Thirty-four- Wren

Chapter 33

Wren

I don't know what the hell is going on. I mean, I guess I do now, but, I just fought creatures made of freaking fire. And I'm still alive too. This is just too weird.

“Any other injuries?” Ray asks. Briar-Rose has calmed down enough to join our circle in the scorched sand, I've even found pieces of glass.

“My ankles hurt pretty bad, and the ax was kind of rusty...” Air pipes up. Marina nods and cleans it out.

“I don't know what I can do for the actual cut, maybe Wren... being life? You know?”

“Hey, I flew for the first time today, that's actually possible, being a bird and all, but sewing up skin with my mind? I don't think so.” I say, apprehensive.

“C'mon, you gotta try! I did!” Marina says.

“No, it's so weird, I really don't want any part of this...”

“Please? For me?” She bats her eye lashes then kisses me.

“O-okay. Fine.” I say, unable to refuse that argument. Ray high-fives her, “Way to use the power of kissing, nice!”

I ignore the giggles and press my hand to Air's bloody ankle. I close my eyes and picture the skin rejoining and returning to normal, when I lift my hand away, only a think line remains, like the scratch from a cat. I sit back without saying anything, too shocked to even try.

“So, Nox. Explanation. Now.” Ash demands.

“Okay. The day Bry escaped from Malum's custody, that was the day I was introduced. I had actually been dropped off on the door step before I was old enough to sit up on my own, with only a note taped to my chest: His name is Nox, he is one of the Eight, train him under what is right.” He starts, sounding as if he'd rehearsed this story for a long time. “I'd always assumed my mother had known that Malum was right, but now, I wonder if she was confused and thought Malum was the good not the bad, or maybe she was just incredibly horrible and wanted to subject me to a life of torture.” Bry shudders at the word. “Bry, did you get whipped?”

She shakes her head no.

“I did.” He lifts the back of his shirt and exposes many slashing scars all over his back. “I still get queasy after turning into smoke, but I don't throw up anymore, that was a sign of weakness and they whipped me until I learned to hold it in.

“Anyway, a Sine raised me, Sine means 'without' in Latin. They don't have souls, and so they kill all the time and breathe in the souls trying to fill the empty spot where theirs should be. I was lucky to know where to hide if any of them went Soulless, meaning all the souls inside of them faded. They go on a rampage and kill any human nearest.

“They trained me in tracking you, on how to tell when you use your powers, its a very faint disturbance, but I feel it. That's why the Fire Children attack us, though I was the best at tracking. For years they knew where Briar-Rose resided, but knew she would not go quietly like she did when she was eight. We also knew where Wren lived.”He looks at me, “Your parents are on the hit list for interfering,” my eyes widen in surprise, “the pills they made you take were to hide your powers, you're not allergic at all. Also, I discovered Marina when I found these,” he gives Marina a sketchbook and colored pencils, “I really didn't know how I knew, I guess I could just sense it.”

“My original plan, was uh, once we were all together to just crush you guys like I did the Fire Children... But then I met Ray and I fe- she saw what I was going to do. And Bry was so nice to me! That's why I didn't want your money, I already felt bad. And I'm just worried if we're in a battle with Malum, I won't know what to do.

“Satelles had the ability to kill us all in seconds, but Malum likes doing it the 'fun' way. Satelles too. Also, there's a prophecy I need to tell you guys... but that's for later.”

“You... were going to kill us?” Bry gasps.

“Oh! That's why Ray kept threatening you with her... kneeing powers!” Airborne giggles.

“Why does Malum hate us, or want to kill us?” Jasper asks quietly, refusing to meet Nox's eyes.

“Well, because-” He starts then stops abruptly. “I-I don't know.”

“What do you mean, you 'don't know', you were trained by the guy!” Ash exclaims. Nox shrugs.

“Guys, it's getting late, we need to figure out where we're going to go.” Bry says.

“Go? Why are we going anywhere?” I ask. Erasing the drawing of a house in the sand I etched with my finger.

“Well, it's obvious. We have to run. Satelles is just going to send worse creatures than Fire Children, things I can't even imagine. We need to go.” Bry explains.

“What? I-”

She cuts me off. “Think about it, do you want to bring the battle to all the people you know, all the people you love, and have them be killed? They can track us, so why not go somewhere far away, so that they follow us?”

I can't argue with that.

“So, where do we go?” Airborne asks.

“Somewhere far away.” Nox murmurs.

“California?” Ray pipes up. We all look at her like she's nuts. “Hey, it's as far away as we can get.” She says, hands up.

“She does have a point...” Marina admits. We all nod.

“We're going to California... Oh god.” I say. “How are we even going to get there?”

“Well, Nox and I can travel really fast as clouds of whatever.” Ray says. I see Jasper shake his head in disgust at something.

“Wren could fly there. I bet maybe I could turn into like water vapor or something.” Marina suggests.

“I could fly, Ash too.” Airborne states.

“But what about Bry and I?” Jasper asks. We think for a minute.

“Well, I don't know about Bry, but I'm sure she could like, piggy back you. The Earth would probably just move you. Try it.” Nox says. Without a word, Jasper stands up and closes his eyes planting his feet firmly in the sand. Then, in two seconds, he is six feet away from where he was.

“Perfect!” Bry says happily. “We leave tomorrow night, at two in the morning, meet here.”

I nod solemnly, getting the feeling my life is about to change more than it already has.

Author's Note

reviews please!

Reviews

[Sylvana]

They''re going on an adventure! xD
Um, in the beginning you said 33, but I think you meant 34.. also there was a typo near the beginning where you said think line, but i think you mean thin?
I feel like there was emotion and facial expressions missing when Nox explained everything, in him and everyone else.
Other than that, yaaay~~ new chapter :D

[Amanda]

I really like this story. I thought that Jasper was going to get really jealous when Nox tried to save Ray in the last chapter.