My mouth went dry and guilt settled in the pit of my stomach. “I’m sorry—”
“Save your apologies, girl,” he spat. “I just want whatever this is to be over so I can figure out my next move.” He sunk back down into my armchair. “Lamont, I agree with us going into hiding. The girls need to train. They need to be ready.”
“But what about the Council?” I asked. “What about our classes? Detention? It’ll look suspicious if we just up and disappear.”
“Agreed,” Nia added. “I’m not giving up my place at the Council headquarters out of fear.”
Grandpa pulled at his mustache in thought. “You will continue on in a normal fashion during the day, but we’re going to use some fairy magic to hide Dia and you’re never to go out alone.”
I sank back into the couch. I wasn’t happy about having to go into hiding so soon after discovering Turgor. Suddenly, I remembered my vision and sat up straight.
“What is it, Kay?” Nia asked, frowning.
I cleared my throat. “I had a vision. You were all dead.”
Chapter 2
Everyone patiently waited for me to continue. I swallowed again, attempting to open my throat that was closing from dryness. My hands were shaking, so I folded them in between my knees. I couldn’t bear to raise my eyes to meet anyone’s fearful faces, so I instead focused on talking to the floor. “You guys were all dead. Everyone was. There was a sea of bodies and you were among them. It felt so real.” I searched inside myself and found courage, raising my eyes to meet Nia’s. She was frowning in sympathy and nodded for me to continue. “It was real. There was smoke and buildings were destroyed. Everything was so quiet. I was the only one left standing.”
“Was this before you came here tonight?” Kris asked, addressing me without malice in his tone for the first time in well...ever. I nodded and he turned back to Grandpa. “Something disrupted her ability to come back to Dia. She awoke in the Mince field.”
“How did you know I was in the field, Kris?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. His eyes mirrored mine, but he remained silent. My frown deepened. “Have you been following me?”
“I asked him to,” Grandpa said, reaching for my hand. “All of you need protection.”
“How can he protect us?” I snapped. “He can’t follow us around twenty-four-seven!”
“Well...we have others in place who have been watching out for you.” I stared at Grandpa, mouth open.
Nia stepped in. “So you have spies that have been keeping tabs on us without telling us?!”
Grandpa slumped back in his seat. “I didn’t want to worry you and so far nothing has happened to you since Jarem made his move at Giza.”
“And now?,” Nia pressed.
“Now with the Walkers being targeted, the Council following you, and Kay’s vision, it’s time that you know.”
Nia glared. “Who’s been following us?”
“There are creatures and people here who know the true history of Turgor. They do not stand with the Council. And they are committed to making sure you two can carry out the legend.”
“But who are they?” Nia pressed.
“You’ll meet them soon enough,” Grandpa said before turning his attention back to me.
I spoke first. “What do you think it means? My vision?”
“I think it’s a warning of some sort.”
“From whom?”
“I’m not sure. But given what’s been happening, I think we better pay attention.”
“And me waking up in the Mince field?”
Grandpa pinched the bridge of his nose and thought for a few seconds before speaking. “Someone who has enough power to alter your transporting through dimensions has to be behind that.”
“Who could be that powerful?” I asked, the sense of dread from earlier returning. “The Senior Council?”
Nia shook her head. “I don’t think they have that type of power.”
“Then who?”
Grandpa cleared his throat but said nothing and Nia looked at the floor. Helplessly, I turned to Rena, who shrugged.
“Oh, come on, people!” I said. “No one knows?”
“There’s no documentation of this happening before,” Grandpa admitted. “Every non-native has their own unique way of transporting. To have someone disrupt yours...well, it may not have precedent.”
I swallowed and pondered what he’d said. “So... Someone—and we’re not sure who—is strong enough to alter where I wake up...and we’re not sure how.”
Nia, Grandpa, and Rena all nodded. Kris remained stony. I felt sick to my stomach.
“If that being is so powerful, what’s to stop them from killing me?” I asked.
Grandpa grabbed my hand and squeezed. “The answer to that is precisely why you need to be watched and why Dia can no longer stay in one place.”
I leaned back on the couch. “What about Rena? She and her mom can’t hide in Dia all day.”
“They’re being protected by our allies as well.” Grandpa pulled me to my feet and in for a hug before doing the same to Nia and Rena. “Girls, you didn’t ask for this. No one in their right mind would. But it is happening. You have incredible power and I imagine you’ve only scratched the surface. You have the power to change the course of Turgor and that makes the Council very nervous. This is your path. Don’t fight it.” He kissed Nia on the forehead. “Try to get some sleep; it’s late. Remember, continue with your normal activities as usual. We don’t want to arouse suspicion.”
We all nodded and Grandpa gave a thin smile before patting Dia’s door frame affectionately and leaving for the night.
Rena and Nia stood at the same time and Nia gave me a small smile. “Don’t worry, sis,” she said. “It’ll be OK.”
“Do you really believe that?” I asked them.
Rena spoke up. “Yes, I do. It has to be. It’s been foretold.”
“I don’t really believe in the legend.” I huffed and crossed my arms. Kris snorted behind me, but I ignored him. “I mean, Grandpa may be Turgor’s historian, but even he didn’t sound one hundred percent clear on the facts when we found them out.” My gaze shifted to the cackling fire and I stared for a few moments, my mind racing. Rena sighed.
“Look, I don’t like it either, you know?” she said. “I didn’t ask to be a part of this any more than you did. But I’m glad that I am. If we can change history for the better, then I want to be a part of that.”
“Yeah, but most Turgorians don’t seem to mind the status quo of their planet right now,” Nia pointed out. I nodded in agreement. “Who are we to come along and change it?”
“Mom seems to think that the KaKonians are going to ramp up their attacks,” Rena said. “Her sources on the police force tell her when the KaKonians do attack, the death toll will quickly rise. Most Turgorians don’t know that yet. And the ones who do—”
“Probably don’t want that information to get out.” Nia sighed, then ran her hands through her brown hair. “This is all so complicated. But still, I have a hard time believing that the entire Senior Council is bad. I’ve seen them do so much good!”
“Maybe Lynch was just a bad apple in a bushel of good ones,” I suggested, using one of my grandmother’s favorite metaphors. “Everyone seems to treat us well when we’re at detention.”
“Yeah, but if they’re so good, why do they fear you?” Rena asked. “Shouldn’t they welcome you with open arms?”
Nia shrugged. “They’re the government,” she pointed out. She made a few sigils in the air with her finger, then waited as a jacket materialized before slipping it on. “Any government is going to want to control power in their territory. That doesn’t make them evil. It’s basic politics.”
“I don’t know...” Rena began, but Nia cut her off.
“Look, I still believe in the basic goodness of Turgor and its government. And until I see otherwise, I’m not in the mood to argue.”
Rena and I both held our tongues. There was no talking Nia out of s
omething once she had a firm opinion on it. And being a part of the Senior Council had been her dream for years, ever since she’d arrived on Turgor. She was one of the Council’s favored, being repeatedly named Creator of the Year for her innovative creations, and she was the envy of other Creators and Awakeners alike. Her dedication to the Turgorian government ran deep.
I stifled a yawn, but Rena noticed and began to make her way to the door. Nia pecked me on the cheek before following Rena out, leaving me with a surly Death Walker lounging in my chair. I turned wearily to him and forced a smile.
Kris stood to leave, but I held up my hand to stop him. “You don’t have to go, Kris,” I began, leveling my gaze at him. His green eyes were hard as he waited for me to continue. “Please, stay with me. Rena’s gone now that Jala is back home and I could use the company.”
Kris held my gaze with a piercing stare of his own. “I don’t need your pity.”
“It’s not pity, it’s practical. You have to watch over me—why not be here and make it easy?”
Kris barked out a harsh laugh. “Nothing about this is easy.” He pushed past me and headed towards the door. Dia swung it open for him quietly. Her displeasure with Kris radiated in the air, making my skin prickle. Either Kris didn’t notice or he was choosing to ignore it, but he didn’t break his stride. Before he walked out, he turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. “Try to stay out of trouble. I have more important things to do at the moment than to keep saving your butt.” He left, the air behind him rife with his disapproval.
Tears sprung to the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let him make me cry. Instead, I grabbed the fireplace poker and stoked the dancing fire before plopping back down on the couch. I had class in a few hours, but my racing mind wouldn’t let me sleep. The vision I’d had wafted through my mind and I shuddered, jabbing at the fire again. Who could the warning be from? Why had it been sent to me? Didn’t they know Nia was far more powerful? I longed for the days immediately following my arrival on Turgor, which had been fun and adventurous.
Turgor was supposed to be an escape from my life on Earth. My parents had been killed when Nia and I had been very small, leaving us to be raised by Grandpa and our grandmother. Once Grandpa was assigned to be the chief historian on Turgor, he slipped into a coma on Earth and Grandma had essentially become a single parent. My introverted nature had led me to be a loner in school, whereas Nia had channeled her energy into always being in the limelight. On Turgor, I felt different. I felt calmer and happier, interested in trying out new things. My chest tightened as I realized that I was now bound by some stupid legend most of the Turgorians had never even heard of. And the ones who had were now trying to kill me. My life on Turgor would never be the same.
The sun was beginning to come up and I realized how tired I was. I popped open my DiGi and studied my week’s class schedule for the umpteenth time:
January 15- 10:00 p.m. Earth Time, 11:00 a.m. Turgor Time
Meeting with Awakener Group Sector 3902B New Assignments
January 17- 10:00 p.m. Earth Time, 11:00 a.m. Turgor Time
Meeting with Awakener Group Sector 3902B Evrode Training
January 21- 10:00 p.m.. Earth Time, 11:00 a.m. Turgor Time
Meeting with Awakener Group Sector 3902B Supervised Field Work
Rena and I had moved up to Level 2 in our Awakener group after we had successfully woken Kris up (although, technically, he had already been awake and all Kris and I had done was argue when we’d found him). But Rowena, our group sector leader, didn’t know that I had really given Kris life again. To cover, the Death Walker league had confirmed that another Walker named Larius had been the one we had Awakened. No one in our group knew what had really gone on that night. But the assignment of Awakening a Death Walker was unusual for first-level Awakeners and our pretend success with Larius had made us something of celebrities amongst the other first years. But we hadn’t been awarded any assignments since then, instead focusing on honing our skills under Rowena’s watch.
My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since I’d arrived. Sighing, I pushed to my feet and trudged into the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal. Turgorian food had yet to grow on me. As I plopped back down on the couch in the living room, bowl in hand, I grabbed the newspaper Kris had left behind and studied the first page before flipping to the community section. I stopped chewing and dropped my spoon as I realized I knew the face that was staring back at me.
Chapter 3
The face in the paper was that of Erika Williams, a classmate of mine who wasn’t a fan of me or my family. She was constantly trying to upstage me and Nia. Long, brown braids framed her face, matching her hazel eyes and almond skin. Her mouth was a slash of anger as she stood with her stick-thin arms folded in a defensive stance next to a man and woman who looked a lot like her. I read the text underneath her frowning picture:
Student Arrested for attacking Giza Graveyard Tombs
17-year-old Erika Williams has been arrested for attacking three tombs in the Giza Graveyard. She was found using unauthorized magic to destroy the tombs, which have been in the graveyard for over a thousand years. Police arrested Ms. Williams, who promptly plead guilty and is currently on probation. “We are deeply disappointed in Erika and will work with our law enforcement officers to the full extent of the law,” said Missy Williams, Erika’s mother.
I frowned and reread the section. Why would Erika destroy the Giza tombs? It didn’t make sense, especially since she was vying for more attention from Rowena and ultimately the Senior Council. In many ways, Erika was as ambitious as Nia. I hoped this little slap on the wrist would tamper down her attitude for the rest of the year. I glanced down at my watch and realized I only had twenty minutes to get to class. I gobbled up the rest of my cereal, drained my bowl of milk, and tossed it in the sink before grabbing my school bag and heading out the door. The walk to the forest where our classes were held was about 15 minutes away, so I had to almost sprint at the end to make it on time. I slid in the door of our classroom, ignoring the looks of some of my classmates as I stepped over and around them to get to my seat.
“Hi, class.” Our mentor, Rowena, greeted us as she breezed into the classroom. She was wearing her thin brown hair in a neat bun on top of her head. Her cool pale skin shone under the enchanted lights that swung from the branches that made our ceiling. All Awakener classes were held in the magical redwood forest, which was enchanted to look like the powerful redwood trees found in North America back on Earth. Our group’s tree was about twenty-seven feet wide and two hundred feet tall. The smooth interior of the tree made it easy to install hooks and horizontal slats on which to hang our coats and bags. The Redwood forest was easily my favorite place so far on Turgor.
Rowena surveyed the class from behind her desk while standing. Her sharp eyes took in each of us. We were lined up along huge oak tables that made up rows in the room. Each table had four students on each side, and there were cauldrons for every pair. The air cackled with magic.
Rowena smiled at us. “How is everyone?”
We all murmured various responses and she pulled a small black box from under her desk to set on top of the table. “We’re going to get started. Today you will be issued new assignments. But first, let’s get your Evrodes back to you. They should be done charging by now.” Our Evrodes were small enchanted stones Awakeners wore to help protect and guide them. Once an Evrode was assigned to you, it was with you for life. My Evrode’s name was Yolanda, and its voice sounded a lot like a young girl from New York. A few months ago Rena, Nia, and I had risked our lives to save Yolonda’s cousin Finny from a bar in the KaKonian bubble. In return, Yolanda had helped save our butts when we’d fought Senior Lynch at Giza Graveyard.
Rowena walked around the table and gently placed the Evrodes in front of us. I picked Yolanda up and felt her stone warm.
“What up?” she asked groggily. “How you been?”
“I’m doing good. How are you?” I r
eplied quietly.
She gave a loud yawn. “Doing good now that I’ve had some sleep. What did I miss?”
“I’ll fill you in later,” I whispered before turning back to Rowena. I was glad that Yolanda was back in my possession. Being without her for weeks at a time while she recharged made me feel naked. The rest of the class was chatting with their Evrodes, laughing and swapping stories. I glanced over at Rena, who was polishing hers, and gave her a small smile before turning my attention back to Rowena.
Rowena clapped her hands. “OK, class, let’s get back to business. Time for assignments. When I call your names, open your DiGi. Antonio, Bermir, and Misik, open your DiGis.” Rowena went down the list of names and finally got to me. “OK, Kay and Rena, open your DiGis.” We did as told and waited expectantly for information to appear in front of us. The page remained stubbornly blank. I looked up at Rena’s face mirrored my confusion, and then we both looked to Rowena, who was studying us. She raised an eyebrow and gave a quick head shake as if to tell us to be quiet. I swallowed and returned a small nod before turning to Rena, who was now slowly becoming a dull shade of green. We both stared at our DiGis instead, hoping that information would eventually appear.
Rowena quickly replaced her wide smile and clapped her hands over the den of students who were now discussing their assignments. “Now, class,” she began, “you have your marching orders. I’m going to release you early today so that you can get a head start. Remember, be careful and keep your partners close. I’ll see you in a few days.”
The class packed up and everyone left, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Rena and I hung back and waited for the room to clear out before we approached Rowena. She gave us an apologetic smile. “Sorry for the confusion, ladies, but I didn’t want to discuss your new assignment in front of the others. I don’t want them to think that I’m playing favorites.”
Transference (The Two Worlds, #2) Page 2