The House of Fire

by M. Goldsmith

  She heard Kai’s reassuring whisper and felt his soft lips press a delicate kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back, honey. Don’t you worry. I’ll figure this out, and you’ll be back to your old self in no time.”

  Her soul had been trapped in winter since Kai left her all those years ago. An ice age had passed, and her heart was frozen solid. The sweet things he was saying now were beginning to slowly melt away a glacier’s worth of ice. Her heart’s beat kicked up its rhythm, and she was surprised the monitors didn’t pick it up. Yet, she remained conflicted. She simply couldn’t let go of her pain. She still wanted to hate him, but the truth was, she never really did. Although her heart had been broken, Laurel never stopped loving Kai.

  As she strained to hear what was being discussed just outside her room, Laurel recognized the deep murmur of male voices but couldn’t comprehend the content of their discussion. What were they saying about her? Frustration suffocated her; if only she could open her eyes or move a little. Laurel, buzzing with anger, screamed inside her head. Listen to me! Somebody hear me, damn it! I want to get up! I want to see!

  Exhausted, her seething slowed to a simmer just under the surface when she felt the warmth of Kai’s hand and heard his voice once again. His touch felt natural, but she wished she could see his eyes. Laurel was grateful to have him near making promises to free her from this state of limbo. Confidence in Kai’s abilities abounded. His tender confessions regarding their long-discarded love both frightened her and left her feeling hopeful.

  She sensed her parents enter the room before she actually heard them. Zarina always smelled like flowers and sunshine to her, like home. It didn’t matter how old she got, to Laurel, Canyon would always be the bravest, strongest man in the world. She listened while Kai updated her parents on what was found in the woods, and he left shortly after. She felt her parent’s presence and was comforted by their closeness.

  “Hey, baby, we’re back,” Canyon said. He placed a kiss on her forehead, and she could smell the fresh air on his clothes.

  Her mother’s soft hand smoothed her hair back away from her face. Laurel wished she could lean into the tender caress of her mother’s love. “Kai’s gone to figure this out, so you can come back to us,” her mother encouraged, with tears in her voice. “He said some of your students wanted to visit. Knowing how close you are with them, we thought we’d let them spend some time with you. We’re going to run across the Square to the South Tower to see how Rowan and Mica are doing. They’re worried sick about you, and Ash of course. We won’t be gone long, ten minutes tops. Wren, Briar, and Aidan can’t wait to see you. We’ll be right back, and they’ll keep you company.” She felt the press of her mother’s lips on her cheek.

  Laurel could instantly feel their absence. Wait a minute, my parents said something about Rowan and Mica and how worried they are about me and Ash. Where is Ash? Why aren’t her parents here in the Medical Center with her, too? What the hell is going on around here? The outrage inside her started to crest again and her agitation built once more.

  Just as she thought she would burst from all this confusion and lack of control, she heard three very familiar voices. “Miss Laurel? It’s us, Wren, Briar, and Aidan. Your mom and dad said it would be okay for us to see you. They told us you were asleep but it was all right to talk to you.” Wren’s sweet little voice was music to her ears.

  Although Laurel always made it a point never to show favoritism among her students, she definitely had a soft spot for these three. She called them the Three Musketeers because they had been inseparable since they started school. Kids like these were one of the many reasons Laurel loved teaching so much.

  As Aidan spoke, she thought about how deep his voice had gotten this year. “This totally sucks! We’ve all been trying to think of what kind of jerk would want to hurt the best teacher in the world, and who would want to take Miss Ashlyn away from Aether. She’s the coolest Guardian ever!”

  Stunned, she considered what Aidan had just said. No! No way! Those assholes took Ash! She wanted to howl with rage but still felt completely paralyzed.

  Briar’s voice brought her back to the children in the room. “When we were talking about how crazy this is, you know, like, someone wanting to hurt you and take Ashlyn. We started to think about the story you told us last month in history, you know, like, the whole deal with those bad guys, the Renegades. Like, we thought it had to be those big jerks, you know, like, who else?”

  Laurel was so busy being angry she had only briefly considered the who and the why of their situation. Who would want to hurt me and take Ash? The kids were right. The Renegades made perfect sense. She had just taught the class the history of the people of Aether, and the Renegades were a huge part of that history.

  The people of the Houses of Aether had always believed in balance and harmony with the God and Goddess. The world they occupied and all of its inhabitants existed together by divine decree. The four Elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth guided them through their destiny. All of the Elements and all life on the planet were of equal importance, each playing a specific role in the universe.

  The story had been told and retold for many hundreds of years, about the unrest which began with one man.

  ****

  Jet Thorn was born of The House of Earth with hair as black as ink and eyes as dark as the night’s sky. He was handsome, intelligent, and gifted. As he grew to manhood, so did both his physical and supernatural strength. His powers were greater than all the people from The House of Earth. Only the Guardian’s astonishing gifts were a match for Jet’s.

  He seemed happy and lived in peace among the people of Aether until one day when everything changed. Jet and his brother were walking deep in the forest together when the young men heard a loud inexplicable boom. A deer shot out in front of them and dashed away farther into the woods. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two ordinary humans came barreling out from between the trees giving the deer chase. The hunters carried hand cannons, an early form of the modern-day gun. The men were not expecting others so deep in the forest and mistakenly shot Jet’s brother in the head. The young man fell instantly to the ground. Jet shouted out his rage as he cradled his only brother, dead in his arms.

  The ordinary humans, shocked and remorseful, tried to apologize, but Jet rose with fury in his dark eyes. He slammed his fists to the ground opening a hole in the Earth large enough to swallow the humans. Devoured by the crater, they fell deep into the Earth’s core, disappearing forever.

  After, Jet sat for a long time just holding his brother. His anger never receded. Eventually, he began the long trek back to the village. All of Aether deeply mourned the loss of such a young and beautiful soul. The Elders, however, were furious with Jet for killing the humans and taking matters into his own hands. They worried more humans would arrive to search for their lost brothers.

  Jet grew more and more angry and disillusioned with the Elders. Charismatic and persuasive, he preached to whoever would listen. “Aether should dominate and rule the planet.”

  Soon others began to follow his ideology. While the majority of the community remained loyal to the Elders and Aether’s origins, a division grew among the people. Thus, the Renegades were catapulted into existence. As their momentum built, tensions in the village mounted. The Elders felt they had no choice but to banish Jet Thorn and his supporters as they continued to persist in their vendetta against humanity. Consequently, Jet, his family, and his followers departed from Aether. He vowed to annihilate all ordinary humans and then come back to wipe out all of the people of Aether. It was at that time the Elders felt compelled to increase the training of their police force, the Protectors. In light of the threats from Jet and his people, the Protectors had evolved into a highly skilled, precision, military team. It was their destiny to safeguard the people of Aether from harm.

  Chapter Five

  Hawk

  Covered in grime and too tired to care, Hawk collapsed onto his bed without even removing his boo
ts. He couldn’t stop thinking about Ashlyn and the day he spent looking for her. When River had reported the drug’s discovery, Bear called off the search. The inky darkness of night would obscure their surroundings until daylight dawned. Hawk’s fists clenched and unclenched over and over again as frustration settled inside him. The invaders could be anywhere by now.

  Caked with dirt and sweat, Hawk had scoured every inch of the woods himself. The hard ground dug into his knees as he examined a scorch mark they found in the forest. It was as if Ashlyn had disappeared in a burst of Flame. He rubbed the charred cinders of earth between his fingers and had imagined with pride, his beautiful Guardian, enveloped in her Flame, fighting back.

  All of Aether hummed with rumors of the Renegades returning to the village to finally seek their revenge. Hawk couldn’t help but wonder; why now? Why Ashlyn? It had been hundreds of years since the banishment of the Renegades. If only they knew where the Renegades might have gone, the Protectors would have a place to begin hunting. Hawk was certain of one thing. When he found out who took Ash they were going to pay, and if they hurt her, they would surely die.

  He closed his eyes and pictured Ashlyn safe in the South Tower gazing down at him. Her beautiful fire-colored hair surrounded her, as flames radiated from her fingertips. Hawk didn’t often pray, but he couldn’t help himself from doing just that. “Please, let Ashlyn be safe.”

  Exhaustion overwhelmed him. His head ached as he drifted off into a restless sleep. Images of Ash filled his dreams. She felt so real, her warmth seeping into his body. He could smell her intoxicating cinnamon scent. Shock and confusion slammed into him when an ethereal image of Ashlyn appeared before him. How was this even possible? Ashlyn was lost to him, yet here she was in front of him. Her beauty was still a radiant light. Then, all at once he was jittery. Cold sweat trickled down his back. A turbulent storm raged inside him. Ashlyn was filled with fear and fury.

  Her voice floated through the air, and he felt her presence even though she was nowhere to be found. With a desperate plea she spoke, “Hawk, please help us. Save Laurel. They took us away. I’m scared, Hawk. I need to get out of here. I’m in a room with no way out.”

  Loud pounding ripped Ashlyn’s image away from Hawk, and he was brought back to reality. It took him a minute to realize the banging was coming from his front door. He bolted upright in his bed and then raced to the door. Quill was standing there when he jerked it open. “What’s going on?”

  “Hurry! Kai thinks he found an antidote for the drug. He wants us at the lab as soon as possible.”

  Hawk grabbed his jacket, and they were running to the lab seconds later. Their footsteps echoed in the empty Clinic as they made their way to the lab. Kai held a syringe in his hand examining it under a bright light.

  “I’m so glad you guys are here. I did a quantitative analysis of the drug using a spectrometer. It is a reverse engineering method we use to isolate the different parts of the drug. I’m pretty sure I have developed an antidote for the sedative. I’m really just hypothesizing about some of the ingredients because I’ve never seen anything like them before—”

  Quill interrupted, “Kai, man, we don’t need all this science crap. Just give us the bottom line.”

  “Sorry, I know my process doesn’t mean anything to you guys. Sometimes I get a little carried away. Let me simplify this. I need you guys to inject me with the drug.” He held up the syringe. “Then, the antidote I made.” He pointed to a different syringe resting on the counter. “So that we can test it before I try it on Laurel.”

  “Wait a minute, Kai. You can’t test it on yourself. We need you to figure this out if the drug doesn’t work. You’re the only one who has any idea how to fix this. Try it on me first,” Hawk insisted.

  “No way, I’m not using you to experiment on. What if I’m wrong? It’s my risk to take, not yours. I have to help Laurel. You both know how I feel about her. That’s why I called you guys. Please, just inject me.” Kai handed Hawk the needle.

  “Damn it, Kai! You are too important. Laurel needs you and so does Ashlyn.” Hawk slammed the syringe onto the countertop.

  While the two were arguing, Quill must have surreptitiously seized hold of the syringe and injected himself. Because the next thing Hawk knew, Quill dropped the needle at their feet and was shouting at them. “Would you guys shut up! The room is spinning and everything is in slow motion. I-I-I got it,” he sputtered, just before he hit the floor.

  “Quill! What did you do?” Hawk yelled. He dropped down at his friend’s side.

  Kneeling on Quill’s other side, Kai reached up, grabbing the syringe, and shoved it in his lab coat pocket. “Oh shit! Let me get the antidote, and then we’ll find him a bed.” He and Hawk lifted Quill and carried him out of the room.

  Placing their friend’s unmoving form on the bed, Hawk asked, “Is he okay?”

  Kai quickly moved into action assessing Quill’s condition. “Don’t worry. He’s all right. I just want to allow the drug to reach its maximum potency. Laurel has been under the influence for two days, and I need to make sure the antidote is strong enough to pull her out of the coma.”

  “I can’t believe Quill did that. What was he thinking? If he’s okay after this, I may kill him.” Hawk, unnerved, paced back and forth.

  “He really is something, that’s for sure. I guess he solved the issue for us about who was going be the lab rat. I just hope this works for everybody’s sake. My father and the Elders are both going to have our heads if something goes wrong.” Kai pulled at his already tousled hair. “Listen, I know you guys are my best friends, but this whole thing is just too awkward. I still can’t believe you heard me confessing to Laurel. I’m sure you know I never stopped thinking about her. Everything that happened was totally my fault.” He sighed loudly and lowered his head. “I was so filled with anger and grief that I pushed the best thing in my life away. I just pray I can make it right, you know, tell her how much I love her.”

  “Believe me, I’m in no position to judge anyone. In fact, when I heard you talking to Laurel, I nearly confessed something myself.”

  “What are you talking about, Hawk?”

  “It’s entirely possible… I’m in love with Ashlyn. Holy shit, I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

  “I’ve known you’ve had a thing for her, but love? Holy shit is right! You and Ash? How long has this been going on?” Kai asked, shocked.

  “Um, well, never. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been drawn to her since we were very young, but I never really understood my feelings. Somehow, I seem to abandon all rational thought around her. It’s crazy. The connection is so strong between us; I can feel her thoughts. My grandfather told me about a rare telepathy some Guardians possess. And, well, I have to tell you something strange, but you have to promise not to think I’m completely nuts.”

  “Hawk, we’ve been friends our entire lives. You are one of the most rational people I know. Of course, I won’t think you’re nuts. Just tell me what it is.”

  “When I was sleeping earlier, I, um, I saw Ash in my dream. She called out to me and told me she was afraid. Ash also said someone took her and Laurel. I know that doesn’t make sense because obviously Laurel is here. There was also something about a room with no way out. Then Quill woke me up, and she was suddenly gone. This has to work, Kai. I have to find her.”

  “Wow, you really saw her? You don’t think it was just a dream, you know, wishful thinking?”

  “No, I’m sure it was real. I could actually feel her fear and anger, too. I knew you would think I was crazy, but I’m not!” Hawk pounded his fist on the countertop in frustration.

  “Calm down,” Kai said. He held up a hand in surrender. “Of course I don’t think you’re crazy. Did she say anything else?”

  “No, Quill woke me up, and she just vanished.”

  “Okay listen, let’s just put this on the back burner for the time being. I do believe you. We should probably talk to Bear about this. M
aybe it can help lead us to Ash. For now, we should concentrate on Quill and the antidote. I think we’ve let enough time pass to test my theory. I’m ready to administer the drug. Pray this works.”

  The tension in the room was thick as Kai rolled up their friend’s sleeve to administer the antidote. He took a deep breath before piercing Quill’s skin with the needle and injecting the contents into his body. Hawk and Kai focused on the powerful Protector’s lifeless form practically boring holes into him. Finally, his eyelids fluttered a short while later. Quill’s fingers twitched rhythmically as if he was playing an invisible piano.

  Kai bent low. He spoke in a gentle tone, “Quill? Can you hear me? Try to keep your eyes open.”

  Quill blinked repeatedly as if he had something in his eyes. The twitching of his fingers slowed, and he moved his legs in a jerky motion.

  “Do you think he’s okay? He looks like he’s having a seizure or something the way he’s moving around like that.” Concern etched his face.

  “The drug is working its way through his body, and his muscles appear to be reacting to it. Let’s just give him a couple of minutes to adjust. His vital signs are all still strong.”

  At last the spasms subsided, and Quill’s body movements ceased. He continued to blink his eyes, and it looked like he was trying to focus his vision. Hawk stood over him and smiled. “You really are a total asshole, you know? You scared the crap out of me. Can you talk?”

  Quill answered, in a weak voice, “That was a really freaky trip. I couldn’t move or see, but I could hear everything going on around me.”

  “You could hear us?” Kai inquired.

  “Oh yeah, you two sounded like a couple of girls talking about love and your feelings. Made me feel sicker than that stupid drug I jammed into my leg. I felt really dizzy, nauseous, and it gave me a whopping headache. That’s all starting to feel better already. Quite the wonder cocktail you whipped up there, Doc.”

  “I’m curious if everyone is affected by the drug in the same way,” Kai queried.