The Compendium

by Christine Hart

  He looked at back at me and I searched his face in a flash. Vitality flickered in his eyes and it filled my stomach with butterflies.

  “Oh, and what will we tackle next?”

  “We need a plan to catch Ivan and take him out. We also need The Compendium, or a copy of it, to be sure we have a complete record of anything Innoviro has done or planned to do that needs to be reversed.”

  “Yes, we’ve all talked about this, Irina.”

  “Assume we find a way to do all those things. I’m thinking about what comes after day to day.”

  “You mean rebuilding our lives.”

  “I mean, do we stay together, Jonah? Where do we want to live? What will we do for jobs and homes and money? I had ideas for my life. They were boring ideas, but I knew what came after this stage. Now, I have no concept of what my life could contain. It might make things easier if I could envision what life will be after we do the hard work ahead.”

  “You want to plan for something unknowable. We might be on the road for years chasing down Innoviro’s messes. Maybe we’ll pick a time and place to stop, once we’re sure that we’ve caught the worst of it. We probably will have a hard time re-entering normal society. Each of us gave up mainstream careers and lifestyles when we joined Innoviro in the first place. Whatever you picture as a life after Innoviro, I hope I’m there.” Jonah took my hand and I let him. His large hands felt warm and strong.

  We walked with hands clasped, fingers interlocked, strolling down the rural road as though all the hurt and drama hadn’t happened. We could have been walking through Northern BC. We could be waiting to go back to university. My parents could be waiting for us to come home for dinner. None of that would ever come to pass.

  I wouldn’t be able to rebuild my future with pieces of my past no longer accessible. But I might be able to craft a viable semblance of a life. If Jonah could be with me, whatever did come would be workable.

  “Here we are,” said Jonah.

  We’d arrived at the edge of the bramble line, parallel to the end of the Foothills’ backfield. A new path cut through the woods in the direction of our clearing.

  Jonah turned into the path and we walked until we came to a small grassy patch. A thin quilt had already been spread out on the ground. Jonah sat down on the quilt and beckoned me to do the same. He smiled at me. I smiled back and I felt butterflies in my stomach again.

  “Are you better now? Stable at least?” I asked nervously, knowing what Jonah obviously had in mind.

  “I think so. This past week has been energizing. I admit I worried about training with my ability. After fighting Hugo and all the bullshit afterwards, it did seem like I was getting worse and worse. Camille healing me and spending so much time with gallons of fresh water on tap has really made a difference.”

  He opened his mouth to keep talking, but I couldn’t wait. I leaned in and kissed him, softly at first, but when he responded with enthusiasm, I escalated too.

  I pulled Jonah on top of me as I lay back on the quilt. I welcomed the weight of his long chest and lean hips as he kissed me deeply. His hands reached around me. One arm cradled my back while the other went under my shirt and up to my breast. I saw flashes of Jonah’s past as our bodies moved together. He played volleyball on a beach, still pale, but grinning in the sun.

  He wore a tuxedo for a graduation, more handsome than I’d ever seen him. He walked along the Inner Harbour in Victoria as the wind played with his black hair. I felt a rush of breathless energy as I saw glimpses of his past connected completely to his present body.

  Jonah suddenly flexed uncomfortably and let out a gasp that was not pleasure. He grunted and rolled off me. Panic flooded my heart. I leapt up to evaluate him. Jonah’s eyes closed. His face became a portrait of pain. He curled into a fetal shape.

  “Jonah! No! What happened?”

  He didn’t answer with words, but turned over and over, moaning. He lay still, breathing shallowly. “I don’t know what happened. I was getting better.”

  “Obviously this is too soon. We’re not doing this again. Not unless you get treatment you can count on.” I stood and backed away from Jonah. He stayed on the ground, sitting up to face me.

  “Don’t give up. We’ll figure this out,” said Jonah.

  “Maybe. I’m not going to take chances though. How did you feel when it you drained me?”

  “That’s not the same thing.”

  “Why, because I’m a girl? It’s not okay for you to hurt me, but if I’m the one doing the damage, it’s totally fine!”

  Anger swelled in my belly. Anger at life, not Jonah, but life didn’t have a face I could target.

  “I did way more damage to you that day than you did to me a moment ago.”

  “Easy for you to say, you didn’t just have to watch the person you love writhing in pain!”

  “You love me?” Jonah smiled with a cheeky playfulness. “Good, because I love you too.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” Rage overrode everything. “I’m sick and tired of this–of us–being a fight. I might love you today, but I’ll get over it. I have to get over it. We stand no chance of fighting Ivan and whoever else he’s got on his side if we’re screwing around with this emotional crap!”

  “Take some time and relax.”

  “You take some time.” I stormed back to the road. I marched down the bramble path and back to the farmhouse without looking back. I was being unfair to Jonah, but life was being unfair to me. Ivan, my true target, specifically whatever force inside him orchestrated The Compendium, needed to bear the brunt of my vengeance.

  If I stayed angry, I could nurse the emotion into hatred, turning hatred into psychic and telekinetic energy. I could become a force Ivan would be sorry he’d ever created.

  Back in front of the farmhouse, my friends were packing the trunks of Cole’s car and Josh’s Jeep. I stormed past the group and into the house. I shoved my belongings into my backpack, did a quick survey of the guest room, and headed back out front.

  “Josh, I’m riding with you.” I tossed my bag uninvited into his trunk.

  “Uh, yeah, sure. Ilya planned to take the front. Are you cool with the back seat? It’s noisy.”

  “That’ll be fine. Let’s go. Now!” I got into the back seat.

  Josh, Ilya, Cole and Faith all said goodbye to Max and Camille. I seethed with too much rage to be polite, so I waited in the car.

  Jonah appeared at the edge of the driveway, looking only slightly winded. It was obvious something was wrong between us. I didn’t care to explain. I sat in the back seat while my friends talked amongst themselves to their satisfaction. I had worked my anger at the situation into a swirling mass of misguided rage. How dare they all act like everything was normal? Couldn’t they tell something awful had just happened? Of course not, but I fumed anyway until we finally drove away.

  As he drove, Josh filled us in on his plan. We were on our way to Spokane to pick up his friend and fellow variant, Adelaide. She was an alumna of Innoviro’s European sister company, Evonatura.

  “When we get to Adelaide’s house, we’ll need to spend the night. She’s got a big place, a lot like Foothills Glen, so there’s room for all of us. If we don’t piss her off too much. You’ll piss her off if you stare,” said Josh. I sensed him eyeing me in the rearview mirror as he drove, but I refused to meet his gaze.

  “Irina, you should calm down, regardless of who we’re meeting later,” said Ilya. The mild irritation in his voice served to ratchet up my rage.

  Shut up and stay out of my head! This is none of your goddamn business!

  “I’m perfectly calm! But why would we stare? Is her variation gross or something?”

  “Don’t say gross. She’s one of us. She does have a very noticeable variation. Like the angel sisters, s
he can’t go out in public without a disguise,” said Josh.

  “You mean Rose and Sage? She’s got wings?” said Ilya.

  “No, she’s got tentacles,” said Josh.

  “Did you give the others this little briefing?” said Ilya, his irritation replaced with concern.

  “I told Cole and asked him to discuss it, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind them. Irina, text your boyfriend to make sure they’ve got a heads up,” said Josh.

  “He’s NOT my boyfriend,” I said, fully aware how childish I sounded.

  “Okay. Text Jonah and remind them not to stare at Adelaide,” said Josh.

  I looked straight back at him this time. The combination of Josh’s scowl, dark beard stubble, army-green flak jacket, and sheer physical size would have intimidated me in any other circumstance. Angry as I felt, I held my tongue and glared back at him for a long moment.

  I picked up my phone and started tapping. “Done.”

  “Good. Now, pick that cup up off the floor and practice your telekinesis until we get to Spokane.”

  The road from Seattle to Spokane took us from mountains and lush coastal forests to rolling grassy hills and wide flat plains. We passed through the unremarkable towers of Spokane’s core, over a river and back into grasslands. Josh turned onto a long driveway that disappeared into a tunnel of trees. We emerged to find, not a farm, but an acreage stretching out around a large log cabin. While we parked, I saw the front door open and a woman in a wheelchair navigated the porch to greet us.

  “Hello, Josh! It’s good to see you!” said the woman in the wheelchair. I detected a faint accent in her speech, but I couldn’t place it. She smoothed the blanket covering her lap and legs.

  “Hi Adelaide. How’s it goin?” Josh said, through his open door window. We got out of the Jeep as Cole’s car parked next to us.

  “Working from home again, so I can’t complain.” Adelaide wheeled forward a little with a welcoming smile on her face.

  Her beauty struck me speechless. Ebony ringlets flowed from the top of her head, onto her chest and down her back. Her coffee-colored skin was flawless. Green eyes shone under thick fringes of jet-black lashes.

  “This is Irina. Over there is Ilya, Cole, Faith and Jonah,” said Josh, pointing fingers at each of us in turn.

  “Come inside everyone. Food’s waiting.” Adelaide wheeled back into the house and we all followed.

  The entryway looked out on a spacious great room at least twenty feet high. A railing bordering the far corner of the living room suggested a lower level.

  “Good to meet you.” Ilya stuck out his hand. Adelaide shook it. Jonah, Cole, and Faith followed suit. I couldn’t stop looking at the art on her walls. Huge canvases were covered in detailed elaborate scenes, fairies in a forest, a lively coral reef, a city in the clouds.

  “You’ve got a lovely home here,” said Jonah.

  “It keeps the rain off my head,” said Adelaide.

  “Are these yours?” I gestured to the paintings. “They’re beautiful.”

  “Thank you. It’s become my life’s work, given I don’t work for Evonatura anymore,” said Adelaide.

  “You’re among friends here, if you want to stand up,” said Josh, beckoning her upwards with both his hands.

  Adelaide sized each of us up. In response, Faith tossed a fireball between her hands. I floated my cup, doing my best impression of a funnel spin.

  Adelaide slowly lifted her blanket to reveal a long row of fleshy tubes, the same brown as her skin. Her simple yellow sweater turned out to be a dress, tailored to flare and flow like a skirt around her many legs. She slid upward onto eight s-curved tentacles, dotted with large pink suction cups on the underside of each. I wanted to ask if she had been born or made as she was, along with the nature of her work for Evonatura. I said nothing.

  “Shall we eat?” said Adelaide.

  We followed her through the kitchen, the only enclosed space on the ground level. Her dining table on the other side had a spread of cold cuts, fruits, vegetables, crackers, and breads, all in generous proportions. Earthenware plates were stacked at either end of the table.

  “Nice spread!” said Faith, picking up a plate. Wearing a long sleeved waffle shirt and faded overalls, Faith looked out of place in Adelaide’s elegant home.

  “Thank you so much for having us.” Jonah hung back. The energy I’d seen in him earlier faded, his heart-breaking fatigue back in place.

  “I hope this isn’t bad timing.” Cole quickly followed his sister in creating a pile of food. Back in his standard band shirt and cargo short combo, Cole looked only slightly more cultured than his sister.

  “So, Adelaide, did Josh tell you we’re looking for companions to join our little road trip?” said Ilya.

  “I said we were on the road, but I didn’t say we were looking for recruits.” Josh frowned at my brother’s lack of tact.

  “I think you’ll find I’m not very helpful out in the world,” said Adelaide.

  “We’re not going out in the world, not really. We’ve got to stay under the radar as it is. We need all the help we can get and I think you’d be a kickass asset,” said Ilya.

  “Sorry, Adelaide, we’re not here to pressure you.” Josh glared at Ilya.

  “I don’t want to pry, but do you have any other abilities?” I asked. Everyone but Faith turned and frowned at me.

  “Apart from the obvious?” said Adelaide.

  I blushed. “Yes, other than that. I have two variations myself.” I looked away quickly.

  Adelaide’s tentacles pulsed as she lifted several into the air. Glowing blue rings appeared along the fleshy side of her tentacles. Adelaide opened her mouth. A slim tentacle with a beak on the end jabbed and snapped in my direction. Adelaide retracted the beak and rested all her legs back down on the floor.

  “One bite will kill a large person through respiratory paralysis within minutes. Evonatura had a biochemistry division and Adelaide was their toxicologist.” Josh shoved his hands in his pockets and rolled back to the balls of his heels with a smug wry smile.

  “You didn’t think to mention THAT on the way here?” I asked him.

  “Josh was being a gentleman. I am very choosy about the people who learn this much about me,” said Adelaide.

  “Irina is still relatively new to this life. She didn’t mean to offend.” Ilya brushed cracker crumb hands on his black T-shirt and I shook my head.

  “Indeed. Life takes us all on different paths.” Adelaide smiled at me. All trace of threat was gone.

  “The reason I’m asking you to come with us now is because we suspect Innoviro Industries, possibly along with Evonatura, is involved in a conspiracy to remake the world and reseed it with variant life.” Ilya pushed his shaggy cinnamon hair behind his ears–a gesture I’d come to understand meant stress management for my brother.

  “In a nutshell.” Cole grinned, bright teeth against his tanned skin. His chocolate eyes had a spark of mischievousness. I had to admit he was a handsome man, especially when he was happy.

  “Hmmm,” said Adelaide, not alarmed in the least. “Sounds like something Ivan Krylov and Claude Mueller might cook up.”

  “Who is Claude Mueller?” I said.

  “He’s the CEO of Evonatura,” said Josh.

  “My former employer and fiancé.” Adelaide’s voice took on a hint of distaste.

  “At the moment, we’re trying to stop Ivan from starting an earthquake somewhere around San Francisco. Will you help us?” The bags under Jonah’s eyes looked as though he hadn’t slept for days.

  Adelaide looked at each of us, and then stared out her back bay window for a long moment. I did not need telepathy to interpret her thoughts. A world where she could roam freely in society, even fit in as normal, would have to be extremely appealing. Per
haps even telling her at all had been a huge mistake. I wished I had been in the loop before we contacted this woman, and that we’d all had time to discuss this addition to our group.

  “Let me think about it.” In a flash, Adelaide crossed the great room, climbed over the railing and dropped into the opening. A moment later, a splash sounded in the distance.

  “And now we wait.” Josh popped a sausage and cracker stack in his mouth and chewed with a placid expression.

  Chapter 12

  We waited and ate, waited and lounged while the splashing below subsided. No sound came from the lower level. I yearned to peer over the edge for a glimpse at Adelaide’s pool below, but I forced myself to resist.

  Faith leaned back from the table and looked across at her brother.

  “Hey Cole, did you ever hear from David Wong? I figured he’d be harassing us after he emailed me, like, hours after we left Vancouver.” Faith had tied her purple dreads back as she always did when she wanted to concentrate.

  “No, now that you mention it. Maybe he lost interest,” said Cole.

  “I doubt Wong decided to drop the story. Not after the way he reacted,” I said.

  Faith had her phone out, tapping away.

  “HOLY SHIT!” she shouted and clapped her hand over her mouth. “He’s dead! They fucking killed him!”

  “What?” Cole’s brown eyes went black under his furrowed brow.

  “How do you know?” said Jonah.

  “I Googled his name. I was looking for his latest story. And there’s this headline: ‘Journalist Found Dead in North Vancouver Warehouse’. It’s about Wong,” said Faith, still staring at her phone with utter disbelief.

  Ilya leaned in to see her screen and took the phone from her limp hand. “She’s right. It says he was found beaten in an abandoned warehouse near the Lion’s Gate Bridge.”