Page 57
Story: The Arabis Triad
Lucie’s large deep hazel eyes were too big in her pale face. Her skin was waxy, her hair limp. While Evelyn had filled out, the vestiges of torture removed through the continued love and care of her mates. Her soul sang, and her body showed it. Lucie—didn’t.
Concern flickered through Evelyn. Lucie was definitely not herself. Lucie’s eyes slid back to Evelyn. Something dark shifted deep inside them, there in an instant and gone the next.
Concern changed to alarm. In that flicker, there was a recognition of the darkness she had come to know intimately on that cold beach in Nowhere Land.
It couldn’t possibly be, but so much had happened to her that shouldn’t actually be possible, Evelyn wasn’t going to let anything pass. Who knew what this thing was capable of doing.
“Lucie, there’s something I have to say to you.” Evelyn chewed her lip. She didn’t want to tell her everything that had happened to herself. Honestly, she didn’t think the girl could take all of it, but maybe there was some sort of connection between recent events and what might be happening to Lucie now. The Reptiles had become as excited about Lucie as they had with her. And that other crystal had glowed just as much for Lucie as the Arabis had done for her.
“Something… strange… happened to me while I was here. I don’t know where I went, but it was somewhere between worlds. Like I was dreaming but not. While I was there, this… entity… came to me. It was dark, Lucie. It wanted to use the power of the crystal through me. You know these crystal are pretty powerful, don’t you?”
Lucie nodded slowly. She licked cracked lips. She hesitated, as though mentally checking something, before she spoke. “They put the crystal back in the tower, but it’s not glowing. They said it would glow, but it isn’t working. If it doesn’t glow, the people can’t find mates. Can’t have babies. They’re dying out. It’s something to do with me.” Her eyes filled with bright, unshed tears. “I’m stopping it somehow. It’s all my fault!”
Evelyn clutched the side of the console. She should be there in person, to really see what was going on, but they were still light years apart. Trum was making good time coming to get them, but he had yet to arrive and then they had to return. It would be weeks before they would get to Negari. She had to settle for the communication she was currently using.
“You are inno wayresponsible, Lucie. This thing that wants the power, it abducted us alongside the Reptiles. Brought us here. It means to use us somehow. You have to resist it, Lucie.”
Lucie looked away, scratching the same spot without realizing she was bleeding. “I don’t know…”
The hairs stood up on Evelyn’s arms. “Lucie. Has it contacted you? In your dreams? Your thoughts? Has thisthingspoken to you? You have to tell me. I can help you. We can help you.”
Lucie turned wild eyes on Evelyn. The look she wore was stark. Terrified. She leaned in so close Evelyn could see the unhealthy, manic glaze in her eyes magnified tenfold. “You don’t understand. I’m the only one who can stop it. I must… I have to… It’s all up to me.”
“Lucie. Tell your mates what’s happening,” Evelyn said. “They’re the only ones strong enough to help you. You can’t do it on your own.”
Lucie put her hands on her ears, clenching her eyes shut. Her face screwed up as though she was waging an internal war. “No! Stop! Nothing can help me. Nothing!”
She stepped back, and then turned and bolted from the room, leaving the door hung open.
Evelyn jerked forward. “Lucie? Lucie! Come back.”
This was bad. So, so bad.
Paxt, Coltan, and Ashir bombarded into the cabin.
“What is it, mate? We felt your distress,” Paxt said.
Evelyn rose from the pilot’s chair, pursuing the warmth of their embrace. Paxt caught her in his strong arms. She peered up at him, clinging to him, seeking his comfort readily offered.
“It’s Lucie,” she said, voice quivering. “I think that entity is somehow speaking to her, like it was in that dream-state, but for real. She doesn’t look well at all. I told her what had happened to me. I thought it would help her to hear it. To warn her. But she… she ran. She thinks the Erion crystal not powering up the tower is her fault.” Evelyn swallowed hard. “I think she’s in danger.”
Concern flickered through Evelyn. Lucie was definitely not herself. Lucie’s eyes slid back to Evelyn. Something dark shifted deep inside them, there in an instant and gone the next.
Concern changed to alarm. In that flicker, there was a recognition of the darkness she had come to know intimately on that cold beach in Nowhere Land.
It couldn’t possibly be, but so much had happened to her that shouldn’t actually be possible, Evelyn wasn’t going to let anything pass. Who knew what this thing was capable of doing.
“Lucie, there’s something I have to say to you.” Evelyn chewed her lip. She didn’t want to tell her everything that had happened to herself. Honestly, she didn’t think the girl could take all of it, but maybe there was some sort of connection between recent events and what might be happening to Lucie now. The Reptiles had become as excited about Lucie as they had with her. And that other crystal had glowed just as much for Lucie as the Arabis had done for her.
“Something… strange… happened to me while I was here. I don’t know where I went, but it was somewhere between worlds. Like I was dreaming but not. While I was there, this… entity… came to me. It was dark, Lucie. It wanted to use the power of the crystal through me. You know these crystal are pretty powerful, don’t you?”
Lucie nodded slowly. She licked cracked lips. She hesitated, as though mentally checking something, before she spoke. “They put the crystal back in the tower, but it’s not glowing. They said it would glow, but it isn’t working. If it doesn’t glow, the people can’t find mates. Can’t have babies. They’re dying out. It’s something to do with me.” Her eyes filled with bright, unshed tears. “I’m stopping it somehow. It’s all my fault!”
Evelyn clutched the side of the console. She should be there in person, to really see what was going on, but they were still light years apart. Trum was making good time coming to get them, but he had yet to arrive and then they had to return. It would be weeks before they would get to Negari. She had to settle for the communication she was currently using.
“You are inno wayresponsible, Lucie. This thing that wants the power, it abducted us alongside the Reptiles. Brought us here. It means to use us somehow. You have to resist it, Lucie.”
Lucie looked away, scratching the same spot without realizing she was bleeding. “I don’t know…”
The hairs stood up on Evelyn’s arms. “Lucie. Has it contacted you? In your dreams? Your thoughts? Has thisthingspoken to you? You have to tell me. I can help you. We can help you.”
Lucie turned wild eyes on Evelyn. The look she wore was stark. Terrified. She leaned in so close Evelyn could see the unhealthy, manic glaze in her eyes magnified tenfold. “You don’t understand. I’m the only one who can stop it. I must… I have to… It’s all up to me.”
“Lucie. Tell your mates what’s happening,” Evelyn said. “They’re the only ones strong enough to help you. You can’t do it on your own.”
Lucie put her hands on her ears, clenching her eyes shut. Her face screwed up as though she was waging an internal war. “No! Stop! Nothing can help me. Nothing!”
She stepped back, and then turned and bolted from the room, leaving the door hung open.
Evelyn jerked forward. “Lucie? Lucie! Come back.”
This was bad. So, so bad.
Paxt, Coltan, and Ashir bombarded into the cabin.
“What is it, mate? We felt your distress,” Paxt said.
Evelyn rose from the pilot’s chair, pursuing the warmth of their embrace. Paxt caught her in his strong arms. She peered up at him, clinging to him, seeking his comfort readily offered.
“It’s Lucie,” she said, voice quivering. “I think that entity is somehow speaking to her, like it was in that dream-state, but for real. She doesn’t look well at all. I told her what had happened to me. I thought it would help her to hear it. To warn her. But she… she ran. She thinks the Erion crystal not powering up the tower is her fault.” Evelyn swallowed hard. “I think she’s in danger.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57