Chymaera's Overture: a Shadowed Ways novel

by A N Britton

Don’t tell her too much.

  Kels got to his feet like an old man. He drawled his words and chose carefully, “It is all just a little too coincidental. To create a potent disincorporation spell, a witch needs something material from the intended victim. The more personal, the better, genetic matter being best. That isn’t so easy to get from a Thumbra. We don’t shed cells everywhere like humans. We don’t shed them at all without purpose anymore. Traditionally, it has only been done at ceremonies which marked a death. And those ceremonies are pretty damned rare too. So just think about it, a spineless wallflower meets a complete stranger, falls in love and marries him quickly. Then she goes against her own nature and community and intentionally breaks one of our most important rules. When everybody knows that choice only has one outcome. Whoever did this, is old or at least knows the old ways. It looks like someone is trying to either increase their lifespan or increase their power. Maybe both.”

  “Maala would never be a part of something like that! She isn’t devious or hateful!”

  “We aren’t suggesting that Maala’s involvement was voluntary. She is likely under the spell of some sort herself. If someone has bound her to this man, his desires are her desires automatically. This, looks to be a targeted attack. Make no mistake. Someone created this chain of events, just so they would have access to Duana’s genetic material by violating your offering space. They had to watch your community for a while to know how you operated. Because there is something else you should understand; Yesmin altered some of our practices a little over 200 years ago specifically to reduce our vulnerability to witches in this way. Your community is still adhering to acts the larger Thumbra have abandoned.”

  “Fuck! What are we going to do? I can take you to Maala’s house right now and we can get that murdering bastard tonight!” The lights that appeared in Chymaera’s eyes were reminiscent of Molotov cocktails and Kai thought it was a good idea to get her to simmer down. Kels stared blankly at him as if to say “all you Cuzzo!”

  “Whoa, slow down. Kels job is to track the witch down and gather as much intelligence as he can. Whoever did this is no weakling and no idiot. It wouldn’t surprise me if no one in your community has even seen the face of this witch. Maala’s husband is as likely to be a puppet or pawn. Let Kels do his job and report his findings to the Queen. I am sure that Yesmin will want to take care of the witch who murdered her daughter personally.”

  “So, I’m just supposed to sit on my hands while he plays private detective?”

  “He isn’t playing, but yeah. He’s just beginning his investigation and you won’t even be here when he wraps it up. We need to head out of here tomorrow night.”

  “That soon? What about my friends, my school, my fucking life?!”

  Kels took that as a sign to leave. Ruefully, Kai realized he couldn’t exit so abruptly.

  “Look, I will not try to pretend like this is fair. It isn’t, nothing is fair. So just get rid of that concept right now. Chop it into pieces and bury it under concrete. You are a Thumbra. You can live damn near forever if you want to and you will have many, many lives. Sometimes you’ll get to plan your exit. And sometimes you have to deal with exigent situations and leave in a hurry. So you will leave this day-to-day life behind. But you still have your family. And you can still have your friends, albeit at a distance. And I’m pretty sure you will make some new friends as well.”

  “What about my parents? Mama can’t stay here by herself.”

  “She won’t, for now she’ll go to the desert with your dad. They haven’t decided if they are leaving these identities behind yet. They want to discuss it with your brothers.”

  “Then why can’t I go to the desert with them?”

  “Because Chymaera, your parents are adults who can protect themselves as long as they know what they are up against. You are not. You were just beginning your training in some respects, and you need to complete it if you are going to be a help to your parents. And they don’t have your skills, they can’t train you. Don’t worry, they will make their way to us once they’ve talked to your siblings and tied up loose ends.”

  “Nothing I want matters right now, does it?”

  Kai kept silent and returned her gaze.

  Chymaera sighed, “Are you going to even give me a chance to say goodbye to my friends?”

  “You have the day to do whatever you need to; however, wherever you go tomorrow, I go. I am not trying to invade your privacy but, your safety is my responsibility. I also need to see if anyone or anything seems off around here.”

  “Really? I think that’s too much, but whatever. There are just two people I have to see before I go. I’ll tell them you are a friend of the family. I’ll say you came to town for the funeral, and now my parents don’t want me going anywhere alone. They’ll buy that.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate your cooperation.”

  “So how am I supposed to pack for this little, relocation?”

  “Well, I’m traveling in the skin. Zero luggage. I would suggest that you do the same, or as close as you can. There are tons of government aid workers, National Guard, the police, we need to skirt them all as best we can. We will travel on foot as much as possible and I would suggest that we switch to an animal form. Just take what is most meaningful. Have your parents ship anything you can’t carry. But most material possessions you can replace when we get home, to your new home.”

  Chymaera rolled her eyes and threw up her hands up in mock surrender. “I want to say some smartass comment about passing for Lassie or Marley, but I’m done. This is my limit for the day. I will go to bed and try to not think about any of this shit. Good night!”

  Despite her words, Kai thought she sounded resigned (maybe defeated), which wasn’t exactly content, but he would take what he could get. At least, the exchange of information made her seem less adversarial. Perhaps, if he bit back his own words, he could keep her calm and focused and get her back to Oregon in one piece. There was no alternative for him. What he hadn’t said and what Kels hadn’t said was this. Whoever had set up the whole scenario must have been desperate for power because this scheme couldn’t be repeated easily. And it would put the Queen on their trail. So they went for deep pockets., the Holder of the Circle at a birthing ceremony was one of the most powerful Thumbra in any community. And they were personally responsible to make the offering, which was always some part of themselves, when the child did not survive the process. That envelope had been addressed to the Holder of the Circle, not Duana. Chymaera should have made the offering, not Duana. The target was Chymaera, not Duana. Kai’s understanding was that Duana had middling strength, she owed her true power to her mother’s reputation. By now, whoever had planned this gambit knew they’d failed in their objective, but Chymaera was too potent a temptation to give up on.

  Kai stared at nothing in particular as he parsed his situation and options. He wanted to run this coward witch down with Kels, but he would see Chymaera safely to the Queen first. Then he would teach this fool what being prey felt like.

  19 - Not today

  Chymaera

  After stranding Kai in the foyer, I retreated to my bedroom. I brushed by my parents and Kels, saying nothing, not wishing to interrupt their hushed conversation. Believe me, I wasn’t being dramatic with Kai when I told him I was done. Hell, I hoped that saying it aloud enough times would make the heavens or whatever stop fucking with me. Too much I didn’t know and I couldn’t catch my proverbial breath. Once in my room I turned off all my lights except a kaleidoscope lamp that projected colored patterns on my ceiling. Sure, it was childish, but it was also soothing. I returned to my nest of pillows and Fiddle, planning to pluck and stare at the lights until I drifted off.

  But I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing Nana. Couldn’t drift off without being startled awake as if she were near me and reproachful. I didn’t want to think about her, was scared to think about her, but there wasn’t an off switch for it.

  I’d shoved aside thoughts of h
er for hours, immersing myself in things that needed doing and allowing no free space in my mind. But in the quiet of my room, with her death freshly relived, I sobbed, and roared for her and at her, in silence.

  Goddamnit! Rage engulfed me, but I held it in, I didn’t dare release it and allow it to taint even a single soul! There was fury over Nana’s murder, over the theft of her life. Over the violation of our home in its commission. Over the manipulation of so many. And yet, I seethed in rancor at my Nana. While I loved her, or rather the thought of what a grandmother could be, I had loathed her presence in my parents’ home for years. She hadn’t been thoughtful or loving. She’d been small-minded and hard-hearted. And a fucking liar! Duana wanted nothing but for others to follow her and do her bidding whether or not it was the right thing to do. That Nana, who demanded obedience based on her status as an Elder, ran away from her own mother and Queen because she hadn’t gotten her way in something was unbearable.

  I beat my pillows, shredding a few along with my heart. After two hours I fought my way through a cleansing meditation and shoved what was left of my feelings into that handy trapdoor.

  The next morning came early. During the wee hours, National Guardsmen canvassed our neighborhood. They were doing door-to-door check-ins. Sweeping every single household in our little corner of suburbia to make sure that there were no dead shut-ins or suspicious occupants. We passed muster. Kai and Kels assumed the forms of two of my brothers to make that happen, which was disconcerting, but necessary. This wasn’t Nana’s residence, so they didn’t look for her here. We all attempted to sleep again after that, but I don’t know how much rest was possible under the circumstances. As a result, we all gathered to watch the unrelenting news coverage around 6:30 am. My parents didn’t want me to watch it, but I had to see.

  Car accidents. Fires. Heart attacks. Strokes. Falls. So many people were dead or critically injured. The government was searching for answers, but had no leads. The President made speeches and promises. Media outlets demanded government officials explain why they took so long to respond. White House insiders leaked like sieves and reported that various agencies had surveilled us in the “black zone” for hours until signs of life returned. Oh sure, they’d pored over their satellite pics and used drones to take various readings. However, no one even attempted to enter the danger zone until it seemed, well, less dangerous. People wondered how many they could have saved with a little help. Pundits blamed various policies of the opposing political party for somehow allowing this unknown horror by an unknown perpetrator to take place. Various branches of the military, Homeland Security, and the FBI were visible all around the area now and vowed not to leave until they had the culprits in custody. Who knew how many more covert sorts of organizations were also milling around. None of the known terrorist groups claimed responsibility. One of the prevailing theories said this was a gas attack of unknown origin which had caused seizures and hallucinations. But, most scientists were saying no known substance could have been dispersed over that large of an area, caused those symptoms and left no measurable trace.

  I had already bottomed out on how deeply I allowed it all to affect me. I mean, I took in the information, but I stopped feeling it. It was as if a survival instinct kicked in. If I had continued to keep experiencing the tragedy; I don’t know how I would have moved forward, and believe me, my parents were explicit about my need to move forward.

  After about an hour of solid news watching; Kels told my parents what it meant for all of us. I realized then what had been on the edge of my perception the previous night. Kels was a hybrid, part Thumbra, and part Keros-Ki. I had heard of them before, but I had never seen one-not that Kels looked, or behaved much different from the rest of us. There was simply an unknown aspect to him, the feral about him that expressed itself in a predatory stillness. It comforted me to know he was tracking the witch. Later that day he was going off to connect with distant cousins that pack dwelt in wolf form in the Cleveland National Forest to the south of us. The Thumbras and the Keros-Ki (or Werebeasts as they were commonly known) in my area weren’t tight, but a witch was most likely to hide in their territory. Perhaps, and it was a long shot, someone knew someone who had run across this miscreant. Given the loose familial relationship, Kels’ hoped they would overlook his Thumbra side.

  My parents had already made plans to close up the house and for Mama to return to the desert with Papa once travel was allowed. Before they left and along the way, they were to make stops and tell various Thumbra a version of what had transpired. Basically, they were to tell folks there was an unknown threat, a witch, and that witch had murdered Nana. Folks either needed to lie low or move and take up residence with the larger Thumbra community. Those that wanted to go home again could; Yesmin had forgiven all. My parents were supposed to act scared and offer few details. Kels and Kai believed that if any Thumbra was remotely complicit (not that we thought anyone would really dare); the idea that Elder Thumbras were making like frightened bunnies, might make them overconfident enough to show their hand.

  We would not have a memorial for Nana for the time being. And we would not contact or confront Maala or any of her family. Mama and I chafed at that, but it was Papa’s promise of a reckoning that quieted us both.

  The vast majority of the discussion didn’t require my input, and I didn’t offer much. Mentally I was processing how small of a package I could fit my life into. I mean, today was the day. I was supposed to pack up the least bit possible of my belongings and take the day, well -at least a portion to say goodbye to my old life. Oh, and lie to my friends again before running away into the mountains with Kai. At least I had concluded that Kai wasn’t actually hateful. Or, not purposefully so. He was just, rigid. You really can’t judge a Thumbra by looking at him, but Kai was you know older, and he had a kind of company man vibe. Like he was totally committed to serving Yesmin, the Queen that I couldn’t wait to meet. He seemed decent, just different from anyone I’d met before. Once the conversation switched to travel strategies, communication networks, and rallying points, I excused myself to my bedroom.

  I opened my door, and it wasn’t my refuge anymore. Just a room filled with stuff. Weird, right? I used to love my room. I’d redecorated it about a year ago. It was bohemian and bright and comfy. I’d taken my time, choosing every piece of furniture, every pillow, every scrap of fabric, yada, yada, yada and now it was just, whatever. I looked around for what was important and it wasn’t much. It wasn’t as if I needed to pour over my belongings. We had resources; I could buy whatever I needed when I got to my new home. Mama had already subtly suggested that I might want to change my features, adopt a different body type and style just so no casual observer would recognize me. I had been no teen star; however, having been a musical prodigy and in artistic circles for as long as I had been-there were pictures of me in print and online. I would need to reinvent myself, so there was no point in taking clothing, it wouldn’t fit in more ways than one.

  But, then there was Fiddle. Fiddle wasn’t just a thing, some object. Fiddle was everything, definitely irreplaceable.

  A few pictures spoke to me, usually moments caught in time from when I was young. Occasions when I was so taken in that I was just enjoying, just living and not thinking about what would come next. Maybe it was narcissistic to want pictures of myself, but I had a momentary fear I was getting lost somehow. There were pics of my family, so rare for us all to be together. Pics of Nana. Pics of me with Manolo and Alyssa. Even pics of me at recitals.

  So I made a take pile on my bed, and apart from Fiddle it was pretty small. Apart from the pictures, there was about a handful of mementos, a friendship bracelet, a few bits of jewelry from my parents. Then, I also made a burn pile things that were too personal to allow someone else to get their hands on, and yet not meaningful enough to take with me. These were things that my parents would dispose of after I left.

  The rest, I guess my parents could donate. I had my practice violin; it was a wonderful ins
trument, someone could get great use out of it. All my clothes & shoes were in excellent shape. Even all my electronics could be factory reset and have a second life with someone else. At least they wouldn’t sit around, shut up in a shrine to a life I couldn’t return to. I’m sure I was sighing and looking forlorn as I figured shit out and made notes for my parents.

  When I finished, a few hours had passed. Feeling a little like a drama queen, I climbed on my bed and listened to Mahler’s 9th, the 4th movement. It was just fitting, an ending and yet incomplete.

  There was no point in putting it off anymore. It was nearly 9 am and Manolo wasn’t much of a late riser so I texted him.

  I need to see you and Alyssa.

  No shorthand. No cutesy emojis. I figured it was the last complete truth I would tell him.

  20 - Elastic hearts can still break

  Kai

  About 10:30 AM Kai knocked on Chymaera’s door, asking when she’d be ready to go, they had a schedule to keep. She responded by exiting the opening, dressed, coiffed, and accessorized. As she grabbed her bag and lowered her sunglasses, she flashed him a ‘I was waiting on you’ smirk. She sashayed past him and on down the hallway, “I’ll drive, we’re taking my dad’s truck.” Kai shook his head and hurried behind her. He wasn’t sure what she’d planned after they dropped Kels off, but he felt his stoner, hiker look would not cut it. She was chic teen queen in spectacularly ripped, cutoff denim shorts and a knotted Doors t-shirt. Gold tone thongs, slim gold bangles on both wrists, and large gold hoop earrings completed her outfit. She’d pinned her tight corkscrew curls into a frohawk, so a profusion of ringlets fell forward, partially obscuring her sunglasses. Kai wondered who she wanted to impress, he doubted she’d have wasted the energy on him.

  They cut through the kitchen to gather Kels and snag the keys. Kels was ready to go, sitting primly in his large gray wolf form, figuring it would be better to avoid shifting in public. Kai offered to drive, so she could relax; but she didn’t even deign to respond, just snorted and kept on moving. He wasn’t into cars or anything, but even Kai knew Simon’s truck was special. It looked, well mean. He guessed it had to have been from the 50s or 60s. A heavy metal Ford truck with a massive front end in a matte gunmetal gray. A beast with red interior. Luckily, it had a bench seat, so they could squish in, Kels in the middle. Chymaera sat behind the steering wheel with her left heel on the seat and her knee resting against the door. “Where to?”