Ember (30 page)

“Alright,” said Trevor. They all waved.

“See ya later, Evelyn,” chimed Nathan.

With a self-conscious goodbye, I turned
around and started towards the kitchen. I had barely let out a
breath before realizing that asking Sophie was going to be much
worse than finding out from the boys would have been.

I gulped. “Hey, Sophie,” I said, setting the
pan on the counter.

She was sitting down now, scribbling
something onto a paper as she sipped her coffee. She grinned. “How
was lunch?”

I nodded. “Good.” The clock ticked above us,
reminding me of my lack of time. I cleared my throat. “Hey, uh . .
. have you seen Jaden around?”

She didn't even look up. “No. I think he was
out late though, you could try his room.”

My throat locked up instantly, but I tried to
hold it together. “And wh-where is that?” My voice sounded about
three octaves too high.

Sophie looked up now, pursing her lips.
“Well, it'd be a bit hard to find. . . . I could have someone show
you, or write it down.”

I nodded, eyes wide. “Writing it out is
fine.”

With a quick smile, she turned her gaze down,
flipped to a clear sheet of paper, and proceeded to scribble out
directions.

I felt incredibly awkward in those few
seconds standing there. It was so affecting, my mind couldn't' even
contemplate why.

“Here you go,” she said, ripping the paper
out vigorously.

I took it.

“I drew a little map out for you . . . that's
where we are now.” She pointed to a box on the diagram.

I nodded. “Right, okay.”

The map was thoroughly detailed. Not at all
what I would expect from Sophie. Below it were much messier,
written directions.

“I wrote it out underneath too, and Ikovos’s
room is right here, near Jaden's. Just so you know for the
future.”

I might not have been able to keep my
mortification from showing if I weren't so taken with the map. It
was really quite impressive. I looked up. “Thanks, Sophie.”

“Anytime,” she said, slipping back into her
chair. “Oh, and you look nice today, by the way.”

Though the comment made me feel insecurely
exposed, a smile crossed my face. She was already back to reading
when I muttered a thanks and goodbye.

*

I was barely through the doorway when the
prospect of asking Jaden to take me along hit me freshly. I looked
down at the map and began following the path, starting with a left
turn.

It shouldn't, he did already say he would
take me. Besides, I don't have to stay near him. Once I'm going
I'll just walk by someone else or something.

I took another left turn, then a right, up
some stairs, then another right. By the time I was nearing the
room, my mind was just about as tangled around as the trip had
been. Letting out one last quivering breath. I told myself to stop
being a baby, straightened up, and walked the final corridor to
stand in front of a dark, and unnaturally foreboding, wooden
door.

I lifted my hand to knock, but it froze
before touching the surface. I couldn't let myself go in like this,
I was already shaking all over.

What do I have to be so nervous about
anyways? . . . Okay, dumb question.
Because
, truth be
told, in my entire life I had rarely felt as anxious as I did
whenever I was with the boy in the next room.
Which is actually
understandable . . . he's not very nice. And I'm so blasted
sensitive. We just don't fit.

I let my palm slide against the wood.

This isn't that complicated, I just have to
accept the fact that we're not going to be friends . . . it will
make dealing with him in logistical situations much simpler.

My stomach twisted, but at least the shaking
was lessened. With intense resolve to interact with Jaden in a
calm, collected, manner, I rolled my shoulders back, tucked some
loose hairs behind my ear, lifted my chin up high, took a very deep
breath, and knocked solidly.

Of course I realized a second afterwards that
I still had the map in my hand. I muttered a curse and folded it up
to put into my back pocket. The door opened amidst this. When I
looked up, all carefully-perfected form lost now, Jaden was staring
down at me.

For maybe a
fraction
of a second he
looked surprised. It quickly vanished into annoyance.

“What are you doing here?”

The question hung in the air. I knew in my
mind that I was expected to answer, and until I did the seconds
would just keep ticking by, but nothing was coming. I thought at
best I could get out a few mumbles . . . this situation was
single-handedly going to give me a permanent stutter.

“I, ah . . .”

He tilted his head impatiently, dark eyes
barreling.

I was surprised at the intensity of his
annoyance. Usually it took a while for him to get there.
Then
again, I suppose we did end on a bad note last time. . . .
The
thought reminded me of my newfound resolution to remain emotionally
detached.

“I came to ask you a question.”

He looked unimpressed. I assumed no response
meant I was allowed to speak. Before I could I heard a noise down
the hall and saw two boys pass the corridor a ways down. This
wasn't a conversation I wanted the whole world hearing.

I looked back at him carefully. “Can I come
in?”

At first, from his expression, I thought he
might say no and slam the door in my face. But then something in
the hard gaze softened, or was at least suppressed. He took a step
back, hand still high in the frame, and pulled the door open.

I ducked my head slightly and walked past him
into the room. It was small, dim. I didn't have time to examine
further. The door clicked behind me and I turned around.

“What is it you needed?” He was already
leaning, in true form, against a dresser. Arms crossed. I studied
him. It seemed he was trying to be civil, but the bothered tone was
thinly veiled.

I took a breath. “I want to go with you.”

“Go with me where?”

I tapped my hand nervously. “Well . . . where
is it that you're going today?”

He stared at me blankly, like I was crazy, it
wasn't the first time I'd gotten the look. Then I guess realization
hit, because suddenly his face was back to annoyance. “Out of the
question.” He walked over to the other side of the room and started
shuffling through a box.

“Why not?” I asked.

He continued unfazed. “I don't need a reason,
it's not happening.”

My face soured.
I just can't catch a break
with this guy. No matter how I act I always end up feeling like a
worthless bother.
He went on digging through a box, apparently
ignoring me completely now. Unfortunately my new resolution didn't
stop him from looking just as good . . . somehow it seemed it
should.

I looked down. “Back at the cabin you said
you would take me . . . next time just be honest up front, it'll
save us both time.”

Without looking up, I walked to the door and
twisted the knob. Before it was even half-way open a hand pressed
beside me, slamming it shut.

I twisted around.

“Are you trying to say I'm dishonest?” The
intensified boy was looking at me indignantly, arm still stretched
out on the door beside me. He was quite close, I felt a little
trapped flattened up against the hard wood.

“I'm not trying to say anything, I'm just
stating a fact.”

Somehow the dark gaze got even harder. I just
stood there, trying to figure out if I should move, feeling
monumentally awkward.

Finally his head nodded backwards. “Go sit
down.”

I opened my mouth to speak but he
interrupted.

“
Sit.
”

With a gulp and a glance at the veined
forearm holding the door shut beside me, I lowered my eyes and
walked over to the bed. Considering I had no idea what was
happening at this point, I waited for further instructions, but
Jaden just walked back over to his dresser.

Oh, this is just ridiculous! What could he
possibly be doing now?

I sighed dejectedly and finally allowed
myself to study the orange flame on his nightstand. It wasn't long
before a slamming drawer brought my attention fully back onto
Jaden. He was slipping a weapon into his belt.

“Let's get one thing straight,” he started,
attention still focused elsewhere. “Thoran and a few of the others
might be going, but once we're out of the lodge they'll be busy.”
He looked up now. “In other words, I'm all you've got, so you
better listen to everything I tell you to do.”

My eyes narrowed in confusion before
widening. “Wait, you're saying you're going to take me?”

He didn't respond, not at all, which was in
itself answer enough. Anticipation knotted in my stomach, — but it
was dwarfed immediately by curiosity at Jaden's sudden change.

“I don't understand, why did you?—”

He turned around to open another drawer
before I could finish. I narrowed my eyes, but only because his
back was turned. Truth be told, I was beginning to feel slightly
insecure, not the ideal sate for going to an evil dimension,
or
arguing with Jaden.

I kept quiet.

“First rule, don't ask questions.”

I took a deep breath as he shuffled through
the drawer. “Okay, I can do that.”
I'll just ask Ikovos when I
get back. I'm good at not asking questions . . . right?

“Two, don't look any of the Meoden in the
eye, just keep your head down.”

I nodded seriously as he closed the last
drawer and stood up straight.

“Do I get a weapon?” I asked carefully.

He turned around and walked to the other side
of the room to grab his jacket. “No. And that was a question.”

“Oh, right. . . .” I sighed. I was thankful
he had decided to take me, but it didn't seem to change the fact
that he didn't like me much. I stood up, preparing to follow him,
tucking some hairs behind my ear and straightening a wrinkle in my
shirt nervously.

“Rule three, don't go off . . .” His voice
trailed as I caught him giving me an once-over. He turned around to
grab another jacket. “Put this on,” he said, tossing me the dark
leather overcoat. It weighed a ton.

“Will it be that cold?” I asked as I slipped
my arms into the sleeves. I thought I saw his head shaking slightly
as he turned to open the door.

“Sure,” he drawled, then he looked at me as
an obvious signal to go ahead.

A bit flustered by the rapid departure, I
entered the hallway, shrugging the jacket on completely. It was
much too big and much too heavy, but I didn't mind . . .

I barely made it two feet before Jaden was
out ahead of me, moving at a rapid but rather controlled pace down
the hall.

“Rule three, don't go off by yourself
anywhere.”

I would have liked to scoff at this one, I
wasn't
that
stupid, but all brevity was lost when he turned
his head back to see that I had heard him.

“Got it,” I replied submissively.

Without an acknowledgment, he turned his head
forward and continued walking. We went on like this for a while,
the halls getting less and less crowded.

“Ah, Jaden? . . . “

He pushed through a door ahead, stopping
inside to hold it open with an outstretched arm. I walked past him
carefully into the small, dark, space, then checked to see if he'd
heard me. He was giving me an expectantly impatient look, so he
must have. The door closed slowly behind us.

“Ikovos said that Thoran might have a problem
with me going. Are you sure you don't need to ask first?”

He raised one eyebrow like I'd just asked the
most absurd question in the world. “There won't be a problem.” With
that he reached for the torch on the wall and headed down the unlit
stairwell ahead.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself, then tightened
the jacket and followed him down the stairs. It was strange, I
thought I felt a breeze coming upwards, and it didn't seem at all
like we were still in the lodge. I would have asked Jaden about
this, but of course that would be breaking the rules.

I watched him ahead of me. Eyes forward, pace
brisk, belt loaded with foreboding weapons, and not a word, not a
single
checking glance . . . My brow furrowed as we reached
the base of the stairs. The room was larger, but once again
unlit.

“Are there any more rules?” I asked as he
moved to the right to set the torch into a holder on the wall.

He spun around, leaning back against the
door. “Yeah. No talking.”

I took a deep breath. The last thing that we
needed right now was another fight. “If I can't talk, what was the
reason for rule one?”

I caught a flicker of consideration past his
disconnected visage. Then his eyes hardened, grazed mine boldly,
and turned around to the door behind him.

He opened this up into a much brighter, much
wider room. It was unexpected to say the least. Lots of lights,
white mostly, and heavy machines that filled the room with a rumble
of metal-ticked sounds. There were a few men working on different
pieces throughout the room. Some alone. Some in pairs.

My study was interrupted by Jaden. He pointed
past me to an empty wall on the right. “Wait over there.”

I gulped then nodded, the unfamiliar
surroundings making me much more compliant. As I walked over to the
wall, I studied the large mechanism in the middle of the room more
closely. Five iron, wire-entangled, pillars came up in a circle
around what looked like a metal grate in the floor. There was some
sort of symbol engraved on this, but I moved past too quickly to
make it out.

By the time I reached the wall and turned
around, Jaden was walking up to three men on the far side of the
room. When the first turned around I realized it was Thoran. I
watched as Jaden addressed him, but when the deep, grey, eyes moved
past to me, I quickly looked away. I didn't have to guess at what
they were discussing. I only hoped that Jaden's confidence wasn't
unfounded. An inward and unwarranted smirk crossed my mind, thus
far it hadn't been.