by Jaymin Eve
I froze. My gaze darted out to the horizon. The rising sun splashed the dark frothy ocean with beams of red, yellow, and gold.
The scents are the same. That bird is always overhead.
My head shot up to see a seagull above us. Whoa, a bird on Earth.
The ripples of the current merge in this same spot every time. He tried to explain what his advanced senses had noticed, signs an average human wouldn’t pick up.
How could that be possible?
Brace didn’t reply for a few minutes. I shifted my body around as Colton and Lucy moved off the bench seat and joined us.
“It’s an energy transference,” Colton said, his deep voice low enough to keep our conversation private. “How the hell did they manage that on Earth?”
Brace must have mentally brought Colton up to speed, although Lucy and I were still clueless as to what this energy transference was.
“Care to fill us in, boys?” she trilled.
Brace ran a hand through his dark hair. It was messy, curling across his forehead. I really liked it with some length.
“I don’t know how long it’s been here, but there’s a barrier across this area. If Colt’s correct then it will form a complete circle right around New York State.” His words were blunt. “I don’t know if it was Que, the Seventine or the lalunas, but someone has put this … barrier in place. It has a very specific purpose: none can enter or leave, and everything within this cage belongs to the weaver of the barrier. They’re literally stealing the energy of every living being within the walls.”
Shit. “So you’re saying that for who-knows-how-long New York City and … some or all of its surrounding areas, including the water, have had a magical barrier around them. How does it stop humans from leaving? Where is the energy it collects?” The words started to rush out of me, rapid and high. “Is that why there’s so much chaos within? Is the rest of Earth going to be the same, or will they have lived normal lives?”
“Abby and I left,” Lucy reminded us.
Colton nodded. “Yes, but from within the walls. You circumvented the barrier through Walker energy. If you’d just tried to walk out of the city, you’d have eventually hit the barrier. It’s designed to repel any who cross it and, if that doesn’t work, you’d just continue walking past the same area until you eventually gave up and turned back.”
Like we’d done with the boat.
Our conversation was low. None of the other females would be able to hear anything. Most weren’t even paying attention to us, but Chrissie and Eva had their gazes locked on to our group. Brace had eased off on the throttle and we were just drifting on the tide.
“How is it that no humans have noticed this? Can you cross into the barrier or is it blocked both ways?” I really wanted to understand how this worked.
I almost felt violated thinking that I’d lived in this barrier for most of my life. Trapped like a weird science experiment. I was feeling all sorts of pissed off about that.
“The barrier block works both ways. The only humans inside it would have been the ones inside when it was erected.” Brace’s gaze was focused into the ocean, his eyes scanning for the barrier.
Colton clenched his fists on the metal bars which surrounded this cockpit-style area. “Over time, this area in here would fade from memory and history. Those outside the barrier wouldn’t even realize this part of the country exists. It would be stricken from maps, and minds.”
Brace curled the corner of his lip, before shaking his head. “Earth is the perfect place for this, because of the energy dead zone. The energy transference – or collection of energy – could occur for years, and there would be no danger that the planet would become unstable. Somewhere there’s going to be an astronomical amount of gathered power, just waiting to be used.”
“That’s part of what Olden was doing in the warehouse, wasn’t it?” Lucy growled. “Adding to the energy collection from this barrier?”
Colton and Brace both nodded, their lips thinning in mutual anger.
Shit balls on fire. This was not good.
Wait a freaking minute. “Do you think that this collection of power is what the Seventine plan on using to free their final brother?” That had to be the reason this energy transference barrier had originally been erected. “Furthermore, it cannot be a coincidence that this barrier was around the city I was stashed in.”
It might be arrogant to think that everything was about me, but so far, when it came to the Seventine, it was turning out to be very much about my presence.
“I’m going with a solid ‘yes’ on both of those points.” Colton’s knuckles were white now. If he didn’t cease his squeeze on the bars, he was going to snap them any minute. “I think maybe they killed two birds with one stone here.”
Brace’s gaze zeroed in on his friend.
“They were trying to keep Red from utilizing her Walker abilities.”
I straightened, my eyes narrowed as I tried to process. “I thought that none of the half-Walkers came into their powers until they were eighteen?”
Of course, now that I thought about it, I couldn’t remember any of the other girls mentioning that. I just assumed, since they were all older than me, that was the case.
Brace pushed a strand of my hair back, before letting his fingers trail along my cheek. “No, as far as we know you’re the only one who enlightened in that way. I believe your aunt Francesca told Josian and Lallielle that this would be the case … she had a vision of this. But I’m thinking now that the reason it took you so long was because of this barrier. It was only after you spent some time on First World that your energy reached its full potential.”
Actually it had been Brace’s kiss which had done the trick. “The kiss,” I said, all breathy-like. “It had to have been the surge of your energy which unlocked my own. Our melding bond was already trying to kick in.”
A cracking sound distracted us all, and I swung my head to find Colton had snapped the solid metal bar he’d been holding. The wolf-Walker’s icy-blue eyes lowered. He looked surprised, as if he hadn’t realized he’d been holding the bar so tightly. He tucked his hands in at his sides, clenching his fists instead.
“So what do we do?” I asked, moving on from the many ways my life had been tampered with in the past eighteen years. “Can we break this barrier?”
Brace gave me a lopsided smile, but the darkness of his eyes said he wasn’t exactly feeling it. “Yes, they’re easy enough to dismantle. You just have to interfere in the electrical map. A simple surge of energy will dissolve the frequency which holds the barrier in place.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. The cool air off the water had bumps rising across my skin. “That doesn’t seem very badass. Shouldn’t they have more security interwoven?”
“This sort of barrier relies on the simple fact that no one knows it’s there. Plus, only a Walker would be able to send an energy surge into it.”
Another bonus point for setting it up on Earth. Not many Walkers opened doorways here. They were not fans of this planet’s energy dead zone, and having felt the crushing, cloying sensation settle over my Walker energy, I really understood why now. It was not pleasant.
Freaking lalunas had this all worked out. I knew this barrier was from them, that they had formed this energy transference when I was stashed on Earth. Probably used Josian to do it – he had disappeared for a few years at that time. That way they could keep me suppressed until they needed me. Needed my blood to free the third Seventine. Not to mention all the energy they would have gathered in that time.
“I knew the downfall wasn’t natural,” I finally said. “The evil which permeated the very air, the way the gangers formed so quickly. This barrier influenced and stole energy. There’s no way it’s not sending out a subtle stimulus, putting more evil and hate into humans. Those are strong emotions to feed off. Not to mention all the death, fear, hate, and bigotry. Human emotions are the strongest energy on Earth, and it’s been sucking every facet of it f
rom New York.”
I was pretty sure I was in shock. I just couldn’t reconcile the two worlds. The one I believed I had grown up in and the one I actually grew up in.
Lallielle should never have sent me to Earth. My presence there was enough to send an entire state into a disrepair it would probably never recover from. So many deaths. So much destruction. I knew logically it wasn’t my fault, but it was hard not to feel some responsibility.
Brace reached around and tucked me in closer to his body. I pressed my face hard into his chest. The heaves of my breathing were getting rougher, and I worried I was about to hyperventilate or something.
Breathe for me, baby, just breathe with me. His chest rose and fell as he took deep, even breaths.
It took me a few moments, but I managed to sync in and actually get some air into my lungs.
“Abby.”
I hid for as long as I could, but I knew that the owner of that voice was standing there waiting for me to acknowledge them. I lifted my head up and faced the new arrivals. Chrissie and Eva had apparently had enough of our little whisper session. They wanted to know what the hell was going on.
“Is there a problem?” Chrissie continued.
My old friend was a leader, someone who, on her own, went out and formed a kickass group to help keep others safe. Her newfound strength was obvious in everything she did and said. Eva – who was standing at Chrissie’s side – had the same toughness. The same strength that shone from within. And a little bit of scary going on too. Especially with the hilt of a sword sticking out over her shoulder blade.
Girl power all the way.
I made a decision right then. We would not leave Earth until we had dealt with this barrier. I couldn’t leave the humans in here like rats in a trap. Plus, the Seventine were going to need the energy which had been gathered from here, and maybe we’d be able to stop that also. First thing, though, I needed to know which girl was my half.
I reached down and flicked open the necklace. The golden light spilled out across us all. A swell of emotion lit me from the inside as Walker marks appeared. Colton’s tribal marks bled out onto his skin, the dark design contrasting so stunningly with white-blond hair and icy eyes.
Lucy certainly enjoyed the show. Her slack-jawed appreciation was obvious.
As the yellow light crashed over the vessel, Chrissie’s brown eyes widened. She looked more intrigued than shocked; she had remembered my story. She dropped her gaze to stare down at her arm – but she wore the same soft, unblemished skin from before I opened the locket.
Eva, on the other hand. Well, there was no doubt any longer. She was the Kaos clan half-Walker. A creamy brown row of stripes had formed across her skin. They were a caramel tone and seemed to bring out the golden-brown of her eyes.
I was instantly reminded of a tiger. The stripes and eyes were very reminiscent of those large cats. I’d be a liar if there wasn’t a very small sliver of disappointment that it wasn’t Chrissie. It would have been nice to have another person from my past with us, and it would have given her a purpose.
She would have fit in perfectly with the rest of the girls. Tough and sarcastic were her personality traits, but with a bubbly fun side. Although, she was much harder and more biting than she used to be; time on New York streets had weeded out a lot of her softness. Which would also have worked for the half-Walkers. If you were soft, you’d be destroyed – partly by the Seventine and the other part by Fury.
“Guess I’m not one of the super-squad.” Chrissie didn’t sound disappointed, but I kind of got the vibe that she was. “My calling is to keep cleaning up the streets of the City.”
Eva still hadn’t said anything. She didn’t look particularly excited to be part of our very exclusive group – which was not that shocking when you considered the membership benefits. I decided to not push her just yet. She’d give me a piece of her mind soon enough. I already knew, just in this short time, that she was blunt. But also secretive. She held a lot close to her chest, and something big lingered beneath her beautiful exterior.
I changed the subject. Eva needed a few moments to process her heritage. I quickly explained to them what we’d learned of the barrier around the New York City area and about not knowing how far it extended into the surrounding state. Chrissie tried to school her expression, but I think for the first time she was stunned.
“I used to live in upstate New York,” Eva said, her voice hard but sort of shaky. “In the country. I had no problem crossing into the city, and there were often gangers around our area. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the barrier extends over the entire New York State.”
Chrissie was still blinking rapidly. “That might mean … if you do break this barrier, well, others might come to help the city. If the rest of America is unaffected by the negative energy of the barrier, there could be … armed forces or something.”
The responsibility of trying to cleanse a city filled with evil had been weighing heavily on Chrissie. Her face had aged beyond its young years, eyes heavy and filled with darkness. A slice of hope was bursting through her darkness now, the thought that maybe she wasn’t in this alone.
“Don’t get your hopes up too high,” I said. Yeah, I was a Negative Nelly at times. “Maybe things are worse on the other side, or maybe there’s nothing left there at all. For all we know the Seventine or lalunas have severed every other tether on Earth by now.”
Okay, that was doubtful. They had to be careful to not upset too much of the balance before the convergence. Otherwise the Gods might step in. I recalled a few rumors we’d heard over the time about Earth tethers disappearing, but until I saw the other side with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe any stories.
Brace interrupted us then, his brows furrowed as he stared out into the ocean. “These energy transference barriers aren’t hard to break, but I should have taken into account that we’re on Earth. It’s going to be more difficult to interfere on this planet. I’m not sure we’re going to have access to enough power.”
He left the control panel, stepping to the side of the vessel. There he began to run his fingers through the air. Kind of like he was miming – although, most probably he was feeling for the barrier.
“It’s going to take a large hit of energy to interfere with the electrical pulses. This barrier has been here for a long time. It’s well established.”
“Can we combine our energy?” I asked.
Lucy reached out and linked her hand with mine. I squeezed it, glad for her comfort.
He didn’t answer straight away, instead continuing to play with the air off the side of the boat.
“It’s different to what I thought. This energy is familiar,” he said, before his hand sort of froze in midair. He swung around to face me. “It feels like your energy, Red.”
He didn’t like that revelation and neither did I. Could this barrier somehow be tied to me?
“What does that mean?” Eva asked, her golden eyes shifting from one to the other.
Brace’s features hardened, his eyes very dark now. “It means that I’m hesitant to destroy it. We can’t be sure that if we interfere with this, there won’t be a negative effect on Abby. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”
I steeled myself, straightening my spine. “It’s my risk to take, and we have no choice.”
“Red …” That one word from Brace held a hint of warning. He was not going to be easily swayed on this.
I switched to mental fighting. We were drawing way too much attention.
Brace, you know that we have a responsibility to all of the humans stuck in this hellhole. They’re here because of a war which has nothing to do with them. Probably because Lallielle picked New York City as the place to stash me. I won’t run in fear any longer. I must be strong enough to fight. Even in our minds my words were rushed. We have to do this.
I could feel his hesitation, the warring inside which demanded he protect his mate at all costs.
You’re too innately good, Red.
I can’t always trust you to put your well-being first. Mine … Lucy’s … basically anyone else on the seven planets, yes, but not your own. You let Chrissie punch you because of some sense of guilt and responsibility which isn’t yours to wear. He was totally killing me right then with his unwavering devotion. If you can’t put yourself first, I’m going to do it. Every single day of our very long existence.
I was opening my mouth to argue further, but before I could, some of Brace’s fierceness faded. He lowered his head before reaching up and rubbing at his temples. And then, strangely enough, the fight left him. He dropped his hands, and reached out to lace our fingers together.
My words to Colt are coming back to haunt me. I won’t try and change you, sweetheart, but if at any point I think the danger is too real, I’m pulling the plug and I don’t care how much you complain.
Neanderthal, I teased him.
Dude was about five seconds from clubbing me and throwing me over his shoulder.
He chuckled. They were on to something, those cavemen, keeping their women in line.
I groaned. You did not just say that. Wait until I tell Lucy.
His mirth dried up pretty quickly. Lucy wasn’t just in possession of a sharp mind and smartass mouth, she was also quite devious if she thought you needed a lesson.
“So what do we do to break the barrier? How do we find enough power?” I spoke out loud, knowing it was time to include the others.
Eva and Chrissie looked confused.
“Did we just miss something?” Chrissie asked. “You were disagreeing and then everything went silent for some weird staring contest and now you’ve resolved the argument without any cursing, fighting or growls. Where’s the real Abby?”
I felt the corner of my lips turn up. I might have been a tad hotheaded in my younger years. Although, Lucy always took the prize on that one. Thinking back, it was kind of amazing we had stayed friends for so long. We should have known then that we had something more going on than a normal girl bond. We almost never fought, we had each other’s back; it was everyone else who copped it.
“We can communicate mentally with our mates,” Lucy said.
