Life Reader

by Shea, K. M.

  “GO, GO, GO!” Asher shouted as Nate threw the car into drive.

  The tires squealed and within seconds the Volvo was barreling down the road. The fiery chains evaporated as they increased the distance between themselves and Fox.

  Aron was reduced to breathing heavily in the back seat as he stared at the ceiling of the car. Asher actually chuckled. “That was wild!” he said.

  Both Raven and Aron stared at Asher as though he had grown another head.

  “You know Aron, I didn’t peg you as the twin to lose your head,” Raven commented after a sufficient amount silence.

  “Take a left at the stop sign,” Asher ordered.

  Aron sat up. “I’m almost always calm,” he promised. “I only get upset when the situation is outside of my control,” Aron said, glaring at the back of Nate’s head. “Like bringing junky cars to dangerous escapes.”

  “Control freak,” Nate muttered.

  “I,” Aron haughtily started, turning around to look out the back window. “Am most certainly—KYAAAAAAAAA!”

  Asher whipped around to look backwards with his twin. “We’re being tailed,” he announced. “And in the most obvious way too. I mean really. A black SUV with tinted windows? How much more stereotypical can you get? Take a right.”

  “How are we going to lose them?” Raven asked, twisting in her seat. “Adam’s not trained for this kind of thing.”

  “Adam? Didn’t you just call him Nate a few minutes ago?” Asher said with a sly smirk.

  “Forget training! A Volvo can’t pull off those CSI car chases you see in the movies,” Nate said, glancing in the rearview mirror before taking a sharp right.

  The black SUV swerved after them.

  Asher ripped the bottle of pills from his brother’s iron grip. “This is gonna be so gross,” he muttered before selecting five Lucky Brewster pills and tossing them in his mouth. After gagging several times he managed to swallow the pills. “Disappear,” he uttered, planting a fist on the car ceiling.

  “WOAH!” Nate shouted when Asher, Aron, Raven, Nate, and everything in the car started to grow translucent.

  “Haha,” Asher cackled when the spell fully activated and everything went opaque, car included.

  “How did you do that?” Raven asked.

  “Easy. The spell is made so whatever is directly touching you—like your clothes—will disappear with you. I’m sitting in the car, touching it, and you guys are all touching the car as well, so we all go invisible! I just took extra pills so I could extend the time limit to last more than a minute,” Asher smugly reported.

  “You moron! I can’t see the steering wheel! Or my blinkers!” Nate shouted.

  “Why would an invisible car need blinkers?” Raven wondered.

  “Look, just turn off this road and start weaving like crazy. They can’t see us anymore,” Asher said, rustling in the backseat.

  Nate took a right on a side street with some grumbling as Raven clutched her seat. It was most disconcerting to hurtle down a road in a car she couldn’t see.

  “We’re actually going too south. Turn around and start heading north,” Aron ordered.

  “Maybe we should go east and then go back home traveling north west,” Asher suggested.

  “We could check our cell phones for more precise directions.”

  “Raven,” Nate said in a tight voice. The fact that he used Raven’s real name attested to how upset he was. “We are never doing this again. EVER!”

  “Yep,” Raven agreed.

  “You had better take care of this cauldron thing soon.”

  “I will.”

  “I’m serious Raven,” Nate continued. “Take care of it soon. Because I really don’t want you hanging around with those two things.”

  Behind the Wishmore siblings, the Montamos twins stirred.

  “Heeeyyy.”

  “That’s it. We’re not chipping in for gas money now!”

  “Ray, you look a little stressed,” Shannon observed Wednesday morning as she plopped down in her desk for English.

  “Stressed? I’m not stressed, hah-hah-hah,” Raven said with a mechanical laugh as she checked her makeup. Good. Her caked on concealer was doing a fantastic job of hiding the dark circles beneath her eyes.

  Nate had kept her up half the night, lecturing her about her carelessness. Nothing much came from the conversation. Both he and Raven refused to directly acknowledge the implications of him handing her a book to protect herself with.

  In the end Raven’s dad didn’t come home either. According to Raven’s mother he was due back today.

  “At least your bruise is almost gone,” Shannon said.

  “Yeah,” Raven said, internally scrabbling for a topic change. If she allowed Shannon to dwell on her injuries she would be razzing herself up again about the supposed hit and run accident.

  Relief came in a cold, enquiring voice. “Stayed up too late last night?”

  It took Raven exactly three seconds to realize Crevan was actually awake and speaking to her. She twisted in her seat and smiled. “Just a little.”

  “Funny, you didn’t strike me as the party crasher type,” Crevan mused, reaching out to tug on one of Raven’s bouncy curls.

  Both Raven and Shannon’s eyes widened until they were practically popping out of their heads. Raven hastily recollected her hair and wondered what happened to Crevan to suddenly make him talkative and playful.

  “Did you get hit by a car too, Crevan?” Shannon bluntly asked.

  “Shannon!” Raven said, horrified.

  “What? It’s a valid question,” Shannon rolled her eyes.

  “It was still rude,” Raven quarreled as Crevan planted his chin on his fist and stared at Raven, a slight smile on his lips.

  “I believe keeping the secret was a good idea,” Crevan considered.

  Shannon and Raven stared at him, concerned for his mental well being.

  “What?” Raven asked, too weirded out to think of a perky, pleasant reply.

  “Told you he was hit by a car. We’ve got to petition town hall to lower the speed limits around here,” Shannon said in a know-it-all tone as the English teacher called for their attention.

  Raven cast one more glance at Crevan, who smiled charmingly, before digging out a neon pink pen to scribble down notes with.

  Chapter 20

  Raven sat on the couch in the twins’ room, her posture slumped, her head tipped back, resting on the back of the couch. She stared at the ceiling and sighed. “Maybe I should try asking him.”

  “Who?” Aron asked, popping up from the magazine stack he was prodding.

  “Never,” Asher said, shaking his head.

  Raven ignored Asher and picked her head up to look to Aron. “Director Eastgate. He said I should come to him if I have any other problems.”

  “What, you think you’ll just waltz up to him and go ‘Excuse me Mr. Director, I’m trying to break into another part of the library to find a contraband artifact you are hiding from my employers, do you happen to have a key, or password, or something?’” Asher said, his forehead furrowing as flung his arms out.

  “You were the one who didn’t want to talk to him earlier,” Aron said, brushing his knees off as he stood. “You said he’s got you cornered. It’s not like anything has changed since you said that.”

  “Exactly. Nothing has changed. We know Errësi will be striking soon and we still don’t know where the cauldron is,” Raven said. “If we could get the cauldron now, before they’re prepared for it, we can beat them to the punch!”

  Asher tilted his head. “You’re sure you want to take that kind of gamble for this? Eastgate could slaughter your career and make your life very difficult if he blabs.”

  Raven stood. “At this rate I’m more concerned with Royce or Daire giving me up. He might try and blackmail me, but he might not,” she said, sounding unconvinced even to her own ears.

  “We could take another look at the endless slope,” Aron said. “It’s all clean
ed up now—you can’t even tell we nearly blew up the library. Maybe we could figure something out.”

  “No, we’ve wasted enough time there already. We need to pursue a different angle,” Asher said, picking up the TV remote. “I’m just not sure this is the right angle.”

  Raven bit her lip as she thought. “Well… even if the worst does happen it might work out. I’m employed by the EC. As soon as I accomplish this mission they’re going to whisk me back home. I’m doing all of this with a fake identity, Director Eastgate doesn’t even know my real name.”

  The twins stared at her for a few quiet moments, and Raven realized this was the first time they were facing the fact that she would be leaving.

  Asher looked down, but Aron spoke. “Yeah, but how much of your personnel folder is forged?”

  Raven uneasily shifted. “Not a lot.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Aron said, his shoulders slumping as he sighed.

  “You’re sure you want to do this?” Asher asked.

  “It’s worth a try. I mean, I’ll tell the emissary about Darkmoor Park tonight, but unless we can convince the director there is going to be another attack shortly I’m not sure what else can be done,” Raven said, fluffing her hair.

  The twins exchanged glances, and Aron nodded. “Ok.”

  “We’re coming with you though,” Asher said, opening the door.

  “Thanks guys,” Raven said, exiting the room after the twins.

  Aron grinned. “It’s what triplets are for,” he said as they ambled up the hallway.

  “Yeah. So this black dog of yours, how old is he?” Asher said as they rounded the first corner.

  Raven tripped on her feet and almost stumbled, but was saved by Aron who reached out to steady her. “What?”

  “The black dog you report to. How old is he? Twenty five? Thirty?” Asher said. He stared down the hallway and would not look at Raven.

  Raven was shocked motionless for a moment before she released a honk of laughter and trotted after the older twin. “No, I think you’ve got the wrong picture. He’s like… old enough to be my dad,” Raven said.

  “Oh,” Asher said, blinking before giving Raven a grin.

  “Yeah, that’s good. Unless she totally digs old guys. Although she hasn’t gotten moony eyed over the director so maybe you’re safe,” Aron said to his brother as they snaked around the second corner.

  “Aron, I’m going to kill you in a few minutes. Thought you might want to know,” Asher said.

  “Murdering the messenger I see. How’s that for payback?”

  Raven was still shuddering at the idea. “No, no. Just—I’ll introduce you to him sometime. I like my emissary a lot but you’ve seriously got the wrong idea,” she said as they stopped outside the director’s office.

  Together they stared at the door for a few moments.

  “So… are we hoping the director will telepathically realize we’re here, or is someone going to knock?” Aron asked.

  “Sure, you do it,” Asher said.

  “No way, you do it,” Aron said, shaking his head.

  “No, you.”

  “No, you!”

  “No, yo—.”

  Raven interrupted their conversation by smartly rapping on the wooden door.

  There was a moment before the director said from within his office, “Come in.”

  Raven swallowed before opening the door and peering inside.

  Director Eastgate was sitting at his desk, frowning at his computer. When he glanced at Raven his expression cleared and he dusted off his rusty, unconvincing smile for her. “Rachel, what a pleasant surprise,” he said, completely ignoring the twins as they slid into the room behind Raven. “Please, sit down,” he said, motioning to the single chair in front of his desk.

  Raven shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  “Very well then, what can I do for you?” the director asked, placing his hands on his desk.

  Asher closed the door as Raven gathered her courage. When it clicked shut behind her she rushed, spitting out all of her words at once. “I need into get to the Winter Vault.” Director Eastgate nodded, as if this was a very common request. “What for, if I may ask?”

  Raven licked her lips. “There’s a cauldron in there. It needs to be removed from the library premise and handed over to protective custody.”

  Director Eastgate nodded some more, and Raven was deeply afraid he was going to deny the whole thing and kick her out. Instead, he shocked her to her core. “Alright,” he agreed.

  Raven blinked hard. “Alright?” she weakly said.

  The director leaned back in his chair. “Yes. Alright as in: as you wish, I find that satisfactory, that is agreeable, etcetera, etcetera.”

  One of the twins inhaled sharply and the other squeaked like a mouse. Raven was scarcely less surprised.

  “I can take the cauldron?” she asked with suspicion.

  “Certainly. What agency do you work for? Excubiae Comperio or our local KQ Headquarters?” he gamely asked, still wearing his dusty smile.

  Raven was silent for a moment, her tension was so thick she could barely breathe. “The EC.”

  Director Eastgate nodded. “I thought so. Very well then. It would be safest if your superior came in and picked it up himself.” The director lost his amiableness for a moment and frowned, a cold expression that cut his handsome features like a knife. “Although he is not setting foot in the Winter Vault, or the tunnels and innards of the library. He can wait in the kitchen and we’ll bring it to him.”

  Raven vigorously nodded. “That’s understandable.”

  “Excellent,” the director said, picking up his phone and looking at it. “I assume you would like to handle this as soon as possible?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then tomorrow afternoon will work for you?”

  Raven almost choked on her spit. This was coming together far easier than she could have ever dreamed. “Yes, of course.”

  “Very well. Summon your EC superior here, and we will take care of it directly after you arrive from school,” the director said, setting his phone down on the desk.

  “Thank you Director Eastgate, for your cooperation,” Raven said.

  The director acknowledged the comment with a shrug.

  The twins stirred behind Raven, preparing to make a mad dash out of the room, but Raven wasn’t finished.

  “But why, sir?” Raven asked.

  One of the twins made the mouse squeaking noise again until his brother kicked him. Given his performance in the car, Aron was the squeaker. Probably.

  “Why what, Rachel?” Director Eastgate asked, looking at her again.

  “Why are you allowing this? The EC has been trying to get in here for months to get this cauldron and you’ve denied all of their requests. Why agree to it now?”

  Director Eastgate leaned back in his chair and studied Raven with his dead black eyes. “To begin with, Excubiae Comperio never asked if I could retrieve the artifact and give it to them. They always wanted to come inside the library and claim it themselves. They most likely would have pawed through everything—taking whatever they wished—disturbed patrons, and in general would have upset the library and been a large pain. If you are willing to deliver it to them, and if your superior touches nothing while in the library, I have no arguments against that.”

  To Raven this seemed to be a logical but weak line of reasoning. It was understandable that the director did not want to give the EC free range of the library, but why not state that? The EC would hardly have been begrudging if Director Eastgate gave a counter arrangement of bringing the cauldron to them.

  “I see you are not convinced,” Director Eastgate said, watching Raven with slightly narrowed eyes.

  “Oh, no! I mean, yes, yes I am convinced. I just—,” Raven babbled before the director cut her off.

  “But the real reason is you.”

  Raven blinked. “…Me?”

  “Yes. I would like to keep you happy, Rache
l, because of what you are.”

  Raven opened her mouth but found she had no words to say.

  Director Eastgate nodded at her silence and added. “You are a legendary Double A, or, as they used to call it, an Animo Acroasis.”

  “A what?” Raven said.

  “Animo, is Latin word that means to give life. Acroasis is the Latin word for reading out loud. You give life by reading out loud.”

  Raven’s heart stopped as she put the meaning together. “Wait, so there’s more people like me? There must be if there is a classification for it.”

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no. You are the only Double A alive. There’s only been about two dozen recorded Double As in history,” the Director said, rocking his chair slightly. “I need you in Saint Cloud, Rachel. If handing over one stupid trinket keeps you happy then I will not refuse.”

  Raven breathed shallowly, her employer’s words echoing in her mind. Her freakish magic was crucial? There once were other people like her?

  Director Eastgate interrupted her thoughts. “I can see I have given you a lot to think of. I hope it assures you of my stance. Until tomorrow, Rachel.”

  “Thank you,” Raven choked out as the twins opened the office door and almost dove into the hallway. Raven paused in the doorframe. “Sir…how long have you known?”

  “Known?”

  “That I am a, a Double A?”

  “Since the day you arrived. The library does not greet anyone like that. Ever,” Director Eastgate said.

  Raven bowed her head and backed out of the office, closing the door behind her.

  Raven looked at the twins silently before she walked to the kitchen, passed through the door, sauntered through the computer lab,—ignoring the dark looks Royce gave her—headed up the stairs and plunged into the aisles in the fiction floor.

  When they reached a point of silence in the library that was almost unnatural, Aron spoke. “So. I don’t know if he is trying really, really hard to get you to like him, is planning to sell you off to a zoo, or is just playing head games with us.”

  “The first option seems the most plausible—I don’t think he’s smiled since he was a baby based on the stiffness of his skin—but this is the director. I think I’ll vote for the second option,” Asher said, folding his arms across his chest.