Birthright

by A. P. Jensen

  Chapter Twenty One

  As they finished their food, the front door opened. Mr. Parker and Heath entered. You could practically hear the energy snapping around them.

  “Good. You’re awake. We’re going on an excursion. Get dressed,” Mr. Parker said.

  The teens stared at him, nonplussed.

  “We need to go to the temple. Tomorrow morning you won’t have time to Ground yourselves,” Heath explained.

  “Temple?”

  Cibrian jumped up. “Cool. Mom wouldn’t let me set foot in one until I Awakened.”

  When no one moved, Mr. Parker bodily pulled them off their stools and pushed them in the direction of their rooms.

  “What am I changing into?” Jordan asked Cibrian before going into her room.

  “Jeans is fine.”

  Hastily, Jordan changed and came out of her room with her jacket draped over one arm. She crossed the room to the men who were all taking a drink at the bar.

  “We’re off, then,” Mr. Parker said and they moved to the balcony doors.

  Knight let out a growl of protest, but stayed inside when Mr. Parker glared and closed the doors. Jordan slapped at Mr. Parker’s hand when he reached for her. He ignored that, hauled her into his arms and launched himself into the air. Jordan’s braid whipped him in the face as they flew through the nighttime traffic, which was only slightly less busy than the daytime. Mr. Parker dove towards the canopy of trees that covered the Garden of Wintra and Jordan let out an alarmed gasp as he twisted at the last moment to avoid impaling them on the razor sharp branches. He dropped onto the garden path and Jordan shoved out of his arms.

  “You enjoy that, don’t you?” she hissed.

  Heath, Cibrian and Levi slipped through the canopy, riding Cibrian’s magic carpet. The Garden of Wintra was very quiet. In the distance, you could hear the distant rumble of the crowd shopping to their hearts content at the Ice Tunnels, but in the garden all was still. Each statue was filled with color, which made them seem eerily lifelike. Couples strolled arm in arm admiring statues and Mr. Parker cast a hard eye over them before he decided they were no threat.

  “Let’s go. Stay close.”

  Mr. Parker led the way through the garden while Jordan walked side by side with Levi and Cibrian. Heath brought up the rear, making sure they weren’t being followed.

  Jordan stared at an ice sculpture of a girl and boy running on the beach, arms full of seashells. Each shell was intricately detailed and colorful. The girl’s hair covered half of her face, caught in a sea breeze Jordan could almost smell. A sculpture of two dogs running away from a baker with doughnuts in their mouths was next. And after that, Jordan stopped dead when she saw a miniature model of the Las Vegas strip. Jordan glanced at Levi. He looked as startled as she was. Cibrian glanced from them to the statue.

  “You guys were there, right? I meant to ask, did you ever go to a strip club? I heard-”

  Heath cuffed Cibrian on the back of the head. Up ahead, the sound of many voices could be heard. Jordan felt her heart beat speed up and prayed they wouldn’t have to fight their way through another crowd. Mr. Parker stopped and moved to the side, revealing a bizarre scene.

  In the middle of the gardens was a building that looked like a Greek temple with monstrous pillars and a roof that shone like polished pearl. Wide steps led up to white silk drapes where people slipped in and out of the temple. Shoes of every shape and size were scattered over the steps and from inside the temple Jordan could hear a heavy thumping sound and chanting.

  “This is the temple?” Jordan asked.

  “The temple is where people in the city come to meditate and release their power.” Mr. Parker ushered her forward and nodded at her boots. “Toss them on the side. You won’t need them.”

  They all kicked off their shoes and started up the steps. Mr. Parker pulled a curtain to the side and motioned them all through. Jordan entered and took it all in. The temple was a lot bigger than she’d first thought. It could easily fit over two hundred people at once. The roof was the only illumination in the temple and it changed colors like the aurora borealis. Sheer white drapes divided the temple into four sections. As Jordan peered through the curtains, she saw that each section was filled with people all doing the same thing in their area. The air crackled with energy and Jordan felt her power respond by warming her from head to toe.

  The section that she stood in was deathly silent and still. She was surrounded by blonde haired, violet-eyed people wearing shawls. They sat in the lotus position on the ground, legs folded neatly, palms up. There were two levels of people in this position. Half sat on the ground and five feet above them another row of Thishe floated. Their backs were ramrod straight, eyes closed and even their breaths were synchronized. Levi and Cibrian flanked Jordan.

  What the hell is this? Levi asked.

  No idea. It’s creepy.

  Mr. Parker moved across the room and pulled back the sheer curtain to let them pass into another section. Here, the brown haired, green-eyed people moved in a strange exercise/dance. The Eliten’s steps were deliberate and the hand motions that went with their movements were fluid and powerful.

  Looks like tai chi, Levi observed.

  I like this one better than the Thishe.

  They watched for a minute before they moved to the third section of the temple. In this room, there was no synchronization, no order. The blue eyed, red haired people danced as if they were in a nightclub, but no music played. Jordan stared with wide eyes, alarmed as she witnessed several near accidents. Some people danced as if they were listening to hip-hop while others danced like master ballerinas. This room was a mash of bodies in motion. A woman staggered towards them, clothes soaked with sweat. She leaned down to pick up her discarded jacket, winked at Levi and ducked beneath the heavy curtain to exit the temple.

  The fourth section was responsible for the chanting. Jordan watched the Darsana, all of whom had dark skin, orange eyes and muscular bodies. They stood side by side, slapping their thighs, shouting at the tops of their lungs. Their feet stomped the floor in a rhythm that pulled at something in Jordan. Men and women’s faces were expressive and animated as they chanted in an unfamiliar language. Heath passed Jordan and fit himself into the group seamlessly. He bent his knees, tilted his head back and yelled with the rest of the Darsana. The cords in his neck stood out as he spoke and the floor trembled beneath their feet.

  Mr. Parker stood before the intrigued teens and spread his hands. “This is what people in the city do to release their power. In Texas, we have the land and water and other things to channel our power into without harming anyone. Those that live in populated areas don’t have a choice. These are four methods you can choose to center yourself and strengthen your mind.”

  He raised his voice and gestured to the Darsana. “Darsana ask for guidance from their ancestors to control their power, to harness it. Darsana are demonstrative people and their form of channeling power has been taught to them since the beginning of time.”

  Mr. Parker turned and they all looked through the curtains at the Undala dancers. “Undala express themselves through movement, not sound like the Darsana. They agree that they are all different and don’t believe in uniformity while Grounding themselves.”

  They crossed into the Eliten area and watched, captivated by the precise movements of the people.

  “Eliten are drawn to the earth, so they channel their energy into their hands and feet and release it into the ground. Their form of Grounding is in precise movements and actions. It’s also an effective method of fighting if you speed up the process.” Mr. Parker turned. “Last, but not least, Thishe believe they can control body and mind through deep meditation and absolute stillness.” Mr. Parker raised his brows. “So? All of you need to meditate. Which form pulls at you?”

  They all looked at one another.

  “Dancing suits me fine,” Cibrian said with a grin.

  “Off you go, then. No exiting the temp
le without one of us.”

  Cibrian ducked through the curtain and was instantly lost in the crowd of writhing Undala bodies.

  “Levi?” Mr. Parker prompted.

  Levi pointed to the Eliten. Mr. Parker didn’t look surprised. He nodded and Levi watched for several minutes, taking note of the feet and hand movements before joining in. Jordan watched, astonished, as he picked up the rhythm as if he’d been doing it his whole life.

  When Mr. Parker turned to Jordan, she tensed. The Undala and Darsana methods of meditation appealed to her more, but she was too self-conscious to join in. After all, the Darsana spoke in a different language and their movements were aggressive and bold. The Undala were so graceful, so confidant in who they were that they didn’t care how they looked. She never danced before in her life.

  Mr. Parker watched her closely. When Jordan gestured at the Thishe, he nodded. Jordan moved to the back of the room to a secluded area where she felt she could breathe in this too quiet section of the temple. She sat with her right side inches from one of the curtains that led outside. Jordan examined the crowd and copied the lotus position, which was uncomfortable. She jumped when Mr. Parker settled beside her. He leaned towards her.

  “Where’s your necklace?”

  Jordan blinked. “I took it off when I bathed.”

  “I figured. From now on, don’t go anywhere without it. If I’m not around, it’s the only thing that’ll stop you from losing control.”

  “I’m fine,” Jordan hissed.

  She folded her arms and made sure her palms were face up. For some reason, the position felt as if she was sacrificing herself and she didn’t like it. She turned her head slightly to look at the Eliten moving in their steady dance and picked out Levi who had his eyes closed, totally immersed in the exercise. Mr. Parker nudged Jordan and she forced herself to look away and stare straight ahead at the Darsana. The thump of their feet on the floor echoed in the Thishe’s quiet wing of the temple. Her heartbeat sped up to match the energy and power they projected.

  “You’re breathing too fast,” Mr. Parker murmured. “Release your power into the air. Let it drift out of you like smoke.”

  Jordan closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on breathing. Why was it so hard for her to sit still? She’d been a zombie for two years in a tiny room that would have made most people go mad. She’d been drugged or in pain most of the time, though, so that didn’t count… Was she supposed to be saying a prayer or thinking about rainbows and puppies or something?

  “Let your power envelope your body, feel it flow through your veins. Acknowledge your power and then let it disperse, let it drift away like wind,” Mr. Parker said quietly.

  Jordan glared at him. Could he read minds? Levi couldn’t read her thoughts, he could only communicate from his mind to hers. Mr. Parker didn’t even know her, so how could he sense what she was thinking? She felt something pass over her, like a cold mist and she stiffened. Was that his power being released?

  Determined to commit to the practice she chose, Jordan closed her eyes. She breathed evenly in and out. She could feel her calves cramping and she eased her position the tiniest bit. She felt like a pretzel. She resisted the urge to leave this freakishly quiet place and go crazy in the Undala section. How long was she supposed to stay here?

  Time stretched. She wasn’t sure if minutes or hours passed. She sat tense and not the least bit relaxed. Every once in a while, she would feel a cold draft and knew someone was releasing their power in the right way. Mr. Parker turned into a statue beside her. She closed her eyes against the Darsana because every time she watched them, she responded to their dominant call. Thishe stood silently and left while more ushered in and sighed in relaxation as they sat in the lotus position.

  Power heat her body, straining to be set free but she didn’t have the faintest idea how to release it. William showed her what she was capable of when she lost control. Her heartbeat sped up, but she forced her breathing to continue evenly. She didn’t want Mr. Parker hissing at her again. She tried to clear her mind, but the memory of William’s face melting the night he tried to escape with her appeared in her mind. Even now, she could smell his skin burning and it turned her stomach. Her breath caught and she sensed Mr. Parker turn his head to look at her. She forced her features to relax and it was damn hard, but she was an expert at feigning that everything was fine when it wasn’t.

  In an effort to take her mind off the images forming in her mind, she opened her eyes. She didn’t look at the Darsana, she stared at the backs of the blonde and shawl covered heads surrounding her. Why were they all blonde? How could they believe this was a way to rid you of power? Her power was a burning sensation in her chest, a gnawing hunger pain that refused to be willed away. Sitting motionless amplified her power and it burned within her.

  Sucking in a breath to control the flames building within, she turned her head to the right to the white curtains that led outside. Fresh air. That’s what she needed. She reached out slowly and pulled the curtain aside. Cold air caressed her face and distracted her from the claustrophobia creeping up on her.

  People walked around the temple, listening to the sound of the Darsana or waiting for those that needed to Ground themselves. Most people seemed content to admire the detailed ice sculptures in reverent silence. Jordan’s eyes moved over the crowd and settled on a blue sculpture of a wave creating a funnel for the tiny figure of a surfer. The wave was beautiful and done in several shades of blue that made it seem very real. Even as she stared at it, a figure came out from behind the wave and leaned against it. The blue lights revealed a man in a black coat buttoned up to his throat and an all too familiar face. Jordan’s heart stopped.

  “Jordan!” Mr. Parker’s hand gripped her left arm.

  Jordan lost her hold on the curtain as Mr. Parker turned her to face him in the temple. She couldn’t speak. She stared up at his furious face as he shook her, hard. She was dimly aware of Thishe running. For a moment, she thought it was raining before she realized the temple roof was melting. That was when she saw that her hands were aflame and lightning cracked over her body.

  “Channel your power into me,” Mr. Parker ordered.

  When Jordan tried to get away, he shook her again, harder. The roof cracked and several pieces of ice dropped like bombs.

  “We don’t have time. Just do it,” he shouted.

  Mr. Parker jerked his glove off and placed a bare hand on her throat to make contact with her skin. His whole body jerked and his eyes flared wide with pain. Jordan desperately reached for control, but it was out of her grasp. She was torturing Mr. Parker the same way William did to her in the past. She couldn’t bear it. She tried to get away from him, but he wouldn’t let her move. His body convulsed as he absorbed her power. When he couldn’t take anymore, he reeled back from her, cradling his hand.

  As soon as he let go of her, Jordan thrust herself through the curtain. People rushed up the steps, alarmed and scared for their loved ones in the temple. Jordan pushed her way through the crowd and rushed towards the wave sculpture. She walked on numb feet around the sculpture, but there was no one there. She went on tiptoes to see over the crowd and saw the man in the black coat with blonde hair walking slowly, calmly down a path that curved out of sight. She tore after him, heart nearly pounding out of her chest with terror, but she didn’t care. She shoved her way through the crowd heading towards the temple. Her bare feet skidded on the icy path as she tried to run faster. She had to know. She rounded the curve and came to a stop.

  The path ended at an apple grove sculpture. Red, pink and green apples scattered beneath the trees. Jordan’s breathing was ragged and she could hear nothing over the pounding of her heart. Her body shook with the aftereffects of her power being set free. She remembered the agony on Mr. Parker’s face and shook her head. Was she responsible for the deaths in Walmart that day? Had her panic and terror made her lose control and kill innocent people?

  She stepped into the
grove and moved cautiously around the trees, but there was no sign of the man she’d seen. Tears filled her eyes and she sank to her knees, hands clutching her head. Was she going crazy?

  “Jordan!”

  Levi ran around the corner and fell to his knees beside her. He ran his hands over her to make sure she was okay. “What happened? Are you okay? What are you doing here?”

  Jordan clutched handfuls of his jacket. “I saw him. He was here.”

  “Who?”

  “William. I saw him. He’s alive.”

  Mr. Parker appeared. Jordan noticed his movements were stiff. Guilt and shame filled her. She let go of Levi and backed away, afraid she would lose control and hurt him too.

  “William is dead,” Mr. Parker said firmly.

  Jordan couldn’t meet his eyes. “I saw him.”

  Heath and Cibrian came around the corner. Both of them were drenched with water.

  “Is everybody okay?” Jordan asked and forced herself to stand on wobbly legs.

  “Thanks to Donovan. Who knows what you would have done otherwise,” Heath said.

  Shame and embarrassment flooded her and she looked away from Heath’s accusing eyes.

  “What was that all about anyway?” Heath demanded.

  “She thinks she saw William,” Mr. Parker said.

  She knew everyone was staring at her, wondering if she was sane or not. Was she losing her mind? She watched William’s eyes film over with death that day in Walmart, but she saw him standing there, watching her, hadn’t she?

  There was a long silence.

  “Heath, take them back to the hotel,” Mr. Parker said and turned away from her.