Forgotten

by Sarah J. Pepper

  He just confirmed it by flicking my pinky. Why that spot in particular? I looked out the window, unable to meet the truth in his eyes. Marco dimmed himself as he shifted gears and started to drive. Somehow, somewhere within me I felt his essence draw away from me, like the very fibers of his being called to me. Blocks turned to miles. Soon we were reaching the edges of Ashwick and then pulling into a driveway.

  “You think my call sign is the Chronicler,” I said when he put the car in park.

  “You fit the bill,” Marco said, just as his head jerked. “But it doesn’t matter right now. Jace will explain it better, when the moment presents itself.”

  “Of course he will,” I mocked.

  “Ever try picking up a book to get information you want?” Marco said in a tone that suggested he had given me a strong hint. I just didn’t get was he was implying.

  I got out of the car. Marco followed suit. I started to unfold Stella, but he stopped me by gripping the cane. He didn’t say a word; he just shook his head, like it was a bad idea to bring it. I tried to pry his hand off. His fist tightened; he wasn’t going to back down. He mumbled that presentation was important tonight. I sighed – the games these people played, were getting old. He let go so I could toss it back into the car. He didn’t offer his hand to guide me. However, he walked slowly enough that I could keep up without stumbling.

  “Appearances have never mattered to me,” I said. “So presentation isn’t usually high on my checklist.”

  He laughed. “You would say that, wouldn’t you? Although, I suppose if any gal were to get away with saying something like that, you could.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Listen, I know you’re working the ‘blindness angle,’ and making Jace work to get back in your good graces, but he’s a lady’s man. Eye candy. A stud-muffin. I could go on all night, rattling off the many names you women have used to describe the Healer, but repeating them, is making me second guess my masculinity. Eventually, he’ll get sick of hearing no, even if it’s from your pretty lips, and move on.”

  I decided to drop the subject and focus on what was going to happen when we entered a house. Few other residences were in the area. The nearest house was at least a block away. The closer we got to the front door, the brighter Marco’s figure glowed. The connection I felt between us grew; a part of me felt connected with his very being. I felt attached to him again, like I could sense his spirit – somehow.

  “How many are there?” I said, pausing on the first step. I felt others inside. They tugged at my soul, just like Marco’s had.

  “Enough, for what is necessary,” Marco replied and then opened the door.

  He walked in silently. I took a deep breath and followed him. It was as cold as a meat locker inside the building. Six dark, muted figures stood in a room, waiting for us. Analee’s glow, indicated that her arm was draped over a ripple, that I’d labeled Zalen. A small frost-covered one, huddled next to one who seemed to be made of ice. From their small willowy figures, they couldn’t be very old – twelve or thirteen. Marco’s silver figure flickered in my sight; he was moving closer to Jace’s hazy outline. I glanced behind me. A flickering orb leaned against a tall, dark silhouette.

  Walking closer, further inside, I started to tremble. The closer I got to them, the more my stomach wanted to do flips. I didn’t feel like I was going to lose my supper, but it definitely wasn’t enjoyable being around so many of them. I outwardly shook, when I finally reached Jace. I opened my eyes slowly, preparing them for the bright light, but he was muted.

  “What is so important about the Chronicler?”

  Marco answered. “She has the ability to weave Elysian into the very threads of life, cupcake; thus, we’re doomed to extinction without her. She is a creator.”

  “Can she weave Elysian into a human?”

  They were silent. It was unnerving, standing in a room while everyone watched, studied, and formed opinions of me. No one jumped to answer, which meant they didn’t know or that it was just another question they refused to answer.

  “You think I’m her – your savior?” I asked, changing tactics.

  “Let the Healer fix your eyes, and we’ll see,” Zalen said, breaking the silence. “This can be over quickly.”

  My skin crawled at his voice. The vibrations hit the back of my throat. It hurt to swallow. I bit down hard, on my cheek. If he would choose never to speak again, that would be fine with me. I looked at Analee. She was the reason for this dog and pony show, and the one in charge.

  “How can one person save an entire race?” I asked Analee.

  “Mankind can give you that answer, dearest,” Jace said. “There are powerful rulers amongst their kind. We’re no different.”

  “Was the Chronicler queen or something?”

  “Dazzling us with the melodramatics again?” Zalen said, sending prickling sound waves over my ears. “The Chronicler always was theatrical, but this is a bit much. Stop pretending you don’t know what is going on.”

  Jace’s silhouette brightened. My chest clamped tight. I couldn’t breathe. I tapped my chest subtly, and hoped Jace would catch on. He must have, because I suddenly could breathe again.

  Analee’s voice echoed in my mind. Like always, she sounded heavenly, but it wasn’t difficult to hear the contempt lingering in her voice. Jace’s figure blazed. The room instantly became hot. Jace yelled back at Analee. Within seconds, they were in a screaming match. Zalen laughed, making my skin itch. The two ice girls stayed in the corner, watching everything play out, while the others argued in their own language.

  “Unless you want to add another human to the death pile, I suggest the both of you relax. Even though Gwyneth has Elysian in her blood, she’s mostly human.”

  I looked over my shoulder. The figure who had spoken, looked like a dark shadow, like a normal person in my sight. He sounded rough like Charlie – two insults away from a swinging match, but if I wasn’t mistaken, it held a hint of humor.

  Jace relaxed, and the temperature in the room dropped. His white silhouette no longer challenged the glory of the sun’s blaze. Analee’s shimmering outline never faltered; she wasn’t backing down. Jace made a comment, masked in disdain and anger. I didn’t have to know their language, to know he and Analee were still at each other’s throats.

  “Did you forget who you were addressing, Healer?” Analee demanded, walking up to Jace.

  Analee’s voice hung in the air, as she spoke in their secret language. Jace fell on his knees, like it pained him to stand as she spoke. I wiped sweat from my brow; it felt like someone was forcing me to my knees as well. It wasn’t completely overbearing, but my legs somehow became utterly weak. I got dizzy. I wished I had Stella to hold onto, since there wasn’t a shadow of furniture in the room.

  The rock walls imprisoned me, but the straw roof allowed light to seep through. An elderly woman, hung from rusted shackles. Her gray hair lay in chunks at the floor. Vomit, urine, and a lovely scent of lilies hung in the air. Her breathing was labored; she neared death. I kneeled on my hands and knees in a pool of urine. My clothes were soaked in sweat.

  “Give me what I desire most, or I’ll kill the Prophet.”

  My head shook as I gazed up to the young man with piercing light green eyes. He circled me, careful not to touch the pool I kneeled in. His brown curly hair looked dark in the dim lighting. The scent of rain lingered around him.

  “Time is slipping away, Chronicler,” he said as he tossed a spear back and forth in his hands. “Your sister is hanging on by a sliver of her thread.”

  “You would condemn our race with the Fates’ deaths,” the old woman uttered. The man walked gracefully over to her. Yanking what was left of her hair, he spat in her face. Her chest rose, as if she was struggling to breathe, but a weak laugh came out. “Utter destruction would be had by all, including the humans.”

  He beat her, but I was too weak to stop him. A testament of my age: I was no longer young and strong. My nai
ls were yellowed. My skin clung to my bones, like the Scavengers. My body warmed, thinking of them taking me from this world. I wanted death but refused to leave this life knowing all hope was lost.

  “Blood will be spilled, and no new life will be had amongst our race without us three,” the Prophet said before passing out.

  I glanced down at her hand. She made the slightest movement with what fingers she had left. Slowly, she made three snipping movements.

  “Our sister will cut, soon,” I whispered to myself. My voice hung in the air, like I’d sung.

  He laughed. “I’ve killed enough of you to know there has already been blood spilled. Give me what I ask, and I’ll end the genocide.”

  An impossibly beautiful, young man, crashed through the roof. His body was engulfed in flames. My captor threw a spear. The fireman dodged the blade, but it scraped his cheek. He slammed his foot down on my captor’s leg, and held it there while the man screamed.

  “This will never heal, Butcher,” he said.

  I was on my hands and knees when the vision cut out. Jace rubbed my back, soothing me, like he’d done before in my dreams. “I tried to keep you from experiencing the Master’s wrath, but she has vast powers.”

  If he wanted to believe I passed out because of something Analee caused, I was fine with it. The excuse prevented me from having to discuss my visions. He brushed my hair out of my face. His fingertips grazed my temple; it tingled blissfully; my anxiety eased.

  He sniffed the air around me, then muttered that my scent had changed slightly. He helped me back onto my feet. I hoped I hadn’t peed myself. The vision startled me, but it wasn’t complete nonsense anymore. Pieces of my visions were starting to form together. It was like I was living parts of them but out of order.

  “What did Analee do?” I asked.

  “The Master relies on her abilities to get answers instead of simply asking like the rest of us,” Jace said.

  “I get results.” Analee said defensively. “Besides, I’ve been lied to one too many times.”

  “She smells like the Prophet,” the flickering orb said, before Analee and Jace had at it again. Her voice echoed in several different languages once she was done speaking.

  “And death,” Marco said, sniffing the air around me.

  I glanced around the room. Everyone else was utterly still as they smelled me. I decided that I didn’t have to explain myself to them if they refused to return the favor. “What happens to my family’s murder investigation if I let Jace heal me now?”

  “They’re still dead, right?” Analee said, followed by something I couldn’t understand.

  Jace’s shadow erupted into a hot blaze. He flung himself away from me. A searing, colorless fire, burst from his feet. His shoulders smoldered, like they were being burned. His hatred erupted onto my skin. It was surreal. I had to be hallucinating, but I swore my skin blistered before it immediately healed. My jaw clenched. If Jace continued to let Analee get under his skin, I was likely to go into shock. Unable to stand the scalding pangs that melted my insides, I collapsed to my knees, and curled into the fetal position.

  “Temper, temper,” Analee laughed.

  “Is it necessary for Jace to be here?” I asked, through clenched teeth, surprising everyone. Out of everyone who was in this room, I trusted that he’d protect me. However, until he could control himself, I didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

  “Kicked to the curb so quickly,” Zalen laughed.

  My ears rang, but at this point I was happy not to be bleeding. Jace’s fiery outline flickered, dimming and brightening. I got the impression he and Analee had a long, drawn out history. He dimmed himself a little more, but wouldn’t control himself well enough to be close to me. He backed into the furthest corner, but refused to leave the room, without me by his side.

  Analee snickered, like the evening was unraveling better than she could have planned. Looking at her beautiful reflection, I stood up and marched toward her.

  Don’t punch her in the face, I thought.

  A blurred, dainty thin scar, that trailed along her hairline formed in my sight. With much restraint to not brush up on my fighting skills, I placed my hand on her shoulder. I expected her to move. I expected her to slap my hand away. I expected her to make a snide comment. What I didn’t expect was for her to stand perfectly still. She acted like she was waiting for me to strike.

  “You don’t scare me,” I said, staring at her captivating scar.

  “I should,” Analee hissed.

  “You might have everyone else convinced you’re this all-powerful leader, but I’m holding the get out of jail free card. From what I’ve gathered, you need me to be willing, before Jace can heal me. I wouldn’t bat an eye if you decided to kill me, but death isn’t what scares me.”

  “You’ve lived through death already and survived. It shouldn’t scare you,” Analee laughed, dismissing me.

  Already survived death? First, she was just as insane as the rest of them – but if I pretended to believe them, then this was another clue to why they thought I was Deino, the Chronicler.

  “Why don’t we just hurry things along and figure out how much you can take, shall we? If it is not death you fear, I’m sure I can find something that terrifies you,” Analee challenged.

  “And this will give you enough proof that I’m one of you, and you’ll let Jace help me?”

  “If you live through this, Jace can do whatever he wants. He’s always had free-will,” Analee said. “A warning, the Scavengers will come for those who have sworn the Oath, but no longer honor it.”

  She then made a comment I couldn’t understand because it was in their cryptic language. As soon as she stopped speaking, the ice girl crawled over to me. Frost caked my skin, where I’d sweated. The young girl reached for me and wrapped her dainty hands around my wrist. My skin froze over my chilled flesh, and my hand tingled for a few seconds, before becoming numb. I clenched my mouth shut, to keep my teeth from chattering. A migraine formed. My entire body trembled like I was stranded in the middle of a blizzard. Ice coated my eyes. I couldn’t move my hands without fear that my finger would snap off if I moved it.

  “This is why I can’t leave, dearest, unless you’d like to feel like you are freezing to death from the slave girls,” Jace muttered, as he placed a hand on me. His temper pulsated through me. “Tolerance, can be forced, as I did with you, but can be deadly if I don’t progressively heal you. If I wasn’t here, they’d wait until you regained consciousness before starting again, forcing you to relive this until you passed out or died.”

  “You act like this is a frivolous waste of time,” I said, through clenched teeth, since he seemed adamant about not relaxing his jaw. “I’ll let you heal me if you swear you’ll still help me find the people who killed my family.”

  Jace sighed heavily. “Analee’s right, even though I’d love for her not to be. I’ll do anything to find the Chronicler, even if it means investigating a cold-case murder simply to have the chance to heal you... We swore the Oath,”

  “To the Scavengers,” Analee said.

  Marco bounced his finger in the air as if he were orchestrating a band. “They swore –”

  “Which we all volunteered to do,” the shadowed figure said.

  “To find the three Fate sisters, at all cost. Before any other undertaking,” the flickering one added. Only one language echoed in the room when she spoke this time.

  “Or sacrifice their lives to the death bringers,” Jace finished. “You see, Gwyneth, we’re destined to find the Fate sisters, or die trying.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Why are they so important?”

  Analee groaned with frustration and then said made another comment to the ice girl. The girl clamped her hand down on my shoulder, freezing my upper body before Jace could react. I wanted to cry but refused to give the Master the satisfaction of hearing me scream for mercy. Jace rattled off a series of curse words. Analee mocked him; her heavenly voice filled my mind.


  “Seriously guys,” I said, gritting my teeth and hoping not to pass out. “I know I don’t belong to whatever club you’re in, but English, please!”

  Dead silence. No one moved, except the girl released her hand from my shoulder and wrist. The air around me fluctuated from freezing cold to blistering hot. My skin started to warm slightly, filling me with newfound energy. It wasn’t long before Jace’s heat blanketed every inch of my body. I opened my mouth to ask what was going on, but I couldn’t exhale. The fiery warmth grew until it burned around me. The warmth was a heavenly sensation, which made the utter quietness around me so confusing.

  “What’s going on?” I said, not understanding what was so significant.