Ruins of the Galaxy Box Set: Books 1-6

by Chaney, J. N.

  “You… what?” Valerie’s eyes darted around as if in terror, and her hands squeezed Piper’s arms as if pumping air bladders. The woman took short breaths, blinking like she might pass out.

  Awen was at her side in an instant, holding Valerie upright. “I’ve got you,” Awen said, and Valerie looked at her, but her eyes were glassy and forlorn. “Valerie? Stay with us.”

  Valerie’s emotion burst outward as if someone had released the pressure valve on a dam. Her body crumpled, hands still holding Piper’s arms. Deep wails poured from her mouth, racing past bared teeth and lips pulled back in agony. Amid the spasm-riddled pleas that issued from the woman’s tortured soul, the only word Awen could make out was, “Why?”

  Tears streamed down Valerie’s beet-red face. She shook, reaching for Awen to help keep her upright. But soon, Valerie was in a fetal position, crumpled on the ground like a child. To Awen’s amazement, Piper wrapped Valerie in a motherly embrace, laying her head on the woman’s back. Awen kept a hand on Valerie, too, gently rubbing her shoulders and head.

  The three of them remained hidden in the shade of the tree, Valerie’s sobs mixing with the sounds around them. Birds cried far above, the ocean breeze rustled the leaves, and warm air moved among the boulders and bodies, carrying the sorrow away one beat at a time. Awen couldn’t imagine how much pain Valerie felt. It was bad enough to lose a life mate, but to have it happen at the hands of one’s own child—and then to hear that child accept responsibility—must have been… devastating didn’t begin to describe it.

  Awen wasn’t sure how long they huddled there before Valerie stopped weeping. The sun had crept across the sky, beginning its sweep of the afternoon. When at last the woman sat up, Piper was right there, eager to embrace her and brush away her tears with her small hands. Awen, too, wanted to console the woman, who looked longingly into both her and Piper’s eyes.

  “Thank you,” Valerie said barely above a whisper. She turned to Piper. “I’m so sorry you’ve had to live through this, my love.”

  “It’s okay, Mama.”

  “No, it’s not. Your father and I wanted a normal life for you. One far away from…”

  “From my powers?” Piper asked. But Valerie said nothing.

  At once, Awen understood the problem. Admitting that the Stones wanted to keep Piper from her powers would inadvertently cast the little girl and her abilities in a negative light, while not doing so would just avoid the truth, which was ethically wrong.

  Amazingly, it was Piper who resolved the situation. “I know I’m not like everyone else,” she said, looking her mother square in the face. “I’ve always known, I think. I thought everyone had what I had. But when I realized that you and Daddy were doing things to hide me or keep me from learning more about what made me the way I was, I realized I was different. It was everyone else who was normal.”

  “Piper, that’s not—”

  “But I liked being different, Mama. I knew there must be a reason I was the way I was. I was just hoping that… I don’t know…”

  “What, baby?”

  “That you’d—you know—explain it to me one day.”

  Fresh tears welled up in Valerie’s swollen, bloodshot eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, grabbing Piper behind the head and pulling their foreheads together. “I never meant for it to be like this.”

  “I know, Mama. I know.”

  “I’m so sorry…”

  “It’s okay. We can’t fix what’s broken. But we can clean it up and make something new.”

  Valerie let out a small laugh. Awen guessed the words were a common saying, maybe one Valerie had used more than once.

  “Yes, we can,” Valerie replied, pulling away and wiping her cheeks.

  “That’s why the universe has brought me Awen, I think,” Piper added. “To teach me. If Grandma can’t be here…” Piper turned to Awen, a broad smile spreading across her face. “Then Awen can fill in.”

  A surge of pride flooded Awen’s chest. She highly doubted she’d ever be the woman that Willowood was, but to be compared to her, especially by this marvelous child, was an honor beyond measure. “I’ll certainly try,” Awen said. “I will do my best—I promise you that. Both of you.”

  Valerie took Awen’s hand. “Thank you, Awen.”

  “It’s an honor, Valerie.”

  Valerie squeezed Awen’s hand, rolled her lips inward as if to fight back another wave of emotion, and then rubbed her cheek against her shoulder.

  “We’re gonna get through this,” Awen said. “Together. Piper, you, and me. We have a job to do. We’re gonna answer some of those questions the galaxy is asking of us. And the ones we can’t solve? They’ll work themselves out. We just need to keep moving forward one step at a time.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Piper said. “And, Mama?”

  “Yes, love?”

  “No more secrets, okay?”

  Valerie let out something between a laugh and a yelp—joy and sorrow all wrapped in one. “No more secrets.” Awen stood up and gave the two of them some space while they embraced.

  When they finally pulled apart, Piper said, “So, do I get my surprise now?”

  Awen smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You bet, Piper. It’s in there.” Awen pointed toward the main building that she and Magnus had found two days prior. Azelon had said the building was a temple for an ancient sect of Novia committed to purposes not unlike Awen’s. “Let’s go check it out.”

  22

  Piper took Awen’s hand, setting off for the largest building on the far side of the plaza. Valerie reached down and took Piper’s other hand as they neared the entrance. Piper didn’t know what to expect, but her heart raced with anticipation. Whatever Awen had prepared for her, Piper was sure it was beautiful.

  Piper tilted her head as the three of them crossed the threshold, straining to look up at the ceiling. The building’s interior was stained black and covered in beautiful gold lines. The markings formed designs that stretched across the walls, ceiling, and pillars. Piper noticed spiraling circles, crisscrossing X patterns, and waves that almost looked like they were flowing across the walls. Inside each shape, Piper saw small letters in some sort of language that she couldn’t understand. Narrow windows were evenly spaced between columns, and a wider one on the far side of the room looked out on the ocean that stretched to the horizon.

  But for all the room’s beauty, what made Piper freeze in place was the thing that sat in the middle of it—some sort of body suit draped across a stone slab. It was made of smooth white body panels held together with blue fabric underneath. Translucent tubelike channels ran around the joints and formed a round outline in the center of the chest as well as a circle in the front of the pelvis. Next to it sat a helmet made of the same white material, complete with a darkened visor.

  “What… what is that?” Piper asked, releasing the women’s hands. The suit looked like it was exactly her size. “Is it for me?”

  “It is. But first…” Awen knelt and touched the stuffed animal in Piper’s hand.

  “What’re you doing?”

  “May I have him?”

  “You want Talisman?” Piper pulled the stuffed corgachirp to her chest. She’d had the animal since… forever. Her mother had told her to never let Talisman out of her sight. Ever. So the creature had been her constant companion, going everywhere she went, even to the bathroom. Kids in school had laughed at her for it. Some had even taken Talisman away and played catch with him. That was when Piper had first noticed that she was powerful—dangerous even. She hadn’t meant to shock them. But she had. They’d dropped Talisman and stepped away from Piper, calling her all sorts of bad names.

  “I don’t want to keep him,” Awen said. “I just want your mom to watch over him. So you can look at your present.”

  “But what about…?” Piper looked to her mother. “What about how he protects me? I don’t need him?”

  Valerie smiled and shook her head ever so slightly.<
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  “The truth is,” Awen said, turning Talisman around to look in his eyes, “we always need a good friend. And I think Talisman has been an excellent friend to you, don’t you?”

  Piper nodded.

  “But you won’t need him in the way you once did. Not anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Awen handed Talisman to Valerie and gestured toward the suit on the stone slab. Piper felt a gentle nudge forward. “Go ahead,” Awen said. “Check it out.”

  Piper walked to the stone slab as if approaching something holy. The suit looked absolutely amazing. She reached a hand out towards it but froze.

  “You sure it’s really for me?” Piper asked, looking over her shoulder. “I won’t get in trouble if I touch it?”

  “No,” Awen said with a chuckle. “You won’t get in trouble.”

  Maybe Awen didn’t know her mother very well. Piper looked at Valerie just to be sure it was okay. When her mother nodded, Piper turned back to the suit and touched the smooth plates. They weren’t cold, and they weren’t warm either. But they seemed strong, made of some sort of plastic or metal—Piper couldn’t be sure. As for the fabric, it was woven together, made of interlaced materials that felt very tough. Piper grabbed the suit and picked it up. It was light and smelled brand new.

  “It’s the coolest,” she said. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. But what’s it for?”

  “This is your Novia Unity suit.” Awen walked around the stone slab and picked up the helmet. “It’s something Azelon and I came up with.”

  “A Unity power suit? You designed it?”

  Awen nodded. “Yup. And it’s going to help you harness all of that energy that’s flowing inside of you.”

  Piper suddenly felt embarrassed. She lowered the suit, rubbing the fabric.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Valerie asked.

  “You mean… this suit will help me not to hurt anyone?”

  Awen cleared her throat. “That’s right, Piper. This suit is designed to help you control everything inside you. Talisman, here, helped suppress your powers. But this suit will help you manage them. To use them in amazing ways.”

  “So I can use them for good?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And you’re going to teach me how?” Piper asked.

  “I am going to do my very best, yes.”

  Piper examined the suit, holding it reverently between her hands. It was beautiful—a truly magnificent gift—and probably very expensive. Even though her parents were wealthy, they always made a point of making sure Piper was appreciative of even the smallest gift. Gratitude, they’d always said, was the archenemy of bad attitudes. But Piper had no problem feeling appreciative about this present. It made her feel so important that she almost cried at how incredible it felt. A real-life Luma emissary and an alien robot from another universe had made it just for her.

  “Thank you,” Piper whispered. She felt warm tears fill her eyes. “I love it.” The surge of emotion flooded her chest and then moved down her arms, past her hands, and into the suit. As if someone had flipped a power switch, the translucent channels in the suit illuminated with a vibrant blue glow.

  “What’s happening?” Piper held the suit up, ready to let go if it caught on fire or something.

  “It’s normal.” Awen knelt next to Piper again and touched the suit’s chest. “You see here?”

  Piper nodded, jaw open.

  “That’s the Unity link. It illuminates when it feels a strong connection with a user. That’s you. And all these”—she pointed to various glowing lines around the joints and along the limbs—“are the channel battens. They help spread your energy out, allowing you to harness it—to use it—in wonderful ways.”

  “So… I’m doing this?”

  Awen smiled. “You sure are, Piper. You sure are.”

  “But I didn’t do anything.”

  “You don’t have to. You are special just by being you.”

  “Okay. Can I try it on?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  * * *

  Awen had left the room, saying she’d be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, Valerie helped Piper into her new Unity power suit once her regular clothes were off and lying folded on the stone slab. The suit fit like it had been tailor-made for her body. It was like wearing a second skin, and it felt amazing.

  “How do I look?” Piper asked her mother.

  “Like a star,” Valerie replied.

  “You really think so, Mama?” Piper turned from side to side, looking at her torso, legs, and arms. The channel battens glowed the same as before, while the Unity link on her chest and the glowing circle at her waist cast the room in a soft blue hue.

  “Yes, I really think so, my love,” Valerie replied. “You are absolutely radiant.”

  “Looking good,” said a voice from the entrance.

  Piper spun around to see Awen standing in the doorway… in her own Unity power suit. For once, Piper couldn’t think of what to say. Awen’s suit resembled Piper’s in almost every way, only it was bigger. That, and the helmet Awen held in one arm made room for her pointy Elonian ears. Awen made the glowing skin tight suit look really impressive.

  “You are… I mean, you look magnificent!”

  “Thanks, Piper.” Awen had her hands on her hips and leaned to one side. “You look pretty magnificent yourself.”

  “Yeah, but not like you.”

  “You’ll get there,” Valerie said softly. “Someday soon. But…” Valerie eyed Awen from head to toe. “You do look sensational, Awen.”

  Awen’s face turned a little red. “Thanks,” she said, looking away. Then she caught Piper’s eye. “Why don’t we give these things a try? What do you say?”

  Piper’s heart leaped. She couldn’t wait to see what this suit allowed her to do. “Can I, Mama? Please, can I?”

  “Of course, my love.” Valerie looked at Awen. “Shall I leave you two alone?”

  “That would be best, yes.”

  “Sounds good.” Valerie took a knee beside Piper and held up Talisman. “I’m going to take him with me, okay? He’ll be waiting for you back in the tent.”

  Piper didn’t want to let Talisman go. But she did want to know how this fantastic suit worked, and she knew she couldn’t do that if she kept her corgachirp. “I’ll see you back in the tent.” She touched Talisman’s nose as she always did. Then she looked at her mother. “And I’ll see you then too.” Piper touched her mother’s nose too and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Mama,” she said in her ear.

  “You’re welcome. But you have more people to thank than just me.”

  “I know. But you’re first.”

  Valerie held her in a long embrace. Piper felt her mother’s hair sweep across her face. She loved the smell of it. She wanted to be like her mother in every way. But now she also wanted to be like Awen. Piper suddenly wondered if Awen’s hair smelled this good.

  “Have fun, baby.”

  “I will, Mama.”

  * * *

  Piper sat on one of the two boulders under the tree in the middle of the plaza. Her legs were crossed in front of her while her helmet sat a meter below on the ground near the tree trunk. Awen sat on one of the other boulders, legs crossed and hands on her knees, palms up. Piper copied Awen’s hand posture and tried to sit up as straight as she could.

  “This is your first lesson,” Awen said.

  “Cool.”

  “Shhh.”

  “Sorry.”

  “When I am speaking, you are not,” Awen said.

  “Okay.”

  “Shhh.”

  Piper wanted to apologize but thought Awen might get upset.

  “When I want you to speak, I will ask you a direct question or give you a command. If you understand, just nod.”

  Piper nodded quickly.

  “If you have a question, you may raise one finger, like this.” Awen lifted her right index finger. “Do you understand?”
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  Piper nodded.

  “Good. Now, your most important job is observation. Do you understand what the word observation means?”

  Piper froze. Her eyes darted left and right. She wanted to speak but wasn’t sure if that was allowed. Finally, feeling as though she might burst, she asked, “That was a question, right?”

  “It was. You may answer.”

  “Observations are things I make with my eyes and ears and stuff.”

  “Correct. But you have more than just your five senses. Do you know what your five senses are?”

  “That’s a question I can answer?”

  “Yes.” Awen smiled. “These are all questions you can answer.”

  “Okay, good. My five senses are sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.”

  “Very good. But you have five more.”

  “Five more?”

  “Shhh.”

  Piper pulled her lips into her mouth.

  “In the Unity, your senses work the same way, giving you another five. But in the Unity, you will feel things more dramatically than you do in the natural realm. Things will seem more vibrant. Sounds are clearer, smells are more distinct, and you can see farther than you’ve ever imagined.”

  Piper couldn’t wait to go inside the Unity. It sounded even more amazing than real life.

  “Are you ready?”

  Piper nodded a lot.

  “From this point forward, I offer myself to you as your faithful guide. If you accept, I will serve you, lead you, teach you, and equip you to the best of my abilities. Where I fail you, I ask for your forgiveness, and where I disappoint you, I ask for your understanding. I will always seek to honor your interests above my own and meet your needs as I am able.

  “I will ever be at your disposal, and—should the opportunity present itself—I will freely offer my life in defense of yours. My firm hope is that you will take what you can from me and advance further and faster than I could ever hope to. I pledge you everything I have without jealousy in your success or envy of your reputation. This is my solemn oath to you if you accept me as your teacher.”