Bouchers world, p.17
Boucher's World, page 17
“Astral travel?” She was aghast, “How did we get here? How did I get here?” she sputtered. “Humans don’t do astral travel! I was just sitting in the canteen. Then I saw you…” she trailed off. Her eyes widened as she remembered the spine-chilling wail Sparrow had made of her name.
She stared up at it, unaware her mouth was open.
It bowed its head in shame again. “It is my fault that you are here, Jadewyn. In my eagerness to contact my home planet, without realizing, I began to slip into Between. Tally and Dotshea tried to prevent it from happening but were unable to. I was already too far in. I lost my tether and could not get back.” It sighed. “I am not an astral projector. Projectors can see the way back. I cannot get back without someone to show me the way. When I saw you, I should not have called your name.” It briefly squeezed its eyes shut. “I did not know why I could see you and did not know you could also see me. It only drew you to me, and now…” It began to change colors again. “You are trapped here with me.”
It was still clutching Jade’s hands, and she could feel its distress. Oddly, she could also feel its humiliation and sorrow at pulling her here. She was dismayed at its anguish. She knew it wouldn’t have deliberately done this.
She looked up into its eyes. “Please, Sparrow, don’t be upset. This is an accident. I know you didn’t mean to bring me here.” She reached up and hugged the tall being tightly around its waist.
Sparrow had not often been hugged by a Human, though Jade had done so when she was a small child. Adult Humans, or even predult ones, didn’t usually go around hugging Elvwists. And here she was, the one who felt like its child and whom it had endangered, trying to comfort it. With an effort, it calmed itself. It felt obligated to at least try to remain calm and behave as an adult should. It bowed down until it was at her eye level.
“Jadewyn, I thank you for your comfort,” it said solemnly. “You are truly a remarkable being. I only wish I could get you safely home.”
Jade reached out and lightly touched its face. She managed a tiny smile. Then, being Jade, curiosity took over. It occurred to her to wonder why she could touch it. Weren’t they incorporeal? How were they even seeing each other? Her mind stuttered. She quickly decided these were questions for later - after they’d gotten out of this place.
She looked around again. The fog had stopped swirling so much and begun to thin out some. It reminded her of her dream the night before when she was dancing with Kendis in the mist. Except this was not as colorful. And Kendis wasn’t here. She was disconcerted to see shapes within the thinning fog. Shadows that moved.
“Sparrow,” she said, softly, “Is there anyone - or anything - else in here with us?”
Startled, Sparrow stood and looked around. It didn’t see anything except the fog. Then it looked back at her. “What do you see?”
“I can see moving shadows, and if this fog gets any thinner, I’ll be able to see whatever it is.”
Fear -and hope - arose in Sparrow. If she could see the shadows, maybe she could see… “Can you see anything else, perhaps lines of light?”
“Well, yeah, now that you mention it - if I look real hard. They’re sort of faint and wiggly, though. What are they?”
Sparrow felt a chill go up its spine. “Give me your hand,” it said. “Do not let go, or we may lose each other. I think you may be able to get us out of here. Tell me exactly what you see.” It fervently hoped it was right.
Jade did even better. She used her projecting talent to show Sparrow what she was seeing.
Sparrow flashed silver, uttered something in its language, then said, “Jadewyn, you are an astral projector! It is no wonder you saw me and were drawn to me.” It pointed to the lines which were becoming brighter and steadier. “Those are guide lines. Tethers that stretch from here back to our world.” It had her turn the image slowly while it watched.
“There!” it said sharply. “That is the one we want. Quickly, reach out and grasp it firmly.” It noticed the shadows she was seeing coming closer. It didn't want to frighten her but knew they needed to move fast. It was surprised the shadows had found them so speedily. It thought they must be deeper within Between than it imagined.
Jade saw the shadows coming closer and felt a chill begin to creep into her. She could feel a sense of urgency in Sparrow, so she reached out and grabbed the light line it indicated, and suddenly, she was moving swiftly, towed along by the tether. She clutched it tightly in her right hand and held on for dear life to Sparrow’s right hand with her left.
The line stretched off into the distance, shining brightly, and she could see the fog ahead thinning out more and more, becoming less misty. Gradually, it grew brighter, and she saw a glowing white circle in the distance.
She clutched Sparrow’s hand even tighter. She thought of her father and how they had lost him all those years ago. She wasn’t about to let it go. Sparrow was coming back with her if she had to tie them both to that line. She was not going to lose another loved one.
Then she did exactly what it told her not to do: she looked back - and almost lost her grip on the tether.
Behind them bearing down, was something straight out of a nightmare. It looked like nothing she’d ever seen or heard of before. Black was only a poor approximation in describing its color. It was a darkness that seemed to suck all the light out of the surrounding mists, a desolate black monstrosity without wings that was, somehow, flapping its way after them.
It didn’t seem to have eyes, yet Jade could tell that it saw them. It had no definitive shape. It was just a big, amorphous ball of ugly shadow with ragged pieces continuously breaking off and reattaching themselves to it. She could see even darker areas within its obscene body opening and closing like disgusting, ravenous mouths.
It was hell-bent on draining their essences, their souls. Jade didn’t know how she knew that, but she knew it without a doubt.
She screamed and tightened her grip on the tether. She started trying to drag them farther along the length of the line but had no luck with that since she couldn’t let Sparrow go and use both hands.
She looked back, trying to see if the line went anywhere near Sparrow’s reach. It did.
was its despairing answer.
She felt Sparrow trying to wiggle its hand from hers, but she had a death grip on it, and it couldn’t get loose. She couldn’t fathom how Sparrow wasn’t able to tug its hand free from hers since it was much stronger than she was, or how she was able to pull the larger being along and not feel its weight, but she was doing it so she didn’t care.
A moment later, it dawned on her that, in this Between place, either weight didn’t matter, or she was just as strong as Sparrow. It occurred to Sparrow at the same time.
She pulled her arm forward, and Sparrow came with it.
Sparrow reached for her hand that was holding the tether. Following along, it felt for the tether and grabbed it with its free hand.
Jade made sure it had a good grip first, then turned its hand loose.
It grabbed on for a two-handed grip. She grasped the tether with both hands, and their speed increased. She looked back again. They were leaving the shadow-thing behind. She breathed an internal sigh of relief.
They sped forward, the tether pulling them along through the mists. Jade looked toward the white circle. It looked closer.
They traveled on for a few minutes.
Sparrow hesitated before saying,
Jade ached for it. She could tell how awful it felt.
How in the name of Mother Earth can an incorporeal body get cold? she wondered. She asked Sparrow.
Jade was starting to feel lethargic but managed to haul herself along until she felt Sparrow. When she touched it, Sparrow dropped one hand from the tether and gathered her in with the other. It wrapped its arm securely around her, tucking her close to get her as warm as possible.
Jade snuggled into the big Elvwist.
She sounded sleepy, and as Sparrow looked down at her, it could only see the top of her head, which gave a wobble. It studied her projection and saw the shadow was, indeed, approaching at a faster pace. The monster was speeding up, trying its best to overtake them.
The Elvwist could only hold onto the tether with one hand if it was to continue to keep Jade warm, and would not be able to go faster. Turning her loose was not an option, and as the image faded, it looked ahead to the entrance circle.
They neared the circle, and it prepared to toss her into the entrance if it had to. Even if that meant the shadow would succeed in seizing it.
Then suddenly, they were in the circle, which bloomed blindingly bright.
Jade had the sensation of being squeezed unbearably tight, then the pressure was abruptly gone, and again the world went black.
Chapter Seventeen
A Declaration of Love
Gradually, it grew brighter, and Jade felt a breeze on her face. She tried to open her eyes, but they seemed almost glued shut. Her head hurt, and her stomach felt queasy.
What happened? Had she been scanned again? She moaned as her memory returned.
“Leader! Come quickly! She’s waking up!” Kendis’ voice boomed loud in her ears.
She winced and tried again to open her eyes, this time with more success. She felt awful. Even worse than she’d felt after being scanned. She managed to get her eyes focused, and Kendis was hovering over her, his incredible eyes anxiously staring into hers. Her heart caught.
Beautiful, she thought - or was that his thought? - and smiled weakly. Then the most amazing thing happened.
Tears began to run down his face. He sat down beside her, gathered her up tenderly, and began to gently rock her in his arms.
Startled, she thought, He feels that strongly after a day? Then she was shocked to realize: Gods! So do I.
She tried to reach up and touch his face, but her arm would barely move. It felt as if it was made of lead, and she was so cold. She shivered in Kendis’ embrace. Maybe she wasn’t as all right as she thought.
“Kendis.” Maggie rushed in and stopped, looking down at Kendis, holding her daughter so carefully in his arms and weeping. She laid a shaky hand on his shoulder. “The Healers are on their way,” she said softly.
Jade could see the drying tears on her mother’s face.
“Mom?” she croaked. Her throat felt like she’d been drinking sand cocktails. Kendis gently placed her back on the pillow, and she realized she was in her tent.
He pulled the covers up to her chin and ran his hand gently down her cheek.
“I’ll get you some water,” he said, his deep voice gruff as he rose from the chair. “I’ll be right back.” He went out of the tent.
Maggie sat on the edge of the cot. She watched Kendis go, wondering if he knew everyone had heard what he said to Jade - or if he cared that they’d heard. She folded Jade into her arms.
“Jade.” She stopped and swallowed. She shook her head. “What am I going to do with you? Welcome back,” she finished with a crooked smile. She bent down and kissed her forehead, giving her an extra squeeze. “How do you feel?”
“I’m okay, Mom. Where is Sparrow?” she asked anxiously. “Is it all right?”
“Sparrow is fine, honey. In fact, it looks a lot better than you do. It’s in its tent being restrained from trying to get up and come over here.” She gave a small chuckle. “I’ve never seen that big… praying mantis so anxious in my life.” Her face grew serious. “It told us what happened and has been apologizing about it for two days, now. I can’t get it to believe that no one is holding it to blame.”
Jade was floored. “Two days?” she croaked. “I was out for two days?” She felt as if no time at all had passed once they reached the entrance circle.
“No, Jade, you’ve been out for a week. Sparrow woke up two days ago, and we’ve been hard put to keep it in its tent until the Healers can get here.”
She hesitated, then went on. “We tried to get them when Alex brought you here from the ship and laid you beside Sparrow. You were both so still. And cold. Tally and Dots told us Sparrow was stuck in Between, and Tally said you were there too, although he couldn’t explain how you got there. We tried at first to move you both, but you had a death grip on Sparrow’s hand, and we couldn’t get you separated. Dots said you should remain together where you were until one or both of you awakened. So, until Sparrow woke up two days ago, you were on the far side of the cart, lying next to it.”
She paused and tilted her head at Jade. “And Kendis was lying on the other side of you. He insisted on staying by your side from day one, even sleeping there, though one of us was always there too. He ate his meals there and only left for a few minutes each day to clean himself up.” She sighed. “We didn’t have to hear his declaration a few minutes ago to know that he loves you, Jade. I think we would have lost him too if you hadn’t come back to us.”
She thought of that day long ago, when her brother died and her friend, Bell, who was his soulmate, collapsed. She had nearly died when Bastian died. If not for Lark, she might have, too. She suspected Kendis and Jade had such a bond. She would ask Morgan to check.
She went on, “The day Sparrow awakened, Kendis helped Morgan and Alex take it to its tent, then went back and carried you to your tent himself. Kendis was devastated when you didn’t awaken at the same time as Sparrow. We messaged the council the day you and Sparrow went into your trances. We told them to send Healers, explaining that you and Sparrow were unconscious, and they rushed to get here. They got through the window at the cottage okay, but the door had closed, and they couldn’t get it opened.”
Kendis came back into the tent carrying a tray. He pulled up a camp chair and set the tray on it.
“Rachel and Ro have been cooking, and the evening meal is ready, Mrs. L.,” he said, remembering not to call her “Leader,” this time. “I brought mine back here, and I also brought some water and something for Jade to eat.”
They hadn’t been able to get any food into either Sparrow or Jade while they were unconscious. Apparently, though, the state they were in was similar to hiber-sleep because they had not appeared to need food, and their bodily functions were suspended.
Kendis removed the cover from the smaller dish on the tray. “Rachel thought she would do better to start with something light.” The dish contained what smelled like chicken soup.
Jade started struggling to sit up. She was weak and dizzy and felt like crap, but she was determined to eat whatever was in that dish.
Kendis and Maggie helped her up.
She took a couple of sips of water and a few spoonfuls of soup. Full blown nausea hit her, and before she could even hang her head over the side of the cot, she threw up all over her bed and Kendis and Maggie. She fell back on her pillow, too exhausted and sick to be embarrassed.
Without a word, Kendis got a cloth from a small table beside her cot and tenderly wiped her face and mouth. He held the cup while she took a small sip of water to rinse her mouth out.
