Chaos (The Realmwalker Chronicles Book 1)

by C. M. Fenn

  Star of the Black Sea. Goosebumps rise on my arms. On the cover is the same picture of a ship at sea that was on the book Mikhail was reading in the library last night. I sit on my bed as I examine the book. It looks brand new, and as I thumb through the pages, I see it’s printed in English.

  “How did YOU get here?” I murmur. I snap my head up and quickly glance around my room, half-expecting to find Mikhail himself, but it’s just me. Still, there’s only one way for this book to have gotten here.

  I’m lost between being touched by Mikhail’s thoughtfulness and feeling uneasy at the implications of what it means to find this book in my room.

  He had been here. In my room. Sometime last night. He must have found my address in the logs in the Major Calm computers and got here somehow—most likely by Shadow Travel. How long did he stay here last night while I was busy in Chaos? I try and push the troubled feelings down and focus on the kindness of the act. It’s the thought that counts, right? And I did promise myself to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  “Is everything all right?” Ember startles me so badly I nearly drop the book. Her expression turns from concern to amusement at my reaction.

  “Gosh, Ember!” I laugh with relief. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

  “I didn’t. You were so enveloped.” She glances at the book in my hands. “Really, are you okay? I thought you were right behind me.”

  I set the book back down on my nightstand. “Yeah, it’s nothing. Sorry.” I get up and follow her out. I decide not to mention Mikhail to Ember. She’d probably make a big deal about it and turn Mikhail’s intentions into something nefarious.

  I’m surprised to find Sam already awake and in the kitchen. I’d been a little apprehensive about seeing him this morning after the tension in the briefing room last night. I was worried that arguing with him about me going out into Chaos again might have upset him.

  Instead of finding the surly, distant Sam I was dreading, I find him wearing a very floral apron and stirring a big bowl of what I assume to be pancake batter. The sight of him in the feminine frock makes me giggle.

  Looking up at me, he shows off the apron and says, “You like?”

  “Very fetching,” I assure him.

  My mom is tending to bacon and sausage on the griddle, and Jana’s sitting on a bar stool admiring Sam.

  “What can I do to help?” Ember asks politely.

  “Nothing, sweetie. It’s our turn today,” my mom says. “But Sam was telling us about last night! Did you really crowd surf?”

  We laugh as we relate our concert experience from the night before. Breakfast is over too soon and before I know it, we’re loading luggage into Sam’s truck bed.

  Sam plans to drop Ember off at the airport in Phoenix for her noon flight on his way out to California. We all gather on the front lawn when it comes time to say good-bye. My mom hugs the two of them and kisses them on their cheeks.

  “Please come back ANY time. You both are SO welcome here,” she tells them. Jana gives hugs and says her good-byes. I’m grateful to my mom when she meaningfully tugs on Jana’s sleeve and motions her back in the house, leaving the three of us alone.

  Ember immediately throws herself at me and hugs me with a fierceness that threatens to re-crack some of my newly healed ribs.

  I hug her back and tell her, “Have a happy graduation, Ember! And I’ll cross my fingers that next week comes quickly.”

  She leans back and gives me a serious look. “Your mission this week? Convince your mother to let me steal you away to California. I CAN’T be the only girl at L.A. base,” she says dramatically.

  “Wil-co,” I say as I salute her. She gives me an approving slap on the shoulder and bounces over to hop into the passenger seat of the truck.

  I realize it’s only Sam and I, and suddenly I’m nervous. Unsure what to say, I kick at the grass and wait for him to speak.

  He clears his throat awkwardly. “Well, I probably won’t see much of you in the coming weeks, what with you training and all. I’m sure Angel will keep you busy as much as she can, and I’ll be running missions non-stop.” I look up at him. His hands are crammed in his pockets and his stance is rigid.

  Seeing him look so uncomfortable right now is comical to me. Could he be as nervous as me? I chuckle to myself and he must understand the humor because he grins too. It breaks the spell of tension long enough for me to get up the nerve to hug him.

  He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me in close. Closer than I’d been expecting. For a brief moment I’m frozen, taken aback with sensory overload. He smells so good, it’s overwhelming. He feels softer than his physique hints at. I’m so comfortable here in his arms that I melt into him even more. I can even feel his heart beating in his chest. I don’t ever want this to end.

  “I’m proud of you, Addy. The way you’ve handled yourself. You’re very strong, and you have a good heart,” he says quietly in my ear. “Your father would be proud of you.”

  I try not to get teary-eyed at the mention of my dad. “Thank you, Sam.” I want to say more, but I’m not sure what or how. My heart drops as he pulls away. I find I’m a bit dizzy from the encounter. Embarrassed, I steady myself and try not to let my face show how sad I am that he’s leaving.

  “Well, drive safe, all right?” I say to him.

  He nods. “Sure. Thanks. I’ll see you later, Addy.”

  I stare one last time into his eyes, trying to memorize the way they look. “Bye, Sam.” I force a smile and wave.

  He waves and gets in the driver side. Ember’s grinning at me like a fool. I’m pretty sure she’s wiggling her eyebrows at me, but I can’t be sure from this distance. I shake my head at her and laugh.

  They wave once more as they drive past the house and down the street. I’m not sure how long I stand there after they’re out of sight. Eventually though, the sound of the front door opening brings me back to the present.

  My mom leans out of the house. “Come on you. Wishing won’t bring them back.” She gives me a knowing smile.

  I sigh dramatically and walk slowly back into the house.

  Chapter 24

  I spend the rest of my Sunday trying to relax. Jana and I catch up on the rented chick flicks we never watched from Friday night. On the way to return the movies we have a good, long-overdue sister-to-sister talk, and when we get home, we’re both happy to find dinner waiting for us.

  All through dinner I wrestle with ways to mention UCLA to my mom. I struggle to find a way to tell her I want to move to California and go to the same college as someone I JUST met without sounding too impulsive. This will be tricky, but by the end of our meal, I think I’ve got my best arguments sorted out.

  “So, mom,” I say as nonchalantly as I can.

  “Mm-hm?”

  “I was talking with Ember and I found out that she leaves for UCLA next Saturday.”

  “Wow, that’s really soon. Does she have housing already?” she asks with motherly interest.

  “Yeah, she does actually. Anyway, she’s driving by herself all the way from Omaha, and I was wondering if we could invite her to stop here along her way and visit for a bit.”

  My mom claps her hands together happily. “OF COURSE! You know I love her. She can stay here for as long as she wants!”

  “Great, Mom. Thanks!” I smile, tallying an imaginary mark for me on my mental chalkboard.

  “I’ll probably ask her to stay for my graduation then if that’s all right.”

  “Sure, sounds fun, Addy.”

  “‘kay, I’ll call her and ask her after I clean up dinner.” I figure doing the cleanup and dishes will help keep me in her good graces.

  Instead of calling Ember (since I already know what her answer will be), I lie on my bed and rest for a moment. As I lie there, I’m curious about something. Ember had said that the abilities we use in Chaos we can use here, but it was more difficult. I wonder how difficult it would be to do what I learned last night.

  Tentat
ively, I send my consciousness up to the barrier around my mind. Less afraid than last night, I push through. I expect this to be much more difficult here in Earth Realm, so I’m surprised when I’m met with virtually no resistance. I’m outside myself now, looking down on my resting body. I travel with ease around my room, bewildered with how natural it feels.

  Now that I don’t have an immediate goal, like following Angel into her own mind, I take the time to hone my ability. I try very hard to subdue my impulses. Instead of zipping around my room on the slightest whim, I try and focus all of my thoughts on making precise and deliberate observations.

  At first I find this very difficult. I try to focus on the book Mikhail left me, and my conscience is thrown at it. I try to return to the ceiling where I was before, and I’m there again in a flash. This quick traveling is dizzying and I hate it. I try harder. I slow my thought process down. Concentrating hard, I move slowly through the air back to where the book lies on my nightstand.

  It’s a grueling task—like exercising a muscle you never knew you had before. I accomplish the feat, and though I’m thrilled I managed it, I’m left mentally exhausted. I retreat back into my own mind to rest but make a promise to myself to practice more later.

  I figure it’s been long enough for me to have made a phone call to Ember, so I head out of my room. I find my mom reading a book in bed.

  “Hey! What did Ember think?”

  I climb into bed next to her. “She’s way excited! In fact, as we were talking, we both kind of had an idea. A great idea actually, but I told her I had to ask you first.”

  “Okay,” she puts her book down and gives me her full attention. “What is this great idea?”

  “Well, you know how I go to Glendale every summer to see Gram?”

  “Sure.”

  “Well, what if I moved my visit up a bit?”

  She furrows her brow in thought. “To when?”

  “Well, why not after graduation? I can drive over with Ember. That way she isn’t alone for the rest of her trip.”

  “Hmmm,” is all she says. I can see her running through the risks and benefits in her head.

  “That way, I can help Ember get settled into her new place. And also, I can bring her by to meet Gram.”

  “Well, I have to call Gram and make sure it’s all right with her.”

  “So that’s a yes?” I ask trying not to sound too excited.

  “Sure, honey. Sounds like a fun trip. You can call it your senior trip if you like.”

  “Thank you!” I squeal as I hug her. I know this isn’t the same as getting permission to move to California and go to college there, but I have a feeling that the key to winning that discussion is going to be patience. One battle at a time, I think as I mentally tally another point for me.

  Tired and anxious to get to Chaos for more training, I say good night to my mom and head to bed. As I climb under the covers, my attention again falls to the new book on my nightstand. I feel somewhat guilty for having questioned Mikhail’s actions. This book is a gift, given out of kindness. I’m filled with gratitude as I picture the shy and awkward young man and think what a big step out of his comfort zone it must have been for him to reach out to another.

  With this happy thought on my mind, I lie back, take a deep breath, and fall asleep.

  Chapter 25

  The first part of my night in Chaos flies by. I find Angel in the living area and she quickly drags me to the library.

  “Okay, Addy. Normally, we would spend an entire week on Chaos history alone.” She indicates a very large leather-bound book displayed on the main desk in the center of the library. It appears ancient and fragile.

  “This is the Realmwalker Chronicles. It gives an account of our history as far back as the year thirteen forty-eight. It’s an interesting read but very time-consuming, and there is little to be learned that can actually be used to save your life out there in Chaos.”

  She motions me toward a sofa as she says, “So for you, we are going to skip it all together.”

  “Wow. Okay,” I say a little shocked.

  “You can always come back to it after everything else. It’s something that you can do on your own time. And our priorities have changed since you’ve gotten here.”

  “All right,” I say, sitting on the sofa we used the night before. “So where do we begin?”

  “It comes down to what’s most important right now.” She lowers her eyebrows in a frustrated expression. “I’m torn between whether I should focus on teaching you all the responsibilities that come with being the only other Walker who can perform my duties and getting you physically prepared to defend yourself out in Chaos.”

  “What’s more important?” I ask, trying to help.

  “I believe they’re equally important. So perhaps we’ll split your time each night. Half of the time, you train with me. The other half you’ll dedicate to learning first your basic self-defense, then you’ll make rotations. You’ll spend time with each Realmwalker, studying them and learning their abilities.”

  I interrupt her. “Wait—I have a question about that.”

  “Go ahead,” she says patiently.

  “I’m not really sure I’m comfortable with taking others’ abilities from them.”

  “Taking?” She looks perplexed. “You won’t be stealing them, Addy. You’ll be learning them in order to make yourself into a better warrior.”

  “I know, but …” I try to put my hesitancy into words, “everyone here is so unique. In a way, their abilities are their identities. It feels strange to take that away from them.”

  “I understand what you mean, Addy.” She nods. “But you have to think about it this way: What if, heaven forbid, Faye and I are both killed on a mission?”

  I cringe at the thought.

  “In the same mission, another Walker is critically wounded, and the injuries are too severe for Mel’s limited healing abilities.” She lets her words hang in the air as I contemplate their meaning.

  “Then that Realmwalker would die,” I say morosely. “And we would be left without a healer.”

  “Do you see the importance of learning others’ abilities now?” she asks gently.

  “Yes,” I say. I get it. But I still feel off about it. “It seems like such an invasion of privacy.”

  “I promise you, Addy, no Walker would ever choose to withhold their ability out of pride or selfishness. They all understand the necessity of sharing their talents. The protection of Earth Realm comes before everything else. You’ll see,” she promises.

  I nod to show her I’ll comply, but I decide then and there to never take anything from someone without their complete willingness.

  With a game plan decided, we move on to training. The first thing Angel teaches me is how she evaluates others for potential abilities. We start with this because I’ll be needing it during my session with Simone today.

  We work together, going through the process again and again, practicing on each other. It’s not a difficult concept. It involves hovering at the top of someone’s mind and spreading out to encompass it entirely. Then you extend “feelers” down into every part of the individual’s mind, searching around for the overdeveloped areas which signify their strengths. She teaches me how to recognize these areas and how to interpret them into practical uses to be developed into abilities.

  It’s all incredibly fascinating and I’m enjoying myself so much that before I know it, an angry Simone stomps into the library where she stands, glaring at me accusingly.

  “Oh shoot,” I say as I look down at my wrist. “I’m sorry, Simone. I got carried away.”

  She opens her mouth to say something but Angel cuts her off.

  “I’m sure Simone understands, Addy. It’s your first day of training after all. Have a good session, you two.”

  I’m grateful to Angel for intervening. Simone spins around and heads out of the library. I guess that’s my cue to follow.

  “Bye Angel! Thanks!” I shout as I
rush out to follow Simone before I lose her. I hear Angel giggle as I run out of the library. At least someone is amused about this.

  I catch up to Simone and follow her through Major Calm to the living quarters. She takes the farthest left hall of the three, and I make a mental note to NOT choose this hall for my final room destination.

  She stops at a large black door I can only assume is her room and turns to face me before going in.

  “This is my room,” she says in a matter-of-fact tone. “No one else has ever been in here except Sam. You should consider yourself lucky.”

  Uhhhh, am I supposed to be impressed? I almost say aloud. Instead, I bite the bullet and take her crap. Arguing with Simone would only cause tension among our ranks, and that won’t help anyone at this stressful time. I’m determined to remain civil. For the greater good, I tell myself.

  The inside of her room is not at all what I expected. I’m completely floored at the enormity of the living space. Her “room” is more like an entire apartment. The floor plan is open and spread out and includes a large sitting area, a sleeping area, and an entertainment nook complete with a flat-screen television, stereo, and computer. I also see a door that leads to what looks like a large walk-in closet.

  Everything is ultra-modern and posh. The décor is mostly black and white with a few accents of color here and there. All the furniture is high-end and has the tell-tale, clean, sharp edges of modern design. I’m sure it’s considered to be luxurious to some, but the place feels like a museum to me. Or maybe a morgue. I can’t ever imagine being comfortable here.

  Simone sits on her bed and folds her arms. She looks as if she’s already made up her mind about me and my ability to help her.

  I’m not about to sit on the same bed as her so I look around for something to sit on. There’s an odd-looking metal thing that is either a very questionable work of art or a chair. I decide to give it a try.

  “Close the door,” Simone orders before I can even move. I clench my jaw and do as I’m told. I move the bizarre metal object closer to her bed and sit on it so that I’m facing her. She doesn’t object, so I figure I haven’t offended her by placing my rear end on a priceless art piece.