Lost Energy

by Lynn Vroman

  He beat me to it.

  “Screw this.” He stormed over and gathered me up in his arms. “Whatever happens, I’m not giving up. We’ll win this time, I swear to you. Those bastards will lose.”

  I believed him. Believed him with my entire being.

  I ate while he sent Wilma another message, telling her I’d be coming there to fight.

  Wilma never ignored a dumbass comment.

  Seconds after he gave me the thumbs-up, he pressed a hand to his forehead and grimaced. But he smiled through it all.

  I leapt off the bed. “What? Did she say something?”

  Wilma’s raspy voice blared so loud in my head it vibrated my brain. You keep your fucking ass away from here, missy! I catch you stepping one foot out of a portal, I’ll kick your scrawny butt back to Arcus myself. That’s not a threat.

  Tears flooded my eyes and relief loosened my knees. I laughed as I cried. “She seems okay.”

  His dimples flashed. “I’d say so.” In an instant, though, his smile vanished. “Oh, no.” He rushed outside.

  Fear attacked my legs, slowing them down as I ran to follow. “What’s wrong?”

  As soon as the question left my mouth, a high-pitched scream echoed through the woods, terror laced all through it.

  “He’s here.”

  FLYING SQUID

  One person could outrun me.

  Tarek.

  My lungs protested trying to keep up while we raced to the source of the scream. The trees’ symmetry helped with speed, and we were able to go full-bore without dodging branches or tripping over underbrush.

  Screams pierced the air again. Tarek’s pace went from fast to breakneck.

  As we drew closer, the agitated squid shaking tree limbs, we spotted Winston holding Shaina behind him. He threw the more daring pink beasts into the river with a waving hand. Animals trapped in the water squealed until their heads fell below the surface. The squid never reappeared and silence took over.

  Tarek reached Winston as another squid flew over our heads and into the water. My giant tackled him, but not before giving some unseen command to the animals. All who survived the Protector climbed high in the trees and kept quiet.

  Tarek didn’t hold Winston on the ground for long. His big body flew through the air and slammed into the closest thick tree trunk.

  Shit!

  “Stop!” I ran to Tarek, but he didn’t need me.

  He jumped to his feet and ran at Winston for more. I grabbed his arm, tugging. I might as well have been trying to move a boulder, but he halted. His body remained rigid and ready to fight.

  “Hold on, goddamnit!” My voice cracked. Panic had a way of doing that.

  Winston had the calm act perfected, something I thought only Tarek had mastered. Instead, he looked like he could rip off arms and feed them to the squid. I squeezed Tarek’s forearm before going to Shaina, whose glassy eyes and pale face said shock had already set up shop.

  I swung an arm around her shoulders and tried to reassure her. “It’s okay. Everything’s fine.” Telling that lie annoyed me.

  Her wide eyes met mine. Recognition gave her face back some of its color. “You’re Lena, the girl from the restaurant?”

  I nodded. “The very same.”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  Where to start? “We’ll explain soon, promise.” I glanced at Winston. “But we need to make sure your guy doesn’t try to kill us.”

  “Kill you? He’s not–He’s the gentlest man I’ve ever met.” Tarek’s snort sent Shaina into a rage. “You attacked him. Dios mío, are you some kind of giant? You’re twice his–”

  “Size ain’t everything, baby.” Winston pulled Shaina from my arms. “I’m not going to hurt any of you as long as I like your answers.”

  “Well, why don’t we all go have a chat with Avery?” Tarek found my hand and stormed toward the castle. “If you don’t like the answers, kill her. She’s the one who involved you in the first place.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Winston stood by the fire, Shaina still in shock by his side. When we barged through the door with him behind us, Nicolette went into Protector mode, though shaking made her lighted suit look like it vibrated. Farren turned into total fangirl again after realizing Winston wasn’t going on a killing spree. Belva, Mom, and Jake sat on the couch, nervous.

  By the time Avery finished telling the whole story, we were all pissed off again. Except for Shaina, who stood as dumbfounded as ever.

  “So, long story short, we’re pretty much fucked. Ah, sorry, ladies.” Farren rocked on his heels and folded his arms across his chest.

  Winston turned toward the flame, staying silent. No one interrupted, none of us that stupid.

  Shaina rubbed his back and whispered in his ear. I had to give her credit. Crazy as all this was for her, she still managed to make sure Winston didn’t go apeshit on any of us. I gave up a silent thanks to whoever might be listening that Exemplians hadn’t gotten to her before Winston.

  When Winston finally faced the crowd, he kept Shaina close. “This isn’t as bad as it seems,” he said.

  A glimmer of hope, faint but blossoming, chipped the heavy stone in my gut. “How do you figure?”

  He gave a small smile. “For one, y’all got me.”

  Yes! But…arrogant, much?

  Tarek wasn’t convinced. “Okay, great. Just great. Perfect. And what, might I ask, can you do for us?”

  Winston bobbed his head as though his earbuds were in and pursed his lips. He then waved a hand at nothing in particular. “I can feel the energy you’ve collected. You got the ability to bleed the lines, yes?”

  Tarek leaned forward, his eyes lighting. “Where’re you going with this?”

  Winston scanned the room, clearly not impressed. “We do need a few more people, but…”

  “But what?” Tarek grabbed my hand. He might act calm for everyone else, but I knew he needed me as much as I needed him.

  “I got a plan, Warden.” Winston pinned Avery with a glare. “But you’re going on a trip first.”

  Before she could answer, Nicolette shook her head. “Not without me.”

  “I got no problem with that.” He looked at me. “You’re coming, too.”

  Tarek’s hand tightened on mine, but he kept silent. I, on the other hand, didn’t feel the need to. “And where are we going?”

  “To Cheveyo. If what she says is true,” he pointed to Avery, “we should be able to convince a few Exemplians hiding out on Earth who have a big enough grudge to volunteer.”

  “Why does Lena have to go?” Tarek’s deep voice shook a little.

  Winston shrugged. “He’s a True Warden. If she had a relationship with him, we need her to convince him to give up some of those rogues’ locations.”

  “And what if she doesn’t convince him?”

  “Then I guess I’ll have to get her back here before the guy kills her.”

  “No.” The fire jumped from the hearth, flames licking the rug in front of it. Shaina was the only one who bothered to stomp them out before the old fabric disintegrated.

  Before another fight broke out, I stepped forward. “When do we leave?”

  Actual respect shined in Winston’s dark eyes. Weird. “Soon.”

  Tarek gripped my elbow, tight. “Lena–”

  “We don’t have a choice.” I reached up on my toes and whispered in his ear. “Please, don’t.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to her, Warden, because you’ll have my lady here. I’m trusting you, so trust me.”

  That seemed to calm my giant some, his shoulders not as tense. He spoke to Winston, never taking his eyes off mine. “You’ll have a day.”

  “That works.”

  Tarek nodded. “Farren, you go with them.”

  Farren cracked his knuckles. “Absolutely.”

  “Now,” Winston clasped Shaina’s hand and headed toward the staircase, “we’re going upstairs for a while. Don’t bother us.”

  T
arek yelled after them as they climbed the stairs. “What if you can’t convince anyone to help?”

  Winston’s soft chuckle sounded like music and soothed like a balm. His confidence made that glimmer of hope shine, no matter how cocky he sounded. “Like I said, you got me.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  While Tarek, Jake, and Farren argued, trying to figure out exactly what Winston had planned, I went outside with Belva and Mom. They could argue over the details. I wanted to get a better look at what Belva could do with her newfound ability.

  We walked through the woods, gossiping as if we weren’t hanging out in Arcus. Our main conversation topic focused on guys, with Mom smiling every time we complained about this annoying habit or that awesome way they did everything else. When I prodded her about Jake, her smile deepened, and she said, “Sometimes you get it right.”

  She sure did, and so did Belva and I, though Farren had yet to admit Belva had already caught him. The entire time we had an interested audience, not only the complete attention from the squid, but the other wildlife, too. Even the tree limbs seemed to bend toward Belva.

  Once we made it closer to the cabin, I turned to my friend. “All right, pal, show me your magic.”

  Mom scooted closer to the cabin’s door. “I’ll wait over here, if you don’t mind.”

  Belva smiled, tying her hair up in a messy bun with an elastic band. “No problem, Jacie. But don’t worry; I’ll keep them in check.”

  The new confidence Belva exhibited made me proud. Not that I wasn’t proud of her before, but the way she held herself, like she could take on the world. Hmm. I guess she did take on this world…and won.

  Still, I didn’t much trust the animals. They might like her, but they didn’t have the same affection for me. I stood back a couple feet, though not as far away as Mom.

  She laughed, pointing up. “You’ve dealt with worse than these guys, seriously.”

  “Actually, your new pets are pretty high up on my list of dangerous encounters.”

  “I won’t let them hurt you.”

  I kept an eye on the rustling branches as the things descended when Belva held up her hands and pulled down. “Ah, yeah, thanks.”

  After two or three crawled close enough, they reached out and brushed Belva with their thick arms, almost how elephants caressed their handlers with their trunks on those Discovery Channel shows. Some that had to wait in line whined, trying to knock the attention-receivers out of the way. No violence marred the actions, more like children vying for attention. They weren’t the terrifying monsters in the trees anymore, just sweet, innocent beings wanting love.

  I couldn’t look away, even though standing this close to them made me more than a little anxious. My friend succeeded in taming the untamable, and I was in awe. Completely and utterly.

  After a few minutes, Belva’s sweet smile turned down with worry. “Something’s wrong.”

  “What is it?” I searched the sky for opening portals and attacking Protectors.

  “They’re sad.” She soothed them and kissed their tentacles.

  Relief relaxed my shoulders, and I concentrated on Belva. An Exemplian attack was the only problem I worried about. “How do you know?”

  She kept nuzzling them, consoling their soft cries. “Don’t know. I just do.”

  Oh, right.

  Winston threw at least four in the river that I witnessed. Who knew how many more before Tarek tackled him. Maybe these things were a family. I mean, why not? Anything was possible. No way would I tell Belva. Her love for the squishy things was apparent, and if she got pissed enough, she might have her new friends attack Winston. That wouldn’t be good for any of us.

  Her attention helped their somber mood. Even smaller animals came out to curl around her legs and jump up for a pat on the head. Whatever mojo she had, it helped turn Arcus into a fairy-tale land where everything was nice and pleasant.

  That all ended when Tarek came crashing through the woods leading everyone to us, including Winston.

  The squid began to hiss, not willing to keep what he did a secret.

  Belva waved a hand in the air and clicked her tongue.

  Ah, what? Now she could talk to them?

  Whatever she did, she managed to calm the animals down, though one curled her into its grasp, protecting her. Farren moved forward but stopped when Belva held up a hand. Her eyes widened, but to her credit, she didn’t freak out.

  Winston didn’t show an ounce of guilt. He watched the scene with the same awe I felt moments ago. “You controlling those things?” He didn’t bother to look at Belva; he was too busy smiling.

  Belva rolled her eyes. “No, I don’t control them. They’re not my slaves.”

  “But they listen to you, right?” Winston moved closer to the one holding Belva, causing it to squeal so loud we all had to cover our ears.

  She rubbed the tentacle, doing that clicking thing again. “Yeah, I guess so.” She clicked a few more times and motioned toward the top of the tree it held onto. After a hesitation, the thing crawled upward, growling. “Question is why do they hate you?”

  Winston didn’t bother answering. Instead, he hooted so loud his voice echoed.

  “Um, Winston? You all right?” I took a step away from him with each word. If he snapped, I didn’t want to be close.

  Winston high-fived Farren, who reciprocated with that same dumb look he’d sported since Winston rescued him. Shaina got a huge kiss, which she didn’t seem to mind at all. When Winston held his hand up for Tarek, who ignored it with a scowl on his face, he shook his head and came over to fling an arm across my shoulders. “You know what I think, people?”

  When we all shook our heads, he hooted again.

  I smacked his shoulder. “Hey, crazy pants. What the hell?”

  He looked up and saluted the hissing squid. “I think we’re going to be fine.”

  CHEVEYO

  Winston didn’t bother explaining anything. Honestly, his tight-lipped routine didn’t piss me off this time. The confidence he had was enough to convince me. If the guy thought we’d be fine, I’d listen to him. Who cared if he didn’t want to share?

  Yeah, everyone else.

  Winston smiled while people threw questions at him. He said, “Be patient.”

  That was like telling the Pope to stop praying. Tarek ranted, threatened, and even pleaded a little, hiding the more desperate pleas under insults. Nothing changed Winston’s mind. He took Shaina’s hand and headed back to the castle.

  “You all need to get ready.” He nodded toward me, crinkling his nose. “You should bathe or something.”

  I stopped, Mom bumping into my back. “That’s just rude.”

  He shrugged. But I did take him up on his advice and switched directions to the riverbank. Tarek followed, as did Mom and Jake. The rest went with Winston.

  “I think I could wash off some dirt, too,” Mom said, rubbing her upper arms.

  Jake’s face brightened. “Ah, yeah, that sounds like a plan. I’m in.”

  I sighed. A private moment with Tarek dashed. Thankfully, Jake steered Mom farther down the bank. A straight line of bushes now gave us all some privacy.

  I stripped down to my underclothes and headed into the warm water, a soft moan escaping. I waded out to the middle, focusing on the opposite bank. Though dangerous, Arcus really was beautiful. The forest’s bright colors and tropical climate had a soothing quality when not all riled up. And damn, it felt good to immerse in the fluorescent blue water and have the tension melt from my shoulders.

  Tarek’s soft splash rippled into the water. I smiled. Even better.

  I sunk into the depths, hoping the sweat and grit would loosen from my hair.

  By some miracle, the water was clear even with the fluorescent color. The little elephants I hadn’t seen since my first trip swam around, jolting me, their trunks giving a tingly zap instead of the bee sting I remembered. I reached out to pet one, but it swam away–and came back to inspect me some more. If oxygen we
ren’t so important, staying down there all day would’ve been nice.

  Strong arms yanked me to the surface. Familiar arms. My giant’s. Tarek pulled my legs around his waist and turned in a languid circle. His smile melted my heart. “Hi.”

  I kissed his nose. “Hi, back.”

  We moved in that circle a minute longer, his eyes doing all the talking. After a soft kiss, he said, “It scares me, the way you’re risking your life.”

  “Do I have a choice? Because if I do, I choose to forget about everything and be here with you.”

  He brushed hair away from my face, and then traced a finger down my cheek. “I suppose that’s not an option.”

  “No, it’s not.” I left Tarek’s arms after one more kiss to float on my back. The skyline’s shift from purple to gray started maybe a half-mile away. A reminder that everyone waited for us at the castle so we could move forward, try to convince someone else to fight against Exemplar.

  Wonder if this Cheveyo guy would be as accepting if we led Exemplians to his doorstep as we did Winston’s? Like I did Empyrean’s? Guilt festered under my skin. If I had stayed away, Teenesee and her people wouldn’t be fighting for their lives.

  I’d do everything I could to right that wrong, even risking another Warden’s temper.

  One more dunk in the water and I swam back to Tarek, tangling myself around him again. He was happy to oblige, his muscled arms holding me close.

  I ran my fingers through his wet hair. “What do you think Winston has planned?”

  Tarek’s face grew tense, all the softness disappearing. “He wants me to bleed the lines between here and Empyrean.” He didn’t say it like an assumption. He knew it, and he didn’t like it.

  “Would that be such a bad thing?”

  He looked beyond my shoulder, toward the castle. “For the plan to be effective, the lines will have to be severed.”

  “So?”

  His eyes found mine. “Severed lines mean anyone can get through, no need for Protector ability.”

  Oh. Oh, right, that wouldn’t be good. “Are you–I mean maybe that’s not what he has in mind?”