by Belle Malory
“I know, I know,” she said, holding up her hands. “I’ve heard enough about it from Hunter, believe me.”
“Hunter?” She drew her brows together. “I thought you two weren’t speaking?”
“We weren’t until he saw me getting out of Dean’s car. Then he suddenly remembered I existed. For someone who refuses to say a word about his love life, he sure had a lot to say about mine.”
“Like what?” she asked, surprised by Hunter’s interest. In all their conversations, she couldn’t remember him ever mentioning any strong opinions regarding Reagan and Dean.
“He said I had to be the dumbest girl in the world for speaking to Dean again.”
Kennedy nodded. “Can’t say he’s wrong there. What else?”
Reagan stuck out her tongue at that comment. “That was pretty much the gist of it.”
Kennedy drummed her fingers against the table, thinking. She used to know everything there was to know about Hunter, and he used to know everything about her. Even worse, she hated not knowing what was going on in his life. It wasn’t as if she didn’t deserve it though. He had every right to cut her off.
But still.
She missed him…even when she tried not to.
~ ~
Later that night, after Reagan fell asleep, Kennedy lay in bed awake, not really wanting to press the sleep button just yet. She mindlessly twisted the brace around her wrist, the smooth metal glimmering with each spin. DOE had spent a fortune on their new braces, ensuring they could be used to connect to each other even when they were Earthbound. It didn’t help when she wanted to call her family on a whim, but it did ensure she could always stay in touch with the other keepers.
She dialed Phoenix’s number, halfheartedly expecting him to answer. He was probably too busy—
“Hey.”
She blinked and sat up straighter. “Phoenix, where are you? Did you and Davaris make it out?”
“Against all odds, we did.” His voice sounded as surprised as she felt.
The tension in her shoulders eased, and she leaned back against her plushy headboard and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe you guys actually pulled it off.”
“Neither can we, but we’re not expecting them to leave us alone without a fight. We need to expend as much of this energy as we can while we have time.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to summon the courage to ask the question that had been lingering on her mind. “Phoenix…”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“What if…what if you can’t get rid of it? What if the energy will always be connected to you and Davaris?”
He sighed as he considered that. “Then we need to learn how to control it.”
“How?”
“I don’t want to say too much, in case these lines aren’t safe. But Davaris is taking us to stay with someone he trusts, and from what he’s telling me, it’s a place where we can feel free to blow stuff up.”
Kennedy smiled at that. “Sounds like you guys will have a blast.”
He snorted. “Lame, but I love you anyway.”
“Seriously though, I’m happy you found a place you can expel the energy Fang passed on. I know this is what you needed.”
“Yeah…all it’s missing is you.”
She pressed her lips together, wishing for a moment that she could be there to witness his infamous explosions. With the energy he’d been storing up, she imagined they would be pretty spectacular.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” Phoenix said, his voice growing heavy. “I need to ditch my brace for a while to get off the grid…I’m not sure when I can contact you again.”
She nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “I understand.”
“I know it sucks—”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
“Listen, Kennedy. The promises you made in the Rec Center…they’re all I have to hold onto without hearing your voice and knowing you’re still there.”
“I won’t leave, Phoenix. Not without saying goodbye.”
“What if DOE tries to force you?”
“I’m capable of holding my own,” she said, smirking. Not so long ago she wouldn’t have been able to say that.
“You haven’t worked for them as long as I have. Some of them are decent, like Mason, but most of them only care about their own agendas. Davaris and I got out because we’re both ticking time bombs, but they will try to coerce you into doing what they want.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, emphasizing her words to make him believe it. “I won’t go anywhere until I hear from you.”
He let out another long sigh. “Good, because you’d be taking my heart with you if you did.”
She winced at that. “Phoenix…”
“Yes?”
There was so much she wanted to say.
She wanted to wish him good luck. That she was rooting for him. She also wanted to tell him she hoped he found a way to forgive himself for not forgiving Fang before she died.
“I hope you find the peace you need.” She stopped chewing on her lip and looked directly at her brace, wishing she could see his face. There was a long pause before he said anything else. Those words held layers of meaning, and she knew he’d picked up on it.
“Yeah, me too…talk to you soon.”
He signed off, and Kennedy rested her head against her pillow. She closed her eyes, still not tired, but still not wanting to press the sleep button. Her mind went back to the night the Sae-yers invaded Olympus, seeing the silvery bots everywhere, flashing through the darkness. They managed to kill Fang, arguably the strongest of them all. What mistake had Fang made? Or had her death simply stemmed from being in the wrong place at the wrong time?
She remembered the way General Vickard pinned the medallion to her chest, and a cold surge crept down her spine. Everyone praised the keepers for stopping the Sae-yers, for stopping what could’ve been a deadly outcome…but that night still haunted her.
Phoenix didn’t want her to leave. But somewhere out there, keepers knew how to protect their worlds from invasion. She wanted that knowledge, desperately craved it for herself and for all of them. He couldn’t fault her for seeking it out, could he?
Thirteen
“Ikal has agreed to speak to one of you,” Dante told the four of them waiting outside the small hut. “He says too many bodies will chase away the spirit’s guidance.”
Lexie was annoyed. Dante led them through a maze of small buildings and farm land, with natives staring the entire time, to this small hut at the far end of the community. He was giving them the runaround, and she was fed up.
Hoshu stepped forward, tight-lipped. “Dante, we don’t need spiritual guidance. We need the man to rack his memory so we can find the damned stone.”
“Hey, I’m just the messenger,” Dante said, holding his hands up. “I did warn you Ikal was kind of kooky. But he’s one of the respected elders here. He’s your best bet.”
“I’ll go since I speak the language,” Gabby offered. Dante tried to follow her inside, but she held a hand against his chest to stop him. “No way. You said one person. Wait out here with everyone else.”
Dante started to protest, then changed his mind. “Fine. Go ahead.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked away.
Thankful for the break, Lexie sat on the porch stoop and leaned against the wall of the hut. She was tired and covered in dirt and sweat, and she still had this nagging feeling in her stomach that something was off about Dante and this village.
To the right of the house, there was a small garden, tomato vines hanging from a trellis. She stared at the trellis, zoning out, and watched as the vines stretched further, the tomatoes growing red and fat.
Gowan caught sight of what she was doing. “Wow, Lex. Look at that. You’ve never grown anything that fast back on Olympus.”
“Is it just me,” she mused, “or do you think we’re getting stronger just by being here?”
“It�
��s not just you,” Gowan said.
“Same here,” Hoshu added. “I’m not used to it, everything is unfamiliar, but I feel powerful. Like I could move mountains. It was the same feeling I had when I was a kid.”
Hoshu was the manipulator in their group. Lexie thought about whether he could, in fact, ever become that strong. Growing plants and food was one thing, but oh, man. If Hoshu grew powerful enough to move mountains, then surely they could save their planet from the Sae-yers.
“Why do you think we’re the first keepers ever to be discovered?” she wondered aloud. “If we feel more powerful when we’re connected to the Earth, why is it that no keeper before us became powerful enough to be noticed?”
“Mason thinks they were,” Gowan said. “He thinks keepers may have been mistaken for Gods and Goddesses, and that’s where some of the ancient mythology comes from.”
“I suppose.”
One of the tomatoes grew so fat, the stem snapped and broke from the vine. Lexie focused on the surrounding grass, watching as it became lush and green. She could feel the life force in everything, the vibrations of the plants, the energy of the sun, even the shifting of the ground beneath her feet. “You guys…I bet we could figure out where that gemstone is on our own.” She lowered her voice to a whisper to keep Dante from overhearing. “If we came close to its vicinity, I bet we could feel it.”
It sounded crazy. She thought they might even laugh, but both Gowan and Hoshu looked at her like they understood.
“You could be right,” Hoshu said. He tilted his head toward Dante. “But we need to ditch this idiot before we start looking.”
“Agreed. I don’t trust him either,” Gowan stated. “After Gabs is finished talking to the old man, let’s give him his money and send him on his way.”
They all nodded, looking over at Dante. He was staring out onto the horizon, idly twisting his brace. Lexie knew he was trying to eavesdrop.
Gabby emerged from the hut a few minutes later, her eyes cloudy in deep thought. A short man with dark, leathery skin and salt and pepper hair followed her out, grunting with each small step. When the old man reached the end of the porch, he took Hoshu’s face in his hands, murmuring something in another language.
“He says he is honored to meet you,” Gabby translated.
He patted Hoshu’s cheeks, then moved on to Gowan and did the same. When he looked at Lexie, he smiled, and took her face in his hands. This time he said something different.
Gabby giggled.
“What?” Lexie asked, startled. “What did he say?”
“He thanks you for growing his tomatoes.”
Lexie widened her eyes, feeling a rush of blood to her face. “How could he possibly know that I grew them?”
“The spirits told him.”
Great. Black. Hole.
~ ~
They were trying to get rid of him.
Dante clenched his teeth, forcing himself to appear calm. Inside, he was a raging whirlwind of nerves. Every suspicious glance, every whisper, put him more on edge. This wasn’t going well.
Normally he was great at lying. Most tourists and treasure hunters that wandered through this part of Campeche were easy to manipulate. Dante knew how to work them, knew how to get as much globs as he could out of them before they finally gave up and went home, always empty handed. As long as he’d been doing this, he never believed there was a gemstone to be found.
The keepers spoke to each other about what Ikal told the gray-eyed girl. Dante busied himself, fiddling with his brace to act like he wasn’t interested in their conversation.
“Gowan, pull up your map,” he heard the gray-eyed girl say, her whole face coming alive. “Ikal doesn’t know the exact location of the gemstone, but he told me about this legend that says it’s hidden inside of a maze of underground caves—”
“Gabby.” The tall one with the Scottish accent stopped her from saying anything else.
“Oh, right.” She glanced in Dante’s direction, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Ikal confirmed what we already suspected; he can’t be trusted.”
Dante clenched his jaw. These keepers were intuitive. It was as if they could sense the cloud of corruption surrounding Dante.
He supposed the nerves were throwing him off his game. This job was too important. Maxwell Ryder had personally called his father, from prison no less, to ask for this favor. Follow the keepers, he said. They’ll know where to find the gemstone.
Dante couldn’t believe it, but he wasn’t asking any questions. When a billionaire asked for a favor, you didn’t say no. Ryder was willing to pay more money for that stupid stone than he could ever dream of getting. The payout for this one job would set him up for life.
His brace vibrated. There was a new message.
Awaiting instructions.
Dante carefully looked over his shoulder at the keepers. Their attention had shifted away from him, too busy planning their next move. He typed back his reply.
Stay put for now. They’re not going to reveal anything while I’m still their guide. Once we part ways, we can follow them. Their ATVs are equipped with trackers.
He sent the message, then waited a few moments.
Good. Whatever happens, do not lose them. Standing by for now.
Dante swallowed, feeling the pressure weighing on him. He couldn’t screw this up. One way or another, the keepers would lead him to the gemstone.
Fourteen
“You’re not trying hard enough.” Dominika Orlov tossed her platinum blonde braid over her shoulder and repositioned her stance. “I could’ve easily killed you by now.”
Kennedy stretched out her fists and unbound her hand wraps. Too many thoughts clouded her mind today. Better just to quit now before she ended up in search of a medi-bed. “Call for a new sparring opponent. My head isn’t where it’s supposed to be.”
Nika stood back, hands on her hips. “You’re giving up?”
“For the moment, yes.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Just not in the mood.”
“You would never have said that to Fang.”
Kennedy stilled. After everything that had happened these last few months, she didn’t need the reminder of how much Fang used to inspire her rage. “Thanks for bringing that up,” she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Nika to catch the sarcasm.
“It’s the truth, and if it makes you angry, good. Anger is necessary to fight.”
“I’m not angry.”
Nika rolled her eyes. “Maybe not, but you’re grumpier than usual.” She poked at the furrow between Kennedy’s brows. “See it’s showing in your face, right here.”
Kennedy slapped her hand away. “Since when do you care so much about fighting?”
Ever since DOE forcibly escorted Nika back from Russia, she made no pretenses about how she felt. She didn’t like being under their control, and she let them know it. At first she refused to even show up for training. She kept ditching the department by disappearing and powering down her brace until they finally had enough. They assigned her an android guard to monitor her. But she still refused to make it easy on them. During class, she’d power off her textbooks and take a nap. She rarely participated in the daily five. DOE required her to consult with a therapist three times a week, and Nika told Kennedy she’d plug her headphones in and listen to music while the therapist rattled on about the importance of cooperation.
“I’ve had a change of heart,” Nika said, idly pulling at her wristbands. “Training is an opportunity to become stronger. Eventually these department heads will come to fear me. When I fight, I picture Sigly as my opponent.”
“No wonder you have so much stamina. I wouldn’t want to be her when you finally get your chance to fight her.”
The corner of Nika’s mouth lifted slightly. “One day she will know the sting of my backhand.”
“I don’t doubt it. But listen, get Zane to spar with you; I’m useless right now.” Kennedy stepped off the s
parring floor, wiping her sweaty palms against the sides of her pants.
“You’re not useless, but you’re not trying. I should know better than anyone what that looks like because I’m usually the one not trying…or you know, sometimes trying a little too hard,” Nika added with a wicked smirk.
No doubt she was referring to the time she bit her trainer’s leg after he knocked her down. Those types of maniacal episodes made people steer clear of her. Usually. Kennedy seemed to be the one exception. She wasn’t sure what had drawn her to the antisocial, seemingly deranged seventh keeper, but there was more going on with her than what met the eye. And she was right. Nika had demons that lived deep inside her soul. That girl’s entire family was murdered while she hid beneath the bed. It was bound to make anyone seem slightly mad.
“I’ll take her place, Orlov,” Zane cut in, joining her on the sparring floor. “Professor Mason excused Miss Mitchell from today’s lessons anyway.”
“He did? Why?” Kennedy asked, then looked down when she felt her wrist vibrate. “Never mind, this is him.”
Mason’s voice filled the speaker on her brace. “Did you receive my message?”
She ambled toward the edge of the gym, tired and sore from the beating she took. “That I’m to be excused from Martial Arts and Combat?”
“Yes, along with your remaining lessons for the rest of the weekend.”
Kennedy twitched her nose. It didn’t take much to put two and two together, being that her mom had come to Olympus for one purpose. “Excused, huh? For what reason?”
“To spend time with your family, of course.”
She inwardly groaned. “How did you find out they’re in town?”
“Your mother dropped by my office for a visit.”
Blood rushed to her face as she imagined how that meeting went. Poor Mason. If Ashley managed to get a meeting with him, she had the chance to rip him a new one. She tried explaining to her mom that Mason didn’t lead the department, and he wasn’t solely responsible for every decision made by DOE. But because he was the one they sent to her house, her mom still saw him as a face to blame. The face to blame. “I’m so sorry for whatever she said to you, Professor. I’ve tried to tell her—”
