“Kasha!” Phaela exclaimed. She looked surprised to see me.
Axel was still nowhere in sight. I always pictured him and Patience to be inseparable, but I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him. Probably at The Flea. There was a nagging voice in my head suggesting a need to speak with Patience in private. I needed to find a way for Phaela to communicate my mistrust of the situation without actually coming out and saying it directly in front of her.
I conjured a smile. “Hi. How are you lovely ladies doing?”
“You seem chipper. How are you doing dear?” Phaela asked.
“Honestly, I’m okay. My body’s healing. I’m just trying to get out and keep my mind off of my desperate situation. How about over here? Have you found any new information that can help me escape my impending doom?”
“No, dear, we have made no new discoveries since our last meeting,” replied Phaela.
“Can you please tell Patience that I miss her? It’s frustrating that she can’t see and hear me. I wish we could just sit and share a scone and a cup of black lightning.”
“Sure, sweetheart.” Phaela looked upon me with sadness in her eyes, probably knowing there was a distinct possibility that would never happen.
Phaela relayed my words almost verbatim to her sister. I hoped Patience would be able to read between the lines. The last time she and I found each other in the astral plane, it was outside my favorite coffee spot. I knew she wouldn’t forget that encounter. I was pretty rude dashing off after some guy in the middle of her talking to me.
Patience smiled, looking off at nothing in particular. “Oh, darling Kasha, we will be able to catch up and relax before you know it. Things seem like they can’t get much worse, but I know you have greatness inside you. You have a destiny that awaits you.”
“Tell her I said thank you. I’m trying to stay hopeful. It’s hard to have faith in things I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around.
“I’m here to try and focus on the positive. I could be trapped in that cage of darkness with no escape at all. I figured I would just get out in astral form because I can. Lucky for me I have this gift of projection. I might just go sit on the beach or at the top of a mountain and just enjoy the view for a bit before I’m thrust back into another horror scene.”
“That is a great attitude to have. We will keep up with our reading and researching.” Phaela tapped her hand on one of the closed books sitting on the round tattered table. “Since we do not have a way to contact you, make sure you keep checking in, in case we find something useful.”
Phaela put her hand on Patience’s shoulder. “We are here for you.”
Patience started to rub her little back and gave a big stretch in her chair. “I am beat. I need to take a short break to charge my battery. Forgive me, but I have to lie down. This old thing tuckers out faster than I used to.”
I giggled a little. Phaela nodded in understanding.
“I guess that’s my cue to take off. Thank you both for believing in me.”
I WENT STRAIGHT to the area by the coffee shop in hopes that Patience got my message. I didn’t know how much time I had before I would have a visitor back at Ziona’s. The thought turned my stomach and I couldn’t bear to let my mind even start to imagine what Graven and Ziona were doing.
I decided to try and hang around for as long as I could. Who knows? Maybe I would get lucky and Kaden would pop in for a refreshment. I would certainly find it invigorating to see his delicious face. While I was waiting for Patience, I considered dipping inside to make sure he wasn’t in there.
I didn’t know how much time passed by while I was projecting, but it felt like I’d been there forever. After pacing around a while, I decided to park my caboose by the fresh herb planters just off to the left of the front door.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pearly shimmer approaching me. Finally! A wave of relief came over me when I realized she got my message.
“Patience!” I hurried to her and wrapped my arms around her. It was a strange sensation—like hugging a giant blob of gelatin charged with loving energy.
“Hi.” Her laugh was gentle and almost childlike. “It’s nice to see you too. I am glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining that you were hinting for me to come here.”
I felt a burst of energy knowing I was able to connect with her at that level. I had so much I wanted to talk to her about. Graven…
“Gram told me not to trust anyone. In my heart I trust you. I’ve felt a special connection to you since the first time we met at The Flea.”
“Aww, me too sweetheart. What did you want to talk to me about? And why here?”
“Well, where has Axel been? I haven’t seen him. I miss him too. I’m going to start having withdrawals from his random history lessons.” My face couldn’t hide my fondness or my concern for him.
Patience looked uneasy. “He is just fine. He has been… resting. Don’t worry yourself about us. You have way too much on your plate to concern yourself with us old folks.”
“I’m not sure I agree with you on that. You guys are the closest thing I have to family now. Your connection to my grandmother only solidifies that. Something just seems off when I come to your house. I don’t understand why I can’t get out of your kitchen when I come there.” I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that made me feel that way.
“We told you that is for protection. What about you? Has anything else happened to you? Have you seen Mage again?”
Patience managed to deflect my unease of the circumstances surrounding Axel.
I wasn’t buying her explanation.
“No. That reminds me. Did you and Phaela ever make any headway with getting in touch with a medium or psychic?”
“My sister put out the call. We are still waiting to hear back. Listen, what your gram said about trusting people, it is true. Be careful what you say and who you say it to. There are a lot of good people out there, both human and supernatural. You will find allies in life for sure, but the ones that are bad can be worse than anything you could even try to imagine. Sometimes it is those closest to us that wear an invisible mask of deception.”
I wanted to tell her about Graven and that I had a chance with him. That he’d already helped me. He taught me how to control my abilities and to travel in this plane. He avenged me and killed the man—or beast—that defiled me in ways I would be haunted by for a lifetime. He was, as far as I knew, trying to locate me as we stood there.
It was at that point I realized that I never told her about Anton’s death. She was probably worried about him coming back to torture me again. How could I have told her? Then I would need to explain how I saw it happen and why I was there. I hated lying or, at best, omitting parts of the truth.
The main reason I needed to talk to her was about my concern that they were in danger. Again, I wasn’t sure how to explain how or who I overheard making those potential threats. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t tell her the very person I was depending on to save me was the very reason she was in danger.
Patience’s face flooded with concern. I was lost in thought a few too many minutes. I eased back my scrunched-up eyebrows and took a deep breath to force past the hesitation.
“Patience, I have some good and not so good news to share with you. Well, you know how I’ve been getting out and about, practicing my astral projection? I made another attempt at using Ziona to determine my location. I hoped to follow her directly away from my room. But I’m still not even sure how she comes and goes. I was, however, able to focus my energy on her and found myself at another one of her meetings.”
Patience edged in closer to me with hope and eagerness to hear more.
“Unfortunately, this trip didn’t help me ascertain my current location. I did overhear some pertinent information, though. The man, Anton Leviath, the monster who stole a piece of my very existence, is dead.”
“Leviath? He was of the dragon. How? It is almost impossible to kill him. He must be over
a thousand years old.”
“I, um, well, that was what Ziona and her associate were talking about.” Here I went twisting the truth.
“She was wondering the same thing. They thought maybe a story keeper would have provided that information to the perpetrator.”
Patience eyes went wide. “What?” she whispered.
“Ziona asked her associate to look into whether or not a story keeper of the Leviath family history may have told someone how to kill him.”
“No one claimed ownership of this conquest? I would think there would be a lot of pride involved in defeating such a creature.” Patience nervously questioned me.
“As far as I know, no one declared their hand at this feat. I got the impression this isn’t public knowledge yet. She also suggested she had another idea about who might be responsible, but she didn’t mention who at this meeting.
“I’m worried they’ll come after you and your family. How many other story keepers are there?”
“Not many.” She admitted.
“Can you warn them that they’re potentially in danger? Please!” I wished I could do more than just warn her of the threat.
My eyes shifted down to my shimmery blue feet. I was embarrassed that I wasn’t telling her everything. I prayed in my heart I would make it to Graven in time to make sure nothing happened to Patience and her family. He and I both knew they had nothing to do with how Anton was killed.
“Chin up, child. Let us look at the bright side of this situation. He is dead. That is huge. For all of the things you need to worry about right now, a visitation from him will not be one of them.”
“There’s a whole lot of truth in that statement. I guess that is the good news. I’ll try to find out as much as I can. If I hear anything else, you know I’ll come to you and tell you right away.” I was anxious to get in touch with Graven. I needed to see him as soon as possible.
“You listen to me! Don’t do anything stupid. There are others out there with the gift of sight and flight. You don’t want to be discovered snooping around Ziona or any of her associates. That is a dangerous game to play.
“I have been around a lot longer than you realize. I know how to protect myself. I have seen and read enough to have a fighting chance against any of The Taker’s minions.” She capped off her statement with a less-than-innocent wink.
“If you say so. Can you tell me any more about how I can access or learn how to use the elements to my advantage? There has to be a way for me to fight my way out of there.”
I had to keep telling myself there was a way. My thought seeped out of my mind as I continued to ramble on before Patience had a chance to answer me.
“They’re holding me because they think I have some kind of power they can exploit. My power, whatever it might be, is my own to claim. I want to use it against The Taker and his dark forces. I cannot do that locked inside a black box.”
“Remember one thing, Kasha. The power is yours. That amulet that fused with you only enhances what resides inside of you. Did you ever stop to think that you have already been using those elements?”
“What? How?” I was so confused.
“Think about it. Your ability to astral project, the level of mastery you have achieved, and your ability to communicate with your grandmother who has passed on to a different place—these are things that require a unique control of the spirit, both yours and other’s. You have learned to travel quickly and efficiently; that most likely comes from your connection to the air element.
“You will learn how to control the elements to work for you in a lot of different ways. We told you not to try and use them because you do not know how to command them right now. Experimenting with the elements in a small, enclosed place may not be the safest idea. Not to mention they are watching you.
“Don’t you think if you start a fire or fill your room with water this will bring about unwanted attention? I don’t know what they are hoping you can do, but I’m scared of what they will do with you after they get what they want.” Patience pleaded with me.
“Ziona wants me to go with her, to train with her. She said if I just tell her what I can do or what I am, she will help me.”
“You cannot trust anyone working with or for The Taker. You will be in his servitude until the end of your time. I do not want that for you. His corruption runs deep. The darkness can consume you. You want to fight against him and the darkness? You will not be able to do that immersed in his shadow.”
I knew she spoke the truth. I only hoped it didn’t come to a point where I no longer had a choice.
“I have to get back to Phaela before she starts to question my whereabouts. You have a gift inside you. Focus your energy on the light and fill your heart with love. You have a long road ahead of you. You know where I will be if you need me for anything.”
She lifted her hand to my cheek; I swear it was glowing. It felt like a warm burst of sunshine on my face. I closed my eyes to soak it in and when I opened them, I found myself standing there alone again.
With no desire to return to my prison, I was faced with the decision of where I should be. Going to Graven might not be helpful, although I missed being around him. My physical yearning for Kaden was for when I must escape the darkness through dream. That time with him was like reading a good book. I was nervous about getting myself caught while exploring the astral plane.
Then it hit me… Home.
I STOOD THERE staring at a terra cotta painted door. The door was mine, the entryway to my newly rented home. I wanted to rush inside and throw myself into my bed and hide under the covers. I looked around at the front landscape and all the plants were doing well. Thank goodness I planted mostly desert foliage that required little watering. Maybe one of the neighbors tended to them.
I’d been gone long enough to miss a rent payment. It was a good thing I’d prepaid. If not, I would soon have found my belongings on the curb.
I braced myself for a surge of emotions longing for the comforts of home and proceeded into my little cottage. I was stopped midflight. I was stunned at what my eyes witnessed. This wasn’t the category of emotions I expected. My heart sank.
The house was void of all of my belongings. There was nothing there. I looked in all the rooms—not a single thing in the place. How could this be? Where were all my things? A new wave of panic crashed over me.
Violated yet again. I’d been stripped of my humility, caged in a small room devoid of light and food. Now this!
I knew my landlord wouldn’t have removed my things. Even if I failed to go back there for an entire year, my rent lined his pocket. He would have no reason to go in there and clean house. This had to be Ziona and The Taker. They would keep taking until there was nothing left to take.
The rage and anger bubbled in my core. I wasn’t about to stoop to his level. I needed to focus my rage in a positive direction. I must not succumb to the darkness that feeds The Taker and his reign. How that would happen, I couldn’t be sure. Right at that moment, I just wanted to hurt them back. Somehow, I would find a way to turn the tide.
It sucked not being able to confront Ziona about where my stuff was. It was imperative that she not know I was there. I wished I could tell her that I knew what they’d done to me. Tell her to her face that I played a role in helping take down Anton. It would be so gratifying… and useless.
Thank goodness I never finished unpacking or picked up my new bookshelf from Axel and Patience. A lot of my valued belongings, the ones that connected me to Gram, were still in the storage unit.
Crap! What if they took everything in my unit too? Sadness and fear collided with my anger. It felt like my chest was going to burst open. If I physically had eyes, my feelings would have pushed a shower of tears down my cheeks. I hoped my body wasn’t crying.
Without a second thought, I stood inside the metal box. Relief pushed all the negativity out of my being as I found myself surrounded by boxes. Boxes full of memories. I could smell and feel Gram’s essence al
l around me. There was comfort in knowing this little bit of my past was still safe.
Somehow, they didn’t get in. Fingers crossed, they were unaware of my storage. I didn’t have the unit registered to my name or any for that matter. Again, somehow I had the prudence to prepay the monthly charges there as well.
Being amongst my treasures was bittersweet. If only I could’ve sunk my hands into the boxes. I wanted to touch my things and connect with my life I no longer recognized. I needed to take a serious inventory of everything I had left. I was glad I never made it there before they took me. I shuddered at the thought they could have followed me to the unit. But thankfully, Gram’s books were still there waiting for me to search for some clue as to my family’s true nature.
A BURST OF heat blasted against the side of my face. The tendrils of searing pain reached straight across my cheek. The loud cracking sound that threatened to rupture my inner ear followed in a close second.
My eyes were forced open from the impact that I should have welcomed the darkness. Instead, my vision was bombarded with blotches of floating light and dark spots. I scrambled to try and make sense of what was happening.
I reached my hands around behind me to brace myself. I found my legs folded beneath me. Backing up against the wall in a desperate attempt to create distance from whatever or whoever was in front of me was the best I could do.
Feverishly, I blinked my eyelids open and shut in the hopes that I could somehow expedite my focus. My ears suddenly felt like they opened into giant funnels searching the sounds around me for a clue as to what just happened.
Unfortunately, the sound of my own beating heart was so loud it drowned out everything else. My blood flow throbbed against the core of my ears like a bass drum pounding in a rhythmic pattern.
I forced my lids shut, hoping when they reopened I could see again. Just as I was about to lift my hands to rub my eyes, I could feel the air in front of me moving. My sight and hearing were disjointed, but my sense of touch seemed to be my current radar.
Taken (Breaking the Darkness) Page 17