I was talking to the bird. I put my hands on my knees. I shook my head, letting out a small laugh. Maybe this was all some kind of delusion. Aspen. The birds. I sighed. Could one be delusional and still question it as a delusion?
The bird dove down and a second later turned into a man. I gasped. He was tall, dark haired, and dark eyed. He was dressed entirely in black, including a leather jacket, which struck me as odd because leather was so hard to come by. “Sister, do not fret. You are doing very well. We’re really almost there.”
“You… you…”
The man held up his hands. “I am Brother Reed. A lot of the Sisters call me Brother Raven.”
What was one to say when the impossible happened? “Well, considering you’re also a bird.”
“I…” He stopped speaking abruptly, turning his head slightly to the side. “Well, I didn’t see this coming, but I am not unhappy. Let’s see if Divinity knows what it’s doing for once.”
Reed shifted into a bird once more, and then took off like he was on a race. “Hey,” I called after him. How was I supposed to follow him when he went so swiftly?
I stumbled into a run. If I made it through this, I was going to exercise every day just to make sure that if I ever again had to chase a man-bird, I could do so without pause. Maybe it was my utter lack of stamina and the fact I was staring at the sky that made me run straight into a man. I shouted an oomph before I was flung backward. I’d have hit the ground if the man in question hadn’t caught me and righted me immediately.
I panted. Okay, this time I was officially out of breath. I’d lost the bird. I’d have to find the darn train station on my own. Or maybe not. This was ridiculous. I…
“Miss, are you okay?” Holding me in his arms was a man with olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes. His long hair fell around his shoulders. He had a small beard that was neatly trimmed and short on his face.
I found my voice. “Yes. Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
I took a survey of my surroundings. There were five men here. Each one of them was very tall and built like they could take down the trees around us and carry them for miles. I bet they could have run after the bird.
“You’re sure you’re okay. We didn’t see you either. We were looking for a bird ourselves. Did you say you saw one?”
I nodded, but just as I was about to tell them what direction it had gone I changed my mind. The leather wearing shifter bird might be at risk from this crew. I knew nothing about them. I retreated a step, abandoning his grip on my arms. “I completely lost track of it. I’m sorry. I thought maybe if I ran I might find it but no luck. It was a pretty gray bird.”
I never used to lie, but I’d gotten so adept at lying to the guards who served as my prison wardens that I didn’t even blink. Whatever I did for survival said about my character, I didn’t care. These were five huge men, and I was alone, somewhere in the Deadlands. I had to be careful. I looked like a normal woman.
My skirt was long and black. It was a Sister’s skirt, but as I had no special powers, I’d never had intricate designs put on it. I’d long ago forsaken my hood, and I wore a white collared shirt one of the guards had thrown at me earlier in the week. Once a week new clothes arrived, usually hitting me in the face while I slept.
I hadn’t used powers in years. Although my own abilities weren’t Sister-like, every time I healed someone the power took some of eye color away the same way it did to other Sisters. However, my eyes had remained their light blue color for the last few years since I’d never been asked to call upon my power. Or at least that’s how they looked in the small glances I got of myself in my water glasses.
My hair was blonde, long, and uninteresting. There was nothing about me that would scream Sister to these men. That was a good thing and a bad thing.
Good because Sisters were considered highly prized as kidnapping victims to be sold for ransom. I didn’t need them contacting Katrina with a price.
What to do? What to do?
“The bird was gray?” The second man spoke. He was totally bald with an earring in both ears. He had a striking presence, like he’d always take up all the air in the room with it. The sheer force of him would be enough to have him in charge wherever he went, except somehow the other four were also that way and how they all functioned together was the real question. Five of them. In another existence I might think they were guards, except that couldn’t be. Guards didn’t go wandering without their Sisters. I didn’t see one around.
No, this was just bad luck.
I nodded. “Well, my running around the woods is over for now. I’d best be on my way to the train station.” I rocked back on my feet. “I’ll let you look for your bird.”
The five of them seemed to make eye contact for a long moment. The man standing directly to the left of the bald one said in a very low voice. “Kindly allow us, miss, to escort you there.”
Despite his angular face with short-cropped brown hair and kind blue eyes, I shook my head, probably too enthusiastically. “No, thank you. Just point me.”
“Why not?” the blondest member of the group spoke. He also looked to be the youngest, but they all seemed older than me. It was really hard to tell. “It would be our pleasure.”
I steeled my spine. “I don’t know you guys. I’m a woman alone, which is a problem. This doesn’t usually happen to me.” That was true. “And I’m not going to trust my safety to men who might want to hurt me. I’d rather be on my own.”
The last member finally spoke. He was blond as well, but not nearly as much as the Why Not guy, more of a dirty blond. “That’s smart thinking. A woman alone in the world needs to protect herself. I appreciate that you’re self-aware. But we are safe for you. Easy for me to say, I know. We’re five men alone together. We made a terrible mistake. One of the worst I can imagine. Someone was hurt because of us. We’re looking for redemption. We may never find it, but we can walk you the long distance to the train station. That we can do.”
Brother Bird or whatever we were calling him had said it was close. But maybe distance was relative or shorter by air? I’d always wondered what it would be like to fly.
I shouldn’t believe them. They were strangers. But believing in others seemed to be habit forming… and they seemed sincere. “Thank you, I would appreciate the escort.”
Above my head, ravens appeared. They cawed, circling. I stared at them and the five men with me did, too. The man who caught me when I almost fell lowered his gaze to meet mine. “Do you see the ravens a lot?”
I didn’t flinch. “No. Why would I?”
Liar. Liar. Liar.
Chapter 2
They were a silent bunch, which was good because I really didn’t want to lie again. I kind of thought they suspected I lied, and I wasn’t exactly sure why. That was fine. They were bringing me to the train station—that Aspen had neglected to say was so far away—and then I’d never see them again.
“Nice day,” I finally spoke. Okay, I wanted desperately to fill the silence. I’d had so much of it. But I really had no idea what to say. “Do you guys have names? I’m Krystal. With a K. Not sure why it’s spelled that way, but we don’t get to determine our own names.”
I didn’t entirely have to hide myself. We were never going to see each other again. I hadn’t called myself Sister Krystal, which I’d likely not have done anyway. I wasn’t a real Sister after all. Just a Healer the Darkness wanted to possess. They’d never told me why.
The man I’d run into stopped walking. “I’m Titus. I kind of run our little group here.”
The bald one shrugged, a half grin on his face. “He won the coin toss. I’m Paden. His so-called second in command. But don’t be fooled, I really run things. Titus spends a lot of time overthinking things.”
I smiled. This was a normal moment, which made it happy by default. The fellow with the short brown hair spoke next. “While they argue over who is running what, I actually do things. I’m Zeke. Krystal is a pretty name.?
??
In all of my years, I’d never had this kind of interaction with men. I’d never had guards, so I rarely spoke to men.
“Oh, so you’re the flirt of the group.” Oh no. Was that the wrong thing to say? I sucked in a breath, but then they all cracked up. I let out the breath. Great, so far I wasn’t being too weird.
The really blond man spoke next, extending his hand. He had an easy smile and the highest cheekbones I’d ever seen. “I don’t try to run things. I prefer they make the decisions. I just make them happen. Despite what Zeke says, it’s me. I’m Ryland. And you have really pretty hair.” He winked at me. “Zeke pretends at flirting. I’m good at it.”
“Like any of us have ever flirted with anyone? Even before we were… you know.” The final man, with blond hair and intense eyes, like he never missed anything, answered. “I’m not special. Like I can’t give you a way to remember me. I’m just Jett.”
I nodded at him. “Nice to meet you Just Jett.” That earned me another round of laughter. That was good. I’d disarmed them. Should I do anything very odd perhaps they’d overlook it. I was weird before I’d been locked in a room for years.
We walked in silence for the next few hours. It was getting dark, but in the distance, I could see a town. Smoke went into the air from chimneys. I’d seen smoke in our compound but nowhere else that I could remember. I didn’t know if I’d ever seen a town before. Not that I recalled.
A gentle hand touched my back. It was Titus. “You okay, Krystal? You look a little pale.”
I nodded, forcing myself back to the here and now. “Forgive me. For a lot of reasons, I’ve spent a lot of time in my own company lately. I may not be good at having others around.”
Titus furrowed his brow. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Point me to the train station.” I needed to be on the train as quickly as possible. The Darkness was going to find me as soon as the sun set. These poor men couldn’t be in its way when it got here. I had to be secluded somewhere. Aspen’s money was in my bra. I’d get a ticket and hope Divinity cut me some slack and let me get through the night without too much trouble
Maybe Aspen’s interference at the Sisterhood was enough the Darkness would go away for just a little bit.
A girl could hope. What else was there?
Paden nodded left. “This way. Where are you going?”
“To see friends.” I hoped they’d be my friends. I didn’t know which Sisters were there other than Anne. She and I had never met, officially. The other Sisters stayed away and some like Sister Shannon actively made fun of me. She had been Anne’s friend. I sighed. Was Anne going to be awful?
By the time we got to the train station, my legs hurt. The guys stopped behind me when I went to the window and purchased a first class ticket. I was odd to everyone who encountered me and this wasn’t any different. They were being polite and not staring… Still, they asked me no questions and I appreciated that. I hated lying.
I sat on a bench and four of them walked over to me. Where had Paden gone?
“Are you hungry?” Jett pulled out some bread from his backpack. They all wore various forms of packs. His was black. They seemed far more prepared for long journeys than I. He offered me the bread, and I declined. I wasn’t ill fed. That was the one thing Katrina had granted me.
I wasn’t going to take their food. I knew as little about them as they did me. I didn’t know how often they met. They had also claimed to be bird watching. Amazing how many people went looking for birds.
“You sure?” When I nodded, he put the bread away.
“Thank you so much for getting me here. I’m sure you need to go back and look for the bird.”
Zeke turned slightly, pointing toward the sky above the tracks. “The bird we were looking for is right there.”
They had to mean the one with the white feather in the center of the cawing ravens. That meant they were involved in this madness. I looked at my feet. “What are you going to do to it?”
I would have to protect that shifting creature if it came down to it. I knew in my soul I wouldn’t let anything happen to it. Ever. I wasn’t sure I could take on these five physically, but I would try.
That was the best I could do.
“Nothing. We, ah, have a vested interest in seeing what happens to it.”
Well, that was a strange answer. The train would be here very shortly. If I’d been any later, I’d have missed it. “Thank you for all that you did. Completely unexpected and you really did extend yourself beyond what is reasonable.” A thought dawned on me. “Would you like some kind of payment?” I quickly added in case they wanted something I didn’t want to give. “Like gold?”
Paden returned from wherever he had gone, and Rylan shook his head fast. “No, we wouldn’t think of it. This is our good deed. The start of our redemption, we hope.”
I almost asked him what they had to be redeemed from, but we’d kept it so completely benign that I didn’t dare open that door. They could ask me pointed questions I didn’t want to answer. Whatever was going on, our mutual interest in the bird with the white feather would have to be as far as this went.
Then it happened. I’d anticipated the Darkness so of course that wasn’t what occurred. Instead, my hands burned and before I knew what was happening, my powers called to life. It had been so long since they had. Someone here was sick or seriously injured. It was a hard hit. My stupid powers. Why couldn’t they do what the other Sisters’ did? I shook from the onslaught. Years without use made them hurt.
“Please go away.” Rude, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want them following me into whatever this was.
“Titus,” Zeke spoke quickly.
“Yep. We should have known. She’s a Sister. Of course she is. It makes sense now. Reed. The woods.” Titus knelt down in front of me. “Sister? Where is the demon? Let us help you. We’re guards.”
He was right. This did all make sense now. “Then you should go back to your Sister. This isn’t about a demon. My powers are wrong.”
Jett knelt next to him. “Wrong?”
“I can’t stop and explain this to you right now. Please, just go away. I do these things alone. That’s my job.” I rose. If they insisted on staying, there was nothing I could do about it. The ravens cawed. It still felt like they spoke to me. Now knowing that the one with the white feather shifted, I wondered if they actually did.
My ears buzzed and the noise would increase the closer I got to whomever needed me. I finally found my way to a woman rocking a toddler. The child was sick. His color was wrong. I could always see the aura of a sick person needing help. The little one was blue, that wasn’t a good sign.
The guards, who hadn’t listened to me, spread around me in a semi-circle. They weren’t too close to be smothering. The mother stared at me and then must have seen my eyes. She gasped. “Is it a demon? I didn’t think it was a demon. She’s been so sick. But I thought it was something else. Oh no, do the demons have her?”
I shook my head. That would likely be a common misconception until I got to Anne’s and could hide away again. “No, sweet lady, it’s not a demon. I have a rather different set of powers. It won’t hurt her. I’m told it’s like a hot bath.”
“Anything, Sister. I can’t figure out what’s wrong. Her fever keeps getting higher and higher.”
I placed my hand on the child’s back. It took me only a second. “It’s pneumonia. I know she’s not coughing. It hasn’t started yet. But it will. Well, now it won’t.”
That was going to be the very last thing I said to her until I was done. I left my body, my soul traveling into the toddler’s. She battled hard, trying to throw the infection out of her. It wasn’t going to work. But I could do it. Everything I touched, I healed. After a time, I jolted back into my body.
The baby stopped crying and stared at me wide eyed. My body ached, like I had the flu. I’d probably run a low-grade fever, but it would be okay. Not like healing the nearly dead. That had taken m
e out for days. I was going to need a nap.
The train blew its whistle, and I stepped back. “She’ll be okay now.”
The mother grabbed onto my arm. “Thank you, Sister. You’re a miracle.”
“I’m not that. Just glad I was here.”
I’d managed to get a crowd of interested bystanders around me and that wouldn’t do. I had to get on that train before I was overwhelmed. Everyone knew someone who needed help with a demon, and I couldn’t do a thing about those. The populace would never believe me. How could anyone expect them to not want saving? It would be a nightmare.
The train was here. I’d not been aware while I was lost in the healing. It was a good thing I hadn’t taken too long. I strode toward it. If I hurried, I could manage to be alone in my compartment when the pain hit.
Titus grabbed my arm, not tightly, but halting me. “What do you need?”
I pointed to the train. “To be on there fast. Thank you. For all that you did. Go find your Sister.”
Distress crossed over his gaze, and he let go of my arm. “That’s not possible.”
I wanted to know why, but we didn’t have time. I pulled my arm from his. “Thank you for everything. Goodbye.”
I rushed onto the train, handing my ticket to the man waiting by the door, and he pointed me to a compartment a distance down the hall. My eyes must still have been glowing, which meant lots of staring and pointing. I didn’t care. The aches threaded through my muscles. I found the room the man had indicated, and I rushed inside, shutting the door behind me. I had nothing with me, so after I kicked my shoes off, I climbed into bed. Aspen had said to stay put, and I intended to do just that.
I closed my eyes.
Sometime later, I roused to the knock on the door with the splitting headache that came with healings. Maybe the train people needed something from me. I managed to get to the door and swung it open. The five guys from earlier were there. I rubbed my eyes. Was I still dreaming?