Iridescence

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

VANESSA

I hated leaving Billy alone when I was in school, so I had decided to try to teach him to read while I was home. My mom supported this idea and pulled my old school books from first grade out of the attic. I guess it's lucky that my mom never threw anything out except for my father.

Billy hadn't read anything since he was five, but he still knew the basics. He knew the alphabet and could sound out words. He even recognized a few of them from before he'd been locked in the basement.

"My mom liked reading with me," he explained softly. "She started teaching me when I was three."

"We'll read together every day," I promised him, sensing it comforted him. "Addison said she's assigning a home school instructor to you who can help you with your other subjects. You'll catch up little by little until you know as much as any other teenager."

"Thanks for doing this for me, Vanessa."

"You don't have to keep thanking me, Billy. I'm happy to help." I smiled at him. As I looked into his dark eyes, I felt a rush of Theadora's emotions.

It wasn't just love that I felt for him, although there was plenty of that. This went deeper than my usual crushes. I felt like Billy kept me balanced and grounded, as if I'd float away into oblivion and never return without him. Our connection was intense, and I was only just starting to understand it fully.

"Vanessa... I feel like I was looking for you," Billy said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"While I was locked away in the darkness, I feel like part of me knew you were out there, and I was looking for you. Does that make sense?"

"It does," I replied. "Our souls are connected, Billy. I told you some of what I know, but I think it's even more complicated. We weren't just consorts... We balance each other. We need each other to stay functional."

"I was sad without you... All I knew was being alone and sad. Now, I'm almost happy."

"Almost?"

"I'm happy when we're together, but I still get sad... And scared. I know my dad is gone, but part of me is so scared he'll hurt me again."

"He can't hurt you anymore, Billy," I said soothingly. "And I won't let anyone else do it either. The longer you're safe, the more you'll realize that." I kissed his cheek.

My mom walked in as I resumed reading with Billy. "It's very late, my darlings," she said. "Get some rest. Dream good dreams."

Billy stood up. "Goodnight, Vanessa," he said softly.

"Goodnight," I replied. Billy left to sleep in what used to be our spare room. My mom kissed my forehead before leaving me to sleep.

I curled up under the blankets and immediately fell asleep. I thought about looking for Billy so I could keep him safe as he slept, but I sensed something else pulling me toward it.

A teenage boy stood nearby. His aura pulsed around him and hid him from my sight, but I could hear his words. He radiated power, although he was trying to contain it. He spoke to someone in a reassuring tone, his words full of promises I suspected he had no intention of keeping. I recognized who he must be... This was Altheos in whatever form he wore now.

"If you help me, we can end this once and for all," he said. "No one will laugh at you ever again. They will finally see your worth."

"I'm not interested," the boy he spoke to replied. I could see him clearly. He was African-American and looked about my age. "Leave me alone."

"Do you remember what happened the last time you refused to do what I said?" Altheos asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe I need to help you remember who you used to be, Vincenzo."

"My name is Jack," the boy corrected him. "You've got the wrong guy."

"Oh no, Jack. I promise, you're the one I'm looking for."

Jack didn't seem too happy about that. "Listen, man, I'm walking away now, okay?" He said.

Altheos pulled out a sword. "Consider this a warning," he said before slashing Jack's arm open. Jack let out a cry of pain and shock as he grabbed his arm. Blood seeped through his fingers.

"Hey!" I shouted, running toward them. That was probably a stupid thing to do, but I didn't stop to think about it. I wasn't going to let Altheos kill Jack.

"Well, well, Star Child... It's been a while," Altheos said with a laugh. "Don't worry, Thea. My friend here won't remember much when he wakes up. He will only know that it's best to side with me."

Altheos vanished. I hurried to Jack's side and examined his arm. It was still bleeding. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"I think so," Jack replied. "I'm just confused."

"Let me help you," I said. I manifested some bandages and started to cover his injured arm.

"I feel... Strange," Jack said. He started to fade.

"You're waking up," I told him. "Just remember this: Altheos is bad news. Stay away from him and don't believe a word he says."

Jack faded completely. I took a moment to compose myself. That was when I heard the screaming.

I ran toward the sound. Eliza, Krissy, Faith, Jenna, and Emily stood together, each holding their weapons. They were surrounded by a pack of dremlins.

"Ness, look out!" Krissy shouted as a dremlin came up behind me.

I summoned my athame as I joined my friends inside the circle of dremlins. "Does anyone have a plan?" I asked.

"Not really," Eliza admitted.

"The dremlins pushed us together," Emily explained. "We were all having our own dreams, and they hunted us down and chased us, forcing us to meet up here."

"Why would they do that?" I wondered.

"I don't know, but if we don't get out of here soon, we're screwed," Faith said.

"Vanessa, can you dream us somewhere else?" Jenna asked.

"Maybe... But they might follow us," I replied.

"Not if I can help it," Emily said. She closed her eyes and focused. Four ravens suddenly burst from the darkness and began attacking the dremlins. Hundreds of spirits soon surrounded us. They formed a protective shield around us, keeping the dremlins from being able to attack us.

"Emily... Are you doing this?" Jenna asked.

"Spirits are easy to reach in the dream realm," Emily replied. "I just reached out and asked them to help us. Vanessa, relocate us now, before I lose my grip on the spirits."

I focused and moved us to an open field full of stars. Almost immediately, more dremlins showed up. I started to panic as they surrounded us again.

Jenna moved in front of the rest of us. She held her javelin firmly, ready to use it on any of the creatures who got too close to us. None of them moved.

"This isn't normal behavior for them," I said. "Even when they hunt in packs, they don't do it like this... It's like they're waiting for something."

One of the dremlins growled at me in warning as I hesitantly approached it. Emily pulled me back. "They might still attack," she pointed out.

"Vanessa's right," Eliza said. "They're trying to lead us somewhere. This isn't random."

"Maybe we should call Morpheus," Krissy suggested.

"No," I said. "I think we need to see this through. Stay together, and don't make any sudden movements."

We joined hands. I could feel the power flowing between us. Suddenly, a cemetery appeared around us.

"See the truth..." One of the dremlins hissed.

"These things can talk?" Faith demanded.

"They never have before," I replied.

"See the truth!" The other dremlins repeated.

"What truth?" Jenna asked.

"Look closer..." The dremlins said in unison.

Everything suddenly went silent. No one dared to move as we looked at our surroundings. The graves had names on them. Each of us started to read the headstones.

"Rydia..." Krissy read aloud before looking at Jenna. "And Alexia."

"Anastasia, Lysander, and Theadora," I added, looking at Emily.

"Kleia and Tana," Eliza said softly to Faith.

"These are the victims of Altheos," a woman said as she appeared.

"All of them?" Jenna asked. "There are thousands of graves here!"

"He was responsible, in one way or another, for every single one of their deaths," the woman insisted.

"Chaos killed the Fire Nymphs, not Altheos," Faith argued as she looked at a cluster of graves I assumed bore the names of the fallen Nymphs.

"Look closer," the woman said. "Why did Chaos kill them? Why couldn't they burn out the venom? Outside forces were at play. Altheos was behind it. He put the idea into Chaos's mind."

"Who are you?" Jenna asked.

"I am the Goddess Mnemosyne," she replied. "As the Goddess of all memories, my memories cannot be tampered with. I have come to see the truth over the millennia. You all must as well."

"Grandmother..." Eliza said softly.

"What?" Krissy asked. "Did you just call her your grandmother?"

"She did... I am the mother of the Muses, including Polyhymnia," Mnemosyne replied. "I am pleased you remember me now, my precious Kleia."

"Did you have the dremlins bring us here?" I asked.

"No, sweet Thea. They led you here because they knew you needed to remember the losses. I simply came because Altheos cannot reach us here. This place is protected from him. It exists to preserve the memories of his victims."

"Mnemosyne, does the name Vincenzo mean anything to you?"

She nodded slowly before pointing to a grave. Eliza was the closest to it. "He's here," she said. "He was a victim of Theos, too."

"He was," Mnemosyne confirmed. "They were friends. Altheos convinced him to become his ally, just as his father did. Although he feared his father's wrath, Vincenzo eventually walked away from Altheos and the others. His heart was never evil. For this betrayal, they slaughtered him."

"He came back... Like we did," I said. "I just met him. Altheos attacked him. He doesn't remember his past self. He needs our help."

"He will remember when it is time, Theadora. That time is not now," Mnemosyne said. "Until the time comes, you must protect him. The six of you are the only ones who can."

"How do we find him?" Jenna asked.

"His name is Jack," I replied. "That's all I've got right now. I know what he looks like, though."

"We'll find him," Krissy said as she looked at Rydia's tombstone again. "Theos doesn't get to kill any more of his friends."

"The sun is rising, girls," Mnemosyne said. "You will wake up now. Remember what you saw here today. Remember what we lost the last time Altheos betrayed us. This is what you are fighting to prevent."

The cemetery faded away, and so did the dream. I woke up feeling anxious, but also determined. One way or another, I would find Jack.

***

School was surprisingly uneventful until lunch, when Faith filled us in on her uncle being alive and part of Altheos's cult. I couldn't believe it, but she didn't seem to want to talk about it, so Krissy changed the subject quickly.

It wasn't until last period that I saw something that shocked me. Jack walked right into my class. My eyes widened as I looked at his arm. His black t-shirt covered most of his muscular upper body, but I could see the bottom of a scratch where Altheos had cut his arm. It wasn't nearly as deep as the gash he'd had in the dream, but the fact that even this much had physically appeared on his skin worried me.

Mr. Almos looked over Jack's program card and nodded. "Welcome, Mr. Casey," he said. "Have a seat beside Ms. Alden." He motioned toward Eliza.

As Jack moved toward Eliza, I mouthed, That's Jack!

She seemed surprised, but nodded to acknowledge my words. Faith looked just as startled as we were that Jack had wandered into our history class.

"Hi," he said to Eliza as he sat down. "I'm Jack."

"Eliza," she replied very softly. She was as shy as ever, and the conversation ended there as Mr. Almos began to teach.

By the time class ended, I was dying to talk to Jack. I offered him a bright smile as I said, "Hi, I'm Vanessa, official leader of the new kid welcome committee and proud member of the drama club. It's nice to meet you."

He smiled back, and it put me at ease. "Jackson Casey, but everyone except my dad calls me Jack. So, you're a theater kid? I dance."

I was interested for reasons other than protecting him now. "Really? The drama club can always use new dancers, especially boys. Would you consider joining us?"

"I'll think about it. I need to adjust to being here first."

"Where did you go to school before?"

"New Rochelle. My mom and I just moved to Queens."

"Why the change of location?"

"My dad insisted on it. He promised he would come see us more often if he didn't have to go over the Throgs Neck Bridge."

"He doesn't live with you?"

"Nah, him and my mom never got married or anything. He's a part timer at best when it comes to being a dad."

"My mom and dad are divorced. He's in India, and we're here living our best lives," I replied with a smile.

"What about you, Eliza?" Jack asked.

She shrank at his question. "I..." She mumbled, understandably unable to form a response. "I, well, um..."

"She's shy," Faith said as she joined us, saving Eliza from having to discuss her parents. "I'm an open book, though. I'm Faith. I like setting things on fire. My mom's got health issues, my dad died when I was a kid, and I live in a group home right now, but it's all good because I'm dating a very hot girl who can kick your butt."

Jack laughed. "Good to know," he replied. "Sorry about your parents. That's got to suck."

"I do just fine," Faith said. "So, nice to meet you, New Boy. Don't worry, Eliza will open up as she gets to know you. You should take Vanessa's advice and join the drama club. It's a fast way to make friends."

"Are you a member?"

"I don't really do school clubs. But you should."

"Well, I guess you've convinced me."

"Great! I'll bring you by rehearsal today," I said. "It starts in about ten minutes."

"That sounds like fun. I guess moving into the five boroughs won't be so bad after all. I'm already meeting some interesting new friends," Jack replied.

"Go on, Ness. Take him to the club meeting, and we'll see you later," Faith said. "Nice meeting you, Jack."

"Yeah, you too," he said. "And you, Shy Eliza. I hope we can have an actual conversation soon."

"Right," Eliza replied politely. "Goodbye for now."

"Come on, Eliza," Faith said. "Krissy texted me saying she wants sugar. We're meeting her for ice cream."

"When doesn't Krissy want sugar?" Eliza asked with a laugh. She followed Faith out of the classroom.

"Alright, Jack," I said grandly. "This way to the auditorium!"