by Debra Kristi
I will not let this thing win. I have the power within. I just need to remember the key. The party—what was I thinking that triggered the big spark?
I let my mind linger on Jaden. The water pushes me from side to side, knocking me into the rock wall with considerable force.
I recover, return my thoughts to that night. Jaden’s strong, warm embrace, lingering soft touch, saltwater kisses. My mind swirls into places I’m not prepared to go. My heart pounds like a rhythmic drum, and I battle for breath.
Maybe Jaden’s the key. My head bobs to the surface, and I gulp a lungful of air. The oxygen calms me. Closing my eyes, I immerse myself in thoughts of Jaden. I remember the way his eyes pierce through to my soul. I want to be closer to him, need to be closer to him. I picture him as the missing piece of me and see how we fit together perfectly. A glow emanates around me again, only this time it’s stronger and wider.
The sound cracks. It’s upon us. The waterfall is here. The hold on my ankle tightens, and we pitch forward, over and away from the water.
I fantasize what it would be like to kiss Jaden’s lips fully. A real kiss, deep and delicious.
Everything explodes in brilliant blue, and for a moment I see three sisters with their arms linked. My eyes flutter open to see what’s happening. Light and energy are dispersing in every direction. The thing at my ankle, the dark echo, which I now somehow know is called a Tenebrousian, is all but eviscerated. The water slams into my back full force.
Exhaustion prays for me to close my eyes and sleep. Let my bones sink to the bottom of this large water pool. Only I can’t. That’s not who I am. I struggle against my fatigue and aching muscles, pushing to swim, pushing to survive. Reaching the surface, I find my flashlight dead and my vision clouded with an array of tiny, zig-zaggy, white splotches. The surface glows in a soft blue light coming from somewhere below, illuminating enough of the water to see the short waterfall. At least my plunge wasn’t far.
Dancing light decorates the tunnel above. It’s the light from Ry’s torch as the guys make their way toward me. I hear their chorus of “Ana!” shouts, but I’m too tired and weak to reply. Instead, my eyes follow a louder reverberation to my right and find a raging waterfall three times the size of the one I just flew from. There are two waterfalls flowing into this space, with no discernible exit.
My hands scrape over a rough stone protruding from the water. It’s a substantial size, and I can use it to keep the falls from pushing me around. I’ll be able to stay afloat without treading water. Knocked by the current, a rough edge scrapes through the khakis at my knee. Wrapping my arms around it, I lay my head against its side and sputter painfully from the water trapped in my lungs.
Ry appears at the top of the thundering water, Jaden right behind him. Without hesitation, Ry tosses the torch back to Jaden and leaps off the top into the pool. He leaves Jaden behind with the torch while he swims across the pool toward me. Even at this distance and through my exhaustion, I can see the conflict on Jaden’s face, his desire to get down without extinguishing the flame. Suddenly flame is flipping through the dark, and Jaden’s doing a twist of his own, off the waterfall into the pool. Ry catches the torch like the guys are some kind of circus tag team. Then, in a toss worthy of the NFL, Ry tosses it past me. The cavern is still illuminated so there must be a space that isn’t covered with water—somewhere.
Ry moves toward me, his arms slicing effortlessly through the water. “Are you all right?” he calls out.
“I’m fine, just tired. That last bit took a lot out of me.” I close my eyes for a second, think of the image I saw. Was it me with my sisters? I inhale deep. All I want to do is sleep for an eternity. When I open them, he’s only three feet away, yet still out of focus.
“That last bit? You mean the flash of light that flew over our heads?” He wades toward me through shallow water. “What grabbed you?”
“I don’t really know for sure. I think it’s called a Tenebrousian, part of the dark echo things. I zapped it. Can you believe that? Zap!” I realize I’m starting to ramble and quickly look past Ry to Jaden, only a few feet away now. “Anyway, that’s what I tried to do, and it resulted in the light you saw. Now I’m beat. So much for the energy mojo you gave me before we came down here. All gone. Fried myself.” My ramble complete, I sigh, and then my eyes widen. “What do you mean, the light flew over your head?”
“When you destroyed the Tenebrousian at your ankle, your reach extended far beyond,” Jaden says, a crooked grin spreading across his face. “I believe it bought us some time. You destroyed the ones directly behind us and sent the others scrambling in the other direction.”
No wonder I’m tired. I blink, allow a small bubble of hysterical laughter to escape, and lay my head against the rock, closing my eyes.
“No, Ana, not yet. Just a little farther. I promise you can sleep for as long as your body requires, very soon,” Jaden says.
I open my eyes. Jaden reaches out to lift me from the rock. I moan and look from Jaden to Ry. They’re both at my side, so protective. This time, I’m grateful.
Jaden tugs gently at my hand, telling me to release the rock. “I know how tired you are.”
Again I fight to be the warrior Ry has trained me to be. I push myself up, and both guys move in against my sides to support me. We wade through the water to an even shallower area speckled with stalagmites. The torch waits for us there. I lean against the rocks for support. Being free of the water resistance is nice. But it comes with a price. We’re soaked. And in a cold and confined space. Added layers now only add weight. Leaning against a tall pillar of rock, I slip off Jaden’s sweater and twist it, ringing out as much water as possible. My fingers cramp on the final twine.
Jaden sets the backpack on top of a nearby rock and turns to me. “Just lose the sweater. It’ll only weigh you down.”
Ry rubs his chin with his thumb as he studies the water. “Jaden’s right. We’ll swim better without all the added weight.”
My chest tightens, forcing my breath in short intakes. “What do you mean, ‘swim’?”
Ry points to the light blue glow beneath the water. “That’s our way out.”
I let out a deep breath. I was dreading the moment, knowing that would be the case. Lying here in wait for the unholy shadows almost seems preferable in my present state.
Ry shakes my arm. “You’ll be fine. You can do this. You’re a great swimmer and can hold your breath for eons.” He lifts my chin. “Never forget. Best.” It’s all he says, but I know what he means. We’re the best of the best.
I lower my head. “I just don’t understand...”
He fluffs my drenched and mangled hair. “You should be proud of yourself, accomplishing as much as you have during this time of change. The timing hasn’t worked out for the best, but you’ve been as focused as any warrior on the battlefield. I imagine the precision and intense focus has severely drained you.”
I push back against the rock and look up at him. “You all keep talking about this change. What’s happening to me?”
“Haven’t you noticed? You’re coming into your own. Heightened sight and hearing, for one. Increased speed is another. You already experienced the blood heritage through the shared dreams, and we’ve seen you talk to animals and insects, not to mention levitate things. Who knows what you’ll be capable of? Some of these things, I suspect, are the effects of displacement. You may not have them when we get home.”
A sense of knowing swells within me. He’s right, on all accounts. Still, I can feel the tension in my forehead, and I struggle with the unclear words in his delivery. “Explain this displacement. What might I not have when we get to the other side?”
Ry drops and starts untying his shoes. “The Balance Bringer isn’t meant for the human world. You’re the first one to ever step foot in it, and I’ve never heard of one possessing any powers of electrical charge or levitation, so they may be the result of boundary displacement. It’s just a theory of mine. We’ll know m
ore when we get you home.”
“Promise me we’ll find out more?” I watch him slip his shoes off. “Why’re you taking off your shoes? Won’t we need them on the other side?”
“Definitely, on both accounts,” Ry says. “I’ll drag the shoes along with me.”
Ry slings his boots over his shoulder by the strings and props the torch into the rocks, while Jaden pulls something slick and black out of his bag. I watch while he fluffs it open and realize it’s one of those airtight bags divers use. After putting the backpack inside of the bag, he reaches for Ry’s shoes.
“We can put all the shoes in the bag,” Jaden says. “There’s plenty of room.”
Ry throws a quizzical look at the backpack, then hands over his boots. “Guess your boyfriend is good for something.”
He’s not my boyfriend. My face drops. But I wish—
“Do you need help?” Jaden looks at me with mild interest.
I jerk. Did he just read my feelings again? “Nah. I got it. Thanks, though.”
After easing my shoes off slowly to avoid any pain from my cuts, I toss them to Jaden, and he slips them into the bag.
“Ready?” Ry grabs the backpack from Jaden, slings it over his shoulder, and both guys gaze at me.
I dig deep within myself, searching for my new power, for the confidence to embrace it. “Ready.”
“Head for the light, and stay together,” Ry says.
We all nod in agreement.
The water curls in and around my thighs, and I stare down at the mesmerizing blue below. Thinking about what we have to do next sets my heart racing. I know I’m capable, even if I don’t know where I’m going or how long I’ll be under to get there.
Ry submerges, and I shift my focus to Jaden, standing a few feet in front of me. Then I feel the warm breath on my neck. A lump gets stuck in my throat, fearing the effect Dohlan has over me. But it’s Dreya’s voice nipping at my ear.
“I will annihilate you.”
My body stiffens.
Jaden’s glare rapidly searches the spaces around me. “She’s not here, Ana. Somehow she’s gotten in your mind.” His gaze shifts to the waterfall across the cavern. He beckons to move. “Quickly, let’s go!”
I look behind me and see darkness snaking out of the upper cave. My skin flushes with heat, and I rush forward, taking Jaden’s hand in mine. We dive into the water, wasting no time putting this space behind us. We swim directly for the glow, colorful lines swaying across the stone surrounding us. And I worry. Worry about having felt Dreya so clearly in my mind.
The glow is not the Toran. It’s a passage through the rock into another cavern gifted with light. As we swim through the passage, the strange dotted pattern on my body lights up, and a deep underwater grumble replies. A pulse vibrates through the water, and I almost swallow a mouthful. Like a doorway, the hole in the rock behind us shutters and closes. We swim faster.
We break the surface, find sunlight sneaking in through cracks in the ceiling. The walls twinkle with embedded crystals, similar to the cave at the beginning of our journey. Light bounces off one surface to another, and then back again. Lines of rock drip from the ceiling, imitating straws and curtains in beautiful colors and shapes.
My lips curl into a frown as I hoist myself onto what looks like a little beach. It’s pretty and sparkles like beach sand, but is hard and scratchy, uncomfortable against my tired bones and aching skin. I turn and stare at the ceiling. It seems a million miles away.
Ry reaches down and pulls me to my feet. “I’m off to find the Toran. I know it’s close.” He glances down at my feet, then to Jaden. “Why don’t you stay here and rest up? I’ll come back and get you.” He hands the backpack to Jaden and strides off.
Jaden pulls me toward a large boulder, a smile tugging at his face. “I thought we could sit for a minute while you rest up. You might find me more comfortable than hard stone.”
He sits with his back against the large rock and motions for me to sit between his legs. I hesitate. He gets my thoughts all muddled. I might lose focus on what I need to do if I allow myself that kind of closeness with him.
My heart somersaults inside my chest. “Are you flirting with me?”
He raises a brow while extending his hand to help me sit. “No. Do you want me to?”
I glance over him and curse myself for my yearning. The collar of his button-up shirt has shifted, exposing something unexpected. My entire body flushes with heat, and my eyes dampen.
Hanging around his neck is the crystal I gave Skylar at her party.
We lock stares. I can’t deny my emotions, and he knows what I’m feeling. I cautiously step over, sit down, and lean back into him. Despite the cold and wet, the warmth of his body radiates through me. And as he predicted, my aches are alleviated. It’s nothing like the warrior ritual I did with Ry, but it will suffice.
Pitter-pat, pitter-pat. The soft sound of water falling like a gentle rain. Our larger entrance pool is barely visible from the alcove in which I now stand. I make a mental note for when I awake. It’s more cramped, and darkness and dampness dominate here. The water hole before me sparkles and swirls with a mixture of melodic light. Colors reflect off the surrounding walls, and I find myself staring at them, recalling a time when Crystia was into the whole free spirit thing. Her room was host to a few groovy lights, creating cool effects like this.
“Beautiful, is it not?”
“Truly,” I marvel. “I’ve missed you, Kaia. It seems like ages since I’ve seen you.”
“Indeed. And I, too, have missed you.”
I turn to face her, to take in her statuesque dark locks and golden skin. It’s been longer than usual, and I yearn to get my fill of her. As my gaze falls upon her, my breath gets caught in my throat, and my heart forgets to beat.
“Why are you so...” I search for words. “...faded and...” Again, no words. I pathetically wave my hands at her to point out the blood-soaked attire, chalky white skin, and matted, leaf-littered hair.
“I am unable to fully understand it myself. I am draining. You see me now as I was that day in the meadow. You must hurry, Ana. Get to Hiddenkel. Get to the mystic. She will know what to do.” Kaia turns her face away.
“No. Don’t turn from me. What do I do?”
“I told you. The mystic. She will know.”
Watching Kaia’s transformation makes my chest hurt. Blood spreads across her abdomen. I move forward, as if I can somehow hold her and make everything all right. Only I’ve walked the dream-walk enough times to know how it works. It doesn’t stop me from grabbing her hands in mine, all the same. They’re cold and clammy to the touch. Thoughts of her cold and dead, lying on the ground, flood my mind. I’ve never thought of her that way, even though I’ve always known.
“Where do I find this mystic?” I cling tight to her.
She looks at me, her eyes swimming in knowledge and courage. “You already know. She contacted you.”
“I understand.” Leaning forward, I stress the importance of my next words. “You’re always beautiful to me, sister. You never need to hide or feel ashamed.”
“It is possible this horrible look is what I deserve for what I did to him.”
Her last words are hushed, and I almost don’t hear them.
The wheels in my mind are turning, and I remember another time she mentioned a guy… Oh! And the crystals! “The last time we met, you were trying to tell me something about the crystals. What about them?”
As I watch, her face both relaxes and brightens.
“The crystals. This is important. Ana, you have all the crystals now?”
“Which ones?”
“Mine, Crystia’s, and your own, for starters.”
“I do.”
“Good. You will need all three. You need to—”
“Ana, time to wake up,” Jaden whispers at my ear.
His warm breath sends electrical sparks through my entire system, a soft friction working on my arms.
No! Not a
gain! Kaia, don’t go! I’m not ready for you to leave me!
Jaden’s lips move against my earlobe, saying something about moving on while I try to remember the Toran location. All my fuzzy brain can comprehend is that he’s sending sensations through my body better left dormant at the moment. I look down at his strong hands, the way they rub my arms. I’m all torn up inside. Part of me wants to stay with Kaia, while the other part wants to turn and attack him, make him mine.
Out of a need to put distance between us, I bolt out of Jaden’s embrace and rediscover a sense of urgency to find the way to Hiddenkel, to save my sister. Standing on the tiny rocks, pain splinters through me at a million different angles, but I refuse to wince and show outward weakness. I need to get to the Toran, to the mystic, to my sisters.
Jaden stands behind me. “Sorry. I felt your panic and sadness. Plus, Ryland approaches. I thought maybe it was time for you to awake. Did I overstep my boundaries?”
“What?” I turn to him, confused. “Oh. No. Kaia’s in trouble, and I need to help her. We need to move.” The words rush out so quickly I hardly catch a breath.
“You mustn’t let your emotions get the better of you. Remember, find your center, clear your mind, and remain calm. The change makes it more difficult, but you must try.”
Change. I don’t see what that has to do with saving my sister. What do I need to do to knock some sense into him?
Jaden raises his brow.
Did he just feel my thoughts? “Let’s go.” Spinning around, ignoring the pain in my feet, I head in the direction I know the Toran to be. Five steps around the molded boulders in the cavern floor, I barrel into Ry.
“I was just coming to get you two.” Ry looks past me, acknowledging Jaden. “I believe I found—”
“I know where it is,” I interrupt, bolting past him.
“You do?” Confusion taints Ry’s voice. “What about your shoes?” His voice bounces off cavern walls on all sides of me.