Balmythra

  ****

  Everyone landed in a heap just like before, but on the lawn near the laundry shed. It was hard to believe it was still Monday and only mid-afternoon earth time. Mad Matilda didn't seem to be around, an unexpected blessing. Did she even live there anymore? Matt checked for the van, which proved to be missing, and scouted the inside of the house. While he did that, I checked my senses for any Dagonel presence. I felt none.

  No one spoke to me when they all finally filed indoors. In fact, no one even spared me a glance. Guessing they all now hated me, I sank into an old wooden rocking chair in the TV room. I barely noticed who helped Raine and Skye upstairs to the dorm or who headed straight for the kitchen to make the lunch we'd missed in Balmythra. Instead I sat in silent misery, staring out the window and wondering how things could get any worse.

  "Your fire is out." Ginzy stood right at my elbow. For once, she wasn't toting my bag.

  "What...?"

  She pointed to my forehead. "Your fire is out."

  "Oh." I automatically touched the forgotten ring that adorned my forehead. I missed the usual tingling sensation, but could only shrug over the loss. How could I worry about something so trivial?

  As if sensing my need, Ginzy crawled into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. That simple, caring gesture released a tidal wave of emotions. Tears spilled from my eyes once again, splashing onto my hot cheeks.

  How could Jor be dead? How could my Nodyran friends be banished from Balmythra? And how could my own brother reject me? Then there were my parents, my people, and even Matilda...what was I going to do about them?

  Just then, Ginzy patted me on the back, a role reversal that made me smile in spite of myself. I realized that someone else now stood by my chair and looked up just as Matt handed me a cup of steaming coffee. It smelled strongly of chocolate and cinnamon and produced a welcome wave of calm.

  "Lunch is ready." Matt lifted Ginzy off my lap and nudged her toward the kitchen. "Better get in there before Kenny and John gobble everything up."

  When Ginzy left the room, Matt gingerly balanced himself on the delicate arm of my chair. "We need to talk."

  Those simple words, the same ones Jor had uttered, stabbed at my broken heart. "I was so wrong about Jor, Matt. I can’t believe he’s gone, and that it’s my fault."

  Matt's jaw dropped. "Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?"

  Oh God. He didn't know. Desperate for inner strength, I firmly reminded myself that a Guardian had better things to do than blubber like a baby in the face of trouble. She had to be strong for her people.

  People? What people? No Ionian would want a murderer for a leader.

  Matt tugged on a strand of my hair. "Tell me what happened, and I mean everything."

  "Okay." I told him all I knew, not stopping until long minutes later. Hoarse and with an aching throat, I sipped the coffee, now lukewarm. Matt had remained silent while I confessed, but had absently stroked the back of my neck with his hand. It felt incredible.

  "That's everything?"

  "Yeah, except for a few stray thoughts I can't really put into words."

  "Okay then." Matt sat in silence for a moment. "You say that you were taken over, just like Raine and Skye?"

  "Yes. And I didn't even know it." I shook my head. "That's what scares me most, Matt. Why, if Jor hadn't made me look down, I'd never have seen what was happening to my body...." I shook my head in disbelief yet again. "And what about all those crazy voices I've heard?"

  "We've talked about possession before."

  "Yes." I caught his eye. "It doesn't seem as out there as it did earlier, does it?"

  "No, but it's still hard to accept."

  "Then let's look at the facts."

  "Okay. Tirafalen told us about the duality she sensed in the Dagonel, like there were two parts to them. And remember how you said you saw the Sairons creating shadows? You felt their evil, though they're probably the most gentle people I've ever met."

  "True," I said. "But now I have to admit I'm having doubts. I mean, I know what I saw and felt during that ceremony, but I also know Jor was scared when that shadow came after me. So now I'm thinking that he'd never purposefully create evil like I felt that day in that cavern."

  Matt appeared to consider my words carefully. "Then something else was going on between the shadows and the Sairons. But what?"

  I pressed my fingers to my aching temples. "I'm clueless, and thinking about it gives me a headache."

  "Then I'll do the thinking. You rest."

  As if I could.

  "I mean it. Close your eyes."

  With a sigh, I tipped my head back against the chair and did as requested.

  Matt didn't speak for a few seconds. "You’ve seen shadows at Pringle's, too, you know. And remember when something happened to me on the stairs the night we found Rocc? Something really weird?"

  "How could I forget?" I stared at him. "You totally creeped me out."

  "Exactly." Matt frowned and thought some more. "So we have shadows in the cave and shadows at Pringle's."

  "That's right."

  "Now tell me something about the nature of these shadows. Did yours completely overtake your body in the cavern?"

  "No, just a part." I shuddered at the memory. "It felt kind of like half of me had turned into something else that I couldn't control."

  "Duality."

  I remembered Tirafalen's words. "A Gemini race."

  Matt and I stared thoughtfully into each other’s eyes and admitted the impossible to ourselves at the exact same moment.

  "Definitely possession," he said.

  "I agree. But if that's the case, why aren't the Sairons all shrouded in black shadows?"

  Matt rubbed his arm, thinking. "Maybe they're immune or something. The jerk who threw me into the Stream wasn't particularly gentle, but I don't really think he was evil."

  As baffled as ever, I changed the subject. "When Jor fell into that chasm, I felt life. Just for a second, though."

  "More mystery."

  "Yeah, and I think I sensed my parents again."

  "Sensed? You said you heard them before. Are you now saying you sensed them, too? A lot was going on...."

  I chewed my bottom lip, a nervous habit I thought I'd put behind me. "I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to find them so badly that I imagined it."

  "Then we need to get back to that cavern and have a look around. That's the only way we'll ever clear up the Sairon connection to the shadow creatures."

  "Or rescue my parents."

  "Or rescue your parents." Matt had never been so serious or determined. He seemed a lot older than he really was.

  I felt a welcome surge of hope. "That’s going to be pretty tough to do since I can’t locate the Stream by myself."

  "There's always the goat sucker…"

  I almost laughed. "Oh yeah. Lots of those hanging around Badpringle's."

  Matt gave up that idea. "So we'll have to find it ourselves."

  "Just how when it's never in the same place?"

  "What do you mean? We’ve caught the Stream in the shed twice now, and it stayed by that Stream in Balmythra for two whole days."

  "You're right!" I bolted to my feet. "Geeze Loueeze. Why didn’t I notice that before?"

  Matt jumped up before the lightweight chair toppled over on its side. "Don't be so stinkin' hard on yourself. You've had your Guardian abilities what...a whopping two days?"

  "And a fat lot of good they've done me so far."

  Matt ignored me. "So you agree there’s a possibility we can locate the Stream in the shed?"

  "Guess we’ll find out soon enough."

  "Whoa now. You're not thinking of leaving this minute, surely. The kids are too beat to make the jump now, and we sure can't leave them here."

  "I realize that." I strode to the door. "Let’s just go and see if I can sense it."

  "And if you can?"

  "Then we'll come up with a plan. I, for one, don't want to leave anyone
here. As long as Mad Matilda's breathing, there’s danger."

  "But we can’t take them back to Balmythra, either," said Matt.

  "Back?" Kenny bounded through the door. "We're going back to Balmythra?"

  "Balmythra?" Silverware clattered and chairs scraped the floor in the kitchen. I braced myself as all the orphans burst into the TV room. My pleading gaze found Matt.

  He shrugged. "Well, you said there was danger here." Looking rather helpless, himself, he studied the hopeful faces all around. "But there’s danger in Balmythra, too. The Dagonel are even meaner there, and now the Sairons are against us." I didn’t mention the Ionians, who were likely to be hostile to us, too.

  "Maybe we could sneak back." Kenny sounded so excited.

  "They'll know." John sounded as nervous as ever. "And they won’t be too happy to see us back after they’ve thrown us out. What if they’re casing the Streams or something to make sure we don’t turn up again?" John's gaze met mine. He tensed. "Hey, you’re not glowing anymore."

  "So I’ve been told." I gave Ginzy a quick smile, noting she had my bag again.

  "Is that important?" asked Kenny. "I mean, have you lost your powers or something?"

  I shook my head. "Like I told you before, this is only a symbol. It probably doesn't flash on Nodyra. And to answer your question, John, the Xephyr Stream actually offers some protection for a while, so we couldn't be sensed immediately."

  Ashley tossed her hair. "Jor will help us."

  Her comment reminded me that the poPs didn't have all the facts. Wincing, I shifted my attention to Matt, who gave me a go-ahead-and-tell-them nod of encouragement. But I made a snap decision not to talk just yet. A subtle shake of my head told Matt to keep his mouth shut, too.

  "We’re going back?" asked Brady. "Then I want to get my baby doll." Immediately she and several other youngsters in the group pounded upstairs to get their own treasures. Ginzy, who lingered, watched us with a seriousness that disconcerted me.

  "How long will the Stream protect everyone?" asked Matt, visibly worried. "And where do we go once we get there? Plus there's the matter of Raine and Skye. They're still pretty weak, and—"

  I put my fingertips to his lips to hush him. "There’s no use even talking about all this until we check to see if we can find the Stream."

  "What are we waiting for?" Kenny rubbed his hands together like a pirate about to uncover a treasure trove.

  I quickly left the house. The boys followed me outside, while Ashley ran up the stairs, probably to get her make-up. The next instant, I felt guilty for even thinking that. How could I criticize anything anyone did after what had happened in the cavern today?

  On that thought, a vague worry I hadn't shared with Matt bubbled to the surface of my consciousness—something odd about Rocc that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. But once again the thought evaporated before it materialized, and I had to let it go with a silent promise to think about it later.

  I led the way to the laundry shed with Matt and the others right behind. They watched me closely as I skirted the outside and then stepped inside the shed to explore. Lost in my task, eyes closed to better concentrate, I barely noticed how quiet they'd become.

  "Er...Leah?" Matt's spoke in a hoarse whisper.

  "Hmm?"

  "Your band’s on fire again."

  "Really?" I opened my eyes just in time to see the air before me ripple like a curtain in a breeze. "Someone’s coming. Run!"

  Kenny, Matt, and John instinctively turned, each scanning their surroundings. John anxiously shoved his glasses back in place.

  "Where?" shouted Kenny.

  "Who?" yelled John.

  "The Stream?" asked Matt.

  Before I could answer, Tirafalen stepped out of nothingness into the yard.