Tainted Energy (The Energy Series Book 1) (28 page)

Wilma
charged forward. "You have me here, you got what you wanted. Let her go."

"You
say this is
beneath me
?" He shook me until my teeth rattled. "I've
been stuck in this dimension for centuries." Casimir's voice raised an
octave. "No, not this time. I won't be told no by you or my sister."

Wilma's
calm tone contrasted with the anger growing in his. "All right, let's get
to it."

She
waved her hand toward us. I closed my eyes and tensed, waiting for Casimir to
fly against the wall or fall in pain. Nothing happened. I opened one eye to see
Wilma wave her hand again.

Half-crazed
laughter followed. "Your parlor tricks won't work. You should know that by
now."

Wilma
gave a smile of her own.

Uh-oh.
She was really pissed.

Finally.

"I
haven't forgotten, Warden."

She
flashed her hand so fast I barely saw it come up from her side. My body pulled
toward her, arching where Casimir held me.

He tried
to adjust his hold to include skin or hair, but my short strands and skinny
body prevented him from finding a firm grip. In seconds, Wilma had my shirt
ripping off and my body flying into Tarek's waiting arms. He folded me into his
chest while he shrugged off his shirt with one hand. Once he wrapped it around
my shoulders, he shoved me behind him. All I could do was hold onto his waist
to keep standing.

Wilma
then waved the couch against the wall–and Casimir went with it.

Shelves
fell and broke apart from the impact, and the Warden's howl shook the wooden
rafters on the deep ceiling.

"You
can't win. Stupid to even try," Wilma said. Her hold didn't let up, but
sweat beads dotted her forehead.

He
struggled against the couch, his tone almost whimpering. "You don't
understand. You couldn't. Being here…for centuries. Alone."

Wilma's
hand began to shake and her face paled as the sweat ran faster. "You made
that choice when you killed Arcus's last Warden."

No…

So, that's
what Tarek and Zander tried to tell me. If Tarek or Wilma killed him, they'd be
stuck here.

Forever.

I buried
my face in his back, holding him tighter. No way would I let them do it. I'd
die first.

Casimir
pushed again. This time, there was a distinct sound of wood scraping against
stone. An encore of the asshole's calm routine showed he knew the hold was
weakening, too.

We
needed to leave.

Now.

"You're
right. I did choose, and now I've chosen to extend my hospitality." He
grimaced, adjusting his legs. "The good energy I've accumulated thanks to
some brave Guides has made the water drinkable, some of the animals fit to eat,
and the climate less temperamental. People
can
survive here."

Wilma's
hand shook. "Impossible."

He
gestured to my father, who lay on the rug, wide-eyed and completely silent. "He's
been here for days and lives. Just think of how a stronger specimen, from a
more advanced dimension, could thrive."

"You're
insane." Tarek's low voice rippled with hate.

"Insane?
No. Think of it. Energies from Exemplar can come here to die, start new cycles,
and still be together. I can make it happen!"

"At
what cost?" Tarek's body tensed when the couch moved another inch.

"There
is no cost. Guides live for the wellbeing of other energies–Protectors
sacrifice everything to protect Guides. I'd say you've all paid the price
already. All I ask in return is a little help." His temper wiggled its way
back to the surface. "This dimension deserves to evolve. Exemplar is not
full of gods. What gives them the right to manipulate the entire human race?"

"And
what gives you the right?"

The
Warden looked stunned. Guess he didn't think about that. "I–don't we all
deserve to evolve?"

"Evolution
takes time. Centuries. You promised them lies." Wilma's voice weakened,
her arms now wobbling.

Casimir's
eyes took on a shine that sent chills running through me. "With you, I'll be
able to speed up the process. I need your energy to skew the lines–erase them."

The couch
moved a little more.

Tarek
looked to the redheaded guy holding up Zander. "Get the boy out of here,
Farren. Take him to Empyrean."

"You
sure about this?"

At Tarek's
nod, Farren opened his fist in the air, slicing a hole. The wind kicked up,
blowing at the fire, causing it to lick my father's bare feet. His yelp sounded
like a whimper compared to Zander's ranting as Farren gripped him by the armpit
with his free hand, holding him like a puppy. As the wind sucked them into the
tear, Zander mouthed,
Sorry.

When the
hole closed, the couch flew forward, and Wilma slumped to her knees. Her
drained and sweat-soaked face turned to Tarek. "It's time."

Time
for what?

As the
words came out of her mouth, Casimir lifted her by the throat, holding her a
foot in the air. The smaller man holding up the bigger Protector seemed
impossible, yet as Wilma's eyes bulged, there was no doubt of his strength.

She
managed to break free, punching him in the face. Casimir only hesitated a
second before reaching for her throat again. She dodged his hands, moving to
the back of the room as Casimir followed like a hungry predator. They continued
to exchange one violent blow for another. Wilma faltered and missed as many
times as the Warden's fist found its target.

Tarek
peeled my arms from around his waist, and pushed me toward my father. "Whatever
happens, stay down."

Then I
knew.

I fell
to my knees and held my hands in a prayer position as tears blinded me, choked
me. "Don't kill him, Tarek. Just stay with me."

He bent
to wipe the tears away. "It'll be okay."

"No,
please, no, no, no..." I begged him with every ounce of energy I had left.
"I know what will happen.
Please
. We can leave, right now. Get
Wilma and leave."

Sadness
filled his eyes, but he smiled, his dimples giving one last appearance. "I
love you, Lena. Then...now...always."

I
wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, memorizing the feel of his
lips, the taste of his mouth… the smell of apples and lilacs. "Don't do
this…don't."

His smile
wavered, and his eyes shined like liquid silver as his voice shook. "I
have to."

"No,
you don't. Stay with me. You promised." I locked my fingers behind his
neck.

His
shaking hands pried them apart.

"We
were made for each other…always… remember that." He turned away, ignoring
my screams.

Tarek
peeled the stronger opponent off the now unconscious Wilma, the muscles on his
back straining. He fought like a madman, and the Warden appeared to struggle as
he met Tarek's aggression.

At
first.

Casimir
managed to pick Tarek up and slam him down on his knee. I screamed. The blow
looked like it broke his back.

Tarek
lay on the ground, writhing, and Casimir went straight for Wilma, still
helpless in the far corner of the room. Tarek struggled to his feet and stumbled
toward them, his chest heaving. He grabbed Casimir by his thin hair and bent
the Warden's head backward. Casimir screeched, grabbing at Tarek's hand, trying
to pry his fingers away. Tarek didn't let go. His bicep strained as he switched
his grip so he could wrap his hands around Casimir's throat.

Surprise
contorted Casimir's plain features. "You mean to kill me, Protector?"

Tarek
didn't answer. He threw the Warden toward the back of the room and raced to the
fireplace, jumping over me to snatch a steel poker. He then met Casimir, who
dodged the metal rod as he tried to get to his feet. Tarek moved faster,
embedding it deep in the Warden's shoulder.

A
shriek, filled more with shock than pain, bounced through the room. Casimir kicked,
sending Tarek flying. He struggled to pull the rod free when the room filled
with screams.

Screams
of a wounded animal.

Screams
that pierced my eardrums.

My
screams.

Shaking
his head, Tarek pushed to his feet and reached into his pocket. In one fluid
lunge, Tarek clamped a thin metal band around one of the Warden's wrists. The
shock on Casimir's face turned lax when Tarek pushed a button on the remote he
grabbed from the same pocket.

Tarek
pulled the rod from Casimir's shoulder and gave me one more look. "I'm
sorry, Lena."

He
plunged the poker deep within the Warden's skull. Casimir sank to his knees. Blood
poured everywhere, all over Tarek, the stone floor, books. Tarek twisted and
dug the rod deeper until squishing noises filled the room as steel met brain
matter.

Just like
that, I lost Tarek again.

"No!"
I tried to crawl over, but Dad's hand wrapped around my foot.

The room
lit up so bright it blinded me. I cried out, my voice hoarse, as white noise
roared through the room. I cupped my hands over my ears and gritted my teeth
against the pain. As I curled into a ball, Dad covered my head with his arms
while the chaos continued to roar. My head began to contract and squeeze,
shooting thick tendrils of pain through my brain. Dad's screams echoed mine.

"Let's
go, girl. We need to go." Somewhere in the commotion, I heard Wilma's
voice before I felt her hands wrapping around my waist.

"I
won't leave him." I held onto the rug, fighting her as a tear began to
open above us. The white noise screamed louder, squeezing my skull tighter.

"We'll
die if we stay. Then he did all this for nothing. Is that what you want?"

For
nothing.
"But,
Wilma..." My voice was small, desperate.

"Please,
Lena," Tarek said. He sunk to his knees, shards of light attacking him. "Go."

I met
his eyes and pleaded with him one last time. "I can't."

The
veins at his temples bulged, and his face turned bright red. Holding his hand
out, he said, "Please.
Remember
."

I
will.

Crying, I
switched my grip from the rug to my father. He clung to me, and I relied on
Wilma as the tear sucked us through.

Sweet
silence soothed my ears after we were ripped from one dimension and thrown into
another. In seconds, we were in the middle of Jake's living room sprawled on
the floor, surrounded by normal.

My
mother screamed, and Jake ran to me, checking for a pulse before going to
Wilma. Mom hovered above me, her tears splashing on my cheeks. Too weak to
move, I kept my eyes on hers.

Wilma
talked to Jake.

Dad
cried.

My heart
shattered.

Lena

T
hree months had passed since
leaving Arcus.

The
first week I couldn't get out of bed. The emptiness in my heart wouldn't let
me. Tarek's shirt covered my body, his scent on the fabric fading with every
day.

Wilma
left the morning after we came back, said she had to deal with Zander, clean up
some loose ends. I didn't much care what happened to Zander…didn't much care
about anything, really.

She came
back two days later with Farren. A refugee, she called him. I called him a
traitor, hating him every time he tried to explain.

She said
I was stuck with them, whether I liked it or not. Neither she nor Farren could
go back to Exemplar. Guess they needed to make sure Exemplar didn't come to me,
too.

She said
if she had to stay, she wouldn't let me waste my life in a smelly bed crying
all the time. I didn't listen, nor did I want her anywhere near me when she
refused to take me to Arcus. I yelled, screamed, swore...said anything to make
her leave after that. Wilma wouldn't budge. By the end of the day, I was glad
she didn't.

When I
finally crawled out of bed and showered, I'd decided it was time for Mom and me
to move upstairs. Jake had complained, but he helped.

Wilma
moved, too, into the place right beside the theater. Farren decided to bunk
with her. Some of their fights could be heard in front of the theater doors. I
began to tolerate the annoying redhead, even let him talk to me without
punching him.

I found
out a few days after our move that Wilma dumped my father back in the trailer.
Said she cleaned him up, made sure he had food and water in the house, and
warned him that no one would listen to a washed-up drunk who told crazy
stories. If they did, she promised to come for him. Take him back so no one
would have to listen. I checked on him a few times, feeling like I owed him.
There was no doubt he tried to protect me in those last minutes…when I lost
Tarek. Every time I went there, he sat in the same place, in that beat-up
wicker chair, staring at his pictures. He didn't speak, and I didn't force him.

I went
back to school after that first week, rediscovered the drive to get into Penn
State. Belva and I sat together at lunch every day, with Wilma looking on, of
course. Everyone stared at my bright coloring again. Belva asked what kind of
makeup I used to get my skin so pretty and my eyes so bright. After another
week, the color faded, and I could stop making things up to quiet all her
questions. We hung out like Zander and I used to, and I had to admit, I liked
this friendship much better. She never tried to get me killed.

I worked
hard, did my homework.

After
the first month, Jake let me come back to work. Handing popcorn to grumpy
customers and listening to how much the theater sucked actually made me happy.
So normal.

Safe.

It was
nice making money again, hanging out with Jake, too. He even let me use the
back theater when we weren't busy. I'd pick the scariest movies in storage.
Made sure no lights bled into the room and always sat in the back row. I begged
the chair to pull me in, take me to him. Should've been easy since he had
Mateusz's energy, right? But I guess I had to feel fear, not anticipation, and then
misery as I stayed in the theater until the credits. If I could have heard his
voice…if he could've given me that...

Farren
managed to get a janitor gig at the school, successfully implanting himself
into my little bubble. I'm sure Wilma's gift of persuasion was to blame for
that. I actually began to like him a little after a month of hating him. He had
a sense of humor, especially when the guys at school would give him a lot of
space when he mopped the halls. Needless to say, no graffiti covered the
bathroom walls after he started cleaning them.

Belva
took a huge liking to him, following him around as he cleaned toilets. Poetic
justice, really, seeing as everyone finally left her alone when she befriended
the guy who took care of the shitters. Farren, if I were being honest, grew
more important to me every day. I kind of look forward to the stupid comebacks
he had when I'd tease him about Belva.

Tarek
never left my mind–I missed him every minute of every day.

I ran my
first track meet of the season after that first month, too. My body took a
while to recover from those days in Arcus, especially my feet. I trained hard
with the team, hitting my marks most of the time, getting faster. Coach said I
was a shoo-in for a scholarship from none other than Penn State. Scouts from
the school came to the first meet, said I had speed.

They
were at the meet again today, the last of the season, to make sure I had real
talent before offering me the full ride. I should've been more excited. Knew I
would've been three months ago.

He
changed everything.

I
stretched my legs and loosened my shoulders as the 50m hurdle ended. My race
was next. I checked my shoelaces then glanced up toward the bleachers at Mom,
Jake, and Belva. My new best friend held a makeshift sign telling me to go for
it with bright red balloons and a pair of running shoes drawn at the corners.

Wilma
and Farren were there, too, standing at the edge of the field. Her face split
in a rare smile, winking when I gave her a wave. She closed her eyes for a
second before giving me a nod.

Man, I
loved her. My Protector, my friend.

We were
told to take our marks. Five of us, me, Jenn, and three from the opposing high
school, fell in line for the 100. I had a faster time than my teammate, and she
knew it, giving me a grin–my pack mate. When the announcer yelled, "On
your mark," we all hunched into position. My legs itched to move, the
excitement from the race a temporary fill for the hole I'd gotten used to
carrying since leaving him there.

Before
the announcer pushed the starter button, I heard it. The deep, rich sound I
knew so well. The voice I dreamed about, craved to hear. Why I cried into my
pillow every night when no one was watching.

The
reason I kept breathing.

The
reason my energy was made.

Good
luck, Lena.

Tarek.

My head
shot up, and I found Wilma, who beamed.

Hope.

When the
buzzer went off, I soared.