Flood Rising (The Water Keepers, Book 4)

by Christie Anderson

  I pushed past Rayne again. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

  Rayne’s coarse voice followed after me. “But you’ll talk to Jax about it, right? Maybe you should invite him to come with you. I’m sure he would be more than happy to help.”

  I stopped and turned. “Seriously? That’s what this is about? You’re jealous of Jax?” I turned in a huff and started to walk faster. “That’s ridiculous,” I called back. “Just go back to the house.”

  Rayne jogged up to my side. “Are you sure this is worth the risk?”

  “I’ve made up my mind,” I said. “Heather’s waiting for me.”

  “Then, how are you planning on getting there?”

  I continued to walk. “I’ll just call a cab.”

  “You don’t need to do that,” Rayne said. “All these houses have cars in the garages with the keys inside. All you need is the code to get in the door.”

  I paused. That plan did sound better, as much as I hated to admit it. I wasn’t even sure I had enough money to pay the taxi driver. I had never actually called a cab before.

  “Let me guess,” I said, “you’re not planning to give me the code unless I agree to let you come with me.”

  “Just let me help you,” Rayne insisted. “Is that such a terrible thing to ask?”

  I rubbed my hand across my forehead. “Fine,” I replied. “Let’s just go.”

  I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. I loved Rayne to death, but just once, I wanted to do something on my own.

  We walked a little further down the street and went inside one of the houses, using Rayne’s code.

  Once we were in the car ready to go, Rayne paused just before turning the key to the ignition. He looked at me directly. “You can’t tell Heather anything, okay? I mean, nothing.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I know. I won’t. Come on, let’s just go already.”

  Without another word, Rayne turned on the car and drove out to the street. I pulled out my phone to pull up Heather’s new address to get directions. Then, I texted her again and told her we would be there soon, also mentioning that Rayne was coming with me.

  The drive was short but it dragged on forever. Neither of us had anything more to say.

  When we pulled up to Heather’s off-campus condo, I jumped out of the car, relieved. I couldn’t take the awkward silence any longer. Without waiting to see if Rayne followed, I hurried up to the door to knock.

  Within seconds, the door flew open and Heather burst through the doorway to throw her arms around me.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” she exclaimed.

  “I know,” I said, hugging her back. “It’s so amazing to see you.”

  I felt Rayne’s presence walk up beside us. Heather immediately reached over and gave him a hug.

  “You guys have to come in and see my place,” she said.

  We followed her as she waved her hand inside.

  Tracy Wang sat on the couch in the front room next to a really cute guy with his arm wrapped around her.

  “Sadie! Oh my gosh,” Tracy said. She jumped up from the couch to give me a hug. “Wow, what have you been up to?”

  “Um, just working for my dad,” I replied.

  The guy that was with her stood from the couch.

  “This is my boyfriend, Tye,” Tracy said.

  Once we exchanged pleasantries, Heather gave us a tour of her condo. It wasn’t super big, but it was definitely nice.

  Tracy and her boyfriend continued watching TV on the couch.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere,” Heather suggested. “It might be easier to talk.”

  A moment later, the three of us were driving in Heather’s car. She said she had a favorite little coffee shop where we could go that was right across from campus.

  “So, what’s new with you?” I asked her with interest. “How has your summer been?”

  “It started out really great,” Heather said. “My family went on this big trip all over Europe.”

  As Heather told me about her visit to Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam, I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

  “Wow, that sounds amazing,” I said. “I hope I get to go some day.”

  Heather grinned. “You totally have to go. It was so awesome.”

  “So, what have you been up to since you got home?”

  Heather shrugged. “I don’t know. Not a whole lot. I mean, I was super excited to move into my new condo last month. But since then things have kind of slowed down. I feel like I’m just hanging out waiting for school to start.” Heather took a heavy breath. “But what about you?” she asked. “What’s it like working for your dad?”

  I glanced over my shoulder at Rayne, who was sitting in the back seat. He gave me a look that said, remember... don’t tell her a thing...

  I glanced back at Heather and shrugged. “Oh, you know... it’s fine. Nothing too exciting.”

  “So what do you do, though?” Heather went on. “Aren’t you supposed to be traveling to exotic places all over the world and stuff? I want details.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. “Oh, you know, I’m still just in training right now. The exciting stuff hasn’t really started yet.”

  “Well, where have you guys been living? Are your mom and dad here, too?”

  “No, they’re pretty busy with their own stuff, so they couldn’t come. It’s just me.” I hoped Heather didn’t realize that I only answered one of her questions. The best thing to do was change the subject before she could ask me anything else. “So, what classes are you taking when school starts in the fall?” I asked.

  Heather pulled the car over to park in front of a row of shops and cafes. “Just generals,” she said. “I still haven’t decided on a major yet.”

  When we got out of the car, Rayne and I followed as Heather led the way.

  “Wait, so you never answered my question,” Heather said as we walked down the sidewalk. “Where are you guys living while you’re in training for your job?”

  My eyes shifted, trying to decide what to say. I knew Heather. I couldn’t just tell her some general half-explanation. She would see right through me. All I could do was just straight-up tell her the truth.

  We stopped in front of the door to the coffee shop as she waited for my response. “Actually...” I began, “The truth is... I’m not really allowed to tell you. I’m not allowed to tell you anything at all about the... about the program.”

  Heather stared back at me, confused. “Wait, so, you can’t even tell me what city you live in?”

  I squinted apologetically. “No... sorry. If I told you, I could get in major trouble. I’m not even supposed to be here right now. I had to sneak out to come see you.”

  “Seriously?” Heather said. “You had to sneak out just to talk to me?”

  “Pretty much,” I said.

  Heather opened the door to the coffee shop. “That stinks. I have so many questions I want to ask.”

  As soon as we were in line Heather turned to Rayne. “You work for her dad’s company too, right? So I’m guessing you know everything?”

  Rayne hesitated, but still answered. “Um, yeah, I do. Sadie and I live right by each other. We see each other all the time.”

  Heather shook her head. “This whole thing just doesn’t make sense. Why would a job be such a big secret?”

  Neither Rayne or I answered her. There wasn’t much else we could say.

  “Can I at least ask if you like it there?” Heather said. “Do you see your parents a lot?”

  “I like it,” I said carefully. I could feel Rayne’s eyes watching me, waiting to intervene if I somehow crossed the line. “The training has been pretty tough,” I continued, “but I’m doing okay. As for my parents... I saw them a lot in the beginning, but now we don’t really get to talk much.”

  “Really? That’s too bad,” Heather replied. “I know how much you were looking forward to getting to know your dad better.”

  We came to the front of the line and stop
ped to order drinks. The tables inside were pretty crowded so we made our way outside and sat at a table on the front patio. Despite the late hour, the air was warm with just a hint of a breeze. The street was busy with cars and the campus across the way had a regular passing of college students.

  “Looks like there’s a lot going on here,” I said to Heather.

  She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” Then, she looked at me with sad eyes. “It would be so much better if you were here with me. I mean, I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything. I totally get the whole working for your father thing. I just... I just really miss you. It’s not the same here without you.”

  I looked down. “Believe me, I miss you too. I can’t tell you how much I wish I could talk to you out there. And now that you’re right here in front of me, I still can’t tell you anything. It’s totally frustrating.”

  As we spoke, a group of guys riding skateboards passed by the coffee shop and stopped in front of a stairwell at the building right next to us. They were laughing loudly and joking around, making it more difficult to hear as Heather and I tried to continue our conversation.

  “Is Tracy at least a good roommate?” I asked her.

  “She’s fine,” Heather said. “We hung out a lot when we first moved in together, which was fun, but now that she has a boyfriend they kind of do their own thing a lot.”

  “What about everyone from home?” I said. “Do you ever talk to Nicole or Lindsey or any of those guys?”

  Before Heather could answer, a loud series of amused groans came from the guys messing around next door. One of them had just attempted to ride their skateboard down the stair rail and toppled to the ground.

  Heather spoke over the noise. “We get together every once in a while, but that’s about it. Everyone’s kind of moving on and doing their own thing.”

  “What about Nick?” I asked. “I don’t even know what happened with you two.”

  Another round of groans came from the guys next door as a second guy thudded to the ground after attempting to slide down the stair rail.

  “Nick and I broke up,” Heather explained. “Just like I always knew we were going to. But the whole thing was way harder than I thought it was going to be.”

  I felt a sudden pit in my stomach, like negative energy spreading through the air all around me.

  I leaned in closer to Heather. “I’m so sorry. Have you guys talked at all since then?”

  I tried to give her my full attention, but the guy who had fallen started yelling and cursing. It was hard to ignore. Rayne, Heather, and I stared over at the group of guys as they all joined in with his shouting.

  The negative energy grew stronger. I realized it wasn’t just from Heather and her break-up, I could sense that the guy who had fallen was badly injured. Then I saw his arm. He held it up and cried out in shock. It was so badly twisted and broken that it didn’t even look like an arm anymore.

  Instinct set in. I stood from the table. “I have to do something,” I said aloud.

  “I’ll call an ambulance,” Heather said in agreement. She dug through her purse to get out her phone.

  Rayne grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to my chair. Without even saying it, he knew that I wanted to use my healing powers.

  “You can’t,” Rayne said. “Not in public like this.”

  “I can be discreet,” I argued. “I can do it right here from my chair. No one will even know.”

  “It’s just a broken arm,” Rayne said in a hushed tone. “It’s not like it’s life or death here.”

  Heather was busy providing information over the phone.

  I shook my head at Rayne. “But I can feel his pain. What’s the point of being able to do what I can do, if I never get a chance to actually do it?”

  Rayne came in closer to whisper. “I really don’t think this is the time or place to discuss this. What if you pass out right here in front of her?” He glanced at Heather and back at me.

  “I won’t,” I insisted. “No one will even know it was me. I didn’t pass out when I healed that big cut on your leg. It just happens with the bigger stuff.”

  Rayne glanced nervously at Heather again. “Shhh,” he said to me.

  I glanced over at the group of skateboarders. They were no longer yelling but were gathered around their hurt friend on the ground, who seemed to suddenly have trouble breathing.

  “I don’t think it’s just a broken arm,” I said to Rayne. “Even if I do pass out, I don’t care. I have to help him.”

  I immediately shut my eyes to concentrate. I could hear Rayne’s imploring words in the background, still trying to talk me out of it, but I ignored him and pushed them to the back of my mind.

  My thoughts centered on the guy with the broken arm. I concentrated all my energy his way until I could feel the bond form between us. I searched through the guy’s body until I found the most damaging source of his pain. He had two cracked ribs and a punctured lung, making it hard to even breathe.

  I pulled at the tainted particles in his body, taking it into me, leaving only light and healing behind. I could feel it draining more from me than just a simple cut on the leg, but I couldn’t let go. Something in me longed to remove every molecule of injured energy from his weakened body until he was left completely whole and free.

  Once the guy was healed, I pulled what was left of my energy away, breaking the bond that held me to him. I knew I was about to pass out, but I didn’t care. I had healed someone all on my own, without the doctors or Orion telling me what to do. A wave of peace and satisfaction moved through me, and then I let my mind and essence go dark.

  21. CONFIDANT

  When my eyes opened, I found Heather hovering over me, with Rayne close by her side.

  “Sade, you’re awake,” Heather said, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”

  I lifted my head off the table. We were still sitting outside the coffee shop on the patio.

  “I’m okay, really.”

  “I was so worried,” Heather went on. “Rayne wouldn’t tell me anything. He just kept saying that this is normal and you’d be fine. You totally passed out, out of nowhere. How can that be normal? Are you sick or something?”

  I glanced up at Rayne, who was watching our conversation intently. He was obviously upset. I could feel the tension coming from inside him.

  “Everything’s fine,” I said. “I’m not sick.”

  Heather didn’t look convinced. “I called an ambulance. It should be here any minute to help that skateboarder. Maybe we should have them look at you too.”

  I stood from the table. “No, that’s not a good idea. I promise I’ll explain, but right now we really just need to go, okay?”

  Heather stared back at me, dumbfounded. Rayne stood from his chair, ready to leave.

  I grabbed Heather’s arm. “Seriously, just trust me. We should go.”

  Confusion came over Heather’s face, but she followed as Rayne and I hurried to the car.

  “Are you okay to drive?” I asked her.

  Heather blinked slowly and shook her head. “Um, yeah.” Then, she reached in her purse and pulled out her keys.

  We drove back to Heather’s condo in quiet, but as soon as she parked, Heather seemed to come out of the trance.

  “Someone needs to explain to me what just happened,” she announced. “I’m not getting out of this car until you explain to me what’s going on.”

  I glanced back at Rayne with concern. His face clearly said, I told you so. I told you this was going to happen.

  I swallowed, not sure what to say. I wanted to tell Heather so badly. I wanted to tell her everything.

  I wanted to say, I moved to another planet with my parents. My father and Rayne are trained spies from another world and now I’m training to become an agent just like them. I took an oath not to tell anyone about this ever, but you’re Heather and you’re like a sister to me, so I have to tell you everything. The coolest part of all of this is that I can heal people. That’s what h
appened back at the coffee shop with that guy with the broken arm. We have this amazing stuff called Healing Water, but I don’t even need it. I healed him all on my own.

  I looked back at Heather with longing eyes. If only I could tell her even just one of my secrets...

  Then suddenly it occurred to me. I took an oath never to tell anyone about Ambrosia or the Healing Water or even the existence of Water Keepers, but I never promised anything about my own abilities to heal. That secret was mine; it had nothing to do with Ambrosia as a whole.

  I turned to Rayne cautiously. “I’m going to tell her about me.”

  His eyes went wide. “What? You can’t.”

  I kept my voice calm. “I’m not breaking my oath. I’m not going to tell her anything that I agreed not to. I’m only going to tell her specifically about me, about what I can do. There’s no law anywhere that says I can’t share with a friend my own personal abilities.”

  Rayne threw up one hand in frustration. “There’s no law about that specifically because you’re the only person in existence that it would apply to. I think we can safely assume that that part of the agreement was implied.”

  “I won’t be putting anyone or anything at risk,” I insisted. “You can argue all you want, but nothing you say will change my mind.”

  Suddenly, Rayne was out of the car. He slammed the door behind him. I watched as he circled around to the front passenger seat right outside my door, forcing it open.

  “Come on,” he said firmly. “We’re leaving.”

  “No,” I shot back.

  “If I have to, I’ll reach in and grab you and carry you out on my shoulder. If that’s what it takes to save you from yourself and your own irrational need to sabotage everything you’ve been working towards.”

  His words jabbed in just the wrong way. “Stop trying to tell me what to do. I’m not your assignment anymore. I’m not that little girl that needs your constant protection. Why don’t you get your own life, instead of always trying to control mine?”

  Before the last words could even leave my lips, I could feel the stabbing pain wrench through Rayne’s heart.

  His face went blank. His voice went tight. “I’ll be in the car,” he said, and then the door was closed beside me, and he was gone.