by Liv Curtis
“I’m sorry, did you just say radiation?” Emery’s eyes were wide with concern as she rushed to stand in front of Cade, stopping him from walking any farther before answering her question.
“Yes, the war was brutal and initially the ground was soaked in radiation but as time went on the Plantaé figured out how to use their abilities to keep the levels low enough that it wouldn’t have any effect on us. Years ago, the Plantaé’s discovered that they were able to trap the radiation in some of the rocks deep below the ground. Unfortunately, it is a very difficult task, and it requires all of the Plantaé to work together.” Cade reassured as he stepped around Emery and continued through the woods. Emery looked confused as she stepped back and joined Sage.
“This place just keeps getting weirder,” Emery whispered to Sage as they followed Cade through the forest. Suddenly, Cade stopped walking and signaled for the others to stop as well. Standing in a patch of evergreen trees was a creature Sage had only ever seen in her science books.
“Is that a wolf?” Sage whispered to Cade who smiled and nodded. He signaled everyone to kneel down and hide behind the tall trees. As they hid, four more wolves appeared from behind the tree line.
Suddenly, there was a crack as Emery stepped on a fallen branch. The wolves quickly turned their attention towards Emery as she tucked behind a tree. Sage could see the wolves as they moved towards the tree Emery was hiding behind. Emery’s eyes were squeezed shut as she tried her best to remain quiet.
Next to Emery, Audrey was tucked behind a bush with River. Her eyes were darting back and forth between Emery and the wolves, as they got closer. The wolf in the front of the group was tall with pure black fur and golden eyes that seemed to glow as it passed through the shadows of the trees.
The pack hunched down closer to the ground, as they got closer to the tree that Emery was hiding behind. Suddenly, the black wolf burst out towards Emery. It stood in front of her growling, saliva dripping from its sharp white teeth when Sage heard River yell. The wolf turned towards River, and Sage realized he had yelled at Audrey, who had managed to slip away and get behind the pack.
She stood silently in a ray of sun that shined through the evergreen trees where the wolves had originally been when the tall black wolf noticed her. The pack quickly moved towards Audrey as she stood unmoving with her head down and her eyes shut.
“Audrey, run!” River yelled as the wolves moved closer to his sister. He stood and made a break for his sister but was quickly stopped by Cade who watched Audrey with a smile.
“Wait,” Cade said quietly, and Sage saw his eyes flicker red when he spoke. River struggled against Cade, but he wasn’t strong enough to break his grasp.
Sage watched Audrey when she noticed that the wolves had stopped moving forward. One by one the wolves sat down and tilted their heads towards the ground as if they were bowing. Lastly the black wolf followed suit and bowed its head.
Audrey looked up at that moment and as she looked around at the wolves Sage could clearly see her eyes had changed from warm brown to a sunburst of gold and yellow. She smiled and the five wolves lifted their head and howled. The sound was loud and sent a shiver down Sage’s spine.
Audrey took a step forward and leaned over to the black wolf, petting its head and lifting its face to hers. To Sage’s surprise the wolf licked Audrey’s face and the others made their way back into the woods.
“How did you…” River stuttered as he ran to Audrey’s side. When he reached her the wolf moved between River and Audrey, growling with its ears completely flat. River instinctively put his hands up and stepped back.
“It’s okay, Fia. These people are my friends.” Audrey smiled as she placed a small hand on the wolf’s head. The wolf relaxed and sat on its hind legs right in front of Audrey’s feet.
“Well, it seems we have ourselves a Bestía.” Cade smiled as he stood from behind the tree. Sage followed as well as the others who had found unique hiding places. Wesley and Emery were watching from behind a tall tree, Jax was behind a large rock watching with wide eyes, and Andrea was knelt behind the tree with Sage and Eliza.
“A what?” River said as he looked cautiously at the wolf protecting his sister.
“What did you say to them?” Cade nodded towards the wolf as he moved closer to Audrey.
“All I said was stop.” Audrey laughed as she ran her fingers through the fur under the wolf’s ears.
“She can speak to the animals, but I have never seen someone command a pack of wild wolves like that before. She must be pretty special.” Cade smiled and winked at Audrey as she stood and joined her brother.
“Wait so your saying that she can just speak to them and they understand her?” Emery questioned as she made her way out from behind the tree.
“It is more like they hear her, and she can command them. Over time it will get easier but for now it may only be one or two words. I will introduce you to Marshall tonight at dinner, he’s the leader of the Bestía Tribe,” Cade explained and pushed deeper into the woods. The wolf that Audrey had called Fia followed Sage and the others as they pushed forward.
“So, that leaves you three. Who would like to go first?” Cade was looking between Eliza, Andrea, and Jax. His eyes landed on Eliza, and he smiled.
“How about you?” He laughed and pushed aside a low hanging branch revealing a path that led out to a beach.
The sunset was bright as it glittered off the water. The smell of salt stung Sage’s lungs as she inhaled the air. The air was cool as it blew off the water, and Sage could feel the chill run through her bones. They walked farther towards the water and the rest of the beach came into view. The sand was a dark gray color and the water was a deep blue as it ebbed back and forth on the beach. Cade slipped off his shoes and made his way to the water’s edge, Sage and the others did the same.
The water was cold as it lapped against Sage’s ankles, but it wasn’t what made her shiver. When she looked down the beach, she was shocked to see tall cliffs of black rock going down the shoreline, the same black cliffs she had seen in her dream.
“Cade, are there caves in those rocks?” Sage asked as she looked on at the ominous stonewalls up ahead.
“There is rumor of a single cave but no one has ever found it. I guess some stories are just stories. Why do you ask?” Cade looked over his shoulder at Sage as he walked.
“Just curious.” Sage tried her best to play it off but when she looked up Eliza stared at her with intense eyes.
“You dreamt about this place, didn’t you?” Eliza stopped walking and faced Sage. Sage felt trapped by Eliza’s gaze when she spoke, her sister was always able to tell when she was lying.
“Before we left the Frame I had a dream about a beach that looked a lot like this one but there was a cave,” Sage said despite not wanting to explain it.
“Eliza, how did you know that?” Cade asked as he furrowed his brow.
“I’ve always been able to tell when she was lying. It’s like I can hear her thoughts, and she is always thinking of the truth.” Eliza’s eyebrow twitched as she smirked towards Sage.
“It must be an older sister thing because I can do the same with Emery.” Andrea laughed and placed a hand on Emery’s shoulder.
“No, it’s not an older sister thing, it’s the first sign of a Telepath.” Cade grinned as he moved closer to Eliza.
“You can hear thoughts of the people around you right?” he asked with bright eyes.
“It’s not quite hearing so much as it’s seeing, and it only happens with Sage.” Eliza looked confused as she glanced at Sage.
“The way you knew what Blythe was hiding this morning at the hospital, you have to be a telepath. Try, just try to listen to our minds and see what happens.” Cade stepped back and stood next to Sage. Eliza and Andrea were standing in front of Sage and the others looking confused, but they shut their eyes and attempted to follow Cade’s instructions.
Suddenly, Eliza’s eyes shot open, and she made direct eye contact with
Cade. Her normal bright green eyes were the same dark black brown as Cade’s.
“It worked didn’t it? What was I thinking?” Cade smiled and raised his eyebrows.
“You were thinking about food…like a lot of food?” Eliza blinked and her eyes were green again.
“Well, you are defiantly a Telepath because I am starving!” Cade laughed as he looked at his watch. Sage knew it was getting late since the sun was almost fully set on the water.
“What about you, Andrea?” Andrea’s eyes were still closed when Cade spoke. Suddenly, her eyes opened and the sight shocked Sage. The color had changed to a light brown, and they were locked on Jax. Andrea staggered back and blinked, her eyes going back to the normal gold and green they always were.
“What did you see?” Cade asked hesitantly. Andrea looked at Jax with empathetic eyes before she looked away.
“Nothing, it was just static. I couldn’t see or hear anything.” Andrea put her head down and slipped on her shoes. Sage looked at Jax, who was clearly disturbed by Andrea’s response, and her heart ached to help him.
“Well, perhaps you just need more practice, and something to eat,” Cade said as he turned to head back towards the woods.
“Wait, what about Jax?” Wesley asked as they made their way into the forest.
“We will have to determine that tonight at the Gathering, it is getting dark and I can see a storm moving in. Trust me you don’t want to be out here during one of those.” Cade reached down and grabbed a tree branch. He snapped his fingers and a small fire ignited on his pointer finger. He touched the branch and it burst into flames. The fire stayed at the top of the branch rather than burning through it and Cade pressed on through the woods.
“Why? What’s wrong with the storms here?” Emery questioned as she looked at the strange torch in Cade’s hand.
“During the war, they figured out how to turn the weather into a weapon by creating extreme electrical storms. That’s why we built our city inside the trees, it protects us from the storms,” Cade explained as they continued through the forest. Sage could see the light from the Quarter, where all of the houses were, up ahead and realized just how tired she was.
“So, shouldn’t we be going inside or something?” River questioned, his eyes a strange color in the firelight.
“We will, after we eat. The storm won’t be over us for at least another hour.”
Cade tossed aside his torch and the flame diffused before it hit the ground. They walked up a small path that took them through the Quarter, past their house and back up to the stage. The others were beginning to gather and the crowd looked like a sea of color when Sage realized she still wore her clothes from the Frame.
“Where can we get new clothes?” Eliza asked, and Cade smiled.
“Right! Let’s get you all dressed appropriately.” They came into the Circle where the fountain from earlier was. Lined around the fountain were seven different stores, each one lit with a different color.
“Go ahead, grab what you need and meet back by the fountain in ten minutes.” Cade waved his hand to signal the others to go. Sage sat on the edge of the fountain while the others all went to get their new clothes.
River went into the store with a blue light, Audrey to the gold, Emery ventured towards the orange, Andrea and Eliza peeled off towards the white, and Wesley nervously went towards the green. Sage was left with Cade and Jax waiting for the others.
“Come on. I want to show you something.” Cade stood and motion for Sage and Jax to follow.
Behind the circle, set back in the trees was a small building with no lights on. Cade glanced at the lantern on the wall and a glowing flame appeared inside as he opened the door. Inside it was a small house big enough for two or three people. There was a living room, a kitchen, and a small bathroom in the back. Cade lit the rest of the lanterns that hung inside, and Sage could see how long it had been since someone had been inside.
“What is this place?” Sage coughed as she inhaled a lung full of dust.
“This is the home of all the previous Oculus before you. For a long time, the Oculus would live here in seclusion until other Ingenium came to be. You don’t have to live here but it is a nice escape if you ever need some time to think.” Cade smiled as he walked towards the back of the house. At the end of the hall was a locked door with a unique crystal door handle.
“Go ahead.” Cade motioned for Sage to open it and stepped back.
Hesitantly, Sage reached for the handle and turned it to the right. It felt cool in her hand but it glowed under her touch.
The door opened, and Sage was engulfed in a cloud of dust. When she opened her eyes again, she could see that the room had symbols written on the walls, ceiling, and floor. There were stacks of books on the floor and hanging on a mannequin was a white hooded robe. Sage was shocked to see that the symbols were the same as the ones from her dream and the robe was the same as the ones worn by the figures.
“Try it on.” Cade nodded towards the robe. Sage looked at Jax, who had been silent most of the day and slipped on the robe. It tied gently around the neck and hung off the shoulders reaching past her ankles where it just barely dusted the floor. Cade smiled and leaned against the doorframe.
“Well, I guess I should go get the others together. There are other clothes in the closet, feel free to try them on.” Cade turned and left, leaving Sage and Jax in the Oculus house.
Sage opened the closet, and inside were several pieces of clothes all iridescent white. Her eyes were drawn to a silk dress that hung to the floor. She pulled it out of the closet and held it up to her body. She lifted an eyebrow at Jax and laughed when he stepped back from the door with his hands in the air.
She quickly slipped into the dress and decided to go without shoes since her boots didn’t really match. She opened the door where Jax leaned against the wall. He stood straight once he saw Sage and smiled. Sage tugged on the dress and felt nervous about wearing it as she shut the door behind her.
“Well, should we go join the others?” Sage nervously tucked her hair behind her ear.
“After you.” Jax grinned and waved his right hand to the side. Sage laughed and turned to walk away when she remembered what Andrea had said when she tried to read Jax. She turned around and stopped just inches in front of Jax.
“Why do you think Andrea couldn’t hear your thoughts today?” Sage was whispering even through there was nobody else in the building. She could feel the warmth radiating from Jax as he lowered his head.
“I don’t know, but between that and the weird thing with the chip this morning, I’m not sure if I can handle anything else today.” He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled harshly
She didn’t ask questions instead she turned and started to leave the house. Before Sage could open the door Jax reached out and grabbed her wrist. She turned and was surprised by the sadness in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, I guess I’m still getting used to letting people in. For most of my life I was kept away from people and the few who I did see were only there to hurt me. I’m not trying to push you away. In fact, I actually really like being around you since you’re the only one who doesn’t look at me like I’m broken.” Jax lifted his eyes, and Sage could see the pain of honesty in them.
Without thinking Sage reached up and hugged Jax. At first, he was tense and rigid but, slowly, she felt him soften and hug her back.
“Don’t apologize. Never apologize for being who you are,” Sage said softly, and she felt Jax nod against her shoulder.
Chapter 18
Sage and Jax met with the others at the fountain, each of them dressed in their coordinating colors.
Eliza had found a white dress with gold details that hung off the hem. Andrea was in a white pantsuit with gold buttons that caught the light of the sunset when she moved. River adjusted his new navy shirt that mimicked the color of his eyes.
Audrey was dressed in a yellow skirt that hung to the floor and a matching shirt that stopped just a
bove her bellybutton, exposing the warm skin of her stomach. She helped Wesley with his shoes as he adjusted the last button on his emerald green shirt. Emery was last to join the others as she smoothed her hands over her fitted, deep orange dress.
“Excellent! You all look great. Now, let’s head to the gathering hall and eat.” Cade walked back towards the stage motioning for Sage and the others to follow.
“You are welcome to grab any food you want, and since there isn’t any type of ceremony tonight, you can sit wherever,” Cade said as he made his way towards the large table set up on the stage.
The table was as long as the stage and covered in different types of food. When Sage got up to the table, she realized how hungry she was, as she looked at all the different fruits, vegetables, and breads. She grabbed a plate and filled it. After everyone had gotten their food, they made their way through the crowd towards an empty table in the back.
As Sage walked through the crowd, she could feel the eyes of everyone around her. One girl dressed in dark purple made eye contact with Sage and rolled her eyes, whispering something to the girl sitting next to her.
Sage felt her hands grip the plate tighter, but she continued to walk forward. There was a warm hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see that River was behind her.
“Don’t listen to them, Sage,” River said as they sat at their table. Cade had joined them and sat with Eliza discussing her telepath abilities when Blythe walked by.
“Cade, aren’t you going to join us?” Blythe nodded towards a table at the front where the other tribe leaders were gathered.
“Actually, I think I’m going to eat here tonight.” Cade smiled kindly, but there was sternness in his voice that clearly meant he wasn’t going to change his mind.
“Suit yourself. I see none of your little newbies here are Caelí, not surprising. I would have noticed if they were.” Blythe smirked and looked at Sage and the others.