The Legend of the Firewalker

by Steve Bevil [paranormal/YA]

  “Trust me,” said Malick. “All Spirit Walkers can. Now please, take them back to the monastery.”

  Nathan remembered the conversation he’d had with Jonathan in the caves earlier while fighting off their mysterious attacker and he realized what he was planning to do. “Don’t forget Steve,” he said.

  Jonathan nodded.

  “Wait – what? Hold on!” protested Lafonda.

  Jonathan squeezed his eyes shut, placed a hand on Leah and Lafonda’s shoulders, and they were gone.

  “Spirit Walker?” asked Nathan, turning to face Malick.

  “This isn’t the time for a Pneuma Novo lesson,” he responded. “We have to distract them long enough for Jonathan.”

  Malick eased his head out from behind the wall and quickly retracted it in time to avoid a shower of stone caused by Lucas’s energy bolts.

  Nathan followed suit and peered out from the other side. With just a wave of his hand, Lucas removed the ring of fire from around Lauren. “He’s distracted!” he shouted, and they both cast energy balls at Lucas and Lauren.

  Lauren faltered backwards after deflecting Nathan’s energy balls with her hand. Lucas did the same, but quickly returned fire and Nathan and Malick dove for cover again. “If we keep this up,” commented Nathan, while glancing at the rubble around them. “There won’t be any wall left.”

  “We just have to do this long enough to help Jonathan,” said Malick.

  Nathan nodded and then abruptly returned fire. “I saw Jonathan,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “He has Angela and Eva Marie. Jonas and Andy are holding off the two priests.”

  “Let’s try to make it over to one of the other tombs!”

  “What?” asked Nathan and before they could move, a blanket of red energy bolts rained down on them, causing them both to retreat backwards.

  Nathan caught a glimpse of Lucas standing on top of one of the mausoleums in the graveyard. He scurried behind Malick and returned fire. “How did he get up there?” he shouted.

  They had almost reached cover, but suddenly there was a paralyzing sting in Nathan’s back, launching him forward. He hit the ground hard and could barely keep his eyes open. He felt himself being pulled and that’s when he saw Malick. “Hold on,” said Malick. “I got you.”

  “W – What about the others?” he stuttered.

  Malick propped him against the wall and stared at the blood that oozed from Nathan’s hand. “Jonathan has them,” he said. “He should be here any second.”

  Nathan tried to focus on Malick’s face, but his vision blurred. A sharp pain rippled through his arm followed by a prolonged burning in his hand. “Who are they?” he mumbled.

  Red bolts of energy flew over them and Malick shielded him from falling debris. “Remember when I told you about the dark and powerful forces?” he said.

  Nathan nodded and fought to keep his eyes open.

  “Well, that’s them,” he said. “He’s one of The Fallen Ones.”

  Nathan attempted to frown, but the wound near his hairline pulsated. “You told Jonathan that was just a myth,” he mustered the energy to say.

  “Well…I guess myth just became reality.” Malick turned as if he was talking to someone, but Nathan couldn’t make out what he was saying nor keep his eyes open. He attempted to speak, but his speech slurred.

  “Hold on, Nathan,” said a familiar voice and his eyes closed; slipping into darkness.

  22

  LOOSE ENDS

  Nathan slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times; allowing his eyes to adjust. He could tell that he was lying down and waited for a second for his mind to reconnect with his body. His thoughts started to come back to him as well. Soon his heart started racing and he abruptly sat up in bed.

  “Look who decided to join the land of the living,” said Lafonda.

  He blinked a few times while looking at her and then quickly scanned the room. “What are we doing back at Lawrence Hall?” he stammered. “And where are the others? Is everyone safe?”

  He threw back the bedspread that was covering him and attempted to get out of bed. “It’s okay,” said Lafonda, pausing to place a hand on his arm. “We’re okay; everyone is safe.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then slowly sank back into bed. The back of his head slightly throbbed. He raised his hand to massage it, but noticed the white bandages around his hand.

  “Jonathan and I cleaned and dressed it,” she said with a smile. She pointed at his head. “And the cut on your forehead.”

  He lifted his bandaged hand to touch it. “Thanks,” he said. He sat back to relax, but winced a little when his back touched the pillow.

  “Your back and the side of your face are still bruised,” she said. “But from the looks of it at least some of the swelling has gone down.”

  He looked down and noticed that his shirt was off and that his midsection and back were wrapped in a white bandage. With his eyebrows raised, he gave her a puzzled look.

  Lafonda grinned. “It was Jonathan’s idea,” she said. “He said we needed to check for injuries.”

  Nathan’s cheeks started to redden.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, standing up and heading over to the wooden desk and bringing back a glass of water. “I didn’t stay for that part; I left the room.”

  He took a gulp of water and she handed him two Advil. “For the swelling,” she said.

  “How come Jonathan’s a doctor all of a sudden?” he asked, pausing to take a drink of water to swallow the capsules.

  She sat near him on the edge of the bed again. “I asked him the same thing,” she smiled. “He said being out in the field so much with his dad, they both became certified in CPR and First Aid. Of course, Jonathan went the extra mile to become an EMT.”

  There was a gentle knock at the door and Malick walked in. “Hey, you’re up,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Okay,” said Nathan, still sounding groggy. “Besides being slapped in the face, tossed around, and electrocuted, I’m good.”

  “Well, it sounds like you’re back on track to your old self,” announced Malick with a grin.

  Nathan took another drink and nodded. “So how did I end up back in my room?” He gently massaged the back of his head. “How did we get back here?”

  Lafonda glanced over at Malick. “Bobby,” he said.

  “Bobby?” asked Nathan surprised and almost spilling his drink. “Jonas’s little brother?”

  Malick laughed. “Yup,” he responded.

  “But how?” he asked. “How did you know about Bobby…I mean his ability? And how did you know where to find me?”

  Lafonda uncrossed her legs and leaned over to take the glass out of his hand. “Well,” she said, turning to glare at Nathan. “When I got back to Lawrence Hall, after finally talking to you on the phone, I was surprised to find the police and the paramedics here, especially since someone had refused to tell me what was going on.” She paused to lean over to place his glass on the floor. “I knew something was terribly wrong after Alan told me Angela, Jonas, Eva Marie, and Andy were missing and that you had gone after them. What I couldn’t figure out was why you just didn’t go to the police. It wasn’t until Erin tried to stop me from going after you, that I knew you were in trouble.”

  “Well, she obviously did a good job holding you back,” he said sarcastically.

  Lafonda rolled her eyes and dramatically laid her hand on the bed. “We were all worried for you Nathan, and the others,” she said. “All she knew was some gang or possibly some fraternity had taken them.”

  He was silent for a moment and then slowly nodded. “What story ended up sticking with the police and LaDonda anyway?” he asked. “And what about me and my injuries? She’s bound to notice.”

  “Don’t worry,” she responded confidently. “I modified your gang story a little and said that it was a fraternity prank on Angela, which is more believable because she’s in a sorority. So, as soon as we reported that to the police, th
ey seemed less interested. Plus – I’m sure it helps that Erin’s dad is Chief of Police.”

  She paused to cross her legs again. “And as far as your injuries,” she said. “I figured we would tell my grandmother you were with Jonathan and Dr. Helmsley during the cave accident.”

  “So, LaDonda doesn’t know yet?” he said, surprised.

  “No, not yet,” she replied, sounding a little more concerned. “We’ll have to see how well that goes over – both of you were supposed to be at Lawrence Hall and not at the caves last night.”

  “And what about Angela, Andy, Eva Marie, and Jonas?” he asked. “How are they handling it? Are they okay with that story?”

  She diverted her eyes away for a second, but looked at Nathan again. “I guess everyone is dealing with it in their own way,” she said. “See, after Jonathan got us back to the monastery – well the monastery in the Space In Between – Bobby was the one that brought us back to the monastery on our side...”

  “Bobby?” he interrupted.

  “Yes, Bobby,” she said. “Jonathan went to our side to tell Bobby to make another door so we could pass through.”

  Nathan’s forehead wrinkled and he winced a little from the pain from his scar. “Wait,” he said. “Where was Bobby?”

  “At the monastery on our side waiting for us,” she said. “That’s how we crossed over.”

  “You took Bobby to an abandoned monastery and left him there in the middle of nowhere!” he exclaimed.

  “No,” she said. “Well, yes, but he was fine – Alan was there with him.”

  Nathan relaxed his forehead a little and then shook his head. “I told Bobby after I left not to open the window for strangers,” he protested.

  “He didn’t,” interrupted Malick with a chuckle. “He told us he couldn’t open the window for strangers, so he opened the front door instead.”

  Nathan shook his head again and grinned.

  “Well, like I was saying,” she continued, slightly annoyed. “After we got back to the monastery on our side, we all decided on the car ride home – after Jonathan declared you were okay of course – that would be our story.”

  Nathan nodded slowly. “But you still haven’t told me how you guys knew where to find me, and about Bobby.”

  Lafonda grinned. “I was just getting to that,” she said. “After Erin and Alan told me what was going on, Jonathan confirmed my suspicions that something was wrong.”

  “Jonathan?” he asked, sounding surprised. “I thought he was at the caves with Dr. Helmsley?”

  “I guess after they picked up Dr. Helmsley, the paramedics dropped him off here,” she said with a shrug. “He came up to me shortly after I got here and said that you were going to need all of our help.”

  “How did he know?”

  “And after that,” commented Malick. “That’s where I come in.” He stood closer to the foot of the bed. “I had learned what happened to Angela and the others and had gone to the lobby to find you,” he said. “I didn’t learn that you had gone to rescue them until after I heard them talking.”

  Lafonda laid her arms across her chest. “Yeah,” she said with a frown. “More like eavesdropping.”

  Malick grimaced and huffed in protest. “Then I heard Lafonda say something about her friend Leah being missing too,” he continued. “After I heard what Jonathan had to say about it and his theory about Leah, and Jonas, and his dad, I remembered your dreams about Leah and what you told me about Jonas and his abilities. It just all clicked.”

  He sat down on the edge of the bed. “After I clued Jonathan in on Jonas, it clicked for him too,” he said. “We both figured, like Jonas, Bobby must have an ability too and that’s where you must’ve gone.”

  Lafonda looked confused. “What dream?” she asked. “You never mentioned dreaming about Leah. How is that even possible? You didn’t even know her.”

  Malick raised his hands as to surrender. “I’ll let you explain that one,” he said.

  Lafonda gawked at Malick then at Nathan. “Okay,” she said sarcastically. “Don’t all speak at once.”

  “It’s complicated,” Nathan said finally.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “But,” he said, before she could respond. “To make a long story short, I didn’t want to tell anybody about my powers or my dreams until I had a better handle on what was happening to me – plus, I didn’t want to endanger anyone.”

  She contemplated for a second. “So how did you know it was Leah when you’ve never met her?” she asked. Lafonda’s eyes lit up. “Wait!” she blurted out. “The yearbook!”

  Nathan smiled and then Lafonda smacked him on the arm.

  “Ow!” he yelled, while trying to rub his arm with his bandaged hand.

  “That’s why you were acting so strange!” she exclaimed. “You could have told me Nathan. You didn’t have to go through all of this by yourself.”

  Nathan inspected the small red bruise forming on his arm. “I wasn’t totally alone,” he said, while grinning at Malick. “I had a little help along the way.”

  Malick smiled back and Lafonda glowered while pursing her lips.

  “I also suspected that it was Leah in my dreams after hearing you and Amanda…” he paused. “I mean Lauren, talk about what happened to Leah the night of your birthday party.”

  Lafonda nodded. “Speaking of Amanda aka Lauren and her band of creepy friends,” she said. “Who are they?”

  Nathan turned to look at Malick and Lafonda responded by rolling her eyes. Malick took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking. “They’re The Fallen Ones,” he said finally. “Well, at least one of them. I don’t know who Lauren is – I’ve never heard of her…”

  “Wait a minute,” Lafonda responded eagerly. “Like the Legend of the Fallen Ones? Like what Jonathan was talking about?”

  Malick nodded. “Yup,” he said. “The very ones.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me?” she said, turning to seek confirmation from Nathan.

  Nathan shook his head. “No,” he said. “He’s not joking.”

  “Then, what do they want?” she asked.

  Nathan looked at Malick and he shrugged that he didn’t know. “I’m not sure,” he said. “But I did hear them say they were looking for someone and they thought that person could be Jonas or Leah, but why the others, I do not know. Does this mean they have powers too?”

  “I’ve asked them,” she said. “And none of them know.”

  Malick stood up. “Regardless if they have powers or not,” he spouted. “Everyone should stay low and refrain from using their powers; that includes you Lafonda.”

  “Me?” she said, sounding puzzled.

  Malick nodded and leaned against the desk. “Yes, you too,” he sighed. “I’ve seen people use Pneuma as a shield to reflect energy balls for example, but as an entire body shield? That is unheard of.”

  “So what does that mean?” she asked, looking concerned. “I didn’t even know I could do that.”

  Malick stood up straight. “Well, somebody did,” he said. “The ability to Pneuma Novo is hereditary and I find it hard to believe that it’s just a coincidence that so many people in one location would possess the ability to use Pneuma and not know about it.” He paused to take a deep breath again and sighed. “I know my grandmother was a member of The Order and since our grandmothers are good friends, I would start there.”

  Lafonda spun around and the frown lines in her forehead deepened. “Are you implying that someone in my family, specifically my grandmother is hiding something from me?” she asked defensively.

  “I don’t know,” said Malick with a shrug. “But somebody in your family or Nathan’s has to know something.”

  Lafonda stood up and headed towards the door. Nathan had a befuddled look on his face. “Lafonda,” he said. “Are you okay?”

  She stopped to cut a look at Malick before opening the dorm room door. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said. “I’ve just reached my limit on this conver
sation.” She glanced in the room again before shutting the door. “I guess I’ll see you tonight then,” she said.

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes,” she said, “at the closing ceremony.”

  Nathan nodded. He still looked surprised by her sudden exit. “Yeah,” he said, raising his bandaged hand. “But I can’t promise how good I’ll look.”

  She forced a smile and then shut the door.

  “What just happened?” asked Nathan. “She does that all the time. She says she’s okay, but is she really?”

  Malick laughed. “She seems like her normal self to me,” he said. He grinned, but suddenly got quiet. “But she was pretty shaken up last night when Jonathan and I brought you to the monastery,” he said. “I’m sure it was just because she’s never seen you like that.”

  Nathan sighed while lowering his head and twisting his lip.

  “Anyhow,” said Malick, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m glad you’re doing okay, but I’d better get going. Steve’s resting in my room. He’s a little dehydrated and still slightly confused, but he’ll be all right. We still haven’t decided what to tell his parents yet.”

  “We need to talk,” said Nathan. Malick’s forehead frowned and he had a puzzled look on his face.

  Nathan inched closer and whispered. “About your ability?” he said. “You know, about this rare gift of fire that we both seem to have?”

  Malick grew silent.

  “And your grandmother,” he continued, while recalling what Jonathan said about his father. “Is she the only member of The Order?”

  Malick’s face went blank for a moment, but then he sighed heavily. “I said she was a part of The Order,” he responded, finally breaking the silence. He paused to take a deep breath again. “Let’s talk about this later, okay?”

  Malick headed towards the door while Nathan watched puzzled. “By the way, I think there’s a certain lady that’s looking forward to seeing you tonight,” he said.

  Nathan appeared flustered by the sudden shift in the conversation and just nodded.