The Line Between: Cassie Wilson Book 3

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duce herself and offer her welcome. 'This is by far the strangest birthday I have

'm called Annabelle

uses surrounded by flowery, growing things. To see her in a wood decorated with patches of ice and snow was odd after the greenhouses, but there was nothing about her th

minded herself as she nodded and repl

she was a Walker. A man, who later introduced himself as Mikal, traced a symbol on her hand that burned through her palm like white hot metal and glowed blue in the air. She plunged her burning hand into the stone basin of water creating a steam

lost the hand, but I didn't lo

mained. On the first night after the test, when she traveled through her dreams to the place of twisting lines of ligh

m beneath her skin, rising to the surface like a submarine coming up for air. As her birthday drew closer, the burning s

as it rose, the sound echoing with a feeling of right-ness somehow that filled her body. The symbol on her hand burned brightly and then burned itself down into the grass, not only s

gh, and the downed trees,

s flying in every direction. Several trees were uprooted and torn like a giant had a temper tantrum. She heard them fall, but wasn't looking in their d

id, noticing her attention. "In a few week

smiling at the man she grew up

ally her grandfather, she didn't know, even if she still thought of him that way. Truth be told, he didn't know either. It was little consolation. When he admitt

rthday, ' she reminded herself.

m asked. He looked a little a

smile. "It's a great party." He looked relie

randfather and another from her parents, but no parties. As Abraham put a blocker on her so that others

Carolyn and Alan, the two people posing as her parents were some sor

ortray birthday parties, ' Cassie thought, having nothing but television to compare with it. Abraham promised cake, as he understood it was

ded onto a hat rack. They reminded her of the candle stands in old movies that either featured medieval churches or vampires. There were eigh

' Cassie told herself. 'At this point, I don't even know what I would wish for if I did blow them out.' The amusem

ne is saying happy birthday, just welcome, like I j

see the cake and candles on the other side of the clearing, Enki showed up. It was clear from the reaction of the others that he was

Walker, Cassie was relieved by their protection. 'But I'm not a Walker or I would have lost my hand during

e now that they knew she wasn't a Walker, but failed to elaborate on the possibilities on

handkerchief and its slice of cake over to her. "Or forks." Sh

told him. He exh

u like it, "

e said after taking a second

but this is a celebration, questi

okay with that, " Cassie replied. "I ju

ig, " he told her proudly. "

ng knife used to carve the piece from the whole looking strange stabbed point first into the table next to it.

is it?" s

We roast the coals in a pit until they are white hot, then we put the wrapped and seasoned pig on top, a

. She nodded and continued eating her slice, trying not to wolf i

was sociable. They offered their welcome and stepped away. While a few were speaking to each other as they waited for her to finish her cake, the bulk of them merely stood, silently waiting. Cassie thought it a little strange and

ils?" she asked as Mikal and the surfer looking man picked up shovels and began to uncove

Jacob told her.

out a dagger in a sheath. The sheath was attached to a cord and Jacob helped to belt it around her waist. A second smaller c

te, in the early morning light. The metal part was silver and reflected the sun almost painfully bright and looked sharp enough to slice air. As Cassie wrapped her hand around the han

angely reluctant to let it leave her hand. When she looked up, Cassie found several of the other attendees at this strang

ssed another test. 'At least this one was less painful, ' she decided, dismissing the looks. Cassie was relie

hole and the large pole threaded through the center of the pig was rested on them so the cooked pig floated above the pit in which it was roasted. The pig itself was

f the pig before she realized it. She inhaled deeply, the tantalizing aroma making her mouth water and filling her with a deep, visceral hunger. She

me, " he

y one they knelt on the ground around the pig, leaving space for her right in front o

as cold and hard and she shivered as the chill seeped through her clothing. In front of her the pit beneath the pig still radiated heat and she found herself leaning forw

d her. "Use your knife. Once you have ta

h. She smiled as her fingers wrapped around the

ack to the roast in front of her she saw a few of the others smiling in amusement. The man she thought of as the surfer winked at her.

the middle of the woods. She wasn't quite certain how to proceed. Slowly she lifted t

t a small electric thrill run through her as she leaned back, meat in one hand, knife in the other. She shivered with something other than cold, but she had no name for the sensation that filled her. It felt alien, otherworldly and not at all like her. Cassie lifted

iding out of sheaths. The blades descended on the roast in glittering arcs of silver. After the first few bites, the others seemed to relax a little and the feel of r

gathered like this, " Mikel sa

last time, " Ann

ow this time, " Devon

Mikel said between bites.

the ground was close to the tree boles in the deeper shadows. Even though her socks and sh

ma, " Cassie replied. A few

that he knows what you ar

" Cassie couldn

looked just like a knife now, nothing special. Cassie tried not to frown as she wondered what changed. "Of

lle asked. She took a bite of her portion an

ife he told her to keep what she saw to herself an

tell them, " A

ell anyone anything and to try and act

ed like good advice,

the women in the group said. There was no sting to the comment, it was a simple ma

r presence from the others sharing the dance floor with her, when she swung and her long braids or fingertips grazed those around her, the other dancers almost glowed with ecstasy and gave themselves fully to the mus

bits, like the tusks and beaks, fea

sks. Each time she saw him she had to remind herself not to see them. Oddly enough in the las

ushed as she said the last part. The sensing of good bad or neutral always seemed a bit new-agey for her tastes. The others n

rted recently?"

thers couldn't see at all before, just their odd bits like the feathers. And I've only been able to see the golden nets around the buildings since your…test, " s

others hiding themselves

opened, " Mikel replied. He looked to Cassie. "

sort of, " Ca

through the gate before y

plained. "The first one I o

grin was wide and he looked as though he wanted

Cassie said. "I did

in the dream?"

een the carved symbols. Something inside her didn't want to mention the symbols to the group, even though they had to know about them. Keeping s

e then?" Mikel asked

as open, then I

e other gates?"

er I opened the gate here, so many people came to the district that it was really hard t

he other gates too?

o explain the map room. She found the space in

e group. There were looks of surprise

xus in a dream?"

"When I go to sleep I end up there most ni

nly been there in her sleep it explains how she was able to open

go there when I was a

ically instead of just mentally. Typically, you learn the physical first

d, uncertain if it w

the way Walkers learned to find the Nexus, when the

tarting to look a little ragged, bones showing through in places as the flesh was consumed. She took another piece

t abilities she is likely to

pecially as Enki and the others are still here. And if they do try anything it's an excuse to…play with them." The grin he flashed at t

asked. Cassie couldn't remember his name and even in her weeks of silent observation only managed to see him twice

. Since they seemed intent on hurting those they thought were Walkers and they thought Walkers would in no way be interested in cupcakes I held onto the book until they left." Cassie shivered remembering t

me you chose or li

and how he often called her Cupcake when threaten

said. She cast looks at the others

sie works well enough for me

hedule to test her on vari

e told them. "Then winter break. I

nodding. "That should give us time to work up a sch

roblem with me. I'm sure Enki will tell everyone that I

and you can let us know if your employment

like she would have a very busy winter break this year. Usually, it was quiet with her parents off to some exotic locale and her grandfather only stopping in occasionally to check on her. She usually used the solitude

painful the testing for skills

threaded through the center of the animal and the two supports were removed and Mikel quickly shoveled the dirt back over the bones, filling in t

n the earth and bless th

" Cassi

ks for the meal. It does

" she

ring what she would say, but somehow it felt like another test. Cassie leaned forward and placed her right hand on the dirt

ment at her questioning, the others now looked serious and she thought this too might be some sort of ritual.

the ground. She dismissed the thought and focused on her thanks. As her thoughts stilled, words floated across he

ing and I grant my blessi

ards pulling her hand from the dirt. The stillness inside her faded away and she wondered what happened. On the ground, her hand print could be clearly seen pres

ld earth, a seedling was sprouting from the center of the mark. At first it was a small dot of green, but with each heartbeat the sprout grew larger,

stopped growing. Cassie looked at the dirt. The mark was gone, taken up by the small tree. Oddly enough, her hand print still remai

, " Abraham said, a satisfied ring to

d the tree. "Cherry, " she pronounc

ssie said, look

me where it is war

was visible only to her. As everyone began to walk away from the clearing Cassie turned her palm upwards and studied it. She brushed the clinging bits of dirt off of her hand and saw