I felt dirty all over, itchy. I wiped my hands on my shirt, leaving dark red streaks on the white cotton. Shivers ran down my spine. I tore off my shirt, used it to wrap the Chalice and threw it and everything else in my bag. Even my naked skin felt wrong. It was pulled too tight, stretching further with every movement as if it would tear any minute.
I picked up the backpack and continued to walk through the storm, only pausing to brace myself against the stronger wind gusts. Trees and branches crashed down around me. Between the soaking wet ground, lightning, and hurricane force winds, I wasn't sure there would be a forest left come morning. I decided to let fate work its magic, expecting at any moment to be crushed by a tree or blown away by the winds. But fate brought me something different. Fate brought me a cave.
By the time I reached the entrance, I was stumbling over my own feet. I forced myself to go as far back as the shallow shelter would allow. No sign of a vicious wild animal.
Darn.
I tucked my knees into my chest and hugged them, shivering. The world outside was destroying itself. Water seeped in, creating a small pool that reached the tips of my toes. I pulled them back further. I closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths and trying to ignore the fact that I had just committed murder. I reached out for human forms around me. The storm interfered. Electrical signals bounced around.
I extended my reach and finally located two large groups. One on the river, one on land – both headed west. I went in the other direction, seeking Bee, Susan, and Alex. They were eastbound, walking slowly, their faces would be turned away from the wind. Everyone was fleeing, leaving me alone. No distractions; I had to come to terms with what I'd just done.
Still, it wasn't too late to join either group. A quick run and I could catch either of them. I just had to make a choice – which direction to run? East or west? Bee or One Less? With Bee, I would spend the rest of my life running and hiding, trying to protect her from Shawn and the storms we apparently created when we were together. With Shawn, I could face my fears, but risked never seeing my daughter again.
Indecision kept me firmly planted on my butt. I reached into my bag, and my fingers brushed something hard. I gripped at it and pulled out the Chalice. I held it up. It was my only company – the only real and solid thing left in my chaotic world. I removed the shirt wrapped around it and grasped the bare stem of the cup.
Chapter 33
An Unlikely Ally
I shot up, leaving my body and the storm behind. I spotted the telltale circle of light and aimed for it. Instead of hanging back, I landed on their platform. My toes tingled as they touched down on glowing, not-so-solid ground. I looked up at the men that were left. They huddled in a group. They weren't alarmed, just…expectant.
Ted approached. "What have you done?"
I met his eyes, but didn't answer.
He continued, "Look around you. The power of the Chalice is becoming tainted."
I turned, surveying the atmosphere. It was grainier than I remembered. I looked down at my toes, the floor beneath us was losing color.
"If you continue down this same path, it will only get worse. And the power of Akasha will no longer come to you." Ted crossed his arms, glaring down at me.
"I know, but I did what had to be done." As soon as I said it, the atmosphere around us went a little grainier, and we sank a few inches into the floor. Everyone there had to make the effort to levitate, myself included.
"That is the wrong mindset," Ted said. "You need to make it right."
"How?" I asked.
Ted stepped to the side, as did the group of men. Their circle opened up, revealing two people in the center. I gasped as they walked forward. Sabrina moved toward me, face intact and a blank stare in her eyes. Her arm was wrapped around that of another – Cato.
Ted explained, "We've never had a woman here before. The Chalice itself represents female power, which is why only male Shades come. But now, the balance is off." Ted lowered his voice as they came to stand before us. "You must right your wrongs."
I blinked at Cato. They were the same dull, blue eyes, surrounded by wrinkles that I remembered. My tongue grew thick in my mouth. I didn't know what to say to him, so I turned to Sabrina. Her eyes were wandering.
"I killed you," my voice echoed in space.
She looked at me, forehead creased. After a few moments she replied, "Yes. Now I remember. Why?" Her eyes rolled up and to the left until she gasped. Now they were wide with surprise. "I was about to do something to put you at jeopardy. Something I knew about your powers—"
"She is the Gaia," Cato interrupted. My eyes shot back to him and he continued, "And she is out to stop my son."
"Your son needs to be stopped," my voice rose several decibels. "Your son deserves to be killed." I turned to Sabrina. "You did not deserve it, and I'm sorry for what I've done."
Her lips pressed together. She took several deep breaths through her nose.
Someone should tell her she doesn't need to do that anymore.
Everyone remained silent, waiting for Sabrina to speak. She never did.
Ted leaned into me and said, "You know what to do."
I looked at Sabrina, and raised my hand above her head. She didn't stop me. I closed my eyes, recalling a small meditation chant my mom made me do anytime I was overly stressed or upset. "In love and in trust, in peace and in wisdom, I release you, so mote it be."
Sabrina shimmered, growing brighter. A wisp of smoke rose up from the palm of my hand. I yanked it away. Sabrina was still there.
I looked at Ted. He lowered his head, but didn't say anything. My hand shook with pain. I held it steady with the other, and put it back over her head. "In love and—"
"Wait!" Sabrina interrupted me. "Your powers."
"What about them?" I asked.
"I just wanted to tell you, they'll come back to you. Start small, a little at a time. Once you rebuild, they'll be stronger than ever before." Her eyes were wide, unblinking. "Baby steps."
"Thank you," I said.
She nodded her head once.
With a much softer voice, I began again, "In love and in trust, in peace and in wisdom, I release you." My last words were barely a whisper, "So mote it be."
In a flash, Sabrina disappeared. My palm singed with pain, but the ground beneath us hardened. We lowered our feet to it. I turned to Cato. "Are you next?"
He shook his head. "No."
We continued to look each other over. It was so very hard to read him. Like always. "So, your son has created a destructive organization, One Less. Susan has taken over The Seven, or what's left of it. Which side are you on?" I asked.
Cato's lips turned up into a half-smile. "I'm with Team Kaitlyn."
Chapter 34
Hero
I woke in the cave, drenched and shivering. The entire floor was two inches deep in water now. The rain continued outside – though the thunder had died down. I stood, shaking out my rigid muscles, and began to pace the small cave. I walked away the chill, one step at a time, until I could think about something other than the cold.
Cato was an ally I had not expected, and I had yet to decide if he could be trusted.
Powers first, I told myself. I remembered what Sabrina said. Baby steps. Shawn and One Less continued to march east; Bee and her protectors west. I was here, riding out the storm, still with a decision to make. Just me and…Cato. I glanced back at the cup, lying in the pool of water on the ground.
I picked up my sopping wet shirt, and used it to wrap my burned palm. Then I held my other hand above the pool of water.
I closed my eyes, tuning into the frequency of the element. Its composition revealed itself to me and I slowed the molecules, bending them to my will. A small teardrop of water lifted from the pool, pausing in front of my eyes. It was miniscule, but more controlled than I had ever managed before. I twisted it this way and that, marveling at how it reflected images around it, distorting them as though they were part of some other, fantastical world.<
br />
I returned the drop of water to the puddle, and stepped through it to the entrance of the cave. Rain fell in thick sheets. I held my good hand out, palm open. Water pooled up, spilling over the sides. I inhaled the thick scent of pine, and stepped into the downpour. My already damp hair soaked through, and wind whipped the short, wet strands against my face. I threw my hands above my head, palms out. Rain drops directly above me froze, suspended in midair.
I looked up at them. Wind continued to blow my hair, and the rain fell just outside of my bubble, but the ice-cold, torrential shower was paused above me. I smiled, splashed through it with my hand, and walked back in the cave.
My powers are back.
I ran my fingers through my hair, and the wrist tattoo caught my attention. It was hard to see in the darkened cave. I realized I had yet to really see any of the tattoos. Outside, the thunder started up again.
I spun energy, weaving it into the pool of water at my feet. Once it was infused, I lifted the molecules, and spread them into a thin plate. Tilting the oval shape so it stood upright, I created a makeshift mirror. When lightning flashed behind me, my image lit up in the glass clear water. It was blurry, moving unnaturally like an apparition, darkening when the lightning stopped.
A tree, I thought. My face is a tree.
A cherry blossom vine, snaked around from the tattoo on my back, up my neck and along the side of my cheek. Small, pink flowers bloomed along the dark brown branches. I thought of the tree at the Chakra, and me and Micah sitting in the swirl of pink and white petals.
Did they know? No – it has to be coincidence.
I stepped closer to the mirror, raising myself higher to meet it. During the next lightning bolt, I caught a flash of my permanent makeup. It did a good job transforming my face. Darkened eyebrows and golden eyelids. Eyeliner on the top and bottom. My lips were bright red, the double arches on top more pronounced with a significant dip in between.
In the next few flashes I surveyed a series of leaves down my arms. They really went all out with the plants.
Fitting for an Earth, I guess.
I turned in the dark, baring my back to the mirror, and waited for the next streak of bluish white light across the sky. This one lasted forever. Right over Shawn's scar was an intricate compass. A combination of swirls and straight lines covered the wound. I ran my hand over it and winced. The raised scar tissue could still be felt, if I needed to validate my affiliation again.
"It's…perfect," I whispered to myself.
The lightning petered out, but not before I caught the cherry tree that covered almost the entirety of my back. Above it, in the dip of my shoulder blades, rising up my neck to my hairline were four words. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Stacked on top of each other, they created the shape of a diamond.
My shoulders sagged. That one might give me away. I shrugged. I could always grow out my hair; and find turtlenecks.
My powers weren't strong, but they were coming back. The wind outside was finally dying down; the storm was passing. When the rain stopped, I'd have to make a choice. Which direction to go? East or west?
I sighed and looked down at my feet. I gasped. The water below me had changed form; I was standing on top of it, even though the rest of the puddle swirled and vibrated with the wind and rain. I extended one toe out, dipping it in. Icy cold raced up my leg, and I shivered. I walked forward, out of the puddle. Each time I took a step, the water hardened, supporting my weight.
The magic was subconscious; I hadn't even realized I was doing it.
I am literally walking on water here. Probably means there is a right choice to make.
But I still didn't know what it was. I stepped to the entrance of the cave. Dawn approached, and the rain was petering out. I stayed still for quite a while, breathing in the chilly air. When the sun crested the treetops, I held my hand up to shield my eyes. My wrist tattoo caught my attention again. What I had thought was just a detailed, Celtic knot, was actually words. I turned my wrist as I read them.
I am the hero of this story.
I dropped my hand. "Damn straight I am."
I looked to the west. It was time to relearn the element of air.
Chapter 35
What is it Worth?
Shawn landed in the cave once again, this time with two useless, bandaged hands. He came barefoot. Arianna stood on the ledge, waiting for him.
She glanced at his feet. Her hands went to her hips and her lips pressed together in a snarl. "You will not be sending these women off to the Goddess with your feet."
Shawn almost shrank back. He held up his hands in defense. "Not sure how else it can be done."
Arianna roared, going partly translucent and growing in size, "I am not without knowledge of the pain you have caused others. A few minor burns are the least of it!"
Shawn took a step back, and his foot slipped off the ledge. His arm shot out for something stable, but it went straight through Arianna. She caught him at the wrist, but did not pull him back right away. Instead, she ripped at the bandages. Tearing them off, she took bits of freshly-healed skin with them.
Shawn's yelp was barely heard above Arianna's roaring. Shreds of white bandages, tinged with Shawn's blood, floated down to the pool below. Arianna quieted, slowly returning to her full physical manifestation. She pulled him back firmly on the ledge and released his wrist, throwing it down to his side. Shawn resisted the urge to curl his hand up into his chest.
Arianna stepped to the side, revealing an even longer line of women than before. "You may begin, Athame Wielder."
By the time Shawn had released five Shades, he was on his knees fighting back tears. Yellow pus oozed out from the exposed, shredded meat of the palm. If any more burned away, bones would be visible, Shawn was sure of it.
Arianna glance over his shoulder. "How badly do you want Akasha? What is it worth to you?"
Shawn didn't respond.
"What is she worth to you?" Arianna repeated.
Shawn glanced up at Sarah's cave, then slowly got to his feet. He held up his other hand, "Unwrap this for me."
Chapter 36
Favors
Erika stood from readjusting her backpack. The group was covering thirty miles or more a day, walking at breakneck speed. Well, breakneck speed for Erika. Her shorter legs took two strides to the men’s one. She rubbed her shoulders. These dang straps keep digging in, she thought. Another few miles and they'll start bleeding.
"They're ready, got everyone in your camp accounted for?" The annoying little man with the notepad asked Erika.
"Yes, David." She mumbled, readjusting her straps once again. She watched him turn on his heel and walk away. Perhaps she couldn’t account for Lucy, but given the uproar over Sabrina’s disappearance, not to mention the prisoners, Erika would never fess up to it. Besides, Erika had enough people owing her favors – they could cook the books.
Erika heaved the bag back on her shoulders as the wind picked up behind her. A yellow rain coat flapped away on a stray gust. Someone else chased it down. Good material was hard to come by, after all. Erika turned. "Oh – hello Lucy."
Lucy was smoothing out her shirt. It looked as though it had just been through a tornado.
Erika cleared her throat. "Your tattoos are healing nicely."
Lucy smiled. "Water does a body good." She stepped forward, reached behind Erika and pulled on two straps. A hard jerk, and the waist buckle cinched in.
"Oh – wow. That really helps!" The shoulder straps no longer dug into Erika’s skin. "Thanks!"
Lucy shrugged. "Well, I do owe you."
From the front of the line, Erika heard David call the group back on the trail. "So…" Erika asked as they fell into line. "Where have you been? I was about to report you missing."
"I've been around; hanging out in the back mostly."
"Hmmm." Erika didn't buy it. She'd been to the back several times in the last few days. "Well, try to stay more visible, if you can. I may need to call in one of those fav
ors."
Lucy smiled again. "Like a piggy-back ride?"
Erika laughed out loud. "Something like that. A 900-mile march in a month does not do a body good."
"Why the sudden rush, do you think?" Lucy asked.
"We're headed back to Utah." Erika nodded west. "We need to make it over the Rockies before winter hits. If we don’t, we're stuck in Denver for the season."
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't want the break. Spending some time in the mile high city? Could be fun." Lucy nudged Erika.
Erika let out a nervous laugh. Of course it is fun; I grew up there.
Erika slowed her pace by a hair, then a little more. The group would only go as fast as their slowest walker.
Chapter 37
Slow Ride
"Hey, Clay – wait up!"
Clay halfway turned. "I can't. If I go any slower I'll end up back of the pack or further, then they'll be no catching up!"
I ran up to him. "They wouldn't leave you behind, would they?"
Clay shrugged. "Not sure. But that wouldn't be keeping a low profile, now would it?"
I looked down at his feet. His strides were even shorter than Erika's. "Don't worry; I'm working on the pace for you."
Clay looked up at me, raising one eyebrow. "You certainly did a number on your hair," he touched my chin, forcing my head to the side. "And your face."
"What can I say?" I lowered my voice. "I'm a good spy."
"Not if you keep saying that, you aren't." His moustache moved up. He was smiling underneath all that hair. "Besides, I recognized you."
"You recognized my voice before you looked at me," I corrected him. I would need to work on keeping it a pitch lower, or higher. "Anyway, you aren't so bad yourself – thanks for helping with the prisoners. Hopefully they've met up with Alex by now."
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