I realised I had not answered Maya's question about going home, having become lost in my contemplations. 'It could take a little while to locate your mother. You do not remember anyone ever calling her by a name, do you?'
Maya paused; the hand wrapped about the spoon slowly dropping to rest on the table as she tried to remember. The act touched memories but did not access them fully. Finally, she shook her head.
At her discouraged look, I gave her what I gauged to be a reassuring smile. 'It will be alright, Maya. We will get you home.'
She managed a weak smile in return, but there was worry in her eyes. She finished her meal more slowly as I interrupted with questions meant to draw memories to the surface that I might find useful. I was not having much success. The name of her school was ambiguous, St Mary's was not a very unique name. Her mind was bleary on how to spell her last name or her street; they were things she never concentrated on or cared about. I had dozens of memories of her riding her bike, but none where a street sign showed. The problem with searching a child's memory is that they do not think of their parents in terms of what those outside the family called them, they think of them as Mother and Father, Mum and Dad, Mama and Papa. In Maya's case, she thought of her mother as Mama. Another problem is that the young are rarely very organised in their thinking patterns, even when asked direct questions.
After the meal, Maya selected a DVD to watch and settled on the lounge in front of the television with the bowl of fruit in her lap. Either side of the lounge were two chairs designed to accommodate both humans and angels; the back was the same level as the arms so that a being with wings could sit and have their lower back supported without their wings being obstructed. There was also an ottoman, which I pushed to one side, out of the way of the television and sat on cross-legged. As I said, I had my wings veiled, but habit drew me to what I saw as the more practical seat. Most Envoy properties have such things as laptops, chargers, a list of numbers, and a number of corporate documents that are often useful. This was to reduce the number of things the guardians have to handle, although we all have a bag of items we take from place to place. I carry a corporate credit card, ID/pass, charger, and headphones along with my mobile. I rarely use the credit card and ID, but often use the headphones to listen to music, which I discovered I greatly enjoy. It was Bastien who introduced me to mobiles and music as well as teaching me how to download apps and use things like GPS. Envoy also made sure there was a stock of DVDs, books, and games suitable for children in their residences. Clothing is not included as there is too much variation to account for.
Aurealis generally summons me in cases where violence must be retaliated. This might entail protecting a parent or a child from a fatal event or to protect Aurealis's agents from attacks by creatures of the Dark Realm or those other realms that might have a conflict of interest.
More recently I have been required to extend my role, either accompanying my charge and their Envoy representative to court or a new place to live, or to mind my charge until Envoy is able to clear the legal way to help them into a safer situation. This concerned me, because, despite the time I have spent in the earthly realm, I have never felt entirely comfortable in it and I had a feeling Aurealis was planning to expand my role, probably so I could eventually take on the role of guardian. While this would mean progress along my path to redemption, a part of me wished that it was possible to somehow skip over this part of my penance.
I realised I had forgotten to retrieve the laptop. I repressed a sound of irritation so as not to startle the child as I rose to collect it from the desk. I flipped it into its tablet configuration as I returned to the ottoman. Bastien had loaded several books onto a cloud server and I thought, if I had to wait around, I might as well read. I preferred music, but never on a mission. Headphones hampered my ability to hear an attack and I left it for times when I was alone.
Maya was still nibbling her food. A scan of her thoughts told me she was taking tiny bites in order to make the food last longer.
'Do not worry,' I told her softly, 'we can always order more food if you are still hungry and there are snacks in the kitchenette.'
'What kind of snacks?'
'Nuts, dried fruit, muesli bars, microwave popcorn.'
'An' I can have them whenever I want?'
I nodded.
Maya looked at her fruit, decided it was safe enough to finish it and took a large bite from a piece of apple. I looked at her bulging cheeks as she worked her way through it, her concentration on the cartoons before her. I knew what it was like to starve and decided that some parts of my assignments were not as bad as others. Still, I would be happier once the guardian got in contact and took over the child's care.
As soon as the thought entered my mind, I felt the touch of another. I rose and walked over to look out the window, where I could see the white spire of the Arts Centre, as I accepted her connection. The guardians share a communal mind; they can communicate with each other by mind, know each other's thoughts. Ultimately, they share quite an intimate knowledge of each other's experiences, emotions, thoughts, and ambitions. When Ceri-talen created me, he based many of my attributes on the guardians, and then, in his mind, improved them. My basic wing structure is the same as a guardian's, but a guardian cannot flex their wings to make the feathers lock to create a shield. All therilgalen also share a version of the communal mind. Ours is hunt driven, though, and we only connect in order to work as a co-ordinated group. I am grateful Aurealis does not chain me to the communal mind the guardians share, but on occasion it is useful, such as now, when I focused on Maya's need for a guardian.
'Therion, I am being summoned to you,' she sent.
The moment we connect we can identify each other. I knew she identified herself as female and called herself Vessa. She was newly released from a term of guardianship that had lasted ninety years. This new summoning startled her, the strength of the anxiety making her feel weak. Being summoned is a feeling of anxiousness mixed with an intense compulsion drawing you towards the subject of the summoning. I knew that anxiousness, but never suffer the weakness others describe.
In my case, Vessa did not delve too deeply within my mind— the guardians find my disposition to violence intolerable. As soon as Vessa identified me, she withdrew the connection to the minimum required to communicate. I also felt a flicker of fear. Neither response was surprising. They all know me; Aurealis's therilgalen, the soul taker seeking redemption. There are others in service to Aurealis who know how to repel violence, her soldiers, for instance, but I am quite different. For one, I do not mind using violence to achieve my ends; indeed, quite often, I relish it. Being guardians of life, they abhor my ability to kill, or, more precisely, that I feel no pang of conscience when I do.
'I have a child,' I told Vessa. 'Her name is Maya. Her current danger has been mitigated, yet she will require a life-long guardian.'
'Yes, I am aware of that. I will be there shortly.'
I acknowledged her message and returned my focus to my surroundings. Putting my back to the window, I looked over at Maya. She had not moved, but she was no longer watching the television. I tilted my head, picking up her heartbeat, it was more rapid than normal, yet she was not afraid.
'How did you get wings? Are you an angel?'
The questions startled me. Firstly, because I had not re-manifested my wings, they were still veiled within the shadow plane. Secondly, because it meant she could see my true form. It was not unknown. Like some can see the future, others, ghosts, or those who can move things with their minds or perceive thoughts, there are those whose gift is to see the spirits not of their plane, like Jayden Emerline Thaneton and, to a lesser extent, her mother. From Maya's mind, I could tell her true-sight was not fully developed yet. Her memories showed she could only see my true form at certain times. Maya was still talking, an unending stream of questions and comments; it was the most I had heard from her since retrieving her.
'I didn't think angels could have bla
ck wings, they're supposed to be white, an' you have funny eyes, like a cat, 'cept they're gold. Not brown like my dog, but real gold. An' you've got pointy teeth, like a vampire, 'cept they don't have wings, so you could be a demon, I've seen them on TV. I've got all the Meta-mal figures, my mama says that it doesn't matter if they're considered boy's toys, I can play with any kind of toy I like. They're robots that look like animals an' they have symbi-, sym-bi-ot-tic,' she paused to give me a proud smile at having succeeded in pronouncing the word, I smiled back. '...sym-bi-ot-tic humans who work with 'em to destroy evil. You're not a robot, are you? You could be a hybrid, my friend Justin has a comic where they created a hybrid by crossing lion an' human DNA, but he went mad an' they… but your wings have feathers, so…' she frowned, 'you're not a superhero, are you?'
I shook my head slowly as I processed the rapid eruption of questions and commentary. 'Most would classify me an angel by the work I do,' I answered slowly. Except maybe the angels themselves.
Maya grinned. 'But you could be a superhero. You helped Wynnie and Brian, made them well again.'
I frowned; how did she know that I had healed the other children before revealing myself to collect her?
Maya was still happily chattering on about superheroes, but an abrupt silence made me realise she had asked a question. I reviewed my memory to recall her last words: could I catch a bullet and was I faster than a train... A train? Why a train? Why not a car or an aeroplane? I mentally shrugged.
'I can move faster than human perception, so, while I have never attempted to race a train, I believe I can move faster than one.'
A brief, exasperated, look crossed her face and then excitement. 'Can we try it?'
I'd started to ask her how she had known about the other children but stopped to consider her question. At the same time, there was a light knock on the door. Vessa had crossed into the plane out in the hall so as not to startle the child.
When I returned from answering the door, I saw that Maya had quickly lost her newfound sociability and retreated to the bedroom. Vessa raised her eyebrows as she caught her disappearing around the door.
'It is alright, Maya, she is a… friend of mine,' I said as brushed past Vessa and entered the bedroom.
A scan of the room told me she had decided to hide. I sat on the bed. 'Maya, why are you hiding?'
'I'm not hiding,' a muffled voice from under the bed said.
'No? You regularly spend time under beds then?' I kept my tone light, but not teasing.
'Strangers are dangerous.'
'That is true,' I acknowledged. 'You should always employ caution when dealing with adults you do not know. This case is different because I know Vessa and I know she will not hurt you.'
A long silence followed my words.
'Would a superhero expose you to harm, Maya?'
More silence as she considered this.
I tried to keep the impatience from my voice, 'Vessa is here to help you. She is very good at finding parents, which is why I asked her to come. You do want to go home, do you not?'
I heard a series of shuffling sounds and then Maya's small hands reached out from under the bed near my feet. She gripped the thick carpet and pulled herself out in a number of dragging movements, grunting softly at times. How she managed to fit herself in the small space was beyond my understanding. How she got into such a narrow space so quickly was also an unexpected, and impressive, feat.
Once she was out, she wriggled into a sitting position at my feet, wrapping her arms about her bent knees. 'Why can't you find my mama?'
'It is like you say, I am more like a superhero. I do the rescuing, the…'
'Tough stuff,' Maya supplied helpfully.
I shrugged. 'More or less. Vessa… Vessa is good at helping the people I save. She reunites them with their family, or helps them find a home, or whatever it is they need to have a happy life.'
This was not precisely true, but close enough.
Maya pushed herself up and sat on the bed next to me. She inserted her tiny hand in mine. I frowned inwardly, not sure what the proper response to such an action should be, and then decided to do nothing.
'It was a woman who took me,' she said softly, fear in her voice. 'She seemed really nice, but she wasn't, not later... She said she was going to take me to my mama too.'
Long moments of silence followed each statement. The little hand curled about two of my fingers and I could hear a sob in her voice. I let the child speak her fears. Naming a fear is the first step to overcoming it.
'But she didn't. She locked the car doors, an' when I said I was thirsty, she yelled at me, calling me bad names. She even hit me when we got to the bad place 'cause I was crying.'
I could clearly see an image of the woman in her mind, it was Riley's sister, Lena. I concentrated on Maya's memory of the event until I could hear her voice, smell her scent, feel the sharp blow as she cuffed Maya. I discovered that this memory was linked to another; Lena was the person who had beat Maya for trying to escape. That was why Maya's fear was so strong. I removed my hand from hers, transferring Maya's hand to my other hand, farthest from her. Placing my closest hand on her neck, I said softly, 'Close your eyes, Maya. Picture in your mind the night sky above your house. I want you to name every constellation before you open your eyes.'
She did not question my instruction; they never do when I infuse their will with my own. Maya had a strong will, but she was a child still and it was relatively easy to bend to my direction. Her mother often took her star gazing and encouraged her interest in space, so the task was well-suited to absorbing her attention while also evoking feelings of comfort and love, even though she would not know all the names.
She was so small and fragile. And her spirit was too... I found myself staring and shook free of the old, familiar need. It surprised me, both in the strength of the feeling and its suddenness, especially since up until this moment I had been free of the compulsion to prey on Maya's spirit. I decided it was because I was tired and drained. I had used too much energy without renewing it and was becoming distracted. As a human can taste and smell and experience food, so it is for me with souls. I pushed back the feeling and returned my attention to my original task as I could not keep Maya in trance for too long. I concentrated on Maya's memories of her abduction, moving through them, drawing on them until I could feel her fear in myself. Then I devoured the emotion, just the fear, taking it from the child and adding the meagre ration to my reserves. This was the most dangerous part, the part where extracting this fear could very easily extend into taking her soul if I failed to supress my natural instincts. For a long moment, I thought about it... I found myself hovering on that edge between metaphorical sin and salvation. I cursed my current master bitterly. Ceri-talen had never chained me so. And what if I did take it? What could Aurealis do that I had not suffered already? There would be reprimand, of course, and punishment. That punishment would be unpleasant, tedious... Yet I counted it as nothing against the euphoric ecstasy of taking such an unpolluted spirit.
But to take her like this...
This was no way to hunt. Since we started gathering in the earthly realm, I rarely felt challenged. Before Ceri-talen started sending us here, we used to hunt in the other realms. Beings that could not only see us, but that could fight back. The unpredictable nature of the hunt, the adrenaline rush as I closed in on the kill. That was hunting.
I pushed the memory aside, reigning in the ache hunger caused, as I reminded myself: I liked this girl, I did not want to extinguish her. Focusing on this thought, I returned to the task. The first time Aurealis made me do this, she said it would strengthen my discipline and that, in turn, would make me stronger. She was right, to a degree; it was easier to turn aside the instinctual impulse to take a spirit now.
Easier, but not easy, by any means.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself meeting Vessa's silver gaze. She was standing in the doorway and I realised that she had been watching me for some time.
>
The guardian sent to my mind rather than speak aloud. 'I never realised what it cost you to do that.'
My eyes narrowed and I repressed a growl.
'I have made him angry.' She meant me; she was thinking to herself, but as she had not disconnected our link I heard the thought. She bowed slightly and sent, 'I did not realise I was intruding on something you consider private, please forgive me.'
She slipped back out into the main room, leaving me with Maya, who was breathing deeply having dropped from the mediation into sleep. I drew back from her, rising to break all contact.
'Maya,' I said softly.
The child woke calmly, her long lashes rising to reveal green eyes that were less shadowed by fear.
'Vessa will not harm you, I give you my word as a superhero,' I assured her.
She still seemed to hesitate but was less apprehensive. 'Will you leave straight away?'
'Not straight away, but soon. I have other people who need me.'
Maya heaved a great sigh. 'I guess that's true. Most superheroes have to move around a lot, there always seems to be someone else who needs saving.'
I stepped in and nudged her. 'Come, let us join Vessa. I am sure she will feel hurt if we do not come out soon and she came a long way just to meet you.'
'Why?'
'Because, like me, she knows you are very special.'
That seemed to please her and she was up and heading for the door. As I followed, I heard her exclaim, 'Wow! You're a superhero too!'
Vessa gave me a questioning look.
Soul Taker's Redemption Page 11
