The Disillusion Mountains

Chapter 22

Nimma watched Celeste's designer boots disappear into another tent. Warm blood squirted down her chin and she righted herself from the ground. Jace was apparently their guard as he sat in a chair next to the door of their tent.

"Nimma. I'm sorry," Grant's voice was small.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You already hate my family. I didn't want you to hate me too because I was born one of them."
"You're not in this with her somehow?"

"No. I swear."

"What about you?" Nimma demanded of Jace. "You're from the north end of the island. How did you end up tangled with her?"

"My wife's in the hospital. Cancer. I'm the only family she has and medical bills aren't cheap. I worked security for a while after I got out of the military because the ballet wasn't paying enough. Word came down someone was looking to hire for a dangerous job with good pay so I took it."

"How long have you been up here?"

"Two weeks. Celeste's looking for some buried treasure. When I took this job I didn't know it had anything to do with you or your family."

"Has she found anything?"

"No. She's getting desperate. No matter how hard she looks she can't find the next clue."

"Are you going to trust everything he says?" Grant asked. "He might be your old friend but he's with her."

"He's not lying. Prancer never could lie worth a damn. What about you? You just left your family for no reason?"

"I was one of them until I woke up and saw them for what they are. The things Regina said about us are true. Forcing people to sell land to us, intimidating them if they refuse, they've just gotten smarter about hiding it. They even made me dye my hair green because they hated that I look like my mother." True Grant's hair was purple giving him an unconventional look for the Towers. His eyes though were the deep green like the majority of them. How had that not tipped her off when she first met him?

"Leaving the family is why my wife divorced me. When I didn't have the money to give her everything she wanted she left. I thought we were in love but it was only the money she cared for. Part of the reason I left was because I didn't want my daughter turning into one of them. I left the family, quit the job I did for them, and changed my name to my mother's."

"I won't hold it against you," Nimma said. "Does Selmmie know?"

"No."

🌺

A few hours later Nimma and Grant were marched out of their tent. They were made to kneel in the rain before Celeste while she asked them questions. They both remained silent.

"Give me your gun." She demanded of Jace who was the closest guard.

"No."

"Do what I say or end up like them." Another refusal had Jace kneeling beside them hands bound. Celeste took the gun from a different guard and pointed it at Nimma. "Where is it?"

"Go to hell."

"You won't do it to save yourself? Will you do it to save him?" The gun was turned on Grant. "I'd hate to shoot you, cousin, but you know I will."

"Don't tell her anything, Nimma. Celeste embezzled charity money and the scandal was too public so the family disinherited her. She's just desperate for a way back in."

Celeste turned red and pistol whipped Grant on the head rendering him unconscious.

Nimma ground her teeth and tried to work some magic. She cupped her hands behind her and imagined the purple fireballs that had started her down this path. Did she feel weight in her hands or was it just her imagination? No. She could feel the cuffs heating up and loosening, a slight burning on her wrists that grew more intense every second.

    "Last chance, Nimma." Celeste cocked the gun and pointed it at Jace. The cuffs broke but before Nimma could do anything seeds thrown from somewhere behind her landed in between her and Celeste. Celeste just had time to look confused before the seeds turned into trees and thorns that attacked the people with Celeste.

Nimma got a flabbergasted Jace to his feet and turned over Grant. He was breathing but nothing she did, screaming, slapping, or shaking him could wake the man up. Screams and gunshots rang out from the other side of the barrier but that barrier didn't extended forever, and soon people were making their way around the sides and running for their lives. Celeste was of them. She was bleeding from her head and looked muddled. With a glance at Nimma her clarity seemed to return and Celeste pointed the gun at Nimma.

Nimma tried to summon another fireball but all she managed were sparks. A fireball thrown from above landed in front of Celeste and the woman screamed. It was quickly followed by another which made Celeste back up in terror. Nimma turned to look where they were coming from. A tall figure with a coat whipping around them in the wind stood at the top of the canyon wall but whoever it was they were too far away for Nimma to see clearly.

    Nimma grunted as she picked up Grant and slung him over her shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Jace follow–" her words were cut off by one of the loudest noises Nimma had ever heard. From the other side of the canyon she watched as a huge wall of water plummeted down the canyon wall and spilled into the valley. The river had broken its banks and a flood was headed right for them.