Flux Flame (A Flame Moon Novel

by K. J. Jackson

  “What?” Skye’s jaw dropped in disbelief as she stood up from the couch in the ranch’s library. Triaten had furnished the room while they were in Montana, and because of Shiv’s beautiful mosaic floor, it was now her favorite spot at the ranch. Mary’s death in the room was now a distant memory, overshadowed by all the time she had spent in there with Shiv.

  Skye crossed the long room to face Aiden, where he had stopped by the door after closing it. He was physically avoiding her, and she was pretty sure why. “California? In the ocean? What do they plan on doing? Do they have a bomb?”

  “Apparently, they plan on forcing the magma under the earth’s crust into the San Andreas Fault, and breaking off a good portion of California. The land mass will crumble into the ocean.”

  Skye shook her head. “No—the San Andreas is a strike-slip fault line. California falling into the ocean isn’t possible.”

  Aiden’s left eyebrow arched. “You know about tectonic plates?”

  She rolled her eyes. “We did have school in juvie you know—what do you think we did all day, break rocks?” She waved the comment away. “Anyway, California in the ocean is not supposed to be possible.”

  Aiden shrugged. “Force enough lava into the fault, and I imagine scientific possibilities kind of go out the window.”

  “But still. Really? That’s not possible.”

  “Neither are beings that can change time. Or lift cars. Or read minds. Or heal wounds. Or create fire balls.” Aiden gave her a pointed look. “Shall I go on?”

  Skye rolled her eyes. “Fine. But do they actually have a half-breed with the ability to control that much magma?”

  “The Folottos believe they do. Enough to gamble all their best powers in one place in order to destroy millions.”

  Skye’s hands went to her hips. “Well then, we need to get our asses to the airfield. What are we waiting for? When are we leaving?”

  “Soon. But we’re not going.”

  Shock crossed her face. “Aiden, no. Of course we’re going.”

  Skye could see him try to hide a cringe.

  “I’m going. You’re not.”

  “Don’t you even dare say that, Aiden.”

  “Before you rant, listen. Please.”

  One hand left her hip to begrudgingly wave him on.

  “Triaten thinks he and I and Horace can stop them. There will only be a small contingent protecting the half-breed. It’s in the middle of the ocean, so that makes sense. The rest of the Panthenites are scrambling to Europe to thwart attacks there. There is no need for you to come.”

  “But—”

  “Please, Skye. This is hard enough, me leaving you.” His hands went on her shoulders. “Terrifying, actually, after the last time I left you. But I know you can handle yourself. I know you’ll be okay.”

  “You’re right, I will be fine.” She grabbed his wrists. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t belong by your side. You know I can help. You yourself said that this, this exact threat is exactly why I exist. So let me exist. Let me help.”

  “No, Skye. I won’t go. I will stay here myself, if that is the only way to keep you safe.”

  “Aiden, you’ve seen it. I can handle myself. Of the millions of things you’ve given me, you’ve made me into a warrior. I can handle whatever they have, and you need a half-breed to take on a half-breed. I am that half-breed.”

  “These aren’t some schmuck second-stringers, Skye. These are the best of the best.”

  “And you can handle them, and I can’t?”

  “Don’t make this into a fight, Skye. This isn’t about your abilities. This is about you being a thousand miles away from the destruction. You being safe. It’s what I need in order to go. Don’t make me leave Triaten alone on this one.”

  Skye glared at him, biting her tongue. “Not fair.”

  “I don’t care. I want you here safe.”

  With a sigh, she leaned her forehead into his chest. Her hands dropped from his wrists and inched around his waist, not wanting to give up, but not willing to keep up the resistance. She tilted her head up to him. “When are you going to stop protecting me?”

  “Never. Till the ends of the earth. Never.”

  ~~~

  Triaten’s foot tapped on the tarmac as he glanced down at his wrist to check the time. The watch was the one thing on his body that hadn’t been touched by modern technology. The gold hands on the black Omega ticked with precision, as always, the same since he had first wound it in 1918, when Charlotte had given it to him.

  It was on the eve of November 15, 1918, four days after the armistice with Germany was signed, effectively ending World War I. After being spread apart during the war, Triaten, Charlotte and Aiden had reunited late at night in France at a wine-soaked bistro outside of Baccarat along the River Meurthe.

  That war was the first real test of their abilities, their first real impact in the world. When she handed it to him, Charlotte had said she wanted to commemorate the experience, and that the timepiece just looked like him. She had also said something about biding time, but the revelers were rambunctious that night, and he had actually heard little of what she said.

  She had brought a present for Aiden as well, but Aiden had a hard time getting through the street crowds, so Triaten never saw what it was. By the time Aiden joined them, Triaten had already been pulled off by a soused mademoiselle who was more than eager to celebrate the war’s end.

  Funny thing that the mademoiselle’s name and face was now a complete blank for him, but the glow about Charlotte that night had always stuck with him. It was the same glow he had seen in her when he woke her up earlier. And why he had always treasured the watch.

  Staring at the precise movement of the hands didn’t stop the seconds from ticking by. No Aiden. Triaten had already given him an extra fifteen minutes, but it was probably pointless. Aiden was rarely late.

  Resigned, Triaten turned to the airplane’s stairs. Halfway up, he heard a horn and braced himself, praying it wasn’t Charlotte there to try and force her way along. He looked over his shoulder to see Aiden’s jeep, and exhaled his held breath.

  Triaten went back down and met Aiden at the base of the steps.

  Bag slung over his shoulder, Aiden stopped in front of him.

  “You’re in?” Triaten asked.

  “You don’t have to carry the world by yourself, my friend. At least not today.”

  “Good to have you.” Triaten smiled. “I didn’t want to do this one alone.”

  “But it is this once. It will not turn into more.”

  Triaten nodded, eyes closed in gratefulness. “I will not ask it of you.”

  They walked up the stairs, Aiden in front.

  “So what took you so long?” Triaten asked to Aiden’s back.

  “I stopped at home with Skye on my way down the mountain.”

  Triaten could hear the grin in his voice. “Your conversation go as well as mine did with Charlotte?”

  “I don’t know,” Aiden said. “Is that sarcasm? Because knowing Charlotte, she’s sitting in the plane waiting for us.”

  “Nope, if you can believe it, this one she actually let go.”

  Aiden stopped on the stairs and turned back to Triaten. “What? Really? How did you manage that?”

  “I played the baby card. How did you manage to get Skye to stay?”

  Aiden moved up the rest of the stairs. “I played the sending-you-off-to-battle-alone card.”

  Triaten laughed as he patted Aiden on the shoulder. “Well, done.”

  They moved into the main cabin of the plane, Aiden set his bag down, and sat on the couch, stretching his legs and leaning back. “We didn’t end up with easy women, did we?”

  Shaking his head, Triaten sat heavy on a chair opposite Aiden. “No, we did not.”

  ~~~

  “I’m surprised it took you this long to come to me.”

  Sitting alone in the middle of the elder’s parlor at Hotel Auric, Helen looked up at the two of them curi
ously.

  Charlotte didn’t have time for Helen’s judging, it had already taken her too long to get Skye. “Yes, well, I ripped apart the study first trying to find out where they’re headed to. Their plane is gone already, I take it?”

  “It is. Horace is joining them. But we will speak no more here.” Helen stood. “In my apartment.”

  Charlotte glanced around the room. The usual elders were scattered, none looked too concerned of an impending world disaster. Then she noticed something. “Where is Edmund?”

  Helen looked at her sharply. “Upstairs.”

  Charlotte and Skye followed Helen up the stairs at the end of the hallway outside the parlor. Charlotte held her questions until the door closed behind them in Helen’s apartment.

  “So, Edmund, where is he?”

  “Gone.”

  The derision with which Helen said the one word told Charlotte everything. “It was him, wasn’t it? He’s the one that has betrayed us again and again. He set-up Triaten at the Folotto compound, didn’t he?”

  Helen sighed with a slow nod. “I believe that is true.”

  “Bastard.” The word hissed out of Charlotte as she shook her head, and then her jaw set hard. “So that answers that.”

  “Which is why we are up here. I do not know which of the elders Edmund had with him. I have had no time to ferret out the traitors.”

  “Helen, if he’s gone, he must really think this is it.” Full understanding dawned on Charlotte. “Shit—this is the moment he’s to become a god—a god with the rest of the Malefics at the price of millions of lives. He wouldn’t risk being found out, otherwise.”

  “Yes,” Helen said. “Which is why I agree, you and Skye must join Triaten and Aiden. That is why you two are here, is it not?” Helen looked specifically at Skye with her question.

  “Yes,” Skye said.

  “Good.” Helen turned her attention back to Charlotte. “Make no mistake, because of the baby you are carrying, I would normally side with Triaten on the issue of you in battle. The baby is too precious. But this is an exception. We cannot fail at stopping the Folottos and Edmund. The two of you may make all the difference in this instance.”

  “We are of the same mind, then,” Charlotte said. “So where are they headed to?”

  “Triaten will know if you get on a plane at our airstrip, so you’ll have to travel to the closest commercial airport. I’ll arrange a plane. Triaten and Horace are picking up Horace along the way, so if you hurry off the mountain, you should beat them to the coast.”

  “The coast?”

  “Off Santa Monica. I’ll contact you on the plane with the coordinates and details. Horace was chartering a yacht there. You will want to be on it before they arrive.”

  Charlotte quickly moved to the door. “Thank you, Helen.”

  “Do not make me regret helping you,” Helen said at their backs as they hustled out the apartment and down the hallway.

  Charlotte and Skye scampered down the stairs and out to Charlotte’s suv. Skye paused half in the door, and looked over at Charlotte already starting the engine.

  “Are we really going? Should we be going? Aiden’s going to kill me.”

  “He’s not going to kill you, Skye. And you’ve been drinking the water. You need to get your senses back. I don’t know when those two fools thought we became something they needed to protect from the world, but they have a different thing coming. Namely, us.”

  With a quick nod, Skye got in the suv. “So what now?”

  “You grabbed your sword, right?”

  “Yep, in the back. And a couple daggers. Aiden had me come up with a quick-grab essentials kit months ago.”

  A chuckle broke through Charlotte’s battle-set facade, as the tires on the suv squealed. “That sounds just like him. But good. We’re driving to the nearest airport, getting on a plane, and getting our asses to L.A. There’s no way they’re doing this without us.”

  { Chapter 23 }

  When Horace charted a yacht, he didn’t skimp. There was only one person on the 150 foot yacht at the Santa Monica harbor, the captain, so it was easy for Charlotte and Skye to move through the shadows and slip onto the boat unseen in the dark of night. On the plane, Charlotte had talked to Helen and gotten what little details Helen did have. The yacht location, what time Horace had estimated departure, and the coordinates of where they were headed to.

  As far as Charlotte could determine, the coordinates were in the middle of the ocean, about forty miles off the coast of Santa Monica. The nearest land mass was a tiny island about twelve miles away. So whatever the Malefics had planned out there, it had to be floating. Beyond that, Charlotte and Skye had no idea of what to expect. Except for the ire that was going to be directed at them once Aiden and Triaten knew they were on board.

  Charlotte and Skye holed up in the stern garage in the back base of the yacht, next to a couple of jet skis. From there, they could peek out to see the docks, and soon enough, Triaten, Aiden and Horace made their way down the pier and on board. By Charlotte’s calculations, it would take two plus hours in the choppy waters to get to the coordinates, so once the boat took off, she and Skye waited for another hour and a half before emerging on deck.

  After creeping around several levels of the yacht, they passed by Horace and the captain in the bridge, and then found Triaten and Aiden standing shoulder to shoulder at the tip of the front deck. All lights on the decks were off, but the moonlight lit them well, showing a constant spray of pelting salt water and wind.

  “Tri, please don’t be mad.” Charlotte blurted out, having no other way to announce their presence and start the fight they were about to have.

  “Shit, Char.” Triaten belted out before he had even turned around.

  “Skye, what the hell?” Aiden echoed Triaten’s immediate anger.

  Triaten strode toward Charlotte, his feet solid on the slippery deck. “I can’t believe you would do this, Char. We’re turning around.”

  Hand on the deck rail and legs spread wide against the rocky waves, Charlotte grabbed his arm as he tried to go by her. “And I can’t believe you actually thought leaving me behind would be that easy.”

  “So you dragged Skye with you, Char?” Aiden’s anger found a target.

  Skye wasn’t going to let Charlotte get skewered and she stepped in front of Aiden. “She gave me a choice, Aiden, and I chose to come.”

  The boat crashed on a swell, throwing Skye off her feet. Aiden snatched her around the waist before she fell down. Righting her, the second her feet were solid and her fingers on the metal railing, his hand dropped away.

  “God, Skye—” Head shaking, Aiden’s mouth curled up on the side, biting back the words he really wanted to rain down on her. His hand smashed down on the railing, denting it. He stormed past her, disappearing back past the staterooms and dining area of the yacht, never finishing his scold.

  His anger had found a new target.

  Skye looked over at Charlotte, and the first real sign of fear appeared in her eyes. Charlotte had been proud of her friend—since they left the mountain, Skye hadn’t shown the slightest fear at the thought of taking on the current lording Malefics, taking on a half-breed with a power as true to the ancients as hers. But, unmistakable, Aiden’s reaction terrified her.

  Hand skirting the railing, Skye took off after him, disappearing into the shadows of the deck.

  Charlotte braced herself. Now it was just her and Triaten. Her hand slipped from his arm. Charlotte checked her own anger and swallowed the lump in her dry throat, not wanting to meet his disapproving eyes.

  She looked up, and there it was. Disapproval, and was that sadness?

  He wasted no time in tearing into her. “Really, Char? You would do this to our baby?”

  Right to her most vulnerable. Of course. She steeled herself. He wasn’t going to take her out of the game that easily. “I know you don’t really believe I have no means to protect myself, Tri. Protect our baby.”

  He shook his h
ead, rubbing his forehead and avoiding her eyes.

  “It is specifically because of the baby I can guarantee you that I will stay out of harm’s way,” Charlotte said. “I would never put myself in a position where harm could come to it. I am here to heal, if needed, and to fight, if needed. I’m not going to put myself and the baby into any situation I can’t get out of.”

  Triaten reached out to touch her, gripping both of his hands along her jaw, but it was to drive his point home. His words came out through gritted teeth in controlled anger. “Guarantees? There are no guarantees in this, Char. You know that just as well as I. Don’t put yourself in this situation. Don’t put me in this situation.”

  Another wave rocked the boat, but Triaten’s legs absorbed the shock and his grip kept her upright.

  She grabbed his wrists, trying to keep her voice even against his anger. “You need to trust me, Tri. Our baby will not be harmed. I will not allow it. But I also will not sit back and let the Malefics destroy half of humanity. Do you think this ends here if they succeed? Can you even imagine the world of terror that will manifest once there is no one to stop them?”

  Her fingernails dug into his skin, and she bowed her head, the unimaginable horror filling her own mind. She dragged the salty air into her lungs, and raised her eyes to his. “Imagine that. Imagine the Folotto’s success. Do you really want our baby born into a world they rule? I know you don’t.”

  Triaten looked at the full moon, avoiding her eyes and shaking his head in frustration. She waited him out.

  “No.” He exhaled the word softly.

  Her hands moved from his wrists to his face, dragging his gaze down to hers. “So we do everything we can to stop them. Everything. Right now, before they can even start. All of us together.”

  “Fine.” He shook his head against the word. “The boat stays on track. But you need to swear to me you will stay back. Stay back and out of it, unless—and I mean this with such desperation you cannot even imagine—unless it is absolutely necessary. And not necessary by your standards, Char. Your standards are not nearly harsh enough. Necessary by my standards.”

  Charlotte nodded.