“Late yesterday evening,” Jala replied. “Why?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that the attacks happened on civilians when Nia and I weren’t around to stop them?”
Everyone looked at me. It was a weird feeling, having people listen to me.
“What are you saying, Kay?” Grandpa asked.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “I think they’re able to track when we’re on the planet and when we’re back on our home world.”
Mimi frowned. “If that’s the case, where are they getting their information? How are they learning where you girls are?”
“Easy.” I shrugged, pretending not to be as terrified as I really was. “We have someone spying on us and feeding them information.”
Everyone looked at one another. It went without saying that anyone who would have known where Nia and I were at any point and time was currently in the room.
“I think we should go to the Council for help,” Nia said suddenly.
“What?!” Kris, Jala, and I exclaimed at the same time.
Nia held up her hands. “Just hear me out. They know about the comings and goings of most inhabitants on Turgor. And we haven’t proven they’re involved with the KaKonians.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course they’re involved, Nia! Otherwise, how would the KaKonians be able to have free reign like they’ve had these past few months?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have all of the answers,” Nia snapped. “But just because Senior Lynch was in on it doesn’t mean the entire Council is. We might have allies there.”
“That’s crazy,” Kris snarled. “Do you hear yourself?”
“I’m the only one making sense!” Nia shouted, standing up so quickly, her chair almost fell over. “Don’t you see? We can’t handle this alone.”
“But you’re not alone,” Mimi said gently. “You have us.”
“We’re not powerful enough,” Nia protested. “We need all the help we can get!”
I shook my head. Why couldn’t she see how crazy she was being? “A’Nia, if you bring the Council into this, you’re pretty much sealing the fate of this war before we even have a chance to prove ourselves!”
She sneered. “I disagree, Kathleena. I think a good leader knows how to use her assets.”
“Well, who died and made you captain?”
“Oh, are you going to be the team leader now?” Malice laced her tone. “Without me to do all of the heavy lifting, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Girls, let’s not fight.” Grandpa placed a hand on Nia’s shoulder, but she shrugged him off. My temper flared. Yeah, he had been missing in action for most of this war and yes, he had kept his purpose on Turgor as the world historian a secret...but he was our grandfather. He had raised us. And he deserved respect.
Whether Nia felt the same or not was irrelevant as far as I was concerned.
Kris noticed her move as well and looked as though he was about to explode in anger at any moment. I understood how he felt. Nia was supposed to be older and wiser, and right now she was acting like a bratty toddler.
I cleared my throat. “OK, how about we take a vote?”
Kris pushed himself from the counter and stalked towards the front door. Dia swung it open before he could. We watched his figure disappear into the cool, dark night before Dia swung the door closed again.
I turned to the rest of the group. “All in favor of letting the Senior Council in on our plans, raise your hands.” Nia’s hand shot up, but everyone else looked at me expectantly.
“All those opposed?” I asked.
The entire group minus my sister raised their hands in silence. Nia glared at us. “You are all making a serious mistake. And it could cost us our lives.”
“It’s been decided, Nia,” I said, my voice gentle. She folded her arms but didn’t say anything else.
I sighed. “I’m going to get some fresh air. I’ll be back.”
Mimi nodded and fluttered off to her room upstairs. Grandpa pulled out a thick book littered with little pieces of paper stuck between every other page and began to read. Nahime and Jala stood up and began whispering in earnest.
Rena got up and gave me a hug. “I am sorry that your sister doesn’t understand our position.”
“Yeah, me too.”
The chill in the nighttime air caused me to zip my jacket all the way up to my chin. Faint flutters ruffled the trees, alerting me to the nightbirds that were making their way to their homes. It was so peaceful at night on Turgor. The stars were shining bright, the wind was calm, and I could smell nature all around me. This was the Turgor I loved.
“You know,” came a deep sullen voice from behind me, “now is not the time for self-reflection. Now is the time for action.”
I sighed and turned around to face our Death Walker. “Just leave me alone.”
He held out his hand. “Come with me.”
I smirked, eying it suspiciously. “Uh, yeah...that’s not happening.”
He rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm so tight, I yelped. Before I could protest, I found myself being marched out into the woods. Sweat broke out onto my forehead as I nervously looked around. What did he want?
“Kris—”
“Shh!”
We marched in silence for a few long moments. My heart was beating so hard, my chest began to ache. This was it. Kris was going to kill me. We stopped a few steps short of a small clearing that opened up to a lake. The large pale blue moon reflected brilliantly on the lake’s surface.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, not realizing that I had been holding my breath.
Kris grunted in agreement and pointed to a shadowy lump near the edge of the lake.
“I need your help. I was out here training and made a mistake.” We moved closer to the lump until I could see it was some sort of medium-sized furry creature lying on its side. Its eyes were closed, its long, dark tongue hanging out of his mouth. Two large horns emerged from the thick, blond fur, one on each side of its head.
“What did you do?” I whispered.
For the first time since I had met him, I heard sadness in Kris’ voice. “I accidentally struck him. He did not deserve to die by my sword.”
I swallowed. “You want me to try to Awaken it?”
Kris gave a sharp nod.
“I can’t.” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. “How do we know it will come back...the same? It’s not right.”
“We don’t know. But I...please help me.”
I sighed and knelt next to the beast, careful to touch the part of his neck that wasn’t injured. “You are warm, full of life and warmth and meaning. You are the same creature you have always been. You are loved. You are whole. You are alive.” The beast twitched and then slowly opened his eyes before giving my hand a gentle nuzzle. His wound healed before my eyes. I let out something that sounded like a mix of laughter and crying at the same time before standing up to face Kris. He was smiling and that was...beautiful.
We stood very still for a few moments, each smiling at one another. His arms shot out and before I could blink, I was in his warm embrace.
“Thank you, small girl.” His breath tickled the top of my head.
I laughed the best I could whilst being squeezed. “Don’t mention it.”
Chapter 25
The cool patch of Turgorian dirt clung to the bottom of my jeans as I sat crossed-legged, palms resting upwards on my knees. My eyes were closed. I was practicing my mediation like Kris had taught me, breathing in and out slowly. My hope was that I could hear the planet talk to me again. I felt like I needed some kind of guidance.
Footsteps approached me and I cracked open an eye to see Kris staring down at me with his intense gaze.
I sighed. “What do you want?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” I snapped. I was in no mood to be badgered. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried to refocus
. Why wasn’t she talking to me?
“You’re not going to connect right now. You’re too agitated.”
Both of my eyes popped open and we stared at each other for a few moments before I spoke. “What do you mean, I’m too agitated?”
“Just what I said. You need to blow off some steam.”
“Oh, and you’re going to be the one who helps me do that, right?” I scoffed. “Look, Kris. I don’t need your help.”
He folded his arms across his broad chest and glared down his nose at me. “Yes, you do. Now let’s go.”
“Go where?!” I exclaimed, scrambling to my feet to run after him. He had already turned on his heel and was marching into the woods, not caring that my short legs wouldn’t be able to keep up with his long strides. I broke into a sprint and chased after him until he stopped.
“You’re...such...a...jerk!” I wheezed. I leaned over, placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath.
“Yes, but I might be the jerk that saves your life one day. So be quiet and pay attention.” He turned around in a full circle slowly, surveying our rest stop. “This will do perfectly.”
I straightened up. “OK, so what are we practicing today?”
“You saved that creature yesterday.”
“And?”
“And that’s a very advanced skill you have that came naturally to you. We need to strengthen that skill.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
Before I could comment, he walked away so fast, I couldn’t track him with my eyes. How on Turgor did he do that?! In a flash, he was back in front of me, cradling a small squirrel-like creature in his arms. Who knew he was such a softie for animals? Kris softly stroked its fur. Sadness radiated off of him. I could feel some of my irritation slip away. I understood where he was coming from.
“You want me to Awaken it.”
He looked up at me, his piercing green eyes sending tingles down my spine. I ignored them. “Yes. You need to become better at Awakening all things, not just inanimate ones.” Kris placed the little beast on the ground and stepped away, signaling me to work my magic.
I sighed and knelt down next to the squirrel. “You are alive, full of warmth and magic.” Its fur remained cold underneath my fingertips. I squinted back up to my trainer. “Why isn’t it working?”
“You need to focus.”
“I am focusing!” I blew out a frustrated breath and furrowed my brow, turning my attention back to the beast. “You are alive, full of breath and warmth. Awaken.”
The sounds of the trees rustled amongst each other, their whispers dancing across my ears. Kris didn’t seem to pay them any attention.
He moved behind me and touched my arms. “Focus,” he breathed into my ear. “Take a deep breath. Will it to live.”
I shivered, grateful that Kris was polite enough not to comment on my reaction. Why did he have such an effect on me? Uh, maybe because he’s hot? a small voice in the back of my mind whispered. I shook it off. Kris, hot? He was old enough to be my great-great grandfather, for crying out loud!
Instead of focusing on questions I wasn’t sure I wanted answers to, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I repeated the action a few more times.
The beast’s fur was unyielding underneath my touch, but I lightly stroked it anyway. I felt sadness for the poor creature. He was so small, so tiny. I wondered what had brought his demise. Had it been a natural death? Stained blood on its hind leg answered that question for me. A pang hit my heart. No one deserved to be taken from this magical place. Why was there so much death around me?
As if to answer my question on its own, I became aware of Kris’ newly awakened heart beating against my back. He was still holding on to me. The warmth of his embrace relaxed me even further. I took another deep breath and touched the beast. “You didn’t deserve to die. No one good and pure like you deserves to. I’m trying to right this wrong. Please. If you’re not too far gone, please come back.” My voice began to break. “You are alive. Full of warmth and love and light. You are the same as you always were. Awaken. Come back to me.”
A surge of warmth rippled through my patient’s small body, startling me. The beast popped up, tittered, and then scurried off into the thick brush in the distance. I stared at it, marveling at my powers. I really could bring most things to life. It never occurred to me that my powers could help creatures who weren’t Death Walkers or inanimate. I let out a weird mixture of laughter and sobbing.
“Good job, small girl,” Kris murmured behind me.
I shuffled around until we were face-to-face. “Why are you so dang insistent on helping me? And don’t tell me it’s because I Awakened you. What’s your deal?”
Kris took a deep breath, never blinking. It was unnerving when he did that. “You’re special.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, so everyone keeps saying.”
“No, you are special to me.”
I stared at him. “Uh...what now?”
Kris rolled his eyes, his usual annoyance making its way back to the surface. “As I’ve said, you took me away from my family.” He held up his hand before I could protest. “And you’ve dragged me in to this war. So you must be hold the answer to what lies ahead for my destiny.”
I made a face. “I think you’re giving me too much credit.”
“I disagree.”
We stared at each other. My eyes studied his face. Those eyes were beautiful, I had to admit. I wondered for a moment what he thought of me. He probably thinks of you as just a kid, came that stupid voice. Nothing else. If anything, he probably thinks Nia is beautiful compared to you. Everyone else does. Also he’s ancient!
I stood up and turned away. No need to go skipping down the path of self-pity. Besides, I was starving. I began making my way back to the cabin, not sure if I knew where I was truly going.
Kris walked beside me, seemingly in his own thoughts as well. We made it back without any fanfare and I headed straight to the kitchen. Mimi had made a large vegetable pot pie, which was sitting on the counter cooling. I grabbed a plate and helped myself to a big serving.
I plopped down at the kitchen table and opened my DiGi. Rowena’s class was still ongoing. I could see that they had moved on to level two spells and enchantments, but I couldn’t access any of the coursework. A pang stabbed my chest as I mourned my schooling, over before it had ever gotten started. Erica was probably now the star pupil in the class. She was definitely loving all of the attention.
I sent a note to Grandpa to check in. A light laugh floated through the open window and caught my attention. I turned to see Rena standing very close to Kris again, her head tilted, her skin glowing a pretty yellow. She said something and then he said something and then she laughed. I frowned. Was she...flirting? With Kris?
She moved to touch his arm. He didn’t flinch away. A strong wave of jealousy swept over me. He acted like he couldn’t stand to be around me. And he didn’t like dealing with my sister, either. Since when had my best friend and the Death Walker become so chummy?
Before I could ponder any longer, Rena turned and practically skipped inside of Dia. She paused when she saw me in the kitchen and smiled. “Oh, hello, Kay.”
“Hey,” came my terse response. I cleared my throat. “So what’s up?”
“Ah, nothing...just training,” she almost sang. She glowed a brighter yellow. It was almost blindingly beautiful.
“With Kris?”
Rena nodded and grabbed a cup from the cupboard. “He’s helping me focus so that I can move past my fear in battle.” She went to the sink, filled the cup with water, and took a sip before continuing. “He really is quite skilled at fighting. Very knowledgeable.”
I grunted. “Yeah, he’s pretty keen on getting this war over with so he can crawl back into whatever hole he’s eyeing for his next grave.”
Rena looked at me. “What’s the matter?”
I shrugged and shoveled another spoonful of Mimi’s p
ie into my mouth. “Nothing. Just don’t get too attached to him. He’s going to bail on us as soon as it’s over.”
“That may be so, but it can’t hurt to be friendly with him right now.”
“Yeah, you looked friendly enough for both of us out there.” It popped out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. Rena frowned.
“Is there a problem with me training with the Death Walker?”
“Nope, it’s your life. Do what you want. But I don’t see why you have to flirt with him.”
“I wasn’t flirting.” Rena’s yellow began to fade into a red. “But even if I was, can you blame me? He is quite impressive.”
I didn’t respond.
Rena came closer, her skin now a dull red. Was she mad? “Why do you care?”
I raised both of my eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”
“You heard me. Why do you care?”
“I...” I couldn’t answer her. Why did I care? I wasn’t on this planet to find a boyfriend. Besides, my life was on Earth. I was human, for crying out loud. “I don’t. Do what you want. Honestly.”
Rena stared at me for a few seconds. “I’m going to go rest.”
Before I could respond, she turned on her heel and marched out of the kitchen. I sighed and poked at my bowl. What was going on with me? Didn’t I have enough trouble already? I certainly didn’t need to make my best friend an enemy.
The day went on without much talking between me, Rena, and Kris. They went off to train, and I practiced Awakening things that Nia had Created a few nights prior. The sun slowly went down, but I didn’t move from my training area. A jumble of emotions kept sweeping over me every time I slowed down to rest, forcing me to push myself even harder while training to ignore them.
Before long, the moons were high up in the sky, casting a pale glow on our home. I touched a heavy, crumbling grey brick. “You are solid, deep red.” The color began to return to the stone in my hand.
A noise from behind me made me spin around. “Nia?” I called out.
My sister paused in her tracks. “Uh, hey.” She looked guilty.
Transference (The Two Worlds, #2) Page 13