by C. S. Moore
A hand wrapped around her arm just as her fingers touched the cool metal of the knob. Nell’s scream was automatic and powerful. She felt a little dizzy by the time all of the air was out of her lungs, but even that she couldn’t hear. Nell whipped herself around to face the assailant and wasn’t all that surprised to see the angelic face of Armaan looking at her… although he looked surprised, his face was full of concern.
“What’s wrong?” he mouthed.
She felt like slapping him for looking so concerned and deafening her at the same time. Nell knew it had to be something he was doing, so she pulled her arm out of his grasp and began a pretty spectacular verbal assault. After a few seconds, he smiled and put a hand to his ear, indicating he couldn’t hear a word she was saying.
She realized he couldn’t hear either. They stood in the empty hall awkwardly before he fetched a notepad from his pocket. He scribbled on it so quickly she doubted she’d be able to read the chicken scratch, but when he handed it to her, it was perfectly legible.
Hey, Nell! Sorry I didn’t give you a heads up. We had a lot of ears listening to us at the time. I put a silent spell around us so no one could hear us leave. I know it feels a little weird like pudding in your ears or something. Just trust me. It’s easier to make a daring escape when you don’t have to worry about noise.
Nell was surprised at how much she could hear his voice in the note. She turned her eyes away from the paper and looked up at him. He was giving her two thumbs up and what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but she thought it just looked super cheesy. She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a pen out of her pocket. It felt like she took much more time writing her note than he did his, though it was much shorter.
So, where are we going?
After a few scribbles he handed her back the pad and looked around cautiously.
We have a few more to pick up, and then we’re out. We need to leave right now if you want to come, and I really hope that you do. I don’t think it’s safe for you here, Nell. Everyone knows how close you are to Amanda. It’s your choice, but make it. Others are waiting.
Others were waiting. Who?
This was no time for questions or indecision. She handed him back the pad and nodded her head. Much to her delight, a smile stretched across his face. She grinned too, not understanding why this fact gave her such joy. She followed closely behind him until they reached the first fork. He held up a hand, and she stopped behind him. Armaan looked to his right and moved back quickly.
He turned to face her and mouthed one word. “Guards.” She sucked in a breath and was surprised at how frightened she was by them. He shook his head and then looked again. Armaan turned to her and quickly spun her in his arms to the other side of the hallway. For a moment it felt like they were dancing, but the hammering of her heart reminded her they were in danger. She turned around as he continued down the hallway, but no one was giving chase.
Armaan stealthily guided them through passages that the Guard seemed to have abandoned. He paused in some areas glancing at his watch, sometimes stopping for five or ten minutes. Nell wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but she knew he had guided them through areas the Guard should have been watching. Within an hour and a half, well over a dozen people had joined the two of them. She’d been a little embarrassed that none of the other Healers were screaming in fear at the loss of their hearing.
Maybe he’d given them a heads up. It was still eerie to be traveling with this many people and not hear a sound… even though she knew no sound meant safety. She glanced at the faces in the group around her. There were young and old, male and female.
They must just want out of here, maybe not because they were individually targeted, maybe just because their home was turning into a prison. She was pulled out of her thoughts as she collided with the person in front of her. The group had stopped without her noticing. Luckily, the person she banged into just gave her a reassuring smile. They were gathered around Armaan, who was scribbling on his notepad while looking at his watch. He held up the note for all to see, and after some wiggling Nell could read the words.
Okay, we have everyone who’s is coming with us. Our next stop is out of here. We don’t have much time left, so please try to hurry. Remember, there’s nothing to fear. We’ll be safe soon. Stay together.
He took one last look at his watch and opened his mouth.
Nell was sure if she were able to hear the words coming from him they would have contained four letters. He turned around and drove quickly down the hallway. Armaan didn’t move so fast that they couldn’t keep up, though she was certain he could have. His body lurched forward with incredible athleticism. He even had doors pried open before the group could pause.
It was at a door that he finally halted. She stared up at its towering height. Its twisted metal had strange patterns hammered into it. They looked so familiar to her. After a moment, she realized they were nothing more than an intricately scrawled mathematical symbol, the sign for infinity. She met eyes with Armaan who had a hand on the latch. As the door opened a fraction, her mind was assaulted with questions about his trustworthiness and that mark.
She brought up her memory of the Ancients and studied their odd skin. Scattered across them like duplicate birthmarks was the strange infinity sign. She backed up a step as the doors flew open. The room behind them was huge. Squinting upward, she could barely make out the domed ceiling.
It was six stories above her head. From the cavern-like walls hung fine drapery from around the world, giving the room a rich texture. Encompassing the room in a half circle stood six gigantic wooden chairs. The chair’s legs were thick roots, and growing out of them were the most intricately carved scenes that she had ever seen; plants and animals, Healers and spirits. All were depicted in perfect beauty.
Being in awe of the room’s grandeur, it took her a moment for her terrified mind to process the fact that the chairs stood empty.
The Ancients weren’t there. He hadn’t led her and the others to them. She let out the breath she’d been holding before she noticed the room’s sole occupant. He was an older man, but it was hard for her to guess his age as it was with most Healers. He was tall, and the width of his shoulders suggested he was also quite muscular. She overlooked his halfhearted smile, her eyes locking on his freshly pressed grey coat. It was a member of the Guard. She found Armaan’s face in the crowd, and it was smiling, smiling! He wasn’t surprised to see him; he looked happy. He must have known that the guard member would be there. Armaan moved forward quickly but paused when no one was following. He turned around slowly to face the crowd.
“What are you all waiting for? Come on, let’s get going.”
They stood in shock for a moment. He’d dropped the silence spell. He waved them on. Still no one moved to step through the doorway.
“Who is that?” an older woman asked bluntly.
“Come on, no time to waste. If you don’t want to come, please turn and leave now. We cannot have you in the hall in front of that door for any amount of time.” He stood tall and authoritative, but his eyes were locked on hers, pleading.
Nell wished she had more time to decide and that she didn’t trust Armaan so much, but she had no time and she did trust him, so she took a step forward. The Healers began to flow in behind her as she crossed the room and stood next to Armaan.
“Thanks,” he said to her quietly. “Now everyone, move to the center of the room.” He gestured at his fellow Guard member. “The Ancients have a gateway set up here at all times. We’ll be taking it out of here.”
She saw a bright speck of light shining like a little star suspended above a table next to the Guard. Armaan glanced at his watch again, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was some kind of tic.
“And we need to hurry,” the man at the center of the room said.
Now that the spell had been dropped, she could hear the institute and the roaring laughter of Guard members. It sounded so close. She doubled her pace. As the l
ast Healer stepped into the center of the room, Armaan grabbed hold of her hand, and they were whipped through space. Nell was surprised at how much being pulled through the gateway felt like falling into a Scar. She was actually a little worried that a Scar had taken her right before the gateway did, but when she came out of the other side, she was still surrounded by the group of Healers. Nell blinked back the light that stung her eyes.
How was the sun still up? It must have been two a.m. As her eyes relaxed, she took in her surroundings. They were on the roof of a skyscraper that overlooked a large city. Geometric high risers were scattered about the city, and each of them had a unique design. One had distinctly triangular shapes throughout its architecture while another was rounded like a cylinder. Red roofs were in the far distance like a field of roses.
There was a busy river directly below them. Big colorful boats floated past carrying flashing billboards advertising businesses. Where were they? She was about to ask Armaan when he stretched his arms across the scene. His fair hair was glowing in the afternoon sun, and the look on his face made her wonder if he was actually going to embrace the view before him.
“Welcome to Shanghai!” he said with a smile.
The older Guard member stepped next to him and whispered in his ear. Armaan nodded once, but not before Nell saw a string of emotions flash across his face.
They didn’t stay on his face long enough for her to understand what he was feeling, and his face was all she had to go by. She couldn’t read his emotions at all, which was a strange thing for her.
“Well, everyone, please thank my good friend and superior Joseph. Without his help, every single one of those halls would have been running with Guard members,” Armaan said. “And thanks to his strategic master mind, the Guard was always moving around us.” He gestured at his friend, and the Healers all began thanking him.
Joseph’s face was stoic, and it didn’t seem that he cared much for their gratitude. “Yes, you’re welcome and all that. I must be going. Good luck in your new home,” Joseph said and then he spoke to Armaan. “And I’m sorry to be losing you.” At that, he turned and walked away.
“Come on, everyone, let’s get you home,” Armaan said as he turned away from the river.
“And where is that?” Nell asked without meaning to.
He turned to face her, his eyes bright with excitement.
“Some Healers call it home. Some call it a safe haven.” He paused and searched the faces around him. “But most just call it New Hovel,” Armaan said to a sea of stunned faces.
“New Hovel? You mean there are enough Healers for a whole new city?” someone asked in awe.
“New Hovel is a hundred times larger and just about as populated.” He let the statement sink in before he told them something even more shocking. “And don’t freak out when you see a sassy old woman wandering the grounds talking to herself. It’s her power that keeps New Hovel safely hidden.”
“One woman, how is that possible?” Nell whispered.
“Well, it’s not all that difficult for her. She’s an Ancient.”
AMANDA LANDED GENTLY ON THE soft forest floor. She knew she was back in the campsite and felt little need to open her eyes. She couldn’t even bring herself to peek, just to make sure she was where she should be. The bright sparks of light Bill had vanished into were still imprinted on the backs of her eyelids. She watched them get more intense as she closed her eyes tighter. Happiness and peace shot through her every time she pictured him leaving. She didn’t open her eyes until she heard Cole clear his throat next to her.
When she opened them, she was surprise to find him so close to her. He hovered over Amanda, inches from her face. His warm breath smelled sweetly of citrus. His dark eyes were shining with the rush of energy that comes with Healing a Scar. She’d never seen him so unguarded. So many emotions flooded off him it was hard to read just one; happiness, peace, longing, desire. The first two made sense, but what was he longing for?
Amanda couldn’t bring herself to think about the desire he was feeling. She shook her head, attempting to clear it. Forbidden thoughts invaded her mind, and it was hard to think straight.
She glanced back up at Cole and regretted the action. Seeing the way he was looking at her made the fog return. She raised a hand to his cheek, and he shivered at her touch. He leaned down toward her, closing the space between them. She wondered what he was doing but stayed perfectly still.
Cole was so near she could taste his breath on her lips. He put his hand on the nape of her neck and lifted her head, gently kissing her cheek. The soft touch of his lips on her skin snapped her control, and she pulled him closer. A wave of surprised bliss rolled off him before he laughed.
“I could lie in your arms all day. Unfortunately, we have an audience,” he whispered into her hair before pulling away.
Amanda looked over and saw Madgie staring down at her. She jumped up so fast she knocked heads with Cole. It took her a few seconds to right herself, but she couldn’t seem to look at Madgie. She knew the rules about getting that close to a man, and although she didn’t care about any rule laid down by the Ancients, she was terrified at what Madgie might think.
“You know, I could go search for more fire wood if you two have more teenage hormones to get out,” Madgie said bluntly
“No, ma’am. I have myself in check, though I don’t know that she does,” he said while suppressing his laughter. Amanda punched him in the arm.
“Ouch!” he said, rubbing his arm.
She felt much better and less embarrassed after hitting him. Amanda was actually more energized too, though she couldn’t understand why hitting him would do that. She turned her head and realized that the calming of her nerves was more likely due to the giant furry creature leaping out of the woods and landing next to her, though hitting Cole might have contributed a little.
Hey, buddy, I missed you. She thought, scratching between his ears.
“Okay, enough fun. I need to talk to you about what just happened,” Madgie said flatly. “Amanda, what you did in there was amazing but extremely confusing. I’ve never met a Healer who entered a Scar with more than one spirit. Let alone more than one Healer. You just seemed to suck us in with you.”
“Wait, how do you know you or Cole didn’t suck me in with you?” she interjected, looking at them defiantly. Not wanting to be the odd one out, yet again.
“Well, there are a few reasons why I’m guessing it was you. Let’s see. You were the one who knew what was going to happen, you connected with those spirits, and you were the one who stepped forward and healed the Scar. Not to mention the fact that you are apparently powerful enough to completely heal from a demon poisoning after four days!” Madgie said in frustration.
Amanda looked down at herself, lifting up her arms and seeing that they looked normal, if not a little too bright. No dark venom tracing her veins, no pain came with her movements. Amanda was healed. She wanted to tear off her clothes and see if her whole body looked like her arms. Then remembering Cole, she realized it wasn’t a great idea. Blood rose to her cheeks, and Cole looked at her questioningly. Amanda fought back her joy and thought about what Madgie was telling her.
Was Madgie trying to say she was special or something? She wasn’t anything. She was only healed because of the wolf. She looked down at his head as she stroked it. Her hand was almost glowing against his silver fur, and she turned it over and saw that the strange pattern was still on her palm. It looked like a complex figure eight, as if an ice skater had gone wild while making it. She wasn’t sure how she had gotten it, but she knew it had to be from the demon.
“No, I’m not completely healed. See?” she said, turning her palm to Madgie.
Her friend’s eyes grew wide. Madgie slowly moved toward Amanda with her hand over her mouth. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
Madgie reached out and gently took her hand. She lowered her head closer to the mark. “When did you notice this?” Cole was at Amanda’s side
with a hand protectively on her shoulder, apparently she wasn’t the only one freaked out by
Madgie’s odd behavior.
“I said, when did you notice this?” she asked a bit louder while shaking Amanda’s hand.
“I… I guess it was Cole who noticed it. The night you were missing,” Amanda answered. Madgie was silently studying her palm for what seemed like a lifetime before Amanda shouted, “For goodness sake, what is the big deal, why are you freaking out?”
Madgie straightened her tall frame and finally looked into Amanda’s eyes. “That is the Ancient’s mark.”
Cole stiffened at the mention of the Ancients, a reaction in anger or fear, she couldn’t tell.
“I’m sorry if I scared you. I’m just trying to understand what it means,” Madgie finished in an apologetic voice.
“Well, what does it mean? Why have they marked her? Will she be easier for them to find? Is it some kind of tracking spell?” Cole asked in a rush.
“I honestly don’t know. I’m a Healer and a teacher. I have never felt the wrath of the Ancients, though I don’t know how long I’ll keep that track record. This is way beyond me. I haven’t ever seen the mark on a Healer.” Madgie looked at her curiously. “How do you feel?”
Amanda thought about answering with a simple, fine, but she didn’t think that was completely honest. She felt power flowing through her like she’d never before experienced. Amanda wondered if it was the lingering rush of healing the Scar but couldn’t be certain.
“I feel great.”
Madgie and Cole both looked unconvinced.
“No, honestly, I mean, better than great. I feel healthy and powerful. Powerful probably sounds cheesy, but that’s how I feel. I don’t know if I can find a better word,” Amanda finished, feeling awkward.
“Well, whatever the Ancients did, I think they accidentally did you a favor. If that mark is giving you power, maybe it’s why you healed so quickly,” Cole ventured. “I think it’s hilarious!” He laughed.
