Marked Chaos

by Niki Livingston

  “What others?” I felt like I was piecing together one of Mum’s ancient puzzles. She loved those darn things, and they absolutely drove me insane. I wanted to see the picture completed. And now the same emotion was knocking against my skull.

  Tiordan’s eyes flashed open. “The ones who believe they are protecting Kia Lynn from dissolving into her elemental being. Her mother, for one, although no one knows her whereabouts anymore.” He took a sudden breath and then whirled to face the doors. “Malcolm, they are planning to invade our sanctuary. They were able to track our ship to the Zion Mountains.”

  Malcolm pushed past me and stormed toward the entryway. “And you are just receiving this vision?”

  “Yes.” Tiordan blinked several times, then closed his eyes. “They do not know our exact location, but they are drawing near. We need to enclose ourselves within the protective field.”

  “Already on it!” Malcolm yelled, as he bolted from the room.

  My hands clenched into fists as the others in the cafeteria raced after Malcolm, leaving me alone with Aly and Tiordan. “What does this mean? Who are the invaders?”

  “Followers of Kia Lynn’s mother,” Aly said, grasping my hand and giving it a squeeze. “She is a strange woman, and when she disappeared we spent many seasons looking for her and where she came from. Just as this anaman girl appeared from thin air, Kia Lynn’s mother disappeared into thin air. We knew she would never intentionally leave Kia Lynn, after discovering her gifts and what she would become.”

  “I barely remember Kia Lynn’s mama.” I was raking through my memories, but all I could recall was the auburn hair and infectious laugh of my best friend’s mother. She had been stunning with features Kia Lynn had received as well. I looked at Tiordan, even though his eyes remained closed. “We believed she was executed in the raid on our village that year. The anaman swooped in on their small machines, nearly killing Kia Lynn’s papa and snuffing out my father’s life. It’s a moment not easily forgotten.”

  “I remember,” Aly whispered as she paced the floor between me and Tiordan.

  The building shook slightly.

  Aly halted in front of me and grabbed my hand again. “They are initiating the protective shield. It will cause some movement.”

  Another quake rattled the chairs and tables around us, and my other hand shot out to hold on to Aly.

  “What if they find us? Are they the same people who murdered my father?”

  “We have the ability to fight back,” Tiordan replied, his eyes still closed. “But we do not want them to discover our whereabouts.”

  “Why not?” I asked, grimacing from another quiver in the walls.

  He opened his eyes and glanced my way. “Because the entryway to Mother Gaia’s connection to the elementals resides in our sanctuary.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Finding Dax

  ALEX

  I still did not know where the sudden surge of energy or fighting skills came from. I stood in the center of our ship, staring at the mess that was left after Dax’s people had stripped it of several needed parts. We were stuck down here until our ship in orbit could send down provisions and replacements. And anyone who was looking would see our silver ship nestled on top of the old hotel.

  Luckily, we had other means to protect ourselves. Henry’s electrical fencing had been brought down the week before, and we had hidden the poles in the base of our ship. The drones were pulling them out one by one, and we were using the AI to drill the holes around our new town. The plan was to complete it before the end of the day.

  I felt useless. I did not know how to use their advanced computers or machines, and I most definitely felt inferior to the AI they rarely used. It was just a walking computer and reminded me of the machines used by the humans in the movie Avatar, except these did not require a person to control them from the inside. They were programmed to follow the instructions from a device only Dad and Uncle Henry had access to, and they did it without any griping, unlike the rest of us.

  Henry hurried into the room, holding an armful of wires. “Alex, will you give me a hand with these?” He nodded toward what was left of our monitors.

  I followed and handed him what he needed as he repaired each one.

  “Are you still angry with me? It has been over a day, and we still have not talked about it,” I asked after several quiet minutes.

  He slid out from underneath the table. “I am not angry, Alex. Frustrated, yes. But I also know you did what you could to get to us and bring those weapons. I don’t think we would have been successful without them.” He pushed himself back under. “We failed at training you while we sat all cushy up in the orbiting ship. That is on me and your parents. But the fighting you did down at the village was not an accident. You already possess the ability.”

  “Yes, but I haven’t been able to do it again since that night. It was a like a switch was flipped, and I spun into this crazy, kung-fu action. Then once it was over, the switch was flipped back off.”

  Uncle Henry climbed out from underneath again and brushed his hands together as he hopped to his feet. “You are part anaman. Heightened senses, strange abilities... all of that comes with the territory. Yours is levitation, which, might I add, is rare. But materializing water out of thin air?” He shook his head. “That is a new and impressive one.”

  He reached around me and grabbed a tool similar to a wrench.

  “If I were you, I would focus on learning the abilities that I know and, as I mastered them, work on the ones less visible and harder to manage.” He sank back down to the ground. “It is like the saying goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Now shoo. I need to think, and you have plenty of time to practice.”

  His hand waved me away from underneath the table. He was right. It was now or never. I needed to learn how to properly defend myself and use the levitation to assist me, just like I did two nights ago. Then I was going to find that backstabbing Dax and make him return our belongings.

  Seemed like a solid plan.

  Except I still had no idea how to make it all happen. I was a stranger to these lands, even though I’d lived my entire young life in Grand Rapids. These were not the lands or people of my time. Nor was it my dimension, and that scared me.

  Despite my worries, I needed to fix this. I was the one who had allowed Dax to manipulate me. Being focused on saving my family and friends had blinded me to his intentions. Whatever the case, it was my responsibility to make this right.

  I headed to the bike storage and found my new favorite one. It had saved me last night. After hauling it out into the open, I climbed onto the seat and was out of the bay doors a few minutes later. I did not want to leave without helping first. Then I would practice enough to get me by.

  The fence posts were nearly all in. As much as that AI creeped me out, it was completing the job faster than any of us could. I watched it slide one of the poles into the ground about ten feet down. Then a third arm poured synthetic cement around it, sealing the pole in a matter of a few minutes. Of course the natives wanted our technology. The items we possessed were far superior to any other in this dimension. But how did they know?

  That was the question everyone seemed to be asking. We kept our heads down and engaged only with the locals, who were primitive to say the least. Anyone with knowledge of technology were days away from us. We’d made sure of that.

  It was another reason my parents had allowed me to pick my hometown. They’d already known it was the least likely to have enemies who would advance upon us with their own technology. But someone had let the cat out of the bag, and I intended on finding out who and why.

  “Alex!” Mom yelled from near our home, waving me over to her.

  I gave her a thumbs-up, engaging the hover bike. When I reached the home, Mom was nowhere to be seen. She must have gone into the house. I jumped from the bike and headed in, skipping up the wooden stairs to the front door that was wide open.

  Inside, it was quiet. I
walked into the front room and twirled around in a circle admiring all the woodwork that had been intricately carved by the anaman machines inside the orbiting ship. My parents had gone above and beyond to create homes that aligned with my twenty-first century life, even though I had never made any requests. It was almost too much, but I did appreciate the comfort and familiarity it brought me.

  “There you are,” Mom said, coming up behind me.

  Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with stray pieces sweeping around her face. Her sky-blue eyes twinkled as she slid up next to me, and I noticed a streak of dirt across her cheek. She was in her element, designing a home on a peaceful Earth. Well, mostly peaceful.

  “What do you think?” she asked, pointing at the tall wood beams gracing each corner of the front room. They stretched all the way up to the vaulted ceilings, which were adorned with wood beams every few feet.

  “It reminds me of the wealthy people’s cabins back in 2025.” I smiled at her. “And I love it, especially the conversation seating you are putting in.” I pointed toward the recessed floor a few feet away that would have cushioned seating all the way around the square. “It is like I am living in a fantasy world of sorts.”

  She wrapped her arm around my back and pulled me against her. “If we can get the electrical fence up and running, there will be no reason to worry when we are in our village. So, in a sense, we would be living in our own little fantasy world.”

  I nodded enthusiastically, but at the same time my heart sank into my gut. With the activation of the fence, I had no choice but to leave before the end of the day. Glancing over at Mom, I was glad I came to see her. At least I could see her face one last time.

  “I am going to find a private patch near the lake and practice my new skills,” I said, pulling away from her and walking toward the back of the house where the kitchen was being designed.

  It would have all the bells and whistles the ship possessed, which was lucky for me. No dishes to clean was always my favorite part of that ship. I could see the inner workings had already been completed. They just needed to install the door where the dishes were inserted and close everything up. It was going to be a nice day when I could just enjoy this house and village.

  Mom followed me. “There’s plenty of room in front of the house. Are you really comfortable being alone that far from our home?”

  “It isn’t that far away,” I replied, trailing my fingers over the countertop. The dust was thick from all the work being done. Even with the anaman technology, we could not escape dust. “I will meet you back at the ship after dinner. I will take some food to get me by for the evening.”

  I could feel her staring at the back of my head.

  I wiped my hands together to clean off the dust and twirled around on my toes to face her.

  She pressed her lips together, then nodded. “Go practice, but make sure you stay in contact.” She patted me on the shoulder as she passed by me.

  Leaning over, I planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.” I would write them a note to explain why I had to fix this on my own.

  Her gaze met mine, and for a brief second I thought she was going to change her mind. Instead she smiled, then disappeared down the stairs.

  I hurried out of the house and back to my hover bike. I would take it with me, except it needed to charge and I could not chance losing another piece of Dad’s equipment. It would have to stay with the ship.

  As I passed by the city center, Cretin was dragging Andy into our new jail. It was too bad we had to build one of these, just for him. I stopped in front of them.

  “Seriously disappointed in you, Andy,” I said, shaking my head.

  Andy chuckled softly and shrugged. “You really don’t know what you are talking about. Maybe ask your parents how they know Tatum.”

  “Shut it,” Cretin barked, giving me an apologetic look. “Get in there.”

  Andy rolled his eyes and strolled into the jail room. I stared at the now-closed door and wondered if I should ask Dad about Tatum before I left. Deciding it would take up too much of my time, I continued, storing Andy’s words to be discussed at a later time.

  Back at the ship, I raced to my tiny room and quickly packed a backpack with a few changes of clothes, some dry foods and water, and the weapons I had not returned from yesterday’s fight. I knew I would need them again. I buckled one of the sheaths around my waist and tucked two daggers into each one.

  A pad of paper for my writing was set on the small side table next to my bed. I scribbled a note to my parents and Uncle Henry, then left them folded on my bed. They would look here first anyway.

  The door that led inside the hotel was closed, and Uncle Henry was still in the tech room fixing the computers. The door slid open without a sound, and I slipped into the room where we kept the supplies—the same one that native girl had stolen the device from. I had never had the chance to turn it on. Maybe those two could help me find Dax’s faction.

  I swiped my wrist, and the hologram screen jumped into view. As it searched for a signal to the device, the red light flashed for several long seconds before connecting. I sent it to my com in my ear. Now to listen in to their conversation and find out where they lived.

  It was quiet on the other end. I tapped on my earpiece, but nothing came through. I sighed. I knew the general direction to their village, but I had not been told where the entryway was. Uncle Henry and Dad had kept it to themselves after meeting with their leaders, the Doyen.

  “I guess I am on my own,” I muttered. I would only have myself to talk to, so I might as well get used to it.

  My arms prickled like they had two days ago just as I stepped through the outer door. I glanced back, then closed the door behind me before focusing on the two corridors in my view. One took me outside sooner, but it was in view of the front of the ship, and someone might see me. The other led me around a few dark corners before finally reaching the area where I had watched the two girls.

  That was my best option. I flipped on the flashlight pinned to the front of my shirt and picked my way through the rubbish that were centuries years old. It amazed me how many objects survived years underneath mounds of dirt. It wasn’t until we had cleared it away that this hotel had been opened again. Many of the rooms had been sealed and untouched, leaving behind a past that was a mystery and a wonder to the native folks. If I were from this time, I would be exploring these old buildings as well.

  When I reached the outside, I flipped off the flashlight and sprinted down the path the girls had taken. I had no idea how to track them, but once I could connect to the locator beacon of the device, finding them would be a breeze. If anything, it was possible I would run across Dax and his friends’ trail as well.

  And if I failed? I shook my head, pushing the thought out of my mind.

  I slowed to a walk after putting some distance between me and the ship. It was a fairly easy trail, but I knew there would be forks in the road. I glanced up at the sun, then back down to my arm. The time read 17:42. It was nearly dinnertime. I would keep walking until it was too dark to find my way. I pulled out a package of granola and ate it while I made my way down the path.

  As the sun dipped down and shadows became longer, I began questioning my decision. I had already blocked the tracking on my internal device and muted any calls that would come from the ship or my family, but it would be nice to talk to someone. Anyone at this point. The quiet was unnerving.

  I found a small clearing after hitting my third fork in the road. I veered off to the right. It was just large enough to hideaway for the night. I unpacked my travel blanket and the tarp I had stolen from the supply room. Hanging it up between two branches gave me a small cover while I slept.

  A crescent moon was rising and its light pierced the tree canopy to one side of the tarp. I focused on that as I settled to the ground.

  Curling into a ball with my backpack as my pillow, I closed my eyes, and the first image I saw was Dax’s goofy smile. I wished he ha
dn’t betrayed me, but then again, who was he loyal to? Me, a stranger, or his friends? I don’t know why I had expected more from him.

  A twig snapped, and I nearly jumped out of my skin as my eyes popped open. I must have fallen asleep, but I was not sure for how long. My mind was completely dazed from the darkness. The moon must have slid behind some clouds. I looked around, but only the tree shadows greeted me. Was I dreaming that it had happened, or had someone or something stepped on a twig?

  I slid back slowly, pressed my back against the nearest tree and pulled my knees up to my chest. My gaze swept the area, but nothing moved. There wasn’t even a breeze anymore. Drawing in a long breath, I held it in and concentrated on using my heightened senses.

  There it was. Footsteps to my left. They were so quiet, I doubt any human would ever hear them. I exhaled and scooted around the tree to put it in between us, but a soft blue glow caught my eye. I jumped up and held my arms out to defend myself, accidently tearing my tarp from the trees. My breath stuck in my throat as I stared at the glow coming from the anaman marking on my chest.

  They swirled like tiny rivers, illuminating my position to whoever was tracking me. I yanked my blanket from the ground and pressed it against my chest, smothering the light.

  “Too late,” a woman said.

  My gaze shot up, only to be looking into the barrel of one of our laser weapons.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Rafael

  KIA LYNN

  Someone was knocking on the window. I rolled over and groaned, remembering I was still in the infirmary. I must have fallen asleep while I was planning my escape.

  I rubbed my eyes and planted my feet on the cold floor. My toes curled in protest, but I pushed up from the bed anyway and crept to the window. Not wanting whoever was on the other side to see me, I used my finger to move the fabric away at the edge of the window, then peeked out.