The Marradith Ryder Series Part 6
“So I kill for the Sojourners, or I kill for The Circle. It doesn’t sound like a big difference to me.” Marradith said. She put her hands on her hips. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. “Look. You need to understand something here. A few hours ago I did not know that you or your people existed. I still don’t know where my family is and you won’t tell me. And I think you know, Justin, because you talk like someone who knows them personally. These ….ok, let’s call them people, are after me, and now you’re saying that you want me for the same reason that they do. That really inspires trust.”
Justin shook his head. “You know, I think I’ve told you before that I am sorry you weren’t better prepared, but you need to accept this. There’s a big difference between us and the Circle. They’d have you kill humans. Innocents. I would not even guarantee that they would keep you alive after you served their purposes. I’ve seen it all before. The Sojourners are protecting your family. You can’t do it alone. I don’t know where your family is, but my boss does. There’s a reason I don’t know, and they’re keeping it that way. If it seems to you like I know your parents, it’s because I do. I have checked in with them through the years, because our people knew the time would come when you’d Manifest.”
“Manifest?”
“Yes. Come into your powers. The odds were good that it would be you and not one of your brothers. You’re the first Ryder female in four generations. In these families, that’s usually a pattern that we see. If there had been a lot of girls in the family, and say, Scott were the only boy, we’d expect him to be the one with powers.”
“How do you know that my brothers don’t have powers?”
Justin smiled. “I never said that. You have the ones that are noteworthy to us.”
Marradith wanted to slap him. Hard.
“Come on now. You must have always known that you’re different.”
“Sure I know I’m different. My Mother always explained everything away. The problem is I never knew that I wasn’t completely human. I mean, how human am I? A little precognition? Humans have that. An ability to control electrical impulses? Okay, that’s a little further out there, but I’m sure there’s a German scientist somewhere who wrote a book about it. Acute hearing? Well, some people hear really well. In my case, Mom always told me I was really nosy. I can move fast. Well that’s what track meets are for.”
Justin laughed. He sat down beside her. “Oh God, she did not tell you that, did she? You even sound like her when you say it. Nora’s a peach, huh?”
“So if I’ve got what you’re telling me,” Marradith continued. “Maybe Mom was not really being honest with you about the extent of my powers, but you found out otherwise. Instead of showing up a year from now….”
“You’ve got it. When I realized that you’d already Manifested, I came in short order. I could not have The Circle finding out first. Let me ask you something. How did you first know I was in the house when I came for you tonight?”
“I felt something in my spine. Heat. It‘s almost like pain, but not quite.”
“You felt it again when we were in the car, when the others were behind us, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“That feeling is part of what will help you track Wolves. So, If I can ask you…. When do you think that you first Manifested?”
Marradith shrugged. “I don’t think I ever did. I have had powers as far back as I can remember.”
“I wondered…” he said. She could tell he was going over all the possibilities in his mind.
“Justin,” she said softly. “This boss of yours. Why won’t he tell you where my family is? It’s torture for me not to know.”
She saw sadness in his eyes when he looked at her. “I know. But if I don’t make it to where we’re going, if they catch me,” he said, “I won’t have anything to give them.”
Then he straightened his back. “That’s not my plan though. There’s a reason they sent me for you and not somebody else. I‘m the damned best. And if you’ll listen, and just let me teach you,” he smiled a wicked, expectant smile, “you just wait.”
“What is your plan?” she asked.
“You get some sleep first. And then we hot wire a car in the morning. You can do that, Miss Electrical Impulse?”
“Yes.” she said, and tossed her hair. “Of course. Without even touching the wires.”
He grinned. “Good. Try to get some sleep.”
She wrapped herself up in blankets and turned on her side. He sat up, arms crossed, back against the wall. It felt weird to try to sleep with him right there, but it wasn’t like she had much choice. She’d seen him naked twice in one day, and it just seemed odd. Well, I guess I am human enough, she thought, because I saw that he’s an absolutely beautiful man.
Before she drifted asleep, he asked her a question.
“How come you didn’t try to get the generator in here on?” he asked.
“Tied to the alarm system.” she muttered. “And we didn’t want that coming on. So I made sure both were burned.”
___
© 2009 Lori Titus
Lori Titus’s The Marradith Ryder Series appears in episodes on Flashes in the Dark. Many of her short stories appear on MicroHorror.com, DemonMinds.com, and Shadeworks.org. An upcoming story will also be featured as a pod cast on SFZine.org. For more information see her at http://www.myspace.com/talesforthedark.
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March 11th, 2009 at 11:01 am
I’m really enjoying the story. Lori! I have a feeling Marradith is someone you don’t want to cross…
March 11th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Yes, she’s a tough cookie!
June 16th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Quite a few talents she has, and maybe she has been active for a long time.