by Jaymin Eve
“Remember Aribella’s the only ‘half’ in existence, and maybe if I give you a small insight to our origins ...”
Worry creased his defined brow.
“Legends tell that our race was created from an explosion of energy – moonstale and laluna – in an empty universe. Seven Walkers emerged, pure and powerful. They were uniquely linked and created a complete supremacy.”
That was the second time he had mentioned moonstale. I wondered what it was.
Josian was powering along with his explanation. “I’ve been hearing whispers that this is about the Seventine. They are the universal balance to Walkers although we do not acknowledge them as Walkers. They are made from the anti-matter to ours.
“Allegedly the last great act of the seven, before they disappeared from all knowledge, was to banish the Seventine to a barren wasteland. Its location, one of our greatest secrets, has never been discovered.”
His voiced lowered.
Unconsciously, I shifted close.
“It is said that the Seventine’s evil will never die and if all of them escape, their combined negative energy will consume the essence of every living entity. It will end the worlds.”
“Shut. The. Door.” I jumped to my feet, horror and panic consuming me. “That’s what you think is causing the chaos? How the hell are we supposed to fix that?”
He looked baffled for a heartbeat but recovered. “No, I am not saying that’s what’s happening, I personally don’t believe it. But even if it were true we can’t fix it. Only the original seven have the knowledge and power.”
“If you can’t die, they’re out there somewhere. And this is their problem.” I crossed my arms.
Josian shook his head. “In a manner we can choose to ‘die’. The essence of our power can be given freely, rendering our skins useless.”
Say what? “Are you telling me that our body is just the ... coating we wear?”
He gave me a slight wink. Was that a yes?
“Beside a few weapons which can disable us, we can also choose to free our powers to the universe. The weary will free themselves to be reborn and start the cycle again.”
Lallielle chimed in. “On First World we also do not age. Cell regeneration’s an integral part of our world. At birth we’re infused with an activation substrate that prompts the continual regeneration of cells. This kicks in after the age of maturity.”
“I guess that explains why no one has looked over thirty here ...” I paused. “Well, except Quarn.” He had an aged grimness.
“I’m not sure why that would be.” Lallielle looked troubled. “We still die from injuries and illness; there are still some terrible diseases. Plus, there are always those who have lived through too many circles of First World. They will choose to release their energies.”
I stared. “If I’m correctly interpreting your words, I’m going to live forever – providing I don’t suicide or get stabbed in the heart.”
I shook my head, wondering why that news didn’t fill me with joy. “What the hell does a person do for an eternity?”
Josian laughed. “You’re thinking like an Earthling, with their finite lives. Always trying to fit everything in, never knowing when it will all be over.” He winked at Lalli. “All you have to do is find your other half and live happily for eternity, arguing, traveling – and something mmmmm.”
His raised his eyebrows suggestively. Lallielle elbowed him.
I laughed in derision. “Surely you’re kidding? You and Lallielle possibly have a special relationship, but for how long? Even before this negative energy destroyed our limited mental capacity, people on Earth were still lucky to be together five years.”
Brace shook his head, his perfect lips rising in another of his little half-smiles. I wondered when I’d become less mesmerized by his particular brand of masculine beauty, when this crazy chemistry wouldn’t keep knocking me around with its intensity.
“We’ve evolved past that. Our emotions are strong; our capacity for love is much greater than Earthlings’. Of which you are not, Red.” He was referring to my previous statement, I guessed. “Whilst we’re a logical species, when it comes to our mates, it’s for life.” He shrugged. “Although true pairs are much rarer than they used to be.”
I tried to imagine that world. I knew there would still be fights and pain, but apparently no one would be sneaking around with the neighbour to relieve this week’s boredom. Yeah, right. It wasn’t in my nature to believe in perfection.
Brace was still speaking. “If we die, either by choice or accident, that energy’s transferred to a new life, and is the only way to have a child on First World. When you find your true mate, if you wish for a child, you must add your name to the free-energy list. You can also gift or steal energy.”
Lallielle cleared her throat before speaking. “That is how I fell pregnant with Samuel; the man killed his sister. She bled out in front of me.”
My expression was a little horrified. I definitely understood her ‘born of drama’ comment.
And, considering my current mini-obsession with Brace, I wondered ...
“Say I fell madly in love with someone and they didn’t return the feelings. I’ll never let that go? I’ll never love another?”
Lallielle cast a soft glance at Josian. “Don’t worry, Aribella, we exist in perfect balance. For every man there’s a woman’s energy to match. Anything else is infatuation, not love. You will learn the difference with time. But please don’t misunderstand; most of the couples on First World are not true matches. And they will continue to seek, but it’s a lonely life, so many settle for companionship.”
Josian added. “There are a few who let infatuation turn them crazy, and then we have the situation Lallielle was in.”
Josian swung her close, her waist-length hair flying behind. “Walkers carry darkness inside. Millennia of alone is more than most could accept. That is why they choose to sleep or release. We rarely find our mate. Until recently we didn’t know we could mate outside our people. But Lallielle and I prove there’s more connecting our two races – and you, my girl, are the most convincing evidence.”
“Who had to die so I could be born?” I understood the concept of the great circle of life but ... gross.
For the first time, Josian grasped my hand. It was warm and comforting. “No one had to die. I can create my own energy. I can bring life.” He said it so arrogantly.
But simple little Earthlings can create their own life as well. Maybe that was the exchange for having no magic and short ‘finite’ lives.
“So where is my Walker mark you mentioned earlier?” I was positive there wasn’t another mark, spot or mole on my body and that at any point they’d realize they were mistaken and there was nothing exceptional about me.
Josian smiled. “Wait here.” He zoomed out of the room, Lallielle right behind him.
By the time I’d sunk into the white sofa, Lallielle was back. She carried a floor-length mirror. Brace moved to help, but she waved him away.
She placed the large white mirror, with a kick-stand support, in front of me.
I stared at my reflection. I saw tired green eyes surrounded by dark circles, long red hair tousled again, many strands escaping my braid.
Brace sat next to me. “You doing okay with all of this, Red?”
I sighed, resisting the urge to grasp his shirt front and pull him closer. I intertwined my hands instead.
“Honestly, it’d all be awesome. Except ... Lucy’s missing.” Tears pricked at my eyes again. I blinked them away.
He leaned back closer to me, our shoulders almost touching. “Don’t panic yet. We’ll find her. The men are still looking – the town was put into shut-down almost immediately, even though Josian is pretty sure she’s not here. If that’s the case, I’m with you all the way to Earth.”
I nodded in acceptance. Why Brace would want to accompany us, I didn’t know, but I’d welcome any help. A guy of his size was perfect intimidation against Gangers.<
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“Do ... do you think she’s okay?” I whispered, my voice laced with anguish.
Reaching over, Brace hesitated a moment, before he picked up my left hand. He laced his fingers through mine, and the world slowed. My heart skipped a beat and heat flooded my body. Forcing myself to breathe and my ears to listen, I focused on him. That delicious male scent, so uniquely his, and his features, so unnaturally perfect.
“I made a promise to myself that I would get you and Lucy here safely and I failed. I will not rest until I make this right, Abby.”
I blinked at his formal words, although in the First-World accent, it sounded perfect.
Josian appeared behind the mirror. The laluna had been replaced by an object covered with a dark gray cloth.
Brace stood abruptly, jolting me on the couch. “One of the men needs my assistance. I’ll be right back.”
My eyes followed his broad shoulders as he exited the room.
Josian’s eyes were glued to me.
Did he not notice that strange behavior? And how the hell did he get out the door?
Probably Josian didn’t harbor the same mini-obsession I held for Brace.
“Are you ready?” His anticipation, and excitement, drew my attention. “This mark is for identification. Every Walker clan has a unique design. It can only be viewed under the light of a moonstale crystal – remember, they are part of the original colliding energies that created the Walkers.”
Ahhhh, that’s what moonstale was.
I nodded. Let’s get this show on the road.
He removed the cloth to reveal a small dark-gray crystal. I squinted, trying to get a clear image. Shimmery sections glittered, casting illusions. It also emitted a yellow light that splashed across my features.
I gasped, staring at my reflection in shock.
Josian exclaimed loudly, his expression that of a stereotypical proud father, “You look beautiful, Aribella, my girl.”
I was Walker.
From the creamy white of my skin, the mark emerged. It started along my forehead, moving around my left eye and down my face, continuing to the edge of my shirt and down my left arm, like a dense network of lace; dark red to match my hair. It wasn’t solid, like a tattoo. Instead it pulsed. I looked up into Josian’s joy-filled face. He’d never looked more god-like than with his own red mark pulsing along his right side.
Lallielle stood to the side, hands on her slender hips and a tearful smile across her face.
“Why is yours on the right?” It was amazing and mesmerizing. I couldn’t stop staring.
“Men’s are on the right; women’s the opposite.” He grinned. “The marks were passed from the original Walkers. There are seven distinct clans descended from each.”
I was trying to understand. “How is that possible, uh, surely you need two Walkers to make baby Walkers?”
I blushed slightly; it was a delicate subject to be discussing with your father.
He chortled loudly at my pink cheeks. “The seven had a unique energy; they could create more Walkers, without the need of humanoids’ complex reproductive systems.”
It never seemed that complex to me, but what the hell did I know.
After many minutes, Josian re-covered the crystal. My mark lingered for a moment before fading away beneath my skin.
With the moonstale in one hand, he used the other to hoist the mirror, before leaving the room. I was pretty sure he grinned the entire way.
Suddenly I found myself alone with Lallielle. She looked at me and I turned away.
It was probably unfair to lay the majority of blame on her.
Okay, definitely unfair.
She’d been forced to make some tough decisions which may have screwed up my life. And she didn’t have hindsight. But right now I couldn’t forgive her. Well, I guess technically I could, but I really didn’t want to.
Ignoring my reticence, she sat next to me.
Continuing to disregard her, I simply enjoyed the opulence of the couch, sinking into its luxurious depths.
Lallielle was rigid, twisting her hands over and over. Eventually, when I couldn’t stand the uncomfortable atmosphere any longer, I faced her.
“So how does the mind-reading and telepathy work?” I asked, needing more information to figure out how to block my thoughts.
She smiled hesitantly. “I can’t read your thoughts. You have a strong natural mind-block, same as your father.
“Sometime during our evolution, we learned to communicate over distance and mind to mind. How it works is beyond me. From our age of power maturity we’re mainly taught how to control the powers, not about their origin.
“We keep constant mind-blocks in place, but if someone wants to communicate with me there is a nudge in my head, as if someone is scratching lightly. When that happens I can open my mind enough to talk – like a one-way door. Or I can open a window and allow a back-and-forth flow of information. Each nudge is unique. You’ll sense who’s trying to communicate – if they’re familiar to you.”
“Can I see memories?”
Lallielle opened her hands, palms out. “If the person allows you full access.” She shrugged. “And maybe even if they don’t; we’re not sure of your powers. They won’t enlighten until your eighteenth birthday.”
It was all useful and interesting information, although my tired brain was starting to ache. Despite this I wanted to try something.
Taking a deep breath, feeling a tad stupid, I squinted and pictured entering Lallielle’s skull.
The strain must have shown on my face.
She laughed. “Are you trying to read my mind?”
I shook my head innocently. But I was fooling no one.
“I’ll help you,” she said, “but you have to relax. Close your eyes.”
Sighing, I obeyed, allowing a small trust and letting her voice guide me.
“Now you need to find the energy inside. It will be a deep place that you know and feel but have never examined too closely.”
As her words washed over me, I started an internal exploration. It wasn’t difficult. I knew the spot she referred to. Even on Earth I had felt the warm, pulsing depth. It was familiar to me so I never questioned its existence.
“Have you found it?”
At my nod, she continued.
“Now draw on the energy, take a small strand and pull.”
I attempted to mentally follow her directions. I was shocked. The substance felt like sticky taffy as a coil started to remove from the centre.
“Now direct the energy toward my mind. Create an entrance. I’ll stay blocked; see if you can disable my wall.”
The strand continued to unravel. Taking a deep breath, I gathered as much as I could and threw it toward Lallielle. I pictured it slamming into her mind and creating a huge hole.
My eyes flew open at her loud gasp. She was clutching her head.
“Are you okay?” I grasped her arm. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She shook her head. “No ... no, it’s okay. Just a slight shock.” Looking up, she smiled in a reassuring manner. “You don’t need to blast quite so hard. Try for subtle.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes. I was nervous to try again, but my determination to learn outweighed this. I repeated the process, but this time understated, allowing the energy to seep through small cracks in her wall.
And just like that I was inside.
I don’t know how to explain the sensation of being in another person’s mind. Probably how a schizophrenic feels: your own thoughts and then a completely separate entity’s as well. Images ... random words, like watching snippets from lots of different movies.
There was something else. Lallielle had been hiding it well, but she was in agony. Every time I treated her indifferently, I was killing her. The strength added to my guilt. Brace hadn’t been kidding when he said they felt emotions intensely.
I waded through the pain. Pushing it aside for a moment, I tried not to be overwhelmed b
y the plethora of memories.
Suddenly a scene appeared before me – Lallielle was outside – in the street. A young baby was safely tucked into a pram behind her. I squinted. No one was touching the little cart, but it drove along unassisted behind Lallielle. Some of this world was wicked advanced.
Lallielle smiled as the baby girl waved fat little hands in the air. I knew immediately that the chubby baby with rosy cheeks, short red curls and huge green eyes was me. I noticed Quarn, a few steps behind, looking much younger and carefree. Lallielle paused in front of a small store with dark-blue walls. She hesitated a moment before opening the faded and patched door-hanging and stepping through. The carriage and Quarn followed.
The room was small, dark and smoky. I couldn’t interact with the scene, but I imagined a musky smell.
Without hesitation, Lallielle moved toward the back right corner. Cushions formed a semicircle, and sitting against a wall was a woman. She had long white hair, not gray or silver, pure white. Her eyes were closed and she made no movement. She didn’t speak as Lallielle sank down onto one of the large colorful cushions.
But then her eyes flew open.
I gasped, before trying to stifle it.
Stupid, of course. This was a memory and no one could hear me.
Her eyes were the same white as her hair, no iris, no pupil.
Was she was blind?
“Daughter of Emperors and Empresses. Why have you called on me today?”
She twirled an odd round glass object in her hands, but her scary eyes never wavered from Lallielle.
“I need a reading, Frannie; I need to know the future for Aribella.” Lallielle spoke, her voice tinged with desperation and what sounded like familiarity.
Leaving the glass on the table, the woman turned. Extending her hand, tipped with long talon nails, she reached into my carriage. Quarn made a movement toward me, but Lallielle waved him away.
She touched her index finger to my forehead. Her eyes closed.
Lallielle froze, her desperation apparent, perspiration beading her forehead.
The woman’s eyes flew open, filling the room with a white light. She started to chant.