by Anna Webb
“She can only hide us if we keep still,” Jamie whispered, though he shared his brother’s feeling of helplessness.
* * *
The minutes ticked by, and the silence seemed to take on substance, thick and turgid, wrapping around them like a heavy fog. In the distance, slow and deliberate footsteps could be heard, a quiet step on pine needles, making its way ever closer to them.
“Ally?” Rob mouthed silently to Jamie.
Jamie shook his head—he’d seen Allyra in the Arena during the First Trial of the Elemental Trials, and he knew just how silently and stealthily she could move. The approaching steps were quiet but not quiet enough to be those of an Atmospheric.
He looked around for a weapon of some kind, but they were surrounded by nothing but dirt and pine needles. He craned his neck carefully and looked around the tree—the cloaked Cleaner was making his way closer, moving carefully and searching around every tree for his prey. Jamie fisted his fingers and tried to prepare his mind for a fight that he didn’t have the strength for.
Allyra arrived like a ghost. She dropped from the branches and wrapped her legs around the Cleaner’s neck. She tightened her muscles and used her body weight to bring him to the ground. The Cleaner was fast though, and he brought up his hand, fingers clutched around a knife, stabbing it toward Allyra. But she was faster still and kicked it from his grasp. She wrapped her legs tighter around the Cleaner’s throat, and he struggled against her, thrashing and kicking violently until his strength sapped away and silence settled over them once more.
Allyra got to her feet and stalked toward them—an avenging angel.
“It’s done,” she said shortly, her voice cold and flat. “Let’s get out of here.”
* * *
The drive back to the beach house was done in complete silence. By the time they arrived, dawn was breaking over the sand dunes. Jamie stepped out of the car slowly, still feeling the effects of the night’s activities. Once in the beach house, he collapsed immediately into the nearest chair, uncomfortably aware of the heartbeat throbbing in his head.
Allyra stalked in, and the door slammed violently behind her, forced closed by the power of her Gift.
“Tell me that was a joke!” she shouted, her voice loud after the hours of silence in the car. “Please tell me that wasn’t the Rising’s idea of a plan.”
“Ally…” Rob said soothingly.
“No!” she shouted. “Don’t tell me to calm down! We could’ve died back there. And Laureline knew exactly what was hidden in there, and it sure as hell wasn’t information.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Rob said.
“Talk?” Allyra asked incredulously. “You still want to talk after she left us out there to die.”
“She was just following the plan. We were supposed to scatter if anything went wrong—it increases the chances that someone will get away.”
Allyra laughed, but it was an ugly sound, thick with sarcasm. “It would’ve been nice if you shared that particular gem of a plan with us.”
“You were being tested.”
“Thrown in the deep end, with little chance of survival, is more like it.”
“Yes, this one went wrong, but every person that joins the Rising is tested. I went through it, our parents went through it, and now, both of you have too.”
“Just because something has always been done doesn’t make it the right thing to do,” Allyra said, her voice quiet and tired now, her anger burned to ashes. “And just because our parents trusted the Rising doesn’t mean we should too.”
She turned to Jamie and held out her hands for him to see—there was still dried blood on them. “I could’ve killed someone back there. And for what?” Allyra shook her head. “We could’ve all died back there, and had we died, what use would we be in saving Emma?”
Allyra glanced down at her hands, holding them out in front of her like she didn’t recognize what she was looking at. Her face fell, and suddenly, she looked incredibly young and vulnerable. When she looked up again, Jamie found it hard to meet her eyes.
“When we see monsters every day—when we live and eat amongst them, at what point do we stop recognizing them? At what point do we become the monsters ourselves?” Allyra whispered.
She strode out of the house, leaving the brothers silent behind her.
* * *
Jamie found her sitting on the beach, staring silently at the incoming waves. He watched her for a while, unsure of his own feelings or what he wanted to say. The light of dawn tangled around her, making her look young and lost, a far cry from the deadly wraith she’d been in the forest.
That moment in the forest, when he’d watched Allyra deal with the Cleaner, he’d known that the girl he’d grown up with, and loved for so long, was lost forever. Allyra had shown herself to be an adept fighter in the Elemental Trials, but The Five Finals was turning her into something altogether deadlier.
There were a million things he wanted to say to her, but two words might cover every thought in his head: I’m sorry.
I’m sorry I let my need to find Emma cloud my judgment.
I’m sorry I hid my Gift from you.
I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about your father’s death.
I’m sorry you had to fight in the Elemental Trials.
I’m sorry you have to fight in The Five Finals.
I’m sorry that I’m afraid of what you’re becoming.
I’m sorry I played a part in making you into what you are today.
I’m sorry.
So many apologies, but he couldn’t say a word of it.
For the first time in his life, Jamie found he didn’t know what to say to Allyra. Feeling like the worst type of coward, he turned and walked away.
Chapter 22 – Allyra
Still gobbling down an apple, Allyra raced toward the sparring room. Despite the improved relations with Jason, he could still be counted on to be grumpy whenever she was late. With only eight pairs left in The Five Finals, training had taken on a new urgency and seriousness, which meant there was little time left for mundane things like food and sleep. So, Jason’s quirks notwithstanding, she was going to take her time and eat the apple.
Swallowing the last bite, she opened the door to the sparring room. “I know, I know—I’m late. But it’s only a few minutes, so don’t get your panties in a twist—”
Too late, she realized that Jason wasn’t the only person waiting for her in the sparring room. Leaning against the wall next to Jason was Master Akerman, looking highly entertained, in sharp contrast to Jason.
There was no taking her words back, so she composed herself and nodded at Master Akerman. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“Miss Warden,” he replied, still making no attempt to hide his amusement. He pointed between Jason and Allyra. “Remind me again how you two knuckleheads managed to get this far?”
“It’s a mystery to us all, sir,” Jason replied sardonically.
Master Akerman shook his head with lingering disbelief. “Well, somehow, you’re still here. So—lucky me, I get to spend more time with you.”
“Sarcasm, sir?” she queried lightly.
“Never. I can’t get enough of your sparkling personalities. But enough time wasting, let’s get down to it—Evanescence—that’s why I’m here. If, by some miracle, you two make it to the Fourth Final, you’re going to need it.”
He glanced at Jason. “I’m guessing you know how already.”
Jason nodded. “Of course,” he drawled, making no effort at humility. Allyra wanted to roll her eyes but managed to control the instinct. Master Akerman felt no such need for restraint.
“Try swallowing that arrogance sometime, it might build some character,” he said before turning to Allyra and studying her intently. “Now, you present an interesting case. You’ve crossed the Veil into the Between, so the natural assumption would be that you know how to Evanesce. But, I’ve been teaching long enough to realize that assumption of knowledge is not somet
hing a good teacher should ever do. So, Miss Warden, tell me what you know about Evanescence.”
Her mind leapt to the memory of passing through the Gate—the bright light, the warmth, the siren’s call. The feeling of being herself but also not. Of being somehow both more and altogether less. It had terrified her.
“Come on, spit it out,” Master Akerman said cheerfully. “I’m here to help you.”
“I know what it feels like,” she said carefully, “but I’m not sure I would know how to make it happen.”
“Back to basics then. Evanescence is about transformation. You have a starting point, an intermediate point, and an end point. The start and end should be the same, the intermediate stage will be your Element. Evanescence is the process through which something is transformed into an Elemental form then back into its original form.”
Master Akerman picked up a rose. It was a deep, glossy red with dark green leaves. He turned it slowly in his hand, admiring it. “Lasting Love,” he said. “An apt name, I think, for something so beautiful. But, let’s see just how lasting it is.”
He handed the flower to Jason. “Would you care to demonstrate?”
Jason took the rose, his expression bored. He called a flame to his hand and glanced at Allyra. “Watch,” he commanded.
The flame in his hand started to get bigger, growing and licking its way up the rose’s stem, caressing the leaves and finally the bloom itself. But the Fire didn’t burn where it touched the flower, instead the rose seemed to collapse and fade, becoming a part of the flame itself.
Like a magician doing a trick, Jason snapped the fingers of his other hand and a fire burst into existence in his palm, burning a brilliant white. In its center, a spot appeared, and the flame slowly retreated from it, leaving only a perfectly formed rose behind.
Ever theatrical, Jason offered her the rose with an exaggerated bow. Ignoring him, she took the rose and studied it, her forehead furrowed in concentration, as if the rose held the secret to successfully Evanescing it. It was perfect—glossy red, darker at the center than the edges.
Master Akerman took the rose from her and in turn, examined it. Eventually, he looked up at Jason. “Not bad,” he said begrudgingly. Allyra raise her eyebrow at Jason—it was high praise coming from Master Akerman.
Plucking a leaf from the stem of the rose, Master Akerman handed it to Allyra. “Care to give it a shot?”
She hesitated, then took it from him, reaching for her Gift. She closed her eyes—yes, she could see the yellow threads of the Air Element, but there was nothing in the leaf that suggested how it might be transformed.
“I don’t see how—”
“Nothing in this world comes without a cost, Miss Warden. Evanescing from one form to another requires energy. You must supply that energy.”
Reaching once more for her Gift, Allyra tried again. This time, she retreated inward, past the mental protections she’d built around the glowing sphere of pure energy she held within herself. She allowed the energy to flow, like a river of golden light, from her to the leaf. The energy infused the leaf, breaking it apart, disassembling it, and joining it to the yellow threads. It took only a few seconds for the leaf to disappear completely.
That was the easy part.
Next, she tried to recall the leaf, to rebuild it from nothing but air. The remaking was much more difficult than the unmaking, demanding more focus and devouring the energy she supplied. Slowly, the leaf reformed, at first taking on a transparent, mirage-like quality before solidifying and becoming whole.
Suddenly light-headed, Allyra stumbled back a few steps and leant against the wall, trying to recover her balance. A wave of nausea forced her to slide down the wall until she sat on the floor, taking deep breaths to calm her somersaulting stomach.
Clearly amused, Master Akerman handed her a bottled soft drink. Just the sight of its sickly, artificial orange color made her feel even more ill, and she turned away.
“Drink it,” Master Akerman insisted. “Trust me, the sugar helps.”
He opened the bottle, making the carbonated drink fizz merrily, and put it before her again.
“You’re going to make me sick,” she gasped, pushing it away. “And none of us will enjoy that.”
“Stop being a stubborn donkey, and just drink the damn thing,” Jason snapped with an irritated scowl.
Not because she would ever bother to obey Jason but just to stop all the noise pounding around in her head, she grabbed the bottle and took a small sip. It ran cool and sickly sweet down her throat, and she noted with some surprise that it did make her feel a little better. A few more sips later and she was able to open her eyes without the entire world rocking like a boat on stormy seas.
“When are you going to learn that its easier just to listen?” Jason asked caustically.
“To you? Never.”
Jason tuned to Master Akerman. “She’s fine,” he declared.
“Don’t you two ever get tired of sniping at each other?” Master Akerman muttered, stopping to pick up the reformed rose leaf Allyra had dropped. He held it up for them to see. “Well, at least it’s green.”
And however sarcastic the statement was, it was probably the kindest thing to be said about her attempt, and even then, she’d missed the mark on the shade of green. Hers looked bright and artificial, in total contrast to the original’s deep, natural green. The shape, texture, and size were all wrong too.
Jason turned away, hiding a bemused grin. Allyra shot him an angry stare. “It’s my first attempt,” she said defensively.
“I suppose we should all be grateful you didn’t turn yourself into a one-eyed alien when you came back through the Gate,” Jason said, foregoing any further attempt to hide his laughter.
“Enough,” Master Akerman roared. “This is a lesson, not a comedic performance.” He looked at Allyra sternly. “Tell me what you did wrong.”
“Everything apparently,” she replied, just a little sullen.
“You didn’t take the time to study what you were Evanescing. You just jumped in without thinking. To Evanesce something, you need to know it—thinking a leaf is green is not enough. You need to understand the intricate detail—what it feels like, what it smells like.
“If you think Evanescing a leaf is difficult, think about how difficult it is to Evanesce a person. Most people never attempt it, simply because they don’t trust they know themselves well enough.”
He glanced at Allyra and took in her still pale color and clammy skin. He sighed. “I think that’s enough for today. By the way, that sick feeling you’re experiencing—that comes from getting it wrong. Mess with the natural order of things and you will have to pay a price. Only time—and sugar—will help reestablish the balance.”
He left the room, and after the door swung shut behind him, Jason raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged carelessly. “Guess we have a free afternoon now.”
He sat down beside her and nudged her gently. “It wasn’t that bad. The first time I tried Evanescence, it was a pebble, and it came out looking like sludge. Though, I guess I was only twelve at the time.”
“I can’t tell if you’re trying to be reassuring through all the arrogance.”
“And I’m going to stop trying to be helpful if all you’re going to do is throw it back in my face. I really couldn’t care less if you can Evanesce or not.”
“Except you should care—if I can’t Evanesce, it’s going to put a serious damper on your aspirations of winning,” Allyra shot back.
“No, not really. I’ll just Evanesce you, and if you come out looking like a green alien…” Jason shrugged with a smirk.
“You, Evanesce me?” Allyra exclaimed. “No—not going to happen. If most people won’t Evanesce themselves out of fear of not knowing themselves well enough, how would anyone even begin to attempt doing it to someone else?”
“First—if I wanted to Evanesce you, you wouldn’t have much of a choice. Second—people can know someone else well enough to Evanesce t
hem. They just have to be Tethered.”
“I have so many questions,” Allyra said, only half-joking.
“So uneducated,” Jason said without venom.
“One, if people can just go around Evanescing each other, isn’t that the perfect way to kill someone?”
Jason lifted an eyebrow at her. “I like your thinking—you’re developing quite the mind of the killer. But no. Think about it—just getting the leaf wrong nearly made you lose your lunch, and when I turned a pebble to mud, I was struck down by the world’s worst migraine. I couldn’t get out of bed for two days. Destroying a person through Evanesce will most definitely kill you—I would advise most strongly against it, which probably means you’ll go out and attempt it at the first possible opportunity.”
Allyra shot him an exasperated glare, and he grinned, utterly unrepentant.
“Next question?” he prompted.
“What in the world does Tethered mean? I assume it’s not some Gifted version of BDSM?”
“Hmmm, you in leather with a whip,” Jason mused, deliberately ogling her. “I might be convinced to get behind that.”
“Ugh please don’t,” Allyra replied with a grimace. “Not unless you want my lunch in your lap.”
Jason let out a huff of laughter but then composed himself quickly. When he spoke again, it was with a strange seriousness. “Tethering means to bind your mind with another. It allows two or more Gifted to work in concert, like the Assembly of Wind. Tethering can be a powerful tool, but it means opening your mind up to someone else.
“Tethering was once revered amongst the Gifted,” Jason continued, his voice soft and distant. “It was almost sacred—a bond of trust so deep you were willing to open the darkest corners of your mind to another. In the past, it was only done for the best reasons—love, trust, protection. Now it is done simply to win an advantage in The Five Finals.”