Spurn

by Jaymin Eve

  “Hey, what’s the holdup down there? Keep moving.” Samuel’s impatience jolted me.

  Lucy turned around and yelled something back. I was pretty sure it had four letters. I began to move again, my eyes never leaving the beauty of the scene before me. The light started to wane the further we traversed from the surface. But there were these floating jelly blobs everywhere. They glowed, illuminating vast areas around them.

  “This has got to be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” I said, my voice drifting behind me.

  I was sad to see we were coming to the end. I wanted to sit there for at least another twenty hours. Sticking my legs out, I dropped a small distance to land in water. It was only calf-deep, like a moat, creating a barrier around the impressive construction before me.

  The dome was large enough to just cover the Silver City, which was not really a city; it was more like one large building, combining wood for the structure and growths of coralline for texture. It wasn’t huge, probably about fifty square feet, and appeared to have two levels. The shape was square, with coralline formed turrets and huge towering wings off either side of the building. It had an open plan, no proper roof or covered-in walls. But considering there was a huge clear sphere protecting the entire city, there wouldn’t be much weather down here.

  I turned to Raror. “What exactly is this bubble made of?”

  It looked like plastic, but I wasn’t sure they had that on Spurn.

  “It’s water. When it was created the monstrones formed molecular bonds between water and carbon molecules, creating a solidified structure. And that’s the secret to its survival: it’s water, and it exists in water. It cannot be destroyed easily.”

  That was a relief.

  Raror was better informed than I’d expected. I had to stop thinking they were less intelligent because of their animal halves. In fact they seemed able to create far more than humans had ever dreamed of.

  I took a step forward, moving through the clear waters of the moat to step up to the large front entrance. The water continued through the building, ankle height, and the floor still moved as it had when we’d stood on the pontoon. We weren’t anchored to the floor, but since under our feet was covered in sand I couldn’t see below.

  “I think I’m dreaming. I’m pretty sure my theory long ago in the alley where we both died and were living in an alternate universe actually happened,” Lucy said, standing next to me. “Nothing has been the same since then.” She tore her gaze from the view to smile at me. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

  “How amazing is it to see the ocean surrounding us.” We couldn’t be too deep; there were lots of Spurns swimming outside the protective tube.

  How much water pressure could their bodies withstand?

  I was suddenly thrown forward as something hit me from behind. I landed on my hands and knees in the shallow water. To my right, Talina sprawled next to me.

  “Oh, damn, Abby. I’m so sorry. This place does it to me every time. I feel like I’m drunk on sea wine down here,” she said as Raror reached her side to assist her up.

  He kept an arm tightly around her.

  Lucy reached down to help me. She was surprisingly strong for such a small person.

  “It’s probably from your water powers,” I said to Talina, who looked mortified. “If your affinity is water, possibly this much around you throws your energy out of whack.”

  I reached down to rub the pain out of my knees. As I straightened, a firm hand landed on my back and gave it a gentle stroke. The warmth and leap of desire in my belly told me immediately that it was Brace. His magic hands stroked away the hurt where Talina had hit me.

  Did he realize that he was creating an entirely different set of aches? This chemistry was going to drive me insane. I wondered for the first time what it would be like to hear Brace’s thoughts. I wasn’t too keen to have anyone in my head. It was the last security I had and I loathed letting it go. But to hear his thoughts ... I had a sudden craving to know what he was thinking.

  So I dropped the energy around my mind.

  I shivered at the feeling of exposure, almost as if I suddenly stood there naked. Ignoring this, I projected a tentative word toward Brace.

  Hello.

  Everyone around me, except Lucy, groaned and clutched their heads.

  “Aribella, put your energy back around your mind,” Samuel wheezed next to me, holding his forehead with both hands.

  I quickly yanked it back up.

  “What ... what happened?” I said. “I was testing my telepathy.”

  “Well, we heard you loud and clear,” Lucas said drily. “Your ‘hello’ echoed around my mind until I felt like my head would explode.”

  Whoops.

  “Maybe don’t try that again until Josian can tell us what just happened. It was like you projected energy along with the word. It was not pleasant,” Samuel said, looking dazed.

  Lucy shrugged. “Sometimes being a little old Earthling has it benefits. I didn’t hear a thing.”

  Samuel’s expression shifted. “Just because you’re from Earth doesn’t mean you aren’t affected by energy. It’s very odd that you seem to be immune to all this.”

  It was at this moment that I had a horrifying thought. One I should have had long before. Lucy, being from Earth, would be bound by the evolution of that planet, which included a lifespan of at most a hundred years. I would outlive her and I couldn’t do that. That was not cool with me. There had to be something that Lallielle or Josian knew that could change Lucy’s fate. I pushed my sudden nausea and horror away for now. There was nothing I could do until I spoke with my parents.

  “Ladre is waiting for us. We should move into the main hall,” Raror said from inside the front room.

  He continued to help Talina.

  We followed as they led us through room after room. They were all open plan, but still gave the impression of individual space. There were scattered tables and chairs throughout. I had the feeling of small dining rooms, or gathering places. But each room was empty. Eventually, the smaller rooms tapered off. We finished up in one huge cylindrical space. Along the back wall, sitting around a large coralline table, were five Baroons. The center one was Ladre, their leader.

  “Hello, welcome to Silver City,” he said, waving us over. “Please have a seat. We have much to discuss.” He turned his head slightly to indicate his companions. “I have gathered some of the council to hear your story, and then we will vote on whether Talina is free to leave.”

  Talina, who had been watching him longingly, suddenly frowned.

  “I was unaware that I was owned,” she started. “Surely this is my decision. ”

  Ladre’s eyes clashed with hers. “You are an important part of Spurn. As Raror reminded me, you are the daughter of the Earon leader and have duties. It is not as simple as you think.”

  Talina glared at her brother, who shrugged apologetically. I knew then he would use any means to keep her on Spurn.

  Ladre continued. “You are needed, Talina.”

  Her eyes widened and shimmered at his strongly spoken words. “But first, before we discuss this further, there is someone who has been waiting to meet you.”

  I paused at the sudden disjointed nature of his words. He had been speaking fine a moment ago, and now he sounded like a puppet. I took half a step forward.

  “Wait a second, Red.” Brace held out a hand to stop me. His eyes narrowed as he perused the area. “Something’s up with Blue there. He no longer appears to be in control of himself.”

  I wasn’t sure if Brace knew something I didn’t or if he’d just noticed the strange behavior. As he spoke, the men fell into defensive mode. They moved in front of us, and as a group we drew closer together before backing up in steady steps.

  “Yes, but who besides Aribella, with all her super powers, has the ability to do this.” Samuel’s features were schooled in tight worried lines.

  “Do any Spurns have powers to hypnotize or mentally manipulate
others?” I was pretty sure I hadn’t done anything this time.

  Talina shook her head. “No, I have never heard of anyone who would be capable of that.”

  Ladre hadn’t moved yet. He was still standing, his hand out in a gesture to sit, his expression blank.

  “Ladre is the most powerful of any Spurn. Who could have done this?” Talina’s voice broke.

  She was fidgeting, and I knew she was very close to running back to Ladre.

  Raror, who must have sensed the same thing, tightened his hold on her arms.

  The other Baroons around the table continued to sit, expressionless and silent.

  “Well, well, you are slightly more aware than I gave you credit for.” The low deep voice came from behind us.

  We spun around.

  “I didn’t think First Worlders were too fast on the uptake. They definitely weren’t the few times I decided to stop off on your ape planet.” The giant man framed in the doorway continued to speak.

  Derision rolled off him in waves, and I recognized this level of arrogance. I knew immediately what we were dealing with; he was a Walker. His white-blond hair was long, and was secured at the nape of his neck. His eyes were such a dark blue they looked violet. He had the same broad-plane features as Josian. I guessed that many of the old Walkers would look as if they’d been carved from stone millennia ago. But unlike Josian this man had no warmth, no sparkle in his eye that spoke of empathy or care.

  “Damn it, you Walker freaks just keep popping up everywhere we turn lately,” Lucy commented. “No offence, Abbs,” she finished, without turning her head.

  I actually laughed a little.

  “How dare you address me? You are even less than First World; you are from Earth,” he muttered, as if she was some crap on the bottom of his foot.

  Brace moved forward slowly, edging me out of sight. I assumed he was trying to hide the red Walker marks on my face. It was probably a good move, considering halflings were not supposed to exist. The man started to pace before us.

  “When I arrived on Spurn, for ... well, my own important reasons. I was surprised when my old buddy Lanster,” I was pretty sure he meant Ladre, “informed me that there were visitors from First World here. Now he didn’t exactly understand the significance, but I know First Worlders can’t just jump worlds. So I got to thinking.” He paused and faced us again, energy rolling off him in waves.

  It made my stomach ache, and I wanted to take a step back.

  “That maybe you little travelers had a Walker aiding you. And, well, we just can’t have our Walker secrets paraded around for any lower life-form to utilize.”

  His face fell into a pose of exaggerated apology. “Sorry to say, but it’s my duty to make sure that you don’t leave here with any information you shouldn’t.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should step forward or not.

  “Of course we have the power on First World to travel. I am the Emperor. I control the royal stones.” Lucas spoke up.

  I groaned; he should not have mentioned the laluna to this Walker.

  The blonds’ face grew even colder, although a slight red flushed his cheeks.

  “No one controls the lalunas, you pathetic ape. They were gifted, in error if you ask me, to you unevolved entities. The fact that these objects, which are to be honored, are in your filthy grips, well, I and all Walkers should hang our heads in shame.”

  “Oh, for eff sake. Someone shut this ass-hat’s mouth. Every time I have to listen to something more moronic than the last thing he said, my brain cells commit suicide in protest.” Lucy, as usual, had absolutely no sense of self-preservation.

  Samuel and I both dived to cut her off, but we were too slow. Her words seemed to linger in the air for a few moments, and then, before I could blink, the Walker was standing in front of her.

  “For that, mortal, you shall die.” He smiled down at her, a smile of pure cold-blooded killer. He would take her life in that instant and not think twice about it.

  “Stop!” I screamed.

  He whipped around to lock on me with his dark, violent eyes.

  I stepped around Brace and faced the Walker. “Leave her alone. I am Walker; I transported us here.”

  He moved at super speed again to stop in front of me.

  “What witchery is this? How are your marks on display?” He reached out a hand, his grip gentle as he cupped my face. “You are of my clan.” His tone held a sliver of respect.

  A storm of energy was brewing behind me. Brace stepped forward, his skin glowing, a light emanating from within. He was taller than this man, and I watched with shock as the blond Walker took a step back.

  “Abernath’s ...” he said in shock. “You are of Abernath’s house. Why have I sensed no energy from any of you?” His arms shook, but he stood his ground. “How are you masking your energy?”

  When we didn’t answer I felt his anger building. Brace had moved to stand in front of me, and the glow he emitted made my eyes ache. What the hell were his powers again? Glow-worm.

  “Just leave now, and no one needs to get hurt.” Brace’s words were soft and deadly, though serious enough that the threat behind them wasn’t even close to being veiled.

  “You don’t scare me, son. You’re just a baby compared to all I have seen and done. Despite your family,” a calculated look crossed his face, “I will have my answers, and since you appear to be hovering protectively around the redhaired beauty, then I think she is my ticket.”

  I had no idea what was going on. How could he know Brace’s family?

  “If you touch her, I’ll kill you. Don’t think because you’re Walker that you’re safe.” Brace sounded so sincere that I actually believed him for a second.

  The man grinned, and then he laughed out loud, head thrown back, in the same manner as Josian.

  “Lesson one of the day: don’t underestimate your superiors. We are superior for a reason.”

  Brace nodded once. “If I meet anyone superior, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

  “Excellent,” the man said, and then, in a slow-motion movement, he brought his hands together.

  “Boom,” he said.

  And the world fell apart.

  Chapter 7

  Strong arms enveloped me as the walls of Silver City dissolved. Water crashed in around us. As the pressure encased me, I inhaled one big breath before I, and whoever held me, were sucked out in a huge tidal wave and I blacked out.

  The sound of steady dripping was the first thing I noticed as I roused from my semi-comatose state. My head was forward, resting against my chest. As I lifted it up, the faint throbbing that’d been plaguing me turned into a pounding headache. I tried to lift my arms to rub my temples, but they didn’t respond.

  It took far longer than it should have for me to realize I was tied down, arms and legs secured to the chair I was sitting on. I yanked hard on my tethers, twisting my wrists, trying to break the bonds.

  What the eff? What was I tied down with?

  I peered in a disorientated manner around my prison. I was in a large room. The walls looked like they were made of bulky stone blocks, each one varying in color and texture, like you’d expect in an old castle.

  And the air was warm, not damp like it was on Spurn, but rather warm like it was on a sunny spring day in New York: crisp, clean and beautiful. I swear I could hear birds chirping from somewhere to my left and that incessant dripping.

  There were no windows in this room. A wooden door was the only break in the expanse of gray and brown stone.

  I noticed that my energy was back swirling inside me. This told me that at least I wasn’t on Earth.

  Open a doorway and try to escape? Or wait and see?

  I could open one, but being tied down made it kind of hard to walk through it. I’d be smarter to save my energy. At some point a better opportunity would present itself.

  “I see you’re awake, and still tied up. Are you sure you’re a Walker?”

  Tall, blond, and deadly app
eared before me. And, no, he hadn’t used the door. Nope, he just popped in somehow. So of course I shrieked loudly.

  “Give a girl some notice ... cough or wear a bell or something,” I managed to splutter out, my heart beating so hard it was about to exit my body.

  He cocked his head to the side, the slightest smile gracing his lips. He was examining me.

  I began to wiggle my tightly bound hands. They felt like they’d been tied together and then attached to the back of the chair. I could lift them up a little, but I couldn’t move them apart from each other.

  “What creature are you, baby Walker?” He stepped closer. “Who is your father?”

  Should I tell him? Would it make a difference to whether he allowed me to live?

  “Why are you holding me captive? Is this normal behavior between Walkers? And aren’t you worried that my family is going to uber-pissed by this little ‘hostage situation’?”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Your ape-like speech is actually endearing. Usually I find it ear-piercing, and want to kill whoever is speaking.”

  “You’re so arrogant,” I sneered. “What the hell makes you so awesome?”

  What a giant asshole. This guy was getting on my last nerve; he was like a cartoon character he was so obnoxious.

  “The mere fact I have existed for close to a thousand years is reason enough. I have seen cultures rise and fall. I have seen the evolution of man.” He laughed. “In fact, I have participated in many of these historical events. I am everything and everywhere, seeing all, and have decided that no longer shall the worlds, any of them, continue down the same destructive path.”

  Oh, great. He was bat-nuts crazy. And I was tied to a chair in the room with him.

  “A mass culling is required on all of the worlds. I have started with Spurn. Weed out the weak, the unworthy. I’m doing the worlds a favor. They will be stronger. It’s survival.”

  I could see that he honestly believed he was working for the greater good. And unfortunately he probably could ‘go mad with power’, as they put it.