by NAK Baldron
Akio clapped Ren on the shoulder. "Guard her with your life. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you."
"Akio." Shaya scolded him like a child.
"Please," Akio said. "Look after her."
"I promise." Ren shook Akio's arm, and the pact was sealed. "I've got a letter of my own to write. I'll meet you back at the courtyard."
Shaya didn't say anything, but Ren knew he'd see her there. She and Akio had much to discuss alone, and he waved goodbye to them as they left together. From the chair next to the window, he watched them walk toward the Emperor's wall, sharing each other's confidence.
* * *
Brandon,
I can't thank you enough for all your help, and I promise to repay you one day. You'll be pleased to hear I passed. The Pearl Nation officially has a new sorcerer.
Well, at least an apprentice. I don't know how long my training will last, but I'll be sure to see you first thing . . .
Ren's letter continued with promises to come back and teach. After which he shared the highlights of his adventure but kept out the part about joining Clan Kaito. Some things were private after all.
. . . there is nothing standing in my way now. I'd love to see Johnathan's face when he reads of my acceptance.
If I could ask one more favor. Please get a photo for me.
- Ren
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Texas, Earth
Sunday, October 2nd
Right before noon Kandice pulled into the driveway of her aunt's house. The last place in the world she wanted to be, but it was also Blake's home. And while she'd offered to make room for him at her place, she refused to push him on the matter.
Which is how she ended up sitting in front of the house that had brought her such misery. She got out of her car and rang the doorbell. It took a couple minutes before Blake answered.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"Almost. I just woke up a few minutes ago. Let me finish getting packed."
"Hurry up. I don't want to be here when Aunt Jackie gets back."
She followed him up the stairs to his bedroom. It was a total disaster. There were dirty clothes everywhere, and his trashcan was overflowing with empty energy drink cans.
"You need to clean," she joked.
"I know. Aunt Jackie has been on my ass about it. She's been a little less of a pain, though, since you left. I think she's worried I'll leave too."
"Have you decided if you want to move in with me?"
"I don't know."
Promising at least.
Blake shut down his laptop and loaded it into his backpack. He took off his shirt and put a fresh one on. At least, it might have been clean, since it came from a pile of disheveled clothing.
He had never been that tidy of a person, but this was the worst his room had been. He seemed like one of those people that was too busy to pay attention to his surroundings. In the past, his room always got worse the closer they got to finals.
"Okay," he said. "Let's go."
Kandice popped her head into her old room. It was the same and didn't appear to have the Aunt Jackie cleaning treatment yet. Maybe her aunt expected her to change her mind and move back in. Jackie had always lived somewhat in denial of reality.
When they were backing out of the driveway, Kandice saw Jackie's car turning onto the street. They would have to cross paths for her to get out of the neighborhood. It wouldn't look good if she sped by, so they ended up making eye contact as they passed each other.
Kandice didn't stop, smile, or wave.
There was nothing to say to her, and no reason for Kandice to feel out of place picking up her brother. No. She would keep her head held high and disregard the ugly looks her aunt shot in her direction.
A couple minutes later Kandice received a call from Jackie, but she ignored it and let it go to voicemail. Her aunt was likely just going to bitch at her, and there wasn't a point to go through the routine anymore.
* * *
The team gathered in the living room, sipping vodka. Even Lance took small drinks. Kandice finished explaining the other night, and Blake sat silently, taking it in. Lance had gone first, to explain how he got into the house.
"The best option is to cut power," Blake said, after a few moments.
"How?" Lance asked.
"I've read that if you shoot the power line's transformer, it will release an electromagnetic pulse, and knock out the power," Blake said. "That would be enough to get you inside, if you time it right."
"What about police?" Kandice asked.
"Slava?" Lance asked.
"There are ways to stop phones," Slava said. "We have done it before. It will buy you some time."
"It will all come down to timing." Lance raised his glass. "To victory."
They all clinked their glasses together and finished their drinks.
Slava had been keeping an eye on the mayor's compound for a few weeks. He explained that, at most, the mayor would have four guards, three walking the grounds, and one inside. He also had the woman that stays close to him. She left and came back throughout each day. He wasn't sure if she slept at the mayor's house, but she was there most nights. He decided they must plan for her to be there.
They agreed that Slava would be the lookout, and Blake would only go inside once Lance and Kandice cleared the house. Slava and Blake discussed a plan to get Lance and Kandice inside. While they got into the details of the plan, Kandice asked Lance to speak with her alone.
They went upstairs, leaving Slava and Blake to their planning.
"I can't stop thinking about you," Kandice said. "I know you said it's only because I'm new to changing, but it's not."
"I feel the same for you," he said. "Trust me, I want this just as much as you do."
"Waiting is pointless. Life is too damn short. I saw two young women die last night. I'm too young to die with regrets."
"You're not going to die. That's part of my point. We have to keep our distance until the mayor is dead. You have to be willing to walk away and let me die if it comes to it. I promise, I'll do everything I can to protect you, even if it means dying to save you."
"If you feel that way, why not be with me?"
"Because, if we were together, you might try to stop me."
Kandice tried to move in closer to him, but Lance stepped back.
"I'm sorry, Kandice. I won't allow this to happen. When the mission is over, we can talk about it more."
Lance ran to the grocery store. Kandice assumed it was to clear his head. Something she could use herself.
She sat in the living room while Slava and Blake kept talking about ideas of how to get them all onto the compound without being caught. Slava noted they had added cameras all along the wall of the property after Kandice and Lance had tried to break in.
They continued to ask Kandice questions, but her short answers weren't helping move the plan along. Her mind was far away from their conversation. Lance's response left her in a foul mood.
Slava walked toward the front door. "Mail is coming."
He went outside, and sure enough, the mailman pulled up to the street mailbox shared by several houses. Kandice and Blake watched as Slava received his mail after showing a key to the mailman.
"How do you do that? How did you know the mailman was there?" Kandice asked, once Slava was back inside.
He laughed. "I can see around me."
"What do you mean?"
"It is hard to explain. I see the whole street in my mind. The people who pull onto it and those driving down it."
"Wow," Blake said. "That's awesome. How do you do it?"
"I gained sight when I shifted the first time," Slava said.
"Can Lance do the same?" Kandice asked.
"No," he said. "Each person gains their own ability, and sometimes, it will take years to discover what ability it is."
Kandice looked up at the mail Slava was holding. There was the typical junk mail everyone got, bills, and a letter in an envelo
pe made of paper that looked expensive. The paper danced between gold and brown, with royal-blue lettering on the front.
Slava pulled a knife out of his pocket and used the blade to cut along the top of the envelope. Kandice could smell cedar even though the letter was six feet away.
Slava's face grew stern as he read it.
"The Council has learned about your presence here. They want to meet you."
"May I?" She held out her hand to read the letter.
Dear Mr. Pukher,
It has been brought to our attention that you and your grandson have been in contact with a young woman who can see Them. The Biancardi twins will meet with you on the 5th of October, at 13:30 at your home.
Please plan accordingly and accommodate them. It would be best if the young woman in question were present.
Sincerely,
Cara DiNapoli
Kandice read the letter twice and gave it to Blake.
"They didn't mention Blake," she said. "Do you think they know about him too?"
"I do not know. However, it is best you come."
"Who are these people?" she asked.
Slava poured them all drinks. "This will take a while."
He started by explaining ancient Rome. Aether Walkers had been a part of the world since before then, but it was in Rome that they were first written about. What he and Lance call The Council, was just older families that had seen them for several generations.
Some families could trace their heritage back hundreds or even thousands of years. During times of great turmoil, many families would die out, so only a handful could trace their heritage back to ancient Rome.
The older families didn't hunt down Aether Walkers, but instead led newer families. There was a constant power struggle where the older families would try to get new families to swear loyalty to their own causes. Slava explained it was close to feudalism—except there were no serfs farming, and families almost never fought against each other.
Slava and Lance weren't tied to any other family, but they worked for many. Cara had asked them to look into Austin. There were no established families in the US. Leaving it up to other European families to look after it.
He went on for over an hour, explaining history and how some wars had been about ridding the world of Aether Walkers who gained too much power. Through his story it became clear to her why getting rid of the mayor was so important. If he continued to gain more power, he could end up gathering enough influence to be governor of Texas, and that would be disastrous.
That's putting it lightly. He could be the next Bush.
The Biancardi twins were excellent fighters, but their main job was to keep an eye on other hunters of Aether Walkers.
"She called the Aether Walkers, Them," Kandice said. "What does everyone else call them?"
"There are many names," Slava said. "So, she calls them, Them, because the name is unimportant."
"Should I worry?"
"I doubt it."
"Are you really going to meet with them?" Blake asked. "These people sound dangerous. Like a secret government."
"They are only dangerous to Aether Walkers," Slava said. "They will not attack you. They just want to find out who you are and what you can do."
"Do you think they know Lance taught me to shift?" Kandice asked.
"Maybe," Slava said.
"We need to go. I need to think this through. I'll call Lance when I've decided if I'll meet them."
"Kandice," Slava said. "It will be best you do. Lance and I will protect you. You are not in danger."
"Okay."
It was important to think it through, but if Slava felt it was safe, that was reassuring.
Blake followed her to the car, and Slava closed the door only after they pulled out of the driveway. They kept quiet the whole drive back to Jackie's house.
Kandice kept running through scenarios of what could happen. Slava saying they would keep her safe, gave her the impression there was more to this visit than he said. It seemed impossible for them to protect her from a group that had unlimited resources. They had discovered her existence without anyone other than the four of them knowing about her abilities.
When Kandice dropped Blake off, Jackie came outside. Kandice waved to her and drove away. It wasn't the time for a heart to heart with that woman. There wasn't a reason in her mind she'd ever need to speak to her aunt again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Sapphire Nation, Fencura
They're going to miss our departure, Adaku transmitted.
Who cares, Abaze transmitted back. We're going and that's all that matters. They're swine anyway.
Ren's nice, and Shaya is Kaito-Tanken. She transmitted. Clan leader?
So, He shrugged his broad shoulders. Who cares if she's leader of some backwards island clan? She's little better than a city whore. Though I'll admit she's better looking than most.
You're an ass sometimes! She turned her back on her twin and joined the other sorcerers who gathered around a wine cask at the end of the table, laid out in the room they'd waited in before.
What did she know? Their father made it clear what kind of people they were allowed to be with, and whom to associate with. None of these people matched their father's criteria. Not by a long shot.
"Shaya, Ren," Adaku said.
They'd made it after all, which meant Abaze would still have a chance to get what he wanted from Shaya.
"We were held up," Shaya said.
Abaze meant what he said, but he'd love to get Shaya alone with him for thirty minutes with no guards around. It would be a night neither of them would forget.
"Now that we're all present, it's time to depart," Ginger said. She was the young sorcerer who'd represented the interest of the Amethyst Nation to the crowd.
Two of the sorcerers who must have been checking the crowd, because Abaze didn't recognize them, began to draw a large circle upon the stone floor, using a white stone as chalk. When they finished, the intricate knots of the circle reminded him of a stone floor inside the temple back home.
"Please step inside the circle," Ginger requested.
The group did as instructed, and Abaze took an extra step to be closer to Shaya. He could make out her figure despite the loose clothes she wore.
The five sorcerers who'd examined them clapped their hands in unison, and the party was no longer standing inside the stone room of the Emperor's palace. They'd gone from a place in late evening to one in mid-day. The source-light hung directly overhead, casting a harsh glare upon the top of the tower Abaze found himself on.
He was staring at clouds which stretched off into the distance.
They were in the sky!
The entire roof of the tower was covered with lush grass, which danced in the currents of the strong winds, shifting through the rainbow from blues to reds, and back again.
Where are we? Abaze transmitted.
You're in the Amethyst Nation, a voice answered, and not his sister's. This voice carried the mellow tone of a scribe.
Please follow the ramp off the platform, the same voice continued.
Together, they all walked forward off the platform in the same direction. The grass had been an optical illusion. Instead of short grass, like a well-kept garden. The grass was taller than a man and spaced far enough apart to walk between each individual stalk. Above had been only the tips of the blades of grass. The bottom layers were all a vivid violet color, which cast a haze of light.
"How did you make them neon?" Ren asked.
They're not neon, the voice continued. Please continue to the bottom of the ramp.
They reached solid ground, and Abaze felt the familiar crunch of dirt underneath his feet. When he looked to his right toward Shaya, he found the other sorcerers were gone.
Don't worry, the voice said. My name is Nicholi, I'm the official chronicler of the Amethyst Nation. You'll each join me for a chat. After which you'll rejoin the other sorcerers and begin your formal education.
"Is this another test?" the young brat from the Ruby Nation asked with an obnoxious inflection at the end. It was the annoying dialect of a Ruby Nation commoner.
Not at all. I'm here to preserve your tales for posterity. To ensure your names lives on throughout history.
Sweat trickled down Abaze's face—it was much warmer at the base of the grass than it had been upon the platform, and the air was far more humid. It reminded him of what his father had warned about the Onyx Nation. Their whole nation was a jungle marsh land. "More water than they know what to do with," his father had joked.
Abaze hopped on one leg and looked down at his feet. He thought he'd felt a snake slither by, but perhaps it had been from reminiscing about the Onyx Nation. They were known for their snakes and spiders.
Now you should all see the door at the center.
Abaze turned again to find a door in the center underneath the platform, where before there had been a solid stone wall. Not wanting to waste any more time, he stepped forward first and opened the door. But instead of a room or stairs, he found a solid wall of white light.
Enter and remember.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Texas, Earth
Wednesday, October 5th
Kandice drove to Lance's early to get the place ready for the meeting.
Lance and Slava seemed worried by the letter's orders to accommodate the Biancardi twins. It could mean anything from providing a proper meal with great wine to setting up the guest room because they'd be moving in.
Lance had spent a couple days shopping, to prepare for any scenario that might occur. Kandice's job was to wear a nice dress and prepare herself to answer any and all personal questions the twins might ask.
At 1:15 PM, Kandice walked into the house wearing a crimson dress. The shoulder straps caressed her outer shoulders, and her cleavage hung out just enough to make her uncomfortable.
It sounded like Lance was already in the kitchen cooking. His knife was tapping away on the cutting-board.
