“Do you have anything new to go on, apart from worries and the address of Innoviro’s San Francisco office?” said Ilya.
“No, but we already have reason enough to act. If we go there, I’ll have a new vision. These days I can pretty much count on physical contact producing a psychic incident. I’ve tried sparking another spontaneous vision, but nothing is coming. I think it was a fluke when I saw Ivan only because I thought of him. I’m having more luck levitating pieces of lumber than seeing something new on Ivan.”
“Fair enough. I know my father and if he wants something to happen, he won’t stop pushing until he gets there,” said Ilya.
“If we leave today, we’ll be in San Francisco before the weekend,” said Jonah.
“I can be good to go after breakfast,” said Cole.
“Me too. It’ll only take me a few minutes to pack,” said Faith.
“So it’s settled then? We’re leaving after breakfast?” I asked, looking around to confirm consent.
“You should keep training as you go. Don’t stop working on any of your abilities. Fine-tuning your mental and physical power is about more than chemistry. Your mind is a big part of what your body can do. The reverse is also true,” said Josh.
“Thanks for everything you’ve done for us, Josh. We’ll be sure to keep training on the road,” said Cole.
“Josh, why don’t you come with us,” said Ilya.
“Yeah, we could use your help if you’re willing,” said Faith.
Josh and Max exchanged a raised eyebrow look.
“We need you here for harvest next month. It’s not a good time for a road trip.” Max’s words had a surly undertone.
“You’ve got me now.” Camille smiled and put her hand on Max’s forearm.
“Let me think about it,” said Josh. I expected he would want to talk to his brother in private before committing to join us. Josh had already done more for us than anyone not already involved with our cause. It was a wild and risky thing to do, taking on a corporate power with little more than a few brains and a few sets of hands.
“We’ll pack while you think,” said Ilya in his best conciliatory tone.
Chapter 11
Each of us finished our food. We cleared the table in a silence full of palpable tension. Yet, I didn’t for a second regret setting our departure in motion. Staying at Foothills was temporary.
“Join me for a walk?” said Jonah as I closed the dishwasher door. He stood close enough for me to feel his body heat. I looked up to find his blue eyes bright again, framed with his wavy black hair and smooth pale skin.
“To the clearing?”
“No, the path along the road. We could use some fresh air before we’re stuck in the car for the rest of the day.” Jonah obviously wanted to talk.
I figured it would be harmless to let him. Excitement seized me.
Is he going to tell me he’s getting better somehow? He looks better. Is it possible?
I met Jonah out on the porch. I felt giddy as I followed him to the bramble-lined path at the end of the Foothills Glen driveway.
“I’ve been thinking about what happens after San Francisco, Jonah.”
He looked at back at me and I searched his face in a flash. Vitality flickered in his eyes and it filled my stomach with butterflies.
“Oh, and what will we tackle next?”
“We need a plan to catch Ivan and take him out. We also need
The Compendium
, or a copy of it, to be sure we have a complete record of anything Innoviro has done or planned to do that needs to be reversed.”
“Yes, we’ve all talked about this, Irina.”
“Assume we find a way to do all those things. I’m thinking about what comes after day to day.”
“You mean rebuilding our lives.”
“I mean, do we stay together, Jonah? Where do we want to live? What will we do for jobs and homes and money? I had ideas for my life. They were boring ideas, but I knew what came after this stage. Now, I have no concept of what my life could contain. It might make things easier if I could envision what life will be after we do the hard work ahead.”
“You want to plan for something unknowable. We might be on the road for years chasing down Innoviro’s messes. Maybe we’ll pick a time and place to stop, once we’re sure that we’ve caught the worst of it. We probably will have a hard time re-entering normal society. Each of us gave up mainstream careers and lifestyles when we joined Innoviro in the first place. Whatever you picture as a life after Innoviro, I hope I’m there.” Jonah took my hand and I let him. His large hands felt warm and strong.
We walked with hands clasped, fingers interlocked, strolling down the rural road as though all the hurt and drama hadn’t happened. We could have been walking through Northern BC. We could be waiting to go back to university. My parents could be waiting for us to come home for dinner. None of that would ever come to pass.
I wouldn’t be able to rebuild my future with pieces of my past no longer accessible. But I might be able to craft a viable semblance of a life. If Jonah could be with me, whatever did come would be workable.
“Here we are,” said Jonah.
We’d arrived at the edge of the bramble line, parallel to the end of the Foothills’ backfield. A new path cut through the woods in the direction of our clearing.
Jonah turned into the path and we walked until we came to a small grassy patch. A thin quilt had already been spread out on the ground. Jonah sat down on the quilt and beckoned me to do the same. He smiled at me. I smiled back and I felt butterflies in my stomach again.
“Are you better now? Stable at least?” I asked nervously, knowing what Jonah obviously had in mind.
“I think so. This past week has been energizing. I admit I worried about training with my ability. After fighting Hugo and all the bullshit afterwards, it did seem like I was getting worse and worse. Camille healing me and spending so much time with gallons of fresh water on tap has really made a difference.”
He opened his mouth to keep talking, but I couldn’t wait. I leaned in and kissed him, softly at first, but when he responded with enthusiasm, I escalated too.
I pulled Jonah on top of me as I lay back on the quilt. I welcomed the weight of his long chest and lean hips as he kissed me deeply. His hands reached around me. One arm cradled my back while the other went under my shirt and up to my breast. I saw flashes of Jonah’s past as our bodies moved together. He played volleyball on a beach, still pale, but grinning in the sun.
He wore a tuxedo for a graduation, more handsome than I’d ever seen him. He walked along the Inner Harbour in Victoria as the wind played with his black hair. I felt a rush of breathless energy as I saw glimpses of his past connected completely to his present body.
Jonah suddenly flexed uncomfortably and let out a gasp that was not pleasure. He grunted and rolled off me. Panic flooded my heart. I leapt up to evaluate him. Jonah’s eyes closed. His face became a portrait of pain. He curled into a fetal shape.
“Jonah! No! What happened?”
He didn’t answer with words, but turned over and over, moaning. He lay still, breathing shallowly. “I don’t know what happened. I was getting better.”
“Obviously this is too soon. We’re not doing this again. Not unless you get treatment you can count on.” I stood and backed away from Jonah. He stayed on the ground, sitting up to face me.
“Don’t give up. We’ll figure this out,” said Jonah.
“Maybe. I’m not going to take chances though. How did you feel when it
you
drained
me
?”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“Why, because I’m a girl? It’s not okay for you to hurt me, but if I’m the one doing the damage, it’s totally fine!”
Anger swelled in my belly. Anger at life, not Jonah, but life didn’t have a face I could target.
“I did way more damage to you that day than you did to me a moment ago.”
“Easy for you to say, you didn’t just have to watch the person you love writhing in pain!”
“You love me?” Jonah smiled with a cheeky playfulness. “Good, because I love you too.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” Rage overrode everything. “I’m sick and tired of this–of us–being a fight. I might love you today, but I’ll get over it. I have to get over it. We stand no chance of fighting Ivan and whoever else he’s got on his side if we’re screwing around with this emotional crap!”
“Take some time and relax.”
“You take some time.” I stormed back to the road. I marched down the bramble path and back to the farmhouse without looking back. I was being unfair to Jonah, but life was being unfair to me. Ivan, my true target, specifically whatever force inside him orchestrated
The Compendium
, needed to bear the brunt of my vengeance.
If I stayed angry, I could nurse the emotion into hatred, turning hatred into psychic and telekinetic energy. I could become a force Ivan would be sorry he’d ever created.
Back in front of the farmhouse, my friends were packing the trunks of Cole’s car and Josh’s Jeep. I stormed past the group and into the house. I shoved my belongings into my backpack, did a quick survey of the guest room, and headed back out front.
“Josh, I’m riding with you.” I tossed my bag uninvited into his trunk.
“Uh, yeah, sure. Ilya planned to take the front. Are you cool with the back seat? It’s noisy.”
“That’ll be fine. Let’s go. Now!” I got into the back seat.
Josh, Ilya, Cole and Faith all said goodbye to Max and Camille. I seethed with too much rage to be polite, so I waited in the car.
Jonah appeared at the edge of the driveway, looking only slightly winded. It was obvious something was wrong between us. I didn’t care to explain. I sat in the back seat while my friends talked amongst themselves to their satisfaction. I had worked my anger at the situation into a swirling mass of misguided rage. How dare they all act like everything was normal? Couldn’t they tell something awful had just happened? Of course not, but I fumed anyway until we finally drove away.
As he drove, Josh filled us in on his plan. We were on our way to Spokane to pick up his friend and fellow variant, Adelaide. She was an alumna of Innoviro’s European sister company, Evonatura.
“When we get to Adelaide’s house, we’ll need to spend the night. She’s got a big place, a lot like Foothills Glen, so there’s room for all of us. If we don’t piss her off too much. You’ll piss her off if you stare,” said Josh. I sensed him eyeing me in the rearview mirror as he drove, but I refused to meet his gaze.
“Irina, you should calm down, regardless of who we’re meeting later,” said Ilya. The mild irritation in his voice served to ratchet up my rage.
Shut up and stay out of my head! This is none of your goddamn business!
“I’m perfectly calm! But why would we stare? Is her variation gross or something?”
“Don’t say gross. She’s one of us. She does have a very noticeable variation. Like the angel sisters, she can’t go out in public without a disguise,” said Josh.
“You mean Rose and Sage? She’s got wings?” said Ilya.
“No, she’s got tentacles,” said Josh.
“Did you give the others this little briefing?” said Ilya, his irritation replaced with concern.
“I told Cole and asked him to discuss it, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind them. Irina, text your boyfriend to make sure they’ve got a heads up,” said Josh.
“He’s NOT my boyfriend,” I said, fully aware how childish I sounded.
“Okay. Text Jonah and remind them not to stare at Adelaide,” said Josh.
I looked straight back at him this time. The combination of Josh’s scowl, dark beard stubble, army-green flak jacket, and sheer physical size would have intimidated me in any other circumstance. Angry as I felt, I held my tongue and glared back at him for a long moment.
I picked up my phone and started tapping. “Done.”
“Good. Now, pick that cup up off the floor and practice your telekinesis until we get to Spokane.”
The road from Seattle to Spokane took us from mountains and lush coastal forests to rolling grassy hills and wide flat plains. We passed through the unremarkable towers of Spokane’s core, over a river and back into grasslands. Josh turned onto a long driveway that disappeared into a tunnel of trees. We emerged to find, not a farm, but an acreage stretching out around a large log cabin. While we parked, I saw the front door open and a woman in a wheelchair navigated the porch to greet us.
“Hello, Josh! It’s good to see you!” said the woman in the wheelchair. I detected a faint accent in her speech, but I couldn’t place it. She smoothed the blanket covering her lap and legs.
“Hi Adelaide. How’s it goin?” Josh said, through his open door window. We got out of the Jeep as Cole’s car parked next to us.
“Working from home again, so I can’t complain.” Adelaide wheeled forward a little with a welcoming smile on her face.
Her beauty struck me speechless. Ebony ringlets flowed from the top of her head, onto her chest and down her back. Her coffee-colored skin was flawless. Green eyes shone under thick fringes of jet-black lashes.
“This is Irina. Over there is Ilya, Cole, Faith and Jonah,” said Josh, pointing fingers at each of us in turn.
“Come inside everyone. Food’s waiting.” Adelaide wheeled back into the house and we all followed.
The entryway looked out on a spacious great room at least twenty feet high. A railing bordering the far corner of the living room suggested a lower level.
“Good to meet you.” Ilya stuck out his hand. Adelaide shook it. Jonah, Cole, and Faith followed suit. I couldn’t stop looking at the art on her walls. Huge canvases were covered in detailed elaborate scenes, fairies in a forest, a lively coral reef, a city in the clouds.
“You’ve got a lovely home here,” said Jonah.
“It keeps the rain off my head,” said Adelaide.
“Are these yours?” I gestured to the paintings. “They’re beautiful.”
“Thank you. It’s become my life’s work, given I don’t work for Evonatura anymore,” said Adelaide.
“You’re among friends here, if you want to stand up,” said Josh, beckoning her upwards with both his hands.
Adelaide sized each of us up. In response, Faith tossed a fireball between her hands. I floated my cup, doing my best impression of a funnel spin.
Adelaide slowly lifted her blanket to reveal a long row of fleshy tubes, the same brown as her skin. Her simple yellow sweater turned out to be a dress, tailored to flare and flow like a skirt around her many legs. She slid upward onto eight s-curved tentacles, dotted with large pink suction cups on the underside of each. I wanted to ask if she had been born or made as she was, along with the nature of her work for Evonatura. I said nothing.
“Shall we eat?” said Adelaide.
We followed her through the kitchen, the only enclosed space on the ground level. Her dining table on the other side had a spread of cold cuts, fruits, vegetables, crackers, and breads, all in generous proportions. Earthenware plates were stacked at either end of the table.
“Nice spread!” said Faith, picking up a plate. Wearing a long sleeved waffle shirt and faded overalls, Faith looked out of place in Adelaide’s elegant home.
“Thank you so much for having us.” Jonah hung back. The energy I’d seen in him earlier faded, his heart-breaking fatigue back in place.
“I hope this isn’t bad timing.” Cole quickly followed his sister in creating a pile of food. Back in his standard band shirt and cargo short combo, Cole looked only slightly more cultured than his sister.
“So, Adelaide, did Josh tell you we’re looking for companions to join our little road trip?” said Ilya.
“I said we were on the road, but I didn’t say we were looking for recruits.” Josh frowned at my brother’s lack of tact.
“I think you’ll find I’m not very helpful out in the world,” said Adelaide.
“We’re not going out in the world, not really. We’ve got to stay under the radar as it is. We need all the help we can get and I think you’d be a kickass asset,” said Ilya.
“Sorry, Adelaide, we’re not here to pressure you.” Josh glared at Ilya.