Ocean's Fire

by Stacey Tucker

  Aleph, Mem, Shin

  Aleph, Mem, Shin

  I am whole within

  I am whole in nature

  I am whole in spirit

  Divinity above

  Fallen below

  Union in Trinity

  She stood in front of Milicent, arms outstretched. The cone of light continued to shine down on the crowd.

  “She’s not stopping Milicent,” Rachel said. “She has her own agenda.”

  Ronnie gritted her teeth. “I should have seen this coming!”

  The wind suddenly reversed direction and blew straight up. Its force carried the flames far into the air, and they danced like crimson clouds above the audience. The crowd stirred slightly but not enough to break free from the immense pull of the light above.

  “What in God’s name is going on, Ocean?” a commanding voice thundered behind them. They all turned to see a beautiful older woman standing ominously among them. She was luminous, dressed in white. Her aura shone deep blue like Rachel’s, but she had a glow about her like Magda.

  “Grandmother, finally!” Rachel exclaimed.

  “Who . . .” Skylar looked at Ronnie.

  “Vivienne,” Ronnie explained.

  “You waited too long, Rachel,” Vivienne said sternly, and Rachel’s smile faltered slightly.

  Vivienne turned her back to Rachel and walked toward Skylar.

  “I think this belongs to you,” she said, handing Skylar the Book of Akasha. She looked at her with warm eyes.

  “Thank you,” Skylar said.

  “You are worthy,” Vivienne said, putting her hand over Skylar’s.

  Skylar nodded, at a loss for words.

  Vivienne turned to Ocean. “You were left in charge of things, sister.” Ocean stared at her blankly, but the other women onstage froze, paralyzed by their awe and fear of Vivienne. She made Milicent look like an amateur. “Speak!” Vivienne commanded.

  “I have it under control,” Ocean said.

  “This is not under control!” Vivienne bellowed. “Milicent has run amok! I warned you about this last winter!” She turned to Magda and walked toward her with ease.

  “Magda, Milicent is my kin,” Vivienne said. “I will not allow this. You know you must have my blessing for this to take place. You do not have it.”

  “I am sorry, Vivienne, you are too late. Diana is among us. Once we harvest the souls, her return will be complete.”

  “This can’t be happening,” Skylar said. “It spiraled out of control so quickly. Are all of these people really going to die?”

  “Minor detail as far as Milicent is concerned,” Ronnie said.

  Ocean stepped toward Milicent. “Wait,” Vivienne said. “You’ve been no help thus far. Let’s see what our granddaughters can do.” She beckoned Rachel and Ronnie forward.

  Skylar looked down at her book. The familiar tingle it gave her reminded her that she, too, wielded great power. She just had to release her fear of it. She opened the book. Sophia appeared on the first page. She could read the book without help now. But there was no time for reading; she needed knowing. She closed her eyes.

  “Mom, what do I do?” she asked into the air. She waited, but guidance from Cassie did not come. Disappointed, she opened her eyes and looked up at the moon. That was her insight. “We have to break the beam of moonlight!” she shouted. “That’s where the energy is coming from!”

  Rachel nodded in agreement. She twirled her fingers around in a circle, creating a swirling sphere of murky blue light. Dark clouds and dim stars appeared within it; it was its own sphere of cosmos. The cylinder grew larger until Rachel could no longer contain it between her palms. She released it into the air, and it traveled up toward the open portal—but it struggled to pass through the light of the moon, causing only a slight eclipse.

  Skylar watched Rachel concentrate harder, trying to force her sphere in front of the moon. Her whole body shook from the pressure. Skylar was desperate to help her. She found the strength to fight the wind from the open portals, and pushed her way toward Milicent’s pyramid. Each step reminded her of her journey along Magda’s labyrinth. Finally, she was standing directly in front of Milicent. She turned to face the portal below her. The beam of light was breathing unnatural life into the souls of the underworld. Rachel’s sphere was gaining on the moon, but not enough to stop the light altogether.

  Suddenly, Skylar knew what to do. Without hesitation, she jumped into the pit. As she did, the beam shot into her chest and reflected back up, blinding the moon with its own light. The portal in the sky started to close, causing a chain reaction. Milicent’s pyramid dissolved, and she fell to the floor. Without the energy from the moon pouring into the underworld, its portal started to shrink as well.

  Ronnie threw herself to the floor at the edge of the pit and reached down. “Skylar! Grab my hand!” she pleaded.

  A swirling cloud engulfed the opening. Ronnie was reaching down blindly now, but Skylar was able to see through the murky air. She refused to look down at what she was standing on. She didn’t want to know. All around her, shadows of tormented faces pleaded without words. They begged her to understand why they were there; they begged for forgiveness. Skylar’s heart ached with overwhelming grief. The collective energy of the lost souls pulled at her. She sympathized with their plight; she wanted to help them.

  “Skylar!” Ronnie’s voice shook off her distraction.

  “Ronnie! Over here!” she called.

  Ronnie ran around the side of the opening closest to Skylar and stuck her hand down again. Skylar grabbed her forearm. Her hand was scratched and bloodied. In one burst of strength, Ronnie pulled Skylar out of the pit. Within seconds it vanished altogether, as if it had been a mirage, leaving an untouched floor in its place.

  Ronnie bent over Skylar’s claw-marked body. “Skylar, talk to me! Are you all right?”

  “I am,” Skylar said emphatically. She looked to where the pyramid once stood as Magda started to fade from view.

  Farewell for now, Skylar the Divine, Magda said in her head. I am no longer needed here. We will meet again. Skylar watched her fade completely as Ronnie helped her up.

  Milicent, too, got to her feet. “No!” she cried out and charged toward Rachel, who was only steps away. “You’ve ruined everything,” she lashed out in rage. “I should have finished you years ago.”

  “I’m not afraid of you anymore,” Rachel said. “You have no power over me, or those that I love.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Milicent said. She gripped the air with her talon-tipped fingers and Rachel gasped for breath. She rose above the stage, kicking her legs in the air.

  Ronnie stepped in front of Milicent. “Enough!” she commanded. “We have all had enough of your games, Milicent!”

  “You have all robbed me of my goals once again,” Milicent said, gaining her composure. “And I’m tired of it.” She dropped Rachel to the floor, hard.

  Skylar rushed to help Rachel. Milicent watched, her lip curled in distaste.

  “Skylar, you disappoint me. We had a plan.”

  “I want no part of your plans anymore . . . Milicent,” Skylar said.

  “That’s unfortunate. You would have been useful,” Milicent said.

  Milicent was done talking. She pushed Skylar aside and turned back to Rachel with a gleam in her eye, a predator ready to strike. She reached into one of her red leather boots and pulled out a small gold dagger. The tip was encrusted with quartz crystal. If she couldn’t reclaim her sister, ridding her world of Rachel would have to be her consolation prize. She attacked with superhuman speed, driving her dagger deep into fabric and flesh, twisting and forcing the blade until it was sure to do the damage intended. She had spent years perfecting her weapon, and she was sure it would override any protection the mark might afford.

  With a lion’s roar, she pushed the body off of her blade. Intoxicated by rage and bloodlust, it took her a moment to understand what had happened. Skylar, not Rachel, lay bloodied on the f
loor.

  Milicent dropped her dagger in disbelief. Somehow, Skylar had moved faster than even she had, stepping between her knife and its intended target.

  “No!” Rachel screamed in terror.

  Ocean and Vivienne rushed to Skylar’s side.

  “She’s not dead—yet. But we have to get her out of here,” Ocean said. “The crowd is starting to stir.” She lifted Skylar’s limp body and got her off stage. Ronnie and Rachel followed, leaving Milicent and Vivienne behind.

  Milicent remained still. She hadn’t cared much for Skylar, but killing her wasn’t part of the plan. She still needed her.

  Vivienne took a few minutes to clean up the rest of Milicent’s mess. Within seconds the wind circling the floating flames turned to vapor. The vapor intensified into immense sheets of water raining down, extinguishing the blaze and soaking the crowd below. Thunderous applause erupted from the soaking wet spectators. They had all just witnessed the most intense performance of their lives, and now they were blissfully satisfied.

  “Cleaning house was always a talent of yours, Grandmother,” Milicent said.

  “Child, what did you expect to accomplish from this charade?” Vivienne asked.

  “Oh, Grandmother, you know me, always pushing the limits of what’s possible. Did you see how far I got?” she asked, childlike.

  “Playing goddess is fun, I understand that,” Vivienne said, softening slightly. She could never stay mad at her granddaughter, no matter how extreme her actions. “But hurting others is never the solution. You have to evaluate your motives. Bringing Diana back or hurting Rachel won’t give you the peace you seek. You must accept this.”

  “I accept nothing,” Milicent said coldly.

  Vivienne shook her head. “Diana lives in the past, and so does your anger toward Rachel. You must look to your future. You have big ideas, but you must think about the repercussions. All these people would have died had you succeeded tonight. This behavior ends now.”

  “I’m not putting my dreams on the back burner to be a supporting character in Devlin’s life.”

  Vivienne smiled. “I didn’t think you would.”

  “I’m not so sure about a White House run anymore,” Milicent said.

  “We can discuss it over a cocktail,” Vivienne said, guiding Milicent off the stage.

  No damage had been done to the arena. A slippery floor was the only hazard pointed out by attendants as the contented crowd filed out to satiate the largest case of mass munchies in recent history. A few hoots and shouts of “Grayer 2020!” could be heard as they exited the venue in orderly lines.

  Vivienne and Milicent passed Ocean in the tunnel. “How is Skylar?” Vivienne asked.

  “She will survive this,” Ocean said.

  “How?” Milicent asked. “The mark is no match for the power in that dagger.”

  “Skylar doesn’t bear the mark,” Ocean said.

  Milicent was speechless.

  “We need a caucus, Ocean,” Vivienne said. “I blame you for what happened tonight. I’m taking Milicent with me now. I’ll deal with you later.”

  Milicent and Ocean exchanged glances, but neither said a word. Vivienne and Milicent walked away to see what trouble Devlin had gotten himself into. Ocean returned to the locker room that had become Skylar’s makeshift triage area.

  “That was foolish,” Rachel said.

  “I’m invincible, remember?” Skylar said, her voice raspy. She held a large bandage over a poorly patched wound in her side with both hands.

  “No, you’re not,” Ronnie said.

  “You just think you are.”

  “You’ve been telling me that’s all I need,” Skylar said as she tried to laugh. The movement made her cringe with pain. Ocean put her hand on Skylar’s forehead, and she relaxed immediately.

  “You can be thankful Milicent isn’t the best with a blade,” Ocean said. “She missed all your good parts. But now she has a whole new level of respect for you.” She winked.

  Suki and Kyle peered through the locker room door. “Can we come in?” Suki asked.

  Ronnie nodded.

  They walked in cautiously.

  “I think this belongs to you,” Suki said, laying the Book of Akasha on the cot next to Skylar. “It was on the floor behind the stage. You should really take better care of it.”

  Skylar was glad to see her friends. “You weren’t affected by that maddening haze out there?” she asked.

  “We have my parents to thank for that,” Suki said, smiling. “I instinctively knew we shouldn’t breathe in that sugary perfume, so we left our seats. We’ve been in the tunnel.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Skylar said.

  “I’m expecting a good night’s sleep tonight,” Suki said.

  “Not if I can help it,” Kyle said with a sly grin.

  Suki gave him a coy look. “We’ll see.”

  “Aw, come on Suuk, it’s only been six months!”

  “Shave your legs,”

  Skylar whispered to Suki with a wink. Skylar turned to Rachel. In her eyes shone the love of a mother. They both knew it would be a long road to a closer relationship, but for the first time, Skylar wanted to try.

  “I’ll call your father so he can come get us,” Rachel said. “You’ll stay with us for a few days?” Skylar nodded, and Rachel left the room to use her phone.

  “So wait, let me get this straight,” Kyle said. “Milicent gets to walk away from all of this?”

  Everyone nodded a unanimous yes.

  “This shit’s bananas,” he said, throwing up his arms.

  “I’ll come over in the morning to check on you and change your bandages,” Ocean said to Skylar. “I have a feeling you’ll be a fast healer. If the mood strikes me, maybe I’ll let Joel tell me about base elements.” She smiled. “And after you’ve healed, we need to find you the proper trainer. Not just anyone will do.”

  “I’ll do it,” Argan said, standing in the doorway.

  The group turned in unison to look at him. Ronnie and Rachel beamed at the sight of him. Through Skylar’s pain, she felt relief, and peace.

  “Good,” Ocean said, no trace of surprise on her face. She patted Argan’s arm and walked out the door. The rest of the group followed suit.

  “Are we really going to have a First Lady that tried to toast twenty thousand people?” Kyle asked as he and Suki headed out the door.

  “We’ve had worse,” Suki said, her girl crush on Milicent still intact.

  Skylar rolled her eyes from where she lay in her cot.

  When they were all gone, Skylar sat up the best she could and stared at Argan. “You really think you’re the one to teach me what I need to know?”

  “Yup,” he said, all confidence. “I’ll give you a week to heal that side, then we start. And I won’t be easy on you.”

  He walked over to the side of her cot and Skylar caught her breath, sure he would give her a kiss, a hug, something to let her know he still cared. Instead, he rested his hand on her book.

  “That’s fair,” she said, but still no touch came. Tired of waiting, she reached out and grazed his hand with hers. A smile broke from under his stone exterior. That would have to be enough for now.

  He turned to leave and looked back over his shoulder. “You looked good out there,” he said. “You definitely did your own rescuing.” His smile grown bigger, he walked out the door.

  Alone in the locker room, Skylar breathed out a sigh. She knew her own stubbornness and immaturity had ruined her fairy tale romance with Argan. But fairy tales were immature. Real relationships took work. Work she hadn’t been up for, until now. She touched the leather cover of her book, looking forward to the day when she would have enough energy to read it. A piece of paper stuck out from a page in the middle. She slid it out and unfolded it.

  My Divine Skylar,

  I’m glad my deliveryman has fulfilled one of his many duties. You have come so far in such a short time. My only regret is that I am not there to help you. I must help y
ou from here. And I promise to do so. Please don’t wait too long to forgive Rachel. She made a great sacrifice out of her love for you. One day you will realize that.

  This is your book, Skylar. It was written for you. Now the real work must begin. You will no longer see your future in the Akasha, but the guidance Sophia will give you is far more valuable.

  I love you, Skylar. Among the secrets and magic of this world, you are my greatest gift, and watching you grow into the woman you are was the best part of my life. I am with you always.

  Love,

  Mom

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  An immense thank-you to Brooke Warner, Lauren Wise, and Krissa Lagos at SparkPress for putting a shine on my story in more ways than one. It was a pleasure to work with you.

  Thank you to my large cheering section in heaven. Here on earth, I thank Brooke Emery for working your magic everyday, and Mica DeSantis for believing in me from the beginning.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  photo credit: Debra Somerville

  After her own mother’s death a decade ago, Stacey L. Tucker started down a path that taught her our world is far from what it seems. A desire to build a bridge between today’s science and the magic of a time forgotten has landed her in the world of fiction writing. She continues to redefine the word Feminine in America by speaking to women’s groups on cultivating the fire within as a catalyst for self-transformation. Tucker self-published Eat, Drink and ReMarry: StaceyLu’s Guide to Planning the Second Time Around as a way to survive planning her second wedding. She also previously published the essay “I Got a Boy” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: New Moms. Her blog can be found at www.staceyltucker.com.

  SELECTED TITLES FROM SPARKPRESS

  SparkPress is an independent boutique publisher delivering high-quality, entertaining, and engaging content that enhances readers’ lives, with a special focus on female-driven work. Visit us at www.gosparkpress.com

  Tracing the Bones, by Elise A. Miller. $17, 978-1-940716-48-0. Eve Myer becomes consumed with the world of healing arts—and conflicted emotions—when new neighbors/instructors Anna and Billy move in. Shortly after sessions for her chronic back pain begin with Billy, Anna and her small son drown in the bathtub. As Eve’s life unravels, her sessions with Billy culminate in an experimental trip into the freezing woods, threatening the remaining bonds of Eve’s marriage and finally uncovering the reason for Anna’s death.