Red River Song by A. R. Mummey
Chapter Seven
Waking a few hours later, I heard voices arguing in the living room. I kept my eyes closed as I strained to hear their conversation.
“So, she’s come into her powers. Otherwise, how did she get away? She shouldn’t have survived that kind of attack,” Theo said.
“Maybe she has more than one power. That light wasn’t normal, the bluish hue I told you about. You know what that means! I told Bast, and she agrees. Not to mention, I saw her soar through the air into the car. She didn’t land nearly as hard as she should have.” Anabel’s voice was elated.
Who’s Bast? The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I was so focused on trying to remember where I’d heard Bast’s name mentioned that it took me a few minutes to process the fact that I had soared through the air.
“I don’t know. We don’t know! The Gifted leaders have been in hiding forever. What are the odds this one just drops in our laps? And Bast? You’re not even supposed to talk to Bast. You know better. Especially about this. Look, guys, now that she’s been honest, we can check into this Thea and try to figure out what she is and how to kill her,” Heath said. I inhaled sharply. Kill. Could we be murderers? They would be stupid to think I’d let them fight her on their own. Thea wasn’t human. But did that matter? She was a living being. No. It didn’t. She had Nicole and Greta. I was somehow tied to her and I was dying. I would kill her if I could. Thea was evil.
“We’re not murderers, Heath. Besides, who’s to say we can kill her? She’s obviously incredibly powerful to possess two humans like that and compel a Gifted to her command.” Theo’s voice was raised. Shame washed over me. Theo wasn’t a killer. Hell, he wasn’t even a fighter. I couldn’t drag him into this much further.
“What else can we do, Theo? Do you not see her lying in there? Don’t you see how weak she is? Whatever it is, it’s killing her.”
“Calm down, both of you.” Anabel’s voice was strained. “Listen. First of all, Heath, I will do whatever I can or work with whoever I need to in order to make Lorelei better. Even if you disagree with it. Bast is the best source of knowledge we have. She has a plethora of resources on her side: scribes, journals, grimoires, not to mention all the darker spells and concoctions that we’d never dare use. Secondly, we need Patrick’s help. He and his family could cure her. They have certain elements on their side. Don’t look at me like that, Heath. I’ve been researching them, and I’m fully aware of what they are, but I also know she trusts him. You’re a fool if you don’t see it. Otherwise, why would she be attacked? They can help us find and destroy whatever this Thea is and, most importantly, they can protect her.”
“We’re not discussing this. Just help me research and keep her focused on school.” With that, the door slammed, and I knew Heath was gone. Lying in silence, grateful for Anabel’s commonsense and angry at Heath’s audacity to try to rule my life, I knew I was right. Anabel would help me. The door opened, and Anabel and Theo came in smiling.
“Hello, my little Gifted sister,” Theo said, grinning. I sat up slowly.
“So, we’re focusing on my schoolwork, eh? You’ve gotta keep my mind off of the fact that I’m dying.”
“Don’t be absurd. We won’t let you die.” Anabel sat down on the bed next to me.
“You look better. Now that you’re not crying,” I said softly.
She smiled gingerly. “I’m sorry. I’ve been weak. But then last night I had a vision, and I got a brand new resolve.” She winked at me.
Theo laughed at my puzzled expression. “Anabel has a very sensitive mind. She knows things. She sensed you were determined and that you needed her to help you escape.”
I must have looked mystified because Anabel explained, “Don’t worry. I didn’t read your mind, but you appeared to me last night in a vision. You showed me, opened your mind to me, and I saw everything you shared with Heath last night.”
I bolted upright. “That’s so cool. And weird. But, wait, how does it work?”
“Energy flows from me, allowing me to reach out and touch people’s minds. People can shut themselves down, blocking me out if they want to. It takes some practice, learning to build mental walls, but, I usually keep this part to myself and don’t try to reach people’s minds. It’s highly intrusive and exhausting. However, if someone’s plea or desire to be heard is strong enough, I hear them. In dreams, like last night, you reached out to me, like a knocking on a door in my mind, and I answered. I hear pleas all night long in my dreams, and sometimes I hear them during the day, which is why I avoid hospitals at all costs. People’s prayers, their desperation, … it all bombards me, and I can’t help them. But if I put up my own mental shields I might miss something important.”
“I’m so sorry, Anabel. I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t. It’s my burden to bear. Don’t be sorry.”
“So, what’s the point of the power then, if you can’t help people?”
“I can’t help all, most, or even half of them, Lorelei. But some … some, I can. We can.” She reached over and touched Theo’s arm. “Let’s say I’m nearby and a woman is being mugged. I can call the police. That’s why I leave my mental walls down.”
“Or if Heath’s there, he can use his Gift to knock the guy against a wall or hit him over the head with a brick, all while remaining unseen,” Theo chimed in.
“So, basically you guys are a crime-fighting bad ass crew of superheroes? Yeah?” I asked with mock sincerity.
“Basically,” Theo said, straight-faced, eyes sparkling.
“Ohh, oh, oh. But now we can get a dog, and we can be Scooby and the Gang. I call dibs. I’m Daphne,” Anabel said excitedly.
“I’m not Velma. Besides, you’re the Ginger.” I mock punched her arm as she laughed.
“You are most definitely Velma, Lorelei. Velma’s a nerd, and well….”
I scoffed in horror at the thought.
“Not to change the subject, but I have to ask, will you help me?”
“Absolutely. As soon as you finish your papers for school, you can have your phone. Theo will help you. After all, these are your midterms, so do your best and email them in. I’ll be out doing some research. I think I’m on to something. Then, when you’re done, we’ll stay here and Patrick or whoever can come over and we can discuss the situation openly. The thing is, you can’t tell Heath or Madison about this, and you can’t tell people that you’re Gifted.”
I nodded, deciding to ask the question that had been plaguing me. “Why lie to me? All these years. I thought we were friends.” Theo cleared his throat, looking away, unable to make eye contact.
“Lorelei. I know you’ll never be able to fully forgive us, but please know we are truly, deeply sorry. You are our friend, and we didn’t tell you because we couldn’t. We have an oath to our Gifts and our world. We are sworn to protect it with our lives. If you’d never come into your powers, we’d never be able to tell you. It’s our job to safeguard our secrets. If not, do you know how dangerous that could be? What would happen to us? We are strong, but only as strong as our weakest links. Our survival is based on secrecy. Even though you were always one of us, if the power is dormant and you weren’t raised as one of us, with us, we can’t share our world with you. But now we can.” Anabel gazed at me.
I nodded, trying to understand, but failing
“Did you know I was like you the whole time? Did you sense my energy?” They shifted uneasily, giving me my answer. I blinked back the burning tears threatening to fall. Lorelei Abrahms. Always alone.
“Lorelei?”
“Don’t.” I removed Anabel’s hand from where she’d placed it on my arm moments before.
“We have an obligation. We can sense who is like us. It draws us together. With your power dormant, we still needed to be in contact with you. In case. Well. In case…” Anabel faltered, staring at my stomach meaningfully. A new wave of horror washed over me.
“You mean you would have stayed my friend forever in
“We are your friends.”
“But our friendship is based on a lie! You knew. The whole time you knew!” I felt power coiling within me, pulling taut, ready to spring.
“I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” Tears fell down Anabel’s cheeks as she got up and left. Silence permeated the air between Theo and me.
“Ask me anything.” Theo said, palms spread out in a sign of acquiescence.
“Is Madison? Is she different, too?”
Theo snorted with laughter. “Maybe mentally for being so head over heels for Heath. But, aside from that, no. She’s totally human. She is a fool for that guy. I don’t know why.” Theo stood, making breakfast as I took everything in.
“You look better,” he commented as I ate most of the eggs and bacon.
“I feel a little better. Lighter, really. Now that I don’t think I’m completely insane, you know. No thanks to you guys,” I added, letting the jibe slip.
He stiffened briefly before surging ahead, “Believe me, we’ve all been there even though we grew up around it. But, most of us are teens when we come into our powers, so it’s overwhelming. We think that puberty helps trigger it: hormones, becoming more independent, everything about us is changing.”
“Why didn’t it happen to me?”
“I don’t know. You had a lot of trauma going on, so maybe it took longer. Your body knew you had too much to deal with. Also, it could be because you were repressing it. Most people have a parent with powers that help them, but maybe you didn’t … or your parent or parents were repressing their own powers.”
“So, my mom. She could have been powerful?” I asked slowly.
“Maybe. But we don’t know. Your dad or sister would have shared with you by now, been looking for signs, but clearly they haven’t. Or it could have skipped a generation. Maybe a grandparent.”
“What about your parents? Or other nearby sorcerers?” I cringed as I said the last word. It felt too surreal when I said it out loud.
Theo chuckled at my expression. “It takes some getting used to, that word. We prefer Gifted. But, listen. You will adjust. Now, my mom and Anabel’s mom don’t really practice or try to harness their power. Heath’s more like you. His mom isn’t Gifted, so we think it’s his dad, or his dad’s side, but we’re not certain. My mom had to help him learn to control it. Besides us, there’s not a large number in Oregon.”
“When Heath used his Gift last night, I saw it. It was this white spark, like electricity or a white ember from a flame. It was beautiful.”
“I think we should wait for the others. It’s a very rare gift to be able to see someone’s energy like that,” Theo said quietly before gently adding, “Now let’s finish up your schoolwork.”
I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but the sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could move on to more important things. No matter my anger, my exhaustion, my confusion, school had to come first here. So, I worked furiously to finish my essays and research paper. Hours passed and I was beyond exhausted, but I knew I had to continue. I had no other option.
Anabel returned just as Theo finished emailing my professors. Smiling tightly, she leaned against the front door. “What is it?” Theo asked.
“Detective Ash is back. He’s come to question you again, Lorelei. He’s right behind me. I just asked for a minute to tell you myself.” Anabel’s brow furrowed, and she was unable to meet my eyes. That was interesting. Could she not meet my gaze out of guilt or because of why the Detective had come?
“What else, Anabel?”
“Greta and Nicole have officially been declared missing persons. That’s why he’s here. They were last seen with you at the bar. Now I told the detective, Greta and Nicole were still in the bar when you left, since I was supposedly there. But, you’ll have to speak to the detectives.”
“O-o-okay.” My mind raced, heart stuttering. Panic seeped in, taunting me. Greta and Nicole. There’s no way I could deny any of it now. Sweet Greta and even Nicole. Why was this happening?
“Let’s move you to the couch, Lorelei. You’ll be more comfortable there.” Nodding, I let Theo guide me to the couch while Anabel let the detectives in.
Detective Ash smiled at me gently, crouching down in front of me. No hint of recognition crossed his face, as if our discussion of the Gifted and sorcery hadn’t happened the other day. But while his face remained devoid of our bond, I felt our energy reaching toward one another, in a smooth caress, offering me comfort. “I assume Ms. Turner told you why we’re here?”
“Yes, sir. You have some questions for me,” I responded politely, while inwardly my stomach churned. His energy snapped back into him as if he knew it made me war between fear and comfort.
“Your friends … they were with you the night at the bar. Tell me what you remember about them.” Detective Cramb said from the doorway. I’d forgotten his presence.
“Greta had texted me to come out to this new bar that’d opened recently. I didn’t want to be here, so I went and met up with her and Nicole. We ran into some people we had classes with, said a few words, but then we mainly just had a few beers and shot some pool. Then I left, alone. They were still there, and that’s all I remember after that.”
“Well, when we went to verify yours and Ms. Turner’s stories, we couldn’t find either Greta or Nicole. They’d disappeared. Their family, friends, boyfriends are worried and fear maybe whoever attacked you went on to them.” Detective Cramb said, his expression sour.
I met Anabel’s gaze, and she interceded. “I’m sorry, detective, but I didn’t run anyone off. Lorelei was lying on the pavement. No one was near her.”
“Do you mind if we have a minute alone, please?” Ash asked me, nodding toward Theo and Anabel. Detective Cramb hesitated, his cold eyes narrowing on me before exiting the apartment. Theo and Anabel followed, Anabel giving my shoulder an encouraging squeeze on the way.
“I need to ask you, Ms. Abrahms, is there anything you’re not telling me? Anything at all that would help us locate your friends?”
“Honestly, no, not that I can think of, detective,” I lied easily, slightly annoyed that we were alone and he was still keeping up the formalities.
“Liar. But that’s okay. I can see your mind working. Not sure who to trust. Alone. Confused. Your eyes have started to be opened, but there’s so much more to this. It will come together for you. And soon. You still have my card?” I nodded. “In that case, call me if you remember anything or if you need anything.” Reaching over, he patted my hand, sending a rush of pleasure through me … and setting off a shower of blue and black sparks. I was reminded of our first encounter, the spark from our touch. Looking down, I saw he’d already removed his hand.
“Detective Ash?” I called as he went for the door.
“Yes?” He turned to me, his blue eyes full of concern. He quickly came back toward me. Reaching up, I grabbed his hand, gasping when I saw black sparks flick off his fingertips at the contact. Dropping his hand, I looked up at him, but I wasn’t afraid. For whatever reason, I knew he was an ally and not an enemy. He stared at me, his eyes deepening from blue to midnight black.
“Can they not sense your magic?”
“No. Just you.”
“Why me?” I asked, pulling him closer, his eyes sparkling with intent.
“Because you’re special. I have the ability to block my power so no one can sense it. Only a handful of the most powerful Others in the world can still sense it through the block. You’re incredibly powerful, you just don’t realize it yet.” Silence surrounded us as we continued to stare at one another.
“Are you Gifted?”
“No.”
“Are you a sorcerer?” He hesitated briefly before nodding. “So you are Gifted.”
“No.”
“Please. I need someone to be honest with me.”
?
Ash moved to sit on the edge of the couch beside where I lay. “There is an old legend of the sorcerers. Of how we came to be. There were once four Queens long ago. Each Queen wielded an element. One could control Fire, another Water. One could control Air, the last, Earth. As time went on the Queens grew lonely. They mated, had children. When their children hit puberty it happened. They began to display powers. One specific power per child. An energy from within each one, allowing them to move things without touching them, read minds, heal or destroy things, bring things back to life, commune with the dead, and so much more. But in each Queendom, one child was superior. One child could do all those things and wield the element of their Queen. Two of the Queens praised this and two worked to destroy it. Air and Fire saw the children as their damnation and moved to massacre them, creating a long-standing war with Water and Earth. Any survivors of Air and Fire kept themselves hidden and eventually died out. Anyway that’s the main part of the story. Suffice it to say, two factions of sorcery survived the generations that the Others are aware of.”
All questions evaporated from my lips as I gazed into his face. He was a sorcerer. But he wasn’t one of the main sects and apparently I was. So why not admit it? Were they still in hiding from some mythical story, of Queens surely long dead? His eyes trapped me with their beauty, his face relaxed, comfortable. My stomach flipped as his hand reached out brushing a stray hair out of my eyes. Without another word, he turned and left, leaving me to stare after him in wonder.
Shaking it off, I decided to keep Ash’s power to myself. I filed away all of the information Ash had given me. He was clearly my greatest resource. He was not a threat to me and he would be a great ally. So, when Theo and Anabel returned, I pretended everything was normal. Theo helped me back to the table.
Anabel smiled at me and set down my phone on the table. “Well, at least it’s over with, and they’re not suspicious of us. Here. Hurry, before Heath comes back.” I wanted to hit her, to yell at her that it was my apartment, my phone, my life they were screwing with, but I tamped it down. First, I needed to heal. Then I could kick some ass.
Yanking the phone off the table, I dropped all thoughts of Ash and dialed Patrick’s number. He answered on the first ring.
“I’ve been worried,” he said
“I need to see you.”
“I’m already on my way.” With that, he was gone. Smiling, I touched my lips, remembering his gentle lips parting mine….
“Do you need a minute alone?” Theo laughed, nudging my shoulder gently. Snapping back into myself, I realized awkwardly that he and Anabel were staring at me bemusedly.
“Don’t do that. I’m not ready to pal around with you right now,” I snapped, my emotions chaotic.
“Well, at least you have some color back,” Anabel began, stopping short at a knock on the door.
“That was fast. Too fast,” I whispered. Anabel and Theo exchanged looks. Anabel nodded quickly and went to the door as Theo grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him. The knocking began again, causing me to peer out from behind Theo. Anabel again nodded at Theo, flinging open the door. Josephine. Dressed in dark jeans, a fitted black jacket, and tall boots, she was fiercely beautiful. The reminder made me hate her even more.
“You,” I hissed, as she peered around the room from where she stood.
“All clear,” she called. Aidan appeared from behind her, looking as casual as possible in faded jeans and a polo.
“Obviously it’s all clear, considering we’ve been here and you two have been leering from outside for days now,” Theo said, stepping away from me and guiding me back to my seat.
“Well, are you going to invite us in, or are we going to just stand here?” Aidan said quietly. He met my gaze and smiled calmly. “Sorry to barge in. Patrick is on his way. We need to talk, peacefully perhaps. Assuming that’s why you allowed her to call,” he added quickly, glancing between Anabel and Theo.
“Nobody allows me to do anything,” I interjected haughtily, motioning them inside.
“She’s not safe here,” Josephine said to no one in particular, turning her back to us to stare out the window. “He’s near,” she said, her voice far away.
“We know she’s not safe here. We’re trying to figure out what to do,” Theo responded.
“She needs to come with us. You can’t protect her. You don’t even know what you’re up against—,” Aidan began.
“Oh, and you do? Please! You’re the ones that got her into this mess,” Theo challenged. With that, Theo and Aidan began shouting streams of garbage at one another, while Josephine never turned her face from the window and Anabel walked off into my bedroom. Exasperated and still mentally jumbled, I sat silently, staring at the floor.
The front door burst open. Like a streak, he was kneeling at my side. “Lorelei,” Patrick whispered, brushing my hair from my cheek.
“Thea,” I whispered. “Thea has a present for you.”
“What? What did you say?” He stood quickly.
“I-I … I don’t know,” I stammered, shaking my head. Silence fell as everyone stopped, turning to stare at me. Standing, he backed away from me slowly, locking eyes with Josephine, who for the first time looked scared. I rose from the table, not knowing why. Turning my back to everyone, reaching into the nearest drawer, I grabbed a small paring knife. Slipping the blade in my palm, I turned back to Patrick, who was still looking at Josephine.
My mind was racing. What the hell was I doing? What was happening? But I couldn’t stop myself. I crossed to his side in two strides. He turned to meet my gaze. Grabbing his face with my free hand, I kissed him tenderly, trying to ease his worry as I stroked his cheek lovingly, inwardly screaming. Knowing what I was about to do, powerless to control my body, I watched as my hand jerked up, driving the knife into his heart.
The viscous, cool blood spattered my face and wept freely down my hand, breaking the spell surrounding me. The scent of blood like hot metal, only sweeter, fruitier, hit my nostrils, making me gag. But it was the look of utter betrayal that etched in my mind as I felt myself being thrown up, into a wall. Darkness closed in as screams of panic erupted, followed by Thea’s soft laugh echoing in my head.