Akasha 4 - Earth (42 page)

Chapter
65

Water

"Are you the one he wants us to stop?"
Erika asked.

Can I lie my way past this
one?
I was sick of lies.

"Yes," I said.

"What is this – some sort
of lover's quarrel?" She crossed her arms. "I
helped
you."

I blinked, Erika's face
was changing – growing thinner and darker. Her hair grew out into
long, black braids. Then it was Ahi standing there, glaring at me.
"I
helped
you."

I was speechless; a lump
formed in my throat. Her height dropped a full foot, and her sides
expanded. Now it was Zola, holding her jar of dirt and mumbling,
"I
helped
you."

I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "I
never asked for your help."

It was Erika's face again. "Yes, you
did. And I gave it! Time and time again." The black braids were
back. "If I knew it was going to end like this, I never would have
given it."

My face crumpled, tears streaming down
my face. My heart broke in half – for Ahi and her mother, for
Andres, for Zola, and for countless others. Everyone that had given
their lives to help me. I'd spend eternity on Galapogos with Shawn
if I could give back what I took.

Voices echoed in my head. They were
all angry. I put my hands over my ears and shouted,
"Stop!"

Behind me, Rock whinnied.

Erika took another step forward.
"Why?"

I looked at her, eyes wide. Stripped
of my lies, and all confidence – there was nothing left but the
truth. "I am Gaia, and I have a daughter. She is two. I left her
behind because…because Shawn is her father." The horse stopped
sidestepping, calming under my voice. I put my hand to my stomach,
it had nearly dropped to the ground at the mention of Bee. "Shawn
created Daybreak. And it may have been better for the Earth,
but…how he intends to continue, nuclear power?"

Erika looked over her shoulder at the
rest of the Elementals.

I continued, "He needs a Gaia's power
to run the facilities. And he won't stop at me and my daughter. The
power is an addiction; he wants it for himself. And it doesn't
matter how he gets it. He has to be stopped."

I glanced down the line of Elementals,
trying to judge how they were receiving this. "I'm no longer asking
for your help. All I want you to do is – get out of the
way."

Erika closed the distance between us.
"I can't do that. It's gone too far, now."

I bit my lips, squeezing my fists.
"Please – I just need this one last favor."

She shook her head. "No more favors,
Lucy."

My entire arm shook as energy gathered
in my fist. "I don't want to—"

"What about the favor you
owe me, Erika?" Someone stepped forward, out of the line of
Elementals. Mike, from the group of Earths at the wheat field. I
narrowed my eyes at white splatter on his shoulder.
Was that—?

"And my favor?" Layla, the tattoo
artist also spoke up, interrupting my thought.

"That favor was for her!" Erika
pointed at me, stomping her foot.

Layla shrugged. "You asked me to use
the rest of my ink – and now I'm asking you. Let's do what Lucy
wants." Layla winked at me.

"Any favor asked within reason – those
were your exact words, Erika." Mike moved to stand next to Layla.
"All she wants us to do is let her pass."

I crossed my arms, releasing the
energy in my fist. I felt awkward enough for me and Erika both.
Caught between me and the Elementals, she was backed into a corner.
Would she fight her way out?

We all took a step back as
Rock stepped forward. He nudged Erika with his nose. She fought her
smile for a moment, but another nudge from Rock brightened her
face. She rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine, but now we're
even." She circled her finger in the air. "
All
of us."

I laughed, wiping my own nose. "Thank
you."

Erika nodded and stepped away,
motioning for the wall of the Elementals to do the same. Once they
were out of the way, I climbed back on Rock and squeezed my knees
into him. He cantered forward.

"Lucy! What should we do
now?"

I looked over my shoulder at Erika.
"Run. And when you see Akasha – take cover. And just so you know,
my name is Kaitlyn!"

I gripped the reins, "Ya!"

Rock sprang into action. I was getting
close; I could feel the familiar, sickly taint of Shawn's power
humming in my veins. Micah was with him; I was sure of it now – I
could feel them both together.

There were Elementals still left; but
I didn't have time to stop and convince them all to run away
without looking back. I took moisture straight out of the air,
driving it into the ground around each Elemental. The water sunk
in, dissolving the sandstone underneath at an accelerated rate. As
the small space collapsed, I poured more moisture in. Those left
still standing rushed to the aide of others in the sinkholes. I was
no longer their concern. I left more small walls along the
way.

I guided Rock off the interstate and
down a thin, single lane road until we came to a small stone
building. The sign read, 'Box Office'. I stood in the stirrups and
swung one leg off. I walked around the building, making sure there
were no Elementals waiting. Satisfied, I turned to Rock, rubbing
his neck. "Thank you, sir."

He whinnied.

I flung my arm behind me, blasting
open one side of the building. The horse skittered, but I kept a
tight hold on his reins. "Shh, shh. That was the last one, I
swear."

He pulled his lips back, crinkling the
skin on his long snout.

"Okay I lied – there’s going to be one
more. A big one. I'm going to leave you here. It'll be safe, I
promise. Just don't leave until after the blast, okay?"

He looked at me out of the corner of
his eye.

"I know, I know. I'm stalling." I took
a deep breath. "Okay, come on."

I led him into the tiny building,
kicking stone and brick debris out of the way. There was just
enough room for him. I tied his reins to a chair, then thought
better of it and untied them. He looked at me again.

"Still stalling, I know – but I gotta
keep you here, somehow." I looked around. There was a large plastic
bin filled with files. I dumped it out; papers went everywhere. I
walked over to the open side and set the bin down outside. Then I
drew in moisture from the air; lots of it. I kept drawing until the
bin was full, keeping a wary eye out for stray
Elementals.

I dragged it back in, right under
Rock's nose. He bent to drink.

"All life comes from water –
right?"

He snorted at me.

"Okay, okay, I'm going."

I walked up the short hill. At the
top, I looked toward where both Micah’s and Shawn's signals were
emitting. Several large, monolithic, red rock cliffs jutted up in a
semicircle. Red Rocks Amphitheatre was obscured by the cliffs and
hills surrounding it, but the energy that circled within could not
be missed.

I glanced to my right, looking for
Elementals, or more traps. My head snapped back to Red Rocks.
Micah's signal was sputtering.

That's never happened
before.

It sputtered again. I waved my hand
behind me, encircling Rock's building with several more stone
walls. They had staggered openings. If he did finish his water it'd
take him some time to get out. I faced the amphitheater and took a
deep breath.

I'm coming
Micah…

Chapter
66

Laughter

Micah couldn't hold it in any longer.
He cried out.

"There it is!" Shawn smiled. "Don't be
afraid to just…scream!" Shawn's voice echoed throughout the
amphitheater, followed by his laughter.

Micah's blood pooled around his body,
just beginning to drip over the edges of the steel tabletop. Shawn
hadn't made any life threatening cuts – nothing a few stitches
couldn't fix. But Kaitlyn wouldn't see that. She would just see
blood.

Micah turned, watching the plains,
waiting.

Shawn placed the tip of the knife at
Micah's forehead, running it down the temple and just past the ear
lobe. Micah flinched when it reached his neck.

"Just think…" Shawn said, pulling the
knife away. "You'll have some really great scars."

"Untie me," Micah said.

"I don't think so."

He turned to look at Shawn. "I'm
drained – I'm not going anywhere. Can't you tell?"

Shawn looked at Micah, wiping his nose
with the back of his sleeve. He put the knife to Micah's
wrist.

Micah flinched, expecting a deeper
cut. Instead, the constricting bind around his hand was released.
Shawn moved to Micah's feet and around to his other hand, slicing
through the rope as he went.

Micah watched, keeping a wary eye on
the Athame once his final limb was freed. When Shawn sheathed his
knife, Micah closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh of
relief.

Shawn noticed. "You've bled enough for
the cause."

"Now what?" Micah asked, eyes still
closed.

"Now we wait." Shawn picked up the
handheld and put it to his mouth. "Get those tornados
closer."

"Tornados won't stop her."

Shawn leaned back against the bloodied
tabletop. "I don't expect they will. But they'll sap her strength."
Shawn ran his pinky through the thick, red liquid. When he pulled
away, it held on like a stubborn leach. He dipped it back down,
making small swirls. He laughed again.

"What?" Micah asked.

"I was just thinking, she had used
wind when she ran from me on Galapagos. She even erupted the
volcano. Now here I am, using wind and fire to keep her from
getting to me."

"I thought you wanted her." Micah
finally opened his eyes – the world swayed in front of
him.

Shawn wiped his finger on his jeans.
"I would've taken her – or the baby. Or found my own Gaia. Just not
yet."

"When, then?"

Shawn started pacing. "Is this some
sort of distraction technique? Twenty questions so she can sneak up
behind me?" Shawn glanced around, then up at the monoliths. His
crew stood guard at the top of the cliffs, and throughout the rest
of the stadium.

Now it was Micah's turn for a crooked
smile. "You'll know when she's here. She doesn't need to sneak up
on you."

Shawn took out his knife again,
spinning it in his hand while he paced. "I have nuclear facilities
going up – several around the world, in protected
places."

"Utah is protected?"

Shawn shrugged. "Mountain ranges on
both sides to shield an explosion. I have more in each of the
Arctics. I'd use a Gaia to power them."

"Just one Gaia?"

Shawn paused at the edge
of the platform, looking down at the steps carved out of stone.
"Well, okay. Maybe I would've taken her
and
the baby. And found ways to
strengthen my own Akasha. But they would've been separated; safe.
They would've been kept in check."

"When has Kaitlyn ever been kept in
check? Besides, what do you know about babies?"

Shawn bowed his head. "I would've made
a good father. I still might. Maybe just as good as you, maybe
not."

"Somehow, I don't think we'll ever get
to find out." He grimaced. The pain was being replaced by numb.
That wasn't good.

Laughter echoed through the
amphitheater once again.

"Stop laughing," Micah said through
his teeth.

"That wasn't me." Shawn's eyes were
wide, staring down the rocky steps toward the stage.

Micah followed his gaze. A lone figure
stood in the middle.

Chapter
67

Elementals of all Four
Persuasion

My landing on the stage was soft. I
looked around; awed by the scene before me. I was at the bottom of
a bowl, looking up at hundreds of rows carved out the rock. At the
rim of the bowl, two cliffs towered even higher to my left and my
right.

The Amphitheatre hummed with energy,
and so did my veins – but I had never felt as small as I did right
then.

It's not about me; it
never has been.
I laughed.

I focused on the people surrounding
me. Elementals of all four persuasions. I honed in on their signals
and they glowed blue, gold, red, and brown – though they didn't
know it. They lit up the otherwise dark amphitheater, splashing
color against the reddish rock.

Then they began to call their
elements, one by one. Magic swirled in the bowl, heightening my
senses. There were Airs on top of the cliffs with their hang
gliders. Fires stood at the rim of the bowl, ready behind large
barrels tipped on their sides. Earths and Waters dotted the rows
all the way up.