"We had a new contender."
"Who?"
"They called her Artemis – but her real name is Lucy."
"The one that brought in the wild dog?" Shawn asked.
"The very same." The Fire held the door open for Shawn and his crew; they all entered the small arena. "Don't touch the cabinets, they might still be hot."
They approached the large stones jutting up out of the ground.
"It's like Stonehenge," the Air said. He put his hands on one of the rocks, then his ear. "There’s someone inside! I hear whimpering…"
Shawn nodded at his Earth. The air stepped away and she stepped forward, sending out weaves. The stones vibrated, but didn't move.
Shawn glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the Fire while she continued. "Describe Lucy."
"Short, brown hair. Tattoos—"
"What kind?" Shawn stumbled as the ground shook. Still the rocks were going nowhere.
"Um…" The Fire scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know, a tree branch on her face." The Fire closed his eyes, recalling what he saw when she removed her shirt. "Leaves down her arms. An entire tree on her back—"
"You saw her back?"
"She was wearing one of those sports bra things." The Fire waited until another round of rumbling wore down. "A pretty cool looking compass on her shoulder blade – really detailed. Oh, and then the words Earth, Air, Fire and Water in the shape of a diamond."
"She's an Earth, right? Why would she get that?"
The Fire held out his forearm. "I have it, too. It's popular."
Shawn peered at it, then moved over to the Earth. There was a sheen of sweat across her forehead. He laid his hand on her shoulder.
She flinched.
"Don't move," Shawn said. "I'm just going to focus your power."
Shawn circled his energy around her magic. As he slowly squeezed it into a vice-like funnel, her whole body tensed. He kept a firm grip on her shoulder – and her magic.
The rock circle rumbled, bits of loose stone falling off. Shawn focused all their energy on just one of the thick, upright slabs.
She wavered. "I think it's going to explode."
"Just keep going," Shawn told her. He pulled on her, so they were taking one slow step back at a time. "Almost there. A little more…" Shawn coaxed.
The entire large stone vibrated. Shawn grabbed the Earth around the waist, pulling them both behind a filing cabinet. The rock burst, spraying sharp fragments out, following the energy path.
Shawn was the first up, heart skipping a beat, waiting to see what was inside.
As soon as the dust settled, Shawn was at the entrance to the stone circle. A large man sat in the middle, covering his ears and rocking back and forth.
Shawn's shoulders sagged. "I take it that's not Lucy."
"No." The Fire stepped up beside him, eyebrow raised. "Lucy won."
Shawn swallowed, glancing at Dragon, still rocking back and forth on the floor, mumbling about sand.
"Alright." Shawn pointed to the Water and Earth. "You and you help him. Get him to medical."
A radio crackled to life. The Fire on duty pulled out his handheld. "I think it's one of the patrols, but I can't get a good signal down here."
"So go up—" Shawn cut himself off. "What is that?"
"Well, that’s Channel 9, what you told us to—"
"Not that! Can't you feel it?"
Both Fires behind Shawn exchanged glances. By the time they looked back, Shawn was racing out of the room.
They followed him up the steps, one of them passing along information as they went, "One of the patrol groups found a cluster of Elementals east of here. Near some underground silo."
Shawn burst out of the Tivoli Center, scanning the northern skies. As soon as the Fires and the Air caught up with him, he asked, "What's over there?"
"The amusement park," said the Air. "What happened? I didn't feel anything."
"No, you wouldn't," said Shawn. "It was Akasha."
Shawn squinted into the dark, pinpointing the tall observation tower. Moonlight glinted off the top. "Are those people?"
"Here, use these." The Air handed Shawn a pair of binoculars.
The Fire took his ear away from the handheld. "They've engaged, Sir. Do you want prisoners?"
Shawn ignored him, focusing the lenses just in time to see someone running toward the edge of the tower. "Holy shit!"
The dark form jumped off.
"I think someone just committed suicide. Was it our Lucy?" Shawn's gaze went back to another person still on top. That was definitely a man.
"No – wait for it. I feel air being used." The Air pointed a short distance away from the tower.
Shawn followed with his binoculars. "Yes – there!" The dark form rose into the sky, wavering to get control. The body hung from a not-so-stable-looking miniature hang glider. It was definitely a woman. She kipped up, face disappearing into the apex of the glider.
"Can't be Lucy," said the Air. "That's an Air."
"No," said Shawn, lowering his binoculars. "That’s a Gaia. She went east." He turned to the Fire with the radio. "Is that where the patrol is?"
The Fire nodded.
"Tell them to get out of there!" Shawn took off at a sprint toward his headquarters. "And call in the alarms! We're going west; initiate project red!"
"Sir?" the Fires asked in unison, trying to keep up with his sudden sprint.
"And don't call me sir!" Shawn yelled over his shoulder as he picked up speed.
Chapter 60
The Mark
I began the long trek up the stairs to the observation tower, resisting the urge to use air to push me up. Even after the fight, I had plenty of energy left, but maybe I could give it back to Micah. No need to hold onto it for nothing.
I halfway hoped Natasha and her group was still working on him. It would give me some satisfaction kicking them all out.
You shouldn't think like that. Natasha has done nothing but help you.
I reached the top of the tower, barely breathing hard. The tower was dark, and void of people. There weren't even any guards. I made a full loop just to be sure, tripping over pillows along the way. I lit a small ball of Akasha for light, looking for a clue as to where everyone might be. Nothing.
Quick, panicked footsteps moved across the roof above me.
Shit, I forgot about the guard up top. I sighed. Better go talk to him.
I climbed the short ladder to the roof, and pushed open the hatch. The hinges squeaked and it fell open with a clank. A hand extended to help me the rest of the way up.
"What was that?" the guard asked. "I felt something…weird."
I shrugged. "I was just practicing – my powers have been a little off lately. Do you know where Micah is?"
"Natasha brought him up a few hours ago, he wasn't looking too good. Whatever they were doing wasn't helping, either. She left this note for you."
I took the piece of paper he handed me.
Micah not responding well. Had to go underground.
Underground? Why would they have to do that? I thought of the quick-healing mud concoctions at the Chakra. Was there energy-giving soil nearby?
The map drawn underneath her note indicated a missile silo just east of Denver. I dropped the note, turning east. I didn't need a map – I had my own built-in radar to locate Micah. But first, I needed something else. I picked up a long iron bar that had been pried loose from somewhere on the structure, probably by a bored guard.
"Brr, it's chilly up here." I rubbed my bare arms from shoulder to elbow.
When he didn't say anything, I gave him a pointed look.
"Oh, right." He jumped to take off his floor-length leather duster jacket to drape it over my back.
"Thanks." I grabbed it before he could help me put it on. I slipped the bar through the inside of one sleeve, then the other.
"What are you doing? You can't stretch it – it won't go back into shape."
I didn't ans
wer, taking quick steps toward the other end of the tower.
"Wait, slow down!" the guard called behind me. "You don't want to fall off."
"Oh, yes I do." I sped up my final few steps, then took a giant leap off the 250-foot tall tower. For several, heart-stopping moments, I was in a free fall. The long coat twisted around me. I feared the stench of leather would be the last thing I ever smelled.
Air came to me. It was easy when surrounded by the element. I pushed it up, forcing the coat into an even surface. The transition was so sudden, I almost lost my grip on the bar.
"Whoa…" As soon as I had a sure hold, I kipped my body up, settling the bar underneath my armpits. "That's better."
I peeked up and over the coat. I caught one glimpse of the guard on top of the tower. He was scratching his head. I smiled. At least it'll give him something to talk about.
I followed the river. Wind gusts were a little more predictable above it, with trees blocking either side.
The flight was short, compared to any other option. Ten minutes later I veered toward the only large group of Elementals I could find on the open plain. Access roads created a large, misshaped circle. I released some of the air, beginning my decent. I aimed for the Elementals.
My landing was not graceful, which was unfortunate because I had an audience. I let the end of the trench coat drag. It got tangled up in my feet just as the ground rushed up to meet me. I rolled, involuntarily. My backside seemed to find every rock jutting out of the hard, frozen ground.
I came to a stop and detangled myself from the mass of leather. Several pairs of eyes stared at me. I covered the distance, crossing a slab of concrete. It was cracked, with weeds pushing up through the gaps. As far as I could tell in the dark, there was nothing else around us, except for some sort of access door, antennas, and masts. I wrinkled my nose; it smelled like a farm.
Natasha stepped forward.
"Is Micah in there?" I asked as I glanced around at the doors.
She didn’t respond.
My eyes went back to her. "Well?"
"He was but…they took him," she said.
"Who took him? And where?" I wanted to stomp my foot.
"Look there." She pointed to the double doors.
I walked around the group. In red spray paint, taking up almost the entire height of the door, was Shawn's mark. My scar began to itch while my blood ran cold.
"One Less," I whispered. "Was Shawn here?"
Natasha stepped up behind me, shaking her head. "No. But there were a lot of Fires."
Someone else piped up from the back of the group, "We are just a bunch of Earths. Rock doesn't stand a chance against fire."
I pressed my lips together.
These people weren't at the dogfight.
"Which way did they go? I didn't see them on my way here." Of course I was further north, following the river.
"Horseback. There are a few more horses, if you want one." She glanced at the crumpled leather jacket, and the bar hanging from my hands.
Hoofs and the sound of heavy breathing confirmed it. A few sideways steps showed a pen of horses. One ran in a circle; another threw up his front legs, kicking as if to ward me off. "No thanks, I'll take my chances with the…" I held up the leather. "…jacket."
"Wait," Natasha said, "you'll need help."
"I need help? There will be four times the amount of Fires than what were just here. What are your Earths going to do then?"
"That's not what I meant." Natasha crossed her arms, furrowing her eyebrows.
I stopped fiddling with the iron rod and jacket.
She took a deep breath. "Micah mentioned something about The Seven Chakras. We can help you access them."
Chapter 61
Prisoners
Shawn urged his horse through the mass of dead cars on 6th Avenue. He refrained from guiding the steed into a full gallop; it was still dark, and plenty of debris cluttered the way. Shawn looked over his shoulder. David was struggling to even stay on his horse.
Shawn growled, "Take everyone who has fallen behind and dig in there." Shawn pointed to a large sign signaling the entrance to a fairground. "If anyone else shows up, stop them."
Shawn angled his horse for the onramp of the interstate. Those still with him were much faster, keeping a tight column. They merged with another group on horseback.
"Whoa!" shouted the Fire, who had replaced David at Shawn's side. "It's a patrol."
Shawn reigned in his horse, signaling for the others to stop. He surveyed the patrol group. Several had minor injuries; bandages over their head or blossoming bruises. "What did you find?" Shawn asked.
"This, sir…" he motioned with his hand and the group split, allowing a few riders from the back forward. Each rider held a prisoner, bound and gagged, thrown across the back of the horse.
Shawn swung his leg around, jumping off his own horse. Three prisoners in all, a man and two women. He went to the women first, not bothering to remove their blindfolds, and checked each of their shoulders. He let out a disappointed sigh at the last one.
That would've been too easy, he thought.
He walked past the man, preparing to climb back into the saddle when something out of the corner of his eye stopped him.
Shawn walked back around, glancing at the prisoner's feet. I know those boots.
He removed the blindfold and blinked in astonishment at the face that glared up at him.
"This will be easier than I thought," Shawn said.
Chapter 62
Air
It was too cold – even for the bugs. But I preferred shivering over bug splatter against my face. This time when I took flight I followed the same path as the horses would've gone. Their trail led me down a main road through town. So focused on what was ahead, I failed to take into account what was behind me.
A gust of wind knocked me sideways. Another forced me lower. I barely missed a tree branch leaning over the road. I looked behind me; three Airs followed, using actual hang gliders.
Another strong gust hit me from behind. They were going to bully me to the ground, or into the side of a building.
Hell if I am going to end up like bug splatter.
I let go of the element keeping me in flight. A moment later I was in free fall. For the second time in one night; it wasn't nearly as terrifying. As the ground rushed up to meet me, I spread the jacket back out, using a wind stream to stay up. My toes scraped asphalt.
I stayed low for three quick breaths. My splayed-out black leather jacket camouflaged me against the dark street. I flew straight up behind them and smiled. They were still searching the ground for me.
I let my fireballs fly, counting out two per hang glider. It was all the energy I wanted to spare. Tears in the fabric threw off their balance, and it didn't take long for the gliders to tip. If they could gain control of their element fast enough, they'd survive the fall, but it wouldn't be pretty.
I moved on. Did Shawn know I was coming? It couldn't have been the dog fight; I was careful not to use the other elements.
I lost concentration and dipped. "Whoa."
Focus, I told myself. I can worry later.
I had narrowly missed a large billboard that read, 'Jefferson County Fairgrounds'. I tried to prepare myself. What could possibly lay in wait?
"Trailers!" I squeaked out loud.
Releasing my energy for a brief second, I dipped again, narrowly missing a large RV spinning toward me in midair. One of the bars on the side-canopy caught me on the back. I buckled, just catching a glimpse of the source of trouble. A combination of Airs and Earths were using both of their elements to send a large row of campers up and out, directly toward me. Another was already airborne. I didn't have time to dodge it. The last thing I saw were the words, 'Open Sky', painted on moldy, off-white siding.
Chapter 63
Brothers
"Put him up here." Shawn pointed to the long, rectangular table top that served as a bar on the upper terrace of the open air amph
itheater. "Tie him down." Shawn took out his Athame, glancing at Micah. "You don't seem too worried."
Micah looked away, focusing on one of two 300-foot monolithic cliffs. The giant, sandstone towers provide near-perfect acoustics for the concert hall. He cocked his head, noticing a large crack up the side. Natasha had said there were some harsh tremors during Kaitlyn's dog fight, but would it have affected rocks all the way out here?
"Well it's no fun talking to you if you don't talk back, brother." Shawn ripped the duct tape off Micah's mouth. Shawn studied the prickly facial hair left behind on the gray strip of tape, then looked at Micah. There were deep lines around his eyes, and he had lost weight. "You look like shit."
Micah rubbed his cheek against his shoulder. "I could say the same about you."
Shawn shrugged, walking around to the other side of the bar Micah lay on. "It's this new world. No massage parlors. No over-the-counter drugs. No working bars." Shawn fiddled with the tap protruding from the table top, as if just to make sure. He glanced at Micah. "No fishing at the Chakra lake on Sundays."
Micah's eyes snapped back to Shawn. "Those days were long gone, even before Daybreak."
"They don't have to be," Shawn said quietly, keeping his eyes on the table top.
Micah looked up at the stars above him. "How exactly did you expect all this to turn out?"
"Oh, I don't know. Almost like this. Except you'd be right here…" Shawn took out his Athame and pointed to the empty space at his right hand side. "…instead of lying there."
"Even if Kaitlyn had never been chosen—"
"Kaitlyn!" Shawn interrupted. "She screwed everything up. She was supposed to be temporary."
"But then you couldn't resist her, and the power she held." Micah glared.
Shawn smiled his crooked half smile. "Neither could you, brother."
The Earth rumbled and basketball-sized pieces of the stone tower beside them crashed to the ground.
Akasha 4 - Earth Page 27