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  I shifted my position, and it seemed to bring Finn’s attention to his hand. In a flash he’d ripped his hand back to his own lap and leaned closer to the pages of the book. I rubbed my eyes, which still ached with fatigue, and sat up.

  “Did sleeping help?” he asked, hardly looking at me.

  I nodded. “I feel like I could sleep for three days, but it helped a little. Where’s Clement?”

  “He went out to get food. Apparently, he doesn’t have anything except that terrible fizzy drink in his cupboards.”

  I chuckled, trying to smooth back my tangled hair as I secretly wanted to feel the security of Finn’s touch again. It was colder sitting away from him. Folding my legs against my chest, I watched him for a long moment before scooting slightly closer on the lumpy seat. “Can I ask you something?”

  Finn nodded, finally bringing his attention away from the book toward me. He leaned back against the futon. For the first time, I could see how Finn had to be from a different world. He was too close to perfection for any other explanation to make sense. Everything from the way his skin had a slight glow, to the perfect ebony tint in his thick hair. I shook my head, as if to wipe away my deepening attraction.

  “How come humans can’t see Tala?”

  He leaned his head against his palm. “My father once told me it was because the people of this realm had chosen to forget they were not alone. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I know we’ve become the ghosts and spirits of your scary stories.”

  “So, the worlds are just concealed from one another?” I continued.

  Finn shook his head. “In Tala we know of your realm. We just do not interfere with your lives, just as you do not interfere with ours. It is a balance. Though, some humans have come close. I believe you call them paranormal hunters. Some humans are rather sensitive to energy and can detect our presence, though as I told you, they are wrong in naming us ghosts or ghouls.” Finn chuckled and flipped absently through a heavy book.

  “So, what do you do in Tala? Do you have careers like we do?”

  Finn shifted. “We all are focused on keeping the energy flowing through the realms, but my family has grown accustomed to dealing with creatures.” Finn’s lips pulled into a faint smile, but quickly faded. “I still have much to learn about harnessing Ama’s energy. I suppose it does not come naturally for some. Due to my shortcomings, I was quite surprised I was granted enough energy to cross the lines of the worlds. I didn’t deceive you on my appeal to Ama. So now you can see me, and touch me.”

  I shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Finn was notably embarrassed by his abilities, but being from a different culture completely, it meant nothing to me. “I think you’re plenty strong Finn. You’ve saved my life twice,” I whispered.

  Finn flushed, as if he were trying not to allow the compliment to affect him. “I’m ashamed for allowing you to believe I was more powerful than I am. I recognize how you could feel deceived, but I just wanted to prove myself so badly I didn’t care what I said.”

  “How about we make a deal,” I began. “From now on we don’t lie. We’re going to be facing this together, the least we can do is trust one another.” I held out my hand, offering to shake on the deal, but Finn looked at me like I was mad. “Give me your hand. We need to shake on it, Finn. It seals our agreement.”

  Cautiously he reached out and took my hand in his. His touch sent a tremble of electricity surging through my arm, as if I could feel his unique power. Inwardly, I chided myself for behaving like a silly teenager with a crush. Finn was handsome, but he would never be interested in me. First, I was a mortal. Second, hadn’t he just explained relationships weren’t an interest of his?

  He shook my hand in deep, fluid swells after getting the idea of a handshake. Smiling, he nodded. “No more lies. Only the truth.”

  “Good,” I chirped, grabbing a book from the floor and scanning the contents. “Now, tell me all about your home—no lies, remember.”

  Finn smirked, ruffling through a stack of papers. He pulled out a long sheet of rolled paper. It had a cyclical shape on it with a line running through the center. It reminded me of a graph of the water cycle I’d been given as a child in school. Finn pointed to one half of the graph.

  “This is our sphere in the universe,” Finn began, running his fingers along the arrows creating the cycle. “See this line, this is the barrier between Tala and your realm. This cycle is the way the powerful energy feeds both realms. When your people die, their lifesource is absorbed into Ama, and we cleanse the energy, to use it to refresh all living things throughout both realms, even providing the life energy for new humans. So, you see it is one balanced cycle.”

  “What is this squiggly line on my side of the barrier?” I asked.

  Finn sighed. “Over the years, the human realm has had a decrease in energy because of their impact on the living earth. More people create more of a challenge to balance everything. So, for the last few centuries, when humans leave their mortal life and Ama absorbs their life energy, it is weakened. We are trying to do what we can to help the earth thrive, but I know some Talans fear the human side will continue to decrease the purity of the energy.”

  “You mean like because of pollution or what?” I asked.

  Finn nodded. “I’m sure its part of it, but there are probably many reasons we don’t know about. Ama is strong, so I wouldn’t worry. The earth will continue to run in order.”

  I wanted to know more, as if something inside pulled me closer to the strange world of Tala. “What else? Are you immortal? Do people behave like we do here? What kind of animals do you have?”

  He chuckled. “Slow down. I’m not immortal, I can die, just as you can. But we live longer than the people in your realm. My mother is two hundred-years-old, but I’m not quite that old. And about the people of Tala, we are very conscious of our surroundings, always trying to think of what would benefit the living souls of the earth. We do not think of ourselves much, more what we can do for the community. I suppose this is why we don’t always align in unions often because it isn’t in our nature to serve our own desires.

  “As for creatures, there are simply too many to name. Some are beautiful and graceful. Some are dark and deadly, striving to use dark energy, like the imps. The one key similarity is all people and creatures, even the plant life, thrive from the core energy, Ama.”

  “It’s almost like you worship…Ama,” I said quietly, wondering if I sounded disrespectful.

  Finn paused to consider my words. “Ama gives us everything so I suppose it is our religion and focus.”

  “I’m confused why Talans are the ones who know everything, and humans…don’t know the truth. It doesn’t seem fair that you are charged with handling everything.”

  “I was always taught both sides are placed in the balance as we should be. When Ama absorbs a mortal life source at the end of a lifespan, it fuels the cycle just as much as we use the energy to cleanse, heal and protect. We both play a role.”

  I watched him curiously. He said the words, but it was still as if he were holding something back. “You said that almost like you were convincing yourself it is true. What aren’t you saying?”

  Finn looked uncomfortable as he flipped through another book about manipulating water with energy. “It’s nothing, really. Fine, there are some—in Tala—who might believe the human race is an unnecessary part of the cycle, and that people harm more than help. But Jacque, the head elder, teaches otherwise. It’s just prejudice, nothing to worry about,” he admitted after I offered a scowling look.

  We sat and absently scanned through papers and books, trying to find a reason for the imps to want me to access the energy vein. Finn seemed deep in thought, but as I read I admitted I hardly had any understanding of what the papers meant.

  “Finn, you kind of absorb the energy and use it do to things, like power a car without a key—so, is that kind of like magic?” I asked, feeling silly the moment the words escaped my lips.
r />   He scoffed, giving me a furtive look from beneath his shadowed brow. “I suppose if you want to call it magic, it’s more manipulation. We use the sources of power around us for the benefit of other living things.”

  “Except people can use it for darkness too,” I corrected as if I knew anything about harnessing the powers.

  He nodded, meeting my eyes full on. “That is true. And those Talans are dangerous. I don’t like this, Laney,” he admitted slowly. “I haven’t found anything in these books to give a reason why someone would come after you and upset the energy vein in such a way. But something inside me is telling me we are only scratching the surface.”

  I had the strange sense to comfort him, and carefully I reached out and touched his shoulder, drawing his attention toward me. “We’ll figure it out. I have one last question, well actually I still have a billion questions, but one more for now. If energy is so powerful, why bring your dagger? Can’t you just blast someone to pieces?”

  I meant it as a joke, but Finn’s face turned serious as he reached for the silver dagger tucked beneath the futon. It was a stunning piece of weaponry now that I could see it up close. The hilt was bright sliver with carvings of stars and moons. The blade gleamed in such a way it seemed prepared to slice through anything in its path. It seemed like something I would read about in a legendary novel of magical knights and daring conquests.

  “When I was granted permission to cross the barrier, I worried I would not have the strength to do what Ama needed of me. As you know, I am not naturally talented at harnessing energy…it’s caused me to be a bit of an outcast, if you want to know the truth.” I understood the feeling, thinking back on all the whisperings through grade school until graduation. I was the shadow girl, cursed by shadow people. I was different. I smiled kindly as Finn continued. “So, I…borrowed a few things to help along the way. As I told you before, the Blade of Lore was forged from an ancient mineral thousands of years ago. When I power it with my energy, it can cut through anything I wish. Yesterday, I had need to see what creature was trying to kill you, so I cut through the disguise.

  “The blade’s owner is called Aaron, I’m certain he isn’t pleased I took the weapon. He’s very proud of his collection. Does any of this make sense?”

  I laughed, and shook my head. “No, not really, but I’m dealing. When are you going back?” I asked, surprised to find I was disappointed at the thought of him leaving.

  “I thought you only had one question,” he teased. “I will return soon, but first I’d like to understand a few more things about the imps’ motivations. Then I will return and seek the guidance of the elders on how to handle the creatures.”

  “What can you do? Like is there a prison or something in Tala where you can send them? The way you’ve been talking makes it seem as if they’re doing things against the rules.”

  He nodded. “Very against the rules. Those who go against the balance and use Ama for wickedness risk being held in the Wander until their energy fades into nothing. The Wander is all around us, but only certain energy strength can unlock it. I’ve never seen it opened in my entire life.”

  “Sounds frightening,” I concluded.

  “I agree. The Wander frightens me most. The idea of complete darkness ripping apart my energy until I am nothing; I can’t think of anything more terrifying,” Finn said.

  I chewed on the end of a pencil I’d kept close by in case I found anything noteworthy. There was something bothering me, something I was afraid to ask. Finn relaxed along the futon, his shoulder only inches from mine. He would tell me the truth…at least I hoped.

  “Finn, you spoke of elders in Tala. I can only assume these are powerful people. You also said what the imps did was against the laws of the universe, that makes me party to breaking the laws. Clement already told me I’m a paradox, and no one has ever seen anything like me. What are the elders going to do with me?”

  He didn’t speak. Finn simply scanned the drawing of the energy cycle. “Laney, the elders already know about you. Ever since Clement was asked to remain in the human realm, people of Tala knew something happened here which created a historical imbalance.”

  “So why haven’t I learned about this until now?”

  “Because of Jacque. He concluded we should watch and wait. No one like you has existed that we know of, and the vote was to leave it be. Ama is inside you, and it was as if the universe created a new path. When I was a child I didn’t even know the paradox was inside a human, simply an event which had happened. It surprised me when I discovered the paradox was a woman.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I pressed, feeling slightly affronted.

  “I don’t mean it condescendingly, I just mean the energy of Ama is powerful and it was surprising to find you seemingly unaffected.”

  “Apart from seeing people die before it happens, and always feeling as if I could see things around me others couldn’t.”

  “Well, now you know why…except seeing the deaths. That makes you strange.” Finn smiled, and I sensed he was teasing me.

  I enjoyed the way Finn smiled while re-reading the thin pages in the pamphlet. I picked up another leather-bound book without a title, not hearing the door open.

  “You saw death because Ama wanted you to see.” I glanced up. Clement stood, holding three steaming cups of tea in one hand, a bag of bagels from my favorite bakery tucked under his arm, and a plastic shopping bag in the other hand. “I’ve been thinking about this all night. I’m certain the energy within you was warning you about these particular deaths. There is something significant the energy wanted you to see. Any thoughts?”

  Both Finn and I watched him curiously. I finally shrugged. “They were people close to me. One was my own father. Maybe I was supposed to warn them?”

  Clement placed the tea on the table looking thoughtful. “Possibly. By using people close to you, it could have been Ama’s way of getting you to pay attention. Though, I don’t know why your attention was needed. I am confident at the time, the energy inside you was opened up to a higher vision. Even the elders of Tala do not see mortal deaths before they occur. I wonder why your energy allowed you to see them.

  “Here, I brought you some … things. I imagine you’d like to clean up a bit after your rough night,” he mumbled as he changed the subject.

  I snatched the plastic bag from his outstretched hand and rummaged through the items. He’d purchased cheap disposable razors, toothpaste and a toothbrush, travel-sized deodorant which smelled like lilies, a comb and bristled brush, combined shampoo and conditioner, and a new solid black T-shirt which was a size too big.

  “Thank you, Clement,” I gushed, as if the simple contents were worth more than gold.

  He nodded briskly, but seemed subtly thrilled by my reaction as he smothered a savory bagel in cream cheese. “The bathroom is back there,” he pointed into his plain bedroom.

  I couldn’t help but smile in glee at Finn, who seemed amused by my reaction as I darted into the small bathroom.

  The shower wasn’t as clean as I would have liked, but I could look past the mildew and soap scum if it meant I could wash my hair and brush my teeth. I turned the faucet to a scalding temperature, reveling in the energizing tingling the hot water created along my skin. The mirror was clouded over when I stepped out and finished scrubbing the night away. I tossed my dirty shirt into the plastic bag, put my dusty jeans back on, and tried on the T-shirt Clement had bought.

  The hem hung to my upper thigh, but the material was surprisingly soft and warm. I enjoyed the peaceful moment of combing out my long auburn hair, the reddish highlights gleaming through the wet tangles. Everything seemed healed by the rejuvenating shower. I could almost forget about opening a vein of dark energy and what it meant to my way of life. I was content—until a crash from the front room sent my heart speeding up my throat. I leapt back, clutching my toothbrush in my hand like a weapon, my mouth still frothy with minty paste.

  Pressing my ear to the wall, I h
eard a great commotion. Someone was inside the apartment. I reached behind the toilet bowl for the cleaning brush. Finn’s shouted warnings sent an icy chill down my spine. I heard the plodding footsteps—someone was coming straight for me.

  Chapter 13

  The bathroom door ripped from the hinge, sending wood splinters shooting across the tile. I screamed, huddled in the space between the shower curtain and toilet seat. A hunched imp with black, scaly skin thumped into the bathroom. Its teeth glinted in the dim light as I clutched the toilet brush so tightly my knuckles turned white.

  The imp slunk like a bumbling gorilla, its yellow eyes looking like something a stomach regurgitated. But I never looked away as its gray tongue slithered along the folds of its chapped black lips as it watched me with a dangerous hunger. It took a step closer, and on instinct I slashed the brush across my body, but all it did was bring a low rumbling growl from the throat of the imp. I looked down, seeing one of the swinging limbs had been crudely cauterized where a hand should be.

  “Justin,” I hissed. “You’re absolutely disgusting, in case you haven’t seen yourself recently.”

  The imp chomped its jaws, and mumbled words so low and gurgled I could hardly make out what he said in reply. “You’re coming with us to finish releasing the vein.”

  I tossed the brush, slapping the bristles against his scaly head, and tugged against the shower curtain bar as Justin reached his one, clawed hand for me. Desperation exploded in my chest as I imagined the blackened fingernails digging into my flesh as the claws inched closer and closer. I pulled with all my weight until the bar slid from the loose hole in the wall, freeing the rod. With the shower curtain sliding along the aluminum bar, I swung with all my might, until I felt the impact of the rod slamming against the side of the imp’s jaw.