Legion

by Catrina Burgess

  Freddy was always ready to help me. I swallowed a sob. I could feel tears swelling up on my eyelashes. I didn’t want to cry in front of him, but I was so weak, I was crying at the drop of a hat. I needed to buck up. I needed to be strong. “I may be dead by the time Luke makes it back. But with this potion, I might have a chance.”

  “You can count on me, Colina.” There was real sincerity in his voice.

  I wiped the tears away. “I need some paper. I can draw you a picture of the plant. It has very distinctive leaves. You need to know what you’re looking for, to make sure it’s the real thing.”

  He started to walk away.

  “Freddy, thank you.” He’d come through for me again. He was the only one I could count on in this place.

  He turned and gave me a smile and a salute before walking out of the tent.

  Freddy was going out on a limb for me. He would more than likely face Darla’s wrath when he came back with the plant. I just hoped it was all worth it, and I prayed that I lived long enough to see Luke again.

  * * *

  Not long after Freddy left, I had another visitor. “Miss Campbell, may I come in?” The voice was calm, unthreatening.

  “Yes,” I said, straightening myself as best I could on the cot.

  A tall man, maybe in his early forties, bent low to duck through the tent flap, his head almost brushing against the pitched roof. I looked at him for a long moment, breathing sharply in recognition. Luke’s gray eyes stared out of a face that could have been his, given twenty years of experience and maturity. This was someone from Luke’s family. The resemblance was striking. The man was dressed in an old suit and seemed to carry an aura of authority. I struggled to rise, to say something, but fell back to the cot without finding the words.

  The wait was over. This was the council member they had sent for. The one who would pass judgment on me.

  For a long moment, neither of us said a word.

  Maybe the poison would take me before the trial even started. They can try and take their pound of flesh from my corpse. The thought seemed morbid, even for me.

  I found myself staring curiously at the man who held my fate in his hands. Would he be angry and fearful, like the rest of his guild, or would he be cold and vicious, looking for payback like Darla?

  He moved suddenly and crouched next to me, helping me prop myself up on the cot. He gave me a smile, but I could see his eyes fill with sadness. “I see that you’ve managed to get yourself into trouble again, young lady. You seem to have quite a talent for it.” He sat down on the cot across from me and suddenly looked awkward.

  “Have we met before?” I was sure that we hadn’t, but he looked so familiar that I felt as if I knew him, and his words implied that he knew me.

  He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Franklin Cross. I believe you know my niece.” He paused, a shadow sliding across his face. “And my nephew.”

  An uncomfortable silence stretched between us again. My head filled with all that had happened to Luke and Darla and all the terrible things they had been through, mostly because of things I had done. Any excuses or pleas that I might have made in my defense died on my lips. I simply replied, “Yes, I know them.” My voice trembled as I said the words.

  Luke’s Uncle Franklin looked at me with unexpected sympathy. “I have tried not to come to any conclusions about you. My niece and nephew have both sought me out to tell me their side of the story. Both were very passionate in what they had to say. One came to your defense. The other, as you may be able to imagine, did not.” He crossed his arms. “They are both too close you. Don’t get me wrong—I’ll take their words into consideration, but I need far more information before I’m able to give this situation proper consideration.”

  “I understand.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “But that isn’t the reason I wanted to come and see you, Miss Campbell.” His expression was calm and sincere, but I could feel a heavy weight of concern behind it. He uncrossed his arms and sat in the cot with his hands on his knees, watching me with worried eyes.

  “You can call me Colina.”

  “Colina.” He gave me a small smile, but as quickly as it came, it was gone. His expression was once again serious. “I want to let you know what is about to happen. I know that you must be very concerned about our intentions toward you.”

  I couldn’t stop my lips from twisting in a wry smile. “The fact that your people want to see me tarred and feathered for my crimes. Or worse.”

  “I want to assure you: you will be treated fairly. There will be a hearing, and we will allow everyone to have their say.”

  “A trial.”

  “Of sorts.”

  “Will there be a jury?” I thought of twelve dour-faced people sitting in judgment, and I couldn’t suppress a shudder.

  “It seemed unlikely that we could find twelve people who could be impartial, and this isn’t a court of law. I think it would be best if I listened to what everyone has to say and then listen to your side of the story before we decide where to go from there.”

  I wanted to tell him that he had no right to judge me, but I wasn’t sure that was true. If I was to make my case to anyone, this calm, reasonable man seemed to be my best chance. We both knew I had no choice but to go along with this farce of a trial, or at least pretend I was going along with it.

  “And I also want to let you know that I believe you would never have hurt Luke intentionally, and at least to a certain extent you are a victim in all this as well. I will hear the story with that in mind. It may not excuse everything you have done, but I will consider the reasons behind your actions.”

  Not sure how to respond, I reluctantly nodded. I scanned his face, trying to decide whether I could believe him or not. He seemed to understand my confusion, and he met my eyes levelly while I appraised him. I found myself trusting him without any real reason to. He looked out of place in the old suit, a man of simple tastes forced into unfamiliar formality, but the strength of his character shone through despite the odd situation. Without much reason, I liked him, but I still wasn’t sure if I could trust him.

  “Thank you,” I said, feeling awkward.

  He rose from his chair. “Get some sleep, Colina. When you feel well enough, we will proceed with the hearing.”

  After he left, I stared for awhile at the flap of the tent. I found myself wanting to trust him mostly because he looked so much like Luke. Or maybe it was his calm, stable demeanor.

  My fate was in this man’s hands. He had just told me he would try to be fair, but I didn’t think it would make any difference. How could anyone excuse the things I’d done? Whether I went on trial with twelve peers or was held in judgment by one man, I would be found guilty.

  There was only one question racing through my head: what would be my punishment?

  Chapter 3

  I honestly thought that when I sent Freddy off with the picture of the devil’s root, I would never see him again. He came back the following afternoon, his clothes torn and dirty. He looked tired but jubilant. His normal optimism was firmly in place, and his contagious grin immediately lifted my spirits despite the sick exhaustion that tried to pull me under.

  He came into the tent and dropped a piece of cloth wrapped in string on my cot with a flourish.

  I undid the string. Lying inside was a long brown root that looked almost like a little doll. It had a wide body and parts of it sprouted out into shapes that looked like arms and legs—the devil’s root. “Did you have trouble finding it?”

  “It wasn’t easy,” he said, “but I managed. It cost me a pretty penny.” He wiped his dirty hands on his jeans. “Did the healer bring the rest of the stuff you need for this magical drink?”

  “She did.” I pointed to a wooden box sitting next to the cot. “She brought it by yesterday. I know you’ve already done a lot for me. Too much. But I need help preparing the plants.”

  “I’ve never been much of a co
ok.”

  “There’s not a lot to it. We have to grind some things and steep some of the berries.” I was sitting up, but the idea of getting to my feet and walking across the compound seemed like a superhuman task. I was so incredibly tired and weak.

  Without another word, Freddy reached down and swung my legs until they were on the ground. He picked up the wooden box. Then he sat down next to me and put his arm around my waist. He lifted both of us to our feet. “Hang in there, kid. A few sips of this magic stuff and you’ll be right as rain.”

  It didn’t take but a few moments out of the tent until I realized we had shadows. Two young, male death dealers trailed slowly behind us. It seemed Uncle Franklin had neglected to mention that I would be under supervision until the trial.

  I did my best to ignore the fact that we were being followed while we slowly made our way out of the tent and across the campsite to the food tent. Once inside, Freddy sat me down and put the box on the table in front of me.

  I told him what I needed and watched him work his charm on two girls chopping up vegetables a few feet away. He was getting us the things we needed.

  Freddy was turning out to be my savior.

  * * *

  It took us two hours to get everything ready. The men following us watched our every move as we mixed and made the potion, but they never tried to stop us.

  Eventually we made it back to the tent with the potion steaming in a wooden mug I held in my hand. Once in the tent, we were all alone. Freddy carried the wooden box under his arm. I sat down and carefully put the mug between my legs. I motioned for Freddy to hand me the box.

  I’d waited for Freddy to comment on Uncle Franklin’s arrival, but he never said a word about it. Maybe it hadn’t spread through the camp yet. I honestly didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe, if given enough time, they would all forget about the whole ordeal…

  I knew that was only wishful thinking. The death dealers wouldn’t be happy until they saw me pay for my crimes.

  That was assuming I would be alive long enough to stand trial. This potion was my only chance of giving myself more time—more time to find an antidote to the deadly venom coursing through my blood.

  And if it doesn’t work?

  I couldn’t think about that now. I reached into the wooden box to take out a small glass container. Dark-red fluid swirled in the vial, glittering in the dark tent—oil leeched from a dragon blood plant. I unscrewed the top and pulled out the glass dropper. When I squeezed a small drop of the oil into my mug, the whole potion turned bright red.

  Freddy was standing over me. He gave out an appreciative, “Ahhh!”

  I put away the dragon’s blood oil and held the mug between my hands. I looked down into the red liquid. “At some point I’ll go unconscious. When it happens, there’s nothing anyone can do for me.”

  Freddy’s expression turned serious. “How will we know if it works?”

  “If I wake up. If it’s going to kill me, I’ll be dead in a few hours.”

  Now there was only fear in his eyes. “Colina, we shouldn’t be doing this. Luke wouldn’t want you to do this.”

  “Luke’s gone.” Luke hadn’t told me he was leaving. He’d left without a word. I was on my own now.

  I raised the cup to my lips and took a sip. The mixture tasted foul, and it took every ounce of willpower I had to force down all the liquid until the cup was empty.

  “What now?” Freddy asked.

  I set the mug on the ground and pulled the black sweater I was wearing over my head. Underneath I had on a gray shirt. The wounds on arms and hands had closed up thanks to the healer’s magic, but now wicked red welts surrounded by blackened veins traveled beneath the surface of my skin. The demon’s venom was slowly, inch by inch, traveling through my body. My fingers traced the lines. I settled back on the cot. “We wait.”

  Freddy lowered himself onto the cot across from me. His eyes never left me. I knew he was worried I might drop dead at any minute.

  What would happen if I died before Luke made it back to camp? When Luke died, I’d felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. My world had narrowed in, and I’d wondered if I’d ever feel happiness again. Would Luke mourn for me as I’d once mourned for him? I didn’t want to die—I wanted to live. Taking the potion was my one shot at staying alive long enough to find a cure. But as the potion slid past my lips, I fought down panic. Was I making a fatal mistake?

  It was too late to second-guess my decision. The potion was already racing through my blood stream. My heart pounded hard, and I tried without much success to calm my racing thoughts.

  It took fifteen minutes before I felt anything, and the first thing I felt was a small tingling sensation in my lips and then on the tips of my fingers. The tingling slowly spread through my limbs. As it did, my fingers and then my hands began to tremble. I looked down at my hands and back up at Freddy. I struggled to get up.

  Freddy’s eyes widened, and he started to move toward me. I started to call out Luke’s name as I felt my body sway, and then I fell headfirst toward the ground.

  * * *

  It was dark and cold, almost pitch-black. I could feel the chill seeping into my body. I pulled my knees to my chest and tried to still my chattering teeth; my whole body was trembling. I felt someone come up behind me, wrapping strong arms around me.

  “I’ll never leave you again,” a male voice whispered. It was Luke. He held me tight, and I could feel the warmth of his body against mine. I leaned back and sighed as the chill slowly started to fade and my limbs began to warm up.

  There was a scream close by. And then another. Suddenly the air around us filled with the sound of flapping. Something flew by my head. Something brushed against my cheek. The air was filled with sound, and then I looked up and saw them. Hundreds of pairs of red eyes filled the air around me.

  A cry ripped from my mouth. I realized my body was on fire. Something cool pressed against my forehead, and I looked up into Freddy’s worried face.

  “Colina, can you hear me?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I whispered. Burning, I was burning from the inside out.

  Freddy put the wet cloth against my head again. “You have a fever.”

  “How long…” I couldn’t get the rest of the words out.

  “You’ve been out for hours. I barely caught you before you did a header. You’ve been thrashing around for the last hour, and your skin is incredibly hot.” His hand went to my forehead. “There’s a rash all over your face and your arms. I need to get the healer.”

  I reached out and grabbed his arm. “There’s nothing she can do to help me… I’m going to be sick.” The words were barely out of my mouth before I leaned over and emptied my stomach onto the floor of the tent. I’m not sure how many times I threw up, but at some point during the ordeal the world started to narrow in again, and I blissfully passed out.

  * * *

  When I came to this time, I wasn’t in my tent.

  Freddy was sitting next to me, holding a bucket. “Welcome back. We had to relocate.” He held up the bucket. “I’m prepared this time.”

  I was no longer burning up. Instead, I felt chilled to the very bone. My body was trembling.

  “Good news, you’re still alive and the fever broke,” he said. He tried to sound casual, but I could hear the worry in his voice.

  “So cold,” I whispered between trembling lips.

  He moved across the room and came back with a heavy blanket. He pulled it over me.

  “Luke?” I asked.

  “Not back yet,” Freddy answered.

  I lay under the blanket and felt my limbs begin to get warm again. I could feel tears sliding down from the corners of my eyes.

  “Don’t cry,” Freddy said.

  He thought I was crying because I was scared. Because I was worried I was going to die. I cried because I desperately wished someone else were at my bedside. I wanted Luke beside me. I needed to hear his voice, to see him. I didn’t want to die withou
t him by my side. At that very moment, I didn’t care if it were Caleb’s eyes I’d be staring into. I wanted Luke, whatever was left of him, to be with me. Where was he? There were people out there trying to kill death dealers. Had he somehow stumbled into danger? Was he still alive? Would I ever see him again?

  I had done this. I thought I could bring Luke back. For a time in the asylum, I’d thought it had worked. I’d been beyond happy at the thought of having Luke back again. Luke had been inside of Dean, but I’d convinced myself it wouldn’t be like that forever. I’d prayed and hoped for the day that I could find a way to transfer Luke into a body of his very own. But I’d never stopped to consider what it would be like to have him in another body.

  Now that it had happened, instead of celebrating, I was mourning. Mourning the loss of Luke. I’d destroyed any chance of being with the one I loved. Yet, at times I saw a glimpse of him. When he’d brought me the wild flowers. As he struggled against his own men to rescue me from within the pentagram. A part of me wanted so desperately to believe he was still the guy I’d fallen in love with. But I was truly terrified I’d lost him forever. He was not the same. Was it the transfer that changed him or being in a body so full of anger and darkness?

  Freddy reached out and took my hand. “You are not going to die. Do you hear me? You have cheated death so many times.” He gave my hand a hard squeeze. “Fight, Colina. Fight.”

  * * *

  I woke to the smell of coffee. I was no longer in the tent. I looked at the small window and tried to remember where I’d seen it before. I was on the floor in a sleeping bag. I sat up and looked around. I recognized a picture of a blue flower hanging on the wall. I had seen it before when I went to visit the demon child.

  I was in the cabin where they kept the demon child.

  With that shocking thought came another realization. My crippling weakness was gone. I raised my hand. I could still see the faint outline of my blackened veins around the bite mark, but they were faded. They hadn’t moved any farther.