Void Born

by R. J. Metcalf

  Ann nodded, flipping over the paper to write on the back. “I’d recommend the library first, before they close for their noontime break. And you can ask around town for any rumors that may be of use.” She snorted to herself. “Lucio wasn’t one for subtlety. Maybe that’s stayed the same all these years.”

  Finn sighed. “I’m fearful that his drive hasn’t changed, and that we’re running far slower than he is in this race.”

  “Well, there’s no time like the present.” Ann straightened in her chair, her voice brisk. “The sooner we get what we can from the library, the sooner you can be on your way.”

  Raine stood behind Ann, looking over her shoulder at the list. Her eyes flicked up to his, a warmth in them that he hadn’t seen directed at him before. “I’ll go with you.”

  His stomach flipped. “Su-sure.” Not to say that Raine was cold, but catching a glimpse of that soft beauty left him aware of the absence of it all the more.

  Ann tugged the list closer and wrote on it again before handing it to Raine. “And because an old lady wants to pass the time reading.” She reached out and touched the back of Ben’s hand, drawing his attention to herself. “You can put the books under my name. Basil knows me. He’ll let you out with however much you want to borrow.”

  “Thank you,” Raine tucked the list in her pocket and shot Ben a small smile, her tone light. “You good to go?”

  Ben nodded, off-kilter. Since when did Raine voluntarily spend time with him that wasn’t directly sword training? “Ready when you are.”

  “One thing,” Ann lifted her voice, her eyes wide and serious. “Be careful. After last week, there’ll be those looking for more to blame as Void Born. Don’t stand out.”

  Raine’s elbows pressed close to her sides as her fingers stroked her sword hilt. “We’ll be safe.” She kissed Finn’s forehead and tapped Ben’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ben

  Ben led the way back into the city, relying on his memory for the route. Raine kept pace alongside him, her smooth and confident gait slowing bit by bit the further they got from Ann’s. The unexpected warmth that he’d witnessed less than half an hour ago had dissipated in favor of her cool, collected default expression, and her shoulders tensed as she walked through the gate into the bustling city.

  Ben swiped at the dampness on his forehead as he watched her from the corner of his eye. Should he ask what was bothering her? Did she regret coming here with him? He’d seen her train on days hotter than this, so it couldn’t be that. But what was it?

  Raine’s knuckles were white where she gripped the basket that Ann had given her, and she brushed a hand against the sword at her hip. She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes as she took in the few groups of people out on the street.

  “This way.” Her ponytail bounced as she advanced down the road, barely paying mind to the pedestrians or the buildings and their colorful, domed roofs that flashed in the mid-morning sunlight.

  Ben jogged to catch up with her sudden burst of speed. He reached her side and shoved down the trickle of concern that rose up in his chest at her odder-than-normal behavior. “I take it you know this area?” She didn’t reply, and he dared to reach out and touch her arm. “Hey, we can slow down. We still have plenty of time before they break for lunch.”

  “Sorry.” The edges of Raine’s lips curved up for a brief moment, but the smile didn’t touch her eyes as her gaze darted to each building and street corner. “Yes, Papa and I have been here other times to visit Miss Ann.” Raine slowed her steps, and she tucked a strand of loose hair over her ear, dropping her hand to rub her arm. “When I was a child, this city was friendly and welcoming to all. It’s painful to see what it’s become.”

  Ben slid the knife sheath on his belt closer to his hip, then shoved his hands into his pockets. “Fear makes even the smartest of people stupid.”

  Raine shot him an unamused look. “Let’s not say that too loudly, shall we?”

  “Sorry.” Chagrined, Ben nodded at a bright purple sign advertising dragon-skin garments and boots. “Think the others will have any luck?”

  “With what, learning the news?” Raine’s gaze followed his, and she shrugged. “They were dividing and conquering, right? Some shopping, some selling, some just looking around?” A wry grin crossed her lips. “One perhaps still sulking.” She sighed. “Someone will find something. It’s just a matter if it’s something useful or not.”

  “Fair point.” Ben touched a hand to the dog tags under his shirt, considering. Raine was honest, straight-forward, and not one to mince words. He wanted her thoughts, even though he feared them. “What do you think of the Void Born?”

  Raine missed a step and she turned, eyes wide enough that he could see his reflection in them. Her dusky rose face paled. She walked up to him and leaned in, her voice a harsh whisper as she stabbed her finger in his chest. “That is not a conversation for this place, Ben! What did Ann say about drawing attention to ourselves?”

  “I didn’t think it’d be too big a deal, if everyone else in the city was talking about it.” He leaned back from her intense expression and rubbed his sternum. He lowered his voice even more. “I could be the only crazy person in the group, but I just don’t understand what everyone fears about them. They’re just normal people, trying to live their lives, right?”

  She took a step back, her gaze flicking over him as she crossed her arms, the basket in her hand pressing against her side. “That’s what some say, but not everyone agrees with such simple ideas.”

  “Well, that’s their problem then,” Ben stated firmly as cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. This was not what he’d planned on doing here in the city. But now that he’d started the conversation with her, he may as well finish strong. “If the Void Born aren’t going out of their way to hurt others, then they should be safe to live their lives without fear.”

  “And what of the Void Born traveling with Victor?” Raine asked neutrally.

  “Then their actions speak for them.” Ben swept the busy street with his gaze. No one was paying them any mind. Good. He looked at her. “I say let a man’s actions speak for himself. Don’t decide a group deserves to die because of what one or two did.”

  Raine’s mouth hung open, and she blinked. A faint rosy hue bloomed on her cheeks, and she snapped her mouth shut before spinning away. “Not everyone in this world is as naïvely kind as you.”

  She led him to a massive building of glossy blue stone, sweeping archways, and bubbled roof tops. Her steps hesitated at the doorway, and she let out a deep breath before she entered into the cool of the shaded entry dome, the quiet patter of her boots barely echoing in the expanse. Ben glanced up as he followed behind her, and he gaped at the tiled mosaic on the marbled blue ceiling above them.

  Plants of every shape and color made up the border, all sweeping in to the center, where a tree’s branches stretched out, almost reaching the edges of the mosaic. Half of the tree was shaded in greens so deep they were nearly black, while the other half had whites and pale greens.

  “What’s that?” Ben hitched a thumb over his shoulder as she pulled open a door. She glanced back and dipped her head to it.

  “That,” her voice was pitched low enough that it didn’t echo in the airy chamber. “Is the tree of life that most Perennians worship.” She shot him a sharp look. “You haven’t had all your memories return yet, have you?”

  “Guess not,” Ben lied without meeting her eyes. It was like walking through a mine field, not knowing if the next question was going to give him away. While he didn’t think that Raine would turn him in if she knew he was a Void Born, he didn’t want to know how she’d perceive him. Some sort of zombie or ghost from another world, another dimension? No wonder Void Born were feared in Terrene. Without caution, they’d sound insane if they talked about Earth. And odds were good that some wouldn’t handle the transition to Terrene as peacefully as he was.

  Ben whistled lowly when
he entered the library proper, earning a few glares and an incredulous eye roll and nudge in the gut from Raine. Shelves with books lined the room from floor to ceiling, and a balcony overlooked the lower area. Several tables were scattered among the bookshelves, each workspace already taken. A young woman in white robes stared at them, her jaw slack. Ben offered an apologetic grin and nod, and she ducked her head, hustling away.

  “Where to?” Ben asked quietly.

  “If they haven’t changed the layout at all, there should be some more tables in the back.” Raine clutched the basket to her chest before loosening her grip and letting it swing by her side. “If we can find one, we can set up and just bring whatever we find there to really examine.”

  Raine held herself with confidence as she walked toward the rear of the library. Ben followed, glancing at the differently labeled shelves as he went by. Agriculture and Weather, Royal Lineage and Today’s Politics, History of Terrene. He frowned. Hopefully he’d be able to find something useful for himself without catching Raine’s notice.

  “Oh. That works.” Raine waved, and Ben stepped to the side to get a better look around her.

  Roska sat at a table in the corner, an array of books stacked next to him, and a large tome opened in front of his elbows. His eyebrows raised at the sight of them, but a welcoming smile spread across his face, and he gestured to the empty chairs at his table. “Didn’t expect to see you two here. Need a spot to study?”

  Raine leaned against the back of a chair and set Ann’s basket on the table. “We weren’t exactly expecting this to be on the list of errands to run,” she said as way of explanation. “But it is, so we’ll take you up on that offer, thanks.” She tilted her head, trying to read the books he had stacked. “Keystones and Rituals, A History of Sages, and Side Effects of Elemental Manipulation?”

  Roska grinned and rubbed a hand over his short, thick curls. “I wanted to look up more about the keystone, in case there’s anything else we can use. And Ezekial wanted to do some research, so I’ve been helping pull books for him while he looks around.” He glanced around. “He’s been back and forth, so as long as you don’t mind sharing with him whenever he returns, you’re welcome to it.”

  Raine circumnavigated the table and scanned the stack he had. “I don’t mind.” She shot him a quick grin. “Not a bad idea, actually.” Raine pulled the list from Ann from a pouch on her belt and smoothed out the crinkling paper on the table. “Two of these are mentioned by Ann as books worth checking.” Raine looked up at Ben through her thick eyelashes. “How about you look for the books she has here that can help Brandon, and I’ll look for her personal picks?”

  She handed him the paper. “I’ll remember the ones she’s interested in. Probably.” Her fingers brushed his as he accepted the slip, and he tamped down on the immediate tingle in his hand. She meant nothing by it, and she’s made it clear before that she’s not interested, he chided himself as he turned away, scanning the bookshelves. Besides, he would be leaving Terrene. Eventually. Nothing good would come of something starting between them.

  Ann had only two titles of possible interest for Brandon’s ailment, and they took little time to find. Void Magicks and Blood-bond. Ben looked over his shoulder before walking to the edge of the shelves, searching for anything else that could be of interest to him. Void Magicks had potential. He ran his finger over the spine of a burgundy leather bound book. Void Born and Their Characteristics. A chill ran down his spine. Was it possible to identify Void Born on sight? Him? He tugged on the book and slipped it under his stack.

  Raine hadn’t returned to the table, and Roska didn’t look up from the book he was absorbed in. Ben slipped into the free chair next to the superstitious crew member and pulled the book from the bottom of his stack.

  Was it possible to be ID’d? He cracked the book open:

  Void Born are a menace to society.

  These soulless fiends willingly gave their blood to Elph for use in the blood-bond, and they care not for the woes of mankind. Killing them is no easy feat, however, as Magicks such as Time, the Void, or even Death do not touch them. Better to use a Lightning element, or Fire.

  Ben gave a small start. Jaxton’s time spell to heal his hands hadn’t worked. He was lucky the doctor hadn’t suspected to the point of calling him out on it, or bringing attention on Ben. Ben’s mouth felt dry as the desert he’d been in before arriving in Terrene. He suppressed a chill and focused again on the book:

  How can one recognize a Void Born?

  First, they are always orphaned, or lost in their life, coming into this world through nefarious magic with no family of their own. They are unable to settle, unable to accept that they do not belong. They will walk from edge to edge of Terrene, unable to find contentment in life, as they have no soul for enjoyment.

  Second, Void Born—”

  “Were you able to find anything from her list?” Raine’s voice broke through Ben’s concentration, and his head snapped up. She stacked several books on the table, her attention not directed on him. “I found most of what she wanted.”

  Ben lifted the nearest book and set it over what he’d been reading. He gestured at it. “I found this much.” A bead of sweat trickled down his back, and he pressed against the seat to halt the dribble of perspiration. “Just started looking at it though.”

  “Great.” Raine reached across the table and snagged Blood-bond from next to his elbow. She traced the embossed title on the book and cleared her throat before pulling out the chair in front of her and settling in it. She adjusted the sword on her hip to fit the cutout on the chair’s side. “I’ll check this one, see if there’s anything useful for Papa before we ask to take it with us to Ann’s.”

  Ben skimmed the words in his, reading but not fully understanding what they were talking about. Maybe it’d be best to just take the book back to Finn and get his input on it without an attempt at understanding what the account said. “The absence of wholeness” just didn’t click in his mind as something recognizable. He flipped to the middle of the book and started skimming.

  The only way to create a keystone is to end life while life is being introduced into the world. The easiest method is to take the life of a woman in labor—

  Ben blanched and looked up, staring at the wall of books to his left. Is that how the keystones were made? His heartrate spiked in anger. What sick person came up with that? He closed his eyes and blew air out of his mouth for a count of four, then inhaled for a seven count, waiting for his pulse to return to quasi-normal.

  The back of his neck tingled, and it took him a moment to recognize that it wasn’t because of what he’d just read. He cocked his head, still facing the bookshelf as he scanned the room with his peripheral.

  Roska hummed to himself while rubbing the rabbit’s foot he had on the tabletop, but completely oblivious to what Ben felt. Raine—it was Raine who watched him. Ben kept his gaze moving while he mentally took a picture of her: leaning back in her chair, pencil twirling in her fingers, eyes speculative and yet shuttered. He couldn’t get a read on her. What was she thinking about? Him? His heart stuttered, and he dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. She was probably just working through what she was reading, and hadn’t even realized she was staring.

  Ben turned more pages in his book in an attempt to distract himself from the weight of her gaze. What was going through her head? His eyes skimmed over the words without retaining anything of what they said. He shook his head and willed himself to focus. Whatever her issue was, he’d do his job here.

  Roska groaned and slammed his book shut. “This doesn’t have anything useful in it.” He pulled out his pocket watch and pressed a button at the top to pop open the protective lid. “We have an hour until they close. Marvelous.” He frowned. “And where is Ezekial? I need to find out if he wants these books or not.” Roska stood, and the chair squeaked as he dragged the feet against the floor. He grimaced. “Be back in a few.”

  Ben raised his eyebrow at the pa
ge he’d opened to. Beautifully drawn into the page was a crimson gem that looked vaguely familiar. He rotated the book and pushed it toward Raine. “Does this look like something useful?”

  Raine’s brow puckered as she scanned the page. “It does. I feel like I recognize that.” Her eyes lit up as she shot Ben a smile that liquefied his spine. “Great find. We’ll bring this one to Papa and see if he recognizes it.” She pointed to the book Ben had under that one. “Anything good in that one?” She reached out and slid it to herself before Ben could stop her.

  The excited spark in her eyes dimmed as she read the top of the page: How to identify Void Born. Her face tightened. She shoved the book back across the table, not meeting his eyes. “I don’t think joining the witch hunts will be helpful, Ben.”

  Tongue-tied before her sudden ire, Ben shook his head. “There was a mention in another book. It got me curious. And I don’t remember everything yet,” he lied again, guilt weighing on his head even as he looked at her. How many lies will I tell before I’m home?

  Raine met his intent gaze, her eyes wary. He poured all the earnestness he could manage in his slight smile. One second. Two seconds. Three. The flat lines around her lips softened and she nodded slightly, still holding his attention.

  A book dropped on the table, and Ben tore his stare away from Raine. Roska stood there, his eyebrows raised as he looked from Ben to Raine, unimpressed. Ezekial loomed behind him, his face lit with a knowing smirk. Roska spoke, hitching a thumb back at Ezekial. “He’s done here, and I’m ready to go. Should we take these back to Finn?”

  Raine scrubbed at a spot on the table with her thumb, not looking up. “Ann said to talk to Basil; he’ll be happy to loan out books to her name.”

  “Right.” Roska scooped up the books on the table and stacked them, shaking his head. “I’m not sticking around with all the library eyes going on.”