A Chosen Life (8 page)

“So I’m—I’m not human?” Tolen glanced at his sleeping mother. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to tell him. A government experiment, a weird twist of rare genes, an accident. All those things he’d tried to guess at weren’t even close to the truth.
I’m not even human.
I really am a freak.

Bastian shook his head. “No, Tolen. It is not like that at all. Human is a relative word. All living things are connected, no matter their race or origin. One race is not superior to another. You are a Being, a gift of life with tremendous potential as all Beings are. Do not judge yourself based on a category that holds no value among the things that truly matter.”

Tolen dropped back into the rocking chair and rubbed his pounding head.

Bastian sighed. “I am afraid there is not enough time for me to explain everything to you, to really help you to understand, but what I must tell you are the truths that are the most vital for you to know right now. You asked what my duties are. I am to find, train, and protect the Chosen ones . . . ” He paused and tapped his chin; it was almost as if he was choosing his next words carefully. “Tolen, you have been selected by the Balance to be a member of this elite group of Light followers. It contains those with incredible gifts that are suited to protect this world from the servants of the Dark . . . .”

No, not gifts. A curse.
Tolen continued to massage his aching head. Balance, Light, Dark. It was all just a bunch of gibberish.

“They are gifts Tolen, I assure you.” Bastian took a measured breath. He seemed nearly as irritated at Tolen’s lack of knowledge as Tolen was. “With time I am certain you will see them as gifts as well. The Balance, the force that connects us all, sensed the Light, the goodness in you, and selected you as one of the Chosen. A pure-hearted soul who would not stand by and let the Dark, let evil, win. For centuries the gifted Chosen have kept the forces of darkness at bay—”

Tolen stood up and spun around, his back to Bastian. His breath came in large gulps and colors swam before his eyes.
He wants me to fight evil? This is nuts . . . This guy is nuts!

“I am truly sorry Tolen. I do not know why your mother has kept the truth from you. I hope we can get to the bottom of it soon.” Tolen felt Bastian stand up behind him, but he didn’t turn around. “Go to bed. Rest. When it is safe for your mother to wake, I will come for you and maybe we can sort this out.”

Tolen ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Like I’m going to be able to sleep after all this.”

The front door opened and a tiny teenage girl—Tolen doubted she would reach his shoulder—stood in the doorway. Three dead crows dangled from her fist.

“Bastian, we’ve got a problem.”

Bastian turned to face her. “Tolen, this is my ward, Macy. Macy, this is Tolen.”

She dropped the crows beside the porch, dusted her feather-covered hands on her jeans, wiped her booted feet on the rug, and stomped into the room. A sucker stick poked from the side of her mouth. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back in messy waves and her wideset emerald eyes stood out, without the help of make-up.

She definitely didn’t fit in with the standard, trendy girls he knew from school; yet there was something about her that made him want to look closer, stand nearer, find out more about her. She exuded a confidence that normal, self-conscious teens lacked. Power radiated from her, and something else . . . anger.

He stammered out a hello.

She lifted her chin in Tolen’s direction and in the brief moment their eyes met, Tolen felt her anger directed at
him
, but he didn’t have the faintest idea why. She turned her attention back to Bastian without a word of response.

“One of those crows was a Divinator. It saw what the
kid
did in the park.”

Tolen cringed. Her tone conveyed the depth of her complete dislike. Annoyed, he directed his question to Bastian as well, completely ignoring her and all her intriguing, yet frustrating, attributes. “What’s a Divinator?”

“Crows are often used by the Dark as spies.” Bastian glanced at Macy with his eyebrow raised, before looking back at Tolen to explain. “Divinators are crows whose eyes have been replaced with Oracle stones. Whatever the Divinators see, their masters see. The problem here lies with whom these particular spies belong to, and just how far away they may be hiding. Divinators are rare and usually only the highest captains in the Dark have access to them. The fact that one was sent here to watch you is disturbing.”

He turned back to the girl and sighed. “I had hoped to wait and give Tolen a few days to completely regenerate. Go and fetch the Doogar. It is time for a new plan.”

Macy threw a parting glance in Tolen’s direction—a look of pure disgust. Tolen watched her go, wanting to defend himself, but from what? He hadn’t done anything to this strange girl.

Things just kept getting better and better.

Chapter Six

Secrets

Macy swung her legs from her perch on top of the kitchen counter and gnawed on a sucker stick, bored out of her mind. Two hours ago, the
Ninth
had conked out on the sofa and his mother had dragged them all into the kitchen to talk.

The uneventful hours had trudged slowly into late morning. The sun now shone bright above the mountains and the breeze coming through the window brushed too warm against her skin.

She drummed her fingers on the counter. Watching Bastian and the kid’s mom argue had stopped being interesting after the first ten minutes.

It was ridiculous that they couldn’t wake the precious Ninth from his beauty sleep no matter how many Dark creatures might be headed their way. For some reason Bastian refused to explain why he thought he needed answers from this crazy lady instead of just taking the kid and running for it.

A muscle started twitching in Bastian’s jaw and he gripped the counter behind him with unnecessary force. Macy wondered idly how long it would be before he ripped out a hunk of Formica.

He shook his head toward the ceiling. “I cannot believe you have not at least told Tolen something about who he really is, even if you would not tell him his destiny. The boy had a right to know.”

The kid’s mother sat rigid in the kitchen chair, her previously pale cheeks flushed with irritation. “Don’t you dare tell me how I should have raised my son!” she retorted in a furious whisper. “I
didn’t ask the Balance to choose him. The Light has no right to expect so much from one child.”

Macy rolled her head and rubbed the back of her neck. Her muscles were getting sore from looking back and forth between the arguing adults.

Dane slept at the table with his head on his arms. Every once in a while a snore interrupted the disagreement. Macy wished she could be as lucky, but someone had to stay focused on what headed for them. She kept tabs on the argument with one part of her mind and felt for any Dark servants that might be nearby with another.

“You think that lying to him is a good idea?” Bastian pointed toward the living room. “He has no idea how to handle his gifts—gifts that are strengthening as we speak. You are insane if you think you can stop the will of the Balance!”

“Keep your voice down.” She held her hand up. “I don’t want to wake him up.”

“No, you do not want him to hear. Let us be honest, Areen. You have to realize we need to find a way to protect the boy. Things are far more dangerous than I anticipated.” He folded his arms. “A Chosen, unprepared, untaught, weak—if you will—is more a target than a threat to the Dark right now. You have made things far more precarious by hiding the truth from him. As your strength weakens, so does your energy field, which has veiled Tolen from the Dark. He cannot stay here after what happened at the park. Divinators are watching him.” He stabbed a finger toward the window.

Macy followed the jab with her eyes, searching the sky outside for any crows. He was right—it wouldn’t be long before more were sent in place of the ones she’d killed. They didn’t have much time.

Areen flinched but her chin rose. “Speaking of the park, why weren’t you there to stop him?”

Macy rolled her eyes and Bastian pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I would have tried to stop him but we were otherwise preoccupied as I have already told you.” His teeth ground together.

Macy perked up. So he wasn’t going to tell her about the Reconn they’d killed.
Huh, maybe he thinks she can’t take it.

Bastian’s chin moved a fraction of an inch up and down in Macy’s direction.

Yep
. She rolled her eyes again.
If
she thinks crows are bad
. . .

“Areen, your energy field blocked the majority of Tolen’s power but the Dark will have felt the same shift in the Balance as I did as your strength waned. I knew I had to time our arrival in such a way that we did not tip off the Dark and call them in faster. I planned on sending you a message through the Doogar tomorrow, but Tolen’s actions changed things.”

Areen wrapped her arms around her chest and stared fixedly at the floor; her white lips pressed into a tight line. She definitely looked better than when Macy had first seen her, but the effort of arguing seemed to be depleting everything Bastian had done to help her regenerate.

Bastian took a deep breath. Macy knew the look. He was giving up the fight and going for the nice guy tactic.

“Areen, will you at least tell me . . . give me some sort of explanation for your actions?” He actually tried for a smile. “The Dark is after the boy. The Shadows have awakened. Your protection is weakening. You cannot hide him from his destiny forever. You know he must leave and you know I
must
take him with me. He is in far too much danger to remain with you. He is a ticking time bomb. All that anger he is trying to withhold is going to burst out—ooner than later, if you continue to lie to him. He needs to understand who he is.” He sighed when she didn’t take her eyes off the floor. “You cannot shield him forever.”

Areen closed her eyes and a single tear trickled down her cheek.

Bastian’s voice softened. “Where is Tolen’s father? If he is who I believe he is, he should be with the Guardians.”

Macy squirmed and the counter creaked beneath her. Dane’s head snapped up.

“We were so happy.” All the fight seemed to drain out of her with that single statement and the words started spilling from her mouth—her voice tinged with despair and something deeper. Agony?

Macy sat up straight.

Areen’s wide brown eyes were fixed on the ceiling. “Daedal and I left our duties at the Citadel of Light. He renounced his oath as a Protector and I my oath as a Sentinel for the Guardians. We were exiled—our link to the citadel was severed forever. We would never be able to find it again, never be able to set foot on the sacred ground . . . ever.” She took a deep breath and her voice caught. “We fell in love. We wanted to have a normal life, a family . . . Those precious things the humans take for granted. It is not right that the Guardians can forbid such things to those who serve at the citadel.” Her eyes never left the ceiling as the tears trickled down her face and dropped off her chin. She made no move to wipe them away.

“Six days after Tolen was born a Radia shard showed up at our house,” she continued. “We knew what it was. Why should our son be responsible for ungrateful, selfish humans?”

What?

Bastian shook his head slightly in Macy’s direction, sensing the gist of her thoughts. He wanted information and an outburst from her wouldn’t help. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from speaking out.

Areen went on, unaware of the internal conversation between Watcher and ward. “Daedal told me to shield Tolen before a Watcher was sent for him. We knew
exactly
what it meant to be one of the Chosen and we would not allow that to be put on our child.”

“Hang on.”
To heck with this!
Macy jumped off the counter and threw her sucker stick on the floor. “First of all, it’s a group of what you call ‘ungrateful, selfish, humans’ who sacrifice that blissful normal life you’re raving about to help your scrawny butt, and secondly, how
freaking
crazy do you have to be to hide the Ninth for seventeen years? Don’t you realize how much power the Dark has gained in that much time?”

“Macy—” Bastian reached toward her but she backed away from his hand, hot anger surging through her.

“Seventeen years he could have been training and now we get some kid who doesn’t even know how much power he’s got or how to use it. You do realize that without him the Dark’s going to annihilate us all?” Her hands shook as the heat continued to build.

“Macy. That is enough.” Bastian’s eyes flashed; he pointed at the discarded sucker stick. “Pick that up.”

Macy bent over and grabbed the stick with trembling fingers, tossed it angrily in the trash, and dropped into a chair. She ignored the faint smell of eucalyptus and roses and shoved her hands under her legs.

“Tolen is the
Ninth
Chosen?” Areen squeezed her eyes shut.

“Surely you knew?” Bastian turned to give the woman an exasperated face Macy knew well.

“I wondered, as his gifts multiplied, but I’d hoped to be wrong. His father is a mighty man—the strength of Tolen’s gifts could have come from him.” She added with a look that dared them to argue. “It doesn’t matter now anyway.”

Macy leapt to her feet again. “Doesn’t matter! You really
are
insane!”

Bastian stomped over, put his hands on her shoulders and shoved her none too gently back into the chair.

“You have no idea what you are talking about,
child.
” Areen’s fierce, tear-filled eyes could have burned a hole in Macy’s face. “You think you know everything about the Hidden, about the
Guardians
? About the way they do things? You think you know about evil creatures and the Dark? You’re wrong. You put too much faith in your little group of Chosen children who have no clue about the real truth behind their selection.” Her hands curled into fists by her side. “You are nothing but a naïve girl. If you actually knew the truth—the things
I
know, you would search for the deepest hole in the ground and bury yourself in it, begging for death, rather than face what is coming. So don’t lecture me on things you know absolutely nothing about.”

Dane reached over and patted Areen’s arm. “It’s okay Areen. She’s young.”

Macy’s anger reached its peak. Who the crap did this woman think she was?

Sensing her rising anger, Bastian squeezed Macy’s shoulders before moving back to lean against the counter. “Please forgive my Chosen. She still struggles with speaking out of turn. What happened then, Areen?” He shot a cautionary glance at Macy.

Macy ripped a sucker from her pocket, shoved it in her mouth, and started humming Rachmaninoff’s sixth concerto under her breath, ignoring Dane’s glare. Areen’s accusations were spinning through her head like a hurricane, stirring up a pile of unwanted thoughts.

Areen turned her body completely away from Macy, directing her answer to Bastian alone. “Daedal left with the shard a week after Tolen was born. He said he would find a way to locate the citadel and force the Guardians to take it back. Daedal told me not to tell Tolen anything until he returned. I was to move around, hide, shield Tolen, and never let him develop the gifts that continued to come even though I didn’t teach him how to use the strength of his life force. All the while I waited for word from my husband.” She wiped her tears angrily with the back of her hand.

“When Tolen turned ten his life force grew so strong it took all I had to shield him. I no longer had the strength to continue to move us around. Tolen became depressed. He knew he was different and he didn’t like hiding. His temper would flare and he’d lose control over his gifts.”

“Green River is so small, and out of the way enough, that I knew it wouldn’t take me long to know everybody, giving me the advantage if the Dark tried to send someone after us. I’d also heard rumor that deep in the mountains east of here, the ruins of a tribe of ancient Spheres lay hidden. The Doogar and Spheres have always been on good terms so shortly after we moved here I found the ruins and restored the communication link to the Binithan. I begged the Doogar Elders for aid. I didn’t tell them any specifics about Tolen. I just said I was ill, alone, and in need of help with my young son. Two weeks later Dane and his father came. Hank was always so drunk I don’t think he ever really thought much about Tolen and me, but it didn’t take Dane long to discover Tolen was much more than the average Hidden kind, but he never told anyone, not even his father. He’s been such a good friend. Tolen has done so much better since he arrived.” She smiled tearfully at Dane and dropped her head in her hands.

Dane clumsily rubbed her back. “Tolen is one amazing kid. It’s been an honor to have him as a friend.”

Bastian took a deep breath and spoke softly. “I am sorry for your pain Areen. I thank you for sharing, it will help me better understand Tolen and his needs. Unfortunately, the knowledge also makes what I have to show you that much more difficult. You wanted to know what brought me here, why I was drawn to Tolen.” Bastian lifted the Ninth’s crystal from beneath his shirt. “Tolen’s shard found me.” Areen looked up and her face crumpled.

Macy twisted her hands in her lap and started chewing the sucker in her mouth.

“So Daedal
is
dead.” Areen sniffed. “I—I’ve wondered for so long.”

“We don’t know that Areen.” Dane squeezed her shoulders. “There’s something you both should know. Tolen’s Watcher’s eye is also gaining strength. I think it might be showing him glimpses of his father. It’s just a guess, but based on the descriptions he’s given me, I can’t help but wonder.”

“What are you talking about?” Areen’s voice trembled.

“I apologize. I never meant to keep things from you, but I wasn’t certain, and with your declining health I feared to add one more worry to your mind.”

“How did you come to this conclusion?” Bastian leaned forward, his eyes anxious.

Dane sighed. “Tolen has been telling me about a repeating nightmare showing him a sick-looking man lying on a floor of a dark room. The man calls out to him in the dream. Tolen hasn’t said so aloud, but based on the emotions I can feel emanating from him as he tells of the nightmare, I would guess that he is not only dreaming about the man, but feeling what the man feels, seeing what he sees, just as a Watcher does. The nightmare plagues Tolen. It scares him.”

Macy pulverized the sucker between her teeth.
Great, the kid’s got Watcher abilities too?

Bastian pushed off from the counter and started pacing. The stained floor squeaked beneath his boots.

“Where is he?” Areen’s eyes were pleading as she tugged on Dane’s arm. “Where’s Daedal?”

Dane cleared his throat uncomfortably. Areen had grabbed his hand, squeezing so hard her knuckles turned white. “Well, from the description, it sounds like . . . ”