Merritts of Writing 3

Chapter 33-1

Angie

For the first time in my entire life I was deathly afraid for someone other than myself or my family.

But Carter? Why him? And why did I have this sudden and overwhelming urge to protect him?

TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

My eyes flew to Carter. Carter’s hair was now snowy white and his face was sunken and withered. Tears sprang to my eyes at the sight of him. He’d aged another ten years in the few moments since Jam had returned to the campfire. He was rapidly going down hill. I reached out and pushed back a lock of his hair.

“Angie,” Stevron said and I heard the urgency in his voice. “The Oracle of Death is living amongst us.”

Shock rolled through me. I gaze flew to Stevron. “The Far Beyond’s supreme ruler is here?”

Stevron glanced at Mylane then back to me. “Do you know how The Oracle of Death actually dies?”

I shook my head. “The Oracle of Death is already dead so can’t die.”

“The Oracle of Death is only partially dead,” Mylane interjected, “and will not completely die until the final death process is complete.”

I looked at Mylane. “The final death process?”

“The Oracle’s end of the life trials.”

“How is the final death process initiated?”

Mylane scowled at me. “The more important question is why your father initiated the final death process at all?”

“My father, no, that can’t be!” My eyes flew back to Stevron.

Stevron frowned. “Yes, your father.”

“How? Why?”

Stevron inhaled and glanced at Carter. “It’s too complicated for me to explain right now and before you jump to conclusions, why Mikkel initiated the final death process is a moot point. He did and now we have to act immediately because while The Oracle of Death is carrying out his trials it leaves the Far Beyond people in peril.”

“But what does Carter have to do with this?”

Stevron gave me a gentle look. “Carter’s birthright has him carrying the Death line. He was raised with the knowledge that he or one of his brothers would, if Death dies during their lifetime, take over the reining of the Far Beyond people.”

I gulped and I felt my eyes widen. “Carter? Carter is The Oracle-to-be?”

Stevron nodded. “And that time is here and now. If Mylane doesn’t do the turning soon, more than Carter’s fate will be sealed and I’m not only talking about the Far Beyond but also the Sapphyre Wings. All people will suffer.”

My heart stopped. All people? Jam? Em? Dad?

“Angie, please,” Stevron implored, “with Carter’s brothers dead, he knew full well that this day could come. So please, I’m begging you, let Mylane do what she needs to do.”

A sob escaped me. I licked salty tears from my lips. Yet I still hesitated.

“If Carter was able,” Mylane gave me another scowl as she inched closer to Carter, “he would demand that I transform him.”

I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.”

Mylane’s young face changed. She was now radiating fury. “And I don’t care what you believe,” she retorted angrily. “You’re ignorant and naive and I don’t have time for this. Your father started this and now I have to deal with the fallout of his actions. So move aside or I’ll-”

“Mylane,” Stevron growled.

“Alright!” I held up my hands while I felt my shoulders slump.

“Thank you,” Stevron said softly to me.

Mylane instantly crawled back to Carter’s side and sat crossed legged at his head. She swallowed and held out her arm toward Stevron.

Stevron slipped a couple of sections of plastic surgical tubing from his pocket. He immediately began to stretch a length of surgical tubing around Carter’s upper arm and then another around Mylane’s.

“This is a personal and private ritual,” Stevron informed me, “and never witnessed by anyone outside of the family. For you to tell another about this is forbidden.”

I shook my head.

“No,” Stevron stressed. “It’s imperative that you not tell anyone, not Jam and especially not Emmalee.”

“How can I not tell Em?” I cried and gripped his hand again. “She needs to know. She needs to understand the consequences.”

“Oh, there’ll be consequences if she finds out.” Mylane huffed. “She’s far from ready.”

Stevron sighed. “Mylane, it’s not Angie’s fault that she doesn’t understand.”

Mylane turned her fury upon Stevron. “And who’s fault is that?” she spat.

Stevron glared at Mylane, then turned his attention to me. “Angie, Carter is the only one who can disclose to anyone that he has gone through the transformation.”

“Why would he keep it a secret?”

“Because once Carter has become the next in line to The Oracle it will not only put his life in jeopardy but everyone around him. He’ll become a target and this particular Oracle of Death will use anything and anyone to try and stop Carter from completing his own trials. Believe me, Angie, the Oracle will not hand over the reins willingly and make no mistake Carter is fully aware of the ramifications of his birthright.”

“If Em will be in danger she deserves to know the truth.”

“And Carter may tell her,” Stevron nodded, “but that’s his decision, not yours. You need to respect the traditions of his birth and the Death line as well as those of the Sapphyre Wings people.

My heart fluttered in my chest as Stevron hooked up both ends to two needles. He then inserted a needle into Carter and the other into Mylane. “Is that what she’s going to do? Change him from a Far Beyond to a Sapphyre Wings?”

“No,” Stevron said, finishing his task. “Carter was born of the Sapphyre Wings people.”

I frowned. “But, I don’t understand, The Oracle of Death controls the Far Beyond people. How can a Sapphyre Wings-”

“Because that is a long and complicated story.”

“Let me guess,” I said, curling my lip. “You’re not going to enlighten me.”

Stevron gave a heavy sigh and shrugged. He then sat back on his hunches. “I would prefer Carter tell you.”

I huffed as I glared at Stevron. “Just another evasion tactic.”

Stevron shrugged again.

I met Mylane’s glance. She shivered and quickly averted her eyes from mine but not before I saw the fear once more in the silver swirls shining brightly in her eyes.

I turned my attention to Carter.

I’d never paid much attention to Stevron’s ‘treatments’, and I was surprised to see the blue substance that was Mylane’s blood enter the clear tubing. It flowed freely and coated the insides of the tubing as it rushed toward the other needle.

I saw Carter’s blood seep into the tube. It was sluggish and thick, a strange light blue, pinkish colour. I watched in astonishment as the two bloods met and then mingled together to create a violet coloured mixture.

Carter’s blood absorbed Mylane’s and then began moving back through the tube to Carter.

“Why’s her blood blue and not red?” I asked Stevron.

“Oxygen doesn’t have the same effect on her blood. It’s one of the aspects of being a Collector.”

“Is that what you are, a Collector?” I asked Mylane.

“I am a Fyre Wings,” she replied in a whisper.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

The teenager wet her lips and she continued, but did not raise her eyes to look at me. “Yes, I am a Collector.”

“Are there many like you?”

Mylane’s eyes flickered to Stevron.

“No,” Stevron spoke.”

“Why are you so afraid of me all of a sudden?” I asked the girl.

Mylane’s bottom began to quiver. She swallowed and it took her several moments before she raised her eyes to me. I could see now that the swirls in her eyes were expanding so that there was very little else but the silvery mass. “Because you hold so much power,” she whispered, “and you could destroy me or any of the Sapphyre Wings people at any moment.”

Mylane’s statement had me mentally gasping. Me? I could destroy the Sapphyre Wings people? How? And why would I?

“So you’re saying I’m a danger to the Sapphyre Wings people? That as a Far Beyond I would wish to harm you…Stevron, and now Carter?”

“That’s not what she’s saying,” Stevron interjected.

“It sure sounds like it,” I countered. Anger had begun to boil within me. “So, what, I’m not good enough? Some tainted heathen who’s not of your race?”

“No,” Stevron cried.

I ignored Stevron. “So you think the Far Beyond people are beneath you?”

Mylane’s eyes changed for a fraction of a second, then she said. “Yes, Far Beyonds are beneath me and you would think so too if-”

“Enough, Mylane, stop!”

Mylane’s defiance surfaced again. She ignored Stevron command. “Your father really was a master of deception. He kept you all in the dark. You’re all as blind as your sister.”

My anger simmered. Those words echoed Char’s sentiments from the previous night. Jam had told me all about Char and his opinions about the rumour and how we were all as blind as my sister. Mylane’s rudeness had me wanting to reach out and throttle her. I saw Carter’s eyelids flicker. I took his hand, resisting the urge to attack Mylane. So instead I demanded. “Then why don’t you fill me in on the truth?”

“Truth is subjective,” she countered, and I had a flash of insight. Mylane was older than she appeared. “And my version is tainted far more than others,” she continued.

I wanted to scoff and provoke her arrogance, but then a thought crossed my mind. Something Jam had said earlier. “Will there actually be a new breed of children?”

I saw that my question shocked both Stevron and Mylane.

“Where have you heard that?”

I sneered at Mylane, then looked to Stevron. “So sorry, but I can’t tell you.”

“Angie,” Stevron warned. “This is no joke. Was it Jake?”

I shrugged. “Carter and I both were bitten, then why am I not dying as well?”