“We don't know that they'll kill him.” I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at him.
“It's a pretty safe bet that they're going to kill him. You all know it!” Alice looked at us with tears in her eyes. “I want no parts of this!”
“No one asked her to have a part in it.” I told Brynna, James and Elijah angrily. We watched as she huffed off.
“Ignore the little girl, Violet,” Brynna replied, “She is just trying to be heard. After we turn this boy over, are we going to join up with Don’s group?”
“We don’t really have a choice. Even if they guarantee our safety, there’s no way that we can hunt for the rest of our lives on our own.” Elijah looked around us, seeing what the rest of us saw; either the forest was scant in animal population or they were very good at keeping themselves hidden from hungry apocalypse survivors.
“I want to shake Nick, Alice and Quinn.” I proclaimed suddenly. “They’re a liability, don’t you think?” I looked at Brynna, knowing that if anyone was going to be in agreement that we had to abandon the three kids that were tagging along on our little adventure, it would be her.
“I do not know if that is necessary at this point. They may still be of some use. Until we join up with a larger group, we need as many eyes and ears watching and listening for threats, even if that is all we will get from them. Their fighting skill are archaic, barely above average. Ours have adapted further than I ever could have imagined.” Brynna looked back at the boy tied to the tree. His head was lolling from side to side, resting on his shoulder one minute and then falling forward so his chin touched his chest the next.
“What’s his problem?” I asked.
“While you were arguing with Nick, he tried to run. James and I took him down. He’s a native. He should be easier to handle like this.” Elijah told us as he chewed a piece of grass.
“Get that out of your mouth.” I scolded him.
“I suppose now that we have successfully carried out a rescue mission and intimidated our enemies in combat that Elijah is a cowboy slash super soldier. I find his imaginary world very cute. Surely, a full-fledged paracosm is just around the corner.” Brynna smiled at him ruefully. I cracked up, mentally noting how surprised I was to have understood everything she had said.
He pretended to kick her in the leg.
“Actually, I’m just hungry, asshole.”
“Do not refer to me by that disgusting term, you foul-mouthed perversion.” She was only feigning great offense and we laughed again.
“You're hungry!? We could eat him!” Alice called sarcastically to us.
“Go away!” I shouted at her, “If you have a better idea on how to handle the situation, by all means, let us hear it!”
“You sound like me.” Brynna said with a grin.
I fought the urge to smile because I was scowling at Alice still.
“You weren’t attacked by those things. Your sister wasn’t taken by them.” I felt that animal rage that had exploded inside of me as I got out of Miranda’s car that day resurface. “You can barely fight because you’re trying not to change over! We’re embracing whatever is happening to us. The three of you stand no chance against them but we do. Besides these new abilities, we have him!” I pointed at the boy, “And he may just be the only peace offering we will ever have our hands on!”
“He’s a human being. I mean, he’s not human but he’s…”
“We have the same abilities he has and yet he tried to kill us.” I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes. “I am done with this conversation. Keep your poor attempts at debilitating sarcasm to yourself. They make you look pathetically ridiculous.”
“Very nice.” Brynna said to me proudly.
“Thank you.”
She was gently pulling Penny from her chest. I crinkled my brows as I watched their skin separate. Not even a red mark was left behind on either of them. She handed Penny to me and I turned her sideways to press the skin of her chest to my own. It didn’t attach.
“Alright, nothing too gruesome, if you please.” Brynna said softly to James, who was glaring at the boy in silent fury. “Hey…” Brynna reached out to put her hand under his chin and turned his head so he was looking at her. I watched from a distance as his white eyes changed over to their usual brown at the sight of her. After glancing over her shoulder to make sure Elijah’s back was turned, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss James quickly. I had never seen her in a relationship before, but I knew from watching them periodically over the previous days that she was more than fond of him. It was strange to see that loving side of her worn so proudly on her sleeve. Even as those Pangean powers began to overtake her Earthly human nature, the humanity that had long been suppressed was growing stronger by the day; it was clawing its way to the surface in a fight for its already weakened life. It was truly strange to witness, after knowing Brynna as being cold and emotionless for so many years.
“Let me do the talking.” Brynna told him.
“I don’t want you talking to him.” James replied just as quietly. “He’s dangerous.”
“Are you suggesting that I cannot take care of myself, James Maxwell?” She asked in a tone slightly more teasing than I would have expected of her.
“Of course not.” He smiled slightly as he kissed her again. “I know very well that you can. Is it such a crime for me to be concerned about you?”
“No.” Brynna shook her head. She was all seriousness now. “It is not at all, honey.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to him?”
“I am sure.”
I looked off to see if Elijah was returning from his trip to the oak-tree-makeshift-bathroom ten feet from us. Sure enough, he was walking back, his hand ruffling the back of his hair as he looked at the ground. He seemed lost in thought but I couldn’t blame him; huge decisions were about to be made and their consequences would be felt for years to come. There was no escaping the magnitude of the conundrum we found ourselves in.
I picked up a small rock and threw it at James and Brynna.
“Ow! Stop hitting me with things!” Brynna exclaimed, and she rubbed her ribcage quickly where the rock had hit her.
“I’m sorry!” I squealed before covering my mouth, “I was trying to hit your leg!”
“All of these new powers and you can’t throw a rock accurately? Such a shame but so funny, as well...” James replied jokingly as he looked up at the sky.
“Shut up, James.” I laughed.
“That seems to be a popular sentiment around here.” He muttered and Brynna and I both giggled somewhat obnoxiously.
“What’s so funny?” Elijah asked when he came back.
“Nothing.” I replied, “James is being his typical self again, so that’s a plus for everyone.”
“Good. You were starting to get kind of Goth on us, man.”
“Are there even still Goths?” I stopped after feeling a quick tug in my heart, “Were there still… never mind.”
“I am going to ask him questions.” Brynna informed Elijah. “I have requested that nothing too monstrous occur. Are we in agreement on that?” Elijah and James nodded, “Alright, then. Come along.”
Brynna turned and walked over to the boy who had just awoken. He was looking around, clearly trying to determine his surroundings.
“You and Penny stay back.” Elijah put his arm out to stop me from walking forward. “You can listen. But stay away from him.”
I nodded and sat down behind a large rock that obscured Penny and I from the Pangean boy’s view. I could hear perfectly despite the distance between myself and the prisoner. Enhanced hearing was proving to be more and more useful the longer I was able to control it.
Brynna skipped traditional greetings. There were no niceties to be observed with that violent boy. However, in her strategic move to break down his defenses, she did ask his name before plowing ahead with her questioning.
The boy sounded slightly bored when he answered.
“Jonathon,�
�� He narrowed his eyes at her, “I know that your name is something rather strange, is it not?”
“You’re not going to know her name.” James said a little too calmly to be believed. I knew that beneath the surface, his fury raced along with his heart; I could almost hear the rapid beats in my mind.
“Are you of importance to the man who was speaking?”
“I suppose so, yes. He is my father.”
“Your father offered little help as we dragged you from the cave.”
“He was more concerned that his sacrifice was getting away, if I had to decipher the meaning of his apathy.”
“That's why?” Elijah replied. He looked at James and Brynna. “He allowed his son and his sacrifice to be taken. I’m not so sure that we should fear this guy.”
“You should, if you are wise!” Jonathon glared at Elijah. “He is commanded by the God.”
“The God that you had painted on your ceiling in blood?” Brynna asked calmly.
“Yes. The God that bestows us with gifts and miracles is the one to which we were going to sacrifice the girl.”
“So now what? Now that you did not sacrifice my sister, what is going to happen to you?”
“The others will stand a better chance of overtaking us.”
“You’re giving away this information rather freely. Why are you not hesitating in telling us all of this?” James asked, and his voice betrayed his growing anger now.
“Because you are not our greatest threat. Why should I fear you knowing our secrets? You will soon be dead. We know that a heavy darkness is descending on our lands. You humans will be the first to perish in it.”
“You are well aware that we are not humans anymore.” Brynna told him.
“I do not know what you are and it does not matter to me.” The boy was getting angry now, too. “If you do not return me to my father, he will kill you. He will kill every last one of the people you brought with you on your ship.”
“The others,” Brynna said questioningly, “Are they the ones that live in the city? Is my theory correct that you are two separate factions at war with another?’
“The city dwellers…” The boy repeated in such disdain, I’m sure Brynna was jealous. “All their progression, all their love of new and shiny things, they desert the God. He will not reward them. I do not know why my people believe that they hold any power.”
“That’s an affirmative on your theory being correct, dear.” James told Brynna.
“Have your cave-dwelling people attacked us before? Have you attacked any of the survivors from Earth?’
“No. You are but a nuisance. When our war with the city is won, we will turn our gaze to you. Then, our world will be pure again.”
“May I ask you something that is rather unimportant?”
“Only if you tell me your name.”
“Knowing my name will not aid you in any way, Jonathon. Surely, you know that. Here is the prelude to my question. Adam, the leader of the city, informed me that you have studied our kind for ages. Clearly, you hold us in high regard. Now for my question, though I assume you will not answer it truthfully: Where is this animosity coming from, dare I ask?”
The boy was silent.
“Like I said, it is unimportant. If you do not answer, I will say that my question was just yet another instance of me thinking out loud. Though, this next question will interest you because it concerns your fate. What do you think Adam’s actions would be if we turn you over to him?’
I peeked around the wall to see the boy’s eyes were wide and he was stuttering in his attempts to get his fear under control.
“You cannot… my father will… I…”
“His actions will be violent and painful, we can assume.” Elijah answered for him.
“Are you attempting to make peace with him?” The boy demanded in a shaking voice. “Are you going to trade me so that he will spare your lives? You can give me back to my father and he will protect all of you. He will not sacrifice the girl. He will protect you! Adam spares no one! You cannot make peace with him!”
“Why are we listening to this? We have the upper-hand. He knows it. He’s trying to talk his way out of this. If we go back to that cave, we’re going to get ambushed.” Elijah informed the other two. The boy's promises were empty ones. They were absolutely impossible for anyone, even him, the son, to guarantee. We controlled his fate and we had to use that fact to our advantage.
Yet, I was beginning to sympathize with him. Seeing his youth up close and musing on his resemblance to kids I might have known on Earth was putting the wheels in motion for my heart to change course. Brynna looked at me, sensing that new reluctance. She walked over and grasped my arms gently.
“You do not have to have a say in this. You can walk away from this decision with clean hands and I will not think less of you. I know that my opinion of you is not something that you care greatly about but I wanted you to know that I will not judge you if you choose to stay out of this.”
“How can you say I don't care about your opinion of me?” I asked her softly. My throat clenched when I raised my brown eyes to meet her startling blue ones. “Yours is the only opinion that matters, Brynn.”
She opened her mouth to respond but for once, she came up short on the correct words to say. That’s what I assumed, anyway. But a very small, very naïve part of me believed that I had moved her with what I had said.
She cleared her throat and gave a response after a few short seconds of gathering her many thoughts.
“Either way, I do not want this on your conscience.”
“You would rather me think less of you? I’m not saying that I would. But I might, when we reach the end of this. He’s so young. He’s my age. Do you understand where my sympathy is coming from?” I stopped and chuckled softly to myself. The sudden change in my mood provoked a small grimace of confusion to form on her face. “Of course you understand it. That was a stupid question.”
“I do. I want to do the right thing by all of us. On Earth, the right thing never involved handing over a boy to his family's bloodthirsty enemies. We never would have to trade him when he is perhaps innocent of all the charges we hold to his father. We would never have found ourselves making such a terrible decision. But things are different now. I have told you that before. Do you remember when we saw that horrible film about the end of the world?”
“Yeah. I can’t even remember what it was called now…” I smiled after remembering how Brynna had rolled her eyes and thrown her hands up in exasperation at the stupidity of what was happening in the movie.
“I do not, either. But do you remember how afterward, I told you that I believed the world’s fascination with the end of civilization was prophetic in a way. You were so afraid. You always took all of my rambling beliefs to heart, even the most conspiratorial. Even the most ridiculous. Bringing this memory forward has a purpose. It is relevant to what we are currently trying to decide. I understand the fascination now. We are living free of restrictions, both legal and spiritual. It tells us more about ourselves as people than we ever could have discovered living under law. Instead of some faceless judge deciding this boy’s fate, it is us slamming the gavel, if you will.”
“Do you like it? Do you like having that responsibility, Brynna?”
She shook her head back and forth and took a drag on the cigarette that I hadn’t seen her light.
“I never had a desire to play God, Violet Mae. I only wanted to spectate as others tried. I need you to remember that, no matter what may occur from here on out.”
I nodded and studied her face. Her exhaustion was becoming more evident as the days passed. I’m sure the weariness in her eyes was reflected in my own. I reached out and grasped her hand.
“James wants to hand him over.”
I brought up James simply to gauge her level of attachment to him. I was curious to know how deep the bond had forged itself inside each of them.
“Yes, he does. He feels no sense of reluctance t
o do so, either. He will do anything to keep us safe, no matter how cruel.”
“Are you okay with that?”
Brynna nodded.
“We are two completely different breeds. Men take action with little thought. Women think for ages but rarely act.”
“That’s not true. You’ve acted on impulse quite a bit here of late.”
“That was different. I was emotionally motivated to protect the people I love. Then again,” She looked up at the stars that were beginning to awake for their nocturnal watch over the world, “His motivation is the same as mine. Perhaps my whole theory is ridiculous.”
“Whoa…” I reached out and grasped her hand. “You have never admitted to flaws in your reasoning. This is a big moment. If Hell was still beneath our feet, I would have felt it freeze over through my shoes.”
“Shut up…” She murmured through a small smile. “You are curious about mine and James’s relationship.”
“Well, not curious. When you say it like that, it sounds creepy, like I want intimate details of your love life or something…” I looked at her, suddenly serious, “Brynna, did you two…”
“That is none of your business!” She exclaimed as she grasped her heart in genuine shock at the question, as though she were a sixteenth-century, God-loving maiden asked for relations outside of marriage by a sleazy, smooth-talking king. I giggled.
“You totally did!”
“I did nothing of the sort…’
“Brynn,” I took her hand again, “I’m not twelve anymore. I’m old enough to know that these things happen. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go mimic your sinful actions.”
She laughed again.
“Do as I say, not as I do. Isn’t that the old expression?’
“I don’t know about old. But it certainly does get thrown around a lot.”
“It is generally used to excuse hypocrisy, which is why I refrain from saying it. Just remember that mine and James’s relationship is to be kept from Elijah at all costs.”
“Of course. He likes him a lot right now. He thinks he’s hilarious. Just let him find out that you two are involved and he’ll think he’s Satan preying on young virgins. I approve, though, Brynna. I know that you don’t need anyone’s approval, but you have mine.”
The Shattered Genesis (Eternity) Page 46