The Affliction Page 10

  “That’s what always happens when I accomplish a task, but never when I begin to stray from it. That was the first time I have ever been diverted from my mission.” I nodded again, as I only partially understood.

  “But why for me?” I asked, still perplexed as to what had caused this peculiar phenomenon.

  “Well, I have a theory but…I don’t know if I can accept it yet. What I can say, is that when I’m protecting you, it’s like nothing else matters to me, and I feel…” I finished the sentence for him, already knowing what he would say.

  “You feel complete,” I cautiously inserted.

  He looked curiously at me, then sat up so he knelt in front of me. He reached out and lightly touched the back of my hand with his fingertips.

  “What do you feel?” He asked, looking as though he was somewhat afraid to hear the answer. I was entirely scared to give it because the truth was, every time he touched me I felt strengthened, focused, and above all else…complete.

  My intuition weakly guided me again, and I suddenly knew that this was not a component of his usual abilities; I was the only one who received those vibes from him. I didn’t have to verbally relay this information to him, he read it in my eyes, in my facial expression, and he knew.

  I looked away and stared at the candles sitting on the nightstand by the bed, finding in their flickering glare a pair of June bugs crawling on the wall. They weren’t doing any harm to me, but I instantly wanted the insects dead, not because I enjoy the act of killing, but because I was scared of them.

  Usually I didn’t grasp the concept that wild animals often attack humans out of fear, but there I sat, wishing to kill the bugs so small compared to me, because they scared me. I wanted them dead before they could disappear and later crawl with their sticky little legs all over me as I slept.

  I was not afraid of many things, but I did not like bugs. I think it had to do with all the appendages. Watching the June bugs on the wall, goose bumps spread over my skin and I gave an involuntary shiver as I recoiled backward. Gabriel watched me, then quickly disposed of them and closed the windows, apologizing with the promise to install screens the next day. Funny, even a threat to me as small as a bug sent him into Guardian mode.

  He didn’t sit down again, but remained standing, looking out the window to the night beyond that wasn’t nearly as mysterious as the abnormal relationship between us. The feeling in the room was so intense at that point I could hardly bear it, so I tried to lighten the atmosphere.

  “Was there a reason you had to bludgeon me and drag me away so roughly at my apartment?”

  He snorted. “I was still compelled to stay near Cara, so I couldn’t just run away with you like I did from the hospital, even though that’s what I wanted to do. So instead, I made it look like one of us had come for you first and killed you as a witness to the society. That way they wouldn’t bother looking for you. I held you invisible until they left, then placed you on the balcony.”

  “Oh, well couldn’t you have just told me you were helping me?”

  “Yeah, sure. Hey, I’m some random stranger sneaking around in your house, but come with me if you don’t want to die. That would have worked out well.”

  I chuckled. “Okay, okay, I see your point. Maybe that wouldn’t have been a good idea.”

  “Nope. And I intended to never see you again. I followed them to Sundown, but Adam had already personally intervened, which of course caused a scene since he’s the master of our chapter and knew I had failed my mission to save his girlfriend. That’s why Nathaniel was hostile towards us. And then, when you ran into the bar where I had chosen to wait until things cleared out, I nearly had a heart attack.”

  Oh, wow. “And then I decided to sit with you…That must have given you a shock.” We both laughed.

  “Yeah, I had been drawn to you, but I wasn’t expecting it to work the other way around, especially since I thought you were an outsider. That’s when I first started to think otherwise, but when you said your last name was Lander, I wasn’t so sure.”

  My mind spun around like the Wheel of Fortune, passing all those questions I wanted to ask, but finally stopping to rest on one.

  “And then you came back for me…at the hospital. You weren’t supposed to do that, were you?”

  “No,” he replied, “after I left you in the bar, I was traveling back to Headquarters. Before I got here I felt something pulling me back, like I knew you were in trouble. Not even Nathaniel’s threats of punishment from the elders could stop me from returning for you.”

  I wanted to keep things light since they turned intimate much too fast. “Wow, my own personal bodyguard who automatically knows when I need saving.”

  He chuckled darkly. “I’m something.” He apparently wasn’t so determined to restrain the awkwardness, so I changed the subject.

  “So whose clothes are in there?” I said, pointing at the armoire. “I’m not taking someone’s bedroom am I?”

  He turned and although he was a good actor and pretended the discoveries we had made weren’t still disturbing him, I knew otherwise. It was at that point that I realized everyone would have a difficult time deceiving me from that point forward.

  “Well actually, they’re yours.”

  “No, actually they aren’t,” I argued.

  He laughed and I ignored the feelings I knew he repressed, even though they weighed so heavily on him. “They’re yours now. When Eleanor heard about you, she did some shopping.”

  “Oh. Well, that was fast…and I have my own clothes anyway.”

  “You don’t understand,” he laughed, “Eleanor loves shopping, you should see Marielle’s closet. You can bet you’ll be her next subject, seeing as she already thinks of you as a sort of daughter.”

  This last comment struck me fiercely, and my chest constricted, the tears threatening unreasonably. I hardly knew the woman, and yet she had already done something my mother never had. She had cared for me, anticipated my arrival, already thought of me somewhat as a daughter.

  “Eleanor is a Shaman,” I said, talking more at the window than to Gabriel in order to hide the emotions I knew were so plainly etched on my face. It wasn’t so much a question as a statement I wanted him to verify for me.

  “Yes, as is Marielle.”

  “Well of course,” I replied, knowing that the gifts were hereditary.

  “Actually,” said Gabriel, “she could have been a Sage, like you, because her dad’s one.”

  I thought about his statement. He had said another Sage lived in the chapter, but I couldn’t remember the name. I had met so many new people, I had a hard time keeping them all straight, especially since they each came with callings I had to remember as well.

  “Who is that again?” I asked.

  “Tobias. He’s Eleanor’s husband.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot.”

  “It’s okay. You’ll get to know everyone. And Tobias will be able to guide you on your training if you have any questions or doubts.”

  Wow, training. I had temporarily forgotten this aspect of my transformation into a Mystic. When Gabriel first told me about training I was nervous, but once he mentioned questioning and doubts, I felt even more panicky. And then I remembered who would “sentence” me to this training…the elders, who I would meet within the next few days.

  “Are you all right?” Gabriel asked, noticing the panic growing in my facial expression.

  “Just thinking about meeting with the elders. What if I do something wrong?”

  “You’ll be fine. But you really should rest. I shouldn’t have kept you up, you used a lot of energy and strength to get here.”

  “Yeah, I know. I barely did anything and it was like all my power was used up.”

  He looked very serious then. “You don’t realize how difficult it is to find Headquarters. It may not have seemed like much at the time, but Mystic Headquarters are some of the most secure places on earth. A normal person could die if they attempted what you did.
A Davo wouldn’t have crossed into the field without combusting.”

  “Oh. Wow.” My head spun from this statement. Someone could lose their life to get where I was, but I didn’t. I made it. “Maybe I should get some more sleep.”

  “Yeah, good idea.” He stood up and started walking back towards the exit.

  “Hey, wait,” I said, and he hesitated. I was a little embarrassed to ask him, but I wanted to see it once more. “Can you turn invisible again?”

  He laughed, apparently expecting something else. And then, he suddenly wasn’t there anymore and the hair stood up on the back of my neck, even though I had asked him to and was prepared for it this time. I screamed softly, jokingly, and his laugh echoed around the room, though it seemed to lack a source.

  But he didn’t reappear right away this time and not knowing where he was gave me a peculiar feeling. And then something grabbed my hand gently, and though I didn’t jump or pull away it still frightened me a little and I’m sure my face gave me away. His chuckle then was softer, and deeper, and then I felt him press his lips lightly to the back of my hand.

  “Goodnight, Aubrie,” said his voice. The goose bumps returned but this time for an absolutely different reason; my body constricted, the blood rushed to my face, and I wished that I were invisible, too.

  “Goodnight.” I managed, not able to move, as my hand dropped back to my lap.

  And then the door opened, seemingly of its own accord, and quietly closed behind the invisible man for which I had an undeniable attraction.

  Chapter 14

  I didn’t immediately open my eyes when I awoke. I could tell that some daylight infiltrated the room, but it wasn’t so bright that I felt the urgent need to leave the bed. I honestly didn’t feel much like getting up at all that day. I felt better than the last time I woke, but I was very comfortable lying beneath the silky covers.

  Beyond my physical condition, I knew that I might have to face the elders, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that. Was it fair for me to meet the leaders of the society when I had just learned about it and my gift?

  So far the members I’d met had made me feel like I fit in; but I was sure it would be a different case when it came to the elders, which of course scared me because I knew I was right. I quickly realized one of the downsides to my gift. When most people worried about the future they could at least retain some optimism that the situation might not turn out for the worst.

  They could take peace in some relief, able to believe there was a possibility for a better outcome, but for me, I could foresee the bad coming and I had no excuse or way to deny the future. I was suddenly grateful I had always acknowledged the presence of evil and naturally held a realistic view of every situation. I already had some practice, on a much smaller scale.

  I felt mildly like I was on vacation when I woke somewhere strange and didn’t plan to continue on with my day as usual. My typical day in the summer was nothing too exciting, as it only consisted of stocking the shelves with mouth wash and ringing up every personal item imaginable. By the time I found myself at home again, I would make myself dinner, usually pasta, frozen dinners, or anything else simple to make due to my pitiful cooking skills. Then I would finish out the evening reading or watching TV. We’ll just say that if I was rich and didn’t have to worry about paying for my last year of college and then subsequently for the loans I had taken out for all previous years, that wouldn’t be how I spent my days.

  However, I was determinedly content with my life and it didn’t bother me to have such a seemingly mundane lifestyle, because that’s how I knew I was supposed to live. I had everything planned out; all I had to do was follow the path to each next step that carried me through my life. So when I woke up in Cinderella’s bedroom knowing I would never even step foot on that smooth path again, wary about meeting with the elders and confused about Gabriel and the society, I nearly had a panic attack.

  Had my life always led towards this? Had this whole ordeal with Cara not taken place, was it possible that I could have lived my whole life in ignorance of who I really was? I knew if that had happened I would never have been happy and as I got older I may possibly have landed myself a spot in the nearest mental institution. So I concluded that my gift would not have let that happen, no matter which path I chose in life.

  I just wished I didn’t have to sacrifice my friendship with Cara. At the least, it would have been nice if she wasn’t involved in the whole dangerous business. Even though I knew it was not my fault the Black Shadow targeted her, I felt little relief.

  Apparently, when I met Cara, I subconsciously knew that she would eventually connect me with the society. And there I lay, connected, suddenly leading a different life than I had consciously planned, but finally feeling like I arrived where I was supposed to be for the first time in my life.

  The little clock on the nightstand read seven o’clock. I sat up, surprisingly wide awake, with the intention of transferring my clothes from the bulky suitcases taking up space on the floor to the armoire and matching dresser across the room. That was, until I noticed another door I hadn’t paid any attention to the night before, and wondered what lay beyond it.

  It proved to be a bathroom, something I needed at the moment, and a very large and lavish bathroom at that. No, that’s an understatement. The bath in my apartment was large. This lavatory was about the size of my old living room, enormous, and apparently all mine.

  The style made me think of old world class meeting new world technology. The claw foot tub, delicate vanity, and room itself matched the rest of the house; but the stone shower, granite top double sink, and all the hardware were distinctly modern. I immediately decided I needed a shower before I started unpacking, and after I figured out how to work it, I felt like I was standing in the rain rather than indoors. I felt amazingly refreshed afterward and headed out to my room wrapped in a towel.

  I hadn’t looked meticulously at the clothes Eleanor had bought for me the night before. For a few seconds, I was afraid. If I didn’t like what she picked I would feel obligated to wear them anyway, since she went to the trouble to get them for me.

  But as I flipped through the shirts, hoodies, and jeans, I realized that I would have picked them out for myself. The assortment also included extra items of clothing that I always considered wearing but never spent the money to buy, as they weren’t completely necessary.

  I didn’t want to ignore Eleanor’s clothes altogether, but I thought it might overdo it to wear a whole new outfit, so I mixed old and new together. Then I skipped back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. So many cosmetics covered the vanity I would never have to buy makeup again. I didn’t even know how to use some of it, since I usually didn’t get further than foundation and eyeliner.

  By the time I finished my hair and face, sticking on the conservative side, it was eight-thirty. I usually didn’t take that long to get ready, not even close, but I felt that I should appear more than just presentable on my first day at Headquarters. And I was nervous. Nerves always meant fidgeting with my appearance. The end product was a pair of jeans, a pretty flowered tank top, and my hair in its long, shiny waves.

  I wanted to make a worthy impression on the members of the chapter since I hoped I would end up living with them permanently. I was all the more nervous since it seemed everything was already weighted against me for joining the society so late, and the fact that I was the illegitimate offspring of a rebel and an outsider.

  I debated unpacking everything but I expected a visitor soon. Eleanor swept happily into my room with breakfast when I unzipped the first suitcase.

  “Good morning, Aubrie,” Eleanor calmly greeted me as she set the tray of food down on a little table I hadn’t paid much attention to. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well today, and that shirt is absolutely adorable on you.”

  “Oh, thank you, I love it. Thank you so much for the clothes, you didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

  She laughed peacefully. “No problem
. I bugged Tobias until he told me what you’d like. He doesn’t like using his Sage gifts for petty things like that, but he always gives in to me. Now, have some breakfast, you’ll want to feel good when you meet with the rest of the chapter!”

  Eleanor had left me around nine-thirty, before which we had talked some about Headquarters, the society, and my gift in particular since she knew a bit about it from being married to Tobias for thirty years. She was very helpful in answering the questions I forgot to pose while distracted in my conversation with Gabriel.

  “So are members only allowed to marry other members?” I had asked…thinking of the limitations of that possibility.

  “Oh, no, dear,” she had politely answered. “We don’t favor inbreeding, which is what would happen if we were prohibited from marrying outsiders since there are so few of us. In our chapter, none of us that are married to other members are even from the same chapter. I was originally part of the chapter of Great Britain and Cyrus from Bulgaria. Then, of course, I met Tobias and Cyrus met Mariah, our very lethal Silencer. We decide which chapter to move to, and we don’t have any restrictions on partner choice, member or outsider.

  “However, we do need to be careful if we are involved with outsiders…it provides a great risk, as you have seen with Adam and Cara. Poor Adam. He was trying to keep Cara from knowing about the society, trying to keep her life as normal as possible, which is one option for us. Usually, when this happens, the member becomes more involved in the outside world and The Mystic becomes more of a job.”

  “That had to be hard for Adam since he’s the master though, right?” I asked

  “Exactly,” Eleanor agreed. “His continuous involvement is a necessity, where it usually isn’t with other members. Living between worlds took a toll on their relationship, and as you saw, he couldn’t keep it a secret and she became a target for the Shadows. We didn’t use to have such problems. At least our old enemies didn’t have complete knowledge of us.”

  She had sat quietly for a while then, while I finished my breakfast and pondered over what she had told me. “You said that’s one option when one of us is involved with an outsider, does that mean there are more?” I asked, already partly guessing the answer.