The water lapped between my chin and neck, each little wave colliding to the beat of my heart. The panic rose with each one. I tried to swallow it down but couldn’t.
Even though I knew it was useless, I still attempted to move my arms. They didn’t move. Sikitsha had unfortunately made the special chains too well.
“Begin Test #134.” Sikitsha's voice boomed from the speakers.
My jaw twitched as I settled my face into a mask. No way would I panic and scream like I had in his previous experiments. I wouldn’t give the insane man anymore satisfaction.
The water rose. And rose. And rose. It was now just below my nose. I swallowed hard, breathed deep, held it, and closed my eyes. I felt the water creep up my face until it completely covered my head.
The water rose higher. I could feel the pressure pressing onto my body more and more. Minutes ticked by. How many, I didn’t know. It could have been five minutes, ten, or even thirty. I didn’t want to know.
More time crept by. My lungs finally started to burn. I resisted the urge to breathe. More minutes went by. I couldn’t stop myself. I instinctively opened my mouth and choked. I could feel myself drowning as I lost consciousness.
I bolted upright. Gasping, choking, I leapt out of bed. I stood in my room, shaking, bending over while trying to regulate my breathing. I was failing miserably.
I slammed a fist into the bedpost. It splintered into wooden shards, the entire frame creaking as it fractured. I glared at my fist. Great. On top of a nightmare, I had to replace my bed, again. Thanks to the stupid serum and Sikitisha.
My door opened, a light flooding in. I immediately tensed and almost attacked before realizing who it was. I drooped, the fight instantly going out of me.
Li looked at me sympathetically, exhaustion lining her face. My friend glanced at the destroyed bedpost, but didn’t comment. She turned. “I’m going to get the hot chocolate ready,” she tossed over her shoulder. “Grab a blanket and pillow.”
I sighed but did as she said. Li was a great, supportive friend. But, she was also an overprotective mother hen and bossy older sister rolled into one. But I was glad that I had someone I could count on. I was closer to Li than to my own family.
I grabbed my favorite blanket and the pillow off my bed. I exited my bedroom in time to see Alyx and Corbin exiting theirs, Corbin pausing to shut his door while Alyx left his open. Li stood in the small kitchen that was a part of the apartments we all shared. She waved a spoon at Alyx. “Alyx,” she said, “finish this. I’m going to get my own blanket.”
Li strode through her door, which happened to be the closest to the kitchenette. Once she reappeared, she plopped down in the center of the living area. I joined her as Alyx handed each of us a cup of cocoa, before seating himself.
They all looked so exhausted. Guilt started to worm its way through my gut, but I pushed it down. “Don’t feel guilty, Lance,” Corbin quietly said. I eyed him, a tad annoyed for how easily Corbin could read me. He was my friend of course, but still.
“Definitely don’t,” Li added firmly.
“We all have nightmares,” Alyx said quietly.
I didn’t look at any of them. Not because I was trying to avoid the truth. I had had my share of waking one of them up from a nightmare too. No, because I didn’t want to see the haunted look in their eyes. The exact same one that I was sure lurked in my own gaze.
Although I hadn’t really looked in a mirror since my friends had rescued me eight months ago. I hadn’t wanted to see the scars. The reminders.
My hands tightened around my mug. This time, though, instead of shattering it, my hands simply stretched around it. I stared at my hands. I didn’t want this. I knew none of us did. But our new abilities were something we had all had to deal with and integrate into our lives. Because no matter how much any of us wished for it, we couldn’t go back to the way we’d previously lived.
“All right, where are we headed?” When he didn’t get an answer, Jesse Lawson twisted in his seat. He was shocked by how much fear he saw in the woman’s eyes. Correction, young girl. Maybe a teenager.
“I – I don’t know,” she whispered. She flinched and hid behind her scarlet hair.
Jesse eased his vehicle away from the curb. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove through the city. Although, city might be a tad generous.
Jesse glanced in his rearview mirror. The poor thing looked like she was ready to bolt out of his car. He refocused on the road in front of him. The young woman reminded him of Leslie, his granddaughter.
Jesse spoke softly, trying his best to not spook the girl. “If you need help, I know someone who can protect you,” he said quietly. He peeked in the mirror in time to see the girl jerk. Jesse pulled over. The girl immediately reached for the door. “Wait,” Jesse said, “I don’t want to let you out if something is wrong. I have a friend, a young woman I’ve mentored. I know she has a business with some of her friends that offers protection services.”
The mystery girl froze. Her hand tightened on the handle of the car door until her knuckles were white. She slowly released it and sat back.
Jesse kept his focus on the girl despite the ache starting to form in his back from twisting in his seat for so long. He could tell that the girl’s hands were shaking even though she tried to sit on them in an obvious attempt to hide it.
The girl finally looked Jesse in the eyes. “Can you take me to her?” she asked quietly.
Jesse nodded slowly. “Of course,” he answered. He once again pulled away from the curb and started driving, this time with a purpose. He took a meandering route though, just in case someone was following them. He wasn’t an expert by any means, but he knew enough to spot a tail. He hoped.
Jesse glanced in his rearview mirror again. “Can I know your name?” he asked gently. The girl glanced out the window before slouching in her seat. She didn’t answer so Jesse didn’t press.
“Tiana,” she abruptly said. “Tiana Starr.”
Tiana slid as far down her seat as her seatbelt would allow her. She really hoped she wasn’t making a mistake. But her driver seemed like a harmless, kind man. He reminded her of her sweet neighbor, Karl, who would always proudly show off pictures of his grandkids to her.
Tiana glanced at her driver again. She really hoped that he was telling the truth about his friend. She didn’t really know what to do and she needed all the help she could get staying alive. Staying one step ahead of the man hunting her down.
Against the stone of the cave wall, the screech of a talon scraping against its side sounded. Aster sucked in a panicky breath. She tried to silently scramble further into the cave.
“Where is it?”
Aster froze as another of her pursuers spat out an answer. She shouldn’t have wandered off. She knew better.
Aster backed even further into the recesses of the cave. She tried to ignore the large cracks in the walls made by who knew what. She attempted to retuck her wings to where they didn’t show up. Oh, why did she think it had been a good idea to unfurl them? The one time she ignored her parents’ rules, she was chased and hunted down.
Aster had had no idea that Pegasi, winged people, were so hated. Of course, she knew there was a group of fanatics who hated them.There usually was such a group for almost any race. But enough to hunt her down and most likely kill her? She realized now that she had been naive and much too sheltered by her parents.
Too late, Aster realized that in her panic she had accidentally trapped herself. She furiously berated herself for being so foolish. Why had she run into the cave? She could literally fly. She should’ve flown off at the first sign of danger.
Strong arms suddenly grabbed her, yanking her back. Aster instinctively tried to scream but that effort was cut off because of the hand clamped over her mouth. She began to kick and squirm, deciding that she would rather take her chances with the pursuers she had seen than the unknown one dragging her off.
Aster’s efforts did nothing.
After a few minutes, Aster and her captor abruptly popped out of the cave. Aster blinked, trying to regain her eyesight. She immediately resumed squirming. Her captor abruptly let go of her. Aster stumbled before she was able to right herself. She immediately spun around and raised her hands in a self-defense move.
Aster’s jaw dropped. Another Pegasi? She could tell it was a guy but she couldn’t discern any other details because of the metal mask covering his face. The metal was constantly undulating though, so Aster couldn’t even tell what shape his face was.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Aster flinched at the odd, disembodied voice. The guy tilted his head at her. “I wouldn’t recommend wandering around by yourself anymore.” He pointed towards the setting sun peeking through the trees. “Your parents are that way.”
The mystery guy abruptly shot into the air. Aster yelped. “Wait,” she shouted. Realizing her mistake, she clapped her hands over her mouth.
She ran.
“I need to confess something…I did it. Now, can you pass the wine?”
Li looks at me witheringly. She looks at the wine bottle skeptically. “I don’t think I should let you have this wine,” she says snarkily.
I make a grab for the bottle. Li snatches it before I can and holds it out of my reach. “Lance, why in the continent did you think it was a good idea to storm the Council’s meeting and spout off to them?!”
I stand up and slap my hands on the table between us. “Please,” I shout back, “you do the exact same thing all the time!”
“Do the two of you feel better now?”
Li and I both look at the doorway. Alyx leans against the frame, laughing at us while Corbin is the perfect embodiment of my constantly worried mother.
I point accusingly at Li. “She won’t let me have the wine!”
“I at least do so tactfully!” Li shouts at me, picking up our argument from where we had been interrupted.
I snort. “You? Tactful?”
Li swats at me. I jerk away.
“Okay, you two,” Corbin says as he strides into the room. He flops onto one of the chairs in an uncharacteristic manner. He points a finger at both of us. “You guys are friends, act like it!”
Alyx picks up an apple and bites into it. “They are,” he says around his mouthful of fruit. He swallows. “Alice, I know you well enough to know you are internally applauding Lance, so I think you can have mercy on the poor guy and let it go.”
Li sniffs and straightens her back. “I suppose,” she says grudgingly. She flashes a grin my way. “I heard you did excellent work on the insult.”
I breathe an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Heavens, Li,” I say, “you just had to make me sweat.”
“What are friends for,” Li replies jokingly. “You’re right, I would’ve done the same thing, Lance. But I’m trying to resist ‘rocking the boat’ right now.” Li rolls her eyes and uses air quotes around her last words.
“I’m sorry, Li,” I say contritely. “I’ll try to rein myself in. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble. You and James have enough to deal with as it is.”
Li’s smile falters slightly. “Yeah,” she says quietly.
I break the silence. “Pass me the wine.”
Li eyes me.
“Oh, come on, Li,” I say pleadingly.
Alyx picks up one of the bottles. “Vi – Vinubrum,” he says haltingly. He looks at me. “Why so gung-ho with the wine anyway? You don’t drink.”
“I’ve been wanting to try it,” I say, shrugging. “Besides, after the wreck of a week we’ve had I thought I – we,” I corrected, “deserved it.” I smile winningly at Li.
Li still looks wary.
Corbin leans his head against the top of the chair. “I don’t know why you’re worried, Li,” he says calmly. He casually tosses his favorite dagger in the air, catching it each time. “It’s not like we can get drunk.”
“True,” Li says thoughtfully. She eyes the bottle. “Pour me a glass.”
“Whoo!” I exclaim. I pour a glass for all of us. We clink our glasses and swallow the liquid.
Li wrinkles her nose. “Eh, let’s try another bottle,” she suggests. ……… “Alice, what have you been up to…” James trails off. He looks at the four of us. Then at the bottles sitting on the table. He snaps his jaw shut. He scratches his neck and says, “Alice, if I’d known you were this stressed I would’ve helped with — this?” He gestures vaguely at the table.
Li drains the last of her glass and sets it on the table. “We are now absolutely certain, James,” she says candidly, “that none of us can get drunk. I’m not even sure what number this glass is, but I feel fine. Completely normal.”
“This is very true,” I add. “This is probably the only benefit of the raw serum.”
James crosses his arms. He looks at us skeptically and replies, “So you guys are saying you literally cannot get drunk.”
“Nope,” Li, Alyx, and I all chorus together.
“See,” Li says cheerfully. She proceeds to walk in a perfectly straight line. Then she performs two backflips, landing each with precision despite doing them right next to furniture.
James holds up his hands. “I believe you,” he says, smiling.
“Don’t tell Captain Rudman about this, please,” Corbin asks. He carefully sets his empty glass on the table in front of him.
“How many –,” James breaks off. He shakes his head. “Actually, I don’t want to know. Because then I would be obligated to report you…so, yeah, forget I asked.”
“So, you don’t want a glass too?” I ask him cheekily.
“Not right now,” James answers. He grins at me. “I actually wanted to talk to my fiance.” He looks at Li. “We’re supposed to go to the luncheon today.”
Li looks at the bottles on the table. “Then it’s a good thing I’m unable to get drunk,” she says a little sheepishly.
As James and Li leave, I raise my glass and say, “Good luck, guys! A toast to both of you in the hope your appetites won’t be ruined by the Council’s frowning faces.”
My friends’ laughter echoes behind them as they walk down the hall. I eye the remaining wine in the bottle. Just one more glass.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
The lady in front of me scowled. “I want real help!” she snapped. “I don’t want assistance from a worthless hybrid!”
I felt my face tighten as it froze in its professional expression. “Very well,” I said tightly. I spun around and entered the back room.
As I did so, I could hear Ruth Durus say, “Honestly, why can’t Ramon find better help?” Her companion made vehement noises of agreement.
Ramon Tivan looked up at my entrance. The middle aged father frowned at me. I smoothed my hands down my apron and said, “Mrs. Durus would like assistance from someone else.”
Ramon sighed and looked at his wife, Liara. “Don’t look at me,” Liara said flatly. She punched the dough she was kneading harder than necessary.
I blinked and looked at my feet. I couldn’t really blame Liara for her resentment towards me. I understood even if it wasn’t my fault. In the few months I’d been working and living with the Tivan family, there had been several incidents of customers demanding help from someone else and even taking their business elsewhere.
Liara wiped her hands off and headed towards the storefront. “Take care of the dough, Viaora,” she said as she brushed past me.
I went to the sink and washed my hands. I picked up where Liara had left off, kneading the dough. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. I peeked at Ramon. He only looked at me before going back to his work.
I tried to not take it personally. After all, while Ramon and Liara were kind enough to give me work and a place to stay, it wasn’t in their nature to be demonstrative.
“Your time is up,” Ramon suddenly said, breaking the tense silence.
I blinked and stopped working the dough. “What?” I asked uneasily. I could feel my body tensing, readying itself to flee.
“Your time is up,” Ramon repeated. He looked at me. “You had better run.”
Ramon slid a piece of paper over to me. I tentatively took it, fighting my primitive instincts to lash out. I unfolded the sheet. I felt the blood drain from my face.
The paper was advertising a hunt. A hunt for hybrids. I looked up at Ramon. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I would like to protect you, Viaora, but I need you to leave. For my family’s safety.”
I wiped my hands off. “I understand,” I said quietly.
I truly did. Hatred for and prejudice against hybrids and unnaturals was more rampant in the outskirts of the kingdom. The horrific manhunts could become bloody and dangerous for all involved very quickly. The fact that I was known to be a hybrid would not help the Tivan family at all.
Liara reentered the kitchen but froze just inside the back room’s doorway. She glanced between her husband and me. I met her gaze and straightened my back.
“I’m so sorry for all the trouble my presence has caused for you,” I said. I looked at both Ramon and Liara. “But I want to thank you for the way you helped me. It saved my life. I’ll leave before the situation can deteriorate any further.”
I moved to go to my room and gather my things. As I packed my bag, I blinked back the tears. I’d allowed myself to become too comfortable with the Tirvans. I would miss them. I finished packing and went back downstairs.
“Viaora.” I looked at Liara in surprise. She pursed her lips and looked away. Then back at me. “Go to my mother, Rowena Griswold. She’s a hermitress, living in the forest. She’ll shelter you.”
I gaped at Liara before snapping my mouth shut. I nodded slowly. “Thanks,” I said tonelessly. I hesitated before abruptly adding, “Blame me or lie about me to protect your family.” Liara frowned. I knew her well enough by now to know she wasn’t by nature a liar. “It’ll make it easier on you and your family. People will believe you if you make me the villain.”
I slipped out the back door before Liara could answer me. I’d only gone a few feet when I heard loud shouts and rapid footsteps behind me. I looked over my shoulder. I didn’t see anyone. Yet. I quickened my pace and fled through the town. I took every shortcut I knew of so I could avoid people.
By the time I made it out of the town’s boundaries, I could no longer hear the footsteps and yells. But I knew that didn’t mean it would be the last time I ever heard the sounds. I decided against going to Liara’s mother.
I appreciated the offer of help. But I realized now that I couldn’t risk putting any innocent person in danger. So I couldn’t go to her mother.
I fingered the small note in my pocket. Going to Liara’s mother wasn’t my only option though. Making my decision, I quickened my pace. I was going to the capital.
“I want to fight,” I said. I ignored the furious looks directed at me for having busted into the Arena’s inner sanctum. I zeroed in on my master, Jordan. “I want to be a Warrior.”
One of the other masters snorted and said, “You? You’re barely five feet and skinny as a rail. A match against you wouldn’t be even remotely entertaining.”
“It’s risky for a young girl like you to go against our seasoned warriors,” another master said, kindly. Or he tried to anyway.
I straightened my back and answered, “I’d rather take my chances in the arena.” I returned my gaze to Jordan. “I want to fight.”
Even though I said the words as vehemently as I could, a sliver of fear slipped through me. I didn’t truly want to fight. I wanted my parents and sister, my family. I wanted my old life back. But I couldn’t have that and I was no longer safe being the obscure slave girl. I had to fight.
“Granted,” Jordan suddenly said. The room was quiet immediately. He straightened in his chair and added, “Your training starts in the morning.”
Seven years later… I unsheathed my swords and allowed their tips to lightly touch the ground. I breathed in. Then released the breath. The match started.
I lunged at my opponent. He stumbled backwards before recovering and attempting to hit me with his mace. I parried the clumsy blow and swung one of my swords at him. The guy managed to dodge it, barely as I still sliced through his arm.
I dodged his next attack, ducking beneath his arm and behind him. Before he could turn to face me, I plunged one of my swords into the back of his shoulder. Blood spurted as I watched my blade sink into the young man. I ferociously shut down the voice of horror. By now I was used to it.
The match was over in seconds. One of my best as I was now the top warrior in the Arena. I watched as two others roughly dragged the guy out of the open arena. The spectators began cheering.
I couldn’t focus on them anymore. Their praise had become empty over the years as I watched my opponents die. Granted, I never dealt the death blow. But I may as well have for how severely they were punished by their masters.
I couldn’t do this anymore. I had to leave, even if the attempt killed me. I needed out. The roaring applause grew louder. I blinked and felt a tear trail down my face, reflecting my untold story, the one I could never tell.
I grab my sister’s hand and pull her towards the cliff edge with me. She nods slowly in my direction. Then we jump.
Kaelynn squeals in excitement. I pulled water together, to form a chute that ended above the ocean. We land in the water with a giant splash.
I let go of her hand and swim my way up to the surface. I burst through and giggled.
“Look out below!”
Heeding the shout, I used my ability to move Kaelynn and I away from the slide’s end. Seconds later, two successive splashes sounded. A second later, Zachary and Marian’s heads popped up. They swam over to us and began to tread water.
“This was an amazing idea!” Mari gushed. She shoved her hair out of her face and added, “We needed this.”
“Yeah, we haven’t been able to go swimming in a long time,” Zach added.
“Uh oh,” Kaelynn began.
I instinctively waved my hand, directing the water around us to rise, taking us with it. We rose with the current I had created and was controlling, moving further away from the slide and hovered in the air.
Four rapid splashes sounded, Theiron’s whoops echoing across the space.
Zach chuckled and said, “It’s nice to see Theiron having fun.” He glanced at me. “All of you.”
I shrugged lightly before directing the water to take us back to land. I took hold of his hand as I did so. We stepped on to the beach seconds later.
“Gross,” Kaelynn whispered loudly as she eyed our clasped hands.
I rolled my eyes at my younger sister. “You are married,” I said pointedly.
Zach leaned around me and added, “That’s right, you are. Why are you grossed out by us holding hands? We’re engaged in case you didn’t know.”
Kaelynn snorted, then laughed. “Oh, I definitely know, Your Highness” she said. She laughed again before strolling off.
“I’m getting a snack,” Mari said, “before everyone else takes the pickled onions.”
“No one eats those except for you!” Zach called after her.
I laughed. He glanced at me, smiling. Zach abruptly spun me around so I was facing him. “Dance with me?” he asked, a playful twinkle sparkling in his eye. I rolled my eyes but placed my hands around him as he pretended to spin me around to a tune.
Our bond began to sparkle between us. Its golden strands started to weave itself around us as I slowly felt us float into the air. We weren’t really moving by then, just swaying. To the sound of the ocean. My safe haven.
“Like this.”
I watched as my fiance squinted in concentration at Reuben. She attempted to hold her body in the position that he’d indicated. It wasn’t correct.
“Reu, you’re explaining this badly,” Kristopher interjected. “Here Sara, you’re supposed to stand like this.” He proceeded to demonstrate.
“I think neither one of you are being particularly helpful,” Alyssa, Sara’s sister, said tartly from where she was leaning against the stone statue.
“Lyssie, if I have to learn to play their game, so do you,” Sara said forcefully, even as she attempted the new stance Kris was showing her.
Alyssa pushed off of the statue and approached the small group of Ben’s younger siblings. She eyed them doubtfully but dutifully tried to copy the stance. She grimaced and quickly removed her harness that held her twin swords. She carefully placed them on the ground a few feet away.
“I think she’s adjusting well, don’t you?”
I jumped a little. Ben, my best friend and Alyssa’s fiance popped up beside me. “Really, you had to do that?” I asked, a little peeved.
Ben shrugged at me unrepentantly. We both turned back to the scene in front of us. Apparently Kris, Atlas, Michael, and Reuben had given up on trying to teach Alyssa and Sara their game and had moved on to a game of tag.
“Lyss doesn’t normally just leave her weapons on the ground,” Ben said after a beat of silence. “Even though it’s been a few months now. That’s what I meant when I said she seemed to be adjusting well.”
I blinked before realizing the truth of the statement. Sara and Alyssa were very similar (they were sisters after all) but I usually only saw the differences. While Sara was usually more upbeat, Alyssa could be more pessimistic. Where Sara leaned towards trusting people, Alyssa tended to be more skeptical. Although, considering what they’d both been through, I could completely understand why that was so.
“You know, the more I think about it, I believe this is good for them,” I finally answered. I gestured at the group. Sara was outright laughing and Alyssa was smiling, which was the equivalent of jumping up and down for joy for her. “For all of Sara’s kind heart and natural cheer, I surprisingly don’t often see her this happy.”
“I agree, Galyn,” Ben replied. He broke the serious note a moment later. “Except, of course, when she’s with you.” He elbowed me.
I elbowed him back. “Of course,” I answered with a lofty tone.
Ben chuckled then straightened. Alyssa was approaching us. She came to a stop, her face a stony mask. I couldn’t tell if it was her habitual expression or if she was actually upset.
“Did one of the triplets do something stupid?” I asked teasingly.
Alyssa blinked at me. She tilted her head and glanced at Ben. I swear they have a telepathic connection, because Ben nodded at her and stepped away from me. I tensed. Alyssa tapped me on my arm and said, “You’re it.” She and Ben immediately sprinted away.
I spluttered. “That’s cheating!” I yelled as I joined the chase.
The thought that I was an adult and shouldn’t be playing a silly game of tag flitted across my mind. But another one followed. Why not be a child again?
“Is that a piano?”
I blinked and glanced at my friend, Molly. She was standing in the sand, her gaze transfixed on an object in front of her. I peered in that direction.
“Um, I don’t know…” I trailed off as we got closer. It was a piano. An old, wooden grand piano. I walked up to it and ran my hand across its side.
The side panels were beautifully carved, with an intricate design of swirling branches. I was really confused. Molly and I walked on the beach every day and I knew this piano had never been here before, on any of those occasions.
A single note echoed into the air. I looked over to see Molly running her fingers across the keys. The thing actually worked? Molly began to play a scale before moving into a complete tune.
It was beautiful. I had never been much of a musician or been interested in music before. But something about the notes this piano emitted…It felt magical.
I rested my hand on the edge of the piano as I watched my friend play. She had told me the other day that she wished she still had her keyboard. She had to sell it to help pay her sister’s medical bills.
I had not seen Molly smile lately. But a grin was slowly appearing as she played. Magical. I felt my body slowly relax. I closed my eyes and let the notes wash over me. Happiness began to flood my body.
I do not know how long we stood there, Molly playing and me enjoying my first genuine musical performance.
“I’m sorry, Molly,” I said with regret, after a while. “We have to leave now.”
Molly sighed back. “I know,” she said, wistfully running her hand across the keys once more.
We turned to leave and walked away.
“Just one more song,” Molly said abruptly. She spun around and gasped.
I turned around too. My jaw dropped open. The piano was gone.
If I counted the ways I love you, I wouldn’t know where to begin. You’ve saved me, In more ways than one.
You’ve changed my heart, My attitude and mind. You’ve made me a part Of something sublime.
I love you because You’ve shown me grace. I love you because You’ve changed my fate.
If I counted the ways I love you, I wouldn’t know where to begin. If I counted the ways I love you, I wouldn’t know how to end.
