by Carly Marino
A girl around six or seven smiled back at me. She stood in front of a man and woman, their heads ripped from the photo. Her chestnut-brown hair lay braided over her left shoulder, and her honey-colored eyes crinkled into half moons. I understood why Larc had mistaken me for this girl. Our eyes were the exact same color. Right down to the yellowish, golden flecks around the pupils. Irises like ours were uncommon.
They were a color of their own.
But I was not this girl. Our facial features shared no similarities. Her face was rounder and her cheekbones more prominent. Her eyes might have matched my father’s, and her smile sort of resembled my mother’s, but that only hinted at the possibility of a shared relative. Either way, I didn’t have time to think about her or what Larc meant by this Mnemosyne person outdoing herself.
I folded the picture in half and tucked it behind the flower on my belt. My vision blurred, and a rush of dizziness rocked my stomach. I steadied myself. Larc’s shoulders slowly rose and fell with his breathing. He was coming to. I had to work fast, but what the heck should I do? I had no clue how to turn unfreeze myself or how to jump back into my body.
I’d separate myself from Jonathan. At least then I could get back to the dance and warn the others. If my body could move.
I peeled Jonathan’s fingers from my arms and neck then dragged myself out of his reach. The sensation of touching myself gagged me, seeming unnatural.
The moment I separated myself from him, images zipped on either side of me like a movie on fast forward. Although I still stood stationary, I watched myself clutch Ethan’s hand. He stood from the bench and we ran to the gym doors.
As if a tether jerked me, I soared through the hallway at lightning speed and collided with myself, waiting at the gym doors. Coughing and sucking in breaths, I touched my chest, arms, abdomen, to make sure I was all there. Thankfully, I was.
Ethan peered at me through confused eyes, silent and unmoving.
“We have to go,” I said.
He gave a curt nod but waited.
I peeked inside the gym, my breath accelerating. Mid-grope, twirl, or swig of punch, everyone at the dance stood motionless and silent. Throbbing thrashed in my ears. I’d somehow frozen the entire school.
I’d get Cole, and we’d figure this out. I swung the doors open, and the world sprung to life, again. Music blared from the large speakers at the front of the room, laughter and chatter buzzing between song changes.
“Come on,” I said to Ethan.
Whether he understood what happened or not, he didn’t fight me or ask question. He just ran, clearing a path for us.
We sprinted, and Ethan shoved past dancing couples. They yelled, but Ethan and I didn’t stop until we reached the table in the corner.
Cole’s head tilted upon seeing me. I can’t even imagine how I looked. My cheek still stung and my hair dangled loosely in my face. The lace straps on my dress sagged over my shoulders. I wiped the dried blood from beneath my nose.
Ethan scooped up Wynter. He tossed her over his shoulder, and she giggled. She wouldn’t be happy once he carried out to the car, but she’d get over it. I’d change her memory to make sure she did.
“Take her to Nora and Drake’s house. I’ll meet you guys there,” I said to him.
Ethan nodded and, without hesitation, hustled across the dance floor. People laughed at them, taking pictures. Wynter waved like a beauty queen and blew kisses. When they got to the exit, she smacked his back, but he didn’t stop. I was thankful he listened.
Cole gripped my shoulders. “Thea, what’s going on?”
Adrenaline vibrated under my skin. “I can’t explain right now. We have to leave.” I walked to the table. Nora had her head resting on her folded arms.
I shook her gently. “Nora, we have to go. Where’s Drake?”
“Sod off.” She shooed me with her hand.
I exhaled. “Nora, get up! We don’t have time for this. Where is Drake?”
She groaned and attempted to stand but stumbled. “The wanker left me here.”
I slid my arm around her back to help her walk. Cole moved in front of me. “Thea what is—”
“Please, we don’t have time. We have to get everyone out of here.”
His lips pinched, but he nodded. He cradled Nora in his arms and weaved through the crowd.
“Cole!”
He spun.
“Get the car and pick me up in front.”
He adjusted Nora in his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulder. His forehead creased. He shook his head but shoved the door open with his back and carried Nora outside. I frantically searched the room. How could I get all of these people out of here? The strobe flashed, and I spotted a glass box on the wall. I hustled to it, opened the door, and pulled the red lever. The fire alarm rang. Sprinklers hissed. Water raining upon dancing students and they scrambled to the exit. Screams, cries, and laughter mixed with the wail of the alarm.
With a frightened breath, I clambered into the chaos. Hands shoved me out of the way. Memories flooded my mind one in jumbles of happy, sad, and terrifying events. All the good and the bad poured inside. I spun from one life to the next, walking in their footsteps.
I clutched my temples and collapsed to the floor. Memories surrounded me. Encompassed me. I cried, “Please, stop.”
I’d been so careful all of these years. I hid from this moment, praying I’d never become trapped in a mass of memories.
“Thea!” Cole’s voice cut through the alarm. Water dripped from his hair onto my face. “Hang in there. I’ve got you.”
The chilly autumn air snapped me back to the present. My body rocked in sync with Cole’s quick gait.
I coughed. “I’m okay.”
He set me down on the pavement beside his car, and we practically fell inside. I slammed my door shut as he sped from the parking lot.
I peeked at Nora sleeping in the back seat. I blew out a breath. We made it.
“What’s going on?” Cole yelled.
I jumped.
Cole’s fingers blanched on the steering wheel. “What happened in the school? You scared the shit out of me.”
“I—I really don’t know.” I rubbed my forehead. None of it seemed real. “A man. He said they’ve been looking for me. I don’t understand why. I’m a nobody. How did he even know I was Inflexaen?” I covered my eyes with my fingertips. “The girl from the beach probably told him. He killed her right in front of me. She aged and rotted. It was terrible. And time froze. At least I think it did.”
“Thea, slow down. You’re not making any sense. The girl from the beach? What beach and what do you mean time froze? Take a deep breath. Who attacked you?”
I inhaled and exhaled slowly. “This is going to sound crazy, but I’ve had this dream for a while about a man killing this woman. He terrifies me. I always thought I’d picked up the memory somewhere, and it just stuck with me, but now I’m not so sure. I’m starting to think it’s mine. Which means he killed my parents.” A sob coughed from my mouth, and I sucked in a breath. “I think I watched them die.”
Tears fell one after the other, the salty droplets cooling my lips. I didn’t care if Nora woke and heard my sobs. My mother died a horrible death. Karen had lied to me about the car accident. What else in my life was a lie?
I wiped my face. Cole stared, his neck and shoulders stiff. I touched his arm but he didn’t respond, didn’t even glance in me my direction.
I removed my hand and laced my fingers together in my lap. His reaction to my heartache stung. How could he not acknowledge what I’d told him? I gazed out the window.
We didn’t speak until we pulled into Nora and Drake’s driveway. I started to get out, but Cole put his hand on my arm. “Stay in the car.”
“What? Why? Wynter and Ethan are here.” I pointed at Ethan’s car parked in the driveway behind Drake’s Range Rover. “I have to change their memory, and I have to—”
“Thea, there are things I haven’t told you about your mem
ories. I’m not exactly sure what it means, but after this and the memcap … things are different now.”
I whipped my head in his direction. “Oh my God, the memcap. That’s what this is all about.” The memcap. I forgot about the memcap. That must’ve been what Larc was looking for. I felt for the cylinder and exhaled when I found it.
“Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is we can’t handle this alone. We’ve got to go to The Mirrors. Talk with the Ancients and figure out what we need to do next. I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but I don’t think I can protect you. The Mirrors is the only place you’ll be safe.”
I fidgeted with the torn fabric on my dress. “Ancients?”
“Our government, so to speak. Hopefully, they can give you some answers.”
“Are they—are they mean?” I bit on my index fingernail.
Cole opened his door, got out, and then retrieved Nora from the back seat. She mumbled a curse at him.
He paused before closing the door. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never met them. I’ve heard stories, but we don’t have a choice. I’ll be right back.”
“You’re going to leave me in here? Is that safe? What if they come here?”
He darted his gaze toward the cars parked in front of the house. “They won’t. Just sit tight and lock the door.”
He walked to Ethan’s car, Nora’s arm dangling over his shoulder. I sighed and curled closer to the door. Sit tight? How could I sit tight? I had no idea what was in store for me. The nape of my neck tingled, and I hugged my arms around myself. Between Larc and the Ancients, my perfect night had morphed into my worst nightmare.
Chapter Eighteen
I yawned and rubbed my eyes. I had no idea where we were. Hints of pink bled through indigo clouds. The car jostled over a pot hole on an eight-lane bridge. When did we start driving? The small lights that lined the metal railing glowed through the morning fog. In front of us, a forest of skyscrapers peeked through. I must have fallen asleep while I waited for Cole outside Nora and Drake’s house.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty. How ya feeling?”
I touched my cheek instinctively. “All right, I guess. How long have I been out?”
Cole glanced at the clock. “About eight hours.”
“Eight hours! Seriously?” I rubbed the crust from the corner of my mouth.
“Yeah, you must’ve really been through something. Do you want to talk about what happened?”
I had a ton of questions but wasn’t ready to relive everything. “Not really.” I shrugged. “So, where are we?”
He leaned forward as if trying to figure it out himself. “We crossed the Canadian border a little while ago.”
I breathed into my hand and cringed. Ugh.
Cole laughed. “Don’t worry, I brought your toothbrush.”
My toothbrush? “You went to my house?” I furrowed my brows. “And you left me in the car? You should’ve woke me up.”
“Actually, I carried you in. You slept on the couch while I grabbed some of your clothes.”
How embarrassing. I probably drooled and snored. Awesome. Karen must’ve … wait. “Didn’t Aunt Karen freak when she saw me?”
“She was asleep on the arm chair. I took care of her. I didn’t want her to worry when she woke up.” He flicked on the turning signal and exited the bridge. “Wynter and Ethan, too.”
I exhaled, glad he did. “What did you tell them?”
He grinned, obviously proud of himself. “Wynter and Ethan remember they got too drunk and had to go home. Then I told them and your aunt that you had won an art contest. Your aunt will call you out of school for the week.”
“That’s pretty good. Did you happen to get a look at Ethan’s memory?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I thought you erased it. The last memory he had was the bell ringing Friday after school. The gap made building a story much easier, and I could match it with hers. Why do you ask?”
I didn’t remember erasing him. Maybe what I did in the hallway also erased his memory. “He was so strange. Robotic, I guess. And he acted like he knew about me. About what we are. I would’ve erased his memory, but I didn’t have time. So if you didn’t, I don’t know who did.” I straightened the taffeta on my dress, now wrinkled, torn, and dirty. “Either way, I’m glad someone erased him. Not for my sake, but for his. Whatever the Resparés did to him…” Couldn’t be good.
Images of clouds reflected from skyscraper windows. The orange glow of the sun peeked from behind the buildings. We passed a Vancouver sign. “We crossed the border? How’d you manage that with me unconscious?”
His eyebrow arched.
I nodded once. “Right, Inflexaen. So how much further is this Mirrors place?”
He adjusted in his seat. “Not much. We have to hop on a plane first. A friend of mine is meeting us.”
“Friend?” I held out my hand to catch the rainbows projecting from the crystal dangling on his rearview mirror.
“What? You thought I didn’t have any friends?” He winked. “I’ve known Logan for a while. We were roommates at boarding school in New York City.”
“Ah, the guy from the picture.”
A lop-sided smile rose on his face. “Snooped in my room, eh?”
I groaned. “Of course not. You left me down there. I was bored.”
“Sure. Uh-huh.”
I rolled my eyes. He’d busted me. “When did you go to boarding school? I thought you lived with Nora and Drake.”
“We grew up together as kids. I had some problems with my dad, so he shipped me to the city for high school. I checked myself out and moved in with Nora and Drake over the summer. Their parents are never home, anyway.”
I pulled my lace sleeve onto my shoulder. “You checked yourself out? Sounds like you were in a mental institute.”
He chuckled. “It was actually an Inflexaen training school. Similar to your military but more intense. I’m not exactly the rule-following kind of guy.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
He slowed into a parking lot. The sign read: Vancouver Harbour.
Cole hopped out and grabbed two duffels from the back seat. I pulled myself from the car. Fog horns reverberated from somewhere out in the water. A damp breeze prickled my skin, and I wrapped my arms around my shivering body. My teeth chattered.
Cole dropped his bag on the trunk, dug inside, and then tossed me a gray hoodie.
I tugged on the oversize sweatshirt and cuddled into the warmth. The cotton fabric smelled like him. He strode along the boat docks, passing fishing boats, sailboats, and yachts with names like The Amanda and Holly’s Hideaway. People sat on the bows, sipping coffee, snuggled in blankets. “We’re taking a boat? I thought we were taking a plane?”
He stopped. “We are.”
I widened my eyes, staring in horror at the small yellow plane rocking at the end of the dock. “Absolutely not! There is no way you are getting me on that thing. No way.”
“Thea, I’ve flown in a million floatplanes. They aren’t as bad as you might think.”
“Yeah, for you. I’m terrified of flying.”
He threw our bags into the plane. “You’ll be fine.”
“Especially with a pro flying. What’s up, bro? It’s been too damn long.”
I spun. A guy in dark jeans and a black jacket stood behind me with an enormous smile on his face. His triangular eyes glinted, and he adjusted the dark-gray beanie that covered his jet-black hair. Cole walked over and gave him one of those guy half-hugs.
Logan stretched his hand to me. “Logan Park, your friendly Inflexaen bad ass.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
I covered my mouth and laughed, ignoring his hand. “What type of Infexaen are you? ’Cause I haven’t learned how to mask emotions yet.”
His already huge grin broadened. “Well, you’re in luck. I’m a Cor. Thoughts and ladies are my specialties.”
I rolled my eyes and shook his hand. “I see you are as humble as Cole.”
Cole chuckled. “More
so. Let’s get going.”
Logan nodded, keeping the big grin on his face. He hopped into the cockpit and slid a headset over his ears.
“Hell, no.” I recoiled. “He’s really driving? He’s what? Seventeen? No way, Cole. I’ll take a boat. Or a freaking real plane.” I pointed. “I’m not getting in there.”
Cole practically dragged me into the back seat. “You’ll be okay. There are barf bags.”
I whimpered, buckling my seatbelt. The strap pressed on my already tight stomach. To steady my shaking hands, I grabbed the emergency info card from the seat pocket in front of me. The first page said I’d have to wait until the plane submerged completely before exiting. Completely submerged? If I got wedged against the window I should push off and turn to the—
I shoved the card back into the pocket.
The engine roared to life, and the propellers rotated. I wiped my clammy hands on my dress. My breaths escalated, and my shoulders tensed.
The plane jolted forward, coasting through the waves. Droplets splashed across the window. Logan worked the controls, and the plane zipped through the water. My fingernails dug into the hard plastic armrests. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I closed my eyes.
I’d survived an attack from a terrifying Resparé and would die by floatplane. This happy-go-lucky teenager would crash, and I would drown. Please, don’t let me drown. Please, don’t let me—
Cole clasped my hand, squeezing gently. My eyes moved to the corners, catching him smiling. Our gazes connected, my heart rate slowed, and the plane smoothly rose into the air.
“Whoo hoo,” Logan hollered.
Cole’s fingers weaved between mine. He didn’t take his eyes off me until the plane leveled. He grinned and motioned to the window. I peered out. We flew over a river with hundreds of logs floating downstream in bunches. Trees covered the base of the mountain, and the deeper we flew, the barer the land became. Snow blanketed the peaks. Small lakes formed in valleys from ice that had melted during a warm day.
I couldn’t believe how the beautiful the landscape was. Logan veered left, close enough to the mountain I could almost see the trail of footprints behind people climbing. I gasped. Who the hell would climb that? I cringed. Cole squeezed my hand again, and I relaxed.