My breaths came frantically now. I hadn’t meant for it to happen, but Luca’s words were wrapping me up and pushing on all of my buttons.
“What are you-“
But before I could finish, he grabbed my hand.
“Your brother was training, did you know that? He was going to use his gifts to help transport people to and from the Hourglass. That’s when it happened.”
“That’s when what happened?” I asked, with my hand still in Luca James’.
“This,” he said ominously and pressed my palm flat against the memory disc.
I was out of the room now, and standing in a transportation area I had only been to once before, the day I came here from Weathersby.
Sevie lay unconscious on one of the tables. He was experiencing the sleep; standard protocol when training to work with it for the rest of your life. The eyes I was looking out of weren’t mine. They belonged to a guard whose face I would never see.
Still, I could feel what he felt. He was bored, hungry, and more than a little groggy. He slumped against the wall and thought about pastries.
That was when a shadowed figure darted into his line of sight.
“You’re not supposed to be here!” The man shouted at the figure. It was a man, no a boy. He was young, about my age with sandy hair and a long back that was turned to me.
He leaned over Sevie and, in his lithe hand, I saw a needle full of green liquid.
My heart started to flutter, or was that the guard’s? It was so hard to tell like this.
“Get away from him!” The guard said, and moved toward the boy. But he was too late. The boy had already stuck the needle into Sevie’s right arm and was injecting the liquid.
“Stop this instant!” The guard said and grabbed the boy’s shoulder, spinning him to face me.
I recognized him immediately. The sandy hair, the cocky smile, that lanky face. Royce stood in front of me, staring at the guard with a ‘smarter than you’ look in his eyes.
“That ain’t gonna work now, is it? Can’t exactly unmilk a cow,” he said, and then waved a palm in front of the guard’s face.
Suddenly, I was back in the main room of the Council Chambers. It wasn’t Crestview anymore. It was more of a throne room, ordained in gold and tassels. Mother stood beside me. She placed a hand on my back as I shuddered from the realization.
Luca was in front of me, flanked by the Council.
“Wh-what did I just watch?” I asked.
“Surgical cuts, meant to destroy you before you can be of use,” Chant answered, leaning against his cane.
“Se-Sevie!” I yelled. “My brother is-“
“Fine,” Mother answered. “They’ve already dispatched someone to give him an antidote. It’s all going to be okay.”
“Is it?” Luca chimed in, running a hand through his close cropped hair again. “I suppose that lies in the answer to my next question.” He turned to me. “Exactly how well do you know the boy you shipped the Bloodmoon off with?”
Chapter 6
Not in Danger
Cresta
I read the letter’s contents over and over in my head. It didn’t seem real somehow. This was my birth mother’s handwriting. These were her words to me; the first I’d heard since the day my locket opened and I was flooded with all the imagery.
But it couldn’t be right. The things she was saying didn’t make any sense, and it didn’t sound very ‘Dr. Conyers’- like. But maybe that was the point. I knew now that Dr. Conyers was a façade. My birth mother had never been a therapist. She had been Laurel Luna, a Breaker with legendary bad luck with romance. Maybe nothing of what I knew about Dr. Conyers, about the way she spoke and acted, about the sort of person she was at all, was the truth.
Or maybe this letter was the lie. Perhaps it was a careful forgery, meant to trick me into trusting Jiqui…or whoever he was working for now.
I read it again, hoping to find a piece of truth in something.
My Dearest Daughter,
I know you’re confused right now. I know none of this makes any sense, and that your head is probably spinning just as much as it is aching. Know that mine is as well. Please know that every hurt you’ve felt, I’ve also felt. And every minute I‘ve been away from you has been an eternity for me.
If you’re reading this, it means the condition that you and your group acquired upon exiting the Hourglass has taken control again. And that the herbs we gave you to bind the condition have either worn off or been proven lacking.
If it is the former, then your Guide will help brew another batch. If it is the latter, then he’ll do everything in his power to help you safely reach me.
I understand that, in your current mindset, you’re likely wondering why I’m not with you now. Please believe me when I tell you that there is nowhere I would rather be. Unfortunately circumstance and obligation have put me on a different path. I am where I have to be, Cresta. And, with Fate’s help and a bit of luck, we’ll be together soon.
This is the road that leads you to me, my daughter. This is the path that will bring you home.
Now, onto the matter of your Guide.
Jiqui is not a good person. He wasn’t when you were born, and he isn’t now. But he is your family, your blood. And that means he is important. Though he has never been trustworthy, you’ll soon find that that won’t be a problem.
I’ve given you what you need to reach me safely, my daughter. And, if ever you’re lost or you doubt this fact, then come back to this letter. All the answers are within.
I can’t wait to see you. I can’t wait to finally be united with you again.
Come back to me Cresta,
Your mother.
P.S. If you need more proof, tell the bastard to punch you.
I squinted as I finished the letter one more time. As crazy as all of it was, as strange as all of Dr. Conyers’ promises and commands were, what irked me the most was the way she signed off.
‘Your mother’
She wasn’t my mother, not even close. My mother was the woman who raised me. She was the person who was there every day. She helped me through the darkest time in my life and led by the best damn example that any girl could ask for. And in the end, she took a knife in the gut because she loved me so much.
Dr. Conyers was a good person as far as I knew, and I was sure the same could be said for Laurel Luna. But my mother was the woman who chose me, who chose to stay with me every day until her last. No letter would change that, no matter who it was from.
“Well?” Jiqui asked, staring at me.
“Well what?” I answered, trying to keep my voice from cracking.
“Are you going to ask me to punch you or not?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You read this.”
“No,” Jiqui shook his head, wiping sweat off his brow because-well, we were still in the desert and it wasn’t getting any cooler out here. “But you’ve read it three times already, and every time you ask me to punch you.” Without looking over, he lifted his hand and blocked an unseen punch from Royce. “Just like this idiot tries that every time.” He rolled his eyes. “You people are so predictable.” He tossed Royce’s hand aside. “Now ask me.”
“Why don’t you-“
“Punch me,” I said, breaking into Royce’s statement.
“Cresta, Sweetheart, you don’t have to-“
“Don’t worry,” I raised my hand along with my temper. “He won’t get far.”
A worrisome smile spread across Jiqui’s face. “You’re probably right.”
He lunged toward me, faster than I imagined he would, and much too fast for me to protect myself. From the corner of my eye, I saw the others spring into action. But it didn’t matter. The instant Jiqui’s hand reared back in order to hit me, his entire body began to spasm. ‘
He went rigid and screamed as he fell to the ground, squirming like a fish that had been dropped on land.
“There!” He grunted through the pain. “Are you satisfied?”
Instinctively, I moved back. “What’s happening?”
“A-a barrier,” he said as his teeth ground together. “Before your mother sent me, she put a psionic barrier in my head. I can’t hurt you, can’t even touch you. No matter how hard I try.”
I glared at him for a moment, watching the pain coarse through him and knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn’t nearly enough. He was responsible for the death of my mother- at least partly. He could die right here in the desert for all I cared. It would be no more than he deserved.
“Stop it,” he said through the agony.
“I’m not doing anything,” I said flatly.
“Just make it stop!” He yelled. “Say you’re safe and make it stop!”
“What?” I murmured.
“Just say it before my damn heart explodes!”
The sun beat down heavy on me as I watched him. Would his heart exploding really be that bad a thing?
“Cress?” Casper was beside me now. “I think he really might die.”
I didn’t answer.
“Cress?” He repeated, taking my hand in his.
“I’m not in danger,” I answered softly.
Almost immediately, he relaxed. Just like that, the pain subsided.
That’s freaky as hell, I thought.
“That’s freaky as hell,” Casper said at the same time. “How does that work anyway?”
“The damn barrier,” Jiqui huffed, standing up shakily. “It’s tied to my mind. And, thanks to your mother, my mind is now conditioned to ensure your safety. I have to have verbal conformation from you before the pain stops.” He winced and shook his head. “Which is about as convenient as it sounds.”
“No more than you deserve,” Casper spit on the ground in front of Jiqui.
“Every time,” Jiqui sighed. “Every damn time.” He began rubbing his temples, his breaths heavy and labored. “There. You need any more proof this time around, or can we cut the theatrics?”
“Where are we?” I asked flatly.
“You’re not actually gonna trust this douche basket, are you Sweetheart?” Royce asked, sidling up next to me.
“Douche basket?” Casper shook his head.
“I have a letter from Laurel Luna, a psychic barrier that she put into place and, most importantly, no other feasible options. So no, while I’m not going to trust him, I am going to trust the letter. At least for now.” I advanced on him, letting a little of the shade that surrounded him constrict at his throat. The fact that I could do this now, and without even concentrating too much, scared me more than a little. But there was no time to stew on that right now. “Where are we?” I repeated.
“The Mojave Desert,” he grinned. “Welcome to California.”
****************
“California?!” Casper shrieked, pacing circles around me. The sun was moving through the sky and, for all intents and purposes, we had been in one place for way too long. But we needed to rest, I needed to get my mind in order and, even if the chance was slim at best, I wasn’t too keen on leaving what was obviously the last place we had been with Echo. “Do you have any idea how far California is from Maryland? It’s like a hundred billion miles!”
My eyes flickered over to Royce and Dahlia, who were over by the jeep, keeping an eye on Jiqui and no doubt holding back twin urges to punch him in the throat.
“I know,” I said, turning my attention back to Casper. “But we’ll get there.”
“You don’t know that!” He said, pointing at me and shaking his head. “You don’t know anything. We don’t know anything.” The speed of his pacing intensified. “I mean, how long have we even been gone? We think it hasn’t been too long, but we don’t know that. Not for sure. For all we know my baby could already be born. Or worse. Maybe they got to her. Maybe they-“
“They didn’t, Cass. They don’t even know that the Damnatus is something they need to worry about. That was Wendy, remember? She made sure you got the note so you could get it to me. The Council doesn’t even have a Seer anymore. They’re blind out here.” I threw my hands on his shoulders, stopping him in mid pace. “We’re gonna find her. We’re gonna save them. And then I’m gonna be the best aunt who ever lived.”
“How?” He asked with tears welling up in his eyes.
“You know, with candy and R rated movies. Maybe I’ll sneak a kid a beer when they get older.”
“No. How are we gonna do it?” He asked. “We’re all alone out here.”
“Not completely,” I said, looking over at Jiqui, who slumped against the jeep lazily, as though none of this was affecting him. He was saying something to Dahlia, who looked much more invested.
“Really?” Casper stared. “We’re just gonna do what he tells us?”
“No,” I said as a flash of renewed anger lit itself inside my stomach. “He’s going to do what we tell him.”
Marching toward the others, I heard Jiqui, with hands splayed in front of him, say, “I don’t know what else you want from me. The cowboy and I were gone for a day and a half. He was fine when we left. You all were. If he was stupid enough to get himself killed, then maybe you need to rethink your choice of perfect.”
He was talking about Echo and, since it was clear he didn’t have anything useful to add, I decided I wasn’t going to tolerate that from him.
Before Dahlia could react, I raised my hand and –using the shade in the area- pushed Jiqui away from the jeep before throwing him back against it.
“That’s enough from you,” I said sternly.
“Good of you to join us,” he said, wincing as he regained his footing. “Are you ready to go or are you and your bestie intent on chatting so long that you ensure the Council finds us.”
“Oh we’re going,” I said, settling in front of him. “We’re going to Maryland.”
“Maryland?” His brows knitted together. “That’s not the plan. Your mother-“
“She’s not my mother, and I don’t care what she has to say about this in particular. This is my plan. And we’re going. But first,” I started, moving toward him ominously. “You’re going to help us get our memories back.”
Chapter 7
Magic Mist and Little Brothers
“Explain it to me again,” Royce said, keeping one eye on Jiqui, who was pulling items out of the jeep’s back end.
“Oh by all means, let’s waste even more time,” my newfound uncle spat, grabbing a clear cellophane bag that looked to contain that spice people always tell the cops they have when they’re really smuggling weed.
“Is that oregano?” Casper asked, looking over.
“Focus!” Dahlia snapped. For the first time since I had met her she seemed genuinely disheveled. The reason was clear. For all the times they disagreed, Echo was her rock. He held her steady, gave her a foundation to stand on. I could see it in her now, the way she was stumbling around on the inside now that he was gone.
It seemed strange to me to think that their marriage had been arranged, or that she wasn’t even the Council’s first choice for him. It was so obvious as I watched her fingers flitter nervously around her wedding ring that there could be no one more perfect for Dahlia then her perfect.
And now he was gone.
“As much as it pains me to admit this, Mr. Blut has a point.” She shook her head. “We haven’t the time to doddle. The Council has undoubtedly set Breakers in every corner of the earth on alert. They are looking for us, and if we stand still much longer, they’ll find us.”
“So we’re all just supposed to drink whatever concoction this s.o.b.’s cooking up for us?” Royce asked, motioning to where Jiqui was now setting herbs up around a stainless steel pot that had also been in the jeep. “No questions asked?”
“It was in Laurel Luna’s letter,” I answered sternly. “She said there are herbs that will help us, and that Jiqui is the only person who knows how to prepare them.”
“See that’s the thing,” Royce started, pointing to me. “I know Laurel Lu
na. I know her better than just anybody else in the world, definitely better than any of y’all. No disrespect,” he nodded at me. “I grew up with that woman, and never once-in all those years- did she so much as mention that douche basket.”
“Again with the douche basket?” Casper muttered.
“Now I know you think we got no other choice but to play this out, but that might not be true.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone, the same clunky outdated one I saw him use when we were in the Hourglass, when he was talking to his mother. “But I’ve got a little bit of insurance. When your momma- when Laurel,” he corrected himself, “sent me out here, she gave me a lifeline. Now I can’t call her, but she can get in touch with me. I say we head the hell toward Maryland, do what we need to do.” He narrowed his eyes, knowing that Jiqui didn’t (and didn’t need to) know anything about the Damnatus. “And wait for this here phone to ring.” He shook his head. “No herbal assistance necessary.”
“Do you know where Laurel Luna is?” I asked, sliding my hands into my pockets. “And I don’t mean theoretically. I know you grew up with her and that you’ve been to whatever happy dance place my mother told me was waiting for me before she got killed. What I want to know is if you can take me there.”
“Sweetheart, I-“
“No! Laurel isn’t here. I’m sure she’s got her reasons, and I’m sure she thinks they’re worth abandoning the person she calls her daughter. But none of that is helping me right now. You tell me she’s a good person, and I want to believe you. But the truth is, the only thing I know for sure about my birth mother is that she lied to me. She sat across from me every week for two years and never once did she tell me even a little of the truth about what was going on. So I want to know if the person she sent to bring me back to her actually knows where on earth she’s hiding or is it shrouded like the Hourglass.”
The Breaker's Resolution: (YA Paranormal Romance) (Fixed Points Book 4) Page 5