by Rae Else
‘What’s everyone up to?’ El asked.
He shrugged. ‘My guards dozed off so I made a break for it.’
Both Robin and Jim were still keeping the same close eye on Luke that they’d deemed necessary since the beginning of their journey. Both arete had taken a shift monitoring the webpage for communication last night, which is why they must have nodded off so early tonight.
‘I need to ask you something,’ Luke said. A frown marred his face and El noticed the shadows under his eyes. She clearly wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping. ‘You still blame me, don’t you … for what happened with the Order … What happened with your mum.’
She shook her head. ‘Of course not. How could I blame you, after everything you’ve done to help me?’
His smile was faint-hearted. ‘You don’t need to pretend, El. You’ve hardly spoken to me since we got here—’
‘It’s not you—’
‘Oh, it’s not you, it’s me – ’fraid I’ve heard that one.’
A smile tugged at her lips, but she took a deep breath. ‘Okay – if you really want to know, it’s everything … and everyone. It’s just all too much.’
His gaze prickled across her face, clear and cool. ‘What you’ve been through would be too much for anyone, but we’re all here for you whenever you’re ready … I’m here for you.’
She nodded. ‘Thanks. There’s something I wanted to talk about.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Since the Olympia, since the night in the Elysium, I keep having these dreams. Nightmares. About water.’
‘It’s understandable. I mean, falling the way you did. It would be strange for it not to have affected you. Plus, you’re a drakon, being surrounded by water is something you instinctively dislike…’
She frowned and shook her head. ‘I always liked swimming in the lake at home. My granddad taught me when I was little.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘That’s unusual. Most arete feel an affinity with their element and don’t like an environment that makes their power difficult to use.’
El shrugged. ‘I’ve always preferred the fields and forests really. Maybe I was meant to be a ladon.’
Luke watched her intently and then said, ‘Well, as luck would have it, I can help with your present predicament. Allow me to introduce you to your swim coach, Luke Laukas.’ He grinned and added, ‘Accreditation: hydra.’
She smiled and couldn’t help be buoyed up by his light-heartedness.
He got up. ‘No time like the present.’
El’s heart started to race, worried about getting into the water but as he took off his T-shirt, her heart started to pound for an entirely different reason. She was staring at his sculpted torso and none of her imaginings could have prepared her for … well … how beautiful he was. Statues of Greek gods, where each muscle was clearly defined, sprang to mind. She realised she was ogling him as if he really were no more than a hunk of marble. Her eyes had a will of their own, tracing his chest and no doubt leaving a trail of heat across his skin. She caught his grin and her face blazed. Okay, now she needed to get in … to cool off.
She forced herself to slide off the edge and found herself waist deep in water. Her heart drummed furiously, but at least she was in.
‘Nothing like a bit of immersion therapy,’ Luke said from behind.
She tried to calm her breathing, distracting herself from the surrounding water by gazing up at the tall trees in the courtyard. There was something sinister in their lusciousness: she felt dwarfed by their broad leaves and gnarled trunks. It was as if they were conspiring with the water. Peering into the minutiae of the veined leaves, she was sure that they were growing, as if they were glutting themselves and about to swoop down on her.
She realised that her heart was hammering, and her breaths were coming in short, shallow bursts. She was hyperventilating. Her knees felt weak and, as they buckled beneath her, the water pitched towards her. She felt as if she were plummeting into the abyss again.
Luke was in the pool, his arms around her, and the next moment she was out of the water and back on the side. She realised she was shaking as though freezing, her breath still panicked as if a host of typhon were surrounding her.
Luke was rubbing her back, the feel of his hand on her bare skin doing the most to bring her back to the moment.
‘I’m okay.’ She breathed.
‘You are. Take your time.’
She nodded, concentrating on her breathing. The sensation of his hand on her back was comforting.
‘That’s it. I can make some whale song if you like?’
She smiled, her breathing slowing.
Footsteps clomped down from upstairs.
Robin ran into the courtyard and halted. ‘There you are.’ Her attention trailed from Luke to El, who was still hunched forwards, taking deep breaths. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘She’s out of breath,’ Luke said, ‘too many lengths – that’s all.’
El could feel Robin’s weighted gaze grazing her back, assessing the situation. She forced herself to turn around. She didn’t want her roommate, or anyone else, knowing that the equivalent of a paddling pool’s worth of water had given her a panic attack.
Robin looked suspicious but announced, ‘Janos has been in touch. Simmons is coming in two hours. We’ll be in Greece tonight.’
- Chapter Six -
Fault Lines
They settled into Simmons’ plane as the engines fired into life. El felt less nervous this time. It helped that instead of leaning out the door and deflecting oncoming fireballs, she was safely ensconced in her seat, belt fastened and a cup of tea in front of her.
It had been a couple of hours’ drive to the airfield in Reus. Now in the air, El dared to hope that this time their flight to Athens would pass smoothly. Jim and Robin had paved the way for a simple journey. Back at the airport lounge, they’d ensured that the TV was off and gathered up all the newspapers before the rest of them entered.
Once the air hostess and Simmons were settled at the front, Jim drew out one of the newspapers they’d pinched. El studied the picture on the front page as he laid it out on the table. The foundations of buildings were bare like newly excavated bones: the rest of the structures had been ripped away. Mountains of wreckage lay in the background, the odd shape of a boat was identifiable, looking out of place on land.
‘Today’s hurricane in Oman,’ Dan said. He turned the page to another picture: black silhouettes of trees against a flame drenched sky. ‘And wildfire in Khingan in Northeast China.’
Robin Hood crossed her long, leather-clad legs and leaned over the aisle to get closer to the table. ‘That’ll be the Lius starting.’
‘Who are the Lius?’ El asked.
‘Fire line,’ Luke chipped in, sipping his coke beside her. ‘The Lius are the most powerful. They’re based in Beijing. Most drakon are centred in China and that area—’
‘They’ve been settled there for millennia,’ Alex added, ‘tales of their line have given rise to the popular myths about dragons.’
‘Cool,’ El said with a smile.
She knew what Alex was doing. He was attempting to bring in something that might interest her now that she was interacting. Now that they were on the move, she could already feel her mood improving.
‘So,’ El asked, ‘what about the earth and air manipulators? Who heads them?’
‘The strongest earth,’ Robin Hood answered, ‘are the Sailes in New York.’
‘And the Waseem,’ said Jim, ‘is the dominant air line, based in Dubai.’
‘I’d have thought that would be Emirates,’ Alex said.’
El giggled and Luke cracked a smile. Alex grinned, happy that his dad joke had succeeded in getting a laugh.
Dan continued seriously, ‘In Janos’ last message, he said that these disasters mean that the graeae trials have started.’
‘Trials?’ El asked.
‘Each of the four ruling lines present a graeae at the summit,’ Dan said. ‘To ha
ve a member of the Triad come from your line is a great honour. Only the most powerful stand a chance. These disasters are part of the elimination process.’
‘I don’t get it – how does killing a load of people help?’
Luke answered, ‘Remember how I said that those graeae from water lines were best at seeing the future? Well these tsunamis, floods and the like are being caused by arete as part of the graeae trials. The water graeae candidates will be making predictions about them: which towns will be affected, how many human casualties there’ll be. The most accurate graeae will be taken forward to the summit to become one of the new Triad.’
‘But that’s barbaric!’ El exclaimed.
Robin ignored El and chipped in, ‘The graeae from earth lines specialise in looking at the past. The Sailes treat it like a treasure hunt. Hone in on an arete’s power in the past to find the location of something, give a detailed account of events and then find the treasure. That’s what the earthquakes are about – they’re literally digging up the past.’
‘And the air and fire lines can see the present best,’ Jim said. ‘They will be talking about the hurricanes and wildfires in real time.’
‘Yes,’ Dan said. ‘These disasters will end once the heads have selected their graeae to take to the summit.’
El was silent, appalled. It had been bad enough when she’d thought that arete were causing these disasters carelessly, without regard for the humans that got in their way. But arete were purposely inflicting these tragedies on mankind, using them as a disposable resource.
Alex’s solemn voice mirrored her thoughts. ‘As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods, They kill us for their sport.’
‘Where’s that from?’ El asked.
‘Shakespeare, King Lear,’ Dan said. ‘But Alex, this is one of the reasons that we have to remove the Order. These practices cannot be allowed to go on—’
‘I understand your argument, Daniel,’ Alex said. ‘But I also recall that it was us, myself included, who helped destroy the Triad. Because of that, this … practice … this elimination process is underway.’ He reached for the paper on the table. ‘Because of us, in just one graeae trial today, two thousand people lost their lives.’
Alex let go of the paper, stood up and stalked to the front of the plane. He turned his back on them, sitting on the couch near the air hostess and Simmons. Silence descended over them as if out of respect for the dead. Now and then, El detected the clip of a nail: Alex biting his fingernails.
An hour later, the seatbelt sign was switched on and the pilot’s voice sounded over the intercom.
‘Please return to your seats. I’ve received word that we need to make an alteration to our flight plan. We will be making a stop in Naples as there is a hazardous weather front forming over Greece.’
‘So much for sunny skies on arrival,’ Jim muttered.
The tension mounted in the plush cabin as the plane descended. How long would they be in Naples for, El wondered. She hoped they wouldn’t be stuck in close confines as they had been in Barcelona. She didn’t think she could stomach that again.
As the plane landed and came to a stop in the terminal, the pilot announced that they could disembark.
Alex was the first up as the stairs were lowered.
‘Janos says we’re all to stay on the plane while it’s being refuelled,’ Dan called.
‘I don’t bloody care,’ Alex said, his cigarettes already in hand.
‘Sit down,’ Dan snapped.
Alex glowered at him before striding out of the plane.
‘Alex!’ Dan jumped up and hurried down the cabin.
El followed. Alex was halfway down the stairs when Dan grabbed his arm.
‘You need to get back on the plane.’
Alex scowled, shrugging Dan off as he hurried down the stairs.
‘If you don’t get back on now—’
‘Then what?’ Alex shouted. ‘Are you going to make me?’
Dan clenched his fists but stalked past El, back into the cabin.
Alex, at the bottom of the stairs, looked deflated. El noticed the slight tremor in his hand as he drew out a cigarette from the packet, clearly needing his nicotine fix.
A tanker manoeuvred up alongside the plane and the crew attached a hose to the aircraft.
El caught Alex’s attention, ‘Uh, maybe not so close to the petrol fumes.’
Alex scoffed but started to walk away towards the terminal building.
She wondered if she should go with him but sensed that he wanted a moment alone. She watched him walk away, dragging his feet a little until he stopped near the glass doors of the terminal building. Sitting down on the top step of the plane, she enjoyed the feel of the air on her face, despite the chemical odour of fuel.
Fifteen minutes later, the crew began to reel in the refuelling equipment.
‘What the—’ Robin said from inside the cabin.
The plane shook as a tremor passed through it. El felt the vibration below and clasped the edges of the door. The pulsation deep down in the earth continued. She could feel the reverberation travelling through the ground around them, a sound wave moving through the earth. The piercing noise of shattering glass swept across the tarmac. The walls of the terminal building shook. El’s gaze flew to the glass-fronted building: it had broken. Alex was on the ground, his hands over his head.
Without thinking, she bounded down the steps and ran across the asphalt. The quake in the earth petered out and subsided. A receptionist had exited the building and was already helping Alex to his feet. Relief fluttered through her. He was alright. Alex was already dusting himself off and thanking the woman when El reached them.
As the woman looked at El there was a fleeting look of recognition … and fear. The receptionist bolted back into the building, towards a security guard stationed further inside.
The woman shouted something, her words incomprehensible but the fear in her tone unmistakable. The security guard started towards them.
‘Run!’ El shouted.
She and Alex bolted towards the plane. Luke and Robin were at the bottom of the aircraft’s stairs.
A cracking sound punctured the air and something whizzed past El. She screamed.
‘Get in,’ El shouted to Luke and Robin.
Another shot rang out and Luke dived up the stairs, pushing Robin down. Blood sprayed the side of the plane.
Jim appeared in the doorway. Another crack resounded behind El and Alex. Her heart drummed, expecting the whirr of another bullet to pass or to feel its sharp bite, but Jim’s eyes widened as he shouted, ‘The guard’s down. Get in!’
Alex shoved El ahead and they bounded up the stairs. Robin had struggled out from underneath Luke and staggered inside. Jim pulled Luke’s limp body up the stairs and through the cabin door.
As Alex and El hurtled through, Robin closed the door behind them.
Dan took charge, his steady voice filling the cabin. ‘Jim, you’ve already used your power, get the pilot to take off. Now. Then see to Simmons and the air hostess. Alex – get a dose of graeae blood ready for Jim.’
Luke was motionless on the couch, his arm dangling over the edge. The right side of his head was drenched in blood which continued to ooze down his face and neck.
El focused on Luke, letting all other sounds fade away. She heard his hammering heart. She hurried to her rucksack, pulling out a T-shirt and pressed it to his head, trying to see where the wound was. There was so much blood: coating his face, neck, saturating his T-shirt and the couch.
‘It’s alright,’ Alex said, taking hold of the T-shirt that El was pressing to Luke’s temple. ‘I’ll take it from here.’
Her hands were trembling as she stared at all the blood. She backed away, letting Alex tend to him.
The plane had pulled onto the runway; Jim must have already manipulated the pilot. Dan was getting out bandages and dressings from Alex’s kit and opening bottled water. El felt the familiar jolt as the plane lifted into the air.
‘Let’s get cleaned up,’ Robin said from beside her.
In a daze, El looked at her stained hands. Robin pulled her along the aisle and guided her to the bathroom at the end of the plane. They took turns at scrubbing the blood from their hands. Robin had to wash her face. There was so much on them. How much blood had Luke lost?
When they came back, Alex had gloves on and was stitching up Luke’s wound. El could see it now. It was just above his ear. A clump of skin and hair had been ripped out where the bullet had grazed his scalp.
‘It’s a flesh wound,’ Alex announced. ‘I’ve given him a sedative. Eight stitches – that’s all. He should be fine.’
El stood in a daze, watching Alex work. She listened to the spinning of the plane’s engines and the ferocious rushing wind, her emotions feeling as turbulent as the air currents outside.
A lull fell over them all. Alex asked the air hostess to give them all some hot, sugary drinks. Luke was covered over with a blanket and El soon returned to sit on the floor next to him, watching him sleep. He was much too tall for the couch and his legs hung off one end. She monitored the rhythm of his pulse, thankfully steady and kept thinking about how lucky they’d been to get away. If it hadn’t been for Jim turning that last bullet back on the security guard, someone might have been killed.
As the hours drew on, lethargy fell over everyone and brought a much-needed calm.
It was Dan who finally broke the silence. ‘Right, everyone. We’re going to land in Cairo in an hour. Janos says that travelling is too risky right now with so many graeae trials taking place worldwide. The one in Italy caught him unawares. There are too many throughout the Mediterranean and he can’t keep tabs on them all. He reckons that the Waseem have finished theirs though, so this area should be the safest for us to stay in. We’ll be here until he gives us the heads-up to continue.
‘Natasha, I need to talk to El and Alex. Would you keep an eye on Luke for a minute?’
Robin went up to the front of the plane.
‘I need a top-up,’ Jim said. He got up and went down the cabin to the drinks trolley.