Original Souls (A World Apart #1) (58 page)

"Is she alive?" Anvard pushed too far.

"Why would you ask a question like that?!" Corinth turned around quickly, with his version of rage curling into every seldom occurring crease on his youthful looking face. It was always a lot less intimidating than he wanted it to be. But he just didn't have it in him to naturally lash out at people. "Of course she's alive! Why wouldn't she be?" The truth was, Corinth had no idea. But his -hopes were even higher than his fathe
r’
s were.

Andy threw he's hands up like a burglar caught red handed. "I was just curious, is all. I want to get to know you better, but you keep pushing me away every time I think we're getting closer. I don't know what to do with you sometimes."

"Did you ever think that maybe it's you?" Anvard had to think. He couldn't even process that as a possibility. He was doing everything right, in his opinion, to let Corinth know he cared about him. "Maybe, it's your approach. You come on fast and strong. I'm not even a teenager yet. You're at that point, I guess, but I'm certainly not!" Corinth wasn't really angry, but his tone soared anyhow. He just wanted Anvard to understand that patience is a virtue well received in his eyes.

Anvard hated hearing that. He thought it was the perfect night for them to get closer. They were under a full moon with thousands of visible stars staring down on them from above. The pixie dust shined in the background, and they finally ditched those annoying sisters of his. How could it be any better?

But the reality was that it was the worst time to make a move. Corinth was fixated on a dream he couldn't understand. A desire he could
n’
t control. And not a desire concerning Andy. His desire was much more elusive than the emotionally vexed jock standing before him. He was on his way into a possible trap that could deliver him right back into the hands of Sebastian Wilcox. The last thing on his mind was Anvard's problematic feelings.

"I'm sorry," Anvard conceded. "I know I'm pushy. I'll just leave you alone." He walked forward. Passing Corinth with a gloomy cloud looming menacingly over his bolt-shaped head.

"But that's not what I want," Corinth huffed. Andy turned around with a pinch of hope in his heart. "I just want you to be a little less about progress, and a little more about priority. We have to find something that's been lost since the beginning of recorded history. And the only thing to guide us is this useless looking map. And really, I'm not sure it's going to be any help." He unfolded the plain beige parchment and held it up. The hologram images of the school sprung to life in an instant. "It stops revealing things in the middle of the Northern Coaster ride. After that, it just drops off to the waters of North Lake."

"Well, really what did you expect? If that thing told you where the temple was than Sen. Bernard would be one of the most famous men in all the Worlds for the credit of its discovery."

"Yeah, that's true," Corinth said while manipulating the images with his fingers. He at least thought that the map could guide them through the mountains beyond the lakes, but it didn't seem to stretch that far. It just seemed to want to go downward, into the North Lake.

Crack!

Anvard, taking several steps, leapt in front of Corinth. "What are you doing?" Corinth demanded to know why he was acting so suspiciously. "Why do you need that?"

He noticed Anvard slowly reaching inside his pocket and pulling out his standard gold pixie llave. "Don't say another word. Just stay behind me," Anvard told him, without looking back. He surveyed the area, just waiting for another sign.

Crack!

Another small branch on the ground was split into two near a tree to their right. Corinth had
n’
t heard anything to begin with, but Anvard was on high alert. Like a lightning strike, Anvard threw his llave forward as hard as he could and it suddenly stopped midair. Standing still there for no more than half a second, it started rotating clockwise, pulling itself closer to his chest.

Aimed directly at the tree, from Corinth's perspective, Anvard shouted out loudly. "Perturbo!" An instant flash of white light darted out of his llav
e’
s rotation and bounced off what looked to be the tree, but did
n’
t leave any mark on the old dirt hugger. It ricocheted off a mysteriously veiled surface, flying right back at them. Anvard ducked while pulling Corinth to the ground with him. The flash slammed into the ground just to their backs and dissipated without affect.

"Why'd you do that?" Corinth punched Anvard in the shoulder.

"Just look! Instead of complaining so much." Anvard pointed at his true target, and then realized he indeed made a mistake. A small mistake, by his account.

Hanging out beneath the large tree was a staggered Lindle. "I'm sorry for interrupting you guy
s—
again," his voice went in and out,hanging on a whimper. He tried moving, but more so, he just goofily stumbled about. Finally, in an effort to stabilize himself, he allowed his bruised body to fall backward, pressing up against the tree trunk for support. "You know, I wasn't trying to bother you. I was just passing by. No big whoop!" He flagged his hand toward them and slumped over. "Whoa!
I’
ll feel this tomorrow morning. And probably the morning after that too." They rushed to his side. Well, Corinth rushed. Anvard made his way over on his own timetable.

"Are you okay?" Corinth quickly knelt beside Lindl
e’
s stretched out body.

Lindle tried to speak coherently, but it didn't quite work out. "Yeah, yes. I'm's so pretty good now. Better!" he said, though he was starting to feel worse. "Just winded. Let the wind take me a little more there."

"Okay, I guess," Corinth didn't know how to respond to that. He looked up to an arriving and unsympathetic Anvard. "Why'd you do that if you knew it was him?"

"I didn't," Andy admitted. "I heard something creeping, so I reacted. It was just reflex, really." He looked sincere, but his tone was totally cavalier.

"Yeah, he be right! This one!" Lindle seemed like he was trying to help make Andy's case. He pointed up to him. Anvard looked like a giant hovering over them both on the ground underneath the large tree. He tried to touch his leg, but Anvard stepped back. "I'm just glad I had an aura up with that invisible stuff spell."

"Invisible?" Corinth questioned.

Anvard quickly blurted out an explanation. "It's just low light reception. It's really a reflection spell. You aren't actually invisible. Really powerful wielders can see right through that crap." He shrugged it off, as if it was to be ignored. "That's old magik anyway, just parlor tricks."

They both looked back to Lindle. His dark curly hair looked fried. His brown skin had dirt and dust all over it. That Perturbo could have driven him mad for an excessive amount of time. Lindle was right to express how lucky he was that he had a force field up, in addition to trying to stealthily maneuver around them unnoticed. He started to come too.

"Sorry, bud." Anvard gave him a hand getting to his feet. "I 'probably' wouldn't have done that if I'd known it was you." Andy smiled.

"Probably," Corinth echoed.

Anvard frowned now. "Well ... I was. Uh, just joking really."

Corinth did
n’
t believe him one bit, but Lindle chose to. "I'm sorry I was snoopin
g—
again. But I overheard so much of your conversations that I felt like I could really help you guys, if you let me, of course."

"What do you mean
-‘
conversations?'" Anvard reasonably questioned. "You've already been following us, and we saw you leave before. So, what other conversation could you have heard besides back in the Refectory?" Anvard moved closer aggressively. Lindle knew exactly what he was hitting on, but Corinth was still in the dark.

"I was in the library too!" Lindle yelped out. "That's why I went to the Refectory. I beat you there in hopes that Corinth would strike up a chat when he saw me there. I'm sorry, I just..."

"Wait!" Corinth jumped into the debate. "How much did you overhear at the library?"

"Ah, just about ... everything," Lindle confessed with a mixed look of hope and terror in his Arcan brown eyes. "After the girls left, that is."

Anvard knocked him to the ground without notice. Ever since the things he went through in Imperativo, he hated gossipers and eavesdroppers with a passion. He had him pinned down with his right forearm across his throat. Right up against Lindl
e’
s face, Anvar
d’
s words seethed through his teeth. "I don't know if you're in on some kind of conspiracy, or just plain stupid. But I know that I'll take you out if you breathe so much as a word about Corinth to another soul. And I'm not talking figuratively here. I will kill you." If not a bit overzealous, he feverishly defended Corint
h’
s anonymity.

He never raised his voice. That's what scared Corinth most about what Anvard just said. If he'd raised his voice, he may have appeared more upset or nervous rather than anything else. But he knew exactly what he was saying, and he meant every word. Corinth pulled on Anvard's white uniform shirt, trying to get his attention. But Anvard still looked a frightened to death Lindl
e—
dead in the eyes.

"You understand, don't you?" Anvard wasn't kidding around. Lindle couldn't speak. There was a lump in his throat too stiff to dislodge. All he did was nod as a tear fell down from his right eye. Rolling down his cheek, and onto the side of Anvard's elbow. He had him pinned with half his face shushed against the dirt and grass underneath the tree. His fist still dug into his throat, and the rest of his arm ran overtop the right side of his face. Ironic, he wanted a response, yet he held his victim in such a way that it was next to impossible to speak. Still fitting though, in the sense that Anvard required -a finite finish to Lindl
e’
s investigative monitoring of their whereabouts.

"Now go back to your dorm!" Anvard barked in a commanding tone. They all got up from the ground, dusted themselves off. He didn't bother to help Lindle up this time. "Go back. Peacefully and quietly." He stuck his finger out, letting him know he meant business. Anvard's pink eyes shined against the twinkling light of the pixie dust. His very deep and dark tan skin sweaty from the commotion.

Lindle steadied himself on his feet and started to speak, but Anvard waved him on. So, he instead picked up the backpack he'd lost when Anvard's spell hit his aura. He started walking away with several tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't help himself but wipe vigorously. Lindle also could
n’
t help but turn back toward them.

"My little brother got kidnapped a while back. He's safe now, but it never made the news in Arco. With as hard as we tried to get it publicized, no one would report on it. Squadron raided our house at least four times during those five months. They told us it was none of our concern. To stop the search. They were in control of the matter. They had black eyes, just like the ones that raided the Pavilion. I'm not in on it, Anvard." He looked at him from the other side of the tree trunk. The tears he wiped were gone, but new ones showed up to replace the others. They fell faster than he could brush them away. "I'm really not in on anything ... but I want to be. Whatever the 8ights Council is doing with Squadron affected more families than just yours, Corinth. My little brother is mixed too. My dad died, when I was young, about eight years ago. My mom remarried pretty fast. My brother had his sixth birthday, just before I left to come back to school. Like I said, he's fine, but I know other people aren't. I heard about your story, Corinth. It was online when school started back up. A small site, really just randomly speaking out on conspiracy theories. It's gone now. Not just the article about you. But the entire site is gone. It's like it was never there. And so is every trace that my brother was ever missing."

Anvard was the most bewildered by Lindl
e’
s words. He didn't know what he was talking about in reference to Corinth.

"I don't think there will be any more kidnappings, Lindle. I'm pretty sure that I was the one they were looking for. Not your little brother or any of the possible others." Corinth hoped that would help ease Lindl
e’
s distressed appearance.