Destiny Series Boxed Set

by Bronwyn Leroux

  Jaden must’ve sensed her agitation. “Han and Taz are fine. And the Gaptors are dead.” Again, she must’ve communicated something non-verbally, because he added, “There were only two.”

  The sky changed back to his chest for a moment. Then she caught sight of his face, and he bent over her. The blue sky returned. Kayla wanted Jaden to stay where she could see him. Instead, Han and Taz’s familiar faces appeared in the space. Han was worried. Taz was . . . perplexed.

  “I don’t understand what’s wrong with her,” Taz said.

  “Here, let’s put this back on,” Jaden said.

  The sky moved. Something shiny passed in front of her eyes. The sky settled back where it had been. Why didn’t they talk to her?

  Jaden obviously understood her unspoken plea. “You lost your medallion when the Gaptor knocked you off Taz. I just put it back on.”

  And that’s helpful to know because? Why are they all looking at me like that?

  “It’s not helping,” Han rumbled.

  Jaden’s face appeared in her line of vision. “Kayla, can you hear me?”

  What does he expect me to do? Suddenly start talking again?

  “Can you blink?” Jaden asked.

  Some of Kayla’s agitation left. He was answering all the questions she would’ve asked. He understood her. The knowledge settled her.

  “Kayla?”

  Oh yes, I’m supposed to try blinking. Kayla concentrated. Was she blinking?

  Jaden sighed and disappeared from sight again. “I believe she can hear us. But it’s like the rest of her is paralyzed.”

  Duh! Can you just figure out why already?

  “Let’s think this through. Taz, you said when the Gaptor attacked, he seemed to deliberately go for Kayla’s medallion?”

  When did Taz tell him that? Is that what happened?

  “Yes. The Gaptor was so focused on Kayla’s medallion, he left himself open to attack. When he extended his talon to rip the medallion off, it was easy to sink my teeth into his neck.”

  Jaden nodded. “He died for the medallion. Do you think the Gaptors were trying to take possession of it, like the original Gaptor used to?”

  “I don’t think so. When the medallion fell free, the other Gaptor didn’t chase after it. Instead, he approached Kayla slowly.”

  “So why would they try and get the medallion, but then leave it to drop as soon as it fell off?” Jaden wondered.

  Kayla remembered that Gaptor approaching. Then she remembered how he had approached. With his antennae raised. Was that relevant?

  “Why did the Gaptor leave Kayla unharmed?” Han muttered.

  “Pardon?” Jaden’s sharp tone would’ve made Kayla smile. He was getting all protective over her.

  Han rushed to reassure Jaden. “Not that I’m complaining. I meant that it had to take considerable skill for him to place his talon to get the medallion off without even breaking her skin. And he was willing to sacrifice himself in the process.”

  “Most abnormal,” Taz said. “You’re right, Han. He made a concerted effort to leave Kayla unharmed. Why?”

  “Taz, you said the Gaptor approached Kayla slowly. Were his antennae raised?” Jaden asked.

  Now we’re getting somewhere. Our minds are definitely in sync.

  “Yes, but I don’t see how that’s relevant. They always do that before they attack.”

  “And the first time they did that, in our first battle with them, I remember how confused they were,” Jaden said. “Like they were expecting something to happen, and it didn’t. I think the reason they left Kayla unharmed was to test a theory.”

  Spit it out already, Jaden!

  “And that was?” Taz snapped.

  “Whether they could use their EMP on her.” When Taz looked skeptical, Jaden explained. “I’m pretty sure that when they raise their antennae, they’re using that EMP weapon of theirs. But you and Han must be impervious to its effect, or you would’ve known that that was what they were doing and warned us about it. I’m guessing that when Zareh made the medallions, he put something in them that would also nullify the effects.”

  “That’s plausible,” Taz admitted. “How does that help Kayla, though?”

  Atta girl! Kayla cheered silently.

  Jaden floated into Kayla’s line of vision again as he scrubbed a hand over his face. He looked utterly defeated. Kayla wanted to reach up and . . . Jaden, please, come up with a solution already! As the plea crossed her mind, Kayla saw Jaden stiffen. What now?

  “If the relic stones can destroy the Gaptors, do you think they can remove the Gaptor’s EMP effect?” But Jaden wasn’t waiting for an answer. Kayla saw him lift her left hand in the air above her. Then her right hand. “Where is Kayla’s relic stone?”

  “She normally keeps it in her bag when she isn’t wearing it,” Taz replied.

  Kayla heard her backpack being upended while Jaden muttered about her keeping her best weapon packed away. Then Jaden appeared over her, deliberately putting her hand right in front of her face as he slid the ring on.

  The ice that encased her receded the same way it encroached. The first thing she felt was the throbbing pain in her cheekbone, where she had smashed into Taz when Taz tried to pick her up. The pain went from throbbing to flaring. Sensation ebbed back into the rest of her limbs.

  Jaden hovered over her, eyeing her like a hawk. She smiled. His answering smile was like a slice of heaven touching her soul. Lifting her arms, she pulled his head down towards hers and kissed him thoroughly. Kayla didn’t care if the gliders were watching. Jaden did, though, because he drew back, looking sheepish as he glanced their way.

  “Thank you for solving that,” Kayla said. “You have no idea how aggravating it was to not be able to do anything.”

  Jaden grinned. “Of course.”

  Kayla studied their gliders, who were still watching her anxiously. “I’m alright. Thank you for all you did to save me too. Without you, I would’ve just been a red splotch on the ground.”

  Taz visibly relaxed. Han flashed that toothy smile that had scared her so much when they first met. Kayla felt renewed. It was good to be back in the game. “We have a leg up on those monsters again.” Kayla grinned.

  “How so?” Jaden asked.

  “They think they know that if we don’t have medallions, they can use their EMPs on us. What they don’t know is that the relic stones negate that. So even if they come after our medallions, they still don’t have a way of winning!”

  The effect of her words on Jaden was not what she had expected. He went very still. An expression flitted across his face so fast Kayla almost didn’t catch it. It was gone before she could interpret it, replaced by a grin and a chuckle. “Yes, we do have a leg up on them.”

  But Kayla wondered if they were still on the same page. In fact, Kayla was sure Jaden was in a different book. What was he plotting now?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jaden kept a close eye on Kayla as they resumed their journey. Although she appeared totally recovered, a fact he was grateful for, he was worried about latent effects. Hours later Kayla still showed no indication of being otherwise affected, and Jaden relaxed, reviewing the morning’s events.

  Their brief interaction with the two attacking Gaptors hadn’t been like a normal fight. Was that more or less troubling? Only two Gaptors had come after them to test the Usurper’s theory, and that was also disturbing. Surely the Usurper would’ve sent more Gaptors if he really wanted an answer? And why did they only attack Kayla? Had her medallion been visible, making her the target? As always, there were more questions than answers. But he could get an answer to one question now.

  “Han, how many Gaptors are there in your world?”

  Han shrugged. “It’s difficult to say.”

  “Tell me in general terms then. Are there more Gaptors than gliders? And approximately how many more or less?”

  “It’s not like that. When we encounter Gaptors, we eradicate them. They are aberrations that shouldn�
�t be allowed to exist. Because they are hunted, Gaptors hide and avoid inhabited areas. This is why it is difficult.”

  “You’re saying, then, that it’s possible there could be five or ten of fifty times the number of Gaptors than gliders, and you wouldn’t know?”

  “It’s possible,” Han admitted. “Our world is extensive, and there are many places the Usurper could hide a force that size without it being noticed.”

  “Don’t you think you should find out, then, if such a force exists? I mean, if that many could be hidden, what are our chances if they come here?”

  “Zareh is close to a solution for that,” Taz chimed in.

  Jaden hadn’t noticed the girls had drifted closer. “A solution to what? Finding out the size of the force there or stopping that force from coming here?”

  “I believe he’s found a way to track the Gaptors. Right before we left our world, Zareh told us he had discovered that the Gaptors emit a unique frequency from their bodies. Zareh’s technicians are designing a machine that can ferret that frequency out. When that machine becomes operational, he will have a means of finding the Gaptor nests and destroying them.”

  “Do you know if the machine is operational yet or whether the nests have been destroyed?” Jaden quizzed.

  Taz shook her head. “Unfortunately not.”

  “Then we’re back to where we started,” Jaden muttered. “Up a creek without a paddle.”

  Kayla broke in. “Do you think Atu, Iri, and their gliders are okay?”

  The abrupt change in subject reminded Jaden of their current mission. Or rather, their most pressing one. While their end goal remained elusive, this was something tangible they could act on right now. “I’m thinking that if the Usurper only sent two gliders after us, maybe he only sent two after Iri and Atu as well, which bodes well for their chances.”

  “I hope so,” Kayla worried. “Taz, how much longer until the pass?”

  “We’re almost there.”

  In less than ten minutes they crossed into the valley that would lead them to the pass, allowing access to Sven’s home. As they drew near the entry point, Jaden said, “Let’s land and enter on foot.”

  The gliders did as he suggested, and the four of them began the long walk up the pass. It wasn’t long before they found the dead Gaptor.

  “Oh no!” Kayla cried, running forward. “You were right. The Gaptors came after them too.”

  Jaden’s mouth set in a grim line. “This is what I was afraid of if we split up. Come on, let’s hurry. We need to find Iri and Atu.”

  “How much further before we can fly again?” Han puffed.

  He and Taz were stoic about having to hop up the pass, but Jaden knew it was tiring. “Sorry, friend, but I have no idea how far Sven’s gun can send that weird ray that affected you last time. Do you think you can last a little longer?”

  “There is no need for that,” a familiar voice boomed from a nearby boulder.

  Jaden almost jumped out of his skin. Han actually fell sideways, which made Jaden want to laugh, but that would embarrass his glider. Stifling the grin that threatened to break free at any moment, he crossed to the boulder and inspected it. A speaker had been concealed in a sheltered crevice. “It’s good to hear your voice, Sven.”

  “And yours, my friend. But this is not the best place for us to catch up, no? You and your gliders will fly to my home, as quickly as possible.” Jaden didn’t like the sound of that last sentence. Sven had sounded tense, as though there was a reason they should hurry.

  “Sven, are Iri and Atu with you?”

  “They are. But come. You get here, and then you can see them for yourselves, no?”

  Jaden flicked his gaze toward Kayla. Her frown confirmed she had picked up on the unspoken message. “Han, buddy, let’s do what the man said.”

  Han and Taz were only too eager to oblige, but not so elated that they didn’t pick up on Jaden and Kayla’s tension. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Han asked Jaden as soon as they were airborne.

  “I would if I could. I only know there’s something Sven isn’t telling us. So let’s get there so we can find out what it is.”

  Soon, their gliders were dropping them in the open area they had used for testing the relic stones. Jaden and Kayla sprinted for the house. By the time they got there, their gliders were tucking their wings behind them on the side of the house where they had access to the interior. Together, the four of them entered Sven’s home.

  The first thing Jaden noticed was the blood. It was on the floor. It was on the couch. It was on the rags that had been tossed aside in the kitchen. Jaden glanced at Sven, standing in the middle of the living room floor. “Sven, you’d better tell me right now where Iri and Atu are or . . .”

  “Still as hot-headed as ever,” Iri murmured from somewhere near the couch.

  Kayla beat Jaden there. The sight that met them was not entirely unanticipated after all the blood, but it was a lot better than they imagined. Atu sat propped up on the couch, a bandage around his head and a glass of something nasty in his hand.

  “That looks disgusting,” Kayla commented.

  Atu grinned. “It is. But it will heal my injury faster than anything else. It’s nice to see you too.”

  Kayla laughed. “And I suppose that was meant to shame me into saying hello and all the pleasantries that go along with it?”

  Atu chuckled. “It was.”

  Kayla leaned down and gingerly hugged Atu. “It’s wonderful to see you. And you too, Iri.” Kayla turned to her for a hug with more substance to it. Iri grinned self-consciously, and Kayla crossed to Sven, hugging him as well.

  Jaden watched Kayla move effortlessly between the members of the team, passing along light and hope. He was proud that he wasn’t jealous when she hugged the male members of their group. Then he realized it was more because of who she was than any emotion he was capable of controlling. Yes, she was certainly special.

  Motivated to act in a similar fashion, Jaden stepped closer and touched Atu’s shoulder. “It’s a relief to see that you fared better than that Gaptor.”

  “Yes, that is a rather nice bonus,” Atu grinned. “Did you pass him on your way in?”

  As if their conversation had reminded Sven of something, he rushed from the room, returning a few minutes later with a bunch of electronics piled high on a cart.

  “What’s this?” Jaden asked, wandering over so he could inspect the items.

  Kayla grinned. “Can’t keep you away from tech, can we?”

  Jaden laughed. “I wasn’t the one who asked to see it. Sven rolled this right in front of me like a dessert cart in a restaurant. Can you blame me for wanting to taste?”

  “I suppose not.” Kayla giggled.

  While Sven set up the equipment around them, the four teens exchanged news.

  “Wait, you were attacked too?” Atu asked, trying to sit up straighter. “Were either of you injured?”

  Jaden assured Atu that he and Kayla were both okay, then went on to give more details about the attack, the assumptions they had made, and the conclusions they had reached.

  “Those rings of yours gain value each time I see you,” Sven commented, sitting back and wiping a meaty hand over his forehead. “Let me show you my latest application of their power.”

  Jaden felt his fingers curl around his ring. Sven didn’t want to use it again, did he?

  As though sensing Jaden’s possessiveness, Sven beamed. “No, you do not have to share your ring with me. I have used the same power I created for your DDs and converted it. See for yourselves!”

  Throwing up an enormous holoscreen along the far wall, Sven indicated they should watch. At first, all they saw was a snowy landscape. Then the downed Gaptor came into view.

  “You’ve not only set up a communication system for entry into that pass, you’ve installed cameras too?” Jaden whistled.

  “Yes, but that’s not what I want to show you.” Sven sounded impatient. “Watch!”

&nbs
p; As the teens did, a bright, white beam sliced across the screen. It hit the Gaptor, an explosion of black smoke puffing up. When the cloud cleared, there was no sign of the Gaptor.

  Jaden took a moment to process what he’d seen. “You made a cannon to fire the beam?”

  Sven clapped his hands in delight. “I did!”

  Jaden chuckled. “Sven, you’re the most remarkable man I think I’ve ever met!”

  Sven beamed. When the rest of them added their praises, his face turned pink with pleasure. “Just something I had to try with all you nonsenses leaving me on my own. I had to find something to keep me occupied.”

  Kayla giggled. “Sven, with your mind, I don’t think you’ll ever run out of things to keep you occupied.”

  Sven rubbed a finger along his jaw. “Yes, I think you are right. Now if I can turn this into a missile, we’ll be golden.”

  Jaden nodded. “If anyone can do that, it’s you. But before we get sidetracked, have Iri and Atu had a chance to tell you why we came?”

  “Iri already has her suit, hood, and aerolator, and we were in the process of testing the comm system when they were attacked.”

  “Just as well we had the system, or things might not have gone so well,” Iri commented.

  Talk shifted to more general matters after that, then toward thoughts of food as the dinner hour approached. The teens helped Iri find her way around the kitchen, and they prepared dinner as they updated Sven on their adventures.

  “Now, if we’d had a way to communicate with you after we left, you would’ve known all this already,” Jaden hinted. “It would also have allowed us to let you know that we were returning and given you advance warning of what our needs were.”

  Sven chuckled. “Yes, I believe that isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned that, no? But setting up a system where we can communicate so that the signal won’t be intercepted by either the people who are looking for me, or by this Usurper, assuming he is capable of such technology, is the difficult part. I will think on it some more. If there is a way it can be done, I will do it. You are correct that we should be able to communicate with each other while we are apart. That way, I can keep you informed of any new weapons I develop that would be useful on this quest.”