by Jaymin Eve
We were receiving many curious looks – which was nothing new – and more than a few nods of respect. Occasionally as I brushed past a Walker I would feel a small knot of heat and connection in my center, and I knew they were Abernaths. I recognized them as my clan, as my people. For Brace, the recognition was a hundred times stronger.
“I can’t believe the Walker clans are interacting like this?” I said to Brace as we continued navigating through the crowds. “The last time we gathered they needed fenced-off and security-staffed areas.”
Yeah, they were ancient, wise and powerful, but they also had a touch of Neanderthal.
Brace reached out and linked our fingers together. Walkers were touchy-feely types; I was totally not complaining about that.
“Times of war. Brings us together. We put petty differences aside in these situations.”
My girls had commandeered a back section, close to the entrance of the mountain, but not close enough to block the flow of traffic. Team Awesome were using the inner tunnels for planning and strategy meetings. Cerberus took off and I knew he wanted to meet up with his pals, the other sacred animals. I tilted my head to the side as flashes of color caught my attention. Holy crap … there were fresh guides. I was just trying to get a clear look at the new animals when the girls sensed my presence.
“Abbs!”
“Supes!”
Talina and Fury smashed into me, their arms encircling me as we fell in a tangled mess. The moment we touched, the golden tether in my head latched on to them, bonding us together. Our powers reached for each other, as if they’d been waiting for the moment to be together again. Sapha, Ria and Delane were slower crossing.
Sapha was our newest female, from a cold and strange world, Dronish. She didn’t really trust me, or the others yet, but she was gradually falling under the half-Walker spell. It was hard to deny our connection when we were linked on a cellular level. We held the energy of the originals, and our bond went back millennia.
Ria reached out and pulled me to my feet, her stunningly beautiful face creased in happiness as she pulled me in for a hug. “We missed you.” Violet eyes, encased by inky black lashes, locked in on me.
I was now connected to three of the half-Walkers and, needing the bond to be complete, I reached out a hand. Delane did not hesitate. The Nephilius half was one of the strongest beings I knew. She came across as stern, regimented even. Her personality contained a rigidness born through the years of constant training and battle. However she was loosening up. The changes were small, but I noticed them.
Sapha was the slowest, but even she couldn’t deny our calling. Gold-and-red eyes locked onto my face as she finally placed her hand into mine. Her skin was strange, chameleon-like as it changed and morphed, but mostly it was a stunning ebony color, which really highlighted the eyes and purple-hued hair.
Every half-Walker had striking features, a beautiful hybrid mix of the worlds they called home and their Walker clan. They were my people, my family, and I loved every single one. Even the slightly suspicious, standoffish Sapha.
“What are you doing back here, Supes?” Fury latched on to me and, even though she was talking out loud, I could also feel her words in my mind. “Did you find Josian? Where’s the Earth half?”
I almost laughed out loud when her sacred animal dashed across the space and practically climbed the white-haired half-Walker. Fury’s skin – which was already a lightly burnt-red color with a white sheen – went extra red. Her blush deepened as we both turned to the black kitty now perched on her shoulder.
“Aw, beautiful,” I said, my voice light and teasing. “You two look cozy there.”
Fury narrowed her gray eyes at me. “Shut it, Supes. Crete and I are … you know … it’s fine and all.”
I reached forward as if to snatch the little cutie off her shoulder. She reacted instinctively, shifting him out of my reach. Her skin tone darkened even further. She was so busted, already totally in love with her baby fluff ball. Any further teasing was forgotten, though, as my focus was drawn to the rest of the animal guides. There were definitely some new arrivals. As always, the energy of these original creatures drew me. I stepped closer, my footsteps silent as my gaze remained locked.
“I can’t believe it,” Lucy said, from where she stood with the boys. “It’s a phoenix.”
It was; it looked exactly like the mythical bird which could be reborn in the flames. Well – a close version of it. Of course, I had no idea if this Walker guide had the same abilities as the mythological creature from Earth. Either way, it was just – spectacular.
I was watching the phoenix as it hovered in the midst of the sacred animals when Sapha was suddenly at my side. I was surprised at how close she stood to me.
Her English was a little rough, but already improving. “Nandia and … she’s mine.” She held one of her slender arms aloft.
Nandia was not massive. Her wing span was only about the length of my forearm. I wondered if she would be able to change size if needed. I was pretty sure all of the sacred animals could grow bigger, but I hadn’t mentioned that possibility to Fury. It was more fun for her to think she’d been saddled with the animal most likely to win ‘cutest fluff ball ever’.
As the phoenix settled onto Sapha’s bicep, I was able to really see the finer details. She was golden in color, with streaks of orange, black and red threading the feathered wings and long tendrils of tail feathers. She had an eagle-like beak and large, obsidian eyes, which never blinked. There were plumes of feathery appendages, like a crest, along the top of her head, and others scattered around. All in all, Nandia was simply the most stunning bird I had ever seen. Her colors shimmered and danced in the light, almost as if there was a fire burning all over her, and yet I felt no heat.
“Sort of ironically appropriate that you would have a phoenix,” I murmured to Sapha.
“What do you mean?” She was often confused by my words.
I really wanted to touch the beautiful creature. She was captivating, but there was no mistaking the wildness in her gaze. Sort of like Sapha.
“The phoenix represents rebirth. Rising from the ashes. You’ve experienced something similar since Dronish.”
The red of her eyes sparkled. “Of all the things I need to thank you for, allowing me to be here to bond with Nandia … well, it’s everything.”
I reached out a hand, finally unable to stop myself from touching the phoenix. Only at the last moment Brace halted my arm.
“She’s majestic but very temperamental,” he said. “More than one Walker has lost fingers to her talons.”
Fury chuckled. “Kind of like her half-Walker.” She’d had the same thought as me.
Sapha did not return the humor. She leveled those eerie red eyes on the Crais half. “I am simply different to you. Don’t mistake it for anything other than that.”
Fury returned the unblinking stare, and for a moment I felt the bond between us waver. There was still dissention in our ranks, and it was weakening us. I hoped that when we found the last half everything would click into place.
“Abby!”
I turned toward the familiar voice. Ria had moved away from the group and was standing in the midst of a patch of jungle. The visual of this burst of green and life in the ash-ridden surroundings was quite spectacular. Everything in the vicinity of the dark mountain was dead, leeched of life. The Regali queen must have been working overtime with her plant-earth-magic to revive this small area.
“Come and meet Sass,” she said, waving a slender hand at me.
I didn’t hesitate to stride across, giving Cerberus a pat as I passed him. The hellhound was in his element surrounded by the other animal guides. He seemed extra friendly with Apollo. They had the same big-and-scary thing going on. As I crossed the space between us, my eyes couldn’t help but focus on the dark shadows which surrounded Ria. It took me a few moments to reconcile what I was seeing –
Holy sweet baby Walkers. It was a snake. No – not just a snake �
�� a monster, mutant, anaconda, python-on-steroids snake. And Ria was just standing there while it curled all around her.
I paused about three feet from my friend. It was impossible to see the true length of her guide. The body coiled in and around her, then out into the forest area.
“This is Sass,” Ria said, before reaching out and placing her hand onto the section of the snake’s body which was closest. “She’s my guide.”
As the head rose, my breath caught in my throat, and I resisted the urge to turn tail and run as fast as I could. But I couldn’t stop staring at her, my eyes tracking the animal as it unfurled. The scales were a myriad of green colors, starting very bright and working along to darker through the length. As Sass’s head perched up near Ria, I could see that it was the size of my torso, black eyes flickering in the sunlight as she observed me.
There was intelligence in that gaze, and the cold-blooded predatory nature of her kind. A forked tongue flicked out, as if she were tasting the air.
Ria seemed to have no problem that Sass was twirled around her and the largest part of the snake’s body was a yard in diameter and could probably crush Ria in an instant.
Of all the sacred animals, Sass made me hesitate the most to move closer. I had never thought I was scared of snakes – on Earth most of the wildlife had been destroyed, especially in New York City – although I did remember skipping quickly over the images of them in a text book. Huh, guess I did have a bit of an aversion to the reptiles.
The half-Walkers, and Brace, would be able to feel my emotions. All of us were still connected. But no one said anything. There was no judgment in this group. All of us were rocking fears, some more obvious than others.
“The bond is incredible,” Ria said as she turned to glide her hand over Sass’s scaled nose. “When I first touched her, I was almost knocked over by the intensity. Now I can feel her here.” She touched her chest, and then moved to her head. “And here.”
“It is incredible,” I agreed.
The sacred animals had honored us. I just hoped that in the end we were worthy.
“So what are you doing back here, Supes?” Fury drew my attention again, and I was grateful to be able to step away from the reptilian guide.
Sass was amazeballs, but probably the scariest thing I’d ever seen.
“Shouldn’t you be off finding the Earth half?”
I resisted the urge to flip her off; she was just being Fury.
“I’m on my way there. I just wanted to check in with you all first. Make sure there wasn’t some epic battle we were missing out on.”
Delane cleared her throat. Her black wings were sitting securely against her back, but still dramatically towering above her head. Lina lingered close by, and at random moments the Nephilius half would reach out and run her hands along her flank. Like she needed to touch her.
“We’ve been keeping abreast of the situation. I confer with the war council leaders, and so far just small pockets of skirmish. Nothing to worry about.”
That didn’t sit right with me. “What are the Seventine or their creatures waiting for?” I asked no one in particular. “Are they gathering more darkness, or are they simply too busy trying to find enough free energy to break the last of their brothers free?”
No one had an answer, and I hated that more than anything. I didn’t like surprises, especially not when they came in the form of energy-severing assholes hell bent on destroying seven worlds.
“I’ll contact you if anything changes,” Delane said, her expression and tone as serious as always. “But you need to go now and find the Earth half. We must build on our power base. We must be as strong as possible before the apocalypse hits.”
An angel-like creature talking about the apocalypse. Who’d have thought I’d ever see that. And she had a point, as usual. It was time for us to hit the road.
“Stay safe, Abby,” Sapha said.
Somehow I managed to stop my jaw from hitting the floor. That was about the nicest thing she’d ever said to me. She even patted my shoulder as she passed me by.
“I’m going to find Jedi now. He is teaching me about our heritage. I like him.” She spoke with such innocence.
But, and this might be my imagination, there appeared to be a certain animation to her features when she mentioned the very handsome and charming leader of the Gai Walker clan. Those two had been chummy from the start, and I had my suspicions that on his part, at least, there was more than friendship in the feelings. I wasn’t sure if Sapha had quite grasped the concept of mated relationships. I didn’t know what they did on her world. But she definitely felt something.
As Sapha’s thin form disappeared, her eye-catching fire-bird trailing behind, I had a sudden thought.
“Have you been back to Crais?” I asked Fury.
Her white hair flew everywhere when she jerked her head up. She’d been on the ground giving Crete a belly-rub.
“He had a prickle in his fur,” she snapped.
I forced myself not to grin. Of course, it didn’t help that Lucy had just fallen into Colton, her shoulders shaking as laughter rocked her.
Fury ignored this for once. “Dune is back home right now,” she said. “There’s definitely some chaos. The world is struggling with the adjustment. The loss of sun has caused some of the nomads to weaken, their bodies trying to compensate for the change in energy levels.”
“Has anyone died?” A sense of unease washed over me.
Had we made things worse on that world? The Seventine had tried to sever the sun to take the energy. I’d managed to absorb it myself and used to it bring life back to Dronish. But the guilt of what might become of both worlds gnawed at me. And the fact was I didn’t have time right then to go to either planet and check in on them. If I didn’t stop the Seventine, there would be no worlds at all. Priorities.
Fury shook her head, her features creasing. “No, no deaths yet. The dragoonas are fine. They’re hardier than the humanoids.”
I was so relieved, especially about Cleo, Dune’s dragoona friend.
Fury hugged me, hard and sudden, and I returned the gesture.
“Thank you for caring,” she said, her voice muffled in my shoulder. “But now you have to focus. We’ll have time after we destroy the Seventine to pick up the pieces of our worlds, but for now, you have to find the last half.”
She was right. I’d delayed long enough.
I pulled away. Talina and Ria also hugged me. Delane was content with a hand on my shoulder.
“Stay safe, Abbs, we’ll see you again very soon,” Talina said, her warm brown eyes capturing my attention.
She had been quiet, but then she often got lost in all of the large and loud personalities in our group. Apollo stuck close to her, and it was clear that she enjoyed resting her hands against the water dragon.
“Was everything okay on Spurn?” I asked her quickly.
She nodded. “Yeah, Ladre is still there trying to do … political things. I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I returned.” She shrugged. “I miss him, though.”
I gave her an extra hug before turning away. Our bond hummed between the six of us as I left the girls. Cerberus also abandoned his catch-ups with the other animals, and as he loped across to me I paused to let him reach my side.
“Cere,” I said, pulling his heads together for a hug. “You can’t come to Earth, buddy. Your power will be muted there, and your badass scariness is probably going to freak out my half-Walker, and she’ll run screaming in the other direction.”
He gave a growling bark, and it sounded like he was pleased at the thought of being scary. I pulled back, but kept both hands resting against his coarse, dark fur.
“I’ll be back soon, buddy, and then we’re going to put those Seventine down.”
Both of his heads nodded.
“Stay here and keep the girls safe, and bond with the other guides. They need you.”
His large, dark eyes glittered at me. I could tell he didn’t want to let me go to
Earth without him, but he seemed to be more accepting than the last time I’d tried to leave him behind. Maybe he’d been to Earth before and knew it was not a hospitable place for those with lots of energy.
Finally, he lowered those heads and each one licked me up the side of my face. It was all kinds of gross, doggy drool, but still the sweetest thing ever.
“I love you, Cere,” I said.
And I could feel the warmth of his return love as he licked me again.
My arms felt empty, my heart heavier as he turned away and made his way back to the other sacred animals. He glanced back once and our gazes clashed. It felt wrong to leave him, but I knew that we’d meet again very soon. I just had to finish up this damn task and get rid of the Seventine.
My breathing was ragged by the time I stepped across to stand beside Lucy and Colton. Brace had taken off just after we arrived, heading to the Abernath section. He had to check in with his people, and the war council. I felt terrible that he was neglecting his duties as princeps for me, but no one questioned him. They understood. Plus he was kind of a scary warrior when it came to me, and no one wanted to push those buttons.
On my way, baby. Wait right there.
I could see his giant form pushing through the crowds.
Everything okay with the clan? I wanted to know.
He nodded and since he was back at my side, switched to talking out loud. “Yes, nothing for you to worry about, Red.”
Yeah, I was still going to worry. A crinkling sound caught my attention, and I lowered my eyes to see what he held. It was a brown bag. I was curious for about ten seconds before he unscrunched the top and pulled out four sub-style sandwiches. Curiosity died as hunger flared to life.
I pretty much pounced on him, and Lucy was right behind me.
Brace laughed. “Gods … I need all ten fingers, girls, so give me a second … I won’t eat your sandwiches.”
I couldn’t remember the last time we got to eat properly.
Lucy was still grabbing at him. “I’m not sure I trust you, and until that food is in my hands, I’m in attack mode.”
