by Leyton, Bisi
Bach saw blood go up along a tube, leading to her arm. He then took his mother’s hand.
A threshold appeared out of thin air, and she drew him into the white light.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Wisteria felt weak and tired as she stared up at the familiar ceiling. Her vision wavered and doubled as she tried to adjust her sight. Apparently, she was back on the Isle of Smythe. How this happened she couldn’t even guess.
Until this moment, she never thought it possible to see pain, but not only could she see it, she knew it came in different colors. God, give me strength. She willed herself to her feet, but landed on her hands and knees instead. How long had she been out? The murky events of the last weeks floated through her mind and she felt like everything had been a bad dream.
Needing to escape her pain, she wanted to leave and get outside. Balancing on her feet, she staggered out. Wandering through her home, she felt numb and almost as if she wasn’t in her body, but floating along the air. Looking down, she could see her feet were on the ground, but she couldn’t feel anything apart from the hurt. Am I dead? Is that what happened?
Coles came in through the front door and said something to her, but all she heard were muffled echoes of his voice.
Was she deaf now? No, she heard the sounds of voices, but didn’t know where they were coming from. Dropping to her knees, she continued to crawl—she needed to get outside.
Someone, or something, pulled her to her feet and started to bring her back to bed.
Twirling around, she saw it was her mother. “I want to go outside.” Wisteria pulled away from her mother. “Please? I want air.” Forcing her way out, she stumbled toward the front door and into the driveway. When the sun beat down on her she at last felt something.
“How are you doing?” Her mother crouched next to her.
“I need to clear my head.”
“Baby, you’ve been out here for two hours.”
“I just got here.” Bewildered, she turned to look at her mother.
“Sabine said you’d be a little disorientated for a few weeks, even after the treatments were over.” Her mother tucked Wisteria’s hair behind her ears.
“Treatments?” Wisteria frowned. She remembered Bach telling her what she meant to him as he was carrying her somewhere and she was weeping—then everything went black. “I was bitten, wasn’t I? Am I in hell? That’s where we are?”
“Hell? You think I’d be in hell?” her mother remarked, in mock shock, as her lip twitched with a smile.
“Then how come I’m here?”
“We were able to treat you. Don’t you remember any of the conversations we had weeks ago?”
Wisteria knew asking for more details from her mother would be an exercise in futility. “Where’s Bach?”
“We can talk about that later.” Her mother helped her up. “You should get back to bed before—”
“Right, so you’re not going to tell me.”
“He returned to his realm with his mother a month ago.” Coles walked up.
“Elliot.” Her mother scowled at him.
“You can go ahead and lie to your daughter, but I’m not helping you anymore,” he seethed.
“No.” Wisteria broke away from Lara. She then realized that it must be true. “Of course he had to go. He loved her. I mean, she was his mother.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought about how much he loved Coia and how deeply her death had affected him. “He’s finally gone.” It was now over. Bach was gone again, and The Family would leave her alone.
“He only left in exchange for what we needed to treat you, and for Oleander,” Coles explained.
“Where’s Ollie?” Wisteria needed to know.
“Elliot, don’t burden her with this.”
“She needs to know.” He shook his head and glared at Lara.
“She doesn’t need to know, Elliot. You know what this is going to do to her?” Lara warned as she rubbed Wisteria’s back.
“What? Tell me.” She shook her mother off.
“All right, but I’ll tell her,” her mother said. “Oleander was dead when Coia returned her to us. They’d already drained all her blood and gave it to us to treat you.”
“Liar—you’re—lying!” Wisteria screamed. “Coles, she’s lying, isn’t she? Where is Ollie?”
He seemed to fidget nervously as he sadly shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Wisteria fainted.
*****
Three days later, Wisteria was seated in her battered SUV, plucking her guitar. She didn’t have enough energy to sing, but the sound of the simple melody calmed her. Bach loved her music and she remembered the bonfire in Franklin, where Ollie sang like an angel. She stopped playing, because she wanted to cry.
Steven tapped on the window. “How are you holding up?”
“Go away.” She didn’t look up at him.
Opening the door, he got in next her. “You still look terrible.”
That didn’t surprise her. She felt like rubbish. Sabine said it was a lingering side effect of Oleander’s blood serum. The doctor told her it might take months, or years, for Wisteria to regain her strength; maybe never. “What are you doing here?” She sighed heavily.
“I heard you were back from America? Is that right?” he asked in disbelief. “That’s amazing.”
She didn’t answer.
“How are you holding up?”
“You already asked me that.”
“Yeah, I did.” He laughed to himself, resting his hand on her lap. “I’m glad you’re back.”
Slowly, she turned to look at him, her neck throbbing with pain as she did so. “Steven, I want to be alone.”
“I can’t believe that girl was your kid. She was like our age.”
“It doesn’t matter, she’s dead,” she blurted out while she held back tears.
“Come on, she wasn’t really your child, was she?” He ran his hands through her hair. “I mean, she was just some crazy girl you rescued.” Steven laughed. “I heard Bach even turned up.”
“Bach did more than turn up.”
“But he’s gone again, so I suppose it didn’t end well.”
“Steven, you should go.”
Squeezing her hand, he kissed her forehead. “Maybe I should let you rest. You can come home with me.”
She jerked her head away from his grasp. “You still want to have a baby with me?” She knew that was what he wanted to talk about and right now, she was too fragile to talk about Ollie or Bach.
“Why, you want to?”
“Amanda said Juan and Zola are back together,” she noted. “That means Hailey is free now. I’m kind of surprised you’re here.”
“I hate Hailey, and more importantly, I’ve hated the way she’s always treated you.” He tried to kiss her.
She moved further back from his reach. “But you’re still going to go after her, aren’t you?”
“I—”
“Never mind. I don’t care Steven, and honestly, I’m sorry I ever made you feel like I did. When we were together, I was trying to get over someone and thought I deserved to be punished. You need someone who wants to be with you.”
“You wanted to be with me once.”
“I don’t even remember when that was,” she admitted. “It seems like a lifetime ago.”
“Wisteria—”
“I think this baby thing is sick. You’re not even twenty and you’re like, trying to repopulate the planet?” she snapped. “I’d rather become infected than ever—” Closing her eyes, she banged her head against the headrest. No, I’ve been there too. “Besides, I can’t have children anymore,” she muttered.
It was a side effect of Coia’s treatment.
“What?” he whispered.
“Nothing.”
“Wisteria.” Garfield tapped on her window. “You need to see this.”
“I should go.” She turned away from Steven. “Give Hailey my best.”
“Wait—” he started. “You're leavin
g with rat boy?”
“Yep, she is.” Opening the door, Garfield laughed. “Now, do you want me to beat you down or what?”
Steven opened the door and stormed out.
“What is it?” She opened her door to get out.
Garfield blocked her path. “Amanda will explain it to you. Slide in, and I’ll drive you over.”
She found that as usual lately, she was too tired to argue, so she complied.
He got into the driver’s seat and drove through the dingy town.
She was struck by how dark and decayed the Isle of Smythe looked, in contrast to the sunny brightness of Franklin. Still, Franklin had its darkness, hidden behind all that light. She realized that she might even be glad to be home.
“I hope he wasn’t being too much of an ass?” Garfield asked as they drove. “Amanda was saying he got yet another girl pregnant.”
She noticed they were driving around the clock tower and onto the rocky lawn that led to the graveyard. “You’re taking me to see Ollie?”
“Yeah, you said you wanted to finally see her.”
“I—I—don’t want to.” She hadn’t been to Ollie’s grave since she returned to Smythe. It had been impossible as she'd been too ill, and now that she was slightly better, she was too afraid and furious. She’d lost so much because of this girl, but she still loved her and wanted Ollie back in her life. Even with everything that had happened in Franklin, she wanted to know the person she would have become, if she’d had the chance at a decent life. She might have been able to help her get past whatever it was Felip had done to her mind.
“Are you sure?” he asked, looking uneasy.
Yesterday, she’d told Garfield she was ready, but not today.
“Maybe you should try? I won’t make you, but you can’t keep running away from it.”
“Oleander nearly killed me, and Felip murdered her to save me. In exchange, I lost Bach and any chance of ever having children. Garfield, there’s no way I can ever run away from what happened, but I can’t see her today.”
Stopping the SUV, he turned to her. “Why don’t you want to see her? It might help you.”
“I would if it would change anything. Standing over her grave won’t change what she did to me, or that she’s gone, or that Bach is—It doesn’t change anything.”
He got out. “I’ll get Amanda. She took a whole load of flowers up to the graveside for you, so she’ll need help bringing them down.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you guys did that.”
“We’re your friends. We’ll do what we can to help you through this.” He paused.
“What?”
“I’m wondering if I leave, if Steven will reappear and continue declaring his undying love for you.”
Wearily, she smiled. “Not his undying love, his undying desire to settle for me, while Hailey isn’t seeing anyone.”
“Do you love him?”
“Of course not, she loves Sen-Son Bach,” a man’s voice called out.
“Enric.” Her jaw dropped as the Famila man stood in front of the SUV. She hadn’t seen him since Franklin. “What do you want from me? Bach is gone. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
According to Garfield, he’d jumped ship somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.
“Before you even try to attack me,” Enric showed Garfield his crossbow and the dart gun Amanda carried, “I disarmed you already.”
“What did you do to Amanda?” Garfield charged at him.
Enric knocked him down easily. “She has run off to get help, I suppose.” He walked over to Wisteria. “We will be gone before help arrives. If we have learned one thing about humans, it does not serve us to spend a lot of time with them.”
“We?” Looking around, she saw he was standing alone. “Who are you with?”
“Listen—” Enric went on.
“What do you want? If you came to gloat or blackmail me, you have nothing to hold against me.” Wisteria sighed. She didn’t even have the power to raise her walking stick at him. “You owe me, because I saved your life in Franklin, but I’m sure you don’t see it that way.”
“You are right I do not, but I have not come to injure you.”
Getting up, Garfield moved to stand between them.
“This is not your fight, human,” Enric warned him.
“You being here makes it my fight,” Garfield quipped. “And you’re going to have to go through me.”
Grabbing his shirt, Enric lifted Garfield from the ground. “Little boy, the last time we met, you had the advantage because I was unprepared. As it stands now, I will tear you to pieces with one hand.” Then he dropped Garfield and turned to Wisteria. “This is not why I came. I am—sorry, Wisteria.” The words came out of his lips like lead—cold and unfeeling.
“I . . .” This arrogant Famila had never apologized to her about anything ever before. “Why are you here?”
“I have come to ask for your help.”
“I’m sick—not insane. Helping would be suicide.”
“Coia is releasing the rest of Dy’obeth.”
“So?” Wisteria couldn’t understand why this was her problem. “Again, I cannot help you and even if I could, I’m not sure I want to.”
“The Family tried to kill the entire human race because they thought we killed Coia. Well, you have her back now, and I hope you’re happy,” Garfield added sarcastically.
“Wisteria.” Enric grabbed her and took her aside. “The Dy’obeth will comb this realm looking for you, and when they do, you will never have known so much pain or blood.”
“There’s a piron net, so they will not be able to get here. So unless you’re going to strangle me, or snap my neck, leave me alone. Besides, this is nothing new. The Dy’obeth sound exactly like the rest of The Family.”
“No—they were with the First Pillar when Jarthan was built,” Enric groaned. “Do you not care about Bach?”
“Don’t try to manipulate me.” Wisteria stumbled as she tried to back away. She was getting lightheaded again. “Leave me alone.”
“Coia has enslaved him because she wants him to free the Dy’obeth.”
Her heart stopped for a second. “I’m tired of your games. Why are you telling me this? What do you want from me really?”
“You are right, I do not care about what the Dy’obeth will do to the humans, but I do care what happens to Bach.” Enric sighed and ground his teeth. “He is like my brother and I betrayed him once. If I had not, maybe I could have stopped this from happening. I am coming to you to save our people, especially Bach. I could have helped to avoid all of this.”
“What could you have done differently?”
“I could have helped Lluc track down Oleander properly. I could have convinced the sentinels to do something.”
“You feel guilty?”
“You do not? Bach only agreed to go with Coia to save you. What she has done to him—has changed him. We have to find a way to reverse it.”
She did feel guilty, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. “If he needs my help, I’ll find a way to do it.”
“How? I promise if you help him I will do everything I can to protect you and your relationship with him,” Enric vowed through gritted teeth.
This was a new development--Enric supportive of the bond she shared with Bach? “And if I refuse to help you? You’ll drag me out again?” Wisteria sank to the ground as cold beads of sweat beaded along her forehead. “Well, for once? The joke is on you, Sentinel Belem, because the trip would probably kill me.” She let out a small, helpless sounding laugh.
“We will install a threshold here and you will journey with us to the Home Realm.”
“The Home Realm? It’s impossible for humans to journey there, unless they have been renewed,” Wisteria pointed out. “If I go, I’ll die.”
“I suspect the Mosroc will enable you to pass through, until we find out how the First Pillar journeyed through the realms.”
Wisteria shook her head. “Why do you need
me on the Home Realm? The Room of Ages is in Jarthan, isn’t it?”
“A Room of Ages is in Jarthan; the Hall of Ages is in the Moon Dessert. If there is something to stop Coia, it will be there.”
Insane. She’d have to be completely mental to even consider doing what Enric was suggesting.
“Perhaps we should discuss this some more . . .?” His voice faded as he slumped to the ground.
Standing behind him was her mother, holding a syringe. “You’re right baby, this is not our fight.”
“Mum—?”
Her mother lifted her up with one arm while she waved her hand at a pickup truck, which was parked at the edge of the graveyard.
It then drove up and it took three men to put the very large Enric into the back.
“Garfield, you need to get her back to the farm now,” her mother barked.
“Mum, he said—”
“This isn’t a discussion between equals. You will do what I say.” Her mother stepped up to her. “Or I swear what your father put you through will be nothing compared to what I’m going to do.”
“Doc wasn’t my father and Enric came to see me, so I think I should decide what—”
“You decide?”
Turning away from her, she looked over at Garfield. “Take me home.”
“Thank you.” Her mother gloated.
“Take me to your home, Garfield,” Wisteria called out, so her mother would hear.
“Um, okay?” He seemed bewildered. “But maybe you should stay with your mum until we know everything is safe?”
Getting into the SUV, Wisteria shut the door. “Garfield, either you take me home or I’m going to find Steven.”
He promptly got in and started the vehicle.
“Hell no,” her mother protested.
Garfield looked a little afraid. “Are you sure? I don’t want—?”
“Garfield, drive please?” she pleaded.
He drove swiftly away. He looked upset, but did what she’d asked.
Wisteria blanked her mind. She wasn’t even going to try and process what she’d just heard. Right now, she needed to rest and maybe everything Enric told her would make sense in the morning. A sudden lucid thought then occurred to her. “I think you left Amanda behind. You want to go back for her?”