Tyrant in the Shadows

Challenge 8 Part 9

Ivan and Delaney jumped up at the same time, running to Miriam.

Julie looked scared, her eyes were wide, "Miri..."

Miriam was gasping for the air the pain had knocked out of her lungs. The pounding was slowly fading, "I-I did too much," she whispers in a choked voice.

Delaney, who was now rubbing Miriam's back, nodded grimly, "That's an understatement."

"Have you ever used your powers?" Ivan asked, standing behind Delaney with crossed arms.

"Only... only to do things like light candles. Sometimes a fire. Never needed anything more than that."

He nods. After exhaustion, overdoing your power caused extreme pain, "Well. Just... don't use that much power. That would be a lot for those of us who have been training for decades, much less someone who has barely used theirs."

Miriam nods, and Delaney changes the subject, "So... how old are you, Miri?"

"Miri? Oh. That's what Julie calls me. My name is Miriam. I'm thirteen."

"Only a year younger than what you would usually take students in at," Sophia notes, "Not bad."

Everyone glances to her, except Julie, who had curled up next to Miriam. 

"Yeah. Sophia, lay back down," Ivan orders, frowning at her.

"She's not laying down," Sophia whines, childlike.

"She will," Delaney says, quirking a brow at her student.

Sophia grumbles, but obeys.

"Do I have to lay down?"

"Yes," the two senior officers say in unison.

"The extent of which you've 'overdone it' is insane. You need to rest more than she does. If you don't then I'll get someone to knock you out," Delaney continues.

"People can do that?"

"Our medics can."

"Oh. Drugs."

"Hah, yeah. Pretty much."

The transport was quiet then and the officers went back to their seat to rest, "Should've changed," Ivan mutters, wrinkling his nose at the stench of sweat that just hit him.

"No point in changing til you shower. Cold showers tonight," she sighs, "Everyone will be taking them."

"Oh, yeah, sounds fun."

She chuckles at her partner's face. He looked thrilled to take a cold shower. It happened pretty often. Then a sobering thought hit her. There would be new graves added to their graveyard. More than were there now. Her eyes fluttered closed then, and she sighed. She was not looking forward to this.

On the seat in front of theirs, Sophia was pretending to sleep, but her mind was circling back to the look on Ezra's face when he was dying. The last thing he said... a single tear slipped down her face but she forced the others back. No time to cry. She would cry at his funeral. Not now. She was exhausted now and needed rest. Crying just exhausted her more. Despite that, another tear forced its way out her closed eyes.

Why? Why did you have to leave me? She thought to his spirit, I needed you...

Miriam was suffering from similar thoughts. Her mind kept flashing back to her brother. His face... the way it had looked... She glanced over to the teleporter to see light reflecting off the tear streaks.

She lost someone too. I wonder who...

Would they still have been alive if it hadn't been for her? She didn't want to think that way, but how was she not supposed to? The shadows had come after her, her potential. Again. So was it her fault that the people who had died today died? She glanced down to her peaceful little sister. It was good to see her so calm. She was never calm when she was awake. Miriam smiled and pulled her sister closer.

Ivan, who had been relaxing, almost asleep, was troubled by a memory. What was it? Something was off about it... And then it hit him. He sat up abruptly, waking Delaney in a start, "What?" she whispered, worrying he had seen a shadow or something else that wanted to kill them.

"That little girl... the little sister? Her eyes are pure white."