Tainted Energy (The Energy Series Book 1)

by Lynn Vroman

“Evolution takes time. Centuries. You promised them lies.” Wilma’s voice weakened, her arms now wobbling.

  Casimir’s eyes took on a shine that sent chills running through me. “With you, I’ll be able to speed up the process. I need your energy to skew the lines–erase them.”

  The couch moved a little more.

  Tarek looked to the redheaded guy holding up Zander. “Get the boy out of here, Farren. Take him to Empyrean.”

  “You sure about this?”

  At Tarek’s nod, Farren opened his fist in the air, slicing a hole. The wind kicked up, blowing at the fire, causing it to lick my father’s bare feet. His yelp sounded like a whimper compared to Zander’s ranting as Farren gripped him by the armpit with his free hand, holding him like a puppy. As the wind sucked them into the tear, Zander mouthed, Sorry.

  When the hole closed, the couch flew forward, and Wilma slumped to her knees. Her drained and sweat-soaked face turned to Tarek. “It’s time.”

  Time for what?

  As the words came out of her mouth, Casimir lifted her by the throat, holding her a foot in the air. The smaller man holding up the bigger Protector seemed impossible, yet as Wilma’s eyes bulged, there was no doubt of his strength.

  She managed to break free, punching him in the face. Casimir only hesitated a second before reaching for her throat again. She dodged his hands, moving to the back of the room as Casimir followed like a hungry predator. They continued to exchange one violent blow for another. Wilma faltered and missed as many times as the Warden’s fist found its target.

  Tarek peeled my arms from around his waist, and pushed me toward my father. “Whatever happens, stay down.”

  Then I knew.

  I fell to my knees and held my hands in a prayer position as tears blinded me, choked me. “Don’t kill him, Tarek. Just stay with me.”

  He bent to wipe the tears away. “It’ll be okay.”

  “No, please, no, no, no…” I begged him with every ounce of energy I had left. “I know what will happen. Please. We can leave, right now. Get Wilma and leave.”

  Sadness filled his eyes, but he smiled, his dimples giving one last appearance. “I love you, Lena. Then…now…always.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, memorizing the feel of his lips, the taste of his mouth… the smell of apples and lilacs. “Don’t do this…don’t.”

  His smile wavered, and his eyes shined like liquid silver as his voice shook. “I have to.”

  “No, you don’t. Stay with me. You promised.” I locked my fingers behind his neck.

  His shaking hands pried them apart.

  “We were made for each other…always… remember that.” He turned away, ignoring my screams.

  Tarek peeled the stronger opponent off the now unconscious Wilma, the muscles on his back straining. He fought like a madman, and the Warden appeared to struggle as he met Tarek’s aggression.

  At first.

  Casimir managed to pick Tarek up and slam him down on his knee. I screamed. The blow looked like it broke his back.

  Tarek lay on the ground, writhing, and Casimir went straight for Wilma, still helpless in the far corner of the room. Tarek struggled to his feet and stumbled toward them, his chest heaving. He grabbed Casimir by his thin hair and bent the Warden’s head backward. Casimir screeched, grabbing at Tarek’s hand, trying to pry his fingers away. Tarek didn’t let go. His bicep strained as he switched his grip so he could wrap his hands around Casimir’s throat.

  Surprise contorted Casimir’s plain features. “You mean to kill me, Protector?”

  Tarek didn’t answer. He threw the Warden toward the back of the room and raced to the fireplace, jumping over me to snatch a steel poker. He then met Casimir, who dodged the metal rod as he tried to get to his feet. Tarek moved faster, embedding it deep in the Warden’s shoulder.

  A shriek, filled more with shock than pain, bounced through the room. Casimir kicked, sending Tarek flying. He struggled to pull the rod free when the room filled with screams.

  Screams of a wounded animal.

  Screams that pierced my eardrums.

  My screams.

  Shaking his head, Tarek pushed to his feet and reached into his pocket. In one fluid lunge, Tarek clamped a thin metal band around one of the Warden’s wrists. The shock on Casimir’s face turned lax when Tarek pushed a button on the remote he grabbed from the same pocket.

  Tarek pulled the rod from Casimir’s shoulder and gave me one more look. “I’m sorry, Lena.”

  He plunged the poker deep within the Warden’s skull. Casimir sank to his knees. Blood poured everywhere, all over Tarek, the stone floor, books. Tarek twisted and dug the rod deeper until squishing noises filled the room as steel met brain matter.

  Just like that, I lost Tarek again.

  “No!” I tried to crawl over, but Dad’s hand wrapped around my foot.

  The room lit up so bright it blinded me. I cried out, my voice hoarse, as white noise roared through the room. I cupped my hands over my ears and gritted my teeth against the pain. As I curled into a ball, Dad covered my head with his arms while the chaos continued to roar. My head began to contract and squeeze, shooting thick tendrils of pain through my brain. Dad’s screams echoed mine.

  “Let’s go, girl. We need to go.” Somewhere in the commotion, I heard Wilma’s voice before I felt her hands wrapping around my waist.

  “I won’t leave him.” I held onto the rug, fighting her as a tear began to open above us. The white noise screamed louder, squeezing my skull tighter.

  “We’ll die if we stay. Then he did all this for nothing. Is that what you want?”

  For nothing. “But, Wilma…” My voice was small, desperate.

  “Please, Lena,” Tarek said. He sunk to his knees, shards of light attacking him. “Go.”

  I met his eyes and pleaded with him one last time. “I can’t.”

  The veins at his temples bulged, and his face turned bright red. Holding his hand out, he said, “Please. Remember.”

  I will.

  Crying, I switched my grip from the rug to my father. He clung to me, and I relied on Wilma as the tear sucked us through.

  Sweet silence soothed my ears after we were ripped from one dimension and thrown into another. In seconds, we were in the middle of Jake’s living room sprawled on the floor, surrounded by normal.

  My mother screamed, and Jake ran to me, checking for a pulse before going to Wilma. Mom hovered above me, her tears splashing on my cheeks. Too weak to move, I kept my eyes on hers.

  Wilma talked to Jake.

  Dad cried.

  My heart shattered.

  Lena

  Three months had passed since leaving Arcus.

  The first week I couldn’t get out of bed. The emptiness in my heart wouldn’t let me. Tarek’s shirt covered my body, his scent on the fabric fading with every day.

  Wilma left the morning after we came back, said she had to deal with Zander, clean up some loose ends. I didn’t much care what happened to Zander…didn’t much care about anything, really.

  She came back two days later with Farren. A refugee, she called him. I called him a traitor, hating him every time he tried to explain.

  She said I was stuck with them, whether I liked it or not. Neither she nor Farren could go back to Exemplar. Guess they needed to make sure Exemplar didn’t come to me, too.

  She said if she had to stay, she wouldn’t let me waste my life in a smelly bed crying all the time. I didn’t listen, nor did I want her anywhere near me when she refused to take me to Arcus. I yelled, screamed, swore…said anything to make her leave after that. Wilma wouldn’t budge. By the end of the day, I was glad she didn’t.

  When I finally crawled out of bed and showered, I’d decided it was time for Mom and me to move upstairs. Jake had complained, but he helped.

  Wilma moved, too, into the place right beside the theater. Farren decided to bunk with her. Some of their fights could be heard in front of the theater doors. I beg
an to tolerate the annoying redhead, even let him talk to me without punching him.

  I found out a few days after our move that Wilma dumped my father back in the trailer. Said she cleaned him up, made sure he had food and water in the house, and warned him that no one would listen to a washed-up drunk who told crazy stories. If they did, she promised to come for him. Take him back so no one would have to listen. I checked on him a few times, feeling like I owed him. There was no doubt he tried to protect me in those last minutes…when I lost Tarek. Every time I went there, he sat in the same place, in that beat-up wicker chair, staring at his pictures. He didn’t speak, and I didn’t force him.

  I went back to school after that first week, rediscovered the drive to get into Penn State. Belva and I sat together at lunch every day, with Wilma looking on, of course. Everyone stared at my bright coloring again. Belva asked what kind of makeup I used to get my skin so pretty and my eyes so bright. After another week, the color faded, and I could stop making things up to quiet all her questions. We hung out like Zander and I used to, and I had to admit, I liked this friendship much better. She never tried to get me killed.

  I worked hard, did my homework.

  After the first month, Jake let me come back to work. Handing popcorn to grumpy customers and listening to how much the theater sucked actually made me happy. So normal.

  Safe.

  It was nice making money again, hanging out with Jake, too. He even let me use the back theater when we weren’t busy. I’d pick the scariest movies in storage. Made sure no lights bled into the room and always sat in the back row. I begged the chair to pull me in, take me to him. Should’ve been easy since he had Mateusz’s energy, right? But I guess I had to feel fear, not anticipation, and then misery as I stayed in the theater until the credits. If I could have heard his voice…if he could’ve given me that…

  Farren managed to get a janitor gig at the school, successfully implanting himself into my little bubble. I’m sure Wilma’s gift of persuasion was to blame for that. I actually began to like him a little after a month of hating him. He had a sense of humor, especially when the guys at school would give him a lot of space when he mopped the halls. Needless to say, no graffiti covered the bathroom walls after he started cleaning them.

  Belva took a huge liking to him, following him around as he cleaned toilets. Poetic justice, really, seeing as everyone finally left her alone when she befriended the guy who took care of the shitters. Farren, if I were being honest, grew more important to me every day. I kind of look forward to the stupid comebacks he had when I’d tease him about Belva.

  Tarek never left my mind–I missed him every minute of every day.

  I ran my first track meet of the season after that first month, too. My body took a while to recover from those days in Arcus, especially my feet. I trained hard with the team, hitting my marks most of the time, getting faster. Coach said I was a shoo-in for a scholarship from none other than Penn State. Scouts from the school came to the first meet, said I had speed.

  They were at the meet again today, the last of the season, to make sure I had real talent before offering me the full ride. I should’ve been more excited. Knew I would’ve been three months ago.

  He changed everything.

  I stretched my legs and loosened my shoulders as the 50m hurdle ended. My race was next. I checked my shoelaces then glanced up toward the bleachers at Mom, Jake, and Belva. My new best friend held a makeshift sign telling me to go for it with bright red balloons and a pair of running shoes drawn at the corners.

  Wilma and Farren were there, too, standing at the edge of the field. Her face split in a rare smile, winking when I gave her a wave. She closed her eyes for a second before giving me a nod.

  Man, I loved her. My Protector, my friend.

  We were told to take our marks. Five of us, me, Jenn, and three from the opposing high school, fell in line for the 100. I had a faster time than my teammate, and she knew it, giving me a grin–my pack mate. When the announcer yelled, “On your mark,” we all hunched into position. My legs itched to move, the excitement from the race a temporary fill for the hole I’d gotten used to carrying since leaving him there.

  Before the announcer pushed the starter button, I heard it. The deep, rich sound I knew so well. The voice I dreamed about, craved to hear. Why I cried into my pillow every night when no one was watching.

  The reason I kept breathing.

  The reason my energy was made.

  Good luck, Lena.

  Tarek.

  My head shot up, and I found Wilma, who beamed.

  Hope.

  When the buzzer went off, I soared.

  Arcus-A world deplete of humans, with an evolution that falls behind many others. This world’s highest evolved species is giant tree squid. Also, the vivid color permeating the world is “contagious” and transmits to those humans who happen to go there.

  Contego suit-An Exemplian uniform that protects from dangers found in all the worlds.

  Cycle-Each life a person lives is considered a cycle.

  Desis-A common language spoken in many worlds, including Earth.

  Dimensions/Worlds-Dimensions are worlds connected to each other with dimension lines. Each dimension is in a different stage of evolution, with some more advanced than others.

  Dimension lines-Intangible lines, akin to electrical currents, separating each world. Only Protectors have the ability to open these lines to other worlds. In some cases, when a Warden is strong enough, the lines can be bled between worlds, or erased, for short periods of time.

  Empyrean-A world more evolved than Earth but not as advanced as Exemplar. The villages float over lush fields and streams. This world is as close to utopian as possible.

  Energy-The soul

  Exemplar-A world that is more evolved than any other world known. Humans from this world are more advanced, as well. Exemplar is responsible for manipulating the energy circulation throughout the entire universe. Only the most “privileged” energy is brought to Exemplar to live a cycle.

  Guide-An advanced person from Exemplar who has the ability to read energies and transport them to other worlds. Also, their energies are able to leave their corporeal form and travel to other dimensions. Some are more advanced than others, depending on how many cycles they have lived in Exemplar.

  Pairing-The act of one Guide and one Protector being matched together in Exemplar. The Pairing helps Protectors know if their Guides are in danger.

  Protector-An advanced person from Exemplar who has the telekinetic ability to open lines between worlds. They are able to travel across world lines in their corporeal form, unlike Guides. Their duty is to protect Guides as they collect energy from other worlds. As with Guides, some Protectors are more advanced than others, depending on how many cycles they have lived in Exemplar.

  Synod-Exemplar’s governing branch

  Synod authority-Exemplar’s army

  Tainted-1. (n) An Exemplian traitor

  2. (v) To be treacherous

  Lynn Vroman

  Born in Pennsylvania, Lynn spent most of her childhood, especially during math class, daydreaming. The main result that came from honing her imagination skills was brilliantly failing algebra. Today, she still spends an obscene amount of time in her head, only now she writes down all the cool stuff.

  With a degree in English Literature, Lynn used college as an excuse to read for four years straight. She lives in the Pocono Mountains with her husband, raising the four most incredible human beings on the planet. She writes young adult novels, both fantasy and contemporary.

  Connect with Lynn: [Blog][Twitter][Facebook][Goodreads]

  Buy Lost Energy Now!

  Book 2 of the Energy Series

  Last spring, Lena discovered who she was.

  Now all she wants to do is move on—and find a way to be with Tarek, the new Warden of Arcus and the love of her life. Even though worlds separate them now, she holds onto the hope they’ll be together again. Until
then, Lena focuses on being truly happy for the first time in her life…this life. She has new friends, an apartment free from her abusive father, and the chance to live a normal life.

  But for Lena, the past never stays gone.

  A woman from another lifetime reveals Cassondra, Exemplian’s new authority commander, is seeking revenge against Tarek for killing her brother. There is only one way to end this new threat…

  This time, it will take more than Wilma to keep the monsters away. It’ll take an entire army–an army who remembers Lena from her past life, and who might just want her dead, too.

  Lena’s past will shape her future more than she could ever imagine.

  Summer Confessions

  Available March 2015

  Macy Diaz has managed childhood friend Jeb Porter’s crush for years. However, his infatuation turns to obsession, even putting a kid in the hospital just for hitting on her. In the past, Macy brushed it off, explained his bizarre acts away. But now she harbors a secret. She’s in love…with Jeb’s sister, Rachel.

  By some miracle, Rachel loves Macy back, and despite the small minds polluting their sleepy southern town, they’re sticking together. Unfortunately, making sure Jeb never grows suspicious proves harder every day—until everything falls apart.

  As a sick, unstable Jeb starts to threaten all Macy values, she is reminded of what has always been perfectly clear. Macy belongs to him, only him, and he won’t let her go. Ever.

  If only Macy could’ve loved Jeb, she wouldn’t have to worry about surviving him now.