Phantom Universe (8 page)

Along with plant life, there are also several bugs she’s never seen before that she can’t help but stare at.

“
Don’t touch that!” Jaden warns suddenly when she reaches for a viney plant. “It’s poison oak. It’ll make you itch and cause a rash. Trust me—stay far, far away from that!”

Summer stares at her in horror and yanks her hand back.

They finally collect a substantial about of wood to burn right as the sun begins to disappear over the horizon. There’s barely enough light left for Jaden to start the fire. How she does it shocks Summer, though. Jaden uses a stone, a stick, and some dried up leaves. When smoke wafts into the air, she blows gently on it, and the leaves begin to glow before they catch fire. It spreads rapidly and soon they have a full-blown fire going. The flames lick wildly at the oxygen infested air with ravenous fingers. It’s highly impressive.

“
So, why don’t you speak?” Jaden asks as they warm themselves next to the fire.

Summer smiles and just shrugs. What can she say? Oh wait, she can’t. Not even when she’s alone.
Pathetic
.

“
That was a stupid question,” Jaden admits with a slight frown.

There’s an awkward silence between the two. She’s not use to people not knowing what to say around her. Usually people find her silence comforting—a means to say whatever they want without interruption. Everyone on the Cosmos filled the silence, especially Landon. He said that for people not to talk with her would only place more anxiety on her, but she honestly doesn’t care either way. It isn’t like she’s ever going to talk again.
I wonder what my voice would sound like anyway?
she wonders as she throws a stick into the fire. Sparks rise into the air in a flutter, agitated by the intruder.

“
So,” Jaden says uncertainly, finally breaking the growing silence, “if you can’t talk, guess I’ll have to fill the silence.”

Summer smiles at her encouragingly.

“
You know, my family was poor back in the states, but then my brother hit the jackpot.”

She raises her eyebrows, asking her what “jackpot” means.

Jaden’s eyes sparkle, reflecting the ambitious fire. “It means he won a ton of money. Anyway, my mother decided it’d be fun to go to Britain. I was young and had recently watched this cartoon with a prince who had an English accent. I thought I’d meet him. The rest of my family groaned, but I jumped at the opportunity to leave the reservation—back in Arizona.”

Again, Summer looks at her questioningly.

“
Oh! Yeah, my family is descended from the Native Americans. I’m part of the Hopi Tribe. Get this—my last name is Redleaf. Silly, isn’t it?” says Jaden with a laugh.

Summer shakes her head no. She actually likes it a lot compared to her last name: Waverly. Not that she doesn’t love her name, but it’s not as colorful—pun intended.

“
Yeah?”

She nods with a warm smile.

“
Yeah, okay. I like it too. I’m not quite sure how I got lost, but I did on our last day there. I swear I saw that prince in the crowd and next thing I know I’m being led away by someone telling me they’ll help me find my ‘mum.’ At first I laughed at them saying ‘mum’ instead of mom. But then I ended up in that house.” She visibly shudders at the thought and so does Summer.

Jaden takes a deep breath before she continues, her eyes mesmerized by the dancing fire. “I was sold to this man who made me do the most horrific things imaginable. Then every night he’d reward me with gifts. On the outside you’d think I was living the good life, but he was horrible to me. I think he got off on torture.” There is no more explanation, and none is needed. They both know.

Summer reaches out and takes her hand, her eyes conveying every last bit of apology she can. Jaden looks up with tears in her eyes and holds her arms out. They both hug and cry; several of the tears are for the past, but many of them are for the future. They’re free now—no more slavery. The image in Summer’s mind is so intoxicating she can’t help but imagine all the things she’ll do.

Maybe I’ll go to high school and meet a faerie or vampire
, she thinks excitedly, but the picture is devoid of Landon.

When they separate, Summer searches the empty ocean for her missing best friend. “Hey, we’ll find him,” Jaden comforts.

She hopes Jaden’s right—after four years of him being there almost every second of every day it can’t just end like this. Preferably it’ll never end.

That night they sleep under the dazzling stars, and the shining, flirtatious moon, but there is something brighter in their midst. Summer springs forward from her sleeping position, gasping for air. She’s not sure what’s happening, but her heart is exploding in her chest, and her body is vibrating with an urgency to do . . . something. Jaden rises and looks around the beach for what’s bothering Summer. Summer can’t catch her breath, and she starts to gasp and choke for any air she can swallow. Jaden’s frantically saying something, but Summer can’t hear—she’s starting to lose her senses. Her skin begins to glow like the burning wood at the bottom of the fire, and they both go wide-eyed. Their eyes meet, brown and blue. A blinding light explodes from Summer, and they collapse onto the sand.

CHAPTER
9: 2210

16 years old

Summer’s not quite sure what’s going on except she’s physically exhausted, mentally scared, and ravenously hungry and thirsty. The world pulses around her in time with her untamed heartbeat. Everything about her feels heavy, like she’s drank liquid steel and now can’t lift her arms, legs, torso, or, well, anything—except her eyes lids. And that’s sketchy at best. She hears voices all around her and attempts to move her head so she can see who it is. There is only one voice she recognizes: Jaden’s. Everyone else is speaking in accents she’s never heard. She only hears clips here and there, and none of it makes sense.

She feels a warm, gentle hand stroke her face and wishes her eyes would just cooperate.

“
You’re— hand me— long has— eat something—” It’s a male’s voice just above her, and again, she just wishes her eyes would open. He’s got such a strange, yet intriguing accent.

The tender hand caresses her chapped lips and tentatively draws her mouth open. Even if she had the strength to fight him, she knows she wouldn’t. If he’s here to make her a slave again, she doesn’t want to be punished for fighting. She doubts this is the case since he is touching her so carefully.

Cool water is poured into her mouth, and she instinctively gulps the refreshing water with vigor. She can feel it go all the way down her esophagus and swirl around her stomach. An arm wraps around her shoulders, and she’s pulled into a sitting position. She’s so desperate to keep the water flowing she reaches for the source of it. Her fingers clasp around a strangely shaped container, and then she chugs the water. It takes all of her strength just to hold it that her body begins to fall backward. Hell, she didn’t even notice she was sitting up on her own.

She’s caught by several hands and is lowered to the sand. “Slow down there,” the same male voice says with a chuckle and lowers the container from her mouth.

Summer takes in several deep breaths and is finally able to open her eyes. She realizes she’s dead, because before her is an angel. There’s no mistaking it. There’s a halo of light around his golden blonde hair, and his rich, green eyes stare at her with an intensity she’s never seen before—not even in Landon’s fathomlessly deep eyes. His nose has a tiny bump on it that she immediately finds so endearing she wants to kiss it. She’s never kissed anyone before—except her mum. He smiles at her, and she melts at the small dimples at the corners of his mouth. His teeth are white and straight, she notes, but regardless of his handsome features, she can’t seem to shy too far away from his hypnotic green eyes.

“
Hi,” he says softly, like she’s as delicate as a flower petal.

She tries to smile back, but she’s positive it doesn’t look right.

“
Your friend found us just in time.” He glances away before meeting her eyes again. She can’t help but stare deeply into those eyes, noticing all the different shades of green that melt together to form them. “Do you think you can stand?”

She shakes her head, embarrassed by her weakness.

“
Ay, that’s understandable.” His eyes leave hers before they come back again. “Are you hungry?” He seems so uncertain, like he’s never been in this situation before.

“
Stupid question, eh?” a female says. “The girl’s obviously malnourished.”

He shakes his head before smiling at her again. “Sorry—what would you like to eat?”

Tearing her eyes away from his, she searches for Jaden to help her. Jaden immediately comes into her view, hovering a few feet above her.

“
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you—she doesn’t talk,” Jaden explains.

There are several exclamations from people around her. The angel keeps gazing at her as his arm wraps around her shoulders to help her up.

“
Really?” the angel asks as he seeks the truth with his attentive eyes.

Summer nods quickly, only making the world warp around her. He quickly helps her back down onto the sand.

“
Well that’s okay,” he assures hastily, as if wanting her to be as comfortable as possible. “Besides, Cameron speaks enough for the entire female population of the Federation,” he says jokingly.

“
Bite me, Meter Head,” Cameron quips, still out of view.

“
I’m Gage, by the way,” he says to Summer and smiles wider. “Not Meter Head.” He glares lightheartedly at the girl behind her. “What’s your name?” He glances back.

“
Summer,” answers Jaden quickly.

“
Well, Summer.” The sound of her name on his tongue makes butterflies flutter manically in her stomach. She finally understands the saying “gives me butterflies” that she is always reading in books.

“
We don’t have the most delicious food with us, but we do have some. We have noodles with lacery sauce. How does that sound?”

She nods, having no idea what “lacery sauce” is. He carefully lets her go, making sure she won’t fall backwards again. She manages not to plummet backwards, to her delight.

“
Actually,” Jaden says swiftly, “I’ve hunted up some good food, if you want something not dried up.”

There are a few cries of horror from whoever is behind her, and then someone gasps out, “You killed . . . an animal . . . out here?”

“
Several, in fact,” Jaden admits. “How do you think I’ve stayed alive for the past several days? It isn’t like steaks are growing on the trees out here. A girl’s gotta eat!”

“
What did you catch?” Gage asks with morbid curiosity.

“
Today? A rabbit.”

“
Rabbit it is!” he exclaims with delight.

“
You can’t be serious?” a girl barks with so much vehemence, Summer’s sure her skin is going to melt.

How many people are here?
she wonders and begins to turn to look, but the world spirals in unnatural angles, and she gives up.

“
It’s already dead, Paige. No need to waste it,” Gage replies dryly, as if he argues with her a lot.

“
It’s against the law! If Kevin hears about this we’ll be several feet deep in splashers,” Paige disagrees heatedly.

“
Okay,” he replies slowly, “you eat the dried up food, and we’ll feast on rabbit.” The way his face lights up makes it seem like he’s never had rabbit before. Well, neither has Summer.

“
I think I will,” Paige says with a huff. “I’d rather do that than break bread with the Outlanders.” Her voice drips with disgust.

“
We don’t even know if they are Outlanders,” argues a male voice behind Summer who’s started a mental inventory of how many people are crowded around her.

Gage, Cameron, Paige, and now another male.

“
Just look at them,” Paige snaps. “Their clothes are—I don’t even think you can call
those
clothes! And they’re obviously unaware of our laws. You can’t just go kill an animal whenever you want!”