Covenant

by T. E. Joshua

  “I’m sorry,” I said and walked away, holding my nose so that I wouldn’t smell the aroma. I didn’t know if Natalie followed me or what she was thinking at that moment. I stormed out of the student union. That was the second time I’d had to leave Natalie in a daze, wondering if I was all right. I didn’t want to ruin the plan, so I left without being questioned. Tomorrow was another day.

  As nightfall came, I explained to James about our encounter in the student union. He agreed that the aroma would irritate my inner senses, driving me to kill as ordained by the Covenant. Since Natalie was awakened, the aroma that only an Awakened Reborn would have would diminish my tolerance level by simply being around her.

  “So what the hell happened?” he asked.

  “We talked. I think this plan could work. She seems to be open to the idea now—at first no, but now, yes.”

  “Good. I’m not going to lie. We came up with a backup plan, just in case you failed again.”

  “Oh yeah, what’s that?” I rested on the comfy couch while Uncle Eis brewed some coffee in the kitchen. James never answered. He acted as if he didn’t want to tell me.

  “Well?” I asked again.

  “You might as well tell him, son,” Uncle Eis said.

  James wiped his mouth; he had just finished eating a ham sandwich. We usually didn’t get to eat so lavishly back home. I liked to think this was a vacation. The meat in Red Valley consisted of stolen lunch meat and venison from a nearby grocery store. Scavengers would raid the local markets to supply the entire tribe. To us a ham sandwich was a scarce delight.

  He then took a sip of his ice water and said, “To be honest, we believed you would fail today, and we decided to ambush her off campus, possibly on a low-traffic road near her neighborhood.”

  “What? That’s insane. I tried to directly attack her twice, and look where that got me!” I shouted with anger. He had totally lost confidence in me. James knew me better than this. I had killed every Reborn I had been assigned to hunt and behead, except the pastor in Woodland. That was a different story. I wasn’t going to allow this hunt to be the end of me. I needed to keep my composure and have a straight attitude about my next encounter with Natalie.

  “Forgive me, Tristan, but you can’t blame me for assuming that after your last few attempts. I was just looking at alternatives.”

  “And then you deliberately make plans without me?”

  “I’m sorry, but somebody has to lead this clan. You haven’t been much help to the group, have you?”

  It was sad but true; I hadn’t been. I hated when he was right. He usually was—well, most of the time. I had been neglecting my motive. I couldn’t allow for him to see me as a weak person and leader.

  “You know what? You’re right. I have been failing everyone’s expectations. But I have this one in the bag, James. Trust me.”

  He stared at me relentlessly, placed his hands on his hips, and then smiled. The confidence was back. “All right, old friend, let’s go behead the Reborn.”

  Then we hugged and planned out the rest of the deceitful relationship between Natalie and me.

  The next day, I arrived on campus earlier than usual. I didn’t see her. So I tried the student union; she wasn’t there, either. I waited about an hour and nothing happened. I even checked out the Manchester Library. She was nowhere to be found. Alope stayed on the west end, discreetly watching the area for any signs of the Awakened Reborn.

  Nothing happened, so we left. Although we were unsatisfied and another day short of victory, I was glad I hadn’t seen her. I wasn’t necessarily ready to speak to her again; however, tomorrow should be a different experience.

  As the sun rose, Alope and I left the house early. James soon followed. Aaron and Liyah stayed in; I figured they would want to catch up on some time alone. They’ve been dating for some time now.

  Before James left, he said that he was going to say a pray to Lucian, our lord god. He wanted to pray that this hunt would soon be over with and that the head of the Awakened Reborn would be soon in our hands. I agreed, but at the same time, I figured the less I knew about Natalie, the easier it would be to kill her. After all, she was only an eighteen-year-old college freshman who happened to be awakened.

  “Let’s go,” I ordered Alope.

  We drove to campus, parked, and walked about the west end, smelling the winds of the morning. As expected, we couldn’t smell her distinct aroma.

  “We could she be?” she asked.

  “In class? Or maybe she hasn’t arrived yet.”

  Then a sudden stream of unknown energy warped through my body. It felt unusually cold, like a cool breeze blowing across my face. I swallowed whatever fear crept inside my throat and sniffed the air. I could faintly smell the aroma of sweets and spices.

  Alope stared at me as I looked around. “What was that? You seem slightly started. Did you smell the scent?”

  “I kind of did, for a moment.”

  I realized that I would have a better chance at finding her without the help of Alope. If she had seen me with her, then she might assume that we were dating. That could cause problems. I needed to avoid any disadvantage. Time was crucial. I needed to execute this hunt soon.

  “Listen, Alope, I’m going off on my own. Don’t follow me,” I said very sternly. I didn’t give her time to respond. I just left. I didn’t even look back to see if she was following me.

  As I walked down the west end, toward the Manchester Library, the scent grew stronger. Good—she was close. Strangely enough, my dark energy wasn’t irritated. The demon was at bay. Hopefully this time I wouldn’t freak out like I had before.

  I walked past the Manchester Library and into the student union. I sat down at one of the booths and people-watched for the next five minutes. Then, suddenly, I heard a voice call out, “Tristan?”

  It was her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Oh, hey, I figured I would find you here,” I said, hoping she would sit down across from me.

  “I haven’t seen you in the past two days. Were you sick? You suddenly ran out of the union looking like you were going to vomit.”

  “Yeah, I have been recovering from a … fever. I’m all better now,” I lied. So what? It was all a part of the game—the game of killing. There was no reason she wouldn’t believe I had a fever, right?

  “But your eyes like shape-shifted for a moment. For a second, I thought you were … possessed or had had a mental breakdown.”

  “A mental breakdown or possessed with a spirit? I don’t think such things exist. It’s pure folklore and superstition.”

  Then Natalie pushed her backpack into the booth seat and sat down. My hopes were realized.

  “I happen to believe in the supernatural.”

  “Oh, do you?”

  “Yeah, I have had my encounters with the paranormal.”

  “Well, if you believe in such nonsense—what encounters are you talking about?” I feared she might be referring to her Awakened abilities.

  “It’s hardly nonsense. It’s more….” She trailed off and shut her eyes, bowing her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Her tone was angry.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just that some horrible things have happened in the past few weeks. I’m trying to forget about the dark moments.” I think she was referring to when I had tried to slay her in her bedroom—and when she’d caught me sneaking up on her in the alley. I wasn’t for, but it was the most likely answer. Either way, she could never know that it was me.

  Then she placed her hand on mine, which happened to be resting on the table. In that moment, nothing abnormal happened—there was no transfer of energy, no sparks of light, nothing. It was just a simple touch from one human being to another.

  “Why are you touching me?” I asked, slightly trying to pull my hands
away.

  “What is it? You don’t like me touching you?” No, I don’t! I feared my dema would rise again, just like last time.

  “I—I—” I stuttered. She wouldn’t stop staring into my eyes. “I don’t know.”

  “I had a question for you.” She continued to hold my hands. I began to get flustered. “What are you doing here? I mean, you’re not a student, I don’t think. You seemed to appear in my life out of nowhere, as if we were meant to meet.”

  “Oh, I am student at the … local high school in Blackfalls. I’m thinking about coming here for college.”

  “You’re a senior?”

  “Yeah,” I answered shyly.

  “Why don’t I believe you? Your answer seems legit, but you don’t.” She paused for a moment and seemed to be thinking about her next words. “You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

  “What do I have to hide if I am normal?”

  “You’re not normal. I have seen it. You’re the boy with fire. I watched you bend it.”

  “So what if I did? Who are you going to tell, the police?” I questioned. I shouldn’t have admitted to my ability, but in that moment, I honestly didn’t care.

  “They won’t believe me. I guess I don’t have any options.” Then she glanced down at my hands, which had begun to smoke. “Your skin is beginning to burn. Why is that?”

  I yanked my hands back. She was right. My hands were hot from her consistent touch—my dark energy, I guessed, having risen from my hands. I hadn’t noticed it. I was lost within her words of questioning.

  “I’m afraid I can’t answer that,” I muttered very seriously. There it was—she knew that I was different. It was obvious that she would expect something was up. Now she knew. I had just admitted it.

  “As I mentioned before, I know I saw you before the mall incident. I can’t quite put my finger on it … yet. I’ll figure it out soon.”

  “I highly doubt that,” I said. Now I could feel the dark energy within me swell. I had lasted a lot longer with her this time, but as always, I didn’t have total control of my dema. I hadn’t considered the enormous risk I would be taking once I got even closer to her. It was a necessary gamble. It wouldn’t be long before I removed her head.

  “I have to go,” I said nervously and scooted out of the booth.

  “Wait, Tristan. I have something for you.”

  I paused.

  Then she opened her backpack and handed me a small black box wrapped with a white bow. I held it up to my eye and began to wonder why she was giving me this. She didn’t have to. This was weird. There must be a catch.

  “Go on, open it.”

  I untied the white bow, and it fell to the table. Then I opened the box and saw a black, shiny, yet old lighter with a white cross on it.

  “Why? Why did you get this for me?” I quickly questioned.

  “I was shopping in downtown Blackfalls yesterday and came across this lighter in an antique shop. It’s a Zippo lighter with an engraving of a cross on each side, one black and one white. The lady who sold it to me said that it used to be owned by a Native man was had traveled through town years ago. It still works. I tried it myself before I bought it. The white bow I wrapped it in represents friendship. So I figured if you were serious, I would give you a gift.”

  I was absolutely floored by her gift of friendship. She was taking this seriously, but of course she would. She didn’t know about my hidden agenda, nor should she. I didn’t know how to respond. I just stood there with my mouth slightly open, trying to think of a way to say thank you without truly meaning it.

  “Well, aren’t you going to say something? You look shocked,” Natalie pointed out.

  “Thank you,” I muttered in guilt. “I didn’t get you anything. I—”

  “Don’t worry about it. Friends get each other gifts because they care for one another, not because we have to. Consider the fire our common bond.”

  I sat back in the booth and stared at the shiny lighter. Then I caressed her soft, cold hands, looked into her eyes—one blue and one green—and said, “It means a lot. No one has even given me a gift.”

  “Well, I’m glad to be the first.”

  She smiled. I could honestly say that I kind of cared for this Reborn in more ways than one.

  No! I couldn’t think like that. I had to leave. I felt I was genuinely getting too close to her. I scooted back out of the seat and said, “I have to go. I’ll see you later. Bye, Natalie.” Then I paced my steps out of the double doors, not giving Natalie a chance to say good-bye or anything else.

  As I walked down the west end, the clouds began to cover the morning sky, giving the daylight a grayish tint. Soon it began to sprinkle. I looked for Alope but couldn’t find her. I couldn’t even sense her dema.

  The rain slowly picked up as students around me opened their umbrellas. I didn’t mind the rain. I felt … dark. I was killer, after all. I killed Reborns. This one shouldn’t have been a problem, but the feeling of guilt clouded me for covering my core beliefs as though they were never true. I didn’t know how, but she had infected me with something more precious than honor. Perhaps it was indisputable kindness. Or maybe—I hoped not—it was me. Could I have deep feelings for her? Nothing romantic, but something sincere—and like that of a devil caring for an orphan, it was total contradictory. Devils weren’t supposed to break down in wonder; they were supposed to kill or deceive. All of these questions roamed my mind.

  Then I asked myself the hard questions. “She got me a gift. Can I go through with this? Can I behead Natalie Schultz if I actually like her as a friend?”

  No! I was a killer! I should have despised these petty emotions. I would not change. I couldn’t change. I was … bad.

  9

  Leroy’s Place

  ONE WEEK LEFT. TIME WAS ticking and we were no closer to killing the Awakened Reborn than we were the moment we had arrived in Blackfalls. Yet I believed I had an edge, a very cruel edge. A deceptive friendship had begun just a few days ago, one that was built upon with the gift of fire; however, there was a problem.

  There I was, sitting on a large rock in the open fields behind the house of Eis. As I sat there in thought, I realized my true intentions were in conflict with something else. Regardless of how I felt, I knew I still had to follow through with the objective, but the little boy inside of me cried out, “No! Don’t do it, Tristan!” I hadn’t seen her since she had given me the gift. I dared not tell my clan about it, especially Alope.

  “Who am I?” I asked myself.

  Then I answered, “I’m a killer … of Reborns. That’s what I do. That’s what we do. It’s our pride, our heritage, our way of life. The Covenant is our religion, and Lucian is our god. Nothing else should matter.”

  “Tristan!” James exclaimed from the back porch. I snapped out the daydream and looked in his direction.

  “What is it?” I yelled back.

  “Come inside. Liyah has something important to tell us.”

  I repeatedly lit the flame from the lighter, dragging the fire from the metal tip to my hands and back again. I felt the scorching heat rush from my skin, heating my body. As long as I controlled it, the fire could never harm me.

  “Are you coming?” he asked. This time he seemed annoyed that I hadn’t given him a response.

  “Yeah, be right there!”

  I killed the flame and walked back into the house. We met in the living room. Even Uncle Eis was taking part in the meeting. Liyah had a huge smile on her face. Her wit only added to the drama of the situation. I feared what she had to say, mostly because it would involve Natalie’s death. I didn’t know if I wanted her to die just yet.

  “Liyah has something important to tell us,” James said. I leaned against the kitchen wall, igniting the fire of my new lighter. I kept the older one in my pocket.

  “Well, what do you have t
o say?” Uncle Eis asked her.

  Liyah sighed. She unrolled a crumbled piece of paper, not giving much attention to it. When I took a second glance, I noticed that it was a flyer. She placed it on the coffee table. It read:

  LEROY’S PLACE

  Bar & Grill

  Thursday—College night

  18 to enter

  21 to drink

  “What’s this, Leroy’s Place?” Aaron asked as he picked up the crumbled flyer.

  “Sounds like fun. Where did you get this?” Alope asked.

  “I have been working the campus, talking to some of the college girls, even girls in Natalie’s sorority. Today I discovered that they will be at this dance place on the outskirts of Blackfalls. The Awakened Reborn will be there. I figured this could be our opportunity to strike or even lead her away from the public’s eye and do what we have to do.” Then Liyah looked up at me as I continually flicked my lighter on and off. “Do you think you can do it, Tristan?” Her voice was calm.

  I didn’t answer, but I kept flickering.

  “Tristan,” James said. We locked eyes. “If you can lure her away, we can kill her together.”

  Again, I continued to flicker the light.

  “Damn it, we need an answer!” he shouted.

  “Can we trust this Leroy?” I asked him.

  “What difference does that make? The man doesn’t know us.”

  Then Uncle Eis answered for him. “Leroy Harjo, the man who owns the place, knows about the situation. I have already taken the liberty and made him aware of your presence.”

  “How do you know him?” James questioned.

  “We used to fight alongside each other before all of you were born. He was one of the members who helped kill the former number one, Chief Dosa.” Then he looked at me and said, “He knew your father, Bodaway, before he became Chief Torah.”

  “He knew my father?”

  “Yes, he knows who we are and what we do. The man is of a different tribe, an Oklahoman tribe, but not of the Covenant. I know he can help us if we need him.”