Quintessence (Statera Saga Book 2)

by Amy Marie

  “Interpretation of what?” I wonder, looking around at the clocks.

  “Only you know the answer to that question,” he says with a shrug.

  “Have I died, then?” I ask, suddenly filled with dread.

  “If you had, under the present looming circumstances, I don’t think we would exist, even here,” he says.

  “What am I doing here then?” I ask.

  “Judging by the clocks, I would say you were waiting,” he raises his brows.

  “Why would I wait, when so much is on the line?” I shake my head.

  “Sometimes you have no choice.”

  “These clocks aren’t just here to help me wait, are they? There’s something else about them. Something important.”

  “I think there may be,” he glances around, and then back to me.

  “What is it?” I ask, struggling to comprehend.

  Gabriel gently grabs my hand. “If you held the knowledge of what is represented here, what would you do? Would you break some of these clocks, move them, or turn back the time on others?”

  “No, of course not,” I say, somehow knowing I don’t want to disturb a single thing here.

  “Then does it matter? Knowledge is not power. Knowing what the clocks represent will not stop them from ticking. It won’t change a thing about them, it will only change you, and certainly not for the better. It is not your place to disturb them, only to admire them.”

  “But if I know, I can know how to help,” I argue.

  “A lesson in faith, my dear. You don’t need to know to help, you just need to believe they are each worth something, and let them tick away.” He lets go of my hand, and begins to pace the hall in his own admiration.

  “Do they ever break?” I venture the question, taking a few steps down the hall to follow him.

  “They do, I suppose. But most just get re-wound and moved to another room.” He turns to look down the corridor.

  Gazing down the long line of clocks, I let his words sink in, and find peace in them.

  And suddenly, it makes sense.

  “Where is my clock?” I glance around.

  “Still ticking,” he smiles.

  “And yours?” I ask.

  “Perhaps in another room,” he shrugs with a grin.

  I grab his hand this time. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel. I wish I had done more. I wish I could have saved you. I wish I could have saved Uncle Mike.” Tears fill my eyes.

  “It’s not your fault, my dear. Please don’t cry. There’s nothing you could have done,” he moves to embrace me in comfort.

  “I… she… we loved you. You were like family,” I say to him, but also to all guardians.

  “We were. And always will be,” he strokes my back gently.

  One of the clocks begins to chime.

  “Time to go back,” he whispers to me, holding me in a hug.

  “But what if I fail? What if I can’t stop the emptiness?” I ask, my voice breaking.

  “But what if you can?” he whispers, and I’m swept away into the light.

  Chapter 30

  My eyelashes flutter, tickling my cheek. There’s a breeze in the room. And warmth. I pick up the peaceful sound of trickling waters, and inhale the ripe scent of earth nearby. I’m in a daze, trapped between my surreal dreamscapes and the new reality waking me.

  Even with my eyes closed, I know I’m safely surrounded by the elements. I can feel the envelopment of magical protection surrounding me, a security blanket I haven’t felt in what seems like ages.

  I attempt to move, but there’s pain. Everything hurts.

  “I think she’s waking up.”

  “I’ll get some water.”

  The voices are warm, familiar. I know them. My family.

  What’s left of it.

  Grief catches in my throat. A small tear escapes the corner of my closed eye and runs for my hairline.

  “Nora,” Char’s voice prompts me to slowly open my eyes.

  “Thank God!” Rafe exclaims. “Here you go,” he hands a glass of water to Char, and she turns to help me drink.

  I glance around the unfamiliar room. The elements are set up in a grand scale in what looks like an oversized survival shelter, similar to his sanctuary…

  I can’t go there. Not yet. I’m not ready to think of him.

  To distract my thoughts, I ask, “Where are we?” My voice comes out in a strangled croak.

  “Safe, for the time being,” a strangely accented voice answers, and I turn to find Professor Besim approaching with a steaming bowl of soup. “Eat, light one. You’ll need your strength quickly. You’ve been out for quite a while, and there’s much to be done.”

  “How long have I–” only half of the question is out of my mouth before Char shoves a spoonful of soup in to quiet me.

  “We’ll get to questions later, Nora. Eat up. The others should be here soon,” she says in a clipped tone I’ve never heard her use toward me before.

  I take in Char’s appearance. She looks awful, aged considerably in such a short amount of time, which is not surprising considering everything that’s happened. She’s taken on a serious demeanor, business-like, almost harsh. It’s frightening to see her light-hearted character transformed into this stony woman.

  Rafe frowns down at her, and I find myself wondering if she blames me for what’s happened. First our parents, and now Uncle Mike. Guilt has made itself at home in my mind with every tragedy, and now it makes its presence known once more.

  “Sorry,” I whisper in between spoons of soup.

  Char’s brows turn up and she meets my eyes for a split second. Instantly, she turns to put the soup down and leaves the room. Rafe looks after her, but hesitates, moving to take her place as my caretaker.

  “Go after her. If I can’t manage to feed myself, we’re doomed anyway,” I wave him off, wincing at my bandaged hand.

  He nods gratefully and exits the room.

  I do my best to sit up, but my stomach lurches in pain against the movement. My eyes are drawn down to the bandage at my abdomen.

  “The stitches will need more time to heal,” Besim says.

  Slowly, I prop myself up without jarring my torso. I move to spoon the remaining chicken noodle soup into my mouth, realizing just how hungry I am.

  Professor Besim takes a seat next to my makeshift bed.

  “Your color is looking much better. How do you feel?” he asks.

  “My family is dead, I was left for dead, and Darcy…” my words trail off in pain. Looking into professor Besim’s kind eyes, something centers me and I pull myself together. “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it right now. Needless to say, I don’t feel that great.”

  Professor Besim sits uncomfortably, not quite sure what to say.

  “I apologize, Nora. We didn’t know what happened, we still don’t really. When the main sanctuary was destroyed, your sister and Rafe found you in the rubble and pulled you from the scene. Everything else was just ash and cinder. We didn’t know what happened to Darcy. We never found any sign of him. I found Michael’s body in the library and expected the worst. We all had to react quickly. We… that is to say, we held a double funeral. For all intents and purposes, we thought it’d be best if the world thought you died in the blast.”

  The spoon slips from my hands and drops into my soup with a splash.

  “I’m dead?” I ask.

  “As far as anyone officially knows, yes.”

  “But…” I trail off. “But that’s…”

  “Genius! It was my idea, of course,” Dylan walks through the entrance door carefully, cradling his left arm to his side. He sits by my side and shoots me a goofy grin. “Good to see ya awake!”

  “But I can’t be dead,” I argue. “I have classes and work. I have to support myself. How will I make a living?” I stammer for excuses, but the two men just stare at me like I’m mad.

  Right.

  The world is about to come to an end soon. It’s best if I get my priorities in o
rder.

  “Sorry. I’m just, trying to take it all in,” I say, embarrassed.

  “Not to worry,” Dylan is frighteningly cheerful, all things considered.

  There’s a knock on the door that Dylan just entered, and after a moment, Joe and Tara enter the shelter. Behind them Rafe re-enters, followed by a stiff-looking Char.

  I look at the steel-frame door and wonder again about my surroundings. “I’m sorry, but where are we again?” I ask the professor.

  “We’re in an underground bunker that had been purchased by Michael in the case of an emergency, in terms of hidden sanctuary. We’re still in Boston, but below ground. Off the grid,” he explains without really telling me exactly where we are.

  “Did Darcy know about this place? We could still be in danger,” I say, sitting up in alert and causing pain to shoot through my abdomen, hand, and arm.

  “He knew of its existence, but not of its location,” says Besim.

  “Nora,” Rafe’s voice is so soft I can barely hear him. “Is Darcy…” he trails off, not sure what to ask.

  “He’s alive. In a manner of speaking. He’s been overtaken by the darkness. I’m guessing you know that Lilly was the other destructor by now?” They all shake their heads and I go on to explain how I was tricked into thinking Mrs. Spacey was the second destructor, and how Uncle Mike was killed.

  Tears fill my eyes, but I hold my voice steady describing how Darcy and I fought for our lives when Talbot showed up. But when I describe to them what Lilly did to Talbot, their faces go blank in disbelief.

  “But why would she do that?” asks Tara. “It doesn’t make any sense!”

  “How did she have the power to kill him? I thought they were all… immortal?” asks Rafe in wonder.

  I shake my head to all their questions. I’m still not sure myself.

  “But what about Darcy?” Besim asks.

  “After Lilly took care of Talbot, her powers somehow increased and she was able to consume Darcy in darkness and take control of him. Together they both beat and stabbed me…and left me for dead.” As I say the words, I can’t help but be filled with a bitter betrayal, even knowing about the dark power of possession. Tears flow down my cheeks. “He’s under her control now. She has him.” My words are final, and it’s difficult for me to grasp.

  I bury my face in my hands in embarrassment. I hate crying in front of people.

  The bed sinks near me as someone sits close by.

  I open my eyes to see Char’s tear-streaked face. “Nora, I’m so sorry,” she says, trapping me in her embrace.

  I give in to my pain with her comfort, and let go for a few minutes. The others continue a conversation amongst themselves to try to ease my embarrassment. There’s a slight lifting of my spirits in having my sister back on my side. I wipe my eyes and adjust to rejoin the conversation.

  “What happened to you guys?” I ask Dylan, gesturing to his injuries.

  “We were in for quite the shocker when we got to Lilly’s place,” he explains. “We were searching her apartment for any clues, but the more we looked, the more we realized that there’s no way someone could have actually been living there.”

  “It was just too empty and clean,” adds Joe.

  “And then I noticed the plants,” says Tara. “When I saw that they were fake, it took me a minute to realize exactly what that meant. Everything about the curses and elements was so new to me. But when the gravity of it all dawned on us, we tried to call you and warn you about Lilly, but then Talbot showed up.”

  “What did you guys do?” I ask, becoming breathless listening to the story.

  “Well, we fought. The best we could, at least. I had my destructor-buster, but the lighter jammed. So, we relied on our powers, the old-fashioned way,” explains Dylan.

  “We tried to combine our powers, but it’s obvious we need fire,” says Joe.

  “Darcy tried to sacrifice himself so we could get away, but Talbot was on to him,” says Tara, her voice turning gentle at the mention of Darcy.

  “Talbot got me good, thought I was goner. But it was just a flesh wound. I was able to get away,” says Dylan holding up his arm and wincing.

  “When he attacked Dylan, we all split up,” Joe shrugs with a solemn voice.

  “And that’s when Darcy came to the sanctuary,” I finish the story for them. They all nod in turn.

  Char takes the moment of silence to speak. “When you texted me to stay put, I had no idea the danger you were in. You know we would have come to help, if we would have known. But then Emily showed up. At first, we tried to help her, but then it was clear she was being controlled like the others. She knocked Rafe out, almost killed him. I had no choice, I had to…” her voice is trembling to the point where she can’t speak anymore.

  “She saved me,” Rafe finishes gently.

  That would explain Char’s mood. It’s clear everything that’s happened has really taken a toll on her.

  “I’m sorry you were forced to do that. But you did what you had to do. I couldn’t handle it if anything were to happen to you. You’re all I’ve got left,” I say to her.

  She nods, tears streaming down her face.

  “Not true,” says Tara. “We’re all family now.”

  I press my lips together to hold in my emotion, but nod my head.

  Yes, this is my family.

  “We should let Nora get some rest.” Interrupting my thoughts, Professor Besim stands up and ushers the group out the door. “Nora, I’ll have Dr. Hickey from the medical school come check on you.”

  I nod my head, vaguely recognizing the name from the party that seems like it was ages ago. With gentle movements, I tuck myself down into the makeshift bed and fall asleep.

  Over the next week or so, I push the boundaries of my fortitude to regain my strength and memories from the night Uncle Mike died. I haven’t told anyone yet, but each night I’ve been funneling my power toward my torso and my hand, hoping to help the healing process along. Amazingly, my wounds are healing at a record pace. It seems my light might have some limited healing powers, if I can develop the skill.

  My sleep is filled with terrible nightmares, and Darcy is the star of the show. Each night I’m faced with a terrible decision over and over again – Kill Darcy, or let the world be destroyed. So far, I wake each morning with the inevitable images of the world’s destruction burned into my mind.

  One afternoon, Rafe, Char, and Professor Besim enter the bunker, interrupting my exercises with Dylan.

  “Things are starting to get bad out there,” Besim says.

  I recall the most recent newscast I watched on the bunker’s TV. Tornados, flooding, and earthquakes are rampant across not only the country, but the world. Islands in the Pacific have been swept away in Tsunami storms. Government organizations are failing to keep up with the demand for aid. The United Nations and World Health Organization are facing a global crisis. And instead of people uniting together to help each other, borders are closing and people have broken out into violent raids.

  “We must begin thinking about our next steps,” Besim speaks again, snapping me out of my reverie.

  “Have you been having any dreams to help us out?” Char asks me.

  “Nothing useful. Just nightmares,” I say, more than a little frustrated.

  “Darcy is not here to trigger the reminiscence, we might have to work a little harder for this last one,” Rafe explains, taking on his new role as our sole guardian. “Have any of you had any dreams?” he asks Dylan about the other elemental souls.

  Dylan shakes his head negatively. “Not that anyone’s mentioned to me. It’s like there’s a block now that the light and dark have been separated.”

  “Professor Higgins had some terrible news. He’s been trying desperately to reach the other tribes of three fires, but it appears they were also targeted, one by one. After the destruction of the tribes of council of three fires, we’re having a hard time getting in contact with anyone from other tribes who might h
elp us,” Besim shakes his head at the unending devastation. “Professor Higgins has been doing everything he can, but so far has been coming up short–”

  “There’s something I want to look into in the meantime, and I’ll need a fake identity that includes a passport,” I interrupt.

  Everyone turns to look at me in surprise.

  “In one my dreams, I carried a sort of amulet. I think it has to do with the things the Shaman was telling me about the Hand Eye. I can’t say exactly what the purpose of it was, but I know it was important. Other dreams I had were starting to include references to an all-seeing eye. Uncle Mike was encouraging me to research it, but I didn’t get far with everything else that took over. Something about this eye might be able to help me hone in on my own power of light. As long as the world thinks I’m dead, maybe I can check it out without being tracked?”

  Rafe is nodding at my words. “I remember. When I told Mr. Augustine about it, he wanted me to look into it more as well. He told me to concentrate on Ancient Egypt and Hinduism for clues.”

  “But what are the chances of an amulet from thousands of years ago still being intact? Let alone us being able to get our hands on it?” Dylan asks.

  “I’m not sure,” I shrug. “But something is telling me I need to find out more about it. Or at least about the eye, the Shaman told me to seek it. It might help us with the fire.”

  “I can arrange for Professor Higgins to continue his inquiries while you do what you need to for the amulet,” Besim says. “I’ll have to stay behind and run things from here, but I can help coordinate. We’ll have to work by day only–”

  “Lilly is able to be out in the daytime,” Char argues, “we all saw her.”

  “But Darcy can’t,” says Dylan.

  “She said she needed his power. They’ll work at night, I’m sure. They have no reason to go out in the day if they think I’m dead,” I say. “There’s one more thing I’ve just remembered. Where is the actual Statera?”

  “It’s safe,” says Rafe. “Augustine handled it and made sure it was secured the day he… before he died,” he finishes, looking to the ground.