Lost Energy

by Lynn Vroman

  Okay, I wasn’t gonna cry. “I will be happy.” Maybe a few tears. “After we fix what’s happening.”

  Did I hear a sniffle?

  She pulled away and snorted, turning her face to the door.

  Yup, I think I did.

  “Well, you’re gonna need a few more lessons with Farren before you can help me kick some ass.”

  Tension gone. At least, the tension between us dissolved, giving way to our normal I-talk-Wilma-bitches relationship. Unfortunately, new tension managed to dance in its place.

  The back doors flew open after a quick knock, and the dull fuzz entered my brain before seeing him.

  Zander.

  His face was the same as I remembered, except shadowed with a patchy beard. He wore the plain, beige clothes most men wore here, but his body filled out, making him look much older than the teenager I went to class with every day for three months.

  “Lena!” He gathered me in his arms and swung me around.

  I laughed, five months helping to soften the anger. “Put me down before I get sick.”

  He stopped swirling, setting me on the ground, and looked at Wilma. “What’re you guys doing here?” His face darkened. “Is something wrong?”

  “You could say there’s a problem or two.” She nodded at the door. “We need to talk to Teenesee, you too. We could use all the help we can get, I suppose.”

  “Well, let’s go. Teenesee’s in the upper sitting room, the one with the big balcony.”

  I nodded. “Lead the way.”

  Wilma walked ahead of us. “I’ll go find her, talk to her in private first. Why don’t you guys get something to eat?”

  I knew a brush off when it was being swept at me. Whatever. “Ah, okay, sure.”

  Zander was all smiles. He hugged me one more time, rubbing my back, making me warm, and maybe even uncomfortable in that good, tingling way. “I missed you so much.”

  Shit. Maybe I missed him a little, too. I just hoped it was my Zander he decided to be and not the one who tried to get me killed.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  “It’s good to see you again, Teenesee.”

  The Warden’s face lit up, like before, as she drew me close. “You look stronger, my friend.”

  Her warmth and fresh smell, like a spring breeze, relaxed me. “I’ve been working on it.”

  “So your Protector has told me.” She pulled away, the adoration causing her face to glow still confusing me. Why someone like her, a Warden, was interested in someone like me was a mystery. “And it seems we’ve found ourselves in a spot of trouble, no?”

  Seriously, this woman and I were close? How much cooler must I have been before to accomplish that? Another thing to hate about my past self. “You could say so. We were hoping you might be able to help.”

  She tilted her head. “You still dress like a vagrant.”

  I smiled, not at all offended. “Yeah, well, Wilma didn’t give me much time to change.”

  Wilma’s answering snort made Teenesee laugh, the lilting sound akin to what I’d bet angels sounded like–if angels actually existed. “I think I may be of assistance, despite how difficult your appearance is to endure.”

  “We’d appreciate it.”

  “Come,” she said, gesturing for Zander and I to follow. “If I am to share secrets, there must be those I trust willing to listen.”

  We sat in a circle of cushioned chairs, all in bold red and gold colors. The breeze coming from the large balcony ran through my shaggy hair. The wind plucking at the jagged edges of my outgrown style looked nothing like the romantic sway of Teenesee’s long, sleek red hair. I wasn’t sure why it made me feel like the ugly step-cousin when it wasn’t important.

  Teenesee stood in the middle of us. Once she had our attention, she folded her hands in front of her bare midriff, her bright yellow dress highlighting ebony skin almost the same hue as Zander’s. “Wilma has told me what Avery revealed to you, Lena. About the lines?”

  Zander stiffened beside me and his head whipped from the Warden to me. “She doesn’t mean…”

  “Yes, boy, that Avery. Now pipe down and try not to interrupt.” Wilma’s raspy voice sounded too harsh, not fitting in with the tranquil room.

  She gestured to Teenesee, who gave a slow nod, and continued. “What she has told you is true–all of it.”

  My mouth went dry. Reality always hurt when someone yanked off the rose-colored glasses. This problem went from huge to infinite in ten seconds. Teenesee confirming Avery’s words…well, it looked like our issue wasn’t as easy as stopping Cassondra anymore. Not saying stopping her would’ve been easy, but…

  I leaned up, and Zander’s hand found mine. “What are we dealing with, exactly?”

  “The lines were never meant to be crossed.” Teenesee paused. “Exemplar’s Synod has warned for eons the ramifications of bleeding the lines. But you see…the lines are already distorted. Because of Exemplar, energies have been misplaced and manipulated for even longer than I have lived.”

  Mad scientists. I came to that conclusion after Tarek talked to me in the spring, explaining the way Exemplians are born and reborn. But this…damn, so much worse.

  Teenesee flicked a hand Zander’s way, and when he didn’t budge, she raised a brow, making a scooting motion. Grunting, he moved over. Teenesee took his place beside me, and said, “With their science, Exemplians have advanced the human race in their world, making them capable of taking that which is not theirs to have. Energies from other realms.”

  Zander piped in. “What are you saying? They–we’re–energy thieves? A whole dimension?”

  Teenesee kept her attention on me as she answered. “They are indeed thieves, though many are unaware.” She grabbed my hands. “But you, Lena, they have unwittingly given another chance to defeat them. Their past punishment is your salvation and a true testament to the beauty that is nature.”

  A tear dripped from my eye. I had no idea why, but what she said made me ecstatic and mournful at the same time. “How?”

  “Because here you are, ready to fight again.” Teenesee’s eyes dimmed. “Unfortunately, Exemplar holds True Wardens captive with threats.”

  Fear I hadn’t felt in a long time danced its way back, magnifying the fuzz Zander’s presence had. “That’s it? There’s nothing we can do? We just wait around until they come get us?”

  Determination squared the Warden’s jaw. “I would not wait around for anyone. Would you? We were at their mercy. Until you came along, all those years ago, and offered hope.”

  I swallowed. “What do you have in mind?”

  “We close the lines, end their reign.”

  “And how are we going to pull that off, Warden? There’s a handful of us and a whole dimension of them.” Leave it to Wilma to shed some shitty reality on the optimism.

  “Yes, the odds are unsettling, but not impossible. Quite a few True Wardens have been ready to end the hold Exemplar has had on their worlds. And now that Tarek controls Arcus, we have a chance at success.”

  “Why do you keep saying that? True Wardens? What the hell does that even mean?” Zander fidgeted, his hand continually scrubbing at the scruff on his chin.

  Teenesee’s eyes glittered. “Exemplian Synod elders found that by killing natural-born Wardens, they could absorb their energy, the purest energy. If a Warden refused to cooperate, those animals would terminate them, and an Exemplian would gain control of the dimension. A few True Wardens have survived the infiltration.” She bowed her head. “And only by adhering to the Exemplian cause.”

  Zander jumped up, flinching under Teenesee’s glare. “How could the whole damn Exemplian population be living a lie?” He turned to Wilma. “Wilma?”

  My Protector’s face was pale as she kept her focus on Teenesee, ignoring Zander. “Shit, this got heavy.”

  “You don’t believe it?” Zander marched toward her, his control cracking, showing a scared boy. “She’s telling us we’re monsters–all of us.”

  “She’s te
lling us we’ve been lied to. Used. Something your Protector has already proven to you.”

  His body shook, his splayed fingers showing how much. “What agenda could they possibly have?”

  Teenesee answered when Wilma stayed quiet. “It takes resources to create and maintain what Exemplar has built. Worlds with the much-needed materials get the best energies to help cultivate their lands. The others are drained of everything but the weakest, becoming dumping grounds.”

  He made a sound between a groan and a cry before facing me. “You don’t believe it, right?”

  “I do, but you aren’t monsters, Zander. You’re pawns, victims, like everyone else.”

  “No.” Zander stormed from the room, slamming the marble door in his wake.

  I jumped up when Wilma went to go after him. “I’ll go.”

  It took a few minutes to catch up, but he could never outrun me. “Zander, wait!”

  He kept going until we made it down the flesh-colored drawbridge and into a field where a few people were digging up what look like emeralds and slinging them onto horse-drawn wagons. When he finally turned to confront me, his face was a tortured, tear-stained mess. “You actually believe it?”

  I stopped short, almost slamming into his chest. “I… Yeah, Zander, I believe her.”

  “I used to help track down the traitors, find out where they would’ve gone by studying their histories. Come to find out, people who were only guilty of not wanting to accept their privileged status.” He raked a hand through his hair, searching behind me, watching the emerald farmers. “If what she said is true, I’ve helped ruin more than your life.”

  “Zander, you didn’t ruin–”

  He shook his head and covered his ears. “No, don’t. Don’t give me some bullshit pep talk.” He yelled, kicking at the ground. “I should’ve known, especially after I found out about you.”

  Well, this I could help him with. “But I wasn’t innocent. Mateusz did me a favor, according to Avery. I knew about all this and tried to start a rebellion.”

  Disbelief skated across his face for a second before it changed to something brighter, more aggressive. “A rebellion? You mean a rebellion against assholes who knew what they were doing was wrong. Is that the rebellion you’re talking about?”

  I’d ignore his sarcasm because he was pissed, but it still festered under the skin. “If I had succeeded, a lot of people would’ve died going up against Exemplar.” I put my hands on his chest. “We can make sure we do it right this time. Make sure they don’t ever hurt another innocent person or manipulate energy again.”

  Without even realizing it, I had made up my mind. I didn’t want to stop Cassondra. I wanted to stop her entire goddamn world. I finally got it. Tarek, as important as he was…damn…some things had to come first.

  “Yeah? And how do we do that? Didn’t you hear Wilma?”

  The odds didn’t look good, but hey, it sure as hell beat doing nothing. “We go to the True Wardens first. Start with the ones who want to stop Exemplar.”

  He covered my hands with his. “And then what?”

  Picks hitting the dirt coupled with the farmers’ soft chatter in Empyrean tongue filled the space for a few minutes. What next? I had no idea. “We’ll figure it out.”

  He smiled, some misery leaving his face. “Great plan, but I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.” I went to punch him in the shoulder. “Hey, nice shirt, by the way. You look like a… Oh, shit. Oh, shit! Run.”

  In the middle of the field, the sky crackled and the wind picked up as the atmosphere ripped open, plunking at least thirty Protectors on the ground. They all wore those sizzling black suits. As soon as their feet touched the field, weapons were aimed and firing.

  The farmers turned into warriors as they flung the emerald rocks at the intruders, the green shards exploding into fireballs as soon as they touched something solid. The explosives didn’t slow the troops down much as the flames bounced off their suits, fizzling out.

  I grabbed Zander’s hand when he refused to budge, his eyes wide and mouth slack. “Run, goddamnit!”

  After a tug on his fingers, his eyes found mine and determination hardened them. We both took off for the drawbridge, the heat from Exemplian weapons whizzing past us, getting close enough to burn the tips of my ears. I kept Zander’s hand in mine as I picked up speed, ducking and dodging the orange flares hitting the ground, igniting the buried emerald rocks the farmers missed.

  When we reached the bridge, my arm yanked from its socket. Pain shot through my legs and up my spine as I fell to the glossy surface. I glanced behind me.

  Zander lay motionless, his head sporting a wide gash surrounded by blackened skin.

  I scrambled to his side, the pain in my legs forgotten while I put pressure on his wound, the hoard of Protectors closing in.

  Panicked, I did the only thing I could. “Wilma!”

  CHOICES

  Wilma raced across the bridge, her heavy body as agile as a sprinter’s. “Get down, girl!”

  Waving her hand, she swept the first round of ten Protectors thirty feet back before propelling Zander’s body closer to the door.

  I stayed on the ground, holding my hands out to show her Zander’s blood. “Is he gonna die?”

  She pulled me to my feet. “Get indoors. Lock yourself in a bedroom. Go, now!”

  I shook my head, watching some of Teenesee’s people drag Zander through the door. When a second wave came in shooting a relentless string of orange light at Wilma, I jumped up to stand behind her. The first few taser shots didn’t stop her as she waved away five Protectors and threw a few others. But the barrage didn’t let up, the pain becoming clearer on her face.

  I set my focus on the one aiming directly at her heart. Using moves Farren taught, I jumped into action, getting a running start before giving him a side kick in the knee. The surprise attack worked. His body dropped as his weapon switched from Wilma to me. Before he had a chance to squeeze off a shot, I struck him under his nose and slammed my hands against his ears. With a little help from Wilma’s hand, he flew back with seven more Protectors.

  The sky opened up again. An army dropped down, too large to guess the numbers.

  “We need to leave.” My calm tone betrayed the fear roiling and thrashing in my gut as I stumbled backward to stand by Wilma.

  “Sounds like a good idea.” She closed her eyes and touched her temple.

  “What’re you doing?”

  She kept her eyes closed for a few seconds more before answering. “Giving Tarek the message.” She grimaced. “Looks like you got your wish.”

  Didn’t that make me feel all dirty inside?

  Clopping hooves on the bridge’s sleek surface had me forgetting my guilt for about a second. Teenesee rode out, her face hard as her beauty heightened to the point I had trouble looking at her.

  Without acknowledging us, she leapt from her horse and charged to the frontline, meeting the third wave of Protectors head-on. Most stumbled, their mouths slack and eyes admiring when they stopped to look at her–the distraction she needed. Her whole body turned to a mass of reflecting green energy. In an instant, she balled the verdant light with her palms and threw it at the third and fourth waves of charging Protectors.

  Their suits didn’t protect them. If they managed to survive the blast, they lay on the ground thrashing in pain and blood. I slammed both hands over my nose. The smell of burning flesh forced me to hold onto my stomach’s contents with sheer willpower.

  In the stunned silence, with the agony of the dying and wounded filling the field, Teenesee turned to us. “You need to leave. Hurry.”

  I came forward, still mesmerized by her amped up face. “They’re here for me. You’ll pay if we leave. Maybe we shou—”

  “You must leave. Remember, close the lines.” She focused on the Protectors behind the casualties, her body creating another massive wave of green light.

  Before I could argue, Wilma gathered me up and opened her hand t
o the sky.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  She dropped us on the doorstep of Tarek’s cabin. Ignoring all the Arcus color, I barged through the door to find it empty. No point in yelling for him, the whole place was as big as my living room. “He’s not here.”

  “Oh, observant, aren’t you?” Wilma stayed at the door, not bothering to come in.

  “So, what? Do we look for him?”

  “Go ahead, but I don’t think the squid are gonna like you any better this time around.”

  Damn, she wanted me to beg–and I had no problem doing that. “Well, you can help, right?”

  “Nope. He knows you’re coming, and I’m sure he’s on his way back from…whatever the hell he does around here.” She lifted her arm. “Stay inside.”

  “Wait! Where–”

  She left, the tear sucking her up as the wind slammed the door shut.

  “Hey!”

  Ripping the door open to yell would’ve been stupid, but I did it anyway. “Wilma, goddamnit! Come back!”

  Squealing and tentacles scaling bark convinced me to lower my voice. “Please…”

  Of course, she couldn’t hear me. Not like she’d come back if she could.

  With one last wary glance at the squid, I shut the door. The cabin didn’t offer much in the comfort department, but Tarek had built every inch. That was enough for me. The bed was big enough for one person, but still cozy with a thick quilt and pillow. I lay there, trying hard not to think about our situation moving to the worst side of the spectrum. A Protector army? Jesus, it took one time for me to break the rules, and they sent an army…

  Oh, no.

  Farren broke the rules, too, which meant everyone in my apartment might have had a visit from the bastards. I sat up, my heart tapping double-time. When Mateusz waltzed in that morning… When he took Tarek away from me…

  There wasn’t anywhere to go if a few Protectors decided to make Farren pay. Make me pay. Kill my family

  I flung open the door to find squid not ten feet from the cabin. They didn’t move closer when they saw me, but they screamed. Guess they knew the cabin was off limits, and I knew their territory was as blocked from me.