by M. Goldsmith
“What happened?” Hawk asked impatiently.
“Charles was angry and tense constantly. He loathed my presence. No matter what I did, or how hard I tried to be friendly, or helpful, it made no difference. Of course, he had no way of knowing that I was twice his age and from Aether. Admittedly, my life experience and my gifts gave me numerous advantages in med school.”
Although Kai had excelled academically, he longed for home and the warmth of its people. He had missed Laurel every day just as he had for the previous fifteen years. Even though they weren’t together any longer, at least in Aether, he saw her regularly. His father had been right about what he said the day Storm died. Pushing Laurel away was the biggest mistake of his life. He didn’t realize it at the time, but he would never love another woman the way he loved Laurel.
Kai continued, “Living among the ordinary humans, away from Aether, was beyond challenging. I despised hiding who I really was. Plus, Charles persistently stalked me. He was always lurking in the shadows. It was as if he knew I was concealing something.” Kai rubbed at his temples. “That’s when the threats began,” he said with a sigh. “He told me he knew I was cheating, and he was determined to prove it.”
Hawk asked his friend, sounding puzzled, “How come you never told me this was happening? I know we didn’t get a chance to speak very often, but we always hung out every time you came home from school. You never even hinted something was wrong.”
Kai hung his head. “I never told anyone how miserable I was. Especially the first year when I had to share a room with Charles. I didn’t want everyone to worry, or worse yet, ask me to give up and return home to Aether. I felt it was my duty and my responsibility to our people to become a doctor. In hindsight that was another error in judgement.” Sarcasm laced his voice on his last words.
“You couldn’t have known, Kai. Barrington was just a kid at the time. Who would have ever thought he would turn into such a nightmare for Aether, and Ash.”
Kai looked up and let out a huge breath before he went on. “Charles’ resentment toward me grew on a daily basis. He became increasingly obsessed with me, and he clearly interpreted my abilities and intelligence to be false.”
Jumping in, Hawk said, “That’s total bullshit! Everyone knows you’re the smartest guy around. We both know it’s not the case with everyone in Aether. You being smart has nothing to do with Aether, Kai. That’s all you, buddy.”
“Thanks for saying that. But you don’t understand. His need to please his father was psychoneurotic, it was unnerving to say the least. Charles strived to be number one, but he was always one step behind me. It made him crazy, I should’ve seen there was something deeper. He grew more and more cold and merciless always sabotaging my work, wrecking my lab experiments, and endeavoring to turn the other students against me. He feed them lies about my alleged deceiving ways.”
Hawk interjected, “No one could possibly believe such a load of crap about you. What happened after that?”
“Most of the other students became accustomed to Charles’ overly competitive nature and stopped believing I was a cheater. I was unfailingly polite, helpful, and friendly to everyone but never formed any close bonds. The others were friendly in return, but I was forced to maintain my distance, keeping every relationship casual.” Kai’s shoulders dropped and he lowered his head shaking it back and forth. “I guess I felt pretty alone at the time.”
Hawk glanced up from the road to look at his friend. “I’m so sorry I didn’t know. Maybe I could’ve helped you somehow.”
“I managed to get through it. After the first desolate year living with Charles, things improved for me. I secured a single room on the third floor far away from Charles Barrington. Though, my true solace was the water, floating, diving, it didn’t matter to me. The feel of the cool water on my skin gave me the comfort and feeling of home. It was during one of my excursions to the water senior year that had likely confirmed Charles’ suspicions about my gifts.” Kai was lost once again in his memories of the past.
****
Kai crept along under the cover of darkness. At the time, he was unaware Charles had tracked him from the dorm. When he reached the lake, he removed his clothing and placed it neatly on the grass. Diving deep into the water to calm his ever-present anxiety, he swam gliding along the crystal-clear bottom. Surfacing near the floating dock in the middle of the lake, he brought forth his power connecting him to the water. Kai created a wave and the whitecap crested gently surrounding him to his waist. Slowly he coasted along allowing the force to guide him. When he neared the dock, the swell lifted his body until he was level with the edge, and he simply stepped off onto the rough wooden surface.
A thump against the dock startled Kai. When he turned, he gazed down at a small canoe bobbing in the wake. There, glaring back, was his nemesis Charles Barrington with his mouth agape. “Www-what the hell are you? How did you do that?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Charlie.” Kai used the nickname Barrington despised. He knew he probably shouldn’t provoke him further, but he couldn’t resist.
“I saw you stay under the water for a really long time. And then…then you came straight up out of the water and onto the dock without using the ladder. I-I-I saw you. You’re a freak, Sanders! I always knew there was something very odd about you, but I had no idea to what extent.”
Stepping closer to the canoe, Kai relaxed his posture. “Listen, Charles, I don’t know what you think you saw, but I didn’t do anything.” Retreating back a bit, his hands raised in surrender, Kai pacified Charles. “It’s late, and it’s dark. You’ve been working really hard lately, and perhaps your imagination is running away with you.”
“I’m not sure exactly what I saw, but I know I saw something.” Agitated, Charles rocked the canoe splashing water onto the dock and Kai’s bare feet. “You’re some kind of mutant! I may not be able to prove it to anybody right now, but in time I will. And you’ll be sorry.”
“Charles, I really don’t understand why you harbor such resentment toward me. What have I ever done to offend you? Your family obviously has lots of money. You drive a Ferrari for God’s sake. You’re one of the top students in our class. You have a lovely girlfriend.”
“I’m supposed to be number one, you fool, not you.” Pointing back and forth between himself and Kai, Charles’ voice became shrill. “My father and grandfather were both number one in their med school classes. It’s expected of me. If it weren’t for you, I would be. As for Olivia, I better not even catch you looking at her.”
Olivia Royce was Charles’ girlfriend. She was still an undergraduate, and all the guys were crazy for her. Olivia was beautiful, smart, and sweet. Kai never understood why she was with Barrington.
“I have no interest in Olivia. My only interest is to finish our last few months here and match with a top surgical residency. I’ll tell you what, you stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you,” Kai proposed.
“I’m not bargaining with you, Sanders, you’re a freak. You think you’re better than the rest of us. Just stay away from me.” Using his paddle, Charles pushed off the dock and had disappeared into the darkness, leaving Kai speechless.
****
“After our encounter I steered clear of Barrington,” Kai admitted. “He didn’t so much as acknowledge my existence after that night. I thought he might be scared of me and that was why he backed off. I guess I was wrong. I don’t know how he knows about Aether. And I certainly don’t know how he knows about Ashlyn.”
“It seems crazy this guy could hate you so much after all these years. Why wait so long? And what the hell does he want with Ash?”
“I haven’t seen the man since a mandatory conference when we were all residents. He was the same asshole then, too. He got drunk and was belittling Olivia in front of everyone. He went off with another woman. It was strange. There was a sadness in her eyes and a darkness. But I got the sense she didn’t really care that Charles left with someone els
e. She wouldn’t tell me anything, but I knew she was hiding something. I remember we sat at the bar for a long time talking and drinking. I was drunk and lonely. She was beautiful, soft, and lovely. We probably got closer than we should’ve, and I worried about her safety if Charles ever found out.” Kai brushed off the memory of the intimacy. “They didn’t show up the next day at the brunch the University hosted. I often wondered how Olivia fared, but I never saw either of them again after that night.”
The console vibrated as Hawk’s phone jumped around interrupting the conversation. Kai picked it up and listened for a few minutes before closing the phone. “Hawk, we really need to hurry. Apparently, there are some very odd things going on in Aether.”
****
Laurel
Curled up on her couch Laurel felt safe if not a bit smothered by those who loved her. Her parents truly meant well, but their hovering was driving her insane. She couldn’t really blame them after what had happened to her, and especially after Ashlyn was taken from Aether.
She nibbled on the corner of her thumbnail as nagging worry about Ash persisted. Laurel’s self-condemnation consumed her causing her stomach to tighten in knots. Ash had sacrificed herself to save her. Debilitating nightmares plagued Laurel. Every time she closed her eyes, ghastly figures surrounded her with guns. Massive men dressed in black, with concealed faces, chased her through the woods. When she awoke, her heart was pounding and her palms were sticky with sweat.
A light rapping on her front door chased away the horrible images. Yanking it open, she revealed a serious looking Kai. “Hi, mind if I come in. I need to talk to you?”
Stepping out of the way to make room for him to enter, she closed her eyes for a brief second. “Of course, come in.”
“I have to tell you something important.”
“Oh my God, is it Ash?” she whispered, in a barely audible tone. Laurel all but dragged him to the couch and pulled him to sit beside her.
“Yes and no. We haven’t found her if that’s what you mean, but we did discover some very important information at the library.” She noticed the rise and fall of his chest and his loud exhale before he seemed able to continue. “First of all, you should know Hawk made contact with her again and she’s hanging in there for now. He told her you were home and safe. Hawk said she was very relieved and happy to hear you hadn’t been taken. I think their connection is getting stronger, and hopefully we can use it to our advantage somehow. Hawk dropped me off and went to see his grandfather. Apparently, there are some odd things going on, in, and around the South Tower.”
“Yes, I heard. The Vessel of Fire has been surging with flame one minute, and then the next moment, the flame has been barely visible. Also, Rowan told my mother the flame on their stove top seems to have a mind of its own. There were even some small fires breaking out in the Village Square in front of the Tower. Everyone is really nervous. Raven and Sol were up in the Atrium seeing if they could figure it out. It seems the balance of the Elements is off with Ashlyn in captivity. We need her back.”
“Listen, Laurel, about that. I want you to hear this from me before everyone in Aether is talking about it.”
“What is it? You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I don’t want to scare you, but I need to be completely honest with you. I can’t stand the thought of giving you another reason to hate me, but it’s my fault that Ash was taken.” Kai looked down at the floor seemingly unable to make eye contact with her. He looked worried, and Laurel wondered what he was thinking. He had asked for her forgiveness, and she was really trying to let go of the hurt and pain of the past. There was obviously something else going on, something connected to Ashlyn.
Laurel took his hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. I could never hate you, Kai. Well, maybe I hated you a little,” she said, with a half joking smirk, “but how on earth could Ash being taken possibly be your fault?”
Kai gently tugged his hand away. Taken aback, she couldn’t understand why he suddenly wouldn’t touch her. He proceeded to tell her the entire sordid tale about his relationship with Charles Barrington. He included Barrington’s connection to CEB laboratories, Charles’ suspicions about Kai, and even about his one night encounter with Olivia Royce. “I want to be totally honest with you, and I don’t want any secrets between us. I’ve kept my distance from you for far too long.”
Laurel listened quietly allowing him to finish before speaking. “Kai, hear me, and hear me well. Just because Barrington resented you, does not, in any way, make this your fault. You had no way of knowing he would be so full of vengeance especially after so many years. How could you possibly know he found out about Aether?”
“What I just can’t figure out is how he knew about the village. I mean, I know he was suspicious of me and my powers, but I didn’t think he really processed what he saw that night on the lake. And after that, I was more cautious than ever, and I rarely used my gifts in even the smallest of ways. Why wait so long for vengeance? And what could his hatred for me possibly have to do with Ash?”
“I understand what you are saying. I do. Obviously, Barrington has some sort of sick plan in mind, and those men he sent, they meant serious business.”
Kai dug into his pocket and pulled out his buzzing phone, indicating a text message. “Hawk is on his way over, he’ll be here any second,” he said. Abruptly halting their conversation, he moved to the door.
Hawk walked straight in as Kai stood with the door wide open as a way of a greeting. He went directly to Laurel and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
“I’m doing a lot better, just a little tired still. The truth is my parents are driving me completely bananas. Can you say helicopter?” She chuckled, while twirling her finger in a circle.
“I’m sure you can understand how they feel. We all thought we might lose you. I know it was frightening for you, but it was pure torture for Canyon and Zarina. They love you with everything they have,” Kai chimed in.
“Of course, I understand, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Enough about me, what’s up, Hawk?”
“The Elders want to see all of us. Are you feeling up to it, Laurel?”
Laurel jumped to her feet ready to walk out the door immediately. Kai bent down dangling her shoes in front of her, laughing. “I know you’re itching to get out of here, but maybe you want to put these on? I’m also going to send your father a quick text to let him know where we went. I don’t want him to have a conniption.”
Rolling her eyes, she yanked her shoes out of Kai’s hands and shoved her feet in without untying them. “Happy? Let’s get out of here before I go stir crazy.”
The three walked in silence toward the Council Chambers. Laurel’s knuckles brushed against Kai’s. He grasped her hand tightly. The heat of his touch warmed her as he intertwined their fingers. Gently squeezing his hand, she offered her support. Charles Barrington was to blame, not Kai. Laurel was certain when Hawk and the other Protectors got ahold of Barrington, he would surely regret messing with the people of Aether and especially with Ashlyn.
The large wooden door to the Council Chambers gave a loud creak as Hawk pushed it opened. Bear was standing by the reception desk waiting for them when the groan of the old wood announced their arrival. Laurel swallowed a lump in her throat as the imposing looking Elder approached her. He enfolded her in his arms hugging her a little too firmly.
“Um, Grandfather, you want to ease up there? I think you’re crushing her,” Hawk said, coming to her rescue.
“I’m so sorry, Laurel dear. I’m just so happy to see you up and around. We have all been terribly worried about you.”
“Thank you, Sir. I’m feeling fine now thanks to Kai and of course, the Protectors for finding the drug.”
“Please join me inside. The rest of the Elders, along with River, are waiting to speak with all of you. Hawk filled me in on what’s been uncovered, but I want the others to hear it directly from the three people mo
st closely involved in this situation.”
Laurel seized Kai’s hand offering a silent pledge she would stand by him regardless of the Elders reaction. She knew he would feel guilty in spite of what anyone else thought. Kai anchored her to his side seeming to not only accept her support, but truly need it. Even with all that was going on, her world felt right again with Kai at her side.
Power emanated through the Council Chamber. Laurel gasped as they entered the grand space. The room was cavernous minus the expected echo. Her belly fluttered, and she felt like an intruder being in the Chamber for the very first time. The room was dominated by a massive conference table. The highly glossed wooden surface reflected the pendent lights hanging above creating a magical luminescence.
Bear gestured toward a beautiful seating area large enough to accommodate a dozen people, and yet it still felt personal and cozy. “Please make yourselves comfortable.”
Laurel ran her hand over the smooth leather. “We’re sitting here?”
Bear faced them, turning serious. “This is not an inquisition, my dear. We are merely seeking detailed information so we may save our Fire Guardian and protect Aether.”
They had yet to take their seats when the other Elders and River filed in. Kai turned toward Laurel and looked into her eyes the way she hoped he would have when Storm died. His gaze was intense as his steadfast grip tightened around her hand. He clearly needed her, and she squeezed back in response. They remained standing out of respect to their community’s highest-ranking members. The Elders were indeed an awe-inspiring group, not to mention, quite an imposing collection of individuals. Together they could make even the strongest of people squirm.
Taking their seats, Laurel wedged herself in between Kai and Hawk. Inching closer to Kai, her leg made contact with his muscled thigh and her body tensed.
She focused on Bear instead of her racing emotions. Bear’s broad shoulders filled the oversized chair he occupied. His strong presence made her sit up a little taller. “Welcome to the Council Chambers. We thank you all for coming. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are very grateful you have been returned to us, Laurel. Can you please tell us what happened the night you and Ashlyn were attacked?”
