"No." I sniffled and swiped at my eyes before looking up again. "He can run fast, bend the shadows and the earth."
"All of the earth?"
"No." I drew in a slow breath, blinking a few times as the bright lights began to focus, and the wind settled from whipping to blowing. "Just stone. Only rocks."
"All rocks?" Nalea's soothing tone settled me, but only a little.
"Um…" I inhaled deeply, then closed my eyes again to focus on my hearing. The screams quieted, traffic eased, and the sirens came to rest. "Stalagmites. Limestone. Only limestone."
"Okay. What else can he do?"
"I heard him talking when I couldn't see him. Telepathy, maybe. He knows I'm Praxi. He's Praxi, too. I think, but he called himself a Juk."
"What do you know about Praxi people, Veyda? What do you know about your ancestry?"
"Praxi people…" I cried when I thought about it. "Are kind and loving. And lived in a utopia before they were invaded and forced out. I have to find her Nae."
"We will. Listen to me, Veyda. Praxi people bend elements. They're connected to each other, right?"
I nodded as if she could see me. "Yes."
"You're connected to elements. All of them. I've seen you. What makes stalagmites?"
"I-I don't know. Harlow would know." I walked off the edge of the building, allowing myself to fall a few feet before conjuring the wind to guide me upward. "She would know."
"She would. She loves rocks, doesn't she? Fossils and dinosaurs. And history, just like you," Nalea said, though I could hear the smile in her voice.
I nodded as images of Harlow's office flashed across my mind's eye. Visions of her on digs all over the world, unearthing the history that I would eventually learn about and teach. Our parallel paths, now intersecting, brought us together in the first place.
"Mineralized water," I burst forth, my eyes shooting open as a salty taste lingered on my tongue. "In limestone caves makes stalagmites."
"What's your strongest element, Vey?"
"Air and spirit. I go to the sky or the shadows," I said, determination reigniting my adrenaline and calming some of the panic.
"If his is earth, where would he go?"
"To…caves, mountains or something." I pursed my lips and spun in a circle until I faced the direction that belonged to the faint ridges of the mountains in the distance. "Or the closest thing to it."
A lurch rushed through me, and instead of attuning my hearing outward, I looked down toward the streets below. In the midst of the chaos, Harlow's heart slammed in her chest. I could feel the cold that seemed to wrap itself around her, and the sting of something burning against my cheek. I needed nothing more than that to find her direction, and I thrust myself forward, dashing through the sky at break-neck speed. Could he run Harlow there faster than I could fly? How far did he take her? With a passenger, my distance abilities minimized. Maybe I was lucky enough for that to affect his running, too.
I angled downward in a dangerous dive, my Oxfords landing with a snap on the wet pavement. Rain pummeled me, icing over my hot skin as it seared under the haze of the steam meant to cool me down. Away from the core of the chaos, I closed my eyes and focused on Harlow. Around me, the traffic mixing with the downpour drowned out almost everything else save for the terrified beating of Harlow's heart. Metal clanged somewhere to my right and the smell of stale motor oil made it to my nose. I wasn't at the garage I found him at previously, but this wasteland of a junkyard turned recycling plant. Wastewater rolled past my shoes and the sheen of the pollution it carried moved with it.
"Veyda?" Nalea's voice in my comms returned to me. "Where'd you go?"
"Recycling plant northeast."
"Is Harlow closer?"
"Yes. She's scared and cold." I swiped at my cheeks. "She's below me. He's underground."
"Maybe in the sewers?" When I didn't respond, Nalea continued, "I'm coming to you, Vey. We're coming."
I rushed around, weaving my way through towers of metal scrap, and dodging the cameras that cast laser sensing rays across the property. Drones swayed in and out of the stacks, narrowly avoiding collision with me on several occasions. My heart raced, body tingled, and the freezing rain snapped painfully against my face. There weren't any sewer caps visible, no stairs or anything to lead me downward. There wasn't even a building to break into or door to tear open. Nothing save for rows and rows of metal and scrap. Rusted car parts from gasoline-powered vehicles of yesteryear, old appliances that drained the planets energy, and computer pieces rendered obsolete became my only companions.
"There's nothing here, Nae. It's…how are they here?"
"Are you sure he took her there?"
I nodded as if she could see me and closed my eyes again. I steadied myself, focusing my attention downward. Harlow's cries made it to my ears, muffled and pained.
"Fuck you, you bastard," she groaned, and the crunch of a stone hitting flesh followed.
"Fucking bitch! Sit the fuck down. Just fucking sit your ass down." His voice echoed louder than Harlow's as he appeared to be moving while he spoke.
"I'm going to phase through the ground—"
"Veyda, what—"
"They're both directly under me, Nalea. I'm doing it—"
"Veyda! If you get stuck—"
"I won't. I won't get fucking stuck."
"You have no idea how thick it is—"
"I don't care. I can't leave her like this. I can't." Tears burned my eyes, mingling with the rain. "I can't."
"Veyda, wait! He can't phase, can he?" Nalea's panicked tones continued, and the sounds of the sirens that accompanied her voice grew louder. "Answer me."
"I-I don't know. I don't. I need to focus, Nae. Be quiet—"
"Veyda! Listen to me—"
I tapped the comms twice to turn them off and covered my face with my hands. Alone, cold, and afraid, I crouched down, the knuckles of both hands digging into the mud. All I could think about was Harlow's terror. Lightning flashed and a heavy rumble of thunder quaked the ground. I closed my eyes, drawing on the strength of the storm and the darkness of the night to fade into the shadows. My blood boiled, skin burned, and the pain that accompanied the loss of my corporeal form sealed me in. The mud welcomed me, the concrete under it scraped me, but the rock simply suffocated me. Panic gripped me, but I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath as I felt my feet break free first. Six feet, maybe more, until the ground spit me out in a heap.
I landed with a crunch, face down with my knees slamming the hard stone surface below. Pain greeted me, and I cried out as my body wrestled to abandon the ethereal form. My hands fell into the ground below, unable to grip in order to push myself up. I sunk through over and over, threatening to lose myself in the bedrock.
"No," I cried, balling my hands to fists. "Harlow."
"Veyda." Her voice echoed around me, and I looked up, my eyes shooting open to gaze ahead.
Darkness met me at first, until the shadows welcomed me, lending enough light to my vision to see through it.
"Harlow, where are you?" I called out, but no answer followed.
I felt my suit tighten around me, squeezing my body in a gesture that supported my form. My hands solidified, bringing me back to baseline. They trembled, but I managed to push myself up to stand. My energy dwindled, and the stillness around me spoke of very little movement of the air that I relied on so often. I wasn't exactly in a cave, but perhaps a work area or blasting zone meant for the expansion of infrastructure. Carved stone surrounded me in a tight, damp cavern. My hands met the ceiling and the walls when outstretched, and I followed the tunnel forward.
Harlow's essence grew stronger, and I raced down the passageway, clutching my chest as my breathing seemed to tighten.
"Fuck." I gasped, gripping my shirt as I paused to gather my resources. "Harlow."
Veyda, her voice penetrated my psyche so sharply that it snatched my attention and forced me to a stumbling halt. Her echoing tones reminded me of Cressida, a
nd I crouched down to force my focus on replying.
Can you hear me, baby?
Yes. Are you real?
I'm real, honey. I'm right here. Telepathy. Even my mental voice sounded winded. I'm coming.
He's a Juk. He's a Jukara Hybridian. Her tones became pitchy, only fueling my anxiety further. Veyda, be careful.
Did he hurt you, Harlow? I fought the tears as the words formed in my mind, and I pleaded with the universe for the answer I wanted to hear. I couldn't hear her heart beating as before, and all my senses seemed to dim suddenly.
Not really. He's…pacing. It's so dark, Veyda. Her voice hitched as she cried. I can't get out.
I'm coming, honey. I'm coming. I'll get you out.
I don't know what he wants… She stifled her sobs, and I envisioned her hands balling to fists.
He wants revenge. My feet splashed in a puddle as I rushed down the tunnels, turning right when they branched off. I tried to keep her talking, hoping to quell some of the panic. How did he get you here?
Are you sure you're real? How can I talk to you like this? Her voice choked and a sob broke her thoughts.
I'm real, baby. Hold on, okay? Hold on.
Once I knew Harlow wasn't harmed, my senses flooded to me tenfold. The sounds of life above us faded to almost nothing under the thick sarcophagus of stone. Harlow's heartbeat pounded with her fear, and the Hybridian's double-time beat joined hers.
He has two hearts, I told her when she fell quiet, hoping to draw her forth. Or a differently formed heart.
People from Jukara aren't very human-like in their native forms, she said, her voice settling again. There are pictures in the book, remember?
I remember. But he looks pretty human.
Hybridian ancestry sometimes changes the exterior, not the interior most times. Harlow's voice calmed with the conversation that seemed to focus her. I love you, Veyda.
I love you, too, baby. I'm coming. When I turned the corner, a thick wall greeted me, and I pressed my hands against it. Is he there with you? Can you see him?
Yes.
Make noise for me, baby.
I'm scared. Even her telepathic voice whispered. Veyda, what if we can't get out?
I will get us out. Make noise for me, honey. Throw a stone or something, okay? My heart broke for her and I pressed my forehead to the textured stone, closing my eyes to concentrate on the sounds around me, or lack of.
It took her a moment, but I managed to hear the high pitch crack and thud of a rock hitting the other side of the wall.
"What the fuck are you doing?" The Juk's energy surged, slamming into my chest in a force so strong that I felt the rock tremble.
"Why are you doing this?" Harlow demanded, her voice more confident in her anger. "Why?"
Harlow, is there a passageway in there or is it fully sealed?
Sealed, she answered quickly. I can't breathe.
Yes, you can. You can breathe.
Her panic now radiated through me as much as I could hear it on the other side of the wall. I needed to get to her despite not having a plan to get us out. I closed my eyes, drawing all of my will, all of my energy to the center. My heart beat psychotic rhythms meant to warn as much as empower. Two dangerous transpositions in such a brief period of time would drain me, and I knew it, but I couldn't leave her alone. My corporeal form abandoned me slowly as the shadows hugged me closer to the wall. I held my breath as the solid rock assaulted me, scratching and squeezing even my ethereal form. I squeezed my mouth tight to avoid making any sounds.
It took me seconds, edging toward a minute, to make it through the wall and when I stepped through, I crashed to the ground in a heap of swirling shadow. My body sunk into the bedrock as before and a strangled cry caught in my throat. Every inch of me trembled, and I struggled to find my grip. It found me faster than last time and I pushed myself up in time to see the Juk pointing a sonic weapon at my face. A string of hanging lights filled the space as if a work crew just abandoned their duties for the day.
"Well, hello," he said, his finger hovering over the trigger. "What took you so long?"
"Don't!" Harlow shouted, and I felt a hand wrap around my wrist.
My body shot across the floor, dragging crumbled stones with me as the sonic weapon struck the ground where I once landed. Harlow pulled me away, and I shot to my feet to grab her in a protective embrace before the second blast struck my back. It sent both of us sailing across the room when the suit protected me from the impact, but the force remained. My shoulder hit the wall with a crack, and Harlow kept her hands over her ears.
"Stop it!" I shouted, sending a rush of wind in the Juk's direction.
It sent him backward, and he landed on his ass in a dirty puddle, forcing a splash across the wall behind him. He nearly growled out his frustration and aimed the sonic at us again.
Use the water. It'll corrode the weapon. Harlow's rushed tones flooded my mind as I squeezed her tightly to me. She kept her face against my chest. Sonics can't withstand it.
I listened to her, my lips pursed together as I fought to focus on the element that rarely listened to me. My legs trembled with weakness, and I channeled every ounce of strength to keep my body wrapped around Harlow. I caressed the air with the fingertips of one hand, willing it to wake the water.
The Juk attempted to stand, fumbling with the weapon just enough for me to gather sufficient energy to will the water to rise. It lifted in a lazy arc of a tiny wave and crashed down over the gun in his grip. Nothing happened and he aimed it in our direction. I whipped back aground to wrap both arms around Harlow, tucking her head against my chest again.
We braced for a second time and Harlow gasped. The second blast struck me in the back, but instead of a thrust of force, only a gentle shove followed. My ears crackled, but nothing else.
"Fuck," he spat, and I turned in time to see him thrusting the weapon to the ground. "Bitch."
I stood up now, urging Harlow with me and guiding her to stand behind me. I faced him, and the sounds of the four beating hearts in the room overpowered anything else. Harlow's spoke of fear, though less so than before, mine told of anger, and his spoke of rage.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, motioning around us. "What's the point?"
"You took something from me, and I'm taking something from you." He approached now, water dripping from the sleeves of his black hoodie. "Don't you remember what I can do to you? You're in my space. I can wrap you up in this rock and make you watch while I destroy your mate."
"I took something from you? You took it from yourself by deciding to rob a casino rather than work for it. No one says you couldn't board that cargo ship, asshole. You just needed the money and to get it the proper way. Deciding not to, was your choice. Not mine."
His face contorted with rage, and in his teal eyes, flecks of magenta made it to the surface. My stomach churned and I leaned away, my hand digging into Harlow's hip.
"Are you Juk and Praxi?" I asked, my voice losing some of its heat.
His brow narrowed as his gaze flicked back and forth. "Why?"
"Your eyes. And Juk people can't bend elements. What are you?" I took a step away from him and Harlow's fingers dug into my arm. I could sense her fear along with astonishment as she looked on.
He seemed to fight his response for a moment as he gazed at me from under a dark, contorted brow. "Both."
"Both? How?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I want to know why you think it's your responsibility to hurt my Starmate. How are you both?"
The heat and rage turned his hands to fists, but the way his mouth tightened as he stared at me spoke more than anything else. His hearts beat slower, and the fury that wrapped around him seemed to quell in an unusual way.
"Mother was Juk and Praxi. Father was human," he answered. "Why do you fucking care?"
"I care because you're standing in front of me trying to perpetuate a war on me started by our ancestors of which you and I took no part.
" I pointed between the two of us. "I walked into that casino hoping to stop a crime and I did. And then I let you walk away because of who we both are, not just because of the deal I struck with you. I gave you a chance to do better and turn yourself in. You didn't."
"And end up in jail?" He scoffed. "Which I did anyway and missed the cargo ship back home." He stepped toward me now, towering over me with narrowed eyes.
"There is no home there! Don't you get it? And just where are you going to go? To Jukara which is now in ruins? Or Praxar which is allegedly taken over by the Juk who invaded just to destroy the Praxi? You honestly think they're going to welcome you? A Juk-Praxi-Human Hybridian?" I shoved him backward, and he stumbled a step. "What do you expect to find there, man? What do you expect? For them to accept you with welcoming arms? If your mother was a Juk-Praxi, how do you think that happened? Hmm? Do you think her Jukara father fell in love with her Praxi mother? You think that's what happened, dude?"
My rage boiled and every emotion I kept at bay rose to the surface. He stared at me, his lips pursed as if he never expected to hear words come out of my mouth.
"When was the last time you heard of a war, an invasion, where warring people fell in love? Your plan is to show up there and what? End up as the bastard child, the outsiders, just like we are here. Don't you get it? Don't you?" I shoved him backward again. This time he expected it, but didn't retaliate. "What's your fucking name?"
"It doesn't matter—"
"What's your name?" I demanded, my hand now gripping Harlow's. She squeezed me, and it calmed me only slightly.
"Desiderius," he said, a frown curving his mouth now. "You don't know anything about Praxar now."
"I know plenty enough. But what I do know is that you're trying to run to somewhere you've never been in hope that it'll give you something better. It fucking doesn't. You still have to take yourself with you, don't you understand that? Earth is not a miserable place, Desiderius. Your misery, your own misery, is what makes it this way. Praxi people are the people of Earth now. We have no home to go back to and if you think the Juk are going to welcome a stone-bending Hybridian into their open arms, you're in for a rough haul." My monologue ended and I turned to pull Harlow into my arms. "Don't destroy what I have, what I love, because you believe you can't have it. No one says you can't have it except you. I won't let you take her, and I won't let you hurt anyone else."
Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14) Page 37
