Chimera (The Weaver Series Book 1)

by Vaun Murphrey

  Maggie put her hands on my shoulders. “I know there are things you aren’t telling me, Cassandra. When you feel ready, just know you can. What you did to Malcolm should have been physically impossible. Not only did you knock a man three times your size in the chest and cause him pain, but you did it in front of witnesses. All I’m saying right now is think before you act. You threw a tantrum, like a child, that could have backfired if the wrong people had been present. You’ll realize that if you think on it.”

  The urge to confess about Silver was almost irrepressible.

  “I wouldn’t, Sister. What Maggie knows, Gerome knows.”

  I thought back, “Would that be so bad? Our mother wanted to go to Gerome. She thought he could help.”

  In a flat tone, Silver responded, “We don’t need help. Our parents are dead. It’s irrelevant what they thought.”

  “Not to be a brat, but you aren’t the boss of me, Silver. I trust Maggie. You should resign yourself to my decision, Sister.”

  “Fine, it’s your funeral. Oops, I mean ours…by the way, she’s said your name about three times now.”

  I focused back on the ‘real’ world, and sure enough, Maggie’s grip on my shoulders was tight as if she had been about to shake me. “What?”

  My aunt released me, face drawn in concern. “Where did you go, because you weren’t here with me?”

  I swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “Sorry. I was listening, and I’ll take what you said under advisement. I am keeping some things from you; it’s true. You’ll have to take a chance and trust my judgment until I can find the right time to talk to you about them.”

  “Good enough for now I suppose.” She darted behind her desk and began to pack up the vials of Kara’s blood in a pre-prepared mailing kit. “When you finish with your class and before you and Malcolm head into town, I need you to pick up this box to mail. Don’t let him forget. I’ll also get you some cash if you want to grab some fast food for breakfast while you’re out.”

  My stomach growled a little in anticipation of new things to try.

  Maggie gave a soft sound of amusement. “My goodness, I wonder if you’re about to have a growth spurt? Teenagers eat a lot when they hit puberty, boys, more than girls usually.”

  I thought at Silver, “Are we growing?” The idea of being a taller was appealing, surrounded as I was by so many vertically imposing human beings.

  “Short people live longer, make smaller targets, and are easier to dismiss as a threat. We just need to replenish our energy. We used too much when we pulled Kara back. Can’t you feel it?”

  Now that Silver brought it up I could sense a general fatigue through my whole body, even it seemed, in my toes. I asked Maggie, “Do you have anything I could eat?”

  Instead of answering me she dug around in her desk drawer again to produce a granola bar in a bright green package, then gestured toward my water bottle that was still on the floor by the couch. I grabbed the bar from her hand with shaking fingers and unwrapped it as fast as I could, shoving almost half of it in my mouth with the first bite. After I had got the first mouthful down, I needed moisture in a hurry, so I sat down on the couch and grabbed the water bottle to chug half of its room temperature contents. The rest of the granola I finished in the second bite, and then my water followed suit.

  Maggie watched my hands shake. She went around to her desk again and produced a zippered pouch. What did she not keep in her desk?

  “Honey, can I test your blood sugar? You could be having a low.”

  I nodded in assent and Maggie sat down next to me, unzipped the pouch, which contained a small electronic device that Silver told me was a glucometer, alcohol pads, bright blue plastic bits, something that looked like a small pen and a round container with a lid.

  Maggie took my left hand and rested it on my thigh, palm up, opened an alcohol pad and wiped my middle fingertip until it had a wet shine. Then she grabbed one of the blue plastic bits, inserted it into the item that looked like a small pen and twisted part of the blue plastic off to reveal a short, sharp needle. Maggie capped the wicked point with a click. A round lidded container held narrow slips of paper with marked ends. Maggie inserted one into the top of the glucometer.

  My aunt gripped my now dry middle finger at the knuckle and pressed the short pen against the tip. When she pushed a button on the side, there was a brief popping sound and a sting. When she took away the pen, a bright red dot of blood was forming in a tight, thick bubble. She grabbed the glucometer and applied the narrow strip of paper sticking out of the top to the crimson dot. It absorbed neatly, the unit’s small screen flashed, and after about five seconds the number thirty-five flashed repeatedly.

  Maggie made a concerned sound and cleared away the remaining blood with the alcohol pad then pressed it firmly to my fingertip.

  “Hold that against your puncture spot for a second. I’ll be right back. Don’t get up while I’m gone. Just sit there.”

  I didn’t feel like I could move. My index finger held the alcohol pad securely to my middle finger, but my hand had flopped lifelessly to my lap when Maggie released it.

  She paused for a second as if rethinking her next move, poked her head out of her office door and raised her voice to carry, “James, can you come here please?”

  I heard the shuffling of socked feet on the wooden floor and then Maggie moved out of the way to allow James entry, closing the door after him.

  “Can you sit with Cassandra for a minute? Don’t let her get up. I’ll be right back.” Then Maggie was out the door.

  I could feel myself trying to lean sideways on the sofa, and I was able to make myself straighten up a little.

  James shuffled his feet awkwardly and looked at me after an unproductive evaluation of the floorboards. “You look pale and a little sweaty, what’s going on?” Right about then his eyes caught the flashing display on the glucometer and widened. “Whoa, I’m surprised you aren’t passed out.”

  At that pronouncement, he sat gingerly next to me. I was feeling lightheaded and giddy. His weight on the couch made me lose my balance from a sitting position, which couldn’t be right. How do you fall when you’re already on your ass? I almost giggled, but I knew I wanted to ask James a serious question, so I held it in.

  “Why wouldn’t you look at me earlier? Are you mad at me for hitting Malcolm?” My words slurred, and I wanted to shake my head to clear the cobwebs. James cupped my chin in his cold fingers, and it felt good.

  “Stay with me, Cassandra, can you tell me how old you are?”

  I was confused. “I’m thirteen, and you didn’t answer my question. Let go of my face. I'm all right.” 'Face' came out like ‘faysh.' I meant to swat at his hand on my chin, but I ended up resting it on his wrist.

  “You are most certainly not fine, Cassandra. In answer to your question, you’re a little bit scary when you’re mad. I didn’t know you could be that way. You took me by surprise, but I’m not upset with you.”

  “Oh.”

  I wasn’t feeling quick-witted; everything was foggy. I closed my eyes to give them a rest from the blur of the room. James gripped my chin tighter and yelled in my face.

  “Hey! Cassandra, don’t pass out. Wake up!”

  His voice sounded panicked, and I could hear Silver faintly. “Don’t worry, Sister. Maggie is on her way with a glucagon pen. You’ll be okay in a minute. Hold on.”

  Just then, everything went black.

  I woke up to someone calling my name and slapping my face. I swatted the hand away and connected with something fleshy.

  “Bloody freaking hell!” The slaps stopped, though.

  I heard Malcolm blow a raspberry. “You’d think once in the nose was enough, woman. I’ll get an icepack.”

  I heard a door opening and closing.

  When I opened my eyes, it was to the sight of David’s furrowed eyebrows and too close hooded eyes. I was laid out flat on the floor of Maggie’s office. My aunt was holding her nose, which was bleeding again. David
was squeezed in between me and the sofa in a squatting position holding a bottle of orange juice.

  “Do you think you can sit up, honey?”

  I nodded, rubbing the back of my head against the hard floor. Once upright, David shoved the bottle at me with the cap off.

  “Drink all of this.”

  My hand didn’t shake too much as I took it. Malcolm returned, and I finished the juice just in time to see him sit down on the floor in front of Maggie. His boots were off, and his right sock had a hole in the heel exposing calloused ashy skin.

  Malcolm moved Maggie’s hands, then felt on either side of her nose with his thumbs. “It needs setting again. Are you ready? On the count of three: One…” and then he pushed his thumbs in sharply with a crunch.

  Maggie yelped but held her head rigid in Malcolm’s massive grip. “Owwwww…what happened to two and three, you liar?”

  “I counted fast in my head. Here, put this on the bridge of your nose and keep your head level.” He handed Maggie, the icepack from the floor next to his thigh.

  “I do know how to do it! You’re still a liar.” Her voice was all hurt petulance.

  I said, “I’m sorry, Maggie. I promise I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “But I did. All that slapping was getting on my nerves. You okay now, Sister?”

  I ignored Silver and waited for Maggie to respond.

  “I know, honey, it just hurts like hell. Are you okay now? You scared us.”

  I paused and thought to Silver, “Why did we do that?”

  “Oh, so you’re talking to me now? Nice. I miscalculated how drained we were and when we punched Malcolm it took our last reserve. I won’t let it happen again. I’m working on a solution. Tell you about it later since she’s waiting for an answer.”

  Out loud I said, “Yeah I’m okay. What do I do now?”

  David responded instead of Maggie. “You could be hypoglycemic or just have a fast metabolism. You may need to carry around this glucometer for today and make sure you eat some snacks with a good mix of carbs and protein. Don’t go too long in between meals, okay?”

  Maggie mumbled blindly from under the icepack, “I’ve got some trail mix in my desk you can grab. Put it in your bag. No participation in Malcolm’s class today. You just get to observe.”

  I was surprised she was still letting me go so I didn’t argue.

  David motioned to the couch. “Can you sit up there so I can show you how to check your blood sugar?”

  “I remember how she did it. I can do it by myself.” I struggled to my feet stiffly, felt a sore spot on the outside of my left thigh and rubbed it absently.

  “It’s where Maggie shot you with the pen. I’ll have it fixed by tomorrow morning.”

  David reached out to make sure I was steady, and I blurted my response to Silver out loud instead of in my head like I intended. “We’re fine, no more meddling!”

  David looked at me confused. “Uh, okay, Your Royal Highness?”

  I sighed in frustration. “I didn’t mean that, sorry.” I moved over to the couch, and when I sat, I noticed James and Kara standing in the doorway observing the whole show. Just wonderful. David watched me go through the motions of checking my blood sugar and, this time, the number was three digits instead of two. Silver sent me a reassurance it was an average reading.

  David said the result out loud for Maggie’s benefit, “130.”

  To which she responded, “Good.”

  I gathered up the used supplies in a pile on the couch cushion and put everything in the kit then stuffed it in my bag. Snagging the shoes Maggie had loaned Kara, I held my arm out so the taller girl could see them around the doorway. I was proud my arm was rock steady. Fatigue pulled at me, and I felt like I could use the nap Gerome had suggested before he left the house, but I didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Kara accepted the shoes brushing my fingers as she did. An electric tingle zinged like when James touched my fingers, and my heart started to beat faster. Kara’s breath caught. I didn’t have time for any more complications, so I refused to acknowledge the sensation.

  “Maggie, which drawer has the trail mix, and where do you want me to put the trash from my sticks?”

  David said, “Hold on, I’ll get both.” He leaned around behind Maggie’s desk and came back with a waste basket and a purple package of trail mix.

  Malcolm stood, and if we had been outside and the sun was shining (unlikely), he would have blocked it out with his bulk. “If you feel alright let’s head out. You want me to carry your bag?”

  James spoke up and said, “I’ll get it. I might as well go to your class since the housing offices don’t open until eight anyway.”

  I wanted to argue I could carry my bag, but when I stood, my fatigue nearly betrayed me.

  “Mind the mud on the way out,” David said. “I didn’t get a chance to finish mopping.”

  Malcolm nodded at David in acknowledgment and looked down at Maggie sitting on the floor. “Need help, Momma?”

  In answer, my aunt threw up an arm. Malcolm pulled her upright as if she was feather light, steadying her with two large hands on her shoulders.

  Maggie took the icepack off of her nose. “Make sure you don’t forget to come back to the clinic before you head into town to pick up my package to mail. When you guys go out, eat some breakfast before you run your errands. Drive through will work as long as there is some protein in it.”

  “Anything else, Master?”

  “Why, yes, you can shut your face.” Maggie smiled sweetly at Malcolm, and he winced at the resulting masterpiece of swelling and blood.

  This time, I had managed to give Maggie a fat upper lip on one side. Silver was going to hear about this later. I had my suspicions now the initial nose break had been her doing as well.

  “You need to take it easy today, Maggie. You look like you went twelve rounds and lost the fight.”

  Maggie waved Malcolm’s concern away. “Hopefully, my shift will be uneventful. I’ll lie on the sofa after y’all leave.” My aunt turned to me and said, “You listen to Malcolm when you’re out and about. Make sure you eat your snacks and check your blood sugar before you eat breakfast and lunch.”

  I nodded mutely, trying not to look at her fat lip and the crusted blood under her nostrils. She pulled me into a rough hug. My aunt held out my coat for me. I slid my arms into the dark sleeves, and my sweaty skin caught on the lining. I was going to need to shower after Malcolm’s class even without the workout.

  James darted into the office to grab my bag off of the couch, and we all headed into the open bed area together. I could see David’s abandoned mop off to the left and Malcolm snagged his boots off of the floor by the laces as he passed them. We all skirted the mud. I could see out the front windows a light mist was falling, and the wind wasn’t blowing hard.

  The group had shrunk to me, Malcolm, Kara, James, and Maggie. James held the counter flap up for everyone but Maggie, who stayed behind the smooth worn wood and leaned her elbows on its shiny surface to cup her chin.

  Malcolm claimed one of the benches to don his boots, and I headed to where I had left my own. I was moving in slow motion as I got my feet inserted into my shoes. James started after me and finished before me. Malcolm already had Kara on his back, and she was wearing his huge coat, her long legs dangled loosely at his waist; I guess he wasn’t worried about getting wet. James got down on his knees and tightened my laces then tied them.

  “You still okay to go, honey?” Maggie asked.

  I forced myself to perk up. “I’m fine.”

  “Alright, but if you start to feel ill tell Malcolm.”

  Kara’s cheerful voice came from around Malcolm’s shoulder. “I got your back!”

  James scrunched his eyes at his sister and lifted my bag from the bench. “Ready?”

  I rose in response, and we shuffled out into the cold and damp. The compound had a magical, still quality with the mist shrouding every building. We didn’t see anyone until we were almost
on top of them, and most people smiled when they saw Malcolm’s passenger grinning like an idiot over his shoulder.

  We headed in the opposite direction of the majority of the living quarters. I had a general idea of where the barracks for the security force were, but I wasn’t sure if the training facility was in the same area or not. We all trudged side by side with the mud making moist sucking slurps.

  “Malcolm, why don’t you have the roads paved? It seems like an easy fix, and we wouldn’t have to deal with all of the mud.”

  Silver answered. “It’s defensive. They don’t have the roads to the compound paved for miles out either because anything that slows an attacking force is considered an advantage. It’s only effective in the wet months, though.”

  Malcolm's response was short, “Tactical advantage.”

  I looked at James and shrugged. He snagged my fingers in his. Out of the mist ahead, I could see the dark mass of a building beginning to form, but it seemed too small. We continued, however, to head in its direction and I could see other people coming from different paths to its doors.

  Anyone who saw Malcolm now either looked shocked or tried to hide a smile when they noticed Kara on his back, swinging her legs and holding onto his shoulders with his jacket sleeves swallowing her hands.

  We drew even with a set of metal double doors, one marked ‘EXIT’ and the other marked ‘ENTER.’ James released my fingers as we stepped across the threshold. The noise inside was composed of a din of echoing voices as people sat on benches all around the walls taking off their boots and shoving them underneath their seats.

  Occasionally someone with a cloth mop would sweep the moisture from the floor. It looked like a punishment detail to me.

  Malcolm let go of one of Kara’s legs and swung her around as she squeaked in surprise. Her high squeal at the dismount had earned a few glances. Malcolm didn’t seem too concerned.

  After we all had our shoes off, we followed Malcolm through another set of double doors which opened into a wide descending stairwell. Another set of doors were propped open with cinder blocks. Dull blue walls dominated. The area we followed Malcolm into was spacious with square supports throughout.