“And?” I grunted. “We can’t all be perfect as you, Nia.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I turned back to my notes and pecked out a few sentences before stopping. My temper was beginning to rise. “Yes, I’m sure about that. What’s your deal?”
Nia shrugged. “It just seems like everyone is focusing on your amazing Awakener powers. But you’re totally winging it. You don’t have any drive or focus.”
“And?”
“What happens when you let everyone down because you can’t be bothered to practice?”
I chuckled. “It’s not a competition, Nia. Not everything has to be winner-takes-all.”
Nia licked her spoon clean of mashed potatoes before scooping up another mouthful. “I didn’t say it had to be. I just wish you would take things more seriously is all.”
“I am taking things seriously,” I snapped. “And you sound jealous.”
Nia’s jaw clenched. “Jealous? Of what?”
“That I do have some kickass powers that make yours look like yesterday’s news.” I sneered and watched her take a slow sip of water. “I think you’re jealous that you’re not Girl Wonder anymore. You have to share the spotlight with your little sister.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Is that what you think? That I’m jealous of you? Or threatened?” She gave a bitter laugh. “Without me, you’re nothing. How many times have I saved your butt since you’ve landed on Turgor? How many times have I Created things for you to Awaken? Without me, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“That may be so,” I said, closing my laptop and looking at her. “But there are other Creators on that planet. You’re not the only one. You don’t have a monopoly on creating.”
“There are very few that are as good as I am.”
“That’s your problem, sis,” I said, standing up. “You think you’re better than everyone else.”
“Thinking and knowing are different things.” She smirked.
“And this is why Erika hates me.” I snatched my laptop off the table. “You’re so smug about your powers and you keep throwing them in everyone’s faces. Everyone who’s there has a place on that planet, Nia. You don’t own it!”
Nia rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m just saying...it might be time for you to actually step up and be a leader since everyone wants you to be one so bad.”
“I didn’t ask for this, so why are you making it a big deal?”
“Because it is a big deal!” Nia jumped up, almost knocking over her glass. “It’s a very big deal. And even if you didn’t ask for it, it’s happening. You need to step up.”
“And you need to back off!” I shouted back, slamming my laptop on the table. “Get over yourself! You’re not the end all, final solution to this battle. You need to learn how to step back and let others have a fair shot at solving problems.”
Nia gave a low laugh. “Like you? What solutions have you come up with outside of running and hiding? At least I’m attempting to find out more from sources around the planet.”
I scoffed. “Please. You know just as much as I do. Which isn’t surprising when your ‘‘sources’ are just super corrupt Council members.”
“They’re not all corrupt,” Nia spat. “Don’t fall for what everyone else is telling you.”
“That’s another problem of yours,” I said, shaking my head. “You think you know everything. The writing’s on the wall, Nia. Your precious Council wants us dead. You’re so smart, you’re actually stupid.”
Nia stared at me with her mouth open for a few seconds before closing it. We both just stood there, breathing heavily. My feelings were beyond hurt. Who was she to tell me that I wasn’t good enough? Who made her the decider?
Finally, a door slamming in the distance signaled that Grandma was on her way back over and broke us out of our staring contest. Nia watched as I tossed my dirty plate in the dishwasher, grabbed my laptop, and bounded back upstairs to finish my work. I could feel her stare searing into the back of my head, but I didn’t care. I was through with the conversation. She was wrong and would learn it soon enough.
I heard Nia stomp upstairs a few minutes later, leaving Grandma once again to keep herself occupied. Back upstairs, I banged out the rest of my personal interview notes and sent it to the group, not bothering to proofread. My mood was sour. I hated fighting with Nia and usually tried to avoid it at all costs. Since our parents had died, we’d tended to stick together more times than not. And when Grandpa had gone into his coma we’d become even closer.
This whole war situation is ruining everything, I thought. My DiGi vibrated in my pocket. I grabbed it, clicked it open, and read the newest message from Grandpa:
Meeting at the base camp. ASAP.
I pulled off my shoes, then lay down. I was too tired and depressed to even take off my clothes.
What’s the point? I thought, staring at the ceiling, eyelids heavy. It’s not like I’m going to have a restful night anyway. It was my last thought before sleep claimed me.
Chapter 21
Eight Fairies Gone Missing
I stared at the headline and then at the small block of photos gracing the front page of The Brozek Ledger. In all of my time on Turgor, I had never seen a crime make it to the front page of the local newspaper. I skimmed the writing until I saw:
Local authority officials have concluded that the missing fairies might have been connected to the terrorist group that are calling themselves “Akearman Stars.” Warrants have been issued for arrest.
Terrorist group?! The stupid ancient legend gave us that name. We didn’t appoint ourselves the saviors of this planet just for giggles. I slammed the paper down and closed my eyes, willing myself not to panic. It was official. We were public enemies of the Council and the planet. What were we going to do now?
“No sense in worrying about that drivel,” a soft musical voice warned from behind me. I didn’t bother to turn around to face Mimi. “This is just the beginning. They want to make you out to be horrible beings set on destroying our way of life.”
“But what does that mean for us when it’s all over?” I asked her, opening my eyes to find her hovering right in front of me. Mimi’s translucent wings fluttered slowly as she hovered.
“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.” She moved to my left, hovering at eye level. “In the meantime, let’s train.”
“In what?”
“You need to be faster at Awakening things. The faster you are, the stronger you will become. Your skills will definitely be needed should you have to fight amongst your friends again.”
Mimi gestured for me to stand up and began to float towards a broken-down little bus nestled between two trees. It was sickly grey and rusted on the bottom. “I want you to try to Awaken this bus.”
“Easy-peasy,” I replied, wiping my hands on my jeans.
“In thirty seconds.”
I stared at Mimi. “You’re...kidding.”
Mimi smiled. “You can do it.” She held up her hand. “On my mark...”
Sweat sprung up on my forehead. Mimi was crazy. Yeah, that was it.
“Get set...”
I mean, who’d asked her to train me anyway? I’d proven my Awakener skills time and time again. I was even good at faking my Awakenings!
“Go!”
I sprinted towards the bus, ignoring the pain in my calves. I was a lot of things, but athletic wasn’t one of them.
“You are strong, camouflaged,” I muttered as I pressed my hands along the side of the bus. The loud sound of metal searing together echoed in the forest. For a brief second I worried about someone hearing us.
“Twenty-seven...”
I rushed to the tires. “You are brown, rubbery, able to hold the bus’ weight.” Now that the bus was upright and solid, I quickly pushed open the door and ran in.
“Fifteen...”
The musty smell of stale air hit me hard, causing my eyes to water. I swiped my hand across them and then touch
ed the dashboard. “Your system is complete and capable of working.” I turned to the seats. “You are repaired, also camouflaged and comfortable.”
“Time!”
I let out a sigh of relief and instantly regretted it as the dusty air made its way into my lungs. I emerged from the bus, coughing and gagging.
“Well done, Awakener.” Mimi popped in front of me, turning to survey my work. “You almost got everything.”
“That was the fastest I’ve ever Awakened anything,” I croaked.
Mimi beamed. “A very solid first run. Let’s get you some water and something to eat.”
My stomach grumbled in appreciation as we made our way back to the cabin. I stumbled inside and slumped in the nearest armchair. Mimi headed straight for the kitchen, humming as she clanked pots and pans on the stove. Soon, delicious smells began to fill the air. My eyes closed. That Awakening session had taken a lot out of me. Just as I began to doze, I heard a noise that sounded like a smothered sigh mixed with someone clearing their throat.
My eyes popped open to focus on dark green irises peering down at me. I let out a sigh of my own. “What do you want?”
“I want to know what you know,” Kris answered, making himself comfortable on the floor in front of me.
“Go. Away.”
“Not a chance.”
We sat in silence for a few seconds before I sighed again. “What do you want to know exactly, Kris? You seem to know more about this planet than I could ever know.”
“Tell me about your life on Earth.”
The request took me off guard. Since when was Kris interested in anything outside of saving himself? Sensing my suspicion, he inched forward on the floor. I instinctively shrank back in my chair.
Kris ignored that. “What’s your family like? Mother? Father?”
I swallowed and cleared my throat. “Um, my parents died when I was young. My grandparents raised us.”
Kris’ face remained neutral. “How did they die?”
“Car accident.”
“Any other siblings?”
“No, just me and Nia.” I relaxed a little. “We go to a normal high school back on Earth.”
“What do you do in your spare time?”
I paused to think. Since discovering Turgor, my time had been spent either on the magical planet or at school on Earth. I had no idea how Nia managed to be a Creator and the straight-A earning head cheerleader at our school. My sister truly was a freak of nature.
I shrugged. “I don’t have too many, I guess. I like to read.” A few more seconds of silence passed. “What about you?”
Kris looked surprised. “What about me?”
“Do you have friends? Did you go to school? How did you learn how to control your powers?”
He smirked. “Technically, I’m a hundred fifty years old. I don’t need to go to school.”
I started to open my mouth to tell him that since I had Awakened him, the clock might have restarted his aging. Even though he was technically a hundred fifty years old, he’d died when he’d been seventeen and was now alive again at the age of seventeen. But my gut suggested that bringing up my Awakening him might ruin this bonding moment, so I kept quiet.
Kris shifted on the floor. “I have some...alliances. My original friends all still slumber as Death Walkers.”
A twinge hit my heart. “You’re still a Death Walker.”
He looked away. “That remains to be seen.”
“So what are you doing while we’re back on Earth?”
“Since I do not require sleep, I train and try to garner support in the city for you and your sister.” Kris stood up and stretched. “We need more allies if we are to win this war.”
“Do you think that we can?”
He peered down at me. “Can what?”
I cleared my throat. “Do you think we can win?” Kris studied me for a few moments and was about to respond when Mimi popped in between us, trailing a light glittery substance behind her.
“Lunch is ready!” she trilled, looking extremely pleased with herself. “I made stew and crusty bread.”
I sprung to my feet and almost ran to the kitchen to grab one of the piping hot bowls sitting on the counter. After taking a deep sniff, I whirled around, bowl in hand, and grinned at Mimi. “Smells delicious!”
Mimi smiled back. “I’m glad. Here, sit and enjoy.”
While I was digging in (with spoons in both hands), Kris walked back outside to inspect the bus I had Awakened. I slurped another spoonful of stew and watched as he circled the bus slowly, touching where I had touched. For some reason, I now felt a faint connection to him. Maybe our moment of sharing had been good for us.
“Hurry up and eat, young Awakener,” Mimi trilled, flying up to my eye level. “We have more training to do.” I nodded, swiping a piece of bread around my bowl to collect the leftover gravy before popping it into mouth. My pocket vibrated and reminded me that I hadn’t looked at my DiGi or even read the news in a while. I wiped my hands on my jeans and reached for my small device, laying it flat on the table. A running list of messages popped up including:
Awakener Class Section 230B
8:00 a.m. Turgorian Time, 7:00 p.m. Earth Time
Detention - Missed!
Report to Senior Creator Layane Immediately!
I let out a huff of frustration. Was it so much to ask for one quiet day on this planet with no one yelling or trying to kill me? Just one?! I closed my DiGi and got up to put my bowl in the sink. Mimi was laughing at something Kris had said, which surprised me. Who knew he could be funny? I shook my head and headed outside. Break time was over. It was time to get back to work.
Chapter 22
“I don’t know why I have to Awaken the entire stack of tires, and Rena only gets four,” I complained loudly. Rena was turning positively pinkish-purple from the strain of laughing. We were standing off to the side of the cabin that was hidden by a thick canopy of lowered limbs for two nearby trees. Nia was busy creating more tires for Rena and me to practice on while Kris was sitting on the ground, busy studying a book with weird writing on its covers.
I sighed. “Can’t we split them, even-steven?”
Mimi frowned. “I’m not familiar with that phrase, young Awakener, but I assure you this is no lighthearted matter. You are one half of a legendary power that is so strong, it has scared the oldest members on this planet. It is important that you master your skill.”
I rolled my eyes and stepped up to the tower of tires. “OK, let’s get this over with.”
Mimi fluttered to my eye level. “Before we get started...” A loud pop rippled through the air. Rena and I swiveled around to see six snarling Kryptonians advancing on us. I yelped and snatched Mimi out of the air before running as fast I could away from the group. Behind me I could hear Rena and Nia doing the same.
“Wait!” Kris’ voice boomed over all of the commotion. I glanced behind me long enough to see that the girls had stopped running as well. Why weren’t the KaKonians chasing us?
Mimi pushed out of my arms and shook herself. “Let’s go back to the others.”
“Nope.” Shivers danced along my arms despite the warm temperature. “We need to leave.”
“They’re not real.”
I stared at Mimi. “Excuse me?”
“They’re for training.”
“Mimi! You should have warned us!” Nia stomped over to her. “We were scared half to death!”
“Agreed,” Rena muttered, walking up to join us. “I do not find this amusing.”
Mimi sighed. “It’s not supposed to be amusing. The threat is very real and present. While it’s a good idea to practice Awakening things, you also need to know how to work together as a team while in battle. Now let’s go back over to them and get started.”
I hesitated before following Mimi back to Kris and the KaKonians. They were all standing stock-still, staring as we made our way over. The shivers got stronger the closer I got to the tall, snarling creatures that
looked just like the ones who’d tried to kill me earlier in the year.
The only sounds that now filled the air were birds chirping in the distance and our heavy breathing. Mimi clapped her hands. “Now! Let’s begin. Girls, these KaKonians are going to attack you. Your job is to avoid their attacks and Awaken these tires. Nia, of course you will need to create some sort of defense against the KaKonians while your sister and Rena are working to Awaken things.”
Mimi looked at each of us, but no one replied. She raised her hand and said, “On your mark...”
I took a deep breath and rolled my shoulders. Time to see what we were made of...again.
“Get set...”
Rena was still a dull shade of grey. She looked like she was both ready to puke and kick butt at the same time. A surge of pride for my friend ran through me. The KaKonians grinned at us, flexing their fingers tipped with nails so sharp, they looked like claws.
“Go!”
Wood exploded next to my head as KaKonians fanned out and began spraying us with energy blasts. I dropped to the ground, fury spreading through me. These guys were going down. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kris watching me with interest, but I ignored him. All of my frustration at being in this war welled up. My vision became cloudy. I rolled to my side and almost army-crawled to the stack of tires Nia had Created earlier.
The first tire I touched was cold and didn’t have much give. “You are strong, impenetrable, made to kill,” I quickly whispered. “You can fly and you only want those KaKonians.”
The tire came to life under my hands, warming immediately with such an intensity it began to vibrate before spinning off in the direction of the nearest KaKonian. It hit him with such a force that he flew back several feet and landed with a hard thud on the ground. I paused for a split second to see if he was moving (he wasn’t) before I felt a sharp pain at the back of my neck.
“You’re mine, girl,” someone snarled. Hot, rank breath wafted into my nose, but the pain was too intense for me to gag. I reached up instinctively to reclaim my scalp, but the grip was too tight.
Freaking KaKonians. I was furious.
Transference (The Two Worlds, #2) Page 11