Knowledge: The Fifth Division Saga: Book 1 (24 page)

Although I distinctly remember my first time traveling via portal, the mental preparation hardly eased the twisting and pulling sensation that came along with spinning in between dimensions. I wanted to scream but all sound was lost in the void. We turned and twirled disarmingly. It felt like an eternity before a light blinded my eyes. All of a sudden I was no longer floating but falling. I hit the ground audibly, fairly certain my butt bone would be sore for about week. Two other thumps beside me indicated that Ash and Erion had made it safely.

Sort of.

“Holy crap!” Erion shouted angrily, as he pushed Ash off from on top of him, “I swear you make sure to fall on top of me
every single time
.”

“But mate,” Ash smirked devilishly, “you and I both know that nobody has control over their body where portals are concerned.”

“I really despise you sometimes.”

“Awh, love you too, but now is not the time for mushy gushy feelings! We only have about an hour before the Legion realizes we’ve gone missing.”

“Or my brother.” I grumbled.

“Yes, he is also a potential problem. So, who are the two humans you wished to visit?”

“Kelsey and Danny,” I smiled as I said the names of my two best friends, “And I want to check in on my mom and Bram.”

Erion nodded and looked around, “Where are we?”

It was the first place I had thought of when I pictured ‘home’. The various planted flowers lit up the garden even in the darkness of night. The stars were shadowed over by the clouds. The salty sea air brushed against my skin and hair with its pleasant scent. The smell of burnt rolls wafted through the breeze, bringing a huge grin to my face. The small house before us regally perched old but proud.

“This is my house.”

*

Caspian and Laurel walked down the stone path through the Elemental village when they saw the blue light.

“What is that?” Caspian said, shielding his eyes from the light with his hand.

“It’s a portal,” Laurel whispered, and she started to run towards it, “It’s coming from Center Hill! C’mon!”

“You want to go
to
the portal? What if they’re bad guys from the rival country or…I dunno…aliens?”

“Oh, give me a break. Let’s go check it out. It could be my brother!”

They raced down the path all the way to the hill.

It only took them a minute or two to reach Center Hill, but to Caspian’s aching lungs it felt much, much further. The blue light still shone brightly, originating from somewhere on top of the hill. Caspian, now that they were closer, easily recognized the portal since it was how he had traveled in order to reach Nostos a few weeks ago when Laurel and a couple of other Legion members knocked on his door.

“You have
got
to be joking.” Laurel groaned.

Caspian just had to turn his head slightly to the right to see what she was yelling about. Mira, Ash, and Erion all faced the portal. Ash and Mira looked at one another before holding hands and the three of them jumped through the portal. Caspian called out to them but they were already gone.

“They’re insane!” Laurel exclaimed into the dark night air. She grabbed both sides of her head and yanked at her hair in frustration. She kicked and stomped at the grass at the base of the hill and Caspian could only watch in slightly terrified wonder. When she finally calmed down, she sighed in exasperation and sat down.

“We should go after them.” Caspian suggested.

She looked up at him with weary eyes, “We don’t have a portal. Erion only just received a high enough rank to get one and I’m well below him. That’s the fastest way to get to where they’re going. Not to mention, we don’t even know
where
they went!”

“So there’s another way to travel between dimensions?”

“Yeah, but it’s way slower and less accurate. It could take hours to get to them.”

“What is it?”

She glanced at him curiously and said, “We fly.”

“
Fly?
” He looked over her shoulder at the shimmering green Knowledge, “I didn’t know we could do that.”

“It’s highly discouraged in public, safety precautions with beginners and whatnot. Easier if everyone just stays on the ground.”

Caspian didn’t really understand the reasoning behind the rule, but he was far too entranced by the idea that he could fly with the pair of wings attached to his spine (never thought he would say that) to think much of it.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Woah there. First of all, you have no clue what you’re doing. And second, we don’t even know where they went!”

But Caspian grinned knowingly, “Actually,” he remarked, realizing that the only place Mira would want to be after a fight like the one they just had involved a small town with a big ocean, “I think I know exactly where they went.”

*

“This is your house?” Ash stared up at the little cottage with an unimpressed curl of the lip.

“Yep.”

“It’s…quaint.”

“Well, not everyone can live in a magical palace.”

“That’s fair.”

I wanted to run up to the house, fling open the door, and find my mom so I could give her the biggest hug ever.

But then reality struck like a vengeful bolt of lightning.

My eyes crossed over the deck and the memories flooded like a tsunami and there would be no escaping them. I could practically see Hank’s dead body sprawled across the wooden planks, Rezza’s collapsed form fallen in the yard, and Wiley’s white hot fury as he lunged to take me away. I remembered being dragged across town and then knocked out with what I now know to be a Cast. Images of the hooded man taking my blood while I was held captive in the small white room, fled into my mind. As all of these pictures showcased themselves involuntarily in my brain, I couldn’t help but give a small whimper. I took a step back.

Erion suddenly took up my full view, his wide blue eyes the only thing I could see, “Mira? What’s going on? Don’t you want to go inside?”

I shook my head.

A warm hand rested on my shoulder and Ash spoke softly and comfortingly, making me want to slap him for being so emotionally confusing, “You don’t have to do this now. Would you prefer to see your friends first?”

I nodded.

“Where do they live?”

With a shaky breath, I managed to rip my eyes from the front porch, cutting off the stream of memories. Thankful to be rid of them, I trotted down the street with the boys on either side of me. Despite the bone chilling experiences I had endured in these surrounding streets, I still felt strangely safe and at home here. Even though my mom had always insisted on moving around a lot, Lincoln City was by far my favorite location. I loved the small-town ambiance, the powerful Pacific Ocean, and, of course, the people.

We crept along the side of the vacant asphalt streets. Ash and Erion held their wooden knives up by their faces as a precaution, but I eventually told them to at least keep them down by their waists so they didn’t scare the neighbors.

It didn’t take long to reach Kelsey’s house considering the size of the town, nothing was too far away. I led them up the front steps of her green Cape Cod style house. A light illuminated her bedroom window so I knew she was still awake. Shadows danced in the warm light, indicating that someone accompanied her in the room. Her mom or dad? The yellow light poured from her window, casting a sliver of its grace upon me. Even with only the small amount of luminescence, I felt my spirits lifting and a strange strengthening sensation surged through me, increasing my confidence in that I was, in fact, a light Knowledge. Who cared what Ash said anyways?

We reached her doorway and I knocked on the wood, my fist visibly shaking as I did so. I couldn’t decide whether I was more excited or nervous to see my best friend. Part of me wanted to run away but a larger fraction of myself desperately needed to stay, to see her after going so long without her support. Although we had moved from city to city and I always met new people, Kelsey was the first real friend I’ve ever truly had. Muffled footsteps sounded, making their way to the front door.

“Miss Mirabelle?” Ash whispered in my ear, “A thought has just occurred to me.”

I found it difficult to listen to Ash when I knew that at any moment I would be reunited with Kelsey again. But I humored him, “Yeah?”

“Is this friend of yours accustomed to seeing a Knowledge?”

“Of course not. Why…?”

Erion moaned, “Oh you have
got
to be kidding me. We are idiots.”

It clicked. I looked up over my shoulder in horror at the wing-like Knowledge that shone faintly in the darkness of the night. I still wore a short, summery Elemental dress with an open back from earlier. My Knowledge totally and fully exposed. The door creaked open and a girl’s voice warily said, “Who’s there?”

Kelsey.

“Oh crap.”

Chapter 14

Quick as a flash, Ash and Erion each grabbed a wing of my Knowledge and folded it onto my back, holding it in place at the door flew open. Right about then, I cursed being a girl Elemental with a Knowledge that didn’t tuck onto my spine neatly like Ash and Erion’s did. When she fully swung the door open to see who could be calling so late, Kelsey stood with a shell-shocked expression that quickly morphed into exultation. She stepped forward to hug me but the three of us scooted back in simultaneous panic.

“Sorry...uh...my back hurts.”

She looked confused and a little hurt, but a huge smile lit up her pretty features, “Mira, where have you been? You and Cas practically fell off the face of the planet.”

“Something like that.”

Her short blond hair perfectly mussed as always and her makeup done without flaw. She tapped her foot repeatedly, her energy bubbling up and unable to be contained during such mundane conversation. She twirled her hair around her pointer finger and continued to grin.

“Seriously though, where did you
go
? And don’t try to sell me that ‘uncle in Portland’ crap that your mom told me ‘cause I’m not buying it.”

“Uh…”

“And who
are
your friends?” She peeked over my shoulder at Ash and Erion who both offered goofy and awkward grins in return. I rolled my eyes while she gave them each a flirty wave.

Of course, Ash answered before I got the chance, “Hello, this here is my good pal Erion who is extremely hot and very single. I asked him out and he said no. But you could give it a shot.”

I, even though I’d been exposed to Ash’s strange antics for weeks now, was rendered speechless. Kelsey, on the other hand, has always been much quicker with words and said, “You’re not lying about the hot part.”

“I’m uncomfortable.” Erion commented.

“And I,” Ash bowed as low as he possibly could while still holding my Knowledge to my back, “am Ash the Magnificent…or Glorious. We’re still deciding. And your Mirabelle has fallen deeply in love with me and I can’t seem to get her to leave me alone. I thought you could possibly help with my situation?”

He winked at me but his eyes held no emotion, reminding me that he was still punishing himself for burning me back in the Archives. I just smacked my forehead and groaned.

“Kels,” I wanted so badly to embrace her, “I know things have been weird lately, and I’m going to need to leave again soon but…”

“You’re leaving?!”

“I have to…” But I never finished my sentence.

I could hear the sound of a twig snapping in the trees surrounding her house. I cocked my head to where the noise came from and a moment later two shadowy figures stepped out of the darkness about five-hundred feet out and started walking towards Kelsey’s house. Flashbacks of Rezza and Wiley creeping towards my front porch on that dreaded birthday revisited my thoughts and I involuntarily shuddered.

How I heard the twig, I’m not sure. My stress level rose considerably when the two intimidating figures were skulking towards Kelsey’s house and I seemed to be the only one who noticed. I knew they were far away, but somehow I could see them like the darkness was no barrier. I knew I had stellar vision and hearing, but this seemed...abnormal.

“Guys…” I nodded shakily towards the figures. Ash and Erion suddenly both had their stick knives in hand and their eyebrows furrowed in preparation.

“Mirabelle, I need you to take Kelsey indoors and lock every window, door, and whatever other openings there are.”

Kelsey’s eyes widened when she saw their weapons, “Whoa there.”

“Get inside. They’ll be on us any second now.” Erion urged. He just about let go of my Knowledge but I panicked and stayed still.

Ash read my face and set his jaw, “Mirabelle, she is your best friend, right?” I nodded. “Well, I really need you inside. You have yet to master any power and the only one you have figured out needs light and it seems that is limited right now.”

So he did believe I’m a light Knowledge. A unidentifiable warmth flooded my veins.

“I can’t just hide while you risk your neck.”

“You’re keeping your friend safe. That is just as important.”

“If you let go, she’ll see.”

His black eyes flashed orange, “If you keep everything pent up inside, once things get shaken up you’ll explode. You need someone to vent your secrets to lessen the pressure. That way, once someone comes around and rattles your world, you have that sturdy rock to cling to. That’s what best mates are for; they’re your rock to hold on to when things get rough.” He glanced over at Erion who snorted softly but offered a genuine smile regardless. “So, do you trust her?”

I took in Ash’s beautiful features once more and rested my hand on his cheek, uncaring about our earlier conflict. I nodded firmly and said, “Stay safe.”

He winced under my touch but didn’t pull away, “Don’t I always?”

The two boys released my Knowledge and I gulped as the two dazzling wings sprang back to their rightful places above my shoulders. Kelsey gasped in astonishment. Her brown eyes grew even larger than normal and she sort of started moving her mouth like she was trying to talk but no words would came out. I snatched her arm, pulled her inside, and dragged her down the hall and into her bedroom. I tried to block out the disturbing thoughts that crossed my mind concerning what could possibly be going on outside with my two Guardians.

They’ll be fine. They’re trained for this sort of thing.

We threw ourselves into her room ungracefully. I flipped on the light and just about had a heart attack.

“Holy crap!”

I pressed my hand to my rapidly beating heart as I looked into Danny’s misty green eyes. He lounged in the plush chair located in the corner of Kelsey’s room with a giant textbook spread across his lap. He chewed a pencil between his teeth but spit it out when he saw me.

He grinned at me, his green eyes sparkling, “Mira! Where you been?” His eyes slowly shifted to the spot above my shoulders where my sparkling Knowledge shone proud and regal, the very spot that Kelsey had not taken her eyes off of the whole way to her room.

My heart sunk at the thought that my two best friends in the whole world would think I was either a freak or crazy. Maybe both. Danny gazed at me, with his eyes squinted in confusion. As always, I couldn’t ignore his beauty. But instead of hiding a smile or lowering my gaze when I looked at him, I only saw one of my dearest friends staring at me, wanting an explanation. I turned to Kelsey and saw the same look.

Danny’s eyebrows raised curiously, “You
do
know that Halloween isn’t for a few months, right?”

*

“Crash course lesson in flying.”

Caspian hopped up and down excitedly as if preparing for a race, “I’m ready!”

“No, you’re not. But the situation is dire and nobody from the Legion is able to assist with personal missions. And until one of them is hurt or stolen it is a personal mission, so you’ll have to do.”

“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“The key is to allow your Knowledge to become just another muscle in your body. Learning to fly is like learning to walk, it takes a different sort of balance and coordination that you aren’t used to. It is just an extension from your back, a movable part of you.”

Caspian rolled his shoulders, feeling his exposed blue-green Knowledge moving with them.. He closed his eyes and focused on the point on his back where his Knowledge met skin. He concentrated on those muscles and urged them to move.

He felt his Knowledge twitch.

*

The two figures were close enough for Ash to determine that he was facing a Shade and a Wielder. The Shade snarled in the near distance and the Wielder’s hands burned electric blue. He stood beside Erion, his partner whom he trusted with his life, and prepared to throw one of his
lignum
knives. This would not be an easy battle. Shades were faster and stronger than any other magical beings and Wielders could summon raw energy with their Casts. Ash knew that a couple of young Elemental Legion members, one of whom could not use his Knowledge, hardly stood a chance.

Erion tucked his knives away, and raised his hands in front of him and began to wave them around until a wind cyclone spun in front of him. With a forceful shove, he pushed his mini tornado toward their foes, causing them to topple over and sputter. But too soon they were back on their feet. The Wielder held out his palm and a small blue sphere of energy began to form. The Shade crouched low, ready to pounce. Both of the boys knew their knives would be no match.

“I fancy they’re from good ‘ole Hartrain?”

“I fancy you’re right.” Erion replied and he whispered in Ash’s ear, “You and I both know we can’t stop them. Not unless…”

“I can’t. You know I can’t control it.”

“You have to try ! We don’t have another choice.”

But it was too late.

With sadistic grins plastered upon their faces, the Wielder threw the blue sphere and the Shade struck.

*

“So…you’re like a faerie?” Kelsey asked.

“Sort of like a faerie and sorcerer mixed…but not really. People in Nostos are pretty particular about the names.”

“Sick.” Danny said in awe.

It had taken some work to get the two of them to stop freaking out over my Knowledge and listen. I took Ash’s advice and, as quickly as I could, explained the truth. It was not until I displayed my glowing skin act (with the help of her bedroom light and immense concentration) that they fully believed me.

“So you’re parents are out of town?” I asked Kelsey.

“Yeah,” she responded, “Danny-boy and I were just having a study session. I don’t like the idea of being home alone so much, and then you show up and…”

              She flung her arms over her head to exhibit her obvious bafflement. I nodded in understanding.

              A sharp cry sounded from outside and I could hear the thud of limp bodies hitting the wooden porch. I looked out of Kelsey’s window but only the twinkling stars were visible. I heard the front door creak open and my breath caught in my throat. Soft footsteps patted down the hall. I could hear doors being opened and closed. Kelsey and Danny didn’t seem to notice a thing. How could they not hear that?

            
 
“We need to get out of here!” I squeaked. They both stared at me in confusion but stood up nonetheless.

              I scanned the room, trying to find an escape route. My eyes fell upon the window above her bed, the silvery moonlight glowing through the clear pane. It already hung slightly ajar and the soft ocean breeze caused her white curtains to sway eerily. I herded my friends towards the window, knowing that it would be a squeeze but it was also our only means of getting out, especially if the intruders were inside.

            
 
“I don’t think I’m going to fit…” Danny muttered with only half his body out of the window and the rest of him still stubbornly inside. Danny, despite being a fit guy, had muscles that created bulk which were not exactly ideal for our situation. The floorboards on the other side of Kelsey’s bedroom door creaked and my heart raced even faster. I frantically looked from Kelsey to Danny and I could tell by their expressions that they had finally heard the groaning floorboards. Kelsey raised an eyebrow at me, read my face, and froze in fear. She knew it wasn’t the two hot guys from outside that now stood just outside her room. With only a nod of my head, Kelsey understood and we both surged towards Danny and tried to shove him through the window. His face scrunched in pain as we pushed with all our might. But he didn’t budge.

            
 
“It’s no use!” Kelsey groaned, a drop of sweat beading on her forehead from the effort.

              Muffled voices spoke just outside and we all stopped moving.

            
 
“Mira…?”

              The door swung open to reveal two men, a Wielder and a Shade, both wearing evil grins. The Wielder walked into the room first with a casual sort of stroll, like he was a friend who had just arrived at the party. I ran through different options in my mind, but my fear became overwhelming and I came up blank. The only power I somewhat knew how to harness happened to be my Knowledge. But the only source of light in the room was the sixty-watt hanging from the ceiling. I barely knew how to use the light Knowledge and something told me that the amount of illumination produced by that bulb would be far too insignificant to do anything with at this point. The darkness suffocated me, trapping me in hopelessness.

Worst of all, I knew this Wielder. In fact, his face had haunted my dreams every night for the past month. Now, he stood before me, pure evil residing in his dark brown eyes.

            
 
“Wiley.”

Wiley sat on Kelsey’s bed and smiled at us warmly, “Well, well, well, I would say it’s great to see you again but then I would be lying.”

              The Shade entered, stalking around the room and keeping his red eyes on me.