Elements (Tear of God Book 1) (13 page)

Tracing their line of sight, Mink found Blin flying feet first in a lower, farther arc than his own. Mink flew back-first in more of a seated position, higher but a shorter distance. He wasn’t concerned about his own landing because of the Regenerative Cells effect, but he felt compelled to judge where Blin may land. He watched as Blin, apparently oblivious, headed straight for the school’s training equipment in the Body section. Tunnel Vision gave Mink a new perspective on the Wood climbing equipment and balance challenges students used to improve their strength. The cagey forms with their protrusions and climbing bars became a matrix of bone-breaking dangers.

Blin broke through several bars and handles before his momentum slowed. Then he flipped and spun over several more. As Mink made his own rough landing, he was certain Blin had at least a couple of broken bones. He almost felt remorse, but more so he knew Blin had done it to himself. Mink rose to his feet and saw Blin’s companions rush to help him, seemingly unconcerned with Mink at this point.

This was the distraction he needed to get off the schoolyard. Next, he had to find the way out of Thoy’s sight and over to Dreh’s house. There was a drainage ditch that bordered the school’s property on the side of Dreh’s neighborhood. The small Wood bridge that crossed over it just beyond the fence would be his best bet. The fence could also help conceal him from Thoy if he made it in time. He traced a line from the Eternal Flames in the yard to the exterior wall of the school grounds.

As soon as he spotted the bridge, Mink focused on it and ran as fast as he could. His speed paled in comparison to what he had achieved prior to his altercation with Blin, so he figured more boost bar was in order. That’s when he discovered his mom’s flatwrap was missing. It must’ve fallen out during the fight!

Mink stopped and frantically scanned the schoolyard area with his telescopic eyes. They had covered so much ground over the the Lightning, Air, and Spirit sections, it could be anywhere. His heart pounded. His mom would kill him for sure if he lost it. And who knows what would happen to her if someone else found it and was able to trace it back.

Panicked, Mink caught view of Thoy looking at him and chanting. Vowing to find the flatwrap later, Mink dashed for the Wood bridge. It seemed to take forever, but he managed to reach it with effects intact. Cutting a hard right turn, Mink ducked low and close to the fence. He checked each street sign ahead of him, found the one that led to Dreh’s, and made a break for it in a dead sprint.

Less than halfway to his turn, his vision stretched out in front of him, returning to normal. He tumbled hard into the drainage ditch, legs giving out. The pain from the fall lingered now. As he stood back up, he looked in the direction of the schoolyard. The Air user had climbed high into view with Air Walk, presumably using Featherweight to carry Thoy within a clear view of Mink. His mother’s effects were gone.

The next effect Thoy might implement could only go very wrong for Mink. He couldn’t afford to wait for the right street to appear. He took off at his old, painfully slow pace down the closest street. He had hardly passed two of the typical two-story octagonal houses before he was sucking wind. After all that running he had done since yesterday afternoon, now his legs were threatening to leave him here.

If God would only let him live through this, he promised never to run again. He made for a side street to his right, hoping for more cover from Thoy. It took forever. He couldn’t believe he was ever this slow. Looking over his shoulder, Mink couldn’t see Thoy. It wouldn’t be long before Thoy had an effect chanted out and ready to implement as soon as Mink came into sight. The houses stood high and close enough together to provide some protection, but there weren’t any guarantees.

Dreh’s house should be four blocks away from here. Two blocks later, Mink realized he was passing Gyov’s house. Of all the rot! He kept reassuring himself that she had already left for the lake. But just in case, he acted like he was running for exercise, rather than for his life. Still, he wouldn’t expect Gyov to be impressed with his wheezy, heavy-footed jog.

One last turn to the right, and Dreh’s house was finally ahead of Mink. He risked one more look over his shoulder to find no one in pursuit. For some reason, it creeped him out that he couldn’t see anyone on the ground or in the sky. He calmed himself by assuming they were tending to Blin, but he still scanned the area as he ran.

He reached Dreh’s porch, alternately clutching his chest and knees. Mink took long, deep breaths to regain his composure. The door opened before he could knock. Dreh repositioned his Wood-rimmed glasses to better appreciate Mink’s condition. There wasn’t anything wrong with his vision, but he insisted on wearing his first pair of Materialized glasses as a fashion statement. Dreh’s chestnut hair matched his skin tone so closely that Mink almost thought he had gone and shaved his head. He did a double-take and saw it was just slicked back. Jacketless in a soft orange shirt, Dreh leaned against the open doorway.

“Gyov called and said you might be coming over,” Dreh teased.

Mink collapsed on the porch, panting and leaving a sweaty impression on the Wood. “Don’t care,” he managed to say. “I… don’t care. I’m not dead.”

“Just kidding, champ. I saw you run down the street from my room. I thought you were at Rift Ridge. Back early?”

“Long story, Dreh,” Mink gasped. He managed to sit up, hugging his knees and getting better control of his breathing. “Can’t tell you.”

“Please. Come in. Unless you want me to go jogging with you.”

Dreh’s house often held the aroma of some kind of thick stew, but the smell hit Mink’s greedy lungs stronger than usual. He started feeling lightheaded just a few steps inside.

“I’m going to be sick,” Mink half-joked. “You safehousing Reeks here?”

Dreh led Mink up the stairs. “Yeah. I thought you could use a girlfriend.”

Mink doubled over and threw up well-digested boost bar on the stairs. Dreh started laughing first, but Mink joined as soon as he was able.

“I’ll clean this up,” Mink offered. “Just grab me a cloth or something.”

Mink sat beside his vomit and concentrated on recovery while Dreh ascended quickly to fetch a small towel.

“Now you’re going to have to tell me what you’re doing here,” he said before he disappeared.

Mink knew he wasn’t allowed to tell Dreh anything about the crystal, the Machinist, or why he was back from his trip early. He had to clear his head and focus on what might be okay to divulge. If there were any way to reach his uncle in Protallus City in time, Dreh was his best bet. He had to give him some information to be willing to travel that far. He was roused from his thoughts by a towel falling on his head.

Dreh sat a few steps above the mess. As Mink cleaned, he told Dreh close to every detail about the trip, up to the point where he experienced death. Not knowing how to be vague with regard to the events that followed, Mink skipped to the part where his mom put effects on him so that he could deliver a message to his uncle. Dreh listened with great amusement until Mink began explaining how she put the Quick Legs effect on him, at which point Dreh got up and climbed the stairs.

“Mink,” Dreh grumbled, shaking his head. “I was believing all that rot, too. You don’t even know how to lie.”

I
’M NOT
lying, Dreh. Serious. My mom figured out a way to put Quick Legs on me. How do you think I got back so fast? I left Rift Ridge before sunset yesterday!”

Dreh shot Mink a harsh look from the top of the stairs. “I watched you run up here. Your Quick Legs rot. I could run faster uneffected.”

“You haven’t let me finish, man. I was on my way to Protallus City when Blin and crew jumped me. Thoy canceled the effects my mom did.”

“If you were going to Protallus City, why’d you go where Blin could find you?”

Mink felt embarrassed to tell Dreh the truth about his detour to see Gyov, even if he knew about Mink’s crush. He didn’t want to betray his friend’s trust by lying to him, but it felt like the only option. There were more important things about Mink’s mission that he had to lie about anyway.

“I thought I’d have time to grab a music crystal and another paddle and junk from home to take with me. I got kinda lost trying to find my way with the Quick Legs and Tunnel Vision. So, I wound up at the school. That’s when Blin jumped me.”

Dreh offered to take the towel, but Mink ascended the stairs instead and walked down the hall to throw it in the hamper. Dreh’s silence drove Mink to weigh the consequences of sharing something confidential to win his trust.

“You’re telling the truth? Your mom was able to put Quick Legs on you?”

“On my honor, may the Reeks take me.”

“Okay, okay, no need for all that. I believe you. Still, that’s amazing. Is that so… what? You going to work for her taxi business now?”

“I dunno. She’ll do what she does, you know that. She did it because she and pops need to stay at the campsite and I have to take a message crystal to my Uncle Durren.”

“That sounds like serious business. What’s going on out there? Your dad see something?”

They entered Dreh’s room. It was hard to believe that he spent almost all his time in here, he kept it so neat and orderly. All of his crystals were arranged in a case on the wall with glass doors. Books sat, alphabetized by author and chronological by title, on a set of bookcases that Dreh had Materialized himself. Mink looked out the window and satisfied himself that no one had followed him.

“Man, please, trust me. I can’t tell you any of the details. But, now I need you to take me to the Capitol.”

“Nope. No can do,” Dreh said.

“Why not?” Mink asked.

“I didn’t think you would be back for days, so my social calendar is filled. I’ve got places to go and people to see and none of it is at the Capitol.”

“What? What do you have to do tonight? We’d be back by tomorrow night. I promise.”

“Sorry. The details of my evening are classified.” Dreh spoke in a way that Mink understood to be a bargain. Quid pro quo. Mink might have to violate some confidentiality in order to complete his mission. The last time he told Dreh classified information, his dad found out before Mink even got back home, so he was anxious not to make the same mistake with this.

“Look, Dreh. This is for my dad. I don’t even know what it’s all about. I just know that I have to get to my Uncle Durren by morning. My parents are still out there to take on the Machinists by themselves if war breaks out before the Capitol can respond. You’d be doing everyone a huge favor. Not just me.”

Dreh thought about it while jostling around an egg-shaped animal skin thornball. His fingers deftly avoided the thorns lining the stitches, which were laced with a specific neurotoxin inhibiting speech. This was his way of pretending to think after he had already made up his mind.

“Did you scratch yourself, man?” Mink prodded. “It’s not like you to be this quiet.”

“Promise me this,” Dreh began.

“Maybe.”

“Let me finish, Mink. Promise me that if I take you to the Capitol, you’ll come with me to a party tomorrow night after we get back.”

Mink hated parties. At some point in the festivities, he inevitably became a target for effect after effect. Other students delighted in showing off their skills by picking on him. Mink could count on one hand the number of people his own age who didn’t exploit his lack of an Element. He no longer even had birthday parties for himself.