by Ching, G. P.
"Then spill it."
"We need to go see the medicine woman."
"I thought you were the medicine woman."
"When I was on the other side, I promised I would take you to see her before prom. There's something she needs us to do."
"Why me?"
"She didn't say. But she made me swear. I know she wouldn't if it wasn't important."
"Fine. Saturday. Meet in the forest behind Dr. Silva's. We'll use the staffs. Hopefully, it won't take long." He pulled a stack of books into his arms and slammed the locker – hard.
"Oh, believe me, I'll be doing everything in my power to make it as short a trip as possible," she said, but she wasn't sure he heard her. He was halfway down the hall and the bell was ringing. Malini forced herself to turn away and headed for class.
* * * * *
No matter how much time Malini spent dreading Saturday, it came anyway. She drove to Dr. Silva's, anxious to get the trip over with. Every minute she was with Jacob was another minute of feeling like her still beating heart was being torn from her chest.
She parked her car, grabbed her staff out of the trunk and hurried toward the woods. With so much to do before prom, she hoped this wouldn't take long. She needed to find a dress to wear. Shopping was impossible. What did you wear to a dance with Death? The red dress she'd worn during her initiation was perfect, but she'd never find anything like that in the human world. What was she thinking inviting an immortal to prom, anyway? No one could live up to the expectations of prom night, let alone the added stress of being someone's first date in who knows how many millennia.
"It's about time. I've been waiting for like fifteen minutes." Jacob was standing at the edge of the woods with his staff in hand.
"I thought we said noon? It's only 12:05."
"Well, I assumed when you said noon you wanted to be there by noon. I allowed for travel time."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. We have enchanted staffs. It takes like two seconds to go anywhere. Besides, we're going to the Achuar village. They don't even own a clock. It's not like we can be late."
"Fine. Let's just go." He held out his hand to her.
"What's that for?"
"We need to hold hands so that we end up in the same place at the same time."
"Why can't we just both pop over to the village?"
"Do you even know how to get there? Have you been there before?"
Malini thought about that one. She'd only met the medicine woman on the other side. She hadn't actually been to her village. For the staffs to work, she needed to picture where she was going clearly.
"Point made," she said and slipped her hand into his. As soon as she did, she regretted it. Her mouth went dry and a zing of electricity travelled through her. Their eyes met. More than anything she wanted him to kiss her. She hated herself for it but she did. He leaned forward, stepping into her, and for a moment she thought he felt it to, that he might close the remaining distance between them. But he didn't. He simply squeezed her hand and lifted his staff. With a crack and a flash of light, they were standing in the Achuar village.
The villagers came running, the children grabbing their hands, the adults chattering back and forth between themselves in a language Malini didn't know.
"They're asking each other if we're Gods," Jacob said.
"You can understand them?"
"Ever since last year when I was here, I've been able to speak other languages. Remember in Nod, how I could read the signs? I guess it's part of my gift."
"But I was there in the parking lot. Your gift was…is the ability to manipulate water. It's weird that the language thing came on later."
"Our gifts, our powers, develop over time. I don't claim to understand it but it's pretty much saved my Spanish grade this semester. "
"Nice. Why don't you go for broke and be a languages major—really milk the gift for all it's worth."
"Good idea."
They turned when they saw the medicine woman emerge from her hut. She said a few words in the language Malini didn't understand.
"She's inviting us in," Jacob said.
Malini followed him into the small thatched roof hut and joined the old woman sitting cross-legged on a woven grass mat.
There was a selection of herbs and oils in front of her. She mashed them together using a stone mortar and pestle. Standing, she dribbled the concoction in a large circle around Jacob and Malini, and then returned to her place within its boundaries.
"For protection and purity," Jacob translated. "What we are about to do is dangerous, but it must be done."
The medicine woman smiled broadly. With only two or three teeth left in her mouth, Malini wondered how she managed on a jungle diet. The old woman said something to Jacob in her native tongue. His face turned bright red. He didn't translate.
Malini poked Jacob's leg emphatically, until he relented and whispered the translation. "Malini, she's offered to bind us together."
"Bind us together? What does that mean?"
"Umm. I...ah...think it's like a ceremony. Like what she does for her tribe."
"You mean, like MARRYING us?"
"She says it's considered an honor for her to offer without being asked. What should I say?"
"You say NO, that's what you say. We're sixteen years old and we're not even going out anymore! It's ridiculous."
Jacob translated, although she was sure his respectful tone did not include the part about it being ridiculous.
The medicine woman nodded her head slowly, her gap toothed smile melting a little. She said something that sounded almost like she was chiding Jacob.
"What did she say?" Malini asked.
"That one was meant for me." He looked down at the dirt.
The old woman reached for Malini's right hand, the hand of death, and pointed at the crook of her elbow. She said a few words and her face grew positively grim.
Jacob's head snapped up, his attention turning to Malini's hand. He cleared his throat before translating. "She says it's her time. She wants you to release her. I think she wants you to kill her."
Malini yanked her hand back. "NO!"
The medicine woman sat back on her heels, her face serene. She folded her hands in front of her chest, as if in prayer, bowing her head in Malini's direction, and spoke to her in a pleading tone.
Jacob translated. "It's the only way she can die. The next Healer must release the first or she will live forever. She has lived for two hundred fifty eight years waiting for you. Living is very painful for her and she begs for your mercy." Jacob's voice cracked
"I don't think I can do it. I'm not a murderer. It's too awful."
"I think you have to do it, Malini. She's suffering. Look at her. What if this was you? What if you were forced to serve as a Soulkeeper for over two centuries and the only way you could die is if the next Healer let you go? You need to help her."
"I'll heal her. Tell her I'll heal her."
Jacob translated. The medicine woman responded, sounding absolutely furious.
"She doesn't want to be healed. She's outlived her husband and children. She's watched countless villagers die. She says it's her time. She wants to die."
"I can't. I can't murder someone."
Jacob scooped her left hand into his. "It wouldn't be murder, Malini, it would be mercy."
Malini remembered what Death had said, that the world thought of him as a curse when in fact he was also a blessing. The medicine woman hunched in front of her, her dress exposing the bones of her shoulders. Her father's words came back to her. When they were in Springfield, he'd said Abraham Lincoln was his hero because somehow he knew the Civil War would be worth it. She was a Healer. Part of her job was to look at a situation and know right from wrong. And right wasn't always about life.
If this was how it had always been done, then it was her responsibility to release the medicine woman. The fear, the hesitation she felt, she had to admit it was selfish. She did not want to be alone i
n the world. If she helped the medicine woman to die, she would be the lone Healer. She wasn't ready. Selfishly, she wanted the medicine woman to live to help her.
The circle of protection made sense now. If Malini did this, a huge target would be painted on her back.
"Ask her what her name is. I will not do it without knowing the name she was given at birth."
Jacob translated and the woman answered in a soft, pleading voice.
"She says, Panctu Soolta"
Malini dug her fingers into the bend of her arm and peeled back the glove of flesh from her bones. The hand glowed pale in the shade of the hut. The medicine woman's eyes flared at the sight of it. She lowered herself onto her side within the circle. She mumbled something into the dirt.
"She says, thank you and to hurry, please. I think she wants to get it over with." Jacob reached over and squeezed Malini's left hand. "It's okay. Do it."
Malini lowered her right hand toward the medicine woman's shoulder. The deadly skeletal fingers hovered just over the skin but she couldn't force herself to touch the woman.
Henry walked through the wall of the hut and to Panctu's side. He smiled at Malini before bowing to Panctu.
"Who is that?"
"Henry. I mean, Death. He's come for her soul."
Henry's eyes had turned from black to the burning caverns she'd seen in the ballroom. "It's time, Malini. It won't hurt. I'll take care of her," he said.
Malini lowered her hand onto the woman. The feeling was not unpleasant but was as unsettling as any she'd encountered. Her fingers met skin and the woman's body convulsed. In seconds, the movement stopped. Death reached forward, but his hand did not stop at Panctu's skin. His fingers slid into her flesh as easily as if she were made of water. He hooked his fingers on something and tugged.
Panctu's translucent form rose from her body as if she were hatching from a cocoon. And her ghost was young! Her hair was sleek black, her skin smooth, and she stood straight and strong at Death's side smiling a full set of teeth. The thing that he had hooked with his fingers was her soul.
Death led Panctu from the circle. A door appeared in the hut, a thatched door that might have been the entrance to a Hawaiian themed room at a five star resort. Henry reached forward and turned the knob. The light that poured out when it opened was so bright Malini had to turn away. When he closed the door again, plunging the hut back into shadow, Panctu was gone.
Malini slid her hand back into the glove, then wiped the tears that were cascading Niagra Falls style down her face. She looked toward Henry who had the smallest of smiles.
"See you Saturday," he said and then he was gone.
Jacob jerked by her side. "Oh my God, Malini, does that mean you're going to die on Saturday?" His arms wrapped around her in Jacob's attempt at comfort but he was nearing hysterics, babbling on about what he would do to fight off Death.
"No—" Malini unwrapped herself from his arms and grabbed his hands in demand of his full attention. "He's my prom date. He was talking about prom."
Jacob's jaw dropped open and he pulled away from her. "You invited THAT to prom?"
"He has a name Jacob. He used to be human once. His name is Henry and he gave me this. Remember?" She held up her right hand, the hand she had used to kill.
"Right. The kiss. Wow." Jacob stood, eyes darting away from her. "Just…wow." He stepped out of the circle, grabbed his staff from the wall and exited the hut without looking back.
Chapter 28
Prom
There was no way to prepare for this. Malini flipped through the rack of dresses one by one. Her mother had long since given up on helping her and was sitting on an overstuffed chair outside the fitting room texting someone on her cell phone. She'd offered to take Malini to another store. There was a bridal shop that sold high-end prom attire in Indiana, about forty-five minutes away. But Malini would hate herself for wasting her parent's time and money on a dress she would only wear once. What color did you wear to have your heart broken? She was sure as soon as she saw Jacob with Mara, that's exactly what would happen.
She pulled a red strapless gown from the clearance rack. At least this would match the red stone necklace. Panctu had said it wasn't necessary anymore, but she wasn't ready to give it away, not until she knew for sure that she could cross to the other side without it. Besides, at this point, who needed it more than she did?
Inside the dressing room, she slid into the red sheath dress. There was a slit up the side to her upper thigh adorned with a pattern of rhinestones. She turned to the side, happy that the dress was tight enough through the torso that it wouldn't fall down if she decided to dance. Piling her hair on top of her head, she turned side to side. It wasn't nearly as sexy as the one death had made for her but more modern and only eighty-nine dollars, which was a major bonus. It would do. Plus she had a pair of black strappy sandals that would go. No need to buy shoes.
She brought the dress out to her mother who was giggling to herself staring down at her phone. Her head bobbed up when she noticed Malini. "Your cousin Ashoke is getting married. His parents are alarmed because it is a love match and not arranged. It makes me laugh. Wait until they see that the boy you are dating is not even Indian. It will be the day I married your father all over again." She beamed in Malini's direction.
"Mom, I'm not actually dating Jacob anymore. I'm not actually dating anyone."
Her mother's eyebrows knit together. "How did I not know this? When did this happen?"
"We broke up a couple of weeks ago." Malini pressed her lips together.
"Who are you going to prom with then?"
Malini had to think of what to say. "His name is Henry. He's just a friend."
Her mother stood and reached for the hanger of the dress draped across Malini's arm. She looked disturbed, almost angry, as she held it up and pinched the fabric. "I will tell you this, Malini. Jacob Lau will rue the day he broke up with you when he sees you in this. You will make him cry."
She was going to say that she didn't want to make Jacob cry but her mother had already jetted toward the cashier. Deep within her heart, some part of Malini hoped her mother was right.
* * * * *
Malini spent the week staring out windows. What were the Watchers waiting for? She knew it was just a matter of time before an army of fallen angels came for her. She'd expected it would be sooner rather than later. She almost wished it would happen now. That would save her from prom.
She pulled on the red dress and strapped on her black heels. Her hair was curled and piled atop her head. Her makeup was more natural then what she'd worn to dance with Death the first time, but more her style. As a final touch, she reached for the red stone necklace on her bureau.
"Here, let me get that for you." Her mother walked into her room, and accepted the gold chain from Malini's hand. "You look smashing. I might have to hold your date up when he sees you. And that Jacob—"
"Mom, it's okay. I don't want Jacob to suffer for what happened."
Her mother pursed her lips and clipped the stone around her neck. "This necklace is quite lovely." She took the stone in her hand and rubbed her thumb over it. Malini placed her own hand over the jewel on her chest, worried her mother would get pulled across to the other side.
"It's nothing. Cheap costume jewelry I picked up at Macy's the last time we were there."
"I don't remember."
"You were looking at something with Dad."
"Oh. Lucky, it matches the dress so well. I think it is a sign you will have the time of your life tonight."
"I hope so." Malini smiled at her mother's enthusiasm just as the sound of the doorbell ringing turned their heads.
"Showtime," her mother said, jogging down the stairs. Malini followed but at a much slower pace; she wasn't used to walking in high heels.
The door was already open by the time she clopped across the marble foyer. Her mother and father turned to her with astonished faces. She shuffled faster to get a view of what was on the othe
r side.
When Death went to prom, he did it up right. Henry stood on her porch looking even more dapper than before. The tuxedo he wore maintained its otherworldly quality, draping majestically over his obviously athletic figure. Despite his dark sunglasses, she knew he was checking her out. Besides the flare of red she caught behind the shades, the corner of his mouth lifted.
It was what she saw behind him in her driveway that had left her parents speechless. There was a carriage, black and intricately carved like something out of Victorian England being pulled by two sleek black horses that were neighing and hoofing the pavement. The sun was setting behind this scene, painting the sky red and purple. All she could think of was how the picture outside her door belonged in a movie scene, not in her life, not in anyone's real life.
"It has been a sincere pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Gupta," Henry said in a soft voice that commanded more attention than its volume let on. He extended his hand toward her. "Shall we go? Your awesome beauty will have me standing in the doorway for hours if I'm not careful." The compliment made the bones of her right hand vibrate, as if he'd plucked a cord that thrummed through her body.
She placed the tingling hand in his and that part of her went home. She allowed Henry to lead her out the door. Her father scurried to find the camera. He snapped a half-dozen pictures of them in the yard and then another dozen getting into the carriage.
When the door was finally closed and her father had lowered the camera, the driver turned back and tipped his hat in her direction. Malini saw a flash of bones through the illusion of his flesh. With a crack of the reins, the horses broke into an even trot and Malini waved goodbye to her parents.
"This is amazing, Henry," she said.
"It is not every day I get to have a truly human experience. It's been decades since I've been invited here and normally my visits are on the heels of tragedy."
"You said you used to be human?"
"Oh yes. I was your age when I was chosen," he said sadly. Malini got the sense that it was a distressing memory and didn't press him with questions.
"I think you'll enjoy yourself tonight. Our friend Dane has helped plan the entire event. There's a dinner and dancing. It should be fun."