by Dani Hart
I came face-to-face with a medical professional in head-to-toe blue scrubs and a white face mask.
“This way, Miss Rose.” The woman turned and proceeded down the white hall.
I followed her without a word. She stopped in front of a door marked with the symbol for a woman.
“Please, go in and put on the scrubs. I will wait here.”
Now I was officially freaking out. They brought me down here to run tests on me because I was a Chosen. Maybe they didn’t really believe it. I knew I didn’t.
The bathroom was small and plain. The blue scrubs, booties, and a face mask sat atop a small table in the corner.
I grabbed the scrubs and slid them on over my clothes and shoes. I tucked all my loose strands into the hair cap and put the white fabric face mask over my face. Looking in the mirror, I was as unidentifiable as the woman standing outside waiting for me. A mild panic attack tightened my chest and labored my breathing. Gripping the sink and squeezing my eyes shut, I counted back from ten. After a few deep breaths and a terrifying glance at my reflection, I opened the door. As promised, the woman was waiting patiently.
“Please refrain from removing any part of your uniform. It’s imperative to the health of the patients.”
Patients? My pulse quickened. My confusion continued to deepen until we stopped in front of a window and the person on the other side turned to me. Our eyes locked and my breath caught.
“Ho—How is this possible?” I whispered to myself. The realm of possibilities had just blown wide open and swallowed me whole.
“You may go in,” the woman said.
I opened the door and approached the bed cautiously. Emerald greens stared back at me, full of vitality. Elijah reached his hand out to my trembling fingers.
“Elijah, I—” I bit my lip, trying to keep it together. “I thought you were—”
“Dead?” the woman’s voice finished. “He was.”
My eyes followed her as she walked around the bed, positioning herself opposite of me. She seemed nonthreatening before, but now she seemed lethal.
“Are you implying something?” My anger rose as she stole away what should have been a very redeeming moment.
“Do we have to do this now?” Elijah struggled between painful breaths, his face crumpling with the effort.
“Yes, we do,” the woman said tartly.
I took Elijah’s hand and squeezed it lightly. His eyes begged for forgiveness.
“And why do you think I would have answers if you don’t? I am going out on a limb here, but I assume you’re a little more versed in otherworldly things than me.”
Elijah stifled a laugh. She looked unamused as she walked to a drawer, pulled out a wooden box, and brought it to my side.
“Open it,” she challenged, holding it out in both of her hands.
I pulled up the top, and resting atop a red velvet pillow was my infinity charm. I had completely forgotten about it amongst all the chaos.
“My charm. You found it.” I reached inside to take it, but she snapped the top closed, almost taking off a few fingertips in the process.
“It’s now the property of The Order.”
“How do you figure?” My body was heating up.
“Magical objects are forbidden. Since you are new and haven’t been introduced to the rules, we are going to let it slide.” She lifted up her index finger. “One chance. No more.”
Her voice wasn’t mean; it was dangerous.
“Ow,” Elijah called out.
I looked down at our interlocked hands and realized I was the one causing him discomfort. I loosened my grip quickly.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I stepped in closer to the bed.
“There will be a tribunal hearing tomorrow. Be prepared to supply us with the facts.” She looked over to Elijah. “You have ten minutes,” she said and then left the room.
“Tribunal hearing?” I was worried.
“Don’t worry, Abby. It’s not as scary as it sounds, and Miranda’s bark is way worse than her bite.”
“If it’s all the same, I’d rather not find out for myself.” I stared out the door, scared she would reappear magically.
“Hey.” Elijah shook my hand gently to regain my attention.
“Hey.” I smiled warmly. Elijah was alive.
“You look tired, Abs.” His forehead creased with worry.
“You should look in the mirror.” I laughed playfully. “It’s been a rough week.”
“That it has,” he agreed.
“How, Elijah? How are you here? I watched you die, in my arms.” The memory flooded back and I shuddered, because for just a split second, I considered having Wes turn him.
“Your charm, Abby. Your charm saved me.”
“I had no idea.” I shook my head. This was crazy. It was just a charm a little old lady gave me.
“I can see that. You look as surprised as the rest of us.”
A thought shot through me like a murderous arrow. “Elijah, you aren’t immortal, are you? The charm is the sign of immortality.” I was talking fast.
“Abby, calm down. No, I’m not immortal. I promise. Give me your hand.”
The panic was choking the life out of me as I reached for his hand again, having dropped it only seconds ago. He took it and pulled me close to his side, making me lean over to reach his chest. He pulled down the sheet, exposing his upper body that was clearly unaffected by his injuries. Blushing, I let him take my hand and place it on his chest. His heartbeat was strong as it pounded against my palm.
The unexpected intimacy had me a little weak and a lot confused. My eyes fixed on his as the beats under my hand pumped regularly, sharing more than just friendship, although lopsided. I could never feel for him what he had admitted feeling for me, but today it was stronger than it had ever been. I pulled my hand away shyly.
“When can I bust you out of this place?” I changed the subject.
He smiled knowingly. “Tomorrow.”
My heart fluttered. “Then, if they allow me to, I’ll be outside waiting for you.”
“Sounds good,” he agreed.
His face looked suddenly troubled as he scrubbed his hand across it.
“What is it?”
“I need to tell you something.”
“Okay.” I gripped my hands around the side rails of his bed.
“Zander’s alive, and they have him here.”
Penelope’s whole purpose the last few years was to get retribution for his murder, and he was here the whole time. Right under her nose.
“Where?”
“There’s a building where they keep unruly immortals.” He studied me. “You look surprised?”
“I had just assumed immortals were disposed of if they stepped out of line.”
“Only ones that are a lost cause. The Order isn’t a mob, Abby. Would the world be better off without immortals? Yes, but we also recognize cold-blooded murder when we see it. We aren’t about that. We try to rehabilitate, and if that fails...” He trailed off.
“I get it.” I was getting a better understanding of The Order, which was somewhat comforting.
“Time’s up.” Miranda reappeared out of nowhere.
I leaned over and lay on Elijah’s chest, mimicking a hug the best I could. He wrapped his arm around my back and squeezed, whispering into my ear so only I could hear, “Be careful at the tribunal. Don’t say too much.”
He kissed my cheek as I pulled away, searching his eyes for more answers, but he had returned to a smile. I watched him as I walked out of the room with the woman named Miranda. When he was out of sight, I stood tall, restoring the brave front that would help me survive the next year of my life training with The Order of the Crest.
WHEN THE ELEVATOR DOOR opened, my dad was waiting. I couldn’t contain my joy as I bounced to him.
“He’s alive, Dad. Elijah’s alive.” I jumped into his open arms.
He squeezed me tightly and whispered, “I know.”
I pul
led away quickly, unsure if I should be happy or angry.
“What do you mean you knew? How could you—” He slapped his hand over my mouth and glared at me urgently and then looked to the corner of the room where there was a camera. I nodded, letting him know I understood. He let go and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me outside.
“Where’s Polly?” I shielded my eyes from the sun.
“She had to go back to the main building. Let’s take a walk.”
He led me down the path between buildings and then off the path around a very large and tall Douglas fir. My dad sat down at the base of the trunk facing away from the facility down into the valley.
“What are we doing here?” I sat next to him.
“There are cameras everywhere. Inside and out. During my time here, I discovered this was a dead zone for surveillance. The only dead zone. We can talk openly here. Just keep it to a low hum.” He winked.
“Why would it matter that you knew he was alive?”
“It doesn’t in the grand scheme of things, but it could make members suspicious of who is feeding me information.”
“I get that, but you saw how much I was hurting?”
He hugged me into his side. “And I hated it, but I took solace knowing you wouldn’t be in pain for long. It was just too big of a risk. I’m sorry, Peanut.”
I played with my laces. “I know.”
“Sometimes lying is a necessary evil to keep our loved ones safe.”
“Do you know about the charm and the tribunal meeting?”
“I just learned of it. Unfortunately, I was the last to know. The council runs on an eighty percent majority vote, which equates to ten of the twelve members. They had enough to move forward without me. Polly filled me in.”
“Doesn’t that make you angry?”
He sighed. “Yes and no. I knew how The Order worked when I accepted my council position. If it were another member, I would have done as they had.”
“What’s going to happen?” I tapped my foot nervously.
“It’s intimidating only because all the council members will be there, including me, only we’ll be shrouded in darkness to keep our identities hidden. You will be asked a series of questions, you’ll answer them, and then be excused.”
I knew my dad wouldn’t lie to me, so I felt better about it. “I don’t know anything about the charm, so I’m not sure how much help I’ll be.”
“Where did you get it? I don’t remember us buying it for you?”
“Remember when we visited Grandpa when I was six, and Mom took me on the bus through downtown? It was my first time on a bus.”
“Of course, I remember. You were so excited when you told me.”
“What I didn’t tell you was that an older lady who was knitting on the bus stopped me just after Mom got off the bus and put it in my hand. She was so sweet and insisted I have it. I was so little I didn’t think anything of it. I tucked it in my pocket and forgot about it until we got home that night. I put it in my jewelry box and that was it.”
He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “Huh. That’s odd.”
“Had I thought anything of it I would have told you sooner.”
“I know, but what made you put it on Elijah’s chest, and why on earth did you have it with you?”
I was trying to remember why I had dug it out. “It’s funny, but I’m not sure why I retrieved it or why I held onto it for all these years. Mom and I were talking about why she started knitting, and it was because of the old lady on the bus. Then I remembered the charm and felt a strong urge to find it. I kept it with me after that.” I looked at my palm, remembering the charm and that day. “I knew the symbol was for infinity and the mark of immortality, so grasping at my last shred of hope, I placed it on Elijah’s chest. I wanted to believe it would heal him, but I had no idea it actually would.”
“If I have learned one thing over the years, it’s that there are no coincidences. That woman was put in your path to give you that charm.” He scratched at his chin, trying to solve a puzzle with too many missing pieces.
“By whom?” I was so perplexed.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Let’s keep this between us. Don’t lie at the tribunal if they ask you directly, but skate around it if you can.”
“Okay. Do you think they’ll ever give it back to me?”
“No, I’m sorry. We’ve never seen a magical object that can bring someone back from the dead. They won’t let it get into the hands of anyone.”
“Except the council,” I corrected.
“Not even us. It will be locked up after the tribunal tomorrow with all of the council members present, and it will take all of us to retrieve it. We have many fail-safes to prevent things getting into the wrong hands, including council members.”
"I feel like everything's moving so fast. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in English class reading Greek mythology, and now I'm here living it." I picked at the hole in my shoe.
"I would hardly call this Greek mythology." He chortled.
"Close enough."
"Yeah, I guess so. I have to go soon, but I'm not leaving the facility until after the tribunal."
"Which building will you be in?"
He stood up and held out his hand to me. I grabbed it, and he swooped me up to my feet.
"I can't tell you, but at least I'll be here for your first night."
I flashed a sympathetic smile for his sake, but the comfort that brought couldn't possibly erase the surmounting fear of my new surroundings. He walked me back to building one, stopping inside the lobby.
"This is you." He gave me a big hug, and if I wasn't mistaken, he choked back tears.
"Glad Mom packed me a few books." My room was empty. No television or stereo.
He laughed loudly. "Trust me when I say after tonight you will be begging for boredom." Now that was a horrifying thought. "Sleep well, Peanut. I'll see you in the morning."
"Night, Dad." The sun hadn't even set yet, but the grounds were clearing. It must be close to dinner, and I was starving.
My dad waited for me to go through the door, and when it closed, a little part of my heart was chipped away. I knew he would be here tomorrow, but then I wouldn’t see him or my mom again until the year was up. It almost seemed cruel, but he had told me that distractions were dangerous, and this would allow for 100 percent of my attention to be on the training. I wondered if Elijah would be around for long. That wouldn’t pose as a distraction at all, I thought sarcastically.
The hallway was quiet until Jasmine’s door opened again.
“Hi,” she said softly with her eyes on my chin, her silky black strands falling over her shoulders, contrasting her head-to-toe white shirt and pants. They sure liked monochromatic colors here.
“Hey.” I stopped and stood awkwardly.
“Do you need someone to show you the dinner hall?” She sounded deflated.
“Yeah, that would be great, considering I’m starving and no one told me where to go.”
Her eyes gleamed. “Really? Okay.” She closed her door, and we walked back down the hall and outside. She stared at the ground as she led me up the path to the main building.
“I like your shoes,” she said honestly.
“Thanks.” Her shoes were bright white. “So, what’s with the outfit?”
“It’s our uniform in building one. You’ll find yours in the dresser.”
Great. If I wanted a uniform, I would have gone to a private school. I guess I should be grateful it wasn’t green plaid.
We walked through large double doors in the back of the main building and were immediately hit with delicious smells. My mouth salivated. Had my eyes been closed, I would have assumed we were the first to arrive, but they weren’t closed, and we were most definitely not the first here. All eyes were on me, and I thought I had stumbled into a bag of Skittles, only they were perfectly sorted by color in rainbow order. Kids dressed in white were on the far left. The n
ext table over were dressed in gray, followed by brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, turquoise, purple, pink, and black. It was one of the oddest sights. Twilight Zone worthy for sure.
“You’ll get used to it,” Jasmine whispered.
“What? Everyone staring at me, or the taste of rainbow displayed before me?”
“Welcome.” A young man wearing black down to his shoes with red hair stood in front of me. He was tallish with light blue eyes, freckles, and a deep smile. He stood tall and confident.
“Thank you.” I looked around uncomfortably, but at least all the eyes had gone about their business, ignoring me for now.
“Splendid, I see you’ve met Jasmine. I trust she will show you the ropes. There are only three rules in the dining hall: no talking, eat, and then leave. This is not recreation time. Any questions?” He smiled proudly.
“Nope.” I shook my head once.
“Great. Welcome again,” he said as he strolled to his table.
Jasmine nudged my shoulder and cocked her head to the buffet line at the front of the hall. She was almost as tall as me, so the only thing giving away her youthfulness was her full cheeks and innocent eyes. Those wouldn’t last long. Innocence in a world of immortals was contradictory. I wondered how much she knew about immortals.
There were only a few kids left in line, and we were at the end. There was a miraculous spread of foods from around the world—Italian, Spanish, American, Indian, Chinese, salads, soups, fruit, and breads. The only thing absent was any type of sugar. I would have to ask Jasmine about that later.
As I grabbed a plate and started to fill it, I could feel the eyes on me again. Was my food choice really that interesting? I kept my eyes on my plate, grabbed a pre-made glass of water, the only beverage option, and followed Jasmine to the white table.
Kids finished quickly, clearing their plates and stacking them neatly in the corner of the room. I had barely dug in when the dining hall had practically emptied. I could see why they wanted to get out of here. Eating in complete silence surrounded by at least a hundred people was beyond confining and attributed to my loss in appetite. Jasmine noticed, darting eyes on me and then my food. She was demanding me to eat, and I did, because for her to look that concerned over malnutrition must have meant I needed it.