Across Worlds - Chapter 7

Falyn

It felt like seconds had passed when Falyn opened her eyes. But by the look of her surroundings, it had been much longer than that. And she didn’t remember any of it.

They were still in Sam’s house, but it was completely destroyed. The wallpaper was curling back from the wall; the ceiling lights were blown out; the furniture was scattered across the floor in the most odd places.

“What happened?” She sat up and groaned. Her entire body ached. Her pounding headache failed to compare to the pain her joints were in.

“Don’t get up,” Zeke said quietly. She jumped at the sound of his voice. How long had he been sitting there? “You need to rest.”

“Can you tell me—“

“Not now,” he responded. “Later. You took quite a hit.”

“But where is—” Before Zeke could stop her, Falyn sat up and looked around. She stopped talking the second she saw across the room.

Akia was bent over Sam who wasn’t moving. Falyn’s heart skip a beat. He wasn’t—no, he couldn’t be. Otherwise Akia wouldn’t bother with him.

She pushed Zeke away and got up to stumble across the room. Zeke reached her halfway across and placed a hand on her back and one on her arm. If not for him she was sure that she wouldn’t have made it over.

“What’s wrong with him?” Her voice cracked at the end of the question. Seeing him up close was different than seeing the scene from across the room. His skin had a yellow hue to it. His eyes were wide open, but looked empty. Those blue eyes that she could never turn away from were now staring into an empty void.

Without looking back, Akia said, “Get her away, someone.” Zeke tried to pull Falyn back, but she tugged her arm out of his grasp. She knelt down next to Akia and looked at Sam.

“He’s not…” But she couldn’t bring herself to even harbor the thought. It was too painful.

“No,” Akia said firmly. Falyn sighed with relief. “But he’s close to it so if you’d just give me some space that’d be nice.” As much as she didn’t want to, Falyn obliged.

Zeke helped her back over to where Mina was sitting against the wall. Mina gave her a tight hug when she sat, sending pain coursing through her body.

“Ah.”

“Sorry,” Mina said, letting go of her instantly. Unfortunately that hurt too. “I forgot.”

Zeke sat on the other side of Falyn and fixed his gaze on the wall opposite them. He seemed to be deep in thought, and very interested in the wall. Falyn debated asking him what was wrong, but she decided against it. She didn’t want to get wrapped up in someone else’s emotions.

The three of them sat in silence as Akia muttered incantations over Sam’s body. Falyn ran a prayer through her mind constantly. Sam had to live; he just had to. She wasn’t sure that she could go on without him.

Half an hour passed and Akia wasn’t any closer to healing him. His skin was still that yellow color and he was stiff as a board. She needed to get her mind off of him.

But she just couldn’t. Sam was lying there nearly dead and she couldn’t do anything about it. And she didn’t even remember how he got to be like that. It was more than frustrating.

Akia burst into a chain of curse words, leaning back on her heels. Whatever she was doing, it wasn’t working. Zeke suddenly got up and stalked across the room.

“Don’t touch him,” Akia shouted as he reached down to help. He ignored her and sat next to her. He looked at Sam before waving his hand over his face. Akia reached out and slapped his hand away.

Zeke glared at her. “What’d you do that for? You screwed up the spell!”

“I don’t need your help! You’ll only make things worse.” Akia retorted.

“Why am I here if you don’t want my help?”

“I don’t know why the hell you’re here,” she yelled. “I should’ve left you stranded on that road. You’d be in jail right now and I wouldn’t have to deal with you.

“What did I do?” Zeke looked amused at the situation. And even though Falyn didn’t know what was happening, she had the sudden urge to slap the smile right off his face.

“Everything,” Akia retorted. “If you hadn’t attacked, Sam wouldn’t have gotten hit.”

“And if you hadn’t invited me along in the first place this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Don’t you switch this back to me!”

“It is your fault after all.”

“I brought you along ‘cause you’re like us; like me.”

“Then why don’t you trust me?”

“Because I’ve never met you,” Akia retorted. “Would you trust someone you just met?”

“I would if they saved my life twice.”

Before Falyn knew it, Akia was in Zeke’s face. She didn’t even notice her move. But their faces were suddenly inches from each other’s.

“I can take care of myself. The only thing you did was interfere. You’re lucky that it all turned out right.”

Zeke raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers. Sam sat up and gasped. Everyone turned to look at him. Before even thinking about what had happened, Falyn rushed forward.

“You’re okay!” she squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, despite the pain that was apparent in his face.

“How did you do that?” Akia hissed. Zeke simply shrugged.

“Same way you healed Falyn.” Without another word, he went back across the room and sat against the wall.

Akia rushed to Sam’s side, joining Falyn. Sam was looking at the two of them, confusion showing right through. Akia must have known because she started right into what had happened during the fight.

Sam got hit first. It was a muddle spell, Akia shared. And the second Falyn reached out to help him she was affected by the spell as well.

“That’s a dangerous spell. I can’t believe the Force still uses that one,” Sam commented. “You shouldn’t have tried to help.”

“Well I didn’t know what had happened,” Falyn responded. “And what did you expect me to do? I wasn’t gonna let you lay there and die.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

After an awkward silence, they got the rest of the story.

Zeke fought off the remaining guards and tried to get them all out. But Falyn’s father, Archie Hillon, held Mina captive while he demanded Akia come with him. When she refused, he attacked.

Akia was able to deflect the spell back at Archie. He was flung back against the wall and crumbled to the floor. That took care of the Force. But the guards were still there. They had to get rid of them somehow.

“Mina was the one that came up with the memory spell,” Akia said. “If not for her I’m pretty sure we’d be on the run right now.”

Falyn looked at Mina, who was beaming from ear to ear. She couldn’t help but chuckle. Mina sure looked proud of herself.

“Wait, just one memory spell? That took care of it?”

“Yes, Sam,” Zeke said sarcastically. “We used just one spell to confound all of the guards.”

“Can you butt out of the conversation?” Akia snapped. Something flickered in Zeke’s eyes and Falyn noticed his fingers twitch. But he backed down and kept his mouth shut.

“Look, it’s not that big of a deal,” Sam said finally. “The point is, you got the guards to leave. And you’re sure they’re off our trail?” Akia nodded.

After he had regained some strength, Sam decided to head downstairs and get some food. Mina volunteered to go with him which left Falyn alone with a very angry Akia and an annoyed Zeke. They refused to look at each other, each sitting on opposite sides of the room.

Falyn finally decided to sit with Akia. She had questions she still needed answers to after all.

Sam and Mina soon returned with bags of chips and a loaf of bread.

“Nobody complain,” Mina said. “This was all there was left.”

They all ate in silence, stuffing their faces. It had been a while since any of them had eaten.

“So,” Sam said after the chips were gone. “What’s next? Do we head out?”

“I’m not going anywhere until I get answers,” Falyn said, staring at Akia. She refused to meet her gaze, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. “And I’d like them now.”

“There are things in life we all want. Doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll get them.”

“I’d at least like to know the real reason that you took me away from my father.”

“He’s not your real father,” Akia said curtly. “Your father is where we’re heading to in the morning.”

“Which is…”

Instead of responding, Akia led Falyn to the window. The only thing she could see was the top of trees. But just above that were the tops of the buildings of Pollume. Their metallic gleam could not be mistaken for anything else.

“Do you see those buildings in the distance,” Akia asked. Falyn nodded. Boy did she ever. “That’s where your father is.”

“In—in Pollume?” Falyn asked in disbelief.

“No, in Lightport. Pollume doesn’t exist.”