Ascended (19 page)

Carter started
to laugh and Vie hit him hard,
smack
in the chest. “Got it, Jer. No worries, buddy!” he said, holding back the laughter. Vie scolded him about mocking Jeremy, but all Carter could think was how funny it was that after everything Jeremy knew about him, he still made idle threats in front of Vie. Although Carter thought he was kind of a good guy, he hated his hero-like complex regarding Vie.

“To the reservation?”
Carter asked, addressing Vie, his urge to laugh under control.

“Yep,” she replied
, looking at him excitedly.

Ca
rter understood instantly where the fire in her eyes had come from: she wanted another race. He bent down in a runner’s starting position and Vie followed suit with mischief in her eyes and a wicked smile on her face. He loved it.

“On your mark,” he started. “Get set
—” And before he could say “Go!” Vie was off and running.

B
ut this time, Carter knew he was going to win. He’d had a vision: he could see the end of the race. Vie’s return had strengthened his powers, and another new gift had been realized: an ability to obtain a glimpse into the future.

Chapter Sixteen

Memories Returned

Vie arrived at the reservation and looked around for Carter.
I beat him again
, she thought as she stood outside the reservation, waiting by the side of his Jeep. Just then, Carter sat up from his position inside the Jeep and yawned. “Oh, Vie, you’re here. What took you so long?” he asked with a charming grin.

Carter enjoyed the games they played, especially when he was on the winning end of them. Competition was their foreplay
; it was what got them both stimulated and excited.

Vie loved watching him gloat
, although she would never admit it. Instead, she rolled her eyes and said, “Touché.”

Carter relished his moment of victory,
knowing he would no doubt answer for it later. Until now, Vie had taken on the role of leader, but that was changing fast. The more time Carter spent with her, the stronger he got.

Even Vie noticed the change in
him. It gave her confidence in the belief that together they would defeat Lucian and release Vivian from his hell. Vie had never been one to accept defeat, but with Carter it was different. She felt that his victories were not only his own, but hers, also, shared somehow as one; it was a strange and enlightening experience that ignited her. She loved watching him become the warrior he was created to be.

They entered the reservation holding hands and the
Chief was waiting for them. He stood in front of a roaring fire with his hands out to his sides. “Welcome home,
Kitala
,” he said to Vie with adoration in his eyes.

She bowed her head
in respect to acknowledge his welcome. As she returned his gaze, for the first time she saw visions of her past in his eyes. Her human existence flashed in front of her in one brief, magical moment: cradled in his arms, holding his hand, walking in his shadow as she grew. Every moment of her human life was there right in front of her, within him.

The
Chief saw her memories return and his eyes shone with unshed tears of joy. He had known Vie’s memories would return to her when the time was right, because true memories were not of mind and body, but were etched in one’s soul.

She approached him without hesitation and wrapped her arms around the man
who had embraced her as a child.

“I remember everything
. Thank you,
Ate
,” she whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek before stepping away
.
Ate
was the name Vie had called the Chief when she was a child. It meant
father
in Lakota; it was what he had been—what he still was—to her.

“Come
. Sit,” he said, clearing his throat and interrupting the intensity of the moment, deflecting the emotions surrounding his little songbird’s return. “We have much work to do to prepare for your journey.

“They will be coming for you,” he warned. “You must be ready to finish what was started.”

Vie and Carter listened closely to the wisdom of their
Chief. He was a warrior first and foremost, but he also possessed great knowledge about the forces within the universe. His wisdom surpassed all others, including that of the Guardians. Both Carter and Vie knew this well, and they knew that what he could teach them could not be learned anywhere else but here on the reservation.

“Can we really resurrect my sister’s soul?” Vie asked him.

“You can,
Kitala
,” he said with absolute certainty. “But you must go to the place where her spirit wanders and retrieve it.”

Vie was comforted by his words and determined to travel wherever she had to in order bring peace to Vivian’s tormented soul.

He walked them out to the open area of vast plains on the land. “You need to learn to fight as one. Your love is like two souls intertwined in such a way that you cannot find their meeting place, nor can you tear it apart. You two must fight together as one embodiment, one force, in order to defeat the Dark Ones. Two bodies, one soul. Now go and fight…fight until you join as one!” he shouted at the two young warriors.

They sparred for hours against each other as the
Chief looked on. Vie noticed very quickly that Carter had surpassed even her expectations of strength. For a moment, she felt as if she were sparring with Gabriel. Carter was amazing to watch, flawlessly skilled, with speed and agility unlike any she had seen before. He had answered his call of destiny, and Vie was thoroughly impressed by what she saw.

Carter, on the other hand, had seen his warrior princess i
n action against Lucian at the Tower, but he had never seen the determination in her eyes like he did right now. She was graceful—but fierce, sharp, and resourceful in action. Her focus was unwavering, making her proficient with every strike.

The
two of them flew through the air with intense force, shaking the grounds of the reservation as they landed. It didn’t take long before they were moving together, perfectly in sync, like one entity instead of two, each movement calculated and dexterous.

The entire tribe came out to watch the magic
, and the Chief smiled proudly at the masterful duo.
They are ready
, he thought.

The Chief took them out to the plateau and the three of them sat together on the ground, then he spoke.

“The universe must have balance in order for there to be harmony. You two are that balance
.
Waka,
you must learn to seek that harmony within your soul. Do you understand what I say?” he asked.

Carter did not
seem to follow what he meant, and he repeated his words, louder this time. "Violet is your harmony; you must learn to seek her, no matter where she hides."

“Okay, so you want us to play
hide and seek,” Carter sounded unsure.

This is going to be a long night
, the Chief thought.

H
e pulled Vie aside and spoke to her in private. “Do you remember what I taught you,
Kitala
?” he asked.

Vie look
ed into his eyes, suddenly bringing lost memories of her childhood to the surface. She smiled mischievously. The next second, she was gone and the Chief stood looking at Carter, waiting for him to do something.

“Something wrong
,
Waka
?” he asked.

“No, I’m just not sure what you want me to do,” he said
, perplexed and wondering where Vie had gone.

“Go
and find her, Carter,” the Chief demanded. As Carter stood up and started to walk away to look for Vie, the Chief shook his head no. “You can use your feet if you want, but wiser to find her another way.” 

Carter was still confused by his words.

“T
here is one more thing you must learn in order for you to win your battle with the Dark One. It is essential if you are to triumph over Lucian.”

Carter sat
back down and waited for the Chief to teach him what he needed to learn.

“Look for her
, Carter, in here,” he said, pointing to his chest. “Now concentrate,
Waka
; you can do this. Open your soul and seek her.”

Carter sat on the ground and closed his eyes
, trying to find Vie. His body felt light, as if he were floating away. He opened his eyes and found himself sitting on top of Devils Tower. He immediately stood up, freaked out about how he had arrived there. Realizing it wasn’t a dream, he shouted, “Best Day Ever!” from the top of the Tower, fascinated by the event. Another new ability had revealed itself, and Carter was motivated by the power it infused in him. He searched for Vie, wanting to share the news with her, but she was nowhere to be found.

Okay, I can do this
, he thought, charged by his new means of transportation. He sat again and closed his eyes, placing only thoughts of Vie in his head. When he opened his eyes again he was in Vivian’s bedroom back at the Thornes’ house. He could hear Jeremy and Kade talking downstairs.

Carter laughed, realizing that his passion for Vie
had led him to the bedroom. He thought perhaps he needed to readjust his thinking. Again, he sat and closed his eyes, concentrating harder on thoughts of Vie.

He
slowly opened one eye at a time, hoping he would find her, but he was right back where he’d started: on the reservation, looking up at the Chief who was glaring at him with utter disappointment.

“I see you have not found her yet,” he said
, frowning.

“I’m trying
, but I can’t think of anywhere else she might go,” he replied, frustrated.

“NO
,
WAKA
!” the Chief shouted in his face. “You are not to think about places she would be; think only of her. Take thoughts of her into your soul. Breathe her in, feel her, and find her. Now, go!”

Carter closed his eyes
and removed everything from his mind. The only thing he saw in the darkness of his mind now was a vision of her flawless face. Her smile melted his heart, her vibrant eyes stimulated his senses, and he heard her whimsical voice speak his name, “Carter.” He had her now, he was sure of it.

Meanwhile, Vie was sitting on top of the rimrock with her new friend
, Bella, waiting patiently for Carter to show. “You think he’ll ever find me, Bella?” she said while stroking her fur. The grizzly looked up at her as if to confirm her suspicions.

“Well, I believe he will,” she said
, trying to remain positive, confident in Carter’s abilities.

“You’re not going to
listen to that grouchy old grizzly bear now, are you? I told you she had it in for me,” his velvet voice spoke beside her. Bella growled at him as usual.

“What took you so long?” she questioned with a pout on her face.

“Let’s just say my mind was on other things,” he replied, laughing to himself about his trip to the bedroom.

“Hmm?
” Vie wondered what that grin on his face was all about.

They went back to the reservation, thinking they were done for the night. The Chief looked at them, shook his head, and said, “Again!”

Vie was
immediately off to another place, hoping this time Carter would find her more quickly. Unfortunately he did not; at least, not on the first try. They returned again and looked at the Chief, hopeful that he was pleased with the results.

The
Chief shook his head and said, “Again!”

They continued the exercise, and although
Carter was getting better, he was still unable to find her on the first try. Each time they returned they heard him say only the word, “Again.”

“How does he know I didn’t find you on the first try?” Carter asked Vie
, miffed. She just shrugged her shoulders and the Chief grinned at them.

“It’s like he can read our thoughts,” Carter said
, and Vie laughed at him. They both knew the Chief couldn’t read Carter’s thoughts, or Vie’s, but he was in tune with all the forces within the universe, good and bad, and what he could do was feel the harmony in it.

Though it was said Violet
had been given her name because of the color of her eyes, in truth her eyes represented the synchronization of the universe. Red/Yang, and blue/Yin, in equal combination, yielded harmony; he could feel the restoration of it when they were together. Their union produced a balance of peace that emanated from within his soul. He knew. He always knew.

“Again!” he ordered
, impatiently watching over them.

This time
, Vie looked at Carter before she teleported off and said, “If you find me on the first try this time, cowboy, I just may offer you a reward.” She winked and flashed him the most erotic smile he had ever seen before she disappeared.

The
Chief pretended not to have seen the flirtation but hoped it would be enough inspiration to help Carter find her on the first try this time.

Carter sat, closed his eyes, and pictured Vie as she
’d looked just a moment ago. Swift as the wind, he was gone.

He opened his eyes and
found himself sitting on top of the Tower with Vie nowhere in sight. “Damn it!” he shouted, completely frustrated.

“Well
, now, I’m not sure if those words are deserving of that reward I promised,” a sultry voice spoke out from behind him.

Carter stood up and turned around immediately,
captivating Vie with his piercing green eyes. He flashed a suggestive grin of his own as he walked deliberately toward her.

Every
inch of her body tingled from head to toe as he moved closer. She yearned to feel his touch, his skin on hers. She wanted him; she hungered for his body, and she lusted for his soul.

Carter grabbed her and pulled her in, tasting her
sweetness as their lips collided. His strong hands cupped each side of her neck as he pulled her in again, harder and closer to his body. His mouth practically watered; he thirsted for her, wanting so badly to taste her lips on his. Their kiss was passionate, illuminated by the dim light of the crescent moon, entrenched in the beauty of black velvet sky.