Authors: J. F. Jenkins
Appointed (19 page)
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Zes went back to waiting outside of his dorm room. He still didn't want to go to class, and he didn't want to wait in Teague's room. Loneliness filled him. All he wanted to do was be close to his brother. From under his shirt, he pulled out the obsidian pendant hanging around his neck. Once again he stared into its surface, contemplating using its powers. The last time he'd tried hadn't gone over too well, but all Anj was doing was sleeping. There would be nothing else for Zes to see, and at least he'd be able to check up on his brother himself for a change.
“All right,” he whispered. “Show me Anj.”
Nervously, he gazed into the mirror and saw his brother lying by Jewl. She was awake, but barely. Both of them looked peaceful and relaxed, and that helped Zes do the same. Well, relax at least, but peace wasn't so easy to come by. He watched his brother, wishing he could be there in person. That's when he noticed the image shift. Zes could still see his twin fast asleep, but he also noticed something else. Blue glowing eyes and chains surrounded by darkness overlapped the picture.
“Is thatâ¦?” Zes narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the second image, and gasped.
It's Anj.
But how could his brother be in two places at once?
Anj was speaking, but Zes couldn't hear the words. Then Anj winced as if he were in a lot of pain. Someone was holding him captive. More talking, and Zes caught a glimpse of another person in the room with his brother. It took a moment to focus on the picture, but when he did, he dropped the pendant. Denver was there? He was saying something to Anj, and then the darker image faded away and all that was left was Anj lying in bed. But now his eyes were opened.
Zes peered into the pendant and then leaped to his feet. “He's awake!”
Ward against the Dark or not, nothing was going to stop Zes from seeing his brother. He unlocked the door, clenched his teeth together, and walked through.
I have to see him. It's only ten feet to the bedroom and another three to the bed. I can do this.
His arm was on fire, but he wasn't going to let it stop him.
He made his way through the den, opened the door to the bedroom, and couldn't help but shed happy tears when he noticed how both Jewl and Anj perked up in the bed.
“You're awake!” Jewl squealed with glee and hugged Anj around the neck.
“Can't breathe,” he wheezed. “Gentle. Kind of sore.”
Zes knelt down by the bed, unable to support his weight with all of the pain. But he needed to be closer. He grabbed Anj's hand, squeezing it. Taking in deep, slow breaths to control the pain, he closed his eyes. “I⦔
Jewl touched Zes's shoulder gently. “You shouldn't be here.”
“What? Why?” Anj asked in a hoarse voice.
“There are wards andâ” Jewl started.
“And I'm fine,” Zes insisted. “I'm great.” And he was. Despite all the pain, he was whole again, and that made everything worth it.
Anj closed his eyes. “Let me go to the bathroom. Then I think I can walk. We can go for one of those, and you can catch me up? Just the two of us?”
For a moment, Zes thought he was referring to Jewl. As much as it hurt him to hear, he held his tongue because they didn't need to fight anymore.
“Zes, if you're nodding, I can't tell. Remember?” Anj teased, his voice a little rough sounding.
Zes looked at his brother. “Huh?”
“I asked you if that was okay? To go for a walk?”
“If you're feeling up to it, yeah.”
Anj paused. “I can wiggle my toes so that's a good sign, right? We'll go slow.”
“The doctors won't like it.” Jewl shook her head.
“They'll get over it,” Anj said, and sat up slowly. With much care, he got off the bed. “Jewl, help me to the bathroom? Zes, get me something to wear and then meet me outside the room. If there are wards giving you problems, I don't want you passing out on me.”
“S-sure,” Zes said. And while Jewl escorted his brother to the bathroom, Zes went to find something comfortable and easy for Anj to change into. Then he left the room. The pain stopped instantly.
****
“So you don't know what happened at all?” Zes asked his brother while they walked through the hallways of the school.
Classes were in session, and they made sure to stay in the less crowded areas. Ideally, they'd be outside where no one else was, but it was so cold out. They stayed close to where most of the college-level classes were instead. If any of their peers happened to try and get close, Zes politely deterred them away. Anj did not need anyone overwhelming him. Plus, Zes was a little selfish. He wanted to hog his brother for the time being.
Anj shook his head. “I'm sure something did, but you know how dreams are. If you catch the sleep patterns just right, you don't remember anything. Good news is, I have a lot of energy. I mean, I feel great outside of being a little sore. Body feels a little off too, but the walking helps.”
“Are you sure you don't want to go see the medical staff?” Zes glanced at him.
“They'll sit me down and tell me to take it easy. I can do that later. If they want to stop me, they're going to have to force me.”
“I wouldn't put it past them. They're pretty tough.” Zes was teasing for the most part.
Anj played with his hands in front of him. “Does Momâ”
“No, I was going to call her today, but you miraculously woke up. I decided we could keep this to ourselves for the time being.”
“Thanks, because I have a feeling she'll pull me out of classes andâ”
“Make things miserable all around with her babying? I know, which is why I begged them to just let you rest for a few days and hoped you'd get better instead of worse,” Zes said. “If Mr. Thantos hadn't been there to back me up, it probably wouldn't have happened.”
Anj laughed. “See, he's not all bad.”
“No.”
But he is creepy.
“So tell me what I missed. I want to know all of the gossip. Don't leave anything out.”
With a chuckle, Zes led his brother down the stairs. “Chey and I made up, sort of. I mean, we're not dating, but we're civil. I told her she could eat with us again so long as it's just her and Halyn, how it's supposed to be, but maybe I'll lift the Denver ban soon.” He felt like he owed the guy one. If Zes had seen Denver in the mirror, then Denver had done something to help Anj. It couldn't have been to harm him, because shortly after, Anj had woken up.
“Big step, what happened? I mean, what made you change your mind?” Anj asked.
Zes shrugged. “I owe him one. Still hate his guts, and I'm pretty sure he and Chey are a thing officially. You know, people talk. She's been trying to keep things low-key for my sake, but honestly? He can have her.”
“You still love her?”
“Like that clichéd saying, I always will, but something isn't quite right. Like I'm not so sure she's
it
anymore. Maybe deep down, I kind of always knew that but didn't want to believe it.”
Anj reached up and rubbed Zes's shoulder. “A tough call to make. Anything else happen?”
“Lived with Teague for a day more than I ever want to. Kid talks, a lot. I mean, I thought you never shut up.” He nudged his brother, making sure it was clear he was only teasing. “Told me all about his confusing love web with Halyn and how fascinating clouds are. He also loves the dog and is more than happy to puppysit for us. Which is where Guy is now, by the way. Other than that, everyone has been talking about you.”
“Anything juicy?”
“No. Everyone thinks you got some kind of weird virus. Someone suggested you caught it from a mosquito, but that died off fast once everyone realized it's the middle of winter and mosquitoes are kind of dead at the moment.”
“Bummer.” Anj pouted. “At least I didn't miss anything good.”
“It'd be the end of the world if you ever do, right?”
“Precisely.”
They were both smiling, which was such a nice change from the last time they spoke. “Look, I said some bad things to you earlier, and I shouldn't have said them.”
Anj shook his head. “We don't need to talk about it. I know you were angry and lashing out, just like you know when I do it. It stung, but I got over it. Besides, some of it I did admittedly deserve.”
“Some, but not all of it.”
“Stuff happens. We have emotions. I'm sorry you've been feeling so angry and lost to the point where you had to do it. I know you don't want to talk about things much, but I feel like I could be doing a better job at listening when you do,” Anj said.
Zes shrugged. “Not much to say anyway. Just a lot of small details that add up to the whole of the experiences I've had. Something tells me you don't want to know that much about me. It's kind of TMI. It'd either be gory or inappropriate.”
“If it'll make you feel better about life, I will listen to anything you have to say. This is our last semester together. We should be happy.”
“This might come as a shock to you, but I feel great about life.” And Zes meant it.
Mr. Thantos and one of the doctors were ahead of them in the hall. “Looks like we're busted.”
Anj brought a hand to his forehead dramatically. “It was good while it lasted. Just make sure you come find me again.”
“You got it.” Zes gave his brother a pat on the back and walked him over to the teachers. “He's all yours.”
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“It's time, Ilo,” Neil said.
“You're making a mistake, tapping him so young,” Anj's father said.
Neil shook his head. “He needs to grow into his powers. The Fates inside of him must be awakened.”
They were in the throne room of the Elders. Only Neil and Ilo were present, however. The room seemed dark and dangerous. Anj was not picking up good vibes from it. Something about the place was wrong.
Anj watched the exchange. He was having another daydream. After the doctors had caught up with him, they'd put him into the hospital wing so he could recover fully, while Mr. Thantos worked on removing and fixing the wards on the bedroom so Zes could enter. Anj didn't have to stay completely in bed, so that was a plus, but there were still tests the doctors had to wait for results on. Although Anj didn't want to admit it, he did feel a little tired. The walk had been a good stretch for his muscles, but he wasn't back to normal yet.
The daydream had begun shortly after he got back into bed. As soon as the doctors left him alone to rest, it had started.
****
Ilo growled. “Why? What do you need him for? I know you have some kind of agenda.”
Neil breathed. “What I am doing with the rest of the Divine is not your concern. As the head Elder, it is my job to make decisions based on what's best for our kind. And that is all I am doing now.”
“You know I don't agree with this, and as his father, I'm going to do everything I can to stop this from happening.”
“I do, and I was anticipating this reaction. Hoping for it even,” Neil said, and with a snap of his fingers, the doors to the throne room opened. Demons entered, the black-shadow kind with disfigured features. Anj shuddered.
Neil pointed to Ilo. “Give me his spirit.”
Anj's father didn't flinch with fear, let alone bat an eyelash. “I'll make sure he knows the truth. That you're a traitor making bargains with the Devil, and the truth behind your stupid rules.”
“I'm sure you will, but by the time you do, it'll be too late.”
The demons rushed his father. Ilo fought them off for a few minutes, punching, kicking, lashing out, and using what little magic he had to defend himself. But one quick slash to the abdomen was all it took for the demons to bring him down. One grabbed Anj's father by the hair, lifting him up from the ground. Another reached inside of his chest and pulled out a pale blue, glowing ball of light.
“Your desire,” the demon said, and gave it to Neil.
He held the ball of light, mesmerized. “Take care of the body and then bring me the boy. He's in the castle garden.”
****
“I remember that,” Anj whispered, and laughed sourly.
“Remember what?” Jewl asked.
He jumped, startled, because he had thought he was alone. She must have sneaked into the room while he was engrossed in his vision. “You remember when my father died, the same day I had disappeared seemingly from existence?”
“Yes.” She grabbed his hand.
“I just learned why. The Elders, they brought me to this castle and told me to enjoy its beauty. I could see, and it was the first time I'd ever experienced colors, light, shiny things, the works. It was overwhelming but wonderful. I lay on the floor and stared up at the most amazing murals painted on its ceilings, and they invited me to a garden. There were a lot of wonderful things. They came to get me and said they had a gift for me, a small ball of light that I absorbed inside of me and⦔ He swallowed. “It was my father. They gave me my father's spirit. And I had no clue. I didn't realize anything bad had happened to him until I came home and found out he was gone.”
She squeezed his hand. “I take it you just saw all of this? You were kind of glazed over.”
“Yeah,” he whispered. “I should nap, but I'm not looking forward to going to sleep. What are you doing here?”
“Seeing my hot boyfriend, what else?” Jewl snorted as she climbed into the bed with him. “Tell you what, you take your nap, and then if you have any bad dreams or premonitions, I'll be here when you wake up.”
“Watching me sleep is a little creepy,” he teased.
“I did it for two days. It's kind of nice to just be able to look at you and not have you gabbing at me all of the time.”
“Now I understand. You just like me for my amazing body and not my brain. I have never felt more used before in my life.” He laid the sarcasm on thick.
She kissed his forehead. “Sometimes when you don't talk, it means you're using your brain more. I love every ounce of you.”
Shifting his position so his head was on her shoulder, he closed his eyes and yawned. “Promise you'll stay?”
“There's nowhere else I want to be.”
