hand through her hair. “Mirage, you need to let
your mother go so I can take care of her.”
Mirage stood and placed her mother on
the stretcher she’d lain on. She had to fight the angry tears as
she saw the grime and burns that marred her mother’s porcelain
skin. The silver hair that Mirage often envied was dull, gray and
lank and her mother’s blue swirls pulsated a weak cerulean as she
attempted to heal herself. “Will she be okay?”
“ She’s badly hurt, but
she’ll survive. It’ll take a lot of healing and a long
recovery.”
Mirage nodded again, blinking away
tears. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”
Charity paused in checking her
mother’s pulse. “Honestly, Mirage? They’ll call the Marksman Law on
you. They’ll have every right to kill you and any Child of Power
you’re around on sight.”
“ Including my mother,”
Mirage whispered.
“ Yes, including your
mother.”
Mirage closed her eyes and leaned
against the wall of the moving van. “Where are you taking
us?’
“ I’m taking your mother to
the emissary hospital where she will be transferred to her Promised
Lands tomorrow.” Charity gave her a look. “You were never
here.”
A few tears squeezed past her closed
eyes. “Tell her not to look for me. If she gives it time, what’s
left of our family cords will fade.”
“ She won’t be able to
leave her Promised Lands for a while. She’s been through a
lot.”
“ She couldn’t return
because of me.”
“ Mirage, honey, it’s not
your fault.”
The runes on her skin began to glow a
soft red as she opened her yes. The ambulance reflected her light
back at her. “Yeah, it is.” Mirage’s voice shook slightly before
she cleared it. “It’s more my fault than you realize.” She
swallowed past the lump in her throat and focused on keeping her
voice from cracking. “Tell her I love her.”
“ Mirage, what are you
going to do?”
“ What can I do?” Her
voice, both sad and angry, turned hard. “If I’m going to die, I
know someone who’s going with me.”
Charity moved forward and grabbed her
arm, ignoring the glowing runes. “Don’t you dare go on a
Shadowstart suicide run. You mother raised you better. Here.” She
shoved a sheet of paper into her hand. “He’s human, but he’ll help.
He’s an Altruistic.”
“ You want me to just
leave—to run from this?” Mirage gave a bitter laugh. “Where can I
go? I’m a Forgotten One. I can’t go back to my Promised Lands. You
Children of the Dawn may choose to leave your Promised Lands and
play nice with the humans, but at least you can return when
HUMANITY gets hot on your ass. Where do I go? What do I
do?”
“ Please, Mirage. The
Altruistics will take care of you.”
“ They’ve done a damn good
job so far.” The glow from her arms brightened and Charity let her
go. “Where were you when we were being attacked?”
Mirage didn’t give her a chance to
answer as she embraced her powers. They sung to her, a new tugging
in the back of her mind that she couldn’t place. She ignored the
annoying pull and wrapped her shadows around her, fading through
the wall of the ambulance. She hit the road hard, knocking her
breath away as she tumbled along the empty road.
“ Shit,” she grumbled as
she raised her head to watch the ambulance drive away. They’d been
driving slowly, but now they were speeding up, their sirens
beginning to sound. Mirage sat up, looking at the scrapes across
her arms. She concentrated and the diamonds on her hands flickered
a weak blue. After a moment, the scrapes healed.
Mirage stood, taking in her
surroundings. She only vaguely recognized the area. Her mother had
driven through it to get to their home. Mirage hugged herself to
keep from trembling. Rain dripped down her forehead, soaking
through her ragged pajamas.
“ What do I do now?” Mirage
whispered. She was surrounded by beautiful homes and sweeping yards
and she had never felt so… tired . So betrayed. Mirage shook
your mother go so I can take care of her.”
Mirage stood and placed her mother on
the stretcher she’d lain on. She had to fight the angry tears as
she saw the grime and burns that marred her mother’s porcelain
skin. The silver hair that Mirage often envied was dull, gray and
lank and her mother’s blue swirls pulsated a weak cerulean as she
attempted to heal herself. “Will she be okay?”
“ She’s badly hurt, but
she’ll survive. It’ll take a lot of healing and a long
recovery.”
Mirage nodded again, blinking away
tears. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”
Charity paused in checking her
mother’s pulse. “Honestly, Mirage? They’ll call the Marksman Law on
you. They’ll have every right to kill you and any Child of Power
you’re around on sight.”
“ Including my mother,”
Mirage whispered.
“ Yes, including your
mother.”
Mirage closed her eyes and leaned
against the wall of the moving van. “Where are you taking
us?’
“ I’m taking your mother to
the emissary hospital where she will be transferred to her Promised
Lands tomorrow.” Charity gave her a look. “You were never
here.”
A few tears squeezed past her closed
eyes. “Tell her not to look for me. If she gives it time, what’s
left of our family cords will fade.”
“ She won’t be able to
leave her Promised Lands for a while. She’s been through a
lot.”
“ She couldn’t return
because of me.”
“ Mirage, honey, it’s not
your fault.”
The runes on her skin began to glow a
soft red as she opened her yes. The ambulance reflected her light
back at her. “Yeah, it is.” Mirage’s voice shook slightly before
she cleared it. “It’s more my fault than you realize.” She
swallowed past the lump in her throat and focused on keeping her
voice from cracking. “Tell her I love her.”
“ Mirage, what are you
going to do?”
“ What can I do?” Her
voice, both sad and angry, turned hard. “If I’m going to die, I
know someone who’s going with me.”
Charity moved forward and grabbed her
arm, ignoring the glowing runes. “Don’t you dare go on a
Shadowstart suicide run. You mother raised you better. Here.” She
shoved a sheet of paper into her hand. “He’s human, but he’ll help.
He’s an Altruistic.”
“ You want me to just
leave—to run from this?” Mirage gave a bitter laugh. “Where can I
go? I’m a Forgotten One. I can’t go back to my Promised Lands. You
Children of the Dawn may choose to leave your Promised Lands and
play nice with the humans, but at least you can return when
HUMANITY gets hot on your ass. Where do I go? What do I
do?”
“ Please, Mirage. The
Altruistics will take care of you.”
“ They’ve done a damn good
job so far.” The glow from her arms brightened and Charity let her
go. “Where were you when we were being attacked?”
Mirage didn’t give her a chance to
answer as she embraced her powers. They sung to her, a new tugging
in the back of her mind that she couldn’t place. She ignored the
annoying pull and wrapped her shadows around her, fading through
the wall of the ambulance. She hit the road hard, knocking her
breath away as she tumbled along the empty road.
“ Shit,” she grumbled as
she raised her head to watch the ambulance drive away. They’d been
driving slowly, but now they were speeding up, their sirens
beginning to sound. Mirage sat up, looking at the scrapes across
her arms. She concentrated and the diamonds on her hands flickered
a weak blue. After a moment, the scrapes healed.
Mirage stood, taking in her
surroundings. She only vaguely recognized the area. Her mother had
driven through it to get to their home. Mirage hugged herself to
keep from trembling. Rain dripped down her forehead, soaking
through her ragged pajamas.
“ What do I do now?” Mirage
whispered. She was surrounded by beautiful homes and sweeping yards
and she had never felt so… tired . So betrayed. Mirage shook
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