Destiny Series Boxed Set

by Bronwyn Leroux

  “Want a breather before the next one?”

  Jaden gritted his teeth. “No, just get on with it.”

  “As you wish,” Atu answered, starting on the next jagged line.

  Jaden thought the fire in his leg had been bad, but this was far worse. Whenever Atu applied the gel, the pain intensified. Just when his vision began alternating between streaks of light and black spots, Atu leaned back.

  “All done.”

  “Thanks,” Jaden managed, breathing hard.

  “Give it time,” Atu cautioned when Jaden made to stand after a few minutes.

  “Oh goody,” Jaden muttered, but he was secretly pleased he didn’t have to exert himself just yet. Obedient, he remained where he was.

  Aiming for distraction, Kayla said, “Tell us what you found at the top of the tower.”

  “A rock.”

  “A rock?”

  “Yes, a boring old piece of stone. No markings, no engravings, no coded message. No clues for what we should do with it.” Jaden pulled the rock from inside his smart suit.

  As soon as Kayla laid eyes on it, she squealed. Reaching forward, she snatched the rock from him.

  Jaden blinked, nonplussed. “It means something?”

  “Only because Atu and I were there when it happened,” Kayla replied.

  Jaden waited for an explanation. When none was forthcoming, he moaned, “Really? I have to ask?”

  Kayla, studying the rock, raised her eyes. “Oh, sorry! A few minutes before you joined us, Atu and I heard this almighty crack. We thought a Gaptor had crashed into the tower or that part of the tower was coming down. But no Gaptor and no falling rock. Then we figured out the noise had come from inside the room.”

  “Could you just spit it out already?”

  Kayla grinned, pointing at the medallion etched on the floor. “Turns out it was that.”

  Jaden studied the spot. An irregular indentation marred the previously level surface of the medallion, the exact shape and size of the rock in Kayla’s hands. “A key!”

  “I believe so.” Kayla beamed.

  “What are you waiting for? Try it already!”

  “Before we do, shouldn’t we at least confirm this is where the map was leading us?” Kayla asked.

  It was Jaden’s turn to roll his eyes. “Really? Like there’s any probability the map will lead us somewhere else?”

  “I agree the likelihood is low, but I want to be sure we’re not missing something here.”

  Shrugging, Jaden retrieved the map, running through the twists and turns that unlocked it. When it floated free, there was no doubt. The glowing dot pulsed directly above the depression in the floor. “Now can we try it?”

  Kayla laughed. “Oh, alright, if we must.”

  Jaden paused mid-way through moving his hand to put the map away. Hearing her laugh again was liberating. He would never tire of the sound. Chuckling with Atu at Kayla’s glee, he completed the motion he had started, covering and closing the map with his palm.

  Not bothering to return the map to his pocket, Jaden shuffled closer to Kayla, and Atu followed. When they surrounded the depression, Kayla bent and slotted the stone into the hollow. With a soft sucking sound, the indentation absorbed the stone, seamlessly melding it with the surrounding rock. In an instant, it was impossible to tell where the stone key had been.

  Jaden stared, wondering what it meant. Then a scraping sound signified something else was happening. Astounded, they watched as a thick slab of rock, about a square foot, dropped and slid sideways, exposing a shallow compartment.

  Three heads bent forward. Peering into the hole, Jaden was close enough to Kayla to feel her rubbing her birthmark. “You okay?”

  “Yup, my arm just feels like it’s on fire,” Kayla complained. “But it’ll be alright.”

  Kayla stopped the soothing motion a moment later. Jaden, hands wrapped around their map, and Atu, hands curled around his medical pouch, both looked to her. Kayla frowned and then grinned, realizing they were allowing her the honor.

  Reaching in, Kayla withdrew the contents. Lifting them into the light, she revealed three items: a long, slender, pure white feather; a soft scrap of thin, irregularly shaped leather with clear markings and a glossy, paneled wooden cube.

  Fire, brilliant blue and blisteringly hot, bulleted into Jaden’s hand. He yelped. Yanking his hand back from the source, he inadvertently flung the disc housing their map back over his shoulder. It soared through the air, trailing a flaming blue streak of liquid lava. Then the light disappeared, and the blazing blue cooled to a dull, lifeless gray as a fine mist of ash fell to the floor. Jaden stared, rooted to the spot. What just happened?

  “Was that our map?” Kayla whispered.

  “Yeah, bro, please tell me that wasn’t our map,” Atu echoed.

  Chapter Forty

  “It was,” Jaden babbled, confused. “But I don’t know what happened. It just burst into flames. I did nothing to it.”

  “Entirely true, that is not,” a familiar voice squeaked.

  The teens spun. Zareh stood there, his head cocked to one side, observing the trio with his bright, beady eyes. “Well, all at once, welcome me do not!”

  Jaden glared. “Why should we? You’ll just deliver your cryptic messages, then disappear again before we can get any proper answers!”

  Zareh clucked. “Ah, that temper of yours, tamed you have not.”

  “What are you doing here?” Jaden demanded.

  “Jaden!” Kayla warned. “We won’t get anywhere if you’re so aggressive.”

  Zareh smiled. “Kayla, thank you I do. His voice of reason, you still are.” Facing Atu, he said, “For your invaluable services in the battle today, my sincere thanks.”

  Atu smiled and, to Jaden’s annoyance, gave a slight bow. “A worthy task considering the gift you gave our family.”

  Biting back irritation, Jaden repeated his question. “What are you doing here? And you might as well start by explaining how I was wrong about doing nothing to our map.”

  Zareh sighed. “Come I did, your success to congratulate. Our highest expectations surpassed you have. For your commitment to this mission, grateful we are.”

  “You’re welcome,” Kayla and Atu chimed in unison.

  His statement just made Jaden’s temper soar. “Fine, we’ve exceeded your expectations. But that only raises more questions—again. Like the ‘we’ you referred to in that last sentence. How many of you are there? And do the three of us answer to all of you? And lest you forget, I’m still waiting for that explanation.”

  Zareh studied him, choosing his words. “Technically, wrong you were about your map not affecting. Initiated, its destruction was, when into the light the cube you brought. Know your map did, that complete its task was.”

  “An inanimate object had a brain that could tell it to terminate itself when another object revealed itself?” Jaden mocked. “Yeah, right!”

  Zareh gazed at Jaden, no hint of what he felt expressed either on his ancient face or in his body language. “Better, perhaps, communicated I should have. Correct, you are—a brain, the map had not. But a sensor, it had. React to the cube’s proximity, programmed it was.”

  Jaden felt like an idiot. It could’ve had something like that. Annoyed with himself for the oversight and to cover his embarrassment, he asked, “Why?”

  “Because achieved its objective, it had.” Zareh raised a hand, waving away Jaden’s unvoiced question. “Lead you to the first of three artifacts and another map, that was. Need these, you will, if this quest successfully to complete, you are.”

  “So which one’s the map? The cube?” Kayla guessed, cutting Jaden off before he could continue his tirade.

  “Thinking as always.” Zareh smiled.

  Taking the feather from Kayla, Atu studied it. “How does a feather help us save the world?”

  “Become clear at the opportune time, it will. Of the utmost importance now, safe you keep it, at all costs. To your victory, essential i
t is.”

  “More so than the book?” Jaden asked, his mind working overtime.

  Tilting his head, Zareh scratched his chin with a long, curved, black claw. “A tough question to answer, that be. Almost equally valuable, they are.”

  “But if it comes down to the wire, and we have to make a choice?” Jaden pressed.

  “The feather, it would have to be. Around the loss of the book, work we can, if we must, but impossible this is, if lost the feather were.”

  “Alright then—the feather it is. Before you disappear, can you explain what I saw when I was in the alternate timeline?” Jaden appealed.

  “A picture of the past, was that not?” Zareh answered. When Jaden opened his mouth again, Zareh interrupted. “And, the important thing there, was it not, the manner in which the stone key to retrieve, it was?”

  Jaden considered Zareh’s words. His tone had carried an unmistakable warning. What Jaden couldn’t fathom was what Zareh was trying to warn him about.

  Zareh didn’t wait for Jaden to figure it out. “Expired, my time here has. Leave, I must. The next seeker find. Before long, require her aid, you will.”

  And then he vanished. Jaden cursed. “Didn’t I say he brings more questions than answers?” he complained, looking to Atu for confirmation.

  But Atu just shook his head in amazement. Jaden threw his hands up, exasperated. He turned to Kayla.

  She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re preaching to the choir here.”

  “Why does he do that? It’s the most annoying thing on the planet!” Jaden seethed.

  Kayla thought. “I can’t answer that. But I can tell you there’s no point getting upset about it. We already know we will only get enough information to get us to the next point in our journey.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?”

  “It does! I loathe not controlling my destiny as much as you. But sometimes, we must accept the only option is to move forward in faith. And this would be one of those times. Have you always had all the answers when you ventured into unknown territory?”

  “Obviously not.”

  “Proving my point. Sometimes, you only have an idea about what you want to achieve, without knowing how you’ll get there. And because you want that predetermined result, you press on regardless, trusting you’ll figure it out along the way. That’s my take on this. We’ve been chosen. And we can either act to keep those we love safe, or we can effectively opt out of our responsibilities by wasting time ranting and raving about the details.” Jaden remained quiet, and Kayla moved closer, adding, “Sometimes we have to trust someone other than ourselves.”

  Her last sentence brought that horrid image of the blade sinking into her chest crashing back to screaming life. Jaden wouldn’t survive if her trust in him led to her death. But what she had said was true. They would have to exercise more than a little trust to succeed. He already trusted her implicitly. He trusted Atu. And their gliders. Was it really that crucial he knew every minuscule part of the plan? “You’re right. If we don’t move forward in faith, we may as well quit now.”

  Kayla beamed, that smile lighting her beautiful face. Jaden ached at her nearness. He longed to enfold her in his arms again, draw her close. Inhale her delicate, sweet scent, run his hands through her long hair, touch his mouth to hers. But he wasn’t sure if she was ready to acknowledge her feelings for him. Maybe the hug earlier meant she was getting closer to a commitment—but was she there yet?

  Regardless of her position, Jaden had resolved to discuss things with her, and he would. Just not right now. They had work to do. Suppressing his emotions with difficulty, he returned his attention to Atu. “Are you back on our planet yet?”

  “Yes,” Atu said, although he still looked a little awestruck by Zareh’s appearance.

  “Well, you can pull Zareh down from that golden pedestal you’ve put him on. He’s more likely to disappoint you than give you answers.”

  “It is his way,” Atu accepted. Then with more conviction, he said, “Followers do not question where they are led. They simply follow, trusting the path is the right one.”

  Jaden glanced at Kayla, amused to find her giving exaggerated hand signs showing Atu had lost it. He leaned in and whispered, “I’m with you.”

  Kayla giggled, the delightful sound bubbling out of her. Her heady scent filled his senses, and Jaden pulled back before he did anything rash.

  Atu gazed at them, a superior, knowing expression on his face, as though he knew something they didn’t. When he spoke, his tone was aloof. “Think what you will. Zareh is leading us on the right path.”

  “So you say,” Jaden grumbled. “Did either of you notice his little speech only mentioned two of the three things we found?”

  The others considered, and Kayla nodded. “So he did. He implied the cube held the map, but he didn’t confirm it, did he?”

  Jaden scowled. “He didn’t. But assuming the map is in the cube, and the feather is the artifact, then what is the piece of leather for?”

  “An excellent question,” Kayla murmured, unfurling the curiously shaped scrap of leather. “It’s still in excellent condition, and . . . ow!” Dropping the piece in Jaden’s surprised hands, Kayla yanked up her shirt sleeve, inspecting her birthmark.

  “Kayla, what’s wrong?” Jaden was instantly alert when pain scrunched up her face.

  “Wretched birthmark! It feels like it’s on fire.”

  Jaden touched her birthmark, then jerked his hand away. “Yeah, that’s toasty.”

  Atu stepped forward to offer his aid, but Kayla’s face abruptly cleared. “Don’t worry, the sensation’s gone.”

  Not ready to leave anything to chance, Jaden touched her arm again. “Yeah, it’s back to normal.”

  “See, all good,” Kayla muttered. Eager to focus their attention on something else, Kayla said, “Why don’t you spread that leather out so I can see what it says?”

  Still casting dubious glances her way, Jaden did as asked, spreading the leather on the floor and revealing the markings.

  Kayla frowned at them for a moment.

  “What?” Jaden asked. “Can you read what it says?”

  “Yes, it’s the same language as that on the wall. But it makes no sense.”

  “Tell us what it says already!” Jaden exclaimed.

  Kayla grinned, an impish expression on her face. “I wondered how long you could hold out.” When Jaden made a move toward her, she danced away, giggling. “Alright, alright! But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Roughly translated, it reads, ‘Believing with faith.’”

  Jaden groaned. “Now what’s that supposed to mean?”

  Atu smiled. “I think it means what it says. Weren’t you two just talking about this, albeit with a lot more words?”

  Jaden and Kayla glanced at one another. So they had. Were the words there as confirmation for them to press on?

  It was Jaden who said it. “Do you think that’s what the symbols said before we started talking, or do you think they rearranged themselves after we spoke?”

  Atu chuckled. “We’ll never know, will we?”

  “Perhaps,” Kayla mused. “If the words change again, we’ll know it’s possible they changed before we saw them the first time.” Shaking her head, Kayla said, “But Atu’s right. We shouldn’t get hung up on it. What we should focus on is that it seems we still have two more artifacts to find.”

  “And the last seeker,” Jaden added. “Does anyone have any bright ideas on how we find her?”

  “The map led us to both last time. Think this one will do the same?” Kayla asked.

  “I hope so,” Jaden replied. “If not, perhaps Han and Taz will have some suggestions.”

  The mention of their gliders had all three teens turning toward the opening off the balcony. Hundreds of gliders weaved and swirled around the tower.

  “I think they’re getting a kick out of being with their own kind,” Kayla said, a smile on her face.

  Jaden nodded. “Yes, they a
re. But what will we do with all those gliders when we leave?”

  “I assumed they would come with us,” Atu answered. “No one can see them.”

  “I suppose that’s one solution,” Jaden conceded. “But it would be like traveling with an entourage. We’d be announcing our position, giving away any tactical advantage a small group provides.”

  “He speaks with wisdom,” a deep, gravelly voice asserted.

  The teens found Pallaton floated at the opening to the left of the balcony.

  “It is a genuine pleasure to meet you, Jaden. I am Pallaton, leader of the Lost Legion.”

  Jaden dipped his head toward the distinguished-looking, older bat. “Trust me, the honor’s all mine. I can’t thank you for helping us defeat our enemies—or for keeping my friends safe.”

  Pallaton grinned wickedly, showing teeth even longer and sharper than Han’s. “It was our pleasure. And one I am sure we will relish repeating before your mission is over.”

  Jaden laughed. “With that threatening tone and those wicked teeth, I’m glad you’re on our side!”

  The others laughed, and Pallaton’s grin spread, revealing more of his ferocious teeth. He looked positively deadly.

  Jaden said, “I agree we’ll encounter more Gaptors before we finish this. You’ve fought them before—with Atu’s ancestors?”

  “We have,” Pallaton confirmed.

  “In that case, you’re the best person to make recommendations on how we should proceed. Do you mind weighing in?”

  “Thank you, I’d like that.”

  “Do you agree that traveling with a sizeable group could be a liability?”

  “I do. Such a convergence would draw every Gaptor to us, like rats to rot. Far better the Legion sends scouts to gather information than acting as your escorts.”

  “But what if we get into trouble? What if we need help?” Atu blurted. “Or if you need healing?”

  Pallaton smiled. “Healer, it is touching you would think of us. But we are here to help you—not the other way around. It is our duty to provide you with your best chance at success. There may not be another opportunity, and we are all willing to do whatever it takes to guarantee a favorable outcome. If you need our aid, all you need do is blow on this.”