Fractured Past (A Talnarin Novel Book 1) Page 7

  What would it be like to live in a place where they accept me for me, deformities and all? What would it be like to have a place to stay again? To not have to concern myself with scavenging or hunting for food. To actually have conversation with someone other than myself. To have someone Teach me what I need to know and grow stronger. To talk with someone who can sympathize and understand what it’s like to be like me.

  That thought pulls me up cold.

  No one can understand me. Not really, not anymore. They made me this way. No one else is like me. I don’t even know what I am. Not human, but not Them, either. A hybrid. A mutated freak. Perhaps I don’t function the way They do. Maybe there is something obviously wrong about me that only They see. What if this makes me an even larger target. What if they decide to run tests on me too? I don’t think I could live with that again. I don’t want to.

  There’s no guarantee it will turn out that way though. I can’t let my imagination run away from me. I need to reign in the turmoil starting to unwind inside me.

  I simply need help. I desire contact. I desire companionship. Of course, none of these things will be satisfied at Craforian. I have no desire to develop any sort of relationship with Them. I will simply use them for control and resources. I’ll need to be on guard constantly. There’s no telling what they could do. There no telling what they are like either. My previous experience with Them didn’t go… well.

  I have no idea what to expect with these ones.

  Revealing my lack control over the flames could also end badly; they could see it as a weakness, something to exploit. I could be seen as defenseless and useless. They might just dispose of me from the start. Would I be better to lie and say I have complete control or ask them for help? What is the point of me going there, anyway? Why should I risk it, why am I entertaining the idea?

  I plan to exact revenge on Them. For that I need all the help I can get. I need every advantage and unfortunately, that includes my silver fire. It worked well enough last time on Them and if I can hone that, I’d be a force to be reckoned with.

  They have powers of their own, and I’m in the dark about what they are. My bow might not be effective against them, and I can’t risk that. If I’m caught, there will be no escape.

  Seeking help for my powers is the better option, the safer option. It’s decided.

  I’m going to Craforian.

  If this place is really as Lori said it was, then I should be accepted. For a place with both humans and Them to coexist seems impossible, but less than a year ago I would have said They were impossible.

  But They aren’t, They’re real. Perhaps this place is real too.

  I’ll stay for a few months and practice, gain some control. Then, I’ll leave Craforian and find Them. I can end Them for good.

  I plop down on the ground and rustle through my pack. According the map, Craforian is a two-day journey from here. I’m much closer than I suspected. I’d been wandering aimlessly for two months with no real destination in mind. I’ll take this sign that I’m making the right choice. I roll up the map and shove it back into my pack.

  Here goes nothing… and everything.

  Chapter 12

  I don’t hear screaming; that’s something.

  I’ve been perched in this dol tree outside of Craforian for hours. No one has entered or left the grounds once, and it makes me both anxious and relieved. No one leaving could mean no one is allowed to leave, or it could mean no one wants to leave. It’s either a prison or utopia, and there’s no telling from the outside. I suck in a deep breath. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened either. It’s been quiet and boring, and I’ve even dozed off a few times.

  The town looks fortified. The only thing visible is the giant wall surrounding the town itself. The dol trees tower over the wall, but the cement structure still stands roughly ten heads taller than my perch, making it impossible to see over. Theoretically, I could climb higher up in the dol tree, but would prefer not to test my balance any more. How they even made the wall this tall is astounding.

  From my current location, I can’t see an entrance. I’ll have to walk around to find it, if I can work up the nerve to leave the safety of my tree.

  Now is as good a time as any to enter the town. I have stalled long enough as it is. I’ve nearly talked myself out of this plan a dozen times now, but I’ll get answers if I go inside. Now, it’s just a matter of reminding myself why I need to climb back down this tree.

  After some time, I gradually make my way down the thick, twisted limbs of the dol tree. Rusty orange leaves fall alongside me. When my feet touch the dirt, I readjust my back, grip my bow tightly, and set off towards the towering concrete walls less than fifty paces away.

  Just before I reach the wall, a voice sounds off behind me. Startled, I turn on my heel and aim my bow in the direction of the sound. I pause, and my breath catches at the sight of a beautiful woman leaning on a nearby tree. Her hazelnut hair glows in the sunlight peeking through the canopy, and its cut short, falling straight to her shoulders. She moves closer towards me, and I can see she’s about my height, maybe a few inches taller. She’s slim and fit, and the subtle grace of her movements makes her seem otherworldly. She wears a tight fitted black shirt and pants.

  But, despite the beauty, something is off. She’s too beautiful. What’s she doing out here by herself with no supplies, and why is she wearing large, dark glasses in the shade of the dol trees?

  Then its hits me like a ton of rocks. She’s one of Them. The dark glasses effectively cover her eyes, eyes I would bet anything are an unusual color. I have only seen two pairs of glasses before; they’re a rare commodity. Her hair covers her ears as well, ears that are more than likely pointed like mine. Had I no prior knowledge of Them, I might have just assumed her eyes were sensitive to light or she’s merely a little eccentric. She still might be eccentric but those glasses most definitely are a disguise. And as if some whisper had escaped my lip and found its way to her ears, she slowly lifts the glasses from her face. As I stare at the glowing purple eyes, something else shines from within too. Something older, ancient even, peeks out from within the depths of her eyes.

  It’s disturbing.

  The longer I stand and stare, the wider her smile grows. Obviously, I’m missing something. Nothing about this situation is remotely amusing. I suppose if it was the other way around, I would find the overreaction slightly entertaining as well. Grimace still in place, I lower my bow slowly. For some reason, this seems to amuse her more.

  Failing to understand and honestly not caring enough, I open my mouth to speak. Before any sound manages to escape my throat, she quietly introduces herself.

  “Hello, I’m Elaine. I saw you sitting in the tree over there for two days. Is everything alright?”

  I stare at her in surprise. Had she been watching me the entire time? How did she know I was there? Was she watching since the moment I arrived? I don’t understand how I didn’t see her or feel her around either. I thought my senses had gotten better than that, apparently not.

  I startle to attention when a small hand waves in front of my face. I jerk my head away and snap out an irritated, “What?” My mood continues to sour the longer I remain in her presence.

  “Your eyes kind off glazed over while I was talking. I wanted to make sure everything was okay. Are you hurt or something?” I hesitate before shaking my head slowly. If this girl is at all connected to Craforian, I need to start playing nice. I remind myself I need their help, and pissing them off doesn’t seem to be the right way to go about it.

  Elaine’s smile morphs from amused to relieved in seconds, but it seems slightly forced. “Good. Why were you in the tree? You looked deep in thought up there.”

  The silence extends uncomfortably. I don’t want to divulge everything, at least not this soon and not to her. “I was nervous about this place. I wasn’t expecting it to look like this. I didn’t see an entrance either so I hoped I’d s
ee someone enter or leave. No one did.”

  That answer seems to satisfy her. She shrugs. “We knew you were here the moment you arrived.”

  Well that answers that. The thought that they watched me the moment I climbed into the tree makes me want to bolt, but I manage hold myself together. “All you had to do was approach the wall sooner,” explained Elaine. “I would have called out to you and we would already be inside. But it’s okay, nothing to be nervous about. I’ll take you to see our leader. He would like to have a few words with you.”

  Looks like I don’t have a choice in the matter. That’s fine with me; the sooner I meet him, the sooner it’ll be over with. Before my anxiety can respond for me, I give a single, sharp nod. Elaine’s smile warms and she gestures with her hand for me to follow her. I hesitate briefly before following the strange woman.

  As we near the gate, a loud grating noise echoes throughout the forest. What was once a solid cement wall now stands an archway. It’s like the wall disappeared and in its place a hole materialized out of thin air. My skin crawls as I pass underneath it. There will be no turning back once I’m beyond the door. Once they seal it closed again, I may not make it back out. Can I really take that chance? Do I really have a choice?

  I buck up my courage and take a deep breath. Whatever comes, I will face it. I can do this. For my family and the others, I will do this. Revenge is all I need to think about it. It’s my only focus now.

  We pull to a sudden stop, and my eyes dart around the scene, scanning for any potential danger. I can’t afford to let anyone get the drop on me. I need to appear strong and prepared, ready for anything, appear as less of a threat. I can only hope that these Others can’t sense the underlying anxiety and fear steady building inside me. Being this close to Them in Their home isn’t boding well for my emotional state; I need to stay calm and not set anything on fire. I count my breaths until my heartbeat levels out once more. Hearing and seeing no threat, I cast a glance at the woman in front of me.

  Elaine watches me curiously. Why, I can’t say, but I don’t like it. It makes me feel like she knows something I don’t. I don’t like it one bit. “Why did we stop? What are you looking at?”

  She smiles a bit sadly and murmurs so quietly I almost miss it, “You, I’m looking at you. I hope he’s wrong.” She turns and glides away once more. I follow her, only looking back to see the arch closing once more.

  I never expected the town beyond the wall to be so green. There’s so much nature here, it looks like the plants might take over the town soon. Even the buildings are overcome by plant life; the green keeps me calm. It doesn’t feel like prison.

  From where I stand, a large white pillar-like structure stands in the center of the town. There’s a long gray building to the left of the pillars and a small brown square building on the right. We swiftly pass the brown building and come to a wooden two-story home sitting behind the brown building.

  The home itself is beautiful and bright. Lots of windows decorate the outside and a porch sits below an overhang on the second floor. It looks inviting and cozy from the outside; is the inside just as warm?

  All too soon, I’m ushered into the large wooden home. Elaine’s pace quickens again, and I have to nearly run to keep up at this point. She whisks me up a stairwell, down a hallway, and through a door. I grind to halt to avoid smacking into her, and my anxiety mounts. We’ve reached our destination. Time to face Craforian’s leader.

  I count to steady my breaths. I can do this. Elaine steps inside and gestures for me to enter. She shuts the door behind me, and the man behind the desk smiles.

  Chapter 13

  The man at the desk has pristine snow white hair reaching just below his sharp chin. His features glow with a strange, serene beauty most of the Others lack. He is the most surreal and otherworldly one I have seen. His cheekbones are sharp, but his face is still handsome. Even sitting, I can tell he would loom over my small frame. He’s muscular, and his presence radiates power and authority. Still, there’s a softness in his expression; empathy, maybe. His eyes, though. His eyes scare me. They’re so much like His, molten gold that glitters in the sunlight.

  This was a mistake, I shouldn’t have come here. I need to leave, now. He’s going to come here for me. They must be related somehow. I won’t be safe here. I’ll be back where I was before. He’ll drag me back to that prison. He’ll ruin me again, I can’t let that happen, I need to run.

  A deep, musical voice startles me from my thoughts. “My name is Abel, and I’m in charge of this compound. How can I help you?” He looks at me expectantly.

  What do I say? How do I get out of this? Do I just leave? Will he chase me down? Should I just pretend it’s nothing and stay? I don’t know what to do or what to say. Maybe he isn’t related to Him. Perhaps this is all a coincident, except I don’t believe in coincidences. I’m sure there are Others with gold eyes, not just Him. Should I stick with the plan, or bolt now?

  I gather my courage and rasp out, “I heard…” My voice cracks. I clear my throat and try again. “I heard this place, Craforian right…?” He nods, and I continue. “She said…well I was told this place could help me. Lori told me….”

  At her name, Abel appears to freeze. My sentence trails off as the tension in the room mounts in seconds. Did I say something wrong? I messed up, I had to of. Maybe she lied to me and really wasn’t welcome here after all. My palms start to sweat and my breathing comes faster.

  Then it’s gone. So quickly, it was if the tension was never there in the first place. It leaves my mind spinning and my thoughts reeling. Did I imagine the feeling? No that’s not possible, my hands are still sweating and my heart still pounds. I study Abel’s face carefully, but find it carefully blank. My anxiety spikes and my heart stutters.

  Not knowing what else to do, I shift on my feet and wait impatiently for his response, whatever it may be. Finally, he speaks again, “Lori was correct, this is a safe haven of sorts for the talnarins. We have the resources here to aid you. I just have a few questions before we show you to the quarters you will staying in during your time here. Is that alright?”

  His strange wording and overly polite tone makes my stomach twist. It confuses me, throws me off. Is it a trick to get me to trust him? I don’t know, I can’t tell. What do I do? I settle for going forward with my plan. “Wonderful, what is your name, young one?”

  Young one? He looks maybe a couple years older than myself. Then again, like with Elaine, there’s something more beneath the skin, something ancient and foreign. Is it a talnarin thing or are they different from the rest? Even He had it too, the one who did this to me. Not to mention Abel’s mannerisms are… odd, unnerving. I don’t know enough about these Others, these talnarins, to determine his real age. I hate this feeling, this ignorance.

  Regardless of my apprehension, I answer in a calm voice. “Alanna.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alanna. What kind of help do you seek? And to be more direct, what circumstances led to your arrival here?”

  When the mess inside my head finally formulates a suitable response, one that won’t give me away, I hesitate before beginning. I take a deep breath and force my voice to be strong, “I’ve been traveling for… a long time… alone and I’m tired.” I glance away quickly. “I attempted to get some help in a… human village and was sent to a holding cell. That’s when Lori found me. She told me you wouldn’t treat me the same here. I was fine alone for a while but… an incident occurred. I lost control for a second and hurt someone.” I pause and take in his patient face. If he’s judging me, I can’t tell. My words keep tumbling out. “I tried to keep going, but it kept replaying in my head. It could happen again. I don’t want it to happen again. It terrifies me.”

  Once the words are out, I clamp my lights tightly together. I had said more than I planned to. I told myself I wouldn’t tell them I had no control, They might be able to use that against me. There’s just something about Abel, he just f
eels like he can be trusted. Abel’s compelling, like Him. I don’t like it. It makes my skin crawl. I need to be more careful around him and raise my guard.

  Abel appears genuinely thoughtful and sympathetic. The sympathy throws me, but I remind myself that it could all be a ploy. Still wary, I steal a quick glance to Elaine sitting in the corner. She looks so crestfallen that it takes me back. Feeling like I’m intruding, I hastily look away.

  Abel’s steady and smooth voice begins again. I snap my head in his direction. “I see. I’m sorry for the ordeal you experienced, and I hope you find what you need here. We do have various means to help you with your control. Fear not, young one.” He takes a small pause to smile up at me gently. “My last question: what is your gift, Alanna?”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised, I should have figured with what I’d said, he’d ask the question. I hesitate. “Um…flames. I can set things on fire.”

  He looks surprised. Why that surprises him, I don’t know. Perhaps fire isn’t a common power. Did I mess up? Did I give something else away unintentionally? Just as I’m about to stutter out an excuse, his smile turns compassionate. He leans forward across the desk slightly and folds his hands under his chin. I close my mouth with a click.

  His voice lowers and softens, “It’s all right Alanna. We will help you as best as we can. Now just some…guidelines if you will. If you do intend to stay we expect you to treat everyone fairly and with respect as those here will do for you. Understood?” I nod briskly. I can do that. “There is no schedule to follow here, you go at your own pace. We are not tyrants. Things are very flexible. I think you’ll enjoy it here. Lastly, if you have questions regarding anything, and I do mean anything,” he looks pointedly at me, “my door will always be open, Alanna.”