by Indie Gantz
Celosia doesn’t look pleased, but she allows herself to be guided toward the exit. As they leave, I catch Cal’s eye and give him as warm a smile as I can manage.
He returns my smile the best he can, and then they’re out the door, disappearing onto the street. I look after them for a moment, and find Avias doing the same. When he catches me looking, he blinks a few times then directs his attention back to returning the rings to their proper place.
“It’s a shame we didn’t make the sale today. It would have been nice for you to see that transaction.”
“I think I saw a lot, actually,” I reply cautiously, hoping to catch Avias’ eye again. His hands still over the rings, but he doesn’t look up. I move closer to him, eventually coming to rest my elbows on the counter across from him. “Do you want to tell me what all that was about?”
“Not particularly,” Avias replies, finally meeting my gaze.
“That’s fair,” I answer, shrugging. “But I think I should know if there’s a reason for me to hate him too. I mean, you couldn’t feel it the way I could, but...” I pause here, not sure if I should be revealing something so private about Cal to Avias, but I decide it might be worth the risk. “He’s very upset, borderline hysterical to be honest. I just feel like I should know if that’s something he deserves or…”
“No,” Avias cuts in, his voice soft but strong. “He doesn’t deserve... no.” Avias looks down at the ring Cal had begrudgingly tried on and traces it with his finger. “I don’t mean for you to feel some sort of misplaced allegiance toward me. My relationship with Calor is... was... it’s all rather complicated.”
“All right,” I reply softly, placing my hand over the ring in Avias’ hand and squeezing it lightly. “But just know whatever it is that happened, or is happening, it’s killing him. He told me...” I trail off again, still unsure of my place.
“What?” Avias looks up, his eyes filled with something a kin to hope, and I can’t find the strength to deny him.
“He told me he didn’t want any of this, and that he told you that. I don’t know if that means something to you, but I think he was telling you the truth. His presence is very… intense.”
Avias seems to think on my words for a moment, and then narrows his eyes at me. “Are you doing that a lot? Reading people that way?”
“No!” I reply quickly, pulling my hand back. “No, I don’t mean to. I can’t really help it. I’m sorry... I know it’s weird.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything.”
I let out a sigh, grateful for the pardon. “I’d understand if our telepathy is something that bothered you, though. Tirigan and I can help you build a mental wall, like the ones we have, if you want.”
Avias regards me carefully for a moment. “Do you think you could read my mind right now?”
“I... I don’t know. Maybe. Why?”
“Just curious.” Avias looks down at his hand again when he replaces the ring Cal had worn back to the case. I don’t need superpowers to sense his grief.
“I wouldn’t,” I assure him. “Not without your permission. I promise.”
“I believe you.” Avias looks up and gives me a small smile. “I’m sorry about my behavior before. I can be... difficult around Calor. Oleander promises that’ll go away eventually.”
“Does he have a lot of experience with stuff like this?”
Avias smiles, and then he lets out a laugh much heartier than I think the question calls for. When he finally settles, his eyes are brighter than I’ve seen all day.
“Let’s just say that Oleander has a certain way about him. People tend to flock in his general direction.”
“Flock?”
“It’s the best description for the phenomenon.”
“Oookay,” I reply with a slight roll of my eyes. The idea of Oleander attracting flocks of people makes me slightly uncomfortable, and not knowing the exact reason for my discomfort makes me even more uncomfortable.
Looking for something to change the direction of our conversation, I point at the pieces of paper Avias had been reading earlier. “So, are you ready to torture me with that yet?”
Avias lips twitch as if he wants to laugh but refrains.
“Charlie, honestly, your definition of torture could use some fine-tuning.”
“And your funny bone could stand to be located.”
“Remind me, why did I think this was a good idea?” Avias asks, crossing his arm and bringing his nails up for careful inspection. “Your similarities to my sister are alarming.”
I smile brightly and bounce a little in place. “And you are way too much like my brother. Except I can do this…” I playfully push his hand away from his face to disrupt his pompous looking stance. “Without any guilt.”
Avias tries to glare at me, but his amusement betrays him, and then he’s laughing with me too.
I’m doing a lot of that lately. Far more than I thought I would, considering my family circumstances and the self-immolating nightmare that likes to leave my bed covered in ash in the morning. But it feels good, this easy banter and effortless laughter, so I let myself have it. Moments like these may be hard to come by when Tirigan and I are forced to leave our new friends behind.
Interlude II
Day Forty-Three: Tirigan
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Golden Bird Standing Alone
Commence.
Part the wild horse’s mane. Left. Right. White crane spreads its wings. Brush knee and step forward. Left. Right. Strum the lute. Reverse reeling forearm. Left. Right. Left grasp sparrow’s tail. Ward off. Roll back. Press. Push. Right grasp sparrow’s tail. Single whip. Wave hands like clouds. Single whip. High pat on horse. Right heel kick. Strike to ears with both fists. Turn body. Left heel kick. Left lower body, stand on one leg. Single whip squatting down. Golden bird standing alone. Right lower body, stand on one leg. Four corners. Right. Left. Needle at sea bottom. Fan penetrates back. Turn body. Deflect. Parry. Punch. Withdraw and push. Close hands.
Close.
“That was beautiful,” Oleander praises. He still lies on the ground between Calor and Charlie. His hand is clasped with my sister’s, but his gaze is on me. Appraising. Sincere. “What’s it called?”
“T'ai Chi Ch'uan,” I answer placidly.
“Will you teach me?”
I study the Gyan for a moment before giving him a quick nod. “It is good for focus. Harnessing your energy.”
“Could always use some more of that.” Oleander gently releases Charlie’s hand and stretches his arms above his head. Smiling. The practice appears habitual. It falters when his eyes land on the sleeping Fotián beside him. He sighs. Pity. “Some of us are going to have a difficult morning.”
“It is of his own doing,” I reply sharply. I do not wish to make small talk. I need to focus. Remember the mission, remember why I am here. Focus. My practice this morning helped center my thoughts once more. I will not allow trivialities any longer.
“Poor guy,” Oleander says. “I mean, I get why Avias...” Oleander sighs again and shakes his head. Sympathy. He places a hand on Calor’s back and rubs a small circle into it. Compassion.“It’s sad, though.”
I do not reply. Instead, I retrieve the necessary items to aid me in my morning hygiene routine. I make the short walk to a nearby stream and remove my shirt.
I’ve taken to walking barefoot as Oleander does. Although it was an uncomfortable transition, I now rather enjoy not having a barrier between my body and the earth. Connection. The lines that span the underside of my feet are now constantly absorbing information, just like the folds of my mind.
I spend several minutes washing my skin in the stream. By pulling a combination of sodium hydroxide from the earth and water that surrounds me, I create enough soap to feel clean. John always brought home hygiene products that smelled of some sort of artificial flower or fruit. Abominable. This experience is far superior.
When I return to the campsite everyone but Calor is awake and eatin
g breakfast.
“Shouldn’t someone wake the tosser?” Bo asks. It is not obvious as to who she speaks. Her body language is defensive, her voice still laced with betrayal. I calculate her indignation at being locked out of the fight will increase significantly in the next few hours then decrease rapidly as she loses interest in being angry.
“Let him sleep it off,” Oleander answers. “I’ll give him a liver and kidney flush when he wakes up.”
“What an exceptional use of your energy, Oleander,” Avias replies harshly. “Surely it won’t be needed for anything else along our travels.”
“Ave,” Oleander raises his eyebrows reproachfully. “You could stand to be a little more forgiving here.”
An infinitesimal piece of me wants to ask what Calor has done that needs forgiveness. Easily ignored. Not important. Focus.
Charlie rose from her slumber sometime during my absence. She eats an apple and is speaking quietly with Kor near our vehicle. Her eyes fall to me.
Open mind: Charlie.
Good morning. She waves. Did you sleep well?
As well as can be expected.
Kor wants to head out soon. Are you hungry?
I’ll get something. Charlie rolls her eyes. Don’t coddle me.
I’m not, she lies.
You are.
Fine. Just be ready soon.
I’m ready now.
Close mind.
I walk over to where my backpack lies, replace my personal hygiene products, and then pull my bag onto my back. Avias joins me a moment later, throwing what remains of his breakfast into the air for the birds circling us. The apple core floats effortlessly above us as he walks closer to me. Sleep deprived. Wrinkled clothing. Left shoulder aches. The birds tussle over the core until a victor flies away with it.
“Sleep well?” he asks.
“Better than some.” I raise an eyebrow and glance at Calor. The response goes against my narrative for the foreseeable future. Frustration. An aggravated sigh pushes through my lips. “We should go.”
I turn and head towards the vehicle, leaving Avias to look after me. He watches. His mind is eager to accept mine. I do not indulge him. There are more important things to do.
“We should be there in three days’ time,” Kor tells Charlie.
“All right,” Charlie replies, her eyes shifting to me then back to Kor. “Is your friend likely to suspect something? About me and Tirigan?”
“I don’t know what he knows of your people.” Kor shrugs. “It’s likely he’s heard of their existence, though. This group is very well informed.”
“Are we certain that the people who came for us yesterday were in no way related to where we’re going?” I ask, pulling my backpack off and placing it in the back of the vehicle.
“Yes,” Kor nods and pushes off from the side of the vehicle. Heavy. Weakness. Liability. “The armbands they wore marked them as something else, though I don’t know what.” Kor pauses, obviously preparing for a more difficult conversation.
“Charlie,” the older Aérasian looks at me as he says my sister’s name. Rude. Attempting to establish a trust between he and I. Expects agreement. He eventually turns to my sister and continues. “Your decision yesterday could not have been an easy one to make. How’re you feeling about it this morning?”
Charlie shifts uncomfortably. The warmth of her blood betrays her embarrassment. “I, uh, I mean, okay. I guess.”
“Ambivalence isn’t appropriate here, Charlie.” Kor’s gaze is unwavering. “You’ve killed people. You may have to do so again the future. There should be no guesswork when it comes to taking a life.”
“I...” Charlie flushes again, looking down at her hands. The image she projects is a direct juxtaposition to the girl who stood strong before her enemies yesterday. Insecurity. Desperate for approval. Her anxiety rises along with my impatience. “It’s not like I was the only one taking lives.”
She eyes me pointedly.
“That was an accident,” I respond. “You murdered intentionally.”
Charlie’s jaw tenses. Intends to argue. Restraint. “I don’t like the idea of killing people, but I couldn’t let them come after us.”
“And there was no other way to keep them from doing that?” Kor presses.
“Not that I saw,” Charlie says more confidently. She stands up straighter, finally meeting Kor’s eyes. “I made the decision I felt was right in the moment. I’d do it again.”
Kor says nothing at first, proceeds to watch Charlie as she continues to stare back at him. Eventually, Kor nods. “Very well.” His eyes turn and shift past me. I do not follow his gaze. Distractions. Kor purses his lips slightly. “Charlie, do you mind starting the apocalyptic process of waking Cal? We should get on the road.”
Charlie’s eyebrows furrow as she correctly assumes Kor’s intention to speak with me alone, but nods in agreement anyway. When she is gone, Kor leans back against the side of the vehicle and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Well,” he prompts.
“Her decision was impetuous and short-sided,” I assert without preamble. “However, I have yet to conclude if it was incorrect.”
Kor nods, apparently agreeing with my assessment. “I was not expecting that from her.”
“You imply you expected it of me,” I challenge blandly.
“No,” Kor replies, unbothered. “I haven’t settled on that yet.”
“If I will murder?”
“On what to expect from you.” The comment kills any remaining thoughts on the subject. I move towards the vehicle, intending to open the back door. Kor continues speaking despite my clear dismissal. “Your expectations of yourself, however, are becoming rather obvious.”
I do not like the implications of Kor’s statement. The possibility of him analyzing my mind or my intentions pushes me to confrontation.
“Perhaps to those as perceptive as you,” I reply shortly. Challenging. I turn back to face him, allow my irritation to show. “Your mind is exceptional, Kor.”
The compliment is an accusation. Kor recognizes this.
“So is your tenacity,” Kor grunts, smiling as he pushes away from the car once more. He begins to walk back towards the rest of the group. “Solitude is admirable, Tirigan, but it’s not advantageous.”
I do not allow my eyes to follow the man’s retreat. Ignore. Focus. Gritting my teeth, I inhale and exhale to a count of eight.
Kor’s intuition is incredibly inconvenient. I must work harder at closing myself off. Despite what he says, the more people I am forced to care about, the more disadvantageous my position becomes. Emotional attachment does nothing but add muck to my clarity. I will not allow it.
Priding myself on not turning around, I open the vehicle door and climb inside. I repeat my mission over and over, never once looking out at the people I am forcing myself to ignore. I close the door, shutting myself inside, and wait.
We will go soon.
Day Twenty-Five: Charlie
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ignition Point
Istare down at the quiz Vi put together for us and groan dramatically. With Vi taking much longer to recover than expected, we won’t be having any practical lessons today. The quiz she promised right before she passed out currently mocks my disappointment at not having a real lesson.
That doesn’t mean I’m not worried about Vi, especially since no one is really telling us anything. Kor pretends everything is fine despite the deep lines around his eyes.
Tirigan’s pencil scratches in another answer, the sound pulling me back to my exam. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and try to concentrate.
What is the result of sunlight internally reflected by the backs of falling raindrops, while also being refracted at the air/water boundary? A rainbow.
Describe the danger surrounding vapor pressure. Heating water in an enclosed space with nowhere for the steam to go basically creates a bomb.
Water is a universal solvent. What does this mean? It means t
hat water dissolves more substances than any other liquid on earth.
List four biological uses for water manipulation.
1.) Regulate internal body temperature
2.) Carbohydrate and protein transportation, get nutrients faster
3.) Flush out waste faster
4.) Added shock absorption for possible incoming injuries, joints, brain, spinal cord etc.
If given the opportunity, should you manipulate weather patterns to cause or stop rainstorms? Why or why not?
________________________________________________
The last one stumps me, and I turn to look at Tirigan, who’s in the middle of writing his answer.
“What did you put for the last one?” I ask, leaning over to have a look at Tirigan’s paper. He instantly picks up the paper and shields it from view.
I don’t think there is a correct answer to the last question. I believe it is a question of your own personal views.
I don’t know. I think it depends. What did you put?
I am not sharing my answers with you.
I let out an aggravated sigh as Tirigan angles his body away from me and finishes writing his last answer. I tap my pencil on the table and stare at him in irritation. When he’s done, he stands up and stretches.
We have a lesson with Bo in an hour. Oleander and I are having lunch on the roof if you want to join us when you are through.
Despite my dissatisfaction with Tirigan not letting me see what he wrote, I nod anyway. Turning back to my paper, I think about the question again.
If there was a major drought and we needed water for the vegetable garden in order to eat, would I try to make it rain?
Yes, I think I would. It’d be for survival.
It could be fun to make it rain whenever I felt like it, but I think that’s probably the point of the question. We aren’t supposed to manipulate the elements on a large scale just because we feel like it, at least not when it impacts the earth itself. Pulling rain from the clouds before it’s ready could have unintended consequences. Droughts somewhere else, accidental flooding, things like that. So, I guess it really does depend on the situation.