The Lost Prince Page 2

  She was tiny for having such a dominant voice… and beautiful beneath the anger. Too bad she’s so young, he thought as he pivoted, empty turned-up palms facing her. “I was looking for something to eat, okay? I haven’t eaten in two days. There’s nothing out there… nobody’s willing to help me.”

  Her dark eyes squinted and scanned. Was he telling the truth, or was he just another homeless thief looking for valuables to sell for drugs or alcohol? He didn’t look homeless. His clothes were too new to the streets. No matter, this bag wasn’t her real bag. This bag was a decoy to catch the thief who stole her mother’s teardrop pendant— worth more sentimentally than monetarily as they would learn when they went to pawn it.

  “Please, I’m really dizzy. I need food, water. Do you know where I can find some?” he pleaded. Carmen almost felt sorry for him, but she’d lived on the streets long enough that her nerves steeled her emotions. Nobody would take her belongings, again. Everything in her bag was all she had left of her parents, her family, her home.

  As she eyed the young man before her, his knees buckled beneath him and he crumbled to a heap in the dirty alley.

  “Hey! Hey, are you messin’ with me? You better not be fakin’ it!”

  No answer.

  No movement.

  Carmen tentatively moved toward him. She pushed his shoulder with her worn boot. “Hey, you okay?”

  No response.

  He must have been telling the truth.

  She felt his neck for a pulse, found one.

  Lifting his hair, she rested her palm on his forehead. She lightly pinched the skin on his arm and counted to three.

  Definitely dehydrated.

  Compassion overpowered her own self-preservation code; she would have to share her food before it was too late for him. In spite of the horror in her world, Carmen wanted to believe that everyone still had a good side she could coax out, but dark, muddy green filled the world. Yet, when she first glimpsed this guy, she’d seen gray, splotches of dark gray. Even so, she knew she couldn’t trust the colors anymore.

  Gripping the young man at his armpits, she began dragging him toward her temporary home. He wasn’t light for his size, but she had strength beyond her size. Once inside the mass of pallets, crates, and cardboard, she shrugged loose the bag on her back, unzipped it, and removed a can of chicken broth. It was her last can, one of the many items she’d taken the night she left.

  “It’s all I got, but it will be the best thing for him.” She told herself, propping his head on a mildew scented, worm eaten blanket. Using the church key on her mother’s keyring, she punched two holes in the can, one larger, one smaller. She caressed the old house key between thumb and forefinger, forcing the brief thought of loss from her mind.

  She lifted his head with one hand and slacked his jaw with the other, then poured a bit of cold, fatty broth into his mouth— not enough to drown him, but enough to stimulate his taste buds, hopefully wake him from his faint. A yellow blob of fat escaped the corner of his mouth, traveled down his chin.

  His mouth closed; his tongue and throat worked together to bring the liquid downward. His eyes flickered, opened, stared warily at the cardboard above him.

  “Where am I?” His unfocused eyes found her pretty, deep, dark gaze shrouded by long curling lashes, the smooth caramel face of a young girl, the can of chicken broth. “Thank you!” He managed a weak smile, his lids falling closed, again.

  “Yeah, just don’t get any ideas. You’re not stayin’. This is my dive. Took me a long time to put these crates together, find enough plastic to keep the rain out.” Her eyes warmly scanned the interior, then coldly returned to his face. She offered more broth. He forced open his eyes and drank it slowly. Elbows bent to push his torso upward as he scooted to lean into the exterior wall of the building serving as one side or her shelter; he took the can from her as he straightened against the brick wall.

  “Hey, I can’t argue. It’s a great place for a pretty, little girl to hide from the masses of bad people out there!” He joked weakly.

  “Don’t you be gettin’ any ideas! And I ain’t little. I’m fourteen!” She argued.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, fourteen. I’m,” he frowned, confusion filling him, “lost.” Leaning into the brick wall behind him, he stuck his right hand out to her. She refused it.

  “Just drink your broth— slowly— then get out.” She sat back, watching his every move.

  “Yes, ma’am!” He saluted. Tipping the can to his lips, he tilted his head back... and fumbled the half empty can when his eyes viewed the makeshift ceiling. The map, or flowchart, or whatever she would name it, reflected a memory, and there was little need to study it.

  “Who are you?” He lowered the rescued can to his leg, but his eyes never left the ceiling.

  “N-O-Y-B! And stop lookin’ at my stuff!” She raised her hands to block his view.

  “N-O… oh, your business, yeah, okay— no, you don’t understand.” Rolling onto his left hip, he dug a finger and thumb into his back pocket to remove a folded, heavily worn paper. After setting the can of broth aside, he pulled the delicate corners apart with care. Holding the paper corners gently, he crossed his forearms flipping the drawing toward her.

  “How far away is it, Nathan?” Cai asked as she laid out silverware.

  “Back of the property, in an old pasture connected to the neighbor’s place. No houses around it. At least, that’s the one that’s been left boarded up as long as I can remember. We can check it out later,” Nathan forked a slice of ham into the pan, the sizzle bringing hunger pangs to the five others gathered in the kitchen. Splash tilted his nose up and sniffed the air, as thankful for Nathan’s grandfather’s cellar as anyone else in the room.

  “Does anyone think it’s odd that none of them have been back?” Jaz suspected the worst as he perused the pantry shelves. “They just left all this food? All that time they were here?”

  “Maybe they poisoned it all!” Rebecca joked and patted Splash’s head.

  “They probably stocked up for stake outs and meetings. Remember how many cars were here that first time we drove by?” Thad pointed out.

  “Considering those cars, there is something weird about this. I mean, Jaz is right, nobody has shown up since those men in the woods disappeared. Why? I don’t like it. I don’t like staying here. I think we should find somewhere else, or just go out and look for the others. I think this might be a trap. It’s too easy, like the first time we were h...” Cheater eyed Jaz and nervously drummed her fingers on the kitchen table.

  Nathan cringed at the thought of strangers taking over his home like that. A feeling of invasion crept through him, like somebody was watching him. Though he tried not to think about it, the night he left his grandparents for dead replayed in his mind every second he spent in the house. Being home was not a good idea. Fear slithered through his mind and through his emotions. “Yeah, well, Charles said he would take care of it. Still, staying here is just too …”

  “…dangerous,” Jaz interjected, trying to steer Nathan’s thoughts back to the mission. They couldn’t have Nathan falling apart now. Jaz and Cai discussed earlier how much Nathan had changed the past few days. Truthfully, they were all on edge waiting for the inevitable.

  “Yeah, dangerous,” Nathan glanced at Jaz and nodded an appreciative smile. Biting his lower lip to stem the tears, he returned his attention to the stove.

  Behind his back, Cai sent a concerned look around the table. None dared to think about that look. Nathan’s emotions had been all over the place. If they even shared a thought, he would intercept it and go berserk, like yesterday.

  “You know, I don’t know why there would be any interest in that old hay barn. Grandpa said he boarded it up because too many teens were sneaking into it, leaving beer bottles and trash all over. He got tired of cleaning up their mess while the sheriff never took action.”

  “There has to be a reason why they wanted this place, why we were all led here. Somewhe
re on this property is something they want, or maybe something connected to us,” Cheater suggested. They’d searched the house, the cellar, the sheds nearest the house. They’d practically torn down the old garage walls.

  Nothing.

  “Yeah, but maybe they already found whatever it is,” Thad interjected. “Maybe that’s why nobody’s been back.”

  “Then why the big fight? Why not just walk away and let us have the place?” Nathan’s anger rose. It was the only reason Cheater could deduce for not having been able to channel his grandparents. They needed Nathan’s anger. Jaz, Cai, Nathan… the three emotionally charged ones. Were there three more like them?

  “Maybe to scare us?”

  “Rebecca’s right. Maybe it was just a control move, like strategizing, you know, like chess,” Jaz shrugged.

  Five sets of eyes scanned Jaz’s tough features. “Chess?” their voices blended as one.

  “Okay, a’right! Sheez! Piano, chess… I was like that. Shut up!”

  They snickered at the contrast of past and present Jaz, from cultured to tough guy.

  “And you were like that because of your mother. We would all have done anything for our mothers.” For the first time since they’d banded together, Rebecca silently reached an uncertain hand toward Jaz’s forearm and patted lightly, stiffly, bringing a shy smile from the young boy. Blushing, he peered down at his empty plate, understanding the significance of what she had just said, done. For her, proximity, social contact, wasn’t easy.

  While they ate breakfast, Nathan drew a rough map of the property, placing an X near every building he could remember. “It’s a big place, though. This is gonna take a while. Grandpa used to have lots of cows, different hay barns, buildings.”

  “What about underground buildings?”

  “Maybe. I’m not sure. Besides the cellar, yeah… sure… there could be others.”

  “I’d say, let’s eat, clean this up and get started then. It could be a long day searching for something that may not even exist.” Cai gathered the empty dishes and placed them in the sink. “Who’s day is it?”

  No answer.

  “Come on. We have to have some order around here. Nathan cooks; the rest clean.” She shrugged, hands before her, palms up.

  “Ugh! Mine,” Thad fessed up. “I hate doing dishes!”

  “I know. I’ll help you so we can get out of the house quicker,” Jaz thumped the younger boy’s shoulder.

  Half an hour later, the six passed through the back door remaining alert to possible dangers though there had been none since they took back the house. The three dogs lead the way as if reading the human minds, knowing exactly where to stop and sniff.

  “Maybe we should split up?” Thad leaned forward, plucked a tall strand of grass as it loomed before him.

  “No, we should never split up! We’re stronger together. If it takes us two days or more to search this property, we will not split up!” Cai ordered.

  Silence followed the motherly tone. The few birds that remained during the mild Texas winter circled above, three of them buzzards spiraling high in the cool morning breeze. Cheater watched their silhouettes against the blue sky, hand shielding her eyes from the bright sun. Unlike most, she didn’t find buzzards gruesome. They had a job to do, like the six of them—a mission of sorts. They cleaned up the dead flesh in the world, the garbage collectors of the earth. No, they weren’t the most beautiful fowl, but their job was just as important as that of The Gifted Ones.

  The dream Cheater had the night before nagged at her as the dark wings circled. She hadn’t dreamt of the faceless man, the fire, the cruelty inflicted on the less fortunate of the world. She’d dreamt about… a superhero, of sorts. At least, he seemed to be a superhero. She couldn’t figure out why, though. Why— of all things to dream about— dream about the Dark Knight? They hadn’t even turned on the TV in the living room since they’d been in the house. They’d been too busy planning, plotting, and learning about each other.

  Where had that dream come from? The last superhero movie she’d seen was with Sadie… the newest Spiderman movie. The Batman of her dream was different from the Batman of old, of the movies. He was… new, muscular, or his costume was.

  She recalled in her dream that Batman had been hiding. The revelation puzzled her. She didn’t understand why. He was a superhero— why hide? And who was he hiding from?

  Closing her eyes, she forced the dream to return, replay in her mind. Just as the Batman-like face turned up toward hers— droplets of rain water racing toward his chin— Nathan stopped and she plowed into his back, almost knocking him off his feet.

  “Oh, gosh! Nathan, I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Cheater gripped his elbows to steady him.

  “What the …?” He spun off balance, fists clenched at his sides, then relaxed when he saw the fear in Cheater’s eyes. Cheater swallowed, sighed, and forced back tears.

  “I’m sorry you guys. I’m sorry,” Nathan dropped to his knees allowing the grief to fill him. His shoulders shook as he knelt on the dry ground below, hands shielding his face. The Gifted Ones searched each other’s eyes, afraid to move, then Cheater knelt beside Nathan boldly wrapping her arms around him and squeezing, “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. We’re all together. We’ll help you get through this, Nathan.” Words of sympathy fell on deaf ears as Nathan released the grief his anger had buried deep inside. He couldn’t pen it up any longer. Her numerous losses flowed between reminiscence of his grandparents. The other four dropped chins to chest and stared at the ground while darkness clouded their vision.

  “Nathan, look!” A surprised Cheater prodded, shaking Nathan’s tense shoulders.

  When Nathan allowed his hands to fall away, he turned eyes upward where his grandparents and parents stood before him.

  “It just takes a little grief, a little desperation, a little humility…” Cheater smiled to herself, now understanding the power she’d carried for so many years, the warm darkness that embraced her.

  Nathan wiped his cheeks, pushed up from his knees and stood before the others, a calmness filling his features. The old anger was gone, but in its place a new determination the others hadn’t seen. He was ready to complete the mission he was born to fulfill— whatever it might be. They’d been worried that his homecoming would change him, and it had. Now, he spurred them onward, a second in command, and before long they’d reached the first old outbuilding during relaxed, lighthearted conversation.

  “Yeah, so who’s the one that dreams of Batman?” Jaz teased.

  “You know you can’t keep secrets from us, Cheater,” Thad playfully pushed her shoulder with his fingertips.

  She shrugged, “Hey, what can I say? At least he wasn’t on fire! And he had a face… a masked face, but still he had a face!” A brief look of concern shadowed her features as she compared the face to the one without.

  “Think there was more to the dream than just that?” Cai called from around the corner of the worn wood building.

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember the whole dream, but something important happened. I kind of feel like I know the guy dressed like Batman.”

  “From a foster home? The Children’s Home? Where?” Rebecca prodded.

  “No. No, I’ve never really met him before. I remember faces. But I just feel like I know him, or should know him.”

  “Ah, so it’s like that… future boyfriend?” Nathan raised his brows and nodded at Cheater.

  “Dork!” Cheater shook her head.

  “You think he’s one of us?” Cai tilted her head to peer around the corner at the others.

  “Seriously, Cai? That would be ironic. A superhero dressed like a superhero!” Jaz loosed a laugh from the depths of his abdomen and cut it off midway. The five glanced at each other, the same question creasing their brows. “It was just a joke…” Jaz broke the silence. Five questions followed.

  “Are we…”

  “Is that…”

  “Could we…”

  “How
could…”

  “Is it…”

  “What if…”

  Six unified voices shared the same disbelief, the same answer.

  “Nooo!”

  Heads shook.

  Noses crinkled.

  Eyes wondered.

  Was it possible?

  The pursuing silent tension, the thoughts and questions, broken with Cai’s order, “Let’s just see if we can find a way into this old building, huh? Can’t be too hard. I mean, look at this wood! It’s practically falling away from the nails.”

  Curiously, the six eyed each other as they searched for loose, rotted boards or wide openings.

  “Hi, there …” Neka flipped dark hair over her left shoulder with a toss of her head.

  “I said don’t move!” The young man halfheartedly pointed the gun from his waist.

  “I didn’t, hottie…” Neka winked.

  “Stop that! Do you know how much trouble you’re in?”

  “And just how do you define trouble?” A glint of reflected sunshine drew his eyes to the top of her head where her near ebony hair parted on the left side. A slight tilt allowed shimmering hair to cover her right eye. He was temporarily entranced by her beauty when he made eye contact.

  “Are you alone?”

  “Mhm, so alone.” She pouted.

  “I said stop that! With any other person, you’d be in a lot of trouble acting like that.” At that moment, his stern look reminded her of her father; shame briefly shadowed her charm.

  “Oh. You mean you like g…”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, you need to have more respect for yourself, for who you are… what you are… and you need to get out of here before the others arrive.”

  “Others who? Wait— you’re letting me go?” Confusion wrinkled her nose.

  “Yes. Meet me at the field house after dark, around 10. I’ll explain there.”