Greys III - Revelations

Chapter 18 - Nephesh

Our group was silent as we found ourselves in an incredibly unlucky spot.

The train was clearly a targeted attack, zeroed in on our cabin, something any law enforcement would certainly be able to figure out as soon as they got there, which was probably about ten minutes ago. Which meant we couldn't go back to the train without raising a lot of questions and wearing Nevaeh's Gift much too thin. Which meant we were stranded in the woods, thousands of miles from our destination. Stranded with Malachi, a sociopath from James' childhood, and without any concrete way to restrain him when he woke.

As I tried to triage the situation, I couldn't even decide what to worry about first. Kael, who was stonily and silently staring at Malachi's unconscious form like the rest of us, worrying his hands as he worked his lost love's blood on them like poisoned lotion. James, who seemed to be having a great debate in his head about guilt and choice and grooming. Ailech, whose powers apparently were enough to take down someone almost the equal of James or myself. Malachi, and how we were going to get him to the Vault without him killing one of us. Or the fact that even without any of the above problems, we still had no way of actually getting to the Vault, to Chi and her Clan.

I had a headache that had nothing to do with the fight as we all stood in a misshapen semi-formed circle around where Malachi lay, all silent, all thinking, trying to come up with even one, partial solution.

Finally, Ailech heaved a great sigh, at least in part for show, raised his hands and opened his mouth as if to speak, before snapping it shut and looking up at the canopy of trees, then sighing again dramatically.

"I have a slight confession," he said at the sky. "I may have a useful skill, or talent, that can at least restrain Mr. Canities Subita over here as we figure out how to hop another train, or hijack a car. Or whatever our transport will be."

He sounded at the crossroads of guilty and sulky, but I was too curious about his ability to ask why he was so unhappy sharing it.

"And? What is it?" James said with less bite in his voice than I would have expected. He just sounded tired, sad.

"I can...un...heal?" Ailech replied tentatively.

"Everyone can unheal people, it's called hurting them. It's what we do, like, literally all the time."

Kael sounded almost normal as he spoke, though maybe a little tired as well, a little flat and off. But I could still remember the despair, the overwhelming depression I'd felt flowing from him not even a quarter hour ago. I knew he was acting, his mask back on, I could see it plainly now.

"That's not what he means," James replied, pulling our attention. He was staring at Ailech like he was a viper. Something dangerous slithering up to us.

"You're Nephesh Peredo. A Soul Eater. But that isn't possible. Every last one of you was killed. Every. Single. One. There hasn't been one of your kind for...millennia."

James actually moved away from Ailech, rocking back on his heels, just barely, slightly, but the movement was still there, like his body wanted to lean away of its own accord. The rest of us stood stupidly, not knowing what that meant, besides what the context insinuated. And from the look of disgust on James' face, it was just as bad as it sounded.

"Kind of like how rare True Pair Halflings are? Yeah, I know. What was that line? Their power for Heaven or Hell cuts the same, three beings unclean, all before hath forbade. Isn't that fun, being forbade, unclean. Ooh. Or my personal favorite - three will change all for high or for low, sharing both dark and light within their ghost - makes more sense now, doesn't it? Guess you know the dark of my ghost." Ailech sounded joking, but there was something bitter underlying his voice.