by Mazhar, S
“All the Elementals back in one realm,” Patrick said with a chuckle. “Times are changing indeed.”
“Ace!”
Aaron turned at Kyran’s yell, to see him standing with Zulf, at the foot of the path that led towards the orchard.
“Yeah?” he called back.
“Get over here and show Zulf your ground split,” Kyran said.
Zulf continued to shake his head in denial.
Aaron turned back around with a grin. “He can’t stop showing off that he taught me that,” he said.
“Proud teacher,” Sam smirked.
“I’ll see you later,” Aaron told Sam, and started getting up from the table. He caught the look on Patrick’s face and paused. Patrick was gaping at Kyran with wide eyes. His mouth had dropped open and the colour was slowly draining from his face.
“Patrick?” Aaron said. “You okay?”
“How?” Patrick gasped, staring unblinkingly at Kyran. “How can...He...he can’t–”
“It’s not what you think,” Drake said quietly at his side, staring at Kyran too. “He just looks like him.”
“Like him?” Aaron frowned. “Who are you talking about?”
Drake shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Just one of life’s strange coincidences.” He turned to look at Sam. “I believe Henry was looking for your assistance.”
Sam’s brow knitted. “Really? For what?”
“You’ll have to ask him,” Drake replied. He turned to Patrick and the other two Lurkers. “Come, I’ll accompany you to Scott. I have to speak to him too.”
Patrick looked like he was barely listening as Drake pulled him away. His gaze was still on Kyran, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound left him.
***
The time for the Q-Zone hunt had come. The street was lined with Hunters. Sam and Rose stood in their midst, Aaron by their side. The residents of Salvador gathered to give the Hunters encouragement and good wishes. The Hunters had already straddled their bikes, grinning and soaking up the attention.
“They seem excited,” Sam commented.
“They’re always excited,” Aaron replied.
“How come you’re not going with them?” Sam asked.
“Scott wants me there only when the Gate’s ready to go up.”
Sam nodded. “Nervous?” he asked.
“Very,” Aaron admitted. “I still have no idea what I’m supposed to do with the Gate. Scott keeps telling me all I have to do is touch it.”
“You don’t believe him?” Sam asked.
Aaron paused. “It can’t be that easy.”
“Let’s hope it is,” Sam said. “Right, Rose?”
There was no answer. Sam and Aaron looked around, only to see Rose wasn’t by their side any more.
“Where’d she go?” Sam asked.
They didn’t see her making her way through the crowd, inching closer to the red and black bike that held a grinning Kyran, lost in his conversation with Zulf. But as soon as her shadow fell across Kyran’s bike, he looked up at her. His dazzling green eyes somehow looked brighter as they met hers.
Zulf moved away, smiling, nodding once at Rose in greeting. He revved his bike and moved forward, going to the front and leaving Kyran alone with Rose. For the first few moments, neither of them said anything. Things had been a little awkward between them ever since their kiss.
Rose cleared her throat, forcing herself to look up at him. “I...I wanted to wish you luck,” she said. “For the hunt today.”
Kyran nodded but didn’t speak.
Rose reached in and pulled something out of her pocket. Kyran stilled at the sight of the thin black thread in her hand. He looked up at her.
“That’s not for luck,” he said.
Rose smiled. “I know what it’s for,” she replied quietly.
“You know what it means if you tie that around my wrist?” Kyran asked.
Rose looked down at the thread she had got from Ava. Her thumb caressed the strong, coiled thread. “I know that it’ll make you a little less reckless,” she replied. “After seeing you in battle, I know you could do with being more careful.”
“Is that right?” Kyran asked.
Rose shrugged. “What can I say? I like having you around.”
Kyran tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowed a little. “Why’s that exactly?”
Rose stilled as her heart skipped a beat. She shrugged again, trying to act nonchalant. “You’re teaching Aaron,” she said. “He needs his tutor.”
Kyran raised his eyebrows, surprised at her answer. “Really?” he asked. “Nothing else?”
Rose took a step closer. “Well, we are living in your house,” she said. “It’d be awful to be there but not have you around.”
Kyran smiled. “And?”
Rose stepped closer. “And watching you fight it out with Skyler is my only source of entertainment. I’d be so bored otherwise.”
Kyran chuckled. “And?” he asked.
Rose stepped forward, standing right next to his wheel. “And you get me chocolates when I need them.” She grinned as Kyran dropped his head, clearly fighting back a laugh. When he looked up at her, his eyes smouldered, making Rose’s breath catch in her chest.
“And?” His voice was deeper.
Rose took in a breath and moved closer still. “And the thought of not seeing you again...” She faltered. “It hurts in a way that I can’t explain.”
Kyran held her gaze, smiling in silent triumph, as if he’d finally got the answer he was waiting for. “You remember what you said?” Kyran asked. “About wanting to choose a simple romance?”
Rose nodded. “I do.”
Kyran straightened up. “Before you make that choice, keep in mind that, for some of us, simple romances aren’t possible.” He tugged up the sleeve of his coat and held out his right hand. “Epic love is the only kind we can offer.”
Rose stared at him, locked in his intense gaze. She took a last step, standing as close to him as she could. “Well,” she said quietly, wrapping the thread around his wrist, knotting it securely. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for epic then.” She smiled and leant closer, whispering, “’Cause you’re the one I choose, Kyran.” She closed the small gap between them just as Kyran tilted his head up so their lips met in a kiss.
Rose didn’t care about the crowd around her. Nor was she aware of the stares. All Rose could focus on at that precise moment was Kyran and Kyran alone. His lips on hers, one of his hands on the back of her neck, gently pulling her closer. The feeling of being so close to him held a comforting familiarity, as if she had always belonged in his arms, locked in his kiss.
A slow cheer was starting around her, but Rose was still blissfully unaware. It was only when a round of clapping started that Rose pulled away. The surrounding Hunters were whistling as they applauded, grinning at her and Kyran. Amongst them, staring at her with wide eyes, were Sam and Aaron. Rose bit her lip to stop herself from smiling and just shrugged at them.
“Finally!” Ella rolled her eyes. “I was beginning to get worried about you two.”
Rose laughed and looked back at Kyran who was grinning too, running a hand through his hair.
Standing amongst the crowd was a silent Drake. His gaze was on Kyran, watching as he pulled Rose close once more, this time to whisper something to her. Rose headed through the cheering crowd, making her way towards the Stove with her head lowered, but a beaming smile on her face.
“I know what you said,” Patrick said, appearing at Drake’s side. “But I still can’t believe it.”
Without looking over at him, Drake asked, “Would I have a reason to lie?”
“I’m not saying you’re lying,” Patrick said. “It’s just...he looks too much like Alex for it just to be a coincidence.”
Drake turned to face Patrick. “Some things are strange but that doesn’t mean they’re not true,” he said. He looked back over at Kyran, watching as the boy tried to ignore the teasing crowd. �
��Kyran may look like him, but he’s got nothing to do with Alex.”
Drake watched as Kyran swung a leg off the bike, sitting on it with both legs to one side, before beckoning Aaron to come closer. As soon as Aaron got near him, Kyran reached for the leather bands crossed at Aaron’s torso. He began adjusting them, all the while giving the younger boy his green-eyed glare.
Patrick smiled at the sight. “Seeing the two of them together like that, who do they remind you of?” he asked with a small chuckle. “It’s like having Chris and Alex back again, only this time, the roles are revers–”
“Don’t you have a zone to secure?” Drake snarled, turning to glare at him.
Patrick was momentarily thrown, before his eyes widened in realisation. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You were close with Chris and Alex, I–”
“You should go,” Drake dismissed with a glower.
Patrick closed his mouth, giving Drake a look filled with sympathy before leaving. Drake watched him go with angry eyes before his gaze settled back on Kyran and Aaron. He watched them for another minute before turning and walking away, with curled fists and a clenched jaw.
31
Self-Righteous Suicide
The blinding brightness only lasted for a few seconds before Aaron walked out of the portal and straight onto a dusty, dry road. The heat was the first thing he registered, and it sweltered down on him. The hot breeze choked him, with speckles of dirt stinging his eyes. Aaron rubbed at them, blinking and squinting against the glare of the sun.
“Aaron? You there?”
He reached up to hold the circle pendant Scott had given him. “Yeah, Scott. I’m here,” he replied.
It had taken two hours for the Hunters to corner and lure the Lycans into the designated area where the Q-Zone was set up. Dark clouds had gathered in Salvador’s skies, with thunder clapping ominously overhead the moment the Q-Zone opened. Scott had given Aaron the go ahead, and Aaron left immediately to use the portal set up in the forest outside Salvador’s Gate.
Aaron spotted Skyler and Ella at the top of the hill. Both were squatting, studying something on the ground. Aaron quickly began climbing his way up.
“Ah, Adams,” Skyler drawled, throwing him a sideways glance when he reached the top. “About time.”
There was a rip in one of the sleeves of Skyler’s coat, the ivory material stained crimson from a bleeding cut. Ella looked physically unhurt, but Aaron could see her exhaustion. Aaron stepped closer to where both were crouched. All he found was a long, rectangular stump protruding from the ground. Moving closer, Aaron spotted a small cloth bag resting next to it. Ella was taking out thin glass vials from it and setting them on the ground.
“Come on,” Ella said, getting to her feet. “The sooner we have the Gate set up, the sooner we can get back to hunting.”
Standing at the top of the hill, Aaron could clearly see the square bubble of the Q-Zone in the valley below. Its transparent walls showed the Hunters inside, engrossed in a fierce battle. That meant the Q-Zone was still open, it hadn’t been locked yet.
Aaron could see the silver flashes of blades as they glinted in the sunlight. He couldn’t hear the shots, as the Q-Zone muted all sound, but he could see the guns in many Hunters’ hands.
The sight of the Lycans, however, momentarily wiped everything else from Aaron’s mind. When he’d first heard about Lycans, he had imagined wolf-type creatures, maybe a little bigger than the average wolf. Seeing them now, Aaron realised how badly he had underestimated them. They were big, fearsome beasts, the dark fur on their back so thick it sat like a coat. The Lycans weren’t on all fours like Aaron had imagined, but standing on two legs, towering a good eight foot high at least. Even from a distance, Aaron could see the sinewy muscles of their legs and arms tensing as they leapt at the Hunters with their fangs bared and claws ready.
“Sometime today, Adams,” Skyler called from behind.
Aaron came to stand between Ella and Skyler. Ella held out her hands over the top of the jagged rock stump. Skyler did the same. Following their example, Aaron held out his hands too, palms facing down. Not a single world was spoken. Skyler and Ella closed their eyes. Half a minute ticked by and nothing happened. Then, a gradual tingle started in Aaron’s fingers, the sensation running from the tips all the way up to his hand and wrist.
There was a moment of complete silence before a tremendous outburst of power erupted from the stump: a gush of brilliant white fluid rose up, shaking the ground as it came from deep within the earth’s core. Aaron lost his footing and fell, but still watched the liquid wall as it continued to rise upwards, aiming to touch the sky. Ella bent low and picked up half a dozen vials; Skyler picked up the rest. Methodically, they uncapped each small glass bottle and spilt the crimson contents onto the wall. The red droplets spotted against the white canvas for no more than ten seconds before disappearing. The wall continued to swallow every vial Ella and Skyler poured onto it. After the last one, Skyler and Ella pushed up their sleeves and held out both hands. That’s when they noticed Aaron wasn’t standing next to them. Ella looked around before spotting Aaron sitting on the ground, gaping at them.
“What are you doing?” she snapped.
“No time to sit around, Adams,” Skyler said dryly.
Aaron snapped out of his shock and quickly got to his feet, hurrying forward.
“Just hold your hands against the Gate,” Ella instructed.
Aaron did as she asked, so all three of them were standing with their hands up, palms almost touching the wall.
“On the count of three,” Ella said, “push your hands onto the Gate.”
At Ella’s countdown, Aaron prepared himself. He had no idea what was going to happen when he touched the Gate and the uncertainty was making his heart hammer at his insides. A trickle of sweat ran from his temple down the side of his face. At Ella’s prompt, he took in a breath and pushed both hands onto the white wall.
Aaron was expecting the Gate to feel somewhat solid, as it was standing free, but his fingers met a cold pool of water instead. Six sets of ripples spread across the surface as the three Elementals touched the Gate at the same time. Aaron felt his fingers tingle again. Deep in his belly, he felt a strange pulling sensation. His heart began beating even faster. His hands felt cold but the rest of his body started to heat up, until it was uncomfortably hot. Sweat trickled from his brow into his eyes but Aaron blinked it away. He glanced to either side to see the perspiration on Skyler and Ella as well.
Aaron looked to his hands in time to see thin white lines appear under the skin of his exposed arms. Frozen in shock, Aaron watched as the white lines ran down both his arms, branching off into multiple little lines, like pale nerves. They ran to his wrists and across his hands, reaching all the way up to his nails. Ten glowing white lines snaked out and onto the surface of the Gate. The same was happening to Skyler and Ella. The Gate shimmered as the thirty lines swam all the way up the length of the wall. A moment later, the entire Gate lit up, its glow so bright that Aaron had to squeeze his eyes shut and turn his head away. The glow faded, and the surface under Aaron’s hands solidified.
Opening his eyes, Aaron saw the Gate, just as tall and magnificent as the one guarding the entrance to Salvador. Aaron didn’t pull his hands away, not until Ella and Skyler dropped theirs first. Aaron felt a little nauseous; his stomach quivered and his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He could see Skyler and Ella were the same. They looked paler, their hands trembling as they reached for their guns and swords, pulling them out. Ella’s sharp grey eyes met Aaron’s and she smiled tightly at him.
“Stay here,” she instructed, before reaching up to her pendant. “It’s done; the Gate’s up.” She turned to look at the Q-Zone. “Drop the veil.”
Before Aaron’s eyes, the transparent walls of the Q-Zone clouded, until nothing was visible inside. The Q-Zone was now locked.
Aaron had to watch from the top of the hill as Skyler and Ella raced back to the Q-Zone and leapt inside using the
one and only open wall. It was increasingly unnerving to sit by himself, watching the clouded bubble, unable to see what was going in inside. The only source of knowledge he had was Scott’s voice, giving out instructions to the Hunters. When it came to Scott’s explicit commands for him, though, Aaron disregarded him.
“Aaron, get back to the portal.”
“I told you, Scott, no,” Aaron replied tiredly. “Not until the hunt’s over.”
“Just stay next to the portal, then,” Scott’s voice pounded inside Aaron’s head. “Out of the way. I don’t want you anywhere near the Q-Zone. You understand?”
“Yeah,” Aaron replied. “Don’t worry. I’ve seen the Lycans. I don’t wanna be anywhere near them.”
Aaron kept a note of the time, of how much longer the Hunters had in the Q-Zone before it collapsed. When they only had ten minutes left, unlike with the previous Q-Zones, Scott didn’t tell any of the Hunters to move out. Instead, they guarded the one and only unlocked wall, preventing the Lycans from escaping.
“Seven minutes to go!” Scott informed them. “Start inching towards the exit. Keep it tight, keep the Lycans back. Step out when I give the command.”
Aaron paced on shaky legs, unable to sit still. His gaze was locked on the Q-Zone bubble, waiting impatiently for the Hunters to step out. The very idea of all of the Hunters being inside the Q-Zone when it came so close to collapsing was panicking him. He told himself things had been worse. He himself had been inside the Q-Zone when there were only ninety seconds left. Compared to that, the Hunters had plenty of time to get out.
“Five minutes!” Scott called.
The fog clouding the walls of the Q-Zone suddenly lifted, halting Aaron in his steps. He stared at the transparent bubble with wide eyes. He could see the line of Hunters against one wall, with the wounded, bloodstained Lycans before them. The criss-crossing bars that usually locked the three walls of the Q-Zone were slowly receding upwards.
Aaron grabbed his pendant. “What are you doing, Scott?” he cried.
“I’m not doing anything!” Scott’s panicked voice returned. “What’s–? How is this–? I don’t understand!”