But with mom, well, I always rationalized that mom tried with Nai, but looking back, I might have been wrong. I mean, she didn’t neglect Nai. We were both quite spoiled and enjoyed over-indulging on Christmas and our birthday, but while I delighted in the surprise element of gift receiving, Nai was typically presented with items that she had specifically asked for. It was almost as if mom only put forth as much effort as was necessary to keep Nai from creating a fuss. Thinking about it now, it all seemed rather sad and I began to feel even worse.
But then, from somewhere in the back of my mind came my mother’s voice. In the same sweet tone that read about hungry caterpillars and mice who demanded cookies, came a cryptic mantra.
Forgive your sister. She will hurt you, but you must forgive her. She knows no other way. Forgive her, Jem. Forgive her what she must do, what I have tried and failed to stop. She doesn’t want to hurt you, but it is forewarned. You are strong enough to survive. You are strong enough to forgive.
Was I imagining things? I’m sure I would have remembered if mom had been warning me about Nai every night. But as I thought about it, the memories became clearer, stronger, and I knew that it hadn’t been a dream. The page of mathematic equations blurred and I became lightheaded. No, not just lightheaded, I became a… a ghost? Suddenly I was moving faster than I ever imagined possible, but at the same time, I was weightless and insubstantial. I found myself hovering in the dark, unable to feel my body.
Just as I was about to have a major panic attack, shapes began to appear out of the darkness. I recognized my surroundings as the wooded lake trail that ran behind my parents’ house. It was night, but the light of the full moon filtered through the sparse spring leaves. Below me, a lone figure stood as if waiting for someone. It was a woman. Although she didn’t look very old, her hair was completely gray and she stood leaning on a walking stick. She seemed familiar, yet I couldn’t remember who she was. I followed her line of vision and saw another figure running up the path toward her. As she neared, I recognized my mother and called out, but she didn’t hear me.
“Lillia!” the old woman called out. “Step carefully and be mindful of your condition.”
“It’s too late,” mom said, gasping and panting as she reached the woman. “I couldn’t stop him. He bound me in my sleep. What will happen to my baby? Something is wrong with her. I feel it. What did he do to my child?”
“Children,” the woman said as a correction.
“No, he couldn’t have.” Mom was visibly upset. “We did everything we could…”
“And yet, as was prophesized, our efforts were in vain. Fear not, Lillia, the protection held. What’s done is done, but only just.”
“I can’t let him…” mom began, but the woman cut her off.
“We cannot change what has come to pass. You’ve known the law since your days as my student so many years ago. Right now, we need your strength, Lillia. They need your strength. Protect them. Protect your children.”
It was then that I noticed the way mom’s hands protectively circled the slight bump of her abdomen and her youthful appearance that I had only ever seen in photos. Was this real? Despite having no real form, I felt my heart beat quicken. I felt as if the vision was a warning. But of what? Who was mom protecting us from?
* * *
Jem fell sharply to the ground, no longer an outside observer, but a tangible part of the world he had observed. The dark forest scene came back into focus, but he found himself alone. In the distance, a figure stood, bathed in moonlight.
“Mom?” Jem’s heart leapt into his throat.
“No Jem,” said the Creator, a hint of apology in its tone. “Just a projection. I sense conflict.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, looking up with confusion at the face of the woman who gave him life. “I was dreaming, I think. It seemed so real.”
“You were, for lack of a better word, having an out of body experience.”
“Huh?” Jem turned away, unable to look at the Creator as long as it held the image of his mother. He sensed a shift and dared to peek. The Creator now wore the kindly and safe face of Hollywood’s latest depiction of pop-culture “God.”
“Your consciousness traveled to a residual moment, a memory of a past event.”
“Is that normal?”
“I’m afraid you will have to define normal, Jem,” the Creator’s voice was filled with bemusement.
“Well, what I mean is, do all Guardians or agents have out of body experiences? Or is this another weird thing that is messed up about me and my sister?”
“Ah, you are referring, of course, to the anomalous nature of your souls. No, Jem, not all Guardians have this ability; however, it is not unusual amongst those who are magically gifted. Although, to travel, even via astral means, to where you last called home should not have been allowed to happen. Take this as a sign that all in Order is not under the control of Order.”
“But what does that mean?” Jem asked. “What was it a sign of? Who was she trying to protect us from?”
“I’m afraid that I am unable to answer that,” the Creator apologized. “But take heart, Jem. Your dreams will guide you.”
“Dreams?” Jem looked confused and then crestfallen. “So it was just a dream.”
“Our dreams are never just anything, Jem,” the Creator corrected. “It is up to us to determine what to make of them.”
With a nod, the Creator faded into the night, leaving Jem to contemplate its last words. As he did, he looked down the path, toward where he knew his former home would be. He could see the warm glow of lamplight spilling in the distance and moved towards it. But no matter how far he walked, he never got any closer to the house. Realizing he never would, Jem slipped back into the time stream.
Chapter 9
The Great & Powerful Nai
Skipping class was too easy. I was starting to get the impression that the teachers didn’t even bother reporting my absence because not having me in class made their lives easier. Besides, I was pretty sure I’d racked up enough detentions to carry me all the way through to the Christmas holiday and the first month of school hadn’t even ended. I had a major urge to just duck out the door and grab a milkshake at Louie’s, but I couldn’t. I was on a mission.
I’d overheard Seth telling Desmond that the school had called him. Apparently, the two of them had worked out some scheme so that Seth could get a look at Mr. Marsden for himself. It had been such a painfully awkward conversation. I mean, Desmond was dropping all kinds of hints, but Seth was so completely oblivious that I had to restrain myself from revealing that I was eavesdropping by yelling at Desmond to take the direct approach.
Regardless, I had bigger things to worry about than their nonexistent love life. I was finally going to get some answers. I made it down to my perch on the landing outside the office just in time to see Seth walking into the administrative offices.
Seth gives me the creeps. Before I learned all of this stuff about the Discordant, I would have sworn he was a vampire. The guy was pale and walked around with these serious bags under his eyes that made me wonder if he ever slept. I doubted he did. I mean, how could he when he was constantly bombarded by everyone else’s messed up emotions? No way in a million years would I want his job. Then there was all that martyr stuff that I didn’t get either. Honestly, if I soul gazed Seth and found out he was the reincarnation of Jesus, I probably wouldn’t even be surprised.
Seth wasn’t even in the office for a whole ten minutes. I can’t say I blamed him. I couldn’t be that close to Gary’s creepy aura for very long either. When he walked out, he was even paler than usual and he looked like he was going to be sick. I waited until he got out the front door before slipping out of the Cycle. It was time to let the grownups know that sometimes, the universe makes a huge mistake.
“So, are you going to admit he’s the wraith host or are you going to lie to me as well?”
Seth jumped back, clearly startled as I appeared from out of
nowhere right in front of him.
“Nai! Where did you come from? Why aren’t you in class?”
“The same place Desmond does when he needs to get somewhere instantly,” I said, raising an eyebrow and daring Seth to challenge me. “And I skipped class because you weren’t as quiet as you thought you were last night when you told Desmond you had a meeting with the counselor.”
“What do you think I’m hiding, Nai?” His voice was wary, but there was just enough of a waiver that I knew he would crack.
“Everything,” I said flatly. “Why are you and Desmond so hell bent on keeping the truth from us?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he hit the button on his keys to unlock the door and motioned for me to get in. I hesitated, certain that he was just going to take me back to wherever Desmond was and then my ass would be dragged back to admin for recycling. But I was also curious and realized that with my newfound power, I’d be able to slip away if it came to that.
But Seth didn’t take me to Desmond. Instead, he got on the highway and started driving south, away from Blackbird entirely. After about thirty minutes of silence, I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere quiet,” Seth said with a heavy sigh as he turned off the highway. We drove through a residential neighborhood, but eventually the street we were on narrowed and the trees became denser. After another ten minutes, the paved road became dirt and I could see the river snaking along next to us. This was definitely beginning to look like the perfect set up for a murder.
Finally, the trees thinned a little and Seth pulled the car over to the side of the road, right next to the river. I didn’t even know if it was the same river that ran through Blackbird. Hell, I had no idea where we were, but when I followed Seth out of the car, I understood why he picked the location.
“Someplace quiet,” I said, echoing his words as the stillness settled over me. “You meant quiet for you.”
“How would you-” He looked sharply at me for a moment, but his expression softened. “Of course, as a Guardian you would recognize the absence of emotional noise even if you can’t sense the full spectrum. Yes, that’s exactly what I meant. Blackbird can get a little… overwhelming.”
“That’s an understatement,” I muttered. I kept to myself the fact that I was pretty sure the emotional noise I’d experienced, and its noted absence here, had more to do with my oddness, but it didn’t matter. I looked out over the river rather than face Seth, who I could feel staring at me. It was pretty, with the sun sparkling off the surface, but it was the kind of pretty that bored me after a while. “So why are we out here?”
“To be honest? We’re here because Desmond can’t come out this far. You asked for the truth, and he asked me to keep it from you. I’d agreed, initially, but after speaking to Mr. Marsden and seeing what you are capable of, I’m inclined to think that lying to you and your brother might cause more harm than good.”
“You can’t actually lie to me,” I admitted. “Well, I’m not sure about you, but I can sense when Jem and Desmond are lying. I already know Gary Marsden is hosting the wraith. I just want to know why that’s such a big secret.”
“Gary Marsden’s soul is damaged,” Seth said quietly. “Removing the demon may kill him and even if it doesn’t, it will most certainly damage him.”
“So why lie?” I asked.
“Desmond’s line of thinking was that you would lose interest in Mr. Marsden and continue to look for the wraith elsewhere.”
“But that’s…” I began, but stopped myself when I realized it hadn’t been a bad plan. If Desmond had been able to convince me that there was a bigger threat elsewhere, I might have gone chasing whatever false lead he set. And that pissed me off royally. “Okay, fine,” I grumbled. “So what are we supposed to do now?”
“We don’t do anything. We can’t without a corpus vessel. Harry is looking into that for us.”
“But-”
“No, Nai. No buts. This is nonnegotiable. Damage the soul further and we’ll have bigger problems to deal with.”
“Why do you assume that I was going to argue with you?” I asked, more than a little upset that Seth cut me off.
“Because that’s what you do, Nai.”
“Ouch.” He might have been right, but that really wasn’t necessary.
“Nai, please take this seriously. I’m obviously aware that there is something besides your split soul that sets you and your brother apart from our previous Guardian and before you ask, no, I don’t know any more than you do why that is. But I can see why you would be tempted to use these unique abilities to do what you may consider more interesting than that which the role of Guardian allows. I just need to impress upon you that in this particular instance, you need to let it go and wait for the Warrior to make a move.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “I don’t want to be cycled anyway. But Seth, seriously, when this is all over. I think we should all sit down and acknowledge that maybe there’s a good reason why Jem and I are different.”
“I can agree to that,” he said after a moment’s thought. “Come on, let’s get back before we‘re missed.
* * *
“Since when are you into antiques?” Jem asked. I swear, sometimes I thought that he felt he would die if he stopped talking. He even managed to get mad at me earlier in the week, like honestly pissed off, but instead of not speaking to me like a normal person, he got over it in about thirty seconds and continued to run his yap.
“Since there isn’t anything else to do around here,” I snapped and went back to searching through the bin of mostly useless junk that some dealer had the audacity to call antiques. There was nothing of value, so I moved on, passing over a barrel of cheap samurai sword replicas.
“Right,” Jem drawled. “It’s not like you could possibly be, oh say… looking for weapons?”
I stopped my search and gave my brother a flat look. “Jem, I have weapons. You saw them. Besides, even if I was looking for weapons, I would go to the surplus store. Fake swords and decorative suits of armor aren’t going to protect us against a rabid toddler, let alone the Discordant.”
“Then what are you doing?”
I rolled my eyes. “Mind your own business, will you? I didn’t ask you to come along.”
By looking for a corpus vessel, I wasn’t really breaking my promise to Seth. In fact, I spent the rest of the week staying as far away from the guidance counselor as possible. Admittedly, I really didn’t expect to find any powerful relics in a tiny antique shop in the middle of nowhere, but I wasn’t going to leave any stone unturned. If I happened upon a real weapon along the way, that would just be a bonus. Stranger things had happened and I had heard several stories of people finding things like valuable artwork in their local Goodwill. Still, the ridiculously named Main Street Vintage Emporium was a total bust. Most of the so-called antiques were cheaply manufactured vases and trinkets that still had the ‘Made in China’ stickers on them.
“Hey, what do you think this is?” Jem asked, holding up one such piece of junk. It was a blue bottle with a wide base and narrow neck, decorated in cheap rhinestones.
“A wine decanter,” I said, reading from the description on the price tag. “A tacky as hell wine decanter at that.” The price had started at $200, but had been crossed out about fifty times and was now marked for five bucks. It still seemed too high.
“I can’t get the top off,” Jem said, struggling with the ugly thing. “I wonder if there’s a genie in here.”
I rolled my eyes again. “Genies are Discordant, Jem,” I reminded him.
“What, really?” He frowned and set the bottle down.
I shook my head and moved on to the next pile of crap. At one point, I got pretty excited, thinking I had found an authentic memento mori locket, but if the picture inside was any indication, the lock of hair, lovingly braided and quilled into the shape of a heart, had come from a cat. I was half-inclined to wonder if a dog would work as a corpus
vessel, but I was damned sure that no cat in the history of ever lived a pious and selfless life.
“Well, this was a bust,” I said, turning to Jem, but found that he was no longer following me around. Instead, he was up at the counter, talking to the old woman who was ringing him out.
“Tell me you didn’t actually waste five bucks on that thing,” I said when I saw the top of the ugly decanter sticking out of the plastic shopping bag.
“What? It’s cool!” he said defensively. “And totally mysterious. I still can’t get it open.”
“That’s probably because the stopper was glued on. Sloppily, I might add,” I noted, pointing to the clear blob of epoxy that clung to the rim.
“Whatever. I like it. It’s my mystery bottle.”
“You’re an idiot, Jem.”
“And you’re a bitch, Nai,” he retorted, looking more surprised than I was. “Hey! I did it again!”
“Good for you, moron.” I rolled my eyes, but as soon as we were out of the store, I pulled my notebook out of my purse and logged Jem’s insult. Something was definitely weird. Unfortunately, neither Seth nor Desmond had been lying when they said that they had no idea why we were different.
Knowing when people were lying to me was an interesting skill, but not exactly helpful when the liars still refused to tell me why they were lying. Desmond continued to deny what Seth had already confirmed. Even Jem was holding something back and no amount of bullying or threats of physical harm were making him speak. I tucked my notebook back into my purse and caught movement out of the corner of my eye. About a block away, Desmond and some old lady were deep in conversation with the one person who might actually have insight as to why Jem and I were the way we were.
Splitsville (Rise of the Discordant Book 2) Page 13