by K Fisher
But how could you truly expect a mother to believe that the best way to keep her daughter safe was to remove her from her protection?
“Lenora, please get in the car. We have to go.”
His wife blinked out of her spell, not bothering to wipe away at the dripping rain that had flattened her dark bangs against her forehead. She opened the car door and dipped inside, looking fragile and unsure as she slid into her seat and slowly buckled up, shaking hand extending to turn on the heat for her seat.
Markus felt bad he hadn’t opened the door for her and helped her inside, realizing just how connected they both needed to be with each other if they were going to make it through the decision without hating themselves for the rest of their lives. No matter what, they only had each other until the spirit realm called them after they had died. Although the power of plane jumping was a strong one which had been passed down through his family, they were not strong enough to bring themselves back to life.
That was something their daughter, however, could very well do someday when she fully embraced her powers, no matter how much they wished she would never be burdened with what they had done.
Affinities were rare, but even more powerful than the unique beings that possessed them, were the plane jumpers. Beings that were able to bridge the gap between the dead and the living to gain knowledge, power, and further protect humans. If you were a being that chose to protect the humans from those who had used their Affinities to harm, you were a Guardian.
Both Lenora and himself had been Guardians for many years, stopping others in their tracks before lives were hurt, a pack of superheroes or X-men that could invoke hope in those who had started to lose it. But never had two plane jumpers been together, the beings so rare and diluted it was a blessing they ever met the decade prior.
Markus had been heading from one of his many kitchen jobs to the other side of town, rushing through the streets of New York as he panicked. The mere thought of being late for the Guardians’ meeting was something that invoked immediate anxiety. He still remembered weaving through throngs of people before finally stopping outside of the chipped, small office building they had rented for meet ups. Outside, a woman he had never seen before leaned against a bike rack, a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth. It had been lit at some point, the end of it black from the flame, but it no longer smoked or glowed where it rested. Her eyes were on the pathway before her, long brown hair tied up in a messy and unkempt bun atop her head. She was bundled in a long, poofy black jacket that made her look larger than she clearly was, dwarfing her small frame in warmth.
Her eyes snapped up when Markus had approached and cleared his throat, giving her a little wave. The awkward response to the focused look in her eyes left him internally beating himself up, but instead of giving him an uncomfortable look or ignoring him altogether, she had given him the exact wave back, smiling brightly. The cigarette fell from her lips and she fumbled to catch it, failing miserably. The cancer stick landed on the ground, nestled in the grass in front of her Reebok Pumps. He still remembered her growling, seductive voice as she pointed to the cigarette then back to him.
“I don’t like germs. Are you going to give me a lecture about saving the world if I leave that right where it fell?”
“You smoke tubes of tar, but you’re concerned about germs, and you hate the environment? Might be my dream girl. You have my word I won’t say a thing.”
When her delightfully addictive laugh rang out across the sidewalk, Markus knew there was no way he was going to be able to watch her disappear without getting her number. When she didn’t leave and followed him inside the building, his surprise blossomed into a heart-racing excitement over meeting another Affinity.
When their advisor, Adam, introduced her as a plane jumper like himself, he stood with the others and clapped, welcoming Lenora to their group of protectors. But even barely knowing her or sharing words with her, Markus knew something would happen between the two of them that was far more powerful than anything he had ever experienced before.
After discussing new routes and the comings and goings of Affinities in the city, the meeting had dispersed and they had stepped out of the building and into the night. Markus trailed behind, waiting until the others had left and Lenora made her way out of the office building. Falling in stride next to her, Markus shoved his cold hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and peered over at the beauty wrapped in ‘poof’, perfectly protected from the elements.
“I’ve never met another plane jumper. I mean, everyone around here is so used to being different, but there’s something strange about having someone who knows exactly what you see and feel,” he had blurted out to her, unable to stop himself.
He remembered how she had peered at him through stray strands of her thick hair, the sideways smile on her face so enchanting to him.
“I imagine so,” was all she had responded, but the two of them connected from that moment on.
A year after meeting, Lenora had found out she was pregnant for the first time with their daughter, and they had been taken from a world of happiness and thrown into one of chaos and fear. The idea of a perfect world Markus wanted so desperately, fighting the evil that plagued their city while they took care of each other, escaping together into the spirit realm from time to time…was gone.
There was a reason plane jumpers were so rare, and so widely sought. As connectors to the spirit realm, they amplified the Affinities around them like a power source, ensuring power was at the most optimal. Those who wished to lead over the normal humans and assert their power had either trapped plane jumpers and used them, or killed them to ensure Guardians could be easily taken care of.
One by one, they had been taken down, and when word of their union and Lenora’s pregnancy had been leaked to the wrong people, their worlds had been torn apart. After barely surviving two attempts at their life and receiving horrendous news about the baby Lenora carried, they knew they’d have to give up the little girl.
But still Markus and Lenora had traveled and hid, praying they would be able to keep the little girl secret and find a way to keep her out of evil’s grasp. The powers an Affinity born of two plane jumpers could possess? The spirits and other living Affinities knew just what Lenora held, and would do anything to get their hands on it, if they wished to obtain power.
So they ran, and ran.
When Hazel’s first birthday came around, they were attacked once more, the spirits easily able to find the two plane jumpers and tell their master. An evil woman, Danira Lacko, to whom the Guardians of their area had whispered about. Although Danira had never harmed anyone in New York, the stories of her spread to each Guardian organization in the hopes of warning those newly in power before she caught them in her grasp.
Danira had her sights set on the family of three, and the only way to ensure their daughter stayed safe, was to keep her away. They were a magnet for Affinities, living and dead, together the family would summon Danira no matter where they went.
So they had decided to use a connection in Portland and set off. They only had an hour to drop off Hazel at the community center and in trusted arms, from then on they had to run as far away from Oregon as possible. If all went as they hoped, Hazel would be able to overcome her Affinity and would never be plagued with the expectations that had been put on her parents, even more than that, Danira would never find their powerful, full-blooded daughter and use her for evil intent.
“Lenora, what do you need from me?”
His love did not answer him. Hazel was fast asleep in the back of the car without a care in the world as they started up and got on the main road. Markus was okay with her silence, knowing there was nothing she could say that would get either of them to truly stop the car and cease what they were about to do. They had talked about this a million times, it was the only way to keep their baby girl safe.
Looking out for street signs, Markus drove along with her in silence. They finally pulled up t
o a gated building in the heart of Portland, pulling into the parking lot, the two of them silently left their car. Outside of the building, a shadow waited for them, presumably Mr. Tamoro, their connection. Lenora’s hands were shaking wildly as she approached the back seat, but Markus got their first, his large, warm hands lowering to cover hers as he made eye contact with Lenora. She gave him a soft nod and took a few steps back, allowing him to open the door and retrieve the sleepy child within, along with the bag of cash they had promised the others involved with the plan of protection.
Each step towards the community home with Hazel in his arms was a stab to Markus’ chest. Would he live to ever see his sweet daughter again? What would happen if all of this was for naught and Danira found her way to Hazel despite their best attempts? Were they delivering her on a silver platter to the enemy that invoked fear across the world to those with Affinities? Hazel was untrackable while her powers were not seasoned, but they were capable of being found easily.
They were questions of doubt that only arose when Markus was close to making a decision about his daughter, and as they came to Mr. Tamoro’s shadow and spoke with him, confirming the plan at hand, they echoed through Markus’ soul. It was clear by the rigid and cold form of his love that she felt the same doubt and heartbreak he was enduring.
When the two of them left the community center less than an hour later without their daughter, they barely made it to the car before breaking down. The tears did not cease when they began driving to their new destination, and each passing day they mourned the decision to leave their daughter behind. It was a wound that would never truly heal, wondering if Hazel would be safe.
When they were finally hunted down and killed, they died never knowing if Hazel had found her way to the home of those that had promised to care for her, never knew if she was happy or if she’d come into her Affinity. What her favorite color was, or her favorite food.
Still, even in Markus and Lenora’s last moments in the human world before departing for the spirit realm, they knew their daughter was alive.
She was all that ever mattered to them both, anyway.
Chapter Thirteen
“Wait, wait. So Danira and you had a fucking showdown in your dream and you’re just now letting us in on it?”
Faye’s large, pale green eyes were bearing into Hazel’s soul as she leaned in close for the answer to her question. Behind her, both Tucker and Caden had paused what they were doing and finally gave Hazel their undivided attention. Faye pulled away from Hazel with a huff, opening her mouth to say something before pausing and thinking better of it. She turned to face Hazel once again and her surprised eyes had narrowed into a questioning slit as she settled on another question.
“Was Nico there?” Faye inquired suddenly, Tucker seemed to tense, a scowl crossing his face at the mention of Danira’s hunter.
“Her thug? Yeah he was there, didn’t really do much though, Danira was the one who left behind the damage.” Hazel lifted the sleeve of her sweater and showed them all the red handprint against her skin. It was almost gone, but still bright enough for the three of them to gasp and get a closer look. It looked like a healing burn, something she was sure would be gone within a week, but was still there as a reminder of what had transpired. Caden appeared before her, his large hands taking her arm as he adjusted the dark glasses on his face, blue eyes studying the mark before looking back at Hazel.
“Doesn’t hurt, does it?” When Hazel shrugged, Caden continued on, his voice was cracked and dry, as serious as it had been in the van rushing there the day before. “You said that this…thing-”
“-Guardian.”
“Guardian. He’s her brother and he protected you? We’re going to need to get filled in on that one. Where does his spirit reside? Can we get more information about Danira from him before Nico comes knocking? She has been a menace to the Affinity community for so very long, the idea we can find out more information and take her down when others could not, it’s something we cannot pass up.”
She didn’t answer right away, looking over to Faye as she mulled over everything he was truly asking. Faye let out a groan behind him as Tucker left the room in a rush without waiting for any sort of response from Hazel. A few seconds later, thuds were heard from down the hall towards where Hazel could only assume his bedroom was.
“I mean,” she started, “he’s at my old house. But other people live there, they really do. Faye, we saw it when you came to get me. It’s about an hour away from here and I really don’t like the idea of seeking my Guardian out.” Hazel responded finally.
“Has he ever caused you harm? Your Guardian? Interesting he asked you to call him this, those who decide to protect humans and keep our existence secret deem themselves Guardians. I wonder if he was assigned to such a group when he was alive, do you know?” Faye inquired, glancing to the space in the doorway behind Hazel where Tucker stood, a bag over his massive shoulder. Caden was still closely inspecting the markings on Hazel’s arm, fingers tracing the outline of the handprint until an involuntary shiver erupted across her spine.
“No, he never has caused me harm,” Hazel answered honestly. “But I don’t think the owners of the house would be very pleased with the whole ‘hey! I used to live here and I’m looking to channel a dead guy in your new entertainment room, do you mind?’ part of this.”
“Leave it up to Caden and me,” Faye smiled, rubbing her hands together in anticipation as she cleared her throat and gave Caden a squeeze on his shoulder. “Drop her arm and leave her be, we’re going to go on a little road trip. Don’t worry about Charlie, Hazel. Tucker has someone who comes through here and takes care of things and he’ll be sure to feed and take care of the little cutie until we are back and safe after all of this. We have a lot of stuff to teach you and very little time to do it, especially if Nico or any more of her goons are stupid enough to attack us while we are all together. It’s clear Danira has a strong draw towards you, and from what we’ve investigated it’s for good reason, the very same reason we’ve tried to find you for so long. You’re the daughter of two full-blooded plane jumpers, your powers must be spectacular. We were buzzing when the Organization of Guardians told us you were actually living in the same city as us! Can you imagine the disappointment all over the world when we had the chance to make contact with you? Too bad Danira had the same idea, and the fact that her brother is protecting you … now that’s interesting. You and him don’t have weird spirit sex, do you?”
“What?” Hazel sputtered, spit catching in her mouth as she fell into a fit of coughing, the question catching her off guard and erasing any hope of a smooth recovery. “No, no. Nothing like that. It’s more like he’s a part of me, he showed up at therapy the other day. Of course, that was not real so perhaps he’s just in her spells or whatever they are? Anyway, it’s not like that at all. He’s been around since I was young, very young. As for this organization and whatever the hell else you said, I’m going to need more details at some point soon.”
One hand rose to massage her temple as Hazel felt the start of a headache erupting between her eyes. Faye brushed passed her, one red, glowing hand resting on Hazel’s shoulder. Before Hazel had a chance to jump away and plead she not use any powers on her, still shaken from what she had experienced in her dream, a sigh erupted from her lips as her anxiety and the pressure at her head subsided. Her tongue dropped from the top of her mouth, jaw slacking as her shoulders relaxed, giving Faye a small smile of thanks. It was something she could very easily get used to, this woman taking away her common anxieties. It was a skill that a great many people would murder to get their hands on, so quickly wishing to be rid of their worries and the panic that seized them, Hazel wasn’t about to take this for granted.
“Don’t worry about getting all the details, there are things even we have no idea about. That’s why we’re all teaming up, we’ll figure this out one bit at a time. First stop, your old house to meet up with this obsessed fanboy spirit of yours.”
They were all packed up in the faux kidnapper’s van less than ten minutes later, breakfast shoved down their throats and coffees in travel containers Tucker had demanded they bring along with them, refusing to ‘stop at some fancy bean joint before they reached their destination’, a request that was met with some battle from Faye, but they all held the small cups in their hands and listened.
Faye and Hazel were strapped in the back of the van, Caden taking his place on his chair before the large, whirring screens that filled the inside. As Tucker pulled out and started down the entrance to the resort, Caden had already entered in his password and allowed his fingertips to dance across the keyboard, turning everything from shut down to alive in a matter of seconds.
Faye gave Hazel a small nudge with her elbow as she nodded towards Caden. “He’s going to reach ahead and make sure the house is empty before we get there. Do you mind giving him the address?”
Caden’s cerulean eyes watched Hazel intently as she shared her address, giving her one sharp nod before pulling a hand through his messy blonde hair and focusing on the computers before him. There he sat for several moments without touching the keyboard, the van dipping and turning down the mountain roads while his chair never moved, bolted into the van floor. Then, his eyes closed and his hands spanned out across the keyboard. His head started glowing then, like a dimly lit bulb rested just above him. The glow traveled down to his throat, then spread throughout his broad chest until it trailed down his fingertips and into the keyboard. It sank through the keyboard and to the desk, spreading until the already glowing screens of the computers before him erupted with brightness.
“Look at him go, our little WiFreak.” Faye said softly, finger lifting to her cheek as she pretended to wipe away a tear. “He’s a good kisser though, the tech geek stuff didn’t hinder that. Not that I know personally, I just hear. Not as good as Tucker, though, surely.” She nudged Hazel once again, winking at the shocked look that flashed across her face. The wink left Hazel wondering if the small woman had been joking or not.