Immortal Tales #Wattys2020

Chapter Thirty Three

Emily

Scouting for the enemy had seemed like the most reasonable thing to do and yet, it filled the girl's heart with dread.

Would she recognise the immortals? Would she start losing control over her growing powers again? Or worse even ... her mind?

Straight after saying goodbye to Andre and Sarah (with a passionate exchange of hugs and soft whispers in Mat's ears that she would have happily lived without), they decided to take the second car as soon as the sun rose up.

The group had concluded it was better to not divide this time. Given that the 234 immortals were roaming freely around Chicago, it was wise not to give them any more number advantage than they already had.

Mat had spent a couple of hours importing the Magic Finder 2000 home screen onto his GPS tracker so that they could inspect the immortals intentions from afar.

Emily had never heard of "groups" of immortals sent together for a mission, but it seemed clear that the mist people were making a lot of exceptions for this one.

Hiring a rogue immortal for the purpose of killing her without any path-changer training, dealing with a mortal to kidnap a target, sending hundreds of immortals in a town with the risk of being discovered.

Sure, they had magic, but even that had its limits.

They had decided to follow the largest group, the 50 immortals in the Chicago airport, just to play around with their odds.

-If there are so many of them, chances are they will not notice the presence of three extra immortals - Isaac had argued, still unaware of Mat's immortality. -We might even be able to ask them for information without raising suspicions. -

But as soon as they stepped into the large glass gates of the airport check-in zone, Emily realised how wrong they had been.

The entire airport was asleep. Not in the way cafes and offices are in the early morning, where mortals walk around yawning with a cup of espresso in their hands. No, the airport staff and customers were all literally asleep.

Most people had rolled up into fetal position right on the ground where they were standing. Others had had the time to use a luggage or a chair as a pillow. It appeared to be a dreamless sleep as all of them seemed at peace, with a smile on their faces.

Emily had only seen magic of that strength wielded by one other immortal: Isaac, but even then that had been a limited number of mortals. The entire airport must have contained at least two thousands people. The air twinkled with pure magic.

-Should we try to wake them up or ....? - asked Mat.

Isaac shook his head. His nose twitching because of the magic. -No point in doing so, it would take way too much magic. And they are pretty safe like this, the immortals probably just wanted to pass by unobstructed and without causing mass isteria. A power like this would make any mortal in the nearest 2 miles fall dead asleep. - he said. -Speaking of ... how on Nature are you still standing? -

Mathias fidgeted with his GPS avoiding Isaac's gaze. -Ah well, probably something to do with my father being an immortal right? What else could it be? - his green eyes burned into hers, as if making sure she wouldn't betray his secret.

Isaac seemed satisfied with his answer and took a steap ahead. -Well, we were here to check out the immortals weren't doing any damages right? We better make sure they aren't doing more than putting to sleep mortals. -

As an immortal, Emily had visited her fair share of airports in her life. More than that, she had been there for the airplanes being invented. And yet, she had never witnessed an airport being that silent.

It was just plainly wrong. No beeping sound of the the security check machines, no screaming European tourists trying to gesticulate their way through the check-in stations, no school groups making pranks on each other. Every corridor full of sleeping passengers could have been a painting of calm and perfection.

The more they walked through empty shops of overpriced Chicago merchandise, the more she felt her nerves rising.

Where were all the immortals?

Mathias kept checking the Magic Finder 2000, but the giant spot of light wasn't precise enough to pinpoint their location within a 1 mile radius.

Jane stopped at a candy shop and stuffed her pockets with liquorice and a bottle of gin. Isaac frowned at her but the girl's only respose was taking her tongue out.

Mathias walked silently next to her as they passed a group of old ladies falled asleep on each other. Their luggage was rolling going up and down the escalator like a crazy PacMan machine.

-Thanks for having my back Luz - he whispered.

She avoided his eyes. -You keep my secret, I keep yours. - she muttered coldly.

-Uhm sure, even though I feel like you should mention something about your magical powers having no control ... just as a casual conversation topic. - he leaned closer, putting a hand over her wrist.

She wiggled it free istantly, and would have pushed him over the edge of escalator if it hadn't been that they were trying to avoid making unnecessary noise.

-Look, thanks for coming along, but I don't need another immortal worrying about my every move. I already have Andre and Isaac for that. Maybe Jane when she doesn't want to stab me. - she muttered. She hadn't meant to sound so bitter. - I am here on this Earth for a purpose and a purpose only: findind the mist people and preventing them from hurting more innocent people like your girlfriend. If that means I have to become a shadow of myself for that to happen... So be it. I have never been more than the shadow of a person anyways. -

The girl had never really said those words out loud, and she didn't know why she had revealed them to a boy she barely knew. Because she knew her friends would never understand, no one really could. Despite all they had shared together, her friend seemed to fit in the mortal world just fine. But her? She was an empty shell, she would never belong.

Mathias kept walking by her side and they reached the passport check zone. None of the asleep police men one complained when they jumped over the turn-overs without showing a proper ID.

-You thought Sarah was my girlfriend? - he asked finally, a wicked grin on his face. -Man no uhg, I told you we were in the same foster house as children. She is more like a sister. In fact, the only sister who was kind enough to not joke about my eidetic memory. In case you haven't noticed ... she is a bit of a fragile soul. I always felt the need of protecting her whilst in fact she was protecting me from the other kids. -

"Oh..." she thought. Not that it mattered anyways, she would have protected the girl regardless of the nature of her affection for Mat.

-Where you ... jealous?- he asked taking her hand again. -I thought you could read my emotions!-

She moved it again once more, she didn't need an extra distraction in the ghost airport.

-Is that all you got from my speech? You are so full of yourself. - his eyes pleaded for the answer to his question. She was careful not to lie, in case the answer went to his head. -And the fact that I can read someone's emotions doesn't mean I do all the time. -

She didn't mentions the fact that she had carefully avoided his or Sarah's to not be enveloped in lust and romance thoughts. She had made that mistake a few times by spying into Isaac and Andre's minds.

-Yeah sure, I heard the revenge and shadow thing, blah blah blah - he said. - I call bullshit on that. Oh shit look! -

If Andre had been there with them, she would have slapped Mathias for cursing so much. But as they were, Emily couldn't avoid cursing herself.

They had found the immortals.