Endeca (The Escapism Series) (16 page)

“Another reason why we’d make good roomies—we don’t snore and are practically family.”

“Agreed, but I should go visit Marla. What if she awoke already and no one was there?” I asked, mildly flustered and guilt-ridden.

“No, let me. I know you’ve been feeling a little under the weather so you get your strength back first and then you can visit.”

I hesitated initially, but she insisted. “Go on now. Have some breakfast. I made scrambled eggs and toast,” she motioned to the plates of food and freshly squeezed orange juice. I took a sip and my dry mouth salivated agreeably.

“I’m off to visit Marla. Maybe you need some more sleep…like a whole days’ worth,” she bit her lower lip unsure. “Quite possibly a week.”

“Alright, I’ve got it. I look terrible,” I grimaced, continuing, “I can’t take a week off. I have this neurotic tutorial partner and she’s expecting my end of a project soon.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I spoke with…what’d she say her name was…Tree? Anyhow, I told her everything.”

“What? Did she flip?”

“No no, she said she would speak to the TA who graciously gave the extension about their fallback plan. See? I took care of it,” she beamed, while loosely wrapping a white scarf around her neck and slinging her purse over her shoulder.

“Yeah, you took care of it alright,” I sighed disgruntled. Today I had to do some damage control and it involved consulting with my off-source. I was liberated in the offline world, which meant more collective brain power. It seemed like a good thing at first, but the fugitive part not so much.

I showered and dressed for the day ahead. I couldn’t shake this feeling of dread as I drove to campus. Mostly because of the impending meeting I had, but also the general feeling that I was slipping. I thought I could have a normal life and ignore my supposed birth right; after all it wasn’t written in stone.

Maybe it was
.

I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe I was better off surrendering to Endeca…

Just as I suspected, she was furious. “Not to worry’ she promised. ‘I’d have it done’ she said. Foolish me to think that I could trust a stranger!” she exclaimed.

“I’m sorry you were misinformed but I fulfilled my part. See?” I said, handing in the proposal along with the other assignments to the TA.

“B-but her roommate said she needed more time.”

The young and rather attractive TA patiently heard us out, judging the evidence imparted before him. Evidence on my end and scuttlebutt on Tree’s.

“I don’t know who you spoke with but I don’t have a roommate.”

Acacia reached for the files, grabbing a hold and tugging at a corner. “I still need to review them before submission.”

“I think I’ve heard enough,” he said, pulling the files briskly from her fingers. Acacia huffed, quickly leaving.

We both stood up and just as we exited, the TA addressed me. “Xenia, this is the only extension I’ve given,
ever
. Please make sure you don’t fall behind again.”

“I’ll try my best. Thanks again.”

“Try harder,” he pressed, continuing, “Acacia is your partner for the entire year. She’ll suffer a hemorrhage if this happens again.” He suppressed a smile.

Interesting.
Getting a rise out of Acacia was quite funny, and not just to me. “I promise...uh…”

“Reese. You’d know that if you attended any of the tutorials.”

“I’ve attended tutorials.”

He paused, returning to his station, pressing a few buttons on a keyboard by his desk. “Yes, I see that. All of…one.”

“Oh-kay. Thanks again, Reese,” I veered out of the room.

Hmm, mental note: attend more of Reese’s tutorials.

“
You
,” she scolded, waiting for me just outside his office.

“I’m sorry for any confusion, but you shouldn’t have jumped the gun like you did. Where’s the faith?” I said, heading down the corridor.

“I told you, if I can’t quantify it, then it’s hogwash.”

“You don’t need to quantify anything. Reese will mark it and it’s top notch work—I made sure of it,” I winked playfully.
If only she knew.

She skulked, irritated. “Ugh,” she muttered, pulling out a notepad and rigorously crossed off a line. “You’re treading on thin waters, Sanders. You better watch yourself,” she growled, pushing past me.

“Hemorrhages…deathly, tragic hemorrhages,” he whispered, passing me down the corridor.

“Reese, wait. Is there any way I could switch partners with someone less…antagonistic?”

His hazel, dreamy eyes smiled. “I’m afraid not. Listen, Xenia. This is an experience which will help you grow not only as a student, but in life. I’ve had my fair share of difficult partners.”
I wondered if he meant colleagues or girlfriends—likely both.

“None like her I bet. You just witnessed Tree in her finest hour. You saw that right? She murdered her notepad. Two more seconds of
that
and I swear it’d have caught fire!”

“I stand corrected. She is a breed of her own,” he silently chuckled.

We both were.

“All the more reason for you to work with her. You’ll learn a lot about yourself. When you’re faced with challenges, you grow stronger. The only other alternative is dropping the course.”

“See you this Wednesday!”

“Thursday,” he sighed.

“Yes, of course. Just joking,” I chortled, waving a hand.

Nicholas was in plain sight, only a few feet away. He approached us. I couldn’t help but feel guilty allowing myself to become consumed by petty things; meanwhile my dearest friend was in the hospital.

Marla knew Nicholas and I were akin in a non-blood related way. I needed to find out just how much she knew.

“Xenia, I’ve been looking for you,” Nicholas greeted, looking over at Reese awaiting introduction. He stood awkwardly by me, placing his arm around my waist.

“Nicholas, hey. This is Reese,” I introduced. Nicholas shot him a wary look. “My TA,” I slowly annunciated. I had only ever seen him act this way once before.

“Nice to meet you, Nick,” he said, offering his hand.

“Nicholas,” he corrected, shaking his hand firmly judging by Reese’s expression. Reese stood eye to eye with Nicholas, except his hair was a lighter brown.

“My bad. Well then. See you in class, Xenia. Remember, make amends with Tree while you still can and life, as we know it, will be better for everyone…especially me.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I snickered amicably.

“Did you join the environmental club or something? Becoming a Tree hugger?” he smirked.

“This Tree isn’t the huggable kind.”

“It has thorns?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

“Sort of…Reese, my TA in case you didn’t hear the first time, was referring to my tutorial partner. You met her briefly once before....but you were kinda idle then.”

“Oh, I remember. The intense girl who was two shakes away from placing a bounty on your ass? I remember a lot more than you think,” he said. His eyes pierced with shame.

“I’d love to hear more about your recollections, but for now, could you tell me if Marla said anything to you since the shooting?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you visit her today?”

“Yes, briefly. Calliope texted me once she was leaving and I swung by.”

“Marla knows about us. She said she noticed your eyes were like mine…different.”

“How? She’s unconscious.”

“What? She awoke when I saw her last.”

“Xenia, Marla hasn’t come out of her coma. I spoke with her doctor just earlier today. She’s as deep as they get,” he explained, worried. “Are you alright? You’re looking a little frail. Maybe you need to rest.”

And there it was again
.
Why was everyone so concerned about my health?
I pulled out a pocket mirror and looked at myself, horrified. My stomach clenched in pain and nausea overcame me. I looked sickly from the dark circles under my eyes and pale complexion.

“What’s happening to me?” I asked, confused. “I feel like my fragment is…fading.”

“Tell me, what happened in Styx? How did you get rid of your…traveller?” he whispered carefully looking over his shoulder.

I had left him in the dark about that part and everything thereafter, including the Lifters. It was time he knew so I filled him in on all the loose ends.

“The Lifter is using your fragment to search for her dominant source, the one that’s needed in restoration. She’s draining your light, Xenia.”

“You mean to tell me, she stole my fragment? And here I thought that creepy thing was trying to be nice.”

“Xenia, this isn’t funny.”

“For some reason, she never really understands the magnitude of the trouble she gets into,” Kiran said, joining us.

“Kiran!” I shouted, throwing my arms around him. “Where’ve you been? How are you?”

“I’ve been working. Mostly deliberating the grand outcome of our lives. Each scenario I play out in my head pans out for the worse.”

“What can we do about the Lifter? My symptoms are worsening each day.”

“Now that she’s using your fragment to search for your source, she doesn’t need you as a Charon.”

“So once she’s united, I’ll get my frag back?”

“Not exactly. Once she locates her source, your fragment will serve as a seal. You’ll…die,” he whispered, morose.

My body set off in alarm and my face tightened.

“But not if we find her first and stop her,” Nicholas jumped in, hopeful.

“How do we stop an eerie Lifter?” First with the Diplozoe talk and now Lifters—what’s next?

“
You’ll
need to stop her, but we’ll guide you in tracking her,” said Kiran.

“Have either of you done this before?” They turned to face one another, both raising their hands.

“Okay, then it’s settled. How do I stop her?”

“There are two ways: the first and more widely accepted method is to obliterate the Lifter entirely. The more humanely option would be to stop her in her tracks by using an incantation to make her source invisible.”

“But I don’t know who her source even is?”

“You don’t need to. You cast the incantation and since the Lifter took your fragment, she is bound as well. You’ll both be blind to her source…unable to see her or even track her.”

“And then what?”

“She’ll fade away, and your fragment will be salvaged.”

“Fade?”

“Yes, Xenia. She’ll fade into the atmosphere as many other Lifters have for centuries. The longer a fragment goes unclaimed, it slowly deteriorates and becomes forever lost—a Lifter. They’re notorious for stealing a Charon’s light. Our particles rejoice into the atmosphere from which they came from…the ultimate source for all living creatures, including us.” Kiran looked at Nicholas and then at me before I fell forward, landing in Nicholas’ quick arms.

Marla Adjacent

Once I came too, I was in Calliope’s loft and I wasn’t alone.

“Hey beautiful, you fainted. Cal said you were bunking with her.”

“Don’t act so innocent,” I scolded. I could hear Calliope in the kitchen putting on a teapot.

“Whatever do you mean?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“I know you had something to do with this. You don’t want me living with Edric. Just admit it.”

“I had nothing to do with this, I swear,” he said, smirking devilishly.

“Swear on what?”

“I swear on…Orion’s life,” he said, cracking a smile.

“Exactly what I thought,” I giggled. “Why don’t you trust Edric? What has he done for you to dislike him?”

“He’s a Nordstrom.”

“He’s an entirely different kind of Nordstrom. I think it’s unfair of you to judge him so harshly. He’s only been kind to me.”

“I bet.”

“Nicholas!”

He skulked a little before running his hand down the side of my face. “I worry about you. You know that. We don’t know who we can trust, especially after what happened…”

I decided it was time to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

“I want to know, how was it that Orion did…what he did?” I alluded to his trickery, particularly his ternio’s forte.

“We all have special abilities and it comes with the territory as you now know,” he said, elaborating some more, “Orion’s special skills were used in his darkest hour. He used us both…manipulated you and used my source knowing that I’d be trapped…incapable of putting a stop to him. He knew very well what kind of harm he was inflicting and he didn’t stop. I begged him at first but then once he embodied my source, my consciousness faded and I was no longer there, not even hibernating. I was displaced to the offline world with a barricade.”

“Isn’t there a way for you to prevent that?”

“Yes, if you’re suspecting foul play, but under the order of Nyxta, jumpers
are forbidden and if caught, it is a punishable act. Another reason we must turn him in to the authority.”

Oh no. Not this again.

“Why don’t we leave Nyxta out of this, huh? I think I’ve had enough of her for a while. And besides, what good would come out of banishing Orion to another dimension?”

“For one, never seeing him again. Just so you know, I have a list. I can go get it,” he said, pointing behind him.

“You’re just upset, Nicholas. I was too,” I said, biting my tongue thereafter.

“I see. How soon we forget…and so easily might I add,” he scolded, enraged, “I think I should go.”

“No, wait. It came out wrong. Orion is scum, but it doesn’t mean I want him dead.”

“After what he did, I’m surprised. I see things clearly now, thanks. There isn’t anything he could possibly do to make you dislike him. That just means one thing.”

Dear God.

“You’re in love with him, Xenia.”

“What? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Did you know, even just for a second, that it wasn’t me?”

I bit down on my lip, drawing blood. “No, how could I?” The sickly feeling gnawed at my insides.

“I’ve got to go. Once you’ve figured out who you want to be with, send me a message. It’ll be easier that way.”