Fractured Soul

by Rachel McClellan

  She looked around and sniffed like she was searching for something. Her eyes jerked to the tree I was hiding behind. I ducked farther behind it and held my breath, my heart pounding and sweat breaking on my brow. Any other day I would’ve jumped at the chance to fight, but I was still too afraid of what Liam had told me and of what I already knew. Was I seeing my future?

  “I smell you, Aura,” the woman said. Her voice was deep and raspy.

  I left my hiding spot and ran as fast as I could, crashing through the forest, arms outstretched. I pushed my already exhausted legs hard as I hurdled over, under, and around what felt like an Amazon jungle.

  The Vyken chased after me, making a strange sound with her throat, almost like a pig grunting. I looked back at her and saw that the sound was from the wind moving between exposed cords on her neck where there was no skin. The sight and sound of her made me find a second wind, and I sped up.

  Bursting through a tall bush, I moved to take a step but found nothing but air. I fell, more like bounced, end over end down a steep hill. I didn’t stop moving until I landed in cold water. I sucked in air and quickly stood up. In front of me was a lake the size of a football field. Moonlight stretched across it like a lit-up road. I looked around. Other than a steep incline around the water’s edge, most of which was covered in trees and bushes, there was no easy way around it.

  I thought about climbing back up the hill, but even as I thought it, I heard the female Vyken coming closer. Having no other choice, I moved farther into the cold water until, once again, my foot found no ground beneath me. A sharp drop-off plunged me into the water. I gasped at the shock of it and swam backward to keep my eyes on the top of the ridge.

  Just then the hunched-over female appeared. I took a deep breath and dipped beneath the water’s surface. A few feet away I spotted a branch attached to a fallen tree lying at the bottom of the lake. I swam over and took hold of it to keep me from floating up.

  Through the clear water, I could just barely make out the Vyken’s form as she made her way down the incline. When she reached the water’s edge, she paused and scanned the surface. After a moment, she turned and began to move back up the hill. Just in time too because my lungs were burning.

  I was about to push up when all of a sudden she stopped and turned back around. I bit the insides of my cheek to keep from instinctively taking in a breath.

  She returned to the water’s edge, and what she did next had me frantically looking around for an escape. Her black boot slid onto the water’s surface, and as soon as it touched it, the water beneath her foot turned to ice. Another step. More ice. An ice bridge was being created wherever she moved. Ten more steps and she’d be standing directly above me.

  Although I was terrified, my lungs no longer cared. I let go of the tree branch and began to float up, but just as I was about to break the surface and gasp for air, something took hold of my ankle and pulled me down.

  FIFTEEN

  I fought against the tight grip around my ankle since all I could think about was getting air, but when my feet touched ground, and I felt arms spin me around, I was surprised to see Tessa, her hair swirling in the water around her. She signaled for me to relax. I signaled back that I was going to pass out if I didn’t have air. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  What did that mean?

  Tessa patted my chest and gave me the thumbs up sign. I looked down at my almost non-existent breasts and raised my arms as if to say, huh?

  She laughed and tried again. Pretending to breathe, she patted my chest and gave me a thumbs up again. I think I was starting to catch on. I was so busy trying to communicate with her that I didn’t notice I no longer needed air . . . as long as she was touching me. It was like she was transferring air into my lungs. I smiled big.

  Tessa’s smile disappeared, and she pulled me close, pointing upward. Up above the Vyken’s icy footsteps passed overhead until we could no longer see her. We waited several minutes before Tessa began to move to the other side of the lake, pulling me with her. The bottom was squishy and threatened to suck us in with every step. Because of this we moved quickly.

  This far down, the water was surprisingly clear, giving me a spectacular view of this strange underworld. Schools of fish swam by us, some large, some small, but each of them beautiful in their own way. They reminded me of people. Tessa looked at me knowingly. This deep in the water her scales seemed to be glowing, and I wondered if she was more comfortable down here than up above.

  As soon as we surfaced, I sucked in air. “What was that?” I asked right away.

  “Which part?”

  “All of it. You, what the Vyken did, the breathing. I feel like I’ve just entered the Bermuda Triangle.” I followed her to shore and, like her, began to ring out my clothes. A slight breeze made me much colder than I’d been under the water.

  “I’ve never seen a Vyken do that before,” Tessa said. “Maybe she was some sort of water creature that got turned into a Vyken. Pretty scary, though.”

  “Terrifying.” I flipped my hair upside down, careful to keep my bite marks on the opposite of Tessa, and squeezed the water from it. “So what was that cool trick you did in the water?”

  “All Lizens and anyone they touch can breathe underwater, but please don’t tell the Auras.”

  “Why?” I rubbed my arms to try and get warm.

  “We’ve given them so much already, but there are some things we want to keep to ourselves.” Moonlight shimmered against her green scales.

  “I get that. Your secret is safe with me.”

  Tessa began to walk, half pull, herself up the steep incline toward the forest. “So what were you doing out here anyway?”

  “I was—” I shook my head, realizing that something else had to be said first. I hurried after her. “I owe you a huge apology. We had such an amazing afternoon, and then I blew it. You were right about what you said earlier. Something is going on with me, but I’ll figure it out and make it up to you somehow.”

  “Will you take me out again? Maybe to see a movie?”

  “Easy enough. I’d love to.”

  “Then you’re forgiven.” She smiled and started walking again. “So, seriously, what were you doing out here?”

  I thought of Liam. “Running.”

  “You shouldn’t be out here.”

  “Should you?”

  She stopped moving and turned to me. “No, but my life is not as valuable as yours.”

  I scoffed. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “The Auras’ numbers are dwindling.”

  “And from what you’ve told me, so are the Lizens’.”

  “But we don’t affect the world like Auras do. Even if it’s from a distance, you guys do so much good.”

  I stared at her, aghast. “Who’s teaching this crap? Any person can make a difference in the world.”

  “But you have Light in you!”

  “And you have the ability to breathe underwater and who knows what else. Everyone has something unique about them, but that doesn’t make them special. It’s what they do with their gifts that makes them special. Light means nothing if I don’t do something with it.” I swallowed. “The way I’ve been acting lately, maybe I’m turning into a Vyken.” I waited for her reaction.

  Tessa laughed and kept walking. “Now that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Since Tessa seemed to know where she was going, I followed. After a few minutes of silence, I asked, “Do you think all Vykens are evil?”

  Tessa thought a minute before saying. “Well, if I go off the same rationale you just gave me, it would depend upon the Vyken’s actions. Does a person just become an evil Vyken, or is it their actions that make them so? I’m sure somewhere along the line, though, there’s a point of no return.”

  “I get where you’re going with this, but let’s say there’s a Vyken that hasn’t done anything wrong and is actually nice. How do I know he’s not tricking me, waiting for me to bec
ome vulnerable?”

  “Are you talking about someone specific?”

  “Maybe.” I snapped off a thin tree branch in passing and proceeded to break it into pieces.

  “Spill.”

  “I don’t know that much about him as I’ve only met him a couple of times. But he’s fast and does this cool thing with the wind—”

  “Liam?”

  I stopped her. “You know him?”

  “I’ve met him a few times over the years, but lately he’s been coming around a lot more, asking me all sorts of questions about some of the Guardians and who else I’ve seen out here. But, wait. Liam isn’t a Vyken.”

  “Um, yes, he is.”

  “No he’s not. He’s an Enlil.”

  “What’s an Enlil?”

  “He controls wind. Liam’s a good guy, Llona. And he’s here trying to help the Auras, not harm them.” Tessa turned onto a worn trail. The dark silhouette of Lucent Academy came into view.

  “I knew Lizens were simple, but I didn’t know they were naive.”

  Tessa whirled around. “You’re doing it again.”

  I closed my eyes tight. “Right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

  “What’s going on with you?”

  The painful memory of the night’s events and what I’d almost done to the deer rushed back. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure it out.”

  She touched my arm. “Do you need help?”

  “I don’t think anyone can help me.” I started walking again, picking up my pace.

  “You’re not alone, you know,” Tessa said from behind me.

  I reached the wall and looked up, pretending I hadn’t heard her. “So how do you get over?” I could easily jump it, but didn’t dare in front of her.

  “Over here.” Tessa walked to the wall and, at eyelevel, lifted what looked like a stone. Beneath it was a keypad. She pushed a series of numbers, and a section of the wall opened like a door. If I wasn’t feeling so depressed, I would’ve commented how James Bond this all was, but instead I went quietly through the door.

  Before we split ways, I said, “I’m sorry again, about before.”

  “It’s okay.”

  I nodded and walked away. “I’ll see you.”

  “Liam’s a good person. So are you,” she called after me.

  I raised my hand to signal good-bye, but kept walking forward.

  Back in my room, I left the lights off, collapsed into bed, and touched the necklace Christian had given me last year, which I had worn ever since. “Endure to the end,” it said. Could I endure, and to what end?

  I need Christian, I thought and rolled onto my side. If it was possible for someone to be a half-Vyken, he was the only person at Lucent I dare ask, but his answer terrified me.

  SIXTEEN

  Because I’d barely slept, it took some convincing, but eventually I rolled out of bed and went into the closet to pick my clothes out for the day. This proved difficult. All I could think about was how my life might never be the same. If what Liam had said was true and I really was becoming a Vyken, then Christian had been trained to kill me. I sat down and kicked the closet door shut, trapping me in the small closet.

  I stayed there, willing myself to get up, when I heard the chimes. I wiped at my eyes and stared at the back of the door. Time to get up and pretend everything’s okay.

  As I was rising, I caught a glimmer of blue near the hinge of the door. A brick was dislodged just enough for me to notice. I reached for it and wiggled it around. With a little more effort, I removed it from the wall and peered inside. A book, no bigger than my hand, lay hidden inside. I took it out of its hiding spot and brushed the dust off its cover.

  Opening to the first page, I read: “This diary belongs to Britt Myers.” I jumped when I heard a knock at my door.

  “Llona? You in there?” May called.

  I opened the closet door. “I’m just getting ready.”

  “Are you coming to breakfast?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay, see you.” I heard her footsteps move away from the door.

  I stared down at the diary in shock, wishing I could skip classes, but that was a lot harder to do when you actually lived at school. Dressing quickly, I applied more makeup than usual to hide my red eyes and then stuffed the diary into my bag.

  In the dining room, I dropped into a seat next to May and Kiera. “How’s it going?”

  Kiera set down a glass of milk. “Good.”

  “Did you have fun with your dad?” I asked her.

  “Yeah, it was awesome. He took me to see a Broadway play. Have you guys ever been?”

  “Once,” May said, “My mom took me . . .”

  Just then Tessa reached over my shoulder and set down my breakfast plate and blue vitamin. “Get any sleep?” she asked quietly while Kiera and May continued to talk.

  “Sort of.”

  Tessa patted me on the back and walked away. I watched her and the other Lizens serve the rest of us while I rolled the pill between my fingers. So bizarre. I wondered when Auras first started having servants. I took a bite from a toasted bagel.

  “Llona?” May asked.

  I looked at her. “I’m here. Sorry. What’s up?”

  “Kiera asked you what you did yesterday.”

  Almost snapped a deer’s neck, ran from a water-freezing Vyken, and walked underwater without breathing. “Nothing,” I said and popped the pill in my mouth.

  Across the room I watched Tessa clear Ashlyn and clan’s table. They didn’t notice her efforts. Well, one girl did. She pointed at a glass that Tessa had forgotten to clear. I took another bite, my mind wandering to the diary inside the backpack at my feet.

  “Did you get any studying done?” Kiera asked, but I didn’t answer. I wanted to do something else. Even though I wasn’t finished with my food, I stood up, threw the backpack over my shoulders, and began stacking my dishes.

  “What are you doing?” Kiera asked.

  “Clearing the table.” I gathered my silverware and put it onto my plate.

  Kiera’s eyes widened. “That’s the Lizens’ job!”

  “I can clean up my own crap.” I lifted my dishes. Several heads turned in my direction.

  “Wait,” May said, quickly gathering her dishes too. “I’m coming.”

  She stood and followed me toward the kitchen. The room was silent. I glanced at Tessa briefly; she was shaking her head at me in horror. At the same time Sophie stood up. She rushed over to me as if I had fire coming out of my head and blocked the way to the kitchen doors. Through a forced smile she said, “What are you doing, dear?”

  “Cleaning up.”

  “We have people for that.”

  “Do you pay them?”

  She laughed. “Of course not. They enjoy doing it.”

  “Since when do others love picking up the half-eaten crumbs of spoiled brats?”

  She gasped, along with all those within earshot.

  I brushed past her into a hot kitchen. Two Lizen women were scrubbing a steaming grill. They looked up at me and froze.

  “Where do we wash our dishes?” May asked before I could. I loved May.

  The women continued to stare, but a familiar face rushed forward. “Llona?”

  “Hi, Lilly. May, this is Tessa’s mom. Can we wash our dishes real quick?”

  “No, no, no!” She took the dishes from our arms. “You mustn’t do things like this. It is the Lizens’ job.”

  “Says who?” I asked.

  “Please, Llona. We like to serve Auras.”

  “Llona!” Sophie’s sharp voice made me spin around.

  “What?”

  “I want you in my office, now.” The several yards of shimmering material around her waist billowed outward as she spun quickly on her heel.

  I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Fine.”

  Sophie turned to May. “And I want to see you after.”

  “Why?” I said. “She didn’t do anything
but follow me.”

  “Actually,” May interrupted, “Llona was copying me. She’s always doing that.” She looked over at me, and together we burst into giggles.

  Sophie’s face burned red. “Both of you, follow me now.” She turned around and walked back through the dining room that was full of whispers and glares. May and I lagged behind her, while under my breath I hummed Darth Vader’s theme song.

  * * * * *

  Sophie closed her office door behind me. “I’m getting tired of these visits, Llona.”

  I dropped into my usual chair. “Me too.”

  “Don’t get smart with me,” she snapped.

  “Is being smart a crime too?”

  Her shoulders sagged as she lowered herself into a chair. “I don’t know what to do with you,” she said more to herself than me.

  “Can you tell me what I did wrong? I honestly thought I was being helpful.”

  “It wasn’t necessarily wrong, it’s just that you’re taking away from others.”

  “You mean the Lizens?”

  “Of course. Serving us is their identity. It makes them feel important in the world. Before us their race had almost become extinct. We saved them.”

  “So in return, they are in our servitude?”

  “We didn’t ask them to do this; they chose it.”

  “They may have centuries ago, but has anyone asked them lately if they enjoy waiting on us?”

  “I haven’t heard any of them complain.”

  “Why do they need to? Look at their faces! They look miserable.”

  She shook her head. “I truly doubt that, Llona.”

  “Seriously? Open your eyes. Or are you afraid that if you do, you and all your precious Auras might actually have to lift a finger around here?”

  Sophie leaned back in her chair, looking amused. “So that’s why you think we’ve gathered every young Aura we can find—to pamper them? You are a naive, ignorant child.”

  “And you are a stubborn, closed-minded adult.”

  A tense few seconds passed. I was about to apologize, but my aunt smiled.