I nod. “I’m tired of not being told the whole story but being expected to know it anyway.” I retrieve my bag from the floor by my feet and dig deep for the small metal container I brought with me. “You know, Chris, you and I are now the two most powerful Bearers in the world. This is our world, our time.” I clasp the container after locating it, but don’t remove it from the bag. I put a finger to my mouth signaling him to be quiet, then I pull out my other hand.
Chris’s eyes widen at the sight of the metal tin and he sits up straight. “Is that—?”
“Shhh.” I open the tin, revealing large obsidian inside. My powers rush from my body.
“What are you doing?” Chris asks, his voice unsteady.
I dump the stone out into my hand and reach forward, laying it on the table where it can affect both of us. “I want total concealment.”
“Don’t you think they’ll sense obsidian and come running?” He points at the wall in the direction of the main house.
“No. You told them we needed a break and privacy. It’s possible they might come check on us to make sure we’re all right. But I don’t even think they’ll do that, given how mad we became.”
“Why exactly do you have that out then?”
“I told you. I want total privacy.” I tap my head to indicate how Crimson can hear my thoughts even when I’m in a Blue mist circle. I pause for a second to gather my words, then say, “Crimson just said a couple things that made me stop and think. When you referred to me slamming the diamond into my own heart at your father’s compound, she acted as though she already knew I wouldn’t die because I had the shard. More recently, I was instructed to insert your diamond and if you couldn’t heal, I was to remove the diamond and heal you. I think, just as Crimson knew I would heal myself, she knew you wouldn’t be able to. I think she thought we’d return with the diamond in your hand, not in your heart.”
“Or that I wouldn’t return at all. She seemed quite surprised I wasn’t dead. That really upset me.”
“Me too. Crimson and Maetha both seemed a little too upset that I didn’t insert your diamond, not so much because you put yourself at risk, but because we didn’t follow the plan.”
“I think they want to run the show. They tell me I need to make the choices and bring the clans and Bearers together, but they want to actually be in charge. I don’t see how that can happen and be successful. It makes me wonder what they’re using you and me for. Again.”
He doesn’t respond. His eyebrows lower and his jaw sets.
I continue. “Given what I’ve learned about Crimson, she could have taken Freedom out at any time. She could have used her invisibility to sneak into the compound and kill him. But she didn’t. I think she kept him alive for a different reason. I haven’t figured that one out yet. What I do know is she’s not telling me everything.” I lean forward, feeling daring and rebellious, but also feeling like I’m backed into a corner. “Chris, let’s take charge of the future of our world. No more relying on getting our information from those two. They clearly have their own agenda. Sure, they want the best outcome, but who exactly is it best for? Us? Or them?”
“What do you propose to do?”
His use of the word “propose” reminds me I’m now engaged to him. If he hadn’t survived, I wouldn’t be. I become all the madder. I say, “Concerning the Portland blast, I think I’ve figured out how to get the city officials to listen to us.”
“How?”
“We need to go to the U.S. government for help.”
“Excuse me?”
“Think about it. Max is this huge threat to the continued secrecy of the Bearers and people with powers. I think Crimson could do something about this, but she chooses not to.”
“What, like kill Max?”
“Perhaps. But the question is, why hasn’t she done anything to shut him up . . . unless she knows the secret is not going to be safe any longer anyway. Why expose herself over something that will resolve itself. Max’s efforts to expose people with powers and Diamond Bearers will become old news once the blast hits and the world finds out about cosmic powers. I’m thinking if we do the unexpected and go to the government for help now, long before the blast, we’ll save the most amount of lives.”
“Calli, you don’t know the government like I do. They’ll freak out, lock us up, and throw away the key.”
“I hope that won’t happen. But all the same, Max’s blog wouldn’t carry as much of a threat if we ‘out’ ourselves.”
“No, but we’d have targets nailed to our backs. Besides, Max dropped off the map again. His blog is gone.”
“What? When?”
“A few days ago.”
“Did he get a buyer?”
“Who knows? His phone number is disconnected too.” Chris points to the obsidian in my hand. “We can’t even view our own futures to know if going to the Feds is a good idea.”
“That’s true, but think about the future of the thousands of people who will most likely die if we don’t try somehow to save them. This is our future, this is our present. This is our time. Let’s take charge.”
Chris says, “Perhaps we should just use Mind-Control for the Portland evacuation.”
“I know you’re still trying to figure out a way to keep the powers secret yet save lives. Mind-Control would work on one or two officials, but not a whole population. The citizens need to agree they should leave. If they are forced, thinking their leaders have gone mad, well, there will be a lot of resistance.”
“We could call in a terrorist threat. Create mass evacuation.”
“Remember, they don’t have a mass evac plan.”
“I know. That just means one needs to be explored and developed. We need to give them a reason to develop one.”
“I’m afraid they’ll have us arrested if we show up again.”
“We have one year to figure it out.”
“Not quite, Chris. We have one year till the blast hits. We need to make the preparations now. Where will all those people go? And for how long? What about the ones who don’t own a vehicle? Or the homeless transients? What about food? Lodging? Basic necessities? We need help. We should include the government in this.”
“But that will expose everything we’ve tried to keep secret.”
“Chris, the future after the blast is going to expose the existence of unimaginable powers. The five clans and their individual powers could be viewed as the ‘police’ who will help protect the citizens without powers. If we set this up right, the government could turn to us for help. Shouldn’t we open a direct line of communication now and sand off all the rough edges prior to the blast?”
His voice quivers. “You do have a valid point. What will the other Bearers think of your idea?”
“They won’t like it. They wouldn’t go to the government for help. But don’t you see? This may be the one thing I do differently that others wouldn’t do, resulting in a positive outcome.”
“Should we tell Maetha or Crimson what we’re going to do?”
“No. That’s why I’m using this.” I point to the obsidian.
“When should we go?”
“Now.”
“How?”
“We run and/or swim.”
“And the bubble? How do we get through it?”
I rub my chin. “We’ll have to go to the boat and take the key.”
“Why don’t we just take the boat?”
“Oh. I didn’t think of that.”
Chris takes me gently by the hand. “Calli, let’s take a breath. I agree that we should go to the government, but I don’t think we should go tonight. Logically, first, if you think Crimson and Maetha aren’t going to be watching us tonight, you’re mistaken. Plus, Crimson would be waiting for us at the dock in Bermuda, because, you know, she can fly. Not to mention, in order to swim or run we have to put away the obsidian, revealing our location. Second, strategically, which is my specialty by the way, we need to plan this out a little better. We’re trying
to fool an Immortal, whose range of abilities we don’t fully understand. We need to be stealthy.”
“Stealthy?”
“Act like a spy, think like one too. Block your mind, keep your desires buried. Don’t let on to your intentions.”
“That’s kind of hard for me to do, Chris. I have a Blue shard that connects Crimson to me.
“Exactly. That’s why we need to act as though nothing is up. We continue acting as though nothing is wrong or as though we don’t have any outside intentions. That way we don’t draw attention our way. Don’t even think about it until we’re back in D.C. In fact, it helps to focus your thoughts on something entirely different to throw them off if they read your mind.”
“Should we keep the obsidian open longer?”
“Yes. But I think we should go out and walk on the beach so we can be seen visually. That will rest their minds and confirm that we are using obsidian for privacy. Then, tomorrow, we’ll leave on the boat, a little early, but not raising any alarms. We don’t want any of the other Bearers knowing what we’re up to either. We aren’t only outing ourselves, we’re revealing an entire underground group and clans of superpowers to the very source that has hunted us down relentlessly.”
“Yes. Things are going to change.”
Chapter Fourteen - The Backup Guy
We keep the obsidian open and walk down to the beach together. The moonlight illuminates the white surf, giving the illusion the water glows. The closer we get to the other buildings the more ambient lighting reflects our way.
I fidget with my ring and realize this wonderful night has completely changed. It started with a birthday party and well wishes, then a proposal and diamond insertion, and now a plot against my superiors . . . so to speak. All this in a matter of hours. I haven’t even shared the news about our engagement with anyone.
“Chris, let’s go tell my parents about our engagement.”
“Good idea.”
We walk along the lighted pathways and approach my parents’ bungalow. They are sitting outside at a patio table.
My father says, “Well, there’s the birthday girl.” They both stand and welcome us with open arms. I consider that they have no clue what I’ve been through tonight since dinner.
“Oh look, Allan, she’s wearing the ring!” Beaming ear to ear, my mother reaches out and takes my hand, angling my fingers to get a better look.
I look down at my hand, then back to my mom. “Did you already know I’d be getting a ring this weekend?” I say.
“I hoped you would.”
My father pats Chris on the back as my mother admires the ring.
My mother asks, “Were you surprised, Calli?”
“Yes.”
“He asked for your hand a while ago,” my father says. “I’ve been waiting to hear he proposed.”
I glance over to Chris who has a sheepish grin. “How did you keep me from finding out what you were about to do? I didn’t sense it in your behavior or actions at all.”
Chris winks at me and replies, “I purposefully never thought about proposing in case you read my thoughts. Sometimes it’s necessary to not think about something to succeed at completing the task.”
I know he’s giving me a hint about how to close off my mind. Because the obsidian is still open, I haven’t had to close off my thoughts yet. But soon, we’ll have to put it away. I’d better put all my focus on the engagement and the ring so when Crimson is able to connect with my mind, she won’t be aware of our intentions to betray her.
We stay with my parents for a little while longer, then begin walking back to my bungalow.
“We’re going to have to put the obsidian away at some point, Calli,” Chris says.
“I know,” I say, wondering if I’ll be able to keep my mind clear enough to throw off the others from knowing our intentions.
“Besides, I miss my powers.” Chris squeezes my hand.
Jonas pops out of the bushes intercepting our path. “I need to talk to you two,” he whispers, then motions for us to follow him. He leads us to my bungalow. All along the way, I consider how using the obsidian prevented us from knowing he was nearby. Should we be alarmed?
Reaching my bungalow and the illumination from the light by the front door, Jonas faces us. He extends his hand revealing he’s holding what looks like obsidian. Of course, I can’t tell for sure because I currently have obsidian sucking out my powers.
Jonas says, “I don’t know how to say this carefully, so I’m just going to blurt it out. I was told you two were going to have a fight and breakup tonight.”
“Huh?” I say, but it comes out as just a sound, not a word. I glance at Chris. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”
Chris doesn’t respond.
Jonas continues. “You two were supposedly going to fight tonight and break up. I was told earlier today to be ready because Calli would need comforting.”
“What?” I squawk, trying to keep my voice down. My mind fills with Jonas’s awkward offer of support earlier. I turn to Chris and ask, “Why would they think that?”
Chris lets out an exhale, rubs the back of his neck and says, “Probably because all day I’ve kept an issue at the front of my mind and stewed on it as if it’s really bothering me and that I was going to talk to you about it tonight. If I had, you and I would have fought.”
“What issue?” I ask, feeling confused and worried at the same time.
“Uh, no. I’m not going to say because it’s not really an issue. I only treated it like one to trick you in case you tried peeking into my mind. I didn’t want you to see my plans to propose to you. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but it’s hard to surprise a Diamond Bearer. That’s why I proposed before the diamond insertion.”
Jonas adds, “Well, you certainly surprised Maetha and Crimson.”
Relief sweeps over me. “You had the jump on me, too.” And yet, I’m a little bothered by his mention of a “not really an issue” issue.
“Wait!” Jonas shakes his head, then points to Chris. “Did you just say you proposed to her?”
“Yeah.”
I hold up my left hand. Jonas opens his eyes wide as he admires the ring. I ask, “So, who told you we were going to fight?”
“Maetha. The future showed you’d be distraught and I’d comfort you.”
“I bet,” Chris scoffs. I’m pretty sure I can hear his eyes roll.
“As a friend, of course,” Jonas adds, speaking directly to Chris. “But . . . well, there’s more. When you two left the group after dinner, before well, you know, I overheard Maetha say Calli had at least achieved the desired level of healing needed for the task, and that whatever happened between you and Calli tonight didn’t matter. Then after a while, your diamond sent out the message you’d died, and I wanted to come to you, but they stopped me.” He turns to me and says, “That’s why I didn’t come help, Calli. They said it was nature’s will.” He looks at Chris. “The power removing machine must have affected you in such a way that you couldn’t heal yourself, that’s what they said. But I could tell they were absolutely confused about your diamond being inserted instead of you two having the fight they foresaw.”
“Are you saying they stopped you from coming to help and they chose not to help either?” My heart races against my ribs as I become angrier than I’ve ever been. I truly was all alone in saving Chris! Anger turns to tears and I say to Chris, “I almost lost you thinking they’d come help.” I head toward the beach, my throat constricting and tears burning my eyes.
“Calli,” Chris calls. I hear him approaching. “Calli. Stop, please.” He puts a gentle hand on my shoulder.
I stop and turn into his embrace. Tears overflow for the second time in a matter of hours. This is so not like me. I’m usually in control of my emotions, level-headed, and thinking clearly. But not today. I can’t access my healing ability, perhaps that’s why I’m a wreck right now.
“I’m sorry, Calli. I shouldn’t have messed with the natural order of th
ings.”
I wipe my eyes and look up at him.
He adds. “I screwed up.”
“Why are you blaming yourself?”
“I didn’t let you insert the diamond. I put you in a situation that was almost devastating. I should have let you insert it.”
Jonas arrives at our side, having overheard, obviously. “That wouldn’t have mattered Chris. When your diamond strummed without an owner, they thought Calli had inserted it, not you. When you showed up, alive, and a full Bearer, Crimson froze my tongue so I couldn’t question you further.”
Chris says, “I don’t understand. They thought Calli inserted the diamond but they figured I would die?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
He drops his hold on my body and steps back. The moonlight casts blue-grey shadows under his cheekbones giving him a stern look. I wish I could read his mind.
Jonas points to Chris. “You changed the future.”
“Good or bad?” I ask.
“They didn’t say. But they weren’t happy. So, I guess that means bad.”
Chris says, “They’re upset I became a full Bearer.”
Jonas swallows hard, looks at me, then Chris. “No. You’re not hearing me, Chris. They’re upset because you lived.”
My eyes fly between Jonas and Chris, my gut twists painfully wondering what Chris is thinking.
“I was supposed to die?”
“Yeah, but, you didn’t, thanks to Calli. Which, by the way, really freaked Maetha and Crimson out. You should have heard them squabble after you guys left, and then when you went dark with obsidian—wow. They came unglued. They said things . . . ” he pauses, chews on his bottom lip for a second while he looks at me. “Anyway, I grabbed my obsidian from my hut and went dark too. I needed to think some things through without them in my head.”
Chris’s mouth pinches tight, his eyebrows scrunch. “What did they say?”
Jonas looks at his feet and shoves his hands into his pockets. His voice drops to barely more than a whisper. “Calli harnessed electricity and shocked you back to life. That was what bothered them the most.”
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