Microsoft Word - sk-ss-pdf.doc (26 page)

No response from the stranger, except his eyes losing focus and his eyelids blinking rapidly.

What's the deal with him?
I asked to Asha or Caelan or anyone in that group who was listening.
The oven's on, but
nothing's cooking.

There was confusion for a second at the image I'd chosen, but they got it eventually.

We have encountered many behaving in a similar manner,
Namere said.

I looked to Caelan. "This is what you meant by their behavior seeming controlled."

He nodded.

"All right, Slick, what's your deal? Do you just stand here and look pretty or are you meant to do something?" I was sick of standing around and waiting for our doom. It was getting old. Again, no response.

"Listen, I'm not sure of the proper protocol for this, but here are the facts: Nevan has Scott and I'm pretty sure he's still alive." This was true. In the last few minutes I'd become aware of noise inside my head, not thoughts, not speaking, but bits of sound, like a radio station being tuned in and out quickly. Given what Caelan had said about hearing human thoughts–it sounded like chaos, 206

Stacey Klemstein

which was why they spent so much time tuning us out–I thought that noise meant there was a good chance Scott was around here and still alive. I'd have to get closer to find out for certain.

"And I'm not leaving without him. So, here are your choices: one, bring Scott to me, two, go tell Nevan I'm coming in or three, get the hell out of my way."

Slick started his blinking routine again and for a second, I thought that was all he was going to do, but then he turned on heel and headed in the direction of the Awakening Chamber.
Are we supposed to follow him?
I asked the others. Before any of them had time to send an answer to me, we were surrounded. The remaining three, two females and one male, of Slick's group closed in around us and started to move us forward by keeping us in the middle of them.

I turned to face Asha. It was the only way I knew to make sure she knew I was talking to her. In addition to not being able to block my thoughts–thankfully this other group didn't seem to be able to hear our conversations–I also didn't know how to single out somebody for private communication. Truly, this was not the best time to be discovering my limitations.
Now what?
I asked.
Now you ask me?
Asha sounded amused, but not in a particularly happy way.
Now, we follow them.
It's a trap.

How clever of you to realize that.

So we can't go willingly.

It is our only choice for now.

Why not just fight them? Thane said you guys could beat
them.

Because they are equal to us and Caelan's power, though
increased through you, will not last long enough to challenge this
group and then Nevan.

I swallowed hard. She was saying Caelan would die.
And possibly you as well.
Asha maintained her grip on 207

The Silver Spoon

Caelan, helping him keep up with the rest of us.
So you must make
your choice, out here against them or inside against Nevan.
Wait, Zara, until we are against Nevan.
Caelan sounded weary, even in my head.

I looked up at him, startled, hoping for a second that he had recovered some of his power from me, so that he could now hear. But he shook his head. He must have guessed Asha's response from hearing my side of the argument.

If you fight now,
he said,
the effort may be lost before the true
battle has begun.

All right,
I said,
then I guess we wait.
We walked on for a few seconds in silence. Then I had to ask, even knowing Caelan could hear me.
What happens if we have to
fight all of them inside?

Asha surprised me by speaking aloud. "Then it will be over very quickly."

208

Stacey Klemstein

Chapter 19

I wanted to run. Some part of my brain kept insisting that if we all made a break for it at the same time, then maybe we could get away.

But it wasn't likely, certainly not likely enough to try it.
Maybe if everyone was well...
I quashed that thought and moved back by Caelan, taking Asha's position by his side. She headed toward the front.

He leaned on me more than he ever had before. I took care to make sure my arm didn't cause his coat to rise up and let the cold air touch him even more, though he wasn't shivering, which worried me because he should have been. It was like he didn't have the energy to resist the cold.

I wrapped my arm tighter around him, stepping only when he stepped. "I'm sorry," I said after a long moment of silence. "I should never have started...that between us." He should have told me what might happen, but I should have left well enough alone in the first place.

"You didn't know."

"No, but you did. Why did you let it happen?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"You must concentrate on what must be done," Caelan said. He was so pale that the line of his cheek was only a gray smudge in the whiteness of his face.

"I thought you didn't want this. You said we were manipulating destiny."

He gave a faint smile. "It seems that destiny is familiar with your machinations, Zara. Based on what I have seen so far, I believe this is the final confrontation with Nevan and you have led us to him."

209

The Silver Spoon

"Caelan, I don't know if I can do this." I made a valiant effort to keep my voice steady. Now that he seemed to be back on my side, self-doubt nearly swamped me. "I don't know what I'm doing and with this power you've given me, you...people could get hurt. Just take it back and we'll figure out some other way."

"It does not work in that manner. A reversal may not be possible and even if it was, I would not do it."

"You can't just offer yourself up like this," I cried out. Then I lowered my voice. "You heard what Asha said. You could die if this goes too far. If I use too much power against these guys and Nevan, there will be nothing left for you." He looked down at me then with such calm on his face, such peace. "You are the one always telling me there are more important things than the prophecy. If this is truly the culmination of my vision, then I do not believe my life to be one of them." Tears blurred my vision and my breath came out in hard little puffs of white smoke. "You're going to make me do it."

"It is the only way."

"That's not true," I shouted. This time, I didn't care who heard me.

"If you spare me, we will all die. But if you use what I have given you, it will be enough."

"But not for everyone, not for you."

"No, not for me."

"Don't do this," I pleaded with him. Then, inspiration struck.

"You can't do this because then your vision would be wrong. You said you didn't know how it was all going to go down, but that in the end, I would be standing in triumph with you. With you. You saw it."

If anything, this revelation only seemed to bring him more certainty. "I never saw myself in the vision."

"What?" Fear spilled through me, turning my insides into ice.

"I never saw myself there with you and the others. Until these 210

Stacey Klemstein

last moments, I assumed it was because I was the one viewing the moment, viewing all of you together. But perhaps not."

"No." I straightened up, filled with renewed purpose.

"No?"

"No, it's not going to happen that way. It doesn't have to." I wiped my face. "And I won't let it." He touched my face. "Zara, you cannot change what will happen by refusing to accept–"

"Stop it, right now." I pushed his hand away. "You will not say goodbye to me because this is not over. I will not let it happen that way."

"Zara," he said.

"No." Then I tucked my head down and concentrated on moving forward through the snow, just repeating to myself, I won't let it happen, I won't let it happen.

The abandoned barn was in sight much quicker than I'd anticipated–isn't that always the way? Let me tell you, just like that bad report card in the mail, the possibility of a painful and bloody death for you and yours always arrives before you expect it.

For some reason, the barn looked less ramshackle at night. The places that had appeared to be holes didn't let light through and the boards–I touched one as we went through the door–weren't splintery to the touch. They only looked that way. The whole place was a freaking illusion. I don't know why I hadn't seen through it when I was here before, but it could only mean that the Observers had built not only the chamber below but this structure as well. Some technology, a computer program or something, must have been in place to keep the appearance up. Probably the same thing that was responsible for keeping the lights and the heat on below.

I turned my head to ask Caelan but found his eyes closed. Dread tore through me. He was still standing, so I knew it wasn't 211

The Silver Spoon

the end, not yet.

"I am conserving energy," he said so softly that I could barely hear him.

I'd been trying to do the same, but I had trouble because I wasn't always aware of using power unless my nose was bleeding. We stopped in a huddle near the opening to the chamber below. Slick had shoved aside the wooden beam and opened the metal trapdoor. Then he stood there, waiting, staring at us expectantly.

"You guys must have some very stimulating discussions. Given a little time, I think you could graduate from blank stares to grunts and single word sentences, like uggh and good." I turned to Asha and the others.
How is it that nobody noticed this before?

I've seen other Observers on TV, and they don't act like this.
You've seen Council members on your television. They seem
to be the only ones to react in a manner similar to ours. The others
are like this,
Asha said.

"But he's practically catatonic." I watched as Slick's eyes rolled back in his head again, and his eyelids fluttered up and down. "This can't be the way the rest of you are."
Yes,
Namere answered me this time.

Is this what would happen to you if Nevan got what he
wanted?

We believe so, yes,
Namere said, fear threading through her voice.

They'd be walking vegetables, just like these guys. I imagined Caelan's eyes empty, Namere's face blank, Thane without his permanent scowl, and Asha missing the sneer that always lurked just beneath the surface. I shuddered.

Slick's eyes snapped open, and he was staring straight at me. Something was brewing inside his brain, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to know what. He came at me, slowly enough that I could back away, taking Caelan stumbling with me. 212

Stacey Klemstein

"Stay back," I warned. "Just tell me what you want." He ignored me and his group left their posts at the perimeter of us and closed in on me.

Hands locked down on me and tried to separate me from Caelan.

"No." I threw an elbow out at the nearest offending party, a female. One second she was there, grasping at me, and the next, she was gone, across the room, lying in the shadows on the barn floor, her head turned at a funny angle.

Stop, Zara. Do not fight them. You will end this now before
we are ready,
Asha said.

They might hurt him. He can't defend himself.
I blocked another attempt from Slick's drones. They were less certain this time.

They are only interested in you.

You don't get it–Caelan plans to die here.
Slick had stepped off and started his blinking routine again.

And you are killing him here.

I stopped to stare at her, feeling Caelan's weight slump heavier against me. I didn't have to lift my hand to my face to know that blood flowed again from my nose. Asha was right. I turned to check on Caelan, and that's how I missed Slick's sudden change in focus. He and his group shifted positions around me, then tore Caelan from my grasp. I landed hard on the floor next to the female I'd sent sprawling. I struggled to my feet, watching them as they hauled Caelan toward the ladder. This was it, this was the end. How could I protect him, keep him from meeting what he thought was his destiny, if I wasn't there to stop it from happening.

I launched myself in that direction. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Asha, Thane, and Namere turn toward me as one. But I was so intent on Caelan–Slick's group was lowering him down the ladder now–I didn't understand what was about to happen. I didn't 213

The Silver Spoon

feel the power building in Asha and the others until it reached for me, opening small cuts on my face, singeing any patch of exposed skin, and knocking me down hard enough to make my ears ring and my teeth rattle.

No,
I shouted.

Stay down
, Asha said. The blackness swelled and washed over me.
Stay down.
Her words followed me into the abyss, descending until there was nothing left.

214

Stacey Klemstein

Chapter 20

A pulsing headache woke me. The dull throbbing reverberated in my head like my brain was trapped in the bottom of a steel drum. Keeping my eyes shut against the aching, I put my hand flat against the cool ground to push myself up, then jerked it back when a burning in my skin lit up nerve endings that I never knew existed. Namere had gotten me good on the palm of my right hand. I rolled over, cradling my hand against my chest, and opened my eyes into a nightmare.

The world above me was curved and distorted, like looking through the bottom of a drinking glass. Sheer terror sent me bolt up right, but I was forced to stop short, my head reaching the top of the tank before I was sitting up. There wasn't enough room. All right, calm down, Zara, I told myself. There's enough air for now, and there's no liquid in here.

Not yet, a panicked voice inside me screamed. Those were Asha's memories of being trapped in here, not yours.

But they could be mine.

Sitting up partially had helped, but I could feel my heart pounding too fast in my chest and I couldn't get a deep breath. Don't panic.