TERRA (The Elements Series Book 2)

by Tracy Korn

  "He does have potential!" Zoe shouts, then whistles through her teeth at Liddick, whose shoulders glow with a low level red flames from one end to the other.

  "Keep control of your breath," Kesh calls again, more adamantly this time.

  "Well, now, that didn't take long. Hate to break it to you, ladies…" Dell chides, then rounds on Liddick and punches him in the side, taking advantage of his guard being up by his face. "He's a fast burn…"

  Liddick recovers more quickly from this punch, and his arms streak with more red flames when he turns back to Dell. In seconds, he's engulfed again, and Kesh shakes her head, then puts her face in her hands, resigned.

  Liddick, he's just trying to get in your head—think of it like the bugs in the termite code from the Leviathan. It's not real…don't listen to him! I think, and see the words reach Liddick when he meets my eyes. He takes a deep breath, then another, and walks clockwise again as his flames start to dissipate.

  "There you go," Dell says, clapping a few times. "That's how you control the itch. Now let's see if you can maintain it," he adds, walking quickly and directly at Liddick. The flames flicker at his shoulders for just a second before they recede, but flicker again when Dell pulls back for another punch. Liddick sidesteps, then lands a punch of his own at Dell's midsection, but even then, the flames don't rage like they had initially. Liddick draws in a deep breath through his nose, his eyes narrowed, and slowly, the remainder of the small, red flames slip away until they're completely gone. Dell coughs, then nods until he can get his breath back.

  "Good," he says around another cough. "Next time we work on channeling it," he adds, straightening up, then turning out his hands in front of him. They light with red flames that stretch until they meet in an arc above his head, then ignite something in the ceiling, which makes a little yellow-green explosion like the color of the torches along the perimeter.

  "The orange flame alongside the red and green can mark you, so you have to know how to pull the red back, especially in the Rush—vein rock is everywhere, and the lightning will start an orange fire if it strikes…you can't lose control," Kesh says as Liddick takes a step back.

  Dell closes his hands into fists, and the red flames disappear with a whip of air that snaps after they're gone. The green flames dance on the ceiling for a second more until they, too, flicker out. He crosses back to his clothes and steps into his pants, angling his head for Liddick to do the same.

  "That's it? That's the training?" Liddick asks, and both Kesh and Dell laugh.

  "Going to be hard enough for you to stretch out comfortable tonight. You'll feel it proper when the fight wears off, but that pain will stop too when you're done cooking tomorrow," Kesh says, throwing Liddick his clothes.

  "When he's done cooking?" I ask Zoe, apparently too loudly because Kesh answers before Zoe has the chance.

  "Meaning when all the effects of the DNA bond come about…the treatment doesn't repair injuries, just makes them harder to come by—thickens the skin so to speak, and that ain't painless," she says, putting her leather pouch back over her shoulder and adjusting the strap across her chest. Dell sits to pull on his boots as Myra's hands fly to her mouth. He chuckles.

  "Doesn't really thicken the skin, sunshine," he says with a wink to her as Joss pulls her close. "Just makes us a little harder to kill."

  Liddick gingerly pulls his base layer shirt over his head just after I see a few red marks already starting on his side. My chest tightens, and I have to fight the urge to make sure he's all right as he steps into his blue jumpsuit.

  "Did you burn through, pyro?" Ellis asks, inspecting Liddick's shoulders, which look a little darker than the rest of the jumpsuit. "Looks like the material absorbed most of the heat," he says, then crosses to pick up the crumpled dive suit just outside the training circle. "This too, so I guess you're accident-proof for at least a few minutes, but it wouldn't hurt to learn some yoga, eh?"

  This finally puts a smile back on Liddick's face as he puts his dive suit back on, his coloring already darkening to a golden tan from the reddish cast he had just hours ago.

  "You're going to want to eat anything you see as soon as the nausea passes," Dell says, "so we should get some food squared away so you can have it later."

  "I'm not nauseous," Liddick answers as he pulls the dive suit cord up, then lets it retract.

  "Heh, you will be. Lots to look forward to tonight!" Dell laughs, then claps Liddick on the back before leading the way out of the training circle cave. Are you OK? I think, but I can't focus long enough to connect to Liddick with the barrage of words Calliope fires at Kesh after we make our way back through the corridor.

  ***

  When we reach Center Hall again, Vita and Liv are passing out bowls of tuna and greens, which everyone except Liddick devours almost immediately.

  "How long did you say it will take for his cells to turn over completely?" Dez asks Cal, who takes a seat on one of the flat stones near the cook pot.

  "The nausea will pass by tomorrow, but the turnover won't be complete for two weeks," Cal says, eyeing Liddick.

  "Which means the DNA bond won't be permanent for a few weeks either, right?" Ellis asks. "And don't we want to be able to reverse it once we get to Liam and Ripley's dad?"

  "You won't be stable, and the Rush is hard enough without worrying about your inner bits making peace with the changes. They're not just physical…" Cal warns, nodding to Dell. "Tell them."

  Dell tips the last of his bowl upward, and I see the long scar stretch across his forehead as his brown, feathered hair falls back from his face. He sets the stone bowl down next to him and pulls in a breath.

  "The first week after the treatment is harder than the second. Can't say I would have kept my wits if I'd been in the Rush then," Dell answers.

  "What happens during the first week?" Arco asks the question we're all thinking, and Dell looks up.

  "Bursting into flames when someone shoots sparks at you for starters," he grins, then angles his head at Liddick, who rolls his eyes. "Sometimes it's hard to breathe or to regulate temperature, but your suits will likely deal with that. The paranoia, though…" he says, shaking his head. "The treatment enhances your neural channels, so you'll see and hear a mess of things like the messages from the NET and stray feeds—images with no story to them. Might not happen for everyone, but can't say it's a risk I'd want to take in the biomes. Bad enough some things there shouldn't be real, but are," Dell continues.

  His words pass over all of us like a cold wind, and no one says anything until Cal nods, then gets to his feet when he sees Veece entering through the fissure.

  "We'll treat the rest of you before curfew so you can sleep most of the suffering off, and tomorrow we'll train. In the meantime, figure out how to bury your axes before you leave. There are enough surprises in the Rush without backdoor conflicts and your imaginings in the mix, and the two of us can't lead with all that distraction." Cal nods to Dell again, then turns to intercept Veece.

  "The three of us," Zoe announces as she watches him walk away, and we all look up at her, surprised. She turns back to us, then meets my eyes. "The Badlander you saw in your vision earlier was called Azeris. That's my father's name."

  CHAPTER 31

  Treatments

  "You knew who I was when I told you that my second name was Frank," Zoe says, fixing her wide brown eyes on Liddick. "Why didn't you tell me my father was helping you?"

  Liddick rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, then scans the dark stone ground, which reflects the dancing torchlight that is slipping into a deeper orange. "I wasn't even sure Azeris was your father, and it's not like that's a topic you can un-broach," he answers, sounding exhausted when he finally looks up. Arco chuffs a laugh, and Liddick's eyes dart to him. "You have something to say, Hart?"

  "Plenty, but how about I just limit it to what else are you keeping from everyone?" Arco asks. My stomach lurches in response, and I'm not sure if this is Liddick's initial reaction or min
e, or maybe it's both.

  "I was waiting to say anything until I was sure," Liddick says directly to me, and I meet his eyes. "I'm not hiding anything."

  "Just like you weren't hiding the port-carnate splice you and Azeris put in Jazz's head," Tieg adds, tossing the last of his bread into his mouth. Liddick bristles, but I've suddenly had enough of all their testosterone.

  "All right, were you not here five minutes ago when Cal said to bury the axes? Can we just do that before they wind up getting us all killed out there? We can't afford to doubt each other," I say to Arco and Tieg, then glance at Liddick. "It's reasonable he wanted to be sure before he said anything about Azeris, and by the way, I'm the only one who has a right to be upset about the splice," I add. To my surprise, I have to suppress a smirk when Arco, Tieg, and Liddick actually stay quiet.

  "And now that you're sure and all, how do you contact him?" Zoe blows a loose strand of her red hair from her eyes as she angles her head at Liddick, and I lower my eyelids at her for interrupting my moment of being impressed with myself.

  "No," he answers, shaking his head. "Liam and Jazz's dad were able to talk to him from the mountain, but so far, I think the channel is only set up for me to receive the messages Azeris sends," he answers, and Zoe shrugs.

  "Then I'm going with you to find Liam and Jazz's dad," she confirms.

  "Zoe," Arco says in a quiet voice. "You know the only way we're coming back here is if we don't find our people…remember?"

  "Could be you don't get to leave at all," Dell says, gesturing to Veece, who is marshaling Cal and Jesse back through the fissure. "If you're all still interested in getting treated tonight, we should go cool that down," he adds, then sets his bowl next to the cook pot on his way toward the fissure.

  ***

  We move through the opening in the wall a few at a time so we don't draw attention to ourselves, and finally catch up to Veece in the little cave where Vita bonded Liddick's DNA with Cal's. Vita and Jesse are trying to explain something to Veece when we walk in, but Cal interrupts them.

  "Jove would have treated them anyway! Do you want the NET back or not?" Cal holds out a hand.

  "That's not the point," Veece says through his teeth, biting down on the last consonant. "How many times have you told them only tradition matters, vig-rhovo? Tradition! Now I have to explain the missing NET and the unsanctioned treatment," he adds, then looks up at us all. "It is just one, right? Or have you already treated them all?"

  "Just him, and we don't have time for this," Cal says. "You can stand here boiling about traditions, or you can finish their treatments so we can find the NET."

  "It's not just about the NET…aren't you listening? We have a way," Veece says, trying to compose himself now that we've all funneled into the small space, but Cal just starts selecting silver rocks and setting them next to the little fire like Jesse did during Liddick's treatment.

  "Vahg om, when we catch up to Vox, I'll send a message that I took the NET so I could lead the new sandies to the mountain, all right? I'll say I treated them too, which is what I'm firing up to do now," Cal says without looking up at Veece, but then abruptly stops adding rocks to the flames and meets Veece's eyes. "Or maybe you fancy going out into the Rush while I stay here and tell Jove what I think about our ways?"

  "Hate to harsh your debate, but standing around trading swipes ain't about to resolve anything," Dell says after clearing his throat. "I venture Jove will forgive the unauthorized treatments if you just swing it like you were taking initiative to get the NET back, seeing as how you're the son of the Council leader and all," he adds, looking at Veece. "Could be an opportunity to show you've got the chops to run it yourself someday, wise? And the Council already gave the nod for helping Vox's people when they turned up, so lay it all out like you were just following through." Dell leans against the wall and slips his hands into his pockets, then cocks his head to the side.

  Veece exhales and moves his hands to his hips, then cuts a glare at Cal.

  "Can't exactly pull back halfway through the jump now…and I suppose they used your blood on him?" he asks Cal, who nods. "Then if we're doing this now, the rest of the treatments will have to use mine," he adds, rolling up his sleeve and gesturing to Vita, who pulls another reed syringe and other equipment from her bag. I turn to Zoe and grip her arm.

  "What's happening?" I whisper, afraid that I already know the answer.

  "The treatment makes us harder to hurt and all, but it takes longer to replace blood that's lost. Since they tapped Cal earlier, he shouldn't give any more for a few days," Zoe explains, but I shake my head.

  "No, I mean is he saying we're being treated now? All of us?"

  "Looks that way," she says. "Got your wish, little sister," she adds with a wink.

  "Who's first?" Cal asks our group as he finishes stoking the multicolored fire, and Vita collects the first small syringe of Veece's blood and puts it over the tiny rocks.

  My heart jumps into my throat and pounds in my ears as my eyes dart to everyone else's, then settle on Jax's. His brows are knit together, and I feel the beginning of a weight pressing in on my chest…his will for me to stay still, to stay quiet because he is about to volunteer, but I tear my eyes away from his and step out from Arco's hand, which has just moved to my shoulder.

  "I'll do it," I say, my voice sounding clear despite the muffled pulse in my ears, and when I try to push up my sleeve and can't, I remember where the syringe will need to go. Ice water fills my veins at the realization as Vita pushes back the hair from my shoulder and looks into my eyes. Hers are wide and clear blue like the slivers of sky we used to see closest to the horizon sometimes, and though everything about her is small and delicate, I feel an overwhelming safety with her, a strength that makes me feel like she will personally make sure I'll be OK.

  "After it's done, we will need to move you all quickly to your blanket stacks so you can sleep," she says in a soft, warm voice. "I'm adding a sedative so you will not wake up while everyone else is asleep after curfew. It will be disorienting when you awaken, so we will make sure someone is there to help you in the morning," she adds, then looks around at the rest of our group and nods before meeting my eyes again. "It is all right to be afraid," Vita smiles, and the small lines around her eyes make me think of my mother. "But know that the pain you will feel is growth, and all growth, no matter how painful, is good. Are you ready?" she asks, and I take a deep breath, then nod.

  I'm here, Rip. You don't have to do this alone, Liddick says in my mind, but I can't take my eyes from Vita's.

  "Guess I'll think twice about scaring you from behind now that you'll be able to shoot a fireball at me," Jax says, then grips my shoulder as Arco moves to my other side and takes my hand. I smile, and Vita slips her fingers inside my collar to pull it back as I feel the sharp tip of the syringe on the side of my throat.

  "This will be the withdrawal of your blood. The next time will be the treatment," Vita says as she extracts the syringe, which doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Jax holds a cloth to my neck as Vita ejects the syringe and mixes my blood with Veece's, and a small pop of fire jumps from the bowl when she adds one of the silver rocks Cal had arranged. "All right, please be very still," she says, then prepares the syringe again with the blood mixture. She angles my jaw away from her, then slips her fingers back inside my collar, and I realize I'm clenching my jaw. I try to make myself relax, but the pounding in my ears is like a drum beat that keeps getting louder. Arco moves closer to my ear, then leans his head against mine and squeezes my hand.

  "I love you, Jazz. It's all right…you're all right," he says, and a rush of adrenaline pushes through my chest.

  We're going to make it, Riptide…we're going to find your dad, Liddick thinks, causing another surge of adrenaline to hit me at the idea of seeing my father again after thinking I never would again. I swallow hard and close my eyes when I feel the sharp point of the syringe press into my throat again, then grip Arco's hand. Ribbons of searing heat
run down my neck and shoulders, then multiply and spread until my whole body feels like it's on fire.

  I lock my teeth together to keep the screams from coming out, but then it feels like I can't get them out in the heaviness all around me…like I'm swimming through something thick and dark. It pushes against my eyelids and nose, and when I open my mouth to gasp, my chest won't expand. I try to struggle until I feel arms wrapping around me, which somehow makes the heat and pressure dissipate a little, then a little more until it's cold like wind on my skin just after coming out of the water. It gets colder when it seeps inside my muscles, into my bones, unless…I'm just going numb? Pins and needles push into me from every direction as a soft buzzing begins in the back of my mind.

  Go to sleep, I hear. You can do this.

  CHAPTER 32

  What I Feel

  I hear sounds of sleeping all around me, and my mouth is so dry I almost can't swallow. My muscles burn as I try to take a sip from my desalinator tube, but there is no more water.

  After a few seconds, my vision starts to adjust, and I see the dim, red light through the fissure that leads to the small cave Zoe and her crew hauled us into when we came out of the falls. I remember that the freshwater stream isn't too far from there, then try to sit up. When I do, every muscle in my body protests, even if I just turn my head.

  Crite, did I fall off a cliff in my sleep or something? I think, noticing that it actually hurts to blink.

  I felt like I woke up inside out for a while after my treatment too, I hear Liddick in my mind. Though, Vita said you'd all be knocked out for that part after she gave you the root powder. Guess you didn't get a big enough dose.