Evanescent (27 page)

1 second.

We all blew out a huge breath. The last of our frontlines; Tatos, Bongi, Willard, Shane and Greg, disappeared into the ripple of the silver mirror. As the waves faded, the sky reflected back dark clouds moving rapidly above us – another storm was heading over the village. I hoped Dad was strong enough to keep the shield going.

“It’s going to be fine,” she said, laying her head on my shoulder. “I won’t leave your side.”

“Good.” I patted her head.

“We will find her,” she assured me.

“I know.”

Anaya had obviously gotten her up to speed.

“You sure you’re up for this?”

She snorted. “She would do it for me.”

“She would,” I repeated.

She grabbed Rion’s free hand. David and Robert stood closer and the intensity of the moment, the burn from summoning courage, glowed in our eyes.

Facing our fading reflections, we all drew in as much air as we could into our lungs, like we were getting ready to descend deep underwater – as the quick journey to the other side was exactly like that – being underwater, deep beneath the cold, dark surface where the pressure of dark matter could deflate your lungs and pop blood vessels if you lingered too long in the emptiness of time and space. I never got used to the feeling of this ancient teleportation device. The instant our skin touched its silver surface, it was akin to being cut by burning ice. And, once more than an arm penetrated the wormhole there was no turning back, the force was like being sucked into a high-powered vacuum. Just as it felt like every single fiber and thought was about to explode or freeze over, we emerged on the other side. It took a moment to regain one’s senses, but once we got to the other side, I was relieved we had all made it. That feeling was short-lived though, because we were not in the tower as I had hoped. I also hoped the other four trailing behind us would not be the ones delivered to that tower. I fiddled with my inhaling device, hoping we didn’t stay longer than what we had planned. Our inhaler would last us each an extra day.
We all turned to look over the oceans of golden sand and high-rising, white ruins of the guard towers in the far distance behind us. Ahead of us, the gray, looming, stoned fortress protruded like an ugly poisoned growth.

“Damn,” Dave mumbled, overlooking huge golden waves of sand.

Maya looked around, seeming a bit startled.

“You okay?” Rion held her.

“It feels strange being back here, not remembering much, but the feeling of being here is present,” she tried to explain looking into his eyes.

“Are your gauntlets working?” I asked her.

She turned out of Rion’s arms, and looked down at the stones set in her silver bracelets. A trio of different gems marking the trifecta in spells to an object; protecting, binding and locating, were etched in
Eteocretan all around the surface of the gauntlet.

She shook her head. “No, but I know she is near.”

“Can you feel her, or...”

“Something like that.” Her disappointment in her gaze matched mine. Why had the ancient gauntlets and weapons not activated when near Ava? It should have by now. The last signs of the prophecy were upon us. Planet Poseidon was raging back to life, our powers strengthening, the hidden moon, the dark army...

There was an unmistaken tiny shudder in the traveling mirror, the tremor beneath our feet; the gate was being opened from the other side, and I had a feeling it was from the tower inside the fortress. I pushed Maya behind me. Robert pulled out a knife, and Dave cocked his gun. It gleamed in the faint light as the mirror took on a glow. Robert and I stood ready to break Enoch’s neck the minute he surfaced. I grabbed at the figure emerging through the mirror before it had even completely materialized. A shriek dampened my spike of adrenalin.

“Ava!” Maya shouted.

I pulled her out of the headlock and pulled her so hard into me, I was certain I was about to crush her. Emotion broke my resolve. I could have cried, so powerful was the feeling. All eyes were on us as my hunger for her turned to a frenzy of anger inside me. I couldn’t think straight, so I pushed her aside, twirled her around to make sure she was real; that she was there and I wasn’t hallucinating.

“It’s me,” she said.

“Where the hell have you been?”

She gave no answer. “How could you let him get to you again?” I pushed.

Maya pulled her by her arm, searching her eyes. “Ava?”

Ava wrapped her arms around Maya. “You’re okay. I was so worried.”

“How did you get here?” Robert interjected. He knew something was off, we all did. It was just too much of a coincidence that she was there practically at the exact moment we came through.

“I have no idea.” She pulled a strand of hair from her mouth.

“That, too, is a little convenient, don’t you think?” David started, suspecting something was off about her, too.

“Look, I don’t know what you guys are on about, but we need to get to Arriana.”

Everyone gasped. I searched her face, knew when she was lying, and she had been since the first time we came back from this moon. I was mad at her, wanted to shake her from the obvious spell she was under. The evidence was clear in the glossy stare of her eyes. She was living in some dream world, and I wanted to know why – why was she hiding behind the Shadowing disease? What was its plan for us?

“Ava.” My chest felt like imploding, seeing her so out of it – I could have prevented it, it was my fault I was losing her all over again. All the signs had been there earlier, but the denial and fear of loss was obviously blinding. I had never felt so pathetic. With her, I had no idea how to calm the storm I was chasing. But I would do anything I needed to, to get her back. I scraped my hair back and my palms came away sweaty. She had no idea what she was doing to me. I wanted her so bad, but it might have been too late. I had missed my door of opportunity. I felt like kicking myself. She stood before me. She looked different in the soft golden hues of the moon somehow. Moving closer to her, her eyes pinned to mine, I ran my hands through her long hair. I loved it when it was untied like that. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek in my palm. I moved even closer, not caring that this was such an awkward moment for those around us. I would never hold back with her ever again. I tasted what we could have, and I would never let it scare me again. She was my truth. When I held her face to mine, her scent infuriated me, it was too much to contain. The bliss of my touch drawing back the afflictions of the Shadowing disease within her was a wonderful sight, but I wished I could feel it as my skin touched hers. I rested my head against hers.

Her mind spoke to mine, and I was not even trying.
“I am sorry.”
But clearly, she pushed me. I was not reading her at all, so that promise I had kept – but the one promise I had broken – was promising her that I would stay away. I breathed in her scent harshly, desperately not wanting to hear the words spilling out. I already knew.

“For what?” I asked into her hair, my hand trembled holding her so close.

Maya was suddenly beside us, staring at me in shock, or was it horror?

Before Ava could respond, Maya pulled us apart and shoved her. Her feet heavy in the thick sand, taking her to the ground.

“Hey!” I tried to pull Maya back, but Rion was already standing between the two of us.

“Here we go again,” Robert joked, referring to the earlier brawl at the general’s place.

Ava jumped up, much faster than I anticipated. I held her back as she lunged forward. Robert was right, they were about to go at each other again.

“What’s with you Maya?” I asked.

“It’s not me, it’s her.”

“Well from where I am standing, it looks very much like it’s you.” I held Ava behind me. She twisted out of my grip and the two girls were at it again, grabbing hair and punching each other in the gut.

“This is so not the time for this!” I shouted.

Rion and I tried to pry the girls off each other, but the edge of the sand dune claimed them and both went tumbling down, a fine spray of golden dust scattered in their wake. We went after them, but by the time I got there they were already halfway down the dune. I pulled Maya from her and we fell back into the sand. Ava rolled a few times and stood. That’s when I saw it, why she was so different. It had all been an illusion. Tatos was right. Ava was not herself in every way. Ava bared her teeth and a dark smoke emanated from her hair; her eyes flashed like lightning. I immediately pulled Maya from me, jumped and held Ava to my chest. I had seen how my touch inhibited her shifts. I felt her pulse jump erratically before the pace slowed. She looked at me, almost confused over what had just happened. I turned her around, moved the hair from her neck and there it was; I hadn’t imagined it. I saw it as she tumbled down the dune. I had trouble touching her at first. My eyes bore into the dark mark on the base of her neck, a strange symbol curling around and into the ridges of her spine. I slowly moved my fingers over the dark etching tainting her gorgeous skin.
He actually branded her!
It was hard to keep back the red clouding my vision. I felt every hair on my neck rise, the punch rippled through my entire body. Clenching my fists, I held my entire being back. I wanted to jump out of my skin and rip Enoch’s head off.

David gave me a quick shove from behind, smacking me right out of my fury.

“Please tell me you didn’t know about this,” I told her.

She turned slowly, the naked skin on her neck and shoulders glistened under the blanket of stars. I bit back anger and repeated my words to her, trying anything to pull me out of my misery.

“Please tell me you didn’t know about the tattoo, Ava.”

“She knew!” Maya spat.

Her words were like a hammer to my head, but it was the unmistakable taste of the lie before it poured out of Ava’s mouth that hit me harder.

“Knew what?”

Maya pushed me aside, and I was thankful for that. Have you ever found it difficult to not unleash your anger on the person you cared for, without hurting them the way they hurt you? Not so easy. I turned away. Dave’s face was grim, because he felt my agony.

“You need to take us to Ava right now!” Maya said.

“I don’t understand,” Ava said.

Loss of control: Phase Six

Was I losing the ability to detect her lies? She sounded convincing. I turned back, finding myself scared of the next words that came out of either of our mouths.

“I remember,” Maya said simply.

Ava studied her sister.

“What do you remember?” Ava moved forward, holding on to her sister’s arm.

I studied her with extreme intensity. How had I not seen it before?

“I remember enough to know what he did to me, blocking my mind like that when I knew he was using me to get to you, so you could get to him,” Maya stated, pointing at me.

I saw the tempest within her intense gray eyes boil up. I knew I had a second to react, so I leapt forward and grabbed both of Ava’s arms. The lightning in her eyes faded at my touch, much quicker now it was almost instant. I stopped the shift before it had the chance to overpower her.

“Let go!” she shouted, uncertain and disorientated.

I smirked. “I know what you are, you’ve been clever about it, too.”

“Thank goodness,” Maya said, rolling her eyes.

“I even took in your innocent act.” I stared her in the eyes, dared her to lie to me again. “You hid behind the disease, but I should have known the real Ava would never let herself go the way you have.”

“I don’t know what you are taking about,” she said again.

Beneath the dark, starry night almost drowning in a sea of golden sand, her eyes appeared as green as backlit emeralds. I shook my head for clarity, her beauty made me a fool.

“You are a clone.” I had to get it out, before I doubted myself again.

I saw her swallow, trying to deny it. She tried to pull from my grip, watching my fingers bleed to white as I held on.

“You are lying to me. I am Ava… I have to be.” I saw the flash of uncertainty in her stare.

Her eyes spoke the truth, what she wanted was very clear.

“You knew all along, didn’t you?” I squeezed her arm a little harder, prompting her to be honest.

“You have your secrets. I have mine.” A cunning answer.

I took a deep breath. “You sound just like him.” I held on to my anger. “You can’t deny it, can you?” I pulled her in deeper to my chest. She looked up, there was no way she could lie to me when I held her so close. The air between us almost palpable.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

I felt relieved at her attempt at honesty.

“What was it that made you realize?” I asked.

“You,” she replied.

“How?” I felt a wall fall between us.

We stared at each other as Robert and Rion made it down the dune, and they were not quiet about it either. If we had been closer to the fortress, I was pretty sure we would hear them from inside.

“Guys, there is a war breaking out, we don’t have time for this right now…” Robert started to say as he stomped through golden sand, working his feet to tread carefully.

I cut him off with a vicious stare when he tried to interrupt again.

Ava’s suspected clone kept her desperate stare on me.

“I need to know what you are,” she said to me.

Was this her asking, or was Enoch hiding behind his creation? The one thing he knew would get him the answers.

“You know what I am.” I knew she had to have known; she had felt it. No words could explain what I was. I was ready to explode at that point. It was not for
her
to feel! I had finally been able to give myself, and then it turns out it was all for nothing. I wanted to blame the girl before me, but it was hard to wrap my mind around the insanity that stood mocking me with Ava’s beautiful face.

She cocked her head to the side, studying me.

“I am broken blood.”

She smiled. “That’s not what I am talking about. You are the Ignited one.” And as she said it, I could almost see Enoch’s face behind hers. His father had told him. I almost laughed, because he’d been so sure he was the Ignited one once. This was how badly he wanted to be part of a prophecy that would change everything forever; he’d actually written himself into the damned thing.