Shattered (10 page)

“I’ve also received word that Pim Seer is taking more people hostage,” Torrid added.

I hid my surprise and swal owed the gasp in my throat. Pim, the man I grew up with. He’d been there throughout my childhood, so sweet and caring; so in love with my mother. I’d adored him as a child and had come to respect him as a teen. How could I have been so wrong?

“How can one man be so duplicitous?” I muttered.

The brothers both snorted their response.

“It is this maneuver that has our hands tied,” Prince Rodin said. “With so many innocent lives at stake, we’re reluctant to invade certain districts. Pim Seer has al but barricaded himself, surrounding his safe house with civilians, most of them young children.”

“Are you serious? Pim loves children. He would never do such a thing.”

“War has a nasty way of turning love to hate,” Torrid said. “When a man is desperate, he’l do anything to preserve his life, to preserve his way of life. I realize you know him as the kind and gentle man who raised you, but there is so much more to this man than you know. From meeting your mother, to building Arcadia, to the Life's Plan and now in this battle… he is a man who can transform himself as per the circumstance.”

I swal owed the childhood memories that cascaded into my forethoughts. I knew I had to set them back, forget about the good man I’d once believed him to be. To forget the possible danger lying behind that fatherly figure could be my death.

“I’m happy to see you heed my warnings,” Torrid said. He gave my hand an affectionate squeeze. “Just remember, block your thoughts at al times once we enter the war zone. You don’t want Pim or Dr. Sanz knowing what’s on your mind.” Nodding, I turned to Prince Rodin. “How is the Amethyst District holding up?” Surprised by the confident and authoritative voice that came from me, I stood tal er and prouder. I would be a worthy warrior, I could feel it.

< vt>

Prince Rodin returned to the map on the table, his soldiers backing away and leaving us to consult the map in private. “That’s bordered by the Sapphire District to the East. I’m sure you saw how that is doing on your way in.”

“Yes,” I said. “The Magical Ones are already walking the streets, capturing civilians and…” I choked as a vision of my mother, captured and imprisoned, suddenly blinded me.

“We’ve managed to hold them off a little longer in the Amethyst District, but with the Sapphire so heavily invaded we don’t know how much longer we’l be able to hold them back.”

“As you can imagine, Prince Rodin, my first concern is of my mother. I haven’t the faintest idea what has happened to her, and she has no idea what’s become of me. Before anything, I want to ensure she’s okay.”

“That’s understandable. I’l alert our warriors standing guard that you and Torrid wil be arriving soon, but I must caution you… Pim Seer is no doubt aware of the concern you have for your mother, as is Dr. Sanz. Getting too close to her could get you trapped. Remain alert at al times and look for any uncharacteristic actions on the part of your mother.

The slightest shifting of the eyes, or flutter of the lips The slightest shifting of the eyes, or flutter of the lips could be an indication of danger lying close by.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I’l keep that in mind.” I bowed and Torrid led me outside.

“I think for today, we should find your mother and bring her back to the Western Nethers. That should keep us busy for a while and wil keep Pim and Dr. Sanz guessing about your next move.”

“That makes sense, but before we return to the Nethers, I also want to check on Melanie and…” Silence hung in the air for a tense moment. I hated to bring up Liam, but Torrid had to know how important it was for me to make sure he was okay.

He inhaled deeply and let his breath seep out. “Let’s start with finding your mother and making sure she’s safe. Then we’l see what we can do about your… friends.”

< vsing,ify">Walking through the Amethyst District was part dream part nightmare. So many childhood

memories

came

flooding

in.

I

remembered the hundreds of times I’d played hopscotch with Sarah, our colorful crayons marking out the play area. We passed the homes I knew so wel .

Mrs. Kesler’s little yel ow house with the closed in porch. She’d often have hot fudge waiting for us when we got home from school.

Mr. Thicket had the blue house on the corner.

He’d open the front door and wave at us. His three little white poodles would always run out to greet us, yapping and yelping the entire time.

I looked sadly at the house Miss Rochester had once occupied. A good friend of my mother’s, she was the one I went to whenever things went wrong and my mother wasn’t around. With no children of her own, she offered her home to us as the neighborhood safe house where kids could find refuge from the rain, the cold or simply if they’d gotten lost.

“I can’t believe how much things have changed in so short of a time. How can it take so long to build such a beautiful city, such a perfect life only to have it shattered in a second?” I turned to Torrid before he could answer. “I know. The perfect life we led was an il usion. I realize that now, but it’s stil so hard to believe, so hard to put al that behind me.”

The peaceful and tranquil streets I’d known al my life now resonated with the sounds of pain and screams of terror coming from neighboring districts.

We rounded the corner and my house came into view. At first glance it looked just like when I’d last seen it. It’s only as we approached that I realized the front door was wide open and two of the windows were smashed in.

My heart jumped to my throat as gory images of my mother came to my mind. At the gate that led to the door, I stopped.

“You want me to go in first and take a look?” Torrid offered.

I nodded but walked up with him al the same.

Half of me desperately wanted to know what had happened to my mother while the other half feared the scene that awaited me. Had she been hurt? Left to die on the kitchen floor?

Torrid walked in first and I fol owed close behind, al owing him to partial y shield me from whatever awaited us inside. Glass was strewn across the living room floor along with the cushions and stuffing of the sofa.

“Mom,” I cal ed.

Nothing.

Walking into the kitchen I found the refrigerator door wide open, the contents raided, most likely by a hungry warrior or stranded civilian.

The cupboards had also been emptied.

“Mom,” I cal ed out again as I stepped over an overturned chair and headed down the hal .

My bedroom had been ransacked. Clothes lay everywhere, but what caught my eye was the childhood drawing of my father. Torn into hundreds of tiny little pieces it was tossed about the room.

I continued on towards my mother’s room and found the same disorder. “Why would someone turn everything upside down?”

“Your mother was closely tied to Pim Seer for a number of years. Whoever came through here, djin or Magical One, they were no doubt looking for clues of Pim’s passing. Perhaps private documents, things Pim didn’t want to leave at the Manor or Committee Building. Were you ever aware of him doing business here?”

“No,” I said. “As I got older he came here less and less. It was usual y my mother who went out to see him. As far as business is concerned, I never even heard him talk about politics or Arcadia.”

“Wel , whatever happened, it scared your mother away.”

“What makes you think it’s not Magical Ones who captured her?”

“I sense it. I sense the desire to find, but not the satisfaction of having found. I sense your mother’s fear, but not the horror of having been caught.”

I turned to him, my lips pursed and my hands on my hips. “Then could you simply sense where she went?”

went?”

“Don’t get upset, Kama. I’m only trying to help. I can sense a certain degree of emotions, but I have no indication as to where she went.” I focused on her, on my love for her, on my desire to find her. I needed to pick up on some clue, something that would lead me to her.

But there was nothing and my heart sunk.

“Don’t let it get you down. Just because you don’t pick up on her doesn’t mean something’s happened to her. We’l find her. Come on.” After a last glance around we walked out.

The screams of horror and shouts of command were closer.

“They’re about to close in. We have to hurry.” Torrid grabbed my elbow and led me down the street.

We walked about, aimlessly wandering the streets with no direction, no idea which way to turn.

“This is impossible. We’l never find her like this.” I stopped on a street corner and gazed down each direction.

As we’d seen earlier in the Sapphire District, civilians now began leaving their homes, running through the streets to find safety. Before long, chaos settled on my home district.

It pained me to see neighbors, elderly women, young children and confused teens running with nowhere to go. At one end of the street, I saw a dozen children captured by Magical Ones. Their shril screams pierced through the rumbling din while their parents shouted of agony.

And through it al I saw a familiar figure. I shook my head, certain I was only seeing what my mind so desperately wanted to see, but as she came closer I knew it was her. I knew her walk, her posture, her clothes.

“There she is,” I said.

I ran to her, but before my mother and I could even utter a greeting, Torrid scooped both of us up and lifted us out of the Amethyst District. Only when we settled back down on the ground did we speak to one another.

“Kama,” she said, her eyes fil ed with tears.

“I’ve been so worried. I had no idea where you were or what had happened to you. Pim refused to tel me anything.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Mom. I wanted to get word to you, to let you know I was okay, but everything happened so fast.”

Passing her hands through my hair she inspected me, just as she had so many times before. She looked for injuries, for cuts and scrapes. Her fingers stopped briefly at a nick behind my ear.

Shaking my head I took her hands in my. “It’s nothing, Mom. I’m fine, real y. Considering everything that’s happening, I’ve real y been lucky.” She gazed at Torrid and knowingly nodded her appreciation. Instinctively she knew he was partial y responsible for my safety.

“Miss Janice,” he said reverently. “I’m happy we’ve found you safe and sound. Kama has been just as worried for your safety as you have been for hers.”

My mother patted Torrid’s hand and nodded.

“Mom, have you seen Pim, or General Adar?”

“I saw Pim, not long after you were taken in.

He tried to explain what had happened, but he didn’t make sense. For the first time since I’ve known him, he seemed at a loss for words. He rambled on about you and Liam eloping, then he said you’d run off when Liam broke things off with you. After a long line of questions on my part, he final y told me what he cal ed the truth.”

“Liam’s Life's Plan, the one that mentioned he’d marry a girl he’d known al his life…” She paused a ~ightnd seemed reluctant to go on.

“It was supposed to be me, right?” I said, eager for her to go on.

Torrid backed away, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation.

“It was Sarah.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. Of al the painful things I’d dealt with these past months, this was the hardest blow yet. “Sarah? But that doesn’t make sense.”

“Think about it, Kama. Liam has known her al his life as wel .”

I turned away from her.

“Anyway, Pim said, wel , he basical y said you reacted as you are now, pained, distraught, even angry. He said you walked out once you’d learned about this and he hadn’t seen you since.”

“So then this was al part of his story, his lie.

Look Mom, Pim Seer kept Liam and I prisoner. Liam Look Mom, Pim Seer kept Liam and I prisoner. Liam and I never had a fight like that. The story Pim Seer told you was a lie. He imprisoned his own son. How could he tel you such a lie about us. Liam isn’t real y meant to be with Sarah, is he?”

“Does it matter?” Torrid said.

His voice thundered above ours and I could hear the control ed anger in his words.

It shouldn’t, I knew, but for some reason it did.

“I’ve come to see Pim for what he real y is,” my mother said, her unsure gaze alternating between Torrid and myself. “Al these years, I’ve been blinded by love, or what I thought was love.

Pim had done so much for me, for you. He was always there for us.”

“He was always right where he wanted to be, Mom. Nothing more.” I hated the fatalistic tone of my voice, but couldn’t shake it. “He didn’t come around here to make sure you were okay, but to ensure I didn’t reconnect with my father. He didn’t welcome me to his home so that I could get closer to his son, so that we could fal in love and marry. He just wanted to have an easy way of keeping an eye on me. I guess to a certain degree, when Liam and I hit it off he was happy. It made his job al the easier, but I guess, ultimately, he didn’t want his son marrying someone from the shabby Amethyst District.”

Mom shameful y cast her gaze to the floor.

“I’m sorry, Kama. I’m sorry I didn’t see it earlier. I should have known. I should have protected you.”