CHAPTER 2

Avoiding the two rickety stairs, Akeelah leapt onto the porch, backed up next to the front door, and bent over, hands on knees, catching her breath. She was dizzy with fear and nausea. She’d been afraid with Saffron before, but this was different. He killed that girl. All the trust she’d felt for him—gone.

She closed her eyes. Nothing. No portals called to her. Too stressed. Her mind was a dead zone of darkness.

Without laughter.

Without love.

Akeelah opened the front screen and the empty note of the door’s cowbell brought her back to the reality of what Saffron had done to that girl and how she would tell Basra.

Entering her brother’s house, she sensed the universe changing with each of her footsteps. A sound, a shuffle-shuffle-click, Basra’s footfalls in the dark, reminded her of a too-close escape he’d made attempting to save hybrids from the gangs.

Her brother stood by the dining room door, leaning on his cane.

He knows I’m here.

Of course, the cowbell.

She sensed he knew more. He always did. But how could he? Growing up under his care, she’d asked that question many times. He’s not a Golden hybrid like me, or an Everett android guardian. One day she decided the reason for his all-knowing nature was, because they were blood, her human brother just knew.

Basra came out into the archway from the dining area and stood there, waiting. “Well. Something the matter?”

She ran to him. Embraced him. “I’m so afraid.”

“Marriage is a difficult thing.” He patted her on the back with his free hand. “But you and Saffron will make it, just as Aminali and I did. You must be patient.”

Basra’s right. Saffron’s not ready. Neither am I. I messed things up by kissing him. Messed what up? The Everetts’ plans for us? She hated that she and Saffron were to be forced together by some outside agents instead of naturally letting their love grow. “I thought he wanted me. I kissed him.”

True, she did kiss him, but he was semi conscious at the time. She was sure he liked it though. At least, he didn’t complain. “And then, he was with that other girl and after the quake they. . .”

How could Saffron hurt her like this? She knew he didn’t mean to. He didn’t even know she was there. But still, if he really cared for her, it shouldn’t have mattered whether she was there or not. “Oh, Basra, Saffron. Saffron.”

“Yes . . . Saffron?”

She squeezed her brother’s hand then backed up, stepped away. “By the lake. I saw him. A girl kissed him. And he kissed her back.”

Basra laid his cane against an overstuffed chair by the sofa, then limped to her, held onto her shoulders, squinting just enough so she could see his laugh lines. “Be patient, Akeelah. Your time will come. According to the Everetts, it must.”

“It’s not about that.”

“Then, what is it about, little sister?”

How could she tell him what happened? “The girl . . .”

“What girl?”

“I don’t know. That neighbor girl who comes for a visit every other month. I don’t remember her name.”

“Raziya. What about her?”

“She’s dead.”

“Dead? But how can that be? Did she drown?” Basra guided her to the sofa and sat beside her.

“No, she didn’t drown.”

“Then . . .” He waited. Basra was patient, very good at waiting.

“Saffron orbed her away. She never came back.”

“And?”

“And, she must be dead.”

“You sure? You don’t know as much as Saffron, or the Everetts, about orbweaving. Maybe it just looked to you as if that is what happened. Maybe she was frightened. Ran home to her family.” Basra, always the optimist. Strange, though. Wasn’t it Basra who first explained orbweaving to her?

Akeelah looked up at her brother’s confident face. His phony confident face. Her pulse tore into her chest. She blanked any expression of the agitation she felt. It was wrong—she knew that—but she went in anyway, into his mind. Not very far. Besides, mind reading wasn’t only taboo, it was exhausting. Akeelah went in just far enough to grasp the truth she feared. He was keeping something from her—his own sister. She’d trusted him with herself, with her secrets. And he’d been less than open. She’d told him enough. It hurt that she could no longer confide in her brother.

Leaning in for another hug, she said, “Oh, thank you. I think you must be right. Raziya ran back to her family. With the kiss and all, I probably overreacted. Forgive me, Basra.”

“No, I do not think this is an overreaction, Akeelah. Saffron is very psychically powerful and not always under control. I am glad in a way that you found out about him. In time, he will improve. But now, don’t you think you should keep your distance? Only for a while?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Yes. Of course, you are right.” She hugged him again and swallowed hard, nausea welling up within. No longer was there a father figure, an older brother, to trust. Running from Saffron, she had sensed his intention to deceive her about Raziya and now, learning of deception from someone she cared for, she recognized it another she trusted—her brother.

“I’m going back home to clean up,” she lied. She really did need to clean up. There were leaves in her hair, one overall strap had broken, and she was sure mud was involved somewhere in her scramble from the lake. Yet she did not intend to leave her brother’s home without discovering what he was hiding, what he and Saffron’s sister were up to. She stomped out onto the porch and then down the steps to the path home, to her family, where Basra expected her to return. Instead, she sneaked back around the side of the house to under the kitchen window. She didn’t have to get that close to spy. Earlier when she’d looked into her brother’s mind, she could have gathered her energy then and sought further knowledge. But legends of the Goldens, her ancestors, told her that they had tried living by controlling everything and everyone around them, only to fail. The mind cannot handle such expenditures without profound damage. Standing under the kitchen window, Akeelah amped up her hearing to sense every nuance in her brother’s reaction to what she’d told him. Aminali would get the rest out of him.

A woman’s high-pitched moans. Basra was attempting to calm Aminali. “Everything will be all right, my love. They’ll find Raziya. Nothing to worry about. Isn’t that right, Zia?”

Zia? Zia Everett had been in the kitchen all through her story about Saffron’s accident. Aminali continued her muffled wails, presumably in Basra’s arms.

“Your wife is right to cry for her brother Saffron,” Zia said. “I am sorry, but when Soren finds out, Saffron’s life may be forfeit . . . I will discover the truth, and then present it to him in the most helpful way I can.”

Akeelah heard the android’s footfalls to the front of the house and then the slam of the screen door and the cowbell; its once sweet song turned sour. Then nothing. Zia Everett, the android guardian they’d trusted, some calling her Mother, had most probably used that device of hers to teleport herself to Stara, the sanctuary of the hybrids, to tell the lead android, her husband Soren Everett, the news.

Akeelah had little time to waste. She had to find Saffron and tell him what happened before Soren Everett, leader of the Everett androids, found out about Saffron’s accident and did something about it. The Everetts would be after him. They might capture Saffron and take him to the Golden elders. Then they’ll assign Taalib to be my future mate. She hadn’t thoroughly thought things through about that, but she knew, as afraid as she’d been about Saffron accidentally hurting her as he had Raziya, she was now inextricably connected to him. She had known him her whole life. They’d both lost their mothers about the same time. Once orphaned, they’d become inseparable. She could not go on if she thought he would come to harm. As her breathing slowed, a calm descended upon her. She closed her eyes, and searched the portals to possible worlds of the past, present, and future.

There he was. She could read everything about him: Saffron’s stride was determined, as he marched down the path toward home. She sensed his intent, to place himself at the mercy of his family. I have to stop him.

Fighting with inner demons, Saffron persuaded himself to tell all and suffer the consequences. But the closer he came to home, the more he liked the story of the disappearing pig.

Nearing his sister’s house, she sensed that he’d realized he’d been so wrapped up with the accident that he’d forgotten all about his daily outing with her. He was thinking about her in those baggy overalls, the bib covering her chest. Not by accident, he thought about seeing her skinny-dipping in the lake from time to time, and how he marveled at her small breasts. Beautiful. Perfect.

Saffron knows I wear the overalls to hide myself, not wanting either of us to get any ideas that might muddle things up. Like me stealing that kiss when he was barely conscious in my clover world. Akeelah understands why I went to the lake without her today. She believes in me. He tapped her journal. Always has.

Having had enough of Saffron’s misguided optimism, Akeelah tramped up the path to meet him

“Understand what?”

What must he think of me? Her fists were clenched, her hair entangled with small twigs and leaves, mud streaked down her face, a shoulder strap hanging free. She probably looked as if she’d been in that storm from the world he’d conjured the day before.

He stopped suddenly in his tracks. “Akeelah!”

“Of course I understand. I understand that you let Raziya kiss you?”

“You were there? Then you know.”

“Yes, stupid, I was there. You were supposed to pick me up, but you left to be with that . . . that girl.”

She knew he knew she had him. How much did she see? “That was an accident,” he said.

“A very convenient accident.”

“Convenient? Oh, yes. I texted Mount Kili, SEND A QUAKE, PLEASE. You see, there is this girl, she’s naked, and I want her all over me. If you were there, you’d know what happened.”

“There’s more.”

“What do you mean—more?” he said. “More than fucking sending Raziya to her death? Let me think, what more trouble can I get into today?”

He flung his arm toward her. “Another accident. Looks like Akeelah’s gone too.”

Her whole body trembled.

“Are you afraid? Of me? Oh, I’m sorry, Akeelah. I’m so sorry.” He opened his arms and in spite of the shaking, she walked toward him, tentative, then snuggled into his embrace.

They hugged as if the toddlers of long ago, afraid of monsters sprung from overactive imaginations. He patted her back and she stroked his.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “You think you messed things up, but I made them worse.”

“What?”

“I told my brother about Raziya disappearing, and he knew Zia was there spying on us.” She looked up at him. “And your sister is out of her mind with panic. I’m afraid she thinks Everett is going to terminate you. I don’t know how he’ll do it. Maybe send you to the Goldens, and let Taalib take your place with me.”

“I would rather die than let someone else take my place . . . with you.” He squeezed her into him, holding her cheek gently against his chest.

“But, you kissed Raziya,” she mumbled.

“I saved her from drowning. She can’t swim. She fell against me. Is that what this is all about?”

Akeelah looked up at him, her eyes watering.

“We’d better get away, don’t you think?” he said.

“Where, Saffron? Where can we run?”

“Well, we can’t hide close to the village.”

“Why not?”

“The gangs,” he said, “I forgot my shirt. They’ll see my light skin, then they’ll expose yours, taunt us for a while, then kill us as they did the other hybrids, a warning to the Everetts.”

“Surely you’re wrong, Saff. They’ve been protecting us against darker forces, against the Geo Survey and their controlling ways.”

“Don’t fool yourself, my little friend. It’s only because of my half-brother Saka’s gang that you’re alive. He’s been protecting us.”

“So where do we go?”

“Out on the volcano,” he said. “The heat, quakes, and eruptions will keep our guardians guessing where we are. It’ll screw up their android senses. Though I do think Mother Zia will speak up for me. Maybe we’re alarmed for no reason.”

“No, Saffron, I know she’s treated you well and you have affection for her, but Zia is not the boss in this, Soren Everett is.”

Saffron would know the Everetts would be tracking him down. His powers at orbweaving weren’t so great his guardians couldn’t catch up, especially with that red-headed enigma Akeelah told him about, the one messing up his orbweaving skills. Saffron patted Akeelah on the back and shivered. When the Everetts capture him, they might hand him over to the Goldens, who’d suck his blood dry like the vampires they were rumored to be.”