“She’s singing underwater?” Matt plunged below the surface, grabbed an arm, and hauled the woman up. A leathery wing slapped his face, but the blinding spray forced his eyes closed. “Did Grackle dive in here, too?”
“Just get her to shore!” Listener shouted.
Holding the woman’s wrist, Matt trudged to the river’s edge and laid her on a grassy terrace. He wiped his eyes and stared. The wings were splayed behind her back. He shook his head hard. Could it really be?
“It’s Bonnie!” Semiramis ran toward them, but when Grackle landed in front of her, she stopped. “Matt! It’s your mother!”
Chapter 5
NEW BREATH
Matt wiped his eyes and looked at his mother again. Water trickled from the corner of her bluish lips and spilled over her pale cheek. He turned her to her side and thumped her back between her wings. “Mom! It’s me, Matt. You have to cough up the water. Give me something!”
Listener dropped to her knees next to him. “Her song is so weak now!”
Matt rolled his mother to her back, careful to keep her wings from bending. He set his lips around hers and breathed into her mouth. Her chest expanded once, twice. Water surged into Matt’s mouth. Just as she began hacking, he jerked away.
He turned her to her side again. For the next few seconds, she coughed up water until her respiration eased into a clear, steady rhythm.
Still dripping, Listener breathed a sigh. “The song’s louder. I think she’ll be all right now.”
“Whew!” Matt let his mother settle again on her back. Her eyes stayed closed, but color flooded her skin and lips.
He dropped to a fully seated position, slumped his shoulders, and let water stream from his hair, nose, and chin. “You keep mentioning a song. I can’t hear much of anything over that waterfall.”
“That’s the other reason my companion called me Listener.” She pushed back her hair and nudged the orb from its shelter. “Isn’t that right?”
The orb rocked, as if nodding.
Matt pointed at the egg. “You call that your companion?”
“Of course.” She prodded it with her finger. “I guess your parents didn’t tell you about companions.”
He shook his head. “They told me a little bit about Second Eden, but they had so much other stuff to tell me.”
“I understand. We all heard about their imprisonment.” Listener combed through Bonnie’s hair with her fingers. “I believe your story now. Your willingness to risk your life to save someone you thought to be a stranger has done more to convince me of your noble character than could any feat of veterinary heroics.”
“Veterinary heroics?” Matt laughed under his breath. “Excuse me, but I can’t get over your vocabulary. You and Eagle both seem so … scholarly, I guess. Back where I come from, the people I hang around with give me a blank stare if I use a word that has more than two syllables.”
“We read books.”
Matt gazed at her expressionless face. Her explanation needed nothing more. Turning to his mother, he looked her over. There seemed to be no wound, no bruises, no blood. Why was she unconscious when the boat flew over the ledge? “Do you feel anything on her scalp? A gash or a crack?”
“Nothing.” Listener peeked under Bonnie’s sweatshirt, then began feeling her ankles and legs through her loose-fitting jeans. “I don’t think anything’s broken. She is thinner than I remember, but her muscles have good tone.”
When Listener’s hands patted Bonnie’s thighs, she reached into one of the pants pockets and withdrew a transparent gun. “How odd.” She laid it in Matt’s palm.
A bright light swirled within its casing, much like the guns the prison guards used. “When I last saw her, she had been shot by a candlestone. I think that’s what this gun shoots.”
Listener blinked at him. “She shot herself?”
“No, no. Tamiel shot her, and that’s probably what’s weakening her now. I have no idea why she has the gun.”
A deep line dug into Listener’s brow. “This makes no sense. Before Bonnie left Second Eden, she learned how to resist the effects of a candlestone. Something else must be wrong.”
“If I may,” Semiramis called as she approached again. “My son invented those guns. I might be able to help.”
Grackle shot a spray of ice crystals in front of her. She stopped and glowered at him. “I am not a caged ape!”
“It’s okay, Grackle.” Listener rose, again clutching her sword. “Let her come.”
Semiramis hurried around Grackle and settled next to Matt. She passed a hand over his mother’s mouth, then laid a palm on her chest. “Very interesting. My son spoke of this kind of state as a real possibility.”
“Don’t try our patience.” Listener tapped Semiramis’s back with the flat of her blade. “Tell us all you know.”
Semiramis scowled at her. “Your lack of respect is appalling. Have you so soon forgotten that if not for me, you would have bled to death on a table of surgery?”
“I know a deceiver’s ways.” Listener propped the blade on her shoulder. “Now tell us.”
“You are not the same humble little girl I once knew.” After a stare down with Listener that lasted far too many seconds, Semiramis huffed and pointed at the gun. “Mardon invented a weapon that uses candlestones to absorb energy. My guess is that this one has taken Bonnie’s energy and left her nearly dead.”
“Then we need to get rid of it.” Matt drew back his hand to throw the gun into the river, but Semiramis caught his wrist.
“No! Her energy is still within the gun. Just remove it from her presence until we can learn how to restore the energy to her.”
Matt stared at the radiant swirl in the gun’s casing. Of course Semiramis couldn’t be trusted, but believing her story seemed harmless.
A squeal sounded from the cave. Matt jerked his head toward Listener. “Want me to check it out?”
“It’s probably just Cheer. She gets excited easily. Besides, Eagle is there.”
“True, but maybe Albatross is up. I’d like to know if my patch job is holding.”
Without a hint of a smile, Listener nodded. “Go ahead.”
“I’ll be right back.” Matt ran toward the cave. Holding a shielding hand over the gun, he ducked through the wall of spray and ran into the dim chamber. The dragon stood near the back wall, his head low to avoid the ceiling. The children had gathered around him, petting his scales. Their companions flashed like a string of holiday lights.
Eagle knelt by Merit’s makeshift grave, a hand on one of the covering stones. He shot to his feet, brushed away a tear, and smiled. “You did well. As you can see, Albatross is on his feet.”
“Good.” Matt stroked the dragon’s neck. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”
Albatross let out a rumbling whistle that sounded like a cat’s purr.
Taking a step closer, Eagle touched one of Albatross’s wings. “We won’t know if he is fully healed until he is tested in flight.”
“That makes sense.” Matt glanced at the grave again. “If you want to stay here with the kids, I’ll guide Albatross outside and see how he does.”
Eagle laid an arm over Cheer’s shoulder and pulled her close. “As long as all is well out there, I am content to remain with the children.”
“Well, a lot has happened. The water was probably too loud for you to hear all the commotion, but my mother tumbled over the falls in a boat. Listener and I caught her. She nearly drowned, but I think she’ll be okay.”
Eagle showed no sign of surprise. “I would like to meet your mother.” He nodded toward the cave’s opening. “Go on ahead. I will be out after I settle the children.”
Matt took a step, then turned back to Eagle. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“Please do.” Eagle gave him a friendly nod. “I have no secrets.”
“You and Listener are very different. If you don’t mind me saying s
o, you both look like warriors, but you’re laid-back while she’s aggressive. I’m just trying to learn your ways, so I was wondering which one is more normal for the people here.”
“I understand.” Eagle rubbed a hand along his toned forearm. “We are both strong, to be sure, and my, shall we say … gentler ways … are more normal here.” He leaned to the side and looked through the cave opening. Matt glanced that way. Listener paced in front of Semiramis, her head down and a scowl evident.
“You see,” Eagle continued, “Listener has experienced a great deal more troubles in life than I have. When she was young, a unique handicap beset her, one that she mentioned earlier that delayed her ability to speak. An oracle told Listener that her mother on Earth killed her before she was born, and that led to her resurrection here on Second Eden as a newborn.”
“Her mother killed her? You mean by abortion?”
“Yes, I have heard that euphemism before. Since it is really killing, we call it what it is.”
“Fair enough. Go on.”
“Well, learning that her mother cared not to keep her incited her willingness to be a sacrificial lamb. If not for another heroic soul, Listener would have died in an effort to rescue others.” Eagle waved a hand. “Those details are not essential, but later events are.”
“Okay …” Matt stretched out the word. Maybe someday the details would come to light. “What happened?”
“She later learned that her Earth mother did not kill her. In fact, her mother wanted her very much, but they were both murdered while Listener was in the womb. You see, since most babies arrive here because of such killings, the person who told Listener a falsehood was unaware of the true story and made a faulty assumption. Although the mistake caused Listener no harm, the potential for danger was real. Combining that with witnessing Semiramis’s truly harmful deceptions, Listener is now wary and treats any potential deceiver with aggression. Yet, although Listener raises a sword to challenge strangers and proven deceivers, she is kind and affectionate with those who have earned her trust.”
“That explains a lot.” Matt looked at Listener again as she continued pacing. “Any other long-term effects?”
“Not that I am aware of.” Eagle pressed a fist against his chest. “Listener still has the heart to die for a loved one. In that regard, she is an inspiration to me. If an opportunity were to arise to give my life for another, I hope I can summon her courage and resolve.”
An image flashed to Matt’s mind—a dagger cutting a rope and him flying away from Lauren as she stood atop the tank. “Trust me. If you really love someone, it’s not that hard.”
Eagle laid a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “It sounds as though I need to hear your story.”
“There’s not much to tell. I risked my life to save my sister’s, but I don’t even know if Lauren’s alive.” Matt’s stomach churned. Thinking about what might have happened to Lauren was too much to take right now. It was time to change the subject. He patted the dragon’s neck and forced a lively tone. “Shall we see if you can fly?”
Whistling a cheery note, Albatross bobbed his head. He shuffled to the cave’s entrance and stopped in the spray. Shaking his body like a wet dog, he slung soot from his wings and scales, revealing a shimmering white coat.
Matt nodded at Eagle. “I’ll see you in a little while.” Without waiting for a reply, he slid the gun into his pocket and followed Albatross. After this successful healing, maybe others lay in store. If he could fly on the dragon and find the volcano survivors, Listener and Eagle could remain in this valley and take care of Mom. Together they could easily handle Semiramis.
As soon as Matt jumped through the spray, he stopped and looked around, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Above, Grackle flew in a circle, as if patrolling. Blaring a loud whistle, Albatross launched into the air and followed Grackle in flight, his wings beating without a hitch.
Matt exhaled. Excellent. Fully healed.
He trotted toward Listener. She stood near Mom less than thirty paces away, her sword pointed at Semiramis. “Any change?” he called as he approached.
“Only that your mother’s song continues to strengthen.” Listener stepped closer to Semiramis and pressed the flat of the blade against her cheek. “As I was about to say earlier, it is time that I dealt with this witch. I had to wait for a witness, and now that you have returned—”
“No!” Semiramis backed away slowly. “Listener, I can assure you—”
“Don’t try to beguile me. I am not a little girl anymore.”
Semiramis’s voice shook. “I was always forced to do what I have done. Arramos—”
“Arramos?” Listener twisted the blade, rubbing the edge against Semiramis’s cheek. “You are a deceiver. Time and again you have woven a web of lies, promising alliances with us while plotting our destruction. We would be fools to allow you to stay anywhere near us.”
“Listener.” Matt set a finger on her arm, but she shook his touch away.
“I’m not going to let you spin another web while I’m around.”
“Listener!” Matt touched her arm again. “She saved my life.”
Her fiery eyes focused on him. “That means nothing. She also saved my life, but in the end she tried to kill us all. She has betrayed us too many times to count. She is a witch, a sorceress, a demon!”
Semiramis widened her eyes, making her look scared and vulnerable. “You have every right to be skeptical. I have, indeed, betrayed you, but I spent more than fifteen years in captivity considering my many misdeeds. My sole purpose has been to conquer Arramos, and I made the mistake of trying to maintain an alliance with him so that I could be close when the time came to destroy him.”
“At our expense,” Listener said. “You stabbed us in the back to get to Arramos, and at the most crucial time, you tried to take Acacia so that you could use her blood to build an invincible army. You cared for no one except yourself and your sycophant son. You didn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who stood in your way.” Her chest began to heave, and a tone of lament blended into her voice. “Because of you, Acacia is dead. Because of you, Yellinia is dead.” Finally her voice shattered. “Because of you, my father … my father …” She bit her lip hard and looked at Matt, tears brimming.
Matt touched Listener’s wrist and guided the blade away from Semiramis. “Pretty serious charges.”
“And completely true.” Semiramis lowered herself to her knees. “And now I repent of my crimes and ask for forgiveness. Listener, if you can find it in your heart to show mercy to this wretched sinner, you will see that I have changed.”
Listener glared at her, her fingers tightening around her hilt. Her companion zipped to the front of her face and flashed red. Nodding, she took in a deep breath. After drying her cheeks with her sleeve, she spoke in a controlled tone. “I have seen your repentant act before, and I will not be deceived again. You and your arts are not welcome.”
“My supernatural arts, yes, I understand, but I am also skilled in the natural art of medicinal potions, as I have proven in the past. I can be of great service.”
“Only to get closer to us, as you said you were trying to do with Arramos. Then you sneak up from behind and stab us in the back.” Listener set the point of her sword near Semiramis’s throat. “We will have none of that.”
Matt touched Listener’s arm. “Don’t you think we should use her help?”
Listener let out a huff. “Her help is poison.”
“Didn’t she help you?”
Listener spun on the balls of her feet and pointed the blade at Matt. “Your support of this bloodsucker is too persistent for my liking.”
The companion flashed again, but Listener paid no attention.
Swallowing, Matt edged away. “Okay … what do you want to do? Kill her?”
Listener narrowed her eyes at Semiramis. “She is already dead, and slaying her here would send her to her rightful place, eternal torment in the Lake of Fire. We wou
ld be justified in hastening her journey there.”
Semiramis shuddered but said nothing.
Listener’s companion floated in front of her eyes, alternating between red and blue flashes. When it blinked off, she let out a resigned sigh. “We will send her away, though I realize the danger. Once she is out of sight, we won’t know what mischief she is concocting. But I prefer a hidden stalker over a close betrayer. If she finds her way to the villages and helps people, then so be it, but we should consider her to be a hostile enemy. No conversing with her. No secrets shared.”
“So she’s free to go?” Matt asked.
Listener nodded. “The way to the village is dangerous. She can either stay here in the valley or risk dropping in the exit waterfall. If she proves herself …” She glanced at her companion. “Then I will reconsider her status among us.”
Semiramis rose to her feet. As a tear trickled down her cheek, she backed away. “If forgiveness requires a trial, I accept that. Considering my crimes, I am in no position to demand mercy.”
“Just go.” Listener clenched her teeth, her sword shaking in her grip. “I want you out of my sight.”
“I will not disappoint you.” Semiramis turned and strode downstream.
Matt sidled up to Listener. “I guess that was the best decision. If she had stayed with—”
“I am not interested in your opinion, Matt Bannister.” Listener kept her stare on Semiramis. Her eyes cold and steely, if a look could kill someone from a distance, Listener’s would. Yet, sadness mixed in. Her bent, wrinkled brow quivered, as if ready to slacken. It seemed that she wanted to cry, but her warrior’s training refused to allow it.
“Matt?”
“Mom?” He turned and scrambled to his mother’s side. Listener joined him and knelt at the opposite side.
Still lying on her back, she smiled weakly. “Hello, Son.”
He stooped and took her hand in both of his. She looked fragile, too frail to embrace. “It’s great to see you.”
“You, too.” She massaged his knuckles with her thumb. “The last thing I remember was going to sleep in a boat. I thought I would end up in Second Eden, but I didn’t expect to see you.”