| |
The Truth
ZOE DAWN
My spirits soared. Kia Lynn knew where I was, and we would be together again soon. I fell back on my squishy, amazingly comfortable bed with a fresh new energy filling within me. My stomach rumbled, reminding me of where I was supposed to be. Aly was probably already in the cafeteria, waiting.
I jumped from the bed. Now they would not have to retrieve Kia Lynn, as she was already on her way here. Excitement stirred inside me as I thought of telling Aly the good news.
After racing down the hallway, I leapt onto the lift with so much zest, I nearly toppled into the wall. I laughed as I descended to the cafeteria floor. What a rush to know my sister would be joining me soon.
There were several others in the cafeteria, but Aly and Tiordan sat in the back of the room, away from most of the crowd. They were speaking in hushed tones to one another. As I approached, Aly leaned back in her chair, and Tiordan rose from his. He pulled out another chair next to him and waved for me to sit. They had already filled the table with every food and drink I could imagine.
“I have news,” I said as I flopped into the seat. “I have spoken to Kia Lynn.”
Aly sat up straight, and Tiordan swiveled to completely face me.
“How were you able to speak to her?” Aly asked, pushing her plate of food away from her and resting her arms on the table.
Smiling, I pulled the fresh fruit and bread closer to me and scooped what I wanted onto my plate. “I found an anaman device, and somehow it showed me Kia Lynn. I wasn’t able to learn enough before she disappeared.”
Tiordan glanced at Aly, then back at me. His fingers ran across his short whiskers. “May I inspect this device?”
“Absolutely,” I replied, shoving a bite of bread into my mouth. My brows raised in response to their expectant gazes. “But it is mine and does not leave my sight.”
“Yes, of course,” he replied as he scooted his chair closer to mine.
I reached back and tugged the object from the band of my trousers, then handed it to Tiordan. He hesitated for a moment before taking it. His fingers ran over the smooth surface. It was back in its closed position, now that I knew how to open it. There was a button right in the front, not that you can tell where the front was until you did open it, but I would never forget where it was located after knowing it was my connection to Kia Lynn.
Tiordan turned it over, examining every inch of it. “How do you speak to Kia Lynn?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I opened it and then not too long after, she was speaking to me.” Reaching over my plate, I grabbed more food from the center of the table and scooped it on to my plate. My gaze met Aly’s, and I chuckled from her pursed lips. “I’m a growing girl. Do not give me those judgmental eyes.”
“I am more concerned about the person who spoke with you on this,” Aly said, taking the anaman object from Tiordan. “How do you know it was Kia Lynn?”
My annoyance flared as I chewed on another bite of food. I glared at Aly. “I saw her face. Only for a moment, but she was there.”
“What if it was a ploy to gain your trust?” Tiordan asked. His fingers lightly tapped the table and a glaze had settled over his eyes as if part of his mind were a long ways away.
I sighed. Rising from my chair, I leaned over to Aly and plucked the device from her grip. “What is it, Tiordan?” I asked, plopping back down in my chair.
“It could be the very people who are tunneling through the earth to take you from us.” His eyes focused once again, and he turned his gaze to meet mine. “We must verify this is Kia Lynn. My vision of her and the anaman girl continues to fade in and out, but they appear to be in the same vicinity. If we can retrieve them in one trip, it would be ideal.”
I shrugged. “I thought you would be delighted she was saving you the hassle, but if you know where they are, let’s go pick them up,” I replied, returning to my plate of food. “Now can I please finish my meal?”
They both nodded as if I really needed their permission. They were not going to keep me from talking to Kia Lynn again, even if it meant I would have to leave their barrier to meet up with her myself.
Maybe that was exactly what I would do.
Tiordan excused himself soon afterward. I did not look up when he left, but I was positive he and Aly silently exchanged an agreement. When Aly scooted over to his chair and then patted me on the knee, I knew my suspicions were correct.
“We must take the device to Malcolm,” she whispered, squeezing my knee as though the decision was already made.
“Why?”
“I do not understand these devices, but he does and so does Tiordan. The anaman, as you can see by the diverse faces in this place, play an intricate part in this plan. The ones who live here have made it clear that many of their kind do not see the importance of your bond with Mother Gaia.” She settled both her elbows on her knees and bowed her head. “I realize the way we took you and then dumped the fate of the world on your shoulders, was not the best strategy, but we are here now. I have given up everything for the chance to witness the union of the elementals and I will not allow a sneaky ploy to stop it now.”
“I will only share this with him if he agrees to not take it from me.” I clutched the device like it were my child.
She rose from her chair and held her hand out for me to take. “I cannot promise you that.”
I reluctantly stood, avoiding Aly’s hand. As if he knew we were coming to find him, Malcolm strode into the cafeteria and headed straight for us. My heart sank into my stomach. The hardened look on his face told me Tiordan had spilled the beans.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” he said in greeting. His gaze took in our faces and landed on the device I still held in my hands. “And what might that be?”
“It is mine,” I said, protectively folding it against my chest with both arms wrapped around it. “I found it before you abducted me from the mating ceremony.”
“But what is it?” His eyes grew dark. He did not like me to defy him.
“Can we go somewhere private to speak?” Aly asked, placing her hand on Malcolm’s bulging bicep.
He flinched from her touch, never taking his eyes off me. “Yes, let’s speak in private. I have news from our guards who were sent to find the invading factions.”
We followed him out of the cafeteria and onto the lift. Not too long afterward, we were standing in a large room that overlooked the sanctuary center where I had first seen the butterflies. My fingers trailed along the dark glass. It was like the window in my room but much larger. In my village, we used old plastic we had found from the ancients to cover our windows. What they used here was smooth and perfectly flat.
“Are you ready to tell me what you have in your hands?” Malcolm asked, interrupting my thoughts.
It was no use fighting him. I could not protect the device forever. I turned around and handed it to him. He turned the contraption around in his hands like Tiordan had done, examining all the edges, but then he smiled and walked to a large wooden table. He set the device on the table and pressed the invisible button. It opened much more gracefully than when I tossed it onto the bed. I glanced at him with amazement. Aly was correct; he did know these devices.
“Someone has found a way to listen to you,” he murmured, running his fingers through his beard. “Did you know you were holding an anaman communication device?”
No wonder the anaman girl and man had not made chase. They had a way to spy on me. I shook my head. “I just discovered what it was right before mid-meal.”
“This one is far more sophisticated than any of the others I have seen. Only one other person has possessed technology this advanced, and she has not been seen in many spring seasons.” He tapped his fingers on the strange symbols, and we all watched as they lit up. “Who did you steal this from?”
My gaze returned to the window. Disappointment wrenched at my heart. I was going to lose access to Kia Lynn. “I took it from an anaman ship that was hiding near my village. From outside, it could not be seen, but one day when I was exploring with Kia Lynn, they left a door open and I snuck inside.”
“The one she speaks of was seen in our skies during the autumn season,” Aly explained to Malcolm. “Our Doyen agreed with their leaders that they could inhabit the lands south of our boundaries.”
“The Doyen met with them? Why were we told they would skin us alive?” I asked, whirling around to look at Aly. I was tired of the deceit from everyone.
“For your protection,” Aly said, raking her hands through her hair and then pulling it back and securing it behind her head. “Your mum was terrified of your adventurous spirit. We had to weave a story that would keep you from speaking with them.”
“But why?” My skin prickled. She was keeping something else from me.
Aly sighed and sank into the chair nearest to her. Her chin lifted to look at Malcolm who gave her a curt nod. She swallowed with some difficulty, but turned her attention back to me.
“Kia Lynn’s mother was a trusted member of our village. She taught the people how to live better, with knowledge from faraway lands.” She twiddled her thumbs together as her eyes shifted to the outside world and then glazed over with thought. “When our lands were invaded and your father was murdered, along with Rafael’s parents and several of our other people, Kia Lynn’s mother vanished into thin air, as we explained before. Then Sister Nikita arrived, promising a better life as well—more protection if we followed her instructions. Her words were similar to those of Tallisa.”
My brows furrowed. “And did she not ensure our safety for many seasons?” I did not understand what Sister Nikita had to do with our present circumstances.
Aly’s lips pursed, and she softly nodded. “Yes, we were protected, but I knew there was more to her story. I could not pinpoint what bothered me about her, so I watched. One night, many seasons later, I followed her outside our village. She met with a male anaman and the strange man who led the mating ceremony.”
My face contorted at the memory. “I did not like him,” I muttered, remembering the way he had looked at Kia Lynn. Then it dawned on me the glances he’d had between Sister Nikita and Kia Lynn. “He was after my sister, wasn’t he?” My gaze snapped to Malcolm, who was half-sitting on the table listening to us with his hand resting on the now-closed device. I blinked several times, my mind making the connections. I rubbed my eyes as I turned toward Aly.
Her expression was somber. “I did not realize it at the time. They spoke in a language I did not understand, but yes, they wanted Kia Lynn.” She wrung her hands together, avoiding my wide-eyed stare. “They intend to remove her from this world.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I reached out for the nearest piece of furniture to steady myself as a wave of vertigo nearly sent me to my knees. Heat simmered just beneath my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut, concentrating to keep my fire from igniting as I sank to the floor.
“How will they take Kia Lynn from this world? An anaman ship?” I asked between my fingers that now covered my face.
“We do not quite understand where they will take her,” Malcolm said. I heard the squeak of a chair as he settled into it. “There has been chatter on devices similar to the one you possess that have clued us in on their plans. Your union as the elementals will prevent them from removing her, which is why they have set out to halt it. Why she is so important to them and the reasons behind her abduction from this world seem to stem from her mother.”
Kia Lynn’s mother had been a force to be reckoned with, but when it came to her daughter, she was as gentle as a lamb.
“Kia Lynn believes her mother was killed alongside the others from our village,” I said, dropping my arms to my side and looking at Aly and then Malcolm. “If she is not dead, why would she not return for her family?”
“This is all a mystery to us as well, but we fully believe that woman is alive and well,” Malcolm replied and sighed deeply. “It is possible she has the anaman blood running through her veins and that she returned to her people’s world.”
I shot him a surprised look.
“There were mysteries around Tallisa that never made sense to our people,” Aly said. She had risen from her chair and was now pacing the floor. Her gaze dropped to meet mine. “There were instances where it appeared as if she were gliding just above the ground, a trait that has been noticed in other anaman. And the wind never seemed to faze her, as if she were always guarded from it.”
“But Kia Lynn’s an elemental?” I questioned, shaking my head. “She is air. Maybe her powers protected her mother.”
Aly shrugged and gave me a slight nod as if she had already considered this.
“There is most definitely a connection between her and Kia Lynn that is unexplained,” Malcolm said, picking up the anaman communication device and holding it up. “You do not understand the forces against you right now, and possessing an item that can eavesdrop on your conversations and track your whereabouts gives them the upper hand. Do you really want to give them that vantage point?”
My shoulders sagged. “I want to speak with Kia Lynn one more time.” I swallowed back tears. “Please.”
A muscle twitched in Malcolm’s jaw and for a moment, I thought he would decline my request, but then his expression softened and he held out the device toward me.
“Make it quick, Zoe Dawn.” He rose from his chair, which seemed to sigh from the relief of his weight, and he walked toward the door, beckoning Aly to follow him. “We will give you privacy.” His gaze shifted back to meet mine. “I am trusting you to keep our community protected from the outside world.”
With those last words hanging in the air, they left the room and closed the door behind them. I stared at the sliding door for several moments. I did not know if I would even be able to reach Kia Lynn, and I never mentioned she was traveling with strangers. What if they had already pinpointed our location and were on their way?
I clicked open the device and stared at the blue light emanating from it. Its functions were still a mystery to me.
I waited, but nothing came through. Drumming my fingers across the symbols, I looked for one that would make sense to me, but they were all foreign. I picked it up and examined it up close. There was nothing that was clear on how to communicate. I might as well press each button.
I started at the upper left-hand corner and one by one each square lit up as I softly pressed on them.
“Kia Lynn,” I called each time.
The sun was setting behind the towering mountains. It was the one thing I did not like about this place. The sky darkened sooner than it did at home.
I licked my lips and continued with the button pushing. There was no noise from the device, just a blue, fuzzy screen with an occasional white squiggly line that ran through it. A weight settled on my heart as I neared the end. Defeat was not easy for me.
A few tears escaped my eyes when I reached the end of the second time over each button. I set the device to my side and leaned against the glass behind me. Would I ever find my dearest friend?
I reached over to slam the contraption shut when a voice quivered from it.
“Zoe Dawn, are you there? Please, universe, God, Goddess, whoever is there... Please connect me to her.” That was not Kia Lynn’s voice.
My fingers trembled as I snatched the device and looked at the darkened screen. I could see a shadowed face against a faded light in the background.
“Who is this? Where is Kia Lynn?”
A relieved sigh echoed through the contraption.
“Thank God you answered. Beck believes Kia Lynn is a mystical being,” the woman whispered. “He claims there is a prophecy, one that requires the missing elementals to be united with Mother Gaia. All of this he gathered from her blue birthmark on her calf. I don’t know where he has taken her, but he intends on seeking you out as well, and I do not believe he has good intentions for either one of you.”
“Don’t leave!” I shouted, much louder than I had intended. “I need you to tell this to Malcolm.”
I shot up to my feet and raced to the doorway, then sprinted to the lift. The only place I knew to look for Malcolm and Aly was in the cafeteria. Moments later, I burst into the room. Everyone turned to stare, but I ignored them all, except the two in the corner. I raced to their table and set the device in front of Malcolm.
“Tell them what this person, Beck, has done,” I said. My chest expanded as I gasped in a deep breath, at the same time fighting back the tears threatening to overtake me.
“My name is Alex,” the woman replied.
One side of her face became more visible as light flooded in from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, and our view became slightly distorted and darker once again. Then she was suddenly back with even more light.
“I was with Kia Lynn, but she was taken to another room with Beck. I heard him tell his son that the birthmark on her calf was prophesied and that he needed her and two others to bring the rest of the world, especially the anaman, to their knees. Destroy that device once we are done speaking. They know I can use it to track Zoe Dawn, and I do not want to be forced to give away your position.”
“How do we know you are speaking the truth?” Malcolm asked. His fists were flexed so hard I thought they would burst.
The woman leaned in even closer, and I could finally see her sky-blue eyes. She was the anaman girl whom I had stolen the device from. “Because he believes Zoe Dawn is an elemental as well.” She stopped and closed her eyes. Her voice trembled when she spoke again. “And he does not know this... yet. But I think I am the third.”
