Fighting for Infinity (11 page)

“That’s not what I mean.” Dakota shook his head. “Her eyes look familiar.”

Energy prickled at the back of my neck. Dakota had been at the airport and helped fight a few of the Nefariouns. Faith said two were women, but they had worn sunglasses most of the time.
Most
of the time. Had Dakota glimpsed one of their souls? Did he recognize her?

“I feel like I know you,” Dakota said to Rina.

“Damn,” Harmony muttered beside me. “If only Sheila were alive. She could read her and tell us who she was in her past lives.”

I almost hushed Harmony, still in protective mode of our kindrily’s abilities, but revealing Sheila’s ability couldn’t hurt anything, considering she was no longer with us. My own heart ached at the reminder.

Dakota stepped closer to her. “It’s sort of weird meeting you like this, you being in Maryah’s body and all.”

Rina looked down as if she’d forgotten she wasn’t completely herself. “I don’t look anything like this.”

“I figured.” Dakota pushed his bangs off his forehead. “What do you look like?”

Rina studied Harmony. “My hair is the color of hers, but only the black parts. And much longer.”

Dakota perked up. “Sit down and describe details so I can draw you.”

“Draw me?”

He grabbed his sketch of her enjoying the sun and handed it to her. “Like this, a picture. Except I’d draw you instead of Maryah.”

“This is very good. Much better than the pictures in my dictionary.”

“Thank you.” Dakota pulled out a chair for Rina.

Harmony and I stood side by side, arms crossed over our chests, never taking our eyes off them. Rina explained her physical features and Dakota drew them. She’d tell him if it was correct or not, that her nose was smaller, her eyes bigger, her hair longer.

“Rina,” I interrupted, “How do you know what you look like? Is there a mirror where you live?”

“I see my reflection in the glass cabinet in my room.”

Dakota stopped sketching. He held his pad out in front of him, squinting at it. Turning semi-pale, he dropped the pad. “I’ll be right back.”

As h
e ran inside the house, I glanced at Harmony and she shrugged.

Rina twiddled Maryah’s thumbs while frowning. “He didn’t like how I look.”

It was as if Maryah had returned. The lack of self-confidence combined with Maryah’s face and body language oozing disappointment made me rush to her side.

“I’m sure that’s not why he ran off.” I touched her shoulder and she startled.

“I have to go.”

“No!” Harmony and I both said in unison.

Rina’s eyes closed. I caught her head as Maryah’s body went limp and collapsed forward.

“Rina?” I said softly, but I felt the absence of her. No soul existed in Maryah’s body.

Dakota ran back out onto the deck holding a comic book. “What happened?”

I picked a piece of egg from her shirt. “She’s gone.”

“What? I told her I’d be right back.”

“I’m not certain, but I got the impression she was scared.” I pushed Maryah’s hair from her face and gathered her in my arms.

“I didn’t mean to scare her,” Dakota said. “I swear.”

“I don’t think it was you.” Harmony ruffled his hair. “My guess is something, or someone, was pulling her back to her body.”

Dakota’s hands fell at his side, still clutching his rolled-up comic book. “I wanted to show her one of my stories.” He thumbed through a few pages and held it up for Harmony to see. “I think she might be this girl.”

Harmony bit her lip, the doubt etched all over her face. Instead of telling Dakota his drawings weren’t real, she forced a smile and said, “She’s pretty.”

I eased past them, carrying Maryah’s body to the bedroom.

Dakota sounded like he’d just lost his best friend. “I hope she comes back soon.”

∞

Several of us had gathered in the dining room, but it wasn’t an official meeting.

“This isn’t fair!” Dakota slammed his comic book on the table. “You guys need to start taking me seriously. Look at it.” He pointed to an open page. “I drew that Maryah was encased in a snow globe and now that’s what’s going on. Okay, so it might not be a snow globe exactly, but Rina said it’s a bubble. Close enough.”

Faith
popped her chewing gum. “I read it, but I figured you drew Maryah in a snow globe because Carson made one for his school project.”

Carson was leaning against the back of Krista’s chair. “Actually, the snow globe was Dakota’s idea first. I
was inspired by his drawing.”

Gregory flipped through the pages. He held up a drawing of a girl draping her long black hair out of a tall castle window like Rapunzel. “Who is this girl?”

“That’s Rina!” Dakota said, exasperated.

“How do you know that’s her?” Faith asked.

“She described what she looked like, and it sounds exactly like her.”

“You drew the castle nestled into the side of a mountain.” Carson pointed at the comic. “Do you have any idea where the castle might be?”

“No.” Dakota lowered his eyes and shrugged. “That’s just what came to me when I drew it.”

Krista looked up at me. “What if he really is drawing some sort of psychic interpretation of what’s going on?”

Exhaling, I shook my head.

“Krista,” Harmony stretched her name, warning her not to encourage the issue.

“Stop shutting down the idea,” Carson argued. “Dakota has drawn some stuff that is actually happening. Of all the things this kindrily is capable of, and considering how badly Dakota wanted to be one of us, why is it so far-fetched that he might have developed a supernatural ability after his near-death experience?”

Everyone was silent. Yes, Carson was Dakota’s best friend, but he wouldn’t argue on his behalf unless he truly believed it might be possible.

“I told you,” Dakota said, glancing around at all of us. “I feel different.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s like I see story lines in my head sometimes, and I can’t think about anything else until I draw them. I drew Harmony finding Gregory. That fight at the airport? I drew that!”

“You did?” I asked, shocked no one had mentioned it.

Dakota grunted and tugged at his bangs. “Does anyone ever read any of my comics?”

“I do,” Carson said.

“Where is that comic?” Gregory asked.

“I gave it to Harmony as a gift before you came back.”

Everyone glared at Harmony. She guiltily spun her eyebrow ring. “There’s been a lot going on. I didn’t have a chance to read the whole thing.”

“Go
od grief, Harmony.” Faith cracked her bubblegum. “Let me borrow your boots so I can give you a swift kick in the—”

“Faith,” Louise chided. “Save the sibling bickering for another time. Harmony, where is the comic book right now?”

“In my room,” Harmony said.

“Where exactly?” I asked.

“Top desk drawer.”

I traversed to Harmony’s room, grabbed the comic from the drawer, and returned to the meeting.

Dakota snatched it from my hand. He flipped to the end then slapped the book onto the table and pointed to a cartoon drawing of Harmony and Gregory surrounded by flames, reuniting in front of a spaceship. I raised my brows. Not exactly a clear depiction of what happened at the airport.

Dakota saw my reaction and sighed. “Okay, so a few details were wrong. It was a plane instead of a spaceship, and the laser guns were regular guns, but there was fire.”

Gregory sat forward, snickering as he read the dialogue bubbles. “Your theory was that I had been abducted by aliens?”

Dakota shrugged. “Close enough.”

We were back where we started. Dakota was a skilled artist, but he wasn’t psychic, and his stories weren’t predicting the future. However, I was convinced that he and Rina had seen each other before—possibly at the airport. If we could discern who she was, it might help us know whether or not to trust her.

NOTHING COMES FREE

Maryah

I felt like I was getting weaker, but how could that be possible without a body?

“If your soul were free to travel—” Rina chewed her fingers. “You would really spy on Dedrick?”

“Of course.”

“And?”

“And what?” Having a conversation with her was so difficult.

“Where else would you go? Honestly.”

Lying to her seemed pointless. I needed her to trust me and this one seemed like a given. “Honestly, I’d visit my kindrily. Because I miss them, but also because they are super wise and could help us.”

“Nathaniel said he would help stop Dedrick.”

“Obviously. He despises Dedrick. We all do.”

Rina’s face was emotionless. She didn’t look away or even blink. After what felt like a long time, she quietly said, “Okay.”

Hope pulsed through me. “Okay what?”

“I’ll release you.”

“
You
can release me?”

She tentatively nodded.

“Just like that? You’ve had the ability to release me this whole time, but you kept me trapped here? Why? Does Dedrick know?”

“So many questions,” Rina mumbled.

“Um, you think?” I was furious. My suspicions had just risen tenfold. “What’s your part in all this? How could you hide so much from Dedrick for so long? Maybe he does know how powerful you are and you’re helping him, and all this time you’ve been trying to act like we can trust each other, but in reality you might be the most evil Nefarioun of them all.”

She lurched forward. “I am not evil!”

“Then why would you keep me here like a prisoner?”

“I was hoping you’d figure out how to set yourself free.”

“Why would I need to figure it out if you could do it for me?”

Her eyes widened. “Listen to yourself. Me do it for you? Is that how you want to live your life? Counting on others to fix your mistakes? Everyone else should figure out how to get you out of trouble? Wouldn’t it be more dignified if you learned how to do it yourself?”

She made me sound like some lazy leech who wanted to sit around eating ice cream all day while everyone else worked for me. “I can handle my own problems, but I didn’t ask to be trapped here. This isn’t my mistake to fix.”

She snorted a laugh. “You traveled here, Maryah. It is your mistake.” She walked to the table and ran her fingers over the old book. “You have a lot of mistakes to fix, and I can only help you so much.”

I screamed with frustration. “Stop talking in riddles! You act like you know so much, but you never actually say or do anything helpful.”

She lifted her gaze, her eyes reflecting some emotion I hadn’t seen before, maybe part sadness but with an accusatory heat burning somewhere deep within her.
Her pained voice was almost a whisper. “I never do anything helpful?”

I could tell I hurt her feelings, and I considered apologizing, but for what? For speaking the truth? I wasn’t sorry for that. She was frustrating, and she hadn’t done anything to help. All she had done was use my body without my consent.

She stood straight and cleared her throat. “I’ll do what you’ve asked. Like I always do.” She held her hands out at her sides, closed her eyes, and bowed her head.

“Rina, wait. I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

She didn’t acknowledge me. She stayed in place, unmoving.

“Rina?”

I felt different—stronger. The invisible cloud around me had dissipated. I searched my mind’s eye for the cords of light that allowed me to astral travel—the cords I hadn’t been able to see or feel since I arrived in this dreaded place.

I found them, glowing brightly, more visible than they’d ever been. Rina did it. She was setting me free.

“Rina?” I couldn’t leave like this. As frustrating as she was, she didn’t deserve to be hurt. She had already suffered more than one person ever should. “Please answer me.”

She still didn’t move, open her eyes, or say a word.

“I won’t be gone more than an hour or two,” I told her. “I promise I’ll be back.”

As scary as those words sounded, I knew I meant them.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Nathaniel

Everyone had gone to bed for the evening, but I couldn’t sleep.

One of Maryah’s favorite songs played for the third time. I lay beside her, singing along with Ella. The same song that played as Mary passed away two lifetimes ago, so peaceful and undramatic. Just she and I at home, our bodies aged and exhausted, waiting for the curtain to fall and allow us to start all over again. She passed quietly, drifting to sleep in my arms while Ella sang on our record player. I couldn’t hear it because I was deaf, but I felt the music in the air.

I passed two days later, looking forward to the next time I’d hold her and wondering what my new life and body would be like.

A trumpet played a soft, slow riff as the song came to an end. Unlike two lifetimes ago, I was grateful to hear the music. Being deaf enhanced many of my senses, but I had missed music immensely.

Maryah thrashed violently then choked in a deep breath. Eightball barked and sprang out of his bed, his nubby tail wagging uncontrollably.

“Nathan!” She sat up and threw her arms around me in one burst of motion.

I pulled back to confirm it was her.

“Maryah.” I kissed her. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been.”

Her fingertips pressed into my pecs as if trying to clutch onto the heart that already belonged to her. I held her hands and kissed them then pressed my forehead against hers. “I’m here. I’m right here, and so are you. You’re safe.”

She touched my face, staring into my eyes as if I might not be real. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you infinitely more.” I caressed her cheek. “How do you feel?”

“I’m okay.” Eightball whined and pawed at the bed. I lifted him up to join us, and he tackled Maryah, covering her with kisses.

After their reunion had calmed down, she hugged him and said, “I’m shook up and thirsty, but relieved to be back here.”

I wrapped my arms around both of them and traversed us to the kitchen. I set them down on the counter, letting go of Maryah long enough to grab a bottle of juice. She gulped it down as I stood and watched her in the glow of the light from the refrigerator.

Eightball snorted happily. His whole back end wagged as he squirmed in her arms, licking her chin. She giggled, and my heart overflowed.

She took a long swig of juice then lowered the bottle and wiped her lips. “Thank you.”

I nodded then kissed her again, tasting the fruit punch she just drank and assuring myself this was really happening. She was back in her body. She was safe. “Never again,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”

She pulled away. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I felt so helpless knowing you were trapped with Dedrick and there was nothing I could do. Never again will you astral travel to him. None of us will ever ask you to.”

“Nathan,” Maryah said, “I’m going back.”

“Absolutely not,” I argued. “We’ll figure out another way to stop Dedrick without putting you in danger.”

“Dedrick can’t know I left. I came here to tell you I was fine, and to relay everything I know, but then I have to go back.”

“That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Deal? What deal?”

“I promised Rina we’d help her fight Dedrick if she set you free. I never agreed that you’d return to his lair.”

“He’ll kill Rina if he finds out I’m gone. Or torture her. Then he’ll come after us.” Her voice hitched with concern. “All of us.”

Krista and Carson hurried into the kitchen wearing their pajamas. “Pudding!” Krista exclaimed. “It’s really you. Thank goodness!”

I stepped aside so Krista could hug Maryah, but I was still trying to absorb the fact that Maryah would voluntarily go back to Dedrick. Louise and Anthony rushed in too.

“Thank the heavens!” Louise said, taking her turn to hug Maryah. “What happened? Tell us everything.”

“You look exhausted,” Anthony told Maryah. “Do you need to sleep first?”

Maryah shook her head then her eyes found mine. “I have to update you then I have to go back.”

My heart sank again.

“Go back?” Louise and Krista asked at the same time.

“The girl who visited you; her name is Rina, and Dedrick is keeping her prisoner. It’s so
awful. You can’t even imagine. I have to help her, and if Dedrick finds out that she helped me escape then who knows what he’ll do to her.”

Carson moved to Maryah’s side. “Where is he? Do you know where he was keeping you?”

“No,” Maryah answered. “We’re locked in some room with no doors or windows.”

“At least Rina was telling the truth,” Carson said.

“She had never left that room until she traveled here and met all of you. If you could see it for yourself, you’d understand how horrible her life is and that I need to help her.” Maryah sat up so tall and fast it looked like she’d been whipped. “Wait, Rina was here! Nathan, you saw her soul through her eyes, right? You could traverse to her and bring her here.”

“Sorry, Sparky,” Carson said. “We’ve been trying that already, and it hasn’t worked.”

“Why?” Maryah asked me. “Can you not picture her eyes in detail because it’s my body?”

“That’s not it,” I explained. “Every time I try, I find myself in darkness. I don’t end up anywhere.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “What does that mean?”

“We’re not sure yet,” Louise said. “But we’re working on it.”

We all stood around as Carson asked the necessary questions for his exceptional mind to figure out as much as he could.

I wanted to argue that Maryah’s safety came first, and she shouldn’t astral travel anywhere until we had more helpful information, but Maryah was still Mary. The deepest, truest part of her would always be dedicated to helping others. No one would convince her to turn her back on Rina. As much as I wanted Maryah home safe with us, I couldn’t in good conscience ask her not to help Rina.

“What if it is a trap?” Carson asked. “What if Dedrick is using this girl to get to you somehow?”

Maryah hugged Eightball tighter, petting his head. “Rina hates him. She’s not mind-controlled. And I think she’s an Element. She has gifts like us.”

“We know she’s a conductor,” Louise said, “and that she traveled here using your ability, but can she do anything else?”

“I think so, but I’m not sure what exactly. Somehow she freed my soul. She’s sort of secretive about everything.”

“Secretive indeed,” I agreed. “This whole time she was able to free you, but she didn’t until I promised her I’d help her fight Dedrick.”

“Like kill him?” Carson sounded a little too excited about the idea.

“How can we trust that’s her real intention in all of this?” Krista asked.

“You all met her,” Maryah said. “Sort of. Did you get the impression she was bad?”

“Her soul was luminescent,” Louise said. “Not one trace of malicious intent.”

“She could have been emanating a false aura,” I pointed out.

Louise glared at me over her glasses. “No one can fake their aura.”

“We didn’t think a soul’s energy could be trapped,” I argued, “but obviously Dedrick is capable of more than we thought.” I placed my hand on top of Maryah’s. “We have to be overly cautious of everyone and everything given the circumstances.”

“I feel the same way, but why would Rina release my soul?” Maryah held my hand as Eightball licked it. “She helped me. I have to help her too.”

Anthony chimed in. “It would be beneficial to know what else she knows about Dedrick and what he’s been doing these past
two decades.”

“Which is one of the many reasons I have to return,” Maryah said. “I need to find out a lot more if we have any hope of stopping Dedrick.”

“Stop him from what?” Krista asked.

Maryah slid off the counter and stood, setting Eightball on the floor. “He’s going to
be
God. He’s going to control who comes into this world.” Louise and Anthony glanced at each other. Maryah squeezed my hand. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re right,” Louise said. “You have to spy on him so we can see what he’s planning.”

Everyone stared at Maryah, but she kept her focus on me. “Nathan, please try to understand. I need your support now more than ever.”

As much as I wanted to shelter her and keep her locked safe in my arms, I knew her spirit couldn’t be caged. Especially not by Dedrick. “Then as always, you have it.”