The Orphans (Orphans Trilogy Book 1) (19 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

“
Is there any
idea when Charlie is gonna get back?” JP asked Malika as he checked his watch. He and the orphans had just wrapped up another simulated battle where they took turns scrapping with three Beasts at once. “I feel like he should be back by now.”

“Do not worry about Charlie,” Malika said, already in the process of spawning more vessels for their next challenge. “He will return whenever he feels he is ready.”

“I was only asking ‘cause I’m getting hungry,” JP said.

“Me, too,” added Naomi.

Eddie and Antony agreed as well.

“If you would prefer to break for lunch right now, that is fine,” Malika said. “Afterwards, each of you will get a chance to battle with five vessels at once.” She tossed the loose dirt that was left in her hands, and then took a massive inhale as she swept her puckered lips down the line of sparring vessels. Each of the vessels instantly dissolved, turning back to dirt that was wisped away by the wind.

“I guess I can make the trip to the grocery store,” JP said as he gestured toward the woods. “Anyone wanna join me?”

Antony and Eddie turned to Naomi, expecting her to volunteer. To their surprise, she didn’t. “I’ll pass,” Naomi said.

“Eddie?” JP said.

“Why not?” Eddie shrugged. “Let’s do this.” He and JP set off into the woods to find their lunch.

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“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt this good,” Eddie said as he and JP stocked up on hunting rocks half a mile into the forest. “I’ve already dropped two holes on my belt. That’s just in a week. If this keeps up, by the time I get home, I’m gonna need a whole new wardrobe.”

JP chuckled. “Yeah, well, you’ve been looking good in the training, too. Forget five vessels, I bet you could take on ten Beasts at a time, no problem.”

“Thanks.”

“Like Malika says, thank yourself.”

Eddie grinned. “Yeah, right. Thank you, me.”

JP grinned back. “I’ll grab a couple more rocks and then we should have more than enough ammunition.” He knelt down to grab another rock and froze. His eyes intently swiveled in all directions.

Eddie picked up JP’s concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you hear that?” JP asked.

Eddie listened for a moment. All he heard was the rustling of pine needles in the light wind. “I don’t think so … ”

“Listen closer.”

Eddie concentrated his hearing. Through the soft whispers of the trees, he heard what JP was referring to: a gentle rattling. He froze, too. His eyes scanned the woods, unable to locate the source or even its general direction. He had a feeling what it was, but tried to convince himself otherwise. “What are the odds that’s the rhythm section for the quietest mariachi band ever?” Eddie said.

“Slim to none,” JP said.

“I’m assuming it probably isn’t a lost baby, either.”

“Doubt it.”

Less than a second later, JP and Eddie’s guessing game came to an end. Just to the right of where JP was knelt, a three-foot Great Basin rattlesnake, its body suited with nature’s version of desert camouflage, slid out from under a fallen tree. It shook its rattle fiercely, a stern warning to ward off any would-be challengers.

“Stay still,” Eddie whispered through gritted teeth. “It’ll just go away.”

Eddie was correct in assuming that. That was what most snakes would do. However, this snake was of its own breed. Instead of retreating, the rattler took one look at JP and slithered even closer, moving dangerously close to its striking distance. The snake coiled up, methodically lifted its head, and let out a harsh, combative hiss.

“Change of plans,” Eddie said. “Just slowly get up and back away.”

JP didn’t move a muscle. “That’s not gonna work,” he said out the side of his mouth.

“Then I’ll hit it with a rock.” Eddie’s fingers wrapped tightly around one of the rocks in his pocket.

The snake’s head swayed side to side like a metronome as it hissed even more violently.

“If you miss, I’m screwed. I have a better idea. I’m gonna catch it.”

“That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“Just be quiet.” JP was done debating. He didn’t need Eddie’s approval. It was his butt on the line.

Eddie stood perfectly still. He knew that any sudden movement he or JP made would cause the already defensive serpent to strike.

The rattler hissed as JP carefully let go of the rock in his hand. JP took a deep breath, focused his thoughts, and readied for what he was about to do. But before he even had a chance to make his move, the rattler sprung from its tight coil and launched itself at JP.

With his view obstructed by JP’s positioning, all Eddie could do was focus on his own breath and staying present while he watched JP react to the attack.

“Ahhh!” JP screamed as he lunged his body toward the snake, falling on top of it like he was jumping on a grenade. He remained motionless for a couple seconds.

Eddie couldn’t help but let a little bit of worry get past his guard. “Are you okay? Did it bite you?”

JP said nothing. He slowly picked himself up from the ground. When he turned to face Eddie, he was grinning as wide as his face would allow. In his hand was the snake, only it was no longer a snake. It had transformed into a staff.

The resulting staff was noticeably different from the ones that they were accustomed to. It was broader, appeared sturdier, and had a dark, reddish aura that shined around the tip, just like the wand Malika had made from the campfire.

“How cool is this?” JP said. He waved the staff back and forth a couple times. Tiny, ruby-colored sparks danced from the glowing tip as it swung in the wind.

“Seriously cool,” Eddie said.

JP twirled the staff in his hands, noticing that the faster he swung the staff, the larger the sparks were. “And Malika wasn’t kidding when she said the more powerful the snake, the more powerful the staff. I think it has a real power of its own.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not totally sure. But we’re about to find out.” JP whirled the staff in a circular fashion, like a lacrosse player cradling a ball. A small fireball appeared in the center of the swirl. As soon as he stopped, the fireball disappeared.

“Whoa,” Eddie said. “I got an idea! Make one of those fireball things and then fling it.”

JP swirled the staff to create another fireball, then cast the staff like a fishing rod. The ball of fire zipped through the woods before making an explosive collision with a tree trunk, leaving behind a charred black crater in the bark.

“That. Is. Freaking. Awesome!” Eddie said.

“Screw rocks,” JP said. He held up his new toy. “We’re hunting with this.”

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Naomi and Antony forgot about their empty stomachs almost immediately when JP and Eddie returned. They couldn’t care less about the six squirrels that came precooked and ready to serve. They were too enthralled by JP’s new staff.

“What is that?” Naomi said.

“Only one of the most poisonous rattlesnakes in the country,” JP said with a smirk.

“No way,” Antony said.

“Way,” Eddie said. “It shoots fireballs.”

Malika did not share the others’ excitement. “You should not have taken that,” she said. “You are not ready.”

“Doesn’t the fact that I was able to control it,” JP said, “kinda prove that I am ready?”

“There is more than just control,” Malika said. “There is the personal restraint that comes with such power. You have yet to learn the practice of humility.”

“Then teach us how to practice humility,” JP said, “after I’m done practicing with this.” He twirled his staff and shot off a small fireball into the sky.

“That is not how it works,” Malika said.

“Come on,” JP said. “Make some vessels. I wanna see how many I can take down.”

“No,” Malika said firmly. “You need to slow down. You are not—”

JP didn’t let her finish. “Enough of the ‘I’m not ready.’ You should be happy I can do this,” he said. “If anything, it just shows how great of a teacher you are.”

Malika was about to respond, but stopped when she heard screaming off in the distance. It sounded like someone was launching an attack. She and the orphans stiffened as they tried to place the yelling, which grew louder and louder.

“What is that?” Naomi said.

“I have no idea,” JP said.

“I think it’s Charlie?” Antony said.

“What the heck is he doing?” Eddie said.

Seconds later, Charlie burst through the woods and into the clearing, his face beaming. He stopped, let out a primal howl, and pounded his chest like Tarzan.

The other orphans knew better than to be surprised by anything—surprise was nothing more than your thoughts removing you from the moment—but they were still young trainees and couldn’t help but be taken aback by the confidence Charlie exuded. It was such a stark contrast to the Charlie they had last seen, the Charlie they had come to know.

Charlie continued his sprint to the group. “Toss me a staff,” he said as he came to a stop.

The other orphans just stood there, still in shock.

Charlie looked to JP and Antony, the only ones holding staffs. “Come on. Toss it!” he demanded. JP and Antony instinctively flung their staffs at the same time. Charlie wasn’t the least bit fazed when both staffs transformed into snakes as they floated through the air in his direction. The same couldn’t be said for the others. Their jaws bottomed out as they watched Charlie reach his hands to receive the snakes.

Charlie was so determined that he didn’t notice their reactions. Nor did he hear Antony shout, “No!” Charlie just kept his eyes focused on the snakes as they landed in each of his palms and, in bright explosions of golden and ruby-colored light, transformed into staff form. He raised the staffs high, like Moses splitting the Red Sea, and looked up to the heavens. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, calming his excitement and pulling himself closer to the present moment.

It didn’t take heightened senses for Charlie to figure out that something was amiss. While he hadn’t anticipated any particular reaction to his feat, the silence was more than unexpected. Charlie slowly opened his eyes to find looks of sheer terror on the faces of the other orphans. He glared back. “What?”

They didn’t respond, afraid their voices might trigger something. Afraid that they might cause Charlie to lose focus. Charlie studied their faces. Their concern had no effect on him; his will and belief were too strong. That is, until he saw Naomi. The panicked look in her eyes was enough to plant the smallest seed of doubt in Charlie’s mind. That was all it took. Charlie lost control of his breath and his mind wandered. Almost immediately, he felt one of the staffs turn back into a slick and scaly snake.

Naomi’s eyes went even wider. “Watch out!” she shouted.

Charlie heard Naomi’s warning, followed by a soft rattling. He turned his attention toward the snake in his raised hand. The rattler let out a vicious hiss, its razor-sharp fangs exposed and dripping with venom, before sinking them into Charlie’s wrist.

The staff in Charlie’s other hand transformed back into a garter snake. Charlie’s arms fell to his sides. His hands unclenched, releasing both of the serpents.

The garter dropped to the ground, while the rattler hung on, determined to infuse Charlie with as much poison as possible. The rattler didn’t let up until it sensed the orphans moving in to assist their friend. It quickly retracted its fangs, freeing itself, and stealthily slithered away just as soon as it touched down on the grass.

Charlie swayed as the venom began to take hold of him.

“Are you all right?” Antony said as he steadied Charlie, grabbing him by the shoulders.

Charlie’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. His body went limp, slipped through Antony’s grasp, and crashed to the earth in a heap.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“
Find the rattlesnake
!” Malika shouted as she knelt down to tend to Charlie. “We need it to save him.”

The orphans scattered about the clearing, searching for the rattlesnake that had disappeared as soon as it hit the grass.

“I got it!” Eddie exclaimed. He held up a staff.

Only there was no red aura.

“That’s just the garter,” Naomi said.

“Dammit,” Eddie said, and then tossed the staff.

“Keep searching,” Malika said.

Antony scanned the area. He got a visual of the snake’s rattler just before it disappeared into some brush on the edge of the woods. “Over there!” he said, simultaneously pointing and breaking into a sprint in the direction of the snake.

When Antony got to the brush where the snake had vanished, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen or heard. Naomi, Eddie, and JP quickly joined him, huffing and puffing.

“Where’d it go?” Eddie asked.

“I don’t know,” Antony said. “We need to flush it out.”

The orphans furiously overturned rocks and logs in a desperate attempt to startle the snake from its hiding spot.

“Be mindful,” Antony reminded the crew. “We gotta use all of our senses.”

Naomi and the others followed Antony’s recommendation, searching with as much haste and attention as possible. Naomi was about to flip over another log when she was greeted with a hiss. But she immediately knew that the snake wasn’t under the log. She could tell by the ensuing rattle that it was directly behind her. “I think I found it,” she said. “Or it found me.”

The others stopped what they were doing. They spotted the snake just a few feet behind Naomi. It had her cornered in a cluster of trees, well within its striking distance.

“Don’t move,” Antony said. He grabbed two sticks and slapped them together to get the rattlesnake’s attention.

The snake craned its head toward Antony. It flicked its tongue and shook its rattle. A faint smile crossed the serpent’s mouth, as if to say it relished the challenge. The snake made no noise to tip off its assault; it simply shot off toward Antony, and launched itself toward his leg.

Antony swiped his hand down to block the attack like a hockey goalie protecting the five-hole. The rattlesnake’s teeth were just meeting the loose jean on Antony’s pant leg when he wrapped his fingers around its neck. The snake instantly turned into a staff. However, the momentum of the snake carried the staff forward, colliding into Antony’s shinbone. “Ah!” Antony shouted, wincing in pain. He hopped around on his good foot for a second, quickly shook it off, and then led the charge with a limp as they made a mad dash back toward the clearing and Charlie.

By the time they returned, Charlie was drenched in sweat. His hand and wrist had doubled in size and continued to swell with each passing second.

“What do I do?” Antony asked Malika.

“You must use the staff to suck out the poison,” she said.

“How do I do that?”

“Believe that you can do it, and it will become reality.”

Antony held the staff over the raw puncture marks on Charlie’s wrist. He took a deep breath in, exhaled even deeper, and focused his mind.

The tip of the staff transformed into a wooden likeness of the snake’s head, with its mouth stretched wide and fangs extended. Tiny waves began to roll down Charlie’s arm like a helicopter was landing on his skin. The ripples came from both ends of his arm. Starting at his shoulder and fingertips, they grew in size as they came to a head at the bite. The skin around the bite tugged away from the bone until it released two golf-ball-sized globs of venom, one from each of the incision marks. The orbs floated from the wound for a second before being absorbed by the staff.

Eddie patted Antony on the back. “Great job, brother.”

Antony nodded.

“Now you must cauterize the wound to prevent infection,” Malika said.

“Same instructions as before, just believe?” Antony asked.

“Yes. It should not take much effort.”

Antony kept the staff away from Charlie, just to be safe. As he imagined making a fire, the ruby tip of the staff began to pulse, brighter and brighter, like a fire iron that had been left in the flames too long.

“Scale it back a little,” Malika said.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Antony said. He narrowed his eyes. The pulses dimmed and slowed.

“Perfect.”

Antony held the flame to Charlie’s wrist.

The others cringed as Charlie’s skin sizzled like bacon on a hot stove. A couple seconds later, the crackling faded and Antony removed the staff. Charlie’s wound had been replaced by a massive black scab that covered all of his wrist and most of the back of his hand.

“That looks even worse than before,” Antony said.

“And it’s still pretty swollen,” Eddie said.

“There was a surprisingly large volume of venom,” Malika said. “It will most likely take a day for all of the swelling to go down. And then a couple more days after that before he really recovers. It all depends how quickly he can recover mentally.”

“But he’s gonna be okay, right?” Naomi said.

“Yes. Right now he just needs rest.” Malika hoisted Charlie up on her own and carried him inside the church.

The rest of the orphans remained outside in the clearing.

“Well, now that Charlie’s okay,” JP said, “we should probably eat quick and then get back to training. Antony, you wanna hook me up with my staff so I can I can give it a run?”

“Are you kidding me?” Antony said.

“No. Why?”

Antony shook his head. “Malika said we aren’t ready for it. And what just happened made that pretty damn clear.” He heaved the staff like a javelin. It flew through the clearing and well into the woods.

“Don’t you think that was a little unnecessary?” JP said.

“Not at all. Unnecessary was giving the rattlesnake to Charlie. You almost killed him.”

“That was an accident,” JP said, not appreciating the accusation. “The only reason I tossed it to him was ‘cause he told me to. He came in all screaming. I was caught off-guard. Everyone was.”

“We were all caught off-guard,” Naomi said.

Eddie tilted his head and shrugged in agreement.

“I obviously wouldn’t have given it to him if I was thinking and had remembered it was a rattlesnake,” JP said.

Antony didn’t say a word. He just stared at JP.

“What? You don’t believe me?” JP said, getting annoyed.

Antony kept his mouth shut.

JP threw his hands in the air. “You know what? I don’t care if you don’t. It was an accident.”

“Breathe,” Malika said as she exited the church and attempted to throw cold water on the argument that had escalated in her absence and quickly become a heated exchange.

“No,” JP said. “This is ridiculous. I’d rather consciously not calm down right now. I’m genuinely sorry that Charlie got hurt, but the only thing clear to me is that he’s still way behind the rest of us. Now it’s gonna take him a week to get better and who knows how long to catch up. It’ll probably take Charlie at least two weeks to be ready. That’s at a minimum. In that time, who knows what could happen. The Beasts could steal the souls of hundreds of other kids’ parents, or even worse, launch their attack on Heaven. We can either start saving our parents and the world, or we can just keep waiting here.”

“We’re not just waiting,” Antony said, “we’re growing.”

“And how much more do you actually think we need to grow? Because it almost seems to me like you’re trying to keep us here. Why? Don’t you wanna save your dad?”

“Don’t even go there,” Antony said, getting in JP’s face.

“Seriously,” JP said, not backing down. “Do you have some agenda? ‘Cause all I wanna do is save my parents.”

Eddie slid in between JP and Antony, separating them. “That’s all any of us want,” Eddie said.

“I’m not convinced,” JP said.

“If Malika says we aren’t ready,” Antony said, “then we aren’t ready.”

“She doesn’t know everything,” JP said. “She doesn’t even know when the Beasts are gonna attack.”

“He’s right,” Naomi said. “We know we can kill them now. We’re just wasting time.”

“I say we draw straws and see whose parents we save first,” JP said. “When Charlie is ready, he and Malika can join us. What do you think, Eddie?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie said. “I mean, it’s not a bad idea.”

“No, it’s not a bad idea,” Antony said. “It’s a terrible idea.”

“Why don’t you at least wait until you draw before you make up your mind?” JP said. He plucked four long blades of grass from the ground and then split the bottom of one of the pieces. “Split grass wins. Who wants to go first?”

Naomi turned to Eddie and Antony, gauging their interest. Neither of them moved a muscle, and neither did she.

“Fine,” JP said, “I will.” He grabbed one of the blades and held it up. The bottom was intact. “Looks like it’s not my parents. Antony?” He offered his hand for Antony to draw from.

“I’m not drawing anything,” Antony said.

“Fine,” JP said, “I’ll draw for you.” He pulled another blade. The bottom was intact. “It’s not Antony’s dad, either. We’re down to a fifty-fifty shot. Who wants to make the pick? Eddie? You know you do.”

“Ladies first,” Eddie said.

Naomi looked to Eddie and Antony, to the two blades of grass protruding from JP’s clenched fist, and then back to Antony and Eddie.

“We’re stronger when we stick together,” Antony said.

“I know,” Naomi said. “I’m hoping we stick together.” She grabbed a piece of grass and held up her selection. The bottom of the blade was still intact.

JP opened his hand so that the last remaining piece fell into his palm and displayed the tiny tear at the bottom for all to see. “Looks like you were right, Eddie,” he said with a smirk. “Ladies will be first. Assuming you’re down, we’ll start by saving your mother. What do you say?”