combination had decided that she would be the
one more likely to crack. Her eyes practically crossed, trying to look at both
the blade and me, but she didn’t flinch.
“There’s a difference between loyalty and stupidity,” I said.
“You’re pretty sure I won’t kill you…but you’re not entirely certain.” The
current crawled up and down my bare arms, thin lines of neon-blue and green
drawing their attention, even away from the sword. “The one thing you know is
that I’m more powerful than you, more powerful than you ever dreamed of being. I
might even, you’re thinking, be more powerful than your leader.”
I let a slow smile grow on my face. It wasn’t a nice smile,
either; I knew because I’d copied it from Stosser at his most evil-minded.
“I am.”
I raised my left hand, and the sword flew back into my hand,
just heavy enough for me to grip it, nowhere near as heavy as an actual blade of
that size might be. There was a shock of contact; I had been right, there was
something other than me animating it, although the form was made from my
current. Weird, unnerving, and not the point right now. I lowered the blade
again to her throat.
“Stop it!”
The voice was strong and female, and I tilted my head, half
expecting to see the Mysterious Leader come to rally her troops. But Steph
reacted not with respect or fear, but disdain.
“Why are you even still here?” she asked the girl who had
shouted, as though I didn’t have a cold steel blade to her neck. “You didn’t
make the cut, and you’re too old.”
The newcomer scrambled down over the rocks, wincing a little as
she slipped; she was not graceful, that was for certain. Older than the others,
although I couldn’t tell by how much—three years? Five? Tall, almost bulky, and
awkward with it, she still had a presence to her, although the overall
impression was of diffidence, not strength. “Please don’t kill her.”
She was talking to me, not them.
The force in the blade wanted to address this new challenger: I
told it to stand down, at least for a moment. The game had changed.
“Please. I can’t bear… Not anymore.”
I had no idea what this girl was talking about, but there was
no way I was going to add to the pain in her voice. The sword lowered, slowly,
and Steph fell backward, still glaring at me but not quite daring to attack
again—or run away.
“Molly,” I said. “Bring her to me, and I can forget I ever saw
you.” I would, but I had the distinct impression that the spirit who had come
along for the ride wouldn’t. I saw no need to tell them that, though.
Steph nodded once, realizing that was the best deal she was
going to get, and all the girls fled, leaving me with a current-sword in my
hands and the newcomer, who sagged down onto the grass as though arriving had
taken all the strength she had.
The hilt of the blade shimmied once in my hands, to get my
attention, and then faded back into loose current, disappearing on the breeze.
The newcomer’s gaze watched it disappear, her expression caught between fear and
wonder.
Talent. Not just current-aware Null, like those girls, but an
actual Talent. I could feel the difference, like skim milk to cream.
“You came for the Mollywog?” she asked me.
“Yeah.”
“Good. She doesn’t deserve to be out here.”
Okay, something was weird. This girl… She was maybe my age, if
the other girls said she was too old, and she’d been part of their group
but…failed? Hadn’t passed the initiation? But she was an actual Talent!
“What’s your name?”
She glared at me, then sighed, like it was all too heavy to
hold in anymore. “Ellen.”
Not Danny’s missing girl, but someone else. Somebody else’s
missing daughter.
“There was another girl, a little younger than you,
maybe…?”
“Zette. You’re looking for her, too?” Ellen shook her head.
“Forget it. You might get Mollywog back, but they’re keeping Zette. She’s part
of the Plan.”
Anything that
one more likely to crack. Her eyes practically crossed, trying to look at both
the blade and me, but she didn’t flinch.
“There’s a difference between loyalty and stupidity,” I said.
“You’re pretty sure I won’t kill you…but you’re not entirely certain.” The
current crawled up and down my bare arms, thin lines of neon-blue and green
drawing their attention, even away from the sword. “The one thing you know is
that I’m more powerful than you, more powerful than you ever dreamed of being. I
might even, you’re thinking, be more powerful than your leader.”
I let a slow smile grow on my face. It wasn’t a nice smile,
either; I knew because I’d copied it from Stosser at his most evil-minded.
“I am.”
I raised my left hand, and the sword flew back into my hand,
just heavy enough for me to grip it, nowhere near as heavy as an actual blade of
that size might be. There was a shock of contact; I had been right, there was
something other than me animating it, although the form was made from my
current. Weird, unnerving, and not the point right now. I lowered the blade
again to her throat.
“Stop it!”
The voice was strong and female, and I tilted my head, half
expecting to see the Mysterious Leader come to rally her troops. But Steph
reacted not with respect or fear, but disdain.
“Why are you even still here?” she asked the girl who had
shouted, as though I didn’t have a cold steel blade to her neck. “You didn’t
make the cut, and you’re too old.”
The newcomer scrambled down over the rocks, wincing a little as
she slipped; she was not graceful, that was for certain. Older than the others,
although I couldn’t tell by how much—three years? Five? Tall, almost bulky, and
awkward with it, she still had a presence to her, although the overall
impression was of diffidence, not strength. “Please don’t kill her.”
She was talking to me, not them.
The force in the blade wanted to address this new challenger: I
told it to stand down, at least for a moment. The game had changed.
“Please. I can’t bear… Not anymore.”
I had no idea what this girl was talking about, but there was
no way I was going to add to the pain in her voice. The sword lowered, slowly,
and Steph fell backward, still glaring at me but not quite daring to attack
again—or run away.
“Molly,” I said. “Bring her to me, and I can forget I ever saw
you.” I would, but I had the distinct impression that the spirit who had come
along for the ride wouldn’t. I saw no need to tell them that, though.
Steph nodded once, realizing that was the best deal she was
going to get, and all the girls fled, leaving me with a current-sword in my
hands and the newcomer, who sagged down onto the grass as though arriving had
taken all the strength she had.
The hilt of the blade shimmied once in my hands, to get my
attention, and then faded back into loose current, disappearing on the breeze.
The newcomer’s gaze watched it disappear, her expression caught between fear and
wonder.
Talent. Not just current-aware Null, like those girls, but an
actual Talent. I could feel the difference, like skim milk to cream.
“You came for the Mollywog?” she asked me.
“Yeah.”
“Good. She doesn’t deserve to be out here.”
Okay, something was weird. This girl… She was maybe my age, if
the other girls said she was too old, and she’d been part of their group
but…failed? Hadn’t passed the initiation? But she was an actual Talent!
“What’s your name?”
She glared at me, then sighed, like it was all too heavy to
hold in anymore. “Ellen.”
Not Danny’s missing girl, but someone else. Somebody else’s
missing daughter.
“There was another girl, a little younger than you,
maybe…?”
“Zette. You’re looking for her, too?” Ellen shook her head.
“Forget it. You might get Mollywog back, but they’re keeping Zette. She’s part
of the Plan.”
Anything that
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