Hollow Dolls

by MarcyKate Connolly

  I think back to the time we met Maeve and recall encountering the confused man lost in the woods and the strangeness of the empty, yet recently used shack. She must’ve taken him over and abandoned him far enough away to be so lost that she could use his home herself for a little while. And then we happened upon her.

  Did she know from the very start what Sebastian and I were? That we were talented? A sick feeling worms its way over my body.

  “You never cared for us. You only wanted to use us. Just like everyone else.” Tears burn my eyes.

  Maeve sighs sympathetically. “Oh, Simone, this is just the aftereffects of what Lady Aisling did to you. You’re confused. I will help you make sense of it.” She reaches out a hand, and I flinch.

  “Don’t touch me. I know you have others here in this cave somewhere. Friends of ours from our time with the Lady. They’re under your control.”

  Sebastian’s eyes are wide and watery, and his hands ball into fists at his side. “You’re no better than she is.”

  Now it’s Maeve’s turn to flinch. “As bad as Lady Aisling? That demon who kept hundreds of talented people imprisoned for decades? That is too harsh. And far off the mark.” She huffs, all pretense dropped.

  She begins to pace by the edge of the water. “I won’t lie to you further. I’m telling the truth when I say I care for you both. I swear to that.” She drops her arms to her sides. “Lady Aisling stole me away from my family, from my husband and children. They’re long dead, and I only got a few precious years with them. I want them back. I’ve been searching for a soul summoner to take them under my wing and use their talent to bring my children back to me. I just needed the right vessels. The children Lady Aisling already damaged are perfect for it.”

  My skin crawls. “You want to use them as hosts for your own children’s souls?”

  “But what will happen to our friends?” Sebastian says. His hand is tightly wrapped around mine.

  “If you’re going to fill up a jug of water with wine, you must first pour the water out,” Maeve says simply.

  Shock roils over me yet again. “You’ll kill them.”

  “No. Just release their souls from their bodies.”

  “Where will they go? Do you have hosts lined up for them?”

  Maeve frowns. “Why would I do that? I don’t care what happens to them. I only need their bodies to give to my children.”

  “But you only had three children. Can’t you release at least one of our friends?” Sebastian pleads.

  She shakes her head. “Not until my task is complete. Your friends are useful, I’ll give them that. And what Lady Aisling did to them makes them easier to control than your average person. I need them.”

  “Didn’t your children already live full lives long ago?” I ask. “How do you know they’ll even want to come back?”

  Confusion crosses Maeve’s face. “Of course they do. They have to. We were family.”

  Her words are a knife to my gut. For a time I thought she might be a stand-in for my own. Now I’m horrified I was blind to what she really is.

  “How do you know?” Sebastian presses. Like me, hope lingers in his heart that maybe we can reason with her, maybe we can convince her to return and be the kind woman we believed her to be.

  “Because they died,” Maeve spits out. “Not long after Lady Aisling stole me away. My two girls and a little boy. I’ve discovered that much about what happened to them. I won’t rest until we’re reunited.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say. And I am. I know what it feels like to lose your entire family. “But what about our friends’ families? They just got them back. Our friends aren’t yours to take.” My hands ball into fists at my side.

  Maeve’s face twists. “Everything has been taken from me. Why shouldn’t I take a little something back?”

  “Why does it have to be from the comet-blessed? Why not someone else? You took Jemma and Ida too. Why not someone like them?” I’m getting desperate, and while it’s not the best argument, it’s the only one I can think of at the moment.

  “I used Jemma because she was convenient, and I was looking for Lady Aisling’s shells. Ida was just too nosy and got in the way. Now they’re both off doing my bidding and taking supplies from the nearest village.” Maeve shakes her head. “The comet-blessed, specifically those with mind-based talents, are the best vessels. I’ve done my research. If there were a better way to bring my children back, I’d do it.”

  Shock resonates through me for the millionth time tonight. That is what she was researching. The soul summoner. Their powers and how to use them. She must’ve stolen that journal from Connor. And, like it or not, we helped her.

  Simone, I want to leave before she gets any ideas about using us. Sebastian’s thoughts echo my own fears. We should tell Rachel and the other librarians that Maeve has Ida and Jemma. Maybe they can help us get them free. This is too much for us to handle on our own.

  As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. We came here expecting to rescue Maeve and have an ally in her as we escaped. We had no idea the body walker had so many people stowed here under her command. Move slowly, then run.

  We begin to back away while Maeve continues babbling about soul summoners. Then we break into a run. But before we can reach the exit to the cavern, figures appear from all sides.

  The other shells, Lady Aisling’s hollow dolls, just like us. My heart sinks at their vacant eyes. They’re under Maeve’s control right now. One brush against their thoughts, and the sickly feeling of the body walker—of Maeve—using them digs into me. Their minds beg for help, rising as they see me, then growing fainter as Maeve tightens her grip.

  Be careful, I warn Sebastian. He knows the dangers of our friends’ powers as well as I do.

  We duck and dodge through the stalagmites, avoiding the all-too-realistic illusions that Natasha throws at us. Elias uses his ability to throw thoughts to confuse us by imitating my voice in Sebastian’s head and his in mine. But I know Sebastian well enough to be able to differentiate between things he’d really say and those he would not. Still, it’s harder than I expected. I’ve never been on the receiving end of Elias’s talent before. We were friends, but we kept out of each other’s heads when we had our bodies to ourselves. It only seemed right. But now…

  Suddenly Sebastian is knocked flat, struck on the shoulder by a rock, probably flung by Melanthe, though I can’t see her from where I’m standing. The chain on Sebastian’s necklace, old and brittle, snaps and the obsidian arrowhead slips out of his reach. I try to get to him, but Kalia blocks my path. She’s older than me and bigger; I could never hope to force my way past her. Sebastian scrambles to his feet, desperately casting around for the arrowhead. It landed not far from me, and I might be able to throw it back to him if I can find it in the darkness of the cavern.

  Simone! Where is it? Do you see it? His frantic cries resound in my head.

  It’s here! I’ll get it to you! I dive for the talisman, but no sooner do I get my hands on it than Sebastian’s pleas cease. Maeve stands next to him with her hand on his shoulder.

  I’m terrified to look in his mind for fear of what I might find.

  I cling to the arrowhead for dear life as I send my talent toward my friend who now gazes at me blankly.

  Hello, Simone, Maeve says inside Sebastian’s head. I let out a wail, then quickly shove the arrowhead in my pocket.

  I must not be captured. I must leave here and get help. Almost every friend I’ve ever had is in this cavern and under a body walker’s control.

  And I’ve just become their only hope for freedom.

  I run headlong through the stalagmites, then down the tunnels. I don’t stop running until I can see the moon overhead and the stars glimmering above.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I race headlong through the woods, heading—I hope—in the direction of the Archives.
Tears stream over my cheeks. I can’t believe I had to leave Sebastian. My best friend. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the terror in his head and heart just before Maeve took him over.

  Her betrayal is nothing if not complete.

  My steps begin to slow, but I can feel the press of many minds ahead. The library must be nearby. I just have to go a little farther. The only question is: Will I really be safe there? Will they welcome me back? I lost Sebastian. It’s my fault—I’m the one who insisted we go. He didn’t even want to, but he took the risk for me. So I wouldn’t have to face the body walker alone.

  And now I’ve left him behind, his greatest fear realized.

  I swallow the rocks in my throat, even as my feet falter. I catch myself, and when I glance up again, I can see the gray stones of the Parillan Archives between the trees. A new burst of energy fills me, even though I know Lady Aisling’s other hollow dolls are far behind. When I reach the imposing front door, I bang on the wooden planks as though my life depends on it. To my relief, Rachel opens the door. I throw my arms around her waist and begin to cry.

  Rachel puts an arm around me as she locks the door behind us. “What’s the matter? What happened?” She frowns. “Where’s Sebastian?”

  When I begin to cry harder, sobs racking my shoulders, she understands without words. “Oh dear… Come, you’re safe now.”

  She picks me up and carries me back to my quarters, but she doesn’t leave. She sets me on the bed and hands me a kerchief, then settles into the chair nearby.

  “When you’re ready, tell me everything.”

  And I do. I don’t leave anything out. Not how we took the obsidian, not Maeve’s true nature, not that Ida and Jemma are nearby, not even our old friends, the other shells. When I finish, Rachel’s skin has taken on a sickly green tinge.

  “You’re certain Maeve really is the body walker?”

  I nod. “I wish I was wrong. More than anything.”

  Rachel gives me a sad smile. “Of course you do. It was clear how attached you and Sebastian had become to her.” She shakes her head, her expression hardening. “What a terrible woman. And to take Jemma and Ida too. We’ll help Sebastian and get all of them back. Even if Euna says no to officially helping, I’ll do it anyway. It isn’t right. You’ve already been through so much.”

  “Thank you,” I say.

  Rachel leaves to let me rest while she informs Euna of all I’ve told her.

  I remain still, curled up on the bed, haunted by my circling thoughts. I failed my best friend. Now, I really have no one. Eventually I fall into a dreamless sleep.

  When Rachel returns the next morning, she tells me that Euna is glad I’m back and has tasked Rachel with finding a way to save Sebastian, his sister, and Ida and to stop Maeve’s plans. I’m so relieved I could cry all over again. The first thing we do is head for the stacks. Rachel believes there might be more about body walkers in some of the older documents that we haven’t searched yet.

  When we get to the first level of the library, though, I pause. “Rachel? Can we go in here first?”

  “Of course. What do you need?”

  “I just wanted to see Maeve’s research desk.” She collected numerous texts over the last few weeks and kept them on a particular desk on this level. There might be something in her papers that would give a clue to how she plans to find the soul summoner.

  “Good idea,” Rachel says. When we reach the alcove with Maeve’s desk, we’re startled to find Connor shuffling through her papers.

  Rachel puts her hands on her hips. “Do you need something?”

  He whirls around with a guilty expression on his face. “Oh, I… No, I just thought I saw something of mine here, but I was mistaken.”

  I frown, not trusting him. I don’t feel even a little guilty when I peek into his mind as he ducks away.

  I could have sworn I saw her with that journal in her hand the other day, even though she denied it. Maybe she hid it somewhere. No respect…

  Before, I couldn’t have imagined why Maeve would want to steal Connor’s research, nor why he would ever suspect that. But after hearing his conversation with Devynne and knowing what I do about Maeve’s plans for the soul summoner, I have no doubt his suspicions are well founded.

  “Did you want to look at her things?” Rachel asks me, bringing me back to the task at hand. I’d gotten sidetracked staring after Connor this time.

  “Yes, please.”

  I begin to sort through them, recognizing some of the books as ones Maeve pored over quite thoroughly. I set those aside, and Rachel begins to scan through them for any mention of a soul summoner. As I shuffle books around, something slips out and falls on the chair—a map. Curious, I unfold the sheet of parchment and spread it out on the desk. Shock ripples through me.

  This is my map. Or rather, the map of Parilla Rachel used to determine that the village of Wren is now underwater. She even updated it using her book binding talent with a notation of where Wren was once located.

  A heady mix of emotions tumbles through me. Did Maeve save this because she thought I’d want it? Did she do it to help me, because she really cared for me? Or is there some other reason? Something I can’t see yet that would help her find the soul summoner? I wish terribly for it to be the first, but I suspect it’s really the latter.

  “Strange that she would hold on to that.” Rachel says over my shoulder.

  “I thought so too,” I say.

  “Why don’t you keep it safe. Just in case there’s more there than we realize.” Rachel folds it up and tucks it into my bag. “And you know, I think you should probably hold on to those obsidian artifacts too.” I’d intended to return them while we were here in the library. “If Maeve decides she wants you too, they ought to keep you safe from her talent.”

  My eyes widen. “Are you sure it’s all right? I feel terrible that we took them and had to break that glass case, but we didn’t see any other way at the time.”

  “You did what you thought was best and right. And you brought them back. You’re more valuable to Maeve than any of the others here. If anyone needs the protection, it’s you.”

  My heart sinks. No, the one who really needed it was Sebastian.

  “I’ll bring them back again once this is all over.”

  Rachel squeezes my shoulder. “I know you will.” Her hand drops back to her side. “Well, I think we’ve exhausted this avenue. Let’s go upstairs to the older documents, shall we?”

  I agree. The journal doesn’t appear to be in Maeve’s desk. She must’ve taken it with her.

  As we head up the stairs, I can’t help but feel as though eyes follow me. I brush the feeling off, and it isn’t long before we’re settled in the oldest part of the library. The dust makes me sneeze, but I pore over everything Rachel sets in front of me, trying hard to remain focused on the task at hand.

  All we know right now is that the last recorded soul summoner disappeared long, long ago. In a way, that’s a relief. Maeve’s plan really is just a wild-goose chase if she can’t find a living soul summoner. The afternoon passes in a hazy daze of dust and words. They seem to float off the page and dance before my eyes until they hardly even make sense anymore. But Rachel has no issues with that. She is as studious as ever, and just before dinnertime, she lets out a little cry over what looks like a town record.

  “Simone,” Rachel says, her face drawn tight and serious. “Come here.”

  I sit next to her on the bench and look over her shoulder. “What is it?”

  “This document… It’s very badly labeled. You can barely read it anymore.” She shows me the top of the scroll. Where the town name ought to be is just a smudge of ink that looks like it got wet. “I think it’s from your village. From Wren.”

  My skin grows cold all of sudden. “Are you sure?”

  She sighs. “Listen to this. It might
shed light on both your and Maeve’s predicaments.”

  Our town has been particularly blessed by the Comet. At least a dozen of the children here are talented, and several of the previous generation too. But today our numbers have been reduced by a great tragedy. A strange, wealthy woman arrived in town last week with an entourage. We were honored to host her, and she delighted the local shopkeepers by spending liberally on their wares. But she was not what we thought. And now she has stolen more from us than can ever be repaid.

  The lady, as we have now discovered, has a rare talent: magic eating. She and her servants kidnapped every talented man, woman, and child in Wren, except a handful who were traveling abroad while she was here (our soul summoner, gift giver, and one of our water wishers are, thankfully, safe). Those who pursued her have either disappeared or have not returned the same. Families have been destroyed, and we will not forget this terrible wrong. The names of those who were stolen are recorded below:

  Rati Alberg, spot hopper

  Romana M. Casares, body walker

  Simone Casares, mind reader

  Kenyatta Combs, green grower

  Emilian R. Corallo, skin saver

  Jerod A. Dada, color changer

  Neri Frieden, shape shifter

  Zona Futrell, water wisher

  Malvin A. Gaccione, book binder

  Catarina L. Heilbert, green grower

  Doros Hooley, scent sower

  Darci Kassin, wind whistler

  Glynae Pellerito, frost finder

  Bochim Starek, wind whistler

  Riley J. Wetherill, earth rattler

  My hand freezes over my own name on the list—and that of my mother. She was a body walker.

  Shock electrifies the blood in my veins. Impossible. I could never have been related to a monster who uses people.

  “This can’t be a coincidence,” Rachel says, the excitement of discovery making her cheeks flush.

  I frown, suddenly repulsed by the scroll. “What do you mean?”

  “Your mother’s middle name. It begins with an M.”