Unfaded

by Sarah Ripley

  “Yeah,” I agreed although the thought of leaving made me want to cry like a baby. "You don’t need to get me home. I can go myself.”

  “Ha,” he said. “That’s not going to happen.” Flexing his ankle, he winced. “I’m not as young as I once was and this isn’t a good injury."

  I smirked. “I thought Unfaded don’t age?”

  “Just because I don’t age doesn’t mean I can’t feel old once in a while. I've fractured my ankle in case you didn't notice.”

  “Do you need a hospital? I can take you.”

  “No, just time to heal. But perhaps I’d better give Lina a call. I’ll get either her or Seito to take you home. They’re going to be watching your house tonight anyway.”

  I made a face at him. I didn’t like the idea of people having to go out of their way to constantly keep tabs on me. Being the helpless heroine wasn’t my style.

  “You’ll just have to get used to it,” he said, reading my mind.

  “Then promise me you’ll teach me to protect myself,” I said. “Once this is over. I want to be able to defend myself. You can’t always be with me.”

  “I can try,” he said. “But you’re right. I’ve made too many mistakes in the past and I’m not about to do it again. It’s a good idea to train you how to fight. Who knows, once your memories really start returning you might remember. Rumour has it you used to be quite good with a sword.”

  I smiled. I liked hearing that. It was good to know I wasn’t always such a wimp.

  * * *

  A quick phone call had Seito at our door within minutes to ensure a safe ride home. He was wearing a black leather jacket and his long white bangs rested over a pair of sunglasses.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yeah.” I zipped up my jacket and took one last look at Kian. He was still sitting on the bed, his eyes closed as he concentrated on using all his energy to heal. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.

  “Absolutely,” Kian said. Opening his eyes, he smiled at me but it was weak, he was exhausted. Seito and he gave each other nods and then I had to force myself to step out of the room and back into the cold.

  “You ever ridden a bike before?” Seito asked.

  Parked in the stall beside Kian’s dented Civic was one of the fanciest motorcycles I’d ever seen. It was a bright red Honda racing bike.

  “Wow,” I said. “That’s beautiful. It’s a VFR 400, isn’t it?”

  I thought Seito’s mouth was going to drop to the floor. “I’m impressed. You know your bikes.”

  “When your Dad runs an auto body shop you learn to like this sort of stuff,” I said as I circled around the bike, admiring its sleek paint job. “But don’t go telling anyone, I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

  “Not a word,” he said and he tossed me a helmet, bright red to match the bike. I pulled it down over my head and adjusted the straps. Inside were headsets that would allow us to talk without having to scream. I pulled on my gloves and readjusted the zipper on my jacket.

  “Don’t you get cold riding a bike in the snow?” I asked.

  Seito shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s worth it. I don’t usually come this far north in the winter. Normally I tend to go south. It was really pure luck that Lina and I happened to be this close when Kian called.”

  Seito climbed aboard the bike and started the engine. It roared to life and he patted down the seat behind him. I climbed on without hesitation.

  “My Dad’s going to kill me if he catches me doing this,” I said.

  “Then we’ll park the bike a few blocks away and walk the rest,” he said.

  More secrets. Eventually the wrong person was going to witness my crimes and it would get back to Dad anyway. I figured I might as well enjoy it while I still had the freedom. Riding a bike in the winter had to be a groundable offense. I’d probably get two weeks to life.

  Seito was pretty good. He drove with confidence and didn’t do any anything that might make me concerned about his abilities.

  It was strange, holding onto the back of someone I knew wanted to see the entire human race destroyed. He didn’t seem like the type to want to destroy anyone. Lina had a bad vibe to her. I could sense that a mile away. She was holding a grudge, maybe something that happened a long time ago. There was a hardness to her face that made her look like the type that might want justice. She was angry. I got that. But Seito just seemed too relaxed to want to do anything harm.

  “Why do you side with Rafferty?” I blurted out.

  “Why do you assume I’m siding with Rafferty?”

  Now that caught me off guard. “Kian said you’re his supporters. Lina said you were. Aren’t you?”

  “The worlds not black and white, Mai,” he said. “I’m sure you know that. I don’t side with anyone.”

  “But you’re travelling with Lina.”

  “I’m a young Unfaded. Only two hundred and twenty. I’ve done some stupid things in my short life that haven’t been favourable on my behalf. I made a lot of enemies. I owe Lina my life. I’d be dead if it weren’t for her. Micah may not understand that but Kian does. So if you ask me why I’m with Lina, it’s because I choose to be. It doesn’t mean I have to share her values. I don’t agree with Rafferty but I don’t agree with the council’s view on killing young girls either. I guess that puts me in the same level with Kian, only he found you first.”

  “So you’d stand by her side and allow Lina to help destroy the world? How does that make you like Kian? At least he’s trying to make changes. He’s taking a stand.”

  “Who said I’d just stand still?” Seito pulled over to the curb and turned off the bike. We were a block from my house. “You’re making me sound like a pacifist. Far from it. When the time comes I’ll know what decision to make. If it means going against Lina, then I guess I’ll have to do it. Besides, I don’t really believe all the stories. I don’t think it’ll happen. All this talk about destroying the world. Bunch of crap if you ask me.”

  “Then why do they keep trying to kill me?”

  “Because fear is a powerful motive to keep people in line.” Seito removed his helmet and placed it on top of the bike. “There is Rafferty’s side and Aelin's side. They both want to keep their numbers high. So they install this ancient fear to keep the other Unfaded from separating. Humans do it all the time. Why do you think there are borders and governments? It makes them fear each other.”

  “I suppose,” I said.

  “Either way, I’m here now and I’m cool about trying to keep you safe,” he said, taking the helmet from my hands and placing it on the bike. “It seems like a good cause and a great way to stir things up. In case you haven't figured it out yet. I'm a bit of a shit starter.”

  “No wonder you get into trouble,” I said.

  “Gotta feel alive somehow.”

  He had a point. Forever was a long time.

  Fifteen

  I walked into a disaster.

  Granny was in the living room, covered up in a blanket and gently humming as she listened to music. Dad and Marley were sitting at the kitchen table. The smell of burning plastic was heavy in the air.

  “What happened?”

  “You need to sit down, Mai,” Dad said. “We’ve got to talk to you about something.”

  I sat down.

  “I’ve called Pine Valley and they’re going to be able to admit Granny as early as next weekend."

  From the living room I could hear Granny singing along to Patsy Cline. Crazy. How coincidental.

  “Isn’t there something else we could do?” I asked. “I mean, I could spend more time at home. I don’t mind.”

  “She almost burned down the house tonight,” Marley said. “She put the electric kettle on the stove and turned on the burner. Luckily your father saw what was happening and threw it out in the snow before it caught fire.”

  “It’s not fair.” The tears rushed into my eyes and I didn’t even bother to try and stop them. Dad got up and put his arms around me.

&n
bsp; “I know, honey,” he said. “But it’s time. What if she tries to do something like this in the middle of the night? We might not get there in time to stop her. At least at Pine Valley she’ll have constant care. It’s not such a bad place. You can come with us and see. She’s going to have her own private room and everything.”

  I nodded.

  It wasn’t fair. I’d been given a gift of eternal youth and my grandmother’s brain was disappearing into a black void. Something was wrong there. Why should I get to live forever if she couldn’t even remember the last years of her life?

  “I’m not hungry,” I said. “And I’ve got a lot of homework to do. I might go over to Bean Town tonight. Is that all right?”

  “Absolutely, honey. Do what you have to do.”

  I went upstairs and sat down on my bed for a while. I looked out the window and wondered if Seito or Lina were watching me. Would they have around the clock surveillance? What about Anique and Sobek? Would they attempt to break into the house if they knew they were being watched? What would happen to Dad, Marley and Granny if that were to happen?

  Suddenly my room didn’t feel very safe. What did I have to do? I had to survive. That’s what everyone kept saying to me. They all wanted me to live. But what price did I have to pay? Was I putting my entire family at risk by just being here?

  I grabbed my backpack and dumped all my books out on the bed. Going through the drawers, I pulled out a bit of clothing and a few other things I might need. Once packed, I put on my coat and found my car keys hanging on the hook by the door. Marley and Dad were still in the kitchen and I could hear the sounds of cutlery as it scratched away on plates.

  Granny was still there, wrapped up in her blanket like an Eskimo. It made her tiny frame look all puffed out. I sat down beside her and gently removed her headphones.

  “Hello, Helen,” she said with a big smile. “Did you have fun at the beach today?”

  “I sure did,” I said. “But now I’ve got to go away for a bit. Will you be all right? Dad and Marley will take care of you.”

  “Ok,” she nodded. “I’ll have dinner on the table for when you get back.”

  “I won’t be back for a while,” I said, lowering my voice so I wouldn’t be heard. “But I’ll come and visit you when I can. You’ll be at Pine Valley by then. I’ll bring you flowers.”

  She smiled. There was no sign of understanding in her eyes. I gave her a hug and her frail arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. The thinness of her body almost made me start bawling all over again. I didn’t want to leave her.

  But I needed to keep her safe.

  I didn’t want to pop my head in the kitchen because I was afraid I couldn’t keep it together. Dad would take one look at me and know something was up. So I yelled out my goodbye from the front door and waited till I got a response.

  “See you later, honey.”

  No, they wouldn’t.

  I was worried that Seito or Lina might try and stop me from getting in my car but if they were watching, neither of them did anything. The street was empty. The car started on the second try and soon I was driving towards the highway and out of town. I would stop at the motel for Kian on the way out. I didn’t think I could go away on my own and I was certain he’d come with me. He’d been the one to first suggest leaving when we drove to the truck stop. I should have listened to him then.

  I had to knock on the door a few times before Kian opened up. Immediately I saw he’d been sleeping. His eyes were full of crusties and his hair was messed up. He was also standing on his ankle which must have still been hurting because it was raised slightly to keep his body weight off. Yawning, he reached out and touched my arm, the sleepiness completely leaving his face the second he noticed I was shaking.

  “Mai? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Cursing, he pulled back the door and let me in. Locking it behind me, he opened the curtains and nervously scanned the parking lot. “Did you drive here by yourself?”

  “Yes, but...”

  Grabbing me by the shoulders, he pulled me close. Electricity danced between us, making it hard to focus on his face. His eyes burned down at mine. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if they’d spotted you? What if you had a vision?”

  “No, it’s not like that,” I said. “Nothing happened. I just, um, I’m ready to leave.”

  “Leave where?”

  “Anywhere.”

  He paused, his eyes gazing across my face, trying to read my mind. “Maybe you’d better sit down.”

  “No!”

  “Ok, then.” He picked up his jacket and put it on. “Let’s go for a drive. Give me your keys.”

  I handed them over. “Can you drive? What about your ankle?”

  “I’ll manage,” he said as he limped over to the door. “I’d better leave a note for Micah.” I waited while he scrawled something on a napkin and left it by the table closest to the door.

  Outside the snow was falling and the ground was covered in a fine white mist. Kian unlocked the car and we both got in. Snowflakes were beginning to collect on the windows but they instantly melted once he started the car and turned the heat on full blast.

  “Let’s get a coffee first,” he said. “Otherwise I might end up falling asleep at the wheel.”

  We didn’t go to Bean Town. That would have been too risky. Certain Unfaded knew I hung out there and I didn’t want to risk running into Connor. So we drove across town to the Starbucks and I went inside while Kian waited with the engine running.

  Once Kian was sure no one was following us, he turned the car towards the highway and we drove for a while until we came to a rest stop. It was a nice place, complete with a perfect view of the mountains and some local history about the founders of Addison. It was also one of the well known places where some of the teenagers partied in the summer. But it was empty now, probably because it was still early in the evening. The ones wanting to fool around in their cars usually showed up later.

  We sat for a while looking out at the mountains from the darkness of the car. Kian kept the motor running for warmth but turned off the headlights. It was a beautiful view but I wasn’t in the mood to admire it.

  “What’s this about?” he finally asked.

  “Dad’s taking Granny to Pine Valley next weekend,” I said. “They’ve got a room for her and that’s it. I don’t even get a say in it.”

  “What’s Pine Valley?”

  “A nursing home three hours away from here. Granny has Alzheimer’s. She’s getting really bad and we can’t take care of her anymore.”

  Kian reached over and took my hand. His emotions flowed from his fingertips and I could tell there was sadness there for me. Or maybe it was the way he looked at me, his eyebrows heavy on his face.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “I had a realization,” I added. “What if they come after me at the house? They could hurt my family. I’ve been risking them all along and I was too selfish to even notice.”

  “No, not selfish.”

  “It’s only a matter of time,” I said. “They’ve been to my school. How soon will it be before they come breaking down my bedroom door?”

  “I don’t know,” Kian said and I could tell he’d been thinking the exact same thing. “I don’t think they know where you live yet, but that could easily change. But I still don’t think we should run away.”

  “Why not? A few days ago you were just dying to get me out of here. You said it wasn’t safe. What’s changed?”

  “We’re no longer alone,” he said. “Micah may not like it and I’m not sure I do either but Lina and Seito are here to help. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. Micah is calling me a coward but I’ve made too many mistakes in the past by trying to keep you to myself. I’ve always failed. Maybe this is the one thing I need to do to keep you safe.”

  “What was I like?” I whispered.

  “You mean when I first met you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I
t was beautiful,” he said. “Just a little over four hundred years ago. You were a blacksmith’s daughter living in a small flat in London, helping your poor mother take care of your eight brothers and sisters. It wasn’t good. The entire city was suffering from Bubonic Plague. The first time I saw you was on a summer day. You were outside the Globe Theatre. Shakespeare was performing Julius Caesar and you were trying to gather up the nerve to go and buy a ticket. At that time it was very uncommon for a woman to go anywhere without an escort.”

  “I guess that explains why I love all those books from that era,” I said with a smirk.

  “I was caught by your beauty,” he said. “I knew immediately what you were and I assumed you recognized me for what I was too. I struck up a conversation and offered to accompany you. You accepted and we watched the play together.”

  Wow. I had to stop myself from getting giddy. I’d actually seen a real Shakespeare play. I think I was more impressed by that bit of information than anything else Kian had thrown at me so far.

  “Afterwards we walked along the Thames and you talked to me about your family. It wasn’t until then that I realised you were something different. By then I was so enamored by you I had no choice but to follow you home so I could come back and court you every day. You changed me, Mai. Up until then I’d been most of a drifter with no real goal in life but existing. I know how stupid this sounds but you gave me something to look forward to. But it didn’t last. They were all ready tracking you and I wasn’t prepared. By the time I clued in to what was happening, you were dead and Aelin's followers had moved on. But I couldn’t get over you and I started spending my days searching for you, knowing I’d have to go through it all over again once I found the your new reincarnation. I’ve never given up since.”

  “What was I like?”

  “Not much different than you are today. Kind. Caring. You were overly worried about your smaller brother who was suffering from the plague. When he died you helped carry his body into the street where the death cart was waiting. You were more concerned about his body getting a proper burial than catching the disease yourself. You mourned for him and everyone else who died.”