by Mikayla Lane
Mikal slapped a hand on Chris’s chest to calm him and forced his brother to look into his eyes.
“Chris, pull it together, we’re moving on the estate in 19 minutes,” Mikal said roughly, making sure that Chris understood him.
Chris nodded his head and looked around the transport trying to remember what had happened between him pulling the woman out of the car and two seconds ago.
“You lost it,” Mikal growled at him through the shengari’ to fill in the parts he knew Chris wouldn’t remember. “You lost it bad enough that the Tezarians now think you’re a planet killer. Pull your shit together, or you’re going to get Quinn killed.”
Mikal leveled an intense white stare at Chris, letting him know just how serious the situation had become. Chris nodded his head and looked away from Mikal’s disappointed gaze as he rubbed his hands over his face, trying to control his resurging emotions and power.
He knew it was the fear causing him to lose control. It had always been the fear. Chris never feared for himself—death was not something that he considered a bad thing—not because he didn’t enjoy living, but because he believed that he’d move on to another existence elsewhere when he died.
It was his fear for the people he loved that caused him to lose control—like the fear for his mother the day Grai had found him, the fear for Shane when he was almost kidnapped, and dozens of other instances over the years involving his siblings, his father, or uncles.
It had always been his biggest problem, the one thing he could never seem to overcome no matter how much meditation he did or how hard he tried to rein it in—until Quinn had come into his life. She balanced him somehow. Just speaking to her could calm him in ways that hours of meditation never could.
Chris rubbed his hands down his face as the transport docked, and everyone headed outside to get geared for the assault on the estate. When he looked up, he sucked in a sharp breath of surprise when he saw Drago sitting quietly in front of him.
“She balances you,” Drago said simply. “I understand how that works because your sister does that for me. But you need to use it to draw you to her. Focus your power on that, instead of . . . vaporizing things.”
Drago stood, laid a hand on Chris’s shoulder, and gave him a supportive pat before he strode out of the transport and left Chris to consider his words.
The large man was normally very quiet and calm, but Chris had learned that Drago was also incredibly intelligent; when he spoke, it was worth paying attention what he said.
“16 minutes!” Mikal called out through the shengari’.
Vaporizing things? Chris thought with a groan, unable to remember what he’d done.
He shook off his thoughts and considered what Drago said. Desperate for control and anything that could help him, he sucked in a calming breath and tried to center his mind, focusing on Quinn’s unique energy.
Chris took several even breaths before he felt his energy settle calmly around him. Once he felt calm and more in control, Chris pulled a ball of electrical energy from his abdominal area and manipulated it in his hands, pouring his heart and soul into increasing the size and power of the ball.
“12 minutes!” Mikal called out through the shengari’.
Chris ignored his brother’s warning and continued to manipulate the energy ball in his hands until it had grown to the size of a basketball. With one last push of energy and intent, Chris threw the ball away from him, and he watched it scatter into thousands of small pinpoints of light before it disappeared.
“Protect them until I can get there,” he whispered.
He ignored the sudden weakness that flooded him from expending so much energy, and he stormed out of the craft and into the gear room to get ready. As he slid his array of weapons into their holsters and sheaths, his mind could think of nothing else but Quinn and his son.
It was a gentle slap on his shoulder that brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at Mikal’s intense gaze.
“Are you ready?” Mikal asked, looking for any signs of instability in his brother.
Chris nodded his head and looked down as he finished with his weapons and shut his locker door.
“You know I’d never hurt one of us, so stop staring at me like I’m a rabid pet that needs to be quarantined,” Chris said, only half teasing.
Mikal chuckled and slapped Chris’s shoulder.
“You ever seen yourself when you brush your teeth? Looks like foaming at the mouth to me. I know you’re older than toothbrushes, but you’d think at your age you’d have gotten the hang of brushing with your mouth closed,” Mikal teased back, ducking the good natured punch Chris threw at him.
Chris was getting ready to reply when a figure popped up in between him and Mikal, and he drew his blades with lightning speed.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Chris demanded as he stared angrily at Mikal’s father, putting his weapons away.
Indrid Cold levelled a calm, white stare on Chris.
“Ah, Chris,” Indrid said as he broke out in a brilliant smile. “I heard the chatter at Base Beta and offered my assistance to your father. Grai thought that my particular talents would be better utilized with your team. How may I assist you?”
Indrid’s gracious and calm demeanor left little room to remain angry, and Chris sighed as he held out his hand to Indrid and they shook.
“We’d be glad for your help. Thank you for coming,” Chris replied as he nodded towards Mikal. “Your son is handling the lead on this because it’s so personal to me. He can tell you where we need you the most.”
Mikal grinned broadly at his biological father and gave him a quick hug.
“Come, you will go in with Chance and I. Five minutes everyone!” Mikal called out as he led his father away from the others to speak privately with him.
Chapter Nine
Quinn wasn’t the least bit surprised when lunch came and went without anyone bringing her food. Although she wasn’t thrilled with protein bars, she happily ate them in peace rather than deal with someone besides Ainsley bringing her food. Everyone else made her skin crawl.
She was more than glad for the privacy as she stood in the bathroom facing the shower wall. She’d searched the room for anything to write with, but her captors had ensured there wasn’t anything dangerous—or useful—in the room.
Quinn settled on charred wood from the fire for her experiment and stood several feet in front of the shower stepping forward and back, unsure how far to stand from the wall for it to work.
She felt a strong thump in her stomach, assumed it was a sign, and stayed where she was before taking a deep breath.
“This is going to be hands down the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” she whispered as she stared at the letters, numbers and “yes” and “no” she’d written on the shower wall with the charred wood.
Spirit board, shower edition, she joked to herself as she grinned.
She’d settled on the shower because it would be the easiest way to wipe all traces of it so her captors wouldn’t know if she could actually communicate with her child or his beast. Even the thought made her giggle in nervous excitement, and she slapped a hand over her mouth to calm herself down.
This is so crazy! she thought. How the hell is it going to know how to spell? Does the beast learn faster than humans?
No sooner had she finished the thought in her mind when a small arc of light shot from her stomach and hit the “yes” on the wall. Quinn stepped back in shock and a little fear. She was suffused with warmth as arcs of light began to shoot from her stomach, hitting the different letters on the wall.
No fear, only love.
A hysterical laughter bubbled up in Quinn, and she began to feel more than a little overwhelmed—not to mention a little disturbed—with the laser light show that had erupted from her stomach as it highlighted the letters on the wall.
Are you my son’s beast? Are you my son? she asked in her mind.
She watched the light hit the “yes” twice
, and she shook her head, knowing she needed to keep things as simple as possible and only ask one thing at a time no matter how excited she was.
“Are you my son’s beast?” she asked aloud, this time waiting for a response.
Even though she expected the answer, it still shook her a little to see the light go from her stomach to the “yes” on the shower wall. It was confirmation that her son was an alien and had a sentient creature living in his head.
Oh my god! she thought as all lingering doubts were completely banished from her mind.
Quinn grabbed the wall for support as she breathed deeply, trying to calm her suddenly overactive nerves. The warmth that rushed through her didn’t feel as comforting at that particular moment, but she shrugged off her fears and stared at the wall.
Do you mean any harm to my son? she asked in her head.
The light hit the wall and hit the “no,” flashing on it repeatedly until Quinn giggled and grabbed her stomach to stop the light show.
OK, I had to ask. He’s my son, and I love him, Quinn said.
The light hit the wall a little slower this time.
Love him too.
Quinn felt the relief flow through her, and she smiled, feeling better than she had since this nightmare began.
You’ve been protecting us, haven’t you? she asked next.
The light hit the “yes” and Quinn uttered an excited “yes” of her own when she saw it before a terrible thought occurred to her.
Does my son know how much danger we’re in? Is he all right?
Quinn watched as the lights began hitting the wall again in rapid succession.
He knows little. I am blocking all but what he has to know in order for us to use his abilities.
Quinn gasped and rubbed her belly as the tears flooded her eyes.
I’m so sorry, she said, hoping her son didn’t hate her for getting them in this mess.
No fault, no blame, only love.
Quinn shook her head as she read the spelled out words, knowing she let her child down. She allowed her anger at herself to turn to determination.
How can we use his power to get out of here? Quinn asked as she stood straighter, determined to learn whatever it took.
“What are you doing?”
Quinn screamed and looked beside her, and even though she could see it was Ainsley she still screamed uncontrollably a few more times as she stomped around the bathroom.
“Damn it, Ainsley! You scared the hell out of me!” Quinn yelled as she tried to calm her racing heart.
Quinn looked up at the girl and saw her staring quizzically at the wall. Even though she trusted Ainsley more than the others, she still didn’t want to take any more chances with her son, and she rushed forward to wipe the letters off of the shower wall with the damp washcloth she’d kept nearby.
Quinn turned when Ainsley pulled at her arm.
“We have to go! Now, Quinn. Something horrible and dangerous is coming, and we need to get out of here before they get here!” Ainsley said as her blue eyes pleaded with Quinn to believe her.
Quinn was all about getting out of the estate and quickly wiped the rest of the shower wall.
“Let’s go!” she said as she finished and turned to Ainsley with a grin.
Ainsley just stared at Quinn for a moment.
“You have to trust me and believe me when I tell you that I would never do anything to hurt your son. That includes hurting you. He loves you,” Ainsley said, the odd look in the girl’s eye making Quinn nervous.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Quinn asked.
Ainsley headed to the bedroom door with Quinn right on her heels. Quinn had to stop short when Ainsley turned to her.
“You have to be quiet,” Ainsley warned as she opened the door and peeked outside. “Stay just inside the door while I check the outer hallway.”
Quinn watched the girl run on silent feet to the door at the end of the hallway. She looked nervously down at the other end and saw that there were a few more doors besides hers before she looked back at Ainsley.
She placed a hand on her stomach to try and settle down the wild thumping that her son had started since the light show in the shower.
Ainsley turned and grinned at her, waving her hand wildly for Quinn to follow her. Thrilled to finally get out of the room, Quinn ran out of the door and shut it behind her before moving as quickly as she could to the door at the end of the hall.
Quinn nodded when Ainsley held a finger to her lips before the girl disappeared behind the door. Quinn held her breath then followed the girl into another hallway. She avoided looking too closely at anything, keeping her concentration solely on following Ainsley and getting out of the building.
It wasn’t until they’d gone done several flights of darkened stairs that Quinn started to become concerned.
“Where are we going?” she whispered, looking around to make sure no one could hear her.
“There’s a different door. It will take us far away from here and the danger coming. I promise you,” Ainsley pleaded, her blue eyes beseeching.
Quinn wasn’t sure what to do, and she laid a hand on her stomach to try and calm her still thumping son.
“Ainsley, this doesn’t feel right,” Quinn admitted as she tried to peer further into the dark stairway they were descending.
“Quinn, it’s our only chance. I felt what’s coming; it kills those like Christopher and me. We have to go. I promise I will keep you both safe,” Ainsley pleaded, taking Quinn’s other hand in hers.
“You named my son?” Quinn asked, more than a little startled to hear Ainsley call the baby by his father’s name.
Ainsley pulled her hand quickly from Quinn’s and looked deeply embarrassed.
“No! Of course not! That’s . . . that’s what he wanted me to call him,” she whispered.
Quinn swore she could feel the girl’s regret and felt awful for upsetting her.
“It’s OK. Christopher is a great name for him. But Ainsley, what’s coming? Where are we going?” Quinn asked, becoming more afraid the longer they remained in the narrow stairway.
Ainsley looked down worriedly before nodding her head and turning back to Quinn.
“I don’t know what they’re called, but I can feel them. They hurt my head really bad, and the power they hold is frightening. I could feel the terrible fear in my beast when I was near them, and the one in the shop,” Ainsley turned white and shook her head before turning fearful eyes to Quinn.
“He was more frightening than the others. He had the power of this world and another at his command. I’ve never felt anything like it before except around the master. I felt my death coming when I was near him. If I feel that way, Christopher will too. We have to take him somewhere safe.”
Quinn knew it was crazy, but she swore she could feel Ainsley’s terror of who and what she’d seen. Taking a few steps down the stairs past Ainsley, Quinn turned back and held out her hand to the girl.
“Then let’s get both of you to safety,” Quinn said with a smile, unable to stand the fear in the girl’s eyes.
Ainsley ran down the three steps and hugged Quinn close.
“I promise to keep both of you safe. For Christopher,” Ainsley vowed before she took Quinn’s hand and began moving down the stairs.
Quinn could barely see in the deepening darkness as they descended the stairs and knew they were going down pretty far when the temperature changed. She held her hand to the wall beside them and felt the dampness of the stone.
After what seemed like an eternity in the darkness, they stepped onto a landing that held only one door. On either side was a low-watt bare light bulb in sconces that dimly lit the dark wooden door.
The air was musty and stale, but Quinn didn’t think that was what made her heart race and her fear skyrocket.
It’s behind the door, she thought, even though she didn’t understand how she could know something like that.
She absently put her hands on her riotous son and
stared in fear at the door.
Ainsley turned fear filled eyes to Quinn as she reached for the door handle.
“We have to go! They’re almost here! I can feel them . . . Christopher can feel them too,” Ainsley said as she put her hand on Quinn’s stomach.
Quinn was stunned when the baby stopped moving at Ainsley’s touch. She stared at the girl as Ainsley smiled and removed her hand. The baby instantly started tumbling around again.
Quinn took it as a sign that Ainsley was right. Her son feared whatever was coming, and he could feel it like Ainsley could. She tamped down her rising fear and nodded at the girl.
Ainsley opened the door, and Quinn barely registered the swirling, liquid, black mass behind it before Ainsley yanked on her, sending her falling through the darkness.
Small flickering lights formed into a ball in the air before disappearing into the black mass behind Quinn.
*****
Chris was the first to drop from the transport to the inner roof of the estate. Before all of his siblings were even out of the ship, he was running to the old door that led to the battlements on the upper roof and the interior of the house. He easily broke the rusted lock as he yanked the door open and flew down the dark, stone staircase.
By the time he hit the door that led inside the home to the third floor, his siblings had caught up and followed him into the empty hallway. He raised his hand above his head and signaled his team to begin executing the room-by-room search for Quinn.
His siblings were a blur as they ran around Chris, some staying on the same floor as him while others used the banisters to rappel to the first and second floors.
Chris felt sick to his stomach, and he struggled to control his rising fear as he gathered his energy and sent out a wave to search for Quinn. He was immediately drawn to the stairs and took off at a run down the hallway towards them before he turned quickly and jumped over the banister.
He calmly reached out and grabbed one of the rappel lines and began sliding down it, fist under fist, until he was around 10 feet from the ground floor. He let go of the rope, dropping to his knees in a crouch the moment he hit the ground.
