by Lora Palmer
"Janice?"
"Yes."
"Didn’t you hear about that legend? You know how that ended up! Leah was right. It was us...or it will be."
"We won’t let the death of the sister happen, but we need Janice. She and King Alec must meet, or Leah will never have existed."
Now, even the flashbulb images and intermittent sounds faded. Nothing remained but the white glow, like being engulfed in snow blindness, and my fragmented thoughts. Cut off from everything and everyone. No music. No laughter. No one to talk to. All alone. No warmth. No sensation. I would give anything to feel a hug, a touch, Cameron’s soft fur. How long this nothingness lasted, moments or years, I could not guess. It seemed an eternity, an eternity in which I thought I’d lose my mind to madness.
* * *
A high hum vibrated through my body. Sound! Glorious sound! Exultant, my heart leapt. Slightly lower chords joined in, creating a soothing harmony. As the music sped up, faster and faster, my body warmed and tingled all over. I could feel! There was light, too, a soft green glow. My eyelids felt so heavy, too heavy to open, so I just relished the pleasant comfort. Taking my first deep breath, I inhaled an exotic floral scent — my birth mother’s perfume. New, unfamiliar, my limbs shook as I stretched them, without grace or coordination. I'd have to get used to being back in my body again. Finally, the humming sound stopped, and the green light dimmed. The creak of a metal chamber retracting and opening reached my ears, and I made the effort to open my eyes to see what was happening.
Above me, a tube of metal lined with crystal rods slid aside, allowing me to sit up. This healing chamber reminded me of an open MRI or a tanning bed. Within the confines of this machine, I rocked back and forth in joy at being alive again, then turned to greet the others. My time in the Soul Crystal seemed to fade away, leaving behind only the dim memory of my entrapment. Family and friends from Earth surrounded me, with Kevin and Mrs. Taylor hanging back at the edge of the group.
"Mom! Dad! David!" I exclaimed, choking, and I was engulfed in a family hug.
"Oh, glory be, you’re alive," Mom murmured, stroking my hair.
Being back in their arms made me want this moment to last forever. "Jenny?" I asked. Mrs. Taylor and Kevin shook their heads, grief in their eyes.
"King Korin told me she freed all the spirits," Kevin said. "Good. It was what she would have wanted to accomplish as her final act."
"But she didn’t come back," I whispered brokenly.
"Missed you girl!" Kara exclaimed through her tears, grabbing me in a hug as soon as my family gave the chance. "You have to tell me all about how things have been here, including the hottie, King Korin."
Half sobbing, half laughing, I promised to tell her everything. I hugged David, hugged Prime Minister Roland and First Lady Rhianna, then finally came to Brian and King Korin. Korin gestured to Brian, who nodded and pulled me into a fierce hug.
"Thank heavens the healing chamber worked! Korin and I brought you here to his castle after the fight. I thought I’d lost you! Keeping someone in stasis doesn’t always work, and you seemed to take forever before your heart started beating again... before you started breathing again. How do you feel?"
"I’m good," I reassured him. "I feel great, actually, at least physically. Brian, thank you for bringing everyone here. It means the world to me."
This visit was only temporary, I knew. My family and friends would have to return to Earth soon, preferably before another disaster struck. Absorbed in these thoughts, I barely noticed Korin's jealous look, or the way his security chief, Jaedyn — who stood next to him the whole time — placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"To me, too." Staring into my eyes, Brian reached up as if to touch my hair, but then thought the better of it. He rested a hand on my shoulder, then stepped back to make way for Korin.
I pulled Korin to me, and we hugged just as fiercely. Jaedyn narrowed her gaze at me, but I didn’t care. Brian and Kevin clapped each other on the back in greeting, then soon became absorbed in conversation.
"You’ve been through so much. To think of what awaits you…"
Not wanting to dwell on the past or future, I put my finger to his lips. "Whatever happens, at least everyone is here for now." I worried about the danger to my family and friends, but they knew the risks and wanted to be here.
"For now?" David shook his head and came to stand beside me. His face was pale and drawn, like he hadn’t been sleeping well lately. "Leah, after what happened to you, I’m not leaving. Besides, you’re going to need all the help you can get to stop this galaxy destroyer."
"I’m staying too," Kara declared, wrapping her arm around David’s waist. "I want to get the fiends that did this to Jenny, and no way would I pass up the chance to explore another world!"
"David, we’d only give her more to worry about if we stay," Dad said before I had a chance to respond, walking hand in hand with Mom over to our side of the room. They’d been standing by the door, chatting with my birth parents. "We’ve done our part, now it’s time to let Leah finish hers. The sooner we do that, the sooner she can come home."
I didn’t have the heart to tell him I probably wouldn’t make it home.
"You’ve done your part," David corrected. When I raised an eyebrow, he added, "Mom figured out the pattern in the placement of the monoliths. Dad thought the pattern resembled a kind of code or symbol he’d seen before in ancient Earth texts."
"David —," Mom began.
He didn’t let her finish. "I’m staying."
Mom shook her head, her eyes red-rimmed and shimmering with tears. She stayed silent, unable to ask me to come home with them and forget about everything on this strange world.
"It’s also a symbol familiar to us," First Lady Rhianna said. "It’s the symbol of the sky-gods."
My eyes widened. "The genesis device is theirs? And if their symbol is on Earth, too, that means they placed a device like it there." A million other worlds could have them. The thought of it made me shudder. I had no doubt the devices were connected, all of them on countdown. If I couldn’t activate the one on Jantyr in time, each would destroy its section of the galaxy.
My parents exchanged a glance and a reluctant nod.
"We’ll figure out where it is, if we can, and try to disarm it," Dad promised.
Mrs. Taylor and Kevin agreed to assist them. I could only hope they’d succeed. At least they had a chance, and that lifted a bit of the burden weighing on my mind. Earth might be saved if they managed it.
"There is much more to do, and we can’t wait any longer." As usual, Caleb had to act as taskmaster.
My hands dropped to my sides, where my fingers curled into fists. Couldn’t I spare just one hour with my family and friends before saying goodbye again? I sighed. Maybe this was better. The less time they stayed, the sooner they could get out of the immediate danger zone. "Fine. To the mountains, then?"
Chapter 22
We stood high in the mountains, not far from the precipitous climb up to the highest peak. I glanced around, hoping we’d managed to land close to the monolith. Then I felt it calling to me, far above us. "It’s up there." I pointed. Biting my lip as the others followed my gaze, I worried that this mission might be too dangerous. The whole group had come, even Jaedyn. Could we all manage to get up the mountain peak?
"Way up on the highest point?" Kara swallowed, paling as though she might be sick. She shook her head to clear away the fear.
"Since when have you been afraid of heights?"
Kara jabbed David in the ribs with her elbow. "Since I got a look at that sheer climb."
"Well, then," he said, wrapping an arm around her. "Let’s go!"
The climbing proved difficult. Everybody had to walk single file, backs against the rocky mountain as we edged our way up the narrow, winding path to the peak. I kept my focus on the ledge — I did not dare look out at the emptiness or down at the vast valley beneath us.
Just keep going. One foot in front of the other
. Don’t stop. Don’t think.
"So, what’s been happening since I’ve been away?" My voice came out slightly tremulous, unlike the calm, strong one I wanted it to be.
David flashed an easy smile. He moved naturally, as though he had always done this, and seemed to be enjoying this climb. "Well, the feds came in and hushed up the investigation. Police Chief Jacobs wasn’t happy about it. He’s still searching for you, Leah, and he still wants answers. Not that he’ll get any."
I managed a shaky smile in return as I faced him. "That’s good." Still, I had an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. On Earth, I was missing, and time had passed there without me.
The group fell silent as the climbing grew steadily more difficult. It took all my concentration to watch for the gaps that had begun to appear between parts of the ledge. Finally, we came to a place where the gap was so wide that we would have to jump across. A risky move, because even a running jump might not be enough to make it.
Why couldn’t we have used a mirror to go up there to begin with?
My lamentation was echoed aloud by Brian. "Couldn’t we have just travelled through the mirror directly to the monolith?"
My birth father answered, though I could already hear in my mind Caleb’s explanation.
"It would have been much easier," Prime Minister Roland admitted. "However, some areas like the monoliths — even some people — are protected with certain crystals so a mirror would not show them. Small Protection crystals are often used to prevent spying or mirror travel. The best we could do was find the nearest open area around it. Even this would not have worked had we not already known where to look."
David smirked and launched into his pre-running stretches, clearly having fun with this. Who would have guessed he was this much of a daredevil, even with the stunts he pulled while surfing? "Back up a bit, everybody. We’re all going to need some room to make a running jump across."
I gripped his arm, shaking my head. My heart beat frantically, thudding hard against my ribcage. "No, David! Don’t. It’s too far to the next ledge. You could get killed!"
He put his hands on my shoulders and met my gaze. "It’ll be fine. You’re not giving up, are you? This is what we came here to do — save the galaxy, whatever it takes. That’s what we’re going to do."
As always, he knew just what to say to help me be brave enough to face whatever came. Being reminded of the stakes, of why I couldn’t turn back, snapped my priorities back into focus. I nodded. "Yeah."
Brian wasn’t so convinced. "How is the evacuation coming along? Instead of risking all our lives for this, Leah and I could be back in Astoria helping with the effort. We don’t know if we can finish this, or if it’ll work."
"We won’t be able to evacuate everyone. Even with you two helping, and the MirrorMasters brought in from the past, not enough time remains, " Prime Minister Roland replied, frowning. "This is our only chance at saving everyone."
With our strategy settled, David took off running and made a flying leap at the last second. My heart clenched painfully in horror as I watched him suspended in mid-air, with nothing but the ground a thousand feet below him.
Come on, come on. You can make it, David. Please don’t fall…
I closed my eyes and prayed. When I heard a loud thud, and a laugh of exhilaration, I opened them to see David on the other side, jumping up and down with arms raised in victory. Whooping, I returned the gesture, but my own movements were shaky as I finally let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
"Come on, Leah! You’re next," he challenged, stepping back to make room for me to land.
"Okay," I agreed, and glanced back at the others. Brian stared at me with a worried frown, while Korin and Jaedyn met each other’s gaze with identical glints of wild excitement in their eyes. Kara raised her arms, laughing, as she cheered for David’s amazing landing. I nudged her with my elbow, rolling my eyes. My birth parents had gone slightly pale, but otherwise appeared calm and determined to make the jump. Caleb scanned the path ahead, tense, ready for action. Kara and I stood together, clasping hands to give each other strength to make the leap. It astonished me and warmed my heart to see that nobody was willing to turn back.
So, I wouldn’t be, either.
Taking a deep breath, I fixed my gaze on David. I would make it across that wide gap. Flat out, as fast as I could, I ran until I neared the gap. At the last second, I jumped into the air, using the ledge as a springboard. Weightless, soaring, I didn’t dare glance down, and I had no idea if I’d jumped far enough. Seconds later — an eternity — my feet struck hard against the rocky ledge, sending a sharp pain shooting up from the balls of my feet to my shins. Then, I fell to my knees, bracing myself with my arms. I’d made it!
Cheers erupted from the group still on the other side, with the exception of Jaedyn. I laughed, overcome with a giddy sense of relief, and managed to sit with my back against the wall. David sat with me and joined in the laughter, wrapping his arms around me.
When I could finally move again, we made way for the others to jump. I stood, brushing dirt and gravel from my knees and forearms, then turned to watch. One by one, the others jumped. First, my parents jumped, followed by Brian. Then came Caleb, King Korin, and Jaedyn. They all made it across without incident, to cheers and claps on the back. Then it was Kara’s turn. She ran, not quite as fast as the others, and jumped, too hesitant. Kara wouldn’t make it across the gap. She screamed, a loud, despairing scream.
"Kara!" My echoing scream rent the air. I ran forward, to the edge, reaching out for my best friend. It was too late. No, no, no! This could not be happening. I could not lose Kara.
"Careful!" Caleb commanded sharply, to stop me from doing something reckless that could get me killed, too.
I had to do something, anything to save Kara. What, though? Magic was new to me. I had no idea what I could do with it, how far I could push it. Think, I told myself fiercely, forcing my panicked mind to focus. As Kara began to fall, I sent out a burst of energy, willing it to become solid. It floated away from me, grey and webbed like a net.
"Brian, help me!" Frantic, I gripped his hand. He gave an answering nod as his hand closed around mine. Together we strengthened that energy net, no longer a sphere but a square large enough to catch a person. Faster and faster it went, flying toward Kara. She landed on it, glancing up in shock as her fall stopped.
"How?" Kara asked. "How did you do that?" She lay back against the net, collapsed in relief.
Brian and I focused together on drawing Kara toward our side of the gap, and soon King Korin and Caleb lent their energy to the cause. Slowly, the net rose and drifted toward us, finally coming to rest on solid ground.
"Oh, thank heavens!" I cried out, my knees buckling beneath me.
Caleb edged his way over to Kara to help her stand. She leaned back against the mountain wall for support as she did, sobbing and trembling. Pulling her against him, Caleb held her and rubbed her back. "Shh, you’re fine now. You made it."
* * *
We reached the top of the peak two hours later. I approached the monolith, an earthy yellow color, as the others gathered around. King Korin removed the necklace with its four crystals and handed it to me. Nodding my thanks, I slipped the necklace on. Weary, knees aching, I stepped onto the platform and held up the crystal of Influence. The top of the monolith collapsed away, leaving me to slide the crystal into place. A yellow glow surrounded me, and a low, strong hum filled the air.
The forcefield engaged, and I sank down onto the grass, overcome with exhaustion and dizziness. Squeezing my eyes closed to dispel the feeling, I put a hand to my head. To my surprise, it miraculously worked. My head cleared, leaving me stronger, more powerful than ever. What an intoxicating rush! I felt almost as though I could do anything. Experimentally, I released some of that power. Just as I’d visualized, flowers appeared in the grass around me — vivid reds, blues, purples, and some hues I’d never encountered on Earth!
"Ch
eck you out, Leah!" Kara glanced around appreciatively at the flowers springing up from the ground around them, blooming as if on fast-forward. She twirled a few times and laughed, throwing her arms out wide. "I can’t believe you can do this stuff. It’s kind of mind-blowing, actually." Plopping down beside me, she picked several flowers and wove them into a garland.
"All in a day’s work," I quipped, gathering some flowers of my own to make a garland for Kara. We chatted, laughing and catching up with each other while I regained my strength. David, Kevin, and Brian joined us, while the parents and Caleb sat together.
Jaedyn narrowed her eyes at me and shook her head. "This is the wielder?" She frowned at the amused smirk on Korin's face as he watched me with my friends. Focusing on my work, I pretended to ignore their conversation.
Korin quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, and she’s one of the best Jantyr has ever seen. She’s strong. She has a heart big enough to save this whole world... and maybe even accomplish what no wielder before her has managed. Leah might be the one to undo whatever causes Jantyr to go through times of renewal."
Jaedyn stared hard at him. "You actually think this slip of a girl will manage to do it? Impossible. It’s only conjecture that such a thing can be done! Look at her — she cannot even be serious for two seconds." She gestured to where I laughed with my friends, leaning against Kara. We had our flower garlands on now. Glancing up, I smiled tentatively at Jaedyn and Korin, then glanced back down to pick flowers for a new garland.
"She’s a free spirit. She didn’t grow up here, and has had a much different life than ours. On Earth, her responsibilities were nothing like she has here. Nothing like we have here. But she is learning. Come, talk with her. You barely know her, so it is a mystery to me how you could say such things about her."
Jaedyn crossed her arms. "Fine," she huffed, allowing Korin to lead her over to the group.
"Come sit with us," Kara invited as the two desert-dwellers approached, scooting over to make room for them.