Chapter 25 Chapter 25

Chapter 25 Chapter 25

They stood quietly in the dark for a long time. Kaelen could hear Rook breathing next to him. Sparrow leaned against the wall with her hand on Mira's arm. Mira sat with her bad ankle stretched out. Her expression was just moving between anguish and fear.

The shouting from the other side of the wall stopped. But boots kept moving across the floor above them. Doors opened and closed. Then nothing.

Kaelen put his hands on the wall. He felt Elara's voice. The men's voices too. Then silence.

He said quickly, "They're gone."

Rook said "What about Elara?"

Kaelen did not answer.

Sparrow said "She's gone too."

Rook said "No. You don't know that."

Sparrow said "She told us to go. They found us there. It's only logical that they took her with them"

Rook looked at the floor.

Kaelen pushed on the wall. It did not move.

He said "It's stuck. I think we are stuck here. Elara was the one who could open these walls."

Rook came next to him. She ran her hands over the wall. "There's no handle."

Sparrow said "How did she open it?"

Kaelen said "A jar on the shelf. She pushed it for it to open."

Sparrow said "Then we're trapped."

Kaelen said nothing.

They found a corner and sat down. Mira sat with her back against the wall. Her face was still tight. She was biting her lip.

Rook looked at her ankle. "It's swollen."

Mira said "I twisted it climbing the wall."

Rook said "You climbed the wall?"

Mira said "The back wall. I've been out that way before."

Rook said "Why didn't you run before?"

Mira's face got hard. "Because I wanted to see him fall first."

Kaelen closed his eyes. His arm hurt. His chest hurt. He felt echoes. A woman crying. He reached for them.

Rook asked, "What are you doing now?"

He opened his eyes. "Trying to control it."

She said "Control what? Can you teach me?"

He said "It's not something you can learn."

She said "Why not?"

He said "It came from something bad. It's a wound."

She was quiet. Then she said "I've had bad things happen to me too."

He said "I know."

She said "Then maybe I have a wound too."

Rook sat cross-legged looking at him.

She said "What was it like? When your family died?"

He was quiet. Then he said "I was under the floorboards. I could hear everything."

She said "How old were you?"

He said "Eight."

She said "That's how old I was when I ended up on the streets."

He looked at her. "What happened?"

She looked at her hands. "I don't remember. There was a woman. She sang to me. Then there was a fire. I ran and never went back."

She looked up. Her eyes were wet. "I don't remember her face."

He said nothing.

She said "I remember her voice. That's all."

She wiped her eyes.

She said "Do you think I could learn?"

He said "I don't know."

She said "Could you try to teach me?"

He said "Close your eyes."

She closed them.

He said "Feel the room. The walls. The floor. What's in them?"

She was quiet. Her face was tight. Her hands were flat.

After a minute she opened her eyes. "Nothing."

He said, "Try again."

She closed her eyes again.

After another minute she opened her eyes. "Nothing."

He said, "It takes time."

She said "How long did it take you?"

He said "Years."

Her face fell. "I don't have years."

He said "I know."

She said "Show me again. What you did with the door."

He said "I can't show you. It's not something you can see."

She said "Then tell me."

He said "The key was on a hook. I felt it. I reached for it and pushed it into the lock."

She said "Pushed what?"

He said "The memory. The lock remembered being opened. I reminded it."

She stared at him. "That doesn't make sense."

He said "I know."

She said "Then how do you do it?"

He said "I don't know. I just do it."

She leaned back. Her face was frustrated.

She said "That's not teaching."

He said "I told you. It can't be taught."

She said "Then why am I trying?"

He said "You asked to try."

She looked at him. Her jaw was tight.

She said "I want to help."

He said "You already help."

She said "How?"

He said "You hit Vane with a bottle."

She stared at him. Then she almost smiled.

She said "That's not enough."

He said "It's enough for now."

She looked at her hands.

She said "I don't remember her face."

He said nothing.

She said "I remember her voice. That's it."

She closed her eyes. Her hands were flat. Her face was tight.

Kaelen watched her. She sat like that for a long time.

Then she opened her eyes. "Nothing."

He said "Try again."

She closed her eyes.

Sparrow woke up. She looked at Rook. Then at Kaelen.

She said "What's she doing?"

He said "Trying to feel echoes."

Sparrow said "Can she?"

He said "No."

Sparrow watched Rook. Then she said "What about me?"

He said "You want to try?"

She said "Maybe."

He said "Close your eyes."

She closed them.

He said "Feel the room. What's in it?"

She was quiet. Then she opened her eyes. "Nothing."

He said "Try again."

She closed her eyes.

After a minute she opened her eyes. "Nothing."

She looked at Rook. Rook was still sitting with her eyes closed.

Sparrow said "She'll keep trying. Even if it doesn't work."

Kaelen said "I know."

Rook opened her eyes after another hour. Her face was tired. Her hands were red.

She said "Nothing."

Kaelen said "Rest."

She said "I want to try again."

He said "Rest first."

She looked at him. Her face was frustrated. But she leaned back and closed her eyes.

Sparrow said "They'll find Elara. They'll make her talk."

Kaelen said nothing.

She said "If she talks, they'll know about this place."

He said "Yes."

She said "We need to move."

He said "When Mira can walk."

Sparrow looked at Mira's ankle. Still swollen.

She said "That could be days."

He said "I know."

She said "What do we do?"

He said "We wait. I train."

She said "Train what?"

He said "The echoes. I need to get stronger."

She said "Stronger for what?"

He looked at her. "For when they find us."

Rook opened her eyes again. She sat up.

She said "I want to try again."

Kaelen said "Alright."

She closed her eyes. Her hands went flat on the floor. Her face went tight.

Kaelen watched her. He felt the echoes. The woman's sadness. The man's anger. He felt Rook pushing.

She sat there for a long time.

Then she opened her eyes. "Nothing."

He said "Try again."

She closed her eyes.

A noise came from the other side of the wall.

Everyone went still.

Kaelen moved to the wall. He put his hand on it. He felt something moving in the room beyond.

He said "Someone's in the shop."

Rook stood up. Her knife was in her hand.

Sparrow grabbed Mira's arm.

Mira's face was white.

Footsteps came closer.

A voice came through the wall. Cold.

"I know you're in there."

Kaelen's hand went to his belt. His knife was gone.

The voice said "Open the wall."

Rook moved next to Kaelen. Her knife was up.

The voice said "I'll count to three."

Kaelen looked at Rook. She looked at him.

The voice said "One."

Kaelen put his hand on the wall and closed

his eyes. He reached for the echo. The jar. The shelf. The way it opened.

He pushed.

The wall did not move.

The voice said "Two."

Kaelen pushed harder. His head was pounding now. His arm screamed in agony. Blood dripped from his nose.

Just then, the wall moved. Just a crack.

The voice said "Three."

The wall slid open.