Tainted Energy (The Energy Series Book 1)

by Lynn Vroman

  “Ignore it, Lena. Come back to me. Remember what it is.” He gave her a light shake until her eyes finally found his. “Stay focused on me. Don’t look at it.”

  “But–”

  “Keep your eyes on me. He’ll be gone soon…keep it together.”

  Sweat pooled at her hairline and goose bumps traveled up and down her arms. When Zander’s energy shot through the dry-walled ceiling, she stopped groping for air, but her teeth chattered as if she were freezing. “Is it always like this?”

  He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and massaged the back of her neck. Probably should’ve prepared her a little better. Stupid. “Only with new energies.”

  “But I’m not new.” She struggled to turn around as her gaze darted toward the ceiling.

  Tarek held on tight. “Forgotten, remember?”

  When the afterglow from Zander’s energy dimmed, she sagged against him, sweat drenching her back and soaking her cap of hair. “What the hell?”

  “I told you. Your energies are attracted to each other.”

  “You could have warned me about this…this…part of the attraction.” She shrugged out of his loosened grip and wiped the sweat off her forehead with an unsteady hand.

  Guilt ate at him. The energy definitely messed with her head.

  She went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. Drained it, and filled the glass again.

  He just stood in front of Zander’s body while the kid’s chest moved mechanically as though it were on life support. “I find myself saying sorry to you a lot. It’s…hard adjusting to having to… ah…”

  She came back into the living room, her face pale. “Explain everything? Try listening to it.”

  Right, that’d be harder.

  Trying for his best smile, knowing she couldn’t resist–even in this cycle–he tugged her into his arms. “I’ll do better next time.”

  A scowl painted her lips as she grabbed his ears and yanked his mouth down to hers.

  Yes, ma’am.

  He deepened the kiss, sliding his hands down her back.

  With a light smack to his cheek, she pulled away. “You better. What now?”

  “Well, now we’re dealing with the worst case– Casimir wanting Wilma. Unfortunately for him, he can’t kill her because she’d whoop his ass.” He hesitated for a second, tried and failed to keep the concern out of his voice. “He’ll keep coming for you even after I kill Mateusz. You’re the sure way to get Wilma to come to him willingly.”

  If it were possible, her face drained whiter. “So, we’re screwed.”

  “No, not necessarily. We have options.” He led her to the windowsill, wide enough for both of them to sit, though he had to slouch. “I know I said we could wait until we were older to go to Empyrean, but if we go now, Casimir wouldn’t know where you were. It’d be almost impossible for him to find us. And Teenesee would be able to keep Exemplar’s authority away. I’m sure Wilma would go for it.”

  She stiffened, shaking her head. “What about my mom, Tarek? I can’t leave her.” Words he could barely make out began to tumble out of her mouth. “Why can’t we, I mean, you or Wilma, that is, kill this Casimir guy. He can’t hurt us if he’s dead.”

  If it were only that easy. “There’s a failsafe protecting Wardens.”

  “Is he immortal?”

  He gathered her hands in his. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. If I kill him, then–”

  Fuzz shot through his skull before hearing the thumping in the back bedroom. He sprung up and shoved Lena behind him. The door swung open, and Mateusz waltzed into the living room looking as reserved as ever.

  Two other Protectors walked in behind him wearing their black contego suits and aiming UV tasers at his chest. Surprise, and a little bit of betrayal, cut through him. “Farren?”

  The guy looked pained, his face flushed, but he kept his weapon steady. “Sorry, brother.”

  Lena’s fingers dug into Tarek’s back, making him hyper-aware. Curling his lip, Tarek focused on Mateusz. “Didn’t work out the way you wanted, huh?”

  Not one to ever let the façade crack, Mateusz gave him a slight smile, folding his hands in front of his contego. “Tarek Montague, you have been charged with the cycle-interfering of the Tainted, Lena Montague.”

  “Tarek?” Her voice was a whisper.

  As much as it killed him, he ignored her to concentrate on Mateusz. The bastard wasn’t the only one who could fake calm. “Is that right?”

  “I’m afraid so, old friend. Cassondra was right it seems. She said you were up to something. Had to come see for myself.”

  The sound of footsteps running up to the apartment had them all looking toward the door.

  “Lena!”

  Jake.

  Keys rattled in the lock before the door swung open only to have it slam in the guy’s face as Mateusz threw his hand in that direction. “We need to hurry. You two, take Mr. Montague back to Exemplar.”

  No, he wasn’t going to make it that easy for them to take her away again.

  Tarek shoved Lena toward the window and charged. Mateusz’s energy was only strong enough to slam a door and didn’t have any effect on him as the older man waved a frantic hand in his direction. With a forearm, the bastard met the wall, his head bouncing off the jagged edge of a dime-store picture. Tarek then went for the woman Protector, dropping her before she could get a shot off.

  Unfortunately, Farren was fast.

  Pain ripped through Tarek’s back, and he sunk to his knees. Everything went blurry as he fought to keep his eyes open.

  “No!” Lena ran to his side, tears streaming down her face. Her gaze left his to look up at Farren. “Please.”

  Farren reached down to help her up before Mateusz stumbled over, holding a hand to the gash on the back of his head. All the while, Jake screamed at the door, pounding so hard the hinges shook.

  “Enough.” Mateusz yanked Lena to her feet and led her to the couch.

  The taser’s sedatives began to paralyze Tarek’s body. “If you hurt her, I’ll–”

  “You’ll what? Kill me?” He glanced toward Zander’s still body before bending to put a hand on the boy’s head, closing his eyes for a moment. “Looks like you were planning on that already.” Pain laced his words, as fake as saccharin. “The betrayal of one’s own Guide. There’s nothing so devastating.”

  “I will kill you.” Tarek’s voice was groggy, drunk with sedatives.

  The threat had an effect. Mateusz’s eye twitched as he held Lena’s arm. She jerked and fought, kicking at him. “Take the accused to holding. I’ll be along soon.” He opened his hand to the ceiling, the tear blasting open as the wind knocked over the stool and moved the couch. With one more smirk toward Tarek, Mateusz snatched up Lena and Zander, whisking them away.

  Seconds. That’s all he had to convince Farren. To the pounding at the door, he said, “You need to listen.” He felt himself slipping as he tried to speak around the cotton forming in his mouth. “He’s…he’s using you. He’s using all of us.”

  Farren knelt down, his face almost the same shade of red as his hair. “What happened, brother? What’d you come here for?”

  A small smile lifted his mouth. Ah, the irony. “He told me…Mateusz told me to come.” The black was taking him. “Go to my place. Wilma’s there. Tell her not to go to Arcus yet. She’ll want to.”

  “Wait, why would she go there? Lena’s going to–”

  Damn, get it out. “No, she’s not. Tell…ah…tell Wilma the symbol… is a K. Kendal.”

  Lena

  Arcus…

  The second trip.

  No river this time.

  That would’ve been better.

  Mateusz bent my body to keep an arm around my throat and pushed me toward an icy path leading out from the thick, vivid forest.

  In my contorted position, I had a front-row view of the squids’ alien-like, bearded faces. Their eyes followed us until the very last symmetrical row of trees. They squealed as
we left the warmth of the woods, just like the last time I paid them a visit.

  No shoes meant the ice, so pure it shined like blue diamonds, shot daggers through the soles of my feet. I thought making my body lax would give my frozen soles some relief for a few seconds if I could land on my knees, but going limp made the hold around my neck tighter, cutting off oxygen.

  Stupid.

  Desperate.

  Stupid…

  Mateusz dropped Zander on the hard ground, leaving his still body on the ice, to wrap his other arm around my waist. “If you don’t stop struggling, I’ll kill you now and make Wilma bargain for your energy.”

  The threat worked. The bite of the ice clenched onto the soles of my feet. The climb up the path took forever with my body bent and folded, not to mention all the slipping. “Let go of my neck so I can walk, asshole.”

  “So you can run, you mean? I know how fast you are.”

  I struggled to keep going, concentrating on the smoky blue sky above the cold and froth, mingling with the vibrant purple hovering over the forest. There was no point in trying to fight him. His strength was nothing like Tarek’s, but the little shit was a lot stronger than me.

  “I won’t run, damn it.”

  He ignored me and pushed forward another thirty feet, bringing us closer to a massive structure hiding behind the dense swirling fog.

  My breath caught on an inhale, the cold air carrying the subtle tinge of rotting fish. “Oh, my God.”

  “Impressive, isn’t it?”

  Impressive–a small word considering the height and breadth of the sleek obsidian tower jutting past the tendrils of mist suffocating the sky. Bright orange lights dotted each black tower with as much symmetry as the trees. But the stark white pudgy building butted against the shiny black tower made me stop in my tracks. The thing looked like a ripe pimple on the face of the otherwise unblemished tower.

  He let go of my neck to bend my arm behind my back. “Perhaps he’ll give you a corporeal form to live out a cycle or two. You’ve been acquainted with the squid, no?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  My legs almost gave out as he held me up. Strain tightened his voice with what he said next, as if he were trying to convince himself. “Where do you think human energy goes? Human bodies can’t survive here. It’s too harsh.” His stale breath mixed with the strong scent of the squid.

  For some stupid reason, I felt the need to poke at his control when he lifted the knocker on the smaller building. “Yeah? Too bad Kendal didn’t think like you.”

  His fingers pinched into my skin. “Don’t you ever say her name! It’s your fault. All of it.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about, except that I’m sure the person I was in my last life had royally pissed him off. “I didn’t do shit to anyone. Maybe if–”

  “Shut up! Just shut up. They should’ve sent you here in the first place. The hole you live in is too easy.”

  He had a point. At that moment, I’d have given anything to be in the trailer, dealing with my father and starving.

  Panic tickled the back of my throat when the sound of footsteps on the other side of the door hit my ears. Adrenaline rushed through my arms and legs, and by some miracle, I wrenched my arm free and shoulder-checked the bastard.

  Shoes? Might as well be a million dollars at the moment. Besides, don’t think there was a Footlocker in this place.

  Coat? Same.

  The surprise on the bastards face? Priceless.

  He lost his footing on the ice. Unfortunately, we both toppled to the ground, with me landing on top of him.

  I scrambled to get up, pushing against his chest. He tried to grab my hands, but I had already moved them to grip his hair. Every ounce of strength my body had surged through my fingers as I slammed his head against the ice until the frozen walkway cracked and groaned. He yelled, his hands fumbling to find my arms again, and so I banged his head on the ice one more time. The last hit was hard enough to crack both the ice and his head. Deep crimson blood oozed from his skull, steaming in a puddle around him.

  When he stopped struggling, I ran for the trees, slipping as the cold scorched my feet. I made it to the edge of the woods, exciting the squid.

  “Lena!” Mateusz’s voice echoed behind me, but I kept running, willing to risk the squid rather than anything crawling in that tower.

  “It would be prudent to stop.” The melodious sound of an unfamiliar voice had me stumbling to see whom it belonged to. I then tripped over Zander’s still body.

  At the door stood Mateusz, holding a white handkerchief to his head, with a man so ordinary looking, so pale and thin, he could have blended with a snowstorm. “I would think you’d want to stay. Maybe keep company with those you love?”

  What the–oh, no!

  Mom.

  A scream tore from my throat as I went back up the path, slipping and falling. When I scrambled to stand, I noticed frozen squid under the inches of ice. Mateusz’s voice pierced my brain: Where do you think the human energy goes?

  I dug in and fought harder.

  The calm, grinning man spoke in that soft voice, interrupting my struggle to kick his ass. “Come, girl. Let’s not tarry out here too long.” He gave an exaggerated shiver. “It’s a bit nippy, yes?”

  “Let her go.” Even though the thin air made my voice a whisper, the man heard me.

  “Oh, I don’t think so.” He smiled, deep and warm, while he strolled down the icy path as if he were in Central Park on a Sunday afternoon.

  I slipped trying to get enough traction to charge him. In an almost lazy way, he scooped me up and went to collect Zander, throwing both of us over his thin shoulders. His slight body definitely hid some massive strength.

  One last burst of energy allowed me to punch him in the back of the neck. The only thing that did was crack my knuckles when they connected with the smooth marble of his skin. He tightened his hold until the bones in my thighs crunched. Good way to get me to shut up and keep my hands to myself.

  We reached the platform and headed into the white building. Mateusz followed us. Hate glowed in his light brown eyes as he held the cloth to a cut on the back of his head. But satisfaction made my position less humiliating knowing the gaping cuts on his skull came from me and Tarek.

  The plain man wasted no time throwing us on the stone floor. He pulled off his black leather gloves, one bony finger at a time. “Welcome home, Guide.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Up…

  Down…

  Up…

  Down…

  The subtle rise and fall of Zander’s chest relaxed me. I could’ve passed out, my head resting on his chest, the motion hypnotizing.

  Nope. Can’t…

  Struggling to sit, I shielded his body from the two men lurking by the door. He might have been a dick for three months, but Zander was the closest thing to a friend I had in this place.

  “You came through.” The man scrutinized us with the same kind of satisfaction an auctioneer gives a stud bull.

  Mateusz sagged against the wall, his fingers now covered with blood escaping from the sodden handkerchief. “I told you.”

  The man walked to the fireplace, holding his hands over the smoldering coals. “But not really what I asked for.” He flexed his fingers, keeping his voice calm. “Where is she?”

  “You have her Guide, Casimir. She’ll be here soon.”

  So this man, this delicate-looking man whose plain appearance contradicted the vibrancy of his world, was the being everyone was afraid of? All this time I pictured a red creature with pointed ears and a pitchfork.

  Casimir turned to warm his backside, his hands folded behind him. “You’re not needed here, Protector. Unless, of course, you’d like to take Wilma’s place?”

  Mateusz slumped in a high-backed chair in the small foyer. He dropped the bloody cloth on the floor, not two feet from Zander’s head. “Give me time, will you? I don’t have the strength to open a portal.”


  Silence crackled with the fire. Casimir watched the wheezing man, his face contorted with irritated humor. Like it was an afterthought, he went to open the door. “Why don’t you go outside until you do?”

  “You want me to wait out there? In the cold?”

  Casimir kept his face calm, though the corners of his mouth curved. “Yes.”

  “I’ll not do it. I’ve bent over backward for you–even went to get the girl when you failed. Least you could do is let me sit in this damn chair.”

  “Try not to forget whose energy failed me.” He raised a brow. “You do want to see her happy again, don’t you?”

  Color splattered Mateusz’s pale cheeks. He used the armrests to help push to his feet. “Don’t threaten me.”

  “Go, Protector, before I decide to kill your Guide and force you to find another dupe to transport her energy. And maybe I’ll let the Tainted one go, too, so she can live a pure life.” He smiled. “Perhaps recycle back to Exemplar, reveal all your secrets?”

  Mateusz walked past him, dignity draining off his small, battered body. Before the door closed on his face, he said, “There will come a time when we all will have to answer for our decisions. Even you, Warden.”

  “I am counting on it.” The door slammed shut.

  The noise and subsequent rattling of the stone walls caused me to lean in closer to Zander.

  Casimir studied us, the calm still plastered on his smooth face. “What to do with the two of you.” He crossed his arms and tapped a finger to one of those alabaster cheeks.

  I said nothing, too afraid to move, even with the cold of the stone floor seeping through the thin barrier of my sweats. It sucked that I had to concentrate hard to avoid pissing myself as he moved to stand right in front of me. If he’d just take me to Mom…

  “I suppose I could put you in a room, let you get some rest.” His eyes, the blue of his irises so light they were almost white, shined. “Wait a minute, I know.”

  He grabbed the back of my shirt along with the front of Zander’s, carrying us to the stairs like suitcases. “You’ll be pleased, dear. There is someone here who will be ecstatic to see you.”