“And after that?” Olivia asks.
A sense of…relief, maybe, flows out of me. “After that, she’s theirs to punish as they see fit.”
After a sharp nod, Olivia directs her attention to Sloane. “I guess we should give this tracking power thing a try. I’m more than ready to be done with this whole war.”
She’s not the only one.
Chapter 25
How It Should Be
(Hayden)
This is by far the weirdest thing I’ve done since meeting Olivia, and that’s really saying a lot. I’m not even sure why I’m in this circle of strange power sharing, but Olivia and Sloane both insisted. Right now, all I can feel is Sloane’s power hovering at my fingertips. I know she’s doing more than that, but it’s different than what she usually does.
She’s not trying to help either of us work out our power’s potential. All that’s happening is her guiding us down through the layers of Mason’s power so we can feel the core element that all Aerling’s have in common. It’s a bizarre experience. I really never expected to be so…up close and personal with Mason. Probably not the weirdest thing that will happen over the next few days.
I have to focus in order to pay attention to what Sloane is saying as she works her way through the layers. She’s mostly talking to Olivia, since she’s the one who actually has to do this with Mason, but I guess I’m supposed to be able to do it too. I mean, we need as much power as we can get, and Sloane is my Aerling.
A shiver runs down my spine as that thought repeats in my head. The good kind. Her using her power on me is addictive. I thought kissing Olivia was the best feeling I’ve ever had, but it doesn’t even come close. Not that I’d tell her that, but there’s just such an intense feeling of completion when Sloane touches me with her power that I don’t think anything could ever compare with it.
I get it, now, that Olivia and Mason must share something similar, even if not exactly the same. It’s actually a relief to know that. I had resigned myself to remaining Olivia’s friend when I found out what Mason was, but stamping out my desire for her wasn’t easy. That’s completely different now. I honestly couldn’t be any happier for Mason and Olivia, provided the whole relationship ban thing gets worked out.
That’s another thought that shatters my concentration. I can’t say I’m ready to jump into a full-on relationship with Sloane right this second, but being around her is quickly becoming what I wake up thinking about. Olivia was right when she said that Sloane was beautiful. Her bronze skin and bright gold-brown eyes peeking out at me from behind her mocha hair are hard to ignore. Right now, I’m staring at her full mouth instead of listening because I haven’t been able to stop wondering what it would feel like to kiss her since last night.
As if she can read my thoughts, her eyes flick over to me. A smile forms on her lips automatically before she realizes I’m not paying any attention. Frowning, she pushes a bit of her power into my hand. My reaction is immediate. Sucking in a sharp breath, my eyes widen as the sensation of being made whole blasts through me, capturing my full attention.
Sloane smirks at me, but smiles and sighs before turning her attention back to Olivia.
Paying better attention after that, I work on feeling everything she’s trying to show us. Moving down through the layers of Mason’s power is…interesting. There’s all these different textures, like slick flowing ones that feel like they’re going to slip through my hands to rough textures that feel strange under my fingers. It seems like forever later before we reach what Sloane refers to as the core.
It’s strangely solid, and I know instinctively that there’s nothing beyond it. This is the basis of what Aerlings are. A feeling of calm settles over me as I study this most intimate part of Mason’s makeup. It’s foreign, but at the same time familiar. It’s the same feeling I had when I arrived in the Aerling world, this dual sense of belonging yet not quite belonging.
Being marked as an Escort bound me to the Aerling world, made it my home, but there’s still so much of me that belongs here, in this world where I have family and friends and a life. I told Olivia I would stay and help the Aerlings after the war is over, but I don’t know if I could have committed to that without knowing I could still leave and come back. At least, until I knew about Sloane. Knowing I’m her Escort does remove any hesitation about remaining with the Aerlings, but it’s still a relief to know I’ll see my family again.
A few seconds later, Sloane pulls back her power and releases everyone from her influence. Olivia and Mason both look relieved to be on their own again, but I miss it instantly. Sloane’s eyes catch mine and I swear I see the same thought in her eyes. She turns away quickly and says, “Now why don’t we partner up and work on combining power for a while? After that we can move on to searching for the Mother, okay, Olivia?”
She barely waits for Olivia’s answering nod before standing and holding her hand out to me. I don’t hesitate to take it. Even though all she does is give me a little tug to get me up to standing, her hand stays tight around mine for a few more seconds before releasing me. I wasn’t really planning to let go at all.
“Why don’t we go over to the table?” Sloane suggests.
I probably would have suggested something different, but to the table it is. I gesture for her to lead the way rather than risk saying anything. My thoughts have been doing a lot of wandering lately, which isn’t usually like me. Sloane takes one of the two chairs and folds her legs beneath her when she sits. Grabbing the second chair, I drag it right next to hers and fall into it.
It feels like forever ago that we started this insane quest, but the second I touch Sloane’s hand the weariness evaporates. “Is your power always on the surface like this?” I ask, relishing the feel of her peaceful energy.
“I can make it stop if I really need to…” Her eyes dart over to mine uncertainly. “Or if you want me to pull it back.”
Shaking my head, I say, “Don’t hide it. I love the way it feels.”
“Is that the reason you keep touching me?” Sloane asks.
I know Mason saw me put my arm around her waist last night, and I’m pretty sure Olivia did to, but neither of them said anything. Then again, neither did Sloane. It just felt like a natural thing to do, but not in the way Sloane is thinking.
“No, not exactly. I mean, you know how your power makes me feel, but that’s not the only reason. Mostly, I just want to be near you,” I admit.
There’s no shame in it even though we’ve only know each other for a few days. The bond that must have formed the second we met took away any unfamiliarity between us. I only found out last night that she’s my Aerling, but I’ve felt the need to protect her since that first day. Well, after I regained full consciousness and didn’t feel like I’d been run over by a semi. Lucid thought before that was a little tricky.
“Hayden,” Sloane says quietly, “everything Mason and Olivia are facing, it won’t be any different for us.”
“I’m well aware of that, Sloane.”
“Then…” She stares at me uncertainly, holding back the rest of her question. It’s not like she needs to ask it, though.
“It doesn’t matter, Sloane. Whatever this ban is between humans and Aerlings, I don’t think it’s natural.”
Sloane leans closer to me, though I’m not sure she realizes she’s doing it. “So, you think maybe it won’t be a problem after this is all over?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly, “but either way, I’m not going anyway, Sloane. You’re not only mine to protect, you’re my friend…maybe more at some point, but I’ve never been one to abandon a friend. Even when they wished I would. Just ask Olivia.”
Smiling, Sloane rests her head against the back of her chair, bringing her a little closer still. “Olivia never really wanted you to leave.” She reaches her hand out tentatively and wraps her fingers around mine. “Neither do I, but I would feel awful starting something with you that can never go any further if you’re wrong about the
ban.”
Rational thought abandons me. “I won’t feel bad at all,” I say as my palm slips onto her cheek.
I’m kissing her a second later, but I’m not prepared for the impact. Her power races through me, awakening mine, drawing it to the surface to mingle with hers hungrily. It almost overpowers the intoxicating touch of her lips moving against mine. My other hand is on her face, now, and hers on mine. It seems impossible to think of ever letting her go. Any concerns I had about being more than friends vanished the second she admitted to wanting me. The only thing that stops me from pulling her into my lap is the sound of laughing.
Sloane must hear it too, because she pulls back abruptly, her face scarlet though she’s still smiling and clutching my shirt. “I…uh, that was…unexpected.”
Mason busts up laughing. “Hayden kissing you or the whole power thing sucking you in?” He ducks his head, but keeps laughing.
“Dude, you knew about that?” I demand. “Could you warn a guy?”
Shaking his head at me, Mason laughs again. “I never thought you’d actually do it. Sorry.” Olivia smacks him on the shoulder, but is laughing pretty hard herself.
“How did you know that would happen?” Sloane asks in amazement.
Getting herself under control, Olivia says, “Uh, we ran into that problem ourselves…more than once.” She laughs again and looks right at me. “Sorry, I should have thought to warn you since I’m a little more familiar with how impetuous you can be with stuff like this.” She bites her lip after the barb, trying and failing to stifle another round of laughter.
“You both suck.” I shake my head at them, but being surprised by our power mixing was hardly a bad thing. Just thinking about it pulls my attention back to Sloane. Not grabbing her and kissing her until neither one of us can breathe takes every ounce of self-control I possess.
“You were right,” Sloane says quietly.
“Right about what?” Somehow I’m only a few inches away from her again.
“I don’t feel bad either.”
Grinning, this time I do kiss her. The rush of power is expected this time, but no less consuming. I was hopeful before that the ban between Escorts and Aerlings was wrong, but now I’m convinced. Nothing this incredible could be wrong. Not only is the ban idiotic, I’m positive now that this is exactly how it should be. How it will be, if we can only find a way to destroy the Mother and set things right. Just that one little thing. That’s all.
Chapter 26
Weapon
(Mason)
It’s frustrating not being able to help Olivia with this. I find myself pacing relentlessly as she and Sloane sit on the bed, focused on finding the Mother. My original plan of heading back to the cabin first thing this morning got shut down by practicality. If Olivia’s search proves successful. We’ll be on the road again anyway. No sense in wasting time driving back to the cabin before Olivia begins her search.
The constant hushed discussion going on between them makes it hard to focus on anything else. Hayden isn’t pacing, but he hasn’t moved from his spot at the table all morning. The nervous bobbing of his knee proves we’re in the same boat. Deciding I’ll be less of a distraction if I sit down, I take a seat next to him.
“Is this going to work?” Hayden asks quietly. His eyes are drawn to our packed suitcases sitting by the door. Were we too optimistic?
“It’ll work.” Just maybe not as fast as we were hoping. It’s only been about three hours, but I worry about how long it will take to track someone who’s had millennia to make sure she can’t be found.
Running his hand through his hair, Hayden sighs. “Even once we do find the Mother, what then? How do we go after her without her knowing we’re coming?”
“We don’t,” I say. “She’ll know we’re coming, but that’s okay. There’s still a ton we don’t know, but one thing that’s certain is the Mother’s greed for more power. She’ll recognize what Olivia has and she’ll want it. She won’t run.”
Frowning, Hayden looks over at me. “So, Olivia’s basically bait?”
“It was her idea,” I say, “and it’s really the only chance we’ve got. If the Mother takes off, I have no doubt that we’ll never find her again. Even if Olivia can keep tracking her, we’d never be fast enough to catch her.”
We fall back into silence as we wait. I lose track of how long it’s been since Olivia and Sloane started their search. Half asleep sometime later, Hayden and I both jump when Olivia says, “That’s as close as I can get.”
She and Sloane start moving immediately while I’m still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “What happened?”
“Olivia has a general location, but we don’t want to risk getting any closer yet.”
“Why not,” Hayden asks, standing and stretching.
“We’re pretty sure the Mother will feel me tracking her if I get too close, like we could feel it when Sloane was finding the core of our power,” Olivia explains.
Hayden shakes his head. “But, I thought we wanted her to know we’re coming? Bait and all that, so she doesn’t run.”
“We can’t risk her knowing about us until we’re close enough that she can recognize Tāwhiri’s power,” Sloane says. “She may run before that, and then she’ll be on alert for it to happen again.”
Like everything else, it’s a theory, but it’s the best we’ve got. “Well, where are we headed?”
“East,” Olivia says, “still in the western states, though, I think. It’s still a little hard to tell. I think Evie was right about her being near us, to watch, I’m sure.”
“Well, let’s get a move on,” Hayden says as he starts grabbing luggage.
Nobody has any problem with that, so we all start grabbing bags and suitcases and we head out a few minutes later. Olivia hangs back with me as I check out of the hotel, letting Sloane and Hayden make their way to the car. We’re done a few minutes later. As we head for the exit, Olivia slips her hand into mine. “Is this going to work?”
It’s the same question Hayden asked, but my answer is different. “It has to.”
“I’m worried,” Olivia admits.
“I am too.” On so many levels, it’s getting difficult to keep track. “She’ll want his power. She’ll come to us when we’re ready.”
Olivia leans her head against my shoulder. “That’s why I’m worried.”
I understand why, but I still ask. “What do you mean?”
“Even though we were both able to access Tāwhiri’s power last night, even if we couldn’t do much with it yet, it won’t matter if I can’t figure out how to fix your memories,” Olivia says, frustration lacing every word. “The Father said you know how to do what the Mother did to her other children. It’s in there somewhere, but if you can’t remember, we won’t win this, Mason.”
“Hey, we’ll figure it out, okay?” I squeeze her shoulders and drop a kiss on her forehead. “We’ve gotten this far. We’ll make it through this, too.”
She doesn’t respond, but she seems buoyed by my optimism. I’m glad someone is. If I were being completely honest, I’d have to admit to being pretty freaked out about not having all my memories as well. Olivia feels responsible for helping me regain the missing pieces of my childhood. It’s not her job, though. The Father said it was having Tāwhiri’s power that will let us use his talents. I have his power, too. Fixing my broken mind is my responsibility, not hers.
As soon as we’re all settled in the car, the hunt for the Mother begins. It’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds. The hunting is mainly done by Sloane and Olivia tracking the Mother while sitting together in the backseat while Hayden and I occupy the front seats, turning whichever way Olivia tells us to go. “This may go on for a while,” I say to Hayden.
“Hey, at least it’s not a hundred-mile-an-hour race across the country,” Hayden says with a laugh. “I’m good with slow and steady at this point. Although, I’m not looking forward to the amount of homework I’m going to have to catch up on when this is over.�
�
I shake my head and laugh. Trust Hayden to be worried about something like that right now. Attending school as a visible person really freaked me out, to be perfectly honest, but I’d take it over having to face the Mother any day.
Soon, the car settles into a tense silence, Olivia only interrupting when she needs me to change directions. That doesn’t happen very often, since the Mother seems to be staying fairly close to wherever she calls home. So, we just drive. My mind soon becomes occupied with watching the other cars on the road with us.
It’s hours later when I pull off the interstate to refuel that I notice the car that’s been behind us for the last while pulls off as well, but doesn’t get any gas. Maybe that wouldn’t seem so odd if they had gotten out to get a snack or use the restroom, but they don’t. Whoever is driving simply waits in their car until we pull away from the station. Then they follow.
As I start to pull out onto the on ramp, I catch sight of a familiar face and clench my jaw. I can tell Hayden has noticed something is wrong by the way he sits up and begins looking around slowly. The girls are still absorbed in tracking the Mother, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. Glancing at Hayden, I tilt my head to indicate he should look behind us. He does, turning back around a second later with a scowl.
“Plan?”
“There’s a rest area a few miles up ahead.”
That’s all I say. Hayden nods.
Four and a half miles later, I signal to exit and pull into the deceleration lane. Both the girls look up in confusion when they realize we’re stopping. Instead of asking what’s wrong, their eyes dart around the windows as they look for the reason. They find it. Sloane ducks down in her seat, but Olivia only frowns.
“He said he would help us.”
“Yeah, well, creeping along behind us without making himself known isn’t really a sign of someone you want to trust.” Pulling into a parking space, I shove the gear shift into park and get out to face the man that has haunted me my entire life. Hands pulled into fists, I stand my ground as Tū exits his own car. I’m vaguely surprised to realize he’s alone.
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