She nodded. Hadrian’s plan might work. She wanted to feel safe again, and not threatened by some person’s obsession with her, which violated her sense of security and personal boundaries.
Hadrian’s brows wrinkled from worry. He said, “It’s clear that Tristan has become twisted in the head. At some point, it will be his undoing. He’ll have to face up to his own issues or else take a fall, because the behaviors that he’s exhibiting aren’t tolerated in this society. There’s laws and preventive actions that can be taken. They can give him truth potions and investigate why he is doing what he is doing, and then go from there.”
“I wish he would go away. He’s just one more problem.”
“It’ll be alright. If he doesn’t see you any longer, then he’ll have to shift his focus back onto his own life.”
“I hope so.”
“You’re going to be late for your date,” Hadrian said.
He walked her to her ice-entombed car parked next to the sidewalk. After a bit of pulling on the door, Karena got in, and put her hands on the wheel. Hadrian crouched down on the frozen asphalt while she sat in the car with the door open.
“You know that I’ll do anything for you, and that Rose would too,” Hadrian said, gazing at her with those forest-green eyes of his.
Karena nodded. “But I’m a Chaos elemental,” she said.
“Well, I don’t think anyone can handle something like this on their own, whether they have extreme abilities or not. You’re not weak, Karena. He’s messed up and his behavior is abnormal. This kind of stuff is scary.”
She took a deep breath and tried to understand this.
“Have a good time tonight. We’ll get this taken care of, you and me, alright?”
“Alright,” she said.
Hadrian stood up and squeezed her shoulder. He shut her door and stood on the sidewalk to watch her leave. She started up her car. After clearing away the ice from her windshield and windows with her powers, she drove away down the lamplit streets.
As she drove, she tried to dismiss her feelings as being overreactive, but couldn’t. What would be next, Tristan breaking into her home? He had put unknown runes on her car, and it seemed like everything that he said rang bells in her head, bells that foretold of danger. Nothing he said and was doing made sense.
There was an element of craziness to Tristan’s behaviors, and combined with that, a lack of human empathy. Boundaries were being crossed, and sometimes they were so small that she didn’t notice the advancing infringement. She couldn’t stop him, but she could deny him the source of his fixation, which was her. If she removed herself from every situation that involved interacting with Tristan, she might be able to slow him down or force him to fixate on something else. Work posed the biggest obstacle in cutting Tristan out of her life.
Karena sighed, angered by the changes that she would have to make in her life. She would have to stop going to work. She wanted to go to work, and not be sitting at home doing nothing. Perhaps, she could pick up menial, temporary work in the meanwhile. It would only be two months of inconvenience until Captain Valmar placed her in another team that was on a different shift. She could handle that.
Her evening had taken on a sour note, but she knew that spending time with Asher would remedy that within seconds.
Chapter 8
“I know something’s bothering you. I’ve spent enough time around you to be able to tell,” Asher said as they walked out of the restaurant.
The food had been incredible. The brisket that she had ordered had been the best that she had ever tasted. However, Karena was glad to leave the restaurant. There had been a lot of people in there, and several had stared at her for a little too long, at least in her mind.
Outside, the breeze had shifted and was now saturated with the scent of pine trees from the distant mountains. The coolness of the night felt pleasant against her skin. Beside her, Asher warmed up to counter the cold.
Karena looked at the stone and brick buildings around her as she battled between telling him the truth or derailing the topic by saying that she was fine. In the Fire district, stone and brick were the building materials of choice. Asher put an arm around her, and steered her onto a quieter street than the one they had been on. He stayed on her right, so that she was the one away from the street. She gazed at the stately houses, which looked more like mansions than houses with their ribbed columns, showy trims, and stern, blocky facades. There was a noticeable lack of vegetation around them, just like everywhere else in the Fire district. Fires seemed to shun nature, or else corral it into small clusters. It felt too unnatural, too barren.
After walking for a minute in silence, Karena finally said, “It has to do with a coworker. He used to be a friend.”
“Who is this person? I couldn’t imagine you having a conflict with Hadrian, so it’s got to be somebody else,” Asher said as he walked beside her with his long, but slow strides.
“It’s Tristan. I found himself outside of where I live just before I was about to leave to see you. He was acting suspicious, so I frosted my car and I discovered runes on it.”
“What kind?”
“I suspect that they might’ve been tracking runes. He has inquired about my whereabouts before and displayed strange behavior, including saying some rather creepy things. Telling him to stop and getting angry at him hasn’t been effective, so I’m not going to work anymore or see him at all.”
“I think that would be wise to do.”
“He’s becoming more and more invasive,” Karena said, and told him about the other things that Tristan had done, like trying to force himself past Hadrian in order to get into her room and the enigmatic things he had said before to her. She asked, “What will be next?”
“It’s difficult to say. I don’t know what he’s thinking or if he’s capable of more extreme actions. If you feel as though you’re in danger, then you need to listen to that gut instinct and not dismiss it as being paranoid. But I do have to mention, from my own bank of knowledge, that these kinds of people usually try to isolate their target so that they don’t have anyone to run to for protection. As a lone target, they are easier to acquire.”
“Do you think Hadrian could be in danger?”
Asher thought about this before answering, “I don’t know Tristan well enough to give you my opinion about that. So far, it seems like there’s an escalation in Tristan’s deviant behavior, but not yet to the point where it would indicate that he is contemplating more rash actions to get to you.”
“But do you agree that I shouldn’t go to work?”
“Yes. I think you should take some time off of work until Captain Valmar can put you on a different team and shift.”
“It’s crazy to think that I’m afraid of a fellow Water.”
“Assumptions that all Waters and all Earths will be good of heart belong to the ignorant. Just because we live in a utopia compared to other lands doesn’t mean that bad things don’t happen here. They do, and will. We shouldn’t let our guard down. Luckily, you’re in touch with your intuition and you’re not ignoring Tristan’s actions and words. You don’t want to realize too late that you should’ve done something sooner about Tristan.”
Karena pressed herself against him as they walked, feeling thankful for having him in her life and being there to hear what she had to say. He was like a pillar that she could lean on, a place she could go to when she felt scared, and a presence that would always be there for her.
“So where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll see in a couple of blocks.”
They continued to walk through the neighborhood that they were in. They weren’t the only ones taking a walk. Other couples, and those pushing strollers or with their little kids in tow, were moseying down the sidewalks, enjoying the evening.
Her thoughts shifted gears. “There hasn’t been much news on the Wildlands trade agreement. I guess everything is going smoothly,” Karena said. She cast her eyes to the ground to hide the
ir color as they passed by a family taking a stroll.
“For now. I don’t like it. We don’t know what goes on in those northern lands or what they might be scheming. I still wonder why the Council decided to start a trade exchange with them. What would prompt anyone to do such a thing?”
“I don’t know. The Sundarin Nation has kept its borders closed and isolated itself from the troubles of the world for centuries. I don’t understand why we would resume contact, and with the Wildlands of all places.”
Asher said, “I would’ve hoped that we could’ve opened our borders by now, but not to the Wildlands. Their closure is a continuation of what the vampires did. They closed off the borders so that outside influences couldn’t intervene and try to save our ancestors from their tyrannical rule. There’s strength in numbers, which comes from alliances. So far, the Sundarin Nation doesn’t have any. They made our ancestors think that there weren’t better places or ways to live.”
Karena appreciated his views and understanding of history. She said, “I agree. Restoring our alliances should’ve been a priority, not trading with the Wildlands.”
“Our alliances with the islands to the south, the hill folk to the west that are just shy of the Elven Forest, and the few that live in the bayous on the fringe of the Markhan Territory haven’t been restored. We lost our connections with the desert people in the southeast as well, which are over the strait, and we haven’t tried to reach out to them yet.”
“So instead of reestablishing those old alliances, the Council has chosen to elicit talks with the Wildlands, a place we’ve never had a warm hearth in.”
“That’s correct.”
“Why don’t they ever talk about those islands or the hill folk?”
He tossed up his free hand as an answer. He didn’t know either.
They came to a metal archway that had been made from hundreds of metal rods that had been welded together to form an interconnecting, skeletal framework. It had obviously been created by someone of elite skill. A flat, sandstone path invited them to pass under this archway and explore what lay beyond it. A fence made from engraved metal sheets blocked her view, and prevented her from seeing inside of this area.
“This is the Volcanis gardens. My great grandfather built it,” Asher proudly said. “Would you like to go inside?”
“Yes.”
They walked under the archway, and into the gardens. High walls of rock jutted upwards into the air, hemming in the path at a slight distance. Crystals as tall as Asher stabbed their way out of the ground, and at their feet, pebbles of them seemed to trickle away. Statues of metal and marble lined the way. Scrubs and petite trees were sprinkled throughout. Chunks of rare rock sat on display mounts, or were used as places to sit. She brushed her hand against a rock wall that had studs of sapphire gems poking out of it.
“I’ve never been in a garden like this,” Karena said. “It’s beautiful, but at the same time strange. It honors the earth and what lies beneath it.”
“Exactly. It shows the beauty of what we don’t see, of what lies beneath our feet all the time.”
She studied a slab of rock that was suspended in a giant frame. The minerals in it had formed a swirling pattern that had solidified. Each swirl cascaded like a wave of water, as though there had been some kind of momentum present.
She asked, “Do you think that these swirls show how this rock was created? It looks like an energy imprint.”
“Yes. We believe that it’s not only nature that is alive, but also the earth as well. That’s why there are earthquakes and volcanos. They are signs that the earth breathes and moves just like we do.”
The path took them to a flat stretch of sand before veering around it. Just as she was about to step onto the sand, Asher stopped her.
“Come over here. You’ll understand why,” Asher said and motioned to his right.
Karena followed him up onto a short platform. He stood at the railing, and looked out at the illuminated area of sand. She imitated him and then realized why she shouldn’t have walked across the sand. If she had done so, she would’ve ruined the lines that had been raked into it. Placed within the area were islands of rock and scraggly grass. The intricate designs bounced off of them like sound waves.
“The caretakers of this garden create a new design every day,” Asher said. He seemed to contemplate the lines.
“Do they move the rocks and grass around when they do that?”
“Nah.”
Karena pretended to study the designs in the sand too, but her eyes skipped over them without really seeing them. Her focus was on the serenity of that moment and Asher next to her. Her hand slipped away from his arm, and went to stroke his back. Even though his knit sweater was between her hand and his skin, she could still feel the powerful, flattened cords of his muscular back. She felt the dip of where his muscles joined together at the spine.
An uncomfortable feeling overtook her. It felt as though she was being stared at, but she was sure that she and Asher were alone in the rock garden. Her hand on Asher’s back went still. Asher turned around. He felt it too.
Karena looked around. “I don’t see anyone,” she said with a frown.
“We should go,” he said. There was worry in his eyes.
He grabbed her hand, and he walked so fast that it was more like a jog. She felt the rise in energy too, and the urgency to leave the garden. Something was stirring, silent and invisible, but she didn’t know if it was of human or cryptid origins.
They flitted by the rock formations and statues. Her lungs pounded, not from exertion, but from fear.
“The gardens are empty,” she said.
“I know, but I can sense that someone is here.”
She hoped that it wasn’t Tristan.
Even though there was an abundance of artificial lighting in the gardens, there were shadows. But none of them moved or seemed to contain the source of the threat that they felt was watching them somewhere nearby. They dashed through the metal archway, but immediately skidded to a stop. Approaching from the street was a small crowd, and they were being led by none other than Canicus, Asher’s father. They were of course Airs and Fires.
Upon seeing her, their hateful faces twisted into rage, but none of them seemed surprised to see her. They were already in a terrible mood. Someone had told them about her and Asher. Her heart thudded in her chest. The worst had happened.
From above, a winged, young woman landed next to Canicus. A smirk graced her flawless, beautiful face. She held her white wings above her and to the sides. Though angelic in appearance, she was malicious in intent.
“Evelyn?” Asher asked in shock. It was as though the breath had been knocked from him.
“You shouldn’t be with someone like her,” the young woman replied.
Karena had heard about Evelyn. She was one of Asher’s best friends. It was obvious that she had alerted Canicus and the others about both she and Asher. Evelyn had most likely spied on them from above, which is why they had felt as though they were being watched, even though they hadn’t seen anyone.
Evelyn gave a mighty flap to her wings and took off into the air. The group of men and women, perhaps ten in all, smoldered. Their eyes tried to bore into her like a drill. Heat boiled the air, and fire sprung from their feet. There were too many of them for her and Asher to contend with, and Karena didn’t want Asher to fight his own kin. Despite the danger that she was in, she hesitated due to feeling torn and overwhelmed.
Canicus, a tank of a man, put his hands together. A long torch blasted outwards from his hands, but stopped three feet away from his fingertips. He spread his hands apart, splitting the torch, and revealing two, fiery blades. From what Asher had told her in previous conversations, he was a deadly swordsman. As he called upon his powers, his skin cracked with trailing, black scars.
“Run!” Asher shouted.
He pushed her back towards the rock garden. She didn’t want to run, not without him. Everything was happening too fast. Whe
n he saw that she wasn’t moving, he whirled around, seized her arm, and pulled her away from the angry crowd. Fire seared their backsides.
They dashed through the gardens. Up ahead, two statues, one a minotaur and the other an archer, began to shake. Someone was remotely controlling them and using them as avatars. Asher hit them with a fireball and they toppled over. To her horror, as they approached, the statues stood up. They pounced at them, but instead of attacking her, they grabbed Asher, and disregarded her. The minotaur with its monstrous torso and bowed, bull-like legs began to drag Asher away. More statues began to shake to life. She tugged on Asher’s sweater and her hands tried to pry him loose from the minotaur but to no avail. The archer knocked her over and stood between them. Its eyes glowed orange.
Now locked in the minotaur’s grasp, Asher burst into flames. Karena retreated from the heat. No matter how much he struggled and how hot his fire soared, he couldn’t destroy the statue.
The other statues gathered around, and pointed swords and claws at Karena. She barraged them with ice, and froze them into immobility, but they shuddered with inhumane strength and broke free from her ice’s hold. It would take far longer to freeze them into layers of ice that they couldn’t crack than she had time for. Canicus and the others would be upon her in seconds.
The statues crowded around Asher. They formed a defensive line between her and Asher. Her feet pivoted, but everywhere she looked there were marble and granite beasts and humans.
“Go! Run as fast as you can or else they will kill you!” Asher shouted. He had given up on trying to escape. “I’ll be alright.”
Her eyes met his golden ones. His gaze burned with fire, but they faded back to brown because he knew that it was futile to fight the statues. He had given up. She saw the plea in his eyes for her to leave. Her heart sank. Tears burst from her eyes. She had no choice but to do the same.
Gaze of Fire: Sequel to Veins of Ice Page 6
