Marked Chaos

by Niki Livingston

  “Jako knows the area where Zoe Dawn was taken?”

  “We both do,” he replied. He scratched underneath his chin, examining me as if I were one of his toys. “This will do nicely. We will retrieve Zoe Dawn and begin the process in the caves of old Mexico. We will be alone now that the sandy deserts have overtaken those lands. You are not to use any of your sorcery while staying as a visitor, especially the one you create from your arm. If you do, Jako has been instructed to remove it.” He nodded and then snapped his fingers.

  I jumped and looked around. He had snapped his fingers for a reason. Was Jako waiting in the shadows to rip me to shreds?

  “That means you are dismissed.” His eyes crinkled with delight, deepening the fine lines of his face. “Jako is waiting for you back at the road. He will escort you to your room where your supper is waiting. Tomorrow we will set out to retrieve the third one.”

  “What you are telling me, is I do not have a choice in this matter?”

  “You learn so quickly,” he replied, then waved me away.

  I trudged down the pathway, already seeing Jako’s shadow up ahead. My secret was out, and it did not matter what story I tried to tell Beck. Covyn was not controlling this narrative. I needed to get a message to Kia Lynn, but how would I do that if Jako was watching my every move? Would they even let me sleep in private, or was he planning to stay in the same room as me?

  Jako waited until I reached the sidewalk, then he turned on his heel and stomped up the road toward the small buildings near the town center. He seemed about as thrilled with this arrangement as I was.

  As we walked past the cultural hall, I saw Covyn and Kia Lynn sitting on the steps in front, leaning together and whispering. Kia Lynn lifted her gaze and met mine. I mouthed “help” to her, but she shook her head and turned back toward Covyn.

  My heart and any lingering hope sank to the pit of my gut. I was alone in this.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Water and Air

  KIA LYNN

  I woke to a bird’s soft chirps just outside the window. Stretching my arms above my head, I stared at the stark-white ceiling and grinned from ear to ear. This town was the most magical place I had ever seen.

  The homes were sturdy, including windows covered with actual glass we could see through, and they glimmered with rainbows when the sun hit them just right. And don’t get me started on the beds. Once my head hit their fluffy pillow, I was out faster than a doused fire. Now, I did not want to leave. If it weren’t for Zoe Dawn, I would stay in this place forever.

  Beck had insisted we leave today to rescue Zoe Dawn. He had a plan to keep us both safe from Nikita and her two hound dogs. Once we tackled the first problem, we would discuss our friends and family back in the village. When I asked about Alex, Beck insisted she was still the enemy, just as I had believed.

  I rolled to my side, then threw my legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. Another stretch and a big yawn and I was ready to begin my day.

  I was staying with Covyn and her mother. Their home had four bedrooms and each of them were actually enclosed with floor-to-ceiling walls and a door. I was shocked and amazed. It almost felt claustrophobic, but I knew I could get used to the peace and quiet.

  After dressing and repacking my bag, I set out for the cultural hall. The house had been empty as far as I could tell, and I figured that would be where I would find everyone.

  An older child, maybe around ten, whizzed by me on a two-wheeled contraption. I nearly jumped out of my skin, and he laughed as he bolted down the nearly empty road. I had seen pictures of those two-wheelers in the ancients’ books, but I could not remember its name. What I did know is if they had them here, I wanted one someday.

  The cultural hall appeared to be packed with villagers. I held back, watching from across the road. That was when I saw Covyn and Beck whispering angrily to one another beside the building. I cowered in the shadows watching their intense expressions as they argued in hushed tones. Covyn’s face was beet red, and if she were a tea kettle, steam would be hissing from her ears.

  “This is not how we do things!” Covyn yelled at Beck, her face only inches from him.

  A few of the villagers turned to look but then shrugged and continued on their way when they saw who was yelling.

  I glanced at Beck. His face was hard, his jaw set so tight, I swore he was about to break his teeth. He stared at Covyn for several breaths, then it sounded like he said, “We do now.”

  What do they do now?

  “There you are,” Dax said, jogging toward me from the other direction.

  I tore my attention away from the quarrel and smiled at his familiar face.

  “Covyn asked me to pick you up from her home, but you were already gone when I arrived. Are you hungry?” he asked, holding out his arm for me to take.

  “Yes, very much so,” I replied, placing my hand on his forearm. My gaze returned to the bickering duo.

  “Beck and Covyn often disagree,” Dax said, nodding toward them. “She is not sure the ship will be ready, and Beck, as usual, does not care to listen to excuses.” He led me through the crowd of older children sitting on the steps and into the building. “They will battle it out, and somehow Beck will still get his way. It is just the way it goes around here.”

  I was not convinced. “Will your ship be safe?”

  Dax skidded to a stop a few feet away from the piles of food and slowly turned toward me. “Covyn’s skills are impeccable. You have nothing to worry about.”

  He patted my hand, but I did not miss the gleam of worry in his eyes. Warning bells rang loudly in my mind. There was more to this story than he was willing to share. My earlier contentment fluttered away from me.

  A burst of wind struck me in the back, and I glanced back to see if the doors had been opened, but surprisingly, no one was near them and they remained closed. “Well, I am starving,” I replied, pushing the doubt to the back of my mind.

  My gaze met his. He was slowly shaking his head as if to tell me not to speak. I pressed my lips together and gave him a quick nod, making a silent agreement with him. He already knew who I was, and the wind was a dead giveaway. When we were safe to speak of it, I would find out all he knows.

  The morning meal was full of food I had never tasted before, particularly a flat bread that was so sweet I could barely finish it. Dax called it a pancake. It was literally a dessert dressed up to be a meal. What a strange place this was. Magical, mysterious, and frightening all at once.

  Just as we finished eating, Covyn and Jako strolled into the hall and made their way toward us. Dax glanced at me, gave me a tight-lipped smile, and rose from his chair.

  “Are you ready to find Zoe Dawn?” he asked me, holding out his hand for me to take.

  “Let’s go,” Jako ordered, reaching around Dax and yanking me rudely to my feet. “Alex is already on the ship, and my father is in one of his moods.”

  Dax groaned. I rubbed my arm, my hopes dashed.

  Covyn linked arms with me and pushed past the two men.

  “Stick with me, Kia Lynn,” she whispered once we were far enough ahead. “I do not trust Beck. Never have. He has a plan for you, Alex, and Zoe Dawn, and I fear it won’t go well for any of you.”

  “What are you whispering to her?” Jako yelled as he jogged after us. “Keep your mouth shut, Covyn.”

  He wrenched me from Covyn’s grasp and pulled me behind him at a jog. Digging my heels into the smooth surface, I struggled to find a way to stop him from pulling me along, but he was just too strong and fast. I twisted my wrist and tugged back, but his grip only tightened.

  “This is not a good time, Kia Lynn,” he snapped, throwing a dirty look over his shoulder at me. “After babysitting your friend last night, I am ready to be rid of both of you, and this is the only way. My father can deal with all of you and his nauseating plan for control.”

  A sudden burst of fury poured through my veins. “I am no one’s prisoner,” I barked at Jako, jerking my ar
m hard to loosen his grip. “Let go of me, now.”

  He shook his head. I glanced back at Covyn and Dax who were sprinting behind us but were no longer able to keep up. A crimson flush was splotched across Covyn’s face, along with glistening tears she kept wiping away with furious strokes of her hand. Dax’s expression was stony and hard to read, but I was beginning to realize they were not expecting Beck to turn on them like he had.

  “I don’t understand,” I said, running faster to take the strain off my arm. “I thought your father wanted to help me.”

  “Oh, he does.” Jako menacingly snickered, and the sound splintered my heart.

  Alex had asked for help last night. Angry tears stung my eyes at the memory of her frightened expression. Her quiet pleas had not been enough for me to stand up for her then, and guilt flooded through me like a violent wave. She had known Beck’s plan. I had turned the other cheek and allowed Jako to take her away from me, and now we were all doomed to follow his father.

  Jako pulled me down a narrow dirt path, with trees looming so high above, their branches hung like waterfalls. When we burst from their protective umbrella, a silver-and-black ship materialized ahead of us. Fear twisted in my stomach, and I hauled back on my arm. This time he let me go and I fell against the dirt with a thud. My hair swept in front of my shoulders and face and I peeked out between a few strands.

  “That’s what you get,” Jako said as he folded his arms over his chest, hovering over me like a vulture.

  “What has gotten into you?” Covyn shouted at Jako.

  Dax leaned down and helped me to my feet. I brushed my curls out of my face, then turned back toward Jako, who was in a death stare with Covyn.

  “I am fine,” I said, pushing past all of them. “All I care about is Zoe Dawn. If that means Beck needs a favor afterward, I can handle it.”

  I heard the other three scampering after me. My fate would never lie in anyone else’s hands, and I would make sure of that before this day is over.

  I raced into the ship, not stopping when Jako started yelling for me to slow down. After flying through each open doorway, I skidded to a halt when I found myself looking at the outside world from the other side of what appeared to be glass.

  Beck stood from a chair in the corner and walked toward me. “Kia Lynn. Welcome to my ship.” He grabbed both my hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each one slowly without taking his eyes off my face.

  I battled the urge to recoil.

  Jako, Dax, and Covyn slowed to a walk when they burst through the doorway. I could feel their presence behind me, but still Beck’s eyes did not shift.

  My skin crawled. “Why am I being kept a prisoner?” I asked, pulling my hands away from him.

  He grinned, then turned his attention to the other three. “Why does Kia Lynn feel as if she is our prisoner and not our guest?”

  Jako cleared his throat, but Covyn spoke first.

  “Is that not what she is?”

  Beck’s brows bristled, then he burst into laughter. “Covyn, why must you be so dramatic?” He slapped his knee in mocking humor and rolled his eyes to the heavens. “Kia Lynn, I have promised to find your sister, and I intend to fulfill that vow. In return for my hospitality and retrieval of Zoe Dawn, all I ask is one tiny favor.”

  “And what is that?” I asked.

  Covyn’s fingers found mine, and she pulled me in close to her side. Then from the other corner of the room, Alex shifted into view. Her face was overrun with tears, and I swore her lips were a darker shade of blue. Beck’s gaze followed mine, and he grinned even wider.

  “For now, let’s strap in. I will fill you in with the details after we have retrieved Zoe Dawn.” He stepped to the side and waved his hand toward the other seats. “Our flight will not be long, and I would like to be in the old Mexico lands before sundown.”

  My jaw twitched from clenching it so tight. Dax blew past me and sank into the chair next to Alex’s. I followed him and took the next seat, with Covyn settling into the one on the other side of me. I took a chance to look at Alex and a wave of fury reddened my face when I saw a bruise darkening across her cheek.

  “What did you do to her?” I yelled, scrunching up my face when my gaze met Jako’s.

  He shrugged. “She had it coming. Her skin is ice-cold, and if she had kept her hands off mine, then I would not have felt like I had to protect myself against the witch.”

  Covyn leapt from her chair.

  “Please, no,” Alex cried, weeping into her hands. “Don’t make it worse. Please.” She peeked out between her fingers, staring intensely at Covyn.

  I grabbed Covyn’s hand and pulled her back down.

  “We have been friends since we were children, Jako,” Dax said, speaking up for the first time. His expression was so hard, a vein had popped out in his neck. “We do not hit women.”

  “Dax. Don’t,” Jako snarled. “She attacked us from her ship. A witch.” He jabbed his finger toward Alex. “That is what she is, not a woman, and I had no intentions of letting her mark me with her voodoo.”

  “Enough!” Beck hollered as another man walked into the room. He turned to look at the stocky, dark-haired man. “Finally. Antoine, this is our destination.” Beck beckoned for the newcomer to join him at the helm.

  Antoine strode toward Beck, ignoring the rest of us. I whirled around and leaned toward Alex.

  “I will make this right,” I whispered so only Dax and she could hear me. “Just follow my lead.”

  Alex nodded, leaning to one side and wiping away her tears with her shoulders. “We can still make this work. I can get you to Zoe Dawn, but we cannot allow Beck to invade the sanctuary where she is staying.”

  “Why? They abducted her, which means they are no better than Beck.” I pressed my lips together. I just wanted to leave this nightmare behind me.

  “Aly is with her.”

  My eyes widened and I sat up straight, throwing a look at Beck and Antoine. “Then it is true. Was Zoe Dawn afraid of Aly?”

  “I don’t think so.” A quizzical expression slid down Alex’s face. “She just asked me to relay that message, so you would know it is not what you think it is.”

  If Zoe Dawn was not afraid, it changed everything. Even though I still did not understand why Aly would abduct Zoe Dawn, I trusted her far more than Beck. His ship was not large, and I did not know if there were weapons onboard.

  It was decided. I needed to somehow stop them from flying to Zoe Dawn’s position.

  “Strap in,” Beck said, sauntering to his seat. He pulled two straps from the sides of the chair over his shoulders, then clicked them together.

  I looked from side to side, seeing both straps and followed his lead. As I finished, two men and a woman walked in with weapons strapped to their outer hips. They directed a curt nod toward Beck, then each took a seat on the other side of the room. Everyone was quiet, but the smile on Beck’s face spoke volumes. We were going to be forced to do his bidding. I couldn’t believe I had been so foolish.

  Covyn turned to look at me, terror overtaking her face. “I did not know, Kia Lynn,” she whispered as a crimson flush spread up to her cheeks.

  Bitterness filled my chest as I examined the panel situated in front of Antoine. Those must be the controls. Somehow, I needed to dismantle it before we reached Zoe Dawn.

  The ship rocked slightly, and I bit back a scream as we lifted off the ground. Everyone else seemed fine with the sudden change in altitude. I was the only one who had never been in these dangerous machines. Zoe Dawn’s mum was right. They are the demon’s lifeboat.

  My eyes widened as the vegetation below disappeared beneath us. I jolted back from the sudden forward movement and clung to the sides of my seat as my head pressed into its fabric.

  Dax leaned closer, despite the sudden acceleration. “Do you see the blinking red light on Antoine’s screen?”

  I nodded, squinting to see it better.

  “That is Zoe Dawn’s position. If we reach that spot,
it will be too late to stop Beck. He has armed this ship with a weapon that will destroy their protective shield.”

  I could feel the color draining from my face. “How do I stop him?” I hissed, twisting my torso more to see him better.

  “We need to crash the ship.”

  “Are you insane?” My gaze drifted to Alex’s defeated face. I glared at her. “What is your purpose, girl? Why are you not helping us?”

  Alex pulled on her arms, but they did not budge from the armrests. “He has me locked in tight. All the magic that you believe I have is just technology and he is using it to hold me prisoner.”

  I gritted my teeth, studying my own armrests. “How do we release its hold on you?”

  She nodded toward Antoine. “Same place you shut this entire machine off.”

  This was not the job for me. I knew nothing about these ships or the anaman technology. My attention traveled the room and landed once more on the screen and the red blinking light. We were nearly half way to Zoe Dawn. This ship was fast, and I had to think faster.

  “And there is nothing you can do from that light in your arm?” I asked, watching Beck from the corner of my eye.

  “Not while I’m locked in like this. It dismantles all my functions.”

  “If I can force this ship to land, will you be able to free yourself?” My voice was barely a whisper, so I hoped she understood me.

  She gave me a half nod. “Maybe.” Her eyes glazed over in thought. “I might need Dax’s help, but I think it is possible.”

  I returned my chair to its forward-facing position, and now that I was more comfortable with the ship’s movement, I leaned forward and studied Zoe Dawn’s whereabouts. We were closing on it fast, but if I crashed it too soon, we would not be able to walk the distance quickly enough.

  “What are you waiting on?” Dax hissed in my ear.

  “Why don’t you go first?”

  Dax leapt from his chair as soon as the words left my lips. I followed after. Before I had a chance to think how I would make this happen, Dax had tackled Antoine. From the corner of my eye, I saw Covyn straddling Jako with her hands around his neck and Beck fumbling with his restraints. The other three were unbuckling, their focus trained on Dax and Antoine. This was my chance.