Jaden paced, Atu fidgeted, and Kayla picked at her fingernails while Sven went back to his workshop for another rock and a piece of wood with the same general chemical composition as the originals. Their gliders, sensing their tension, took to the air, informing their voyagers they would be scouting. If Gaptors were inbound, they would find them.
Sven hurried back, put the pieces in place, and then requested they turn the rings on the boulder first. Jaden and Kayla obliged, startled when it imploded on itself, crumbling to dust, which Sven and Atu slipped into yet more glass jars. But that was nothing compared to their shock when the rings had no visible effect on the wood.
“How can the rings destroy so many things, yet not even scar a piece of wood?” Jaden wondered, running his hand over the unmarked surface in amazement.
Sven smiled. “My theory is the rings apply differing levels of energy to their target based on how that target was formed. The wood grew from the earth, not shaped by anything other than sun, wind, and water. The rings did not perceive these gentle forces as a threat, so they sent forth a beam with little or no energy, leaving the wood untouched. On the other hand, the application of immense heat and pressure formed the rock. The rings somehow detected these extreme forces, viewed them as a threat, and accordingly dispensed a beam with enough energy to destroy it.”
“Whoa! Hold up!” Jaden exclaimed. “You’re implying the rings are intelligent? That they have some way of sensing how the object we direct them against was formed?”
“As unbelievable as that sounds, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. If this is true, should you direct the rings against a human or animal, I would expect the person or animal to remain unharmed too.”
“So the rings destroy anything that’s been altered or formed under pressure?” Atu asked.
“Correct.”
“But that means—” Jaden began.
Sven sighed. “Yes, the Gaptor isn’t natural. Someone created it through the use of intense force.”
“You mean like engineered or created in a laboratory?” Kayla blurted, appalled at the idea.
“Or something along those lines,” Sven said. “But that is a question for another time. I need to refine this weapon. I can’t create a differential ray such as that dispensed by the stones, but I’m certain I can at least generate an equivalent force.”
“Maybe the ray’s differential or ‘intelligent’ power signals the beasts,” Atu speculated.
“Hmm, a plausible theory,” Sven acknowledged. “My preliminary deduction was the stones’ power being harnessed in our world as opposed to the other world, is what drew the beasts. However, your hypothesis is equally valid.” Sven remained adrift in his thoughts for a while before shaking his head. “Either way, as long as the weapon I create destroys as completely as the rings without giving off a signal, we will have accomplished our goal. If you will excuse me?”
They nodded, and Sven stacked the labeled glass bottles back in the box they had come from before hustling to his workshop.
“I guess we’re on our own again,” Jaden said.
Atu grinned. “Just as well we can feed and clothe and look after ourselves.”
Kayla’s face soured. “Too bad our gliders don’t feel the same way. Wouldn’t it be glorious to decide for ourselves how we spend our time?”
It was a rhetorical question, given their situation and the fact that their gliders demanded daily training in their hand-to-hand combat and aerial skills. The days dragged by, blending into one another, the teens too exhausted by day’s end to care how long Sven was taking. But the intense training began paying dividends, and their proficiency improved radically, until even the gliders had to admit there was no more they could teach them.
“What? We’re up to your supreme standard of excellence?” Kayla teased when she heard this.
“Well, if you’d prefer to keep training today instead of taking the rest of the afternoon off, we’d be pleased to oblige.”
Taz’s imperious answer had them all laughing.
“No, no, we accept your generous offer,” Jaden said.
At that, their gliders dropped them off at Sven’s home, then flew off to only they knew where.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Despite being a short training day, it had still been strenuous, and the three soon lazed on loungers set out in the snow, taking in the welcome, languid warmth of the afternoon sun.
Jaden and Atu flanked Kayla on either side, their shirts off so they could work on their tans. As they relaxed, Kayla covertly eyed Jaden from behind her sunglasses. His physique had changed remarkably. His once narrow shoulders had widened and broadened, his chest muscles were now deliciously defined, and his incredible abs were impossibly even more toned. His arms and legs were sinewy with corded muscles. His handsome face, bronzed by days of working out under the sun against the backdrop of reflective snow, creased in an enticing smile, following something Atu said.
Kayla held back a dreamy sigh. Yup, he’s gorgeous. And not only on the outside. His personality and character had first drawn her to him. But Kayla felt increasingly powerless to fight her growing attraction to him.
If Jaden put his arms around her again, Kayla didn’t think she’d be able to pull back this time. Contemplating his interactions with her when they’d first arrived in Sven’s valley, Kayla considered whether it was possible Jaden saw her as more than a friend. But if so, why hadn’t he acted on it? Abruptly, Kayla slammed the brakes on her rambling thoughts. This could lead nowhere. But her half-closed eyes flicked irresistibly back to Jaden again. Oh my, he has certainly changed!
“It’s finished!”
Sven’s shout sliced through Kayla’s contemplations. Just as well. Her thoughts had definitely been going down the wrong path. Again. And that way of thinking would get her into trouble sooner rather than later.
Bounding over to where they lay, Sven beamed and held out the innocuously disguised weapon. “Who wants to try it first?”
“Me!” Kayla shouted, eager to leave errant thoughts about Jaden behind.
The boys’ equally enthusiastic shouts drowned her reply. They glanced at one another, then laughed.
“Kayla, why don’t you go first?” Jaden said.
“Thanks, I’d love to!”
Jaden snorted. “You were supposed to say you appreciated the offer but that I could go first!”
“Or that you don’t subscribe to the notion that girls go first,” Atu added.
Kayla grinned. “Nice try, boys. I get the first turn, regardless!”
They chuckled, then jostled Sven with them to the makeshift test range they’d set up for the first trials. They were pleased when they found Sven had already set up several targets, ranging from the metal blocks used in the first set of tests to chunks of wood and glass bottles, amongst other items.
Kayla laughed, shaking her head in amazement. “Where on earth do you get these things, living out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Just because I live away from the populated areas doesn’t mean that I don’t travel there. It also doesn’t hurt to have friends in the right places.”
“Aren’t you worried someone will betray you to the people looking for you?” Atu asked.
“They can’t share what they don’t know. And none of them know where I live. I never set up meetings in advance. To protect all parties, I take every precaution. I know who I can approach for what supplies, and they all have code words to use if they think I have compromised them. They’re not foolish enough to expose me, even if someone promised no retribution if they did. They know that if the people looking for me found them, they won’t survive any longer than I would.”
“That’s a sad way to live,” Kayla said.
Sven shrugged. “It is what it is. I don’t dwell on what cannot be. Instead, I focus on what’s possible—and right now, that’s this weapon.”
Since he was the only one who had handled the weapon when he’d introduced it, Sven launched in
to a detailed description of how to aim, showing the various components and what they should know when handling it to avoid carving a piece out of themselves. His lecture over, he handed the weapon to Kayla.
“Let’s see what you can do.”
Kayla latched onto the hilt of the small knife, careful to face the blade facing away from her as Sven had stressed. Now that she held it, Kayla noted it was a thing of beauty, the craftsmanship outstanding. Sven had put a lot of thought and care into his construction. How did the quadrant decide he was more adept at something else?
“Wait!” Jaden shouted, making her jump.
She glared. “What?”
“Tell us which object you’re aiming at.”
Kayla smirked. “So you can gauge how accurate my aim is?”
“Of course. Where’s the fun without a target?”
Her competitive spirit couldn’t resist. “Green bottle, third from the left.”
“That’s a small target for your first attempt—” Atu began but stopped when Jaden shook his head.
“Her aim’s seriously wicked. Play a round with her on an arrowball court and tell me if I’m wrong.”
Kayla smiled at his compliment. Well, let’s make it real, she thought, focusing on the target. Kayla flipped the safety, and the sizzling extension slithered out, hissing and crackling with latent energy. Drawing a slow, steadying breath, Kayla lifted her arm and aimed. As she breathed out, she flicked her wrist like Sven had described.
A blazing arc of light peeled off the shimmering wand and hurtled toward the target area. It smacked into the metal block to the left of the bottle with an almighty bang, giving off a blinding light and leaving nothing but ash where the cube had been.
Sven punched his fist in the air. “Yes! It works!”
“Close,” Jaden sympathized, understanding Kayla’s disappointment.
“But not close enough. Same target again,” Kayla said, gritting her teeth.
This time, she didn’t miss. The bottle exploded into a million glittering shards before disintegrating into a powdery black smoke. Kayla grunted, satisfied. “That’ll do.”
Sven danced around behind her. “Where did you learn to shoot like that? I expected it would take you all day to even get close to the targets.”
“It still might,” Atu muttered under his breath.
“The arrowball court, as Jaden pointed out,” Kayla answered, grinning at Jaden while she re-engaged the safety, then watched the extension slide back out of sight. “Your turn—and don’t forget to identify your target.”
Jaden grinned, taking the weapon. He tipped the safety, and the extension slid out. Awe showed on his face.
“Yup, it’s light for something so deadly, isn’t it?” Kayla commented.
Jaden nodded, then took careful aim.
Kayla interrupted. “Uh, when I said to identify your target, that means pointing it out before you shoot anything.”
“It has to be the only other green bottle. That way, when I hit the target first time around, you can’t say my object was larger than yours.”
Sven roared with laughter, delighted by their competitiveness. “And you?” he asked Atu. “Are you planning on the smallest target?”
“No, the biggest.” Atu grumbled. “I can’t say aim is anything I ever excelled at.”
“What about your hunting?” Sven said, surprised.
“Snares.” Atu shrugged. “The bow was never my forte.”
“Don’t worry, my friend. We’ll get you there,” Sven reassured. “Maybe you can learn a few tricks from these two, no?”
“Perhaps.” Atu responded, doubtful Jaden or Kayla could improve on his father’s instruction. Despite this, he studied Jaden’s every move.
Like Kayla, Jaden took his time preparing for the shot. Then he flicked his wrist, enthralled when the shaft of light glided off the extension toward the target. He didn’t miss. The second glass bottle disappeared in the same impressive fashion.
“Yahtzee!” Jaden exalted.
“You learned from my mistakes,” Kayla groused.
“You bet I did.” Jaden grinned. “When you flicked your wrist the first time, you adjusted its angle. I think that’s what threw you off. I just made sure I didn’t repeat your mistake.”
His grin was infectious, and Kayla had to giggle. “Nicely done!”
Jaden faced Atu. “You’re up.”
“Don’t expect any miracles,” Atu grumbled. “It’ll take me the rest of the day to even get close, let alone hit anything. You’d be wise to kick back and relax for a bit.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Kayla said.
“We’ll help you,” Jaden added.
“Thanks, but know that I don’t do well at this.”
Jaden smirked. “That’s because you haven’t had us as teachers.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Kayla said. “At least not before we have Atu hitting the targets.”
When Atu felt inclined to try his luck, Jaden and Kayla stepped back. They didn’t pressure him into declaring his intended target. Instead, they waited quietly with Sven.
Atu took a deep, steadying breath as Kayla had suggested. Then he lifted his arm, checking the angle of his wrist as Jaden had shown him. He snapped his wrist. Nothing happened. He tried again, still falling short of the desired result.
“Try flicking with more snap; the beam requires some force to separate from the blade,” Sven suggested.
“Yeah, yeah,” Atu snapped, his annoyance at himself coloring his tone.
“Focus,” Kayla ordered.
Atu straightened his back. Concentrating, he lifted his arm again, cocked his wrist, and then flicked it firmly. His relief showed when the beam separated and zoomed toward the objects.
Kayla held her breath. With an earsplitting clap, the beam liquefied one of the metal blocks.
“Fantastic! I did it!” Atu howled, bouncing up and down like a pogo stick. That was, until the beam almost sliced his foot off. Swiftly retracting the beam, he placed the knife on the ground and then skipped to the others, giving them fist bumps. “Did you see?”
Laughing, they assured him they had, congratulating him and slapping him on the back, all sharing his triumph.
“Where were you two when I was learning to use a bow and arrow? That shot would’ve made my father proud,” Atu said, sobering.
The others, sensing his melancholy, sobered too.
“I’m sure your father is still alive just as you believe he is,” Kayla said. “And your mother too.”
Atu nodded. His throat worked as he struggled to hold back the tears. But the first tear trickled out. “I’m sorry,” Atu whispered. “I didn’t cry when I realized my parents were missing. I haven’t cried in all the months I’ve searched for them. And I didn’t cry when I saw the Gaptor and figured out the monster had taken them. I just pushed all my energy into finding them, believing they were still alive. And now, here, far away from the red rocks of my home, in this crisp mountain air and among friends, I’m feeling my loss for the first time.” Another tear traced a watery path down his cheek. Then more followed, rolling down his face, one after another, gathering momentum.
“It’s okay. Let it all out,” Kayla said, pulling him into a hug.
That was all it took for the floodgates to open. He sobbed, deep, racking sounds wrenched from his innermost parts, tearing away the worry that must’ve been crushing him all this time. Kayla held him, rubbing his back and comforting him. When she assured him his parents would get to see how true his aim was, it lifted the last of Atu’s burden, and he smiled.
“Trust you to think of saying something like that.”
Kayla smiled as his deluge subsided.
When he drew back, Atu was at peace. “Thanks,” he murmured.
“Any time.”
Kayla glanced at Jaden, seeing his gratitude that she had been there for Atu. For a moment, Jaden’s lack of jealousy over her physical contact with Atu surprised Kayla.
The last time she’d touched Atu, Kayla suspected Jaden was envious.
Then Kayla realized what the difference was. Jaden understood their friend needed solace, and he wouldn’t begrudge him that. Kayla shook her head at her own lack of faith in Jaden. What would it have said about his character if he had wanted her to allow their friend to suffer alone? If anything, it spoke volumes about his own compassion. And it just increased his appeal. Ugh, not what I planned on getting out of consoling Atu.
Kayla looked away, noticing the light seeping from the wide, blue sky. Dusk slunk in, drawing its black cloak behind it. Soon it would suffocate the remaining light and surround them with darkness, choking any chance of continued practice.
She wasn’t the only one to notice. Squeezing Atu’s shoulder, Jaden said, “Why don’t we call it a day and go have dinner?”
Atu nodded so hard, he looked like one of those bobblehead figurines in an antiquated car when it hit an unexpected bump. Kayla grinned. She was decidedly hungry herself.
Jaden fell in next to Kayla while Sven put a strong, supportive arm across Atu’s shoulders, and they trudged back to the house. Only when they were halfway there did Atu remember the abandoned weapon.
“The weapon—I left it back there—” Atu began.
“Don’t worry; I got you,” Jaden said, displaying the weapon in his hand.
“Excellent!” Atu declared. “We’ll need it to get my parents back.”
And just like that, Atu regained control. Kayla had to admire him for it. Then again, they had a weapon, they had a mission, and they would help him find his parents along the way. It was as simple as that.
Atu smiled at Sven. “Armorer, thank you for helping us. Your aid has been invaluable.”
“Yes, it has. Thank you!” Kayla echoed.
“We could never have gone forward without you,” Jaden said. “From your unstinting hospitality, to your astounding smart suits, to the design and construction of this extraordinary weapon—you are a blessing, and we appreciate your help.”
Destiny Series Boxed Set Page 43
