“Has anyone been to Jīnlóng?” I asked.
Ivory’s arm shot up. She gave a wave as though answering a question in school. “I have!”
“I’ve wanted to visit!” Vana smiled.
“Anyone else?” I asked.
No one else spoke a word.
“Well, that was a total bust… so much for girl power,” Enya said with a raised eyebrow.
“Come with me. I need to tell you all something before we leave,” I said.
We crept into the kitchen in silence. The last glance I shot the crowd, I noticed Mai’s soulless black eyes staring back, pleased with the crowd’s submission.
Vana, Enya, Ivory, and Chief Starbright sat in the chairs as I shut and locked the door. My hands shook violently, but this was something I had to do.
Enya clenched her teeth after seeing Chief Starbright. “You never mentioned she was going with us!”
“Surprise...” I said.
“You’ve come back with Enya and two children. Delightful.” Chief Starbright’s sarcasm showed she wasn’t pleased.
Ivory’s eyes widened. “I can be helpful! I can make costumes, disguises!”
“That’s a skill that might come in handy. Especially for someone so young.” Chief Starbright’s firm face actually cracked a smile.
“What’s all this about, Calista? You look spooked!” Vana looked confused.
I sat opposite her with Chief Starbright and relayed my confrontation with Mai, even going as far as showing my wound.
Vana’s jaw was so wide it could fit an orange. “She’s gonna kill us? I thought she was shy, not like this.”
“Wallflower’s telling the truth. I was there in the valley. Mai acted like a manipulative little sociopath,” Enya confessed reluctantly.
“Did she say who she’s working for?” Chief Starbright asked.
“Only that she’s part of something huge." my lip quivered like my trembling fingers.
Enya raised an eyebrow. “Like, The Regime?”
“I don’t have any other explanation.” I sighed. “I just don’t know why she’s here or why she’s threatening everyone.”
“Probably for that stupid notebook…” Enya mumbled.
I nodded. “That’s why we’re going to Jīnlóng. I need to find out what she’s planning to do with us. Can one of you watch Ambert and also keep an eye on Mai?”
“Mai wouldn’t be suspicious of me hanging out with her more. I’d be happy to help,” Vana volunteered with a smile.
Chief Starbright nodded. “Thank you for your service. We can keep in touch with old phones from my office. If you find anything, alert us.”
“What about the rest of us?” Ivory asked.
“We’re going to Jīnlóng,” I informed.
“None of the boys wanted to go… it’s so embarrassing for them.” Enya laughed.
“Girls can be tougher than boys if they want to,” Ivory said.
“So true,” Vana chuckled.
“I think this meeting is over,” I said.
“Thanks for letting us go, Calista. I’m so excited! We’re leaving tonight right?” Ivory asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
Chief Starbright clung to her crucifix. “Then it’s settled. Keep in mind what I said, Calista.” she strode out of the room with her head raised.
“Enya, please wait,” I said.
Enya returned to the table. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and crossed her arms. “What now, Wallflower?”
“There’s something I didn’t tell the others,” I said.
“What is it?” Enya paused to clear her throat. “Crap, you look pale...”
“I can feel something’s going on here. Mai’s up to something … and I’m scared, Enya. Maybe we should talk to Chief Starbright about where we can look for answers. She’ll have a few ideas, right?”
“That’s our best bet,” Enya agreed.
I nodded. “I hope Vana can keep Ambert safe while we’re gone. I don’t want anything to happen to him. I saw a fraction of what she can do. I don’t want to see her worst.”
“Hopefully, The Regime isn't behind it. If they are, our position may be compromised.”
“I don’t want to lose. We have to find something at Jīnlóng. If we don’t…” Tears streamed down my face.
“Spit it out, Wallflower.” Enya’s eyes narrowed.
“... Chief Starbright is going to kick me out as well as anyone else who believes me.”
“Bull! She can’t do that! That’d be you, me, Ivory… who knows who else! She could even just pretend she doesn’t believe us! Crap, this is just what the witch needs to get rid of me!” Enya said.
I grasped onto her in a full embrace. “I’m glad I’m not alone.”
To my surprise, she gently hugged me and stroked my hair. “Me too, Wallflower. Me too.”
TEN
Ambert
“You’re sure you’re ready to go, Enya?”
She didn’t answer right away. Gazing into the mirror beside us, her mind was lost in thought. Her normally assertive expression soured.
I cleared my throat. “Enya?”
“What?” Enya mumbled. “Oh, yeah—”
“You sure? If you need someone to talk to—”
Enya lowered her eyes. “No thanks.”
She sat there — staring into the glass. Neither of us spoke a word, and that was abnormal. I continued to pack her red bag with essentials: fresh water, canned food, a first aid kit, etc.. She should’ve been doing some of the work, but her mind was too preoccupied.
Enya sighed and grabbed a can of preserved beans from my hand, placing it into her own bag. “Have you seen that girl who’s always with Zeke?”
“You mean Becky? What about her?”
“You see how everyone treats her, right? I’ve always had to work so hard because of how I look. No one does favors for me.” Enya gripped her arms around her round body. There was nothing wrong with it.
I looked her in the eye. “If you’re happy with yourself, that’s enough for me.”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. My head jolted to the doorway. Cal wore her hair up in a ponytail, different from her normal frizzy, loose style. The fabrics on her were the same as always: worn, Regime-manufactured garments. Cal smiled Enya’s direction, but it didn’t appear real. The worried, watered look in her eyes gave it away.
Her voice quaked. “Ready?”
“Just remember your allies are watching your back. Hope your trip goes well.” I handed Enya her bag.
My twin narrowed her eyes. “I’ll make sure it does”
Whatever they got themselves into was more than they let on. Both Enya and Cal lacked morale — something important to any mission; without it, their motivation for going to Jīnlóng would shatter and send someone to their grave. I couldn’t just ask them about it. If Chief Starbright didn’t want them getting me involved, they couldn’t tell what was going on. That didn’t mean I couldn’t do my own digging to pick apart the cause and effect.
Wes and I escorted Ivory, Chief Starbright, Enya, and Cal out of Safe Haven, taking a new ladder and having someone pick it up after leaving. Keeping Safe Haven secret was a priority.
We trudged to the train station, determined to move without anyone discovering us. Spotting a camera, we ducked behind a huge cargo box — which immediately caught Ivory’s attention.
“I wonder what’s inside this box?” Ivory scaled it with her eyes.
Enya didn’t seem amused. “There’s no telling.”
Cal looked at the label. “Let’s see — this package’s going on our train too. Maybe we’ll find out what’s in it after all.”
Chief Starbright coughed. “The train will leave any moment! We have to move.”
“You should open it once we get you on the train,” I suggested.
We crossed the railroad track to get to Station Five: the train for Jīn
lóng.
A wrinkled man carried boxes of cargo with a cart. I pulled Ivory back to another box. Disarmed, frail, and wearing torn clothing — it was the perfect profile of a hard worker or a family man, more than likely not a spy from The Regime.
“Is that our way in?” I asked.
Enya popped her knuckles. “Looks like it.”
“How will we get on?” Ivory puzzled.
“We’re going to take him out and get on the train.” Enya lit fire in her hand. Flickers entered the sky above us — almost revealing our location.
I lowered Enya’s hand. “The poor guy’s not even armed!”
“I agree.” Chief Starbright crossed her arms and gave Enya a dominant stare.
“He’s probably a Regime spy.” Enya ranted.
Ivory giggled. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning…”
“I know what spies look like. Trust me, he’s not one of ‘em,” Wes argued.
“Most spies carry a concealed weapon. If we knock him out, he’ll report the attack. If we kill him, the cameras would catch it too. Then spies will scan Jīnlóng for you,” I explained.
She had to listen to me. Chief Starbright was here, and Enya wouldn’t be stupid enough to cross her in person.
Enya sighed. She was quiet for a moment before she threw her ball of fire into the snow at our feet, leaving a patch of short, dry grass.
Cal let out a sigh. She was being quieter than normal. Something happened after I left her with Mai. It just wasn’t like her to be lost in thought. This mission wasn’t a search and rescue.
The old man wiped his forehead with his black Regime uniform, placing his last piece of cargo on board. He strolled to the dock, pleased to be finished before sunset. Chief Starbright took lead and opened a train car, letting Enya, Cal, and Ivory on board with her.
“See? It was simple,” I said.
“We could have been caught!” Enya snarled.
“Enjoy your trip, Pilot-Light!” Wes wore a mischievous grin.
“What did you just call me?!” Enya eyebrows furrowed.
I pushed Wes away from the train car. “See you later, Enya.”
The train started, flinging my sister to the floor. A whistle blew. Flickers of light from the last train car lit from Enya’s waving hand. Just like my twin sister — always rebellious.
“Pilot-light?” I asked.
Wes nodded. “Finally found my comeback.”
As the last sign of our friends trickled away, a smile curved on my lips. This was a great opportunity for Enya and Cal to get along. Shades of orange faded to a darker color of blue against the snow. An overcast of gray clouds rolled in behind them.
“You know, that sight never gets old.” Wes let out a playful chuckle. “I can paint sunsets a thousand times and still never get the same effect as being out here in real life.”
I released a breath of cold air. “I get what you mean.”
“Want to head back to Safe Haven?” Wes pointed back to the forest.
“Yeah—” I shivered. “Fortress’ weather is cruel at night.”
The wind silenced, the oncoming darkness lingering around our bodies. In the forest, our footsteps weren’t alone. Others wandered out there: Dreamers, Regime soldiers hunting them, and bystanders caught in the crossfire. The cawing of a raven lingered over the trees in the pale moonlight and left a shadow below our feet.
Wes shivered and grinned at me. I smiled back — until another shadow engulfed over us.
A figure posed in the clearing — the deck of cards in his hand sent chills up my spine. An eggshell colored mask covered his face with intricate designs and patterns. Its twisted grin brought memories of him shooting my leg weeks earlier flooding through my mind. Cameras must have picked us up at the train station, and now The Illusionist came to finish his job.
“We’ve got to split. Now!” Wes shouted.
Wes and I bolted through the trees. Snow lumbered beneath our feet like quicksand. We sank until we were forced to face our enemy — nowhere to hide; no way to run.
The Illusionist chuckled. “The game’s up.”
“What are you talking about?” Wes’ arms jolted back and forth, grappling with the snow.
The Illusionist flipped cards in his hands. “The Commander says it’s time to collect.”
My body trembled; a short breath left my lips. “The Commander’s collecting no one today.”
“Ambert, what’s he talking about?" my best friend’s eyes bulged.
“Either you can surrender now, or I’ll be back in three nights to take The Commander’s prize — the lives of Safe Haven.” The Illusionist clenched his fist. “You don’t want that.”
“And what makes you think we’ll just do what that dream-killer says? Huh?” Wes asked.
The wind howled in spirals around The Illusionist. His twisted laugh echoed around us as he brought a tree branch to life and it wrapped around Wes’ neck. The chokehold tightened more, and the branch brushed its jagged edges around his flesh.
“You’ll die—” It didn’t take a genius to know his face matched the crooked grin on his mask as he turned to me. “And The Commander will show no mercy.”
Wes’ face paled went purple and blue; his eyes became a bloodshot red. Lungs gasping for breath, he remained helpless to The Illusionist’s magical grip. He would die within minutes without help. I couldn’t let this happen.
“No!” I shouted.
Without warning, the trees above us shook and dropped icicles on The Illusionist’s hand. He pulled back, leaving Wes gasping for breath. Wes let out a cough and gazed his reddened eyes back at the enemy.
“Next time, Sparrow of Silence.” The Illusionist pointed to us and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing but a few drops of blood.
I brushed the snow off my clothes and faced Wes. “You okay?”
“Coming to collect? What’s going on here?” a flush crept up his face.
“Beats me—” my lungs worked harder than ever. “Let’s return to Safe Haven.”
Wes nodded. “It’s better than staying out here.”
We both knew that nighttime didn’t just bring extra cold: it brought Regime soldiers too. Not even a flame would be enough to thaw them out.
Just like Fortress’ cold weather, The Regime was cold — only much worse. Even if I hated secrets, some things had to be buried in the past to keep everyone else safe from the soldiers and the darkness.
)
After taking my injection, I stared into the flames of the kitchen fireplace in solitude — in darkness. A flashback played out in my head.
“I never let rebels go, Ambert. You must realize how valuable you are now, don’t you?” The Commander paused. “Oh — but of course you know there’s a catch. Do exactly what I’m about to tell you, and maybe your sister won’t suffer. I know how much you care for Calista.”
“What have you done to Cal?” I remembered internalizing my fear.
He held a remote in his hands and smiled. “Her life’s in my hands now.”
“What do you want?”
“I just want my Sparrow of Silence to do what I ask. That’s it.”
Spies were everywhere. One alert from any of them and The Commander could push a button to kill Cal. That meant no skipping my Antiserum or doing anything too risky.
The Commander spared me. He let me continue to live when any other person who defied him would’ve died. It was the main reason I never talked about how I got the name Sparrow of Silence. The name seared memories back into me.
It was either four shooters or two hundred fifty students — all for a cruel Fortress Military School final exam. The gunshots shot like thunder. Seventeen students didn’t graduate. Seventeen had their lives stolen.
I didn’t sit idle. I stopped the bullets by listening to the shooters and ordered a group of students to take them out quietly. Sparrow of Silence. I hated it.
The Commander needed more than shooters to snuff out Dreamers; He needed Project Dark Phoenix. Not only that, but people to kill to prove The Regime’s power was real — and people like Mr. Knight and The Illusionist to do it.
I took my mother’s flash-key out of my pocket. I needed to play it. Then, all of this would get better.
The flickers of the fire crackled before I dozed off.
ELEVEN
Calista
On the train, I could hardly breathe. Enya told me to cheer up, but all the excitement was being sucked right out of me. I doubted if I’d find answers for all my questions. It made me worry about the danger ahead of me as well as my fate at Safe Haven. One wrong move, and my friends and I would be banned from our new home. We’d never be able to find Wes’ sister or dream without The Regime breathing down our back.
To my surprise, Ivory and Chief Starbright sat next to me.
“Cheer up, Cally. Vana can handle Mai.” the small designer swung her legs beside me.
I looked at Ivory, finding a new skirt around her waist. This one was a blinding white color. “Since when did you have time to make that?”
Ivory’s eyes shifted. “That box had some fabric in it, so I might’ve changed the trim but...”
“Ivory…” I sighed.
“Okay, okay. So I’m a Seamster…” Ivory said as she grinned.
“So, you’re like Enya? You have magic?” I asked.
“No. Seamsters are connected with task magic rather than element based,” Chief Starbright paused. “I thought the Seamsters were extinct.”
“My sister took me into into hiding with several others… there’s a growing camp outside The Regime. Well-hidden from them too.” Ivory twiddled her thumbs. “Besides, magic should be celebrated.”
“Jīnlóng was known in Dreamer culture as a place to learn about magic and mythical creatures. Teachers from all over came to prepare students to face the coming darkness by harnessing the elements. One, in particular, was the best at his craft. If we can find him, he could decipher what Mai’s up to… if you’re telling the truth,” Chief Starbright said.
Splintering Reality (Breaking Order Series Book 2) Page 6