Obsidian Sky (14 page)

“We need to get the Elder’s daughter to the infirmary immediately,” she ordered. “Send someone with transport or teleport capabilities to get her over there. I don’t want to move her.”

“What happened?” Aidan cried, his trembling hands hovering over his wife. “What happened, Bailey?!”

“I told her to stay back, but she jolted me and ran out. She was going to help you no matter what.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know. I…I overheard Duncan saying he was targeting organs. Which organ he ruptured exactly, we won’t know until we get a look at her.”

“Elias!” Aidan shouted back. “Get over here! We need you!”

“I won’t be much help,” Elias said with downcast eyes. “I put wounds together like a puzzle. I can’t recreate the pieces.”

“I don’t care, just heal her. Please.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Elias sighed as he hovered his hands over her. “But I don’t even know what I’m focusing on.” As he worked, Aidan glanced up at his mentor, who was staring hard at him.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked.

“If she will be, then yes. If she dies…no promises,” he said, wiping a tear from his cheek. “We did everything we could, right? There wasn’t anything else we could have done?”

“We killed Combustion,” Bailey said. “A feat that no one on the outside could accomplish. We should be grateful.”

“Or no one with the power to do it thought Duncan was worth their time,” Aidan said, waiting for Leah’s face to move. “What class was he, anyways?”

“Are you sure you want to know?” she asked. He nodded. “He was a low level C class. Just above D, and N.”

“Then he was nothing compared to what else is out there,” Aidan said, caressing Leah’s cheek. “He was practically nothing…and we were nearly annihilated.”

*
              *              *

The infirmary was a madhouse, but thankfully it had been designed for a wounded army. Nurses, healers and doctors ran back and forth, doing what they did best. The nurses took care of the superficial wounds. The healers patched up the bulk of the damage, and the doctors, all specializing in extensive surgery, tended to those on the brink of death. A labyrinth of long hardwood floors and gigantic bay windows, only the staff knew the layout exactly in case there was a threat, external or internal. But today, all it did was cause more confusion. As families gathered in droves to the south to see their loved ones, no one could provide directions, and many were forced to navigate the maze on their own, calling out to their fallen by name. This only caused further frustration as staff and visitors both shouted over one another. It was complete chaos, but then again, no one had expected such an ordeal to actually occur. The infirmary had been a conversation piece, a warm sense of security and safety for anyone who looked upon it. The building was so majestic and wonderful to behold that no one thought about what it was like on the inside. Today, everyone found out the hard way.

Thankfully, because Leah was an Elder’s daughter, it was much easier to find her.

“Where is Leah Ainsley?” Bailey demanded a passing nurse, grabbing her arm.

“It’s Serafino,” Aidan retorted but Bailey shot him a ‘not now’ look. The nurse stammered for an answer but finally gathered her wits.

“She’s on floor three in critical watch.”

“Why isn’t she in surgery? I heard that one of her organs ruptured.”

“No, no, she’s fine. She’ll definitely live, but she’s quite shaken up. Very understandable you know…since she lost the baby.”

Chapter 9 – Turned

The walk up the stairs was as hazy and disorienting as a dream. His legs wouldn’t work right and his palms were sweating profusely, to the point that he slipped twice when he leaned on the bannister. Eventually, Bailey and Isaac each took an arm and half-carried him up, unsure if allowing him to see her was the smart move. Aidan didn’t say a word. He didn’t think anything. He just wallowed in the pool of sorrow that he had visited so often beyond Lowsunn’s walls. Everyone put up a good façade when they were in the company of others, especially on the outside. A bout of bravery. A shout of courage. A smile of confidence. These were all childish tactics that somehow worked even against strangers whom had experienced far worse than he. But there was no denying the spirit that came over him when he had been alone, hiding in the night high up in a tree, or barely peeking his nose and mouth out of a coffin of thick mud. Under the still blanket of night, when he had to keep quiet or suffer the fate he had seen befall so many – that was when his thoughts overtook him.

They were relentless and unforgiving, telling him that tomorrow, he would be killed. That it was better to just take his life that night. No matter how afraid he was, the agony would be far less than if he was taken captive. Just sink down into the muck and don’t come back up for air. So simple right?

And yet, no matter how much his thoughts berated him, slapped him, shoved him down – he always resisted. He renewed his vigor each morning and fought and won another battle. When his family was murdered, when old friends perished and were forever etched in the legendary walls of his memories, he alone survived and moved forward.

But this…this was far different. He had been careless. He had played a hand in the death of his own child, and in the wounds of the unborn’s mother. He had denied his instinct. He had allowed Lowsunn to get under his skin and put out the fires of his hate and rage. He had allowed a new one to be kindled, one that was not as bright, not as strong, not as hot. It was one of warmth and peace, symbolizing the forbidden love he had for the people of his new village.

Though he had fought against their ideals and their sickening, foolish optimism, he couldn’t deny – there was something precious and magical and innocent about them, and he envied this to his very bitter core. No matter the odds against them and the hands of death scratching at their shields, they were somehow able to forget. And he so longed to forget.

But it was not his destiny to cast the yoke from his shoulders. He had not made a mistake in deciding to fight Duncan. He had been right in that regard. The people of Lowsunn were too afraid and inexperienced. Where he had faltered, where he had failed Leah was that he had not given in to what he knew. What had kept him alive for so long.

He had not turned.

Perhaps it was because he didn’t want Leah to see what he was like when he was at his worst. Maybe he believed on some level that he was innocent and pure like the villagers around him. But he had been delusional. He had held back his power, what he felt he needed to do – and for that, his budding family had lost one of its petals.

Never again, he swore. Never again will I deny what I am.

When he came to his disturbing conclusion, he shook the help of Bailey and Isaac off of him, and strutted of his own accord. They didn’t question it, but followed with a cautious, watchful eye. As they hit the third floor, Aidan slammed the staircase door open with authority and marched down the hall, past the throngs of concerned men, women and children, to find the girl that still had his heart under lock and key.

He didn’t ask for her room number. He didn’t want to talk to anyone else but her. At the end of the hall, past a line of the moaning injured, and the silently damaged, he found her, sitting up in a plush bed in her hospital room, her eyes staring off into space as she kept her hands folded gently across her flat abdomen. Her icy blue hair had fallen into her eyes and lips, but she made no move to cast them aside. No one was there attending to her, and Aidan could only imagine the things she had said to get her visitors to leave.

He just watched her for a moment, her lips moving slightly, saying a silent prayer, to whom or why, he didn’t want to know. He could only marvel in how strong she appeared. With the news of their loss, he had been broken. But she, she was already rebuilding foundations. Where did this strength come from? Surely not Lowsunn.

He knocked gently on the side of the wall and her head shot up at him. Once she saw his face, she forced a smile, but her eyes were tired and worn. She unfolded her hands and reached out to him. He didn’t dare turn down her request.

It took everything within him not to tackle her. No matter how quick he reached her side, it wasn’t fast enough. The distance felt like days, but once they embraced, the world fell apart around them, and he felt at ease again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered in his ear, and he closed his eyes to combat the sorrow that was trying to bubble back up within him.

“I told you to stay back,” he heard himself say, and immediately he regretted the words. He stabbed himself a thousand times in his mind for that. No matter how he tried to recover. No matter how hard he tried to erase what he had just uttered, it was too late. They had already planted a seed within her, with roots so deep that only she could remove them.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean that at all.”

“You don’t have to lie,” she said, which nearly made him collapse in self-loathing. She had already been thinking the same thing, but now that she knew he also believed it, it was over now. No matter what he wanted, this day would become a part of her.

“You saved my life,” he said, embracing her tighter.

“But not the baby’s,” she whispered, her face burrowed in his shoulder. “If I had stayed back, you both might be alive.”

“We don’t know that. You did your best. I would have done no different.”

“But you wouldn’t have been pregnant.”

“Leah…”

“It’s like you said, I’m not ready for that world. I don’t know anything.” Her hands went limp and folded back into her lap as he continued to hug her. “I’ll just hold you back, Aidan. I thought…I thought that we were equals, you and I. Not because I was a woman and you were a man, but because we both had the same goals, and we were willing to do what it took to achieve them. We trained hard to improve ourselves. To be prepared for situations like this. But I’m not ready…you go on without me.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“Then I’m going on without you,” she said, beginning to sob. “I won’t be responsible for your death. I won’t be responsible for anyone else’s. Just leave me alone. Our baby’s death was enough.”

“Leah, I –”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Aidan released her. He stood to his feet and backed away, unsure of what to do. He…he couldn’t leave her. He could never leave her. She was his wife, his best friend, his soul mate. She was his sanity and strength. The rage…the rage was just a childish strength. It was a shallow pool that he could only draw from in spurts, but Leah, she was like a pillar of rock, a beacon of hope, a mountain of solidarity. Maybe they needed to work together more, perfect their technique, train harder…but they weren’t a mismatch. Their union wasn’t a fluke and to think that it could now be broken…it was unbearable. They had told each other long ago that the only way their marriage could be annulled was if one or the other decided it was done. He knew that he could never…but she wanted it now. Who was he to deny her?

But how would he live on? Who could walk alone once they had known true love?

“NO!” Aidan screamed, not to Leah’s request, but to the agony welling up within him. But no one in the vicinity could tell the difference.

“Hey, that’s enough,” Isaac said, grabbing his wrist. “We should leave.”

“Stop touching me,” Aidan spat in disgust, ripping his arm away. “How many times do I have to tell you to keep your hands off me?”

“My mistake,” Isaac said, throwing up his hands in surrender. “But you’re not in a great state of mind here. We should really go.”

“I agree,” Bailey said. “Be strong
,
Tallawah
.
”

“What’s all the commotion?” a doctor asked, walking in the door. He looked at each of them and then turned his attention to Leah. “You should really be resting.” Leah leaned back onto her pillows as he addressed her visitors. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave. There’s too much going on in the infirmary right now, and we need to be able to work without distraction.”

“I’m her husband,” Aidan said, but the middle-aged doctor was unimpressed.

“No disrespect, but that doesn’t sound right, considering the young lady’s status and who her father is.”

“I’m telling you the truth,” he retorted. “It’s just been a secret. Don’t ask me to go.”

“I’m sorry but even related family members are being asked to leave their loved ones. This kind of attack is unprecedented in Lowsunn. We’re doing all we can. But for the good of everyone, you must go.”

“I won’t.”

“Sir, there’s no reason to worry. Leah is in great hands, and the worst of it is over.”

“The worst of it?” Aidan seethed, clenching his fists. “You mean when she lost the baby?”

“How did you – listen, sir. I didn’t mean to sound apathetic. What I mean is that…I can’t explain it without coming across wrong so I’ll leave it at that. Just know that everything is going to be okay.”

“Okay?” Aidan spat in his face. The doctor nearly fell over onto the nightstand. “OKAY?! How is it going to be okay? Huh? My wife, doesn’t even want me around anymore, and my child is DEAD! And everything’s just going to go back to normal?”

“Aidan, stop this,” Bailey pleaded, but Aidan refused to listen.

“Are you going to do something about this?” Aidan screamed, grabbing the doctor by the collar. It began to sizzle under the heat of his hands. “Are you going to use one of your Yen to bring my child back to life?” He reached over to the doctor’s right arm and ripped off his sleeve. “You have one seal left! USE IT!” Bailey reached for Aidan but he pushed her away and turned back to the doctor. “USE IT! WISH FOR MY CHILD TO COME BACK TO LIFE! NOW!”

The doctor shook his head violently as Aidan stuck his face further into his.

“USE IT!”

“You do it,” Isaac said to Aidan from behind. Aidan threw the doctor into the corner. He fell into a crumple, trying to catch his breath.

“What did you say?” Aidan said, turning around slowly.

“I said you use it, you bully. You have two left. You do it.”

“You’re really going to talk to me like that?” Aidan snapped.

“Like what? Like you lost your mind? Yeah, I am,” Isaac said, standing tall. “I know you’re hurting, but that doesn’t mean you get to shove people around.”

“What are you going to do about it, Isaac? Huh? What have you ever done about it?”

“Don’t go there,” he warned. “Don’t start saying stuff you don’t mean. You’ve done enough of that already.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that if the lady asked you to leave, then you should go. It’s her child too, you know.”

“You’re really going to stand there and act like you know what we’re feeling? You’re going to accuse me of being insensitive? Of not knowing that it’s her loss too? Are you serious?”

“You’re the one yelling.”

Aidan took a swing at him, but Isaac leaned his head back, narrowly dodged the blow, and responded with a swing of his own, catching Aidan square on the right side of his jaw. Isaac hit him so hard that Aidan went flying through the cheap wood of the closet doors. As Aidan scrambled to his feet, Bailey ran into the hallway.

“I need a teleporter right now!” she screamed, and a young girl in braids ran from two rooms down.

“Yes?” she asked, and Bailey pointed to the two boys.

“I need you to take them and me to the Field of Visions right now before they hurt somebody.”

“No problem,” she squeaked, focusing with her palms firmly placed together.

“Thanks, Nicey.” Bailey replied. She blinked, and they were in the middle of the field. For the first time in Lowsunn’s existence, it was completely empty. Bailey turned back to the little girl. “I appreciate that. Now please leave us.”

Nicey vanished into thin air, and Bailey turned her attention back to the boys. Isaac hadn’t moved, but Aidan, his head no longer bound by the closet door, stood to his feet slowly, rubbing the side of his jaw. Bailey sighed and took a few steps back. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but it had to be done, now, before they were able to move forward in any capacity.

The night sky was tranquil and clear, showing off its abundance of dancing stars, and revealing the power of the full moon without restraint, illuminating the waving grass and the two young men who were on the brink of battle. Bailey averted her eyes back to the earth.

“Isaac, you know what to do,” she said. Isaac nodded from where he stood. Aidan caught none of the exchange. Even from a distance, she could tell that Aidan was on the brink of turning.

“Aidan, we should –” Isaac began, but he cut his words short to dodge the wave of fire that was coming his way. He rolled out of its path and turned his dagger into a sword as Aidan unleashed his magma blade. Aidan threw it at the swordsman but Isaac wasn’t going to fall for the same trick twice. He ran to the side and away from the thrown sword. When it exploded, he was clear of every shard, but Aidan wasn’t done. Not even looking at Isaac, he began casting tiny embers all around them in the field, no bigger than a flower, just sitting upon the grass, waiting for their master to demand they bloom. Isaac didn’t want to wait for them to sprout so he took the offensive. He ran at Aidan who was still busy casting the embers, and he was just about to swing his sword down into his friend’s shoulder when Aidan suddenly grabbed the blade in mid-air, and bare-handed.