The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural (39 page)

Ace was still speechless as he watched the
boy bob up and down as he paddled furiously. “Ithaca, what are you
doing?!”

Ithaca’s next words were firm, “Just watch,
Mason.”

So Ace did. He watched as the boy continued
to hurry out to sea as if he were a professional. When a wave
threatened to topple him over like the first one, the boy simply
dove under the wave and let it roll over him. When he reappeared on
the other side, he would continue swimming back out to the ocean.
Ace watched silently as the boy dove under wave after wave. It
wasn’t until the fourth or fifth wave that a horrified scream split
through the populated beach.

“
JUSTIN!!” It was the mother
up shore and when Ace turned back to glance at her, she was already
sprinting to the ocean with her face as white as paper.
“
Justin
!!” she
screamed again, “
JUSTIN
!!!”

By the time she was knee
deep in the ocean and screaming franticly, most heads had turned to
her direction. “Somebody help, please!!” she wailed, “My son!!
My
son!!
”

It wasn’t until her reaction that Ace noticed
how far out the boy had swam. Amongst the throng of other surfers
bobbing around in the ocean, the child’s small yellow surfboard
seemed only to be a speck in the dark vast ocean. The mother’s
horrified crying didn’t stop even when older men who were clearly
wonderful swimmers, rushed to her side to offer his retrieval. She
had only begun to describe him when a dark shadow began to roll out
on the horizon in the waves. Again her screaming split through the
beach and some of the sun bathing tourists stood up to have a
better look at the commotion.

Even Ace stood up as Ithaca joined him to get
a closer inspection at her work. Against the horizon a wave was
beginning to form. Ithaca smiled as she commanded the boy to flip
around on his board and paddle to shore. She seemed to be the only
one smiling as the entire beach watched a wall of water grow from
behind the small little boy. Other woman in the crowd gasped as
they saw the imminent danger this child had just put himself into.
Already, built surfer boys had begun hurrying out to him. By now
the wave had lifted him up to the crest. But just before the wave
crashed, the boy pushed himself to standing on the board. Everyone
on the beach seemed to hold their breath as the boy seemed to be
swallowed up by the falling water. Then in the next instant, he was
gliding down the smooth surface created by the crashing wave. With
his knees bent, and his arms outstretched, the boy looked like a
professional. He seemed to be leaving a trail of white water as he
swerved in the pattern of a snake against the flawless rising
water.

Instantly, the entire beach roared in
applause. The men that had offered to retrieve the boy, sat still
as they watched him whip the board around just as he was about to
be swept over the wave. The boy did this again, and again, the
stampede of falling water pushing him to the side of the shoreline.
By the time he had reached the shallower part of the beach, he had
hopped off his board and began swimming back to shore. Crowds of
complete strangers that had watched the whole thing hurried to
congratulate him. For a moment Ithaca had turned him into a super
star surrounded by paparazzi and they all worked together in
bringing the boy back to his mother.

As the crowds died off, the mother was
marching her son back up to where they had set up on the beach. “…
It was like something took control of me I swear!” he was
exclaiming as they walked past Ace and Ithaca still standing up on
the sand.

“
I don’t care what you say.”
the mother huffed, “You are never doing that again and that is
final!”

The last of their conversation drowned out as
Ithaca turned around back to Ace. “What do you think?” she asked as
one eyebrow rose in curiosity.

Bafflement loomed on Ace’s face as he stared
at her.

“
Oh, enough with the
staring!” she exclaimed. “Fine, even if you don’t think it’s cool,
I love my third ability. I can make anyone do anything they can’t
do alone. I can make them think anything, feel anything; I can even
make them see what I want them to see, and that one comes in
handy.”

“
You almost killed that
boy.” Ace finally said as if he hadn’t heard a word from
her.

“
Please,” scoffed Ithaca,
“I’m a great surfer. Do you really think I would make someone do
something I can’t do? Especially with an innocent
child?”

“
You can surf?” Ace
asked.

Ithaca continued to smile, “Yeah, well I’m no
professional, but I’m not bad. Being an ultra helps with the normal
human things.”

“
So can I do that?” Ace
asked eagerly.

“
Surf? Well I didn’t bring a
board…”

“
No, mind control-
persuasion, whatever that is.” Said Ace, “You said intangibility is
my base and teleportation branches from that. So what’s the next
step? Mind control?”

Ithaca studied him in the sunlight. The
climbing morning sun sent the shadows from his hair into his eyes
making the top part of his iris darker than the bottom. “Sit back
down.” She said laying on the sand once more. “There is more to
being an ultra than you know.” She began. “But let me save that
topic for another occasion. Mason, now that you know who I am,
don’t you want to know who you are?”

“
Yes!” he exclaimed rolling
on his side beside her. He didn’t even have to think
twice.

Ithaca continued to grin as she took off her
hat and laid the sunglasses beside it. “Well you know your name is
Mason. Have you figured out your last name yet?”

Honestly Ace never even
thought about that. He had been too busy wondering
what
he was opposed
to
who.

“
I’ll give you a hint.”
Began Ithaca noting his silence, “You hale from a huge corporate
family just like the Stelters.”

Then it hit him like a train. “Diachi!” he
exclaimed before going into utter confusion. “I’m a Diachi?”

Ithaca nodded.

Ace cocked his head to the side. Lee was a
Stelter and he was a Diachi, which seemed to make sense. How could
he have not seen it all along? “Cool…” muttered Ace half dazed. As
his voice trailed, so did his focus and he was once more gazing out
at the ocean full of surfers.

“
Does someone need a back
story?” asked Ithaca sitting up only to tie her long hair in a bun
behind her head.

Ace sat up along with her and brushed some of
the sand from his elbow as he nodded. “I want to know
everything.”

Ithaca frowned, “Everything?”

Ace nodded, “From the very beginning. Who are
my parents? What about this fire? What happened to DiAchi Tech? Do
I have siblings-?”

“
Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your
roll fussy-pants.” Insisted Ithaca, “I was planning on telling you
everything, but just know it’s going to be a long story… and you
might not like the outcome.” The grave way she spoke the last
several words not only put a frown on her face, but put a frown on
Ace’s. For a moment he considered telling Ithaca not to tell him.
Maybe not knowing was better. What if the life he had now was
plenty happy and Ithaca was about to dive into a dark deep
secret?

“
Are you ready?” she
asked.

Ace swallowed, “Yeah, tell me
everything.”

Ithaca nodded and with a quick breath began
speaking about the past Ace had never known. “It was roughly 1835
in America. This was America during that whole ‘wild, wild west’
phase so I imagine there are railroads, cowboys and Indians, and
lots of dirt and tumbleweeds-”

“
Wait,” Ace butted in,
“You’re joking right? It’s like hundreds of years ago and this is
the beginning?”

Ithaca made a thoughtful face though she
didn’t have to think about it, “Uh, yeah. Just hear me out alright.
So it’s 1835 in America and our story starts in New Orleans
Louisiana and young Derik Diareux hears about adventure in the
west. Oh, by the way Mace you’re ancestors are French.”

“
What?” he
gasped.

“
Derik Diareux is your
great, great, a million greats, great grandfather.” Ithaca
mentioned, “I’ll explain how your last name changed in a bit
alright? Just hear me out and no more interruptions.”

Ace nodded since he figured that saying
anything would be considered an interruption.

“
Thank you,” sighed Ithaca,
“So Derik goes out into the world to make some money and he happens
to be wandering into Texas just as the Texas Revolution is going
on. That’s where Texas breaks away from Mexico and becomes its own
state. All you need to know is that Diareux saved Mateo Iglesias’s
life, thus spawning the never-ending friendship of our two
families.

“
But the story doesn’t stop
there. As they continue to the west, Diareux falls in love with a
beautiful Native American girl. I don’t remember what the English
translation of her name is, but they called her Diachi. Since she
was the chief’s daughter, the chief didn’t want her to forget who
she was so Derik changed his last name to Diachi. Are you following
all this?” Ithaca finished.

Ace nodded with a smile on his lips, “Yeah,
this is crazy. I’ll probably go into shock mode later after I have
time to let all this news sink it. But for now keep going. I was
actually getting the story.”

Without another moment to spare, Ithaca
continued her tale. “Oh, I forgot to mention that while they were
in Texas they picked up a few enemies. Are you ready for this, cuz
it’s going to come as a shock.”

“
Just tell me Ithaca, I
really don’t care.” Ace insisted.

Ithaca shrugged and sighed, “Alright, here
goes. The family they became enemies with was the German family.
The Stelters.” Ithaca waited for a reaction from Ace. When none
came, Ithaca repeated. “The Stelter family Mace, they hated our
families.”

Ace shrugged, “So? You, me and Lee were
friends at one point. That must mean that our families got past
hating each other, right?”

Ithaca’s brows folded as she stared at him.
She opened her mouth to say something then decided against it
before continuing. “Well anyway, long story short the two families
created amazing businesses. The Iglesias’s have always remained
loyal to the Diachi’s, and the Stelters have always been our enemy.
Until this last couple of years. Suddenly your father started
getting friendly with Mr-”

“
Father?” Ace piped. “Who…
where-?”

“
Dead, Mason. Both our
parents are dead and we never had siblings.” Ithaca snapped. “It’s
just you and me.”

Ace folded his brow as he let Ithaca’s harsh
words sink in. For some reason hearing about his great grandparents
and knowing he had a history; that he was somebody, that knowledge
grabbed his affection. He never had anyone to look up to. His life
was dark, meaningless, and aimless even. No memories and nothing to
work towards except for the next robbery. Hearing that there was
nothing for him only reminded him of how worthless he as an
individual.

“
And do you want to know why
they are dead?” she asked. Her voice was dark and layered with
hate. When Ace glanced up at her, the wind had pulled some strands
out of her bun so the hair was draped in front of her narrow
blackened eyes. “Edrick Stelter murdered our parents Mason. That’s
what the Stelter fire was all about. Without the Diachi’s or anyone
to take over DiAchi Tech, the industry fell into their hands. Your
girlfriend is the offspring of a murderer.”

“
Stop.” Ace said. The word
flung off his tongue as if he had no control. This was impossible.
Lee was the one who pulled him out of that meaningless life. Lee
was the one that gave him something to work for. Lee made him happy
beyond measure. Her father could not have done this to him. Her
parents could not have been the one to take away every piece of
identity he had and cast him into a life of villainy. What was
Ithaca saying? Though she seemed credible, her words were
impossible. “You’re wrong.” Ace concluded looking her straight in
the eyes. He meant to say more but when nothing rolled off his
slips, Ithaca took over.

“
Of course you won’t believe
me Mason.” Ithaca smiled wirily at him. “That’s alright, maybe I am
wrong. Maybe I’m putting the pieces together incorrectly. I know
you don’t want to believe me Mace but just wait, you will
see.”

“
What does that mean?” asked
Ace as Ithaca reached back for her hat and sunglasses.

“
All in due time Diareux.”
She said with a smile and all traces of demise had fallen from her
essence. “But for now let’s go somewhere a little more
private.”

Ace stood up the same time she did and patted
the sand off his pants. “Where are we going?”

Ithaca smiled up at him. When she blinked,
her eyes had returned to their blazing hazel. “You wanted to learn
how to teleport right? Who said you couldn’t learn today?”

~Last night had been horrible, and
unfortunately Lee hadn’t slept a wink. She was tossing, turning
then fidgeting with the sparks on her fingers, and then repeating
the pattern until the clock said sunrise and by that time, sleep
had finally got the best of her. Just as she was drifting into a
dream, Lotus had walked into her room.

“
Haileigh,” she whispered
crouching beside the silvery hair poking out from under the
blanket.

Though she was exhausted Lee couldn’t help
but to snicker. “Lotus when you say my name I think you’re saying
‘hey, Lee’ as in ‘hey, what’s up, Lee’.”