It still dripped with the unknown goop. “I found Carter…” he said and looked down at Amanda’s hand. She followed his gaze. She had the same strange jelly on the tips of her fingers. “And so did you.” Her body convulsed with retching before her mind understood why.
She was wrapped up in Cole’s thick wool cloak, one of the few things that had escaped the acid. Her hair was still wet, and it made her shiver. Madgie had insisted that they wash up in a creek before the protective spells wore off.
“So Carter is dead,” Amanda said. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. But Cole answered her anyway.
“Yes, he was when I found him. I tried to get him out anyway even though he couldn’t have possibly been alive. Don’t know why I even tried. He just… fell apart in my hands.” He shivered and she followed suit. “He deserved what he got. I’m glad he’s dead,” Cole said evenly.
“I didn’t mean to murder him.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.
Cole moved toward her and put his arms around her frail frame. “You didn’t murder him, Amanda. Don’t even say that! You aren’t a murderer. If he were throwing a stunning spell, it would have just knocked him out. He killed himself, and I’m glad he did. When I first saw him, I felt a stab of pity. It was like someone punched me in the stomach. I wanted him dead, but that death… it was a shock.” He looked down at her and gently cupped her face in the palm of his hand. “But then I realized that that was the death he meant for you.” His deep voice shook with anger. “He meant for that lump of flesh in the field to be you.” He pulled her closer as he continued. “Don’t you shed one tear for him, Amanda. He was consumed in darkness. Nothing good was left in him. He had nothing but evil to bring to this world.”
She felt calm in Cole’s arms but knew she wouldn’t be able to just shrug it off like he wanted her to. Shaking her head, she quickly changed the subject before her mind put together exactly what Cole meant by ‘lump of flesh.’ They did have a lot to discuss. “So, Madgie, where do we go from here?”
“I’ve told you where I think you should go and how to get there. Do you remember?” Madgie asked.
“Yes, I remember, but… aren’t you coming with me?”
Amanda didn’t like the way Madgie said that.
“Well, I do think it is best to travel together, at least until you’re healed up from your burns. I figure that should take a good week,” Madgie said, as she looked her up and down. Amanda had first and second degree burns over a good part of her body. She was looking more and more like an extra in an over-the-top cheesy horror film. Her wolf appeared by her side and plopped down next to her, resting his enormous head in her lap. She absentmindedly stroked his fur.
Cole’s resting head shot up. “Are you just going to leave her?” he asked with a hint of venom in his tone.
Amanda was taken back, but it was Madgie who spoke. “No, I’m not just going to leave her. We’re all going to leave each other.”
Cole looked like someone had slapped him across the face.
“But why would we do that, Madgie? I don’t think splitting up is a good idea.”
Maybe she regretted coming with them. Being on the run from the Ancients, unable to go back to her home, she shouldn’t have let either of them do this. So much had happened to them in such a short amount of time, and she wondered what was waiting for them in the future. When she pulled herself out of her thoughts, she saw that Madgie and Cole were in an intense argument. Well, Cole was heated anyway. Madgie sat firm and patient while he threw his hands around.
“I won’t leave her side, Madgie! You saw what just happened, didn’t you? That pales in comparison to what she has coming for her. Carter? He was one guy. They will be sending the whole Guard, no doubt. What will she do against that?”
Madgie shrugged her slender shoulders. “What will you do against that?” Madgie asked.
Cole’s face turned red in exasperation. “I’ll fight. I’ll protect her.”
“It will do her no good. There are too many to fight. The best thing to do is to try and not be found. It is harder to find one spirit among the billions on Earth than to find three. We’ll stick out like a sore thumb together. We’d be much easier to track,” Madgie said
Just before he could respond, Amanda butted in. “Hold on one second… the Ancients have a Guard, like an army?”
11
Classes had been canceled ever since Amanda and Madgie had fled, and Nell was more than a little angry with them for leaving her behind.
She’d awakened the day after Amanda vanished surprised to see strange men lining the Hovel, putting up a kind of perimeter around the entire institute. She, like many, had never known about the Guard. It was hard for a girl of her age to adjust to the fact that the life she’d known was over, but she knew it would forever be different. Nell sighed and started doodling on her notepad.
Frey continued his speech. “Brothers and sisters, I was there when she fled. I plead with her to stay, telling her the Ancients wouldn’t rest until she was safe. ‘Amanda,’ I said, ‘perhaps death isn’t the right way.’ We might yet find an answer, if only she would have stayed. I told her we all cared for her, and what does she do?”
“Attacks us. She began a fierce battle using dark magic I’d never before seen, and then she just vanished! But not before murdering my good friend and mentor Danimir,” he said in a pained voice. “Amanda was cold, calculating, and deadly. She showed no mercy to him. The Ancients were right when they ordered death upon her. I only wish I had seen that sooner. Foolishly, I thought we could find another way, but she’s too far gone. I cannot be silent about the things I’ve witnessed. They have affected me too much and are still affecting me. My friend Carter is still missing,” he announced, choking up.
Frey looked down at the podium for a long moment, apparently fighting back tears. His golden ringlets and round face made him look like a suffering angel, but only to those who didn’t know him.
“He was so brave, and he is probably dead now. I’ll never question the Ancients again. It’s obvious to me now that they know of things we cannot grasp,” he said firmly. “So take comfort in them. They have only ever wanted what is best for you. That’s why the Guard is here with us. In every room that you tread, they will be there.” His voice sharpened a miniscule amount, making those questioning his speech and the Guards’ presence aware of the threat. “For your protection. Feel their love, and your troubled hearts and minds will be calmed.” He finished to some applause.
It looked to Nell like the Guard members were making note of who did and didn’t applaud. And she guessed she wasn’t the only one who noticed as the applause grew suspiciously louder.
Nell was one of the last to leave the dining hall, not wanting to take the long trek back to her room. She decided she’d procrastinated long enough when the room was emptied of all but the eerie Guard. She shuffled down one of the many hallways of the Hovel, careful to keep her eyes on the floor. She’d never seen her home so bare of Healers. The hallways were scarce of familiar faces and filled with ones she’d never met. Having the Guard members lined up around every corner, including the girl’s dormitories, was so unsettling to her.
She’d met Healers who were snobby, self-righteous, deluded, and sometimes downright rude. However, never Healers full of such darkness.
She took her eyes off the floor long enough to sneak a peek at the men lining the hall. Her eyes quickly glanced above her lashes, and she stopped dead in her tracks. All of the Guard members were looking at her. Not even one pair of eyes was otherwise occupied. She looked down the hall in front of her and then behind. She was the only Healer in sight. Nell was alone. Panic overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t explain why. She started again
