Marked Chaos

by Niki Livingston

  “Alex,” Talli said and Kia Lynn shuffled back a few feet. Geez, that girl was jumpy. “Connecting to 48IGRACE.”

  Only a few seconds later, the location lit up the screen. It displayed the coordinates, and based on the map, it looked like she was situated somewhere in Southern Utah, possibly Northern Arizona. Not that borders from the twenty-first century meant anything in this time.

  I held out my arm. “She is southwest from here. It is a long walk. Do you have a horse or, better yet, a ship?”

  She snorted. “A horse? Did you ingest some of Rafael’s herbs? Horses are from the ancient days. And my people are not anaman. There are no ships for me to take.” Her eyes lit up. “But we can take yours.”

  I shook my head fervently. “No, we cannot take mine. First, it is not mine—it is my dad’s. And second—”

  She jumped to her feet and yanked me up beside her, then scooped up her firearm and stuffed it in a pocket near her front lower ribs. “We will go to your ship. Your father will want to save my sister.”

  I dug my heels in as she pushed me forward. “Wait. I can’t.”

  She swept past me with my arm in her death grip and pulled me forward.

  “Just wait.”

  She didn’t.

  I yanked at my arm, but she held fast. “Listen, Kia—”

  She twisted around and slammed her fist into my face. I fell back, startled, and clutched my cheek with my hands, gagging on blood when I tasted it in my mouth. My surprised gaze flashed to her.

  “Do as you are told,” she yelled, obviously no longer afraid she would be heard. “I am running out of time before they come after me, and I need to find my sister.” The desperation in her voice was as equally startling as her strike to my face. Something or someone had spooked her.

  Leaning over me, she pulled me back to my feet. I was still in shock and planted my feet firmly to the ground, even though she waved for me to follow her.

  I spit out the blood from my mouth. “I am not returning until I find those stolen parts,” I blurted, squaring my shoulders at her. My hopes for new friends was now dashed.

  She twisted around, wearing a caged-animal expression on her face and then charged. I leapt to the side, then flipped over, avoiding her altogether. My abilities were kicking in again, and I had no idea how I’d made it happen. She skidded to a halt, and her head turned from side to side as she searched for me. This was my chance. I scooped up my bag and sprinted to the pathway, turning toward what I thought was the direction of the small lake.

  I could hear her racing after me, panting as she quickened her speed. That girl could run, but I was faster. I always had been, even before my anaman senses had activated, but for some reason she was keeping up with me better than any other human.

  Taking a chance, I glanced over my shoulder to see how far back she was. I nearly choked on the blood left in my mouth. She was only a few feet behind me. How was that possible?

  I had to lose her somehow. The girl was out of her mind.

  Jumping to one side, I came to an abrupt halt and watched as Kia Lynn tore past me. Then I took off in the opposite direction. I could hear her spew out several unintelligible words as she kicked up rocks and dirt, and it almost brought a smile to my face.

  I rounded a few corners and took a fork in the road that did not look familiar, then ducked into some trees and pressed my back against one of the larger ones. Moments later, running feet reverberated against the earth, heading toward me. There was no way she could find me. She had been too far behind and it was still not light enough to show my path.

  Her footsteps grew closer and then they stopped. My chest tightened as I drew in a shaky breath and held it.

  “Alex, I will find you,” Kia Lynn whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

  She knew I was close. Did the girl have some kind of Spidey sense that was just for those of this dimension?

  Creeping farther into the safety of the foliage, I watched each step closely and fought the chance to start running again. I needed to put some distance between us first.

  It was growing lighter above the trees, and tiny streams of sunrays weaved between the branches. This dimension’s coloring seemed off, even within the thick of the forest. Stunning views, but still dulled. I noticed the stirrings of leaves lying on the ground as insects and rodents skittered across the dirt. Even the bugs didn’t look quite right.

  I shook my head. Focus, Alex.

  My gaze swept the area, taking in every possible outlet. Kia Lynn hadn’t spoken for a while. I could only hope I had lost her.

  I tiptoed through the brush, feeling more confident as the sun rose higher into the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, a figure dashed between some trees. I froze, then backed up against a tree trunk, so I could scan every inch of the viewable forest. I should know better than to let my guard down so easily.

  The vegetation ahead of me stirred. Slowly twisting around the tree, I yelped when I came face-to-face with the girl who had been trying to break into my parents’ ship.

  Her hand shot out and covered my mouth before any more noise could escape. I tried to bite her, but she stuck something sharp against my ribs in response.

  “Quiet there, witch,” she hissed as she leaned in closer. Her gaze traveled all over my face and neck, and the grin that rose on her lips sent chills down my spine. “It is never wise to wander too far from home, especially the likes of you.”

  My breath came in short gasps between her fingers. I shook my head. Instead of loosening up her hold on my mouth, she dug her palm and fingers into my cheeks and leaned in so close, our noses were almost touching.

  “You shot Jako. Lucky for us, Dax was able to convince you to trust him.” Her other hand came up to her mouth, and she turned slightly, whistling with her fingers. “Beck might be just as delighted with you as he is with the parts from your ship.”

  I squirmed against her hold, but she pressed the sharp object harder against my side. Shifting as much as I could away from it, I realized she had me pinned against a thick branch, so I did not have much wiggle room.

  Then a rustling caught my ears. As ironic as it sounded, I really hoped it was Kia Lynn.

  My heart dropped into my stomach when Jako burst into the open. His gaze landed on me. For a minute there, it looked like he had stopped breathing, but then I could see his chest rising and falling faster with each breath he took. His expression slowly hardened and he stalked toward me as if I were his prey.

  “Witch!” he shouted, pointing at me with two fingers. “Your spell nearly brought me to my knees.”

  Here we go again. Welcome to the Stone Age.

  “How do you all know it was me inside that ship?” I blurted, tired of being held against my will.

  The woman’s smile faltered, and she turned to look at me. “Because Dax told us,” she hissed only inches from my face. “Shut your trap, witch.”

  “If I was a witch, why wouldn’t I just cast a spell on you now and escape?”

  Jako reached us and pressed his own dagger against my neck. I gulped. They both stood so close, I could smell the cigar breath on both of them. Did anyone believe in personal boundaries in this dimension?

  “I have already claimed this Alex,” a woman called.

  I almost smiled. It was Kia Lynn, and although she was bat-shit crazy, I would rather deal with her insanity than a team of hooligans.

  Jako’s and the unnamed woman’s heads swiveled in Kia Lynn’s direction, and they loosened their grip on me. Both daggers slipped away from my flesh as well. I ducked, rolled to the side, and leapt from their grasp before they realized what had happened. All three stared at me with gaping jaws.

  “No one is claiming me!” I screamed, throwing my arms out in frustration. “I do not belong to any of you. I just need the parts returned that you stole, and we can all be on our merry way.”

  Kia Lynn’s head twitched slightly to the side, looking at me as if I were the crazy one. Who do these people think they
were? Claiming someone. The whole idea was insane. Jako and his lady friend did not budge, but their expressions became stony, and Jako balled his hands into fists.

  I backed away slowly. “I can see this is not the best time to negotiate. Maybe we could meet back at my ship later and discuss your terms.”

  A sneer surfaced on Jako’s face. Then the woman bounced on her toes with a sudden look of glee. My eyes widened just as an arm circled around my neck, squeezing it, and another hand pressed a cloth over my mouth and nose. Hadn’t I been here before, in another lifetime?

  I cried out desperately, thrashing against the tight grip. After a few minutes, a fog swam inside my head, then the cloth dropped away and the hold on my neck tightened. Black specs encroached on my eyesight and I looked over at Kia Lynn for help just as I tipped to the side.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Meeting Beck

  KIA LYNN

  “I need her to find my sister,” I explained to the three strangers. The copper-eyed man had thrown Alex over his shoulder and was storming away. An alarm rang loudly in my mind. I could not lose sight of her. “There is magic in her arm and it shows her my sister’s whereabouts. Please, do not leave me without giving me this information.”

  The woman stopped short in her tracks. Her short, obsidian-colored hair, tucked neatly underneath the black fabric, barely moved as she turned toward me. “What clan do you claim as yours?”

  “None anymore,” I muttered. My gaze dropped to the ground filled with weeds and yellow flowers. “My people have been betrayed by outsiders. They have allowed my sister to be taken and many more to be exiled. I must find her.”

  “My name is Covyn,” the woman said, then she nodded and waved for me to follow. “We will bring you before Beck and request his approval for your initiation into our clan.”

  I did not need to be initiated into their clan, but if it meant finding Zoe Dawn, I would play their game. I hurried to catch up to her. The two men were now far ahead, leaving Covyn to make the decision. That was a good sign. When women’s voices were heard, they moved mountains, instead of engaging in wars.

  Covyn wrapped her hand in mine and pulled me along at a trot, until we were just ahead of the men. I snuck a glance back and noticed the somber look on the copper-eyed man’s face. Was he not happy they had found this woman? She could help all of us with her sorcery.

  We continued in silence until the sun was high in the sky. I was famished.

  “We must eat soon,” I said, stopping in my tracks. “And what about Alex? Will she wake soon?”

  The copper-eyed man blew past me, then veered off into the trees. The other two followed suit. I sighed and jogged after them.

  Alex was already lying on her fabric pack and a bed of leaves when I caught up to them. The three of them were sitting cross-legged with dried fruits and bread on their laps. They were a bunch of mystical beings as well.

  I gingerly picked my way through the foliage to join them. Sinking to the ground, I opened my pack. The anaman weapon was tucked away to the side where I had stashed it earlier. I glanced over at the others, hoping they could not see what was inside. I did not want them believing I was one of Alex’s anaman clan. They were all busy eating, none of them speaking or paying attention to the other. I dug into my pack and pulled out the blueberries I had taken from my home.

  I ate each one, tossing them in my mouth like it was a game. The silence from the other three was throwing me off. Does this clan not speak while they eat?

  Alex stirred and rolled to her side. The copper-eyed man twisted to look at her and smiled when her eyes fluttered open and shut again.

  Her hands trailed up to her face at a snail’s pace, then she rubbed her eyes as a groan rumbled from her lips. “What happened?” she asked. She pressed her fingers against her temples, then opened her eyes all the way. “Dax?” Terror overtook her face.

  So that was his name. Two down, only the long-faced, dark-skinned man to go.

  Alex shot up into a seated position, looking around like a caged animal. “What have you done?” She almost whimpered the question. Her gaze fell on me. “Kia Lynn, please do not let them take me away from my family.”

  I raised my brows, then chuckled. “You should have just listened to me. This did not have to be so difficult.” I threw my last blueberry into my mouth and wiped my lips. “Covyn and Dax will know what is best for all of us once we arrive at their village.”

  “What about your sister?” Alex asked.

  “You will still help find her. We all need your charms.” I pointed at the other three. “Not sharing your mystic abilities would be a shameful act.”

  The unnamed man’s face hardened and he muttered something underneath his breath.

  Alex glanced at him, then bit down on her bottom lip. Her eyes snapped shut as a tear weaved its way down her cheek. Dax was by her side, wiping away the tear and helping her to her feet.

  “We will all be family,” he said, with a giant smile. “My phantom sorceress will have her chance to join Beck’s clan.” He wrapped her in an embrace, his lips brushing against her forehead. “You are too important to just let go of ever again. Not after what I saw in your village.”

  I rose, pulling my pack with me. I walked toward the other man and stopped in front of him, ignoring his glare that was directed at me.

  “I am Kia Lynn,” I told him. “Thank you for allowing me to come with you.”

  His eyes softened slightly. “Jako. Beck does not trust many. If he does not accept Covyn’s request, you will be run off with no supplies.” He laughed and walked off, fluttering his fingers in my direction.

  “I am not worried,” I called after him. His tactic to frighten me was not working, but my uneasy feeling about him was being proven accurate.

  “Where are those parts you stole?” Alex screamed.

  I whirled around to look at the other three. There was a crimson flush that had risen in Alex’s face and she was pushing Dax’s hands away as he tried to hold on to her.

  “We hid them,” Jako hollered from his hidden stance in the trees, probably relieving himself.

  “Where?” she cried, holding out her hands in front of her as she put space between her and Dax.

  Covyn rolled her shoulders, then popped her knuckles. Holding out his hand at her, Dax shot her a hard look and then walked toward the screeching woman.

  “We need those for our ship,” Dax said calmly.

  “You stole them,” Alex hissed. Then she leapt into the air, twisted and kicked out her foot, connecting it with Dax’s jaw.

  Covyn dropped all her belongings and flew into the fight, striking Alex in the side with her fist. I could hear Jako scurrying through the foliage to join in. Just as he passed by, I stuck out my foot and watched with delight as he tumbled forward, then face-planted into the dirt and skidded to a stop.

  I danced around him and toward the others, my hair lifting around my face as if the wind blew from the dirt. Alex was beating on Dax and Covyn, Dax was protecting Alex from Covyn as he pushed himself between the two, and Covyn was nailing her fist against Alex’s sides and arms by reaching around Dax’s body. It was a tangled mess.

  I reached in and threw Alex to the side, then I pushed Covyn to the other side and let Dax fall in the middle. A whirlwind blew through the trees, pushing at us from multiple directions. I put a mental cork in my annoyance, and the air settled quietly around us.

  “You are all acting like children. Alex does not need to be damaged. She is our key,” I said, scolding them. I yanked Alex to her feet and brushed her off. “No more games. Show them your arm.”

  Alex shook her head and started to back away again.

  I reached over and tugged her toward me. Her skin was ice-cold to the touch, but I held on tightly anyway. “Running is not an option. You can continue to fight, then eventually the four of us will win as I can see it will take all of us to control you, or you can cooperate.”

  Her chin quivered, and that was when I
noticed the blue swirls on her flesh glowing again, especially the kenaz-shaped one on her chest. Zoe Dawn’s tattoo and my birthmark were identical. She noticed me staring and glanced down at her markings.

  Her chin snapped back up. “I want to go home to my family,” she begged, a flood of tears creating rivulets down her face.

  I drew her in closer and wrapped my arms around her. “I will keep you safe, Alex. We need them to get to my sister, then I will make sure you return to your family,” I whispered in her ear as I ran my fingers through her hair. It was a promise my heart was not fully invested in, but if it made her feel better, it was worth the deceit. I stepped back, holding onto both her upper arms. “We are in this together.”

  She swallowed hard, then nodded. “What do you want to see?”

  “Zoe Dawn,” I said, patting her arms and stepping back a little more.

  Alex lifted her arm and swiped her left thumb down her wrist. Light burst from her arm, and I grinned at Dax, who was watching in awe. Jako and Covyn came into view, and I nearly burst into laughter when I saw the embedded dirt in Jako’s face. He deserved it. But from his glowering expression, I knew I would be facing his wrath soon enough.

  I would deal with him later.

  “I knew she was a witch,” Covyn hissed quietly.

  Dax threw her a dirty look and Covyn stepped back, putting some space between him and her.

  I turned my attention back toward Alex, whose fingers were flying over her flesh, then the light returned. I stepped to the side of Alex to gain her viewpoint.

  She pointed. “That is where we will find Zoe Dawn.” Her hand dropped to her side, and she leaned in. “Wait. I think she has activated the device.”

  “What does that mean?” Dax asked as he flanked Alex on her other side.

  “It means we can speak to her. Maybe even see her.” Alex lifted her other hand again, and her finger pressed her skin as if something were there, but I could not see it. She turned to face me. “Say something.”