Illuminated Embers

by Jasmine Flowerday

  Savannah stopped sucking on her chocolate shake and took interest in the conversation. She had been trying not to let Jen's presence get to her. "Why do you think I'm a Kite?" Innocence. That was her plan.

  "It was a theory from that day at the market, but it was confirmed when I saw Samuel's face when I confronted him about it," said Jen, smugly. "Later, after the market, I saw magic residue. I followed it for a little while before I got bored and went home." As she said it out loud, she knew that she was right. "Then the Siphons showed up! They're only looking for one person, Joleen. Or should I say Savannah!" Turning to Harry, she said, "Savjo! Cute!" Cocking her head to the side, she glared at Savannah. "Isn't that right? Siphon Slayer!"

  "What do you want?" Samuel uttered in a guttural growl.

  Looking around the booth, Jen saw three seething and angry teens, fully capable of killing. The fourth she knew to be the deadliest of all. She fell back on what she always did when people were angry with her. Summoning up her happy face, she said innocently, "Nothing, Silly! I just wanted to chat! Have a great dinner. The malts are better than the shakes." Scooting back her chair, she jumped up and made sure to sway her hips on the way out.

  The four of them, now slack-jawed, watched her walk out the door.

  "Should we go after her?" Harry asked, confused. He wasn't sure what the protocol was for a self-absorbed princess knowing Savannah's identity.

  "And do what?" asked Samuel, sarcastically, though, he kind of hoped that Harry had an idea under his goofy expression.

  "I'd like to rip her to shreds and bury the bones," Chrystal growled. "Fishy bones are the best!"

  "Enough!" said Savannah firmly.

  "I'm sorry that I couldn't get your name right," said Harry, dropping his head onto the table and making it shake.

  "You heard her. A lot of things tipped her off," said Savannah. "It's not your fault. But, I really enjoyed my last date night, and I'm not letting her ruin this one." Taking a sip of her shake, she noticed that everyone was still gloomy and angry. "Come on, guys! We've been working really hard and deserve some fun!" When the waitress passed by, she ordered three more chocolate shakes with extra cherries. The others looked at her like she had grown another head. "What? You can't be mad while sipping one of these things. They're like lying on a cloud watching birds fly through a double rainbow!"

  Not one of them got her analogy but agreed to give 'fun' another try. After the shakes, they got on the dance floor, and an hour later, they were sitting in a theater eating popcorn and making fun of the on-screen Vampire.

  Chapter 19

  Last day of school!

  Savannah couldn't wait until it was over. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why everyone else had to keep going after graduation. Someone had told her something about a bad winter storm, and they had to make up for the unexpected snow days. She remembered the storm, though to her, all of them were bad in the cabin, and this particular one had used up a good portion of their wood in the fireplace. It hadn't been often that they broke down and used the fireplace, but that storm had made the risk worth it.

  It was the first week of June, and the school was buzzing with talk of summer plans. She and Samuel were sitting against the tree in their usual spot. Samuel had his arm around her shoulders, and she was enjoying the breeze and the smell of the upcoming summer season. Jen hadn't been bothering her lately. In fact, every time Savannah saw her, Jen looked sad or defeated somehow. It was getting to the point that Savannah was even starting to feel sorry for her. Then, she would shake off the feeling and remember all of the encounters she'd had with the Nix.

  "So what was the deal with you and Jen before I showed up?" Savannah asked. Partly out of curiosity, but mostly she wanted to know why Jen thought that Savannah stole her boyfriend. She and Samuel hadn't really put a name on their relationship yet, outside of just good friends. Savannah felt that they had too much to deal with right now, without adding the pressures of boyfriend and girlfriend. All of that sounded complicated and scary, and she was finally getting used to being around people other than her mother.

  "Most of the Supernaturals in the area have known each other since we were toddlers. Mostly, Eamon brought us all together," he said, before biting into his Red Delicious apple. "Jen is an only child, but she does have other family around. Her cousin, Alana, started out the same way as Jen, but she was paired early on. He didn't like her using her powers on others, so she stopped. Turned out that people liked Alana anyway. Jen suffers from massive insecurity. Especially with Alana around."

  "Wait! When you say paired--" Savannah interrupted.

  "I mean, they will be married soon. Happens a lot with the Supernaturals. Some of the cultures still cling to the old ways," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Rumor has it that Jen is a little harder to pair. Either she rejects them, or they reject her." Taking another bite of his apple, he leaned his head against the tree. "That's when she decided to go after me. Only because I'm a Morphling, though. I think she figures that she can turn me into her ideal man. Harry certainly didn't help the situation. He was hoping that I could calm her down with wooing or something. He's had a soft spot for her since she really doesn't have any friends, though I'm pretty sure that's over, after her visit in the diner."

  "She doesn't seem insecure," Savannah said, as she watched Jen walk across the courtyard.

  "As beautiful as she is to us, she is considered quite plain for a Nix," he said, simply.

  "Seriously? That can't be right!" said Savannah.

  "To be rejected in her culture, even at such a young age, usually means that she will be the equivalent of a Twitchie spinster," said Samuel.

  "Why didn't you all ever invite her into your little circle here?" Savannah asked.

  "We've tried! It's never fun seeing a fellow Supernatural struggling, but she's hard headed. It's either her way or the highway. And her way involves turning Humans into slaves. It's what she knows," he said. "I'm pretty sure that I was her last-ditch effort to not become a spinster. The only way her family would have even accepted me is if I agreed to morph into one of the ocean races. And even that isn't a guarantee."

  "Then I showed up?" asked Savannah. She turned her body and laid her head on his chest. The whole situation sounded depressing. She thought that she and her mother had it rough, but she was never lonely. She had her mother, her best friend, to keep her company.

  "Yeah, but trust me, you are not the reason that she and I are not together," said Samuel. He tilted her chin up, so he could meet her eyes. He wanted her to know that he was serious.

  "I don't think she sees it that way," Savannah said, putting her head back down.

  "No. Probably not," he said. They sat in silence, soaking up the warm sun rays until the bell rang. Samuel walked Savannah to class and squeezed her hand for reassurance. He knew that Jen was in her class this period.

  **********

  After Samuel left to go to his own class, Savannah opened the door and walked in. She was unprepared for the odd scene laid out in front of her. All of the desks were pushed against the far wall. The students, who were all blank faced, were shoulder to shoulder in a circle. The teacher, Mr. Hanson, was standing in front of the wall of kids, facing her. His eyes were glazed over, and when he spoke, it sounded eerily hollow.

  "Class has been canceled. You need to leave," said the creepy version of Mr. Hanson.

  "What is going on?" Savannah asked cautiously. As soon as the words left her mouth, the students moved in unison to form a straight wall behind Mr. Hanson.

  "Class has been canceled. You need to leave." This time all of them said it as though they were one, then they advanced on her like an army. Over the shoulder of a shorter girl, Savannah saw someone sitting at a desk behind the kid-wall army.

  "Jen! Call them off!" Savannah yelled. "You need to let them go!"

  "Just leave! I don't want you here!" said Jen. Her voice was muffled from laying her head on her sweater on the desk.

 
"This is my class, Jen," said Savannah, backing up against the door while looking for a way around everyone. They were running out of room to walk; it's hard enough to fit thirty people in a classroom without putting them shoulder to shoulder.

  "Class has been canceled," the creepy army said again.

  "See? Class has been canceled! Now get out!" Jen yelled at her.

  Savannah leaped up and latched herself to one of the pipes that hung right below the ceiling. Swinging herself over the wall of Twitchies, she landed next to Jen. "Let them go!"

  The wall of kids turned to face them, and Savannah made a split second decision. She grabbed Jen, threw open the nearest window, and climbed out, dragging Jen with her. They landed on the concrete sidewalk at the front of the school. After getting up, she realized that Jen's zombies were trying to follow. She quickly pushed limbs back in and closed the window.

  "You are going to get them hurt!" Savannah said.

  "What do you care? You've killed dozens of people, just by existing. The Siphons are after you, no one else!" Jen spat at her.

  "You can't be serious!" Savannah spat back.

  "Truth hurts, doesn't it?" said Jen.

  "I'm sure it does, but it is not in the nature of Siphons to leave Twitchies alone. Those people would have died whether I sacrificed myself or not," Savannah said. She was trying to bring sense back to a situation that seemed to be desperately lacking it. Reminding herself that Jen was probably just lashing out, she tried another way of reaching her, though she wished anyone else at all was here instead of her. "What's wrong, Jen?"

  "You!" she replied.

  "How can it be me?" Savannah asked, confused.

  "You took everything from me! My clothes! Samuel! Even Harry hardly talks to me anymore! He and Chrystal are always too busy with you! You're not even very pretty!" Jen screamed at her. Tears were streaming down her face.

  "I'm sorry you feel that way, but you have to let them go!" Savannah said firmly. The zombie army had started pounding on the windows trying to get out.

  "Why? So they can leave me, too?" Jen sobbed.

  "You don't know that they will leave you," Savannah said. She hoped that she was getting through to the girl. "I'm sorry that you are so lonely, but if you --"

  "Don't!" Jen growled, pulling herself up. "You don't get to feel sorry for me! I am not some pathetic loser that puts everyone in danger, like you!" She wiped away her tears. "You want me to let them go? What spell have you put on everyone else? You are the monster!"

  "Fine! Have it your way! I was just trying to help," Savannah said, before walking away. She could hear Jen screaming behind her about how she didn't need Savannah's help. Maybe she should turn around and try again, but talking narcissistic, zombie-controlling teenage girls down wasn't really her forte. Making her way back to the tree that she and Samuel had just sat under, she decided to wait out the rest of the period with a book.

  After school was over, she met her friends at Harry's Shelby and told them everything that had happened. Though he didn't have to go to school anymore, he was still giving them rides so that Eamon wouldn't have to deal with the sun. Harry said that he would try to give Jen a call later and calm her down. Chrystal more or less brushed her hands together and said, "Good riddance." Samuel stayed silent and maintained a pondering look until they picked up Michael. Samuel's little brother always seemed to put a smile on his face and lighten his mood.

  **********

  Eamon met them at the door when they got back to the apartments. He gave Savannah a huge hug. "You two are geniuses!" he said.

  "Um, thanks," Savannah replied. "And, why is that?"

  "I just got back from talking with Zeke! In a millennia or more, no one has ever thought to ask a Morphling if they can understand what the Siphons are screaming. Everyone just assumed that it was the same wailing that the rest of us hear!" Eamon said, excitedly. He couldn't believe the incredible breakthrough they had just now come to find.

  "Glad we could help. Welcome back!" Samuel said, smiling. Pushing past the Vampire, he made his way to the table of snacks. Last day or not, the hunger he felt after school was real. Besides, he needed his energy. He couldn't wait to get to wrestle Savannah again. It had gotten a lot more interesting since she was able to use her Kite and Morphling powers in unison, now.

  "It was important, then?" Savannah asked. She wasn't sure how.

  "We have built a theory based on it! Yes, it's important," said Eamon. He followed the kids as they made their way to the dining room table. "We believe that Morphlings are able to understand them because you can communicate with any living thing!"

  "But you said that Siphons were made of souls. Aren't souls dead?" Savannah asked. She felt as though her day was becoming more and more confusing.

  Samuel's eyes grew wide with understanding. Jumping out of his chair, he ran to Eamon and grasped him around the shoulders. "I get it! That's why she-- ?"

  Before Savannah knew it, Eamon and Samuel were jumping in a circle laughing and howling, glee written all over their faces. She could swear that she saw tears running down Eamon's face. Glancing at Harry and Chrystal, they seemed just as bewildered as she was. Johnna, Henry, Thalia, and Lanie burst through the front door and ran into the dining area. They all started talking at once! They even joined in the jumping and spinning. Even Thalia appeared excited.

  "What is going on?" Savannah asked the others at the table.

  "Isn't it obvious?" said Michael. His small voice rang clear.

  Savannah, Chrystal, and Harry all shook their heads.

  "Souls aren't dead! Only the bodies that they were attached to are dead. Souls are pure energy, that is alive. The combination of your being able to communicate with living things, and manipulate energy is what makes you the 'Siphon Slayer'!" Michael said, a huge smile spreading across his face as he said it.

  "Wait! How do you know that souls are alive?" Savannah asked.

  "We're Morphlings! The only thing that puts us apart from anyone else is our soul. We understand this better than anyone," he said. "Our soul is embedded into every cell that we have. Everyone else's souls occupy their bodies and use them like avatars."

  "Avatars?" Savannah was having trouble understanding the little genius.

  "The souls continue to live," Michael said slowly, hoping she would catch on.

  "That means they figured it out!" Savannah let it spread through her. She wasn't sure what could be done with the information, but it definitely seemed like a step in the right direction. And that was what they needed. She and the others at the table joined in the festivities. It felt great to have such good news.

  Chapter20

  "Ugh!" Jen said to herself.

  She was watching what looked like a celebratory party from her sleek black Porsche. She was parked next to the curb in front of a very tall building. If she had to guess, she would say that it was about twenty stories high. The first few floors were dingy and unkempt. If you didn't look up, you missed the rest of it, which was encased in beautiful glass. The Twitchies that passed by didn't even seem to know the building was there. There was also a shimmery veil encompassing the entire building. Jen was sure that magic was being used. But it wasn't hazy like the Kite magic trail that she had found after Savannah showed up. Trying not to think about it too much, she gazed through her high-powered binoculars again, focusing about halfway up the building.

  There were a ton of people in there jumping up and down. Even from here, she could pick out Harry's height, Samuel's blond hair, and the striking green hair of Savannah from the first day she met her. She knew that she had overpaid for the peacock feather that she bought. And she was just as certain that Savannah had stolen her new costume that she had purchased across the street from the market. Ironically, she had bought the feather from the thief to go with the costume. Sammy was the one who was holding the bag and had set it down. He had tried to explain to her that it was an accident, but now she knew that he partied with the thief.

 
Feeling the betrayal of her friends again, she made a decision. Savannah must have them under some sort of spell. It was the only thing that made sense. And for some reason, Jen was the only one who could see her for what she was -- a monster and a criminal! She had heard her daddy talk about the upheaval in the Supernatural community lately. Everyone seemed to be on opposite sides. They all agreed that the Siphons were the problem, but the existence of the Siphon Slayer scared them more. Her daddy was having to go back to Arc Sanctum for emergency meetings a lot more lately, and it was all because of Savannah. She wasn't supposed to exist! No Morphling and Kite had ever been allowed to procreate before. No one knew what she was capable of, and that made her dangerous. Many had called Jen selfish in the past, but she told herself that she wasn't being selfish this time. She was doing this for the good of her friends.

  Starting her car, she put it into gear and sped away. She knew that her destination would put her in danger, but she had a backup plan, sort of. She was on her way to Lake City. Her cousin, Alana, had taken her there a couple of years ago on a sort of Supernatural sightseeing tour for their area. It was about a forty minute drive. The whole time, she was telling herself that it was the right thing to do. This was how she was going to save her friends. Once the spell was broken, they would even thank her. She would be a hero! Then they would be forever indebted to her.

  She put on some music to help get her mind off the severity of what she was about to do while she drove. Being a hero wasn't easy, but it wasn't supposed to be. It was about making the hard choices and putting others in front of yourself. That's what Sammy had always told her, anyway, when he was rambling about the comic books he collected.