Run To Earth (Power of Four) (45 page)

“What is it?” Rose asked.

“God knows,” Sam replied, promptly losing interest.

“Look,” Rose called. “It’s a stage.” She held up two pieces.

Under the planks of wood was another rectangular box, even smaller this time. Rose pulled it out and clicked it open. Inside was a wooden puppet: a little monkey with big brown eyes and a long curved tail. It wore a sleeveless red and gold jacket with matching shorts. A plaster was on its forehead and a bandage on the very tip of its tail.

“Aww, cute,” Rose said, picking up the puppet, running her fingers over the bandage.

“Seems to be missing something,” Sam chuckled. “What’s a puppet without its strings?”

“I don’t think mages need strings to make their puppets dance,” Rose said. She looked into the box and pulled out a small, colourful book. “
Adventures of Ace,
” she read. “
The hapless monkey who...can’t get anything...right.
” She looked up at Aaron, trying her best not to laugh at his gob-smacked expression.

Aaron pulled the book out of her hand. It was a script for the puppet show. On the cover was a drawing of the little monkey, sitting under a tree, holding its head and seeing stars while bananas lay scattered around him. Aaron put the book down and picked up the puppet. Turning around, Aaron glared at Kyran, who was still talking to Julian. When Kyran met his eye, Aaron held up the puppet with an incredulous look.

Kyran grinned, showing all his teeth. He raised both thumbs at him, snickering.

Aaron muttered under his breath and dropped the puppet back into the box, not at all amused with Rose and Sam’s stifled giggles.

***

“Time’s running out,” Scott said, pacing before the seated Hunters. “Our attempts to end this war have fallen flat.” His gaze went from one Hunter to the next, resting on Aaron. There was something in Scott’s eyes, in his clouded gaze, that unnerved Aaron. He shifted uncomfortably and Scott looked away. “There was another attack last night. It left the City of Jharna burnt to the ground.”

The Hunters grew restless at the news, shifting in their seats, leaning forward with blazing eyes and clenched jaws.

“Let me guess.” Ella glowered. “Work of the Scorcher?”

“No one else,” Scott said. “We
need
to take the Scorcher out, but so far we haven’t found anything on him. We’re no closer to apprehending him now than we were two years ago.” Scott reached into the hollow of the table and touched its surface. “So we need to change tactics. We focus on the next best thing.”

Scott’s touch caused ripples in the map, distorting the image only to replace it with another. A snapshot of a man with dark hair and strange, glittering blue eyes stared out from the table.

“Daniel Machado,” Scott said slowly. “Once the right-hand vamage of Hadrian, he is now at the side of the Scorcher.” Scott tapped a finger on the image. “Wherever Machado is, the Scorcher won’t be too far away. We get
this
son of a demon, we get to the Scorcher.”

Aaron was staring at the image with disbelief. “I know him,” he said. “I...I know him.”

Scott and the rest of the Hub’s attention, shifted to Aaron at once.

“What?” Kyran frowned beside Aaron.

“He was...he was there,” Aaron said. “That night, when I did the...the instinctual reflux thing and the vamages attacked. He...he was standing in front of Sam and Rose’s house. He fought with my dad.”

A ripple of surprise spread around the circular room, with the Hunters turning to one another, their muttering incomprehensible.

Scott hurried towards Aaron. “Christopher Adams engaged in battle with him?” he asked.

“That vamage – Machado – he sent the other vamages at my dad,” Aaron recalled, shuddering at the memory of the crowd of men descending onto his dad, surrounding him completely. “My dad and Uncle Mike, they fought them off but...it was too late. Mr and Mrs Mason, they had already...” Aaron couldn’t finish. He turned to see most of the Hunters looked solemn, even Skyler looked troubled. Kyran was sitting with his head bowed, looking rather pensive.

Scott cleared his throat, taking a moment to speak. “I wasn’t aware that Daniel Machado was the vamage that led the attack on you,” he said. “When you performed your reflux action, the vamages must have sensed that the power came from an Adams, from an Elemental. That’s why Machado got involved. He wouldn’t go for just any mage,” he deduced. Lines furrowed his brow and he dropped his head in thought. “That means there’s a possibility...
he
could’ve been there too,” Scott said. He looked up, wide hopeful eyes fixed on Aaron. “Think back to that night, Aaron, recall everything you saw,” he said. “In the midst of the vamages, did you see a boy? Anyone around your own age?”

Aaron shook his head. “No.”

“Take a minute to think about it,” Scott prompted. “Really think, Aaron. Anyone around the area? Anyone young near the house, going in or out?”

Aaron shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone other than the vamages,” he said. “And none of them were young. But I wasn’t around for long. My mum drove us out of there pretty fast.”

Scott looked disappointed. He fell back, nodding. “Of course, you had to get to safety.” He gave a tight smile. “I just thought, maybe if you had seen the Scorcher...” He trailed off. With a sigh, he moved back to stand in the middle of the room again. “From what we have gathered so far, every bit of information suggests that Daniel Machado stays close to the Scorcher. There’s every possibility the Scorcher was there when the vamages came to attack Aaron.”

Aaron tried his best not to shudder at the thought. He had seen Machado; he could never forget those cold blue eyes and that cruel smirk on his face. But as far as the Scorcher was concerned, there had been no boy in the crowd of men – that he knew for sure.

“We find Machado, we’ll find the Scorcher,” Scott continued.

“Fair enough, but how do we do that?” Ella asked. “As Hadrian’s right hand, Machado is as difficult to get to as Hadrian and his Scorcher.”

“I know who can get us to Machado,” Scott said, “but we need help to get to them first.” He stepped towards the doors. “I ask that all of you keep an open mind and hear me out before raising any objections.” He swung the doors open and stuck his head out. “You can come in now.”

Aaron’s breath evaporated, leaving him breathless with shock as Sam and Rose walked into the Hub.

28

The Pecosas

In the entire history of the mage realm, never had a human set foot in the Hub and taken part in a meeting. At least, that’s what Aaron had been led to believe. Yet here stood both Sam and Rose, looking nervously at the Hunters. It took a moment for the sight to sink in before the Hunters went up in arms.

“What the hell?” Skyler shot to his feet. “What are
they
doing here?”

“They can’t come in!” Zhi-Jiya cried. “Scott, what are you doing?”

“Is this a joke?” Ryan asked. “It is, isn’t it? It’s a joke.”

Aaron didn’t bother shouting. He got up and raced to his friends’ side instead. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Sam and Rose didn’t say anything but turned to look at Scott, who held up a hand, quietening everyone.

“We need Sam and Rose’s help to get to Daniel Machado,” he said.

“Have you lost it?” Skyler seethed.

“You forgotten what happened the last time we used them as bait?” Ella asked.

“No,” Scott replied. “But even then, that hunt was a success. We took out a number of vamages in that Q-Zone.” He straightened up, holding his head high. “However, that was the first and last time I would ever consider using them as bait.”

The Hunters looked confused.

“So what exactly are you planning?” Kyran asked. There was an edge to his voice, one that made every eye turn to him. Kyran’s piercing gaze was fixed on Scott. His expression seemed calm, but Aaron could see the anger in his clenched fists and furious green eyes.

Scott moved away from Aaron and the twins, coming to stand directly in the middle of the room.

“Machado is the key to getting to the Scorcher,” he repeated. “And the only ones we know for certain that are in contact with Machado are the Pecosas.”

Kyran’s expression clouded with annoyance. He hissed in a breath.

“Scott.” He shook his head. “We’ve already tried this route. We wasted ten days with them and we got nothing.”

“You’re right.” Scott said. “We got nowhere and the reason is simple: the Pecosas blame us.” Scott turned to look at the rest of the Hunters. “They claim this war is between us and the vamages but they’re the ones affected. Their people have been killed. They’ve lost their homes, been driven out of their zones by Hadrian and forced to take refuge in our zones. They hold us responsible just as much as the vamages, and maybe they’re right.” Scott nodded. “Maybe it is our fault, but even that admission won’t pacify the Pecosas. They won’t help us. They don’t trust us. But you know who they might trust?” He turned to look at Sam and Rose. “Humans.” He uttered the word quietly, staring at the twins. “Humans who had nothing to do with this war but are suffering because of it. Humans who have lost their families, their homes. Humans that have had to leave everything behind and relocate in a place they don’t feel they belong.” He turned to face his Hunters. “Just like the Pecosas.”

Sam and Rose didn’t say anything but just stood in silence.

Scott stepped forward. “We couldn’t gain the Pecosas’ trust,” he continued, “but maybe where we failed, Sam and Rose will succeed. The similarity of their situation, their loss, their pain – it might make the Pecosas reveal what they’re hiding.” He looked around the room. “There is something Machado is holding over them, something that keeps the Pecosas unwillingly tied to the vamages, to the Scorcher. We need to find what that is and use it to get to Machado and the Scorcher.”

“What can Sam and Rose offer the Pecosas?” Julian asked.

“Hope,” Scott said. “They can show the Pecosas that they’re affected as well, that they’ve suffered but are fighting back. Sam and Rose risked their lives to get to the vamages and helped us destroy some of them. Maybe if the Pecosas see that the humans are fighting too, they may find the strength to do the same.”

***

The days sped by, and as Aaron recovered from another draining day and night of the full moon, arrangements were made for Sam and Rose’s trip to Harban – a small village in Zone G-15 where the Pecosas resided. There were only six Hunters going with Sam and Rose, not including Aaron, who planned to travel via a portal into G-14 before making their way into G-15.

“Why can’t Scott set up the portal directly into G-15?” Aaron asked.

“Because he thinks we need the exercise,” Kyran said as he pulled on his
jacket. He turned from the weapons cabinet to smirk at Aaron. “The Pecosas banned us. If Scott puts up a portal in their zone, they’ll be pretty mad about it. Seeing as we’re trying to get the Pecosas to help us, angering them beforehand isn’t a great strategy.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “You could have just said, ‘No, Scott can’t set up the portal there.’”

Kyran chuckled and turned to pull out his blades.

“I thought this was a low-risk assignment,” Aaron said, uneasy at the sight of the weapons.

“It is low risk,” Kyran replied, “but you never leave the house without your familiars.” He held out Aaron’s pistol.

Aaron took it. “Would I need to surrender it to the Pecosas?” he asked.

Kyran sighed, dropping his head.

“Ace, I told you. Scott doesn’t want any m
ages going in with Sam and Rose,” he said.

“And I told you, I don’t care. I’m going in with my friends,” Aaron replied.

Kyran threw him a look and slid his twin pistols into their holsters. “The whole point of this is to have the Pecosas speak only to the humans.”

“They don’t have to know that I’m a mage,” Aaron said.

“They can tell the difference, Ace.”

“How?”

Kyran shrugged, sliding a sheathed knife into his inner jacket pocket. “No idea, but they can tell.”

Aaron shrugged as well. “Well then, that’s too bad,” he said. “I’m going wherever Sam and Rose go.”

Kyran turned to look at Aaron again, staring at him silently for a moment before sighing. He reached into the back of the cabinet and pulled out a small wooden box. Clicking it open, Kyran picked out a spiral pendant.

“Here,” he said, holding it out.

“What’s this for?” Aaron asked, taking the silver chain. The spiral hung from it, swaying back and forth. “I’ve already got my own.” He zipped open his top, showing Kyran the small circle pendant resting on his chest.

“If you’re really planning on going into Harban, then I want you to wear my mark,” Kyran said. “That way, if anything happens – the Pecosas get riled up with your presence or they get too close for comfort – you just call for me.”

Aaron looked at the necklace before glancing at the matching one around Kyran’s neck. He slipped the chain over his head. The spiral came to rest on top of his circle pendant.

“So this is for us to talk to each other?” Aaron asked.

“Yeah,” Kyran said, closing his cabinet and locking it with a wave of his hand. He turned to face Aaron with serious eyes. “You need me, you hold on to that mark and call me with one breath, I’ll be there by the next.”

***

The Hunters parked their bikes soon after passing through the portal. Aaron rode on Lexi with Kyran, while Sam was with Skyler and Rose with Ella. Zhi-Jiya, Ryan and Julian made up the team of six Hunters. Skyler and Ella led the way. Tall trees lined both sides of the wide brick road. When they had left Salvador, it was the middle of the day, but here it seemed the sun had already set.

Sam, Rose and Aaron stuck together, staying within the protective circle of the Hunters. They walked in silence, bracing themselves against the gusty wind.

“This is a Gated zone, right?” Aaron asked.

“Yeah,” Kyran replied.

“So there’s no danger here?”

“Danger is everywhere, Ace,” Kyran replied. “Gated or not, demons find their way in.”

Aaron glanced behind him at Ryan and Zhi-Jiya. They seemed calm, walking leisurely, as if taking a stroll in the park. On Aaron’s other side was Julian – tense and focused, as usual. In front, Skyler and Ella led the way. They walked in silence. Quite suddenly, something occurred to Aaron.

“Kyran?” he said quietly. “What exactly are Pecosas?”

“What do you mean?” Kyran asked.

“They’re obviously not a type of mage, like the Empaths,” Aaron said. “They can’t be demonic, so what are they?”

“They’re Pecosas,” Kyran answered with a smirk. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

Aaron opened his mouth to tell Kyran exactly how unhelpful he was, but decided not to. It would only encourage Kyran to annoy him.

It took almost forty minutes of walking down the empty road to reach the Gate – another towering mass of shimmering white. This time, however, no mage touched it. Skyler turned and motioned to Sam and Rose to step forward. Aaron walked with them, refusing to leave their side.

“Put your hand on the Gate,” Skyler instructed the twins. “Ask for permission to enter.” He shot an icy look at Aaron, warning him not to touch the Gate. “Once you get in, ask to speak with Grandor.”

Sam and Rose nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, they extended their hands and rested them on the gleaming surface. With a faint tremble in their voice, both spoke out loud.

“We seek permission to enter.”

The Gate glowed, then all sorts of symbols flashed over it. Aaron watched, recognising some of the marks now. He had seen similar symbols tattooed on the Hunters. Other marks he recognised from the books he had read, and knew to represent different demonic beings. He could see the personification of particular demons in the sharp lines – the curved fangs in the circular mark for vampires; the image of a beast standing on two legs, with knees bent and its pointed head turned upwards in the Lycan mark.

All the symbols faded, leaving Aric’s mark pulsing against the Gate before it too melted away. The Gate slid open, revealing Zone G-15.

“Go on,” Ella encouraged Sam. “We’ll be right here.”

Gripping Rose’s hand, Sam stepped through the doorway and into the quiet street. Aaron held on to Rose’s other hand. He looked back at Kyran one last time. Kyran nodded at him, intense green eyes fixed on him. The Gate slid closed, blocking all sight of the Hunters.

Aaron turned to face his surroundings. He saw a brick road with small cottages lined along both sides. There was a cluster of trees in the middle of the street, and under their shade, sitting on large, square stools, were the Pecosas.

In the last four
months, Aaron had seen all sorts of creatures: beautiful, exotic girls that changed into snakes; savage-looking men and women with backward feet; he’d even seen strange dogs with glowing eyes in a memory. The Pecosas, Aaron imagined, were going to be just as strange a creation. What he saw, however, were perfectly normal-looking people. There was nothing strange about them. They were fair-skinned – although rather heavily freckled – light-eyed people dressed in long robes. Aaron frowned. So were the Pecosas human? No, that couldn’t be it. Then everyone would just refer to them as human, or Shattered, as their preferred term.

The seated Pecosas got up as Aaron and the twins approached. Creases of confusion morphed into lines of anger on the Pecosas’ brows as they focused on Aaron. The man at the front, dressed in a pale blue robe, held out his hand.

“That’s close enough,” he said, looking at Aaron. “I thought I had made it clear: your kind isn’t welcome here.”

Aaron tightened his grip on Rose’s hand. “I’ve only come to be at the side of my friends,” he said. “They’re here to speak with Grandor.”

The Pecosa looked at Sam and Rose with narrowed grey eyes. “I am Grandor,” he said. “And I don’t want to talk to anyone.” He turned back to Aaron. “I’ve already told your Controller that we can’t help you. Leave now!”

“Grandor,” Aaron called. “If you would just listen–”

“We’ve been
listening
!” the Pecosa – Grandor – said with a hiss. “That’s all we’ve been doing! It’s what got us neck deep in this pit of
misery
and if you were kind, you’d leave us alone instead of pushing our heads further down and drowning us!” He glared at Aaron, a tinge of pink colouring his pale cheeks. “I will ask you once, and
only
once, Elemental,” he said in a dangerously quiet voice. “Leave and never return.”

“Please,” Rose bravely raised her voice. “We’ll only take a minute of your time.”

Grandor straightened to his full height, grey eyes shadowed with anger. A gesture of his hand and the crowd of Pecosas behind him moved towards Aaron and the twins. Their hard expressions and threatening stance had Aaron reach for the spiral pendant around his neck.

“Hey, hey! Hold on,” Sam started, holding up his hands. “We only want to talk.”

The Pecosas continued walking towards them.

“Kyran,” Aaron breathed, one hand on the spiral, the other on his gun.

At once the Gate slid open and Kyran came striding in, Skyler by his side and the other Hunters behind them. The Pecosas halted in their tracks, staring in surprise at the six Hunters. Grandor’s wide-eyed gaze was on Kyran, who came to stand by Aaron’s side. Slowly, Grandor looked at each Hunter, before resting his gaze on Kyran again. He smirked, nodding at him.