by Kim Cormack
Healing Games
She stirred to the familiar steady hum of tires. She opened her eyes and she was on her bunk in the RV. They’d come out of the bathroom and everyone in the restaurant was out cold. What happened after that? Kayn heard laughter coming from the back room. Was she the last one awake? She yawned and stretched. She recalled seeing Tiberius. Triad had drugged both clans. They were probably heading down the highway in pursuit of the girl. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and made a valiant attempt to maneuver her way to the bathroom. The TV was on. Kayn peaked into the room and saw the sleeping bodies of the four clan members she’d been on the job with. Who was driving? She bolted back down the hall and through the tiny kitchen area into the front with adrenaline induced agility. Lexy was driving and Grey was in the passenger seat sound asleep.
Lexy shook her head slowly and said, “I’m curious. Why would you guys be in a diner having dinner with Trinity? What in the hell was that about?”
Kayn held onto the back of the seats to steady herself as she replied, “I knew it was a bad idea. Thorne showed up at our room and told us they knew we were there and they’d heard everything we’d been talking about because we hadn’t used salt.”
Lexy knit her brow and questioned, “Used salt?”
They drove over a bump and Kayn almost lost her footing as she explained, “The salt circle and that chant. Silence inside or outside of the circle. You know what I mean.”
Lexy grinned and stated, “Jakob was with them. He’s good. He can tune into anyone… anywhere.” She scowled in Grey’s direction and said, “Smack him for me, he’s not supposed to be asleep.”
Kayn smacked Grey and his eyes popped open. He looked at Lexy, obviously wondering how in the hell she’d slapped him from way over there. Kayn giggled and Grey noticed she was standing behind him.
He smiled at her and ribbed, “Oh, I see. She got you to do her dirty work.”
Lexy chuckled, “It’s a good thing we were following you guys. Rule of thumb…if two of the clans are at a job then the third is bound to show up.”
How much had they seen?
Grey grinned at her and teased, “Yes, I totally saw that. You’re a glorious kisser. Anytime you want some more practice, feel free to call on me.”
Lexy glared at her obnoxiously flirtatious Handler and sighed, “Oh, just go ahead and smack him again.”
Kayn laughed as she smacked him. He started to chuckle as he rubbed his head and pretended to be wounded. She held onto the back of the seats as they went over another bump and apologized, “Hey, I’m sorry we screwed up and lost the girl.”
Grey glanced at Lexy and smiled as though they had a secret.
Kayn probed, “What?”
“We didn’t lose anybody,” Lexy replied. “The girls locked in the bathroom. We haven’t had time to deal with her yet.”
She glanced back at the bathroom and said, “I almost went in there. What if someone else gets up and goes in there?”
“She’s out cold and there’s a sign on the door,” Grey explained.
Kayn looked back at the bathroom again, smiled and shook her head. They were driving down the highway with a kidnapped waitress in the back of the RV. She asked, “How did you get her from Triad?”
Grey piped in, “Let’s just say, Lexy’s Summit shenanigans came in handy. Hey, did Astrid kiss Tiberius? He was higher than a kite. I doubt he’d be stupid enough to drug himself.”
Kayn grinned. It was her turn to appear to have a secret.
Lexy smiled and pressed, “Oh, just spit it out.”
“It was me. He kissed me, right before I passed out and I’d taken some of Astrid’s ability.” Lexy knit her brow but said nothing. Was that a hint of jealousy she detected? Over Tiberius?
Lexy responded to her private thoughts, “Not jealousy but confusion. I kissed him and it had no effect on me.”
Lexy kissed Tiberius?
Grey teased, “It’s because you’re already crazy.”
Lexy gave Grey a dirty look. Kayn smacked him without her having to ask and she smiled.
Kayn heard the blinkers. Lexy turned off the highway and began to drive down a gravel road.
She explained, “The others will be up soon and everyone is going to need to use the bathroom. Lexy motioned to Grey. He opened the glove compartment and handed Kayn a gold ring with the symbol of Ankh on it. “This one is for you. You’re going to wait until she wakes up, give her the speech, brand her and kill her.”
With the ring between two fingers, Kayn stared at it. Was she really the best choice for this? She slipped it on her finger, nodded and flippantly responded, “Why not?”
Lexy gave her a genuine smile. She winked and replied, “Now, that is how a Dragon responds to a challenge.”
They turned off at a sign for a campground and when the motorhome came to a complete stop, Kayn walked back to the bathroom. Melody was standing at the bathroom door when she arrived.
Mel questioned, “Who was driving?”
“Lexy was and the girl is in the bathroom.” Kayn grinned as she read the piece of paper they’d taped to the door that warned, Waitress in bathroom.
The door opened and Grey’s voice yelled from outside, “It’s hooked up! You’re good to go!”
Lexy’s voice hollered from the front, “Come have breakfast before you kill her. I’m sure there’s plenty of time.”
Mel shot her a strange look. Kayn showed her the ring on her finger and a lightbulb visibly glimmered above Mel’s head.
“You’re going to do it?” Mel questioned as they made their way back to the kitchen. “How did we get her? What happened?”
“Lexy and Grey took her from Triad,” Kayn responded.
Melody gave her another peculiar look and Kayn realized that she probably didn’t remember anything past leaving the bathroom. As they ate a bowl of cereal she began to relay the story.
While they ate the rest of them gradually awoke from they’re Triad induced slumber and made their way to the table where they all were informed about what had taken place while they lay dreaming. Grey had this enormous grin on his face. He kept looking at Zach and then at her. The others didn’t know about what they’d done to try to conceal themselves from Trinity before they understood that Trinity had always known they were there. Keep your mouth shut Greydon. They had all been awake for a good hour when Kayn began to wonder if the girl in the bathroom was still asleep. Was she smart enough to know she shouldn’t call out for help?
Zach stood up and complained, “I really need to go to the bathroom. We need to find another place to store the waitress.”
Grey casually took a drink of his coffee and urged, “Well, what are you waiting for? Go back there and see if she’s up.”
Zach sighed dramatically and wandered back to the tiny locked bathroom. Muttering under his breath about how this wasn’t his job.
Kayn took that as a hint to get up and go with him.
He tapped on the door lightly and said, “Are you awake? Don’t freak out. I’m opening the door.” Zach unlatched the lock on the outside. He was immediately smoked in the face by the toilet plunger and shoved out of the way by the crafty waitress with an escape plan.
Kayn stood in front of her, rather effectively blocking the small hallway. The girl gripped the toilet plunger and swung it back as though she were going to attempt to do the same thing to her. Kayn stared the girl down as she threatened, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Why not?” The tougher than she looked tiny built waitress declared. She moved in one direction and Kayn maneuvered to block her. She dodged in the other and Kayn aggressively pinned her against a bunk until she stopped struggling without even breaking a sweat.
The girl defiantly lifted her chin and hissed, “Wasn’t massacring my whole family enough?”
Kayn tightened her grip on her and said, “If I’d done your families Correction, you wouldn’t be standing here.” The feisty young girl started to strug
gle again. “It wasn’t us,” Kayn clarified. “You must want to know why they died? I still remember how it felt when my family was killed. How fresh is this for you? When did they die?”
The girl stopped struggling and whispered, “It’s only been a couple of months. What is this? Who are you?”
Kayn released her grip on the small framed teenager and the girl bravely stood to face her. She didn’t seem ready to flee. This girl was prepared to fight. She was so numb from the loss of her loved ones that she had nothing left to lose. Kayn looked into the girl’s eyes as she questioned, “Did you die too or did you fight and survive?”
The girl looked at her like she was certifiable and replied, “If I died that day I wouldn’t be standing here right now, would I?”
She knew nothing about what was coming for her. Kayn explained, “When the Correction came for my family. I was in a coma for seven months. I started to remember things about the period while I was asleep. I knew that one of three clans of immortals would be coming for me. I also knew I had to go with the first one that came. We’re Clan Ankh and you were granted a second chance at life as a sacrificial lamb for the greater good just as we all were.”
The girl did appear to remember Azariah and the words that had been spoken to her. Perhaps, she’d had no recollection of those events until this moment but she remembered them now. She saw it in her eyes. Kayn looked at the name tag on her uniform. The girl’s name was Molly. Kayn began the speech, “Molly, this isn’t the end of your life. That’s already happened. You made a choice and this moment is the result of that decision. This is the beginning of your new life. Are you ready for it?”
Molly raised her eyes to meet hers and bravely replied, “Yes, I am.”
Kayn rotated the ring to the inside of her hand as she continued, “This symbol prohibits you from entering the hall of souls each time you die. You will be bound to us and we will be spiritually bonded to you. We will be your new family. Give me your hand.”
The brave girl extended her hand without hesitation. Kayn branded her flesh with the symbol of Ankh. The girl only had time for one shriek of pain as Kayn snapped her neck and she crumpled to the floor. It was done. She was Ankh. Kayn twisted her ring around, walked back down the hall towards the others. She met Lexy’s eyes and knew she was proud of her.
Melody stood up and asked, “Shall we bring her back now?”
Lexy smiled as she said, “I’m so happy there’s another Healer. Neither of us will have use too much energy and die to bring her back. She followed Melody down the hall, patting Kayn on the shoulder as she passed her. “Good job Brighton.”
Kayn followed them and suggested something unusual, “If one of you lets me absorb some of your ability, all three of us can do it.”
Lexy knit her brow as she enquired, “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Kayn smiled and responded, “Why not?” She grinned and motioned for Zach to come along, just in case. She knew the drill. The others stayed behind as they dragged Molly’s body into the open room at the back and knelt around it.
Lexy offered her a hand and suggested, “Take my energy. I’m the strongest.”
Kayn held out both of her hands. Lexy took the hint and gave her the other one. She let go of her inhibitions and her hands began to warm and tingle. They heated until the sensation began travelling up both of her arms. It surged into her torso with shivers of adrenaline that overwhelmed her with a euphoric pleasurable sense of power. She didn’t want to let go but she was trying to prove she could control her ability. Kayn winced as she yanked her hands away. Melody took Lexy’s hand for a second after and allowed her to even out the healing energy Kayn had taken.
Zach took Melody’s hand and urged, “Take some of mine. I’m not doing anything.”
With the two Healers running at full capacity, Kayn realized she had no idea how to pass the energy out of her body and into somebody else’s. She questioned, “How do I pass this on?”
Melody and Lexy placed their hands on the newest member of Ankh and Kayn followed suit. She was a little concerned that she’d continue to siphon energy and take them all down.
Melody saw the concern in her eyes and assured, “You can do this Kayn.”
She was going to try. Maybe the ability would work on autopilot as Frost’s had and it would guide her actions. She felt the sensation in reverse as it warmed up her torso and surged in her chest. It travelled down her arms instead of up and she felt it leave her body from the palms of her hands. Just as she began to feel light headed, Molly opened her eyes.
They all smiled and the girl that looked too small to be sixteen declared, “That sucked.” Her abrupt teenage statement was followed by nervous laughter. The four of them helped her up and introduced themselves.
Weeks passed by before they could meet up with the rest of the clan and by the time they had, Kayn was going through some serious Frost withdrawals. According to the texts Grey and Lexy kept receiving, the other half of their clan had acquired a new boy. She’d been staring at her cheap burner cell for weeks wondering why she even had it. Not one message. She’d been told to keep it on. Why? Her phone beeped and she smiled as she looked down at the screen. It was from Zach. He was sending her a message because he knew she wanted one. She grinned as she sent one back to him even though he was only ten feet away. This became a thing they did from time to time.
In the weeks to come she spent her nights lost in her twin’s memories of Frost. The dreams of Kevin and what he was doing or who he was doing were now few and far between. She often thought about the night Frost appeared in her bedroom and changed her life. Most of the time it was just as she drifted off to sleep where she would carry on dreaming about him and the things that they would do if only they were allowed. The thoughts of him were becoming just as addictive as the sight of him had once been. She’d spent the night in his arms in a dream that had been nothing less than earth shattering bliss when she heard his voice. She opened her eyes. He was sitting on the bunk next to her and by the look on his face he knew exactly what she was dreaming about.
He stretched out next to her on the bunk and teased, “I was worried you’d forgotten all about me. It’s good to know some things never change.” He rolled onto his side and whispered, “That Molly girl looks like she’s thirteen.”
“She does, doesn’t she?” Kayn replied as she maneuvered onto her side to face him.
“Did you miss me?” He whispered.
She found herself thinking about the last time they were lying on this bunk together and wished he was under the covers with her instead of lying on top of them. He had her trapped in her bunk. “You left without saying goodbye,” she whispered back. She bit her lip and hoped she didn’t have morning breath.
He kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “I’d never care about that. Now, get up and get yourself ready. We’re going out for breakfast.” He got up and wandered away.
She got out from under the covers and with a skip in her step she made her way to the bathroom. The RV was still dark and everyone appeared to be asleep. How early was it? Maybe just they were going out for breakfast? She quickly got ready and tip toed back down the hallway. It was just the two of them and it was still dark outside. What was he up to? Her heart began to soar and then as Frost opened the door, she saw Zach, Lexy, Grey and Lily. They were also in the truck. Her romantic fantasies deflated like a balloon losing air from a pin prick as she climbed into the truck and asked, “What time is it?”
Grey replied, “It’s the crack of frigging dawn. We’re going to go somewhere cool though to watch the sunrise.”
“No breakfast then?” Kayn questioned. Now that she knew she probably wasn’t getting any, she was hungry.
Frost was sitting in the front seat with Lily and Zach. She was in the back with Lexy and Grey. Yes, this definitely wasn’t the romantic scenario she’d hoped it would be. Maybe she needed to give her head a good shake. Grey chucked her a granola bar. She grimaced as she took
it. This was not exactly what she had in mind. Frost kept looking in the rearview mirror while he was driving. He kept smiling at her. She stared out the window wishing she could just go back to bed. It was the dreams. They were messing with her. In reality, she was emotionally unavailable right now. He was too old and wise to walk into that situation. He’d said as much. Well, those were not the words he’d used. He’d referred to her as being in the train wreck stage. They were chatting about stuff that had gone on while they were apart. Well, she was awake now and she might as well watch the sunrise and eat her frigging granola bar with a smile. She bit into her granola bar. Frost was grinning at her in the rear-view mirror again. What was he up to?
They kept driving for what felt like hours until the sun began to rise. They pulled over at a look out perched over a small town nestled in a valley. They all got out of the truck and watched as the sun peaked over the mountain top in the horizon. The street lights flickered out in the town below. It felt like they’d driven a long way to watch a mediocre sunrise.
Frost was standing beside her as he said, “Guess where we’re going next?”
Kayn’s face lit up with fake enthusiasm as she replied, “Where?
He ignored her attempted sarcasm and announced, “That town down there has the best breakfast spot. We’ll be staying there for the day, possibly two. I know none of us brought anything with us. I have a card from the Aries Group. We’ll go shopping and get whatever we need. I’m sure we’ll find something to do.”
She stared at the small sedate looking town. What was so great about this place? The restaurant they were having breakfast at must be amazing if it was worth waking up hours before the crack of dawn and then driving for hours.
Lexy looked at Grey, gave him a knowing smile and teased, “Awe, this is so sweet Greydon. You shouldn’t have. My birthday isn’t until next week.”
She knew she was missing something but suspected it wouldn’t be difficult to figure out. She felt a bit queasy.
Frost motioned to the truck and nudged, “Come on everyone. Let’s go have some breakfast.”