Persistence of Vision

  Chapter 18: Explanations

  After what felt like a millennia of white-hot pain, Maggie heard voices. The first was feminine.

  “Lila, what are you doing?” Joan’s voice was raised but controlled.

  Then there were masculine voices around her as well. She was pulled into someone’s arms, leaning against a masculine chest. Odd, that she could absorb such details with the pain searing into her. She focused on the voices around her. It seemed to help keep the energy from destroying her consciousness.

  “Joan.” It was Karl yelling. “You’ve got to stop Lila. You’ve got to give it your all. I know she’s your daughter, but she’s doing damage. We must protect Maggie. She’s the key to the prophecy.”

  “Joan!” Marcus yelled. “Do something.”

  Maggie focused in on his voice. It was clearer in her head than the others and gave her strength against the energy.

  “She’s my daughter. I can’t hurt her!” Joan yelled.

  “Joan!” Clay yelled. “That’s not Lila!”

  Suddenly, a thick bar of power, like a brick wall, slammed between Maggie and Lila. It sheared through the energy between them.

  The fiery pain ceased all at once, and darkness enveloped her.

  She could still hear faraway voices, but they were indistinct, floating in the ether of her mind. She felt soft pressure on both of her temples, but it was a faraway sensation, as though the sides of her head were miles from her brain. Something forced her lungs to inflate, and it was as though with the air she sucked in, she also drew reality and consciousness toward her. Colors and sounds and sensations came rushing at her as she inhaled, arching her back so her diaphragm could fully extend.

  She opened her eyes to find Marcus lying over top of her. His hands were on the sides of her face, his forehead pressed against hers. He’d healed her, brought her back. She was sure of it. She told herself the weakness in her limbs was from the ordeal, not from the feel of his breath on her face.

  His eyes focused and he sat up a few inches so he could gaze down into her face. His expression was worried, and Maggie was acutely aware of how violently she was trembling against him.

  “Marcus.” Karl’s voice interrupted Maggie’s thoughts.

  Marcus looked up.

  “Is she okay?” Karl’s voice was much too serious for him.

  Marcus nodded. “We need to take her to Doc, but all her synapses are firing again.”

  Karl looked relieved, then apologetic. “I don’t mean to…interrupt, but there’s something you should see.”

  Marcus started to shake his head, but stopped and studied Karl. Maggie saw it, too: there was fear in Karl’s face, and that wasn’t like him. Marcus looked at Maggie one more time before getting to his feet. She sat up on her elbows, following him with her gaze. He glanced behind her and then Maggie felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Clay give her a reassuring smile.

  “You okay, Maggs?”

  She tried to nod but wasn’t sure if she actually did. Her body wasn’t cooperating the way it should.

  “What is it?” Marcus asked Karl.

  “It’s Nathaniel Strellend—the one Doc said we needed to find. He’s the one who put the shield between Maggie and Lila.”

  Marcus frowned. “But he’s a friend, right?”

  “You need to see who he brought with him.” Karl pointed with his chin over Marcus’s shoulder.

  Marcus turned slowly. Maggie followed his gaze.

  A middle-aged man Maggie didn’t recognize stood nearby. Behind him were a woman and two small children. Another man stood there as well, but he was hidden behind Strellend’s tall figure.

  “I hope”—Strellend stepped forward—“that both women are all right. I can see none of you recognize what just happened. I knew the moment I saw it. I only hope I wasn’t too late to prevent irreparable damage.”

  Marcus frowned then arched an eyebrow at Karl.

  Karl looked at Strellend. “Show him who you brought with you.”

  Strellend looked at Karl in a way that said he too was mystified as to what Karl was getting at, but after a moment he stepped aside, motioning the man behind him to come forward.

  “We found him along the way. We call him Trap.”

  The man stepped up beside Strellend.

  Marcus looked at the second man and his expression became utterly still. His eyes widened only a bit and a single wrinkle appeared his brow, but the horror his expression conveyed made Maggie afraid. She was sure Marcus didn’t breath for a full ten seconds.

  The rest of team looked at Marcus with confusion, except for Karl, who just looked sympathetic.

  Marcus looked again at the man called Trap and his whisper was so soft that Maggie had to strain to hear it.

  “David.”