Flood Rising (The Water Keepers, Book 4)

by Christie Anderson

  Out of nowhere the word Briolette popped into my head, as if someone had whispered it in my ear. I thought of the vision I had at the party when I saw Orion at one of the Thresholds. I remembered feeling like Orion was clutching a special object in his hand. Could that object have been a Briolette? And if so, what did that have to do with me being able to see Orion’s location?

  I remembered the last time I saw my own Briolette... right before it was stolen from me by Voss Hastings.

  Why was it that my thoughts always seemed to lead back to Voss?

  He wasn’t even on the same planet as me anymore, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and worrying that he was still out there on Earth instead of locked up in prison. Just because my family was safe didn’t mean everyone left on Earth was safe too.

  For all I knew, those Healing Water thefts on the news were all Voss’s doing.

  Then the idea came... what if I could see Voss’s location? If he still had my Briolette maybe it could create some kind of connection between us.

  Immediately, I closed my eyes and started to concentrate. It felt strange that I was actually choosing to think of Voss when I had spent so much effort trying to push him out of my mind.

  I focused on those black eyes I had come to despise, going back through all the terrible memories I had shared with him. I could see most of the memories clearly, but they just felt like memories. It wasn’t working. I had to try something else.

  I closed my eyes again. This time I let everything in my head go blank.

  Then, I said his name in my mind—Voss... Voss, where are you?

  A flash came after only a few seconds. It was him, but only his face. It felt similar to when I saw Jax or Violette. All I could get was a quick image and then it was gone.

  I took a few deep breaths. I had to try again. If there was any possible way to find Voss, I had to figure it out. I just had to.

  Suddenly, I knew in my heart that it was possible. I was meant to find Voss. I had to take him away from the world that I loved. Take him away from Earth before he could hurt anyone else.

  Somehow there was a way. I could feel it.

  I focused again, using all my energy, pushing my mind deeper and deeper.

  Then, another flickering image of him came. I saw his face and his shoulders. It was happening; I could see him. I had to keep going.

  I concentrated with all my might, but nothing more came.

  I tried again and again, pushing my mind harder, straining to see. Each time I tried it just became more difficult. My mind couldn’t make the connection. I couldn’t see anything more than his face and his shoulders.

  It was no use. My body was becoming weaker by the minute, so weak that when I finally gave up, I passed out on my bed.

  ***

  I heard a voice calling my name. When I opened my eyes I found Rayne and Violette both hovering over me.

  “What time is it?” I asked, confused.

  “It’s five o’clock,” Rayne said.

  I rubbed my eyes. “In the afternoon?”

  “You’ve been out for hours,” Violette said. “At first I thought you were just sleeping in late, so I went on with my day, but when I came back home and you were still lying in the exact same position as when I had left, I decided to check your Watermark. It barely had any light, so I called Rayne.”

  I could feel the anxiety coming from Rayne’s essence.

  I sat up in the bed and leaned back against the headboard. “I’m sorry I made you worry. I guess I wore myself out trying to test my locating abilities.”

  Rayne sat in front of me on the bed. “Have you eaten anything?” he asked.

  I squinted and ran my fingers through my hair. “Um, no, I don’t think so.”

  Rayne started to stand, but Violette gestured for him to stay.

  “You should stay with her,” she said. “I’ll get her something to eat.”

  Rayne scooted closer and took my hand. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “I’m okay,” I said, “just a little tired. I was trying to locate Voss.”

  “Voss? Were you able to see him?”

  I sighed. “A little, but not enough. All I could see was his face and shoulders.”

  “Well,” Rayne began, “considering that Voss is across the universe on a different planet, I’d say that was pretty good.”

  That hadn’t even occurred to me. Voss was on another planet.

  “Rayne, you’re a genius,” I said. “Voss is on Earth. I didn’t even think of that. It was amazing that I was able to see him at all.”

  I jumped off the bed. “When I go to the testing center tomorrow I’ll be able to try again, this time on Earth. Think how amazing that would be if I could actually see Voss’s location. I could tell Ash’s team exactly where to find him.”

  “Uh... that’s... true,” Rayne said, looking a little baffled.

  I couldn’t contain my excitement. “So then it’s settled,” I said. “I’m finding a way to go with you guys on that mission.”

  14. ORION PROPOSES A PLAN

  Orion stepped to the foot of his father’s bed. The necessity for their meetings was becoming more and more frequent.

  “It’s imperative that we keep the girl’s true identity a secret,” Cypress rasped. “We can’t take any chances. The Believers can’t find out that she’s here.”

  “I agree,” Orion said. “Interest in Sadie’s background has spread among the media. For now I’ve successfully intervened, but if things get further out of hand, we won’t be able to keep it contained.”

  Cypress coughed and reached for a glass of water. “I still can’t convince the CAED that the girl is the Aurora, but they agree that if the Believers were to learn of her they could create much bigger problems for us. As a precaution, the CAED is talking about taking the girl into their custody.”

  Orion laughed without humor. “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

  “This isn’t a laughing matter,” Cypress urged. “You need to look past your loyalties to Hamlin and focus on the bigger picture. It’s bad enough the Believers now know he has a daughter. Our inside sources tell us they’ve doubled their efforts in looking for Jane Fairbank’s female heir.”

  Cypress coughed again, but he continued to persist. “If they find out she’s living right here in Banya, their efforts to glorify her existence could triple overnight. With living proof of the Aurora right in front of their eyes, their influence on the people could grow astronomically. After years of treating the Believers as crazed fanatics, the people could start taking their claims seriously. Everything we’ve been working for could be destroyed. At this point, I don’t see what choice we have.”

  “I understand that,” Orion replied. “But, I believe I have a possible solution. One that doesn’t require kidnapping.”

  Cypress rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s hear it then...”

  “Well,” Orion began, “I’ve already promised Sadie a visit to Hamlin and her mother out at project Winnie. I believe I can convince the Council that she’s in need of a longer break. We could send her to stay with them, out there in the middle of nowhere, for an extended period of time. She wouldn’t be anywhere near any reporters.”

  “That will only be a temporary fix,” Cypress argued. “We should take care of the threat once and for all.”

  Orion exhaled with exasperation. “Well, pardon me for having a little humanity. This will at least buy us some time. When Sadie returns to the Academy she’ll be too busy to get into any trouble. And I’ll make sure the media understands that campus is off limits. By then we’ll know if I’ve won the election, and we can move forward from there.”

  “The CAED won’t be happy about this,” Cypress grumbled. “Despite their lack of belief, they recognize the possible threat the Believers pose.”

  “The CAED agreed to wait to take extreme action until after I win the election.”

  “Yes, but—” Cypress choked. The breath caught in his throat,
causing him to cough. His words were labored. “That was before... the Aurora appeared.”

  Orion gritted his teeth as he thought back to his unsuccessful attempt to cross the Threshold border with the Aurora’s blood injected in his veins.

  “I have things under control,” Orion finally said. “If the CAED has a problem with that, they can take it up with me. Besides, sending Sadie off to her parents would create the perfect opportunity to put an end to her healing sessions across the border, halting her opportunity to develop her powers. Isn’t that what you’ve been pushing me to do all along?”

  Cypress sighed in frustration. “Fine. But once you convince the Council to send the girl away, we’re assigning at least one of our CAED members to go with her.”

  “Agreed,” Orion said.

  Cypress lifted a shaky hand. “Now, on to our second matter of business... Voss.”

  “It’s taken care of,” Orion explained. “Just this morning the Council agreed to let me head up Ash Hasting’s mission.”

  “You must do whatever you can to keep Voss quiet,” Cypress urged. “Finish him off if you have to. He could ruin you if he let the truth get out about your past work together.”

  “I’m well aware of the gravity of the situation, father. I’m bringing six CAED members with me to support the operation. We shouldn’t have any problem getting to Voss first.”

  “Good,” Cypress replied. “Do whatever it takes. If you don’t keep Voss under control you will be failing your mother and her entire life’s work.”

  15. SEARCH

  I showed up at Jax’s place bright Monday morning for training, feeling energized.

  “Looks like somebody got her beauty sleep this weekend,” Jax said.

  I smiled. “Yep. I’m well rested and ready to go. So, what are we working on today?”

  Jax lifted his brow. “Well, since you’re feeling so chipper, why don’t we try tackling the obstacle course?”

  The obstacle course on Jax’s property was brutal. The last time he took me out there I barely finished half of the course.

  I grinned. “Sounds perfect.”

  Jax’s property was huge. We passed a large deck with several seating areas and gazebos, a full outdoor kitchen, a pool that looked like it should be at a resort in the Bahamas, a tennis court, and a sand volleyball court before we finally reached the obstacle course.

  I barely made it through the tire run and the first climbing wall when Jax turned abruptly. “Did you hear that?” he said.

  I stopped in front of the rope climb and took a breath. “Hear what?”

  “Just a minute,” he said, sounding annoyed.

  I watched as Jax ran to the edge of the grass and pounced into the bushes.

  “What’s going on?” I called after him.

  When Jax emerged from behind a tree I realized that he was dragging a man by the collar of his shirt. A camera hung from around the man’s neck.

  “I thought my father made it clear that my property was off limits,” Jax said. “I could have you arrested.”

  The photographer pushed Jax away. “Some stories are worth the risk.” Then he smirked in my direction. “I’m told that your little friend here is front page news.”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it,” Jax said, and then he ripped the camera off the man’s neck.

  “Don’t break it,” the man pled.

  Jax glared back. “Relax. I’m just deleting the files.”

  After pressing a few buttons on the back of the camera Jax started dragging the man away by the arm. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said to me. “Just run some laps until I get back.”

  I watched until they were out of sight across the yard. Something seemed off. I had been training with Jax for more than a month and never once did he find any photographers on his property. He even told me that Orion had gone to great lengths to ensure that the media would never come snooping around while I was there.

  Jax returned a few minutes later. “Don’t worry,” he told me, “I took care of it. He won’t bother you again.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “Suddenly I seem to be big news around here.”

  Jax patted my shoulder. “Welcome to my world...”

  I sighed. “I guess Naples Dupree hasn’t wasted any time spreading the news about Rayne Steven’s mysterious girlfriend.”

  Jax shook his head. “That photographer must have had a death wish. If my father finds out, he’ll probably have the guy fired, and make sure he never works in reporting again.”

  “All I did was go to one party,” I said, feeling frustrated. “And now they’re all over me.”

  Jax reached for my hand and looked at me intently. “If anyone bothers you again I want you to call me, okay? I can help. I’ve been dealing with these media clowns since I was a kid.”

  I smiled back at him appreciatively. “Thanks, Jax. I will.”

  After that, I took out as much frustration as possible on the obstacle course. It was amazing how jumping over hurdles, scaling rope ladders, and swinging across the monkey bars, could make all my tension disappear—at least for a few minutes anyway.

  When my muscles couldn’t possibly take it anymore, I toppled to the grass on my back, trying to catch my breath.

  Jax sat down beside me. “Nice work today,” he said. “You’re really starting to improve. You should be ready for the Academy in no time.”

  “Compared to who?” I said with a laugh. “From what I can tell, the kids at the Academy are like a bunch of little warrior machines.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about them,” Jax said. “There’s more to the Academy than just physical strength.” He smiled warmly, gazing into my eyes. “You’re going to be great, Sade. I know you will.”

  I gazed back at him. I felt something new from his essence, an emotion—a strong emotion. I wasn’t sure how to describe it, but there was something there... like a bond between us.

  I realized I was staring and smiled awkwardly. “Uh, you’re an awesome friend, Jax. You know that, right?”

  He looked down and his voice went quiet. “Sure. You are too.”

  I lifted my hand to rest on his back. “I’d give you hug,” I said with a chuckle, “but you worked me pretty hard today.” I pulled down on my shirt that was drenched with sweat.

  Jax laughed. “How about I take a raincheck on that...”

  “Sounds good,” I said. I stood and stretched my arms over my head. My legs were so tired they practically buckled beneath me.

  “Could I get a ride back to my apartment?” I asked. “I think you wore me out today.”

  “Of course,” Jax said. “Anything you need...”

  Our drive across campus was quiet. I kept trying to figure out what Jax was feeling. I had never noticed his emotions quite so strongly before. I could feel that he cared for me, but I already knew that, didn’t I? Was there something more coming from him?

  But, how could there be? Jax knew we were just friends. He knew I was madly in love with Rayne.

  Every few minutes I glanced over at him and smiled nervously. For the first time since I moved to Banya, I felt completely awkward with Jax.

  Finally, we pulled into the parking lot at the dorms.

  “So... thanks for the ride,” I said.

  He smiled as if everything was as normal as always. “Sure, no problem.”

  I opened the door. “Um, have a good day.” And then I was sprinting across the yard at lightning speed.

  When I reached my front door on the top floor, I stopped and took a breath. What was I doing? Why was I acting so lame in the car? Jax had been nothing but a great friend and a perfect gentleman since our first day of training.

  I shook my head and unlocked the door. I was being ridiculous. Jax was just being the same old Jax he always was. I was the one acting like an idiot.

  And I had more important things to worry about today. I was going to search for Voss as soon as I crossed the Threshold border back to Earth.

 
After lunch and a shower, I headed straight for the Hall of Clocks to wait for Agent Kelsey. Five minutes later he was escorting me through the Los Angeles Threshold border as usual. I loved that the training center was based in L.A. rather than one of the other Threshold cities. Even though they never let me go outside, I knew in my heart that my childhood home was only a few miles away.

  “Hi, Agent Chapman,” I said as we reached the security bypass door. Chapman was stationed there almost every day, so we had met quite a few times. According to Rayne he was also the same agent that Rayne had handcuffed to a fence when he was trying to save my life, and they weren’t exactly on good terms, so I was surprised that Chapman was always so nice to me.

  Chapman greeted me with a pleasant nod. “Hello, Sadie. Did you have a good weekend?”

  I smiled. “Yeah, it was okay.”

  Chapman nodded at Agent Kelsey as he said his name.

  Agent Kelsey grunted in return, which was his typical way of saying hello.

  “You’re looking a little tired today,” Chapman said with concern as he escorted us down the hall. “I guess Councilman Bennett has been working you pretty hard these days.”

  I shrugged. “I had a pretty tough workout this morning, but I’ll be okay.”

  “Well, don’t let them push you too hard,” Chapman said with a wink. And then he waved goodbye as he let us through the doorway that led to the testing center.

  I realized we were officially back on Earth in California. A wave of anticipation swept through me. All the night before I had been thinking about Voss and how I would locate exactly where he was hiding once I was back on the same planet, so we could finally take him down. I had to be discreet about it though. I wasn’t planning to tell anyone about my locating abilities unless it was absolutely necessary.

  They told me Orion was running a little late, so I waited in the hallway just outside the observation booth at the testing center. I knew Agent Kelsey would never leave my side, but I figured if I closed my eyes and concentrated quietly he would just think I was resting.