Resonance

by Dianne J Wilson

  Ruaan stared at the ceiling, crossing his feet, “Bree’s not the only one with dad issues. She can’t hide behind that her whole life. My grandma raised me because my parents supposedly died on a missionary trip to Africa. What actually happened is that they were druggies. Both of them. They took to the streets to support their habit.” He spoke matter-of-factly without a hint of emotion. “Grandma did what she could, but no one is immortal. When she died, St Greg’s got me.” He sniffed and rubbed his nose. He pointed at it, “Allergies. I’m not crying.”

  Zap was still propped up in the corner. He slid down until he sat with his knees drawn up. That’s one crazy story, man.”

  Ruaan shrugged. “Believe me or not. I don’t really care.” He shut his eyes. “This bed is so comfy.”

  Kai watched his breathing change. In less than ten seconds, Ruaan was deeply asleep. “How does he do that?”

  Zap chuckled. “And on your bed, too. No sleep for you tonight. Not that night ever seems to fall in this place.” His chuckle dried up in his throat. “Apparently, tomorrow we’re being tested.”

  “Tested. For what?”

  “Aptitude or something. Beats me. Apparently, all newcomers to the city have to be. I don’t know, Kai. I’m not feeling it.”

  “I don’t like the sound of it either. We don’t have time for all this nonsense. Your death date is being carved right now if that gravestone is right.”

  Zap paled. “I’d forgotten all about that. Ah, that stinks.”

  Kai tapped his fingers on the bed, thoughts snagging and unable to move through his mind. “According to the gravestones, Bree’s dad isn’t dead yet. What if we could track him down?”

  “And then what? How is that going to stop me from dying?”

  “Not you, twit. If we find Bree’s dad, maybe it would free Bree from this bizarre journey she’s on.”

  “I hate to be the one to remind you, but finding people isn’t exactly your strong point. Losing them, now, there’s a skill you’ve perfected. Heck, you don’t even have to be tested tomorrow. We can just tell them what your gift is.”

  ~*~

  Ruaan had snored throughout Kai’s slow count to one hundred and thirty-two. Kai was two doors down and still heard Ruaan as if the walls were made of paper. Sleeping was a waste of time.

  The archway where he’d found Bree intrigued him. He’d rather go investigate that than lie here thinking of ways to shut up Ruaan. Few people moved on the streets of the city, though the light stayed at the same level of brightness. All in all, it was a strange setup. Kai and his friends didn’t have anyone watching them or tracking their movements. They seemed free to come and go as they pleased. Seemed.

  Finding his was back was trickier than he thought it would be. A few wrong turns and some dead-ends later, he found his way to the room where he’d spoken to Bree, the small room with the testing arch. In this bright city, finding a room full of shadows and dimness seemed odd. Especially when the purpose of the room was to make you more suited to the light. The archway itself brooded over the room with a heavy malevolence. The untamed music of running water usually soothed Kai, but this water tumbled off the stone to hit the ground, just as doomed lemmings would fall off a cliff.

  Kai faced the arch now, and his belly pinched. His imprint flashed silvery in the gloom. He touched it and a swell of music rose within him, a living torrent building and growing. His hands itched for his guitar.

  A flash of heat washed over him, and he glimpsed the instrument he longed for deep inside the archway facing the entrance door. It pulled at him, drawing him closer. And yet he wanted to see into the other three arches as well. The two desires tugged at him.

  Curiosity won.

  Five small steps and he was around the corner. Soft emerald light flooded from the opening, played across the tiles of the floor, and spread longing through Kai’s heart, stealing his breath. He barely dared to look into the glowing opening, yet he couldn’t resist a peep. No sun-drenched forest or carved emerald, it was simply an uprooted plant.

  The spell broke. Hands on his hips, Kai frowned at the arch. It was the same green one that compelled him to replant the last time he was trapped here. That had caused so much trouble. His hands itched just looking at it.

  Kai scrambled to get away. The next archway seemed closed up at first. Kai reached out to feel and almost fell in as he leaned and rested on nothing. A narrow gap between two solid rock faces led away from the opening, the space between the two walls utterly dark further in. It also seemed to narrow towards the back. Kai shuddered and moved on.

  The next opening blazed in fiery shades of red and orange. Blood rushed through Kai’s ears, and he knew what he was going to see without having to look. He looked anyway and regretted it instantly. The desert outside the Darklands. The desert where he’d lost Bree, left her at the mercy of darKounds.

  What if this was his chance to go back and change what had happened? He paced, rubbing the back of his neck. But it was just a thought. He might step into the archway and get stuck in the desert and die there.

  Or he might be able to save Bree.

  He stepped toward the opening. The heat intensified, flickering out of the archway—an invisible, tangible thing, close enough to scorch his skin. Another step, and he’d be consumed. Someone screamed from inside the arch. Bree! This had to be it. He could go back and make it right.

  Footsteps outside the door. Someone was coming. He slipped into the shadow to the right of the doorway. He crouched down, hardly breathing.

  Bree walked past him, shut the door behind her, and glanced around the room quickly—missing him completely. She threw off her heavy cloak and strode determinedly toward the arches. Kai’s Affinity kicked in, and Bree’s arm lit up. Kai instantly regretted drinking the last bit of Healing Stream water. It might have been enough to restore Bree’s shredded hand. The only other option was to get her to the Healing Stream.

  Bree circled the four arches. She stopped in front of the one where Kai had seen the desert. No light reflected on her face. Her hands trembled, but she squeezed them together and stepped through.

  ~*~

  Peta climbed the short hill and glanced back, her eyes sparkling. “We’re here. We’re at the pools.”

  Evazee forced herself to climb the last rise. Everything seemed to take so much more effort. She made it to the top and gasped. A rolling field of undulating hills spread away from her feet, punctuated by pools of water. None of the pools reflected what was above, but each seemed lit by their own internal play of lights that cycled through a range of colours, throwing up a living tower of dancing light that stretched high toward the sky.

  Zulu knelt in reverential silence. Peta found Evazee’s hand and pulled her toward a free-standing rock. “Come see. Here are rules.”

  “Rules? That’s weird.” Evazee allowed herself to be dragged along, curious to see what rules one would apply to a place this beautiful. Somehow do not bomb-drop and no diving would seem completely irrelevant.

  The rules were carved into the rock, words chiselled carefully into the hard surface. As she read them, Evazee realized they were more instructions than rules.

  Welcome Seeker,

  to the Pools of Resonance.

  What you see may be, or may not.

  One alone can set you free.

  Look, don’t touch,

  Evazee read it through once and then again. “There’s a section all chiselled off after ‘touch.’ Somebody must have made a mess. I guess it’s hard to rub out a mistake when you’re carving in stone.” She grinned at Peta, who giggled at her joke. “I don’t know what to make of this. I’m not sure I understand the point of it all.”

  Zulu padded over on silent feet. “Where’s Elden?”

  Evazee swung around, but realized she hadn’t seen Elden since their argument. “Well, that’s just perfect. You know what? He’s a big boy. Maybe he needs some space. I’m sure he’ll join us when he’s ready. Let’s have a look at these pools.
”

  Peta stared into the distance, her brow creased in concentration. She shrugged and skipped toward the pools. Zulu followed her. He seemed to have taken it on himself to be the girl’s protector. Evazee couldn’t believe anything bad could be lurking in such a beautiful place, but by now, she knew that looks could be deceiving. Still, leaving Peta with Zulu for a few minutes should be OK.

  Evazee drifted in between the pools, letting her feet take her. After all the darkness, this much light and beauty spread a feast for her soul. Her imprint pulsed gently in time with the dancing light beams as they washed over her in waves of light-colour.

  She recited the instructions in her head and her heart pinched at the very last line. If this was water from the Healing Stream, it could reverse the effects of the dark Affinity enhancer they were all affected by. Evazee couldn’t imagine how great that would feel, but now she had to argue with herself about trying the water or not.

  The pools varied in size, some as big as the soccer field at school, others no bigger than a Koi pond. One of the smaller ones shone a constant blue light that caught Evazee’s attention. She knelt down next to the edge of the water, leaned on her hands so that she didn’t do anything silly like fall in, and closed her eyes. Why was this so hard? She braced herself, took a deep breath and stared into the water.

  The colour reflected on her face and made her skin tingle. She breathed it in. The water seemed impossibly deep. It was crystal clear and still, but she couldn’t see the bottom. She waited.

  A small spider skittered across the surface, causing tiny ripples. Evazee shooed him off and started again. Waiting. The water looked pure and alive. Surely it came from the Healing Stream. She checked to make sure no one watched, dipped her hand in, and brought it up to her mouth. She hesitated a moment before swallowing. It ran down her throat easily and she could have drunk more.

  She checked her imprint, nothing. She looked around her, but the light and colours still came from the pools. None of it was from her. So that settled it, then. This was some other water, not what she needed at all.

  Her head grew heavy. She shook it and locked her elbows to stay upright. Patterns formed in the water. Swirls of colour that shifted from random patterns to shapes, forms that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place.

  Jesus, this place reminds me of You.

  Evazee thought she saw the water ripple. Maybe the little spider was back. She checked around the edges of the water but couldn’t see anything that would have caused ripples. Zulu and Peta chased each other around one of the other pools. Listening to her tiny friend laugh made Evazee’s heart sing.

  Please keep Kai safe.

  The water shifted as if a breeze blew over it. The centre section stilled to a glass-like, smooth surface that spiralled out toward the edges. Soon the whole surface lay flat and still. Blue light darkened to charcoal and a glow burned in the distance.

  The longer she stared into the water, the clearer the picture became. A vast desert stretched across the full width of the pool. Fire blazed in the distance, casting a red glow over desert sand dunes. A tiny speck moved along the base of a dune, followed closely by another. A wide circle formed around them. Evazee squinted. Were they camels? She leaned in closer. Not camels. People. She leaned closer still, and a cold flash of recognition passed through her. Kai and Bree. What looked like dark dots surrounded them. Cold chills shot down her spine.

  DarKounds.

  22

  Intense heat slammed into Kai as he stepped through the arch. He ran his fingers over his forehead and cheeks, no blisters. Heat like this would surely cause some damage. Why Bree chose to come back here was a mystery. Kai checked his shoes. His navy trainers were still on his feet. He wouldn’t be chasing a girl through a desert with bare feet. Things were looking up from the last visit.

  He took a few cautious steps and swung around. Was the way back still there? It wasn’t. Kai barked a laugh. Obviously, it wouldn’t be that easy. Only one thing made sense. Head to the highest point and get the lay of the land.

  The tallest stood closest to him and without much thought, he trudged up the side of it. Dune climbing was hot work, and soon he was drenched as if he’d fallen into a pool. A breeze picked up as he reached the top. Kai turned a slow circle, searching for a clue. Or Bree herself. That would be even better.

  Further along the base of the hill, a lone figure stumbled through the sand. It had to be her. Movement caught his eye to the right. A darKound. He knew them so well that just a glimpse of the sleek, blue-black skin pulled tight over ropey muscles sent a shiver through his body. There were more coming over the hill, too.

  He had to get to Bree. His long legs took on a life of their own and pinwheeled him downward. It felt as if he might split in half. He tripped on a rock, rolled, and hit the bottom of the dune with sand in his ears, mouth, and everywhere else.

  The other walker was just up ahead. Kai coughed, rolled onto all fours, and pushed himself to standing, hoping his wobbly legs would support him.

  Grim thoughts built on the edges of his mind. That meant the darKounds were closer than he’d estimated and were moving in. There was no way he would let Bree get attacked twice. At least while he was still alive.

  “Bree! Wait for me!” He didn’t wait to see if she’d heard him but took off after her faster than he’d ever sprinted at school.

  The thoughts were louder now. DarKounds were closing in. His imprint flashed bright, and in an instant, he knew what to do. A gust of wind blew through, strong enough to knock Bree off her feet. Kai ran to her. He was close enough now to see the green glow on her damaged arm. It had spread to her chest and head. Kai helped her to her feet as another strong wind blew Bree right into his arms. She bounced off his chest.

  “What are you doing here? Are you completely mad?” She pulled her hand from his as another gust of wind hit and knocked down both of them. The ribbon that held her hair came undone. As the wind whipped through her hair, it blew the straightness out and brought her curls back.

  Kai stared, blinking.

  “Kai! Snap out of it. We’re surrounded.”

  They were hemmed in. The circle of darKounds drew closer with their blue-black skin gleaming, powerful muscles rippling underneath. Kai scrambled to his feet, wishing he could tuck Bree away safely and deal with these creatures alone.

  Fiery heat coursed up Kai’s arm, his imprint was glowing. With each passing second, the intensity of the burn increased, and with it came a swell of music from deep within. Bree was breathing too fast, panicking. Kai threw an arm around her and tucked her close to his chest. He raised the other arm and opened his mouth. The words came as he did so, a song of defiance, full of the untamed love of Tau. Joy bubbled through him. He closed his eyes and his spirit rose buoyant, light, free. A shudder passed through Bree, and she stiffened.

  A thunderclap cracked through the air. Reality smeared and blurred into a whirlwind that sucked them both upwards. The atmosphere around them snapped, and they fell hard onto cold stone. Bree broke her fall on Kai, and he lay there, the wind knocked out of him. They were back in the testing room, facing the desert arch which was now sealed off by a stone door.

  FAILED.

  The word rang out and bounced off the walls, echoing and re-echoing.

  ~*~

  The image in the water swirled and faded until the pool was back to glowing blue. Evazee sat back on her haunches. What was she meant to do with that picture? She pushed herself up, careful not to touch the water again.

  Zulu and Peta had settled next to a pool that shot up sparkling golden rays. Peta sat cross-legged, both hands playing in the glow. She pulled her hands out. They were covered in sparkles. Giggling, she held them out to Zulu. He sat on his haunches, observing but not getting drawn in. He smiled at Peta, but gently brushed her hands aside when she tried to wipe the sparkles onto his cheeks.

  Peta’s face pinched with concentration. She reached into the rays of light and began moving her hand
s in deliberate patterns. The sparkles responded to her small fingers and without too much trouble. She’d fashioned a gold crown that floated on the light rays. Reaching in with infinite slowness, she took the crown and placed it on Zulu’s head. The big man didn’t argue or push her away. He let her put the crown on his head and then sat up to kingly straightness. Peta clapped her hands in delight.

  Evazee didn’t want to disturb them, but Zulu was ever alert and stood as she got to them. His fragile crown dissipated leaving nothing but a faint dusting of gold on his forehead.

  “Have you seen enough?” Zulu swept an arm across the field of pools as if he owned it all. Peta sat at his feet, juggling three balls of sparkles that she’d fashioned from the light rays.

  Evazee shrugged. “I don’t know that I want to see anything else.”

  Zulu patted his chest. “Heart says one more.”

  Peta looked up from her light juggling and nodded. “I want to stay here.”

  Evazee crossed her arms. She couldn’t help feeling conned. “OK, fine. You two should really try another pool yourselves.”

  Peta dropped her three balls. They landed on the ground and vanished in a glittery puff. “But I like this one.”

  ~*~

  Bree pushed away from Kai and lay on her back as a single tear ran down her temple. Kai rolled onto his side and brushed her tear away. He reached for one of her curls. Her hair was silky between his fingers. “We didn’t die.”

  Bree stared at the ceiling. “But we failed. That’s worse.”

  Kai checked his imprint. It was no longer just silver, but the edges were tarnished, an ugly shade of coppery yellow. “I want your arm to be healed.”

  Bree sat up and glared at him, “So that’s what all this is about. Making you a hero. No, thank you.”

  “It’s not for me, Bree. I don’t want to see you going through life unable to do the things you love the most. That’s not living.”

  “For your information, I am more satisfied now than I’ve ever been.” She sat up and looped her arms around her knees.