Thunder: The Shadows Are Stirring (Thunder Stories Book 1) (30 page)

“Well, he is! Guys, I’ve been so worried; I had a dream about you here, but it didn’t include the, uh, homey décor. Set up like this, it doesn’t seem bad.”

“Yeah, that’s a part of what we need to explain. We’re still completely stuck here, as prisoners, no matter how nice they make it. And there are some ground rules we’ve got to cover.”

“Hang on a minute,” chimes in Jamie. “You dreamt about us, Liv? I’ve dreamt about you, too!”

Thus, we begin a long exchange of stories, starting at Gunther’s mountain and ending here. What Oden warned us about sticks with me: He’d essentially said I was the one necessary to rally the troops because I’m not biased against any of the Dwellers groups; I don’t have a back history with any of their actions or inactions. Because of this, I’m able to see what the Dwellers could be capable of if they’d all work together. So we’re careful in the naming of people we’ve come across; if we’re being observed, we don’t want to raise any hackles if there’s been some kind of tiff between the groups. The fairies could figure it out anyway, but there’s no reason to be blatant about it and every reason to play it safe.

Talking late into the night, we compare, brainstorm, and relive everything. Coming to the conclusion that, if we ever get out of here, we’re not going to be able to stay together for long. My next stop is at a place called ‘Top of the World,’ to convince the People of the Wind to join us. The Esperer Range is huge, like up to the standards of the Rocky Mountains. Livs tells us they’re heading towards the eastern end of the mountain chain. That means we’re headed in two different directions. And, we somehow need to get to these Wind People before Olivia gets to her own destination. With enough time for everyone to be in place once she finds this rift. We don’t dwell on it for too long right now. The timing’s not right. Instead, we focus on the fact that we’re here, together. At this moment, it’s all we’ve got.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Gifted

(SAMUEL)

A
S THE LAST OF THE INSIDE FAIRY LIGHTS BLINK OUT
, our beds appear. Two bunks and a single canopied type, obviously meant for Livs. Her face creases with concern as she studies the cell. She’d told us about how her dreams can take over her realities and how she’s had to follow a strict sleeping routine, but maybe with all of us here it will be different. Ethan offers to sleep on the floor next to her bed, but she shakes her head and whispers something to him. He gives her a quick hug, which I’m cool with, but it’s the way he touches her shoulder afterwards that makes me stare hard at the back of his head. The gesture reminds me of Mom and Dad. As he turns away from her, he must catch my glowering stink-eye because he walks over to my bunk. Everyone else has already turned in; Jamie above me, Storm at his feet; Maddix on the bottom bunk of the bed Ethan will share.

He’s blunt. “Did I do something wrong? I could feel the daggers across the room, man.” He keeps his voice low, which I appreciate. He knows full well what I didn’t like, but somehow exhibits concern for my own point of view. Misunderstandings or disagreements aren’t allowed to slide when he’s around. He claims it’s better to clear the air before anger or resentment set in. I agree with that opinion. I consider him a friend and I know he’s a good guy. But that doesn’t help me here.

My face reddens to the tips of my ears. I’m like a little kid fumbling for the words to explain, but I’m trying to act like a father. I say it straight up. “She’s my sister. I don’t want anyone messing with her.”

Exhaling, he runs his hand through his hair. Over his shoulder, I see that Livs has closed the curtains around her bed. Good. This is awkward enough without her witnessing it.

“Look, your sister and I are good friends.” I open my mouth to point out the obvious, but he continues. “Yes, I like her. A lot. But I’m not messing with her, okay? She actually means something to me. You realize she could take me down if I ever stepped over the line, right?”

I snort. “Yeah, that’s true. It’s just … weird.”

“I respect that. But, honestly, I don’t think she even knows how I feel. So—just good friends. Trust me; I don’t want to sidetrack her right now. She’s got a lot of heavy stuff on her mind. It wouldn’t be right for me to try to start anything anyway.” A shadow flickers across his face, and I remember back to the first Circle, when Ethan had told us what his role is. To protect the Seeker with his life. He’s dealing with his own heavy stuff. I decide to cut him some slack.

“It’s okay, Eth. Honestly, I do trust you with her. Only … be careful.”

He grins wickedly at me. “Always.”

Uh-huh. But I smile back because, when it comes to Livs, I do trust him. And he’s right. Livs can hold her own if he doesn’t treat her right. She wouldn’t stand for anything less.

The next morning comes way too soon; my head’s at least twenty pounds heavier than normal and my eye sockets are filled with gritty rocks rather than eyes. We got maybe two hours of sleep? I want to throw my pillow over my face and fall back into oblivion, but our cell has decided that’s a no-go and has entered full dining room mode: a banquet table with at least twelve chairs. A side table loaded with food. I can’t appreciate it yet, and my groan is not alone in interrupting the morning silence. Jamie and Olivia, however, are a little too chipper for my liking; apparently neither had any memorable dreams. Which is one of the subjects we’d touched on last night.

According to Maddix, even among the Dwellers, not many people see truth in their dreams, much less have ‘real’ dreams like Livs and Jamie. But there are enough people who hope they can; fortunetellers and psychics in our Layer overlap with the Dream Weavers of the Shadows. Some are frauds, some are the real deal. Dream Weavers help people read and understand their dreams.

The best we can figure is Jamie, as a Healer, sees images of things that have already happened, which he has the empathy to understand or the desire to fix; Livs, as the Seeker, dreams about things that are currently happening, which can affect the outcome of the future and her end goal. Tweaking everything, of course, is the fact that the Sliders somehow can feed her false images. For the two of them to appear well rested on a couple hours of sleep is a good thing. Even if it makes me grind my teeth.

After we eat, we settle back and stare at each other.

“You say we’ll be granted a hearing within the month?” asks Livs. “And then what? Don’t they realize we
have
to get out of here? That the whole world, layers and all, are at stake?”

“Yeah, they didn’t seem particularly concerned when we told them that,” I respond.

“From what the red guy said, it sounded like they didn’t care which side they helped, just whoever was ‘worthy’ enough to find the queen’s shadow,” mutters Ethan, not bothering to hide his hostility. Wonder what the story is there.

Olivia laughs. “If you heard all that, you heard his name is Jax. And he’s maroon, not red.”

Ethan scoffs, “Whatever. He seemed to get along well with
you
, though. Maybe you should see if he can answer some of our questions.”

Her eye roll is so exaggerated, it’s a wonder they don’t fall from their sockets. “We ‘got along,’ as you call it, because I didn’t try to knife him. And he’d bound me somehow; I couldn’t move by myself. Like my muscles wouldn’t listen to my brain? Anyway, he actually was trying to help us, I think. Letting us know about my brothers and bringing us to them and everything.”

“Um, he brought us to some fairy police chicks who put us in prison because we were trespassing when they were the ones who brought us here in the first place. More likely the queen’s just mad we don’t have whatever it is she wants returned. Did you hear them talking about her being short tempered? She’s getting antsy it hasn’t been found yet, and things are going kind of crazy. I mean, she’s got to start planning for Faisle to do something. At this point there’s going to be a war, no matter what. And Jax was waiting for us in the first place because your brothers told them we could be coming through the area, and they were hoping we’d have it.”

“Fine. I concede your argument. They cheated the circumstances a bit. But I have the feeling he really was trying to be friendly. So we could all meet up again. If he hadn’t had us arrested, we never would have come across my brothers and Maddix, right? That’s a gift. I’m sure he didn’t have to bring us here.” She leans forward and reaches for Ethan’s hand. It seems like he wants to argue the point, but instead he drops his eyes to their linked fingers, visibly clearing his expression, and nods his head. So. Ethan doesn’t think Olivia knows how he feels? Not only is he entirely wrong, but Livs feels the same for him. Ah, man.

“Okay, you’re right about that; it’s definitely a good thing we’re all together. Now, we have to figure out how to leave.” I think I hear him grind his teeth. Note to self: Ethan does not do well in captivity.

Jamie’d been looking worried during their discussion. He asks now, “Mad? Do you think they’d side with the Sliders if one of them discovers the shadow?” Maddix is our insight on the Dweller mind-set. Maybe they feel differently than we do about right vs. wrong, good vs. bad? I don’t know.

“Yeah, they have to follow through with what they said about supporting whoever finds it. It was a type of magic they worked on it; it has to go to someone worthy of it. Therefore, whoever finds it is deemed worthy.”

“We’re talking
Sliders
here. Who would ever think they’re worthy?”

“I don’t know how the People of the Lake think. But all ages come to an end at some point. Which sometimes is a good thing. My dad always used to talk about the theory of balance, including the need for change. Because without change there’s no growth. Maybe they think a new age will begin after all the upheaval caused by the Sliders? Can’t imagine it would be a
good
age or anything though …. But who knows what the People of the Lake want. Besides, there are still many Dwellers who
want
to do the right thing, which means there’s still hope the good guys will be the ones to uncover the hidden shadow.

“Seriously, whoever can get the Lake’s approval will have amazing power behind them. Didn’t you hear them talking about their magic? I don’t doubt it for a second. If we get these guys to support us, all of the other Fairy Dwellers will, too. That’s huge. That’s got to be why—” I interrupt Maddix with a sharp clearing of my throat. He picks up on it. “Um—why we need them like we do,” he finishes, leaving Oden’s name out of it. “We’ve got to get their trust somehow. They have to join us.”

We all grow quiet until Olivia breaks the contemplative silence, tapping her fingers against the tabletop in apparent boredom. “So. What do you do all day?”

Before any of us can open our mouths, the dining room outfit disappears and is replaced by game tables. The corner of her mouth lifts in a smile. “If we were here under other circumstances, this would be totally cool.”

Ethan settles back into a chair, closing his eyes like he’s about to fall asleep. I jump as he bursts forward again. “Hey, guys! Did you grab our gear before you came through the Barriers back at the Training Grounds? I didn’t think to ask you last night, but I left all my stuff behind.”

 “Oh, yeah!” I’d forgotten, also. “We actually did, but they confiscated all our things when they nabbed us. Your bag’s inside Jamie’s. I don’t know when we’ll get it back.”

“They took your stuff?” Livs sounds surprised.

“We were informed that we’re prisoners, not guests,” says Jamie with a wry smile, eyeing the games and snacks around us. It’s kind of like we’re both.

“Well, I still have mine. Jax couldn’t find anything inside of it, said it was fine to keep.”

“No. He winked at you and handed it back.”

Livs shoots Ethan a glower. “He did not ‘wink’ at me. He said I didn’t have anything I shouldn’t and there was no reason for them to take it. And Raz and Aisleigh didn’t even bother to look. Oh, hey, that reminds me! I picked something up for you, Jamie. Back in the Marshes.”

She rushes over to where her bed had been, now a table holding some kind of marbles game, and grabs her satchel, which is lying on the floor. She reaches in and pulls out a pile of these amazingly huge and colorful feathers, longer than my arm. A small wad of junk falls out as she hands the feathers to Jamie. He brushes the trash to the side as he sits down, exclaiming, “Wow, Liv! These are great! Don’t know if we’ll get our stuff back, but I’m finding a way to keep these with me. They’d fit down the back of my shirt.” He spreads them out on the floor where we can all see them.

Olivia ignores the feathers and seems confused by the trash. I look towards Ethan; he’s focused on Livs. Shifting my attention back to my sister, I watch as her face clears into an expression of surprise.

“Oh! It’s Tab’s gift.” Reaching to pick up the clump, she stops with her hand midway to the floor. Something further has caught her attention. From what I can see, there’s nothing exceptional about the stuff; it’s just a ball of light purple yarn, a couple buttons, and some thin material, fluttering in a draft.