“No. It might not work, and then what? I killed another person...your daughter.” Gwen felt the tears build in her doe-like eyes.
Lily was quiet for a while. “I wondered if something didn’t happen…you won’t do it again. You know better this time. I trust you.”
“Why,” Gwen hissed, louder than she wanted. “Why would you ever trust me; I don’t trust me!”
“Because he trusts you. I love him and he trusts you…he loves you. I trust him.” Lily looked weak for the first time to Gwen. Like a scared child. “You have to do this. If for no one else then for her.” She looked at her sleeping baby. “Tomorrow night. Tell me you’ll try.”
Gwen was silent. She could believe herself. “Ok…I’ll try.”
“Good night Gwen. Morning comes too soon here.” Lily said. Gwen took this as her cue to take her bunk. She swung her leg up over the side of the top bunk and lay there, staring at the cement ceiling. So much gray. She heard snoring all around her. How would she ever attempt her ability again, and on Tiger at that? Pete’s daughter. Part of Pete.
She tossed and turned, wishing she had a blanket, though the weather was perfect in Everland. She wondered if it was always that way. Gwen drifted off and all she saw was Andrew’s eyes meeting hers. She wondered if he was ok. Was he hurt? She didn’t know. She looked her body over. No new wounds. She was thankful for that, though the pain she felt for him inside was injury enough.
Scorching tears stung her cheeks. She cried for Andrew. She cried for Pete and her brothers. She cried for her mother and father. For Lily and Tiger in that hell, everyone held captive in that hell. She cried for the boy and his Mantican. The boy she knew she’d see again. No she couldn’t let him stay…dead. She would find a way to bring him back. In that moment Gwen knew. She knew what she had to do. Tomorrow night, she would find the boy she murdered…and bring him back.
Chapter 8
A horn sounded, startling Gwen awake. She swore she had just fallen asleep moments ago. Before opening her eyes, she prayed she was back in her room tucked under her silky sheets about to get ready for another mundane day at school. Instead, she woke with straw in her hair from her poorly sewn mattress.
“Good morning Gwen,” Tiger said coughing.
“Hi Tiger,” Gwen sleepily said, rubbing the sleepers out of her thick black eyelashes.
“Time to get up princess,” Lily advised sternly. “They don’t tolerate lateness around here,” she added throwing Gwen’s bloodstained green cocktail dress up to Gwen. “Wash day isn’t for a week. Looks like you’re stuck in that.” Gwen sighed and shimmied quickly out of her powder blue pajamas and in to yesterday’s clothing. She climbed awkwardly down from the top bunk, attempting not to expose herself.
“What time is it?” Gwen asked.
“Early,” Lily said.
“Where are we going?” Gwen wondered if they would be going to breakfast first.
“Work,” Lily answered, while quickly throwing Tigers hair into a single braid down her back. Tiger reached under her their bunk and pulled out a piece of a broken mirror. She attempted to look at her braid and when she managed to get a glimpse, she smiled. Gwen studied the girl. She imagined her lying lifeless in her mother’s arms. She coughed again and Lily cringed. Her daughter was clearly ill.
“Is she sick?” Gwen asked.
Lily nodded. Tiger went ahead to find her friend. “Let’s go,” she added. Gwen and Lilly began to make their way to the door which remained locked in the night hours. They walked down the cement isle between hundreds of feet of bunks. Frail men and women were all getting ready for another day of grueling labor. Suddenly, a hand reached out and touched Gwen’s shoulder.
“Miss Gwen, wait,” he said quietly. His voice was low. Gwen stopped and turned to face the boy as people continued to walk hastily past. Before her stood a tall boy with bright blond shaggy hair. Thick reddish eyebrows sat above his dark blue eyes. Broken glasses covered with tape sat crookedly on his thin face. He wore a pair of brown canvas pants and a ripped, faded blue-collared shirt.
Lily noticed Gwen was no longer by her side and turned around, annoyed. She narrowed her stunning, gypsy-like eyes and walked back to Gwen and the blond boy.
“I wanted to…meet you. I’m Rynnal. People call me Ry.” He seemed uneasy as he spoke. “I am…well was… a good friend of Pete’s,” he said blushing, clearly star struck. “I can’t believe you’re actually here. We’ve waited for so long…though never imagined to see you…in here.” He shoved his hands shyly into his ripped pockets.
“It’s nice to meet you too Ry.” Gwen felt awkward. She hated how everyone expected her to be the hero, the savior, when that’s exactly what she was praying for. A hero.
“Hi Ry.” Lily said. “This chit chat is nice and all, but we’ve got to get going.” Lily stated standing on her tan tiptoes in an effort to keep an eye on Tiger.
The boy looked gracelessly down. “Right,” he extended his hand once more, this time making solid eye contact with Gwen. He pushed his busted glasses up onto his prominent nose as they shook hands. Quickly releasing, he walked briskly ahead. Gwen looked down at her hand and saw a small folded scrap of paper slipped into her inside. She wasn’t sure whether to let Lily see it or not.
Deciding on the latter, she followed her beautiful collaborator, opening the tiny piece of paper as they walked. Scratched in pencil, the message read, I can help you. Meet me behind the rock hill.
Gwen licked her finger and smudged the pencil until it was no longer legible and tossed the tiny note onto the ground. Who was the boy? What could he possibly do to help her? She wondered.
“Line up, you stupid animals!” Gwen heard a guard pirate shout from the front of the line. The crowed moved into their familiar single files lines. Guards stood with whips on their hips on all sides. Gwen didn’t remember this from yesterday. Opening the large doors, they were herded out into the darkness. It was so early the light wasn’t even in the sky yet. They marched briskly down the cow shoot as Gwen liked to call it. Looking to her right she saw something going on in the dark field where they kept the Manticans. Suddenly, huge lights turned on revealing them. Manticans. They were shirtless in their human forms, lined up one by one against the chain link fence, hands behind their bare backs.
“What is this?” Gwen whispered to Lily who was in front of her.
“I don’t know,” she whispered softly back. Gwen searched for him, but she was still too far behind to see the Mantican line clearly.
A particularly wretched guard stood in the front of the line on top of a wooden stool. He shouted as he spoke. “Captain wants you all charged up and ready for the draining! You’ll have three minutes with your beast. Try anything and I mean anything you will regret it,” he said sloppily. “Go ‘n’ find ‘em!” he shrieked.
The immortals stood in awe. For some it had been years since they were allowed to see their Manticans. Gwen heard hushed whispers asking one another, was it a trap? Should we move? What’s happening? Deciding it was indeed real, everyone scrambled to line up in front of their Mantican. Gwen searched frantically for Andrew. She ran down the line, desperate to find him. Andrew. She saw him. He looked so tired. Barely able to stand. She ran to him as Lily and Tiger followed. “Andrew!” she hollered.
“Gwen,” he said, holding onto the chain link fence, attempting to stay upright. His massive biceps trembled as he forced a smile. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said.
Gwen was horrified. She looked up at him through the fence. Turning to Lily she said, “We can do it now. I can help him talk to Pete.”
“No!” Lily whispered harshly. “There’s not enough time. They’ll see if you use magic; if anything goes wrong, our chances will be gone. We have to wait.” Gwen nodded and turned her focus to Andrew.
She wished she could touch him. She wanted so badly to console him. “Andrew, oh my god.” She could feel tears building in her eyes. “What have they done to you?” Gwen whispered. “You have to stop
. Stop taking all this pain on yourself. It’s twice what it should be. Give me some. I can handle it…please.”
Ignoring her, he pressed his forehead against the fence. “Have they done anything to you?” he asked sternly eyes closed.
“No. I’m ok. Have they done anything to you?” Once again he disregarded her. “Listen” she whispered reaching up onto her tiptoes. She was now inches from his face. “We’re going to be ok. Just hold on. Please hold on.” Andrew understood as he saw it in her eyes she had a plan. He nodded and mouthed. “Be careful.” She nodded back, moving her hand up to the fence. He staggered and she reached her hand through to steady him. They touched. “No!” he said, preparing himself for the pain, but no pain came.
“The collar.” Lily whispered from behind Gwen. “The collar is making it possible for you to touch.” She stepped out from behind Gwen, exposing herself to Andrew. He stiffened.
“Lily?” he said confused. “You’re…you’re…alive?” He smiled faintly.
“Yah. It’s me. Oh Andrew I never thought I’d see you again ever.” Tears streamed down their tanned faces as they embraced one another through the enclosure. Tiger wiggled her way through Gwen and Lily. “Uncle Andrew!” she said in her squeaky voice. “I’m Tiger, your niece!” she smiled. “I knew we’d meet for real someday.”
Andrew looked at Lily who nodded. He slowly bent down to her level, studying her small face. His voice cracked as he attempted to stay strong. “Hello beautiful lady. I’m so glad to meet you.” Tiger beamed as she stood before her uncle. Looking up at Lily he said, “She looks like-”
“Mom? I know.” Lily smiled weakly.
“One minute! This is making me sick!” the grizzled pirate hollered.
Andrew stood in front of Gwen once more. He put his large hand discretely through the fence stroking the side of Gwen’s dirty tear streaked face. Despite the situation. The horrible circumstance that was now her life. Despite the hells and horror all around her. Gwen felt her stomach flutter as their flesh met. “I’ll protect you until the end Gwendolyn,” he whispered into her ear as Lily tended to Tiger. “Until the end.”
Gwen whispered back, “This is not the end.”
“Enough! Back in line!” the guard shouted. Reluctant to be separated again, some pairs refused to back away. Whips flew everywhere and electrically charged prodders were brought out, shocking those who didn’t obey. Gwen, Lily, and Tiger immediately returned to their positions in line as they knew it was only a matter of time until they were all together again…they hoped. Tiger raised her tiny hand, waving good-bye to the only family, besides her mother, she’d ever met.
Andrew backed up and waved to his niece as the lights went out. Immortals screamed as the whips struck and burned their flesh. Gwen observed her surroundings. Immortals running. Whips flying. Cries for help echoing in the night. She knew. She felt the burning. She would end this. It’s what she was there for. Why fate had chosen her to save them, she now knew. She could end it. Gwen was determined. She wasn’t helpless. She would control her ability. It was her only choice. She would save them. She was in control.
“Move out!” the guard yelled once everyone was back in line. Gwen looked to her left and saw an immortal girl lying lifelessly on the ground. She could only see the back of her head. Her wavy brown hair was swimming in a pool of blood.
A guard with a missing arm kicked the girl hard. “Damnit!” he yelled. Captain’s not gonna be happy! Help me get rid of this one,” he said to another guard. The line started moving as Gwen cranked her neck to see the guards drag the immortals thin body away. They walked in silence as they approached the arena. The doors opened and they took their posts. Lily and Gwen made their way to gather their rocks. They grabbed a bag and a scraping knife from a rickety old wooden table and began their final days work.
Lily tossed a shiny yellow stone to Gwen. “Work on these. They’re the easiest to scrape.” Gwen wondered what all the different colored rocks were for. She hadn’t ever seen so many beautiful stones. The pile was massive, at least twelve feet tall. Lily sat on the dirt. She tossed her silky black hair and began scraping. Remembering the note, Gwen slipped quietly behind the massive pile, where she saw Ry. He was observing the rocks looking nervously around.
“Gwen,” he whispered. “You came.”
She nodded. Getting directly to the point of their encounter, she asked, “What can you…help me with?”
He moved closer looking around to make sure the guards were occupied. Indeed they were. The closest guard had his beady eyes closed, sleeping on the job and the next closest were yards away engaging in heated conversation.
“It can’t be coincidence you’re here now. If you’re planning something…I believe I can help,” he looked torn on whether to reveal his secret. Sighing, he pushed his glasses up on his nose.
“I’m listening,” Gwen said anxiously.
“I…I’m not an immortal,” he whispered quickly.
“You’re not an immortal? Why do you have a collar then?” she asked skeptically.
“They think I am. I’m an…alchemist, from the middle world. Florida. I traveled back with an immortal and they were apprehended. They kill alchemists here, or worse, force them to serve them for life, doing terrible things,” he said shakily. “I couldn’t let that happen, I have too much valuable knowledge that I have to get to the king.” Pete.
“How’d they not know? You don’t have a Mantican.”
“I was taken on my way back to the middle world. We were on our way to find Pete and help the rebellion. I was with a group of immortals and other alchemists. I had to think fast and make up a story. They think my Mantican perished of old age and I was in the process of getting another,” he admitted.
Gwen processed the information. It was an intelligent move. “How long have you been here?”
“Two years. Which poses a problem. I am aging. I’m twenty two. They’re bound to know soon which is why I am risking everything to offer you my services.”
Gwen studied his face. The boy seemed sincere. “What can you do for me?” she asked bluntly.
“I work with a specialized covert group of immortals. I handle advanced abilities. I’m rather an ability expert. I’m sure I know a thing or two about your ability that you may not know? I also have…stocked up on these beauties here. These are almost every powder in existence. Any alchemists dream. I could-”
“Wait.” Gwen interrupted. “You’re an ability expert?”
He nodded.
The stars had aligned. Gwen hastily asked, “Do you work with borrowers, possibly…takers?”
Rynnal looked around again. “I do. Why do you ask this?” He suddenly looked concerned.
“I. I’m a borrower…possible a taker,” Gwen confessed, holding her breath.
His eyes widened. “You couldn’t be. Do they know?” Ry inched closer.
Gwen shook her head. “No.”
He moved even closer to Gwen. “Does anyone know?”
“Just Lily,” she answered.
“You tell no one else. Do you hear me? You tell no one. Are you sure?” He began to look frantic.
“Yes. What’s wrong?” Gwen picked up a pink stone and pretended to examine it.
“They will keep you. Use you…hurt you. Don’t tell another soul.” He paused. Have you used it?”
“My ability? Yes…it…wasn’t good.”
Nodding as if he already knew, Ry said, “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Gwen filled Rynnal in on the events at the gazebo and her plan for that night. He listened intently, eyes as big as saucers.
“Oh. My. Goodness,” the awkward boy stated. Running his long hands through his hair he rambled. “It could be but here? Yes, yes I suppose.”
“What?” she nervously hissed.
“I think you’re the one we’ve been looking for. You don’t understand. Gwen your gift is unparalleled.”
“We?” Gwen asked with hast.
“Yes, we.
We, our group, have some of the rarest abilities in all the worlds. We have one borrower, though, nothing compared to your potential. We had a taker…once.” His voice trailed off. “When we get out, you have to come with us. Become a part of the Elite. We’re independent of any kind of rule Gwen. We’re…free. We always use our abilities for good, and serve to protect the weak of all kind. We will overcome them.” He nodded to the guard pirate picking his teeth by the door. “You were born for this.”
She entertained the idea. Freedom from all worlds? Could it be true? Andrew popped into her mind. His dream was freedom. Equality. She wondered if the immortals in the Elite treated their Manticans as equals. There would be time for that, she reminded herself. Now she had to focus on the dangerous task facing her tonight.
“Thank you for the invitation, and I promise I’ll think about it but, can you help me tonight? Can you help me control it?” she begged.
Ry raised his hands in question. “In theory yes, I can give you the tools to clear your mind and tell you where to focus the energy. What mental blocks to put up and such, but…in the end princess, it all comes down to you. You have to be strong enough to move the energy. To put up the blocks. To let it flow like liquid through the cracks. To allow it to go through slowly and keep it there. Then… you have to be able to push it back like liquid lead through a straw the size of a pinhole.”
He knew what he was talking about. Gwen could feel it. “Tonight then? At our bunk as soon as the lights go off,” she said.
Lily appeared behind Gwen. Swearing in a foreign tongue, she demanded, “What are you two doing? Trying to get us beat? With the mood they’re in today I’d say we’d better cut the small talk and get back to work.”
Darlings Page 16