Echoes of Memories (Nepherium Novella Series Book 2)

by Samantha LaFantasie

  “I’m sorry, sir. You claim Alexander Barabbas, an upstanding citizen and entrepreneur, murdered a father? The father of who?” the woman asked.

  “Uh … A … a human. She was tied to a chair and forced to watch. Look, this woman was at the center of all of this. It was her father that was killed right in front of us. Alexander, h-he had flames shooting from the palms of his hands. It was horrible! We all tried to get out, but he prevented us. Said he was going to kill all of us because he couldn’t allow witnesses to live. Then he said he was Aagrarian and how foolish and gullible humans are. There was another woman with him. A blonde. I thought it was his girlfriend.”

  “Alexander is the air-capital’s most eligible bachelor. What proof do you have that they were an item?”

  “You’re missing the point! Besides, they were kissing each other.”

  “And how was it you were able to escape this horrible ordeal?” the woman asked.

  “As soon as the huge explosion happened, I was tossed to the corner of the room and covered in debris. I waited for everyone to leave before climbing out.”

  “Why do you choose to remain anonymous, caller?”

  “Because Alexander is alive and watching. I know he’ll come for me. He’s come for everyone that survived. Following through on his promise.”

  “Are you telling me there are more survivors?”

  “Yes. But our numbers are dropping fast. I had to sneak out to talk to you. Let the world know the truth. Even if—”

  Scuffling and a strange gurgling sound came over the line before the call was disconnected.

  Blake, Bear, and I exchanged concerned glances.

  “We have to move,” I said, standing from my seat.

  “We don’t even know where that call came from. And if we did, you’re still grounded,” Bear said.

  I faced him, mouth parted, ready for my next excuse, but Blake said, “And what would we do when we get there? It sounds like we’re already too late.”

  “You heard that man. There are more survivors. We can find them. Then we can bring them here and provide protection. I’m not concerned about the captain or my orders. I’m convinced there is something else going on that they’re trying to pin on me.”

  “Whoa. AWOL is a heavy offense, Elsa,” Bear said.

  “Only if I’m caught.”

  “I don’t like this, girl. It’s too dangerous. You don’t even have all your memories back.”

  “Taberious is right, kid. You need to stay put. Besides, what if the captain gets an update on Noah? You’d want to be here for that, don’t cha?”

  “Then you two go out and see what you can find. Scope the area and report back. But don’t let the captain know.”

  Blake and Bear exchanged a look before rising from the couch and leaving the room. Their energy changed. I didn’t like it.

  Sometime after Bear and Blake had left, I went to the training room. My body felt stiff and inflexible. I knew, without knowing how or why, things were going to get much worse before they got better, if they got better at all. I needed to be in top physical shape to handle whatever was coming. Hopefully, working out would help me think and remember. It seemed like a dangerous thing to combine with training, but it felt right. So, I did it.

  Half way through my work out, Bear’s voice floated into the room. “Ghost, trainin’ this late at night?”

  “I wanted to wait up for you and see what you learned. Besides, it’s helping me think.”

  Bear shook his head as he approached. “You have to be careful how much you do, especially on that leg of yours.” He pointed to the bandage on my leg.

  I shrugged. “It’s just there in case I mess up and open it. Supposedly, that won’t happen, but people make mistakes.”

  A soft chuckle rumbled out of his chest. “That they do. We all do.”

  Blake entered the room, pulling my attention to him. He seemed more pale than normal and bothered by something. His energy was hard to lock on. Bear followed my gaze. The two of them exchanged a thought as Blake acknowledged Bear’s look and shook his head almost too slight for me to see.

  “So, did something bad happen?” I asked. “Were you able to find the safe house?”

  Blake shook his head, looking as though he was searching for the right words to say.

  “We were too late, as I feared,” Bear said. “We did some asking around but no one saw this person or where he came from.”

  I pumped my hands into fists and started pacing. “Alexander is behind it. I know he is.”

  “Kid, calm down. There’s no use in you getting upset.”

  “Or stressing yourself out,” Bear added.

  “I’m fine!” I stopped long enough to face them. “I didn’t have a heart attack by my own doing! It was them!” I pointed to the ceiling. “I was forced into a machine that was supposed to expose my memories to them, but I fought it because the cuckoo doctor said his experiments on the mice ended up killing them and melting their brains. The Council never took my word for anything that happened. They were convinced I was hiding something from them.”

  “Elsa, calm down. We’re on your side,” Blake said. “We’re just worried about you, that’s all.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Because one way or another, I will get my memories back. And Alexander better pray I don’t find him when that happens.”

  SEVEN

  SWEAT BEADED ON MY skin and soaked into my hair, caking it to the back of my neck. My heart pounded, lungs aching for oxygen. The muscles in my body burned from use. Still, I pushed further, relishing in the pain of training.

  Training gave me a way to work out my thoughts. A way to relieve my pent up tension and energy. And if I could ever get out of Avalon, a way to face Alexander at my peak. While training, my father and Noah remained at the forefront of my mind, pushing me harder, making me train longer. Though I felt responsible for what happened to them, Alexander was the one who started it all. Stopping him would never bring my father back, but it would prevent his death from being in vain.

  It started with Alexander, and it would finish with him.

  I’d lost so much sleep over my desire for revenge. When I did sleep, the same progressive nightmare haunted me. What was worse was my ever-missing memories hold the key to the riddle of what Alexander was up to. I was no closer to regaining what I lost than I was to fighting him. Both had to be found, and I had no idea whatsoever where to look.

  Punching harder, kicking faster, moving smoother, each rotation of my body and limbs returned with more force. Each movement was calculated with care. I came to the end of the routine, finishing in a crouch with my plasma swords crossed behind me, buzzing dangerously close to my body. The heat of their energy tingled my skin. I panted for breath, feeling each intake of oxygen flow through my body in waves. My long brown bangs hung in front of my face, blown by my breath.

  I pushed the buttons on the hilts of my plasma swords, deactivating them, then lifted up enough to move them to their rightful place in the holsters on my back. Shifting to my knees, I laid my forehead on the cold floor and stretched my arms in front of me. Flashes of memories blinked behind my eyelids. Smiles from Noah and my mother. The time I rode on my father’s shoulders at the state fair, cotton candy sticking out of my mouth. The big fluffy bear I came home with on my first date with Noah. My mother’s eyes as she watched me grow from a little girl into a woman. Justin and his smug smirk at the club the first night we met.

  So many lives affected by one man, if he could even be called that. Lives lost because I was too weak to stop him.

  Every night since stepping foot back in Avalon’s protective veil, I trained. Sometimes I trained until Bear and Harringson dragged me to roll call and morning runs. Sometimes I would make it an hour then crawl defeated into bed. The past couple of days, it had been the latter. My friends never interrupted my sleep. I was ever grateful for my team and their need to protect me, even from myself, but there was no way I was going to let myself give
in this time. I was going all the way. No option. Train until my arms and legs no longer worked.

  “Ghost.” Bear’s low voice came from behind me, hesitant and full of question.

  I lifted from the floor to sit on my knees. Still panting, but not as much as before, I set my eyes on him. His brow creased with worry, and his irises were swallowed by his pupils.

  My heart skipped a few beats. What happened?

  Before I could say anything, he said, “Can I sit with you?”

  My breaths stilled for a moment then I took in a deep breath and held it. What’s the hesitation for? I couldn’t figure out if it was because he didn’t trust me or because he was worried. Every time I thought I had the reason pegged, his energy shifted and confused me more.

  I nodded.

  He approached, caution buzzing in his energy, and sat cross-legged in front of me. His wrists rested on his knees, hands dangling over them. Calm settled through him, but there was still something in his energy that didn’t seem right. Though it had been a long while, I recognized his invitation. He wanted me to join him in meditation. Nodding again, I shifted to my haunches, following his example. I recalled Bear was many things to me, one of those being my mentor. He could outrank Noah if he wanted but didn’t care to advance further than Corporal.

  Regardless of his rank, Taberious Avery was the most respected soldier both Avalon and the Vanguard had. Which was why I found it so easy to comply with him on his subtle hint.

  “Before we begin, I want you to know that we’re worried about you.”

  “We?”

  “Blake and I. It’s been two weeks since you’ve been back, and all you do is train. I know you think everything that happened is your fault, and you want revenge. We want revenge just as well as you, but you are going to kill yourself if you don’t stop training so hard. You’ve already had one heart—”

  I laid a hand on his arm, and he stopped. His strange energy made perfect sense. Trying to be as sincere as possible, I looked him in the eyes and said, “I’m fine, Bear. Honest. Fit as a fiddle, or however that saying goes. I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been.” I added a smile and removed my hand. “Besides, I wouldn’t have had that heart attack if it weren’t for that machine. I know I can’t prove it, but the Council is covering it up. There’s corruption up there, I’m sure of it. They even insinuated that Vassarious wasn’t expecting me when the accident happened.”

  Bear pursed his brows. “Did you hear him, himself, deny he expected you?”

  “No. I didn’t see him there, either. I don’t know if he’s behind it all or if he denied authorizing the mission because he’s seen the corruption himself.”

  His lungs deflated. I felt the tense reprimand I was about to get, so I held up my hand to save his breath.

  “I can’t pin down how, but I know Alexander is behind this. It all points to him in one way or another. That’s why I’m training so hard. I want to be able to defeat him when I come up against him again. Alexander isn’t playing a game to lose. He’s playing to win, and he’s made it personal. I have to stop him.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t like it. Noah wouldn’t either.”

  If Bear had reached up and slapped me, the sting would’ve been less. My heart recoiled.

  “He’s dead. Isn’t he?” I met Bear’s gaze, almost hesitant to stare at the truth of what I feared was in his eyes.

  His lips parted, but no words came out.

  “Is that why they keep refusing to give me an update on him? Because traitor or not, I’m still his compar. I’m still entitled to know his well-being. Am I not? Isn’t that why Morrigan is here and refuses to acknowledge me? She keeps herself locked behind that desk of hers … Noah’s desk.”

  “Elsa, carissime—my very dear friend—I wish I could tell ya, but I can’t. No one is getting updated. Just the captain, and even that I’m not positive on. She hasn’t shared that information. But I trust that if the worst has happened, you’d be the first notified.”

  He was right. Even traitors were given that right, at the very least. “Still, the silence is maddening. I got to see him. Once. He was in a hydro-chamber. They didn’t know what was wrong with him except for some virus that would kill his cells then revive and repair them.”

  “Why didn’t you say something before now?”

  “Ears.” It came out flat. “What good would it do anyway?”

  He sighed. “Please go easier on yourself with the training.”

  “I won’t make guarantees. It beats having nightmares.”

  “You’re still having those? I thought they stopped when you remembered Noah.”

  “Oh yeah. And they’re evolving. I’m gaining more and more memories of that night. The progression is slow. I’ll likely be eighty by the time I recall everything.”

  “Have you tried meditation?” Bear gestured to our positions.

  I turned my gaze from him. “To be honest, I’ve been focused on training. Moving and working out my frustrations. The simpler things keep slipping my mind.”

  “Then let’s have that be your focus for today. Remember, meditation works out your mind. It needs to be sharp and quick, too. Not just your body.”

  I shifted my attention back to him with confusion tickling my senses. That chaotic outline was back in his energy. I lifted an eyebrow. “I’m listening …”

  “Think about your memory of that night. Regress to the earliest point you can reach and recall all the details you can. Then push yourself to go further back.”

  I nodded, unsure about the method but not turned off by the idea, either. If meditation was the key to unlocking my memories, why hadn’t he suggested it sooner? Oh, right. Because I had a tracker implanted in my head, and after it was taken out, I had to go after Noah and Justin. Well, better late than never.

  “Close your eyes.”

  Though Bear had a deep, husky voice, there was a certain calm in his words. He always led the meditations for Avalon. The therapeutic feel to his tones soothed better than anyone else. Come to think of it, whenever I needed something, Bear was always there for me. Whenever I was hurt, he comforted me. He was like a surrogate father; a person I looked up to; among the wisest of Nepherium.

  With a smile, I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, already relaxing.

  “Focus on your breathing, Elsabetha,” Bear guided me. “Breathe through your nose, and let it out through your mouth.”

  I took in a deep breath. The tension in my muscles released. I let the breath slip through my lips, nice and slow. Bear continued to guide me in the meditation. And with each breath, I relaxed more and more until his voice drifted away, and in its place, I felt peace. I felt pulled away to a different time and place. To a memory I had once lost …

  EIGHT

  A QUIET, DIM-LIT HALL stretched out in front of me. The marbled floors were covered by a thin red runner. In the minute lighting, the silver flakes in the exposed stone glowed like tiny stars. There was something familiar about the hall, but I couldn’t recall a specific time I had been there.

  Dark maroon paneling covered the lower part of the walls with cream covering the upper part. The light that shone into the hall was given off by the large frosted glass of some office or meeting room. Alexander’s meeting room. A shadow moved in my periphery. Snapping my attention to the shadowed corners of the hall, I reached out my energy, feeling for anything hidden from my sight. No one else was near.

  Careful to not make a sound, I stepped to the window at the end of the hall. Nothing.

  My skin tingled from impending danger. The floor was too quiet.

  Something is wrong.

  The doors to the meeting room slid open with a soft hush, revealing a large, rectangular table almost matching the width of the room, surrounded by leather-covered executive chairs. None of them were occupied. Just when I thought the mission was a bust, a muffled argument came from behind the sealed door of Alexander’s office suite. I stepped to its side, careful to not activ
ate the door, and listened as the voices continued back and forth.

  “Quiet!” Alexander snapped. “She’ll be here soon. I won’t have you ruining it. I want you two gone before she gets here.”

  “When will that be?” said a woman’s voice. I tried hard to place it, but couldn’t.

  “Within the hour.”

  “That gives you plenty of time to explain now,” said a man’s voice, with a slight accent. Never heard it before.

  “In time,” Alexander purred.

  “Now,” the woman insisted. “We don’t like to be kept waiting, Barabbas. Nor are we your puny employees you get to tug along on a string.”

  “God damnit! Fine. Stage a couple of murders. Blame it on the Nepherium. Bring some fear to humans. Make them think their protectors have turned on them. Then, my ever patient friends, the real fun starts.”

  “And what might that be?” the man asked.

  “The fall of a great kingdom.”

  A few moments of silence sent my heart into panic. Had I been caught? My body urged me to run, but I ignored it. This was it. This was the information we had been waiting for.

  “Tartarus?” The woman sighed. Was that happiness or shock in her voice?

  “How do you plan to do that?” the man asked.

  “I have a mole.”

  “Then after Tartarus falls?” the woman asked. “Just how do you plan to redesign world order?”

  “By my blood. Now go, we’ve wasted enough time.”

  I was gripped from behind as a gloved hand covered my mouth. My capturer struggled to keep a grip on me then wiggled us in front of the doors. They slid open, and Alexander’s gaze went straight to mine. His eyes widened, and a smile stretched his lips with that one, irritating dimple dotting his cheek.

  The other two companions stood near Alexander’s desk, cloaked in hooded robes and concealing shields over their faces. I couldn’t get a good read on them while Alexander blabbered on.