Children of the Eternal

XVII

Matthew and Kate went to Fawn Lane and reached a small boardinghouse with a flickering gas lamp in the window. Boarders weren't questioned much there, and it had the benefit of windowless or heavily curtained rooms. It was the ideal place for Matthew, but out of his price range.

Warmth enveloped Matthew as he and Kate stepped inside. The gray-headed proprietor sat by a roaring fireplace and ignored their entrance. No one was questioned about their comings or goings. A suffocating silence stretched through the building, reminding Matthew far too much of the Edges. Though he liked the faded flowery wallpaper and clean wooden floors, it was too much like an illusion of safety.

With Sam's instructions burned in his mind, he found the stairwell leading to the basement rooms. There were at least three rooms in the cramped, narrow corridor and Matthew went to the last door and made the careful knock.

Kate had a pinched expression as they waited. After a few moments, floorboards creaked and there was a muffled sound of latches being unlocked before the door swung open by a crack. Sam's ashen face peeked out and unmistakable relief washed over him when he saw them.

"Come in," he whispered.

Matthew and Kate slid inside, and Sam closed it behind them. A small window high on the wall was boarded over and the only light came from a small oil lamp in the corner. Shadows drenched the room, and it almost resembled the Edges. In the corner was a small bed and a table with a basin. There was no sign of anyone living there.

"I thought your sister was here," Matthew whispered.

Just as he spoke, the faint oil lamp seemed to take on a fiercer intensity and golden illumination wafted through the room. A warmth passed through him, something comforting, but also painful in its falseness.

Kate nudged him. "Matthew..."

In the opposite corner, as far from the window as possible, a small figure slumped on the floor. In their hands, a golden ball of light grew. It revolved and added brightness to the room with its slow expansion. A groan came from the person holding it. Dressed in a large suit, the person's hair was shorn, and even from his distance, Matthew spotted red blotches on the head. Eternal Burns. It was said that was the worse area for burning from the Eternal Light.

"Sarah!" Sam said in the gentle tone he used with children in the orphanage. "We don't need any light right now."

She offered no response, only bringing her hands closer to the illuminated sphere. It wasn't like the Light summoned by sanctioned priests. A flickering shimmer that seemed fragmented like broken starlight. Tiny pieces fell from it, dissolving as they hit the ground.

Matthew gave an uneasy look at the crack beneath the door. Though no one asked questions in these places, if it grew any brighter, someone could see. There was always a chance they would alert the authorities.

"Sarah!" This time Sam's voice was sharper and a far too good imitation of the guards. "Get rid of it now."

She cocked her head, never moving her gaze from the shining sphere. Then she slammed her hands together, and the illumination disappeared. Though the room grew dimmer, Matthew spotted scarlet blisters on her palms. She let out a whimper and Sam hastened over, pulling an ointment out of coat and rubbing it on her.

Matthew ran his hand over a tiny red mark on his pinkie finger, a burn he obtained when he was too close to a broken orb in the Edges. Almost two years later, it hadn't healed. It was so small that he almost forgot about it. He grew used to the little sting if he moved his finger or wore gloves. But nothing alleviated the pain. He couldn't imagine living with Sarah's burns.

Kate covered her mouth. "Has she had any treatment?"

Sam finished putting the ointment on his sister and went back over to them. "She says... she can fix it herself."