by Lysa Daley
As the dust settles, I hear Jax say, "Yep. Okay. Not such a bad landing, if I do say so myself."
When I open my eyes, I see that we're sitting six or seven feet above a city street. This is because we've landed on top of an unfortunate minivan that happens to have a very surprised family of three currently inside of it.
Looky-lous have stopped to stare and hold up their phones taking video.
"The internet is going to be all about us in, like, two seconds," I say.
“We’ve got more urgent things to worry about,” Jax replies.
Every few seconds a shutter violently ripples through the ship.
“What’s that mean?” Chad asks, nervously sweeping a curl off his face.
Swiveling out of the pilot’s seat, Jax opens the hatch. "Um, so, we should probably immediately evacuate the craft. Just in case."
"Just in case of what?" Ruby asks.
"So, because we used copper as a temporary fuel source, there's a small chance this crash could trigger a minor anti-matter explosion," he explains, unfurling the exit stairs.
“Is anti-matter actually a real thing?” Ruby asks. “I thought it was pretty much hypothetical.”
“No, it’s real,” Jax states flatly.
"That sounds bad." I think back to what I know about anti-matter from physics class. Something about how any solid matter in contact with anti-matter will immediate be converted into immense amounts of energy.
"Worst case scenario -- most of this hemisphere gets blown to smithereens. But, like I said, it's a small probability," Jax replies.
I grab BrightSky from where she was resting near the flight console. Tightening my grip on my sword, which seems to almost hum in my hand, I follow Jax through the hatch. The four of us climb down from the craft into the view of the crowd of curious bystanders.
My feet land with a thud on the brown metal hood of the minivan. The very startled family gapes up at us through the car windows. Including an 11-year-old boy recording us with his smartphone.
"Smile for the camera," I say to Jax as we jump down to the pavement.
When he sees the phone in the kid’s hand, he frowns. "Hold that thought."
A second later, the kid hollers, staring at his empty hand. "Mom! My phone is gone. I was just holding it! I swear I was."
Jax, his face blurred for a split second, smiles. "Problem solved," he says, slipping the kid's phone in his pocket.
"Did you just use your supersonic speed thing to steal that kid's phone?"
"It's his own fault."
"That's not very nice,” Ruby chimes in. “Couldn't you just erase it and give it back?"
"I could, but that wouldn't teach the little brat to mind his own business. Besides, we might need a phone," Jax says, as we hurry away from the flying saucer.
As soon as we’re away from the gathering crowd gawking at the crashed UFO, Chad takes a moment to hold out a hand to Jax. “Hey man, didn’t get a chance to introduce myself back there. I’m Chad. Thanks for picking me up.”
Jax shakes his hand. “Yeah, I’m –“
Before Jax can say his name, Chad hauls off and slugs him in the face.
Jax reels back. “Whoa, man! That’s a nice thank you for saving your ass back there.”
“It’s your fault anyway. If you’d just stuck to your word to Astrid’s uncle, the three of us would never have needed saving,” Chad spits back, angrily jabbing a finger at Jax.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jax rubs his jaw.
“Guys,” Ruby interrupts, pointing at the quickly growing crowd behind us. “I think we need to keep moving.”
“She’s right.” Jax nods. "Try to blend into the crowd."
"Blend?” Chad snorts. “How are we supposed to blend in when all these people just watched us climb out of what’s basically a flying saucer?"
“Try not to look like an alien,” Jax snaps back.
“I’m not an alien,” Chad replies.
“Obviously.” Jax rolls his eyes. These two don’t like each other. “Guess it should be easy for you then.”
Ruby, who has quickly become the voice of reason, tries to steer us back on track. “Astrid, I think part of the reason people are freaking out is because you’re carrying a big ass sword around with you.”
“What am I supposed to do with it?” I ask, pressing BrightSky vertically to the side of my body in an attempt to make it less conspicuous.
Jax says, “If you are truly connected to the sword – bound to it like one of the seven — then you should be able to mentally change the cloaking of the sword into something other than a weapon.”
“Does it have to go back to being the wooden bow staff?” I ask. “Because I’m not sure that would calm people down.”
“No, focus on a different object, any object, in your mind and it should transform into that.”
“Wow.” Ruby’s amazed. “That could be handy.”
“Okay,” I say, squeezing my eyes shut. “Um… I can’t think of anything.”
“Seriously?” Jax asks.
“Give her a second, would you please?” Chad comes to my defense.
“Honey, at this point, anything is probably better than carrying Excalibur around with you,” Ruby suggests.
Finally, an image appears in my mind. Stepping into the mouth of an alley, I slowly swing BrightSky around my head. A thin, cool piece of metal with white rubber caps on both ends appears in my hand.
“Is that… a baton?” Chad frowns. “Like the thing majorettes use?”
“It was the first thing that came to mind,” I try to explain, feeling like an idiot.
Ruby smiles, “I always wanted to be the drum majorette. They get the best uniforms.”
“Maybe try for something a little more... everyday,” Chad suggests.
“Right.” I try again, swinging the baton around, and a snow shovel appears.
“Very handy during a Central California springtime,” Jax shakes his head.
“Then you think of something,” I bark back.
Ruby interjects. “How about a nice ordinary umbrella.”
“Ugh! Why didn’t I think of that?” I whirl it around again as a red umbrella appears in my hands.
“Fantastic! One problem solved,” Ruby says as if she’s mentally checking things off a to-do list. “Now what?”
“Now, Astrid and I go see the oracle,” Jax says flatly, with no hesitation in his voice. “While you and Chad get out of here.”
“Excuse me?” Chad asks, squaring his shoulders off with Jax.
“You heard me,” Jax repeats. “You two need to go home.”
Chapter 22
“We aren’t going anywhere.” Ruby looks indignant.
“You both need to go home,” Jax firmly states. “Where you’ll be safe.”
“No. He’s right.” I say.
I know Jax is right. I already feel horrible these two have been through all of this because of me. The idea of them getting hurt – or worse – is too much.
“I can’t thank you both enough for helping me. And I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened. But you guys need to get out of here. Before those guys in suits come back to grab us again.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Ruby says, wrapping me in a big hug.
“Yeah…” Chad begins, his pale blue-green eyes locked with mine. “I don’t want to bail on you now. I’m not a guy who bails.”
“I know,” I say, ignoring Jax’s eyes attempting to burn holes into the side of my face.
Just then, two black SUVs speed around the corner coming to a screeching halt when they see the wreckage of the spacecraft precariously balanced on the hood of the minivan.
“Astrid, we don’t have much time,” Jax says, observing the SUVs. “Trust me. Your friends will be much safer without you. The suits will leave them alone. But you and I have to go. We have to get to the oracle.”
“I love you guys,” I hug Ruby again, as tightly as I can.
>
Then I step back, throw caution to the wind and wrap my arms around Chad. A week ago, I never could have dreamed that any of this would have happened and that Chad Olson would somehow be a part of it all. Tears blur my vision.
An instant before I turn away and leave them both behind, I say, “Be safe.”
From behind me, I hear their footsteps running down the alley, away from danger, away from me and toward safety.
Half a dozen black suits pour out of the SUVs. Jax and I hook a right onto the sidewalk and hurry away, in the other direction, with our heads bent low.
We aren't even halfway down the block when four more suits come around the corner from the other direction. Now we're surrounded. They're coming at us from both sides.
After we pass a busy sidewalk cafe, Jax takes my arm and pulls me inside the doorway of a nearby shop. “Stay here for a second."
"Wait -- " I reply with wide eyes, afraid he's going leave me again.
"Trust me. I’ll be right back," he smiles reassuringly. When I blink, he's gone, having moved into a timeshift. My chest tightens as I peek around the corner to see the suits closing in from both directions.
They’ll be all over me in few seconds.
Suddenly, Jax reappears next me, holding a set of car keys and a big paper coffee cup.
"Found us wheels," he grins, clearly proud of himself.
"We're stealing a car?" I ask as he hands me the paper cup. "And a coffee?"
As the suits close in on us from both directions, we dart straight forward into the street, dodging oncoming traffic from both directions. Jax is clicking the key fob hoping to locate the car that belongs to the keys.
"We’re just borrowing the car." He repeatedly clicks the key fob, swinging it from right to left. "Also, it's a green tea latte."
Bleeding out into the street, the suits try to cut us off, hem us in from both directions.
"What kind of car is it?"
"I have no idea," he replies as he keeps clicking, clicking, clicking.
As we frantically search for the car, it occurs to me that Jax really could bail on me at any second. He could kick it into his own private hyper-drive and leave me in his dust.
But he hasn't. He promised to get me to the oracle and that’s what he’s doing. Maybe he isn’t as bad as I first thought.
Finally, a chirp chirp fills the air.
"It's right there," I point to a late model Audi sports car parked at an expired meter.
"Whoa! Sweet ride!" he winks, as we climb into the shiny black two-door roadster. The big engine turns over, and we pull into traffic. The suits are forced to leap out of our way as we speed off. Jax almost seems disappointed that he didn't get to run over a couple of agents.
"Where are we going?" I ask, looking back to see the suits racing to their SUVs. They won't be far behind.
"I need to get you to the oracle."
I remember my uncle's words. He said that once I had the sword, this oracle person could give me some key that would open a Stargate that will somehow take me to safety.
"And where exactly is this oracle?"
"There's a sort of intergalactic black market called the Gathering. It's not exactly on this plane of existence. But, lucky for us, it's in this quadrant of the galaxy, which will cut way back on travel time." Jax explains like it's no biggie.
"Oh, yeah, lucky." This sounds totally crazy.
"Ever been to Haggerty's?"
"The burger place on Water Street? Only like a dozen times. It was my uncle's favorite place when we moved to this town." I’m surprised to hear him mention it. "But… I'm pretty sure Haggerty's is on this plane of existence."
He shrugs. "Part of it, at least. Haggerty’s is a local hotspot for those of us from other worlds. It also holds the closest portal to the Gathering.”
Now I understand why my uncle liked it so much. I always thought it was just the turkey burgers.
Water Street is the old part of the city, near a small local college. The area around the campus is filled with little shops and quaint restaurants. Not exactly the sort of place you'd expect to find some shady backroom with a secret portal to an alien black market.
We luck into a parking spot in front of the restaurant, which maybe isn’t a very good idea since we are driving a stolen car.
“Do you think it might be safer to park farther from the place we’re going into?” I suggest, clutching my new umbrella. “You know, in case, the police show up.”
As Jax gets out of the car, I notice he leaves the keys in the ignition. “This is an 80 thousand dollar car. I have a feeling the police are already tracking it. But none of that is going to affect you.”
“And how’s that?” My car door closes with a solid, impressive thunk. Guess that’s what you get for 80 grand.
“Because you’re about to get a one-way ticket to the stars, Princess,” he replies. “Pretty sure the cops won’t follow you.”
Haggerty's is still busy from the lunch rush when we walk in. Even though I’ve been here a bunch of times, I see this place with fresh eyes. Initially, I’m a little disappointed that everyone looks like a regular old human being. Even though I’ve been here a bunch of time, for some reason, I’m expecting the cantina scene from Star Wars.
Jax leans in and whispers, "Stay here and let me ask if the Gathering is open."
He saunters toward the counter and gestures to a greasy short order cook who nods in recognition when he sees Jax. I'm watching their conversation, unsuccessfully trying to read lips, when a hostess appears.
"Hi there!" she smiles, recognizing me. "You and your dad here for lunch?"
I feel a sting of surprise. She thinks my uncle is really my dad. Who else would he be, I suppose? It occurs to me that I haven't eaten in a while.
"No. I mean yes. I'm here with my friend today." I stumble over my words as I gesture toward Jax.
When she sees Jax, her smile vanishes. She clearly recognizes him too but isn't happy he's here. "Oh." She leads me to a nearby table and hands me a menu.
"Thanks, but I don't need a menu. I'll have the turkey burger with avocado and bacon."
"Fries?" she asks.
"Extra crispy." This is what my uncle and I always order. "And a cherry Coke."
Jax slips in the booth across from me. He smiles up at the waitress. "Hey, Camille."
"Jax," she replies coolly. Then sarcastically asks, "Still working “undercover”?"
"C'mon now." With a cocky grin, he leans in and whispers, "You know if I told you that, I'd have to kill you, right?"
"Right," Camille rolls her eyes. Apparently she isn't charmed by his whole bad boy routine. Jax orders a double burger and chocolate shake.
"So we're in luck," Jax explains after Camille strides off. "The oracle will see us in thirty to forty minutes. Which is weird. It usually takes weeks, or days at the least, to get a sitting with the oracle."
"Have you ever met him before?"
He laughs like I just asked him if he's ever had a beer with the Queen of England. "Yeah, no, commonplace Arcturians like me don't exactly find their way onto the oracle's schedule."
As he says this, I realize I know nothing about the way the galaxy I come from works. Apparently, it's not some utopia where everyone feels like an equal.
A moment later, Camille stalks back over with our drinks. I think about asking Jax why Camille is giving him the cold shoulder, but decide I’m not really that interested.
I take a sip of the sweet goodness that is my cherry Coke, then ask, "Why are you here?"
Jax knits his eyebrows together like I'm an idiot. "Because your uncle traded Kantaurian gold for --"
"No, why are you here on Earth?"
“Oh.” He pauses, then shrugs. "Some people enjoy all the hustle and bustle of the Pleiades, but I'm a simple guy who likes the simple rustic pleasures of this little world."
"So you're not going to tell me why you don't live back on Arcturus?"
"First of all, Arcturus isn't
a place. It's a sun. An orange giant, to be exact. Brighter and much stronger than your cute little sun here," he says, gesturing out the window at the midday sunshine. "I'm from a planet that's name in your language roughly translates to bountiful harvest. However, the harvest is no more."
I can tell he doesn't want to talk about it. But, this time, I am interested. "What happened? To the harvest?"
"The Swarm happened," he replies drily. "The Crimson Lord triumphantly arrived, breast armor gleaming, sword in hand, leading his enormous fleet."
He trails off and despite his sarcastic tone, I see real pain on his face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize," I say, trying to apologize.
He swirls a spoon through his thick chocolate shake. "It's okay."
"I dream about him."
"The Crimson Lord? I know." Jax looks up. "Your uncle told me. Of course, at the time, I didn't believe him."
"He scares me."
Jax nods. "He scares me too."
"What do we do?"
"We eat, pay our bill, then go see the oracle so that you can be sent back to the Council of Light. I don’t know if you’re the Lost Star or just one of the other six,” Jax shrugs.
“Either way,” he continues, “the council will keep you safe from the Crimson Lord. Take it from someone who has seen what the Crimson Lord and the Swarm can do, as long as you’re here, on this world, you’re in very grave danger."
Chapter 23
"Can we get our check?" I say quickly as Camille whizzes past with a tray of ice cream sundaes for another table.
Jax and I inhaled our burgers. I also had to ruthlessly fight him off or he would have stolen half of my extra crispy fries. Who knew we were so hungry?
"Check? Oh, it's been taken care of," Camille tells me with a smile. Balancing the tray with one hand, she uses the other to pull the wrinkled slip out of her apron pocket. "It was paid some time yesterday."
"Wait?" I say, confused. "I don't understand?"
"Yeah, uh..." She scans the bill. "Two burgers -- one beef, one turkey – with extra crispy fries, a shake, and a cherry Coke paid yesterday afternoon at 1:11."
"But--" I stop, deciding not to think too hard about it.