She scanned the document. It was addressed to Phalio. “These must be the people who are giving him his orders,” Derrin said. “Look here.” He pointed to the third paragraph. It read: ‘We have reached our decision and we no longer need to delay. It is time to end it. Take care of her. Let there be no doubt that we are doing this for the good of everyone.’
The date on the top of the page was four days ago. That was the day she’d handed herself over to the police. “This is an order for your murder,” Derrin said.
“Yes, I understood that,” Khaya said, bitterness lacing her words. “Sorry. This is the type of thing we were hoping to find. It’s still not easy to read it, though.”
“The message isn’t signed.”
“Phalio wouldn’t have any doubts who these orders came from. We have to find them.”
“We find them,” Derrin said, “and we find out why they want to kill you.”
They spent a while longer searching the room, but didn’t find anything else of note. After extinguishing the torches, they used the last one to make their way back upstairs. Derrin pushed the door open. Footsteps echoed somewhere in the dark room ahead of them. A door creaked and the footsteps halted.
Derrin vanished. By the moonlight filtering through the windows, she could make out the dim outline of his body on the other side of the room. He stood still. The tension in his stiff posture was almost palpable across the room. He took a few steps to his left.
The quiet was deafening. Footsteps darted away from where Derrin stood.
Squinting through the dark, Khaya strained, trying to find the person running away. She hurried closer, using her Insight in an attempt to locate them. She followed the sounds of their steps until suddenly she was looking inside them with her Insight. She looked at the muscles in his legs, working furiously to carry him away. Without knowing quite how she did it, she made them lock in place.
A loud crash, by the main entrance. Derrin reached the place before her. He nearly tripped over the form on the ground. “What the …?” he mumbled.
Khaya understood his confusion when she caught up. There was no one there. Derrin bent down and blindly patted around with his hand until it found the person. As soon as Derrin touched him, he lashed out, writhing and catching Derrin on the chin with – Khaya presumed – a fist. For crying out loud! She should have completely immobilised him.
Derrin hardly seemed to feel the attack. He appeared to wrestle an unruly, and invisible, child. Before Khaya could take a better grip on him with her Insight, Derrin had him restrained. “Reveal yourself,” Derrin commanded.
“You first!” he retorted.
“You are in no position to make demands.” He emphasised the point with a small movement of his hand, making their captive howl.
A man – a boy really – was lying on the floor, his body twisted and his arms pinned behind him. “Can you let go of me?” he moaned.
Derrin pulled him to his feet and pushed him with his belly up against the wall. “Who sent you?”
“No one.”
Derrin bent his arm up an inch further and the boy lifted himself to his toes, screeching. “Who?”
“The Company put me on night watch duty. Said there had been a few break-ins at businesses in the area and that I was to alert them if anyone was to try anything here.”
Khaya’s Insight was still within him. She could see his heart hammering in his chest. His very blood seemed to be on fire, his muscles coiled like a spring.
“How were you going to alert them?”
“I would, um, go to, um, their house− Aaah!”
“That doesn’t sound like a clever plan to me,” Derrin snarled by his ear, pushing the guard’s arm up high against his back and making him squeal louder. “Now, try again. How were you to alert them?”
“I wasn’t. No! Please, let me finish. My partner is the one who can contact them.”
Without letting go of their captive, Derrin looked about, scanning the gloomy room for signs of another guard. “Where is he?” Derrin growled.
“Um−”
Derrin flipped the boy round to face him, pressing his forearm against his neck. “If you would like to see the next sunrise, I suggest you tell me. And don’t make me ask again.”
Khaya took a step back. She’d not seen this side of Derrin before. His eyes were pools of lava, his jaw tight and his nose wrinkled in a snarl. Would he really kill this youngster for refusing to give them information? He was only a boy. She guessed about sixteen. Was Derrin that sort of man?
“The kitchen. But you're too late. She would have sent the message already.”
“Khaya, if he moves, stop his heart.” Derrin disappeared, releasing the boy.
He coughed, rubbing his shoulder and arm. He looked at Khaya with narrowed eyes. “You must be the cracked nut, then.”
“The what?”
“You know: loony, demented, insane, psycho?”
She studied him. Taking in his soft, baby face, the trousers that were a couple of sizes too big for him, the patched shirt. He was young. She didn’t want to hurt him. “Did you know I can kill with a look? Stop your heart at will? Or burn you alive with your own nerve impulses? If I were you, I’d speak kindly to me. Your mother did teach you manners, now didn’t she?” She leaned in closer as she spoke, driving home the message.
His face paled and his mouth hung agape. Khaya’s face wore a cold sneer. She was quite proud of her performance. She even scared herself. That made her laugh and the boy leaned against the wall, putting as much space as possible between them.
Derrin appeared beside her. “We need to leave. I was too late. They'll be here soon.”
“If you try to follow us,” she said, “I will give you a good taste of my ability.”
The boy shook his head and Khaya followed Derrin out of the door. Half way down the stairs, the library door opened in front of them.
Chapter Eighteen
Coming Full Circle
Whoever was opening the door paused, his voice drifting up to them. Derrin couldn’t hear what he was saying, but it gave them a moment to turn back. This time, they pushed in by the door to left.
Row upon row of bookshelves filled the room. They dashed down these passages. “Do you know of any back exits?” he asked.
“I think there is a fire escape in the far left corner.” They sprinted towards it, Khaya hitching her dress up above her knees.
He lifted the latch across the door to the fire escape, opened it and gestured for her to go through. She stepped onto the platform outside. The door to the library opened and three – no, four – people were running towards them. “Hurry!” he whispered to her, climbing out as well. He pushed the door closed behind them.
The ladder was pulled up and hooked against the platform to prevent would-be thieves from using it to gain access. Derrin lowered it. It made a horrible screeching noise from disuse and even through the closed door, he was certain their pursuers would hear it. Abandoning all hope of lowering the ladder quietly, he let it drop. “Go!”
Khaya rushed over the ledge and started her descent. She slipped. Shock shot through Derrin’s body at the sight, but she caught herself easily and continued without as much as a squeak.
He waited for her to be halfway down before Leaping to the ground. He glanced out from the alley. There were several men outside the library. He ground his teeth. He would not allow these men to capture her.
“I'll distract them,” he said when she reached the ground. “When they come after me, run the other way.” He pointed to a direction.
She grabbed him by the arm as if to stop him from disappearing. “What if they catch you?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear. Fear for him, not for herself. What a strange creature she was.
“They won’t,” he said and winked. “I will meet you as soon as I can. Follow the same path as we came in by. If you reach the horse before I’m with you, wait there if you can.” She released his arm and nodded her head once. He
Leapt.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Somewhere in the distance, to Khaya’s right, a loud crash sounded. The men outside the library all set off at a run in that direction and Khaya darted away to her left. Her heart pounded and blood rushed in her ears. Behind her, the clang and clamour of several men running down the fire escape ladder rang out.
She kept her gaze focused on the corner of the next building. If she could reach that without being spotted, she should be in the clear.
Rounding the corner, she slammed her back against the wall, trying to still her breathing so that she could listen for pursuit. There was none and she allowed herself a small smile before setting off again. She circled around a few blocks away from the library to get back to the route they used coming into town.
Where was Derrin? She was almost to the edge of town and she’d hoped he would have caught up with her already. “Khaya,” a voice called from a short distance away.
She sighed in relief. She turned and the smile slipped from her face. “Brier? How did you find me?”
“I heard there was something going on at the library and I knew it had to be you. I rushed out here to see if I could help you.”
“Like you helped me into the lawmen’s dungeon? Bound and blindfolded in a cage?” she spat. Rage suddenly burning her soul.
He held up his hands. “I didn’t know that was going to happen,” he said, a frown pulling his eyebrows together. “How could I? Please, Khaya, I love you. I would never do anything that would hurt you. You have to believe me.”
She hesitated. He’d never before told her that he loved her. “I don’t have to believe anything you say.”
He hung his head. “I’m so sorry, Khaya. I tried to convince them of your innocence. I fought to have you released. They wouldn’t listen. Then I heard you'd escaped. I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy. How did you manage to do that?”
She wanted to believe him. It would mean she hadn’t been a total blind fool. Brier looked to his side. It almost seemed like he was listening to something. He gave his head an almost imperceptible shake. Something wasn’t right. “Come with me, Khaya. I will protect you. I’ll hide you. We can go away together. Start the life together we’ve spoken of. Start over.” He held a hand out to her, his eyes glistened with tears.
He looked sincere. She paused. He made a small, sharp gesture with his hand, as if telling someone to wait. That must be what I look like to others when I speak to Derrin, Khaya thought. Then it struck her. “Who’s with you?” she asked, taking a step back.
Brier looked around. “What do you mean? You can see I am alone.”
“I’ve learnt recently that you can’t always trust what you can – or can’t – see. Who is with you?”
His face remained perplexed for a moment. Then he launched toward her. She yelped and turned to run. He was on top of her in an instant, tackling her to the ground. His weight crushed her and she struggled to breathe. She used her Insight, concentrating on his muscles, making them contract and release at her will. She handled him like a puppet, making him roll off her.
She scrambled away and stood, looking down at his rigid form. She held his muscles in place, making it impossible for him to stand up.
Something struck her across the head, knocking her to the ground. Her vision swam. Her hold on Brier vanished and he leapt to his feet.
She tried to push herself up, but the world spun and she dry heaved. An unseen hand grabbed her hair, pulling her up. He was going to rip her hair out by its roots! She screwed up her eyes, grabbing at the unseen hands that held her, screaming.
A dull thud. She collapsed as the grip on her hair vanished. A blur of movements sent dust, twigs and foliage flying. She thought she caught a glimpse of Derrin. He was attacking whoever had hit her.
Brier, eyes alight with hatred, grabbed her by the throat. Forcing herself to remain calm and in control, she used her Insight to make his hand loosen, then drop to his side. “No!” he screamed.
Khaya shook her head, waving her finger side to side. She brought her fingers and thumb together, indicating for him to keep quiet. She made sure he obeyed, clamping his jaws shut. She was sure they would start aching soon. Good.
She locked his muscles in place, preventing him from moving. He tried to talk, but managed only muffled sounds. If she had her way, he’d never speak again.
She realised what she’d just thought and her cheeks turned crimson. Where did that come from? She hated him for betraying her. But wanting him dead? What made it worse is that she knew how easy it would be for her to do it. With a single thought, a random notion, she could snuff out his life.
She blinked.
She’d almost done it. What was happening to her? Was this it? She’d snapped? She was crazy?
“Heran?" Brier said as she slackened her grip on his jaws. “Get up! Finish him. We have her. Get up!”
Derrin stood looking down at where – Khaya assumed – Heran lay. He winked out from view and appeared by her side.
“Try to follow us, and I will end your life.” She locked gazes with Brier, making sure that he had no doubt of her sincerity.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Derrin limped along beside her. He was out of breath by the time they reached the horse and barely managed to pull himself up. “Are you going to die?” Khaya asked as the horse carried them away.
He snorted. “I’m not alive so how could I die?” The horse’s hooves made a rhythmic chant in the silence that followed. “This wound can’t be fatal. It will heal, but I feel pain just as I would have when I was alive.”
“Then we should be able to soothe it as well.” She had him stop several times to allow her to collect various plants and herbs that she spotted growing in the forest.
When they finally dismounted, Khaya got a fire going. She boiled a pan of water and shredded the vegetation she’d collected before adding it in. She stacked a pile of stones on either side of the fire and put the pan atop this, lifting it off the flames. The boil slowed to a simmer. Once all the water had evaporated, she carried it to Derrin.
“What’s the use of that?” he asked. “I’m not eating that.” He screwed up his face, reminding Khaya of a baby she’d seen refusing to allow the spoon to enter its mouth.
“It’s not for eating,” she said. “Where are you hurt?”
With a grimace, Derrin pulled up his shirt, exposing a wide gash across his stomach. “This is the worst one.”
The wound yawned and she had to take a moment to gain control of the impulse to be sick. “At least it's a clean cut,” she said, attempting to hide her revulsion. She sat down next to him and touched the poultice to check the heat of it. It was still a little warm. “This needs to cool a bit before we apply it.”
“What is bothering you?”
She kept her eyes downcast, studying the contents of the pan. “Oh, so many things.”
“No, I mean now. Since the confrontation with Brier. What did he say to you?”
She shook her head, still not looking at him. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head up, forcing her to look him in the eye. Those dark soulful eyes. “You can talk to me.”
“I wanted to hurt Brier,” she muttered, averting her eyes.
“Is that what’s bothering you? Look, when someone threatens your life, you defend yourself. You get angry and that helps you to fight. That’s natural.”
Pursing her lips, she shook her head. “It was more than that. I wasn’t just defending myself. I enjoyed controlling him. I nearly gave in to the temptation to kill him!” She paused, swallowing, then whispered, “Do you think I’ve gone crazy?”
“No,” he said, cupping her cheek in his hand. “You have discovered how powerful you are. I’ve seen enough people get seduced by their power to know how easily it can corrupt. But, it is in your control. You must learn to wield it. Each experience you have will teach you lessons.
“Today, you proved that you – not your ability – are in control. Trust you
rself.”
“Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
Khaya finally lifted her gaze to meet his. His hand was still cupping her cheek. His jaw stiffened and he dropped his hand, looking away. “Our situation has become more precarious. We need to find a way to get you safe and away from me.”
“What? No. I don’t want to be without you.” Realising what she'd said, her cheeks burned. She hoped he didn’t notice. “I mean, I don’t want to be alone in this. You make me feel safe.”
“That was a Collector with Brier. They know now that I am helping you. This will infuriate the Highest. The leader of the Collectors, if you like,” he added at her blank look.
“Is that why you want to leave me? Because you are afraid they will come after you now?”
“No! They are going to redouble their efforts. They will not stop until they have you.”
“Why? Why are they so intent on killing me?”
“One thing at a time,” he said. “We focus on the Company. We find this group that is in charge.”
“Where do we start, though? All we have is a note with an emblem at the top and a slogan.”
“We have one other thing. “We know someone who knows who they are.”
“Phalio,” Khaya said, realising what he was suggesting.
He nodded. “We go after him.”
Chapter Nineteen
Blurring the Borders
Brier’s tea was cold in front of him. They’d failed again. They’d been so close. How had she slipped through their fingers? For someone who didn’t deserve life, she sure had good fortune.
Who would have thought the disgraced and dishonoured Collector would dare show his face. Dare, once again, to interfere with Council orders. He slammed his fist onto the table, making his cup topple and spilling the cold tea. It dripped to the floor.
Again, he looked at the clock. It had been hours. Heran had said he would need to speak to the Order. To get advice on how to proceed. Brier didn’t know what there was to discuss. Now more than ever, they needed to capture Khaya. They could deal with the Betrayer after. She was the abomination. No one should be above the law of nature.
Riddle of Fate Page 12