The Scarlet Thread

by D. S. Murphy

  I shook my head. “I tried to save him,” I said, sniffling. “But nobody will believe me.”

  “I believe you,” Jessie said. “But how did you know about the car?”

  “I saw it. Sometimes… sometimes when I touch people, I see things. Things that haven’t happened yet.”

  Able paused the video and looked at me expectantly.

  “How did you get this,” I breathed, afraid of the answer.

  “We’ve been watching you for a long time,” Able said. “Not just you—our tech wizard, Heph, hacks into every database looking for anything that could suggest supernatural abilities. If we find something, we install surveillance equipment. Once we’re pretty sure a child or person is truly gifted, we’ll plan an extraction.”

  “You’ve been watching me for eight years, and only now decided to save me? Why now? What changed?” I stood up suddenly, hot fury coursing through my veins.

  “That conversation is the only evidence we ever found. You never mentioned it again, and we didn’t have any proof that you’d actually done anything remarkable,” Able said. “But then we caught this on one of the security feeds. Last week.”

  He showed me another video. A man with the ash-blond hair and tattooed arms. In my bedroom. Smelling my pillow.

  “Who is he?” I asked.

  “We call them hunters, but they’re more like assassins. Our enemy created them. His own private army, to hunt down and kill anybody with traces of the old magic.”

  “So he really is trying to kill me?” I asked. I hadn’t wanted to believe it, even when he was chasing us in the car. I remembered standing with him in the woods, my hands against his warm chest, looking up into his amber colored eyes. The way he’d pushed me back protectively. I hadn’t felt like I was in danger then. In fact I felt safe with him. Safer than I did with Sitri.

  “He’d probably interrogate you first,” Able said. “Torture you. But ultimately, yes, they would want you dead.”

  “But… why? Why me? I’m not threat to them.”

  “Your very existence is a threat. You are proof that contradicts the lie our enemy has been telling for thousands of years. If you were an ordinary human, he wouldn’t have been interested in you. And the strange thing is, even after discovering your powers, he should have just killed you right away. That’s what they usually do. They find children with power and kill them. The younger the better. That leads me to suspect you have something that he wants, or that he wants to use you somehow.”

  “I was there, in the woods, the night he made contact with you.” Sitri said. “His behavior was… unusual. I’ve never seen a hunter act that way. That’s when we decided to pull you out. I brought the kitten as a final test.” I touched my arm where the kitten had scratched me. It was raw and sore.

  “What do you see when people touch you?” Able’s dark brown eyes bored into mine, almost compelling an answer. Could I trust them? Would they really believe me? Or was this some elaborate hoax, invented to make me confess that I was still crazy and should be kept locked up? I was tired of resisting—of lying to the world, and to myself. It would be a relief to tell someone the truth.

  “Death,” I said finally. “Tragic, violent, bloody death.”

  8

  Able’s eyes widened. His face was excited, almost hungry as he reached for my hands. I snatched them away quickly.

  “Forgive me,” he said, taking a deep breath and clenching his fists together. “I only wanted to see—Sitri told me there’s a mark around your wrist. I would like very much to see it.”

  I frowned, but pulled up my sleeves and showed him the red ring around my wrist, the one I always kept hidden. Able stood and started pacing.

  “Sitri, would you excuse us for a moment?”

  When Sitri hesitated, Able shot him a dark look. Sitri bowed his head and made a noise I could have sworn was a whimper. He gave me an apologetic glance and slunk out of the room.

  “I appreciate you telling me that,” Able said when we were alone. “Seeing the future is a very powerful gift. I think I may understand why they’re after you. The ability to see when people are going to meet their deaths—few would dare to know the answer. And the questions it raises… is your vision a warning, or a certainty? I hope we’ll be able to help you find out.”

  He walked to his desk and brought out a black gift box tied with a golden ribbon.

  “A welcome gift,” he said. “Go ahead, open it.”

  Inside the box were a pair of elegant, dark leather gloves.

  “Rabbit skin,” he said. “My niece made them. You’ll meet her soon.”

  I pulled on the gloves. They fit perfectly, and were soft but thin. They were so long they almost reached my elbow. I immediately felt more comfortable, as if I had an invisible shield around me. It was my turn to ask questions.

  “Is Sitri related to you too?” I asked.

  “No. He’s more of an old friend. Someone I trust. You can trust him too.”

  “What is this place?”

  “We call it Nevah. It’s a sanctuary of sorts, a place where people with powers can be safe.”

  “From the hunters. And—your enemy,” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “Everybody here has powers… like mine?”

  “We all have our own abilities.” Able smiled, then pulled out a blade from one of his pockets and slashed it across his palm. He did this so quickly I barely had time to register what was happening. The blood welled up, and he cupped his hand so it wouldn’t drip. His other hand put away the knife and pulled out a handkerchief. When he wiped away the blood, I could see that the wound was already starting to heal.

  “That’s impossible,” I said.

  Able shrugged. “You may find your ideas of what’s possible challenged while you’re at Nevah.” He folded up the handkerchief and I watched him tuck it away. I made sure to note what pocket the knife was in as well. Able may look like a kind old gentleman, but he was fast, and dangerous. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

  “Why did you bring me here?” I asked.

  “I thought we’d made that clear by now,” Able said, looking disappointed. “Someone was trying to kill you, Kaidance. If we hadn’t brought you here, you’d probably be dead already.”

  “But that’s not all, is it? What do you want from me?” If I’d learned one thing at JDRI, it was that people didn’t help you for no reason. I felt more comfortable knowing what it was right away.

  “Before we get to that, we need to figure out who you are, and what you can do. You’ve always had to hide and repress your powers. Here we want you to embrace them. You’ll practice, challenge yourself, and see what you’re really capable of.”

  “To what end? So you can use me? So I’ll join your war?”

  “We’ll never force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” Able said. “But if, after getting to know us, you believe our cause is just, then you would be welcome to join us.”

  “And if not? Am I a prisoner here?”

  “Now that is an interesting question,” Able said. “I’d like to say that you can leave anytime you want. If the hunters weren’t after you, you could just go back to JDRI, and probably be imprisoned for the rest of your life. We feel that would be unfortunate. But since the hunters are after you, I have to ask myself what they want with you. Maybe they have a plan that involves you. Maybe they will use you to destroy this place, and kill all of my friends and family—not to mention the thousands of souls in my care and under my protection. Do you see my dilemma?”

  “I’d never kill anybody,” I said.

  “Never say never, Dear. And the other side wouldn’t let you make that choice. They would do whatever it takes to win. Compulsion, orders, punishment and pain. Not free will. At any rate, this is all hypothetical until we actually know more about you, so I propose we table this discussion for a week. You can relax and get to know us. Attend some of the classes and activities, meet with some of our specialists, and then w
e’ll decide on the best course of action together. If you still want to go back to JDRI, back to your old life, I’ll help you. I might even be able to exonerate you from that nasty murder charge, and you can have a relatively normal life again. Does that sound fair?”

  I was still skeptical, but it did sound like a good offer. Without Able’s help, I’d be facing jail or worse. And I was in no hurry to give up my new bed and the amazing food. Plus, I was curious. Able was treating me like I had a gift—a talent even. Something of value, rather than simply the awful, destructive curse I’ve always considered it to be.

  “I have one condition,” I said. “I need to get a letter to my friends and parents. Just to tell them I’m okay.”

  Able smiled, “I believe Heph can help you with that. I’ll have Sitri take you down.”

  I nodded self-consciously. I wasn’t sure if we should shake on it or something, but Able made no move towards me. I got up and turned to leave.

  “Just one more thing,” Able said quietly. “Your gift, as special as it is, might make some people uncomfortable. If everybody knew what you could do, I don’t doubt you’d have a hundred people lined up outside your door, hoping to see where they meet their doom. For their sakes, and for your own privacy, I would request you keep that secret between us. Use the gloves, and keep your hands and wrists covered, so we don’t have any incidences.”

  “What should I tell them?” I asked.

  “Tell them you see visions of the future sometimes, but that you can’t control it, and I’ve forbidden you to try and read anybody’s fortune. You can say it’s because we don’t want you to mess up your training, which we take very seriously.”

  Sitri was waiting just outside the door. I wondered if he’d been listening in. Able told him to take me to Heph so I could send some messages, then closed the door behind us.

  “What the hell is Able?” I whispered as we moved down the hallway. “He cut his hand and then it was just fine, like nothing happened.”

  “There are two kinds of people here,” Sitri said. “Immortals and heirs.”

  “Immortals, seriously? Like, they live forever?”

  “Let’s just say that nobody has been able to kill them yet, and they won’t die natural deaths of old age. The immortals are mostly related to Able somehow. So it’s a little like a royal dynasty. They run this place. And they’re very powerful.”

  “And the heirs?” I asked.

  “The heirs are humans who have inherited certain genes or traits. Usually the descendants of immortals. So they have some power—a reflection of whatever bloodline they have in them, and how many generations down the line they are. But normal, otherwise.”

  “Normal,” I snorted. “Like me?” I held up my hands, which were covered to the elbow with the dark leather gloves. “Wait—what are you?” I asked.

  Sitri gave me wicked grin, flashing his teeth.

  “I’m something else.” He pushed the doors open into another room, and I gasped as we went inside. It was a large hall filled with computer screens and high tech equipment. It seemed out of place in a building filled with classical decorations.

  “It looks like you could launch rockets from in here,” I said.

  “You can,” Sitri said with a smirk. We walked past several rows of empty stations, to a circular area in the center of the room. That’s when I noticed the room was already occupied.

  “This is Mist, Dion, and Heph,” Sitri said, pointing them out one by one. “I hope we aren’t interrupting.”

  “Nah man,” Dion said. “Join the party!” He grabbed a couple of paper cups and started pouring from an unmarked bottle. “You’ve got to try this one. Just opened. Made in 1832, and it’s finally starting to taste pretty good.” Despite his dark skin, I could still see the blush in Dion’s cheeks. I guessed he’d had more than a few cups already. He had dark eyes and long brown hair like a musketeer. Middle Eastern maybe, or just really tan.

  “Speaking of things that taste good, who’s this delicious little morsel?” Dion ran his eyes over my body. It was my turn to blush. I might have been creeped out, if he wasn’t so good looking. The sparkle in his eyes let me know he was just teasing, but I felt Sitri tense beside me. For a second I pictured him throwing Dion across the room, defending my honor.

  “Able’s new toy,” Mist said, frowning at me. “Careful Sitri, or he’ll replace you with her.” Mist had the build of a ballerina and was wearing jeans and a mustard colored sweater. Her face was free from makeup, and perfectly symmetrical, accentuating her large brown eyes and thick lashes. She reminded me of a deer; even the nimble way she’d jumped up when we entered.

  “Ah, that’ll never happen,” Dion said, standing up and putting an arm around Sitri. “Sitri’s been loyal to our family all these years. He’s irreplaceable. Right Heph?”

  Heph was on the computer with large earphones on and his back to us. It didn’t seem like he’d even noticed us come in.

  “I’m going for a run,” Mist said, tying her hair back in a ponytail. “Dion, you should find someone to screw, you’re getting bawdy again.”

  “How about it, darling?” Dion said, grabbing my gloved hand, and reaching another behind me. This time Sitri reacted, catching Dion by the wrist and pulling him away from me. “Easy there tiger,” he said. “It’s her first day, and her dance card is full. Able wants her to start training.”

  Mist rolled her eyes. “She’s as skinny as a twig. Apart from her pomegranates, which look ripe enough. I could break her in half over my leg.”

  Dion smirked. “I’d like to break her in half over my—”

  “Sitri!” Heph said, finally noticing us. He smiled and removed his earphones. His long, curly hair fell to the sides of his scruffy goatee. “Oh, are you guys still here?” he said, looking at Dion and Mist. His sage green eyes matched his olive skin.

  “Just leaving,” Dion said. “Thanks for the good times. Oh and here,” he handed the bottle to Heph.

  “You finish this one, I’ll get another.”

  “Sorry about that,” Sitri said when they’d left. “Dion comes on a little strong.”

  “I noticed,” I said. Actually I thought the exchange was kind of funny. I could handle myself with a guy like Dion. And at least he was friendly. Mist, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely dislike me.

  “You shouldn’t antagonize him,” Heph said to Sitri. “I mean I know he seems like a tipsy manwhore, but a lot of it is an act. He’s smart. And he can be vicious. I mean unless she’s already yours—”

  “Excuse me?” I snapped. “I’m not anybody’s. I just don’t like people touching me.”

  “Okay, got it,” Heph said, raising his hands up in mock defense. “What can I do for you two?”

  “Able said you could help me send some messages,” I said.

  “Sure. Text? Email?”

  “Letters. By mail.”

  “Why don’t you just use smoke signals?” He smirked.

  “Can you do it or not?” I snapped. Everybody seemed so relaxed here, it was easy to forget my whole life had just been uprooted, not to mention a man killed. I couldn’t stand the thought of Sarah and Jessie thinking I’d done it. And I was getting tired of all the joking around.

  I thought Heph was going to get angry or say something clever, but he just turned back to his computer with a hurt expression. He pulled up a blank document, then got up so I could take his seat.

  “Type whatever you want to send, then the names and addresses. I’ll put in an order to a post office on the other side of the country, they’ll print it out and ship it. It’ll be there by tomorrow. Completely untraceable.”

  Good enough. I wrote short letters to Sarah and Jessie, telling them I wasn’t in danger and would try to come back soon—and also that I hadn’t killed Dennis, so they shouldn’t believe the news. Then I tried writing a letter to my parents. They’d probably heard by now that I’d escaped. But they’d never believe me over the official report. They hadn’t last time. My
chest tightened as I stared at the blank document. Maybe it was too early to write to them. Able said he’d help me get my own life back. If he could really do that, maybe it would cause my parents less worry and heartbreak not to hear from me at all. They’d moved on with their lives years ago, maybe I needed to move on with mine.

  “I’m done. Just those two,” I said finally, standing up.

  “You sure?” Sitri said.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “I don’t know what to say anyway. Now what?”

  “Now we start training, and find out what makes you so special.”

  9

  Sitri led me upstairs to the third floor of the building and into a spacious room with dark wood furniture. In the back of the room was a table full of vases and freshly cut flowers. A woman with her back to us was making an arrangement of lilies.

  “This is Stephanie,” he said, as the woman turned around to greet us. “Able’s wife.”

  I tried to hide the shock on my face but failed miserably. She looked way too young for Able. I would have guessed fifteen.

  “Why don’t you run along and let Kaidance and I get to know each other,” she said to Sitri. He nodded and left the room without looking at me.

  She had long, black hair, and her cornflower blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. She was wearing a long white dress, with a wreath of pink and white flowers. I could tell by the floral scent that they were real. For some reason, I thought she looked like a virgin bride about to be sacrificed.

  “My husband tells me I’m to help you with your gift,” she said.

  I hesitated. Able said I shouldn’t talk about my powers.

  “You can see death,” Stephanie said, smiling knowingly. “Able and I tell each other everything, but I would have been able to see that about you anyway.”

  When she smiled, her face lit up like the spring. But there was a touch of sadness in her eyes, and she moved with a gravitas that suggested she was far older than she looked. She gestured to a small table and I sat down as she poured me a cup of tea, in an antique teacup with oriental designs.