The Taking 02: Hover

by Melissa West

  I reach out to touch the exposed skin, but stop mid-motion as my gaze falls on a series of tiny markings on his back. They’re darker than the rest of his golden skin, almost green, and so close together I wonder if they connect somewhere underneath his shirt. Unable to stop myself, I lean closer, so close my face is mere inches from him. I’m so distracted by the markings that I don’t notice Jackson wake up right away, nor the strange stare he’s giving me until it’s too late. “Um, what are you doing?”

  I jerk up. “I was—I mean I wasn’t—it isn’t what—” I clear my throat. “Nothing. I’m not doing anything. What about you? I mean, obviously you were sleeping but why in the middle of the day?”

  He looks away at the question. “Oh, I just had a—wait, stop trying to change the subject. Why were you about to kiss my back?”

  My face lights up with embarrassment. “That wasn’t what I was doing. I was…”

  He cocks an eyebrow at me and sits up. “You were…?”

  I have no idea what to say. If I admit that I was looking at the markings, he’s likely to get self-conscious, maybe even angry. But I don’t want him to think I was being weird either. I decide on the truth. “You were sleeping when I came in, and I just…I wanted to watch you sleep. I’m sorry.” His eyes find mine and the warmth I feel so often around him returns. He has a way of piercing me with his stare, as though he can see me more clearly than anyone else has dared.

  “I’m sorry,” I say again, looking away. I expect Jackson to question me more, when instead he changes the subject.

  “I’m sorry about earlier.”

  For a moment I have no idea what he means, then I remember RES training. It feels like days ago after what I just witnessed. I waste no time, diving directly into what happened. I continue on until I’ve given him every detail that I can remember. When I’m done, I let my gaze settle on his. “We need to call Earth.”

  Jackson stands, looking uneasy. “I’ll go send the message. It smells like Vill made dinner. Go grab something to eat and we’ll wait for Law or your dad to respond.” He starts for the door and I grab his arm.

  “What do you think’s going to happen? Will he really kill someone every day until they agree to coexistence? The Ancients here won’t stand by and let this happen, will they?”

  He sighs. “You don’t understand, Ari. Most of them aren’t fighters, they don’t have it in them. Whether they agree with what he’s doing or not doesn’t matter. They don’t have the will to stand up to him.”

  “Not yet.”

  I feel a plan developing in my mind even before I’ve thought through how impossible it will be to implement. Most here fear him. Emmy is all but begging me to help get everyone to Earth. The Ancients aren’t loyal to Zeus, they’re just too afraid of him to stand up.

  Well, that’s about to change. It’s time the Ancients rebel, and I’m just the girl to ignite the rebellion.

  Chapter 15

  An hour later, and we’re out on the porch, waiting to hear from Law or Dad. Jackson keeps going in to check, over and over again, but we’ve yet to receive a reply or even a hint that he received our request. My nerves are wound so tightly my foot refuses to stop tapping and I’ve cracked every knuckle I have at least three times. Someone is going to die tomorrow, and unless a miracle occurs, we’re not going to be able to stop it.

  I place my head in my hands and rub my forehead, wishing I could think of something to do.

  “Tell me about Earth,” Vill says from beside me. I know he’s just trying to take my mind off of things, but for some reason I decide to play along.

  “Were you not there often?”

  Vill shakes his head. “Only at night for the Taking. I’ve only seen what you humans wear to sleep.” He laughs loudly.

  “What? Did your assigned human wear something strange?”

  He grins wide, almost embarrassed. “Ah, I wouldn’t call it odd. He just wore…very little. He was an older man and thankfully he was always fast asleep by the time I arrived. I don’t know that I could have handled it if he were awake.” He shudders, and we both break into laughter at the thought. “Most of us have very little experience with humans, which is why you’re so interesting to us here. We received our assigned human and were told to go Take. I remember being so afraid the first time. I had never seen a human before and it isn’t like our parents could go with us. I released from my Taking tree and just stood there, staring at the small house with my assigned human inside. They’d prepped us here on what to do during the Taking and why. Xylem is sort of a strange thing. It learns, advances, it becomes what it needs to be. But originally, we could not at all fight off the basic illnesses of your world. We tried. Zeus said we would Take to train our bodies how to cope in your world. He never believed that we truly needed you. Of course he was wrong and lots of test subjects died.”

  “Test subjects? Do you mean…”

  He nods. “He would have certain Logeans stop Taking to see what the reaction would be. First a day, then a week, then a month, each time sending them to Earth to live to analyze how they sustained. Most died.”

  I don’t realize I’m gripping my chest until Vill motions to my hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s okay. I just…I don’t know, it sounds so cruel. I mean, I can’t imagine anyone would volunteer for those spots. It’s awful. I don’t see how you tolerate him.”

  I have no idea what Jackson’s upbringing must have been like, but talking to Vill makes me wonder how he endured. Any fear and control Zeus has over the rest of Loge must be nothing compared to what life has been like here for Jackson. An overwhelming sense of sadness washes over me and for a moment all I can think is, No wonder he lied about being Zeus’s grandson. Who would want to admit to that horror?

  Jackson comes back onto the porch, his eyes locking on mine, and I know I must be exposing everything I’m thinking, hanging it on my shoulder for any and everyone to see, but I can’t push it away. I have never in my life met anyone more unstable and frightening than Zeus, and now looking at Jackson, knowing what he must have suffered, I realize that I have never known anyone as strong as Jackson. He’s so guarded that I forget the sacrifices he makes daily, many of which are for me. The calls home. Allowing me to live here instead of with the other humans. The constant questions that Zeus would never approve of him answering. How many times has he returned home from training with blood on his shirt, only for me to push him further and further? I draw a jagged breath as the emotions threaten to overcome me. And as though Jackson is reading every thought I’m having, he comes closer, leaning in so only I can hear him. “You all right?”

  Vill glances from Jackson to me. “I’ll just…go get a drink. You two talk.”

  I nod, fighting to keep my tears in check as I focus on Jackson. “I’m sorry if I’ve made things harder for you. I—I had no idea it was so bad.”

  He shrugs. “I’m conscious when I make my choices, Ari, and regardless of what you think, I’m not afraid of what he might do to me. He can try, but he will never break me.”

  The conviction in his voice is so strong that I reach out for his hand without realizing it, intertwining my fingers with his, our eyes holding.

  “Ari…”

  I shake my head just a touch. “Don’t. Not now.”

  He pulls me closer still, and I lay my head on his shoulder, needing his comfort and warmth. His breath glides down my neck. I know his lips must be close, and I want more than anything for him to kiss me, to feel his full lips envelop mine so I lose myself in him. He draws a breath and blows out slowly, sending a cool breeze over my skin. And I can’t help it, all control is somehow lost in the back of my mind. I tilt my head toward him, knowing I’m pushing this further than I’m ready to go. He pulls away to look at me, his eyes searching mine for answers, permission, something, and then suddenly everything gets bad.

  Vill rushes back outside. “Emmy called. It’s Mami. You have to go. Now.”

&n
bsp; Jackson is off the porch in one leap, walking so fast he’s almost running. It takes everything in me to keep up with him, my heart banging against my chest the entire way.

  Something is wrong, way wrong. A flood of emotions pours off Jackson in waves, his every feeling exposed.

  We race past Zeus’s building and around to the back, where a tiny path leads up to a massive house on a hill. The house is the same wood as the rest of the homes in Triad, but this house is four or five times larger than any other I’ve seen and constructed with as much glass as wood. There are no lights on inside the house except for a tiny one in the top left corner.

  “Get her out of here,” Jackson yells, and Vill wraps his hand gently around my arm to stop me.

  “You shouldn’t be here, Ari. I’ll take you back.”

  “What?” My chest pumps from adrenaline. “I’m not going anywhere. What’s happened to Mami?”

  While we’ve been talking, Jackson is already halfway to the house, and I shake free from Vill to try to catch up. I don’t want him to have to face whatever is inside alone…even if every part of me is shaking from fear. What has Zeus done to Mami to cause Jackson to rush here so quickly? I am almost to Jackson, when he wheels around, his eyes raging. “Go back with Vill.”

  I shake my head. “No. I can help you. I can—”

  “Aren’t you listening? I don’t need your help! I need you away from here.” Suddenly something crashes from within the house and Jackson’s face pales. I take a step forward, every nerve in my body telling me to get in there, to help, to do something other than stand here and listen while whatever horror happens inside that house. But Jackson throws his hands up, urging me to stop, his anger so visible it feels like a living thing. He rakes a hand through his hair, his chest pounding visibly through his shirt. His eyes flash to Vill. “Get her out of here. Right now. Get her out of my sight.”

  I cover my mouth with a shaking hand, fighting hard to hold my emotions in. “Jackson…”

  “Don’t you get that I don’t want you to see this? I don’t want you anywhere near this. Just go. Please. Go!”

  Another crash echoes from the house and he whips around then back to me, and I step away, not wanting his concern for me to keep him from doing what he needs to do. “Go.”

  Jackson disappears inside the house, and Vill tugs on my arm for me to go with him. I don’t want to leave. I want to sit on the ground and wait. I want to go in and help. I want to do something so badly that my body twitches with the impulse. But I force myself, for Jackson’s sake, to head back to our house. We’re silent the entire walk, my hands linked by my mouth, while my mind tries frantically to figure out what just happened.

  “Vill…” I say finally as we reach the house. “What happened?”

  “I can’t, Ari,” he says and I feel my own anger bubbling to the surface.

  “Tell me what’s going on. What happened to Mami? Is it Zeus? What did he do?” But he just looks away as though I hadn’t spoken at all. “Vill?”

  He presses his lips together and looks down. “This isn’t my story to tell, Ari. He wouldn’t want me to say anything. He’s…”

  “So we’re supposed to just wait here, not knowing what has happened or what might happen to them while they’re there? Do you hear how insane that sounds? They could use our help. You don’t just stand around while your friends are in trouble!”

  “Look,” Vill says, “I know you’re built to act first and think later, but that’s not the right way to deal with things here. Especially not with Zeus. If we get too involved he’ll just take it out on J.C. or worse, Mami. The best thing we can do is wait for him to get back.”

  Without anything else to do, I find myself out on the front porch, in the pitch-blackness, my legs tucked up tight to my chest as I wait for Jackson to return. Worried thoughts rummage through my mind, each more terrible than the last. I wish I were one of those people who could think positively in bad situations, but I’m not and never have been, and right now all I can see is the combination of anger and terror on Jackson’s face when we heard the second crash.

  I lay my head on my knees, growing so tired it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open, and then before I know it something startles me awake. I clamber to standing, my mind fuzzy as I try to figure out how long I’ve been asleep.

  And then I hear what must have woken me.

  Shouts cry out from inside the house and I stumble forward, shaking the last of sleep from my mind and blinking hard to try to focus my vision. When I reach the common room, Jackson and Vill are arguing.

  “Back off,” Jackson says, pushing Vill back. “I don’t need your opinion on this. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen. You don’t have to wonder if today is the day they tell you she’s gone. I won’t let him hurt her anymore.”

  That’s when I notice the metal piece in Jackson’s hand. A small knife with an ornate hilt, but the way Jackson grips it tells me the knife must be much more of a weapon than it seems. I edge closer, unsure of what to say or do.

  “I know how you feel. She matters to me too, but this isn’t the answer. You’re just going to get yourself killed. Besides, do you really think this is what Mami wants?”

  Jackson shrugs the words away uncomfortably. “She doesn’t know what she wants. She’s willing to stay beside him out of loyalty. There is no reason to stay loyal to Zeus.”

  Vill flinches at Jackson’s words, which just causes Jackson to shout louder, and then I can see it—see him slowly losing all control and sanity. He grips his head, the knife still in his hand. And in that second Vill storms him. But he has nothing on Jackson, who spins out of the contact and pulls the blade defensively.

  “Don’t!” I shout. And that’s when Jackson’s eyes land on me, wild and filled with so much hurt that it feels like someone punched me in the chest. He raises his hands in a helpless surrender and drops the knife to the ground, only to start trashing the room, breaking chairs and tables and smashing anything and everything he can find to throw.

  Unable to watch any longer, I rush toward him and duck just as one of Vill’s carvings comes hurling past my head. I grip Jackson’s left hand hard and position myself in front of him, forcing his head to straighten with my other hand. Vill yells for me to get out of the way, and I can tell by his tone he’s worried Jackson may accidentally hurt me.

  “Breathe. Just breathe,” I say to him, trying to hold his gaze on mine. “It’s not your fault.”

  He stammers, his eyes everywhere, and then they finally meet mine…and my heart breaks into a thousand tiny pieces. He looks like a little boy, lost and afraid. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay,” I say. Jackson, losing the fight in him, collapses to his knees, burying his head in my stomach. His body wrenches and I know it’s taking all his strength not to cry. I wrap my arms around him and say soothing things over and over until his breathing calms and the tension in his body relaxes. My mind reels with worried thoughts. What happened back there to cause Jackson to react like this? Is Mami okay? Is she alive?

  “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” I eye Vill to help me, and that’s when I notice the blood all over Jackson’s hands and arms. “Is that his or…?” I whisper to Vill, petrified that he’s about to tell me Mami didn’t survive.

  “His from all of this.” Vill motions around the room, which is completely destroyed in every way.

  “Does this happen a lot?”

  “It’s the first time he’s lost it this bad.”

  I nod, not wanting to talk about Jackson anymore as though he isn’t here, listening. Vill gets him to bed, while I wet a cloth to clean him up. Finally after several trips back and forth to the bathroom, we have his hands and arms clean and the cuts treated with some herbal ointment.

  I close the door behind me, and whisper to Vill, “Can you talk for a second?”

  He shrugs, but I can tell he’s hesitant.

  “Is Mami okay?” I ask, eager to know how she’s doing, but also wanting to know how to handle Jac
kson if he starts talking about her.

  Vill releases a long breath, and I can tell he’s exhausted in every way. “She was very bruised when he got to her. She wouldn’t tell him exactly what happened, though it sounds pretty obvious.”

  My eyes find the ground as I picture a fragile, bruised Mami. How could Zeus hurt her like this? Does he care for no one? “I wish I could have helped.”

  He shakes his head and starts for his room. “Jackson wouldn’t want anyone else around.”

  “But he would have let you go.”

  “That’s different. Mami is Emmy’s sister, so she counts on me to help when I can. Plus, I’ve been around this for a long time. Jackson doesn’t have to hide it from me.” He yawns wide. “Let me know if you need help with him.”

  He closes his door and I’m left alone in the hallway with my thoughts. So Jackson and Vill are related. That makes sense. They’ve always seemed closer than friends, which explains why Vill was on me to understand what Jackson’s life has been like here. He knows more than anyone else what Jackson has to deal with because he has seen it first hand.

  I slip back into Jackson and my room, my stomach in knots.

  I sit down beside him on the bed, brushing his hair from his face. He looks so young, so vulnerable, so absolutely wrecked. And then as though I’d spoken the words aloud, his eyes ease open and he whispers in a sleep fogged voice, “I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I shouldn’t have…” He trails off, his eyes closing again. He’s silent for several moments and I start to rise, sure that he’s fallen asleep, when he reaches out for my hand. “Don’t go. Just…can you lay with me?” I lie down beside him, staring at the ceiling, and wishing more than anything I could ask the questions running through my mind.

  “He locked her in a room in the attic,” Jackson says into the darkness. “By force. Like she was nothing, like he had never once cared for her. And what’s worse, he makes her think she deserves it.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I pause. “Why do you think she allows it?” I ask, hopeful that I don’t sound insensitive.