Merritts of Writing 3

Chapter 34

Carter

Watching Jake die was something, I, as a fourteen year old boy could never forget. Jake’s ever present presence following me around and often manipulating me, was something I’d come to expect and accept.

But what he’d shown me. What I must do, was simply inexcusable. I would never forgive him nor myself.

CARTER’S AWAKENING

I saw Angie’s lips move. At least I thought it was Angie. She looked very different. Younger, healthier, and her trademark blue eyes, for some reason I couldn’t understand, now had a tinge of golden light swirling in her irises.

I closed my eyes and then opened them again. I felt a sharp pinching sensation and raised my head to see Stevron yank a needle from my arm. My eyes widened as I followed the intravenous tube to see the other end attached to Mylane.

A panic like I’d never felt rammed through my body. Realization hammered at my brain, even though I knew before I’d set out for the burrows that this was to be the outcome.

I still felt it was way too soon to turn me. I knew I wasn’t anywhere near being ready. I wasn’t old enough nor wise enough. But there had been no choice. Jake had told me that The Oracle of Death had entered his Death trials.

There was nothing Stevron could have done. It was my choice to allow myself to be bitten.

I sighed heavily and looked back at Emmalee’s sister. “Oh, Angie, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Jake, Emmalee, I…I.” I tried to sit up then. The stiffness of my neck and the sudden dizziness in my head made me suck in a breath. I stopped and took a breath. Then I raised my head and saw Angie’s lips moving.

“Is he delusional?”

“Unless you’re not Angie,” I found myself blurting.

I tried again to rise and forced myself into a sitting position. The nausea swimming in my gut had me twisting violently to my right. I almost threw up, but when I noticed that we were in the medical tent I shivered even though I felt like my body was on fire. The muscles in my stomach heaved again. Up came more bile. I stood and rushed from the tent.

In a blur I saw a campfire off in the distance but didn’t stick around to see who was around it or who even noticed that I was up and about again.

I couldn’t face anyone, not just yet, and especially not Em. How was I going to tell her that Jake had shown me, while I’d been in the midst of my transformation, that I would, and most willingly take her life?

I ran as fast as I could until my stomach heaved again, this time more violently. I bent over and threw up every last ounce of what was in my stomach and then some. Over and over again I retched. By the time I was finally finished I was soaked to the skin in cold sweat. I continued to bend over and it took me quite a while before I began to breathe normally. I lifted my head and gazed out into the night. I sucked in air and wiped my mouth on the back of my forearm. I then swallowed.

I felt hands gently settle on my back. My legs just about gave out when I thought it was Em that was touching me. But instead of the energy surge that I felt every time we touched, I felt unsettled and queasy again. I thought I’d throw up again but I saw Stevron come swimming into my vision, distracting me. I turned my head and caught a glimpse of Angie.

I took a deep breath relieved to know that I’d been right. It was Angie that was softly rubbing my back. I swallowed and straighten my back. My head started to spin wildly. My equilibrium went off kilter and I felt strangely like I was suspended between two places, here and…and... I put my palms to my forehead and felt myself begin to sway.

Angie gripped my upper arm to steady me but for some reason my head swam even worse. My vision blurred and I felt myself keeling over.

Before I hit the ground Stevron grabbed me. My head instantly felt better but it hadn’t entirely cleared by the time I looked up to see Stevron holding out a bushberry to me. “Here, this will help.”

I shook my head despite the hammering of my brain tissue. I didn’t want the fragrant berry. I’d seen Stevron popping one into his mouth on several occasions. I knew he used them as some kind of stomach easing agent after he’d…

I glanced around and spotted Mylane. She was holding a hand to where the needle had been attached to her. But it was the swirling silver in her bright eyes that convinced me what my father had told my brothers and I so many years ago, was true.

Mylane must be the Collector. The ancient Sapphyre Wings, whose role in the Sapphyre Wings society, was to transform Parkland or my other brother Titus, or even perhaps myself, into what would become The Oracle of Death.

I felt sick again. This time heartsick because Emmalee Sky, the one I loved so desperately, was a Far Beyond and now that I was…what I was, Jake said I must take her life.

Tears began pricking at the back of my eyes. Of course, I would never, ever do it. I would rather die a thousand deaths than to hurt the one I loved.

I felt Mylane’s small hand grip mine. I shifted and put my other hand over ours. I squeezed her fingers before I raised my head. I couldn’t stop the tears from gathering in my eyes. They fell down my cheeks.

Mylane gave me a tiny smile. I watched her wet her lips and swallow. “This was meant to be,” she said simply.

“Yes,” I answered although I shook my head in denial. “It’s too soon. I had things to do. Better yet,” I grumbled, not pleased at what I’d just lost. “You should have-I’m not worthy enough.”

Before I could continue with my self-recrimination I was suddenly and rather roughly pulled away from Mylane. My head became fuzzy again. Angie’s lovely young face contorted with rage swam in front of my eyes. It was so unnerving to see how much she looked like her sister. Almost like they were twins. It was then that I realized that she was no longer aging. What had happened to her?

“Don’t you ever say that again!” She was shaking me hard. “You came over the trench for me and I will not let Barty’s-a-shit die.”

I wanted to laugh at Emmalee’s scornful nickname for me. I could only give her sister Angie a sad look.

“Angie…Jake-”

“Screw Jake! It’s about time that little shit brother of mine was stopped. He’s gone too far. No one is going to die. Not on my watch!”

In all the years Jake had been following me around I’d always assumed I was meant to do his bidding. That it was the price I had to pay for ending his life. I liked Angie’s idea of telling Jake to take a hike. The rage I felt inside was close to sparking. If defying Jake even in the slightest way meant there was a chance I could change my path in having to end Emmalee’s life, I would wage war against him in a heartbeat. And it would be a most fierce and bloody battle. One I would not lose.

I gave Angie a nod and she released me.

My vision cleared and my head immediately stopped swimming. My heart rammed to a stop. What had happened to Angie? And why was her touch just like her sister’s, only in the opposite direction? My stomach suddenly growled with hunger. I brought a hand to my stomach and froze.

I gaped at Angie. She smiled back at me. The first, true smile, she’d ever given me.

My hand rose to my chest. I was shocked to feel hard muscle where there had been none before. My legs tingled. Always lean and lanky, I’d been shaky only moments before. Now I stood firm. I flexed my arms. I felt strong muscles contract.

I turned and raised my eyebrows at Stevron. “I’ve changed in more ways than just one, haven’t I?”

Stevron gave me a hard look. “Come, I’ll tell you, but first…”

He turned toward Angie and brushed his hand against her cheek before handing Mylane another bushberry.

“Make sure you stay away from the others. If you go near Donahue or Char, there’ll be consequences.”

I watched Mylane give Stevron a curt nod, then she took a step closer to me and raised her hands. She gripped my shoulders. I was shocked when she actually hugged me. Then she pulled away from me. “I’ve transformed many men into who would become The Oracle of Death in my time,” she said. “You will be a good ruler, Bartholomew Shipley. You just need to give yourself time.”