Chapter 12 - The Clearing and The Clans
The morning starts early and with a lot of disorder all around. Everyone is on edge and trying to figure out how to be useful. I try to call my parents, but the motel’s phone won’t allow me to make a collect call out of the country. If I could speak to them, I’d tell them I love them, that I’m happy—and a little scared—and that I’m traveling the road before me to see where it leads . . . just as they recommended.
We leave the motel as soon as the Shadow Demons are gone and run through the forest to the delivery location. Tents need to be set up, floodlights erected, and generators assembled. As more and more people arrive, the small tent city grows in proportion around the edges of the clearing, escalating the level of my nervousness to near suffocation.
Each clan has anywhere from fifty to a hundred representatives present. Clara tells me about the Death Clan’s demands to have a specific amount of “ambassadors” in attendance in order to free the hostages. I already know this information, but I figure the Death Clan is only trying to best match what their Seers foretold. They are struggling to make sure every aspect is in place to allow their proper transformation into immortals . . . or so they think.
I’m not any different than them. I’ve struggled to make sure I have found the proper formula to ensure success.
I stare at the stone table in the center of it all. My heart beats mercilessly in my chest with the knowledge these are my final hours of life. I look at the place where I’m doomed to die. While wallowing in my thoughts, the Sanguine Diamond warms up against my body, almost as if it’s trying to comfort me.
Like an eerie dream, the crowded clearing becomes completely silent as the Death Clan arrives in three large military-type trucks. The rutted logging road causes the vehicles to bounce and sway as they turn off and park near the clan’s designated tent. I can only imagine what it must be like to ride in the back of the cavernous vehicles and be tossed around.
The twenty or so Death Clan members unload from the trucks first. White robes shroud their bodies; the small amount of their exposed alabaster skin seems to glow. They are the embodiment of pure evil, and even the insects and birds of the forest seem to freeze in fear. Several of the robed figures look directly at me, causing my skin to prickle.
The hostages spill out of the back of one of the trucks and are escorted to the tent. I read their collective minds and find their spirits succumbing to the expected dismal end. They all believe death is imminent. Once the Death Clan and their captives have disappeared inside their tent, the commotion picks back up in the clearing as everyone resumes their tasks. I sit down on the matted grass and contemplate my decision to keep the diamond. My bodyguards remain nearby. Have I exhausted all the avenues? Is there no other way to end this?
I don’t know how long I’ve stared at the stone table imagining myself lying upon it, waiting to die before Clara brings me back to reality. “Calli, come inside,” she says. “You’re too exposed out here.”
Everyone inside our tent stops what they are doing and falls silent when we enter. My eyes search the large crowd of Runners, spotting the members of the delivery team, realizing once again we are minus two. I don’t recognize a lot of the faces in the crowd. I didn’t have much time at the compound to learn any names before being launched out into the world of powers.
Clara addresses everyone. “The meeting is scheduled for this afternoon at three o’clock. Give Chris, Justin, and Calli their space until then.”
We are ushered inside a curtained-off private cubicle within the tent. I can tell right away the cubicle must have some kind of enchantment surrounding it because the noise of the Runners outside is muted when the curtains close. Three folding chairs are positioned in a triangular arrangement in the center of the small room, and I sit down on one of them. The two guys sit as well. I have to stop and think of when the last time was that the three of us were together like this: it was in Harold Bates’s office. Our journey here with our accompanying entourage and the practice of dividing us up among the motel rooms has made it so the three of us were never alone.
So much has changed since the beginning of the journey. I climbed the rank ladder having begun at the level of muck and ending up as the most important member of the clan. Justin’s traitorous nature surfaced, along with his insatiable desire for complete and utter power. Chris, who appeared like he had everything together when we began our journey, now looks to be falling apart at the seams. The two of them watched as every ability and power surfaced in me. Chris is intrigued, yet guarded, while Justin is intimidated and jealous. I don’t feel a need to probe their minds at this point. Instead, I relax into the chair and accept the reality that the last few hours of my life will be spent in the presence of one boy who inexplicably loves me, and one who hates me. The two opposites create an odd sort of balance to the situation.
Chris pulls the box out of his pocket and opens the lid. He examines the beauty of the diamond. He looks closely at the fake stone, angling the box in the light to examine the many facets. He comments reflectively, “The word ‘Sanguine’ is an adjective meaning ‘positive, hopeful, and optimistic.’ It’s a word representing the intended outcome of this meeting. This diamond is meant to obtain the release of the prisoners and to render the Death Clan powerless, securing an optimistic future for all of us.”
Justin glares at Chris, a disgusted expression on his face. Then, true to form, he says, “Thanks for sharing, Chris. Like we didn’t know that already. But, don’t forget ‘sanguine’ originally meant ‘bloody,’ as in ‘nourished by powerful blood.’ So, in this particular context it could just as well refer to an eagerness for bloodshed and violence. Bet you didn’t know that, Chris.” Justin’s smug gaze shifts to me. “What will happen at the meeting, Calli?”
“Success. The outcome will be good for all the clans.”
“Don’t you see details?” Justin presses.
Chris comes to my defense, or so he thinks. “Of course she does, Justin.”
I keep my voice steady. “Sometimes those are better left unknown.”
“Will anything bad happen?” Justin asks.
My eyes meet Chris’s. “Nothing that nature doesn’t intend.”
I turn my body away from Justin to signal I’m done with this conversation, but he grabs my shoulders to try to force me to turn around and face him. His fingers grip me firmly, causing pain. I realize this physical contact creates a link into his mind I couldn’t access any other way. His past and present open to me, bombarding me with images I’d rather not have in my head. His future flows in, along with the dark, foreboding intentions of his heart. I already understood this about him, but not in as much detail. I now see he will lead a group of people on a quest for ultimate domination and will not be above kidnapping and murdering in order to gain power. With the Death Clan wiped out, Justin will rise to the top and become the next evil force to be reckoned with.
I pull out of his mind, crashing onto the ground. Justin’s hands are still on my shoulders and Chris is trying to separate the two of us—but, so is Justin. His hands are stuck to my body. My mind holds his hands on me. I mentally let go, and his arms fly back. He scoots away, terrified.
Chris stands over me. He doesn’t appear to want to touch me, so I get up on my own power. He moves back and we both sit down in the chairs facing each other . . . once again.
Justin whispers in a raspy voice, “What was that? My hands were glued to you!”
Chris’s eyes project the same question.
How do you answer a question to which you have no idea what the answer is? Instead of admitting my own confusion, I choose to issue an empty warning to Justin.
“Physical contact with the intent of harm is no good on me. Don’t touch me again.”
“I won’t! After this meeting, I’m going to petition your removal. You’re becoming too dangerous to remain in the clan.”
“Oh no you’re not, Justin!” Chris jumps in.
“She’s evil, Chris! She’s probably a witch or something. We can’t keep her around.”
“She saved your life.”
“She had to!”
I stare at the two of them as they fight back and forth, then I interrupt, “You won’t need to forcefully remove me from your clan. I’ll leave on my own. I’ve had enough of this life and this world of powers, and I don’t want to stay. Besides, I suspect my abilities will be gone once the diamond is out of my presence.”
“Why?” they both say in unison.
“I didn’t get my additional powers until I was around the diamond.”
“Why didn’t we get any other powers then?” Justin sounds as if he doesn’t believe me.
I shrug my shoulders.
Chris opens his mind so I can sense his thoughts. Please don’t leave the clan, Calli.
“I may not have a choice,” I say to Chris, which angers Justin when he becomes aware we’re having our own semi-private conversation.
“Oh, so now you two are carrying on a conversation without me?”
What do you mean? Chris asks, ignoring Justin.
I repeat my answer. “I may not have a choice.”
Clara enters the cubicle, interrupting our conversation. “Calli, you have visitors.” Two older men follow her into our already cramped area. “This is Arthur Stiles and Curtis Shultz from the Seers Clan. They would like to talk to you.” She motions to Chris and Justin and asks me, “Do you want these two to step out while you talk to the Seers?”
Before I can answer, Justin jumps forward. “I’m not going anywhere. I insist on being present for all meetings with Calli.”
I want to say, why, so you can spy? But Chris speaks first. “I think the trio should stay together, being that we’re so close to the delivery time.”
The older man, who Clara called Arthur Stiles, nods and says, “Yes, they should stay. Calli we represent the Seers. We would like to ask you some questions about your multiple abilities.”
I glare at Justin. “Is there anyone who doesn’t know what I can do?”
He only shrugs his shoulders.
“We’re wondering why we can’t view your future.” Arthur angles his head and narrows his eyes.
“I can’t see yours either,” I respond before Chris has enough time to surmise I have no future, just like Jonas.
“You can’t see our future because we’re blocking you,” Arthur replies.
“Runners and Mind-Readers try to block me, but I can still observe their futures,” I challenge.
“Seers are different,” Arthur says, raising his chin in superiority.
“Well, then you’ve just answered your own question,” I say, feeling confident.
“Perhaps.”
Curtis Shultz speaks up, “We never saw this clearing as the meeting place. Why and how did you change the location?”
“I recognized the clearing when we came upon it because of a series of visions I had. Then the plans were put into motion to relocate the exchange here.”
“Yes, but we never envisioned this location.”
My thoughts revisit my earlier questions about Seers. The men in front of me evidently had not seen the same future as The Death Clan’s Seers. The Runners’ Seer only saw a mysterious fog concerning the future of the clan. The results are all over the board with little similarity. All I can figure is the Seers got the butt-end of the cosmic superpowers. I certainly hope my use of the Seer power works out as planned. I ask Curtis, “Well, what do you envision now for the future after the delivery?”
“It’s too near, and anything beyond is foggy.”
I say, “Will you unblock your mind and let me try to read the future?” Not that I need them to remove their mind-blocks. I ask them to do so to avoid appearing exceptionally abnormal—again.
They hesitate, but Curtis reluctantly agrees. His walls come down, and I clearly envision him addressing a large group of some kind, discussing the happenings at the clearing and the destruction of the Death Clan. I pull out of his mind and say, “Your future involves teaching others about the fall of the Death Clan.”
“So, they will fall?” Curtis asks.
“Yes.”
Justin lets out a grunt and folds his arms across his chest. I assume he doesn’t believe me. I hope that’s the case, otherwise he might pass along the foreseen outcome of the gathering as he has apparently passed everything else along.
Arthur says, “Why can’t we visualize that?”
Justin speaks out of turn. “This girl is surrounded with mystery. She can’t be trusted.”
“Shut up, Justin,” Chris commands.
I ask the Seers, ignoring Justin, “Can a Seer learn how to have visions closer than four weeks?”
“What are you talking about?” Arthur asks.
“Is it possible to have visions of the near future, of things that will happen within days or hours, or maybe a week ahead?”
“No,” Arthur replies. “Seers foresee changes in the far future, not the immediate or near future.”
I’m curious about this process. I have to know how my visionary abilities differ from theirs. I think carefully and ask, “When you look for someone’s future, what do you usually see?”
“It depends.” Curtis answers this time. “We often see what a person’s general emotional state will be—their happiness or sadness or fear or anxiety—but we can also see the consequences of their actions and major changes in their life on a grand scale.”
“Yes, basically general things related to the individual,” Arthur adds.
I ask, “Can someone train their mind to identify details about an individual’s future?”
“In theory, perhaps,” Arthur replies, “but no one’s done so to my knowledge. Our visions are big-picture, not fine-grained.”
Chris’s expression falls as if all the wind has been let out of his sails. “That can’t be true,” he says. His eyes meet mine and I effortlessly slip inside his mind to find he’s confused about the detailed, fine-grained vision he saw of me.
“She can,” Justin says, causing me to pull my mind out of Chris’s.
“She can, what?” Curtis asks.
“She can view somebody’s future in great detail, and she sees things that will happen very soon, just days out, not weeks.”
All eyes are on me again. I look at Justin and wish I had the bat Clara had talked about.
“If you do possess that ability, Calli, tell us what will happen today at the meeting,” Curtis demands.
“I already did. I told you it goes well.”
Justin rolls his eyes and inhales sharply through his nose. “More detail please,” he insists.
“It goes very well,” I answer, leaning back in my seat.
Justin throws his hands in the air. “See what I mean?”
“Will the Death Clan be stopped?” Arthur asks.
“I already told you they will be.”
“Will anyone die?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I’m not going to answer that. Telling you might change the future. Right now all you need to know is our main goal will be accomplished. The Death Clan’s rise to ultimate power will be stopped. For good.”
Arthur nods. “It’s logical you don’t want those who have mere hours to live to panic, but please help us understand how you’re able to view the immediate future. Why should we believe you?”
My patience wanes, and the tension in my voice grows. “I don’t know why, all right? I don’t know!”
Chris stands and steps between me and the Seers. “Leave her alone. She can’t answer any more of your questions.”
The men look at each other, then walk out of the cubicle.
Chris turns around and sits down in front of me.
I meet his gaze and say, “Thank you.”
“The burden on your shoulders is too much.” He looks deep into my eyes. I sense his overwhelming compassion for my situation and it melts my heart. He continues. “I don’t know how you’re holding up under so much pressure. I wish I could do something to help.”
I nod my head. “Well, the delivery will take place soon, and everything will be over.”
Chris scrunches his eyebrows together. I figure he’s trying to decipher my comment.
Justin states with his usual overconfidence, “You’re wrong. The Death Clan won’t be stopped.”
* * *
We are served lunch, but I’m not hungry. Chris doesn’t eat much. He keeps his eyes on me. Justin, on the other hand, seems pleased he has the fruit and nuts all to himself. We each leave the cubicle for bathroom breaks. I muse to myself, even super-powered people have to tend to their bodily functions.
After lunch, Clara announces two visitors: Hunters. Alarm bells go off in my head. We’ve been running from Hunters since the moment we left Harold Bates’ office. The last thing I want is to be forced to end another life in the attempt to preserve the trio.
Justin is the first to speak. “Why do Hunters want to meet with us?” I pick up on the nervousness in his voice. Naturally, he would be worried about being outed to the entire Runners’ Clan as helping the Hunters track us. His predicament is his own doing.
Clara says, “These Hunters are good. They follow nature’s law.”
“How do you know?” Justin squeaks as he talks.
“I know the good Hunters very well, Justin. Trust me.” Clara looks to me and waits for my approval before allowing the two men to enter the cubicle.
These men look completely different than the Hunters we’ve encountered. They are in their mid-thirties, well dressed, and they look and smell clean. I’m amazed, however, at the size of their noses. I deduce they were probably made fun of as children.
The first extends his hand toward me, inviting a handshake.
Justin lunges forward. “I wouldn’t touch her if I were you.”
I don’t reach forward. The man lowers his hand and says, “My name is Dominic. This is Fred. May we speak with you?”
“Yes,” I answer.
Fred sniffs the air and says, “You don’t have a scent. Why?”
I look over to Chris and exchange glances. “It’s nice to know I don’t stink. I don’t know why you can’t smell me. I can smell you.”
Dominic scratches his chin. “Yes, that is why we’re here. You hold many powers, yet you have no scent. Tell us about these powers.”
“Why should I tell you anything? We’ve been hunted by your clan since we started this delivery.”
Fred raises a hand to stop me. “Those Hunters were mercenaries. Their actions don’t represent our clan.”
Dominic adds to Fred’s statement. “Some Hunters work independently, and some don’t act according to nature’s will. The rest of us, who chose to follow nature and support the other clans, live in a community with our leader.”
“Your leader?” I ask.
“Yes. She chose not to attend, but is curious about your multiple powers. What should we tell her in our report?”
“That I’m just a girl, following my gut instincts.” Dominic and Fred exchange glances. I continue. “I don’t have any answers to give you. Tell your leader whatever you want.” I look to the floor and squeeze my eyes shut.
The two Hunters speak with Chris and Justin momentarily and turn and leave. I don’t pay attention their conversation. My mind is preoccupied with their earlier statement: “You don’t have a scent.”
Soon after the Hunters leave, Clara announces the Healers’ leaders have arrived to see me. I’m tired and just want to be left alone. Then my mind pictures Jonas and his illness and I become energized. Finally, Jonas will have access to the most powerful Healers.
Clara says, “Calli, this is Andrew Stuart and Robert Yates. You probably recognize them from the hotel.”
Recognize them? Yes! Am I let down? Absolutely! Andrew couldn’t detect the cancer then, and I have no reason to believe he’ll detect it now.
Andrew says, “We’re in awe, Ms. Courtnae.”
Robert nods his head.
“Call me Calli, please.”
“Is it true,” Robert asks, “you caused a heart attack in someone and also killed two Hunters?”
I know Justin had everything to do with leaking the information and I struggle to keep my mouth shut. Instead, I say, “The heart attack guy was trying to abduct me, so I protected myself. Besides, he was a walking time bomb anyway. His heart was ready to fail. The Hunters were trying to kill my team. I had to protect them.”
“You can feel weaknesses in the body?” Andrew asks.
“Yes.”
“Death Clan members learned how to sense weaknesses. To identify physical impairments they need to sense healthy tissue and organs, and that’s how they are able to kill: they go after the heart and stop the electrical impulses.”
“Are you likening me to a Death Clan member?”
“Not at all. I’m only amazed you learned so quickly how to scan inside the body for weaknesses.”
“Well, pardon my candidness, but what’s the use of being a Healer if you can’t sense imminent illness or disease?”
Robert Yates, speaks up. “We heal injury and sickness when they make themselves known, similar to what you did with your clan members when they were shot in the forest.”
“What about cancer?” I ask. “At what point can you detect a tumor, and when do you attempt to heal it?”
“We can detect tumors when they become painful, but only because the individual comes to us with pain. Usually by that time the person has advanced cancer and not much can be done.”
“I know someone who has cancer. Will you help him?”
“Who?” they both ask together.
Justin also wants to know, and I realize Chris hasn’t said anything to anyone. He and Justin are so different.
I move to the opening in the curtain and point to Jonas who’s on the other side of the large tent, talking with a group of boys. “That boy has cancer.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t sense anything in him,” Robert says.
“I do. It’s so obvious to me.” My voice rises as my frustration peaks.
Andrew clears his throat and closes the curtain. I take my seat and he says, “Try to imagine for a moment how we view cancer. Cancer presents itself in its early stages as regular cells. Therefore we can’t detect them until they are mutated and extensive, and, as I said before, it’s too late to help the patient at that point.”
“This isn’t early-stage cancer, it’s nearing end-stage,” I explain. “Why can’t you sense it?”
“Well, how did you discover his illness? What tipped you off?”
“I couldn’t read his future. He didn’t seem to have one, so I searched inside his body and found the mass. I could feel the way its tendrils had spread from organ to organ.”
“Do you realize you used your future-seeing ability to detect the problem? We don’t have that ability. You are a rarity, Calli.”
“So, can I heal Jonas? Or can you?”
“Well, here we get into sticky water. If nature—”
I cut him off before he can go any further with all the nature crap. “I don’t care about that in this case. I can feel his tumor. I know it’s there. If I’m able to, after the delivery I’ll try to heal him. He’s too young to suffer and die of an illness I can do something about.”
Chris looks to the floor. I can’t tell what he’s feeling, but I can guess.
“We will assist you if we can.”
“Thank you.”
I know I won’t live past the delivery and Jonas will therefore probably die. I made the promise to help Jonas mainly so Chris will think everything will be okay after the delivery.
The Healers leave the cubicle, and once again Justin and Chris stare at me in silence.
I turn my back to them so I don’t accidentally connect with their minds. I certainly don’t want to hear Chris lecture me on nature’s will again, not that he actually would after the way he reacted on the bank of the river.
* * *
We are brought fresh running clothes before the meeting. I step out while Chris and Justin change, then they step out for me. I pull the pouch out of my pocket and hold it in my hands for a moment, appreciating the diamond’s weight and heat. Without putting it down, I change my clothing and place the invaluable treasure in the front pocket of my clean jacket and zip the pocket shut.
I stand alone in the cubicle, thinking about my parents and the fact I didn’t get to say goodbye. I haven’t even spoken with them since I left home. I guess once I learned Maetha had manipulated their minds, I haven’t been concerned that they will worry about me. It would have been wonderful to hear their voices one more time, though. I think about Suz and how much I miss her, too. I think about myself, only to realize my fear and sadness is for everyone else, not for myself.
I recall once in my English class we debated whether or not it would be good to know when you were going to die. The class had been pretty much divided equally. Half argued that if you were aware of the exact date and time, you could say your goodbyes and have all your affairs in order. The others argued that if you knew exactly when you were going to die, you wouldn’t be able to live and enjoy life. You’d be focused on your impending death. I remember I sided on the “I don’t want to know when I’m going to die” side. But, look at me now. I know I’m about to die, yet I don’t get to put things in order and say goodbye. I got the bad end of the deal all the way around.
I think foolishly, not for the first time, now would be a good time to wake up. However, I know this is not a dream. This situation is very real. For a moment, I wonder what would have happened if I’d decided to call my parents and have them come pick me up at the compound. Who would have carried the diamond then? Would they have had the guts to do what is necessary to save my friends and companions?