Shane’s hand shoots up into the air right away. “Make them lift me up! As high and they can!”
Not keen on watching his youngest Aerling plummet to the earth while we’re all watching, Mr. Parker says, “Not too high, and make sure someone’s ready to catch him if something goes wrong.”
I promise that we will and guide Shane to the center of our little circle. In all actuality, Shane would be able to save himself. I doubt Mr. Parker knows about Conner and Shane’s favorite game. They only got the chance to play it a few times while I was staying with them, but watching them jump from the highest points in their backyard only to stop themselves from breaking a leg or arm by sending out a blast of air below them in order to stop made it clear it was not something either of the Parkers would have approved of.
Conner must know exactly what I’m thinking because he grins and winks at Shane before we get started. Mr. Parker stands back, but keeps a keen eye on everyone as we start pushing our wind spirits together for a common goal. Sloane and I are prepared for the sudden influx of power, but Conner’s and Shane’s eyes bulge. Even Mr. Parker, who I know can’t feel everything we can, seems to be able to sense something unusual is happening.
“Dude, you guys are sucking up all the air around us,” Shane says, his grin nearly splitting his face in half.
“What do you mean?” Sloane asks.
Her question seems odd, since we’re able to call air to us any time we use our power, but something in her expression tells me that’s not what we’re doing. Splitting my focus from the floating Shane, I take a small portion of my power and spread it out around us. Right away, I notice what Sloane did.
Shane said we’re sucking up all the air, but we aren’t. The air around us is as still as it ever was. A few light breezes are whipping around, but it’s not moving toward us like when I pull air in to make it work for me. We’re not pulling in air. We’re pulling in power.
“Where’s it coming from?” I ask Shane, my eyes on Sloane for confirmation of what I just realized. She’s in total agreement. Shane, on the other hand, is having too much fun to answer. Forming up a bit of water from the ambient moisture in the air, I dump it on his face to get him to focus.
“What?” he squawks.
I don’t signal the others to put him down because I want him to be able to keep observing. “Where is the power coming from that we’re sucking up? Can you tell?”
It’s not something anyone else seems to be aware of, including me. The Montgomery’s once told me that seeing Aerling power as a physical manifestation is a fairly common talent for Aerlings. I’m beginning to think Shane has it, and has for a while. He said air, but his failure to react to me mentioning power says he knew what was really happening. He was always suspiciously good at the Aerling games we played while I was at the Parkers house.
“It’s not coming from anywhere in particular,” Shane finally admits. “It’s everywhere, like it’s just sitting around waiting for someone to use it.”
Wondering about something, I say, “We’re going to put you back down, but I want you to keep watching and see what happens to the extra power when we stop using it.”
Shane sighs in disappointment, knowing he’s been caught. “Fine.” He grumbles a few more things, but I’m already focused on working with Sloane and Conner to bring Shane back down softly. As soon as he’s safe on the ground and our wind spirits have been sent away, Conner cuffs Shane on the head and frowns at him.
“You’ve been cheating at games this whole time?” He’s glowering at him, but there’s a hint of pride underlying it. Even I have to admit it was a pretty good con.
Mr. Parker just shakes his head. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you had this talent?”
“’Cause I’m not stupid,” Shane grumbles. “The games were part of school. Mom would have made me do other work if she knew I could win all the games so easily.”
I can’t help it. I start laughing. It doesn’t matter that I probably shouldn’t condone this sort of thing, but Shane is pretty brilliant. He rarely ever won the games we played, but he always came in a close second to whoever did win. Good enough to get “passing” grades in his Aerling studies, but not enough to let everyone know he was cheating the whole time. Genius.
Pulling him in for a side hug, I laugh and ask, “What happened to the power?”
Looking glad for a change in topics, Shane says, “I just went back to floating around. It’s everywhere, all the time. Always has been. I didn’t realize you guys didn’t know that. I’ve pretty much always been able to see it.”
“Can you use it?” I ask.
Shane shrugs. “Sometimes. It’s not easy to call it. If I’m doing something I really have to concentrate on, I can get a little bit to help me, but it came right away to the wind spirits, like it belonged with them.”
I’m not completely sure what that means, but knowing there is latent power around us constantly is reassuring. “I think I just figured out your extra homework assignments now that you’re probably out of the games.”
Shane groans. “Fine. What do I have to do?”
“Watch the power. Try to get it to help you. Tell me what happens. Conner can help. Have him call his wind spirit and you two see what you can do with the two, okay?”
Perking up a bit, Shane nods eagerly. “We’ll figure it out, Mason.”
“I know you will,” I say with a grin.
“Mason,” Mr. Parker says, “I hate to do it, but we need to get going soon. I don’t like leaving the rest of the family alone at night. Even with Tū holding off for now, it’s still dangerous.”
Reaching out, I shake his hand. “I know. I don’t want them in danger either. Be careful going home.”
He pulls me into another hug and says, “We will.”
I move on to telling Shane and Conner goodbye for now, but Sloane reaches out and touches Mr. Parker’s shoulder. He stops and looks at her expectantly, but she hesitates for a minute. Finally, she gets up enough courage to ask, “Do you know why Hayden can see me?”
During my long explanation, I sped past Hayden and Sloane for the sake of getting everything out as quickly as possible. I don’t remember if Mr. Parker reacted to the news of Hayden being able to see Sloane at the time, but he does now.
“Sloane, where is your Escort?” he asks.
“He’s gone,” Sloane says, her mouth pulling down into a frown. “He went on a mission to deliver an Aerling child shortly after he brought me home. He never came back.”
Mr. Parker nods as if he expected this answer. “We’ve only seen it happen a few times, but when circumstances are just right, an Escort’s calling of protection can be transferred. The only way for that to happen is when the Escort’s Aerling has died through no fault of his or her own and an Aerling of the same bloodline has lost his or her Escort.”
Sloane’s mouth falls open. I’m pretty sure everyone else’s does as well.
“Marking an Escort, we don’t really know how it’s done, but we can only assume it’s not easy, and as Mason told us, requires giving up a portion of power. It sounds like they don’t have a lot to spare, so this all makes more sense now. They’re just trying to conserve the resources they have,” Mr. Parkers says, “but I believe Hayden can see you because he’s your Escort now.”
I don’t say anything as Sloane asks a few more questions. I’m too busy trying to wrangle the thoughts skittering through my mind suddenly. Aerling power somehow recognizes blood. It’s capable of realigning an Escort’s purpose to protect someone based on their bloodline. Could that possibly be used to our advantage?
Chapter 20
Born Of Power
(Hayden)
Gasping for breath, I stumble when I finally feel solid ground beneath my feet. Olivia handles the arrival better than I do and grabs my arm to keep me from falling on my face. It takes me a few seconds to find my balance and look at where we landed. When I do, I’m left reeling again.
I remember that las
t conversation I had with Levi. There was such excitement in his voice when he talked about coming here together, having adventures. I’m suddenly choked up thinking about how much he would have loved this place.
The circle of woods we’ve appeared in is staggeringly beautiful. The silvery trees are massive, stretching so far above my head I can barely see the tops. Vines that creep up the trunks of the huge trees rustle, creating a gentle hum that somehow seems to be welcoming us home. Every spec of life in the grove is vibrant. Some small animals chitter in the distance and artful birds flit back and forth through the trees, their songs hypnotizing.
“Pretty amazing, huh?” Olivia says quietly.
When I turn to look at her, she’s smiling, though it seems sad. “Yeah,” I agree. “This place is incredible.”
“Not such a bad place to spend the rest of your life, if that’s the way it has to be,” she says.
I know she’s talking about remaining here in order to be with Mason, should it come to that, but it does make me wonder. “Escorts come and go, but as far as the Caretakers know, they never come back. A lot of Escorts are Caretakers. Don’t they ever want to go back and visit their families?” I ask.
Olivia’s lips press together, creating a thin line that says her thoughts as clearly as words might. “With the way Escorts are treated by the Caretakers…and after you learn what’s really going on and what your role is,” Olivia says, “it would be hard for Caretaker Escorts to ever go back. For the ones like us, maybe they do go back…secretly. It’s not like the Caretakers would know since they turn their backs on Escorts and their families once the Aerling is gone.”
“So we could still go home when we want to, see our parents and siblings?” I ask, holding my breath for the answer.
Only half of Olivia’s attention seemed to be on our conversation before, but now she turns to me with a fully-focused look in her eyes. “You’re staying when this is all over?” The surprise on her face is plain as day.
“If they still need Escorts,” I say with a shrug. We may very well be obsolete if things work out the way we’re hoping…maybe. I’m not totally sure. Will Aerlings still need us to cross between worlds once the barrier is down? I have no idea.
Without warning, Olivia throws her arms around me, squeezing me so tightly it almost hurts. Then, in a complete reversal, she pulls back and stares at me hard. “Why?”
“Why? Because they need us. I thought I was useless after Levi died, but this is another chance to do something important. I want to help. I think I need to be here doing whatever I can.” I know that might sound weird, but being here feels right…just like being with Levi did. Just like…the memory of Sloane helping me fills my mind and all those bizarre sensations return. Yeah, it feels like that, just a little less intense. Shaking off those kinds of thoughts, I say, “Plus, you’re my best friend, Olivia. I can’t just walk off and let you fend for yourself. I still have to teach you how to skateboard, too.”
The corners of her mouth turn up in a barely contained smile and she hugs me again. Quietly, she says, “I was afraid you were only doing it for me. I’m glad you’re not.”
“I’d do it just for you, too,” I say sincerely, “but maybe not for the same reasons I once would have.”
Olivia cocks her head to one side. “What do you mean?”
Shoving my hands in my pockets, I say, “You know I’ll always love you, but I’ve made peace with how things are. I understood before that there was something between you and Mason that I could never compete with. I didn’t really know what that was until recently. Now, it really makes me happy to see you two together, and I’ll fight for you both to keep it that way. I don’t know if this taboo between mixing is genetic or something the Mother came up with, but it’s wrong. Nothing should stop the two of you from being together. I get that now.”
“Because of Sloane?” Olivia asks.
I shrug. “Kind of, I guess.” I look back up at Olivia. I want to make sure she understands this. “It’s not like I’ve moved on because I’m interested in Sloane instead of you now.”
“Are you interested in Sloane?” Olivia asks. “I know me and her didn’t get off to a great start, but she’s grown on me.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with Sloane,” I admit. I like her a lot. The way she makes me feel when she uses her power on me is addictive, but just being with her is comforting, and right now that’s even more of a draw. “You know how I told you that being near you helped me deal with Levi?”
Olivia nods.
“Well, it’s like that, but on a whole different level. She’s seen into the darkest parts of me and accepted everything, somehow repairing the damage I never thought I’d escape. It’s not just a temporary fix, either. Meeting her gave me a new purpose, makes me feel whole again.”
Nodding, Olivia truly seems to understand. “I’m glad for you, Hayden. You of all people really deserve that.” She looks up at me and smiles. “Plus, she’s pretty cute, too. I’m sure that helps.”
Rolling my eyes, I sling my arm around her shoulder. “Where’s this change of heart coming from?”
“Watching you with her the last few days,” she says. “I’ve seen the difference she makes in you, and that can’t be a bad thing. She really is a nice person, too. I just let my fear get the better of me in the beginning. You were right that her seeing our memories didn’t change anything between us, but it did help her understand you better and know what you needed. I’m grateful for that.”
Relieved that the tension between the two of them won’t be a problem anymore, I squeeze Olivia’s shoulders and force myself to address the reason we’re here. As beautiful as this place is, I’m kind of freaking out about confronting the Father. Maybe Olivia knew that, though, because she didn’t push me when we first arrived, but is now completely focused as well.
“Are you ready for this?” she asks.
“Probably not.”
Olivia smiles. “Just stay with me. I was a little worried there’d be a whole crowd here again, but I guess they only do that when they’re expecting an Aerling home. I’m not sure where Cedrick is, but he’s the one we need to talk to.”
I just nod, because I have no clue what to do otherwise. I’m just along for the ride right now. Pulling out from under my arm, Olivia takes my hand. I can feel it shaking. Giving her a reassuring squeeze, I let her know I’m here for whatever she needs. I don’t know how much help I’ll be going up against trained Aerlings, but I’ll protect her. I promised Mason I would.
It doesn’t take long to start attracting attention. Nobody has a clue who I am, but everyone we meet seems to recognize Olivia. The first few Aerlings we encounter simply stop and stare. A few run off looking panicked. We’ve made it to some kind of centralized hub by the time a man carrying the weight of authority steps in front of us.
“Olivia, what are you doing here?” he demands.
Bolstered by her rising anger, Olivia drops my hand. Her fingers curl into fists as she steps forward to face who I can only assume is the guy we were looking for. “I’m here for answers, Cedrick. The ones you so conveniently left out the first time we were here. Answers about how this war really started and where the Father is.” Every word snaps off her tongue, making Cedrick’s stalwart shoulders droop incrementally.
“I…there’s…how?”
“How did we find out the Father has been trapped here since the beginning of the war?” Olivia snaps. “Tū. That’s how we found out. The guy you sent us to destroy seems to be the only one telling the truth around here. Why is that? Why doesn’t every Aerling know that the Mother didn’t get stolen away by Tū, that she and the Father were consumed by their greed for more power, that they’re the ones who started this war and she ran away to save herself and hoard as much power as possible. You’re all sending your children down to Caretakers created by the woman who imprisoned you all here. This war isn’t about stopping Tū. It’s about saving the Aerlings from a slow death locked up i
n a world that’s dying.”
Olivia stays focused on Cedrick, but my eyes travel to the crowd of gathered Aerlings. Most faces are white with shock, but a few heads have dropped in shame. So not everyone was in the dark, I realize. A few knew the truth and kept perpetuating the lies. Part of me wants to condemn them, but I also realize they had no idea what else to do. Without Mason, they had no hope of stopping Tū’s never ending cycle of murders and not even a shot in the dark at getting rid of the Mother.
The still stunned Cedrick has yet to say a word. I put my hand on Olivia’s bunched up shoulder to bring her back down from her high of outrage. “What else could they do?” I ask her. “You and Mason were their only hope at survival. There wasn’t any point in terrifying everyone.”
“But he should have told us!” Olivia snaps. Her eyes narrow in on Cedrick. “You sent us down there to destroy Tū, but we can’t, can we? We’re holding Tāwhiri’s power. Their power is the same, completely unable to damage the other one.”
“They can’t kill each other through violence,” Cedrick finally says, “but you can still defeat him.”
“How?” I ask before Olivia can snap at him again.
Cedrick’s whole body deflates. “I don’t know, but there’s a way. The Mother did it to their other children before Tū and Tāwhiri managed to stop them in the end. They shouldn’t have been able to kill their own children. Aerlings cannot kill each other. Tū only manages what he does through the Sentinels. The Mother found a way, though.”
Olivia’s body goes rigid beneath my hand. “What?” she demands. “What do you mean? Tāwhiri, I thought he was the one who defeated the other siblings.”
The slow shake of Cedrick’s head sets my stomach to twisting uncomfortably, though I suppose we should have expected something like this.
Invincible (The Aerling Series Book 3) Page 17
