by Jaymin Eve
We reached the end of the path but were blocked from entering the town by a large set of gates. It looked really odd. The gates appeared to be sitting in the middle of the path, but without a fence on either side. I was wondering what the point was, until I noticed the shimmery force field surrounding the city.
Brace stepped forward and spoke to the large brown structures. “Brace Langsworth – to see the Frayre family.”
The voice that boomed back was so loud both Lucy and I jumped.
“Who accompanies you, Brace Langsworth?”
I craned my neck trying to see where it was coming from.
Brace gave us a sideways glance. “They are friends of my family. Lucy and ... little Red.” He winked at me.
Turning my head away, I chose to be the bigger person and not punch him in the kidneys.
There was a pause, as though the gate was considering the request, before it slid open.
These words echoed as we stepped through. “You have been granted entry. But beware: there is no tolerance here for mischief of innocent or evil nature. The Frayres have vouched for you. Do not mislead them in their trust.”
I looked back. I still couldn’t see who was speaking. Shaking my head, I turned to Brace.
“I have to say, the gatekeeper kind of has a stick up its–”
Brace wrapped a hand around my mouth, cutting me off, and leaned in close. “There is no keeper, just the enchanted gate. Be careful what you say. The very walls have ears. Angelisian has top-level security; it’s one of the older towns, rich with history. Like I said before, very powerful families reside here.” He gestured to the emptiness. “No one enters unless a founding family vouches for them.”
He finally released my mouth. I ran my tongue along my lips. They felt strangely swollen.
Lucy raised her eyebrows, a sneaky smile on her face. She mouthed. “Abby and Brace – L.O.V.E.” She mimed each letter as she said it.
I grabbed her before Brace noticed. “You’re a five-year-old.”
She laughed. “Six, actually.”
We moved as a group through the outskirts of the small town. It looked like we were heading for the center of the city. Not that it could really be referred to as a city, more like a country town. New York, full of massive derelict sky-scrapers and warehouses held the ugliness of ‘big city’.
This town was lovely.
Almost every building was large, but only single or double-story, with incredibly detailed architecture. A variety of colors and styles – very individualized. But it was so quiet. Besides one or two people in the distance, hurrying along, the streets were empty. No vehicles, and not even a stray piece of paper floated past. I couldn’t trust any place this clean.
Brace’s next comment held an air of dejection. “This town used to be vibrant. They’d have the most incredible street parades, and each family would organize elaborate displays. They worked hard to keep their lives free from the darkness, but in the last year everything’s gone to hell.”
I didn’t know what to say. But one thing was clear: our worlds definitely had some parallels. The last year had seen an even greater downturn on Earth. I felt the same unnatural sense of unease here as well.
We continued through the town. I could hear the waves crashing in the distance, much louder than I’d anticipated. A saltiness in the air coated my tongue. I liked it. The air was also much cooler here. The sun was starting to descend toward the horizon, out over the ocean. This just added to the excess of colors intertwining through the depths.
Brace had noticed my fascination. “Want me to teach you how to swim tomorrow?”
Lucy’s eyes lit up, but then worry crossed her features. “I think I’ll stick to getting a tan.”
I smirked at her; she was worrying about sharks, for sure. I wondered if they even had any here. Not that I cared.
I clapped my hands. “Are there waves – can I surf?”
Brace laughed. “Maybe we should stick with learning to swim first.”
I frowned. How hard could it be?
Lucy changed the subject. “So who are the Frayres?”
A true smile crossed Brace’s face. It changed his entire persona. The dark beauty he often displayed was softened. He looked different in that moment, though no less beautiful.
“In some ways I grew up in their house. Sammy, their son, is ... was ... my first friend. There were never too many children on Itowa, but we had so much freedom.” Sadness shadowed his words. “He’s been missing for almost a year now. We were supposed to go fishing, but he never showed. The Frayres are one of the oldest magical lines in First World. They’re descended from the royal house.”
He cleared his throat. “Disappearances are common, but Sam – he’s intelligent and powerful. Considering his family called in every favor, and used their sizeable influence and gifts – I don’t want to think about what must have happened to him.”
We resumed walking, but the silence was filled with the weight of unspoken thoughts. I was momentarily distracted by a large blue and yellow house which dominated the street. Once again it was made from the seamless material, although it wasn’t reflective. Instead, the colors were so vibrant, with no signs of chipping, peeling or fading.
“Whatever Angelisians build their houses from is remarkable. I’ve never seen such material,” I said as I peered closer.
Brace again looked confused; he’d get that a lot around us. “It was my understanding that Alestrite’s mandatory in every city now, after winning ‘invention of the century’.” He laughed a little. “I’m not sure if that really happened, or if it was just claimed by its inventor, Great Uncle Marke.”
Lucy laughed. “This material is one of your ... our ... greatest inventions? What does it do, build itself?”
She stepped away from my side, and up to the house for a closer look. I stole a swift glance at Brace.
He looked intrigued ... or suspicious. It was hard to tell.
“Uncle Marke should have considered how convenient that ability would be.” He smiled, flashing his gleaming teeth. “The updated environmental laws were passed over two thousand years ago – mandating that the protection of the environment was above all others in importance. Alestrite’s a non-degrading and impenetrable plastic that utilizes the power waves of the sunlight to store energy. It powers our lives without the burning or consumption of fuel, just pure sun energy.”
“If it’s non-degrading, isn’t that bad for the environment?”
This world was more enlightened than Earth. Of course, monkeys were more enlightened than most Earthlings.
“Where does it go when you’re finished with it?”
“On the rare occasions you need to dispose of your Alestrite, there is a method which dissolves the bonds. It forms harmless crystals, which are used in the powering of many smaller objects.”
I stared at him in wide-eyed shock for a moment.
Finally – a culture that understood destroying the organism that kept you alive was a dumb-ass move. Shaking it off, I continued to follow Brace, Lucy bringing up the rear as we moved along our current path. Brace then changed direction, turning smoothly into a small side street, which seemed to be a shortcut to one of the largest residences I’d ever seen. It was in its own little alcove and the ocean almost crested to its doorstep.
Staring up at the beautiful building, I sighed. It was a deep rich blue, a color I’d always been drawn to on Lucy’s color chart. Cerulean blue.
Two large pillars ran up the front entrance, elaborately carved with unusual symbols. The walls were Alestrite but the pillars looked like a porous deep burgundy stone. As I observed the magnificence a muffled noise broke the silence.
I turned around to find the source, Brace was standing to my right … but nothing else was around us. No source of noise and no Lucy.
Where the hell was Lucy?
She should have caught up to us by now. Spinning jerkily, I looked left and right.
A horrified
cry escaped my mouth. My hands flapped helplessly at my side. Brace was next to me in an instant.
“Red?” he questioned me, before he noticed my frantic head spinning. “Where’s Lucy?” His tone was low and gruff.
She’d been right behind us before we took the shortcut. Was she still back on the main street?
The world was going gray around the edges. Pulling myself together, I refused to faint. We had moments before the trail grew cold. I hadn’t forgotten the story of Brace’s friend. Wrenching myself out of his arms, I ran back through the side street. We had to have lost her in the moments between this street and the house.
“Lucy ... LUCY ... LUCY!” My throat ached, protesting the screaming. I knew deep down I was overreacting. Lucy most probably had just wandered off, but I had a bad feeling, my stomach churning as I ran.
A few of the shuttered house windows showed signs of movement. But no inhabitants appeared.
Brace grabbed me from behind, halting my frantic progression through the town. I spun around, eyes firing, so ready to kick some ass.
“Abby, stop. Our only chance is to get help from the Frayres.” His face was all kinds of serious as he gripped my arms. “Trust me, Red.”
I was trembling so violently my cells felt like they would crumble apart.
Silent tears ran down my face. I needed to move but nothing responded. Reaching down, Brace lifted me into his arms. Turning, he ran toward the house. I dried my eyes on the soft material of his shirt, but tears just kept falling.
He dashed up to the front steps of the house. Pulling my face away, I stared at a group of men gathered there.
A search party.
I felt small surge of relief, despite the fact it was impossible for them to have gathered so quickly.
Brace barked out a few instructions and everyone dispersed.
I strongly believed Lucy wasn’t dead – yet – but I didn’t even know how bad this was.
Brace’s strong arms tightened around me as he carried me through the front door. Stepping through the entranceway and into a sitting room, he placed me on a white couch.
His expression was serious. “Don’t give up hope, Abby – and please don’t run off on a vigilante mission to get her back. They’ve already locked the town down. No one enters or leaves.”
He strode out the door to help search. Closing my eyes, I sank into the soft padding and drifted in my sea of worry, pain and anger.
Eventually, my independence kicked in and I started formulating a plan. I needed to gather information and find some supplies. Then I’d tear this world apart looking for Lucy. I was ready to kick anyone who stood in my way in the face.
Whoever had taken Lucy must have entered through the gates. Surely it kept a record of visitors?
A loud gasp drew my attention – I opened my eyes. A woman was paused in the entranceway, a slender hand pressed to her throat, disbelief on her face. It was Lallielle. My mother, the person I had dreamed of and yearned to meet. And … I felt nothing.
Her wide green eyes, lighter than mine, were blinking rapidly. She ran her other hand nervously through her thick shiny hair. As black as a raven, it hung almost to her waist.
She looked far too young to be my mother. As I examined her closely, I began to understand how wealthy these people were. It wasn’t just the amazing house. Lallielle also had that sheen of old-money confidence. She was dressed in a deep-purple calf-length dress, which was draped loosely on her frame. The cut was exquisite. Lucy would be in ecstatic reveling.
I sucked in a ragged and pain-filled breath as her pixie face flashed across my mind.
They had to find her.
“Aribella?” Lallielle’s voice shook. Tears filled her eyes but she stayed frozen across the room.
Brace re-entered. I stood and moved toward him. “Lucy?” I questioned.
He shook his head, his velvety brown eyes softening. “I’m sorry. We’re still searching, but so far it’s just like Sam. She’s disappeared into nothing. Not one energy trace or clue left behind.”
“Did your men question the gate?” I knew how ridiculous that sounded.
Brace nodded. “That’s the first thing we did. No one has entered or left. We were the last ones.”
“Could the front gate be tricked?” I was fighting my panic again.
He shook his head. “Technically, no. But we’re dealing with magic way beyond our comprehension, so I don’t know.”
The pain was a dull throb now, a consistent flow. I welcomed it. This I could use. The pain and anger would keep me going.
Brace finally noticed Lallielle.
“Lalli – I didn’t see you there. Have you met Abby? It’s her best friend who went missing. The men are searching.”
“Sister,” I said quietly.
Brace turned back to face me.
“Lucy’s my sister, my only family.” My voice was emotionless, robotic.
Brace nodded once, an acknowledgment that he understood.
A soft sob had him spinning around. He was at her side so fast it was almost instant.
“Lalli, what’s wrong?” He draped one of his strong arms around her shoulders. The anger bubbling inside of me increased.
“Where did you find them?” Her tearful features stayed locked on me, but her words were strong and steady.
Brace’s eyes shifted to me, a slight wariness in their depths, but he answered without hesitation.
“They were captured by Deralick in the royal forest. He was about to hand them over to the guards. You know how I feel about the Guardians.” He looked closely between us. “Do you know each other?” He looked again, for longer this time. “I see a definite resemblance.”
I shook my head. I didn’t actually see much similarity. Although, if I dissected us a little, the heart shape of our faces was the same. And also our lips – slightly tilted up at the corners and unusually plump. Although Lallielle’s were minus my red tone.
And I didn’t care. Well, not about anything other than finding Lucy.
“I lost the trail of your essence on Earth,” Lallielle said. “I thought the worst had happened.” She smiled. “But here you are ... perfect ... beautiful. More amazing than your father and I could have dreamed.”
The surge of burning hot anger took me by surprise. Part of it was for Lucy, but another part – this woman had dumped me on a war-torn planet, abandoning me, forcing me to drag myself to adulthood. She was rich, beautiful and privileged. The only thing her actions had ever given me was Lucy – and now this planet had stolen her too.
I stood across from them, staring daggers.
“You’re Aribella?” said Brace, his expression falling.
I found this odd. It didn’t fit with the general confidence he exuded.
I shook my head. “No. I told you before: I’m Abby. I don’t know who Aribella is.” I really didn’t.
His moved from Lallielle’s side to sit on the couch. He patted the spot next to him. Ignoring this, I perched on the edge of the single-seater.
A slight smile tilted the corner of his lips. “Sammy told me the story of his sister Aribella. She’s First World’s chosen empress.” His eyes scanned my face. “Her death announcement sounded when she was one, the night the royal stones disappeared.” He muttered to himself. “Also looks just like Josian.”
He turned to Lallielle, his eyebrows drawn together. A lesser woman would have recoiled, but she met his glare. “You knew she was alive, Lalli?”
The look hadn’t done anything but the hard tone of his voice had her flinching as if he’d struck her.
“Everyone had to think she was dead. In her short time here there were numerous attempts on her life.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “Don’t look at me like that, Brace. Sending Aribella away was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I gave up my baby to save her life. My...”
She paused, her expressive light-green eyes shadowed with pain.
“A soothsayer warned me to
not keep my daughter by my side, or she would not reach her fifth birthday. I was desperate; I had no choice. All that is important is Aribella and the survival of our worlds.”
She moved forward to sink into a burnt-orange chair, the vibrant color contrasting with the white of the other couches.
I didn’t interrupt. I wanted to hear this story – plus, if I opened my mouth, every profanity known to man would be spouting from my lips.
“I decided to use my ability and send you to a youngling planet,” she elaborated. “During sleep, I enter a trance state and can dream-span worlds. I was the safekeeper of the blue royal stone, because you’re the chosen empress. I used its power to open a doorway between the worlds. I chose Earth because it’s void of magic. No one could trace your magical essence.”
She smiled sadly. “I assumed your trace would grow to be really strong, considering who your father is, but it hasn’t.”
She shook her head.
“My only aim through all of this was to keep you alive – I even sent Quarn, your guardian, and his wife Hallow – to protect you until it was safe to return.”
Brace interrupted her. “Quarn and Hallow Lockner? I thought it was strange when the girls mentioned Quarn earlier. I figured there must be another.”
Lallielle nodded. “Our plan was simple. They all ‘died’ in a fiery explosion. That way no one would search for them. Quarn was the best person to send. He’s gifted as a protector. He protects his charges until death. The finest there ever was.”
Brace looked surprised. “I never knew he was a protector. They’re pretty rare.”
Lallielle’s voice broke as she attempted to continue. Her devastation was obvious. And I realized something else: I had a brother, an older brother.
I shook my head. I’d deal with that later.
Eventually I just had too many questions to continue ignoring her.
Examining the dirt under my nails, I spoke quietly.
“What happened on Earth? I only met Quarn a week ago. Earth’s at war – not exactly a safe place to raise children.”
She flinched again, only this time at my tone. But I gave her props, she pulled herself together.
“I don’t know. I lost contact with Quarn when the transition took place. I knew that Earth was a magic dead zone, but I thought I could still dream-span and communicate there. I’m a strong Dreamer.”
That probably explained my dreams for the past seventeen years.
She took a deep breath before continuing.
“I chose Earth, thinking it was a young, healthy vibrant planet. Evolving slowly but moving forward in a promising manner. The perfect place to keep you safe and the last thing our enemies expected us to do.”
I snorted quietly. Sometimes people were too smart for their own good.
She smiled. “Of all the youngling planets, Earth is the closest to ours. You shouldn’t have had any transition period. The mistake I made was underestimating the ripple effect.”
I looked up from my now clean nails. Around me flecks of dirt marred the pristine white couch.
“You did manage to communicate with me.”
Lallielle looked at me blankly.
“All of my life I’ve dreamt of this world, and in every dream you were there. And for the last few years, Brace was also in them.”
I avoided his stare, although I could see, out of the corner of my eye, he looked bothered.
Lallielle’s eyes widened perceptively.
“If you were dream-spanning Abby, then why did she see me?” Brace demanded to know.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Brace. That’s highly unusual.”
My panic for Lucy was just under control while I gathered information, but the moment the search party returned, and the town was not on lock-down, I was out of there. I shifted to face Lallielle.
“I’ve never met any Hallow – Quarn was always alone.” Was Hallow the reason Quarn had refused to leave?
Lallielle shook her head. “We grew up together. Hallow was my best friend. When she married Quarn, we were a close group. They volunteered to watch you. I planned on it being a year at most. Then I would bring you three back and we’d disappear.”
She didn’t explain how she planned to hide my apparent ‘magical essence’ when I returned and I didn’t ask. It at least partly explained why my mother had sent me to Earth, and not gone with me. If we’d all disappeared at the same time people would have been suspicious. I shrugged. I still wasn’t sure if I’d be forgiving her any time soon.
“What’s the ripple effect?”
Some of the story made perfect sense, other parts were confusing. But I needed to know. Whatever was happening between these planets involved Lucy now.
She sighed.
“It’s a complex part of our history–”
I cut her off. “I don’t have time for the entire history. I have to find Lucy. So if you can just tell me what I really need to know...”
The delicate skin above her eye furrowed. Already I had noted this was something she did when upset.
“Your life may depend on you understanding. Please do not leave before I can explain.” Her smile was strained. “I just wanted you to appreciate there’s no easy, simple explanation.” She looked up for a moment. “I guess it begins with First World.”
I sighed, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. This was going to be a long story.
Her eyes creased when she smiled. “Our astronomers, space technicians, explorers – whatever you call them – have established First World as the actual first planet. Its existence began around the eight-billion-year mark. Give or take a few years.”
I sucked in a deep breath. Well, that explained the nickname.
“There have been humanoid inhabitants for approximately two million years; we are still developing as a species. First World has six younglings.”
Her lilting accent was beautiful as she weaved her story. “They’re the offspring of our planet, existing in adjacent star systems and connected to First World. Like any young, they’re growing and learning to become self-reliant, but they still carry a certain level of ... attachment and connection to their mother. They’re unique planets, most extremely different to any world you would have known.”
“So Earth is one of these six planets?” Never in my life on Earth had I heard mention of youngling planets.
Lallielle nodded, her clasped hands resting in her lap.
“Yes, the closest related youngling to us. Earth’s inhabitants and ecosystems were developing on a similar timeline to ours. That was before the dark days, of course. This is the reason you’ll find so many similarities between our planets – culture, language, environment. The younglings develop from our energies.”
She smiled at me. “We didn’t always speak English. In fact, we used to have many languages, but a universal language developed many years ago and now any other is secondary.”
She took a deep breath. “Negative energy will also be passed through the connection, and that is the basis of the ripple effect.”
I stood and started to pace around the room. I could not sit any longer – this was like no history class I’d ever been in.
“The six younglings are in the early stages of existence. For example, humanoids have been on Earth for around 200,000 years. They’re bright and inquisitive, but with limited abilities. However, we still don’t know the reason for the magic void. The other planets all use magic of some description.”
She shrugged. “Balance is the entity that keeps the worlds developing. And in the last few years there has been a huge influx of negative energy in First World. Such an imbalance has never occurred before. Everything’s in chaos. The younglings feed from our energy, so the chaos ripples.”
Tears filled her eyes. “By the time we realized the extent, it was too late – you were already gone and I couldn’t find you to bring you back.”
It was like a story from some crazy whacked-out sci-fi
movie. But, unfortunately, it actually made sense. The escalated demise of Earth had never felt natural. The crazy behavior of the humans had been extreme, even for those who fell into the extra-stupid category.
Lallielle shifted toward me, the sadness in her face pleading with me to understand. “I cannot express my regret for the world you were raised in. Tell me everything that’s happened since you left us. Who is Lucy and how did you make it here?”
There was too much. Where would I even start? I wanted to find Lucy, but a quick glance in Brace’s direction and the shake of his head told me the town was still locked down. I’d just give her the basics.
Without too much emotion, I described my life to that point. The dismay on Lallielle’s face made me uncomfortable. So, upon finishing, I distracted myself by observing my opulent surroundings.
After giving her a few moments to recover from my tales of the life she’d unintentionally gifted me, I decided to ask something I was really curious about.
“What is it that First World people do? You know, for jobs, money?”
Brace shifted in curiosity. “What’s money?”
I wondered if I looked as shocked as I felt. I glanced between them.
“You know, little pieces of paper that you use to buy things you need – food, houses, clothes – some people have more and they are rich, others are poor and ... have less.”
Brace laughed, like he thought I was kidding, before sobering slightly. “You’re serious, aren’t you? How can a piece of paper be worth anything? Does it have some type of magical property?” He shook his head. “No, of course it can’t on Earth.”
Lallielle shuddered. “That sounds horrid. What happens if you don’t have enough of this ‘paper’ for the basic essentials?”
I bit my lip. In a matter of seconds they’d made something that was so fundamental on Earth sound absolutely ridiculous.
“Before the dark days, if you couldn’t find a job and therefore didn’t have any money, you ended up homeless and living on the street.”
The horror grew on Lallielle’s face.
“So if you don’t have money, then how did you get this amazing place? And the clothes?” I gestured around me.
She blinked a few times. “Well, we all have talents. Every person is expected to contribute to the upkeep of society. The higher in demand your skill, the more you can barter and trade for other things.”
Did she just say barter and trade?
Brace helped her explain. “You remember those specialties I described in the forest? Well, that was just a small insight into First Worlders’ skills.”
My mind was getting a little blown right now. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the concept. But it would be all kinds of awesome to live in a world where everyone had an important skill to contribute.
Lallielle spoke again, her gentle voice easing my confusion with a subject change. “Would you like to know some of the memories of your baby-life?”
Looking up, I faced her, curious as to what she would say.
“You were born on the first day of the first month, year two million,” she said eagerly, smiling in remembrance. “You were a beautiful baby, with these incredible and unique green eyes. They were so large, dominating your entire face. You have grown into them quite beautifully.”
At this point, I’m sure my ‘unique’ eyes were narrowed at her. She was sweet-talking me.
“You hardly ever cried, just stared up at me with your emerald eyes.”
And just like that I went from annoyed to this weird urge to cry. Stupid whacked-out emotions. But her words had hit me hard. My life before I was four was a blank, almost as if I hadn’t existed before the age where I could retain my memories. But now there was a moment, a memory.
I cleared my throat to help force the words out. “What’s the date now?”
“Twenty-first day of the twelfth month,” Brace answered.
I was surprised that their time-frame was comparable to Earth.
He grinned at me. “I presume it’s just a few days until your eighteenth birthday.”
I had to have Lucy back by the time I turned eighteen. It just wasn’t happening without her.
Deciding to sit again, I clasped my hands in front of me. My birthmark flashed at me.
“Quarn asked me about my birthmark.” I glanced up again. “Why did he ask that?”
“Aribella, my girl,” said a voice behind me, “that’s the mark of your mother’s royal line. A matriarchal inheritance. But you also have a mark of my family. And I’ll bet old Quarn didn’t ask you about that one.”
I spun around in my chair to find the source of the deep voice echoing through the room. My eyes widened in shock. A man – I think he was a man – stood there, his colossal proportions filling the doorway. He topped out at a minimum of six foot ten, and a glowing light encircled him. He moved further into the room, and I drank in every detail.
He had shoulder-length fiery hair, a rich blood red, even more potent than my own. It was obvious where my hair color had originated. Flashes danced through his eyes, the color of newly turned autumn leaves, burnt gold. He was intimidating, a strength and power unlike any I’d ever experienced. And then, strangely, the longer I stared, the less potent was the glowing, until I barely noticed it. Had he dimmed his glow somehow?
He moved to Lallielle. They embraced, as if they hadn’t seen each other in days. The love between them was intense. For a moment I swear an intertwining aura circled them in waves of pink and silver. I shook my head. This ‘crazy’ thing I was starting to do was a little concerning.
Was this my father? This larger-than-life – possibly glowing – man-giant?
Lallielle’s stories implied that she’d made all the decisions alone.
Where had this colossal person been during everything?
He laughed loudly then, a deep husky woof. He even threw his head back as if there was nothing he did that was half-hearted.
“I can read your thoughts, daughter, especially when you are projecting so strongly at me.”
I froze. Did he just say...? What the eff? “Can everyone read my thoughts?” Surely not. Brace would have known we were from Earth and that I thought he was the yummiest thing since chocolate chip cookies.
“No, Josian is special,” Brace said laughingly, interrupting my inner monologue.
Josian turned and flashed some type of hand signal I didn’t understand. Grinning broadly, Brace reciprocated.
My parents moved closer before they sat on the floor. It looked kind of ridiculous to see such a stunning couple sprawled on the ground.
Josian was even more intriguing close up. His rich golden skin continued to glow lightly. He was like a sunrise. Lallielle snuggled into his side as she talked.
“Josian is your father and he can read your thoughts because he’s ... more special than anyone you’ll meet on First World.” She was dwarfed by him as he clasped her left hand and raised it to his lips to kiss.
“Your mother is being overly generous toward me. I’m not special, just different. I’m not from First World and am far older than any creature that walks these worlds.”
Of course he was.
His lips twitched minutely.
Shit ... crap ... stupid mind-reader.
“Stop reading my thoughts – they’re private – and it’s rude.”
He held his free hand up in surrender, but his eyes twinkled with unshed laughter.
“So if you’re not from First World, then where?”
His engaging smile never wavered. “I’m a part of an ancient clan of...” He paused, his expression thoughtful. “Deities – for no better explanation. We are Walkers, and for many millennia we have wandered the galaxy, explored worlds and defined cultures. We were the teachers of mischief and mayhem. We do not age or die.”
My jaw dropped open.
He grinned broadly. “Now the majority of my family sleep. They wake at different moments throughout h
istory. In many of the key moments of history – throughout all seven of these worlds – Walkers were involved.”
His entire demeanor softened as he stared into Lallielle’s eyes. “A few of us have found our reasons to settle into worlds.”
The autumn of his eyes deepened to a rich vibrant gold as he touched Lallielle’s cheek.
I just had one thing to say. “A deity? Come on, you’re some type of god?” Give me a break.
I’ve never had much interest in religion.
Yeah, I’ve heard the stories. I figured they were created to scare people. I’d never encountered any actual evidence of their existence.
Lallielle elbowed him. “He wishes.” She looked at me. “There are no confidence problems amongst Walkers.”
He winked at me. “Deity’s not completely accurate, but it’s close. Our people have been worshipped as gods over the years.”
“So what are your powers?” I had an amusing vision of Josian in red-and-blue Superman tights.
His grinning mirth did not waver. If anything, there was an extra twinkle in his molten eyes. Had he just seen my mental pictures?
“We cannot control or create worlds. Our key abilities lie in world-walking and adaption. We can live anywhere and we can walk between any of the worlds. We do not need anything to keep us alive – food, water, shelter, oxygen – nothing.” He shrugged. “And we are strong, heal easily and are almost impossible to kill.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I glared at Lallielle. Why had she sent me to Earth for safety when my father was this alleged god?
For the first time Josian’s face dropped slightly. Lallielle, picking up on this minute change, looked at him questioningly.
“She wants to know why I didn’t save her,” he answered quietly.
Lallielle patted his arm and smiled. His expression lifted a little. “I was a bit of a scoundrel, moving through the worlds, seducing women and then moving on.”
He didn’t sound embarrassed; it was said as simple fact.
“Your mother changed everything. Finding her was finding home. But of course at the time I was strong-willed and hard headed. I resisted the feelings, fought against bonding, and left. I had no idea she was pregnant. I had no idea I could even mate with humans. We might look genetically similar, but I’m not human. I was ... I believed it wasn’t possible. Luckily Lalli is from the oldest and strongest of First World. No other could carry my power to term in a child.”
His mesmerizing eyes flashed. “I will never forget what I’ve done, the pain I’ve caused. I left your mother in a deteriorating world, pregnant and alone whilst I threw the equivalent of a temper tantrum across the universe. I’m only grateful my brothers knocked some sense into me pretty quickly.”
Lallielle chuckled then. “Keep in mind ‘pretty quickly’ to these immortals was actually three years here.”
He turned his face away and sighed. It didn’t in any way indicate a weakness, but there was a sense of tired.
“Time means something very different when you witness thousands of years pass. By the time I returned to First World, Lallielle had already made the difficult decision to hide you. I missed my chance and Earth is a contradiction to any other planet: such a magic void that I could not find you.”
He shook his head. “And yet you sit here before me and it’s the same as always: you emit no energy signature. You should be shining bright with power, but besides the occasional thought – nothing.”
I was relieved to hear that. I didn’t need powers on top of everything else.
“I wondered about that,” Lallielle said quietly. “And, Josian, love, you must stop blaming yourself.”
She turned back to me while leaving a comforting hand on his shoulder. “When I first met your father, I instantly fell in love with him. He was unlike anyone I’d ever met. At the time I didn’t know of the Walkers, but it soon became apparent he did not think or act as a human would. He was arrogant with his power – they’d wandered as gods among people for too long.”
She laid a gentle kiss against his cheek.
“I’ve told Josian many times that, in leaving us, he was humbled. No matter his power, everyone has a weakness – his love for you and me – this is what changed him enough that he can live a normal life.”
“What about Sam?” I was trying to work out the logistics.
Lallielle’s face paled, the life draining from her eyes. “Samuel is your half-brother. He has been lost to us for a year now. Born of drama, he has always walked a rocky path.”
I opened my mouth to ask what the hell she was talking about, but she continued.
“Before I met Josian there was a mesmerizer that lived here in Angelisian. He was a master at deception. No one realized he’d been driven insane from his power. He somehow started to believe that I was his destined mate. He held me prisoner for two years.”
She swallowed.
“I wanted to die for almost every moment but I didn’t. In the end, when Samuel was born, I could not let my baby be raised there, so I waited for the perfect moment, and I escaped. My dreamer abilities counteracted some of his mesmerizer strength.”
Josian growled quietly. The rumble filled the room.
“What happened to the man?” I had to ask.
Lallielle started to stroke Josian’s back. I was surprised to see how quickly he calmed from that small contact.
“Your father tracked him down. He saved me in more ways than he will ever understand.”
The look in his eyes told me the mesmerizer had paid for his crime. I glared as power continued to bleed from the very essence of Josian. It felt as though, if I reached out my hand and touched him, I would be filled with jolts of electricity.
“Why haven’t you found Samuel and Lucy?”
His features grew hard; he was suddenly chiseled from stone.
“I do not know. It should be a simple matter for me to track Sammy. His energy pattern is the same as Lalli’s. But nothing. It’s as if his entire being has been removed from existence. The same with Lucy. Her essence lingers in town, but there the trail ends.”
I sat up straight. “They’re on Earth.”
Josian didn’t look surprised by my genius outburst. “I believe so. I’ve explored far and wide there, for you and Sammy. But with no powers it’s like being blind. I’m not a human there, but far closer than is comfortable.”
Lallielle choked back a sob. “I’ll not wait any longer. We will go to Earth and not leave until we find Sammy and Lucy.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “Losing you and Sammy was a punishment for my terrible choices. But Aribella has returned to us. Let’s find the others too.”
Chapter 9
