House of Leights

by Jaymin Eve

  Instinct was telling me it was the tiny pinpricks around me. Those lights were the only thing to differentiate the emptiness, and the transporter itself had been made of light. We’d literally used a light beam to get from Earth to Overworld. Focusing lessened my fear, so I put every ounce of effort into that. I reached for lights, over and over, and after some time I figured out a way to swing my body closer to them. Eventually I actually brushed against one, and as shock rocked down my arms and across my chest, I immediately let go, unsure if I’d just done something really bad, breathing deeply until the tingles subsided.

  With renewed determination, I tried again.

  This time it was relatively easy to reach the speck, easier even to wrap my hand around it. The shock took me less by surprise, but that didn’t mean it still wasn’t uncomfortable. From this point, though, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I’d connected to something, locking in, but utilizing the connection was not going to be as easy, apparently.

  It was very bright being this close to the speck – which wasn’t really a speck any longer since it filled my entire palm. The tingles increased the longer I held on, until eventually I had to release the light. My body started to move through the darkness again – those specks of light were anchors, holding me in place.

  The panic I had been suppressing was starting to swirl within me again, not the best when trying to focus, so I drew on teachings from my mom, her methods of achieving inner peace. The first image that came to my mind’s eye was Chase; I connected peace with him. He was my feeling of safety … something that had been there from the first moment I caught sight of him at the party. Chase, the overlord of House of Leights…

  One of the lights shone brightly again, startling me, and without thought, I reached for it, swinging myself out like I’d been practicing. The connection was easy, but unlike last time there was no shock. Warmth washed over me, and my stomach did a swirling thing. A very familiar swirling thing.

  Chase… I couldn’t call out loud, but I mentally screamed, Are you there?

  There was no reply, because Chase was clearly not here. But the light had gotten brighter when I thought of him. What had I thought of the first time the light beamed at me? Kissing Chase and … House of Leights.

  Maybe that was where I needed to focus. On House of Leights? The land of my birth. The Daelighters kept saying we had a connection to it, that the water I’d been born in had filled me with energy and life, infusing into my essence.

  With a speck of light in my hand, I remembered how I felt with Chase in the trees around the cabin. The peace, warmth, acceptance…

  Take me home.

  An infusion of heat rushed through my body. I gasped, and my arms started trembling, but I didn’t let go. Not even when the light burst out from my hand, forming a long tunnel.

  This time I would not let go. Not for anything.

  Lexen had made it look pretty effortless, the way he’d dragged us along the stream of light. I, on the other hand, had to fight and work for every step forward, because it seemed this connection worked in two directions, and I was drawn back at the same time as being pulled forward.

  Eventually, I reached the brightest part and prayed with everything inside of me that I was close to my destination, then closed my eyes and pushed onward. Whatever had been pulling me snapped, and I tumbled forward, just managing to get my arms out in time to stop my face from smashing into the ground. My face ended up being the only part of me that didn’t hit the ground.

  My groans were lost in the shouts around me, the noise so sudden after the silence that fear crippled me. I curled in on myself, mind frozen in terror. Hands touched me and I flinched. What if I had made a mistake? What if this was not Overworld? It was actually this thought that sent enough adrenalin coursing through me to clear my mind.

  I pushed myself up, head already tilted back, so I could take it all in.

  “Maya!” Emma’s face came into view and the loud clanging in my brain subsided, allowing me to finally recognize that it wasn’t noise around me, it was the voices of my friends and family.

  Mom and Dad were standing there, faces tear-streaked, arms locked together. I got to my feet without any help and the three of us stared at each other. My mom’s shoulders were slumped forward, which is what she did only when she was exhausted or grieving. Dad cradled her protectively. It had always been the thing I adored most about them as a couple … love didn’t care about race or height or personality. It didn’t discriminate, and it had chosen well for them.

  “Maya,” my mom choked out. The paralysis faded, and I was finally free to run into their arms.

  “We thought we’d lost you.” My father’s voice was very hoarse. I was pretty sure this was the first time I’d ever seen him cry.

  I went to explain what had happened and apologize for scaring them like that, but before I could say a word, a huge bang rocked the metal platform we stood on. By the time I’d spun around, my father had already pushed my mom and me behind him. Another bang, and I realized this time that it had come from a land of gigantic trees, just in front of us.

  This was my first time observing Overworld. The sky was green, the platform we stood on had a lot of symbols carved into it, and there were three very distinct and unique lands surrounding us. It was completely mind-blowing to think I was in another world. Another world! But there was no time to really comprehend this, because something was happening in House of Leights.

  The moment the name crossed my mind, my body strained to move toward it. I needed to step foot into the world of golden trunks and ancient trees.

  “Did Chase and Daniel show up?” I murmured.

  “Yes,” my mom confirmed in a whisper. “Right after Lexen and the girls.” Her next pause was extended, and then she added: “Chase did not take the news well.”

  I stilled. “What news?”

  Her kind brown eyes softened, and I barely managed not to hug her again. I’d almost lost the chance to see my mom again. This moment was a blessing.

  “When he found out that you were … still in the transporter.” Her voice broke, and I had to swallow down the sudden pain in my throat.

  I had to ask. “What happened after he got back? Where did he go?” I looked around realizing there was one person I was missing. “And where is Brad?” I would have thought my best friend would have been waiting here all freaked out and ragey, doing that football player stance that he pulled out when he was worried. Panic hit me. “Nothing happened to him, right?”

  My dad answered: “Brad is fine. He’s gone to House of Darken with Star. They’re trying to track you through the network there. He was as angry as Chase, just with fewer powers.”

  That made me smile a little, relief at knowing that Brad was okay replacing the panic.

  Dad continued: “Daniel took Callie to House of Imperial, so she could recharge her energy, and Chase … you’re hearing the aftermath of his rage.” A wiry smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Anything you want to tell us, little one?”

  Breathing deeply, I ignored the urge to tell them to mind their own business. The absolute last thing I wanted was to talk to my parents about whatever was going on with me and Chase. Mostly because they were my parents, and also because I really didn’t have any idea. But this wasn’t a normal teenage crush. This was more. I knew with everything inside my body that Chase and I were meant to be. Callie’s words had never left me. I didn’t care what brought Chase to me. All I cared was that something had.

  Another crash, the platform rocking again. My stomach flipped and my heart clenched – he was close. Stepping around my parents, moving toward the House of Leights, I said, “Chase and I … nothing has happened, and at the same time … he’s changed my entire life. I don’t know what it was like for you and mom, but for me … it’s like I’ve known him forever … as if he is as essential to my survival as oxygen. I … need him.”

  It was as simple and complicated as that. I didn’t know him very wel
l, that was true. And I definitely wasn’t ready to get married or anything. I’d like to get to know him before we did anything too crazy. But I couldn’t deny my need – and want – any longer.

  “You should go to him,” my mom said as she turned me toward the trees. “He’s hurting and you’re the only one who can help him heal.”

  My mom was so wise. I couldn’t imagine living without her sage advice. My father looked less convinced, but he didn’t object as I started toward House of Leights. No one stopped me. Emma briefly hugged me as I moved past them, before she moved back to stand against Lexen. He wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’m sorry you were lost,” Lexen told me. “But you have proven your connection to Overworld by finding your way through the transporter.” I sensed his pride, which kind of made me want to blush, because I hadn’t really done much.

  Nodding, I started to walk again, only stopping when he added. “Bring him back, Maya. We need to go to House of Darken and track the fourth secret keeper.”

  “We’ll be back as soon as possible,” I promised. I was determined to make sure Laous didn’t destroy this world, because I was already in love with it.

  Home.

  “Be careful,” Emma called after me. “Trust the trees. They’re good.”

  Those words barely registered with me, because I was completely focused on my land. Well, on the trees. I stood right at the edge of the metal platform. The tree trunks were thick, close together, and I could see no clear path to enter. Not sure what I was supposed to do, I reached out to touch the nearest one. Hopefully at minimum I’d feel that same sense of peace like last time. Its trunk was an unusual gold, with barky flakes giving it an aged and roughened appearance. The moment my hand connected, I jolted. It felt like someone had attached a rope to my center and then tied the other end to the tree … like I was tethered to it. There was no other way to describe it.

  A rush of whispers entered my mind, an unnatural noise. At first I could not differentiate anything, but the longer I remained with my hand against the trees, the clearer it was starting to become.

  Daughter.

  They called me daughter, over and over, a million voices speaking at the same time, until it was almost deafening. I felt much more than peace. I felt everything. I wanted to stay there forever, but I needed to get Chase. Though, I’d be back for the trees.

  Closing my eyes, I brought forth a mental image of Chase. Those beautiful green eyes. The marks etched into the short hair on his head. The perfect planes of his face.

  Can you take me to him?

  The ground started to shake, rocking me back so that the connection between me and the trees broke. Within five seconds the shaking had subsided, and the trees parted. Like … actually shifted out of the way to form a path through their branches. Peering over the edge, through the gap between the platform and the first branches, I could see no ground at all in sight, just long trunks below. I drew back, blinking and breathing to calm myself. Heights were not my favorite thing, and if there was ground below, it was much further down than I could see.

  It was only the knowledge that Chase was close by, and that he was hurting, that calmed my racing heart. I stepped in under the dark canopy. My feet were surer against the branch path than I expected, and each step forward felt a little easier. After a few moments I continued without worry, the only sound a rustling behind me as the trees closed the path.

  The tether in my stomach remained as it was when I first touched the tree. It didn’t stretch or strain, but I could feel it there like a physical connection. For the first time in my life, I walked among nature and did not stop for one moment to freak out about bugs. And that wasn’t because there were none, because as my ears adjusted to the “quiet,” it became apparent that this world was filled with small noises, different creatures rustling through the branches, some tiny, others larger and more unique. I particularly liked ones that looked like a cross between an owl and … maybe a koala, those Australian animals. It was fluffy and bear-like, but with large feathered wings. It perched on the branches in the same manner as an owl.

  One in particular, almost completely midnight black, barring one splash of terracotta across its chest, started to follow close behind me. I’d turn my head and there it would be, moving through the branches, and after some time I started to feel like I’d made a friend. I even chatted to it as I moved.

  “You’re very beautiful,” I cooed, my hand lifting almost involuntarily to touch it. Large yellow eyes darted toward my hand, and I hesitated, not wanting to scare it away. “Thanks for taking this journey with me,” I continued on, lowering my hand. “I’m searching for Chase. Do you know him?”

  A small chirp of noise; I took that as an affirmative. This creature did indeed know Chase. “Will you help me find him?”

  There was a soft whooshing sound, and then those stunning wings spread out on either side of it, somehow finding the space within the tightly packed trees. Before I could blink again, a heavy weight landed on my shoulder, and while at first the urge to freak out was strong, I took a moment to calm my mind. After a few deep breaths, I accepted my new friend.

  We were going to find Chase.

  15

  The further I ventured into this House of Leights, the lighter I felt. I truly believed it was my soul that was growing … healing … soaring. Whatever essence made me Maya Anne Lewis was bursting free from the confines my life on Earth had placed on it. The bear-owl squeaked on my shoulder, a soft, gentle sound that I took as an agreement even though I hadn’t spoken my thoughts out loud.

  The trees within Leights were consistent: huge, ancient, tightly-packed. I assumed there were villages somewhere in this land, hidden away, but so far, I’d not stumbled across anything more than a few animals.

  I also heard no more crashes, and I wondered if maybe Chase had left or calmed down. Still, I continued to follow the path laid out for me by the trees.

  Galinta…

  The whisper of the name flittered across my mind, and I remembered Chase telling me about them. They were all around me, these ancient, godlike beings. It was overwhelming, trying to take it all in. Stepping cautiously, the path seemed a little darker than before. I ducked my head under a few low-lying branches. My skin felt sensitive and tight as I moved, cool air brushing across it, the feeling similar to the time I’d gone to the pyramids in Egypt with Gracie – like I was stepping through ancient air, filled with history and magic and energy, so much that it was literally seeping into my blood.

  My stomach jumped. Strong. The tether in my center started to tug me forward. Chase. I ran. Not something I would advise when you only had branches to jump across and oftentimes the gap between was large enough to get your foot stuck and break an ankle. At that moment, though, I didn’t care. I had two ankles. Chase was more important.

  I heard my name, like a whisper on the wind, so much pain in that one word that I misstepped. My new friend let out a low sound of alarm, taking flight just as I tumbled down. Rough bark bit into the skin on my hands, tearing more of my skin. My foot was screaming at me, because I had managed to wedge it in a hole, and it was being held at a crazy angle. I tried to roll over, hoping to dislodge myself.

  I groaned as a sharp stabbing pain shot up from my ankle and through my shins. “Crap, ouch.” The discomfort increased the longer I was wedged in. I wanted to turn over so I could see what damage I’d done, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get my foot free. And I wasn’t quite brave enough to just yank it out, because it was killing me already.

  There was a whisper from the trees around me, and my body tensed a heartbeat before warm hands wrapped around my biceps. My head jerked up to find Chase right before me. His eyes were wide and wild, the green dark.

  “Maya…”

  He breathed my name like it was a prayer, and I had never seen any human guy look at a girl the way Chase was looking at me. It sent my heart fluttering. He ran his hands up my arms until he was cupping my face. “I thou
ght I’d lost you,” he murmured. “How did you make it out of the transporter?”

  I had to swallow and clear my throat to be able to talk. It was overwhelming being with him like this. Just … so much of everything. I almost couldn’t handle the intensity.

  “My connection to House of Leights,” I finally got out. “To this land and … to you. I managed to find a beam of light which took me back home.”

  Home. There had never been a greater truth than that one. This was my home. In the trees. His face moved closer, and my heart was thundering so hard that I was at a very real risk of a heart attack. He adjusted my weight forward, taking the strain so he could lift me up. I heard him whisper words – not English – and my foot was suddenly free. Chase lowered himself down to rest against a nearby trunk, holding me close to his chest.

  “Are you too hurt to move?” he asked me.

  I shook my head, my face brushing his shirt. He stood then, carrying me with him. He walked along the branches more gracefully than I could walk on solid land.

  “The Galinta tell me you were running, that’s how you got hurt.” He sounded upset.

  I grimaced. “I needed to find you … tell you I was okay. The others said you didn’t take it well.”

  Chase chuckled darkly. “Understatement, but sure, let’s just say I did not take it well. I sent you ahead to keep you safe, then Lexen tells me that you were attacked, hurt, and lost in a transporter.” I tilted my head back, resting it against his arm so I could see the play of muscles in the dark skin at the base of his neck. “I should have followed my instincts and kept you with me.”

  His eyes met mine, and I was relieved to see that the shimmering light green had returned. He slowed, and my breath caught in my chest, the air almost visibly strumming between us, him looking all Tarzan and me looking like I’d been hit by a car. But in that moment, all that mattered was this feeling and how we could capture it.