Chapter #13A Black Day by: imaj   “No,” cries Malaika in anguish. She leaps to her feet and shoves past Joe. Startled, he stumbles and lets her past.
“Wait,” says Rosalie. There’s no energy to her voice, and she can barely raise it above speaking level. She deflates a little as Malaika disappears past the door. “She shouldn’t have to see that,” sighs Rosalie. You let go of Bea and Imogen and move to follow Malaika, but Rosalie catches you by the arm and pulls you close in order to whisper to you. “Fyodor is… I’m sorry. He was cornered by two of the monsters. He never stood a chance.”
You pause for a second, your hands shaking. The big Russian Stellae is a friend, a boisterous and relentlessly kind individual. He’s been a regular visitor to the Churchman house over the last few years and the girls have grown close to him as you have. He’s such a fixture in everything he touches, it’s impossible to think of him as gone.
To lose two of the Stellae at once… And Fyodor is Charles’ lieutenant as well. It is a black day.
“I’ll speak to Malaika,” you tell Rosalie quietly. “Look after Bea and Imogen here please.” Rosalie nods gravel and lets go of your arm. Joe doesn’t meet your eyes as you pass him and head back to the hall.
The scene is one of utter Chaos, there’s no other description that’s suitable for what you see. Tables are upended and food is scattered everywhere. The few remaining guests that haven’t run away are clumped in groups of two or three, shell shocked expressions on their faces. The Stellae amongst them are grim. What stands out the most is what remains of the Minotaurs: A half dozen grotesquely shaped caricatures of people lie scattered round the room marked with whatever was used to bring them down. Some are scorched, others bloodied, a few even show no visible signs of trauma.
You spot Malaika quickly. She’s pushing past a couple of Stellae – Nash Carnes and Kali – to get at something on the floor. You can’t see what, but it must be Hilda. As you move closer you see Malaika brusquely shove Charles aside. The leader of the Stellae had been kneeling beside Hilda, holding her hand, but he takes Malaika’s abruptness with good grace. You reach for Malaika’s shoulder to pull her away…
…and stop.
The girl is kneeling beside Hilda, who is clearly only holding onto her life tenuously. Thick blood oozes from a couple of deep gashes in her thighs and stomach. She’s barely aware of her surroundings and her breath is shallow. Though it pains you to think it, Hilda won’t last long.
Malaika seems calm though, puzzlingly so. She holds her hands above Hilda’s stomach wound with the palms open and closes her eyes. It starts almost imperceptibly, a faint yellow glow between Malaika’s hands and Hilda’s wound. Then it gets brighter, enough that you can clearly see it now, though it is still only a weak light. The oozing blood flowing from Hilda’s stomach wound hardens and solidifies, scabbing over. You gasp in amazement as Hilda’s flesh starts to re-knit itself together and the wound starts to close. Raw, pink skin grows around the edges of the wound as Malaika continues to miraculously heal Hilda.
The glow flickers and fades. Malaika’s eyelids flutter and she wavers unsteadily before Charles leans down to support her. “I can’t…” she whispers in a hoarse voice. “I’m…”
“You’ve drained yourself,” says Charles kindly. “That’s all. You’re young and untrained Malaika, so you can’t draw on your ousiarchs as heavily as some of use can. You’ll get better with time,” he explains. He smiles at the teenager, a bright smile that somehow casts the girl in warmth. “Where did you learn to do that girl?”
Malaika looks up at the leader of the Stellae. “I don’t know,” she answers hesitantly. “It just came to me. I’ve used it to heal a couple of bruises in the last year.” She looks back at Hilda. “Is she going to be ok now,” asks Malaika nervously.
You look at Hilda. The stomach wound is all but closed now, just a little gash that a small amount of blood still trickles from. It should clot itself now. The wound on the leg is still there, but by itself it is a lot less severe. Hilda eyes seem to be focussed now, and she looks up at Malaika with a weak smile on her face. “Yah,” she whispers.
“She’s got a chance now girl,” says Charles. “If the EMTs get here quickly.” He helps Malaika to her feet. “We need to give her some space Malaika. Kali will look after her till help arrives.”
Kali appears by your shoulder as Charles guides Malaika away. “Healing is a rare Perelandran prodigy,” says Kali quietly. “Very rare, and usually not anywhere near as powerful. Maria Cardozo has a little affinity for it, which is why she runs a charity hospital in Sao Paulo now that her acting career is finished.” That makes you smile briefly. You can’t help but wonder what the notoriously temperamental Brazillian Stellae’s bedside manner is like. “But Maria isn’t here,” adds Kali. “I suppose we are lucky that the child chose to display her prodigies now.”
“If you can call what happened here lucky,” you say mournfully back, looking round the hall again. Rosalie and Joe have returned with Bea and Imogen. Malaika rejoins the girls as Charles talks with Joe.
“As you say,” replies Kali, the ghost of a wry smile passing over her lips. She kneels down beside Hilda and starts fashioning a rough tourniquet by ripping strips from her dress. “We haven’t talked for a while Will,” she says without looking up. The use of your given name catches you by surprise
You cock your head to the side and think. “I guess not,” you reply. “I didn’t think there was much to say after I chose my second ousiarch,” you tell her.
Kali makes a light snorting sound as she wraps the rags around the top of Hilda’s thigh. “Perhaps it was because it was too awkward after your trip to Oxford? Or was it because you’d become a full Stellae rather than a mere apprentice? I suppose I should scold you that you should always be learning.” Kali sighs tiredly. “It doesn’t seem the time though. There is one thing we still have in common though: We both live an ocean away from home. It is good to talk to people who care about you, I think.” She pauses for a second, still looking at Hilda. “While you still have the chance.”
You look back at Charles and Joe. “Another lesson,” you bristle.
“Advice from a friend,” replies Kali smoothly, still not looking up. “Now be off with you Will,” she says half-jokingly. “I would prefer to work without distractions.”
Across the hall you see Hal Swann striding towards Charles and Joe. You glance at Kali, she is engrossed in her work, and then back at Charles. Kali has a point, infuriatingly she usually does. You walk over to them. They need your support after all.
“…I’m telling you,” you hear Hal shout as you approach. He stabs a finger in the air wildly. “Fane!”
“You think everything is Fane,” replies Joe urbanely. “It isn’t some giant capitalist conspiracy set out against the people Hal.”
“Well I think you’ll find I’ve studied a lot of these things,” splutters Hal indignantly. “And it bloody well is.” Joe rolls his eyes.
You don’t like Hal. You haven’t since he set you on the assignment that left Bea and Imogen in your care. He’s careless and reckless, with a modus operandi that approaches throwing everything in the air and seeing what sticks.
He’s also right this time.
“Hal’s right,” you interrupt. “This time,” you add, wiping the grin from Hal’s face as soon as it forms. “We’ve seen those creatures before Joe. The soldiers too.”
Joe’s brow furrows. He remembers just as well as you. “Cuthbert.” You nod. “What do you think Dad,” asks Joe.
Charles hasn’t said anything. He’s been staring into space since you walked over. You follow his gaze to see what is holding his interest. A short distance away, one of the tablecloths has been spread over a body as a makeshift shroud. It’s big, but not as big as the corpses of the monsters dotted round the room.
“My oldest friend died today,” says Charles in a very quiet voice. It sounds so unlike him and Joe’s pained reaction to the words only emphasises the fact. The kindly old man that comforted Malaika only a few moments ago seems worlds away. “Find them Hal, you and Rick go find them,” he says. The words are spoken softly, but the hint of anger buried within them is unmistakable to your ears. Joe notices it too and looks queasy about it.
“What do you want me to do sir,” Joe asks Charles.
The old man’s attention suddenly snaps back to earth. “We’re going to have to talk to people about what happened here,” replies Charles. The implications are clear – Joe is an accomplished a liar as you’ve met thanks to his Viritrilbrian ousiarch – Charles wants Joe to help him cover up what happened here today.
Joe nods slowly, he sees it too – of course he does. “What did you have in mind sir?”
Charles thinks for a while. “Terrorists,” he states simply. “And, I’m sorry son, I’m going to have to ask you to delay your honeymoon. I need to talk to Rosalie and Malaika.”
You drift away leaving Charles to plan the Stellae’s response to the attack. At the opposite end of the hall, you spy Frank entering through a broken floor length window. Malaika’s words about talking to a Lurgan come back to you. Frank would be a more tolerable option than Father Ed surely?  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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