Ascension

by Natasha Brown

  “Is there anything I can do?” he asked. His voice wobbled and shook.

  Chance looked at him. “You know, I bet there is.”

  Over the next several minutes, he explained the details Mac had shared with him about the mythology of the phoenix. When he was done, Jordan had wolfed down the oatmeal and was off to his room to grab his own laptop.

  As Chance and Jordan coordinated their fact-finding responsibilities, sitting side by side, Derek paced behind them and groaned. “What is there for me to do? Research isn’t my gig—I’m better at protecting the people I love.”

  Batukhan walked into the dining room and caught Derek’s comment. “No reason not to keep up your training. Maybe I can teach you a new form. Anything you’ve been wanting to learn?”

  Derek clapped his hands together and flashed his dimples. “I’ve been hearing an awful lot about bear form. It could be useful for protection.”

  “Great,” Batukhan said. “I have a few hours until it’s my lookout. Let’s get going.” He waved Derek out of the room.

  When he’d woken that morning, Chance had felt overwhelmed by the impossibility of keeping Ana safe, but now he was encouraged. It was clear that Ana was important to everyone and no one wanted to see her harmed. At least, no one at Lifen’s.

  Days turned into a week while Ana remained on the couch, reading during waking hours while everyone else bustled around her. Chance’s birthday passed without a big celebration. Ana asked Mac to bake a cake for him, but it was clear Chance had other things on his mind and could care less about marking the occasion.

  Chance would often sit near her with his laptop as he researched tirelessly. Lifen would stop by to reopen her energy leak once a day and Mac was always in the background observing everything.

  Ana turned a page in her latest book and stared over its pages at Chance, whose face was glowing blue behind his laptop. Sitting around had taken its toll. She was tired. Tired of sitting, tired of reading, just plain tired. Her joints had begun to ache from the buildup of energy. Her body felt heavy, so she gave in to its urge to rest, letting her eyelids slide shut.

  Sleep overtook her. For a time it was restful, but then her dreams turned to something more vivid and tortured.

  White flakes sailed to the ground and were absorbed by slick ice that shone wet on the pavement. Traffic lights reflected on the quiet city street. Gray on gray filled her senses as well as the overpowering smell of dank trash. This place reeked of poverty and crime.

  A neon bottle hanging above a nearby bar flickered and buzzed. The sound of boots scuffing echoed down the alley she was passing. She realized it was her own feet that were making the rhythmic noise. A hood was pulled over her head and protected her from the snowflakes that breezed past.

  The door to the bar opened and a man stepped out while zipping up his coat. His head nuzzled down into the collar. After craning to look down the street, he turned to run across to a parked car.

  Without hesitation, she picked up her pace, eager to intercept the man’s path. When she got close, her voice came out gravely and low, “Hey buddy, got a light?”

  The man was standing on the sidewalk, placing his key in his car door. Just as he turned to face her, her bulky elbow struck the side of his head. He grunted and crumpled to the ground in a heap. Her muscular hands gripped either side of his head and bashed him against the edge of the sidewalk.

  A burst of blue light radiated out from her victim and a burst of air pushed back her hood. She gripped the ground for support as the rush pummeled through her core. Lightheaded and a little woozy, it took her a few minutes to get to her feet.

  “I’m getting stronger with every kill. But will it be enough to save her from that unworthy scum?”

  While the words came out of her mouth, her insides twisted in horror. She knew that voice, except it had been altered by hatred and fear.

  Ryan.

  Another familiar voice echoed in her mind, Lifen only wants to take Ana’s power, all of it when Ana dies in a shower of flames. You know you can’t trust Lifen. She leached your power from you without telling you. They all want Ana for themselves, for their own selfish reasons. She isn’t safe with them, least of all Chance. You know his heart—it’s black, evil.

  She’d heard his deep, manipulative tones before. Daemon.

  Ryan mumbled, “I know, I know. I need more power to overtake them to get to her. They only want to steal her power and not to save her, but I do. We do. Only I can save her from them.”

  And I know where the key to her survival is. I know where it is. But we need her first. We will get it once you are ready. Almost. You’re almost there. You’re too weak still.

  “I don’t understand how a rock will help her—”

  It only looks like a rock. You should rest. You’re going to get tired after the rush passes. We need to save that energy if you’re going to find another’s powers to aid us in our crusade.

  “Yes, we must save energy if we’re going to save her.”

  The words were mumbled, but she understood what he’d said. Her body turned and she looked at her reflection in the window of the car. Blond hair stuck out wildly. It had clearly not seen the likes of a brush or shower anytime recently. Ryan’s face was dirty, but what struck her most was the look in his eye.

  She’d seen that same tortured, maniacal expression before. Chance and Markus had shared it too.

  “Only I can save her.”

  He lifted the hood back over his head and rubbed the blood from his hands onto his jeans. Heart thumping, he raced down the street.

  Ana woke to the sound of screaming.

  Chance was holding her in his arms, his forehead wrinkled in concern.

  “Ana! What’s wrong?” he asked when he saw her eyes open. “You’re glowing!”

  She looked down with a start and saw that he was right. Her exposed skin was radiating with light. Her throat had gone dry and she tried swallowing to soothe the ache. A pulsing throb pounded in her temples and a tear curled down her cheek.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mac appear in the living room. She was unsure of where he’d come from, but he, along with Chance, were awaiting her response.

  “It’s Ryan. He’s not right—something’s wrong with him.”

  Chance rubbed his chin against his shoulder. When he spoke, his jaw was clenched tight. “You dreamt about him again?”

  It was clear he wasn’t happy.

  Mac stepped forward and asked, “Do you think Daemon has possessed him?”

  “Yeah, I’m positive.” She adjusted in her seat, casting Chance a wary look. “He’s definitely not right. He reminded me of Chance when he wasn’t himself—he was talking to himself. I mean, Daemon, and he killed someone for their power.”

  The decorative glass orb found its way into Mac’s hands and he’d begun to juggle it in his arms like he’d done previously. She watched it arc down his forearm and into his awaiting hand. He said in a pleasant tone, “That makes sense. He’s trying to build up energy since he knows what he’s up against. He’s aware Lifen and Batukhan are here but not me, so that’s on our side. What else did he say?”

  A chill ran down her back thinking about Ryan’s hollow eyes and his last words. “He said that he was going to come and save me from Chance. That everyone, especially Lifen, wants me for my power.”

  Chance broke his silence and spat, “That’s rich. If I’d wanted her for her power wouldn’t I have already done something?”

  “Calm yourself, Chance,” Mac said. “Have you forgotten what it was like to have Daemon inside you, twisting your thoughts?”

  Chance’s hands gripped at his temples, his eyes squeezed shut. “No,” he whispered.

  Mac clapped his hand on Chance’s shoulder. “Good. Because it sounds like Daemon is warping that poor boy’s mind. It’s been about the same amount of time that you were infected and if you recall, he broke you to get to her.”

  Over the month she’d spent with Ryan, s
he’d gotten to know him. He may have been rough around the edges, but he didn’t deserve what he was being put through.

  Chance interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t like you dreaming about him. It’s not safe. I mean, did you see yourself glowing? This is why you’re not supposed to be using your powers, so you don’t push yourself into supernova.”

  “But I was dreaming,” she said, “I didn’t mean to search him out. I don’t think it will really make any difference in my condition—the process has already been triggered.”

  “I don’t want to hear you talking like that,” he growled. Distracted by his own thoughts, he appeared to think aloud, “I guess we can’t leave you unattended at all anymore. Especially when you’re sleeping. I’m going to have to monitor you at night to make sure you’re not using your powers. That should be easy, since you glow when you do.”

  Ana shook her head. “No. You barely sleep enough anyway. I won’t let you stay up twenty-four, seven.”

  She looked at Mac for help, who held his hand up and said, “I don’t think hovering over your woman will help anything. I may be going out on a limb, but I don’t think she’ll thank you for staring at her in the dark.”

  Distracted and half-listening, Chance muttered, “Maybe I can see if Derek will share duties with me.”

  Mac shrugged at Ana, but she didn’t care to make Chance listen just then. Not when she had more to share. Ana said, “I heard something else in the dream.”

  They stopped to look at her and she continued, “Although I doubt he knows everything, Ryan appears to know something about my—problem. Daemon seems to be telling him that he knows where something is that can save me. Something that looks like a rock?”

  Head tilted, Mac commented, “That’s interesting.”

  Chance said with a trace of annoyance, “I thought you said that Ana needs the phoenix mapping to save herself? Do you think Daemon’s just making stuff up to get Ryan to cooperate?”

  “There’s no way of knowing just yet. She does need the phoenix mapping, I do know that for sure.” Mac sent the glass orb through the air one last time and set it back on the side table. He caught Ana’s eye and said to Chance, “Say, after using her powers, I bet Ana needs Lifen to re-puncture her energy.”

  “She just did it this morning though,” Chance said. “That’ll mean twice in one day. Never mind, I’ll go get her.” He leaned over to kiss Ana’s forehead.

  While Chance walked out of the living room, Mac called after him, “I think she’s in the animal sanctuary with the others.”

  The front door shut and Mac asked, “So, what did you want to ask me?”

  Ana swung her legs off the couch. The book she’d been reading slipped off her lap and onto the floor. She leaned down to pick it up, which made her arms, legs and back stretch in misery. Stiff and sore, she pushed past the discomfort and laid it carefully beside her on the cushion.

  “I didn’t want to ask anything.”

  He studied her for a moment and said with a grin, “I don’t know about that. I’m pretty confident you’re the type of person who wouldn’t want to upset the man she loves any more than he already is. I’m also pretty sure that you have questions about your mortality and the truth of the situation.”

  His assertion shocked her into silence.

  He was right. Since she’d heard the news, all she’d wanted was to comprehend the gravity of the situation. From what she’d gleaned from Mac, it would be nearly impossible to find a being or artifact that would hold the mapping of the phoenix. He’d never seen it, and neither had Lifen or Batukhan. She didn’t know quite how old Mac was, but she was guessing he was older than even Lifen’s eight hundred years. So, logic would have it that the probability of Chance finding something was slim.

  “Chance doesn’t want to talk about what happens if I don’t make it,” she said under her breath.

  “It’s time he realizes he can’t control everything.” Mac grinned at her, crossed his arms and declared, “Time for hot chocolate. I believe you know Balam’s recipe? He never told me how to make it, said the secret was only meant for family.”

  Ana laughed aloud. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and smiled. “That’s right, I forgot Chance said you knew Balam.”

  “Yeah, he was a good man. He waited a long time to pass his knowledge to his kin. I’m just glad he got to before he passed his energy back to the earth. How about that hot chocolate?”

  He reached out to her and helped her off the couch. Although it was uncomfortable changing position, it was refreshing standing up and moving around. Once she started moving, her stomach groaned, demanding sustenance. It was a strange thing being so hungry all of the time, yet so achy and sickly.

  In the kitchen, she searched the cupboards for the ingredients she needed while Mac put a pot on the stove and pulled out two mugs. While she prepped everything, she asked the question that had remained on her mind. “So, is there any way to stop Daemon without hurting Ryan? Could I try to pull him free like I did for Chance?”

  “Well, if you did that then Daemon would simply jump into you. He’d push you to supernova and the world would be in a very bad state if we allowed him to become so powerful.”

  Ana’s hands hovered over the pot with the cocoa powder. “Is there nothing we can do to stop him?”

  “We could try to trap and kill him far away from any living being, but that might be hard to do. This is why I will take this challenge on. I have the ability to stop him.”

  “And what about Ryan?”

  Mac leaned against the counter and sighed. “Things are not in his favor as it stands right now.”

  Ana gripped her spoon tight, but continued to stir the hot chocolate. How had things come to this? A series of events triggered thousands of years ago had pulled Chance and Ana into its web. They were involved now and there was no getting out of it.

  “I don’t want to see any more lives ruined by Daemon. You promise to end it for good?”

  Her heart was anguished for all of the souls hurt by that foul, selfish being. Her friends, Chance and his family. Herself.

  He answered, “It is what I am here to do.”

  Ana nodded and turned up the heat on the burner she was using.

  “What will it be like?” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “The end, when my energy is too much to contain? Will it hurt, do you think?”

  His response took a moment to come and when it did, he spoke slow. “I am unsure. You will burn bright and hot, I imagine. I’d hope you would not suffer and that it would be over quick, but I truly do not know this answer.”

  “I won’t be safe to be around when it happens. Would it be too much to ask one more thing of you?”

  He waited expectantly for her question.

  “Could you make sure Chance is safe from me? I don’t think he’d want to leave me. Do whatever’s necessary to keep him safe.”

  Bubbles were rising around the edge of the pot. Steam curled up, carrying the fragrance that brought back memories of the Yucatán.

  “Yes, I will do everything in my power.”

  She closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma. It stirred in her chest, expanded and warmed her from the inside.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  The sound of the front door opening echoed down the hallway and Mac turned to her. “Quick,” he said, “the hot chocolate. I’m going to get kicked out in a minute.”

  Ana switched off the stove and lifted the pot of dark liquid. She poured it into Mac’s awaiting cup. He grinned, lifted it to his face and inhaled. His lips curled around the rim of the mug, gulping down a mouthful.

  “Ooh, hot!” he exclaimed. “But just as I remember it. Thank you, Ana.”

  Lifen appeared in the doorway. Her eyebrow lifted. “What are you doing up and about? I hear you used your powers in your dream?”

  Mac turned around with his mug. “I had her get up and stretch her legs. It seems unfair to jail her on the c
ouch. Plus, it had been too long since I’d had Mayan hot chocolate. I’ll get out of your hair, I believe it’s nearing my time to guard.”

  He winked at Ana before strolling out of the kitchen. Lifen gestured her toward her and said, “Let’s get you back to the living room so I can puncture your energy field. It looks like it resealed when you used your powers. Chance is right, we’ll have to keep an eye on you in your sleep.”

  “Hold on,” Ana responded. She poured the remaining hot chocolate into her cup and discarded the pot in the sink. With her steaming drink in hand, she followed Lifen to the living room where Chance was waiting for them.

  His brows were furrowed and she felt his eyes comb over her body, checking her exposed skin for an abundance of energy. He helped guide her to the couch.

  Ana pulled back and said with a mixture of loving firmness, “I can do it myself. Chance, I want you with me, not hovering over me like I’m some priceless object.”

  Chance’s eyes widened in astonishment. At first he appeared hurt by what she’d said. She’d let his over-protective behavior go on long enough because she hadn’t wanted to upset him, but after Mac’s comment, she knew it wasn’t good for either of them. She needed her supportive partner back.

  Then, taking her by surprise, he took her hand in his, his eyes downcast. “I’m sorry I’ve been overbearing. It’s the only way I know how to deal—I can’t let—”

  Ana kissed his nose, silencing him. “But that’s the problem. We’re a team, right? You’re not alone.”

  She waited for him to meet her gaze and when he did, the grief she saw there made her want to cry. Her pale finger traced his cheek. Without hesitation, he pulled her into a tight embrace and his breath tickled the hairs on her neck. In a whisper, he said, “I know. But that’s what I’m afraid of—being alone.”

  Chapter 17

  Hunched at the dining table, Jordan and Chance stared at the laptop screen. A sketch of a feather accompanied an article detailing a strange collection of cryptozoology artifacts, including a dragon egg, unicorn horn and phoenix feather.