by Kira Stüssy
I took in Ash’s beautiful features once more and rested my hand on his cheek, uncaring about our earlier conflict. I nodded firmly and said, “Stay safe.”
He winced under my touch but didn’t pull away, “Don’t I always?”
The two boys released my Knowledge and I gulped as the two dazzling wings sprang back to their rightful places above my shoulders. Kelsey gasped in astonishment. Her brown eyes grew even larger than normal and she sort of started moving her mouth like she was trying to talk but no words would came out. I snatched her arm, pulled her inside, and dragged her down the hall and into her bedroom. I tried to block out the disturbing thoughts that crossed my mind concerning what could possibly be going on outside with my two Guardians.
They’ll be fine. They’re trained for this sort of thing.
We threw ourselves into her room ungracefully. I flipped on the light and just about had a heart attack.
“Holy crap!”
I pressed my hand to my rapidly beating heart as I looked into Danny’s misty green eyes. He lounged in the plush chair located in the corner of Kelsey’s room with a giant textbook spread across his lap. He chewed a pencil between his teeth but spit it out when he saw me.
He grinned at me, his green eyes sparkling, “Mira! Where you been?” His eyes slowly shifted to the spot above my shoulders where my sparkling Knowledge shone proud and regal, the very spot that Kelsey had not taken her eyes off of the whole way to her room.
My heart sunk at the thought that my two best friends in the whole world would think I was either a freak or crazy. Maybe both. Danny gazed at me, with his eyes squinted in confusion. As always, I couldn’t ignore his beauty. But instead of hiding a smile or lowering my gaze when I looked at him, I only saw one of my dearest friends staring at me, wanting an explanation. I turned to Kelsey and saw the same look.
Danny’s eyebrows raised curiously, “You do know that Halloween isn’t for a few months, right?”
*
“Crash course lesson in flying.”
Caspian hopped up and down excitedly as if preparing for a race, “I’m ready!”
“No, you’re not. But the situation is dire and nobody from the Legion is able to assist with personal missions. And until one of them is hurt or stolen it is a personal mission, so you’ll have to do.”
“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“The key is to allow your Knowledge to become just another muscle in your body. Learning to fly is like learning to walk, it takes a different sort of balance and coordination that you aren’t used to. It is just an extension from your back, a movable part of you.”
Caspian rolled his shoulders, feeling his exposed blue-green Knowledge moving with them.. He closed his eyes and focused on the point on his back where his Knowledge met skin. He concentrated on those muscles and urged them to move.
He felt his Knowledge twitch.
*
The two figures were close enough for Ash to determine that he was facing a Shade and a Wielder. The Shade snarled in the near distance and the Wielder’s hands burned electric blue. He stood beside Erion, his partner whom he trusted with his life, and prepared to throw one of his lignum knives. This would not be an easy battle. Shades were faster and stronger than any other magical beings and Wielders could summon raw energy with their Casts. Ash knew that a couple of young Elemental Legion members, one of whom could not use his Knowledge, hardly stood a chance.
Erion tucked his knives away, and raised his hands in front of him and began to wave them around until a wind cyclone spun in front of him. With a forceful shove, he pushed his mini tornado toward their foes, causing them to topple over and sputter. But too soon they were back on their feet. The Wielder held out his palm and a small blue sphere of energy began to form. The Shade crouched low, ready to pounce. Both of the boys knew their knives would be no match.
“I fancy they’re from good ‘ole Hartrain?”
“I fancy you’re right.” Erion replied and he whispered in Ash’s ear, “You and I both know we can’t stop them. Not unless…”
“I can’t. You know I can’t control it.”
“You have to try ! We don’t have another choice.”
But it was too late.
With sadistic grins plastered upon their faces, the Wielder threw the blue sphere and the Shade struck.
*
“So…you’re like a faerie?” Kelsey asked.
“Sort of like a faerie and sorcerer mixed…but not really. People in Nostos are pretty particular about the names.”
“Sick.” Danny said in awe.
It had taken some work to get the two of them to stop freaking out over my Knowledge and listen. I took Ash’s advice and, as quickly as I could, explained the truth. It was not until I displayed my glowing skin act (with the help of her bedroom light and immense concentration) that they fully believed me.
“So you’re parents are out of town?” I asked Kelsey.
“Yeah,” she responded, “Danny-boy and I were just having a study session. I don’t like the idea of being home alone so much, and then you show up and…”
She flung her arms over her head to exhibit her obvious bafflement. I nodded in understanding.
A sharp cry sounded from outside and I could hear the thud of limp bodies hitting the wooden porch. I looked out of Kelsey’s window but only the twinkling stars were visible. I heard the front door creak open and my breath caught in my throat. Soft footsteps patted down the hall. I could hear doors being opened and closed. Kelsey and Danny didn’t seem to notice a thing. How could they not hear that?
“We need to get out of here!” I squeaked. They both stared at me in confusion but stood up nonetheless.
I scanned the room, trying to find an escape route. My eyes fell upon the window above her bed, the silvery moonlight glowing through the clear pane. It already hung slightly ajar and the soft ocean breeze caused her white curtains to sway eerily. I herded my friends towards the window, knowing that it would be a squeeze but it was also our only means of getting out, especially if the intruders were inside.
“I don’t think I’m going to fit…” Danny muttered with only half his body out of the window and the rest of him still stubbornly inside. Danny, despite being a fit guy, had muscles that created bulk which were not exactly ideal for our situation. The floorboards on the other side of Kelsey’s bedroom door creaked and my heart raced even faster. I frantically looked from Kelsey to Danny and I could tell by their expressions that they had finally heard the groaning floorboards. Kelsey raised an eyebrow at me, read my face, and froze in fear. She knew it wasn’t the two hot guys from outside that now stood just outside her room. With only a nod of my head, Kelsey understood and we both surged towards Danny and tried to shove him through the window. His face scrunched in pain as we pushed with all our might. But he didn’t budge.
“It’s no use!” Kelsey groaned, a drop of sweat beading on her forehead from the effort.
Muffled voices spoke just outside and we all stopped moving.
“Mira…?”
The door swung open to reveal two men, a Wielder and a Shade, both wearing evil grins. The Wielder walked into the room first with a casual sort of stroll, like he was a friend who had just arrived at the party. I ran through different options in my mind, but my fear became overwhelming and I came up blank. The only power I somewhat knew how to harness happened to be my Knowledge. But the only source of light in the room was the sixty-watt hanging from the ceiling. I barely knew how to use the light Knowledge and something told me that the amount of illumination produced by that bulb would be far too insignificant to do anything with at this point. The darkness suffocated me, trapping me in hopelessness.
Worst of all, I knew this Wielder. In fact, his face had haunted my dreams every night for the past month. Now, he stood before me, pure evil residing in his dark brown eyes.
“Wiley.”
Wiley sat on Kelsey’s bed and smiled at us warmly, “Well, well,
well, I would say it’s great to see you again but then I would be lying.”
The Shade entered, stalking around the room and keeping his red eyes on me.
“Where are Ash and Erion?” I growled, throwing as much confidence into my voice as possible.
“Oh you mean those Legion imbeciles that shouldn’t even have passed their training? Yeah, they won’t be giving us any trouble.”
I gulped. Were they okay? These two were menacing enough, but could they really take down Ash and Erion so easily? I remembered the sickening thumps I heard from outside and my stomach lurched. I could picture their bodies side by side with eyes of glass. Ash’s pale face burned in my mind, the fire wiped out from those charcoal eyes. I had seen Wiley in action before; he trumped Bram with a single Cast. Bram’s fighting skills were not something I was particularly knowledgeable about, but even as a kid I would ask him if he used to professionally wrestle due to his monstrous biceps. Who knew what this psychopath could do to two teenage Elementals?
Stop, they’re fine. They’re fine. They have to be.
“If you hurt them, I swear…”
“What?” Wiley stood, “What are you going to do? You have no clue how to use your powers. You’re just a useless girl and you’re not getting away this time. I told that body guard of yours back at your party that I would get my revenge. Well, this is it.” His eyes glowed brighter blue.
“Why are you doing this?”
He didn’t even skip a beat, “We watched you for weeks before your birthday, did you know that? Of course you didn’t. We watched you boss everyone around, including your twin brother. It’s always about you, isn’t it Mira? That plant Elemental killed my sister over you. Xavier never shuts up about you because you’re just so special. Well, did it ever occur in that huge head of yours that my sister is dead because of you?!”
The light above me flickered as the terror surged through me.
Wiley shifted his gaze down to where my hands curled into fists by my waist and smirked, “Ah, perhaps you do have some Wielder blood in your veins after all.”
I lowered my eyes and saw that my hands were covered in a brilliant blue light. Shocked, I glanced at the window and saw my reflection looking back at me, but my eyes were no longer their typical gray. My irises shone a brilliant electric blue. The eyes of a Wielder.
My jaw dropped in surprise. I had never once so much as attempted to summon the energy of a Wielder. I had been solely focused on figuring out my Knowledge that I had neglected my Wielding side all together. I could feel the Cast tingling up my arm, filling my whole body with glorious power. I felt in control and unstoppable.
I grinned at my reflection and then back to Wiley, “You bet I do.”
His smile faltered and I used his moment of hesitation to my advantage. I raised my hands as fast as I could and focused on the electric energy that gathered in that spot. I felt the power surge through me. It was much different than the power I used to practice my Knowledge. With my Knowledge, I felt warmth spread through me and happiness radiate from the core of my being. The Cast though, felt as if an electric current sizzled through me without harming a single cell in my body. I felt exhilarated beyond all comprehension.
Concentrating with all my might, I pushed the electricity out from my body towards Wiley. A blue stream of energy left my hands and shot towards him, hitting him square in the chest. I was pleased with my strangely accurate aim. He fell backward, surprise illuminating his face as he hit the ground. The Shade snarled and launched towards me with amazing speed. Somehow, I managed to sidestep him and missed the razor sharp claws that sprouted from his fingertips. He swiped his blade-like hands at my neck and I only just managed to duck in time to keep my head where it is. My knowledge of Shades might have been limited, but I did know that they thrived in darkness and it gave them power.
So what would concentrated light do to a Shade?
The idea, like most great ones, came out of nowhere. I glanced up at the light bulb that flickered above me and focused on the light it produced, felt the warmth as it spread through me. It wasn’t much energy, but it would have to suffice. I needed to act quickly, with the Shade already rearing up to try and decapitate me again. Shades reflexes were significantly faster than any other supernatural being, so my time was scarce. I urged my light power to invigorate me, compelling it to become a part of me just as I had practiced for those few hours back in Nostos. I checked my reflection in the window again and almost laughed in disbelief: my skin faintly glowed and my eyes switched from a striking blue to a dazzling light gold.
I spun around as the Shade attacked me from behind and I heard Kelsey’s warning scream. But I was ready. I transferred the warm light that flowed through my body into my hands and struck the Shade with a beam of golden light. The Shade screeched, an inhuman wail of agony, and crashed to the floor in convulsions.
I felt the warmth drain from me and I placed my hands onto my knees, drained from the effort. I stared at the Shade on the ground, still shaking in pain, and winced. I could sense his pain, waves of his dark aura crashing against me so I could feel every bit of his agony. I stared down at him apathetically, almost happy to inflict pain upon him.
“MIRA!” Kelsey shrieked.
I looked up too late. A blue ball of energy hit me square in the chest, sending me backwards and slamming me into the far wall. I fell to the ground painfully and cried out involuntarily. I lifted my head to see that Wiley had pulled himself back to his feet and crept towards me now, a vicious sneer twisting his features and blue energy sparking on his fingertips, preparing to Cast.
“Impressive. Xavier said not to underestimate you, I guess he was right.” Wiley crouched down and leaned over me, his face less than an inch from my own. I could smell his sweat and the red aura teeming around him gave me a very clear answer as to his mood: rage, pure and unfiltered rage. His eyes glowed bright and he breathed heavily as he spoke, “he told me to bring you alive. He’s always going on about you, the great Boni Coniugator. I honestly couldn’t care less about you, a stupid girl who can hardly even manage a simple Cast. But I can’t decide which I want more, praise from him or to just go ahead and kill you myself.”
I glared back at him, and since I can never keep my anger to myself, I spit directly on his face.
“Kill you. Definitely kill you.” He sneered and raised his arm above his head, the blue light gathering in his palm, “Goodbye, Mira.”
“Stop.”
Wiley paused, his aura morphed from furious red to uneasy yellow in a flash. Fear?
Suddenly, Wiley was yanked from above me and a new face filled my vision, one that I vaguely remembered. An image of an emerald green robe filled my mind and I met the wide blue eyes that stared down at me, “You’re the one who took my blood, back at the farmhouse.”
“Indeed,” he replied in a silky voice, “and do you know who I am?”
“Xavier.”
*
“This is freakin’ awesome!” Caspian shouted over the howl of the wind.
It had taken a few tries, but he had finally gotten the hang of it. He felt so graceful and powerful as he pumped his wings, white tipped with sea blue, like a bird of prey soaring through the endless sky. Laurel said that he picked up the concept of flying way faster than she had expected and he thought he might have even seen her smile, like genuinely smile at him, a sight that made his heart soar along with the rest of him.
They glided over the Elemental Kingdom now, and Caspian couldn’t help but occasionally let his eyes flit over to where Laurel flew only few feet away from him. Her face free of its usual tension as she swooped across the starry sky, her stunning green Knowledge sparkling beautifully in the moonlight. She was pretty, with her midnight hair flowing behind her in the wind and the way her eyes dazzled and…
Holy crap, pull it together.
He ripped his gaze away from her and focused on the motion of pumping his Knowledge and he was pleased to notice that the longer he flew,
the more natural it became. He whooped with joy and swore he heard Laurel’s laugh chime blissfully in the breeze.
“Caspian!” she yelled and he looked over at her, “In order to cross dimensions, we need to fly directly at the point above Center Hill, where the four Kingdoms meet, with enough speed to break the dimensional barrier. Follow my lead!”
Caspian all of a sudden didn’t feel so confident in his new-found ability. Laurel sped up suddenly and he struggled to maintain her same pace. His breathing grew heavier with the exercise, but he endured. They were gaining on Center Hill now and his stomach completely twisted in knots from anxiety. When they reached the mound, Laurel changed her direction, without warning, to a vertical climb with amazing speed and agility. Caspian tried to mimic her but felt that his maneuver seemed shaky and uncoordinated in comparison.
He flapped his giant wings double-time to keep up with her, but still fell short. The movement still felt awkward and strange. They were coming terrifyingly close to the point where the Kingdoms met and Laurel shouted back to him, “BRACE YOURSELF!”
She reached the point in the sky where the four kingdoms collided and it appeared that the sky simply absorbed her as she flew through it. Caspian’s instinct was to slow down and he felt his wings falter slightly as he met the point. I’m not going to make it. I’m not going to make it…
An uncomfortable sensation of needles pricking his skin enveloped the entirety of his body. And then, total blackness immersed him into its depths.
*
“You’re Xavier? As in, the Xavier that married my mom?” The Xavier that is my father? I thought.
“Correct again, perhaps you are smarter than you first appear?” he smiled but not in a friendly way, “So I suppose you know some of my story then?”
“I know that you married my mom and got her banished from Nostos. I know that she was scared of you, enough to run away and keep on running for my whole life. I know that you are psychotic and live in the enemy country. And I know that, for whatever reason, you took a sample of my blood, which is not normal social behavior if you’re wondering. So, yes, I suppose I do know your story.”