Chapter 24: The Return

Infinity

It had been six weeks since my father had woken up from a deep sleep that had lasted over 10 years. It had been six weeks since Asa Pike went missing without a trace. I had hoped that Asa had fled town on his own and nothing had happened to him, but even if that wasn't the case I wouldn't even begin to know where to look. In six weeks, my parents had left us alone to go explore the seas and get away from the city, they had bought their old home that they had lived in before dad had been hypnotized, Grandma Bone had moved out, and Manfred had been out of commission. On top of that, I had not heard a single thing from Salem either. I felt as if something was being hidden from me. I had plans to make Uncle Paton tell me where they were so I could see him.

"What are you thinking about, my dear?" Maisie asked as she prepared supper in the kitchen. Uncle Paton and Charlie had gone to look at the progress on the house and I had decided to stay behind with Maisie. I had been given potato peeling duty while she chopped carrots and onions next to me. "If you don't get your head out of the clouds, you'll cut your fingers off."

"They'll grow back." I sighed. This wasn't a lie… I could probably regenerate my own chopped off finger tips if I needed to. "But I'm just thinking about Salem. I miss him. Do you think Uncle Paton will take me to him?"

"Ask him when he gets home. Maybe you can go out next weekend. I'm sure he misses you as well." She smiled at me and began to boil all of our vegetables. In the foyer, I heard the front door open and slam shut.

"Hey, Uncle P!" I called out. "I wanted to know if you wanted to go somewhere with me next weekend?" I waited for his response but was only greeted with the sound of bags plopping down in the hall instead. "What did you two bring home? A body?" I asked jokingly as I walked out into the hallway.

"I'm not your uncle. Come carry my bags upstairs, you useless child." A very familiar voice snapped at me. Both Maisie and I were shocked to see Grandma Bone walk into the kitchen. "I'm back."

"Why?" Maisie asked, apparent disgust in her voice.

"Anyone would think you're sorry." Grandma Bone said, with mirrored disgust in her voice.

"I am." Maisie snorted. "I thought you were gone for good."

I was unable to control my laughter. I was given a dirty look from Grandma Bone and went back to setting the table. I did not set a space for her. "Why are you back, anyway?" I asked. "I highly doubt you'll be welcome here when dad gets home."

"You forget who bought this place and gave your ungrateful mother and brother a place to live." She hissed at me.

"Oh, you're a hero! That was so nice of you after you helped the Bloors try to kill off your only son." I spat sarcastically. "I'm leaving. I'm sorry, Maisie." I wiped my hands off on my jeans and headed for the door.

"Don't you want to hear about your Great Aunt Venetia? She's getting married, you know. A waste of time at her age if you ask me. Getting married in general is just a waste of time. And he has children, too. Being a stepmother at her age. Hmph."

"You all could drop dead tomorrow and I still wouldn't care to hear about it." I called out and slammed the door. It was getting dark soon and I didn't know where to go. I looked at the door of Benjamin Brown across the street, shrugged, and figured Charlie would end up there too at some point after finding out Grandma Bone was home. I walked over and knocked on the door.

I heard Runner Bean barking and Benjamin opened up the door. "Oh, hi. Charlie isn't here. I don't know where he is." He said uneasily.

"I'm not here for Charlie." I said awkwardly. "Grandma Bone came back and I don't really want to be home. I was wondering if I could hang out here for a little bit. I'm sure once Charlie realizes she's there he'll be over as well."

Ben gave me an understanding smile and opened the door to let me in. For a half an hour, we sat awkwardly in his living room watching Runner Bean try and destroy a toy ball. "He has a lot of energy tonight." He noted, smiling fondly at his dog. "Why don't we take him for a walk?"

As we both stood up to leave, there was a knock at the door. Ben answered it and I could hear Charlie talking. "Grandma Bone is back."

"I've heard. Infinity is here too. We're about to take Runner for a walk, actually. Do you want to come?"

Charlie looked up at me and seemed relieved. I assumed that Maisie had told him that I went off on my own and that worried him. Ever since dad came back, we spent a lot of our time worrying about each other. Especially while we were in the academy.

We all set out on a walk. It had been clear out when I had headed across the street to number twelve, but now a strange mist was setting in and we had a hard time seeing runner if he ran too far in front of us. I knew it made Ben uneasy when he couldn't see his dog. I don't know if it was the mist, or if something had happened but Charlie was acting strange. He kept looking over his shoulder and was generally uneasy. Finally Benjamin broke the silence and asked him what was wrong.

"Something weird happened over at the house when Uncle Paton and I were there. All the floorboards are ripped up, guys. Like someone was looking for something. And then when Uncle Paton and I were walking home, I saw something strange in the streetlight before Uncle Paton exploded it. There were two figures, but something about them was off. They weren't exactly human. They had fur on their faces-"

"Like a beard?" I scoffed.

"No, not like a beard." Charlie gave me a dirty look. "I know what a beard looks like, thank you. One of them was definitely female. And their eyes were far apart… almost like a dog's. And they were yellow."

I stopped walking and Benjamin and Charlie stopped too. "Was it Asa?" I asked, hopeful. Asa had gone missing and no one had seen hide nor hair of him for several weeks.

"Were you listening to anything I was saying? It wasn't Asa. Their fur wasn't gray either. It was kind of a copper color. I would know Asa if I saw him." Charlie was annoyed and I couldn't blame him. I had been acting quite snarky lately.

"I'm sorry, Charlie." I frowned. Today was a strange day. The mist continued to get thicker and I could almost taste the salt on it, as if I were by the ocean. It made my tongue dry and my lips burn.

Suddenly, there was a howl. It was a loud and mournful howl that sent Runner Bean running. "That howling," Benjamin said when he was able to grab Runner by his collar. "I've heard it before. It's scaring Runner. He's usually never this scared. Maybe we shouldn't go to the park."

"I think that's a good idea." I said. Something about that howling frightened me too. I wondered if it came from the same creatures that Charlie had seen. It wasn't Asa's howl though. I knew that for sure. I thought about it as we walked come. "If Asa is okay and ran off to start a new life somewhere, I hope he sends me a sign or something soon."

"I'm sure he's okay, Infinity." Charlie said reassuringly. We quietly walked into the house and snuck up to our room. We would have to return to the academy tomorrow and I was dreading it. Something felt wrong in the city and Charlie sensed it too. We packed our trunks and climbed into our beds but we could not fall asleep.

My heart was heavy and I felt so lonely. While Charlie's friends were nice to me, all of my own friends were gone. Zelda was still away at school, busy being a genius. Asa was missing and Salem was hiding. I thought about how I had taken these people away from Manfred and wondered what he wanted to take from me in return, as if having my father for ten years wasn't enough of a victory.

As much as I didn't want to return to school on Monday, I knew that I had to. When I got there, I learned that there was a new boy in the music department and I had not been formally informed. During assembly, I stood off with the non-department staff in my usual awkward spot next to Dr. Bloor and stared off into the distance. The boy was a strange boy with what seemed to be a greenish tint to him. He was the same age as Charlie, but much taller. I would have bet that if we stood side by side, he would have been taller than I. "His name is Dagbert Endless." He said, speaking the first words he had spoken to me in a month. "Your brother has been assigned to monitor him and be responsible for his actions if he is not satisfactory in teaching Dagbert the rules."

"Why have you thrust him upon Charlie rather than sending him to me?" I asked. "I can tell just by looking at him that he's endowed. What does he do?"

"That's for him to tell you." Dr. Bloor answered stiffly. "I forgot to inform you of a change. With Salem gone, you have a new Head Boy to work with. Riley Burns, in your department." He nodded towards where Riley Burns stood. He was a tall and bulky boy with sandy colored hair and tanned skin. His hair was a sandy blonde color and he spoke with a thick Irish brogue.

"My grades are better than Riley's." I found myself saying. Riley was incredibly smart as well as talented, but he was nowhere near the level I was. I should have been given the Head Girl spot. "I'm a seventeen year old senior. I was supposed to graduate at sixteen if I wouldn't have been hospitalized."

"Riley Burns didn't almost kill my son. Riley Burns doesn't mettle in affairs that have nothing to do with him." Dr. Bloor lowered his voice. "That's why Riley Burns will be getting your full ride scholarship."

"What I give, I can take away." I said as ominously as I could manage. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. "Riley can be your head student, I don't care. But if I don't get that scholarship..." I was trying to get into Cambridge or Oxford for pre-med. There was no way my family would be able to afford it unless I was given scholarships.

"Wait." Dr. Bloor gripped my shoulder with his large hand and spoke through clenched teeth. "The scholarship is yours for now, but you won't be able to hold that above me forever. You're not the only witch around here, you know." He turned on his heel and walked away.

I didn't have time to worry about Dagbert and Charlie today. I had my own classes and problems to worry about. With Manfred out of commission, I had less detentions to look through. Mondays were easy days usually, but I had midterms to study for and was awaiting the results of entrance exams. In between classes and during breaks, I shut myself either in the prefect's room or the library. I didn't see Dagbert Endless again until I walked into the King's room that night. I followed in behind the last of the children.

I got a better look at Dagbert when I sat down at the head of the table. I was in charge in this room now, being the oldest. Although I wasn't much older than Lysander, who usually sat at my right side and intimidated the unruly children who felt that they didn't need to respect me.

My eyes had not been playing tricks on me earlier in the day. Dagbert was definitely tinted green. His hair reminded me of seaweed and his skin had a bit of a drowned look to it. His eyes were a bright aquamarine that I had never seen on a human being before and he had a bit of a fishy smell to him. I guessed that his endowment was related to water. "You must be Charlie's sister." He said to me when he saw me. "I was told that you're a witch and that you heal people."

"Yes." I said flatly and opened my book. I didn't want to make small talk with this boy. Something inside me was screaming at me not to trust him.

"Where's the last one? The wolf boy?"

Dagbert's question grated my nerves. I looked up at him and gave him what I thought was my best glare. "He isn't here. Please get to work." I snapped.

I didn't deal with Dagbert or Charlie or really anyone the rest of the week, at least until matron handed me a pink slip with a very familiar name on it in the morning. They had given Charlie detention. I would have to head home without him and of course Billy would stay with him as well. I didn't get a chance to see Charlie off before going home and I wasn't going to miss my opportunity to leave. I had something that I needed to do.

The bus ride home, Salem was the only thing on my mind. I was bound and determined to see him this weekend. Uncle Paton had told me that he had no way of hearing from Bartholomew without going directly to where he lived and that made me uneasy. "His daughter Naren has a way of communicating, kind of like Salem does. She uses the moon and shadows somehow to make words. If there's an emergency, Naren will contact Charlie." Uncle Paton had told me before. "She can only communicate if she has an item that belongs to Charlie. As long as she has that glove, we'll be okay."

I had never met Naren. I had never met any of that part of the Bloor family. Everyone thought Bartholomew died in an avalanche when in reality, he had just been lost for a very long time. His wife had danced herself to death, leaving Dr. Bloor to be raised by that awful Mr. Ezekiel. Now, Bart had a new wife. A Mongolian woman named Meng and together they adopted Naren when she was a baby after her whole family had died. My father said he could be trusted and that Salem would be safe with them. Uncle Paton had told me that they would be very compatible and had a lot in common. I hoped he was happier there than he had ever been at the academy.

The bus finally came to a stop on the end of Filbert Street where it always did. I grabbed my trunk and got off, eager to eat something that wasn't bland, get out of my stupid uniform, and ask Uncle Paton if there was some way he could take me to go see Salem before I exploded from worry. As I wheeled my things up the street, I felt as if I were being followed. I didn't know what to expect if I looked behind me. Would I see those weird not-quite-human creatures Charlie was talking about? Part of me hoped I would see Asa in that stupid disguise he tried to fool people with when he spied for Manfred.

I finally got the courage to turn my head and saw a flash of yellow run behind a garbage can. I hadn't gotten a clear look, but I knew it was a girl with long black hair. The yellow had been her jacket. How much damage could a girl do? I stopped walking and turned around completely. "I don't know who you think you are or why you are following me, but you better show yourself right now because I don't take too kindly to being spied on." I called out to the figure.

She gave up easily and quickly. When she stood up, I was able to get a better look at her. She wasn't much older than my brother. She wore a thin yellow jacket and her black hair was tied in a ponytail. She had olive colored skin and slanted eyes. She gave me a shy smile and a wave. "I'm sorry, I wasn't really following you." She said as she cautiously approached me. "I was looking for Charlie Bone. I have been trying to contact him for several days now."

"Charlie is still at school." I stared at the girl as she got closer. I wondered if this was Naren. There weren't many Asian girls in this city, but with the cloud of mystery that shrouded these other Bloors thus far, I highly doubted Naren would come into the open during the day. "I'm his sister, Infinity."

"Infinity?" The girl picked up her pace and fell into step next to me. "This is even better. We haven't gotten the chance to meet. I'm Naren. I actually came here looking for you, but I wasn't sure who you were. You two look very different, you know. Charlie has dark hair and dark eyes, and you're very light. I need you to drop off your things and come with me as soon as possible."

"Wait, are you going to take me to Salem?" I began to walk a little faster. When she nodded, I basically ran. Naren refused my invitation into the house because she didn't want to be seen by my grandmother, but advised me to change clothes quickly. I ran upstairs and changed into a comfortable sweater, a pair of leggings and some boots. When Grandma Bone asked me where I thought I was going, I ignored her and ran out of the house. Naren and I both ran until we got about three streets away, and then slowed into a fast walk. "Is he okay? Why haven't you contacted Charlie?"

"I've tried to contact him all week but I was never able to reach him. For my endowment to work, the moon needs to cast on a flat surface and he was never able to open the curtains for me to get to him. I was worried and I couldn't wait any longer, so against the wishes of both my father and Salem, I decided to come and get you."

"Against the wishes of your father and Salem? What happened? Is someone hurt?"

Naren's eyes began to get glassy and she blinked back tears. "I don't know how to tell you this… Salem didn't want you to know, but his cancer came back. He didn't want you to know because you may not be able to do anything about it… It's in his brain this time and it's making him act differently. By the time we finally got him to go to the hospital for his headaches and blackouts, we were already too late. They gave him a few more weeks to live and his condition is deteriorating rapidly. It's inoperable and he refused chemotherapy and radiation. We found out at the beginning of the week but he didn't want you to know and father didn't want me to try and leave home to tell you. We live very far in the wilderness away from people. Father is on edge right now because we have a hospice nurse living in our home to make Salem comfortable. But I was told that you were very powerful. I think if we have even a little bit of a chance, we should take it."

It took a few minutes for everything to set in. Asa had told me that he thought Salem was sick again and I realized that the signs were there. His endowment went away because it was completely controlled by his brain. He was forgetting things and acting in a way that wasn't Salem at all. He was more emotional than usual and he did seem to always have a headache or be in some kind of pain. The blackouts must have come later. I was angry that he didn't have enough faith in me to let me try, but I could see why he didn't want me to. He knew that I would blame myself forever if I failed and couldn't save him.

Naren and I didn't speak the rest of the way to where we were going. It was quite a walk and she seemed to live on the very outskirts of town in the wilderness. She took me across a weathered old bridge and towards a cottage in the middle of nowhere. There was a man out front, pacing back and forth. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. He looked like an older version of Salem. He was tall and broad with steel gray hair and piercing blue eyes that were identical to Salem's. When he saw me, those eyes squinted under angry brows. "What have I told you about going into the city?!" He bellowed as he briskly headed towards us. "Who have you brought with you this-" He paused when he got closer and saw me. "It's you… Lyell's daughter."

Of course he recognized me right away. I was often told how much I looked like my mother and there was no doubt that this man was Bartholomew, who knew my mother. "Infinity." I introduced myself as I stared at this man in awe. "My name is Infinity. May I please go in and see Salem?"

Bartholomew told me that nothing would prepare me for what I saw. He warned me that the Salem that was bundled up in a hospital bed in his living room looked nothing like the Salem I had saw last. I had a hard time believing that. I thought I was ready, but I was wrong. When I walked in, Bart walked in ahead of me and asked everyone to go wait in the kitchen so I could have privacy. He told me he would stay behind with me. I told him I wouldn't need him, but I'm happy he didn't listen to me.

When laid eyes on Salem, It felt as if my heart literally tore in half. The person laying in that bed was someone I didn't recognize at all. The person laying in that bed had been reduced to skin and bone. His eyes were sunken in and there were dark circles under them. There was dried blood under his nose from oxygen tube irritation, his cheeks were hollow. He had all of his hair, but it was wet from sweat and clung to his head. His lips were dry and cracked. "The hospice gave him morphine to make it all easier. They'll eventually take his oxygen and let him die in his sleep. The pain is too much for him to be conscious now. He has gone blind." Bart's voice cracked. "It may be too much for you, Infinity."

"It won't be. I was able to heal my own brain trauma. I can do this." I wasn't able to speak above a whisper. I slowly walked up to his body in the bed and gently placed my hand on his forehead. He was ice cold and he felt clammy, as if he were dead already. His breathing was very shallow and faint. "Even if it kills me, I will make him better."

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his dry, cracked ones. This was always the most effective way to give someone my energy. A kiss was passionate and gentle enough to send a jolt of energy through someone with almost all healing passion. I could feel every inch of my body glowing as I caressed his face with my hands and kept my lips pressed to his. I needed to give him everything that I had, even if it meant giving him a piece of myself.

"I think it's working… Naren! Meng!" Bartholomew sounded as if he were miles away when he called out to his wife and daughter who were in the other room. I could barely hear what was going on around me. "He's moving…"

I felt arms wrap around me and hold me close. Salem's lips twitched under mine. I heard the doctor run in behind me, panicking. "I haven't seen a recovery like this since-" He shuffled around me but dared not disturb me. "Infinity Bone. No wonder…" I heard him say.

"I see you've met our little witch before, Dr. Tanaka." Bartholomew said proudly.

"I'll have to schedule a brain scan and run tests, but I've seen her do this before. To herself."

I didn't care what was going on around me, I just cared that Salem was better. I could feel that his tumor was shrinking and it was almost gone. With one last push of energy, I completely destroyed it and began to heal the rest of his body with the last of my strength. My endowment would be unusable for a while, but I didn't care.

With all of his strength, Salem heaved me onto the bed and instead of me kissing him to bring life back to his body, he kissed me to show me how grateful he was. When he pulled away, he looked like the Salem I had met over a year ago. "I can hear what you're thinking." He said gleefully. "You did it. You made me all better."

I could barely keep my eyes open. "Good." I murmured. "Now I need a nap."