Spirit Prophecy

by E. E. Holmes

  “No, it wasn’t,” I said. “But it’s still very…” I put my fingers to my chest, struggling to retrieve the right word. But Hannah didn’t need it.

  “Yeah. It is,” she replied. “I don’t think that will change, no matter how many times we do it.”

  I dropped to the ground and pulled my knees to my chest, gazing around. Nearly everyone had finished. Most of the girls looked the way I felt, windswept and visibly emotional. The quiet was punctuated by an occasional sob. Then I saw Peyton and Olivia several circles away, quietly talking as they packed up their candles. There was something odd about their appearance. It was hard to put my finger on, but they looked refreshed, almost glowing. Most everyone else looked depleted and emotionally drained, just as I felt.

  Finvarra did not address us again, though she was nodding and conversing quietly with the teachers, a satisfied expression on her face, so we must have met with her approval. Mackie and several other students were wending between the groups with tall, silver pitchers of water, washing the chalk circles away. We’d been taught that power remained behind in a circle that had been used for a Crossing, and that it was best to remove the traces as soon as possible.

  “So, how did your Crossing go, Hannah?” a voice said.

  I turned and saw, to my astonishment, Peyton talking to Hannah, her tone and expression perfectly friendly.

  Hannah answered warily. “Fine. Much faster than last time.”

  Peyton nodded. “I’m told it gets easier. I would think it must be even smoother for you, what with the power of your gift.”

  Hannah was still frowning. “Yes, I suppose so.”

  “Some of the girls and I were going to meet in the library tomorrow to start researching that Necromancer paper for Celeste. Would you like to join us?” Peyton asked, looking at us both.

  I could barely think past my surprise to answer. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, perfectly. Many hands make light work,” Peyton said brightly.

  “Why would you want us to come?” Hannah asked.

  “Is there going to be another ancient creature lurking in the stacks bent on our destruction?” I asked in the same bright tone.

  Peyton looked unconvincingly confused for a moment, then laughed airily. “Oh, I see. I hope you aren’t going to read too much into our little prank the other night,” she said. “It was all in good fun, I promise you.”

  “Oh yeah, I for one had a blast,” I said. “Hannah?”

  “Yes, we should definitely do that again this weekend,” Hannah said.

  Mackie walked over, splashing water over the perimeter of our circle. “Everything alright over here?”

  “Oh, yes,” Peyton said. “I was just inviting Hannah and Jess along to a study session, but I’m afraid they don’t seem very interested. Still a bit touchy about our joke the other night.”

  “If that’s your idea of a joke, your sense of humor is complete rubbish,” Mackie said.

  “If you say so,” Peyton said, smiling. “I’m just trying to extend the olive branch. If you ladies aren’t ready, I certainly understand. Perhaps another time.”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” I said.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve even talking to them, you know,” Mackie said. “In fact, you’ve got a lot of nerve talking to any of us right now.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Peyton said.

  “Leeches never do,” Mackie spat with contempt.

  Peyton’s face tightened slightly at the word, but quickly relaxed into a smile. “I’m just going to let that unfounded accusation pass, and choose to accept the implied compliment.”

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Mackie said.

  Peyton smiled ingratiatingly and flounced off across the lawn to her waiting pack of minions, who began whispering excitedly together at once. Mackie continued to look daggers at them until they vanished into the castle, silhouetted for a moment in the yellow frame of the open doors.

  “She can’t possibly think we’d want to have anything to do with her after last night,” I said.

  “All I wanted to do was scare her off with that Caller stuff,” Hannah said, “but now it sounds like she wants to be best friends or something!”

  “I’m not surprised,” Mackie said. “Peyton’s kind always flocks to the talented and the impressive. You’ve achieved celebrity status around here with your gift; they can’t stop obsessing about it. That’s probably why they want to hang out with you now.”

  “Why did you call her a leech?” Hannah asked, stealing my question before I could ask it.

  “Because that’s what she is. Her and her mother and the whole lot of them in that Council inner circle.”

  “Yeah, but what does it mean? I can think of a few choice words I’d like to call her, but leech wasn’t one of them,” I said.

  Mackie turned her eyes on us and she shook her head like a dog expelling water. “Sorry, I forget how much you don’t know.”

  “Thanks for rubbing it in,” I said.

  “No, not like that. Sorry. I just mean that I probably say all kinds of stuff around you that you haven’t learned yet, without properly explaining myself.”

  “That’s okay,” I said, waving her apology away. “We’re used to playing catch up around here. Usually we just nod and smile until we can figure out what the hell is going on.”

  “Yup,” Hannah agreed. “You are looking at two expert nodders and smilers.”

  Mackie motioned for us to follow her as she finished washing away the circles. “Right. Well, have you noticed that Peyton’s mother and her flock are a bit…well, gorgeous? Like, weirdly so?”

  “Yeah, I did. I just figured they all indulged in a lot of plastic surgery,” I said.

  “Well, they are indulging, but surgery doesn’t play a part. Let’s see, how to explain it.” She bit her lip. “Look, you know how, when you’re doing a Crossing and you can see the spirits’ lives flash before your eyes?”

  “Yeah,” Hannah and I said together.

  “And you know how you experience things almost as though they are happening to you, as if you are living their memories?”

  “Yeah,” I said again, with a shudder. The sensation was still fresh in my mind and body.

  “The reason we feel and see those things is called aura flow. Because of our abilities, we are wired to be receptive to the feelings and energy of others, as long as they’re dead. It’s a little tricky to explain, but I expect Siobhán will be covering it in Ceremonial Basics pretty soon,” Mackie said, scratching her chin thoughtfully.

  “I think I’m with you so far,” I said. “We are programmed to experience their memories.”

  “Right,” she went on, “but it’s more than that. Their lives, when they flash past us, are like an electric current, a live feed of energy. We’re supposed to just act as conductors, letting the energy pass through uninterrupted—that’s the whole point of the Gateway. But some of us,” and here she cast a dirty look toward the castle entryway where Peyton had disappeared, “can’t help but take a little for themselves.”

  “How do you mean?” Hannah asked.

  “Leech is a term for a Durupinen who siphons spirit energy from the ghosts as they cross through the Gateway. They pull the energy from the spirits and take it into themselves.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Why? Why would someone do that?”

  “Just look at them,” Mackie said bitterly. “It’s like a fountain of youth. They can use the energy to perfect themselves, correct flaws and enhance their looks.”

  “Okay, I know I’m new at all this stuff, but that sounds seriously wrong to me,” I said.

  “It is,” Mackie said. “The ability to siphon is a latent ability, not meant to be used except for in dire emergencies.”

  “What kind of emergency could ever possibly require that?” Hannah asked.

  “Like, if a Durupinen was too sick or injured to conduct a Crossing on her own, she could siphon a bit of spirit en
ergy to give herself the strength to complete it,” Mackie said, pouring out the rest of the water into the grass and replacing the pitcher on its stone plinth. “You use the spirits to strengthen yourself, but only to help them, see?”

  I nodded my head slowly. “I think so. Are we likely to be in a situation like that?”

  “Not really anymore. Being a Durupinen used to be a lot more dangerous, back when people considered witch-burning a recreational sport, and also when the Necromancers were still around. But somewhere along the line, someone figured out that the siphoning had some beneficial side effects, and started using it for her own means. It caught on in certain clans, and since then it’s become a rather common practice.”

  “But it’s so obvious who’s doing it,” I cried, dropping onto the seat beside her. “They aren’t exactly being subtle about it, are they? I mean, they look like freaking supermodels, for God’s sake!”

  “It’s one of those things we aren’t supposed to do, but everyone sort of turns a blind eye to it. Finvarra is especially lax about it since she’s come to power, but then, she’s looking pretty young and attractive herself these days,” Mackie pointed out.

  “You mean she does it, too?” Hannah said, shocked.

  “Either that or she hasn’t aged in about fifteen years.” Mackie said darkly. She pulled an apple from her bag, examined it, and took a huge bite. “The point is, a lot of the women around here have started to view it as one of the perks of the job. They think the spirits owe it to us for devoting our lives to helping them.”

  “But we aren’t helping them if we’re draining their energy. Are we?”

  Mackie continued through a mouthful of apple. “That’s the most ironic part. They’re taking this energy as though it’s some kind of just reward, but actually it’s quite dangerous. The spirits need that energy to fully cross beyond this world, and all it takes is someone being a little too greedy for that spirit to get trapped in the Aether.

  “What the hell is that?” I asked.

  “It’s the space between worlds. We don’t know what lies beyond the Gateway, what the final destination is, but we know there’s an in-between space where a spirit can become lost. That space is called the Aether, and if Marion and the others aren’t extremely careful, the energy they’re sapping could cause a spirit to become disorientated and weak. That spirit could become trapped between worlds, unsure of who he was or where he is meant to be. He may never reach his final destination.”

  We sat in silence as the weight of this settled on us.

  “That’s horrible. How could they risk that?”

  “They placate their worries by telling themselves how unlikely it is. They convince themselves that they’re careful and controlled, and therefore that the risk to the spirits is minimal—an acceptable margin of error.”

  “That’s disgusting,” Hannah said with a shudder.

  “That’s Leeches, mate. That’s why they’ve got the name, and why the rest of us feel so strongly against what they do.”

  “Well, that and the fact that we’re probably jealous as hell of how they look,” I said with a smirk. Mackie grinned. “Yeah, that’s most likely part of it, too.”

  “How can Marion rake our family over the coals for breaking one rule when she and her friends are so obviously abusing another one? Isn’t she supposed to be all hardcore about Durupinen law?”

  “Only when it’s convenient for her,” Mackie snorted. “Don’t forget, her family only came to its position because your family fell into disgrace. Of course she’s going to blow your issues out of proportion, look where it’s gotten her. But like all power-hungry fundamentalists, she’s a hypocrite at heart. They shout the loudest at other people’s transgressions so that no one will call attention to their own.”

  I swallowed back the urge to punch something. “You know, Mack, I was really trying to give these people the benefit of the doubt. I told myself that I would try to understand where they were coming from with all this hostility. But now, between our date with the Elemental and this whole leech thing, I’m thinking I’m just going to screw that plan. Thoughts on that?”

  Mackie chucked her apple core over her shoulder. “Brilliant! Come on, let’s head in. That took longer than I thought, it’s nearly curfew.”

  We trudged back to the castle and started up the stairs. I felt fatigued, like I’d run full speed through all those lifetimes, and my legs ached in protest as we climbed flight after flight.

  “I wonder why that last ghost didn’t cross,” Hannah said.

  “What last ghost?”

  “Didn’t you sense him? He was sort of off to the side, like he wasn’t sure yet if he wanted to go.”

  “That’s not so surprising. It’s a big decision to make. Some of those ghosts felt hundreds of years old,” I said.

  “I couldn’t get a really clear sense of him. I just kept hearing drumming.”

  “Drumming? Like, music?”

  “No, more of a steady repeated banging or knocking sound.”

  I shrugged. “Well, he knows where to find us, whoever he is. Maybe he’ll cross next time. I’m sure he’ll let us know if he needs something.”

  “I guess so. Anyway, that was much easier than last time, wasn’t it?”

  I nodded. “Yup. Much less of a traffic jam. I’m just glad the feelings pass with them. Some of those were really intense.”

  “Yes,” she said. “Mackie, is it more intense for you, being an Empath?”

  Mackie shrugged. “I’ve never done it any other way, so I don’t know. But I think it must be. Brenna has felt fine within a few minutes both times we’ve performed a Crossing, but it takes a few hours for the effects to wear off for me. It’s almost like residual mood swings. If you hear someone sobbing in the bathroom later tonight, don’t worry about it. It’s just me, bawling my eyes out about someone else’s break-up or tragic end.”

  She laughed it off, but as we parted for the night, I thought her usually buoyant stride was sagging a bit. Being an Empath, I thought, was probably a lot harder than she let on.

  §

  It was hard to believe that a practice like leeching could actually be going on, but as the day of Initiation crept closer, the evidence mounted. The signs were subtle at first; if Mackie hadn’t pointed them out, it would have taken a long time for me to pick up on it. Peyton, Olivia, and several of the other girls merely seemed to have a healthy glow, as though they had gotten a really good night’s sleep or spent some time in the fresh air. Then it became more pronounced; their skin seemed smoother and more even, lit from within, and their hair seemed thicker and shinier. And now that I knew why Marion and the others looked the way they did, I couldn’t stop staring at them when they were around.

  Peyton was persistent in her attempts to befriend Hannah, and though Hannah continued to refuse, she did so more and more reluctantly. When the morning of the Initiation finally arrived, I came down to breakfast late, having slept in after another restless night of dreams starring the Silent Child. I stopped short in the doorway to find Hannah sitting with Peyton, Olivia, Róisín, and Riley. They were all chatting animatedly.

  Olivia looked up and saw me standing there, and quickly rose. “We should get going. I’ve got to finish my paper before the Initiation tonight.”

  The others took her lead, said goodbye to Hannah, and flounced past me out the door.

  Hannah could barely meet my eye as I slid into the chair Peyton had just vacated.

  “What’s going on, Hannah?” I asked.

  She shrugged guiltily. “Nothing. They asked if I wanted to sit with them, and you weren’t here.”

  “Are you all going to wear pink on Wednesdays?” I asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind,” I said. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Hannah. Don’t forget what those girls did to us just a couple of weeks ago.”

  “I haven’t forgotten,” Hannah said. “But they all apologized. Everyone makes mistakes. And you know, it
might not be so bad, making friends with them.”

  “Yeah, if you want to fraternize with the enemy and get tips in morally repugnant anti-aging regimens.”

  “I just mean that it might make life easier around here, if we can all just get along.”

  I looked at Hannah carefully. Her voice was casual, but she couldn’t disguise the hint of longing in it. For the first time in her life, the popular girls wanted to hang out with her, and that was no small thing after a lifetime of rejection and marginalization.

  I tried to phrase my reply carefully. “I think we just need to be careful around them. That’s all I’m saying. We shouldn’t take it for granted that their intentions are good.”

  “You didn’t like Lucida either, but she’s turned out to be a great mentor.”

  I didn’t answer. Hannah came back from her mentoring sessions with Lucida every week, raving about how nice and helpful and encouraging she was. I was glad Hannah was happy, but I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop —in Lucida’s case, the other designer stiletto. I didn’t trust that woman as far as I could throw her, no matter what Hannah said. And the same was true of Peyton.

  “It’s just that it would be nice to have friends.”

  Ugh. Dagger right to the heart, with a nice little twist to make sure it went in nice and deep. “You’ve got Milo. And you’ve got me.”

  “Milo’s a ghost. We can’t be friends the same way living people can.”

  I snorted. “Don’t tell him that, he’ll kick your ass.”

  Hannah smiled. “And you don’t count either.”

  “Excuse me?” I crossed my arms, affronted.

  “You’re my sister, you have to like me.”

  “That is not true! I do not have to like you! Genetics is no guarantee of friendship. Look at Savannah and Phoebe! They’re first cousins and Savannah would cheerfully throttle Phoebe if she could get away with it. But I do like you, and I want to be your friend, sister or not.”

  Hannah’s smile broadened into a grin. “I like you, too.”

  §

  Karen took the red eye and arrived bleary-eyed but smiling a couple of hours before lunch. Despite her exhaustion she went right into lawyer overdrive and interrogated us mercilessly about how the other Apprentices had been treating us since the Elemental slumber party. She took my attitude when she heard they were trying to get into our good books.