by Azalea Ellis
I felt a new little bud of determination well up within me. I wondered if I was getting better at detecting his intrusion, or if perhaps the Oracle’s second gift had made me a little more aware, with the Perception boost it granted. The foreign emotion was one-dimensional. It held none of the desperation or fear that my real determination was tinged with. “I’ve got a plan for that, actually,” I said. My claws itched, and I relaxed my fingers so that they didn’t slip out and display my feelings toward him outwardly.
He smiled, oblivious to the thoughts running through my mind, or the nature of my plan. “Great. Care to share?”
“It’s going to involve a lot of training. Bunny, I noticed that you didn’t participate in the fight. Blaine’s an unpowered adult just like you, but even he did his part.” I ignored the narrow-eyed look Zed shot my way. “I want to make sure we’re utilizing all of our members to the best of their ability. Maybe we could get you a gun or two, like Blaine? Or knives, if you prefer?”
“Err, that sounds . . .” He coughed. “Eve, don’t you think I’d just be a liability? You don’t want to put the other members in danger if I screw up during a fight, do you?” He stared hard into my eyes.
I frowned, deliberately letting my eyes glaze over, just a bit. “Hmm . . . maybe not. But . . . what if you put someone in danger because you can’t protect yourself?”
“I’ll stay out of the way, don’t worry about that,” he said.
When I nodded, but then frowned again as if I’d come up with a new argument, he quickly found a reason to leave the team barracks.
It took the rest of the night for me to get everything into place. Aside from the kids and Chanelle, who went to sleep early, the rest of us had a conversation about what I’d learned recently. I’d hesitated whether to reveal Blaine’s duplicity to the others, but Adam took the decision out of my hands.
“They need to know, we all need to know, so that we can make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Adam said, not flinching from Blaine’s uncomfortable expression.
“He is right,” Blaine said. “It is better if everyone is aware of the dangers. One or two people cannot keep watch for the entire group.”
Jacky almost punched Blaine, but Sam stopped her. When she learned of Bunny’s much more serious transgressions, her anger was directed in full force toward him.
The next day, after dinner, Sam and Zed stayed in the team barracks with Kris, Gregor, and the still-unresponsive Chanelle, while the rest of us crowded into my tiny room, where Sam had left Bunny in an artificially induced sleep.
Blaine did some relatively minor surgery on Bunny while he slept. For good measure, we brought in a chair and tied Bunny to it.
I assisted instead of Adam, who was still upset with Blaine. I’d come up with this plan as the best option within impossible circumstances. I didn’t trust Bunny, but if he died, it would undermine the team’s safety. I also couldn’t just leave him alone, because then he might directly sabotage our future efforts by reporting on us. Because we would definitely be doing things NIX wouldn’t like. Hopefully, the Thinker was right, and Bunny was selfish enough for my plan to work.
A quick shock of electricity from Adam woke our Moderator up. He looked around frantically, but caught on to the situation quickly. “What’s going on? You guys don’t want to hurt me, you know. I’m on your side! And I know NIX would think it was weird if I suddenly disappeared. Eve.” He turned the force of his gaze on me. “I’ve helped you so much. Why are you doing this? I thought you looked out for your teammates?”
I felt compassion burble up inside me, strong enough to almost choke. I ignored it. I’d done plenty of things that made me feel bad, when the stakes were high enough. Compassion wasn’t going to change anything. “Do you feel that soreness on the back of your neck, Bunny? Right under the hair line?”
His eyes grew wider with desperation. “You have to let me go, Eve!”
I frowned sadly and shook my head. “I want to. I really do. I think you know that, Bunny.”
He swallowed.
“But I can’t let you go. Because you’ve betrayed me, and that means there are only two options.”
“What are you talking about, Eve? Guys, help me out, here! She’s crazy!”
Jacky pinched herself on the thigh, and didn’t release the skin as she spoke. “Eve is crazy. And if she’s crazy enough that she thinks you have to die, I’m going to help her.” She took a deep breath, and released the crushing grip on her skin. “Whoa.”
Adam frowned for a bit, but otherwise didn’t react, keeping to his role as the administrator of the intimidating, silent stare.
Blaine turned to me, looking down at the smartglass tablet in his hand. “Eve, this is crazy. We just planted a bomb in his head—”
“What!?” Bunny almost screeched.
“I don’t think I can go through with this,” Blaine said.
I gestured to Jacky, who slapped Blaine lightly across the face, rocking his head to the side.
He looked shocked, then lifted a hand to the bright red imprint she’d left. His expression hardened, then, and he glared at Bunny. “On second thought, I think I can.”
“You’re very dangerous, Bunny,” I said. “Turning people’s emotions against them? That must be so useful for you. I mean, you even used it on Commander Petralka and the Thinker, when you met with them the other night.” I waited for that to sink in.
Bunny didn’t say anything this time, but began to struggle against his bindings.
“The problem is, your power isn’t invincible. It’s best used subtly, and on people who have no idea that you’re capable of such a thing. Once someone finds out . . . well, you’re a threat. Insidious and self-serving.” I leaned in. “I think those are the exact words the Thinker called you after you left your little meeting with him and Petralka.” Kind of true, if not exactly. “If people can’t trust you, the only option left is ‘removal.’” I lifted my fingers up for the air-quotes.
By that time, he’d stopped struggling, and pale and sweaty. “They . . . how do you know that? You could be lying. You’re just making all this up to try and get me to admit to something that isn’t even true!”
I raised an eyebrow. “I know that you told Petralka I, ‘don’t believe in forgiveness.’ That I, ‘understand retribution, and my own value as the center of the universe.’ A bit extreme, don’t you think? I can be forgiving. If there’s a reason.”
“What—what do you want?”
“To smash your head in till I can see the white meat,” Jacky muttered, which caused Adam’s mouth to curl into a small smirk.
“NIX has been telling us Players some lies, Bunny. Some of them you probably know about, but I’m not sure. Like the fact that they’re experimenting on my brother?” I said.
His eyes flickered away, “What? No, I didn’t—”
“Lying,” I said. “You’re lying, so just stop there.” I took a deep breath. “But that’s okay. I can forgive you, because you’re going to help me make sure My brother’s safe. I really hope you agree to this. And I hope you can keep your word. Because I’m going to have to make sure you don’t reveal this conversation before NIX kills you. That’s going to be a big drain on my resources. Someone will have to monitor the chips we put in your skull all the time. Then, if you decided to talk about this conversation as a bargaining chip to convince them to keep you alive, I’d have to blow your skull apart from the inside.” I grimaced.
“I’m probably going to have to do most of that work,” Adam muttered. “It’s a waste, if you ask me. We should just take him up to the wall and toss him off into the river below, and blow up his head on the way down, just in case.”
“I can help,” Bunny said quickly. “And I know how to keep my mouth shut. But whatever you’re doing, you have to keep me safe. Take me with you—Keep me on the list of people you’re shielding—Whatever. You have to promise me.”
“If you’re useful enough, why would I want to get rid of you? There�
��s no chance of you influencing my decisions anymore, so you don’t pose a danger in that way.”
Despite my exhaustion after everything that had happened, I crawled down to see Torliam again that night. He was once again awake and waiting for me when I arrived. His eyes met mine, and he dipped his head in a subtle nod.
“Hello again,” I said.
“You have given me much time to ponder, since our last meeting.”
Perhaps being shackled there with only his mind to keep him proper company, time probably seemed to pass slower. “It hasn’t been that long, and I’ve been busy.”
“Tell me about the vision you received from the Oracle. The one that showed me.”
“I’ve actually . . . seen you in both my visions,” I said hesitantly. “And when NIX first forced the Seed on me and I had the initiation sickness.” And maybe a few other times, but there was a strange look on his face, and I wasn’t sure it was wise to continue.
“What did you see?” His head strained forward, as if he could will himself out of his shackles and off the slab. He paused, as if hesitating, and then continued with a sneer, “I do not wish to speak of your mind touching mine, or your incredible disrespect.”
Sheesh. “The first time, it felt like I was living one of your memories . . . or something. It was after the vision that led me to Behelaino was over. You were in Estreyer.” I paused, feeling uncomfortable. “I don’t know what the second one meant, but you featured in the actual cryptic vision. There was a moon shining over water. An ocean, maybe. You were standing on the surface of the water. You pointed me down, and I followed the light of the moon into the water to this gold colored orb. But it was actually a giant eye, and I was like a bug in comparison to it . . .” I shuddered at the remembered feeling of turning to rust.
“A giant golden eye, you say? Perhaps the God of Knowledge? He has been removed from mortal contact for a long time, now. Are you sure that it was me you saw?”
“Yes, it was you. I leaned forward eagerly myself. “Do you think this God of Knowledge might help me? With my Chaos problem?”
“The God of Knowledge is a counterpart to your Goddess of Chaos, who seems to have allowed you to ascend, if your story is to be believed. Behelaino, as you called her. The God of Knowledge has removed himself from the presence of mortals, but if there is a being in existence that knows how to save you from your own stupidity, it is he.”
I ignored his continued insults, too elated by the idea that I may have found the solution to at least one of my problems. “I’ll just need to find a way to get to him, then. The Shortcut is broken for now, but maybe that’s where we’ll be going when it’s fixed . . .”
“No, the ‘Shortcut’ does not connect to his domain. It will not allow you to petition him. It is a weak tool meant to take our young to be tested when traveling far from home. The Trials connected to by my device are simple, and relatively easy, the gods lenient in accordance to their weakness. A commander works with them to shape the Trials. Usually a parent, but in this case, it’s likely one of NIX. I’m surprised, in fact, that it allowed you to connect to a manifestation of Chaos. That particular manifestation must have been much, much weaker when the destination point was originally established. You would have to travel halfway around the world to reach the God of Knowledge, or travel to Estreyer another way, and even then, it would be a long journey.”
My brain wanted to be caught by the fact that someone from NIX had not only been the Examiner who explained the rules of the Trials to us, but had actively worked to shape them. Which meant that they might have been able to affect the horrific death tolls. And yet, more than half of us died within them. I blinked hard, and moved on to the currently relevant information. “Another way? Is there a way for me to get there besides the Shortcut?”
“There are other ways, but I will not be revealing them to one of your kind.”
My eyes narrowed. Is this what the Oracle had intended? It was insane. I opened my mouth anyway. “But you could use them, if you were free?”
Some of the energy seemed to go out of him, and he lay more heavily against the slab. “Once, I hoped so. No more. I have found hope is only another form of torture. Until my kind return for me, there will be no escape.”
“But you could, if you were?” I said, pressing the point.
“Yes.” His eyes had caught on my expression, and seemed to be searching it for meaning.
“You have something I need . . . and I have something you need,” I said, my mind tumbling down all the paths that could lead to an answer.
“What do you have that I need? I cannot even move.”
“I need to fulfill the vision the Oracle gave me. And you need . . . to escape from this place.”
I said the last part slowly, each word tripping over my lips separately. I needed a way out from under NIX’s crushing thumb, too. I ignored the little voice in the back of my head that was screaming how utterly demented I was to even think of releasing a creature like Torliam.
“You make promises you cannot keep.” He looked away from me, the muscles around his mouth and eyes tightening. Maybe even the inkling of hope he drew from my face and words was painful.
“You’d be surprised at the things I can accomplish, when I set my mind to it.” I was still thinking, rapid-fire. I would have to take the whole team with me, as they wouldn’t be safe on earth with NIX. But maybe, if we weren’t constantly being subjected to a Trial, and had someone as strong as Torliam with us, Estreyer wouldn’t be so bad. It might be safe there, for Zed, the kiddos, and the rest of us. At least until we could find a way to be safe back on Earth. I reminded myself of the team members’ families, including my own mother. I still had to do something about that. But if I could make sure they were safe . . . “This might actually work,” I said aloud.
“The surprise in your voice does not inspire confidence,” he said wryly.
“You just made a joke!” I couldn’t help the small smile of excitement. Now that I could see a possible path out of this horrible mess I’d gotten everyone into, a little bit of the crushing weight removed itself from my metaphorical shoulders.
“But . . . This new method of getting to Estreyer, does it scramble electronics like the Shortcut?”
His halfway-pleased expression curdled. “Why?”
“My brother is filled with nanites, which I’m worried may be affected. NIX has been experimenting on him. Without consent.” That was partially a lie. If I could bring some of NIX’s air-burst guns, maybe a hoverboard or two . . .
“The incompetence of your race causes the ‘scrambling,’ as you say, of electronics. Your brother will be fine.”
“And a hoverboard, maybe? There will be children coming. I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up on their own.”
“Children? You wish to try and escape this place while protecting children?”
“I’m not going to leave them, so there isn’t much option, is there?”
He grunted. “As I said, your race’s simple devices will be fine.”
“And you can make sure we’re not dropped in the middle of a Trial? We’ll go to somewhere relatively safe?”
“Relatively.”
“Once we’re there, how long will it take us to get to this God of Knowledge? I’ve got . . .” I realized what I was thinking. I knew the God of Knowledge would be strong, and if my time on Estreyer had taught me anything, it was that everything within that beautiful world wanted to kill you. The vision the Oracle had shown me didn’t suggest he would be a pacifist, either. Even she had beaten me like a ragdoll, to prove my worth! And yet, there I was, planning to essentially repeat my first attack on NIX. I was unprepared. The team was unprepared, and it would get someone killed.
I swallowed down the shame. “I’ve had to fight pretty much everything I’ve ever met on Estreyer. Do you think it will be the same here? Is he the communicative type, or the ‘crush you like the puny mortal you are’ type?”
“Mortals who hunge
r for growth and power do petition the gods and attempt to prove their worth, but it is rare to succeed. Occasionally, they do succeed, and are given a Bestowal. These are your ‘Skills.’ The God of Knowledge is one of the few greater gods, and if he is where I suspect, a large portion of his strength will be gathered in one place. You will not find yourself winning a fight against him. I doubt you’ll be able to persuade him to help at all. You can only hope that he doesn’t kill you if you fail.”
“That’s not useful. You’ll have to help me prepare.” I said decisively. “This has to work, because I’m not going to die.” That was the alternative, if I couldn’t find a way to fix my power or myself.
A violent shudder rolled through him, as if he’d gotten cold, and when he murmured again his voice was quieter. “If you help me break the blood-covenants that have been forced upon me, I will help you fulfill the Oracle’s vision, even if I must battle the gods to do it. This I swear.”
“The blood-covenant, that’s what you were talking about before. What exactly is that?”
“When you take my blood and mix it with your own, it forces a bond on me. I wish to be rid of your kind’s defilement.”
I ignored the barb, “If you do that, will the Seeds still work for us?” As a normal human, I’d probably die instantly within Estreyer.
“Breaking the bond is not pleasant, but any blood your kind have stolen from me will remain in your weak bodies.”
“Okay, it’s a deal. What measures have they put in place to keep you here? I need to know everything so I can make a plan to get you out.”
He took a deep breath and began to speak. “I have a constant stream of paralytic pumping into me, and they are constantly draining me of my life-blood. They have found the perfect balance, where they harvest as much as possible, up to the limit of where it would begin to affect my power’s ability to replenish itself. They hold me shackled, as you can see, and if I become too active, they will stun me with electricity and spray a different mist-sedative. This room is completely reinforced, and even if I were to get out of my chains, I could not escape if the door were not open. I am watched for signs of rage or the possibility of my escape. There are listening devices throughout the room, but I have caused the air to buzz so that they are impotent. The floor tiles are set to detect my substantial weight pressing down on the them, and this table knows if my weight leaves it. And lastly, the table has clamps running along the length of my spine. It breaks my spine from the bottom up, letting me heal over the course of a few days, and then breaking directly above the previous break, till it reaches my neck and starts back at the base again. It is a never-ending cycle of pain and paralysis. They have just started back at the base of my spine. I can move my arms and upper torso, but never my legs.”