Disorder (The Stellar Series Book 2)

by Rebecca Clark

  "Okay, take your time. I'm not going anywhere. I know it may take you a while, but I swear, Alexa, I'll do anything for you to trust me again." Before I can say another word, she moves with rapid speed and exits the room.

  I have a nagging urge to run after her, but I fight it and keep my feet firmly planted. What could I possibly say to her, anyway? I really do need time to think. Why were we both placed on Earth and living so close, was she an unknowing spy?

  She was doing the right thing, a male voice says.

  "Who are you?"

  You would have done the same thing, Alexa, and you know it.

  "WHO ARE YOU?"

  I wait for a reply.

  Silence.

  I must be losing my mind. My fingertips begin to tingle. Just as I'm about to freak out, Jax strolls in and finds me in the middle of the room talking to myself.

  "Is Sheri still here?" Jax scans the room looking for her. Confusion clouds his perfectly symmetrical face when his stare meets mine.

  "No, she left a little while ago," I sheepishly reply.

  "Whom were you talking to then?" His right eyebrow rises, arching over his lagoon-blue pools.

  "Ummm, no one," I say. He can't know that I'm hearing voices. I can only imagine what he would think of me.

  Tiny creases in his forehead appear and his eyes make a side-to-side movement, giving the room one last inspection. "Okay." His shoulders rise and fall as he changes the subject. "How did your conversation go?"

  "What conversation?" Can he hear the voice too?

  "The one you had with Sheri…" His voice ends in a higher pitch. "Are you okay, Alexa?"

  "Yeah, I'm fine. The conversation was okay. She didn't really tell me anything groundbreaking. I'm not sure I can forgive her. I need time to think about it. Time to digest all of the odd things happening. I also need to focus more on my abilities so I can get Miri back."

  "You are putting a lot of pressure on yourself, Alexa. This isn't a one-being show, you know. You're not alone." He means to offer comfort with his statement, but his words really don't mean a whole lot. I've learned the hard way that I am the only being I can wholeheartedly trust. I've been lied to by everyone, so I must remain cautious as I move forward.

  "Thank you, Jax." He winks and tosses me a piece of fruit. He's so hot; those tranquil, blue eyes soothe my inner struggle with everything else. I'm so distracted I almost fumble and miss the catch.

  "What's this? It almost looks like an apple but it's purple."

  Jax lets out a laugh. "Yes, it does look like an apple from Earth, but it's not. I can guarantee it tastes a lot better."

  I don't waste any time. Instead, I take a big bite. The juice streams from my mouth. I bring my hand up to wipe my face.

  "Isn't it amazing?" Jax watches me as I attempt to eat the new fruit.

  It truly is delicious; the flesh of the fruit is a bright fuchsia and it tastes like an odd combination of grapefruit and strawberries. "Mmm, this is so good. What is it called?"

  "The name of the fruit is paradisi."

  "It really is wonderful." I sit there and enjoy my snack. I was starving. Breakfast didn't really cut it this morning. Kasper, like every other morning, prepared an oatmeal-type grain, which is completely flavorless but probably healthy. I ate it nonetheless.

  "Are you ready to meet with Ayu?"

  "I'd like to change first. Do I have time?"

  "Of course. You're the princess." Jax chuckles while I roll my eyes.

  Sheri was nice enough to bring by a small selection of clothes I can wear. Maybe this is her way to win me back. I quickly look through them and pick a white cotton dress that seems cool and lightweight. Overheating is an issue I'm having lately. Kalus mentioned that it was my body regulating itself to my new environment.

  "Give me two minutes, please," I say as I dash off to Tam's washroom. Even though she's not my biggest fan, I'm relieved she let us talk privately here. Tam may not be the easiest person to get along with but at least she's real. I don't believe she'd ever lie to me. I also don't think we will ever sit and gossip over our love interests.

  "Sure." I can hear Jax throw himself onto the chair.

  I quickly dress and comb my fingers through my hair. I don't necessarily miss my Earth bathroom, but I would give anything for a pair of my comfortable jeans and a retro t-shirt. Reluctantly, I open the door and step out.

  Jax jumps up as soon as he sees me. His stare meets mine and a devious grin tugs on the corners of his mouth. His eyes change from comforting to flirtatious. The intensity and heat in the room grows as I move closer.

  "Does it look that bad?" Self-consciously, I look down, smoothing out the few wrinkles I see.

  "Bad? No, you look…you look gorgeous." Jax reaches out and I lay my palm over his. He brings my hand to his mouth and slowly kisses my knuckles. An electrifying sensation ripples through my body. I think he feels it, too, but I don't ask for confirmation.

  "Are you ready now, Princess Alexa?" He winks while delivering a smile that nearly knocks me over. Jax takes a step forward and pulls me along behind him.

  "Yes, I'm as ready as I'll ever be." I wonder what Jax thinks of me. Am I his girlfriend? Do girlfriends even exist in this galaxy?

  I ponder these ideas for a minute and quickly realize it doesn't matter. I have a job to do and stuff to figure out. Jax and I are two beings that like each other and are in the moment. I try and hide my scowl as we trek over to Kasper's place to meet Ayu. I can't help the disappointment that courses through me. It's not the type of relationship I imagined myself in but there's no time for anything else right now.

  Before I know it, we arrive at Kasper's house. "I'm not going to stay, princess." Jax delivers the news of abandoning me with a little green man as he plays with strands of hair framing my face. He tucks the flyaway strands behind my ear, leans in, and gently presses a kiss to my forehead. "I'll be back in a bit." My heart skips a beat.

  Quickly, I compose myself before meeting the fate that lies behind the wooden barrier. After a few deep breaths I open the door and saddle up to the table. Ayu is already waiting for me.

  "Good day, princess."

  "Hello," I shyly respond.

  "Where would you like to begin?" he questions with a wide grin.

  "Let's start at the beginning. Tell me everything, please," I say. The little awkwardness that was present quickly dissolves. It's time to learn.

  "It all began some twenty thousand years ago. That's when the Magna Galaxy was believed to have formed. A total of five planets: Pumalia, Mapu, Plito, Ignis, and Tribus. Pumalia and Mapu are considered sister planets. They are almost identical in composition; the one main difference is that Pumalia has more water. Pumalia and Mapu also share three moons and one sun.

  "These sister planets became rival planets during the past one hundred years. Both are crowded and Mapu's lack of water has created a systemic panic. Unfortunately, the planet is drying up and it's only a matter of years before there's no more water. Soon after that happens, life will cease to exist."

  Ayu spoke so softly at the end. I could have sworn he said something about life dying out on Mapu. But I can't believe that.

  "You didn't say that Mapu would die out, did you?" Concern blossoms within me. Even though my mother is crazy and needs to be stopped, the beings that live there don't deserve die. The image of the older woman grabbing my arm and asking if I was the one that was going to bring the water flashes in front of me. Is this what she meant? Can I change things?

  "If something doesn't change, it will become non-existent." Somberly, he nods his head. "Like my planet, Plito."

  "It also dried up?" I quickly ask.

  "Not at first. Plito was a happy little planet and there were plenty of resources to go around—until the war started. The council that existed before your mother became queen decided it wanted to control us. Plito was the only known planet that housed aliens with powers." Ayu sadly shakes his head.

  "The galaxy didn't like that
. They wanted to control my people, but we fought back. They wanted to use our powers to take control of the other planets. Earth was a top contender for this plan."

  "No, I don't believe it." I say.

  "It's true, I still hear beings talk about Earth as a possible last-ditch place to inhabit. Since the composition of gasses are almost identical, it sort of makes sense."

  "T-that can't be t-true," I stutter.

  "Yes, the nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide mixture is practically the same in the Magna Galaxy as the Milky Way Galaxy. Didn't you ever wonder how you could easily breathe here?

  "That's not what I meant. It can't be true that Earth is a possible place of refuge. How would that even work?" Why didn't I even think about the air's composition? I linger on the thought for a moment.

  "That's not important right now," Ayu quickly responds. "We were talking about Plito."

  "What happened then?" I perch on the edge of my seat while I wait for his answer.

  "After years of battle, the planet endured too much destruction and it died. Planets are living, breathing things. Plito could only take so much carnage before it gave up." The sadness in his voice chills me. "We couldn't save Plito, but there is a chance you can save the beings on Mapu from a similar, dreadful experience."

  "Why me?" I ask.

  "Your grandfather was also from Plito. His powers were more advanced than any other being in the whole galaxy. These powers would have saved the planet, but he was killed before he could have changed the outcome. Even though he was murdered, it was predicted that in time there would be another chance. The being, better known as the Oracle, said the one that would change our life forever would be a direct descendant of your grandfather, whose name was Dolon." His little black eyes widen and a glimmer of hope appears as he watches me slowly put the pieces together.

  "Wouldn't that be my father, Kalus?" I ask, bewildered at the possibility I may be the one.

  "No, the Oracle said it would be a female being."

  "Oh." I swallow hard. "Could it be Miri, my sister?"

  "She's been tested. Even though she shows great promise, it isn't her. It's you. I can feel your power. I knew the minute I saw you escaping Aurora with Michael and the crazy Makin."

  "Why didn't you stop me then?"

  "You weren't ready; you had to see the destruction your mother is capable of. You needed a reason. Also, your powers weren't ready. The stone and chant can be blamed for that. Now nothing is in the way of you having full strength and power over your abilities. Your powers have been growing, I can sense it." Ayu continues to pace on the table in front of me as I sit there staring at him in a stupor. Kasper's home has become my headquarters for everything. I'm so thankful I can be in here alone, hearing this. I would hate to have an audience gawking over my lack of knowledge.

  "What about the other planets you spoke of? Where do they stand with all this turmoil?"

  "Ignis is a planet with little to no life on it. It's the planet closest to our sun. It's really too hot and fiery to be appealing for a takeover. Tribus is the farthest away and has its own moons—three of them, which orbit the planet. I'm sure your mother will attempt a takeover of that as well. She already attempted a massacre there and killed half of the planet's inhabitants. "

  "Does anyone currently live there?" Great, another possible planet targeted by my mother.

  "Of course, the Tribans live there. The ones that survived are in the process of rebuilding."

  "The Tribans?" I let out a moan. "This is a very complicated situation. With each bit of information you tell me, I feel as if I'm walking into a terrible mess."

  Ayu nods in agreement. "You could say that."

  "What do we do?" I ask, somewhat perplexed. How am I supposed to fix all of this?

  "We prepare you for the war to end all wars." I swear his small, green, oval face pales at this admission. He may believe I'm the one, but believing I can change the trajectory of the galaxy is another story.

  "Why didn't someone tell me about this prophecy before?" I snap. "This is too much. I should have been told years ago."

  "I don't disagree with you, princess." Ayu says, "I think your father was too worried you'd be taken by your mother. Waiting until your powers arrived was most likely the favored option. But really there is no good answer."

  For the next few hours we talk about strategy and what we hope the outcome will be. He calls this plan backward building. We start with rescuing Miri, freeing the imprisoned beings, and then finally, stopping the queen.

  In order to successfully complete these tasks, we need to implement the plan. We both agree that we need a military presence of some sort. We've been working with the beings in Aurora. Ayu and the other Plitans will recruit outside Aurora; it's easier for them to get around undetected. The mere sight of the Plitans may be enough to get beings on board since they're thought to be extinct like their planet. So we do have that element of surprise on our side. Ayu assures me that there are plenty of people on Pumalia that are sick of the way Maddox keeps everyone in the dark concerning the militia. He says it will not be a problem to gather a good following.

  "Ayu, even if we gather a strong military presence, how do you expect us all to get to Mapu and attack without it being obvious?" I mean, how would we all get there without being spotted ahead of time? I can't help but wonder how this will work.

  "That's where your powers come in handy."

  I throw my arms up in total and utter shock. "You expect me to hide a military force?"

  "Yes, I do," he says with a straight face.

  "We must have a lot of work ahead of us then…" My head starts to throb with all of this new information. "I think I need a breather."

  "Yes, you do. I can tell." Ayu must need one too. He doesn't stick around for very long. Instead, he jumps off the table and buzzes right out of Kasper's home.

  "Bye then," I say to no one. "That's so weird. Apparently, social graces aren't big here."

  These aren't Earthlings, Alexa. Of course the norms will be different.

  There's that mysterious voice again. I roll my eyes and choose to ignore it, yet it's difficult since it has taken to plaguing me anytime I am by myself. Instead, I march out of the door on a mission. I need to find Jax. He won't believe this.

  I make sure not to forget to shut the door behind me. I have done that a few times lately and Kasper has not been pleased. It's oddly quiet in Aurora. I notice there are not many beings out and about. I'm slightly confused because there is still a lot of light left. This is typical much later in the day.

  I run around to the few places I imagine I might find Jax, but I am unsuccessful. Perhaps a walk to the waterfall will relax me. Maybe some downtime is what I need. Along the way, surprisingly enough, I see very few beings. This is the perfect opportunity for me to enjoy some quiet time.

  My calves burn as I scale my way up the rocky ledge. Typically, I sit on the boulder opposite the falls, but today I want to be closer. I need to be closer. I curl up on the rocky landing. The spray from the falls gently mists my face as I stare into the blue-tinted water. I blink repeatedly, trying to focus. It becomes harder and harder to open them. The heaviness weighs on me, and I gently rest my head on the rock beneath me. I'm so tired. Darkness pulls at my consciousness, but at the same time I can hear someone or something coming toward me. A paralyzed feeling seizes me. I can't fight the state of helplessness I'm entering. I try to stay lucid but I fail.

  Alexa, be strong. Don't give in!

  I hear the voice, but it's too late. My body is in some sort of paralysis.

  Hang on, help is coming.

  I try to move. I can't. My arms are too heavy to command. My legs are equal to pallets of dense wood. I stop fighting and let myself fall deeper into this unconscious state. The last thing I hear is a familiar voice screaming my name as my lifeless body meets the water. I have no control to stop the water from entering my airway.

  I'm going to die.

  Chapter Sev
en

  Relief finds me when I see Jax walking toward me. I get lost gazing into his eyes. "Alexa, you're beautiful." The corners of his mouth inch up as he reveals a devilish grin.

  I reach out for him, wanting to tell him about my crazy drowning dream and how real it felt. He winks, as I'm about to touch the tips of his fingers. I try to connect mine with his. Instead, my hand moves right through his. It's like I'm not even here with him.

  "Jax, what's happening to me?" I loudly ask.

  He continues to smile at me, unfazed by my panic or apparition-like state. "Jax, can you hear me?" I wait, but he says nothing. In fact, he's not moving anymore. It's like he's frozen. Fear immobilizes me. My chest moves up and down as I hyperventilate.

  "Please don't pass out, Alexa." I hear my own voice, but it sounds small and distant.

  Breathe in and out, Alexa. This is a dream.

  That voice again.

  I gasp. "How do you know?"

  I just do.

  "That helps. Not."

  You sound like your father at this age.

  "How would you know?" I blink a few times and realize I'm now alone. Jax is no longer a statue before me. I'm stranded in a field of purple-stemmed flowers. Red lines streak the magenta skyline and the roar of thunder echoes in the background.

  Let me tell you a story while you work on your breathing.

  "Fine," I say through gritted teeth as the pressure on my chest intensifies.

  When your father first learned how to use his abilities, I would often find him sleepwalking while using his powers. He wasn't comfortable practicing normally, so when he repressed the natural order of learning, his mind and body would take over in the evening when his guard was down.

  "Who are you?"

  I'm your grandfather, Dolon.

  "How are we speaking—why are we speaking?" Could this really be my grandfather? I thought he was dead. How could he possibly be speaking to me?

  Yes, it's true. I'm your grandfather and I'm dead. I died many, many years ago. My spirit is still with my kin, and I'm able to be here with you because I'm intertwined with your being. I'm fortunate enough to have the ability to help you when it's needed.