest said, “Now that is something I would like to see.”

  “I would as well,” Orion agreed.

  With Councilman Thompson’s approval, I followed Rayne around the table where he pulled up a chair in front of the Council members. He elevated his leg and lifted the bottom of his pants, revealing a large bandage wrapped around his calf. When he unwound the white cloth I saw that it was riddled with blood. I felt myself shutter. His leg looked worse than my arm did just a few minutes before.

  I kneeled down beside him with pained eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered. “I could have fixed it sooner.”

  “It wasn’t important,” he said. “All I cared about was making sure you were safe.” I nodded with understanding, and with everyone watching in silence, I moved to place my fingers on Rayne’s leg.