Prints
Page 19
He raised his eyebrows. “Might I suggest you don’t do it on your own?”
Dominaze narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”
“Forgive me. I am Director White.” He bowed his head.
Dominaze recognized his name. “I read a letter addressed to you,” she confessed.
“Oh, did you now?” He smiled.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I thought it could help me.”
“And did it?”
“Not really.”
Dominaze mindlessly played with the necklace around her neck from Granny Mink. Director White looked at it curiously.
“Might I see that?” He pointed to the necklace.
Dominaze untucked it and held the odd shaped medallion out for him to see. He looked surprised as he held it in his hand.
“How did you come about this medallion? It looks similar to one I gave to a friend long ago.”
“Granny Mink gave it to me.” Dominaze took it back and tucked it into her shirt. “She told me to hold onto it. She made it sound special, so I did.”
“I wouldn’t go flashing it around.”
“Funny, that’s exactly what she said.” Dominaze held her hand over her shirt where the medallion was concealed.
There was a loud knock on the door to the room. Director White stood, but turned back to Dominaze.
“I must ask that you do your best not to kill my visitor. It’s very important that I keep him alive.”
Dominaze scrunched her forehead. “Um…okay?”
Director White called to the door, “Come in.”
The door opened and Brike stepped in. He only looked at Dominaze for a second before intentionally looking at the ground uncomfortably, but Dominaze couldn’t help the emptiness that suddenly overwhelmed her. Seeing Brike instantly reminded her of everything she no longer had. She felt like she was choking and she couldn’t see anything but Brike. The room was suddenly empty and and darker than night except for Brike standing in front of her. She barely noticed him grab his head as it was filled with pain. Dominaze shivered at the emptiness as she bore down on him. She didn’t mean to hurt him, but she also couldn’t stop herself. His face was a painful reminder.
Director White’s voice called to her, “Dominaze.”
Dominaze turned to see him. Though everything was engulfed in shadows and blackened from her pain, Director White stood in the emptiness of the room, still brightly dressed in white.
“Who is your fight with?”
Dominaze knew it was the Elect, but she couldn’t hold the emptiness back. Director White spoke again as she glared toward Brike.
“Is he not also a victim to what they have done?”
A hole took the place in Dominaze’s chest where her heart was, nothing but a void of painful space.
Brike looked up at her. “Dominaze, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Dominaze was reminded of the family Brike lost the night he imprinted. She knew he was already living with guilt and that Hemrick’s death just added to it. Content with the idea that he was suffering without her help, she found the strength to pull back the emptiness. The shadows left the room, but to her surprise everything had been turned black. It looked like a hospital room from a horror film. Black beds with black sheets, black floor and black walls. Even her and Brike’s clothing were now black. All except Director White was remade in black. He still wore his white suit. He went to Brike like nothing had happened.
“I believe you have something for me.”
Brike stood up straight and, breathing heavily, took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Director White. Dominaze recognized it as the one she had read. He opened it, read it, and turned to Dominaze.
“What do you think of what is written?”
“I think there’s a hidden a message.”
He smiled, but said nothing. He pulled something out of his pants pocket and held it up to the letter and read it again. Then brought it over to Dominaze. He eyed her for a moment.
“If it is your desire to prevent the Elect from controlling all worlds and all those in them you must understand that you cannot accomplish that on your own.”
He handed the letter to her and the object he used to read it. It was a rectangular metal sheet with holes in it. Dominaze held it up to the letter. Only a few words showed through.
Director White~
The Vulnerations continue to escalate. The Manick travelers are off course and are becoming overwhelmed with the increase of their numbers. Mean while the Elect show no mercy as they seek to speedily create their weapon. Not many survive their attacks now. Brike travels south to Caba to pick up more provisions, as ours have all been garnished away. The Manicks struggle to be codependent. There are 11 times more Manicks than last year and far 2 little food. I have relocated as I’m needed more elsewhere.
~T. S.
Dominaze read the words aloud. “Continue, course, increase, speed, pick up, garn, code, 11, 2, relocate, elsewhere.” She looked up. “What does that mean? Who is T. S.?”
Director White smiled. “T. S. is a hunter and it sounds like he has something for me to pick up. I will arrange to meet him. I must go.” He took the letter and turned to leave, but looked back over his shoulder. “The Elect will try and keep you a secret for as long as possible. It’s sure to cause them a lot of problems if more learn of your existence. It was very nice to meet you, Miss Dominaze Pierce. I never thought I would have the pleasure of meeting a Demon Print in my lifetime.”
Dominaze nodded with a furrowed brow toward him. There was something very odd about Director White and she wasn’t sure if she trusted him yet.
With that he hurried through the door and was gone.
Brike and Dominaze remained motionless in the room. The atmosphere was suddenly thick and Dominaze knew it had nothing to do with her. Finally, Brike stepped forward.
“Dominaze, I’m not going to try and fix what happened. There’s nothing I can do.”
“Okay.”
Brike nodded. “Okay then.” He turned to leave, but paused and turned back. “But Dominaze, I promised to help you and that was the last promise I made to the most decent Print I knew.”
“Help me?” Dominaze laughed. “I’m about fight for some Arctic City and to go up against four Elect Elders and I don’t have a clue how. I haven’t got any control over myself and I’m not trained to fight or defend myself. Are you offering to help me walk to my grave?” She crawled out of bed and paced the room.
“Of course not. Let me train you.”
“You?” Dominaze’s eyes bugged out of her head.
“Yes.” Brike stepped in front of her. “I’m trained and I can teach you. I know how they think and I can help you control yourself.”
Dominaze looked at him wearily. “I’m likely to take your head off the second I know how.”
Brike smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I won’t say I don’t deserve it.”
Dominaze knew anyone willing to train her was signing his death sentence. If he weren’t killed in battle, the Elect would see to it. Luckily for her, she didn’t care much about what happened to Brike.
“Fine.” She crossed her arms. “I don’t have anyone else, so I guess you can give it a shot. Where do you plan on training me?”
“Here.” Brike walked to a large window and pulled a heavy curtain back from it. Dominaze walked to the window and looked out. They were in a building perched on a hill and below she could see an incredible obstacle course. Ropes, trees, and rocks all intertwined and Prints moving through them while sparring one with another. Below them were rivers, gardens, and bridges with more Prints running drills through them. Further out was nothing but clouds and open sky.
Dominaze pressed her nose to the glass and let her jaw drop. “Where are we?”
Brike laughed. “Dominaze, welcome to The Sky.”