“There’s more,” I say.
“Show me.”
I roll up the sleeve of the pajama top that’s covering my new titanium and carbon fiber limb.
“Jesus,” she mutters. “You lost your arm?”
I nod without saying anything, and suddenly she’s crying this time.
“I’m so, so sorry,” she says between the tears.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault,” I say, leaning down to hug her.
“It’s not that,” she says. “It’s that I wasn’t there for you.”
“That wasn’t your fault either,” I whisper into her ear.
“Does it hurt?” she asks as I sit back.
“Not anymore,” I reply, raising my arm and flexing the incredibly nimble fingers.
“Was it the explosion?”
“Kind of, but it had more to do with the poison. My injuries just made things worse and Dr. Alixa said that there was an underlying infection that was spreading. We didn’t really have any choice.”
“Honey. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you,” she repeats.
“Stop that, okay?”
She nods, but I know she’s going to beat herself up about this for years to come. I lift my arm, showing off the structure of the limb; the servos, gears and circuits.
“Where did this come from? It looks so…futuristic.”
“It is,” I reply. “Evan got it for me from some tech start-up in Silicon Valley. There’s only two others in the world.”
“I’m sure they were freaked out when it went missing,” she says.
“Oh yeah. It was in the news for weeks.”
“It’s not just hanging there, is it?”
“No. It sort of plugs into me, up by my shoulder.”
“Are you telling me you have a USB port?”
I laugh along with her and my heart soars at the sound.
“Not exactly, but close, I guess. I have an integrated circuit connected to my nerves and muscles as well as a small implant behind my ear,” I say, as I push my hair back to show her.
“Wow. So, you’re the Bionic Woman.”
“You could say that.”
She reaches down and takes my hand, running her fingers over the exposed digits, studying every detail.
“There’s a ‘glove’ that I can put on that covers up the mechanics.”
“I sort of like this better. Like I said…badass.”
I laugh again, and she smiles at me, lifting her arm slowly and touching my face and then she frowns.
“What?”
“Can you feel with it?”
“Sort of. I can tell when I’m picking something up, or when something touches me, but I can’t really tell the difference between a marshmallow and a piece of sandpaper.”
She nods and then takes my hand again, squeezing my fingers.
“Can you feel that?”
“Yeah,” I reply, smiling.
“Good.”
“Evan says that it’ll take time for my brain to re-wire itself, but eventually the sensory input from the hand will interface better with my head, and they’re working on software upgrades to improve the ‘sensation’ in the fingers. He already hacked their main servers, so as soon as they have something, we’ll have it.”
“It’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you’re not freaked out by it,” I whisper.
“I would never be freaked out…it’s still you,” she says, smiling warmly. “Is it stronger?”
“Oh, yeah, and I can switch out the hand with other gadgets,” I say.
“Oh, really? Like what?” she asks, grinning wickedly at me.
“Nothing like that…you dirty perv. I have…had a sword attachment.”
“Had?”
“Yeah,” I say, leaning a little closer to her. “I broke it.”
“How did that happen?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you some other time.”
She tilts her head to the side.
“So. Tell me the rest…what else happened?”
“To me?”
“No. To everyone else.”
I lower my head and she touches my leg.
“I need to know.”
I sigh quietly. “You knew about Syrra, right?”
“Yes. Who else?”
“Reeva,” I say and my voice cracks.
I can see the pain on Kateri’s face and the sadness in her eyes as the colors darken.
“There’s more, isn’t there?” she says, her voice wavering.
I take in a quick breath and say his name before tears suddenly overwhelm me.
“Father.”
“No…not Father,” she says quietly as she shakes her head.
“I’m sorry.”
We hug each other again and cry for everything we’ve lost. After a few minutes Kateri pushes me back slightly.
“Mom?”
“She’s fine,” I say, smiling at her as I wipe my eyes. “Although people call her Mother, now.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She’s kind of taken Father’s place. I…I think this is too much for you,” I say.
“No. Honestly, I kind of knew already. None of them have come to visit me.”
“No one has because no one knows you’re awake, except Sora.”
“Oh. That’s good. I was starting to think no one cared,” she says, laughing. “What about Wren?”
“She’s fine,” I say, “but don’t believe anything she tells you about me.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing, forget it.”
“Uh-huh,” she says, eyeing me suspiciously. “Jax?”
“He’s doing better. He’s helping train the new recruits.”
“So, he’s sticking around?”
“Yeah, at least for now.”
“Good. So, what do we do now?”
“Now? Now we get you back on your feet.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“You’re killing me, you know that, right?” Kateri asks as sweat rolls off her neck and soaks into her t-shirt.
“Yeah, right,” I reply. “I think it’s the other way round. Do you need a break?”
“Maybe a short one.”
E ~ Thank God.
K ~ Heard that.
“Oh, just come on,” I say, walking over and taking her hand.
We sit down with our backs against one of the variable, padded platforms. We’ve been working out for close to three hours, and I’m feeling every minute.
“You doing okay?” I ask.
“I’m all right,” she replies. “I still feel stiff and awkward.”
“I’m sure it’ll pass.”
“I hope so.”
“You shouldn’t push yourself so hard. You’re doing great considering you were in bed just two weeks ago.”
“I’ve got a good trainer,” she says, smiling at me.
I lean over and kiss her on the cheek. She picks up her water bottle and takes a swig before passing it to me. I take a quick drink and set it back down.
“You ready for a little more?”
“I think so.”
I push myself up and then turn and offer her my hand. She takes it, and I pull her up. She takes a quick step forward and kisses me on the lips, pressing hard and letting her hands roam down my back. I melt into her for a few seconds before kissing her back.
“I thought you were training,” my mother says from behind us.
“Shit!” I yelp and we step apart, although I immediately take Kateri’s hand.
“We are,” Kateri says. “We just didn’t say what we were practicing.”
I shake my head and roll my eyes.
“Come on, Kateri!”
Mom chuckles and Kateri walks over and the two embrace. I stand back, my heart swelling with love as I watch them. Eventually, Mom pushes her back, and holds her at arm’s length.
“You’re looking better,” she says. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good,
just not a hundred percent yet, though.”
“That will come in time, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, if she doesn’t kill me first,” Kateri says, nodding toward me.
Mom smiles, but her expression changes quickly.
“I really just came down to tell you it’s almost time.”
“We know,” I reply. “We’ll be there.”
Mom nods and looks at us, her eyes lingering for a moment.
“I love you both.”
“We love you, too” I reply quietly.
We stand under the big tree at the far western point of the meadow, its leaves fluttering back and forth in the breeze, causing sunshine to find its way through in bits and pieces. The others are just beginning to arrive, forming into small groups the way people tend to do at these things. I look over at Kateri and squeeze her hand.
“You okay?” I ask.
She nods slowly.
“I’ve been better,” she replies. “I’m sorry you have to go through this again.”
“It’s okay. We’ve had time to deal.”
Evan walks up next to us. He looks sort of hot, in a nerdy way, all dressed up.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi,” we both say at the same time.
“Didn’t start yet, did it?”
“No, it’s just about to,” I say. “Come on.”
We walk down the little hill to where everyone else is gathered, making our way through the perfectly straight rows of glimmering white markers. Each one standing tall in the bright green grass, each with a name of a fallen Shayd engraved on its face. I can see the city in the distance, the Pointe, where the three rivers come together, far below us. To all those in the Solas, this looks like an empty lot filled with a tangle of trees, vines and undergrowth, far too steep and wild to serve any useful purpose. To those in the Umbra, this is a sacred place, a beautiful cemetery where those that have fallen are laid to rest to be remembered by the ones that continue to serve.
We reach the rest of the group, perhaps a hundred in total, gathered around a collection of new markers, including one that stands out from the others. It’s not bigger or ornate, but it’s a stunning shade of blue. Mom is standing in front of the gathering, dressed in a beautiful yellow dress. In fact, no one is wearing black, like one might expect to see. We are all dressed in bright colors to celebrate those we have lost, not just mourn them.
There’s a collection of tables and chairs off to the right, arranged under some larger shade trees, their tablecloths flicking and fluttering in the breeze.
“I’ll be right back,” Kateri says, before she turns and walks farther down the hill.
“Where’s she going?” Evan asks.
“You got me,” I reply.
I spot Wren standing in a little group with Andrew, Hannah and Trista. She gives me a little wave which I return. A second later, Kateri reappears, walking up the hill this time with Jax in tow.
“Are they holding hands?” Evan asks, his brow furrowing.
“Sure looks like it.”
“Will wonders never cease.”
“Look who I found,” she says when she reaches us again.
“Hey Jax,” I say.
“Hey. I don’t know if I should be here,” he says quietly as he looks around nervously.
“Of course you should,” Kateri replies. “You belong here as much as any of us.”
I look at her and she gives me a little smile, but she continues to hold his hand as Mom starts speaking.
“Thank you all for coming,” she says as the various conversations slowly cease. “I know that it’s been close to five months since our devastating loss, and most of us have said our goodbyes, but I thought it might be good to celebrate the fact that we’ve been blessed with the recovery of one of our own,” she says, gesturing to Kateri.
A polite smattering of applause begins, and it slowly grows until nearly everyone is clapping and there are even a few cheers and woops thrown in for good measure. Kateri looks both touched and embarrassed.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” my Mom says which elicits a round of laughter and a shake of the head from Kateri. “I also wanted to acknowledge, Jax, who has become much more than just an ally. He has become family and we all share in his loss and without him and his compatriots from the Abyss, this group would be smaller still and this field more crowded.”
The applause begins again, and it seems even more heartfelt than the round for Kateri. Many people walk over, shaking his hand and patting him on the back. A few individuals even hug him, which seems to throw him for a loop. Kateri moves back to my side and I lean over toward her.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I know. I love you too.”
“That’s enough from me,” my mother says. “Please, enjoy yourselves…share your stories…share your laughter and share your tears and remember our friends.”
She makes her way over to us, stopping in front of Jax.
“I’m glad you came,” she says.
“I’m still not sure I should have.”
“This is a gathering for family and friends…and you are both,” she replies before pulling him into a powerful embrace.
“Come on,” I say, slowly extracting Kateri from the group and leaving Jax in capable hands.
We walk across the perfectly manicured grass, moving in silence until we’re in front of the blue marker. Like all the others, it’s a simple rectangle with no adornments, but the color is what draws you in. The word Father is engraved near the top. I feel a heaviness in my heart and when I look over at Kateri, she’s crying. I’ve had five months to process this, she’s had a few weeks. I pull her close, draping my arm over her shoulder. She buries her head in my shoulder. We stand there in silence, and it’s not long before I’m crying too.
Eventually we sit cross-legged in front of the stone, leaning on each other for support, both physically and emotionally.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you through this,” she says to me.
“Kateri. I told you to stop saying that stuff. You couldn’t help it.”
“Still.”
“You knew him longer than I did, I wish I could make this easier for you.”
“There’s nothing that can make it easier, but having you here makes it…less…shitty,” she says with a tiny chuckle.
“Only you,” I reply, shaking my head.
“I just wish we’d had a chance to say goodbye.”
“Me too.”
We sit for a while longer while the crowd moves toward the tables. Eventually, there’s only us and Jax amongst the stones. I tap Kateri’s arm and she looks up at me.
“What?”
I nod toward Jax and we get to our feet and walk over to him. He’s staring at one of the markers. I don’t have to read the engraving to know whose it is.
“You all right?” I ask.
He nods but doesn’t answer.
“She loved you, you know.”
“I know,” he replies quietly.
“She’d be glad to know that you’re staying with us.”
“Probably.”
Kateri moves his other side and we each take a hand.
“Come on. Let’s go celebrate her,” she says as we slowly turn him and start toward the tables in the distance.
Suddenly, just off to the right, a portal opens, the ragged edges slowly coalescing. Kateri draws a knife that’s tucked into her belt.
“You have to be kidding me,” I say as we approach the rift.
A moment later, Kyuki emerges from the opening in full battle gear and strides across the lawn toward us. She looks at the setting and she frowns.
“I’m sorry for intruding…but we need to talk.”
THE END
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About the Author
B.D. Messick was born in Baltimore, years and years ago. He has held a lot of jobs in his lifetime, including retail professional, board game designer, and even farm hand (best job ever).
He currently resides in the Pittsburgh area where he spends his time writing, board game designing, and watching movies.
www.bdmessick.com
Also by B. D. Messick
with FIre & Ice YA Books
The Shayd Chronicles
All Things in the Shadows
Sojourn Series
The Wildlands
The Deadlands
The Beastlands
Enclave
All Things in the Shadows II Page 28