Elias told us he dreamed of learning more about biology and one day cracking their DNA. He wanted to study the Unseen and find ways to use science to make them safer. He even thought there might be nothing more to magic than science we didn’t yet understand, and he wanted to discover those secrets.
Anthony, as smart as he was, wanted to work in security. He loved figuring out how the Unseen were vulnerable and how he could increase their safety. He wanted to work with the magical practitioners of the community and further secure their homes, meeting places, and official buildings.
Michael revealed a passion for teaching. I guess it tied in with his desire to have lots of children. He wanted to educate young Supay, teach them about their history, and how to survive in the world once they were grown. He also loved to teach defense, and turn them into competent fighters, something he wanted to work with Elias and Anthony on in their spare time.
Of course, their history would have to be rewritten now. Hopefully, we will be able to get more answers tomorrow and be able to fill in the rest of the Unseen in the near future.
All I wanted was tohavea future. I would either succeed, or I would die. I might not die specifically the next day, but if my journey didn’t kill me, the Junta would. They’d either kill me for all the trouble they thought I’d caused or by breeding me to death.Please let me succeed tomorrow. I prayed to anyone that might listen.Let me find my people and please, please let them have a way to keep me with my family.
I also hoped that even if my people couldn’t extend my life, the guys could bring water from the spring. The magic might not pass through the portal, but then, it might. If we could find a way to extend life, we could create more Unseen. That was a dangerous concept, but it would be good for them to have options. When someone fell in love, they could be with their beloved. They might not have to face the life Michael thought he was in for, to watch me die of old age.
We grew silent, thinking about each other’s hopes and dreams. Sleep was slow to come, and then the nightmares came with it. I was woken by Michael thrashing beside me. I shook his shoulder and shouted his name.
Elias and Anthony were beside me in an Unseen second. They appeared without me actually seeing them move. They sat Michael up and Anthony slapped his face. By the time his palm connected with Michael’s face, he was screaming out in earnest.
When Anthony hit him, Michael lashed out. He kicked and hit, and he was yelling, “Don’t touch me! Riley! Help me, Riley!” He cried, fat tears coursing down his cheeks. It broke my heart to watch and not be able to comfort him. As soon as he got physical, Elias snatched me across the room, out of harm’s way. Anthony pinned Michael down, and I was pretty sure he was trying to use his calming ability on him, based on the stabbing pains in my forehead.
“Does it work on other Supay?”
“It does, but it’s much harder to do. If Anthony hit a human with that much power they’d go straight to sleep,” Elias explained.
Michael eventually drifted off. They moved him over to the cot in case another nightmare plagued him. “He only got violent because you slapped him, Anthony.”
“I know, Coya,” he replied. “I feel bad, but I was trying to wake him up. I’ve never known him to be such a deep sleeper.”
“Neither have I.” His violence was concerning. “Most likely he has PTSD. We’ll have to be there for him in the coming months and years.” I turned to Elias. “Do the Unseen have any sort of Psychiatry? Or therapists?”
“We do, actually. That’s a field the Junta has always been comfortable with, so we’ve been allowed to study it. We have several in the Supay clans alone.”
“Good. We’ll have to convince him to go. He needs help, more than we can give.” I lay down in one of the beds. Elias and Anthony sandwiched me, and we snuggled the rest of the night. My sleep was patchy and interrupted, even after Anthony tried to give me some help. I was too nervous and paranoid about our mission the next day to fall into a deep sleep. Sighing, I rolled over again, putting my back to Anthony.
Elias’s eyes twinkled at me. He was awake, too. “Can’t sleep?”
Pursing my lips, I shook my head.
“Want to go explore?” Grinning, he looked mischievous, like the old Elias—the one I’d become best friends with.
My mouth split into a wide grin, and I nodded my head.
He helped me out of the bed so we wouldn’t wake anyone, and I leaned over Michael before we left, making completely sure he was out cold and resting.
Once I was satisfied, he wouldn’t wake up while we were gone, I tiptoed past Elias into the hallway. The door made a barely audible click as he closed it.
I scrunched my shoulders up and stifled a giggle as I looked around the moonlit hall. “Now what?” I asked.
On tiptoes, he walked to the top of the stairs, then motioned for me to follow. Before he descended, he crouched down and pointed at his back.Yay, a piggyback ride!
Knowing they were hyper-strong erased all of my qualms. Michael had done this several times in our life, and I’d let him, but I hadn’t had fun; I’d been worried the entire time that I was too heavy for him and might hurt his back.
Not anymore! I launched myself—quietly—at Elias, hopping up as high as I could. He clutched my legs and hoisted me, so I was secure, with my arms around his neck and face hovering near his ear.
“Onward, noble steed,” I whispered in his ear. All I got for my sass was a swat on the thigh.
In retaliation, I bucked and swung my arm around like I’d seen bull riders do, but I ended up slamming it into the wall of the stairwell as he began the descent. Snorting, he shook his head at me.
I shook the sting out of my hand and stopped trying to ride my friend. Boyfriend. Whatever.
At the bottom of the stairs, I pointed toward a door I was sure we weren’t supposed to go through. He grinned and stuck his ear to it.
