From The Falls (The Falls Trilogy Book 2)

by Heather Renee

  An hour later, we were seated at the seafood eatery we had arrived behind earlier. My belly was stuffed with fresh lobster and popcorn shrimp, but we were no closer to figuring out a plan to win Nathan over. He obviously had abilities, so the Parias would come for him, but we had to do whatever it took to prevent that from happening.

  “I still say we knock him out and bring him to Arvata without asking,” Jordan said. “If he’s there, then he’s safe. Whether he likes it or not.”

  “That’s not exactly the best way to convince him we’re the good guys and trying to protect him,” Lorelle pointed out.

  “Unfortunately, I am fresh out of pretty girls and Parias to sway him like we did with the last ones.” Jordan laughed. “Knocking him out is my only other idea.”

  Having the Parias show up and Miah being in danger had definitely helped with Dylan, but we needed to figure something else out for Nathan before the Parias beat us to it. He wouldn’t be given any options then, so maybe Jordan was right and we shouldn’t give him any now either.

  “Let’s try to talk with him one more time,” Lucas suggested. “If he still won’t at least listen to us, then we will possibly consider Jordan’s idea.”

  I glanced at Jordan and she had a smug smile on her face. I shook my head and went back to picking at the remainder of my food even though I knew I really shouldn’t.

  Shortly after, we paid the bill and walked along the beach toward Nathan’s house. The scouts had been able to get us his home address as well, and I hoped that would be where he headed after his encounter with us.

  Twenty minutes later, we arrived at small beach house. It was weather worn and looked like it would crumble to the ground with the next storm. Shingles were missing from the roof, shutters hung crooked from the windows, and the paint was cracked and chipped.

  I noticed the door was slightly ajar when we walked up to the house. In Jordan-like fashion, she barged into the house without knocking or stopping to take in the area first. I rolled my eyes at her. One of these days she was going to get herself hurt or worse.

  “Nathan…” Jordan called out, “are you home?”

  I heard a grunt and a loud bang sound come from the back room. We all went in that direction and caught Nathan dangling out the window. I looked about the room. Drawers were left open and empty, hangers swung back and forth from just being disturbed. He was going to run.

  Without thinking it through, I called on my Arelia abilities and froze him. Unfortunately, he didn’t stay on the window like I had hoped and instead fell backwards from the window. Hopefully, there was soft grass at the bottom to help break his fall.

  “See, wasn’t that so much easier?” Jordan asked.

  I ignored her statement, proceeded to walk toward the window, and peered down at Nathan. He hadn’t fall far and there was a little bit of grass below him and his duffle bag to soften the landing.

  “Let’s grab him and go before anything else goes wrong,” Kane said. “I’d rather not deal with the kid when he wakes up. Maybe we can get Miah and Dylan to sit with him until he wakes. They might be the only ones who can talk some sense into him.”

  “That’s a really good idea, Kane,” I said. “Maybe we should have brought them with us. I might have been able to avoid freezing him if so.”

  “That would have been no fun,” Jordan pouted.

  I turned to her, “You have morbid sense of fun, my friend.”

  “You love me anyway.” She grinned.

  That I did and some days I questioned my sanity for it.

  We went around back to get Nathan. I unfroze him and Lorelle hit him with some kind of orb before he could fully wake to keep him unconscious a little while longer. Lucas and Kane each held onto a side of him and would port back with him. Jordan went around the house one more time and made sure the door and window were shut and nobody else was around so we could port to the nearest gateway home. Thankfully, Block Island was only thirteen miles off shore, so we could port between here and the mainland easily. I didn’t think we would have been allowed on the ferry with one of their workers while he was passed out.

  We arrived one hundred-sixty miles west of Block Island at Bash Bish Falls in Massachusetts. It was gorgeous and tranquil. Nobody was around when we arrived, which made things even easier. I walked toward the waterfall and felt the energy of the water calling to me. I closed my eyes and sent my love of the water back to it. Strix always told me to respect the water and treat as a friend and I did my best to remember that.

  I opened my eyes and took a better look around. There was a shallow pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall that led into a brook that went for miles downstream. The waterfall was split in half by a large rock in the center and trees surrounded us on all sides.

  “Let’s make this quick,” Kane said. “This kid is long and lanky. Not exactly easy to carry his dead weight around, especially when we are trying to avoid touching his skin.”

  “Agreed.” Lucas nodded his head. “We should have grabbed gloves before we left.”

  “Once I place the shield around him to allow him through the gateway, you won’t have to worry about it,” Lorelle said. “Lay him on the ground and I’ll do that so we can be on our way.”

  Lorelle quickly covered Nathan in the bubble-like thing, just as she had to Miah and Dylan. I had to suppress my laugh as I watched Lucas and Kane pick Nathan back up. Even with the bubble over him, they were still cautious and held him away from their bodies as if he had the plague.

  “You got zapped by him,” Lucas complained mentally. “It doesn’t feel too great.”

  “Oh, my poor baby. Wifey will kiss your boo-boo all better when we get home.”

  He rolled his eyes at me and I couldn’t keep the laugh in any longer. Jordan bumped into me and smiled.

  “It’s nice to see you so happy, but if you have something funny to say that we could all enjoy, it’s better if you say it out loud. I like to laugh at Lucas’s expense just as much as you.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here with us,” I said to her. “You make everything more interesting.”

  We walked to the entrance of the gateway and let the guys go first. Lorelle went next and Jordan and I followed behind. I let out a heavy breath once we were all safely in Arvata. I didn’t like being on Earth and having to worry about demented Parias coming for us. I took for granted how safe and perfect things were in Arvata even if we did stay busy.

  “Let’s get him to the town hall and put him in the holding room,” Lorelle said. “Will one of you go get Miah and Dylan so we can explain to them what happened? Then, see if they’ll help us with Nathan.”

  “I’ll go get them,” I volunteered. “I don’t trust Jordan not to scar them for life somehow.”

  “Have to toughen them up sooner or later.” She shrugged. “You turned out just fine growing up with me.”

  I laughed and walked over to Lucas to give him a quick kiss goodbye, “See you soon. Try not to get zapped while I’m gone.”

  He let out a growl and I ported away before he could respond. He did let me know he wasn’t happy about that through our mental link, though. I smiled even bigger.

  I found Miah and Dylan at her house eating lunch. They were sitting on the same side of the table and seemed pretty cozy until I walked in.

  “Don’t move on my account.” I waved my hand between them. “I fully support whatever you’ve got going on between the two of you.”

  Miah’s face turned ten different shades of red and Dylan just smiled. I proceeded to explain to them everything that had happened and asked for their help. They were a little put off that we didn’t ask for their help to begin with, but ultimately, they felt for Nathan and wanted to help.

  We walked to town hall since it wasn’t very far. I didn’t want to experiment with trying to port both of them at the same time. I couldn’t wait until we figured out if the half-Guardians would eventually be able to unlock all the normal powers we had or not.

  �
��About time you guys got here,” Jordan teased as we walked up to the entrance. “I was beginning to think you got lost.”

  “Ha, ha, very funny,” I replied. “Has Nathan woke up yet?”

  Lorelle responded first, “No, not yet, but I can wake him up whenever we’re ready. Let’s head that way.”

  We walked inside and down the hallway. The holding room looked just like a regular room, but it took away a person’s ability to use magic. We only used it when necessary and this situation definitely called for it. I didn’t think Nathan would be physically violent, so Miah and Dylan would be safe with him while in the room.

  “Kali brought you guys up to speed on what needs to be done?” Lorelle asked Miah and Dylan.

  “Yes,” Miah nodded. “Hopefully, we can convince him you guys are the good ones. What should we do if he becomes agitated or won’t listen to us?”

  “If you’re uncomfortable at all, just turn to the mirror on the wall left of the door and nod,” Lucas said. “It’s small and framed and blends in, so he shouldn’t realize we’re listening in.”

  “We can do that,” Dylan replied. “He doesn’t know where he is, correct?”

  “No and we should probably keep it that way until he’s calmer,” I said.

  He would definitely freak out on us if he knew we knocked him out and took him to a completely different world. We got inside and Lorelle checked the room before allowing Dylan and Miah in. Dylan placed his hand on her lower back and guided her into the room. Poor guy couldn’t keep his hands and eyes off her.

  We went around the other side where a monitor showed us the room from a camera hidden within the mirror. Lorelle went in the room with Dylan and Miah and placed her hand on Nathan’s head. There was a slight glow beneath her hand when she touched him. Once the light diminished, she quickly left the room to join us.

  “He should wake any moment,” Lorelle said as she sat down.

  “One of these days, I want to sit down with you and learn more about you,” I said earnestly. “You’re more than a Guardian, aren’t you?”

  She smiled at me, “One day, when you’ve learned more about our history, I’ll tell you more about my past.”

  Well, that was cryptic.

  I wondered for a moment if Lucas knew more about Lorelle, but he squeezed my hand and shook his head no.

  “He’s awake,” Kane called out.

  I brought my attention back to the screen and watched as Nathan looked around, confused for a moment. I could tell when he finally recalled what happened, because his face twisted into a grimace and he narrowed his eyes on Miah and Dylan.

  “Where am I? Who are you guys and why did you take me?”

  “Hi, Nathan,” Miah started first. “My name is Miah and this is Dylan. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here. Dylan and I are similar to you. The people here want to help us, but they’re not going to force you. They only ask that you hear us out before you decide.”

  “Help with what?” Nathan snapped. “Nothing is wrong with me. I need to leave. Now.”

  “You’re right,” Dylan said. “Nothing is wrong with you, but you are different. Just like I’m different and so is Miah.”

  “What do you mean different?” Nathan asked.

  He was being stubborn. He wasn’t willing to admit he was special. This was going to take forever and we needed to get to the last two as soon as possible.

  “Miah can sometimes see the future. She sees when bad things might happen to some people and is able to stop those things from happening. I have super speed. I can move from one point to another in the blink of an eye.”

  “Show me,” Nathan demanded.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t in this room,” Dylan said. “It’s a safe room. Nobody’s abilities work in here. After we’ve chatted for a bit, maybe we can go outside and I can show you. Why don’t you tell us a little about you?”

  Nathan eyed the room suspiciously, but didn’t get up to try and leave like I thought he might. I kept my eyes on him the whole time. His posture relaxed a little bit, but he was still tense. Having Miah and Dylan in there with him was the best idea we’d had since meeting Nathan.

  “Not yet,” Nathan said. “I have more questions. Did the same people who knocked me out get you guys? Where are you from? What do they want with us?”

  I figured it was good he was asking questions, but we really didn’t have time for this and I wasn’t going to leave Arvata until we had this particular situation under control.

  “They didn’t have to knock us out.” Miah smiled. “We were a little more willing, though I did run from them when I first saw them because I had a vision that they’d take me somewhere while I was unconscious. Maybe they would have if I hadn’t changed my mind.”

  “Mine was a little stranger than that,” Dylan added, “but I don’t think we’re ready for that conversation yet. Miah is from Washington and I’m from Georgia. The people who took you saved you from something far worse, I promise. Once you’re willing to talk to us and understand the dangers, they’ll let you go home if that’s what you prefer.”

  Nathan settled back into his chair and let his head fall back. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The room was silent for several minutes before Nathan decided he was ready to talk.

  “I’ve been on my own for longer than I care to admit. Nobody has ever been able to touch with me without feeling pain. I don’t trust anyone and you’re asking me to do that now. I don’t know that I can.”

  Miah walked over to Nathan and sat next to him. He flinched and pulled away, but Miah didn’t let him pull back completely. “This room is safe. We can touch you and nothing will happen.” She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “Maybe if they can do it to this room, they can figure out how to help you as well. You don’t have to suffer alone anymore. We want to help you.”

  “You don’t even know me,” he whispered. “Why?”

  My heart broke for this teenager. Nobody in his entire life wanted to help him. Even if nobody knew how to help, he should have had someone there to love him and tell him everything would be okay. A few tears leaked out from my eyes and I snuggled into Lucas for comfort.

  “Because that’s what they do for our kind,” Dylan said. “We’re just as new to this world as you, but I know there isn’t one person outside this room that wouldn’t do whatever was possible to help you or either of us.”

  “My skin gives off electricity,” Nathan said solemnly. “I can’t touch another human or animal without sending currents through their body. As far as I know, it only works on living things. I can touch metal or other objects without any issues.”

  Miah gently touched his arm again, “Thank you for sharing that with us. Do you think you’d like to meet the others more formally this time without freaking out?”

  “Yeah, I probably owe them an apology for being so rude.”

  “I’d say they owe you one.” Dylan laughed. “You’re the one who got knocked out. One more thing, though. We’re not exactly anywhere you’d recognize.”

  “Let’s just go meet with the others and take things one at a time,” Miah said.

  I turned to Lorelle before they walked out of the room. “Do you think we will be able to find something to help him?”

  “I have just the thing for him.” She smiled widely. “He’s going to be more than okay with us. I’ll be right back.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Lorelle left the room and went who knows where. The rest of us walked out and met Miah, Dylan and Nathan in the hallway. Nathan still looked skittish and uncertain that he made the right choice to calm down and listen to us.

  “Hello, again.” I smiled at him. “Sorry for scaring you before. There is never an easy way to make introductions like this.”

  He looked around at each of us, “As long as nobody hits me with whatever that was before, I think we will be fine for now.”

  Lorelle came around the corner and laughed. “We won’t be throwing anything else at yo
u unless you do something stupid, but I will give you something to help make your life easier.”

  Nathan’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed up as Lorelle walked toward him. She put her hands up in a friendly surrender sort of way and continued walking. She was braver than I was. I had no desire to find out how strong his electricity ability was.

  “Calm down and put your arm out,” Lorelle huffed.

  She had a thin silver band in her hand. It was connected with a blue emerald-cut stone in the middle. She opened the bracelet and waited for Nathan to put his arm out as requested. Slowly, his arm came up, but I noticed his other hand was wide open and ready to be on the defense, if necessary.

  Lorelle placed the band around his wrist without ever touching him and clicked it closed. She touched her finger to the blue stone and a purple hue surrounded it briefly. Once the color went away, Lorelle placed her hand on Nathan’s arm and smiled.

  “Perfect,” she said. “You’re free to be around whoever you’d like now without fear of hurting them.”

  “What did you do to me?” he seethed. “I never said I wanted it to go away!”

  “Oh, calm down. Press the stone in the middle for a few seconds until you see it light up and then the shield will be removed. When you want the shield back up, just press the stone again until the light fades.”

  He had to be impressed with that. Even I was in awe that we had a device with magic properties like that and wondered what other gadgets I didn’t know about. I hoped this would be enough to help Nathan realize we were the good guys. We truly meant him no harm.

  “Sorry,” Nathan said. “I’ve never had anyone who has known about my abilities actually want to help me. I’ve been on the run since I was a kid, hiding from people who wanted to use me as a weapon or make me their test subject.”

  No wonder he was halfway out his window with a bag packed when we arrived. He thought we were there for completely different reasons. I couldn’t wait to meet the asshat who did this to these kids. He deserved so much worse than what we were going to be able to do, but as long as he couldn’t harm another child, that would have to be enough.