Believe

by Katie Holland

  “But …” Ben started to protest.

  “Trust me, Ben,” Alix told him. “I’ll be okay. He doesn’t want me dead. He wants me to suffer before he gets his hands on me. I’ll be very careful, and I won’t let my guard down.”

  Ben didn’t like it, but he let her go.

  Chapter 34

  Alix took a deep breath and entered the room where she’d been held prisoner. She’d already checked it for anything hidden or magical and it was all clear. Stepping in brought back the memories of waking up and not knowing where she was. She had been held there for three days, but had only been awake for a few hours of that time. But those few hours had been scary for her not knowing what was going on or what happened to her family and friends.

  The room was empty. The chair and bed that had been there before were now gone. She looked around the room and didn’t see a note or a box. She was expecting to find a clue as to what François wanted her to do next, so now she didn’t know what to look for.

  Closing her eyes, she thought about her parents. Their smiles, their laughs, and their love for her. She let those things fill her up and then sent her magic into the room. Something to her right got her attention. Walking toward it she opened her eyes but didn’t see anything and the feeling stopped. So, she closed her eyes and it was back.

  Putting her arms out in front of her so she didn’t hit the wall, she walked toward the feeling. A few steps later it was directly under her feet. She knew something was there but not how to get it. She figured she had to think like a Grynn.

  Alix stood there for a full minute trying to work out how to get the thing that she couldn’t see. She wasn’t sure if it was under the floor or hidden in a way she’d never seen before. The thing that was bugging her the most was why make her go through all this trouble just to get a clue? Wouldn’t it make more sense for François to just tell her where he was so he could have her faster? He was obviously up to something else, she just didn’t know what.

  Refocusing her thoughts, she concentrated on the floor under her feet. The Grynn were all about death and destruction, so how could she use that to find what she was looking for? The first thing that came to mind was energy balls. She’d used them to destroy the building, what if she had to use them to find what François had left for her.

  Stepping off the spot on the floor, she formed a small energy ball in her hand. She threw it at the floor and watched it absorb into the concrete. That wasn’t what she expected, so she tried again with a bigger one. Most of it was absorbed into the floor but now there was a slight crack.

  Thinking she knew what to do she took a few more steps back and threw a large energy ball at the crack. When the dust settled, she saw a square hole where the crack had been. Looking inside she saw a plain white envelope, so she reached down to get it. As soon as she touched it the entire building started shaking.

  Realizing she’d just sprung a trap she started yelling at the team. “Get out! The whole building is about to come down on us.”

  They took off running back to the stairs. Rand and Kris led the way and Baxter and Alix brought up the rear. The shaking was getting worse and they were having to hold on to the railing to stop from falling down. By the time they made it back to the main floor chunks of the ceiling were falling all around them. Alix tripped, dropping the envelope from the holding cell. Baxter scooped her up just as she grabbed it and he kept running with her in his arms. The moment they cleared the front door the entire building collapsed into a pile of rubble.

  Knowing some type of emergency services would be there soon they ran to the vans and took off. They passed several firetrucks and police vehicles but didn’t stop until they were far enough away that they couldn’t hear the sirens anymore. The drivers found a safe place to park and they got out. Thankfully everyone seemed to be in one piece.

  “We need to find somewhere private for me to open this,” she said, holding up the envelope.

  “May I suggest Marie’s place?” Gordon said.

  “Of course, Gordon, that’s a great idea and I’d love to see her again. Do you have her number?”

  “Yes Miss Alix. Let me call her.”

  “Does he mean the Marie that took you in after you escaped from François?” Ben asked.

  “Yes. She’s a wonderful woman,” Alix said.

  “Oh, and I’m fine by the way, thanks for asking,” Shay said, with a hint of a smile.

  “Oh my God Shay, I’m so sorry,” Alix said. “Are you really okay?”

  “Yes. Gordon was right beside me and made sure I was protected. That was some crazy stuff back there.”

  “You got that right,” Ben said. “What exactly happened?”

  Alix told them about the spot on the floor and the energy balls.

  “Everything was normal until I touched this,” she said, holding up the envelope.

  “Do you think he was trying to kill you?” Shay asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Alix said. “Did you notice that the building didn’t collapse until I was clear of it? I think he was trying to scare me.”

  “Well it scared me,” Shay said.

  “To be honest Shay, I think that was minor compared to what’s in store for us. I have a feeling that if I had been the first one out of the building it would have gone down with everyone in it.”

  Shay shuddered at that thought.

  “I’ll completely understand if you want to go home or to Fox Hollow. You know I can’t guarantee your safety.”

  “Nope, I go where you go,” Shay said.

  “Miss Alix,” Gordon said, “Marie is at home and would love to entertain us.”

  “Thank you, Gordon. I think the faster we can open this the faster we can get to my parents.”

  They got back in the vans and drove the short distance to Marie’s. She was waiting for them outside when they got there.

  “Alix,” Marie said in her bubbly voice. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. Please come in.”

  “Thank you, Marie.”

  “You have a very large group with you this time. It’s nice to see you are not alone.”

  “Not this time. Hunting the Grynn takes a small army,” Alix said with a smile.

  “You are such a brave young woman,” Marie told her.

  Alix wasn’t always the best with compliments, so she just shrugged. She didn’t think she was that brave, she was just doing what needed to be done.

  Marie led her to the kitchen. Since not everyone would fit in the kitchen only a few people joined her. Ben, Kris, Ruth and Gordon were at the table with her. Before she opened the envelope, she put a shield around her. Not knowing what was inside she wasn’t taking any chances. With her shield in place she slid her finger under the seal and took out the paper that was inside.

  ****

  Alix,

  Very good, you didn’t die. I must say I’m impressed. But I’m sure you had help since a little girl couldn’t possibly do it on her own. Go to the Island.

  The clock is ticking.

  Sincerely,

  François

  ****

  Her first thought was how arrogant he was. The second was that she hoped to never have to go back to the island where he almost killed her and her friends. Alix handed the letter to the others at the table to read. She bumped the envelope with her arm and realized there was something still in it. Dumping it out she found her mom’s wedding ring. This made her twice as mad.

  She was about to put the ring on when she thought she’d better check it for magic. Sending her energy into the ring she examined it for any trace of anything Grynn. When all she felt was her mom’s essence, she was relieved. It was safe to drop her shield, so she did. By this time the other four had read the letter. Since they’d all been there before there were no questions.

  “This is starting to feel like a wild goose chase,” Kris said.

  “I know,” Alix replied. “But what else are we going to do? We don’t know where they are and have no way of track
ing them without their Nykara rings. This is our only choice until we have other options.”

  “You’re right,” Kris said. “I hate it, but I agree we don’t have any other choice.”

  “Let’s go tell the others,” Ruth said, and stood from the table.

  The living room was full to the brim when they entered. Twenty people was a lot to travel with, but Alix knew everyone with her was essential. They informed the rest of the team what the letter said. There were a few questions from those that hadn’t been there last time. Gordon and Kris took care of all the answers while Alix held on to Ben’s hand.

  “What are you thinking?” Ben whispered to her.

  “Honestly? That I’m glad a finger wasn’t attached to my mom’s ring. I know that’s horrible, but I can’t stop thinking about what he might be doing to them. And all this running around feels like a waste of time, but I don’t know what else to do.”

  “I understand that,” he said, pulling her closer. “But if anyone can do this it’s you. We still have six days and I know we’ll get to them.”

  Alix could hear the confidence in Ben’s voice. She just wished she felt that confident inside.

  Marie insisted that everyone eat and drink before they left. Since they needed to recuperate a little from the building explosion no one complained. All too soon, Alix was saying goodbye to Marie and they were in the vans and headed back to the safe house.

  Chapter 35

  “I really like Marie,” Shay said, as they were driving.

  “I know,” Alix said. “She’s hard not to like.”

  “And not to mention she saved your life a few months ago,” Ben added.

  “True. But she just has the type of personality that draws you in. She must do really well at her shop,” Alix said.

  This trip was taking Alix back down memory lane. But at least Marie was a good memory and she was really glad she’d ended up finding her.

  Back at the Paris safe house, they went to the room of rooms and back through the blue door with Miami as their destination. As they’d been driving, she’d noticed Gordon on the phone, so she assumed he was responsible for the vehicles that were waiting for them when they walked out of the Miami safe house.

  Last time they were there Alix was thinking about her birth parents and wondering if they’d ever been on the same streets she was on. Now she was thinking about them and wondering who they really were. That was just over a month ago. She still had a hard time believing how a month in her world could change her life so much.

  She was surprised when the vans finally stopped they were at an airport and not at the same boat dock as before.

  “Why are we here?” she asked Gordon.

  “Since we know where we’re going it will much be faster to fly there Miss Alix. Time is of the essence on this trip.”

  “Good thing you’re here Gordon, I wouldn’t have even thought about that.”

  The teams exited the two vans and Gordon led them over to a large, military looking helicopter. He spoke to the pilot, then they were assisted into the helicopter by one of the crew. Alix noticed that everyone running the helicopter was wearing a military uniform.

  “Gordon,” she said, getting his attention, “does this helicopter belong to the Air Force?”

  “Yes Miss Alix.”

  “Do they know we’re borrowing it?” she said concerned.

  Gordon let out a loud belly laugh. “Yes Miss Alix. The Commander is an old friend of mine.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Have you ever flown on a helicopter before?” he asked, still smiling.

  “No,” she told him.

  “Well, just know it’s not going to be anything like the private plane we own. It’ll be a much rougher ride, but the pilot is one of the best at flying a Pave Low.”

  She looked at him funny.

  “That’s what this helicopter is. It’s fast and can hold our group. Two things that are important to us right now.”

  Alix new absolutely nothing about helicopters so she just nodded. She trusted Gordon to do what was best for them.

  Once the last person was on board, she heard the rotors start up. It was very loud, and Gordon pointed to a set of earmuffs behind her. She put them on. They covered her ears completely and the noise was much easier to tolerate. Now she knew why in movies people on military planes always wore them.

  They were all seated against the sides of the helicopter on canvas seats. It wasn’t very comfortable, but it was better than when they had to ride in the back of Joyce’s truck in freezing temperatures. Gordon was on one side of her with Ben on the other. Shay and Logan were across from them. When the helicopter started lifting off the ground Alix grabbed Ben’s hand. She decided she really didn’t like that feeling.

  Once they were in the air, she could feel their speed increase. She tapped Gordon on the leg to get his attention.

  “How long will it take us to get there?” she yelled, over the noise.

  “Approximately three hours, Miss Alix.”

  She nodded and let her head fall back against the side of the helicopter. There were no windows to see out of, so she closed her eyes to think about the last day. When she realized she had been up for over twenty-four hours, she was suddenly exhausted. With nothing to do for the next three hours she decided that sleep would be a really good thing right about them. She moved to lean on Ben and was asleep in no time.

  ****

  Alix was walking down a long white hallway. There were doors on either side but every knob she tried was locked. The hallway seemed never ending with the same white doors every step she took. A noise behind her made her stop and turn around. It was her mom. Alix ran to her but when she tried to touch her, her hand went right through her.

  “Mom?” Alix said, reaching out for her again.

  This time her mom disappeared from in front of her and the hallway was empty again.

  “Mom,” Alix yelled, “where are you?”

  She ran down the endless hallway yelling for her mom, but she never reappeared. Alix sank down on the floor and cried.

  ****

  Alix opened her eyes and remembered she was back on the helicopter. She sat up and tried to shake off the dream. It wasn’t a vision dream but it had bothered her.

  “Are you okay?” Ben asked her.

  “Yeah. I had a dream about my mom. She was there and then just disappeared.”

  “I’m sorry. I know this has to be hard on you. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I knew the Grynn had my parents.”

  Alix just nodded. “How long was I asleep?”

  “Not long,” he told her. “You should try to get more sleep if you can. We have no idea what’s waiting for you on the island.”

  A small shiver ran through Alix at the thought of going back there but she would do anything to get her parents back.

  Ben pulled her tighter to him and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. That helped her relax, just a little bit, but it was enough for her to close her eyes again.

  The next thing she knew, Ben was shaking her awake.

  “We’re almost there,” he told her.

  Alix took a deep breath and let her sleepiness go. There was no telling what they would find when they landed, and she needed to be fully awake and prepared.

  The helicopter landed with a bump and everyone started to get ready. They didn’t exit until the doors were opened by one of the crew.

  Last time Alix was on the island it had looked like a disaster zone. It was incredible how much it had changed in just a month. It no longer looked like a war zone but more like a garden. The vegetation was taking over and that made Alix smile a little.

  When everyone was off the helicopter, they all stood waiting for her. She closed her eyes and took in the energy of the island. It felt good to reconnect with nature. Sending out her magic she checked the island for traps. She was positive François wasn’t going to make this easy. After a few minutes she was frustrated. She couldn’t detect
anything, but she was sure there was something there.

  “What’s wrong?” Shay asked her.

  “I can’t feel anything Grynn here,” Alix replied. “I know this is a trap, but I can’t find what François has done here.”

  Shay motioned for Ben to come over to them. When he did, she took one of his hands and one of Alix’s. “Alix and Ben, hold hands please,” Shay told them.

  “What are you doing?” Alix asked her, as she took Ben’s hand in hers.

  “I want you to try again, this time use us to help you,” Shay said.

  “Why?” Alix asked.

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t here last time so maybe my energy added to yours will give you a different result.”

  “Okay. I’m willing to try anything.”

  Alix closed her eyes and felt the energy of Shay and Ben in each of her hands. She took that feeling into her then sent it out to the rest of the island. This time she was able to sense something. It was coming from the spot where she’d created the bubble to shield everyone from the explosions.

  “That was good thinking, Shay. I found something. I want everyone to follow me and have your shields in place. Make sure they are as strong as you can make them.”

  Everyone nodded and did as she asked.

  “Where are we going?” Shay asked.

  “I got a hit from deep underground in the center of the island. It’s where we were when the explosions started.”

  Alix could tell Shay didn’t like the sound of that and honestly, neither did Alix. But she had to see what was there.

  The closer they got the more intense the feeling became. She knew the instant she was standing in the right spot and stopped.

  “I want everyone to stand back from me at least ten feet. Make a circle and please have your shields in place.”

  Once again, they did what Alix said, knowing she was only trying to keep everyone safe. Ben gave her a quick kiss and went to stand directly behind her. Gordon was across from her with Shay behind him. Alix nodded at him then concentrated on what was in the ground.