Embers

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  Do I risk putting him in danger though? I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him because of me. But do I dare try it alone? Ivan had knowledge of the compound, and the Demon’s routines. It might be a fool’s mission without his help.

  “I will help you save Sawyer,” he told me before I had to ask.

  It felt better to have him volunteer. Sawyer was his friend too. He had the right to make the attempt to save him.

  “You need to tell me everything about the compound, and the Demons, as quickly as you can. We don’t have much time. And, Ivan, don’t say a word about this to Ila.”

  Revelation 7:1

  After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

  Ember ~ Forty-Four

  We ate a lunch of summer squash, cheese, and apple pie while we made small talk around the table. It was difficult to not arouse Ila’s suspicions. Ivan played the game well, keeping the conversation going, even when I was at a loss for words.

  After the meal was picked up, I asked Ila if Ivan and I could go for a walk. She relented, even though she still thought I should be resting. Before we got out the door, she commented that it was strange that Sawyer was not back yet.

  “I think he said something about picking up a few things in town. I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” I said, turning away quickly before she could read the lie on my face.

  At the edge of the pasture, just before we climbed the rock wall to enter the woods, Angus came bounding through the grass. I sighed. My dog wanted to go with us, but I wouldn’t risk losing him. I told him with my mind not to follow, and he reluctantly dropped his head and turned around.

  I hated sending him away, but it was for his own good.

  Once over the rocks, we moved quietly through the trees. Ivan knew the way to the compound, and I stayed close to him. The day was cool, but the sun kept popping out from behind the puffy, swiftly moving clouds. Between the physical exertion, and my anger at what the Demons had done to Sawyer, I was sweating. The heat billowed off of me. I pulled the sweatshirt off, tying it around my waist. Ivan didn’t seem to notice that I wore only my black camisole now.

  I tried to feel for Sawyer, but there was only blankness. My instincts told me he was unconscious, at least that’s what I hoped. The only reason I was able to maintain any semblance of calm was that I knew I’d need all my wits about me to get him out of there alive. Once that was accomplished, I’d take care of those rotten Demons. But as long as Sawyer needed me, I’d hold the fire in.

  The breeze picked up, and a cluster of dry leaves spiraled down around us in a chaotic swoosh, causing my insides to flutter.

  To anyone else, it was the perfect fall day. The air had just the right mixture of crispness and sunshine, and the warm smell of pine needles and dried leaves was all around. As I followed Ivan, dodging tree trunks and clusters of rock formations, I felt better than I had when I’d left the valley. The giant, unnatural fence that protected the Demons was scary, but it was surrounded by the forest, which was my friend. And, although fire was my first element, I had to admit that I could feel the touch of the earth, always teasing me. It’s very strong presence here on the mountain gave me strength.

  For a minute or two, I could pretend that I was hiking in the mountains with a friend, and that the world was a pleasant place. That is, until memories flashed of the day before, catching my breath in my throat every so often.

  I could still hardly believe what I’d done to those monsters with my very own hands. It was insane. Yet, I’d accepted the craziness of all the powers and supernatural creatures with ease. Sometimes I felt as if I was living in some alternate universe. Other times, I was just an ordinary teenager.

  The sorrow of losing my parents was never far away, but with each day that passed, I became stronger, and that part of my life, living in Ohio and riding through the flat croplands with Piper, faded further and further away. I could never go back now.

  I shrugged off the cold tightening my belly as we neared the compound. The evil chill was attempting to chase my inner fire away. When the fire almost blinked out, I summoned an image of my guardian covered in gore and lying on the wooden floor. The flames sparked to life within me once again.

  As long as I kept focused on my goal, I’d be okay.

  I stopped alongside a cluster of Mountain Laurel bushes. A pocket of humid air hung around the thick, sun covered vegetation. Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the sensation for a moment, letting it ground me, before I whistled to Ivan. When he looked back, I told him I was going to use a bird to see what was going on inside the fence. He frowned, but nodded his head. Before I had to ask, he went into wolf form.

  I picked a large crow, one that had been following us since we’d crossed the rock wall, and entered its mind. It turned out that it was the same crow that had been with me when I torched the Demons. The bird’s sharp little mind remembered me too, and the fellowship with it felt good. We soared up above the trees with the wind at our back. I saw the fort immediately, and was startled that we were so close to it, just over the next hill and we’d be there. I asked the bird to fly lower for a sweep over the compound.

  It looked eerily quiet. Since no one was out in the open, I asked the bird to drop further. We skimmed over the middle of the enclosure, the flip, flip of the wings, beating loudly in my ears. Seeing nothing of interest, we flew upwards, racing towards the ever darkening clouds.

  We didn’t get very far when a shot rang out, an explosion in the air. There was no time to react or even think, but somehow I did. Just as I exited the body, I felt the poor crow blown apart, its guts flinging through me as I blinked away.

  Back in my own body, I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Ivan was human again. He urgently asked me to tell him what happened.

  “They know we’re coming,” I choked out.

  I forced myself to breathe and forget about the bird.

  “Ivan, we have to go back and tell Ila about everything. She’ll know what to do.”

  Before I could get up, there was a thunderous growl behind us. I twisted to see a huge black bear watching us. Ivan was a wolf again, standing in front of me snarling right back at the bear. I tried to reason that Ivan probably knew this bear. That it must be his friend, Lutz—the one he liked to wrestle with. But seeing the gigantic mouth opening, and gobs of saliva dripping out of its jaws, I began to tremble uncontrollably.

  Its teeth were the size of my fingers, and for a second, I sat cemented to the forest floor. I stared at the animal, an irrational fascination growing within me at the immense size of the beast. The bear could eat me and Ivan, no problem, and have room in its stomach for a deer besides.

  It stepped closer, the dried leaves crunching under its weight until it was just a foot away from us. I quickly stood up and Ivan pressed up against the front of my legs, a short whimper erupting from his mouth as he guarded me. The hair was raised along his spine making him appear even larger, which, even as an adolescent wolf, was still bigger than Angus. But compared to the bear, the wolf was too young to threaten the huge animal, whose mere breathing pushed back the loose hairs around my face. Maybe in a few years, and with a pack at his side, Ivan would have a shot, but for now there was nothing he could do to keep this beast from ripping me apart.

  I rested my hand onto the wolf’s back, letting my fingers spread through the course hair to touch his skin. I wanted him to know that I was there for him.

  I tried to pull the fire into me, but it wouldn’t come. My core was cool. The glorious flames were beyond reach. I had no anger towards this creature, just a throbbing fear that was blocking my access to the heat.

  When the bear stretched its neck to bring its mouth just above my head, and a spatter of its drool splashed down on my nose, I couldn’t help but compare him to Angus. At that instant I had an idea. I closed my eyes and reached out to the bear’s
mind, softly touching it. Very gently, I caressed his mind, and gave him the suggestion of familiarity and friendliness.

  It was difficult; his brain was as solid as a boulder. I stretched the limits of my abilities, carefully searching for an opening.

  Time ticked slowly by. The only sounds were a mixture of Ivan’s low growls and the bear’s heavy breathing. Then it looked me in the eye, and I saw its humanity. I had gotten to it. The giant animal closed its mouth and turned, lumbering away into the denser stand of trees as if it was thoroughly bored with us.

  It took a few more seconds before I breathed a heavy sigh and began rubbing Ivan’s head in relief. He seemed content in his wolf form, and I was grateful since the motions of my hands petting him were slowing my pounding heart.

  Finally, after another moment, I stood up, and as quick as that action was, I was flying through the air. I landed in the Mountain Laurel bush, the branches slicing into my back and arms. Ivan was knocked away from me when I took to the air. I heard him hit the ground with a sickening crack and yelp right before the bush caught me.

  Lifting my head, I felt stinging on my stomach, and I glanced down. My top was ripped, exposing four angry looking slashes that resembled the cuts kitchen knives would have made if racked across my belly. The blood gushing from them quickly obscured the view until only a pool of the red liquid was puddled there. I was almost sick, the bile lifting in my throat, but somehow I managed to swallow it down and concentrate on healing myself. Multitasking, I jerked my head around, searching for the source of the injury.

  It blended in with the yellowing undergrowth, but I heard the low, deep rattle from its throat, and knew exactly what it was. It padded out of the bushes and stood between Ivan and myself. Its thick, tawny colored fur reflected the sunlight, changing shade with the movements of its muscles. The animal’s face had black points that made it beautiful to look upon, but that thought quickly evaporated when I gazed at the creature’s freakishly tall height. Its shoulder came close to the height of my own if I was standing up, making it the largest cat that would ever have prowled these mountains.

  This must be Cray.

  The arrogant lion glared at me with golden eyes before it unleashed a sharp, angry roar. The sound knocked me backwards, the same as if I’d been physically pushed.

  I tried to reach its mind, but the cat wouldn’t allow it. His wall was battened down with no chance of penetration. The brute didn’t give me time to come up with other options either, leaping at me, and swiping my shoulder with such force that I went smashing sideways into the nearest tree.

  My camisole was in tatters, the blood from my shoulder, which I feared was broken, was leaking down into the blood still pumping from my stomach. Pain shot through me as I tried to roll into a sitting position. I crumpled back down to the ground. My body wasn’t working right.

  Cray stood there, twitching his tail, purposely prolonging my death, the same as a barn cat playing with an injured mouse. Anger began to grow within me, and a trickling of the power washed lightly over me. I began healing myself, slowly from the inside out, but without my full attention, it wasn’t going well. I was losing too much blood. I wasn’t sure how long I could stay conscious either. At any moment, I expected to drift away into oblivion, and then bleed to death.

  I had to do something before I weakened even more.

  Ivan must have been thinking the same way. He pulled himself up. Inwardly, I screamed no to him loud and clear, but only a whisper gurgled from my mouth when I tried to say it for real. He hurled himself at the cat that was twice his size. Even in his damaged state, Ivan managed to knock the beast to the ground, but only for an instant as Cray rolled, and was on his feet again. The lion shook himself off and stared at Ivan with malevolence, lightly stepping towards the wolf, deliberately. When it was within a couple of yards, it gathered its muscles and sprang at the wolf. Its claws were fully extended and spread wide.

  It was as if I was watching the scene in slow motion. The lion was in the air, falling towards the wolf, and the wolf was rushing to meet it with its teeth exposed. They slammed into each other, snarling, roaring and yelping. The lion had the wolf down, and was ravaging his head and neck. The wolf was fighting back, but his movements were lessening, until he suddenly dropped limply to the ground.

  I was overcome with rage at that moment, and the fire came into me full force. The lion hovered over the wolf, its razor sharp teeth poised to bite the wolf’s neck. They were so close that I had little room for a mistake.

  I flung the fire out of my fingers at the lion.

  The fire channeled into a powerful stream that hit the lion in the face. In a burst of flame, fur and liquid, its head was gone. The lion’s body fell onto the wolf, jerking wildly for an instant, and then blood gushed from the gaping hole.

  I crawled over to Ivan as dirt and leaves clung to the blood on my wounds. I was too stunned to feel the pain. Using all of my strength, I tried to push lion off of the wolf. I only managed to move the dead weight a little bit, freeing the wolf’s head and chest.

  Despair struck me when I saw the wolf’s injuries. Ivan’s neck was open, the artery cut, and spurting bright red blood into the air. I clamped my hands onto it and focused the power into the wound. It was one of those injuries that Ila had said couldn’t be healed, a death injury, but I didn’t care. I’d try anyway.

  It was like filling a large, plastic bag with water, and the water kept escaping through one tiny hole. It was not impossible, I could feel that I was making progress, and a glint of hope began to swell inside of me. If I could plug the hole somehow, I could save him.

  Ivan’s blood mixed with my own in a sticky mess that covered both of our bodies. Although I felt sickened and light headed, I pulled the power to me. I let it flow into the wolf through my hands. Minutes later I had the neck repaired, and I spread the power out to Ivan’s other injuries; the broken bones, damaged organs. It took some time, but finally, when it was over, I collapsed beside the wolf.

  The healing had sapped me of everything, making me as weak as a newborn kitten. I reached out with my mind to contact Ila. I’d never attempted to go this far. When I did it with Sawyer, he’d only been a few miles away. This distance was more like six miles. And I was so tired.

  I tried several times, but didn’t feel her. I wasn’t sure if she’d heard my call or not. The blood still spilled from my wounds. I attempted to heal myself, but I didn’t have the strength to do it.

  The cuts were beginning to sting as the shock of it all started to wear off. I feared infection was already setting in. I was on my back staring at the leaves and branches of the trees above, my injured shoulder lightly touching the wolf. His breathing was loud and regular. I thought he’d be okay, but it would be a while before he woke. I just hoped he opened his eyes before the Demons showed up.

  The sensation of pain hit me again, but not from my own wounds. It was Sawyer’s pain. It felt as if they were killing him, and I didn’t know what to do. Despair began to swallow me up. I was so close to him. If I hadn’t healed Ivan, and battled with the lion, I could have rescued him.

  Sawyer’s pain eased for a moment, and I felt his presence solidly in my mind.

  Ember, you must leave here. Go away and save yourself. Nothing you can do to help me now. Go back. Go back. Please, the voice in my mind begged.

  His words had the opposite effect on me than he intended. They filled me with a shard of hope. He was still alive. The wrath that coursed through me filled me with flames.

  How dare they touch him!

  The heat surged through my body, giving me a burst of power. I stumbled up from the ground. My legs were shaky, the pain still distinct in my shoulder and belly, but I was touching the fire now, and it belonged to me once again. That’s all that mattered. I couldn’t wait for Ila to come. Sawyer’s time was running out, and she might not even have heard me. Besides, she was old, what could she do to help? I had to go alone. I couldn’t live without Sawyer, he’d just b
ecome part of me. I wouldn’t lose him now.

  My mind was firmly set, and I struggled up the hill, toward the fort. I held the fire at bay. Once I crested the rise, I stopped and rested for a few breaths, noticing that for the first time ever the sight of the wooden boards didn’t affect me. Maybe I was too far gone to feel any of the milder sensations of fear that usually plagued me in the presence in the giant enclosure.

  The fire was with me, but my muscles were spongy, aching. I felt moistness at my nose, and I touched it with my hand. It was blood. My nose was dripping blood. This worried me, but all I could do was wipe it on the only part of my arm not already covered with the stuff and continue on.

  The steps I took were achingly slow, one after the other, until I was almost to the fence.

  Then I heard the scream.

  The sound coming from Sawyer’s throat was like nothing I’d heard before, a combination of an animal and human wail.

  My heart hammered, the blood pumping furiously. I dropped any shred of barrier that was left between me and the inferno. I was no longer Ember O’Meara. I was something else, pure energy, driven by hate and purpose. I released the fire from my body, and it spread out as if it was a wave, setting everything in its path ablaze. The force of the surging molten wave smashed into the wall, exploding, and sending a hundred foot section of it splintering into the air.

  The smoke was thick, and the flames were all around me, yet I continued to drive forward.

  When I stepped onto the remains of the fence, my feet set it on fire, and the closest trees went up in reddish-yellow blazes that crackled and hissed into the smoke. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I mourned the forest, but I couldn’t stop the fire now. It was free and went where it willed. I had no strength left to call it back to me. It would devour the great woods, maybe even the entire mountain, but I only cried for Sawyer, my guardian.

  The smoke cleared before me, and that’s when I saw him, chained to the wooden post with logs piled up around him. It was a scene plucked from an uncivilized time when people were persecuted by such means. The Demons were encircling him, crouched and slinking like savage beasts, their movements not even slightly human. With a quick count, I surmised that there were maybe ten of them—it was hard to tell with their lightning speed motions.