A Touch Mortal

Chapter 24





“I think she’s coming around.” The voice floated out of still, dark space. Her ears hummed. A palm slapped her cheek lightly. From far away, someone called her name.

“Too much,” she moaned. “Pass back.” It was all she could muster before her head lolled back. Fingers pressed against the back of her neck. The strange feeling of floating, and then someone set her down and she realized she’d been carried. Smell of dirty leather and sweat. Backseat of a cab. She forced her eyes open.

Three dark shapes sat silhouetted against the lights of the city shining through the backseat windows. Her head leaned against a shoulder, the rest of her pulled onto the lap.

“She better not be OD’ing.” She could barely make out the words through the thick accent. Cab driver.

“She’s fine.” Jarrod was there.

“Eden?” It came from whoever had her. Adam. His fingers ran down her cheek and she shivered, leaning into the palm that followed.

“What happened?” Eden thought he was talking to her, but someone else answered.

“I don’t know. I saw her and tried to talk to her. She looked so awful I thought something was wrong. And then she fell…after the whole screaming thing.” Eden lifted an inch from Adam’s shoulder, squinting to make out the outline of whoever had spoken. A pony-tailed head was squeezed in next to Jarrod’s shape. The girl from Milton’s last night.

Eden groaned and Adam pressed her head back down against him again. She let him; taking in sips of buildings and sky through the back window the few times she bothered to open her eyes.

Just when she began to wonder if the ride would ever end, the car stopped. Adam slid out from under her, but he was back a second later, lifting her from the backseat. She felt the bounce of each of the stairs.

“Are they waiting for me?” she whispered. “I need some.”

“Key?” he asked Jarrod, ignoring her.

Jarrod swung the door open, led them up the four flights of stairs to their apartment. Someone closed the door behind them.

“Eden!” she heard James shriek, felt him pawing at her, trying to get a look. “Who did this to her?”

“Move,” Adam said, brushing past the boy. He set her gently on the couch, then settled himself with her head on his lap, sliding a hand across her eyes when she tried to open them.

“I’m almost empty,” she croaked, trying to push his hand away. “Touch…”

“She did it to herself,” Adam said, finally answering James. The boy was there when she opened her eyes for a second. She hated his look of worry and tried to smile for him, but it felt all wrong on her face, almost a grimace.

“Herself? How?” James asked.

“Is she gonna be all right?” She was there, plopped in the recliner like she belonged in their apartment.

“Adam. Please.” Eden couldn’t get the words to come. She swallowed and tried again, opening her eyes to focus on Adam’s face above hers. “I got rid of too much. I need you to pass some back.”

Adam held her gaze for a minute then lowered his lips, the peck passing her a bit of Touch. Her vision cleared a bit, the throb in her head settling into a dull ache.

“Better?” Adam said.

She nodded, her attention settling on Libby. “What are you doing here?”

“She’s the one who found you. Eden, what the f*ck happened?” Jarrod asked.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, closing her eyes to blot out Adam’s face. She felt color rush to her face. It was no less embarrassing, even though she couldn’t see them. She’d totally lost control.

“You’re lucky Libby got to you right before you fell. This could have been a lot worse.” Adam’s fingers gently probed the back of her head as he turned to James. “She’s gonna need some ice. She’s too drained to heal fast enough.”

“This is why we need to do things different. More than just dosing us.” Jarrod paced the length of the room before he turned on Adam. “Why aren’t you backing me up on this?”

“Jarrod, not tonight.” Eden tried to sound commanding, give them some illusion that she still had control of the group. Of herself.

“You wanna self-destruct, fine,” Jarrod spat, pointing an accusing finger in her face. “But what happens to us when you do? This isn’t just about you, Eden! You’re paying the rent. Buying the food. You won’t let us help. You realize if something happens to you, we’re all screwed?”

“She said not now, Jarrod,” Adam hissed. James handed Adam a bag of ice wrapped in a kitchen towel. He pressed the compress against the knot rising on her scalp. She flinched.

He slid out from underneath Eden, beckoning Jarrod to the room the boys shared. She heard them arguing through the closed door, their voices muted. She made out Adam’s “No, you’re right. Tomorrow we’ll tell her…” before the voices dropped too low to hear.

“Do you need anything?” Libby asked, trying to fill the awkwardness in the living room. “Water, maybe?”

Eden nodded absently, draping an arm across her forehead. James rushed to the sink, handing the water to Libby as if he was afraid of getting too close to Eden. The cool glass was lifted to her lips. She snatched it from Libby before the girl could tip it like a sippy cup.

“I got it,” Eden said, taking a deep gulp to prove her point. She wasn’t an invalid. Still, the crestfallen look on Libby’s face made her feel a little guilty. “Thank you,” she added, and handed her back the glass. Eden leaned into the cushions and closed her eyes, but it did no good. She could still feel Libby’s persistent staring.

“What?” she asked finally. She heard Libby shift.

“So you killed them? All of them?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, surprised by the exhaustion in her voice. “Not all. But probably some.”

“But—”

Eden cut her off with a flick of her hand. “Listen, I can’t do this right now, okay? Tomorrow.” Libby had been there. Adam and Jarrod hadn’t. Eden owed her now. There was no getting around it. Stupid, she chided herself, letting her head sink deep into the cushion, relishing the numbness of the ice pack.

She heard the click of the bedroom door opening and Jarrod asking Libby if she wanted to stay, if there was anyone waiting for her.

“I don’t have anyone,” Libby replied. “I’m not like you guys.” And for just a moment before sleep stole over her, Eden almost felt sorry for the girl.



Eden jolted upright. For a second she wasn’t sure where she was; not in her bed. A blanket had been tucked around her like a shroud sometime during the night. Now it made her claustrophobic, but the warmth kept her from ripping it off.

Wet hair clung to the nape of her neck. Am I bleeding, she wondered, but the fingers she pressed there came back clean. A soaked washcloth lay on the pillow.

“Hey! You’re awake!” The chipper tone came from the kitchen, then Libby stepped out smiling with the wattage turned up far too high. Even the room itself seemed too bright, the window shades pulled to let in the morning sun.

This morning, everything seemed…too something. Libby held out a cup.

“Coffee. Black. Adam told me you like it that way. Is it okay?”

“Yeah, perfect. Thanks.” Eden took a small sip and set it down on the coffee table.

She looked around the room, stiffening. “Where’s Adam?” she asked. “Jarrod? James?” Her voice shook as she called the names, the vulnerable feeling catching her off guard.

“Relax,” Libby said. “They went out for a few. Jarrod said to tell you he was taking James out. He said you’d understand. It’s okay, though, they left me to watch you.”

“Watch me?” Eden asked. “And they just left?” Libby either didn’t catch her snide tone or was ignoring it.

She smiled again, plopping next to Eden on the couch.

“Don’t touch me!” Eden shifted uncomfortably, turned to the bright light coming in through the windows. The angle of the sun sent the wrong patterns of shadow across the floor. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Um, about twelve thirty?”

“Shit.” Eden threw off the blanket. “I’m late.” She stood, was half a stride from the couch before her body caught up with her brain. Her legs wobbled and gave out. Libby grabbed her around the waist. Already following commands, she was careful to only touch her shirt, not reach for her hand.

“What the hell are you doing? You’re going to hurt yourself!”

Eden couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of a slight bruise sidelining her. Her palms were already starting to heal from where she’d skinned them last night, but the bump was still a tender goose egg. Libby let out an unsure twitter. Eden leaned against her until she dropped back onto the couch. She felt better, but Adam’s dose last night hadn’t been enough. Touch built in the boys when they didn’t spread, but Eden’s came mostly from the Siders.

Eden considered Libby for a moment. Clearly the boys trusted her, which said a lot.

“Go to the window for me. Tell me how many kids are out there.” Eden jutted her chin at one of the windows facing the street. Libby shot her an inquisitive look, but did as she said.

“Eight that I can see,” she started. Eden wanted to sob. The number nearly doubled yesterday’s morning group. “Four across the street at the bus stop, two over on the…”

Eden let out her breath. “How many on the stairs, Libby!”

She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get the best angle. “I can’t really see…like maybe two? One for sure, but there’s some feet.”

Eden sighed in relief. Two would be perfect. Their Touch might even nix the last of her headache. And she’d already kept them waiting so long.

“You’re going to help me get downstairs.” Eden didn’t bother making it a question. But Libby was already shaking her head.

“Jarrod said he needs to talk to you. He told me I was not to let you go downstairs no matter what you tried to bribe me with.” Bribe, eh? Eden thought.

“Those are Siders down there,” Eden said, choosing her words carefully. “And they’re here for me. For what I can do.” Libby twisted her hands. She had said at Milton’s that she’d heard what Eden did. “I won’t tell the boys, either,” Eden added, hating the desperation leaking out. But she had to convince her. They were waiting.

“No, he said you’d try to…” Libby started. “What do you do to them anyway?” Libby’s eyes gleamed, hungry for information. Eden met them.

“If you help me,” she said, “I’ll let you watch.”