Series: Charmaine Pauls
Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
The words hammer in my skull.
Life-threatening.
Dying.
I clench my teeth to suppress the rage that rolls through me like a freak wave on a full moon tide. “What did you say?”
She shrugs, making light of it. “Autoimmune diseases, cancer, you name it.” She bites her lip before continuing. “In fact, I should be dying as we speak. Only, I feel great.”
Dying.
That word again. I don’t know what “autoimmune diseases” or “cancer” are, but the context is clear enough.
My reply is harsh. “You’re not dying.”
I’d feel it. I would know, as I knew when she was plucked away from me. Yet all I feel is vitality and a zest for life. A bit of a temper and a lot of impatience. But not death. Not that.
Nevertheless, the notion alone makes blackness drift into my vision. “Start at the beginning.”
She shrugs again. “What’s the point?”
I get the feeling she doesn’t like to talk about it, but I need to know. “We have a deal, or have you forgotten?”
She relents with a sigh, telling me about her childhood and adolescent years that were spent either in hospitals or in convalescence. I can sense she’s glossing over the worst of it, and as she speaks, I feel the horror of the diseases that sucked her life essence dry. I taste the acrid flavor of the certain death that lurked in the shadows, biding its time.
My rage is so great at the injustice of it all, at what would’ve happened to Elsie had the Phaelix not decided in their idiotic stupidity to kidnap her, that the big old conifer at the edge of the water ignites with a stroke of lightning before bursting into flames.
Elsie jumps to her feet, favoring her uninjured leg. Her shocked gaze is trained on the sparks shooting into the sky with sharp whistles as the gum inside the trunk explodes.
I only manage to get control of myself again after the tree has been crisped to a stark black silhouette that smolders against the cloudless blue of the sky.
The stink of smoke, charred resin, and wood turned to coal taints the air, burning my nostrils and lungs.
“What the hell just happened?” she stutters.
“Lightning,” I mumble, which isn’t a lie.
I can bring down a lightning bolt from the sky by merely focusing my attention there. Like fabricating water from the air, it’s a simple trick.
“You did that,” she says accusingly.
I don’t confirm the obvious. I’m contemplating a more important matter. What do I do with the information she’s shared? I need to talk to Vitai. He may have an idea of what could’ve happened to her to make her so sickly when she arrived on Earth. And then I’ll confront my mother.
Carefully pushing down the turbulent feelings boiling inside me, I point at the spot in front of me on the blanket. “Sit down.”
Elsie obeys with a wary look on her face. “You’re angry.”
I try to soften my tone. “Not at you.” Motioning at her injured foot, I say, “Let me see that again.”
She leans back on her arms and offers her foot reluctantly.
“How does it feel now?” I ask.
“Still fine.”
“Good.” I set her foot down gently, avoiding her eyes while I slip on her shoes. I’m too afraid that if I look into those blue-green pools and see her suffering reflected there, I’ll lose it again. “We’d better go back so Vitai can have a look at it.”
After getting to my feet, I offer her a hand to help her up. “Can you put weight on your foot?”
She takes a hesitant step. “Yes.”
I test her balance before letting her go. If I’m quiet while I pack up the remains of our breakfast, it’s because I’m already compiling a mental list of questions to confront my mother with, and with each one I add, my fury grows.
“Aruan,” Elsie says, tugging on my sleeve. “You haven’t eaten anything.”
Once more, her concern warms and calms me. “It can wait. I ate small meals throughout the night.”
Her eyebrows snap together. “You didn’t sleep at all?”
Needing the reassurance of her touch, I take her hand again. “We were interrogating the guests. It took time.”
She glances sideways at me. “You owe me an answer.” Using my own words against me, she says, “We had a deal, remember?”
I lead her down the slope toward the palace. My plan was to show her the majestic cliffs and the vast crops bordering the village so she’d be reassured of the abundant nature and wealth of her new home. A part of me was hoping she’d be keener to stay if she fell in love with the beauty of Zerra and got to know the richness of our resources and history. But that’s an excursion best saved for another day.
A small group of people appear at the bottom of the path that runs from the village. The women are holding children by the hand, and the men are carrying bundles of firewood.