Zephyr

by K. T. Rombough

  “What is everyone talking about?” Solena and Selena said simultaneously.

  “You will soon see,” Piper said looking at them, she wanted to explain but knew it wasn’t worth it, they had to figure it out themselves.

  “We need to decide who we are going to Awaken, they are all sitting ducks until we can get them their powers.” I said looking around the room, hoping from someone to chime in.

  “Tyler should be our first,” Simone’s eyes lit up bright red as he said the name.

  “Quart is in danger, mortal danger that is,” I said knowing that it was nothing compared to what Simone felt for Tyler.

  “What about wood and metal? We can all feel them, they have their powers, we just need to bind them completely. Plus they are not far from Kade’s world he lived in.” Gabriella said looking at everyone else.

  “We are never going to get anywhere with each of us pushing different people, what do we know about each? What is the easiest and best to get next?” Solena asked looking at each of us in turn.

  “Well Tyler is in some cave, he doesn’t seem to be in any danger. But I feel drawn to him, like we have to bring him in as soon as possible.” Simone said as if to rationalize to himself.

  She turned to me next, looking me dead in the eyes. “Quart is in mortal danger, but nothing supernatural. Abuse and humans beating on him.” I replied looking at Simone then Solena again.

  Her eyes landing on Gabriella now, as if this was her cue to defend her idea.

  “Well like I said they would be easy, they lived near Kade before he was awakened.” She said shaking her head, “That’s all I have, I don’t know them, just feel them closer than the other two.” She finished looking at Solena now.

  The three of us focusing our stares at her, making her uncomfortable.

  “Stop!” Selena yelled at us, “She’s uncomfortable, she’s not deciding, we all have to.” She finished shielding Solena as if we were hurting her.

  The vote was on for who to find and awaken next. But was closer than I originally thought.

  Piper and Katterina voted for Tyler with Simone, Solena, Selena and Gabriella voted for wood and metal, while Desmond and I voted for Quart.

  “Kade you lose, decide who we find first.” Gabby said nodding her head at me.

  “Simone can we talk?” I asked looking at him for a moment before turning and walking out of the room. Keleel opening the door for myself.

  Moments later Simone came out of the room, his face hurt as if I had already made my decision. In all actuality it was my fault he felt this way. If I hadn’t pushed him in my realm he wouldn’t have burst out.

  “What do you truly want Simone? We are leaders, I want you to be okay with what ever decision we make, and it has to be together.” I said looking at him straight in the eye, our hands touching, the blue and green flames bursting from them. Sizzling out after a couple moments.

  “We have to be balanced or we wont make the right decision.” I said our hands finally returning to normal. “Do you forgive me?” I asked my tone quiet, ashamed of what I did in my realm.

  “You have nothing to be forgiven for,” he said looking me straight in the eyes.

  “I threw you off my balcony and told you to figure it out,” I replied having to elaborate I needed to get it out.

  “You did what you thought would help, and sadly it did. It made me realize what I was missing, and what needed to change,” he said pulling me close, our bodies touching in a hug. Gripping me tight, he whispered in my ear, “I want what you a Desmond have, its selfish but I want it.”

  I felt his words hit me, he was right this was what he wanted, this was what we were going to do then. Pushing him away from my body, I gripped his shoulder pulling him towards the door again, I had made my decision.

  We walked through the door, and as I had anticipated all eyes were on us as we walked in, each person anxious to find out our decision.

  “Tyler it is, Simone and I feel like this is going to be the easiest to find and figure out. However we need to find my parents and talk to them. My mother knows more about the council and who hold each person’s powers. If we can get her to tell us we can save the others. We leave for the mortal realm in the morning, everyone please gather your things and get rested up for tomorrow, who knows what will happen,” I said smiling at everyone, squeezing Simone’s hand.

  Chapter 16

  Throne Room

  The throne room was empty, the walls lined with elegant cabinets filled with weapons, trophies, and statues. The blue of the water surrounding it glistening off the glass, it looked like a prism with the light shining through the windows. The throne itself glistening as if glowing brightly. Walking the glass, my fingering gliding over the glass. My aura flowing around me, little bits glowing and dripping to the floor, leaving a misty trail behind me.

  Deep breath in, then out. I took to the center of the throne room, lifting my hands into the air. The magic flowing around me, dripping, the smoky mist of magic swirling around me, my hair and clothes lifting around me. My wings bursting from my back, their feathers tussled in the mix. The faster the magic swirled, the glass shook, the cabinets cracking under the pressure.

  Raising and dropping my arms, the water swirled around me, fluctuating in the room, the pressure more than the cabinets could bare. The glass shattering as the magic erupted from me, the statues, weapons and trophies shattering into millions of pieces. The room emptying of water, the air swirling around me drying up every drop, holding back the water from the windows. The guardians pounded on the door, trying to break it down, the voices of my friends echoed from the other side. Everyone in a panic over what was happening. I didn’t even know what was happening.

  Still standing in the middle of the room, my magic continued to drip from me, the green smoke swirled around my body still the wind in the room increasing, spinning into a tornado of glass shards and broken pieces of treasures. Outside the windows I could see guards trying to break through the wind barrier, but nothing, they couldn’t.

  My wings flapped over and over, helping the wind move faster and faster. My body moved on its own, controlling the wind, sitting in the throne. Under the throne arm rest was a small lever barely visible, my fingers slid along the edge of the arm and found it. As the switch buzzed with life, the throne lifted, sliding forward and rotating. Beneath the throne was a staircase, it was eyry looking, cobwebs decorated the passageway. The door way completely covered, so you could barely see the torches lining the way down the stairs.

  As I walked towards the passage the door continued to pound, Piper and Desmond’s voice echoed through the door.

  “Kade, let us in, what are you doing?” Piper’s voice angry, as it should be I just destroyed her throne room.

  “I’m opening the doors, Simone, Katterina and Piper are only allowed to walk through the door,” I called out to them. It was a strange request in itself, but this room needed the four of us only. I knew what was down there, and in order to get it, the four of us needed to work together as the core.

  “No,” Simone replied,

  “Simone, Piper and Katterina enter the room now,” my voice commanding in tone. I would command them to do so if they didn’t willingly.

  With the flick of my wrist the door swung open, everyone crammed around the door frame as if to get a look as to what was happening. Piper was first, walking through the veil of water and air, her mouth fell open, an in audible scream echoing through the room. “What have you done?” her voice octaves above normal.

  “I’ll explain,” I added looking at her then back at the water cascading from the ceiling over the door. I understood her anger for what I did but she would see why in moments.

  Simone was the next to walk through the doorway, his face just as shocked as Piper, not near as much anger but still some frustration. He took a look around the room, as if not really knowing what he was looking at but knew it was wrong.

  Kat
terina stared at the wall of water hesitant, her body rigid. Taking a tiny step forward her shoe slid under the water, popping out the other side. Her other foot taking a similar step forward, her face now coming out of the water. She held her breath as if there would be no air for her on the other side.

  Just as I flicked my wrist to close the doors again, Desmond came running. Before he could step through I tossed him back, his body flew across the floor slamming into the wall down the hall.

  “Why did you do that?” Simone asked looking at me, turning his head from me to Desmond.

  “It has to be us, only us or it wont work,” I said looking at each of them. I swung my hand to the left closing the doors now. I used my right hand to point towards the stairwell leading down.

  Chapter 17

  Dead Zone

  The stairwell was damp and muggy, the cobwebs detatching from the steps as we walked from step to step. The sound of water trickling down the brick work as the torches held stationary affixed to the walls. The steps slick with water dripping, over it. Simone took lead lighting the torches as we walked, his foot clicking the cobwebs out, each falling like sheets against the brick walls.

  “Is anyone going to say what we are thinking? Why do I have a hidden passage under my throne room?” Piper asked her voice echoing off the walls.

  “Sshh,” Katterina whispered back to her, even with her quiet voice it continued to echo through the stairwell.

  The walls were dripping more, the sound of the rippled water echoed off the walls, ringing in our ears. Each step seemed to get worse, shortening and puddling with water. Simone’s footprints left steam behind him, while every step I took blew the water away keeping it from touching me. The walls started closing in on us as we continued down, the passage getting smaller and smaller so only one person could walk a step at a time. We had been descending a long time, but I felt it was still a ways yet to get where we were going.

  As Simone continued to light the torches in front of us the previous ones would extinguish, only ever having four lit at a time. The air began getting warmer, even muggier, almost beyond what mortal bodies could stand. The water dripping from the steps above continued to drip, but as it touched the narrow steps it burst into steam. The cobwebs now completely gone, the walls cracked and broken as we walked by them, dust crumbling off them.

  Simone’s torch above shone, and then it was gone. Each of our torches disappeared, extinguishing just as fast. “Simone?” I called out, my voice stopped echoing forward, it only echoed from behind me.

  “What? What happened Kade?” Piper asked, her voice full of worry. She gripped my shoulder tightly, but as I took the next step it wasn’t there. it was simply gone. My foot not making purchase on the cement, I fell forward falling down. The fall was pleasant, not jarring, it was almost as if I was falling into water, just slowly sinking deeper and deeper with no real place to end.

  Nothing came from above me, I felt Piper fall with me, but no voices echoed anymore. Looking around it was completely black in color, my eyes couldn’t see anything around me. As I fell farther and farther, it got hotter and hotter.

  Flashbacks of falling into Infero’s pit hit me, my eyes squeezing closed. The horror of being burned alive shocked me. The heat now was nothing as terrible but this was still bad, my body shook in fear of the similar fate, but this time in water. I felt something strong was down here, I knew it was something that could help us. But what was it?

  Slowly opening my eyes again, I was able to see everything this time, the walls crumbling around me, the water dripping, moss growing, fire streaking the walls, and even air currents jetting through the holes in the wall, almost a complete circle of the main elements. Looking down, there was Simone, flailing in the air, fire bursting from his hands and feet, as if it would help stop or slow him down, but it seemed to make his spinning and flailing worse.

  Looking up, Piper and Katterina were flailing as well, not nearly as animated as Simone, but they seemed terrified. And then they stopped looking down at me, our eyes meeting, their powers burst into action, their eyes bright in color. Looking back down at Simone he had stopped as well, his eyes glowing bright as he looked up to me. We all looked around looking for something to grab something to stop our fall, but there was nothing. And there didn’t seem to be a bottom of this passage.

  Colored lights began dancing around us, as each of us fell we slowed, each colored light seemed to slow us down, little by little until we landed in a pile on a hard rock surface. Simone crawled from under us, being the first to stand looking around, the walls solid circling us perfectly. Piper and Katterina walked around it, sliding their hands across the stones.

  Simone took a deep breath looking at the walls, he was panicked. I could tell he was getting claustrophobic, his breathing shallowed, shortening. His eyes darting from side to side, up then down. He was panicking, his body stiffened as his breaths became almost impossible to hear.

  Calm down Simone, we will figure out how to get out of here. I tried speaking, my voice failed, no sound. I felt my mouth moving and making the shapes of each word but nothing would come out. I tried again, the same words mouthing from me but nothing came out.

  “Kade speak up, are what are you trying to say!” Piper voice echoed through the chamber, louder as if screaming at me.

  She could definitely speak, her voice carried for a long time, echoing and rebounding off the walls. She continued to yell at us, asking if anyone could hear her. It was getting to powerful to bare, her voice now ringing in my ears. Almost over powered, flashbacks from the Banshee those months ago. My ears feeling the same, lifting my hand to my ear it was the same, her voice was so powerful it was causing our ears to bleed.

  I looked to Simone, his hands over his ears, red blood seeping between his fingers. Katterina doing the same, feeling the extreme pain of the voice.

  I put my finger to my mouth and looked at Piper in the eyes. Motioning for her to be quiet, she wasn’t understanding. Her voice still yelling in our ears. I launched forward and wrapped my hand around her mouth, moving her face to look at Katterina’s ear. Blood dripping down her hand onto her arm.

  “Did I do that?” She mumbled but the sound still piercing our ears, almost knocking my head into the wall. She gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth as if to stop the sounds.

  So something was amplifying her voice to much it was weaponized. Katterina walked towards me, holding a hand out, as our hands clasped, she shook her head. Pointing to Piper, then to her ears. Then pointing to her own mouth shaking her head. I assumed she was telling me she couldn’t speak either. Placing her hands on my lips she then moved it to touch her ear.

  Trying to whisper, while conveying my thoughts, “I can speak?”

  She shook her head hard, pointing at Piper. She touched her ears and pointed to Piper again shaking her head left and right.

  “Piper can’t hear? But she can speak loud, very loud?” still forcing myself to whisper.

  “Can you guys see anything?” I asked pointing to my eyes as Piper and Simone looked at me and Katterina.

  “I can hear you guys, but I cant see anything? What is going on? I can hear Kade’s voice coming from this direction,” he said swinging his arms out in a searching motion.

  “Simone, stay right there. Okay so Piper can’t hear us?” I pointed to Piper then to my ears. She shook her head back.

  “Simone can’t see us?” I asked again waiting for his reponse.

  “Right, but I can hear everything, every sound so talk quietly please,” Simone replied moving his head as if to look around.

  “Katterina can not speak, but I can do all three?” I asked looking at everyone. If was quiet bright in the room, I could see them clearly. Every movement, but looking into Piper and Katterina’s eyes they looked lost, as if they could barely see.

  “Simone you said you can hear extremely well? What do you hear right now?” I asked looking towards where the light in the
room was coming from. There was a small little hole in the wall, only big enough for a bug to squeeze through but it was something. And through the hole was a small breeze of air. I could see the current moving through the hole rapidly.

  “Yes I can, and if you guys would stop breathing so loudly I could hear other things. I hear the sound of a crackling flame coming from this direction,”’ he said as he lifted his arm pointing to the hole in the wall.

  “Then I hear the sound of the wind blowing and even some water drops dripping from really high up, it echoes so loudly that its almost defining,” he finished sitting down in the spot he was in before.

  “Okay, I can only see a small hole in the wall but I can also see the wind blowing out of it,” I said looking at them, grabbing Simone’s hand as I walked to the hole in the wall. Piper and Katterina followed.

  Putting my eye to the hole in the wall, I could see a great distance farther than I could have ever seen before. And sure enough in the distance was a sand storm, circling something on a wooden pedestal. Around the sandstorm was a big bright blue mote with tides and waves splashing as it broke against the sand storm.

  Just before the mote was a bright fire swaying back and forth. The flames licking the water in front of it as it splashed and hissed. The wind tickled the flames as it picked up leaves and dirt from the floor. Each element swirled around this pedestal. Wondering how we were going to get to the other side.

  Trying to use my powers to pull the wind closer to me, nothing happened. Trying to pull more wind through the cracked hole, maybe I could break it down. But there was nothing, I couldn’t even feel my powers pulse within me. The usual color and feeling of strings pulling from within me were missing. It felt empty, lonely. Almost like Simone looked when he realized he didn’t have the ability to see in this dark cavern.

  “I think I don’t have powers? Does anyone else have the ability to use magic?” I asked looking at each of them. Simone lifted his hand and a flame burst into life, it wasn’t as big as his magic usually was but it was there. Piper looked at what Simone was doing and pointed to herself as if to ask if she was supposed to do that.