The rock tried harder, and so did the elements. The wind brought in a female moan from the distance. My womb clenched in response, remembering what it used to feel like to be loved.
A male groan answered, "Hold still."
His mouth was on something. Her lips? Her breasts?
My hand automatically moved to my already hard nipples, pinching them. My body sparked to life with the sensation. I lay down flat on the rock allowing my knees to fall apart. I placed the rock in between my legs. Even through the material of my cargo pants, the vibrating rock was strong enough to cajole my hips into movement.
"Mmmm, faster!" the female voice said.
I obliged, pressing the vibrating rock against me, over and over again. My lips parted in shock as I already felt my climax building. I turned my head to the side. The charms were glowing bright. I squinted then looked away. No time to think about that now.
"Yes, yes!" the man yelled.
Yes, I thought. My muscles tensed, and the skin on my shoulder stretched, then split. Shawn's mark was tearing open. I ignored the pain because the pleasure building was greater. Besides, I didn't want to think about Shawn just then.
Elements raged, swirling above me in blue, gold, red, and shimmering brown. My legs straightened and my hips thrust up as the rest of my body was paralyzed with waves of pleasure. The climax lasted forever, straining my muscles to the point of snapping.
I dropped the rock before I hurt something, and my palm involuntarily closed around something hard and cool. When I realized what, it was already too late.
The Chalice.
I shot up, still riding waves that propelled me even faster. Within seconds I had arrived at the pinpoint of light that was all too familiar to me now. Only this time, I was a giant compared to the men. They turned toward me, caught off guard and in shock.
I lifted my arm and waved my hand across a small group standing closest to me. Each man disappeared in a tiny poof of smoke. Not murder; release. Mouths opened, the rest turned to me. Everyone paused; aftershocks still rocked my body. I squeezed my eyes closed, riding them out. When I opened them again, it was my turn to let my jaw drop. They were all bowing down to me.
The leader was the first to rise, a smile on his face. He nodded once to me. I nodded back, then returned to my body before I could do anything wrong. For once, I had managed to do something right.
I sat up on the rock, gasping for breath. I set the Chalice down and looked around me. The charms were losing their glow, and the elements above were dispersing. Still, energy hummed throughout my body.
I slowly lay back down with my hands behind my head when the notion hit me. "Damn, the Great Rite really does work." I rolled to my side, flush with contentment.
Chapter 21
Pieces
"Easy there, princess."
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "You again?" The sleep I was getting wasn't worth this.
He smiled, his gun aimed at my chest. "Where is the baby?"
I stepped forward so that it pressed against my shirt. I closed my fist, reared it back, and then forward. I connected with Shawn's jaw. His head lurched to the side, but he kept his balance. He rubbed his jaw and looked at me again. "Kaitlyn, the baby is mine."
I threw my hands up in frustration and stepped around him. Stopping Akasha wasn't the right decision, but nor was releasing it. Killing Shawn outright wouldn't have an effect; he was just a figment of my imagination – part of the dream, just like the landscape.
The wall of fire seemed real enough. I held my hand up to it. Searing heat greeted my palm, but the skin didn't blister. I bit my lip, then stuck my arm all the way through. After a few seconds, I pulled it back. My skin was unmarred.
I took a deep breath, stuck my foot straight out in front of me, and stepped forward. Two large strides with my eyes closed. On the other side of the wall was a gray, desolate landscape as far as I could see. I walked around the wall, still blazing with flame. The sky outside the wall was a dull blue. I kicked at the chalky dirt. A vast desert of nothingness. This wasn't where I belonged. I stepped back through the wall of flame.
* * *
Susan and Alex joined me by the fire the next morning. Still unsure if they were the pair I heard last night, I avoided eye contact anyway. At least until Alex said, "We have to tell you something."
I locked eyes with Susan. With what had occurred last night, I jumped to conclusions. My eyes traveled down to her midsection, looking for telltale signs of pregnancy. I hadn't noticed her morning sickness yet, but some women didn't get it – the lucky ones, anyway. I could definitely see Susan falling into that category.
Susan flinched, then turned to Alex. "We need more wood, would you mind?"
He looked confused; this obviously hadn't gone the way he expected.
"And take Bee with you?" Susan asked, fixing him with a pointed look of raised eyebrows.
"Come on, peanut, let's see if this state has any honeysuckle." He held out his hand for her and she hopped up, tempted by promises of dessert for breakfast.
After their voices were out of earshot, she turned back to me. "I'm not pregnant."
"Oh," was all I could say.
"If you must know, I have an intrauterine device for birth control, put there before Daybreak. The relationship between me and Alex has obviously…escalated." Her cheeks went red. "And we have definitely discussed kids; at least after this whole 'Shawn' thing is over. But there haven't exactly been any gynecologists running around the woods, or on gambling steamboats, and I'm too afraid to remove it myself." She took a deep breath and looked at me, "Satisfied?"
I nodded quickly, like I had just barely escaped a chastising. Time to change the subject. "I'm…so sorry, Susan. I had no idea. I haven't had my period since – well, since before I met The Seven. I'm not sure I can even get pregnant anymore." I dug out a small divot of dirt with the toe of my boot. "I guess that's a good thing."
Susan looked at me, eyes wide. "Oh, yes – I suppose. You know, it happens to a lot of Gaias, very shortly after they start using their powers. Though normally women don't become Gaias until after menopause; you were a rare exception."
I raised one eyebrow at her. "So I've been told."
Time for her to change the subject.
She turned, scanning the woods for Alex. "I suppose I should just tell you, Alex would muck it up anyway."
"Tell me what?"
She picked up a stick and poked at the fire, all of a sudden avoiding my eyes.
"Susan?!"
"Okay, okay." She threw the entire stick into the fire. "Just…try not to get mad. Have you meditated yet this morning?"
I stamped my foot.
Her lips went tight.
I huffed. "Just spit it out before I—"
"There was a tornado in Evansville."
Her interruption rendered me speechless.
She continued, "An F3, they think; wiped out half of the town, including the Chakra Center.
"That…is terrible." Weak response, I knew, but I was preparing myself for what was to follow.
"There are too many incidents for it to be considered coincidence any longer," Susan said.
My eyes flit to the woods around us, seeking Alex and Bee. I stood up, looking harder, my heart skipping a beat.
"Kaitlyn, don't freak out." Susan stood now too. "We need to decide what to—"
Before she finished the sentence, I bolted into the woods. "Bee?" I turned and turned. Still no Alex, still no Bee. "BEE?!"
Out of everyone on the planet, Susan and Alex were the two people I trusted the most. They would do anything to keep Bee safe, including keeping her away from me, if that was what it took.
"Kaitlyn!" I could hear Susan running after me, and I bolted again. She continued to try to reason with me. "What happens when the disasters catch up with you? What happens when you and Bee stay in one place too long?"
Blood pounding in my ears worked to block out Susan's voice. I felt her hand on m
y shoulder.
"I'll tell you what happens," she started, but didn't finish.
An explosion shook the ground, and knocked us both on our asses. My eyes went wide as I looked at Susan. Was it catching up with us already?
She shook her head. "That came from the river."
A second later, shards of white and red painted wood rained down on us. A piece of the Spirit of Evansville metal railing bounced on the ground a few feet away.
"Oh, God." I got to my feet.
"What was that?" Alex's voice boomed behind us.
I turned; he approached, arms full of wood.
"Mommy!" Bee yelled, running up behind him with two small sticks in her hand.
I dropped to my knees and scooped her up in a bear hug. "Oh, honey. I thought…" I trailed off. It didn't matter what I thought now. She was here, and that was all that mattered.
It was a moment before I realized Susan's arms were around the both of us. I raised my head, looking at her with tears in my eyes. She looked to be on the verge of waterworks herself.
"We would never take her away from you," Susan said. "We will work this out together."
I nodded, and buried my head back in Bee's hair. She trembled.
Alex set his pile of wood down with a clatter. "There could be people hurt. I need to check it out. You guys stay here until I know it is safe."
We nodded, uncoiling ourselves from each other. A half an hour later, without Alex's return, we ventured forward. People were wading into the river collecting anything they could from the disaster; wood, supplies – useable or not – pieces of metal from the ship. People in canoes in the water were doing the same. Whole sections of the Spirit of Evansville were nowhere to be seen.
Captain Carl saw us and stood from scouring the ground. He was in his briefs; nothing else. "Boiler exploded. Ship is now at the bottom of the Platte River." He hung his head. "The captain did not go down with it. Thankfully, it happened after they had quit work for the night. No one was on board except…"
"Except who?" I swallowed hard.
"Except Robert." Captain Carl nodded to a figure hunched over the ground, Bobby Jr., his shoulders shaking with sobs. Margie kneeled next to him, rubbing a hand over his back. Her eyes completely dry.
"What do we do now?" Susan asked.
"Now – we walk," I said.
Chapter 22
New Energy
The marching party was reluctant, at best. We only packed what could be carried on our backs, which meant much of the supplies were left behind. People had a hard time giving up their Tang. But Susan, Bee, Alex, and I had spent the last year and a half walking. For us it was like returning home.
"Do we stick by the rivers?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Susan and I said together, probably for different reasons. I glanced at her, continuing, "That’s where Micah expects us. He might be leaving other groups of people or supplies along the river – or he might be there…"
I trailed off and Alex arched his eyebrow. "Waiting with open arms?"
"Something like that," I mumbled.
Susan walked up to us, cinching her backpack down on her shoulders. "Just so you know, I'm not happy about this. I'd rather be on the water. It's faster, and less physically demanding."
I put my arm around her. "Well, you are welcome to swim your way there."
She looked at me sideways. "Ha, ha." She took a deep breath. "We divided the group. Half will stay back to finish the burial ritual and clean up the mess. They'll follow in a day or two."
I craned my neck to look around Susan. "What about Margie, is she staying?"
"Well, the deceased was her husband, so I assume so," Susan said in her grumpy voice.
I rolled my eyes. "Wait here, I want to talk to her a minute."
I found Margie inland, gathering wood for the funeral pyre, whistling.
"Margie?"
She stopped her tune and spun, eyes wide, like she had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, um…" she looked around, then set down her pile of sticks. "Look – I know what this might look like."
"Like what?" I asked, playing dumb.
"Like, maybe that I'm not sad enough after what happened." She brushed bits of leaves and dirt off her skirt.
"Are you sad?"
She paused, actually thinking about it for a moment. "For Bobby, I am. His father was everything to him. But…" She paused again, and scratched her arm.
"But what?" I prompted.
"But he was going to lead that boy astray. He was not the best role model."
I furrowed my brow, testing her. "He was your husband."
"I accepted the union because I thought I needed him to survive. I was lonely, and scared, and destitute."
Now I was reeling with confusion. "You can do some pretty powerful stuff; I didn't even know Earths could control plant life like that," I said, thinking of the vines that saved Robert on the river.
She ceased twisting her hands to wave one in the air, "I don't know about at all that. I had to save him. I mean, I caused the mess in the first place."
Funny, I blame myself.
I sighed, and sat down on a large log a few feet away. She joined me.
I nudged her. "Maybe we both need to stop being so hard on ourselves."
She smiled.
"I'm serious," I told her. "You’re totally powerful – and smart. You could live off the land by yourself for years if you had to."
"Well, what about you?" she asked. "The energy practically comes off you in waves. I've felt it strengthen every day since I've met you. Especially today."
"Oh." My cheeks went red. "Last night I, um, meditated." I cleared my throat, looked at her, and smiled. "You know, I think we’re going to be okay. We've been through…a lot. But we're still here."
She nodded. "Alive and kicking."
"Exactly…" our voices were almost at a whisper now.
"You and Micah saved us, you know." It was her turn to nudge me.
"What? How?"
"Robert and his son were in charge of the camp, as you probably guessed. When we started to grow food successfully, our small group thrived. They became more and more protective – to the point that it was becoming more of a cult than anything else." She picked up a stick, scratching it aimlessly in the ground. "It was getting ridiculous. He…hit…me a couple of times when I tried interjecting." She shrugged. "I made excuses for him, thinking it was just because he had so much on his shoulders, protecting us and all."
I stayed silent, letting her get her story out.
"When we went more than a month without seeing other people, Robert claimed we were close to the last humans. He even 'accidentally' destroyed our radio. He said it would be up to us to repopulate."
My hand went over my mouth as I gasped.
She kept her eyes forward. "They were coming up with a schedule – a rotation at nights. And that was the exact moment when Micah walked into our camp." She smiled to herself. "There was a fight, of course. But it was no contest. Robert was way out of his league."
"But, how did things not go back to bad as soon as Micah left?" I asked.
"Somehow, Micah detected my abilities and he made me demonstrate to Robert. I had never revealed them before; not even to my first husband." The words caught in her throat.
I took her hand and squeezed it.
She continued, "I thought, people might fear me. Single me out – you know, like a modern-day witch hunt." She shrugged. "So I hid them. But Micah spent three days with us, and spent a lot of time guiding me to believe in myself, and in my powers."
"Yeah, he is good at that," I said, the words almost choking in my throat.
"It wasn't instant confidence, of course. But it helps to see you – leading all of us, making decisions, working toward a goal that is going to save the planet, and all with a baby on your hip." She straightened her back and smiled at me. "Makes me believe I don't need som
eone like Robert."
"Margie." I squeezed her hand. "I have to ask you something, and please don't get upset."
"What?"
"Did…you…cause the boiler to explode?"
She stiffened for a moment, settling her gaze on me. "I saved Robert, in the river. You saw it. I would never resort to murder. Not even when he was beating me."
"You're right, okay. I'm sorry. It was just on my mind, after your reaction to his death, is all."
She relaxed her shoulders. "I know. It's not like his death hasn't brought me some relief, after all. I really don't care what people think. I just need to concentrate on Bobby Jr. now; undo everything Robert planted in that poor kid's mind."
"Fair enough," I said. Time for a change in subject. "I need to leave soon, got a long walk ahead of us."
She laughed.
"I was hoping you could show me how to move the vines like you did on the river."
The corners of her mouth went up in a smile. "I'd love to." She released my hands, cleared her throat, and stood. "It really has everything to do with the energy of the plant; and much of the energy is active during photosynthesis."
She walked over to a small, budding plant in the ground and squatted down. I followed.
"You're aware of the laws of ecology?" she asked.
"Not necessarily," I said. Not at all.
"I won't give you a lecture here, but one of them is that energy cannot be created, nor destroyed. In photosynthesis, plants simply convert solar energy into chemical energy. I tap into the byproduct, enzyme-modified electrodes. It works much better when the plant is actually absorbing sunlight." Margie looked up, frowning at the cloud-covered sky.
"Oh, I got this." I stood up, closed my eyes, and whispered a spell Vayu taught me shortly after we met. "Sol iustitiae nos illustra - sun of righteousness shine upon us."
I tapped into the frequency of the wind, guiding it to carry my words higher. I shivered as memories of the man who killed Cato, and my parents, assaulted my brain. But his spell was good magic. The clouds above us parted, and the warmth of the sun raced to chase away the remaining chills in my body.
Akasha 4 - Earth Page 10