“That was close. Rowena did not look happy with us.” Rena muttered. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was following us. Her Evrode, Gabriella, agreed.
I let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, but we were successful.”
“For now.”
We came onto the main road and hailed a taxi back to get back to Dia. Once there, I patted Dia affectionately. “How are you, old girl?”
“Hardly old, thank you,” she replied, huffy. I bit back a laugh. “And everything is fine.”
I noticed she sounded down. “What’s wrong, Dia?”
“I miss the chatter. It’s a bit lonely out here all by myself, you know.”
My heart ached. Dia’s new location was on the north end of the Balbaci lake hidden by a thick patch of trees who were so old they barely moved, let alone spoke. The area was beautiful but isolated. I had been so caught up in protecting my own hide, I’d forgotten to factor in how Dia felt.
I rubbed her door, earning a pleased hum. “I’m sorry, Dia. What can I do to make it better?”
“Absolutely nothing. I will be fine. Protecting you will always be priority.”
A pang of guilt stabbed at me. “Let me see what I can do.” I opened my DiGi, projected it in front of me, and quickly popped over a note to Nia. Before I could close my book, she popped out of a portal in front of me, eating a bag of microwave popped popcorn. I squashed down the pang of envy that my sister was the only one of us who could literally create her own methods of travel on Turgor so easily.
“What’s up?” she asked before shoveling another handful of kernels in her mouth.
“Geez, what were you doing...waiting around for my call?”
Nia rolled her eyes. “Grandpa told you we’re all on high alert. How did your class with Rowena go?”
I told her and she laughed.
“You better be careful. She knows you’re powerful. Don’t be too obvious that you’re faking it.”
I waved a dismissive hand at her. “Yeah, yeah. Look, I need a favor.”
“Shocker.”
I ignored Nia and went outside, motioning for her to follow and whispering in her ear.
“Aw.” She grinned. “You’re so sweet.” I shrugged. She handed me her popcorn bag, brushed off her hands and began weaving magic. She muttered a few words as the air crackled with her power. I glanced around, nervous. A small form began to appear in front of her, a box on top of a post. She moved it through the air until it landed right in front of Dia’s front left window. The energy in the air slowly began to dissipate.
Nia reached for her popcorn. “That ought to do it.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“No problem. So what’s on the schedule for tomorrow?”
“Meeting with my group. It’s supposed to be field work.”
Nia nodded. “Well, keep safe. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yep,” I replied.
She Created a portal for herself and stepped into it.
I walked up to Nia’s new creation and caressed it lovingly. “You, my friend, are a mailbox. Friendly, always welcoming the news. I would like for you to be a beautiful crimson with gold lettering. You are now Dia’s companion.” The mailbox stirred and opened its flap to yawn. A beady eye popped open on each side of its box. “Hi!”
“Hi, yourself.” I chuckled. “Welcome.”
“Oh, it’s so good to be here!” the box chirped, wiggling its lever. He twisted to see Dia. “Is this my friend?” I nodded. “Hi, friend! My name is...er...” The mailbox looked back at me for confirmation.
“Let’s call you ‘Steve.’” I chuckled.
“Steve. Steve.” The mailbox stood still for a moment before laughing. “I love it!”
Dia sniffled. “Oh, Kay, thank you.”
“Of course, Dia. You’re an amazing friend and no friend should be left alone.” I went back into the house and stretched out on the couch, my mind playing over the events of the day. Eventually, the chatter between Dia and Steve lulled me into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 8
It was Saturday morning and I was stuck with the loser brigade. We had all texted each other and agreed to meet up on the weekend to get this extra credit project started. So there we were, tucked away in a corner of the central library with books, papers, and a pack of Twizzlers spread among us.
“So we’ll just have to go to each interview together,” Abby was saying. She frowned at me and snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Helloooo. Anyone home?”
“Sorry.” I shifted in my chair and blinked a few times, stifling a yawn. “What were you saying?”
Abby rolled her eyes. “I was saying that we need to stick together. Jacob heard Temely telling Mrs. Pip that she instructed the scientists to report back to her on how many of us actually show up to the interview. So no skipping.” A disappointed sigh escaped my lips.
Abby offered a sympathetic look. “Yeah, it was my plan, too.”
“So...” began Nathan. “We might as well go see Hannah Smith. She lives close by.”
Two bus rides later we arrived at Hannah’s small brick cottage. A woman with chestnut skin and long, dark hair peeked out the window as we walked up her winding stone pathway. She opened her door with a warm smile. “Hi, kids. Come on in,” she said. We all smiled back and dutifully followed her through the tiny foyer into the living room. Hannah gestured for us to have a seat. “So, you all are here to interview me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, finding my manners. “Thank you for having us.”
“Can we get started?” Abby broke in.
Hannah chuckled. “Ready to get back to your Saturday afternoon?” She grinned and sat on the bench in front of a small baby piano. “OK, shoot.”
“Can you tell us about your background?” Jacob spoke up. I managed to contain my surprise. It was the first time I’d heard him speak.
“Of course,” said Hannah. “I attended Jackson State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I then went on to get my master’s and doctorate from University of California, Berkeley.”
Jacob glanced at his notebook before asking, “What did you specialize in?”
“Clinical neuropsychology, which is a fancy way of saying I study human behavior as it relates to the functioning of the central nervous system.”
Nathan jumped in. “What made you interested in your field?”
“I’ve always been interested in the human mind and how we process emotions, events, and the world around us.” Hannah stretched her legs out in front of her. “When I was in graduate school, I was very fascinated by experimental psychology. I was even in a student group whose main focus was to try to build a virtual reality machine that would allow the user to enter a person’s subconscious.”
“I think I saw a movie where that happens,” Abby joked.
Hannah laughed. “Oh, I have no doubt. Entering a dream of another would offer great insight into their psyche. It’s the stuff science fiction is made of.”
Jacob asked a few more questions before packing up his tape recorder. I thanked Hannah for her time and we were once again back on the bus.
Abby offered me a piece of gum. “I still don’t know why Mrs. Temely couldn’t have picked a more exciting project.”
“Or better yet, let us design our own,” Jacob grumbled.
I chuckled. “She’s evil.”
The rest of the group made noises of agreement. I peeked out the window. “My stop is coming up. When’s our next meeting?”
Nathan gave a small smile. “I think you should take on scheduling the next one.”
“I’ll text you.”
They all nodded and I hopped off the bus, happy to be done for the day.
“Grandma, I’m home!” I shouted, slinging my backpack onto the kitchen counter. I immediately went to the fridge and began rooting around.
“There’s pot roast on the third shelf,” Grandma yelled from the living room. “And stop all of tha
t yelling!”
I made a slapdash sandwich and ate it before peeking my head in to say hello.
“How was your interview?” she asked.
“Fine.”
Grandma eyeballed me for a moment. “Mm-hmm. Don’t forget what I said. Make this work.”
I kissed her on the cheek and went upstairs. Nia’s door was almost closed, but I could see she was taking a nap. Feeling tired myself, I pulled my own bedroom door closed before crashing on my own bed. My eyes drooped and I succumbed to the feeling of being transported away.
Chapter 9
The banging on Dia’s window was incessant. I groaned, pulling the cover over my head. Why was I so tired?
“Kay, come onnn,” Rena whined from outside. She huffed. “Dia, will you please let me in so I can kick her behind?”
“I think I can make an exception this one time.” My house laughed.
“Traitor,” I muttered just as my bedroom door flew open and a large object landed on me. I yelped and rolled out of the bed.
“Rena!” I thundered, springing up from the floor and chucking my blankets aside.
Rena giggled and sat up on the bed. “Come on. We’ve got school.”
“I don’t wanna go,” I mumbled, glaring at her.
“Well, you’re going. We’re doing simulations with our Evrodes today.”
“Screw scho-what, wait, what? Simulations? Like, for real simulations?”
Rena nodded and passed me the pants I’d thrown off the last time I’d been here. I yanked them on, then grabbed a sweatshirt from my closet and a hair tie. “Meet you downstairs in ten minutes,” I said.
I ducked out to brush my teeth and wash my face before throwing my hair into a messy bun and running down the stairs.
“Good morning, Kay,” Dia chirped.
“Morning!” I said as I exited the house alongside my friend.
Rena tsked as we walked the sidewalk winding down Chuclo Lane towards the enchanted forest. “You really should get an alarm clock.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I waved my hand at her. “That’s what Nia always says.” We walked in silence for a few moments, taking in the quaint little homes peppering the street. As we rounded the corner, I glanced over at Rena. “How’s your mom?”
Rena shrugged and lowered her voice. “She joined a support group last month with other...beings who have shared her history.” We both looked over our shoulders to make sure no one was behind us.
Rena sidestepped a pebble. “She...struggles. Being locked away for as long as she was is tough. And it’s not like she can resume a normal life. Plus, she feels guilty over leaving me.”
I nodded. “It’ll take time, but I know she’ll come around. I’m glad a support group has been formed for people like her,” I said. Rena made a noise of agreement. “Maybe you should plan a day with her and have a girls’ day in. You know, catch up?”
Rena glowed a faint pink as she considered my suggestion. “We shall see.”
I sensed her desire to end the conversation and turned my thoughts to my own problems. I missed Grandpa. Maybe I should take my own advice and ask him to hang out for a night? It was a bit hurtful that he was always rushing off to the next crisis, seeming to never care that before last month we’d thought he was in a coma.
We entered the enchanted forest and began taking the premarked turns to our designated redwood tree. Rena knocked three times softly and muttered the password. The tree’s door let us in and we stepped into our classroom, which was softly lit with candles lining each wall. There were no tables and chairs today, confirming that we were going over simulations. My heart skipped a beat in excitement. Even Yolanda, who had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire walk, seemed to wake up to give a gentle buzz of anticipation. We joined the other students in the group as Rowena clapped her hands loudly.
“Okay, class, let’s get started.” She moved front and center. “Today we will be going over simulations with your Evrodes. The idea is to practice partnering with your Evrode in real-life situations where danger is all around you. This war doesn’t look like it will be ending any time soon, ladies and gentlemen. We need to be prepared for any and everything.” She looked at all of us while her words sunk in. “Okay! Let’s get started.”
Rowena reached into her robe’s pocket and pulled out a glowing orb. “This is a Magelus Orb. They can change your surroundings to project an image. Within that projection, things seem to be real. So it’s very much like a simulation.”
“What’s the difference?” Henry Chant jumped in.
“The difference is the Magelus Orb allows you to get hurt. In a simulation, if someone pinches you, you don’t feel it. With the Orb, you will.” We all stared at her.
“That doesn’t seem very safe.” Rena squeaked.
Rowena gave a dry smile. “It’s safe if you follow my directions, pay attention, and trust your Evrodes.” She tossed the orb in the air.
We watched on in awe as it hovered in the air before emitting a bright white light that engulfed the room. I shielded my eyes, noticing that the air was growing considerably warmer. When I opened them, we were back in the enchanted forest. I glanced around. It was as if I were walking by our Redwood deeper into the forest. The thick leaves at the top of the trees only allowed a few sparse rays of sunlight to peek through. Thick vines twisted their way under our feet. I strained to hear bird noises and found none.
I looked for Rowena, who was nowhere to be found. Rena nudged me. “Look at the trees,” she whispered. They were all glaring at us, their jagged mouths turned down in obvious distaste. “I don’t like this, Kay.”
One caught my gaze and sneered. I looked away. “It’s just a drill, remember?” My own voice shook. Rowena had done a great job creeping me out. And the rest of the class looked ill as well. Yolanda buzzed and I instinctively wrapped my hand around her before letting go. “What’s up, Yolanda?”
“We need to move. Go over to that tall bush and hide behind it.” I did as told and noticed the other students were starting to move quickly as well. “The forest is too quiet.”
I started to agree but was cut off by a large explosion to my left. Part of a tree stump rose high into the air before crashing back down, scattering three of my classmates in the process.
“KaKonians!” someone screamed. Panic broke out as students began to run and scream in all directions.
“Stay here!” Yolanda ordered. I hunkered even farther down and counted in my head as various explosions happened all around me.
A snarl from behind me sent chills down my spine. “You there...girl.”
I stood and turned slowly, facing the large being with a smooth violet face and large, white glowing eyes. His pupils were so light, you could barely see them.
“You’re mine.” He raised his hand, generating a large amount of fiery energy. My heart quickened.
Yolanda raised an energy field from her center around me as he fired the first shot, knocking me over the bush and back several feet. He laughed in amusement and shot another one at me, weakening Yolanda’s protection. I grabbed her and muttered, “You are strong, resilient—”
A harsh shove hit me square in the middle of my back. I pitched forward, banging my chin on the hard forest ground. The KaKonian dove at me and I rolled over, grabbing a tree branch.
“You have the strength of a lead pipe!” I shouted. The branch went rigid in my hands as the KaKonian grabbed my leg and began dragging me toward him. I swung for all I was worth the same time Yolanda sent an energy beam at him. The combo attack hit him in the chest. He looked at me with wide eyes, purple blood sputtering from his lips before falling lifelessly to the ground.
I kept the lead pipe in my hand and stood up shakily. My chin was throbbing and wet. I touched it and pulled away to reveal blood on my fingers.
“Someone pushed you from behind,” Yolanda said quietly as I scanned the scene in front of me. My classmates were all battling their own KaKonians. I spotted a redwood that was unoccupie
d and quickly made my way behind it. “It wasn’t a KaKonian,” Yolanda added.
“Then who was it?” I asked, grabbing the bottom of my shirt and lifting it to staunch the blood from my cut chin.
“Duck!” Yolanda shouted.
I obeyed as an energy blast flew over my head. I tucked and rolled to face my attacker, coming face to face with Erika.
She lowered her hand and gave a grin. “Whoops.”
“What is your problem?” I shrieked, gripping the branch pipe tighter. “You could have killed me!”
“It was an accident.” She shrugged. “It’s hard to tell who’s doing what. Besides, no one would believe that I was actually trying to hurt you.”
“Everyone knows you don’t like me, Erika.” I glowered. “You need to chill.”
Erika laughed. “What a stupid expression, you Earth trash.”
My throat tightened. A red haze began to cloud my vision. The lead pipe was getting hotter as my mind replayed her sending that blast towards my head. Erika noticed and clenched her fists, ready for me.
“Stop!”
Rowena sprouted out of thin air and stood in between Erika and me. “What is wrong with you girls? We’re in a dangerous simulation and you two are bickering like two small children on the playground. Don’t you see how serious this is?”
My vision cleared and I dropped the lead pipe. “Sorry, Rowena.”
She frowned at me for a few more moments before waving her hand at me and quickly doing the same to Erika. We were transported back to the treehouse, leaving our classmates and the orb’s projection behind. “I expect better from both of you,” she snapped. She glared at Erika. “Your father will be hearing about this.” Erika managed not to roll her eyes and only sneered a little. “You are both dismissed,” added Rowena.
I turned on my heel and left first, frustration and anger gnawing at my stomach. How could Erika have been so stupid? Did my recent fame bother her that much?
Yolanda sensed my dark mood and sent soothing light vibrations to my chest. “You need to watch out for her,” she said. “She’s trouble. And I don’t think she’s done trying to make your life difficult.”
Transference (The Two Worlds, #2) Page 5