The Free City

Chapter Twenty-Eight : Strategizing

My whole face stung like someone had been slapping it. My wrist was throbbing in agony. I threw my arms out, flailing and panicking. I sat up so quickly I slammed my face into somebody and the impact made me reel and take a moment to orient myself.

Kole was backing up with a hand over his nose from the collision with my forehead. Jana was next to me on my little couch. Mrs. Hornbill was there, too. Mr. Sato was meditating next to Sam on the floor by my open hatch door. I looked down and saw my wrist had a red, peeling handprint on it.

"She's awake," Sam said. He tapped Mr. Sato's shoulder and our teacher opened his eyes.

"Miss Stutton, are you-"

I was off the couch and on my way to my bathroom before he could finish his question. I fell to my knees by the toilet and vomited. My body shook with tremors I couldn't control. I felt bloodless and pale.

"Dianna, are you okay? Are you sick?" Mrs. Hornbill shuffled into my little bathroom with me. Everyone else crowded into the narrow hallway.

"No," I said after the last of my heaving was done. "No, I'm not sick."

"We need to find out if that sleep Super is nearby," Kole said. "He put her to sleep last time and she didn't wake up until I burned her then, too."

"I'll send out my spirit leeches," Mr. Sato said. "Jana, go tell the rest of the students to lock down in the dorm. Mrs. Hornbill, please send headmaster Abara to them, and then leave the campus."

"He's not around," I said. I leaned away from the toilet and almost collapsed, so I put my back against the wall. "He ... at least in the dream, he was pretty far away. Khan said it would take him a couple days to get here. Although, I guess that could have been a lie."

"Khan?" Mr. Sato latched onto the name. Jana stopped in her tracks.

I was still breathless and dizzy, so it took me a moment to realize I had very important, vital information that everyone needed to know.

"Roman didn't just make me sleep. He connected me to Khan. We spoke. I think."

Sam pushed his way into the bathroom and helped me up off the floor. "Do you want to sit on your couch?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Mrs. Hornbill touched my arm when I brushed by her and my burned wrist stopped aching.

"Thanks."

I sat heavily on the couch with Sam's help and used a Push to shut the door to my underground cell. I didn't want to look at it. I couldn't.

"What happened, Dianna?" Jana asked.

"I'll go tell the students and the headmaster that she's awake," Mrs. Hornbill said.

"Tell them to stay in their dorm," Mr. Sato said as she left. "Or all of them will try to come in here at once."

I took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself enough to talk about what had happened. Kole handed me a glass of water and I took the excuse to delay the conversation just a little longer. It washed away the bitter aftertaste of vomit, at least.

"I guess I should start at the beginning," I finally said. "I didn't realize I was dreaming at first. I saw someone with me. It was- it was a little kid. Khan is just a child. He can't be older than ten."

"No," Mr. Sato sounded confused. "That isn't possible."

"It was a dream," I allowed. "Maybe Roman was able to change Khan's appearance, but the words and behavior were very convincing. I really think that's his true face."