by KD Knight
"Our father had a temporary lapse in judgment when he met your mother," Marcus said scornfully. "That lapse cost your mother her life. Aren't we lucky she was able to save you?"
The blood thundering through my veins was so loud it was nearly deafening. Marcus will regret speaking about my mother this way.
"Your grandfather knew," Marcus continued "He made sure all the fun details on your birth certificate, like your father's name, and the hospital you were born in, were deleted from public record. He even gave up his position as Council Chairman to keep it a secret."
Marcus is a bold faced liar. He'll say anything and do anything to get what he wants. Yes, my adopted father was keeping a secret, but this couldn't be it.
"This is your chance to stand with your real family. With us is where you belong." Marcus said with an outstretched arm. "You really think that they are going to accept you now? You're the son of Aramos, the last known pureblood. When the truth gets back to the Council, they will not stop until they find and kill you. Your so-called friends will turn on you, because at the end of the day, you are not one of them. You are one of us. Come, live out your real destiny."
I wanted to look back at Mark and Lisa, but I couldn't. If I turned and saw condemnation and fear in their eyes…
"I will never stand with you," I said angrily.
"Then you’ll die along with your Eshkar friends," he scowled. "Damien!"
"Yes, boss," he replied in a bellowing voice. Damien stomped towards me. His eyes were focused on my much smaller frame.
"Do as the lady told you!" Marcus commanded.
Each step the giant took shook the ground beneath me. "Damien, your memory can't be that short," I said as I roamed the field for a defensive tool. I spotted a cluster of rocks a short distance away.
"Damien, finish him quickly, we have a trophy to collect," Marcus said in a tiresome tone.
With that order, Damien swung his double-sized firsts at my torso. I leapt backwards. His fist narrowly missed my rib cage. I fell onto a patch of gravel-sized stones. I felt around for one large enough to make a dent in his skull but found none.
I kept my eyes on the approaching giant. His eyes blazed with anticipated revenge. Within moments, he was hovering over me bringing down both fists like a mortar crushing spices.
"This is for my face!" Damien bellowed.
His cannon sized hands came down before I could roll out of the way. The blow sent a ripple of pain through my chest. I cradled my throbbing ribs and rolled over onto my side. I could see Lisa’s and Mark’s expression clearly from where I laid. They were afraid, but who were they afraid of—Marcus, Damien, or me?
I mustered all the energy I had in my aching limbs, staggered onto my knees, and then rose slowly to my feet. Before I was fully erect I felt another heavy blow to my chest. I flew through the air like a piece of paper picked up by the wind. I crashed into a tree and fell through the branches to the ground.
I lay there for a few moments, looking up at the overcast sky. I ran my hands over my ribs. The pain had dulled. I rubbed my back as I looked around at the thick branches that broke my fall.
I could hear Damien's footsteps approaching.
"Boothe, please get up," Lisa pleaded tearfully. "We don't believe anything Marcus said."
"Don't go out like this," Mark added.
"Get up!" I commanded my limbs. Remember, you're doing this for Jane. I can't allow Marcus to sidetrack me with his head games. Not this time. I wrapped my arms around the tree trunk that broke my flight. With one pull, I uprooted the tree.
I swung the trunk like a cricket bat and knocked Damien squarely in the chest. The ground shook when his back collided with the forest floor. I reached for two large stones and ran towards Damien who was now staggering to his feet. I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of the stones in each hand and knew what I had to do. As Damien rose to his feet and lunged forward, I jumped onto his chest and brought the stones down against his temples. He fell instantly.
"Damien, you better get up, now!" Marcus yelled angrily.
I stood over Damien for a moment with the stones still in my hand. I waited for him to move, but he was out.
There were howls, grunts, and shouts of anger from the ranks. Their eyes were blazing red. Their faces twisted into scowls as they stood impatiently waiting for the command to avenge their fallen comrade.
"You are not going to win. I'll fight you to the end and die before I let you hurt anyone!" I yelled as I made my way back to Lisa and Mark.
"Die for who? Jane! When are you going to get it? She is our enemy. You could save their lives a dozen times and you will still be nothing to them but a dirty Neph," Marcus spat. "But if that's the way you like it, so be it. Soldiers!" He called loudly. A loud uproar of snarls came from the group that stood behind him. "Leave none alive!"
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. I braced myself defensively for the attack, shielding Lisa. Mark attacked offensively; sweeping through the crowd like a blur, he knocked several of them to their feet.
I picked up the tree trunk and swung at the three racing towards me. The trunk hit the chest of two, sending them sailing through the air. They landed several feet away amongst a patch of thick bushes. The hairy, dog-looking Ancient had ducked beneath the tree trunk. He bobbed and weaved his way towards me. He remained close to the ground, at times running on all fours. He lunged towards me like a wolf attacking his prey. His sharp teeth locked onto my arm. His shook his head violently like a pit-bull tearing away at its prey.
I used my legs, propping them against the creature's breastplate and pushed. He fell, but quickly lunged towards me once more. This time he came at my face. I grabbed his jaw and his sharp teeth snapped wildly at my face. With one hand on top and the other at the bottom, I pulled with all my force unhinging his lower jaw from the rest of his face. He fell to the floor and slowly morphed back to full human form.
"Soldiers, pull back!" Marcus shouted suddenly. The crowd responded instantly, disappearing into the shadows.
"It's been nice playing with you. We have what we came for. It's time to go."
"What is he talking about?" Lisa whispered.
Then it hit me. He was the one keeping us busy.
"Like I said, your weakness is your predictability. I knew you would come out here searching for a worthless cure," Marcus said confidently. "I took advantage of your poor foresight and sent another pawn around the back route."
~Jane~
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Freedom
My head felt like I'd been hit by a hammer and every joint in my body, from my neck to my ankles, felt like they'd been pulled out. Thick leather belts were wrapped around my wrist and secured to the bed. The metal from the buckle clanged against the bed as I struggled against the restraints.
I heard a voice in the distance. I pulled frantically at the belt, hoping desperately that by the sheer power of my will they would fall off. The front door opened and in entered a woman dressed casually in blue jeans and a t-shirt. On her hips, she carried a basket with what looked like grass and twigs.
"Oh, by God's grace, you're awake," she wore a sincere smile. "I was beginning to think…oh, never mind what I was thinking. Your friends are going to be happy."
She reached out to cup my face, but I turned my head swiftly to avoid her touch. The last person that touched me knocked me out.
"No need for that young lady," she said in an irritated tone. "My name is Irianne Benson. You were brought to me for healing. You should be thanking me. If it wasn't for my help, you would be dead."
"What's with the belts?" I asked, looking at my wrists.
"Sorry about that. You were shaking. It was the only way I could get you to stay still." She loosened the belts on my feet and hands.
"Thank you," I said, rubbing my tender joints.
"Here, drink this."
"What is it?" I asked as I reached for the cup she handed me.
"Why?" She placed her hands on her hips. "
You think I would heal you just to poison you? It's herbs. Drink it!"
I was alive. Maybe I did have her to thank for it and maybe I didn't. I watched her as she watched me.
"Let me guess, you've got trust issues?" She rolled her grey eyes and turned to the table where she started unpacking her basket. "Are you naturally distrustful or did someone break you?"
"Both," I replied.
She looked at me tenderly for a few moments. "That's a shame. Trust is the delicate thread that connects all people. Our survival as humans is intertwined with our ability to trust another to preserve and enhance our lives. When trust is broken, when we are not our brother’s and sister’s keeper, we all suffer. Your friends brought you here trusting that I could heal you. I would not betray that trust." She removed the last bundle of twigs from her basket. "Please drink."
I cautiously cupped the small, chipped teacup and stared into the thick brown brew before raising it to my lips. The drink had a strong earthly flavour with a bitter undertone that prompted my gag reflex.
She took the cup from my hand and walked over to the sink.
"Where are my friends?" I asked.
"Well," She folded her arms across her chest. "They went to handle a little trouble that they brought this way."
My heart fell. "What kind of trouble?"
"Shortly after you got here, a group of Nephs, Corrupts, and Ancients showed up in the woods near my house. Your friends went to…"
"I've got to help them." I slid off the bed.
"Wait! You're not…"
My feet touched the floor then crumbled under my body.
"What's wrong with my legs?" I asked nervously.
"As I was saying," she slid her arm under my back, "you’re not yet strong enough. The poison spread throughout your entire body, so the remedy I gave you needs time to work its way through. Don't worry about your friends." She placed me back onto the bed. "They seem like smart kids, if they were in trouble I'm sure they'd be heading right back here."
Just as Irianne finished her sentence there was a loud knock at the door. "See? Here are your friends now."
I sat anxiously waiting for the door to open and for the faces of Boothe, Lisa, and Mark to appear. I will never be able to forgive myself if any of them were hurt.
A mist of tears clouded my eyes making the figure that entered the room blurry. The figure reached forward and wiped the tears away. I was filled with instant relief to see Dr. Coy standing before me.
"I'm so happy that you’re okay," I said, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
"I came to get you out of here." He spoke in his usual calm tone. Dr. Coy looked like he was back to his usual self, before the emotional breakdown. His dreads were neatly wrapped and clothes were freshly pressed. His eyes had regained some of their brightness. Despite his turn for the better, there was still something off. There was a nervous twitch around his mouth when he spoke. Then there was the troubled look on Irianne's face as he spoke.
"Where's everyone else?" I asked.
"They're still holding off the troops. I have to get you out of here. They might not hold much longer." He lifted me off the table cradling me in his arms.
"You came from the woods?" Irianne asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Yes, it's not looking very good for us out there." He headed for the door, with me firmly in his grasp
Irianne stepped in front of him, barring his exit. "You know, I was devastated to hear you weren't doing well, heath wise. You seem better now."
"Yes, I'm much better now. We have to go. Irianne, you've been a big help. Thank you." Dr. Coy said, attempting to sidestep her.
"Are you nervous about something, Dr. Coy?" I asked directly.
He looked at me oddly for a moment before answering. "Yes, I am." He swallowed. "I'm nervous about getting you out of here safely, which I can't do if you two keep slowing me down with these irrelevant questions. Now get out of the way so I can go about my business."
"I'd like you to put me down. I think my legs are fine now." I said.
He gripped me tighter as his chest heaved in frustration.
"How could you betray us?" Irianne said, breaking the silence. “You were the only Normal in history to lead a team of Eshkars. You are one of us.”
"I wouldn't…"
"Don't lie to me," Irianne barked. "I know you, Christopher, and this is not you."
"What? I knew something was off, but I didn't think you were corrupt." I was shocked.
Dr. Coy stood in silence as his dark eyes danced between us. Then suddenly, his eyes softened.
"They have Tanya." His voice shook slightly as he spoke. "If I don't do this I'll never see her again. Aramos promised that he won’t hurt you."
"You know that that's a lie," I said, still struggling "He will kill me."
Dr. Coy swallowed hard. "I’m sorry Jane. We have to go." He advanced toward the door.
"Let me go! I don't want to hurt you, Dr. Coy!" I attempted in vain to break free. I hadn’t yet recovered my strength and my joints felt as stiff as a rusted hinge.
"One of the after-effects of the poison is that it dulls your gifts. As Irianne can explain, it will take a few days before you regain use of your powers. So hurting me is not a possibility," he informed me matter-of-factly.
I looked to Irianne who nodded reluctantly.
"There is no use trying to fight this. They will win. They always do." He said somberly.
"Evil wins when good people don't stand up for what is right. You are a good person. This is not right. We will find a way to get your daughter back," I pleaded. "But it's not like this."
I continued to struggle. Finally, his gripped faltered and I fell to the floor.
"There's no other way." He grabbed both wrists, hoisted me into the air and threw me over his shoulder.
"No!" I screamed as I struggled against his tight grip. He wrestled to maintain his hold, knocking over a lit Kerosene oil lamp that sat by the front door. The lamp rolled, spilling its oil along the wooden floor. It finally stopped under the curtains, which quickly caught on fire.
"Let her go!" Irianne yelled, pounding her fists against Dr. Coy’s body.
He dragged me out of Irianne's home, which was now on fire, into a dark evening. I kicked and threw my hands wildly against his torso. Irianne continued to deliver futile blows. With one hand, he tossed Irianne to the ground. She cried out in pain, grabbing her ankle. He quickened his pace towards the dense trees as I continued to kick and pound at his body.
"It's over, Jane," he said. "Accept it."
Then, suddenly, a figure appeared behind him, fading in and out like a shadow. I scanned the area. The only person I could see was Irianne who was limping towards me. There it was again, this time only two feet from us, a hazy figure that cut in and out like the picture on a scrambled TV channel. Within moments, the figure was behind us, lifting an object I couldn't make out, high into the air. My heart pounded with terror. The figure's arms swung through the air. I instinctively covered my face and braced for impact. Dr. Coy and I fell to the floor.
When I opened my eyes, Dr. Coy was lying motionless to my left. I looked up from my position on the ground to see a man, dressed from head to toe in army fatigue and holding a dented shovel.
"You okay, Jane?" He stretched out his hand.
"Fine," I answered, standing to my feet. I brushed the twigs and loose leaves my clothing and stared cautiously at my rescuer.
He pulled down the camouflage bandana to reveal his face.
"My name is Dr. Alister Chung," he said.
"Mark's father," I exhaled with relief as I excitedly threw my arms around him. "Thank you.” I pulled away. “Where is Mark, Lisa and Boothe?"
Dr. Chung looked at me as a father would a troubled child. "It comes to an end today, Jane. Millicent and the Council army are advancing on Marcus and his soldiers. They're going to take care of Marcus and anyone else involved. You can finally relax. No more running. No more h
iding. This all ends right here."
I smiled.
"Let's get your friends and go home," Dr. Chung said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. We walked back towards Irianne's house, now totally engulfed in flames.
~Boothe~
Chapter Twenty-Nine: One of us
"You're one of us." These four words looped through my mind continuously over the last twenty-four hours. I dissected my memories and analyzed each moment for evidence of any natural inclination towards mischief. I saw my life through a different lens. The more I looked, the more disgusted I felt.
Is this why Marcus and I got along so easily, because we were brothers?
Is this why my biological father's name was blacked out on my birth certificate, because my father was the enemy of all Normals and Eshkars, an evil half-angel?
If Aramos was my father, it would make me the abomination forbidden by the Eshkar Council. My existence would be a crime. The Council will hunt me. And if they find me, I'm dead.
My cell phone vibrated against my leg, interrupting another loop of Marcus's condemnation. A picture of Jane's face flashed on the screen. It was her third time calling and my third time staring at the screen until the phone stopped ringing and her image disappeared.
They say that nothing done in secret ever stays a secret. Ignoring Jane and my friends was ignoring the inevitable. She would find out whether I told her or she heard it from someone else. She should hear it from me.
I took a deep breath and dialed the first four digits of her number. Her name and face came up on the screen. Call Jane it flashed under her smile. Hi, Jane. I'm happy you're alive. Hey, listen, you know that guy who's been terrorizing your family? You know the one you're destined to kill? Yeah, well he's my father. Even better, Marcus is my brother.
I pressed cancel and threw my phone into the corner of the room. It hit the wall and fractured on impact. Pieces of the plastic frame and hardware shot out across the room. Just then, I heard movement from downstairs.