She nodded again.
“Why didn’t you tell Andrew?” Gwen asked.
Lily looked at Tiger who was feeling better. “Honey, why don’t you go work with Marian again, ok? But be careful this time.”
Tiger walked wobbly across the dirt to find her friend.
“It’s unheard of Gwen. I don’t know what you know already about our world, but Pete and I are unacceptable. Punishable. Immortals and Manticans aren’t meant to be together.” Gwen remembered the times when she and Andrew even touched. She couldn’t imagine going any further. “I was never even sure Tiger and I would live through the birth. We were always taught interspecies relations would more than likely kill us, and if it wouldn’t our children would die from having both genes. My family would have been killed for my actions. I couldn’t tell them.”
“What were you planning on doing?”
“Escaping to middle earth. I guess we were going to go into hiding. We’d live normal lives and whatever happened to Tiger…would happen. That was when I went to a dark fairy for help getting a portal. She betrayed us and turned us over to them.” Lily brushed her silky hair out of her eyes as she dumped her scrapings into the bag.
“Why didn’t Tiger…die?” Gwen hesitantly asked.
“That I don’t know. I’ve never heard of any others like her that lived.”
Gwen whispered, “Can she use her ability?”
“Yes. She began to use it around two years. How did you borrow from Tiger? The collar is supposed to block out he energy.”
“I. I don’t know.” Gwen wanted to tell Lily about the incident in the gazebo. About the boy she…killed. She wasn’t sure if that was the kind of thing she should be telling a stranger.
“All I can figure is you’re an extremely strong borrower…or weak taker.”
Gwen didn’t want to be a taker. She prayed she wasn’t a taker. Everyone seemed terrified of takers. “Why is everyone scared of takers?” Gwen forced herself to ask as she chipped away at her stone brushing the fine powder into the bag. She was afraid she already knew the answer.
“Being a taker is a very difficult ability to control. I only know of one in history who perfected the art…the others…didn’t.”
Gwen knew she was concealing more than she would reveal. “What happens when they…can’t control it?”
“I’m not sure. Let’s dump these and get new bags-” Lily said, quickly changing the subject.
“Tell me,” Gwen interrupted.
With a sigh Lily stopped working for the first time since Gwen had met her. She made piercing eye contact with Gwen. “They’re killed.”
Her stomach flipped and she swallowed hard, though Gwen knew it was coming. She didn’t control her ability at the Amelios’. She killed someone. She knew she was dangerous, borrower or taker it didn’t matter. “Because those takers who can’t control their energy…take until they kill. Even accidently?”
Lily nodded.
“But can a taker give the energy they take back, kind of like a borrower?” Gwen asked eagerly.
“We’re talking about some pretty extraordinary control of energy here –”
“Can it be done?” Gwen said flatly.
Lily shrugged, “Look, I’m no expert on borrowing, but…I guess in theory, yes. A very, very, let me say this again…very controlled taker…might and I mean probably not but might be able to give and take energy. But how one would practice…I don’t know. If we weren’t in here, we’d have more resources. There’s an entire group of fairies who study takers extensively back home.”
Hope. For the first time Gwen felt there might be hope. Even if just a flicker. Her mind wandered to Pete as they worked in awkward silence.
“Pete loves you Gwen. He always has,” Lily said bluntly. He must have been on her mind as well. “I was…convenient as much as it rips me apart inside to admit...Tiger was an accident.”
Gwen didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure what she felt about Pete anymore and she couldn’t understand why he never came for his daughter. Then again, she thought, she was the murderer, in no position to judge. Pain struck her ribs and she winced. She had almost forgotten about her wound.
Lily noticed her expression and grabbed Gwen’s arm, lifting it up to reveal her oozing injury.
“That’s bad. Really bad.” Lily looked around, eyeing the guards and other prisoners carefully, and when she saw the coast was clear, she quickly lifted her white shirt and tugged the hip of her skirt down to reveal a tiny bag. She took out a pinch of powder and spit on it. Opening Gwen’s hand, she instructed, “Here. Rub this on it. There are perks to working the stone powder. Don’t let anyone see you; I’d be killed if they knew I had it. Comes in handy for Tiger and…whippings.”
Gwen rubbed the turquoise mush with her finger. She peeled the stuck-on cocktail dress down and discreetly applied the paste, which provided instant relief. “Thanks,” she said.
Lily nodded. “Andrew will feel better too.”
“Yes. I’m worried, he was taking the pain…and gave it back.” Gwen fiddled with the stone.
A look of concern swept over Lily’s face. “If you think this is hell, you don’t want to know what he’s going through. Manticans are kept barely living, for the sole purpose of keeping their sworn one alive. They’re basically worked to death.”
Gwen wanted to cry. “Could I get through to him?”
Lily shook her head. “No. They keep you apart. You’re weaker apart.”
“But I got through the collar’s barriers before. If I reach hard enough, could it be possible?” Gwen questioned urgently.
Lily pondered the idea. “Never heard of it working. I don’t know though. Now is not the time to try it though. It’s almost supper.”
Like clockwork, the sound of the horn prompted everyone lined up, but this time in front of another set of doors. Lily and Tiger lead Gwen to their spots in line. No one spoke as the guards ushered them through the doors, down a dim hallway and back outside through another set of doors. It was like cattle shoot, surrounded by barbed wire and chain link fence. They marched rhythmically through the wired hall.
“Damn,” Lily whispered, looking ahead. “Don’t go to him. Whatever you do Gwen, stay in line.”
Gwen looked ahead and saw them. Manticans, all in their animal form. They were tied together with harnesses attached to their massive bodies, forced to pull massive carts heavy with thousands of pounds of stones down from the mountains. He also had on a collar. Gwen instinctively put her hand to her mark. Andrew? She reached. Closing her eyes, she found the barrier in her mind and pushed with all her might. Andrew, please. Silence. She couldn’t make it through the barrier. Searching desperately through the group, she found him. He was pulling a particularly large cart. He strained as his massive muscles bulged and his claws dug into the dirt. It was as if her heart were being ripped from her body.
She desperately wanted her other half. The part of her she never knew she’d miss. He was embedded in her soul, and now more than ever she realized how much she needed him. Their eyes met. She slowed, and a mousy brown haired girl ran into her from behind. Lily grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. “Don’t stop!” she whispered. Gwen reluctantly followed, Lily’s hand in hers the rest of the way.
They arrived at the supper hall, though Glen thought its oppressive décor made it totally unsuitable for eating. It was a large cement room with one small window, lit up with gloomy, fluorescent lighting. At one end long cement tables lined the walls. Hundreds of tin looking cups were at one side, and twenty huge soup kettles were spaced evenly apart, each manned with an immortal wearing a collar identical to Gwen’s. They stood in line for a long time until it was their turn to eat. They held out their dishes and were given a ladle of watery, sour-smelling soup.
There were no tables so they sat on the ground. People actually spoke while they ate. Gwen even thought she heard a woman say it tasted better than yesterday. She poked at the floating, unpalatable chunks
with her finger. Watching Lily, she realized they drank the stuff, no spoons. Tiger seemed somewhat excited.
“It really does get…better. It’s never delicious but it’s all she’s ever known,” Lily said motioning to Tiger, who waved at her little blond friend. The tan little girl looked at her mother with pleading dark green eyes. “Go ahead,” Lily allowed. Tiger ran over to sit by her playmate.
“Lily, I saw him. He was there,” Gwen said.
“I figured. You can’t go to him Gwen. I don’t have much of the…stuff left for you if you get whipped.” Lily tipped her head up and drained the soup.
“You’re a Mantican, right?” Gwen inquired.
“Yes…why do you ask?” she set the tin cup down beside her with a clink and scooted her back against the cement wall resting her head against its coolness.
“Why aren’t you sworn?”
“Not all of us get sworn. All the men do, but only some of the women. Those who don’t, have the children. We end up kind of like military wives; we and physically age, wrinkles and all. We don’t shift either, into animal forms.”
It made sense to Gwen, though Lily seemed so tough. She wondered if this came from years of imprisonment or if she had always been that way. She figured someone so tough would have made a great protector. “You know a lot about middle earth,” Gwen stated, secretly hoping to gain more information on how Pete and her…met.
“I lived there for a short while...”
“Oh.” Gwen said, not pressing the issue. She wanted to stay on Lily’s good side – after all, she was the only one interested in helping her.
Lily scooted closer to Gwen. She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “Alright, I have a plan. I need you to try something…it’s shaky at best, but…we can’t wait any longer. Something’s going on. They only drain when they’re preparing for battle…and I don’t think this is just a draining…”
It finally dawned on Gwen. “They know” she whispered. Lily looked confused. “The rebellion. They know about the rebellion. Oh God. Pete. My brothers. I have to get out of here Lily! I have to warn them! They’re walking into a death trap!” Gwen looked frantically at the large door.
Lily looked worried. “Woah, Gwen calm down, and don’t even bother looking at that door.” She was stern, but restrained herself from whacking Gwen upside the head. “Listen. Tell me slower.”
“Pete is leading the immortals and Manticans in an ambush. They are planning to take them by surprise in two days, I was supposed to help. We were supposed to replenish the stone with our blood.” Gwen ran her hands through her tangled auburn waves.
Lily processed the information, squeezing her calloused hands together as she thought. “They’re not going to drain. No they are going to do something worse.” Suddenly Lily got up and searched through the supper hall. Gwen attempted to nonchalantly follow, keeping an eye on the four wrenched guards on each wall.
“Kierra, have you seen Kierra?” she asked around until she spotted her. A girl with bright blond hair and scars across her once beautiful face sat alone. Her eyes were closed and she was listening to music only she could hear. Lily got down to her level. “Hi Kierra, honey I have to talk to you.” The girl seemed to not hear anything Lily was saying. She started humming and rocking her head back and forth, eyes still closed.
Lily tucked the blond girl’s hair behind her ear and spoke again. “Kierra I think we should talk. Can you talk to me? I need to know what you were saying the other day, about the immortals being remote controls. Remember that story, Kierra? The mad girl stopped humming and her eyes popped open. They looked to be covered by some sort of white film.
“We’re all going to die. They will turn us into remote controls with the yummy juice! We will kill for them. We’re going to dieeeeee!” she said now smiling. “Die, die, die little bunnies!” she sang, and she closed her peculiar eyes once more, back in her own world. Lily kissed her forehead and pulled Gwen to the side.
“I think she heard something. Everyone thinks she’s crazy and never really listens to much the poor thing says, but think about it. They don’t want to drain you; they’re going to use you somehow.”
It was becoming clear to Gwen that was exactly what they were going to do. “What’s the yummy juice?” Gwen wondered aloud.
“You know, Kierra used to be rather normal. Always a meek girl, but not out of it like this. Everyone says she got taken one day by the guards and beat pretty bad hence the scars on her face, and she cracked under the pressure, but…” Lilly furrowed her naturally perfect black eyebrows.
“But?” Gwen asked.
“But what if she didn’t. What is she was their…experiment.” Lily looked around. Supper was almost over.
“Come on, let’s get Tiger. I’ll tell you what I’m thinking when we get back to the barracks.” Lily stopped and turned to Gwen. “Stay. In. Line. No matter what you see.”
Gwen nodded and they found Tiger. The horn sounded once more and Gwen realized she didn’t eat. She ran and forced down her now cold soup. Forcing herself to gag it down quickly, she ran to join Tiger and Lily, praying she wouldn’t throw up.
They doors opened and they marched outside once more. Gwen looked up. Three sparkling orange moons hung low in the navy sky. It was different than night in middle earth she thought. More…beautiful. The stars flickered like sparklers on the Fourth of July. The guards hollered and swung their clubs at those holding up the line. Gwen looked eagerly at the open field. Empty. She was somewhat thankful. Gwen wasn’t sure she could stand seeing Andrew like that again, though she feared what was happening inside. They reached the sleeping barracks. It was a massive steel building with rows upon rows of bunk beds. Pieces of makeshift trash made up their “home.” Tiger led Gwen to her and her mother’s bed. It was what Gwen would say a twin bed with pieces of scrap fabric sewn together.
“Mama, can Gwen have the top bunk now…Lyla’s gone?” Tiger’s tiny face dropped as she remembered the former resident of the top bunk. Gwen didn’t even want to know why Lyla…was gone.
“Yes,” Lily said.
“Oh, your majesty!” a group of girls in bunks next to them mocked. “How wonderful it is for you to finally grace us with your presence!” an abnormally slender deep, redhead with puffy pink lips said.
Another short, skinny faced girl added, “But…where’s your mother? Oh that’s right, unfaithful little-”
“I’d watch what you say,” Lily said, and the girls backed down. Lily stared at them with her intense brown eyes, and they surprisingly left them alone.
“They don’t mean it,” Lily said quietly. “You were our hope. They’re just…”
“Disappointed. I would be too.” Gwen said.
“Well they shouldn’t give up yet. They’ll change their tunes after…we’ll talk after lights out.” Lily said as she turned and took off her white tank top. Gwen was uncomfortable. After all, there were men around. Lily said over her slender tan shoulder. “Oh. No use being modest. I almost forget being topless in a room full of hundreds of people is socially impolite. No private dressing rooms included in our stay. Here. Your one issued nightgown to last the rest of your life.” Lily said, tossing a tattered powder blue night gown at Gwen. Gwen had no desire to know where it came from. Gwen turned her back to the rest of the room and slipped out of her once beautiful cocktail dress and into the nightgown that smelled faintly of urine.
Gwen sat on the bottom bunk with Tiger and Lily, being extra careful not to touch Tiger, for fear of taking her energy again…or worse. Lily pulled out a tattered little children’s book from beneath the straw mattress. She could sense Gwen’s curiosity. “An old woman, on the inside of course, gave this to me. She had it on her when she was seized.”
“It’s a story of a princess, like you Gwen, who has mean sisters and she has to be their slave until her prince comes!” Tiger said excitedly. “Here I’ll show you my favorite page she said opening the book to the last page of the princess kissing the pr
ince.” Gwen smiled faintly. She had to get Tiger out of there. Lily read the story in her sweet sultry voice as she watched her daughter drift off to sleep and the lights go out. Finally, in the dark, Lily told Gwen her plan.
She whispered, “Tiger’s ability is…rare. I’ve actually never heard of another like it, and most defiantly positive no one has ever had this ability at her age. Which poses a control problem. Tiger can, what I call, dual-locate.”
“Dual-locate?” Gwen was intrigued.
“She can, in a sense, be two places at once and completely conscious at both. One is her physical location, meaning the one we can see her in. The other is where her projected energy is. It’s almost like her spirit splits. Her projected location can’t be seen. Sounds great right? Like why are we still stuck here?” Gwen nodded. “To get to her projected location, she enters into the spirit world.”
“Like ghosts?” Gwen asked.
“Yes. Like ghosts and half deads. Some friendly, some…not. When she was young it used to terrify me when she’d close her eyes and tell me where she was and who she was talking to. The last time she went was almost a year ago now. She got stuck. One of the spirits took her, and refused to let her come back. She began to get sick, mumbling horrible things they were doing to her there. She finally got away after two days, and threats from the guards to kill her to avoid the spread of the disease they thought she had. The spirit told her if she ever tried to come back, she’d drag her to the dark world…forever. She hasn’t even attempted to go again since, and I’ve never wanted her to go either, but…I think if you took her energy and went to Andrew, your bond would be stronger. With the break already in your collars barrier, you could communicate with Andrew through the bond and he can tell Tok who then in turn could tell Pete about the pirates knowing of their plan and how to rescue us. It’s a theory anyways.”
“No. Lily I won’t take that chance with Tiger. You don’t understand.”
Lily cut her off. “I do understand, Gwen. She’ll eventually die soon in this hell anyways. It’s her only hope to get out.” Lily clenched her fists. “Listen. I remember in school, learning about the different abilities our immortals could possess and the best ways to for us to complement them were. I remember a borrower, the only one in hundreds of years, say he had to make a space in his mind. A space like a hole, and fill it slowly with the lender’s energy. It could work.”
Darlings Page 15