Awaken - 2. Lost One

My palms sought out the walls as I tried following Talon through the dark. That low whistle started again and in between whistles he hummed a song that seemed familiar but I couldn't place. After what seemed like forever we reached the end of the path and the stone walls that came into view looked blessedly like what I was used to. The path had widened as we progressed and Talon stopped at the edge of the light. I moved past him into it and basked in the sunlight. Talon's alley was dark and disorientating and I had felt like something was going to grab me the entire time. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at him. His head was tilted at that angle again and he was twisting his ring on his finger, staring at me.

“Where do I go from here?” I asked quietly. I knew the path but I was curious to see if he'd step out of his alley and show me.

The edges of his mouth slowly upturned in a smile and a flash of some emotion flashed across those unnerving grey and black eyes, “You know the way. You're not very good at this are you?”

“I'm not sure I can find my way out. What if I get lost again?”

He rolled his eyes dramatically and flipped a wide hood over his head, his eyes falling into shadow. He stepped out and blinked at the sun. It was more direct here than inside his home and his nose wrinkled, “too bright.”
He walked past me and I moved to follow. I looked over his bare arms and shoulders in the light. Scars peeked out from under the black fabric that was draped around his neck and I wondered what had caused them. I was pondering Talon's probable dark back story when I ran right into him for the second time that day. The green and red smears were still on his hands and it occurred to me that I had no idea what exactly he'd done to me. He reached out an arm, gripping my wrist to stop me from falling.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” I knew that voice, oh no, “You shouldn't be out here freak.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Talon's voice remained light but I watched him stiffen, “Silly me I thought I lived here.”

“You live in The Shift abomination. Why do you think you can come out here among those of us who aren't tainted?” I slowly moved around Talon, scowling at my brother Eon. I had recognized his voice immediately. Where did he get off saying such awful things to the man who'd just saved my life? Mind you, he also scared me to the core of my being and I was fully aware he could quite literally snap me in half and that was without using Magik. Eon blinked when he saw me and then his face twisted in rage. My eyes widened. Eon barely showed emotion. Why was he so angry? Eon was flanked by my sister Anika, her hair in a thick braid over her shoulder. She had leveled Talon with a glare. Their party was rounded out with Mallex Nainde, my brother's best friend. His short, thick, blond hair was neatly coiffed and his green eyes fell on me. I should've known that my father would send someone to drag me home. Of course Lex had taken it upon himself to come with. He and Eon were five years older than me and ever since I had turned 18 two years ago, Lex acted as if he had some kind of claim on me. His torso was heavily muscled and he wore a white and gold vest over a flowing cream undershirt. His father had been our father's second in command and they shared the ability to control air. Lex's arms crossed over his chest and he squared his wide shoulders. He was shorter than Eon but taller than me. Talon towered over everyone.

“Abomination. You know Eon I think that's my favorite one. It has so much more flavor than freak, witch, cursed one.” Talon grinned, baring his unusually long incisors. I looked up at him frowning. He knew my brother’s name? Why did it seem like everyone knew something I didn't? It was like being in the middle of a game of keep away.

Long fingers pushed my hair away from my face and Talon looked over my eye and lip. I could see clearly out of my eye now and my lip didn't feel like it was hanging off my face. Whatever he had done had healed my wounds. Lex and Eon both reacted. Lex, however was closer. He gripped my wrist roughly and jerked me away from Talon. Eon lunged for him but Talon side stepped him and sighed.

“Don't fucking touch him! Do it again and I'll burn you to the point where your Godsforsaken family won't be able to identify you're body,” Eon growled.

“I rather think that your brother is more than capable of deciding who touches him. I hope he disagrees with you because I quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately for you, your baby brother does quite well in the dark.” Lex pushed past Eon, slamming Talon into the wall. A kind of maniacal glee filled Talon's dark eyes. His hood fell back and his canine teeth bit into his full lower lip.

“Say something about him again you cursed waste of flesh.” Lex was practically screaming in Talon's face. I had no idea what was happening. Eon was practically panting with rage and Lex for some ungodly reason thought he had to defend my honor. Anika was standing farther away, looking disgusted with the whole situation. Lex raised his fist and I tried to scramble around Eon. Eon gripped my waist and hauled me back. I caught different movement and froze as I watched black spread up Talon's fingers from his fingernails. It looked like he had dipped his fingers in ink. With horror I watched his nails grow longer and sharper, turning into claws. Lex moved to throw his punch, air spinning around his fist. Talon was faster, his hand moved up in a quick, smooth arc. Blood sprayed across the walls and Lex hit the ground, holding his arm with a cry. My stomach rolled as I saw it was barely attached. Anika covered her mouth, her eyes wide. Eon had stopped, his face filled with shock.

“That's enough fun for today,” Talon flicked his wrist and blood splattered onto the ground, “I hope to see you again Lordling. Eon, you and your friend, not so much.”
The black receded sliding back down until his pale skin looked normal again. He pulled his hood up and I watched him disappear back into his shadows. For the longest time none of us moved. Well except for Lex who was screaming and holding his arm to his chest. I knelt down, stopping his movement, while I ripped a strip of fabric from my pants. My hands were shaking so bad it was hard for me to function. I managed to get it awkwardly wrapped around him so his arm was secured to his chest.

“Eon I need your help.” My brother shook his head, trying to get control of himself, before helping me get the blond man to his feet. Anika led the way as we rushed Lex to the nearest healer.

*

We were standing outside a small hut with a weather beaten tin roof. The healer was positive he could save Lex's arm but he had been mumbling about how clean the laceration was, marveling at how precise it had been. Anika sat on an old barrel and regarded me coldly. Eon was quiet, too quiet. He hadn't said anything to me since we'd left the alley and he refused to meet my gaze.

Finally Anika broke the silence, “What were you thinking? Talon Verloren? Are you stupid?” Realization dawned on me. Talon Verloren was Eon's age. His family had been chased out of Dleth, one of the countries that bordered us. They fled, but not before Talon's father slaughtered half of their hometown. No one knew exactly what he'd done but the rumors and stories that had been told were true tales of horror. The roads had run with blood. Entire bloodlines wiped out and carnage laying in houses and even on the streets. No one was exactly sure which gifts the Verloren family possessed, but they quickly earned some pretty harsh nicknames. Some of which my family and Lex had just thrown in Talon's face. They'd been allowed into the country through some agreement with the king. Everything about them fleeing the country and arriving here was still shrouded in mystery. No one even knew how many people were in the family. That had been 20 years ago. Talon had been only five years old.

“I d-didn't know-”

“You didn't know? Didn't you see the marking on his hip? That ring? Are you also blind?” Anika was livid and I thought for a moment that she might hit me.

“He could've killed you Kalian.” Eon's voice was barely above a whisper. His face was blank as he stared down at the cobblestones under our feet. He was back to normal thankfully. Seeing full blown emotion on my brother's face had shaken me.

“In all fairness you both could kill me too if you wanted. Let's be honest that doesn't really make him more threatening.”

Eon looked up at me, “Didn't you see what he did to Lex? His family is cursed. They're a family of monsters.”

An image of claws curling from his nails and black creeping up his wrist filled my mind, “Lex attacked him Eon. He's the one that made it physical.”

“Lex was protecting you, you complete idiot,” Anika snapped, “Why that boy still bothers with you I will never know.”Her features twisted in jealousy and I was ashamed to admit I enjoyed seeing it. It wasn't often I had something my siblings didn't.

“He saved me.” Both my siblings stared at me, Eon impassive and Anika sneering.

“From what?” We all looked up to see Lex walk through the doorway. All of our eyes snapped to his arm and I saw a thick white scar stretched across his tan bicep.

Anika cooed and fussed over him, sliding her manicured fingers over his arm, “You poor thing. He couldn't heal it without a scar?”

Lex shrugged out of Anika's hands, stepping toward me, “The freak saved you from what?”

I looked away, “Two muggers. They didn't like that I didn't have any money. They were starting to beat me.” I didn't think they needed the more uncomfortable details. I shuddered as I felt Sken's rough hands on my skin again.

“His eye is red. So is his lip,” Eon supplied quietly.

“They were both swollen and bloody. He fixed them.”

Anika flipped her lid yet again, “You let him use his dark Magik on you? You complete moron!”

“He didn't use Magik. He had...medicines.” Truthfully I didn't know exactly what Talon had done.

Lex slid even closer, cupping my face and tilting it this way and that in the light, “I can't believe you let him touch your beautiful face.” His green eyes, rimmed with blue, were full of fear and...jealousy? I pulled away from him, brushing his hands off of me and giving him a dirty look. I had told them someone attacked me and all he could think about was that Talon had touched me.

“Yes thank gods my face is okay. I could've died but hey at least I'm still pretty.” Lex glared at me when I pulled away. He crossed his arms and I marveled at the fact that he could without any pain. The edges of his scar were smooth and neat. I couldn't believe they weren't jagged after the way his arm had hung off.

“He didn't hurt me. He was nothing but kind to me. He only got violent when you all attacked him. He defended himself for Gods' sake!”

“This conversation is over. You'll stay away from him.” I stared at Lex, seriously trying to figure out where he found the audacity to order me around. Eon and Anika began walking and Lex gripped my wrist, pulling me along behind him like a wayward child. Fear descended as I figured out they were taking me home. I'd survived a mugging, and a Magik fight between people stronger than I'd ever be, but I didn't know if I'd survive my parents' wrath.

*

“You did what? With who?” My father roared and my mother looked down her nose at me.

“As if it's not enough that you're machtlos, now you could possibly be tainted by one of the lost ones.” Machtlos, powerless. I flinched and looked down at my feet. The lost ones were said to be those who took Magik and tainted it. Turning it into something that was against the laws of nature. Creating something unnatural. I thought back to Talon's claws and teeth elongating and wondered if this was the result of such sins against nature.

“I'm not tainted.” My mother's hands flew up in exasperation and my father's expression grew more stormy. His scarlet hair was shaved close to his scalp and his blue eyes looked tired and weary. He twisted one end of his mustache around a finger and looked over my shoulder at Lex.

“Mallex. Will your arm be okay?” Lex moved up, I flinched as his hand rested on my shoulder.

“I'll be okay General. Thank you for your concern. I'm just glad our Kalian is alright. Who knows what may have happened if he'd stayed with the lost one any longer. I'm thankful we came upon them when we did.”

“Good man. Eon take your brother to his room. Kal, I will deal with you later.” My mother's blue green eyes rolled over Lex and I before she turned away, flipping her strawberry blond hair over her shoulder dismissively. Eon marched me through the house to my room, Anika and Lex trailing us. Anika shoved me through the door and my siblings walked away. Lex stood in the doorway, his eyes searching for something in my face.

“What did he do to you?”

“I told you. He saved me.”

“I meant to your face.” He'd crossed the room and I tried not to cringe away from him as he lightly touched the skin around my eye. His gaze dipped to my lower lip and he sighed, “you shouldn't let anyone touch you. Least of all a freak of nature.”

“Well then I guess you shouldn't be touching me,” I angrily slapped his hand away, “You are not my keeper Lex. You're not in charge of me.”

His eyes filled with hurt, “Kal, I don't want to be your keeper. I care about you.” He reached for me again but I walked away.

“Go away Lex.” I turned away and waited until I heard the door close before I collapsed on my bed. I was emotionally exhausted. It had been a day filled with tension and the threat of violence. I rolled onto my back and looked up at my ceiling, lightly pulling on my lower lip. I hadn't recognized the symbol on the wall and on Talon's hip. They'd seemed wrong and ominous but I hadn't been able to place them. Of course. I couldn't do anything right. I had walked right into his home. Who knew what would have happened if Talon was actually a threat? Despite my family's and Lex's best efforts I didn't see Talon as someone who was dangerous to me. Other than roughly rubbing a powder on my eye he hadn't done anything that made me feel like I was in danger. Watching him break wrists and arms had startled me and witnessing him nearly sever Lex's arm had made me want to vomit. That being said, he'd done none of that without first being provoked. No Knife Man had even got away with some bruises.

I think, Lordling, that maybe you should broaden your horizons a bit. Fire and water aren't the only things in this world.

Raising my hands into the air, palms toward the ceiling, I twisted them this way and that. Could he have been right? Was I capable of something else? Did it not have to be fire and water? It was basically unheard of but it did happen sometimes. There were even families of those not blessed with any gifts that created strong Magik users. I let my eyes slip closed and my hands dropped to the bed. No. I had to just deal with the fact that I was machtlos, powerless. I was the black sheep of my very powerful family and that's simply how it was. Talon couldn't understand. He was just another powerful Magik user who couldn't understand someone who didn't have the capacity to be the same way.

I had slipped into sleep at some point and when I opened my eyes again my room was cast in shadow. I almost felt like I was back in The Shift, trailing behind Talon through the dark. I remembered his hand on my arm as he pulled me off the ground. I felt his fingers on my wrist, gentle yet firm, as he pulled me to him while administering the medicine to my eye. No, he'd never felt like a threat. He was arrogant and thought himself impossibly funny but unless pushed to it he didn't seem like he sought violence. It wasn't his fault that he was good at it when he needed to be. I shifted onto my side, playing with my sheet, pleating the fabric between my fingers. Grey eyes that darkened when he was angry, dark slate hair falling in sharp layers and barely touching his shoulders. I chewed my lip then thought better of it. I didn't want to ruin all Talon's hard work.

I don't know what put the thought in my head but I didn't want to be locked in my room anymore. I didn't want to be shoved in a tiny closet hidden from the world while my parents tried to ignore the fact that I had no power. The few minutes with Talon were the only times in my life where another person had talked to me like I was a real person. He spoke to me like I was an equal not useless or someone who needed protection and couldn't be trusted to make decisions for myself.

I was sliding the window up before I actually knew what I planned to do entirely. There was a thick column next to my window and I leaned out, wrapping my arms around it. I took a breath before jumping out the window and clumsily wrapping my legs around it. My grip wasn't strong enough and I slid down the column a few feet before I was able to grip tighter and stop myself. My thighs burned and my arms were already starting to shake as I began inching my way down. Luckily, I was only on the second story so if I actually fell I probably wouldn't die. Hopefully. I breathed a sigh of relief as I dropped to the ground. I looked around and thanked whoever was watching over me that no one had seen or heard my clumsy descent.

I quickly jogged around the house then down the drive. Hoping no one would see my awkward lanky form running across the lawn. I was in the town square for the second time that day before I stopped running. Trying to catch my breath I turned down the same road I had earlier. I stopped short as I looked around. There were at least five small alleys to pick from and they all looked the same. I wished desperately that I'd been paying attention and I noticed how much scarier everything was at night. The shadows had seemed oppressive before, now it was like a solid wall of darkness. Turning in a slow circle I tried to see if anything looked familiar. I didn't remember walking farther into the little intersection so I picked the alley closest to where I'd come in. I reached my fingers out, they barely touched the walls. I felt them narrow again as I walked. My palms pressed flat and I convinced myself to keep moving. Panic was starting to nudge itself up my spine and I was made aware that my breathing was coming in harsh gasps.

Then I saw them. The little lights, slowly increasing in number as I started to walk faster. There it was. The red door like a beacon in the dark. I paused, heat suddenly springing into my face. What did I think I was doing? Why did I think it was alright to show up on a stranger's door step? Especially after my family and Lex caused such a scene with him earlier. Shrugging I knocked anyway. I was already here. Slowly the door creaked open and grey eyes looked suspicious before they landed on me.

“Well. It's the little lord. Did you bring your charming air wielding protector with you?” He was smirking down at me but there was an edge to his voice.

“I wanted to apologize. The way they talked to you and treated you was not okay.”

He chuckled softly, “Lordling, you think that some name calling and an over excited, over-sized man pinning me against the wall is the worst I've dealt with?” I stared up at him, trying to gauge what exactly the growing sharpness in his voice meant. I remembered the scars that decorated his shoulders and arms. What had he been forced to deal with? I think as much as he acted over confident and unbothered, everything that had happened did wear on him.

“They weren't thinking. They were just trying to protect me. Lex thought you had hurt me.”

“Lex? Mallex did not like that I was touching you. That was his issue. Don't let him fool you.” I registered the way he spit out Lex's full name and my eyes fell to the hand that'd almost cut an arm off earlier today. He followed my gaze and his tight smile slowly fell. Hurt flashed across his eyes and he moved his arm behind his back.

“Lucky you. You got to see the monster for free. Didn't even have to pay for admittance to the show.”

I frowned, “You're not a monster.”

“You don't know me.” It was like a wall slammed down between us. He held both hands behind his back and regarded me coldly. His cocky smile was gone and I realized I'd somehow made a mistake.

“Why are you here? What do you want? Little lords don't belong in The Shift.”

“I wanted to apologize.”

I was relieved to see a small smile form, “No you didn't. Tell me what you really want.”

“Do you really think I could have a different kind of power?”

“Why do you care what an abomination from The Shift thinks?

“Because you are the only one who's ever even suggested it.”

“Would you like to find out?” There was no humor in his eyes, he wasn't making a joke. Did he really have a way to figure that out?