Humanity 03 - Marksman Law

Humanity – Interval 03 – Marksman
Law

By: Corrine Shroud

ISBN 978-1-927134-49-8

All rights reserved

Copyright © Apl 2011, David
Bowman

Cover Art Copyright © Apl 2011,
Brightling Spur

Bluewood Publishing Ltd

Christchurch, 8441, New
Zealand

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“
Mirage.”

The voice calling her name was
unfamiliar. She tried to open her eyes and couldn’t. They were
heavy, like iron weights.

“
Come on, honey, you can
do it.”

A hand, dainty and soft,
combed through her hair, fingertips grazing against her small
horns. Mirage tried to open her eyes again and failed. It was so
peaceful. She was being rocked gently, a loud rhythmic patter of
water against metal lulling her back to her unnatural
sleep…
water against metal?

Slowly, like the rising
light of dawn, sensations began to assault her. The rocking lurched
her forward, moving in such a way that she could feel the
vibrations through the cold metal she lay on. Cold metal…Mirage’s
throat caught. Where was she? Her hearing was the next sense to
fully return to her, bringing the low thrum of a machine, a motor
perhaps.
A car?
What had happened? She couldn’t remember anything. Mirage
groaned, trying to clear her mind. Her head was heavy, like iron,
and it was difficult for her to turn to the side. Her cheek laid
flat against the thin sheet like cloth that covered the cold metal.
What was going on?

Something inside her knew she didn’t
want to understand the circumstances that surrounded her, that the
reason why her memories were so hesitant was because she was trying
to protect herself from an unimaginable pain. A pain she wasn’t
ready to face.

“
Mirage, get up.” There
was more authority to the voice now. “Use that Child of the Dusk
strength and wake up. We need to heal your mother and it isn’t safe
for you to stay with us.”

It was then she realized that her
hands were clenching against smooth arms, her nails pressing into
smooth, soft skin. She was holding something…a flash of white in
red and black flames…she was holding her mother.

Her memories came back in
the form of raven flames and monsters in flight and she woke
screaming, seeing the face hidden behind silver metal. “I’ll
kill
him!”

The woman who’d been leaning over her
backed away, her eyes wide. She wore a silk white coat, the
Altruistics healing hands signet adorning her chest.

“
Mirage?”

She forced her breathing under control
and blinked away the after-images of her memories. “Where is
he?”

The Child of the Dawn backed away and
put her hands up. Delicate blue lines wound her wrist, trailing to
thin swirls on her fingertips. “Where is who? Mirage, honey, calm
down. You need to listen to me. Please tell me what
happened.”

“
Michael…he…” Mirage
choked and shook her head. She had no way of knowing exactly what
had happened…her memory blurred after hearing Michael’s voice from
behind the cruel Nordic mask.

The woman nodded sympathetically as
she stepped closer. “My name’s Charity and I was the one who showed
your mother around the Emissary hospital. I can sense disturbances
and…” Charity hesitated, “…and the distress you felt was enough to
be a beacon for us to follow. We found you holding your mother in
some cinders. That was all that was left of your home.”

Mirage cleared her voice. “I was
alone?”

“
Yes, who else would have
been with you?”

Mirage shook her head. “They came for
us.”

“
The Humanitarians.”
Charity made the question a statement as she bent over to help
Mirage sit up. She took the help gratefully, gaining comfort in the
warm small hands that pressed on her shoulders. “Mirage, did you
kill any humans?”

“
What was I supposed to
do?” Mirage snapped. “They were trying to kill us!”

“
You don’t have to defend
yourself to me, honey. I know how a Child of the Dusk thinks. You
had a right to protect what you love, but that won’t make a
difference to the humans.” Charity turned Mirage’s head with a
finger beneath her chin. “You
know
that.”

Mirage nodded, trying to swallow past
the mass of fear constricting her throat. “I know.”

Charity gave her a searching look
before combing a hand through her hair. “Mirage, you need to let
your mother go so I can take care of her.”

Mirage stood and placed her mother on
the stretcher she’d lain on. She had to fight the angry tears as
she saw the grime and burns that marred her mother’s porcelain
skin. The silver hair that Mirage often envied was dull, gray and
lank and her mother’s blue swirls pulsated a weak cerulean as she
attempted to heal herself. “Will she be okay?”

“
She’s badly hurt, but
she’ll survive. It’ll take a lot of healing and a long
recovery.”

Mirage nodded again, blinking away
tears. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Charity paused in checking her
mother’s pulse. “Honestly, Mirage? They’ll call the Marksman Law on
you. They’ll have every right to kill you and any Child of Power
you’re around on sight.”

“
Including my mother,”
Mirage whispered.

“
Yes, including your
mother.”

Mirage closed her eyes and leaned
against the wall of the moving van. “Where are you taking
us?’

“
I’m taking your mother to
the emissary hospital where she will be transferred to her Promised
Lands tomorrow.” Charity gave her a look. “You were never
here.”

A few tears squeezed past her closed
eyes. “Tell her not to look for me. If she gives it time, what’s
left of our family cords will fade.”

“
She won’t be able to
leave her Promised Lands for a while. She’s been through a
lot.”

“
She couldn’t return
because of me.”

“
Mirage, honey, it’s not
your fault.”

The runes on her skin began to glow a
soft red as she opened her yes. The ambulance reflected her light
back at her. “Yeah, it is.” Mirage’s voice shook slightly before
she cleared it. “It’s more my fault than you realize.” She
swallowed past the lump in her throat and focused on keeping her
voice from cracking. “Tell her I love her.”

“
Mirage, what are you
going to do?”

“
What can I do?” Her
voice, both sad and angry, turned hard. “If I’m going to die, I
know someone who’s going with me.”

Charity moved forward and grabbed her
arm, ignoring the glowing runes. “Don’t you dare go on a
Shadowstart suicide run. You mother raised you better. Here.” She
shoved a sheet of paper into her hand. “He’s human, but he’ll help.
He’s an Altruistic.”

“
You want me to just
leave—to run from this?” Mirage gave a bitter laugh. “Where can I
go? I’m a Forgotten One. I can’t go back to my Promised Lands. You
Children of the Dawn may choose to leave your Promised Lands and
play nice with the humans, but at least you can return when
HUMANITY gets hot on your ass. Where do I go? What do I
do?”

“
Please, Mirage. The
Altruistics will take care of you.”

“
They’ve done a damn good
job so far.” The glow from her arms brightened and Charity let her
go. “Where were you when we were being attacked?”

Mirage didn’t give her a chance to
answer as she embraced her powers. They sung to her, a new tugging
in the back of her mind that she couldn’t place. She ignored the
annoying pull and wrapped her shadows around her, fading through
the wall of the ambulance. She hit the road hard, knocking her
breath away as she tumbled along the empty road.

“
Shit,” she grumbled as
she raised her head to watch the ambulance drive away. They’d been
driving slowly, but now they were speeding up, their sirens
beginning to sound. Mirage sat up, looking at the scrapes across
her arms. She concentrated and the diamonds on her hands flickered
a weak blue. After a moment, the scrapes healed.

Mirage stood, taking in her
surroundings. She only vaguely recognized the area. Her mother had
driven through it to get to their home. Mirage hugged herself to
keep from trembling. Rain dripped down her forehead, soaking
through her ragged pajamas.

“
What do I do now?” Mirage
whispered. She was surrounded by beautiful homes and sweeping yards
and she had never felt so…
tired
. So betrayed. Mirage shook her
head. She would not think of that. It would go into her mental bag
of painful memories. A friend’s voice mingled with the roar of
flames. She sighed. Her bag was getting full.

“
So what do I do now?”
Mirage repeated, this time angry. There was no answer and Mirage
stood, letting the rain fall.

* * * *

He was soaked. That was
the first thing Michal realized. The second was—he was
alive
. It didn’t take
long for his memories to flood him and his eyes flew open. He was
welcomed back to consciousness with a peal of angry thunder.
Michael yelled hoarsely, doubling over and clutching his
stomach.

There was something trying
to claw
through
him.

Michael tore his mask from his face so
he could breathe easier and rain instantly pelted his face, his
lank, dripping hair falling against his eyes. Something churned
inside him. He could feel the incorporeal claws against the inside
of his abdomen, like something stretching ragged wings for
flight.

Michael was alone but he knew it
wouldn’t be long until the police came. He needed to leave. After a
moment he tried to sit up but pain lanced through his body,
doubling him over again.

He could feel the pressure in the back
of his mind, heavy with loneliness and pain. Michael shook his head
with a growl as he leaned back. He could hear the siren now, moving
further away. The sound was a different tone, a higher pitch that
signaled it was from the Emissary hospital. Was Mirage on that
ambulance? Had she been hurt, perhaps even killed? Somehow, his
heart told him no. Perhaps he was in more danger than the police
offered right now.