Arianna grasped his wrist, "Make sure to do it right, Athame Wielder. Not only are we connected to the Athame, but we are connected to each other. We'll know if our sisters do not end up with the Goddess."
Shawn ripped his arm away from Arianna, glaring at her. He turned back to the first in line and forced his fist to open. "In love and in trust, in peace and in wisdom, I release you, so mote it be."
The woman smiled, shimmering from head to toe. Parts of her went translucent, then opaque again. Shawn frowned.
"Try harder, Athame Wielder." Arianna's voice echoed around the cavern. She was in her ethereal form, floating above him.
Shawn repeated the chant. The Shade shimmered more violently this time, and Shawn poured some of his energy into her. She brightened, enough to burn Shawn's hand. He pulled back with a hiss, and she lifted from the ground then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Shawn shook his hand, trying to stop it stinging.
Laughter floated down from above. "A release always comes at a small price."
Quiet waves of chatter drifted through the line of women, and the air charged with excitement.
Shawn cleared his throat and wiped his palm on his pants. "Next."
Chapter 19
Meditation
I jettisoned through space, holding my breath, though I probably didn't have to. Instead of flailing limbs, I kept my arms and legs rigid and straight. Wind caused my eyes to tear up, but still I spotted that tiny pinpoint of light and angled for it.
The shapes were still there. Just as their blurry outlines came into focus, I saw them raise their arms. This time I was ready for it. I spun a web of elements, creating a shield in between me and them. I left my weaves loose, ready to absorb the ball of light now racing toward me. It worked like a charm. My shield shivered; silver waves of energy pulsated.
I moved closer to the men. Their arms rose again, shooting another blast at me. Again, I absorbed it. The shield was growing more solid and steady with the added energy.
I was close enough to hear their voices now. One loud, commanding tone followed by several shouting their consent. I needed to find the one in charge. I lowered my shield and turned my ear toward the group. Another shout, and smaller but numerous blasts flew by, narrowly missing me. I dodged some and absorbed the others. I had to remind myself my body wouldn't tire here, just like it didn't need to breathe. But the mental exertion was exhausting. Soon, they were going to catch me off guard.
Come on guys, I thought. I am taking everything you're dishing out. Give me a break.
The entire right side paused their attack long enough to build momentum together. I turned, using my shield to block their blast just in time. The left side did the same seconds later. Their aim was slightly off, but caught my arm nonetheless.
I looked down, a searing blade of light slashed across my bicep. I flexed, confused that it actually hurt. I forced myself to ignore the pain. Instead, I focused on the group of men. Self-preservation mode apparently wasn't convincing them; I had to try something different.
I held one hand to the back of my translucent shield, and drew some of its energy. I felt the men's signature on the elements; lots of air and fire. I weaved it together, trying to emulate their power, with a personal touch of my own. As soon as my weapon formed, I looked up and took aim.
I almost stumbled back at the sight. They all lowered their hands and took a step back.
Except one.
He launched himself forward, meeting me in the inky black atmosphere. I positioned myself, keeping him and the other men to my front, with the shield in between us. As soon as he stopped, I released a little bit of earth from the shield, making it transparent.
Well-defined muscles covered his abdomen and chest, over his shoulders and down his arms. He wore nothing except a loincloth covering the essentials. Very barbaric; he probably had a name like Conan, or Thor.
"I am Ted," he said in a higher voice than I would have suspected with that chiseled jawline. "We are Shades, and although I understand you currently wield the Chalice – you are not welcome here."
"Why not?" My voice was also slightly higher than I wanted it to be.
His eyes narrowed, as if debating how much to tell me. "Why have you come?"
"I need your help."
He didn't respond.
"Earth needs your help."
That might've done it; I could swear his jawline softened. I glanced down at my arm, the wound seeping blood.
He blinked a couple of times. "Why do you think we could help?"
"I've visited the Shades of the Athame; they were able to share their powers with me. I am trying to defeat a threat to humanity."
He tensed, retreating back to his circle. "Our sisters are rapidly disappearing! It is you?!"
"No!" I followed him forward, refusing to let him go that easy. "I don't wield the Athame! It is the one I spoke of, the threat – he must be doing something to the Shades!"
I don't think he believed me. He turned his back, flying faster toward his group. I could see them beyond him, preparing their light again.
I increased my speed, aiming for his back. Just before I hit him, I yelled, "Hey!"
He turned, eyes wide. I expanded my shield, encircling us both. Before he could react, I closed the shield, tying off the ends.
He beat at it, caught inside. He turned back to me, balling his fist. I glanced at it; light emanated from between his fingers.
"I wouldn't do that in here; you would destroy us both," I said. It seemed likely enough.
He believed me, releasing the energy. It hovered in between us until I drew it into the shield. He watched it merge, then looked through the shield at his men. They wavered in indecision. They certainly couldn't target the very thing that held their leader.
"Okay." He crossed his arms. "You have my attention."
I took a deep breath. "I’m not going to harm you, but I think we can help each other. The same man I intend to destroy has the Athame. He alone is responsible for what is happening with the Shades. Teach me, and I'll find the Athame."
"What do we get out of it?" he asked.
"You mean besides helping your sister Shades?"
"Yes."
"And helping Earth?"
"Yes," he repeated.
I huffed. "What do you want?"
"To be released."
"I can do that?"
"I believe so."
I thought for a minute. It was worth a try. "Deal." I extended my hand.
He just looked at it.
All right. I let it drop.
"So I’m ok to come back?"
He nodded. "Yes – and next time, you will be releasing at least one of us."
"I will?"
"To prove that you are both reliable and capable."
"Okay, until next time." I released the shield and we separated. I didn't turn my back until I was sure I was out of firing range.
Back in my body, I sat upright, taking a deep breath. "Ow!" I looked down at my arm. It bled profusely. "Shit!"
I slowly made my way down the ladder, off the captain's bridge. As soon as my feet hit the deck, the door opened.
Arnold poked his head out, eyes drawn straight to my arm. "What kind of meditating did you do?"
I just smiled, riding the high of my victory. A bleeding arm wound, or Arnold, couldn't bring me down. He handed me a first aid kit. After wrapping the wound, I walked to the back deck then slid in under the blankets with Bee. I was in a good mood. No nightmares for mama tonight…
* * *
"Easy there, princess." Shawn's words echoed through my head, annoying me. Blue eyes stared through me. The fire was there, as was Bee's snoring – my only grounding.
My shoulders sagged, but I looked around; still no one else.
"Where's the baby?" he asked.
I looked back at Shawn, there was no Athame this time. Instead it was a gun, cold and dark against his white skin.
I blinked, feeling Aka
sha at my back. Before, I destroyed Akasha, letting Shawn have his way. That wouldn't have been the right decision.
"Kaitlyn – the baby is mine."
I mirrored his words with my own lips. He didn't seem to notice. He continued with the same words, and the same motions as before.
The light behind me started to rise. I walked around Shawn this time. His back was now in front of me, and I could see Akasha beyond him.
He continued talking as if I were there, "It's already too late!"
I raised my arms with Akasha, forcing it to go faster; to go higher. The light increased with power, and I had to shield my eyes. Just as blood tinged the flame, Akasha breached the top of the wall and my insides shook with anticipation. This was what I was meant for; I was fulfilling my purpose.
"Yes!" I shouted. This had to be right.
I released Akasha over the whole of the world. The sky fell, smothering the fire and throwing us to the ground. After the explosions stopped, I lifted my head to look at Shawn.
His clothes had caught fire, but he made no move to put it out. Instead, he lay on the ground motionless. Bits of bone poked through his cheek. The rest of his face was scorched, like the ground he lay on. He rolled his eyes toward me. "Too late."
Chapter 20
The Great Rite
"Captain says we're going to have to pull ashore tonight," Alex said.
"Why?" I asked. "Hold still, honey." Bee's hair was long enough to braid, if only I could keep her still long enough.
"One of the boilers stopped working. They don't want to attempt fixing it while everyone is on board. We'll camp under the trees – you know, like we used to." He nudged my shoulder.
One of the braids came loose. I sighed, brushing out her hair again then letting her go. I'd try another time. She squealed then ran off, circling the deck.
I glanced at the shoreline. "There are no trees." It didn't matter, I had missed camping ever since we’d gotten into the canoe in West Virginia, like I was homesick for solid ground.
"Oh, cheer up, Katie. I'll round up some trees for you."
I smiled as he walked away, busy sorting out which supplies would come on land with us in case of a catastrophe. I followed his lead, but on a much smaller scale. A change of clothes for me and Bee, my mom's charms tethered together by fishing wire, and a few blankets. All of it fit in the pack I had been carrying the past year. Hopefully Susan had the Chalice with her; maybe I could pay the Shades a visit again tonight.
Later that afternoon, I watched the shore go by as we moved from the Missouri River to the Platte. The captain joined me at the railing.
"How goes it?" he asked.
"Good," I said. "Will you be joining us tonight?"
"Part of it. I'll oversee some of the repairs but they'll kick me out eventually. I'm no engineer."
I laughed, and we both turned back to the shore. We passed a large building standing right on the bank of the river. Completely dark, the place looked abandoned, most of the windows broken.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Fort Calhoun's Nuclear Power Plant. It was shut down about a year before Daybreak because of some damage caused to the reactors during a flood."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
He shrugged. "I keep tabs on what happens on my rivers. And Arnold, Mr. Pro-Nuclear, keeps tabs on the plants closest to us."
"And those?" I gestured at two long boats with stacks of storage containers on top. They looked like miniature versions of some of the huge shipping barges that used to go up and down the river.
"That…is new," said Captain Carl. He put the binoculars hanging around his neck to his eyes. "There are people manning the decks."
I straightened, body going tense.
He lowered the binoculars and put a hand over mine on the rail. "Just relax. They are probably observing us, too. As long as we act natural, there won't be any problems."
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and opened up to the energy in the area. No Elementals in that direction; or at least no one using their powers. Still, we attracted some attention; the number of bodies on the decks of the boats doubled. Their movements remained steady; they weren't panicking.
We passed without incident.
Captain Carl scanned ahead. "I was going to pull over soon. What say we wait until the next dock, just to be on the safe side?" He winked at me.
The next dock turned out to be another abandoned facility; this time it was a ship storage warehouse – without the ships. The captain pulled 'The Spirit of Evansville' up to the dock and several people jumped off to tie it up. We waited until the ramp was lowered and then there was a mad scramble to find the best camping spots.
"We leave two hours after sunrise – with or without a complete body count!" Alex shouted after them.
"Hopefully everyone has watches," I mumbled.
Alex shrugged. "I've heard potato clocks are a thing again."
I stepped to the side with Bee, unwilling to thrust her into the melee of people leaving the boat. As we hit dry ground, dusk was approaching. I walked through the small pockets of campers already starting their fires and pitching tents.
"Hey, Kaitlyn!" Margie called, standing on the outskirts of the forming circles. "You and Bee can spend the night near us. Robert found a clear spot, no roots or rocks—"
"Margie! We need dry wood!"
Her shoulders sagged at Robert's rough voice.
"Thanks, we'll be okay." I smiled at her.
"He's not all bad you know, he's just—"
"Margie!" Robert shouted again.
"I'm coming, hold your horses!" She walked away, turning back to send an apologetic grin.
I walked to the opposite side of camp, stopping no less than ten minutes after I saw the last of the tents. Bee had fallen asleep on my shoulder, and stayed asleep when I laid her down on our blankets. As soon as I had a fire going with canned baked beans and corn heating over it, Susan and Alex came up behind me.
"It's about time." I scooted over on the large log to make room, "I think I have enough wood for the night but did you guys bring something for breakfast?"
They exchanged glances.
"What?" I asked.
Alex cleared his throat, "We were sort of hoping…well – if you don't mind…maybe we could—"
"Spit it out, Alex," I said.
"We're going to branch off for the night," Susan said.
"Oh, okay." I tried not to look disappointed. Truth was, I was looking forward to it just being the three of us again.
"We won't go too far – you'll be alright?" She glanced at Bee, still fast asleep.
"Oh, yeah, we'll be fine." I swallowed and forced a smile. "Have fun. Oh, and can you leave the Chalice?" I gestured to the cup tucked into her belt.
She hesitated. "You're going tonight? Maybe we should stay…" She glanced up at Alex as disappointment flickered across both their faces.
"No, no. Just hand it over and go do your…thing." I stood up and held out a small blanket for her to wrap the cup in.
She obliged. "Be careful."
"Yes, mother." I winked at her.
They disappeared into the woods; Susan's giggles floating back to me.
I sighed, and held the wrapped cup up in my hand. It's just you and me, and our male harem. You'd think I'd be more excited.
Bee snored, then sleep-laughed.
And you too, of course.
I passed a few hours by overcooking my food, eating it, tending the fire, checking on Bee, and pacing our campsite. I wasn't ready to visit the men again. They wanted me to release one of them, and I had no idea how to do it.
Eventually, I found a large boulder jutting out of the hill leading up from our campsite. I clawed my way up to find the top smooth and mostly flat. Below, I had a perfect view of Bee. Above, I had a perfect view of the full moon.
I sat, taking off my boots and socks, stretching my bare feet out in front of me. Memories of my saining with Cato, then my handfasting wi
th Micah flashed in front of me. Both had been done in bare feet with a full moon.
The full moon allows us better control over our powers, Cato had once told me. I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to work out the kinks in my shoulders – those days were so easy compared to this. I took off my pack; something inside thumped against the hard rock. I searched through our spare clothes to take out the culprit. I found it in a small pocket on the side of the pack. It was the rock Micah and I had used in the cave on Reunion Island. I had kept it with me all this time; our own personal, inconspicuous sex toy.
I squeezed it in my palm remembering that night. An ache ran through my chest, and I quickly put the rock down beside me. I busied myself with the rest of the bag's contents, folding and refolding our clothes. I brought out my mother's charms, the ones that had protected Bee during our fight at Mammoth Caves. I lay them down beside me, opposite the rock. I unwrapped the Chalice in front of me, standing it upright.
And that was it. There was nothing else left to distract me. With the moon large and bright above me, its light enveloping me like a warm blanket, the tears flowed. I grabbed the rock again, holding it to my chest as if it alone could fill the hole and stop the pain caused by Micah's absence. My blurry view of Bee only caused me to cry harder. He should be here with her, not out gallivanting around, trying to save the world from Shawn.
The rock grew warm in my hand. I placed it against my cheek, drawing strength from its heat. Hiccups replaced tears and memories of that night in the cave with Micah raced through my mind. It had to have been the most gratifying sexual experience of my life, enhanced with elements as it was. Wind blew in, tousling my hair, enticing me. The rock vibrated in response.
Oh, no, I thought, glancing down at Bee. I couldn't.
The rock vibrated harder. If it could talk, it would convince me – Why not? What do you think Susan and Alex are doing this very moment?
Heat blossomed in my stomach.
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