Darlings (30 page)

“The royal forest,” Rynnal muttered. The
trees were massive, around the size of a small house in middle
earth. Fairies flew, Manticans and Immortals were dressing for
battle. Andrew told them, good she thought. Gwen was tempted to
leave, but couldn’t force her feet to move when she saw him. Pete
was carrying his heavy steel armor through a door in the base of
one of the trees. She followed and stopped at the door attempting
to turn the handle but remembered her hand was not solid. 

“Just walk through,” Ry reminded her. Gwen
squinted as she made her way through the thick base of the tree.
Once inside, she glanced around the room. It was like something
from a movie, from someone’s wildest imagination but better. It was
cozy. Like a cottage. It had a bed etched decoratively into the far
side of the room that was surrounded by some sort of flowing sheer.
The blankets, Gwen noticed, were made of some sort of purple silk
that reminded her of flower petals. There was a small table and
chairs and a television like image was projected onto the wall of
some news reporter like man speaking of the weather. A modern
wonderland. Gwen thought to herself. She saw Pete dressing in the
far corner. He was so stoic as he looked into the large mirror and
buttoned his shoulder armor. Gwen felt a fluttering in her chest as
she remembered their kiss. The way he lifted her up as the danced.
She wanted to go to him. To be safe in his large arms and at the
same time ask him about Lily and Tiger. 

Rynnal startled her as he spoke, “Okay we’ve
got to go.” Gwen nodded. As she began to turn around, Tok entered
and she stayed. He was in his human form and reminded Gwen of
Andrew in his athletic shorts. Even in paradise, those boys wore
gym shorts, Gwen reflected. 

He spoke low and deliberate, “Did Andrew tell
you how many?” Tok asked. Pete answered by shaking his head still
looking in the mirror. 

“Did I do the right thing?” Pete asked as he
studied his unchanging reflection.  

Tok pulled out a too small chair as he sat
down elbows on his tan knees his head in his hands. He looked up.
“With Gwen?” 

Pete nodded. 

“You had no choice. You knew she’d find her
and bring them back.” 

“I hoped. I hoped she’d find my daughter and
bring her back. I turned her over Tokala. I turned her over to the
pirates on hope.” 

Gwen felt her stomach drop. She couldn’t
believe her ears. “He sent me?” she whispered. 

“I know,” Tok said quietly. 

“I sent your brother without even telling
him,” Pete said. 

“You know we couldn’t have told Andrew. He
wouldn’t have let her go-”

Pete cut him off. “I shouldn’t have let her
go.” 

Tok was silent then added, “We will get them
back…she’s already used Tiger’s ability and in the spirit world as
we speak. She should be back to break the barriers at any moment.
Then, we attack. When Andrew sends word we attack and get all of
them out.” 

“I love her Tok. What kind of man sends the
woman he loves to her possible death?”

“A man who loved his daughter as well,” Tok
said softly. 

“Ugh!” Pete hollered as he punched the mirror
shattering it into a million pieces as he stormed out, Tok
following. 

Gwen stood staring at the glimmering glass
lying haphazardly on the beautiful stone floor. It might as well
have been her heart. He sent her. He sent her to her possible
death. She felt the emotions burning in her stomach. The anger
spread to her limbs and she fell to the floor, sobbing into the
glass. 

“I’m sorry Gwen. I don’t know what to say,”
Ry muttered, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Gwen didn’t want
him to say anything. She didn’t want to do anything. She wanted to
be the pieces. She wanted to fall apart and lay like razor blades
on the floor. Gwen stared at those pieces and her tears abruptly
stopped. She grit her teeth and stood. Without a word, she placed
her hand through Rynnal’s and closed her eyes. Imagining the room
where her solid body laid beside the small tan girl who depended on
her. No matter how she got there, Gwen was there. She would
complete her mission. She would save them. The rage built in her
soul like smoke trapped inside a windowless room.

Gwen opened her eyes and saw Lily now praying
beside a coughing Tiger. 

“She’s weak,” Ry said. “We have to hurry.
Come on. Gwen followed Rynnal to another boy who stood alone. He
had dark skin and deep brown eyes. He ran his hands over his fuzzy
hair as he clenched his jaw. He was in no group, standing
completely alone. “He’s Aeton. I think you can break his collar’s
barrier Gwen.” 

“How? I can’t even touch him,” Gwen said,
staring at the boy. 

“I have a theory. If you become one with him,
by walking into his body, you may be able to channel his energy.
Follow the energy line to his mind and break his barrier. You’re a
taker or borrower in whatever form you’re in.” Gwen was confused
but agreed to give it a shot. 

“Okay, but why him?” 

Ry smiled. “You’ll see.” Gwen walked to the
boy and stood face to face with him. Slowly, she closed her eyes
and stepped into his body. She felt his energy instantly and found
the channel. She followed it quickly to his the block in his mind.
With all her might, she focused her energy through it. Nothing.
Gwen thought of Pete. His lies. His deceit. She tried once more and
felt the barrier crumble. It was gone. Quickly she stepped out of
the boy whose face lit up. 

“It worked!” Ry said excitedly. “Hurry now,
come on. We have to get give Tiger’s energy back.” They rushed back
across the barracks. “Alright Gwen. You need to make your body one
again and push her energy back. Slowly and steadily. Remember it
will be difficult like a pin brick in a water balloon.” Gwen
nodded. 

“Good luck, my friend,” Ry smiled. 

“I will be back, Rynnal,” Gwen said sternly.
“I promise,” she wished she could hug her mentor, but waved
instead. 

He nodded and added. “Go now, hurry and when
you’re back, find the Elite. They will help you.” 

Gwen breathed hard as she stepped back into
her own body. The rest was a blur. She found the energy channel
between Tiger and herself. It was much more difficult than she
expected to give the energy back. It was as if she were swimming up
a waterfall, the current of energy pushing back at her. Gwen forced
it slowly and steadily back to the girl until she remembered no
more. 

She awoke to Lily’s cold hands shaking her
shoulders. “Gwen. Gwen wake up you did it!” she said smiling.
“She’s alright. You came back.” Lily hugged Gwen as she opened her
groggy eyes. Aeton. She had to get to Aeton. Gwen forced herself to
sit up and swing her shaking legs over the side of the bed. “Woah,”
Lilly said. “Careful.” 

“Help me,” Gwen said and Lily tugged as Gwen
stood. “I need to get to Aeton,” she muttered pointed across the
large room. Gwen looked to Tiger and saw her rolling around on the
bed her dark hair a mess. A faint smile spread across Gwen’s
flushed face. Tiger was ok. Gwen and Lily staggered through the
crowd to the dark skinned boy still standing alone. Everyone was
silent as the pair stumbled across the barracks to him. Without a
word, Gwen placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder and stopped with
just the right amount of energy. Aeton fell to his knees as Gwen
instinctively held out her hand to touch a nearby shoe. The shoe
turned to ash before her eyes. Gwen knew what Rynnal wanted her to
do. One by one, she carefully touched each of the immortals
collars, turning them to dust. They laughed and squealed at the
relief of the restraints. Many were left with open bloody sores and
gouges where the needles had ripped their skin. Gwen felt stronger
as the last of the immortals collars dissipated. She placed her
hand once more on Aeton and struggled but indeed returned his
ability. 

Gwen hollered as she addressed the crowd.
“Everyone! Even though your collars are gone your work is not done.
The hard part is yet to come. You have to break the barrier of your
mantican. Take your energy fuel it with anger towards this place,
fuel it with resentment, with hatred if you must. You must break
your mantican’s barrier for us to stand a chance.” 

“How will we know when it’s broken?” a girl
shouted over the crowd. 

“You’ll feel it snap...and hear their voice.
Now hurry. Concentrate. Be strong we don’t have much time.” Gwen
watched as they closed their eyes in concentration.

 “It’s gone!” someone yelled. 

“I did it!” another shouted. Soon the room
was full of fully bonded immortals, ready for revenge. 

“You really did it Gwen,” Lily
smiled. 

Gwen nodded solemnly. Her expressionless face
was stained with tears as she quickly ran back to the cover of the
tent like bunk. She sat on the edge holding back sobs as Lilly
approached. 

“What happened?” 

Gwen stared straight ahead as she answered
Lily. “He sent me here.” 

“Who sent you here?” Lily asked her black
eyebrows furrowed. 

“Pete did,” Gwen answered, her gaze still
unchanging. 

“Why?” Lily managed to get out. 

Finally Gwen looked into Lily’s confused
eyes, “To save Tiger.” 

Lily stared at Gwen in disbelief. “Did you
know?” Gwen asked softly. 

“Gwen. I had absolutely had no idea, I
swear.” 

In that moment Gwen knew she was telling the
truth. “They’re coming. I got to Andrew he warned them. I went to
them. They’re preparing.” 

“Gwen I am so sorry,” Lily bit her luscious
bottom lip. “Did he say anything about…me?” Gwen could tell she was
embarrassed even asking. 

“No. Nothing,” she replied a little sharper
than she knew she should have. 

The hard expression returned to the tanned
beauty’s face. “Alright then. We should get going.” 

Gwen somewhat regretted her cutting comment
seeing the hurt in Lily’s face but there was no time for apologies.
Gwen had to prepare herself for war. She wiped her face and made
her way back into the middle of the room. 

“I hope everyone has practiced,” Gwen
announced, making her even more aware of her inexperience. She
figured this was not the first battle some of the immortals before
her had fought in. 

“What’s he plan?” a short blond boy
asked.

Gwen wasn’t sure. “I…I…we fight our way to
our manticans. I hope you all have been in contact. Once we reach
them, we fight. We take out as many pirates as we can and we
escape. Pete will be leading his army to attack from outside the
fences, while we’ll be fighting from the inside out. We can do
this,” she reminded herself. “How many telekinetics do we have?”
Gwen

searched the crowd for raised hands. She
counted seven. “Alright. We need to bust out of here. Can you
unlock the doors?” 

A girl with braided hair shouted, “Yes. I’ve
unlocked many, larger than these.”  

“Alright then. As soon as I give the go, you
unlock the door and we fight…good luck,” Gwen said, though sure she
was the one that would require luck. 

She took position near the back of the group
and addressed Lily.  “We have to stay together.” Lily nodded
holding her sleepy daughter in her arms. Gwen caught a glance at
Tiger’s petite face. So peaceful and innocent. Why hadn’t he asked
her to save his daughter? Did he think she would refuse? Would she
have? 

“Ready?” Lily asked. 

She touched her mark. Ready to
turn? 

Waiting she heard back in his sultry revenge
filled voice. 

“Everyone ready! Get set! We fight!” Gwen
commanded. The doors unlocked and Gwen heard the blood curdling
shrieks as pirates and immortals alike began to fight. They poured
out of the barracks like a real army. An army full of personal
revenge. The worst kind. Worse than highly skilled and methodically
trained killers. They had a powerful axe to grind. 

As the sea of tattered soldiers brought Gwen
and Lily out the doors, Gwen stopped briefly to survey her
surroundings. Pirates on fire were screaming and running for their
lives. Some were being turned to ash by Aeton. Objects whizzed by
at the command of the telekinetics. Water rushed like snakes up
around the faces of drowning pirates at the hand of immortals
possessing the water ability. Huge bouts of wind crushed enemies
against objects resulting in their gruesome death. Suddenly Gwen
heard buzzing from above. She looked up to see a black swarm of
dark wings. 

“Fairies!” she screamed as she ran for cover
behind a large wooden cart full of rocks. Lily and Tiger slid under
as well and tucked themselves near the back. Loud booms echoed as
Gwen saw bombs of fire exploding before her. The fairies were
throwing some sort of energy fireballs.

Gwen could barely hear Lily shouting over the
explosives, “Over there,” she pointed. Gwen followed her finger to
a crying girl sitting under what looked like a blue-bubbled dome.
She was around twenty feet away tucked behind a large pile of dirty
laundry. Her face was covered in dirt as tears streamed down her
face. Timing the bombs perfectly, Gwen made a mad dash to the
girl. 

The blue bubble disappeared as Gwen slid in
beside her. 

“What’s your ability?” Gwen shouted. Instead
of answering, the girl returned the bubble, this time over herself
and Gwen. It was quieter inside as if they were two fish watching
the outside world from inside the safety of their fish
bowl.  

“What is this?” Gwen asked.

“A shield,” the girl sobbed. “I’ve never used
it before and I can’t keep it up long. I ran away from my mantican
and I can’t find-” She broke down bawling again.

Gwen’s heart skipped a beat. She figured the
girl never had a chance to use it before she was captured.
Inexperience could have proved fatal to the girl, but to Gwen it
may have been just what she needed to save her life. Gwen placed a
hand up to the girl who shuttered at the sight of it.