Run To Earth (Power of Four)

by Mazhar, S

  “It’s okay, Rose, it’s okay,” Aaron said, his voice trembling just as badly as his hands. “You’re gonna be okay. You’ll be okay.” He raised his head, his vision fast blurring with tears. He had no idea how far the Gate was. “Hang on, Rose, hang on,” he told her. “You’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay.” He reached for his pendants, for the two marks that would connect him straight to Scott. His hand fumbled at his neck but all he could feel was his ripped top and shirt. Aaron pulled at his clothes, searching desperately for the silver necklaces. There was nothing there.

  His hands trailed down to the three cuts in his clothes and, with a sickening lurch, Aaron realised he must have lost his pendants in the hell hound attack. The razor sharp claws must have sliced through the chains. His two marks were gone, left behind in G-14.

  Rose let out a choked cry of agony. Her breathing was becoming increasingly strained. Her hands were covered in blood. Aaron pulled off his jacket and then practically tore off his zipped jumper. He scrunched it up and held it against the cut, trying to slow the bleeding. Rose gasped in great, heaving breaths.

  Aaron desperately looked around. The hell hound could come back at any time. He couldn’t leave Rose here and run for help, and he couldn’t carry her either. Something at the back of his mind told him not to move her. She was bleeding badly. He could do more damage than good by dragging her out of here. If only he knew of some way to get to Armana...Aaron paused, rooted in sheer terror when he remembered Armana could do nothing for Rose. Empaths could heal mages, not humans. Aaron gathered Rose in his arms, one hand still pressed down on the cut, willing the bleeding to stop. Rose groaned, breathless with pain.

  “Stay with me, Rose. Just...just stay with me,” Aaron said, trying to figure out a plan, a way to save his best friend.

  He looked down at her. Beads of perspiration had gathered on her brow, pain evident in every tight line of her face as she struggled to take in a deep breath. Her panting became faster, growing shallower.

  Aaron looked up in sheer desperation. “Kyran!” he screamed, knowing perfectly well Kyran was still in the other zone and couldn’t hear him, but in his moment of utter panic, Kyran was the only one he could think of calling out to. “Help me! Please! Help me!”

  “A-Aaron,” Rose gasped. “Aaron...S-Sam...Sam!”

  Aaron turned his head, his gaze darting to the slumped figure lying at the foot of the tree.

  “Sam!” he yelled, his voice breaking. “Sammy! Sam!”

  Sam didn’t move. Aaron wanted to put Rose down and to run to Sam, to shake him awake. Maybe Sam would know how to help, would know some kind of first aid that Aaron was clueless about. But Aaron couldn’t put Rose down. His arms refused to uncurl from around her. He could feel her body tensing. She sucked in a breath, trying desperately to hold herself together, but tears were already leaking from behind her tightly shut eyes. Her moans were getting louder, the agony making her writhe in his arms. Her blood had spilt past her hands and pooled on the forest ground.

  “Aaron,” she moaned, choking her words out. “Help me...p-please!”

  Aaron gripped her tighter, his heart racing as tears rolled down his cheeks.

  “You’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay,” Aaron comforted. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you,” he promised. “You’re gonna be okay.” His eyes closed and in his mind, he screamed for help again – for Kyran, for anyone.

  The sound of pounding footsteps behind him made Aaron snap around quickly. He reached for his gun and aimed, but even though tears had blurred his vision, he still made out Kyran’s form racing towards him.

  “Rose!” Kyran yelled, falling to his knees at her side, opposite Aaron. His wide green eyes met Aaron’s with so much panic and worry it hit Aaron like a physical blow. He had never thought he would see Kyran – too-cool-to-panic Kyran – look so terrified.

  “Rose? Hey? Hey, look at me,” Kyran called, reaching out to her. As soon as his hands touched her cheek, Rose opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused and bright with pain. Kyran looked to the bloodied jumper at Rose’s side. He reached out, pushing it away. “Let me see.”

  Pulling the top away, Aaron got a proper look at the wound too – a large cut, just under her ribs. It was horribly deep, and still oozing blood. Aaron wasn’t sure, but he though he saw a glimpse of her rib bone. Aaron quickly covered the cut again, applying pressure to it, trying to stem the blood flow. Rose gasped and groaned, coming out of her shock at the sensation of pain.

  “S-Sam...” she called out again.

  “It’s okay,” Kyran said, his worried gaze darting to her face. “Just lie still, Rose. Don’t move.”

  Rose gripped at her side, desperate whimpers escaping her.

  “K-Kyran.” She held out a bloodstained hand, which Kyran took at once. “H-help me, please,” she begged. “I-I don’t w-want to...to die–”

  “You’re not going to die,” Kyran said. “I promise you, Rose. You’re going to be fine.” He leant down, one hand gripped in hers while the other caressed her cheek. “Rose, hey? Look at me. Look at me, Rose,” he said, as she squeezed her eyes shut. Rose painfully met his gaze, and he moved closer, his hand still on her cheek. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he repeated, looking her straight in the eyes. “Believe me, Rose,” he whispered. “Believe me.” He leant down and captured her lips in a kiss.

  Aaron was taken by complete surprise. By the kiss and the sudden sound of several hurrying footsteps heading their way. He saw Scott, looking pale with worry, running towards him with a group of mages. From the shouts behind Aaron, he figured the other Hunters had passed through the portal and were running this way too.

  Kyran pulled away from the kiss with a groan and fell back. Scott managed to catch him, just before Kyran could hit the ground. Rose sat up suddenly, gasping. Her eyes were wide and fixed on Kyran who had paled to the hue of a ghost. A sheen of sweat gleamed on his face and his eyes were clouding with pain.

  “Are you okay?” Mary asked, coming to Rose’s side. “Rose? Rose, you okay?”

  Rose looked down at her side, at her ripped top. Her clothes and skin were still stained with blood but the hideous cut was gone. There was no sign of it – as if it had never happened. She looked over at Kyran, at his hands which were pressed against his side, just below his ribs, where a dark stain had started to appear.

  ***

  It was half an hour later when Aaron got to fully understand what had happened. After the Empaths had healed the small cuts on Aaron’s back, they left to attend to the other Hunters’ minor injuries and, of course, Kyran’s pretty serious condition. Aaron paced the bright hallway, outside the Empath’s rooms, waiting for news on Kyran. Sam, still a little groggy from his head injury, was sitting on the sofa, Rose by his side. Ella appeared, coming out of one of the private rooms.

  “How you feeling?” she asked Aaron.

  “Fine,” Aaron replied quickly. “Where’s Kyran? Is he okay?”

  Rose got up from Sam’s side and hurried towards Ella, anxious and worried.

  “He’s fine,” Ella said.

  Aaron felt an immense weight lift from his chest, making it easier to breathe again. “What was that?” he asked. “What did Kyran do?”

  Ella glanced to Rose, before looking back at Aaron.

  “It’s called a transfer,” she said. “Empaths can’t cure humans, but mages can sometimes take the injury of a human onto themselves,” she explained. “It doesn’t work all the time. I think the basis is that as long as the injury doesn’t prove fatal to the mage, they can transfer it onto themselves.”

  “Fatal?” Aaron asked. “It looked pretty bad to me.” He glanced to Rose. He had honestly thought he was going to lose his friend today.

  “Mages are different, Aaron,” Ella reminded. “What proves fatal to humans isn’t so for mages. That cut could have killed Rose. She would have bled out in a matter of hours. But for Kyran, it’s different. He took on her injury because h
e was strong enough.” She smiled and shook her head. “I can’t believe Kyran did a transfer. No one likes doing those things.”

  “I still can’t believe he kissed you,” Aaron said, turning to Rose.

  What?” Sam stirred out of his headache-induced silence. His eyes narrowed at Aaron. “What'd you say? Kyran kissed Rose?”

  “Glad you weren't awake to see that, eh Sammy?” Ella teased with a small smile.

  Sam wasn't amused. He tried to get up and then groaned. He had hit his head against a tree, he had to be gentle with his movements. “He kissed you?” he asked Rose.

  Rose shook her head, closing her eyes. “Obviously he did it for that...transfer thing,” she mumbled. She looked over at Ella to see her confused expression. “What?” She narrowed her eyes. “What is it?”

  “Nothing,” Ella said. “It’s just...” She paused. “You don’t need to kiss for the transfer to work,” she explained. “As long as you have flesh-to-flesh contact, the transfer will work. You could hold hands, touch the face, neck – any exposed area,” she said, “but you don’t have to necessarily kiss.”

  Rose stared at her, first in disbelief, and then with a small, embarrassed smile.

  ***

  Aaron knocked on the door of the Empath private room, before pushing it open. Kyran was inside, in the process of pulling on his shirt. Aaron paused in the doorway, his gaze darting to Kyran’s stomach and sides. There was no mark on him. The transfer hadn’t left any scars, just like any other injury for a mage.

  Aaron found the four silver lines on the back of Kyran’s hand wasn’t the only tattoo he sported. He had a black circle inked on the left side of his chest. Aaron wasn’t sure if the slight red tinge around it was part of the tattoo or just a skin reaction. Regardless, it was the simplest tattoo he had seen around here, perhaps that's why he found he liked it.

  “Nice tat,” he remarked.

  Kyran only smiled and buttoned up his shirt, which was still stained. “Empaths had a look at you?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Aaron replied. “All healed.”

  “Good.”

  Aaron paused, before stepping into the room. “Kyran,” he started, “I don’t even know what to say–”

  “Then don’t say anything,” Kyran said.

  “I need to,” Aaron said. “I owe you, for saving Rose’s life.”

  Kyran gave him a look. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “You don’t know what you did today, how much it means to me,” Aaron said. “Rose and Sam, they’re my best friends. I’ve known them all my life. They stuck by me when no one else would.” His voice dipped and Aaron had to force himself to go on. “Because of me, they’re stuck here in this realm. My friendship cost them everything and not once have they taken their anger out on me.” He met Kyran’s eyes. “What happened today, when Rose was...” He couldn’t repeat it, those awful few minutes when he had held his bleeding friend in his arms, fearing that there was nothing he could do to help her. “I thought I was going to lose her,” he admitted. “I didn’t know what to do, how to help her. If you hadn’t come–”

  “Ace,” Kyran interrupted, turning to face him. “As long as I’m around, nothing’s gonna happen to Rose,” he said. “Or Sam.” He paused. “Or you.”

  Aaron stared at him, lost as to what he could say to that. Kyran simply moved towards the bed and picked up his jacket, slipping it on.

  “Where you going?” Aaron asked, surprised and a little nervous. Kyran had fought a pack of hell hounds, literally just recovered from a horrible injury, and was now heading back out again.

  “To get Lexi,” Kyran replied. “She’s still in G-14. I can’t leave her out there all night.”

  He moved past Aaron and came into the hallway but stopped at the sight of Rose, who was helping Sam stand up so they could leave the Empaths building. Both paused, staring at the other. Rose opened her mouth to speak but Kyran shook his head, smiling at her.

  “You alright, Sam?” he asked instead.

  Sam groaned, holding his head. “Define alright.”

  Kyran chuckled and stepped past them.

  “Hey,” Aaron called, halting Kyran. “I meant to ask – how did you know where we were?”

  Kyran frowned. “What d’you mean?”

  “How did you know we had jumped back through the portal?” Aaron asked.

  Kyran looked at him as if he were mad. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “You’re wearing my mark. I could hear you calling me.”

  Aaron stilled for a moment before nodding at him. “Right, yeah, sorry. Forgot about that.”

  Kyran shook his head at him and turned, heading out the door. Aaron watched him go, waiting for the door to close before meeting Sam and Rose’s eyes. Without a word, Aaron reached for his top and tugged it down, revealing his bare chest.

  “Your pendants?” Rose asked with surprise. “Where’d they go?”

  “I lost them,” Aaron said. “When that hell hound attacked me, its claws ripped my clothes. It must have caught the chains too and snapped them.”

  Sam and Rose stared at him.

  “But that hell hound attacked you before you jumped into the portal,” Rose said. “So how did Kyran know where you were, or that you needed help?”

  “Exactly,” Aaron replied, feeling his heart leap uncomfortably. How did Kyran hear his cries for help when he didn’t have the pendant acting as a link between them?

  30

  Epic Love

  That night, even though they were beyond tired, Aaron, Rose and Sam couldn’t sleep. They lay on their beds, talking to each other. Kyran still wasn’t back with Lexi yet, so Aaron could talk without the fear of being overheard.

  “Tell me I’m crazy,” he said, “but isn’t it weird that Kyran heard me calling for him without the necklace?”

  “You are crazy,” Sam replied, “but you’re also right. It doesn’t make sense how Kyran knew where we were without having the pendant to guide him.”

  “I heard Ella talking to Armana,” Rose said. “She said Kyran called for Scott before jumping through the portal, telling him to come to the forest. So he definitely heard Aaron when he was in that other zone, but I don’t get how that’s possible without the pendants.”

  “Kyran said he heard you calling for him.” Sam faltered for a moment. “Did you call for him?”

  “Yeah,” Aaron replied.

  “Why?” asked Sam.

  Aaron paused, thrown by the question. “What d’you mean?”

  “Why did you call to Kyran when you knew he wasn’t there?” Sam asked.

  “To be honest, I don’t know,” Aaron replied. “I panicked. I didn’t really think about it. Kyran’s name just sort of popped into my head and I called for him.”

  Rose and Sam were quiet for a moment.

  “So it was, like, an instinct to call to Kyran for help?” Rose asked.

  “Yeah, sort off,” Aaron replied.

  “What is it about him?” Sam asked. “You had dreams about him before you even met him. You listen to him more than any other mage. You take his crap–”

  “Hey, hey,” Aaron interrupted. “What’re you talking about? What crap?”

  “Come on, Aaron,” Sam said and his tone had a bite to it. “Kyran ridicules you, teases you, hell, even threatens you and you shrug it off with a grin.”

  “It’s not like that,” Aaron argued. “I know Kyran doesn’t mean it.”

  “How? How do you know what he means?” Sam asked, sounding annoyed. “You’ve known him what, a few months? How is it you know him so well that you know what he means?”

  “You can tell,” Aaron replied. “When Skyler makes fun, he’s malicious and mean about it. Kyran’s more playful.”

  “Yeah, when compared to Skyler, Kyran’s a freaking saint,” Sam said. “But when you look at how he treats you on its own, it’s a different story.”

  “I think you’re just overprotective,” Rose chided Sam. “Kyran’s not mean. He’s j
ust a strict teacher, that’s all.”

  Aaron found himself grinning. “A little biased there, Rose?”

  “He just saved my life today,” Rose said. “Forgive me for being a little defensive of him.”

  “Yeah, that’s it,” Aaron teased. “It’s because he saved your life that you’re defending him. It’s not because you like him or anything.”

  Rose didn’t say anything.

  “At least you know one thing,” Aaron started, propping himself up on one arm, facing her in the dark. “Kyran likes you.”

  “Please,” Rose dismissed, but Aaron could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Come on,” Aaron said. “He kissed you when he didn’t have to.”

  “Can we not talk about that?” Sam said, disgust thick in his voice. “I’m pretending that didn’t happen. That it’s just something my concussed mind came up with.”

  Aaron and Rose ignored him.

  “You like him too, Rose,” Aaron said.

  “What makes you say that?” she asked.

  “I have eyes.” Aaron grinned. “I can see the way you look at him.”

  “What d’you mean?” Sam asked. “I’ve not seen anything.”

  “That’s because you’re too busy gawking at Ella,” Aaron replied.

  Sam grunted. “I don’t gawk.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes. “Fine. You stare at her without blinking,” he revised. “Why don’t you just ask her out?”

  “Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” Sam said dryly. “First thing in the morning, right after the unicorns fly overheard, shooting rainbows out of their backsides.”

  “Sam,” Aaron chided. “Why won’t you ask her out?”

  “You lost your mind?” Sam asked. “If she was a girl at Westbridge, I’d ask her out in a heartbeat, but this is Ella – the mage, the freaking Elemental,” he said. “She could probably drown me with nothing more than a blink.”

  “Yeah,” Aaron agreed, “she probably could. So you’re just going to harbour feelings for her but not ever ask her out?”

  “Pretty much,” Sam sighed.

  “Good,” Rose said. “’Cause Ella’s way out of your league.”