Chapter Eight
Everyone except for Alicia gathered in the living room off from the kitchen after dinner. Claire had made a large meal and I offered to help clean up, but she insisted that I was a guest and shouldn’t help with the cleaning. It made me feel weird to have someone else do the dishes and wipe the table off, something I had done since I could remember.
Gabe helped Claire in the kitchen and Zach excused himself several times to check on Alicia. Abe and Jimmy discussed things among themselves as I sat by myself looking at the rippling water of the pool outside.
“Em, I’m sorry you got involved in all of this.” Jimmy’s voice came from behind me.
I turned to face him. He had his hair slicked back and wore a dark shirt that amplified his salt and pepper colored hair. Still, he appeared to be the same Jimmy from St. F, but something about him was different. He seemed happy, but something just under the surface boiled that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“So, what happened to St. F and Alice, is she here?”
Jimmy’s smile faded and he drew in a breath. “St. F nearly got wiped off the map. And Alice, she is with her sister and is fine.” His eyes were steady on me and he reached for my hand. “There is something that you need to know though.” He drew in a deep breath, slowly released it as I feared what he was going to say. “As far as you and me, we perished in that tornado and our bodies were never found.” Goosebumps ran up and down my arms and my stomach turned with bile.
“What…What about my dad.” My voice trembled as Jimmy looked down and cleared his throat.
“He died. I’m real sorry Em.” His voice was tender.
I looked away and closed my eyes. I never had a relationship with my dad, but he was the only family relation that I had.
“It’s just as well, since I won’t be there to take care of him.” I should be crying, but I wasn’t and didn’t know why.
Jimmy patted me on the shoulder. Everything seemed to seep in slowly through my numbness. My life in St. F blew away in that tornado, what there was of a life there. Tears stung the back of my eyes and I pushed them away, I didn’t want to cry in front of people I barely knew.
“Emily, you don’t have to be here if you don’t want to.” Abe stood behind Jimmy and looked down at me.
“No, I can stay.” I wasn’t sure where I would go anyhow.
Jimmy gave me a comforting smile and patted me on the back again as Abe called everyone in the living room. I swallowed hard trying not to cry. I didn’t want Gabe to see me cry, and with everything going on, my problems seemed so superficial.
“I can’t say I am pleased with the way you handled the mission, but, everyone did make it back in one piece.” Abe raised his eyebrows and gazed mostly at Gabe. “We know now that there was Alfheim in Bimini only through James here.” Abe motioned towards Jimmy, I never heard anyone call him by that name before and it seemed strange. “But, that isn’t enough to prove the Alfheim had gone against the Alliance. There has been more traffic in the southern Sanudra Ocean and the vault in Meropsis reported missing implements.”
“You mean stolen?” Jimmy asked.
“Hopefully not, they said some items were unaccounted for. But, we need to be on the lookout and we need to patrol our waters frequently. The Eagle Clan is already there assisting in Meropsis, Avani will be in contact. We will start in the morning and the other Alliance groups have started patrolling their areas as well. This is something not to be taken lightly.” Abe looked at Gabe, Zach, Ian and Claire with a stone like appearance. “This is serious; there is no room for error.” “I’m fine mother!” Alicia’s voice echoed through the kitchen followed by footsteps.
Alicia dressed in a tank top and pair of flannel pants looked like she just got out of bed with her hair tangled. Karinna followed her in a flowing dress.
“Alicia, you’re not well enough to be out of bed,” Abe said standing in front of her. “You know it goes against the rules.”
“I’m handling it Abel.” Karinna’s voice was calm. “Alicia…”
“Stop it both of you. I’m old enough to know what I can do and what I can’t.” She leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms. “So what is going on?”
Abe only took a deep breath and rubbed is forehead. I looked over at Gabe who only met my eyes for a moment. Karinna then sat by Alicia and pushed back her hair.
“Don’t.” She hissed flinching away.
“But you know…your ability drains you and you have to take precautions,” Karinna said in her soft voice.
“I know.” Alicia looked up at the ceiling. “I’m not some delicate flower that you describe me as. And I’m sure that everyone here, especially me, is tired of both of you doting over me.” She looked at both Karinna and then Abe. “Mom, dad, I’m old enough to handle this myself!” She yelled and then rubbed her head as Abe bent down.
Her face grew pale and suddenly fell to her side. Karinna lifted her up as Zach jumped from behind Ian and took Alicia upstairs. I looked at Gabe with concern and started to step forward when he shook his head.
The room grew quiet as Abe stood looking at Karinna.
“This is more important than any of the missions before and we need to work together, no matter what.”
Karinna stood up and nodded her head as she left the room to go upstairs. Abe watched her leave with a distant look in his eyes.
“Well, I can see my niece is still as strong headed as her father.” Jimmy stood behind Abe.
I looked at Gabe and then back at Jimmy and Abe. Now, I could see the resemblance in their faces, only Abe was taller and had a dignified look to him. Jimmy was stocky and at times could scare you by just the look in his eyes.
Abe made sure the door was locked and said when implements are missing; it is protocol for someone to have a watch throughout the night as well as day. I heard him call it a “code blue” to Gabe. I lingered, waiting to talk to him, when Claire snuck up behind me.
“Emily, would you like to go upstairs. There isn’t much going on down here.” Her curly red hair was piled into a loose pony tail.
“Well, I was …” I glanced towards Gabe. In a stern hushed voice and by the way Abe was pointing his finger at him, Gabe was getting in trouble. “Maybe I should.” I really wanted to stay, but I felt more like I was eavesdropping rather than helping.
“Great, I have cookies in my room and lemonade.” She grabbed me by the hand and we went in the opposite direction of Gabe, up the stairs, and to her room which was a few doors down from mine.
Claire’s room was everything like I expected. Flower print everywhere, a canopy bed with puffy pillows and white furniture surrounded by ruffles, lace and bows.
“Come on have a seat.” She threw a giant pillow off her bed and another for her.
“You have a pretty room.” I felt I had to say something.
“Thanks,” she replied. “How about a movie, I have Indiana Jones…Harrison Ford is so hot in them.” She looked at the cover and then flipped it so I could see. I never really watched the movie and I thought Harrison Ford was an older actor, but on the cover he was kind of good looking. It must be an old movie and by the cover not a musical with a whip in his hand smiling.
“Sure, but aren’t you going on patrol tomorrow? Maybe we should just visit a while and then go to bed. A movie might take too long.” I suggested as I was kind of tired from everything today and didn’t want to be rude.
“You’re probably right.” She put the movie back on the shelf. “Let’s move on to the lemonade.”
“You have lemonade in your room?” I asked as she got into her closet and pulled down a teddy bear with a sly smile.
“Don’t tell anyone about this.” She flipped the bear over and from a small slit in the brown bear’s rear; she pulled a green bottle half filled with liquid. “Spirits from the Highlands of Shangri-La!” She said with a giggle and swished the remaining liqu
id in the bottle.
“What is that, booze?” I asked with amusement.
“Shh, not so loud.” Claire held up her hand. “The others don’t know. I got this from Jasper, he is prince of the Mers, or at least one of the princes.” She shrugged her shoulders and pulled the cork from the bottle. It popped slightly like a champagne bottle.
Claire pulled out two glasses and poured the clear liquid into them. She then sat the bottle down and gave me one.
“Come on sit down and relax.” Claire sat on one of the puffy pillows and then patted on the vacant one with her hand and smiled at me. I sat down and looked down at the clear liquid in my glass.
“So, is this like wine or something?” I asked as she filled her glass again.
“No, it doesn’t come from grapes, it comes from Ambrosia and it is a plant exclusively grown on the fertile hills of Shangri-La. Jasper gave this to me on our first anniversary,” she said with a sigh as she looked lovingly at the bottle. “Try some you might like it, but if not, I will drink it.” She widened her eyes and smiled as she took another sip.
I looked down at it one more time, tipped the glass to my lips and let the sweet flavor roll around on my tongue. I shook my head in surprise.
“Now, you will drink no other alcoholic beverage, ever, because nothing compares to this.” Claire got up and turned on her CD player.
The music was instrumental and had a slow rhythm to it with drums and what sounded like flutes. I laughed at Claire as she danced around shaking her hips and moving her arms like they were snakes. When the song ended she sat down on the pillow and bunched her messy hair back into a pony tail.
“That is how the Mer people dance.” She stated as her eyes looked slightly glazed over. “Jasper taught me that.”
“Really?” I questioned.
“Yes, I care about him a lot the way you care about Gabe.” She smiled at me as I nearly choked on the Ambrosia.
“What?” I coughed out.
“I’m not blind and certainly not innocent. I see the way you two look at each other and I know that Gabe really likes you.” She leaned back on her pillow propping herself up on one elbow. “He said so, well at least in not so many words. But I haven’t seen him happy since he became leader of the Blackbirds.”
Claire poured me some more Ambrosia.
“I think he was more concerned about showing you a fairly good time at Bimini that he forgot about the task. Abe already ripped him a new you know what for that.” She took off her socks and wiggled her toes. “Ah, that feels better.”
“That makes me feel bad.” I looked down at the clear liquid.
“I’m sorry, do my feet stink?” She pulled her foot to her nose and I had to laugh at her.
“No, Gabe…getting in trouble with Abe.” She looked at me with an O-shaped mouth. Obviously the alcohol had gone to her head.
Claire gave a small laugh. “It shouldn’t, Gabe risked the mission to woo you, I’m telling you, and I know that he has a thing for you. That should mean something.”
Gabe risked getting in trouble for me that he let Alicia and Zach go shopping, while he should had been a leader, not a tour guide. I would have said something, but didn’t think of it at the time. I wanted to run downstairs and talk to Gabe at the same time being wooed excited me. I felt light, either from the booze or from a boy risking himself for my benefit. I smiled to myself.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good isn’t it?” Claire shook her head as I giggled at her for no reason.
“It is and I can’t believe Gabe risked getting in trouble for me.” I looked away feeling bad about feeling good.
“That’s what boys do.” Claire leaned forward slightly. “Look, Gabe is really a good guy and practically like a brother to me, I have never seen him like this before, he really likes you Emily Moore from Earth on the continent of the Americas.” Claire began to giggle. “I bet you thought you never had so many titles? And now you’re a Receptor too.”
“No, I sound fancier than I really am.” Even though Claire laughed and hiccupped at the same time, which only led to more giggling, I really meant what I said.
“Time to put Mr. Teddy up.” Claire shoved the bottle up the bear’s rear and turned him upright and showed me his smiling face. “See, even he thinks it’s great,” Claire said and then broke into a laughing fit.
“I never thought you were like this.” I could suddenly feel my muscle relax to the point I had limited control over them.
“I don’t do this very much, Alicia is the only other girl full time on the island, and she isn’t always friendly. Well, I’m going to say she is kind of bitchy, but a good hearted person. She is a healer you know.” I shook my head.
“As from tonight you know Karinna and Abe are her parents and she is part of the Phoenix Clan which means she has a special ability. Her mother can see auras and can tell what a person is thinking.” Claire hiccupped. “Oh, excuse me.”
“Karinna knows what I am thinking?” I asked with dread.
“Oh, no, not exactly. She sees the colors that surround you and each one means something. She uses it mainly in trials to see if people are lying. Most don’t even know she can do that, because there are ways to shut off your aura so she can’t see it.”
“How do you do that?” I leaned closer to her in a hushed voice.
Claire giggled and then shook her head. “I don’t know. Why? You know it really isn’t a big deal and she isn’t going to like spy on you to see what you are thinking. Like I said she only uses it when she has to, because it does take energy to do it and many years to control it.” Her smile faded as she got up to put her smiling teddy bear back up.
“What do you mean control?” I asked as she sat on her bed.
“Her power is always turned on, but she uses it when she needs to. It sounds simple and looks simple, but it isn’t.” Claire looked away for a moment. “That is why Alicia is here. She has healing powers, but she isn’t strong enough for them yet, that is why she can hardly use them and also why she is bitchy at times. She was supposed to be with the Phoenix clan, but her powers aren’t where they are supposed to be and even though she has status, she couldn’t continue there…and so she moved here, with the rest of us misfits.” Claire flopped back onto her bed and covered her eyes with a bent elbow.
“Misfits?” I sat on bent knees so I could see her.
“Yeah, outcasts, underdogs, failures, flunkies…the list goes on.” Claire sat up, her eyes were fixed on me and filled with a restrained sorrow. “And some of us lack the physical qualities as well.”
She rolled to her stomach and hugged her pillow with her face buried in it. I got up and sat beside her, hesitantly I patted her back.
“I know how you feel.” I started to say when she rolled over with her eyes slightly wet from tears.
“Look, I know you mean well, but look at you, you’re beautiful and…boys notice you. And now you have an ability-you’re a Receptor.” Claire sat up and looked at me and drew in a deep breath.
“You barely know me, but I can’t talk like this to Alicia, and Abe wouldn’t understand and only tell me that I am special and I haven’t found my purpose yet. A girl just doesn’t want to hear that for the hundredth time.” She shook her head and let out a puff of air as she tilted her head to the ceiling and then at me. “I am Alfheim.” She plainly stated as I looked at her with surprise. “Yeah, I know, I don’t look like the tall beautiful people of that race. I am what they call a Subordinate, a misfit and I was to be killed in the last uprising to cleanse the race of my kind. My parents were friends with Abe, who was leader of the Blackbirds at the time. He and Karinna practically raised me and Alicia has been the only girl I have as a friend and my sister as well. My parents I never knew and they gave their life for me.” She looked away as if trying to remember a single memory of them.
I sat with her in silence, unmoving as she looked at me and ga
ve me a quick smile.
“I’m sorry Claire.” My voice was timid.
“Don’t be, I have accepted what has happened to me and I will find my place in this world, if not Ian can make a Portal to another one, maybe one with midgets and I could be their tall queen.” Her smile widened and we both laughed.
“What did you say about Ian, he makes Portals...what exactly is that?” I asked.
“Portals are passages to other worlds not tied together in the Alliance and connected by Passages.” Claire looked away with uneasiness in her eyes. “It’s just theory and still in its infancy of design, but I know if anyone can make a Portal its Ian.”
“Is that what he does here?” I asked.
“No, it’s actually illegal without Alliance supervision and approval, but it has fascinated him since he got here…” she shook her head contemplating a time frame. “…about a couple of years ago, I guess.”
“So is he from Earth too?” I asked.
Claire looked down and ran her fingers along a row of soft yellow threads that edged a small blanket that looked like it almost belonged to a baby.
“Well, no. I really shouldn’t open my mouth so much, but since it is and since you seem to be a part of this world too…Ian isn’t from Earth or Atlantis.” She let her words trail off as she looked at me with steady eyes. “Do remember the nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?” I shook my head and wondered what Claire was getting at. “If you ever really wondered what it was, it was Ian, or at least one of the stars.”
“He’s from a world that the Alliance hasn’t acknowledged its existence yet called Eutopia.” Claire continued. “His father made Portals and that Portal led him to here to Kangee. He was escaping and left his world on the brink of destruction. The Alliance doesn’t know of him, they think he is from Meropsis.”
I looked away thinking of how I left my world in destruction as well.
“Don’t tell anyone, and don’t discuss it with anyone.” She looked at me with dead seriousness.
“I promise.” And I was serious as well, even though the thought of another world fascinated me. I could feel the questions bubble inside of me, but kept quiet as Claire turned out the light.
Gathering of Blackbirds Page 8