Seven
“Light up!” Dailen yelled at Rysen. They had been transferring Rysen’s orange fire light globe for countless hours. Dailen was acting like an adolescent-his excitement was overwhelming to the others. They still had no idea what exactly it was he and Rysen were doing, no explanation was given. Rysen looked tired as ever while Dailen’s eyes held more hope than Kyan had seen since his arrival as Abscan.
Melan asked Emmix to summon brand new sheets for the beds in the extra rooms and Kyan prayed the linen wouldn’t disappear from a temporary summon. Each room was color themed; small wooden signs hung on the outsides of the doors with painted names on them. In one room, a queen sized bed was draped with long silver fabric. The bedding was thick and also silver; the bed held different sized metallic decorative pillows. The walls were painted light grey, and a white lighted chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, it was in the shape of a sphere. One wall was made of mirrors; the room appeared to be gigantic. The wardrobe and bed side table were decked with aluminum colored paint. Every silver themed room looked identical to it. Each dorm held a specific color throughout the pieces of furniture. If the room was pink, the walls were too, if the room was purple so was the rug, and if the space was red so were the drapes that hung over the bed.
“What’s with the rainbow?” Kyan whispered to Melan as she was fixing a bright yellow pillow on one of the beds. She stood back and admired it, found something to change, and fixed it.
“The abilities venators have come with a significant eye color. Mine are pink because I am a hider. Emmix’s are yellow because she is a summoner, and Rysen’s are orange because he is a pusher.” She quit arranging and rearranging the pillows and moved on to a different room with Kyan in tow.
“So you can tell a venator’s abilities from his or her eye color?” He leaned against one of the bed frame’s poles. He now knew he wasn’t as different as he once thought and upon the realization, part of him loathed knowing the fact.
“Yes, trackers have silver eyes, seers have purple, charmers have bronze, blinders have lime, finders have red, and jumpers have periwinkle.” She said, briskly folding the throw blankets and laying them neatly on the corners of the beds. “It’s a venator’s job to memorize all of that.” She tightened the corner of one of the blankets, making precisely sure that it was perfect. Kyan picked up the pillows off the ground and began positioning them at the head of the bed. She took a few off and ordered them into different places. Kyan grimaced at her.
“What can they do?” He prodded like a child, ignorant of what all the ability names entitled. He’d never thought what he saw in super hero movies, as a child, could be transitioned into real life. He reached for a pillow and threw it at Melan, playfully acknowledging her obsessive behavior.
“Oh boy, you have a lot of learning to do Kyan.” Melan grinned at him, and waltzed out into the hall, ignoring the pillow, and leaving him to tend to the room by himself. He picked it off of the floor; it was spotted with red fuzz balls. “…a finder huh,” He said softly to himself, tossing the pillow onto the bed with the others. He turned to walk out the door when Emmix appeared in the frame.
“Talking to yourself,” She smiled crookedly at him, “is the first step to insanity.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wood. Her slim figure crawled at his secret thought box. He looked away at the mirror on the wall. His black hair slightly draped over his forehead. He was still wearing the fitted clothes from before. He stuffed his hands into his tight pockets.
“Funny you say that, usually the insane people are the smart ones.” He smiled wryly at her, looking away from the mirror. “They’re also the ones that survive in the end.” He felt her eyes on him, and heard her footsteps grow closer. She stood next to him, propped against the bed.
“I know a certain someone’s birthday is in three days. He hasn’t brought it up to anyone, and it’s a big one, eighteen years.” She looked over at him, forcing his eyes to return the look. Her eyes were brilliant, her thin lips curved into a gorgeous smirk, her hair made light waves in different directions. He felt his face get hot even though his skin was always cold.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” He treaded to the other side of the bed, rearranging pillows that didn’t need to be moved. He wondered if she ever felt like he did, confused and crazy. He looked up at her as she gazed down at the floor, thinking. “You don’t have to get me anything.” He added, setting down the pillows.
“Oh shut up, you’re getting something from me whether you like it or not.” She turned to him, and he swore he saw a glimpse of her pupils dilating. They gazed at each other for a long moment. Emmix was the first to break, shyly looking away to the door. “Melan probably wants me to go help set up a room or something.” She said confidently, trying to obtain her hardcore façade back. He was beginning to realize that she pulled over her curtain whenever she felt vulnerable, against letting anyone in. He wanted to change that, to be the one to break down the wall and give her back her childlike freedom.
He walked over to her, closing the space between them and looked down to her bright eyes. He instinctively reached up to touch her cheek lightly. He held her eyes with his; he could smell the faint spice of her shampoo. Everything in the box in his head banged at the giant lock holding them in. She uncrossed her arms and gazed back at him, looking between his eyes. His thumb brushed against her skin, he could feel his heart beating in his hands. Emmix’s voice came out soft and hushed, “Don’t pass out on me this time.” She breathed. There was unevenness to her voice that pulled at Kyan’s gut. He mouthed I won’t, and smiled at her.
He had no clue what was between them, all he could figure out was sometimes he hated her for being overtly confident while other times he wanted to be the one to make her smile. She reached up to touch his hand on her cheek. “Don’t get all soft on me now Rogues.” She winked and smiled at him, taking his hand off her face carefully, and striding out the door. Kyan beamed, he could tell she mustered up quite a bit of confidence to peel away from him.
“I saw that.” Melan said as she popped up by his side, making him flinch.
“Shit Melan really? Don’t do that.” He threw back, still recovering from a near heart attack. He shook his head at her, smiling but reluctant. She had tricked him with her hiding and he wasn’t about to let that go easily, payback was in the future.
“It was pretty adorable I must say.” She skipped over to him, admiring the pillow work he’d done. She nodded her head once with approval.
“You suck.” He said promptly. A long echoing chime rang through the walls of the mansion. Kyan turned to Melan in confusion. Her lips curved into a magnificent smile as she started bouncing up and down. “What is it?” Kyan questioned.
“They’re here.”
One by one, young adults by the lot entered Abscan. Each one received a greeting and introduction to Kyan, the names of all of them, he expected, would leave his memory the second after another was introduced. As Melan said, their eyes were brilliant colors, all bright, none dull. Several of them asked why his were sea foam and what ability he had that came with such “glorious irises”. He couldn’t help but blush, there was no way they could’ve studied him in the books.
Two venators caught his eye immediately. He could tell they were together, acting the exact same way, with the same mannerisms. They interacted with each other as if they’d been together for a life time, but they only looked to be in their early twenties. He carefully watched their interactions. They did everything together, they smiled at the same time, shook hands with others the same way, and they were completely in sync.
The young woman of the couple was thin with dark blonde hair that stopped at the middle of her back, her skin was evenly tanned and her eyes were bright red. The young man had light brown hair and red eyes as well; his jaw was lined with just a slight shadow of a beard. They reached about the same height, the man only inches taller than the woman but both taller than Kyan. They were finders; they were also physically fit and threatening.
“This,” Emmix motioned towards the couple, “is Canter Erios and Kedra Erios. They’ve been together for almost twenty years.” Kyan watched Emmix admire the couple, the two shook his hand and walked with great stature to their room. Kyan thought for a split second that they weren’t good people. He ignored the thought, realizing he didn’t actually know them. Emmix turned to Kyan after their departure, “My Godmother and Godfather. I haven’t seen them since the last Lectionem. So much for family…” She hid her face from his and then tugged him along to the next venators he assumed he would be meeting.
“Naren Messa! My good friend, I haven’t seen you in a lifetime!” Melan ran over to Kyan and Emmix just as Emmix opened her mouth to speak. The man’s eyes were bronze, with flecks of what looked like gold glitter. He looked to be only a few years older than the Erios couple. His dark hair sat neatly messed up on his head, the sides cut just slightly shorter than the top. Kyan liked the man; he could see him eye to eye. “Oh yes, my lovely Melan,” he took her hand and spun her around; his charming European accent even took Kyan by surprise, “how’ve you been?”
“Splendid, thank you for asking; it’s been, what, three years? You can’t keep skipping the readings.” Melan smiled widely, the two still held hands. Kyan sensed a bond of something more than friendship, almost as if they’d been raised together.
“I’ve had personal accords to tend to; in addition I’ve been in the Southern Hemisphere for the past sixteen months.” He leaned in to her, whispering not so quietly, “You know how those travesties can be.” Then he stood straight up and let go of her hand. She giggled and faced Kyan.
“Naren this is Kyan, Kyan this is Naren. He’s a Charmer.” Kyan held back a thick laugh, thinking Naren’s ability was too perfect for his personality. “Kyan’s a freezer!” Melan widened her eyes at both of them expecting immediate friendship of the two.
“A freezer, what is that?” The man’s eyebrows pulled together in the middle, intrigued by Kyan.
“I freeze time.” Kyan spoke without falter, he felt exuberant in his triumph. “Would you like to see?” At his question, Naren’s lips curved into a crooked smile. Kyan took it as a yes, and squeezed his eyes shut, holding his arms out in front of himself like before. He felt all of the venators eyes on him, even the ones he hadn’t spoken to.
It wasn’t the tingle running up his arm that he felt; it was a dagger like feeling that dug into his skin along his imprint. He yelled out in pain grasping his arm and collapsing to the floor with his head slammed against the slate, his vision blackening for a split second.
His yelling continued as absolute chaos broke out in the room. Emmix screamed loudly at Kyan, her eyes filling with tears from utter terror. Kyan curled under himself, feeling his arm dampen. He could only hear Emmix’s yelling over the hustle and bustle of people trying to find some way to help. His face was pressed against the cold stone floor; he let every ounce of pain go through his mouth, his agony ever so present in his voice. The pain didn’t come from his arm. It shot out from his heart like something trying to escape its walls. Through all the noise he focused in on Emmix’s voice instinctively. He could hear the wavering in her tone. The first time he heard something other than the front she’d been putting up since they’d met. He realized her wall had been blown apart by whatever was happening to him.
“They’re tracking him.” Kyan heard an indistinctive voice clearly state. “We have to hide him,” said another. He could only make out a few of the voices still not knowing whose mouths they came from. He could taste rich copper; hesitantly looking down he noticed the pool of blood coming from his arm. It had collected around him in a five foot diameter, he was losing it fast. His skin was gashed all along his activation scar.
“Kyan!” Emmix screamed again, he felt a cool hand on his cheek. She leaned down to him, whispering reassuring words in his ear. His teeth gritted and he watched in her eyes as tears filled along the yellow irises he liked so much. She closed her eyes and kissed him as though it’d be the last breath he took.
The world blacked out.
“Kyan?” Emmix was looking at him with an odd expression of confusion as he opened his eyes to see the group around him staring. He lowered his arms and glanced at his imprint, nothing had changed, and he hadn’t moved an inch. Looking up, he made eye contact with a short brunette girl on the other side of the room; her bright purple eyes pierced his. He walked towards her pushing past Naren, Emmix, and Melan. He ignored their protests and questions of what he was doing.
The girl wore a white dress, the style from the early twenties. Her skin was a light tan; her figure was as small as a young teenager’s. He bent down to her level after reaching where she stood. “What was that?” He asked; not understanding what took his feet to her, nor how he would know that she saw the same thing he had.
“My name is Cerin, I am a seer.” She peeked up at him with big eyes, “What you saw was your future.” When Kyan stood back up and wiped his face with his hand she continued, “It can change if you wish. I’ve never been able to show people their futures, it’s only been you. In my opinion it was cool, but I guess not so much for you…” She spoke in a gentle voice as if a word could shatter glass like a bullet. “I saw that coming too.” She spoke of knowing that he would see what she saw.
Kyan couldn’t muster any words for what she told him. He turned back to Emmix; she held his eyes for a long beat. If only she saw it too, he thought. Right around the same time, she summoned her soft voiced words into his mind, are you okay? He smiled at her ever so slightly, loving that she cared to ask.
“Do you want to know your future with her?” Cerin had brought him back to the present; he didn’t exactly hear what she said.
“Excuse me?” His lips parted a bit as he raised an eyebrow.
“I know your future with her; do you want me to tell you?” Cerin’s big purple eyes stared at his, waiting for a response. Kyan wasn’t sure he wanted to know, if it wasn’t good then he’d feel awful because if it was a happy ending he would feel terrible about eliminating the mystery. If it looked only like a downward spiral he knew he would want to know before it was too late.
After a long moment Kyan replied, “I think I’ll just find out for myself.” He glanced back at Emmix who quickly looked away after meeting his eyes; he smiled.