Ambrosia Shore (The Water Keepers, Book 3)

by Christie Anderson

  “Ms. James,” Councilman Bennett said, causing my memories to disperse. “When we arrive at Border Security you’ll have to undergo some physical testing before we have final clearance to take you through; an ocular scan, fingerprints, some basic blood tests, and of course your voice tracker will need to be implanted.”

  “Okay,” I nodded. “I’m ready for whatever you need me to do.”

  A few minutes later, we were driving up a winding uphill road lined with willowy trees and stretches of vivid green grass. Halfway up the hill we passed a gated, private road leading up to what looked like an enormous neighborhood full of mansions. Academy Row the sign said. If I remembered correctly, that meant one of those mansions belonged to Jax. It boggled my mind to think what kind of life he had lived. I wondered how much time he actually spent up there compared to his secret little apartment by the park.

  At the top of the hill we came to another gate, this one with the metal doors wide open beneath a sign titled, The Ambassadors Academy.

  This was where it all began, I thought. This was the place where Rayne trained to be a Water Keeper, to one day become the amazing person he was now, who would change my life in unimaginable ways. This was the place where Keepers trained to travel to Earth, to blend into the crowds or the shadows, unnoticed, using their Healing Water to help and to heal the lucky few.

  This was also the place where Scouts were turned into trained killers and spies.

  The campus was lovely, trimmed with hedges and vines, flowers and water ponds. Some of the buildings were modern, but most had an old, stately feel to them, like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to be academic institutions or elegant castles full of towers and spires. The closer we rolled toward the heart of the campus, the more active the grounds became. Groups of students congregated in open fields, dressed athletically as they ran drills or practiced fighting techniques. Many of them appeared much younger than I expected, their physical ages ranging anywhere from eleven to nineteen. There was one boy that I swore couldn’t be more than ten, at least in physical age, yet he circled around another boy twice his size as they took careful, calculated swings at each other amid a group of coed students and an instructor.

  Other students sat in small groups under trees. Some were talking and laughing, but most were concentrating on open textbooks. I pictured Rayne and Jax, even Honeycutt and Ash, here under these same trees, learning to become trained agents, and hopefully men. I wondered if any of them truly understood what they were headed for.

  I assumed even my father had once been a student walking the hallways of this school. If he had the chance to go back, would he do it all differently? I would give anything to turn my head and see his face right outside my car door. There were so many things I needed to say. And we needed him here. He should have come, if not for me, then at least for Rayne.

  The driver finally pulled into a parking space just outside one of the plainest buildings I’d seen all morning, with gray concrete walls covered in black mirrored windows. Although, it did have two interesting half-circle shaped rooms on either side, and an iron statue depicting William Fairbanks, my very own ancestor, standing proudly at the front of the steps. I read the words Academy Security Center above the entrance as we entered the main doors.

  Agent Duke and an entourage of eight men in suits filed in behind us. I wondered if they were all planning on coming with us across the Threshold. If so, I hoped that some of them were purely there for Councilman Bennett’s safety outside the border, because if they were here for me, they were highly over staffed.

  “Wait here,” the councilman said, gesturing to a chair in the front room. “Someone from the medical detail will take you back shortly.”

  All of the agents walked away with Councilman Bennett except for Agent Duke and his partner, who each moved to stand on one of my sides. I figured I better start getting used to their faces now. They were about to become a prevalent part of my everyday life. I still had no idea what the other guy’s name was; he was always quietly following orders without ever saying a word.

  A woman in a white coat and black rimmed glasses appeared a moment later. She held out her hand to greet me. “Hello, I’m Dr. Griffin. Please come with me.” I stood to follow, my guards trailing closely behind me like clockwork.

  Most of the tests the doctor performed were slightly awkward or uncomfortable; bright lights shining in my eyes, cold metal instruments against my skin, lasers pulsing waves of heat across my body. But none of it was anything I couldn’t handle, at least for a short period of time.

  “You should feel a slight prick,” the doctor warned before she began the blood tests. She took a small digital instrument with a pointed tip and pressed it to my fingertip. It made a short noise, almost like it was gasping for air, then a pinch of pain shot through my skin. My arm jumped as I held back a yelp. It hurt more than I was expecting. There was a stream of blood that gushed instantly down to my knuckle, but when she wiped it away, there wasn’t even a mark left where the small incision was made.

  “Just a few more times,” she said. She took the next finger and the pinch hit again. This time I was more prepared, so I didn’t jump, but it still hurt. Blood poured out again, like I had suffered a severe cut. The doctor wiped the blood away, and this time, I watched so intently that I could actually see my severed skin grow back together and mend itself completely. It was like a miracle. The entire time I was here in Banya I could sense the Healing Water around me in the air, could feel a new sensation of wellbeing and energy. But now I could actually see it.

  Each time the doctor moved to another finger I kept shooting my eyes down to stare in amazement. It was the first time I had ever witnessed the Healing Water react so instantly. When I was on Earth I needed the Healing Water just to stay alive. Here on Ambrosia, my body was finally just as strong and capable as everyone else, healing itself without a pause.

  I couldn’t believe how incredible it was to, literally, witness the Healing Water working right before my eyes, just from existing in the molecules of the air. I always knew the Healing Water was working inside me in the past, but it never felt so real before.

  After the doctor finished the last finger, she glanced over at her computer screen. “Everything looks good so far,” she said. “And in case you’re curious, your current physical age is comparable to eighteen years, three months, and two days.”

  She said it so fast I had to think about it a moment. Eighteen years, three months, and two days? But my eighteenth birthday was still over a month away. Was I aging prematurely? Were all the episodes of low Healing Water and near death experiences causing unneeded strain on my body? Or maybe I was just a little mature for my age, right?

  “Are you sure?” I questioned from across the small room.

  She looked at me funny. “Yes, quite sure. Were you expecting otherwise?”

  “Oh, uh…” I looked down and bit my lip. “No, I was just checking.”

  The doctor handed me a paper gown then lowered the back of the cushioned exam table until it was flat. “If you would just replace your shirt with the gown and lay face first on the table, I’ll get ready to insert your voice tracker.”

  I did as I was instructed, bracing my hands down around the sides of the table, anticipating pain. I remembered back just a few days ago when, thanks to Ash, Rayne had to remove a similar tracker from my shoulder with nothing but a pocket knife. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.

  “In this case we need to make a deeper incision,” the doctor explained. “To dull the pain I’m going to inject a powerful numbing agent first. The effects are only potent for a few moments, so I’ll have to work quickly. When you feel the needle, try to remain still, so I can make the incision directly afterward.”

  I tried to lie as still as possible as the sting of the needle pierced through the base of my neck. There was a strange pressure in the tissue followed by a slight throbbing sensation that lasted only a few seconds. I took a deep breath as the doctor
informed me it was over and I could put my shirt back on. That was definitely easier than the first time.

  The whole process made me wonder how exactly Ash had managed to get his tracker into my shoulder without me noticing in the first place. Then again, he was a trained spy, so I couldn’t be too surprised.

  When the doctor was finished, she sent me out of the room to meet back with Agent Duke, who luckily had agreed to wait outside the door of the exam room. A few minutes later Councilman Bennett met us at the back side of the building with his many agents still by his side.

  He turned to me just before we went out the door. “Sadie, once we’re through to the other side of the border, I was hoping you would feel comfortable enough to call me by my first name, Orion.”

  “Orion?” I repeated.

  “Yes, well, as you’ve probably gathered by now, here in Banya it’s most appropriate to call me Councilman Bennett in public, but truthfully, this is mostly for the benefit of others around us who might take offense. Once we’re in California, it won’t be an issue anymore.”

  “Okay, sure,” I shrugged.

  As soon as I said the words, my feet paused in place. I looked up and found the most extraordinary building I had seen all day. It was like the entire front entrance was carved out of swirling marble rock, built right into the side of a mountain, or at least a very big hill. I hadn’t even realized we were so close to the hillside before.

  I stared up at the towering columns of stone as we passed through them, reading the words HALL OF CLOCKS across the top of the entrance, carved out of stone in etched lettering painted with gold.

  I thought the exterior was impressive, but as we entered inside, my mouth gaped open, marveling at the sight. It was like nothing I could ever imagine, even in dreams. The cavernous hallway was mystifying, almost hypnotic, like an underwater palace. Everything was beautifully designed with polished stone floors and well-crafted archways, but it was the walls that captured my wonder, surrounding us like shimmering waterfalls of light. Ominous waves of blue and silver undulated through the large dim room, casting a mysterious glow on our faces.

  As we paced down the center of the massive, cave-like building I counted six separate, magnificent archways of light, each probably as tall as my house, and maybe as wide. They were Thresholds. I finally reminded myself that there were many of them around the world, not just one; Rayne had mentioned this to me before. But I never imagined them quite like this. I could see they each led to a different location on Earth. As I passed the two closest to the front of the hall, I noticed stone placards hung beside each Threshold entrance, stating the name of the city where it led. I took in each name carefully, trying to imagine them in my mind.

  Cebu City, Philippines. Auckland, New Zealand.

  Above each archway, towering above our heads, there were enormous, decorative clocks hanging along the vaults of the ceilings. They reached up toward the center of the ceiling, where a magnificent dome of colorful, iridescent glass reflected the light from the Thresholds below. I had to keep reminding myself to move forward, too distracted to focus my feet.

  The guards standing at attention near the entrances watched with curious interest as the line of agents in dark suits strode forward, me and Councilman Bennett cradled between them. But I was too enthralled with this astounding place to take much notice of their stares. We passed by the next two glistening Thresholds. Naples, Italy, I read on one side, Valparaíso, Chile on the other.

  I imagined what it would be like to step through the light and walk casually out to some distant land, to places that were foreign, even to me. It sounded liberating. But, there would certainly be no flitting around the world for me anytime soon, or possibly ever.

  We finally reached the far end of the deep, glowing cavern. I shot a quick glance across the way, just able to catch a glimpse of the sign for Cape Town, South Africa, before I was ushered forward to face the entrance of our final destination, Los Angeles, United States of America.

  Anticipation swept through me as I read the words. I had barely had a chance to let it sink in. I was going home.

  Councilman Bennett moved to the front of the pack, presenting a handful of paperwork to one of the guards for verification. My muscles tensed as I looked on from a few feet away. Everything was so official and thorough around here; even the councilman had to provide documentation before passing through. I rubbed my hand discreetly over the front of my pocket, feeling for the hard bump from the Water Briolette still concealed there. It had passed through security at the Court of Ambassadors without detection, but would I be just as lucky today?

  The stone was the only possession I had to bring back with me. Unfortunately, I never did get a chance to reclaim Rayne’s cell phone from the front entrance of the Court building. And my bag, with Violette’s borrowed clothes and Jane Carpenter’s journal, was left behind at Jax’s secret apartment in Banya. Not to mention that Jax had never returned my old diary to me in the first place, the one Rayne and I had used to secretly communicate with each other in the past.

  When the guard handed the papers back to the councilman’s grasp, the agents behind me stepped forward, compelling me toward the glowing Threshold wall. Each man stopped at the entrance, held out their left arms to the guard, who used a handheld device to scan each of their wrists. Councilman Bennett moved back to my side just before I reached the front of the line.

  He leaned over to explain. “Agents and Council members have microchips implanted in their wrists as a form of security and identification, but I’ve already cleared you to pass through without a scan.” He signaled his hand toward the Threshold. “Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

  The guard standing next to me gave an official nod, signaling for me to proceed. I suddenly realized that no one had actually explained to me what it would feel like to pass through. Would I feel anything? Would it take a moment to get to the other side, like walking down a hallway of light? Would I be sucked through a portal with a whoosh of air, feeling the powers of the universe thrust me across the galaxy? Would I simply cross over in the blink of an eye, like being twinkled in an instant to the other side?

  At this point, there was only one way to find out. I held my breath and stepped forward.

  As soon as my foot touched the fluid surface in front of me, the air gasped out from my lungs. The sensation of rippling energy coursed through me in every direction, from my core to my spine to my limbs, like the heaviness of gravity dispelling from my body all at once. I felt suspended, weightless, like the ground was made of clouds and I was floating above them from one puff to another.

  My eyes wandered back and forth, unsure what was happening. Was this normal? Did everyone who passed through the Threshold experience the same sensation? My mind fell into a trancelike state, unable to fully comprehend if I was existing in reality, transported to some unused corner of my mind.

  My eyes focused on the distance. Something glided toward me; a tiny light that grew larger and larger as it moved closer. It looked like a round of wispy corn silk illuminated by sunlight, until it finally came close enough that I could see it take shape. Two angelic faces centered on me thoughtfully, a woman and a young girl, cloaked in a warm glow, hovering before me like a feathery dream.

  The woman’s eyes smiled through me with a strange understanding as she breathed, “I am your past…” Her voice whispered in the wind, floating on the air like a song.

  The girl reached out with the faint outline of a hand, her presence innocent and pure. “I am your future,” she sang. I reached up in awe at the hand, as it swirled sinuously away.

  The woman’s gaze moved down the length of my body and centered near my waist. I looked down at myself just as the Water Briolette floated from my pocket and hovered in the air, encircled by blue glowing ripples from the Threshold around us.

  “The mark with no end holds the key to the source,” the girl said gently. “The Aurora will harmonize the spheres.”

  The woman
’s soothing voice joined her as the two of them blended in unison. “The path to the light is the mark with no end. Regeneration…will begin…”

  As the last word floated away from their tongues a sudden stream of iridescent light pulsed out from the stone. My eyes grew reverent and wide as the rainbow of light coursed straight through my chest, surged through the fibers of my being, to reach the depths of my soul.

  Energy and strength flooded my heart, a phenomenon my mind couldn’t fathom to describe, like every molecule of living matter from the stone and the Threshold, the light and the universe, sustaining me in harmony, converging together into one great element of life.

  When the light from the stone finally ceased, I stood wordlessly in place. I looked down instinctively at my hands as if they might show some sign this moment was real. My Watermark glowed with iridescent white light, brighter than I’d ever seen it before.

  “You have been given a great gift,” the girl whispered. “It is the path to your destiny. Yours, and yours alone.”

  The woman smiled, her face beginning to pull back and fade. “You must find it, Sadie; find it from within.”

  The light around us dwindled. The girl’s gentle smile grew faint, dispersed into the light, as the woman’s final words echoed through the air. “You are the one meant to save them. When the time comes, you will know…”

  16. REUNION

  The light disappeared with a flash in my mind, like I was being released from a spell that only existed inside me. I looked quickly around to clear my head and figure out where I was again. The room was even more like a cave than the one we had come from, with rock walls and a lower ceiling, but it still had the undulating luminosity of the Threshold wall around us. Several of the agents from our group stood by a few feet away, looking just as focused as usual, unfazed by anything strange or suspicious nearby.