by Darby Cupid
My stomach clenches with guilt. When I said I felt someone watching me from the alleyway, Eddie suggested we split up and check it out, arranging to meet back at Sera’s place to share our findings. I didn’t like the idea of separating but didn’t say anything. My teeth sink into my lower lip.
“What the hell happened, Linda?” Dylan asks. “Where’s Eddie?”
Everyone listens intently as Linda recounts her ordeal, her words punctuated by the occasional gasp or tut from her audience.
“I can’t believe Eddie just left you,” Jordan says.
Linda shrugs nonchalantly. “I handled myself.”
I watch her grin, her shoulders high, but as my gaze travels down to her hands, I can see them trembling. The wound on her arm looks painful but not too deep. I reach over and place a hand just over the graze, focusing my concentration on the cool purple stone around my neck.
As it warms against my skin, I close my eyes, imagining the transfer of energy through my body, down to my hovering fingertips. I try not to think about how bad I am at this, reminding myself, not of the time I tried to heal scratches from falling into a prasalia bush while trying and failing to sneak out of the palace gardens, but instead of this morning, when I did a pretty okay job of healing my head wounds.
After a few moments, there’s a gentle tug inside my chest and the amulet starts to cool. Acutely aware of how embarrassing it will be if this doesn’t work, I open my eyes and lift my hand.
Relief floods through me and pride lights up my face as I see that the graze has scabbed over and shrunk considerably. A more experienced person would have been able to heal it completely, but I’m more than happy with the results. It’s only then that I realise the room has fallen silent and everyone is staring at me.
“Oh! I forgot,” Sera says. “Crystal can heal.”
“A little,” I confess. “I’m still learning.”
Linda lifts her arm and inspects it from as many angles as she can. “That is awesome! It doesn’t hurt at all!”
My cheeks warm. “I’m glad I could help.”
Dylan stands and runs a hand through his hair, his eyes fixed on the large window behind us. “Eddie’s not answering his phone. I sent him a couple of texts, but he’s not reading them.”
“Did you get a good look at the man?” Jordan asks. “We need to be able to make sure he hasn’t followed you back here.”
“He’s not so much of a man, to be fair,” Linda admits. “He looks more or less our age. Maybe a year or two older? I did get a good look though. I’d be able to point him out again if I saw him.”
Perhaps confident after the success of my healing, an idea sparks in my mind. “Linda,” I begin, “I’ve only tried this once before, but I was wondering if you’d let me try and see your attacker – by accessing your memories.”
Linda’s face freezes and I wonder if I’ve gone too far. The healing was a big shock to them. Maybe accessing someone’s mind is the thing that makes them realise this is all a bit too strange.
I swallow the lump of anxiety in my throat. “It’s okay if you don’t want me to. I know how unusual this is. Besides, it might not even work.”
“No, no!” Linda shakes her head, her short dark hair swishing across her face. “Access away! It’s just something I’ve never been asked before.”
I walk behind the sofa and place my hands on either side of Linda’s head. “All I have to do is hold your head and concentrate. A lot. So, don’t move, okay?”
“Wait!” Linda gasps. “What should I do? Close my eyes? Empty my mind?”
“You can close your eyes if you want.” I smile. “But you don’t have to. I just need you to think about the attacker. What did he look like? Put yourself back in the alley with him and try to focus on the details.”
Taking a slow, deep breath, I close my eyes and concentrate on my amulet as it grows warmer and warmer against my skin. Doubt invades my thoughts like dark wisps of smoke. What if I can’t do this? I visualise purple spreading down my shoulders and along my arms like veins. What is everyone doing right now? The purple retracts and my amulet grows cold.
Opening my eyes, I drop my hands, berating myself for getting distracted so easily. “I’m so sorry…” I say.
Dylan stands and moves around the sofa to stand next to me. I watch, frozen, as he places a hand on my arm and looks me in the eye, his own eyes warm and encouraging.
“You can do this,” he says.
“Okay,” I nod, his confidence setting off a buzz in my veins. “Let’s try again.”
Placing my hands back on Linda’s hair, I focus on my amulet, sending the warmth towards my fingers again. The warmth spreads like roots, spilling out of my fingers and into Linda’s head.
Suddenly, I’m there.
It’s dark. A warm, rough hand presses over my mouth, my skin damp from my breath against the fingers. I scream, but there’s no sound. I’m pressed against a hard wall and the smell of the waste container beside me fills my nostrils. My chest heaves as my heart pounds against the hard, lean body of my attacker.
Struggling to stay calm, I repeat to myself that this isn’t really happening. I focus my energy on my eyes and the dark retracts; a face coming into focus. Deep green eyes. Long dark lashes. Very closely cut hair. Tall. Perhaps a little taller than Dylan. He’s broad and strong, but very slim. He doesn’t look well taken care of. Moving my eyes downward, I see he’s wearing a long-sleeved black top with a dark jacket and well-worn, dark blue jeans.
Without warning, the vision starts to lose clarity and I frantically look around to see if I’ve missed anything. I can make out a chain around his neck, but I can’t see any more of it, because it’s under his shirt. The perfumed scent of prasalia flowers fills my nostrils for a fleeting second and I blink in surprise. Focusing on my nose, I try to catch the scent again but all I get is rotting waste and sweat. Glancing back at the intense green eyes, my heart pounds in my ears and the vision begins to blur.
I’m falling.
I jolt, my arms flailing as I reach for something to stop me, but I’m already caught. Dylan gently returns me to standing, his hand lingering on my back as I clutch the back of the chair trying to catch my breath and calm my heart.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asks. “You just flew backwards all of a sudden.”
“Did it work?” Jordan asks.
Linda turns and looks up at me. “Did you see him?”
“It’s like I was there,” I begin. “I can still feel his hand over my mouth.” Shuddering, I touch my fingers to my lips. Those eyes. The colour of Earth grass.
“You saw him!” Linda gasps.
Her squeal jolts me back to the room. “Yes,” I say, rubbing my temples. “Sorry, my senses are a bit muted. I guess it takes the mind a while to readjust after being someone else. It was so strange. He wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“How so?” Dylan asks, leaning forward over the back of the sofa, his eyes fixed on mine.
“Linda was right,” I explain. “He’s young. There were a few things that confused me though.”
Sera nudges Jordan. “I hope you’re writing this down in that notebook of yours!”
“Oh!” Jordan stands in a fluster and digs the notebook and pen from his pocket. “Go on, Crystal.”
I take a breath and continue. “Well, like I said, he’s about your age. He’s tall – perhaps taller than Dylan. He has green eyes and very closely cut light brown hair. He was wearing dark clothes and he had a chain around his neck, but I couldn’t tell what was on it.”
“Oh!” Linda jumps up. “I know! I saw it! When I pushed him over to get away from him, it fell out of his shirt!”
“Really? Can you describe it?” I ask. “I don’t know what it is, but something is really irritating me. It’s like it’s just out of sight in the edge of my mind…”
“It was a bit weird to be honest,” Linda shrugs. “It was a bright green stone with really fancy designs in metal around the edges. It was pretty
, but not something you’d usually see a guy wearing.”
Everyone falls silent as they ponder this piece of information. Does it have any relevance? Possibly not. I stare down at my legs; the unfamiliar fabric a stark contrast from robes worn on Starlatten. My fingers reach up to stroke the smooth surface of my amulet, as I wonder whether I’ll ever see home again.
“Linda?” Sera breaks the silence. “Was his necklace like that?”
I look up with interest to see what Sera is pointing at, only to find she’s pointing at me. More specifically, my amulet. My breathing halts as I turn to Linda, waiting for her response. Was it? If it was, what would that mean?
Linda’s nose wrinkles as she considers the suggestion. “Yeah, I guess so,” she admits. “The stone had the same weird glow, like there’s something alive inside it. His was a different shape and design though.”
I run my fingers over the familiar swirling twists that encase the purple stone. “Well, the setting is different for each family,” I explain. “All my family have this setting – they’re passed down from generation to generation.”
“Like a family crest?” Jordan muses. “That makes sense.”
“Great,” Dylan huffs.
There’s something in the tone of his voice that catches my attention. He’s still leaning over the back of the sofa, his head on his forearms. As I watch, he stands and runs both hands over his face and through his hair, lacing his fingers behind his head. He doesn’t look happy.
Despite his clear annoyance, my eyes are drawn to the way his muscles flex as he holds his arms behind his head. Following the line of his toned torso, I notice that his shirt has lifted to expose the smallest stretch of taut, tanned, smooth skin. It’s a sight you don’t see back home and my mouth is suddenly dry. I blink and swallow, refocusing on his face as he exhales and rubs his temples.
“So,” he says, his eyes narrowed and his voice tight. “This guy watches us from an alley across the road from where a dead scientist has Crystal’s pod. He attacks Linda, wanting to know what we were doing there and may or may not have an amulet like Crystal’s? Is that about right?”
Everyone watches, a similar wary expression on their faces. I have the urge to reach out and touch his arm, the way he did to me.
“Is no one bothered by how weird this all is?” Dylan holds out his hands in exasperation. “We have more information but zero answers. We know nothing. There’s just more questions!”
Without warning, he turns and storms out of the room, the door swinging closed behind him. Jordan stands to follow him, but the weight of responsibility is clearly with me. I may not be one of his confidants, but this entire situation is my fault.
“Will you let me go?” I ask.
Jordan shrugs and waves his hand towards the door. “Be my guest.”
I find him in the kitchen, staring out of the large glass doors at the sprawling gardens. He stands, leaning against the counter, his hands gripping the edge so hard, his knuckles have turned white.
“It’ll be okay,” I reassure him from the doorway. “We’ll get more answers.”
Dylan sighs and his shoulders sag. When he lifts his head to look at me, his eyes are filled with sadness. “I’m sorry for overreacting. I’m just so tired and being so out of control just sort of, tipped me over the edge.”
“It could be worse,” I say.
He winces and drags a hand across his face. “I’m so sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through.”
“It’s not the best,” I admit, leaning against the opposite counter. “Why are you so tired?”
Dylan’s face darkens and he turns his attention to the shiny squares on the floor. “My dad left us last year. Just disappeared, leaving me, my mum and little sister to keep the family business going. It’s been in our family for years and he just abandoned it Abandoned us. So now, I make sure my sister gets to school and does her homework. I help Mum in the shop. I keep us afloat. It’s fine though. I have things under control.”
My heart pulls as he coughs to cover the crack in his voice. “What is the family business?”
“It’s a bakery. Five generations of bakers.”
I chew my lip, trying to decide how to ask what a baker is. Dylan seems to sense this and chuckles.
“Bakers bake bread,” he explains, glancing around the kitchen. Opening a large container, he pulls out a pale brown object I recognise from breakfast this morning.
“Ah yes!” I nod. “We have something that tastes similar on Starlatten. We call it luffta.”
Dylan smiles and places the bread back in its container. “I’m sorry for offloading on you.”
“It’s fine,” I reassure him. “It’s a nice distraction to hear about other people’s problems.”
He smiles and pushes the hair from his forehead. “You know, you’re really easy to talk to. I haven’t even talked to Eddie and Jordan properly about what’s been going on. How about you though? How are you doing, honestly?”
“Honestly, I think I’m still numb from it all. I just keep moving forward. I’ll have time to grieve when I get home.” I say the words as if there’s a good time to embrace a gaping hole you know you’ll never be able to fill and will always cause you unbearable pain. My emotions solidify in a ball in my throat.
As my eyes blur with tears, Dylan steps away from the counter towards me. I look up to see my sadness reflected in his own. He’s already taken on responsibility for his family and now my problems have added to the weight on his shoulders.
I drop my head and stare at the cold white and grey floor. “I’m so sorry I’ve brought this upon you all.”
“Don’t be,” Dylan says softly. I watch his shoes as he steps closer, our toes almost touching. “I’m glad we found you.”
My heart beats a steady rhythm in my chest as he reaches out and gently lifts my chin with the tips of his fingers. Our eyes meet and my breath catches in my throat. Something surges between us. I’ve felt it before and pushed it away. It’s like some uncontrollable force keeps pulling me towards him. I mean, he’s beautiful, but I’ve been trying not to think about it too much, as there’s really no point. There are things of much more importance happening around us, but those lips. Those eyes.
I realise I’ve stopped breathing and try to take a breath that isn’t a gasp. Several shades of gold and brown watch me from under those dark lashes. I stare mutely as his gaze moves down my face, lingering on my lips. My chest aches and my head spins as the space between us closes.
“Dylan! Crystal! Get in here – now!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dylan
I step back. It takes a second to get my bearings before I realise what almost happened. I am the world’s biggest idiot. My cheeks flame and I try to grasp for something to say, but I can’t find the words.
Crystal smiles awkwardly and steps towards the door. “Come on. Let’s see what’s going on.”
What was that? I need to apologise to her the second I get a chance. What kind of jerk makes a move on someone when they’re grieving? Fighting the urge to pound my fists against my skull, I follow her out of the kitchen towards the commotion in the living room. I push the shame to the pit of my stomach and almost crash into the back of Crystal, who’s come to a halt at the entrance to the room.
Frowning, I try to make sense of the scene before us. Sera and Linda are crouched beside a vaguely familiar man slumped on a chair; his face streaked with blood and his hair matted. Eddie stands beside him, blood staining one side of his shirt.
“What the hell?” I slip past Crystal and sprint over to Eddie, trying to find the cause of the bleeding.
Eddie waves me off. “I’m okay, mate! It’s Oakstone that needs our attention.”
“Oakstone?” I turn my attention to the man in the chair. His wire-rimmed glasses are cracked, and his face is a mess, but as my brain finds the connection, I realise it’s the scientist from the news.
“What the hell, Eddie?” Jordan
demands as he enters the room carrying a wet towel and a glass of water. He hands the towel to Sera, who starts to dab at Oakstone’s head.
“Well,” Eddie says, rolling his neck, “I was trying to find the guy who was watching us, but I found Dr. O hiding down the alley. He was really hurt, so I brought him back here. It took us a while because we had to take the side streets. I figured all this blood would look a bit conspicuous.”
“Why didn’t you just call an ambulance?” My mind spins as I look between Eddie and the man bleeding on the chair. “What makes you think he’d be better here?”
“Someone tried to kill me,” Oakstone says, speaking for the first time. “If they think they succeeded, I’d like to keep it that way. At least for now.”
I glance over my shoulder at Crystal, who’s still stood, frozen in the doorway. Biting her lip, she’s frowning, with one hand clasped tightly around her amulet. Things are getting more bizarre by the second. I decide it’s time to get some answers.
“Why would someone try to kill you?” I ask, standing in front of Dr. Oakstone and folding my arms.
He glances at Eddie, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Eddie has assured me I can trust you. However, I’m sure you can understand that this is very unusual.”
“Look,” I say firmly. “We’re just as wary of you, but here’s the deal. We know what you had in your lab, and we know a lot more about it than you do. If you want to find out what we know, you’re going to have to tell us everything. Now.”
Oakstone holds my stare and tension fill the space between us. As the silence stretches out, I realise I’m not sure what I’ll do if he refuses the ultimatum. I’m banking on the fact he’ll be too curious about the pod.
Finally, Oakstone sighs and takes off his broken glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Fine. I work in the field of astrophysics and astrology. The other night, I was completing standard atmospheric checks when I noticed something strange. It was heading straight for Earth, but it didn’t follow the usual parameters for an asteroid or space debris. It was going unusually fast and didn’t burn up when it entered our atmosphere.