by M. Street
Safe waited twenty-three minutes before the soothing sounds of nature let him breathe easy. “Leave your masks on until we leap.” It was impossible to reach the frequencies required to leap while dampened by a mask. The instantaneous travel required total concentration and a maximum weight exertion.
“Follow me,” he instructed like a cautious guide through landmines. We rose through the opaque auras until the ripe orange thinned to berry blue. Our heads popped out of the colored clouds. We cased the forest-green starry sky for any Arbitri.
“I can leap you both, but I would be drained, leaving you without guard,” Safe whispered. “When you release contact with the emeralds and pearls, direct your trajectory to the heart of the Sagano forest. The moment you grasp the bamboo spirits, leap. I will follow behind you.” Safe’s voice was as tense as if he was cutting the red wire of a bomb.
“I’ll take Dev,” I said wrapping him in streamers of light. It felt wonderful to hold him in my light again. I tucked the lifesaving gems securely inside my vest. My watery blue aura unclothed into a brilliant pearl, soaking the smooth baobab auras. Without the gem’s dampening touch, my capacities instantly amplified and crisped. Dev and Safe unmasked, propelling platinum and silver metallic into the cosmic sky. Like a loud bang, a damp coldness permeated my being.
“Eli is close,” I said apprehensively.
“Can you feel the forest clearly?” Dev stayed calm, but his railway emotions packed superheated steam. Flashes of platinum light went off in the distance like birthing stars. We were not the only ones masked.
My mind rummaged in the countdown, tracing Japan’s crescent islands in search of the bamboo forest. Orbs of light screamed toward us from every direction, turning up the pressure. I felt Safe’s concern explode as he began to wrap his light around all of us, preparing to leap. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the hostile onrush. Adrenaline erupted, locking onto the surge of flowing energy west of Kyoto. Faster than lightning, I opened my eyes and a portal in time. Taking Dev, I fled the coldness rushing in to another place I had only seen in pictures.
Solid ground greeted our toes with the delicacy of candy glass. Safe arrived simultaneously, but a mile away. Curiously, the leap only mildly drained me. I was growing stronger. I snapped the leap mists away, not believing what I was seeing.
13
Nickel
O
ne thing I would tell Alice is that there is more than one rabbit hole leading to parallel wonderlands. Indeed, there are endless Edens here on earth. I twirled around Dev a few inches in the air with an insuppressible awe. Overloaded with first-time detail, I soaked in the sci-fi sights and surreal sensations.
“Can you see why this place was made for you?” Dev asked, lathering us in relieving pink.
“Uh-huh,” I responded weakly, heavily enchanted by our spine-tingling surroundings. The vivid color of the sky diffused our embattled lives.
I brushed against Dev, taking in the choirs of bamboo. As far as I could see, the towering trees grew like giant blades of grass. Long, tubular segmented trunks jetted high into the sky, leafing at the tip-tops. Young growth sprung up like giant asparagus, emitting hues so saturated they were glorious. My mind cornered sharply connecting the dots, trying to figure out the magic that they weaved.
A brisk breeze swirled new scents through the spiny reeds, playing the dreamiest song. Along the cylindrical stalks, white light bubbled up like soda, rising into the canopy before bursting into an aqua blue. The color was hypersaturated, comparable to the mesmerizing shallows of the Tahitian waters. Defying gravity, the chorus of auras trickled into the billowy clouds, turning the sky a wobbly electric blue. Whites, greens, and blues splashed in the sunshine, inspiring strength and resilience. I discovered another favorite place.
The random advantage of the emeralds and pearls perfectly matching the bamboo auras was fodder from the gods. Upon contact, my aura flashed to the same aqua frequency.
“You are invisible here.” Dev beamed happily in his silver.
Safe flew toward us, zigzagging through the green stalks with incredible agility. “We made a clean escape,” he stated, stepping out of the air, winded from the getaway. His platinum light shaded red, articulating unspoken upset.
“There is no margin for error.” Safe got uncomfortably close to Dev. “Your show of affection almost ended it all.”
“I understand.” Dev folded, overflowing with regret.
“I instigated it.” I cut in between the two towering men, owning responsibility for the kiss. My hair straightened, exploding with guard for Dev. Taking a stand, I rose off the ground, burning as bright as a blue star. The air and color cleared, evaporating any tension, but using my royalty made me uncomfortable.
“We must stay masked,” Safe said, backing down to my stare.
They went blank putting on their masks, but Safe’s face read like a mystery novel. With emotions and light silenced, I investigated the old-fashioned way. “What’s on your mind?” I asked Safe simply.
“Until we find out who is providing information to Eli, we must keep you isolated. The Arbitri destroyed the Avians’ escape tunnels. They had an intimate knowledge of the nest.”
“Affirmative. But was it the infiltrator or an internal Avian struggle?” Dev postulated, introducing more variables to the mystery. He centered his attention on me before turning to Safe. “There is no denying that many Avians are outraged that the Guardian princess has coupled with the Vampacoti prince. Some might be vehemently against Sabina and Ozwald helping us, if that really is what they are doing.”
“Unfortunate. The unrest will only provide more distractions.” Safe rubbed his anguished face, disturbing a wobbly orange halo whirling around his head. “We need to meet up with Valbeth. She might have a clue on the informant’s identity.”
“The last time Esther and I met with Valbeth, she was unaware that there was a spy. She compromised her position to save us in Tahiti. I’ll contact her in a week. Staying silent is more important.” Dev kicked the ground, concerned for her safety. He carried honor and heart for his Vampacoti friend. “We need to stay quiet for now. Let Eli and the Arbitri exhaust themselves searching for us.” Dev leaned against me. His ironclad protectiveness was remarkably warm and lofty.
“The emeralds and pearls are countering your resonance and the bamboo is perfect camouflage to your brightness. This place will have to do for now.” Safe scanned the area. “Come, I saw a good place to set up camp.” He rose into the air extending an open palm to follow. I picked up Dev, staying close.
We came to rest in a ring of mature bamboo big enough to call it cozy for three, but small enough to be completely obscured by their ensemble of auras. The space looked like an oval room with curved walls of bubbling green poles and a watery blue ceiling.
“I will post first,” Safe said, removing the diamond from his ear. His platinum aura extended modestly under his restraint.
“Get some rest. You are going to need it,” Safe said to me like I was going to compete in a triathlon.
“For what?” I inquired, instantly curious.
“If we cannot keep you from battle, I must teach you how to fight,” Safe said before closing his eyes and rising into a yoga position. He suspended below the rippling aqua waves so his light was completely diluted.
Although I was averse to violence, I perked up on the challenge. Like a race car, I wanted to see what my light could do. I flexed my fists, knowing I could do more. There were new spells to spin and abilities I had not yet tapped.
Dev and I sat on the ground, facing each other. It felt good to be with the one I loved, laying my legs against the grassy earth and his muscled legs. The enchanting surroundings calmed me, but with so many unknowns it was difficult not to fret.
“I cannot even begin to guess who the poser could be. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not Raven or Jeremiah. They are my family now. Mom trusted them a thousand percent. Ozwald got hurt pretty bad putting his life on the line
procuring an emerald for me. Sabina and Luja have too much hope in me for it to be a lie. Valbeth can’t be a triple agent.” I looked up at Safe suspended with eyes closed, listening on high alert. He was maxed out, using himself to shelter me. “Safe is my personal bodyguard.”
I reached over and touched Dev’s face. “And it can’t be you.” I joked, feeling his devoted heart on the surface of his skin.
“I will find out who it is,” Dev said with a strength that took me by surprise. He raised one corner of his mouth making a sickle smile. “Nothing will happen to you if you trust me.”
“What?” I scrunched my eyes. “I trust you with my life!” I went animated. Living on the razor’s edge severed any constraints, driving my love for him feral and free.
“Then, for our good, please listen to me.” He held my hand, exposing his selflessness. “When I tell you that you’re putting our lives in danger, I mean it.”
“I know.” His openness allowed me to peer through his point of view, making what I had to say that much harder. “But I will not stop fighting,” I said earnestly. “People are risking their lives for me. I’m not going to stand by and stay hidden so I can someday have a child like a stock animal. I want to go back to the people I love: Charlie, Lisa, Josh, even Rob.” I rolled my eyes at my sentimental heart. “I want to join my worlds together, not keep them apart.”
Dev released his touch, not happy with my immoveable intentions.
Missing my infant life was tightening with time. Even though Dev dissolved Rob’s and Charlie’s memories of our traumatic exit, the angst of my disappearance would shadow the void of unconsciousness taken by the silver charm. After our mom died, Charlie clung to me for life support. Being the cause of my baby brother’s worst sadness made me shudder. Keeping so many things down was starting to suck.
“You have the ability to give the world another chance,” Dev pleaded softly. “Before you were born, I swore an oath to protect your life because I believed in what you could do. I need you to listen to me, at least until you are out of danger.”
“I will, but when will I ever be out of danger?” I asked lying on my back, putting my head against his leg and focusing on the watery sky. “Eli is not going to stop. I felt the size of his fear. It’s born out of insanity.” His vibrations made me sick on every level. Dev said nothing, gently wrapping his arm around me.
We continued to talk, constantly staying in touch so we could feel what we could not see. Although Safe hovered high above, I still felt like we were alone underneath ocean shallows. I had to constantly remind myself of our situation. Asking questions about surviving my new world stopped me from daydreaming about my boundless desires over this one man. Our fingers traced skin, keeping us both nakedly open. His amber, violet backlit eyes were as thick as honey and his mocha skin perspired minty rose. He made me feel weightless.
With so much to uncover, our conversation jumped from subject to subject, but mostly consisted of cautions and caveats. Dev warned me of the Equuians, the formulated horse race with bronze auras and red backlit eyes that packed more than muscle and speed. Although they could not cast spells or light, they had the ability to warp time and space. Their bronze had the ability to generate a super harmonic, sending a nondiscriminatory wave capable of interrupting gravity, space, and a Guardian.
“What is a Cetacite?” I asked about Ahnah indirectly, recalling the brief warning about Eli finding her. My mind, with impetus from my intuition, had been mulling over who or what she was ever since I heard her name. I felt a mysterious undertow in her direction.
“Are you asking about Ahnah?” Dev asked, catching my direction.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“The Cetacites are a formulated race residing in the nickel valence. Their light is grafted with Orcinus orcas,” Dev said scientifically, silently evoking sorrow.
“Killer whales?” I sat up, completely entranced. I loved the salty waters as much as the sweet waters of the Great Lakes.
“They are not killers; they are skilled hunters. Cetacites, like Equuians, do not cast light. They possess a capacity to forecast events with unexplainable accuracy. They have developed chambers in their brains that no other mature possesses. Not even Guardians. This gives them an amazing ability to comprehend and create exponentially.” Dev stopped, scrunching his face. “Sadly, Ahnah is the last of her kind. She is queen of a lost race.”
Feelings of emptiness silenced my mood. “What happened?”
“After Eli appointed himself as the sole monarch of all races, the Cetacites cautioned of absolute rule leading to the devolution of life. Eli was threatened by their stance since they were held in high regard, especially with Esther. The Cetacite high council predicted Eli’s demise into irrationality. Esther and Ahnah collaborated closely, attempting to contain Eli. Ahnah’s son, Prince Malik, was able to forecast many plots to erode the stability among and within the races. He foiled an assassination plot on Jeremiah,” Dev recalled. “Esther used Cetacite extrapolations to keep the world from slipping into war.
“One day Eli woke up, filled with more madness than usual. The Arbitri acted fast carrying out his hideous commands. One by one, they hunted down every pod of Cetacites. They birthed them in cold light.” My shock mingled with Dev’s centuries-old sadness bleeding inside, causing me to wince and my eyes to well.
“It is the saddest act in mature history. Eli captured Prince Malik and imprisoned him. He demanded Ahnah foretell for the Arbitri or he would hold her son in isolation.” Dev shook his head. “The Cetacites are highly social, requiring the open ocean for their balance. What is done to one is done to all. Ahnah was torn apart, left to grieve. She loved her son more than her own life. She knew if Malik was kept in solitary confinement for long, he would lose his mind. Cetacites are born to roam forever. Whatever the cost, she could not support a sinister regime that had systematically performed an act of genocide on her race. Esther pleaded with Eli, but it was of no use. Ahnah disappeared from everyone. She abstained into the dark waters and Malik was never seen or heard of again.” Dev went silent, leaving a somber story without an absolution.
14
The Red Fox
I
broke into grand mal confusion, waking in my bedroom in Oak Creek. Like sleep walking, I wondered if leaping in a dream state was possible. Maybe my subconscious unintentionally leapt me back to Oak Creek in a dream. The sunlight washed my little room with warm colors. Everything looked exactly like it had the morning I left for the last time. My homework and extra credit sat completed on top of my little desk. Swim goggles hung off my tennis racket, which leaned against my bass case. My crumpled backpack rested on a pile of clothes. I jumped out of bed hearing Charlie whimper.
My bedroom door opened into the kitchen, confirming my suspicions that I was indeed in the thick of a dream. The place was trashed. The stove was splattered with crud, the counters were full of crumbs, and the floors were dingy.
My heart tripped, seeing Charlie sitting at the table looking as sad as the day I told him Mom wasn’t coming home. I inhaled briskly when he glanced up at me with his droopy brown eyes. His child-white aura was grayed with grief. The kitchen moved until I was next to him.
“I’m sorry I’ve been away,” I said to my mind’s reconstruction, not caring that it wasn’t real.
“What are you talking about?” Charlie asked, annoyed that I didn’t see his pain.
“What’s the matter?” I asked. Nothing was as it seemed in my nonlinear dreamland.
“My fish is dying.” He rubbed his sore eyes, pointing to a goldfish bowl sitting in the middle of the dining table. Despite Rob’s strict no-pet rules, the simple tank looked at home in the messy kitchen. It was half-full with murky, stale water. Strangely, I didn’t see any fish in the bowl, only an ancient castle. Although in need of a good cleaning, the algae-streaked palace looked out of place. The intricate decoration was adorned with precious gems, lying disheveled in a bed of dirty yellow gravel.
&n
bsp; I leaned over for an aerial view. “Oh,” I said mournfully, seeing an unusual tiger-striped angel fish, floating flat on his side against the backdrop of the fallen kingdom. The poor guy was gasping, taking in more air than water. Weirdly, the fish was striped black and white with human eyes. I reached down and picked up the ailing creature. His eye narrowed, conveying madness so painfully disturbing I instantly opened my eyes to escape the feeling.
My first sight was Safe, still floating vigilantly in full-lotus position under the bamboo auras. The wavy ceiling of turquoise auras undulated wildly from the morning sun shower. The islands of Japan resonated with a soothing power, washing me clean. A new day brought a fresh outlook, but the story of Ahnah and the Cetacites coupled with my disjointed vision left me vacant. The impedance of emeralds and pearls didn’t help. Dev had weaved a temporary necklace using leather to lace the mask around my neck. Continuously wearing the partial mask clouded my disposition.
I used light to unwrap the heavy paw around my waist, giving rise to a low growling purr interlaced in violet-pink waves. For so many years I fell asleep spooning Jazz into my chest. Never once could I have imagined that he would be spooning me in pounds of paws.
Safe floated down seeing me rise. The black-and-white sabertooth formulated into Dev, yawning and stretching.
“I must rest.” Like a drained battery, Safe’s platinum aura shuddered, dimming to empty. Safe lay down in a bed of bamboo leaves covered with wheat-colored linen sheets that Dev had brought back from one of his scouting runs. “I need several hours of delta sleep and my mind will be capable again. The globe is active with leaps. The high concentrations of light in Paris indicate Eli has called a gathering. You’ll be secure here. Please stay put.” His eyelids fluttered, succumbing to the exhaustion of listening intently for a full day. His meditative state exuded the same drain as successive leaps.
