“Yes, that’s true. Sometimes, you can move up in rank if your ability is seen as particularly useful. Healing is almost always a step up. So is Traveling,” Trent said.
“Hey, well, that’s cool for you,” I said, leaning sideways and bumping his shoulder. “How many powers do you have total? Anything besides the Traveling?”
“No, that’s all I can do,” Trent said, ducking his head as if embarrassed.
“What’s the matter with that? That makes you a Two at least. That’s not so bad. Plus, it’s a stupid system anyway. It doesn’t actually reflect your worth,” I said, trying to get him to look me in the eye.
It took him a moment before he finally looked up. “Ava, there is one more thing you need to know. Tenebris has ordered all Travelers to be in his direct service. They live near the palace or serve in the different provinces as a glamorized taxi system. In return, they’re all given a status of Three.”
“So you’re a Three then?”
“No. According to government records, I have no magical abilities.”
“What? Why not?” I asked, stunned.
“Because I refuse to be a prisoner of Tenebris in any more ways than I already am. Travelers aren’t even raised by their families. As soon as their ability is discovered, they’re forced to leave and serve the king.”
“Why does Tenebris want to control the Travelers so badly?” I asked.
Trent looked around warily, as if checking for eavesdroppers. He dropped his voice to a low whisper. “Not many people know this. The only reason I do is because my grandpa was a guard in the palace and overheard an important conversation about it. Tenebris wants to control Travelers because they can weaken Praesidium’s abilities in a way. You see, a person who spends a lot of time in the human realm becomes disconnected from Cyril, and therefore, they are influenced less by Praesidium. You, for example, probably feel no inward loyalty to King Tenebris or even Cyrus in general, right? You don’t feel any different here than you did in the human realm?” he asked.
“Well, no, I can’t say I feel any pull that way,” I answered. “Do you feel it?”
“Yes, but not as much as most because I do Travel to the human realm frequently. But there’s definitely this constant gnawing inside, telling me to abide by the law, do my duty, yadda, yadda, yadda.”
“So Tenebris wants to control the Travelers so that none of them become too immune to Praesidium’s influence?” I clarified.
“Exactly. It didn’t used to be like that. But the group of rebels that killed Trinnen and his family were a group of Travelers. Because of that, Tenebris changed the law to keep a closer eye on Travelers. Now the thing is, Ava, my parents are not fans of Tenebris. When he became king and demanded a census to record every person’s abilities in order to organize us into social classes, my parents reported that I had not yet manifested any powers. At the time, it wasn’t unusual. I was only six and many young kids don’t have any abilities until they’re older. When I was old enough to understand, they gave me the choice about whether or not I wanted to report my Traveling talents. I decided not to,” Trent finished lamely, pulling at more grass.
“So what happens when you turn 18 and you’re not a Two anymore?”
Trent sighed. “I lose my rank. I become a Zero, homeless. Those without powers are not given any civil service position. They have no way of providing for themselves and it’s illegal for them to beg for food or money. It’s basically a sentence to living alone and hungry for the rest of your life.” His face crumpled.
“How much longer do you have?” I asked, tears threatening my eyes.
“A little less than two months ‘til my birthday.”
“Trent, you’ve got to report your abilities. You can’t be a Zero. You’re not a Zero!” I exclaimed, pulling at the hand he’d put over his eyes.
He looked up at me suddenly. “It’s not that simple, Ava. I won’t do it. Tenebris uses the Travelers to do horrible things—carry out his dirty business and enforce his baseless laws. Besides, it’s too late. Any Cyrun who is going to develop abilities should have by age 12. If I reported now, my entire family would be killed for keeping a secret from the government.”
My heart swelled with pity for Trent while simultaneously pounding with anger at this coward Tenebris who was too afraid to find out how loyal his subjects could be willingly. Instead, he forced their loyalty through corrupt laws, evidently aware of his own shortcomings to be a worthwhile leader.
“Why don’t you come back to the human realm with me? You could still use your abilities to visit your parents when you wanted. You’d be free of this silly social system and free to do as you please,” I suggested.
“I’ve thought about it. Perhaps that is what I’ll end up doing. But the thought of leaving my parents is difficult. Plus, there’s always the possibility that one of the surveyors will come along asking questions, wondering where their useless son disappeared to. Seems unlikely, but maybe they could make the leap, figure out I’d skipped realms. The consequences would not be pretty for my parents.” Trent grimaced at the thought. “So I guess I’ll be staying here.”
“That just plain sucks, Trent. There has to be something that can be done.”
“Not likely. And definitely not tonight. We’d better get back home. We’re past curfew. Here,” Trent said, holding out his hand to me. “I’ll get us home.”
I could have just run to his house and been there in a couple of seconds, but I didn’t want to upset Trent any more than I already had tonight. The exploration of my powers would have to wait for another time. Though I didn’t want to, I took his hand and braced myself for the discomfort of Traveling.
Chapter 8
Curiosity (nearly) Killed the Wolf
The following morning was awkward. It took me a minute to remember where I was when I woke up. Then the memory of the previous night hit me. I sat up suddenly, which caused blood to rush to my head, making me feel dizzy.
The Cavanaugh’s couch was comfy enough, but their living room was a bit overwhelming. There was red everywhere—red carpet, red couches, red lamp shades, red pillows. It all looked kind of gory.
I ducked into the small guest washroom I had been shown last night. Though Trent’s family didn’t have electricity, they did have running water, so there was a small, metal sink to wash my face in and brush my teeth. I’d forgotten a brush, so I yanked my fingers through my hair, trying to tame the wild waves. I’d never been much of one for makeup, but the red spots that danced across my face made me slightly jealous of those girls who had perfect skin.
Speaking of perfect skin, when I walked out the back door of the Cavanaugh’s house—not wanting to wake anyone in case they weren’t up yet—I was met by a beautiful, tall, slender girl with thick, brunette hair that reached her waist. She had brown eyes and thick eyelashes. Her heart shaped face turned up into a smile as she met my eyes. She had enough beauty to make any girl envious.
A little too late, I returned her smile. She had already gone back to picking peas in the garden, filling a wooden barrel she carried on her hip.
I sat down on the porch steps to put on my sneakers as the door opened up behind me. Trent came running down the steps shouting, “Meraki! I didn’t know you were coming today!”
The girl dropped the barrel and opened her arms just as Trent scooped her up and spun her around. She kissed him swiftly on the cheek as he set her back on the ground. He shot a furtive glance in my direction, though I pointedly looked the other way.
The scene was perfect enough to make anyone puke. A surge of jealousy ran through me. Stupid not to realize he must have some girl in his life. A guy as good looking as Trent was likely to have a following bigger than I wanted to think about. I hadn’t realized I’d been letting myself develop feelings for him. I had to put a stop to that immediately.
Without a word or any further introductions, I headed into the woods in the opposite direction of Trent and Meraki. It was time to discover my limits.
Once I felt sufficiently hidden amongst the trees, I stopped, looked around at my surroundings, breathed in deeply, and then took off as fast as my legs could carry me.
Instantly, a smile broke across my face. This was pure joy. The trees moved so quickly passed me they were barely recognizable. The forest turned into solid walls of green that twisted and turned exactly when my body did. I didn’t have to think about missing trees or dodging roots on the ground. It was like a sixth sense was keeping track of all of that for me, telling my body exactly where and how to move.
Apparently, my sixth sense needed some work.
Without warning, my body was totally emerged in cool water. I splashed to the surface, sputtering for air, shocked by the chill of the water which permeated every inch of skin. The air had been relatively warm—how could the water be this cold?
Glancing back, I realized I’d unknowingly plunged off the edge of a mossy cliff into a large lake below. The water stretched on for quite a ways in front of me before narrowing into a rift between two tall cliff sides.
“Who are you?” a high, clear voice rang out over the water. I looked around frantically, trying to identify its origins to no avail.
“Excuse me?” I asked. “Is someone out there?”
There was a slight rippling in the glassy water in front of me. Whatever was causing the disturbance was headed in my direction, and my sense of self-preservation told me I really didn’t want to meet whatever it was. Treading water as quickly as I could, I began to retreat to the cliff where I’d fallen.
“I asked you who you are.” A cold, silvery hand shot out of the water and grabbed my forearm. The sound of the voice sent shivers up my spine. My progress toward the cliffs was immediately halted. Whatever had hold of me was strong—extremely so.
The rippling water wound around me as I continued to tread water with my feet. Then a beautiful female face with yellow irises and brown hair that was nearly purple emerged from the water. Her eyes were frightening yet enchanting. The hand belonged to her and matched the silvery tone of skin that wrapped around her exposed neck and collarbone.
“It’s dangerous for strangers to enter these waters, darling,” the creature hissed, her voice sounding less human and more snake-like. “There are many hidden creatures lurking beneath the glassy surface.”
“Right, I wasn’t aware of that, so I’ll just be going then. Sorry to disturb you,” I answered breathlessly as I tried to pull my hand away and continue toward the cliff.
“I’m afraid not,” the creature said, pulling me closer to her frighteningly beautiful face. “You see, your King Tenebris may be king of the lands of Cyrus, but he has no say over what happens in the waters. We serve a different master. Any creature who enters our waters is subject to our laws, our rules. And Master doesn’t take kindly to intruders.” The creature’s eyes grew hungry as she pulled me closer.
I jerked my arm up and, to my surprise, it slipped right through her grasp, as if she were nothing more than a ghost. Thank heavens my abilities worked better here! The creature let out a shrill shriek of exasperation at my small escape.
As soon as I was free, I swam, frantically. I knew I couldn’t out swim her, but any time she tried to grab me—around the stomach, around my legs, by the arm—I simply slipped through her grasp as effortlessly as wind whips through the air. The creature let out shrill gasps of anger at my continual escape but never gave up pursuit.
Finally, I reached the cliff side. It was about a twelve foot stretch to the top with very few footholds. I’d never been much of a rock climber, but I had no choice other than to try. The creature continued to grab at me as I scrambled up the slippery slide, but her hold found no purchase. I could feel my entire body being positively filleted as I moved clumsily over sharp edges of rock that protruded at every angle.
Another sharp screech rang through the air as the creature finally stopped clawing at me. A glance below showed a flick of a scaly tail as the monster emerged itself back in the depths of the water. I figured I must have climbed too high for her to follow—she likely couldn’t leave the water entirely and had been forced to give up.
Gasping for air, I flopped face down on the top of the black cliff, feeling the intense pains from my frantic climb. I gave myself only a few seconds to catch my breath before dragging myself into a sitting position to assess the damage. There were several scrapes and cuts that covered my body. My clothes had been torn in several places, exposing bloodied skin underneath. The two deepest wounds appeared to be on my right thigh and just below my collarbone. The one at my chest tugged painfully with every breath I sucked in.
I peeled myself off the side of the cliff, knowing I needed to get back to Trent’s house so Sam could heal me—again. I owed the man big time.
Then, to my utter horror, a sharp, yellow talon swiped at my shoulder. I thought for certain the sea creature had found a way to follow me, but as I looked up, I saw that it belonged instead to an enormous, bird-like creature quite different from the one I’d just encountered, yet every bit as terrifying.
The fiend bared its sharp, gruesome teeth at me, snapping at my face. I was barely able to dodge unscathed. Its body was covered in scales rather than feathers, and it beat its leathery wings into my sides over and over. Each blow stung, allowing no time to recover before the next blow would hit.
Desperately, I tried to break into a run, but the creature moved as fast as I did, swooping in front of me and berating me with its wings and talons.
I stopped attempting to run, calling out for help instead.
“Help! Anybody!” I screamed.
The bird snapped at my face again, its teeth grazing my cheek. I could feel the blood trickle down my face. As if I needed any more of that leaving my body. Sheesh!
I began to tremble, convulsing and moving in strange ways. My mind couldn’t make sense of what was happening. A frustrating fact, considering I really needed my mind to focus at the moment.
A warmth spread throughout my body as my own shape began to blur, fading in and out of focus. The warmth grew stronger until a rush of heat tore through my body. It was so intense I thought I was burning from the inside out. What was this creature and what was it doing to me?
Then, inexplicably, I was on four furry legs. I looked down at where my hands should be and found paws instead, with sharp, dangerous claws. My teeth also felt dangerous.
A ferocious snarl ripped through the morning air. I looked around with exhaustion, trying to locate what new vicious creature was coming for me. There was nothing else in sight. With a start, I realized the sound had come from me—I had growled.
The bird’s sharp claws grazed my furry neck where I felt more blood trickle. Instinct took over, and I snapped at the bird, my jaws locking around its ugly talon. I yanked forcefully and the talon ripped from its body, dropping to the ground with a sickening thud. The bird cried out in fury and swung for my eyes with its talon that was still intact. I lunged again, narrowly missing.
Another guttural snarl ripped from my chest. The bleeding bird snapped its wings at me, hovering over me in the air, trying to decide how next to attack. I released another ferocious snarl, warning the creature to leave. It debated for a moment, then took off into the air, disappearing after a few flaps of its leathery wings.
I breathed deeply in and out, trying to calm myself down. I realized my breaths sounded like a dog panting.
Though afraid of what I was going to find, I dared to look myself over more carefully. One thing was for sure—I was completely and totally covered in a thick, silvery-white fur. I had four legs, sharp teeth, and could growl. Did this mean I was a dog? No, I felt too large for a dog. A wolf maybe? That felt more accurate.
Curious, I ran to the lake’s edge. Hesitantly, I looked out over the edge at my own reflection. To my horror and amazement, a silver-white wolf stared back at me. An enormous, beautiful, frightening looking wolf with large patches of blood in all the same places I was bleeding.
Except it was a huge deal! I just morphed into a wolf! How could I turn into an entirely new creature and not even know I had that ability? This place was mega-scary.
I took one last look at my reflection, shuddered, and decided I’d rather be myself again. As soon as I thought it, the same warmth I’d felt earlier filled my body. It grew weaker, receding back into my chest. I felt myself moving, changing.
Within seconds, I was back on two feet, fur gone, and clothes fully intact—well, at least to their pre-shapeshifting state. I looked down at my Cyrun body and smiled. That was scary. Beyond scary. But also super cool. I had no clue I was a shapeshifter! Not to mention, I turned into something pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. The discovery of that ability at that particular time definitely saved my life.
At that thought, I realized it was probably best not to hang around in the same area where I’d been attacked by two vicious creatures. Who knew what else was hiding out here, waiting to finish the job?
Though I was slower now that I was wounded, I ran as fast as I could back to Trent’s house, hoping Sam would be there to heal me.
Chapter 9
Awkward
Meraki and Trent were sitting on the garden bench, talking and laughing as I approached. Meraki reached up and stroked her hair, batting her eyelashes. Trent’s smile widened. The whole scene sickened me, but I had bigger worries at the moment.
Trent jumped to his feet at the sound of my approach, his expression changing in an instant as he took in my haggard condition.
“What happened? Ava, are you okay?” he gasped.
Meraki’s face peered over his shoulder, her expression twisted with a mixture of concern and disgust. Even still, she was beautiful.
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