Run To Earth (Power of Four) (8 page)

“Aaron,” he replied. “Aaron Adams.”

The boy’s expression changed at once. The assembled crowd of teenagers behind him looked equally shocked. Skyler’s mouth curved into a smirk, his striking blue eyes narrowed.

“Adams?” he asked. “For real?”

“Yeah,” Aaron replied, “for real.”

Skyler didn’t say anything but simply stared at him. Then he grinned and Aaron’s heart missed a beat. He knew that smile. He used to see it on Matthews, the school bully, just before there was trouble. This was the same smile: predatory, cold – and promised pain.

“What happened?” Skyler asked, addressing Chris. “Got tired of the human realm?”

“I don’t believe that’s any of your business,” Chris replied, before turning back to continue his conversation with Drake.

“You’ll find that it is, in fact, my business,” Skyler said.

Chris looked up at him with a tired sigh. “And you are?”

The boy straightened up, holding his head high, as if his name was a title worthy of praise. “Skyler Avira.”

Chris’s expression changed. He was clearly taken aback; his eyes softened and his mouth dropped open. “You’re Joseph’s kid?” he asked.

“Yeah, Joseph Avira,” Skyler repeated. “Remember him?”

Chris looked uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, dropping his gaze. “I’m sorry about what happened to Joseph,” he said. “You have my deepest condolences.”

Skyler smirked, his eyes burning. “You know
exactly
what to do with your condolences,” he hissed. “You have no right to come back here, sit at the table of Salvador like nothing happened and start spewing useless apologies!”

“Skyler,” Drake warned. “That’s enough.”

“You have every right to be angry,” Chris said to Skyler, “but you don’t know what happened. Circumstances were such–”

“Circumstances are a weak man’s shield to hide behind,” Skyler returned. “But we already know that’s what you are.”

That’s when the first spark of anger lit Chris’s eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, son.”

Skyler’s hands curled into fists and his eyes blazed with anger. “
Don’t
call me ‘son’!” he warned.

A mighty gust of wind blew across the table, so strong it unsettled the plates and glasses. They fell to the ground, smashing to pieces. The numerous people seated around the table had to grip onto the edge to save themselves from toppling out of their chairs.

“Skyler.” The girl with the blue streaks caught hold of his arm and pulled him back. She muttered something in his ear. It didn’t calm him, but the strange wind died down, leaving everyone with ruffled hair and concerned expressions.

Aaron glanced across to see his dad was holding Skyler’s furious gaze, but there was no sign of annoyance or anger on his face, just quiet remorse.

That’s when Mary arrived at the table, holding a large tray of food. Behind her, several boys and girls carried various trays and drinks. Mary looked surprised. Her gaze darted from the broken plates on the ground up to an angry-looking Skyler and the penitent Chris.

“Skyler?” she questioned.

But the boy only sent a scathing look at Chris and walked away. The girl and their assembled group hurried after him. Chris watched him before getting up from the table.

“Chris, don’t,” Drake said. “He’s a hot-headed idiot; don’t mind him.” He gestured to the retreating form of Skyler. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

But Chris walked away, heading back to the cottage in which they had spent the night. Kate got up after him.

“Kate, please don’t,” Drake tried, but she shook her head sadly.

“Come on,” she said quietly to Aaron.

Aaron got up. Sending Mary a look of apology, he hurried after his parents, hi
s stomach rumbling with hunger.

5

Difficult Decisions

It was perhaps twenty minutes later when a knock sounded on the door. Kate opened it to find Mary standing there with a tray loaded with toast, eggs and a large serving of fruit. Ava stood behind her, holding a tray with a jug of juice, several plates and glasses on it.

“It’s against usual practise for mages to eat inside,” Mary said, “but on this occasion, I think it can be overlooked.”

“Thank you,” Kate said, taking the tray from Mary. A click of Kate’s fingers and the tray Ava was holding rose in the air. Kate carried her tray into the living room, with the second tray floating in after her. Aaron gaped at the sight, too shocked to make a sound. Kate knelt in front of the single rickety table and placed her tray on it. The second tray gently settled onto the floor next to her. Kate loaded a plate for Aaron and handed it to him, followed by a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Aaron took it warily, still gaping at his mum.

“Eat, Aaron,” Kate said without looking at him.

Balancing the plate on his knee, Aaron gulped down his juice.

“Chris?” Kate held out a plate.

Chris looked over at her and shook his head. Kate pulled back her hand, hesitating for a moment.

“His anger is understandable,” she said. “Even if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Chris nodded but didn’t speak. He sat with his head bowed, hands clasped together.

Kate didn’t say any more. She set another two plates, filled two glasses with juice and balanced them precariously on the edge of the plates, and stood up. She left the room, heading upstairs to give Sam and Rose their breakfast.

Aaron was left alone with his dad. He glanced at him as he chewed a mouthful of toast and egg. “Dad, you okay?” he asked.

Chris lifted his head. Troubled eyes found Aaron but, regardless, a smile graced his face. “Yeah. I’m fine, Aaron.” He nodded. “I’m fine.”

Aaron swallowed. “Why was that boy mouthing off to you?”

An expression of pain flitted across Chris’s face. “His father,” he started quietly. “His father was my friend – more than that, he was like a...a brother to me.” He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he let out a sigh. He wiped a hand down his face. “He died after I left this realm.”

“I’m sorry,” Aaron said. “But why was that boy getting annoyed with you? You didn’t do anything.”

Chris nodded, silent for long minutes. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “I didn’t do anything.”

Aaron watched as grief flooded his dad’s features. “Dad?”

The door opened and Kate walked back in. “They’re still refusing to come out of the room,” she said, “but at least they’ve taken the breakfast.”

“Good,” Chris said, straightening up. “They need to eat something.”

“So do you,” Kate said, holding out the last plate.

Chris gave in this time and took the plate, picking up the toast and taking a generous bite. Kate didn’t have a plate but she seemed content to use the serving dish. They ate in silence, Kate and Chris lost in their thoughts and Aaron in his rising confusion.

***

Aaron didn’t know what to do. He had taken a shower and changed into the spare set of clothes he found in one of the cupboards. It was a simple white shirt and blue jeans. Both were a bit baggy but Aaron made do with them. Sam and Rose were still in their room. Aaron had stood outside for ten minutes, plucking up the courage to go in and see his friends, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Dejectedly, he went downstairs and sat next to the grimy window, staring out at nothing in particular.

Drake had come by shortly after breakfast and left with Chris, going somewhere private to talk. It irked Aaron – the secrecy, the whispering, the intense looks his parents kept sharing. It was slowly driving Aaron mad. Why couldn’t they just talk in the open? Why couldn’t they tell him what was going on?

Aaron scoffed silently. He told himself it shouldn’t be surprising that his parents were hiding things. After all, they had hidden such an enormous truth from him. He was a mage. A different being. What that meant, Aaron still didn’t know. He turned his head to look at his mum, who was busy cleaning the living room, making the space a little more habitable. His mouth opened to ask her, to beg her to tell him what was going on. But before he could speak, a shadow crossed the window. Aaron pressed himself closer to the glass, craning his neck to look to the side, but he couldn’t spot anyone. Not a moment later, there was a knock on the door. Kate looked up, her blue-eyed gaze snapping from Aaron to the door. She went to answer it while Aaron quickly followed after her. The door opened to a tired-looking Michael.

“Mike,” Kate breathed with relief, before embracing her brother. “Thank Heavens. I was so worried.”

“I’m not the one you should be worrying about,” Michael said. “Everything okay, Kate? So far, I mean?”

Kate nodded. As Michael walked in, Aaron noted the two duffel bags in his hands. His uncle dropped them and walked over to envelop him in a crushing hug.

“How you doing, kiddo?” he asked.

“Fine,” Aaron replied.

Michael moved into the living room. He glanced around before turning to Kate. “Chris?”

“He’s talking to Drake,” Kate replied.

A small smile came to Michael’s face. “Drake. Damn, I’d almost forgotten about him.” He ran a hand through his short hair and sat down with a sigh. “Anyone else here?”

“Not from our crowd,” Kate replied.

“Your crowd?” Aaron asked before he could help it.

Kate looked around at him, pausing slightly before replying, “Old acquaintances.”

Aaron clicked his mouth shut. If he was going to get vague answers, he wasn’t going to bother asking her anything. He would speak to his dad instead.

Kate turned back to her brother. “I trust you took care of everything?”

Michael grimaced. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “It’s done.”

Kate straightened up, but Aaron could see the grief in her features. “Thank you,” she replied tightly.

Michael only nodded before he got to his feet. He walked to the bags in the hall and picked them up. He handed both to Aaron. “Here.”

Aaron took them. “What’s in them?” he asked, feeling their weight.

“Your stuff,” Michael replied. “Clothes and shoes. Your friends’ things are in the other one.”

Aaron snapped his head up to look at him. “You went into their house?”

“I thought they’d like some of their things,” Michael replied. “It’s nothing special, just a few items of clothing and...and a few pictures from their mantel.” He dropped his gaze. “They didn’t get to attend their parents’ funeral. The least I could do is get them their family photos.”

Aaron didn’t say anything. He glanced down at the bags before looking up at him with a frown. “Won’t everyone notice that the Masons are missing?” he asked. “Us too, for that matter?”

Michael looked uncomfortable. He shared a look with Kate, before replying. “As far as that world is concerned, we’re all missing.”

“Missing?” Aaron repeated. “That’s it? We’re missing?” He looked across at his mum. “Sam and Rose have family. Grandparents, aunts, cousins.” His voice rose slightly. “They’re going to be looking for them.”

“They can look,” Kate replied quietly, “but they’ll never find them.”

Aaron’s mouth fell open in shocked disgust. “Mum?”

“I feel for them,” Kate said. “Really, I do. But there are countless people that vanish without a trace, never to be found again.” Her expression stayed the same, coldly indifferent, but her eyes betrayed her turmoil. “Sooner or later, their family will learn to live with it. I don’t like it, but there’s no other choice. Samuel and Rosalyn cannot go back to that world. It’s not safe for them.”

Aaron’s stomach tightened with anger. He didn’t say another word but turned, making his way upstairs, shuffling the heavy bags through the narrow doorway. He was halfway up the stairs, well out of earshot, when Michael turned to his sister.

“Don’t worry,” he placated. “He’ll understand eventually.”

Kate nodded. “Yeah,” she replied, sighing unhappily. “Eventually.”

Michael moved towards her, his eyes dark and mournful. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small wooden box. Kate’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Mike,” she gasped. She moved forward and took the box from him. “How’d you...you knew about this?”

Michael nodded. “Chris told me,” he explained. “I couldn’t leave it behind.”

Kate pressed her lips together tightly, to bite back her tears. Her hand caressed the box and, despite her struggle, a stifled sob escaped her. She looked up at her brother and nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Michael wrapped an arm around her, holding his sister close as she cried silently against his shoulder.

***

Aaron knocked on the door, shifting from one foot to the other, his fingers clutched tightly around the straps of the duffel bag. There was no answer but Aaron knew Sam and Rose were inside. With a deep breath, Aaron opened the door. Sam was next to the window while Rose was sitting on the bed, knees drawn to her chest and head resting on them. Aaron paused at the threshold, staring at her tear-soaked face and red-rimmed eyes. His heart twisted.

“Uncle Mike,” he started. “He...um...he brought some of your...stuff.” He held up the bag.

Neither Sam nor Rose moved, or said a single word. They simply stared at either him or the bag. Aaron lowered it gently to the floor and straightened up. His mouth was dry, voice choked. What could he say? How could he even phrase his apology?
Sorry I ruined your lives?
Even the thought of saying something so utterly useless made Aaron feel sick. No matter what he said, no matter how he said it, it was never going to be enough. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said, before backing out of the room and closing the door.

He was right. It was not enough. Not by a long shot.

***

“Any idea where I’ll find him?”

Drake glanced at Chris before bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a large gulp. “I already told you, I don’t know,” he replied. “No one knows where Neriah is.” He glared at Chris. “And you’re risking everything to seek him out, you do know that?”

“I do,” Chris replied quietly, “but I have to see him.”

“Chris.” Drake put the bottle down and turned in his seat to face him. “You don’t know what it’s like. It’s ten times worse than before.” His brow creased, heavy with concern. “Raoul is still looking for you. The minute he hears you’re back, he’ll come for you with all he’s got. And with Aaron here...” He paused and took a deep breath. “You need to leave. Take your family, go back to the human realm and stay there – for good.”

Chris sat for long, silent minutes before turning to look at Drake. “I spent fourteen years in the human realm,” he said. “I did what I had to, to keep my family safe, but I wasn’t happy, not for one single day. Neither was Kate and the both of us made Aaron miserable. All for what? In the name of safety?” He shook his head, face twisted with grief. “A lot of good that did. Because of us, because of our war, two innocent kids have lost their family, their parents, their home. All because we happened to live on the same street as them.”

“It’s not your fault–”

“Who you kidding?” Chris asked sharply. “Of course it’s my fault!” He stopped and forced out a breath, fighting to remain calm. He leant back to rest against the sofa. “I should have told Aaron the truth. He would have stayed away from the humans if he knew–”

“It’s done now,” Drake cut in. “Stop worrying about others and focus on what’s going to happen to
you.
” His tone sharpened. “There’s no knowing what Neriah will do.”

“Neriah can do what he likes,” Chris said quietly. “He’s well within his right.”

“What about your rights?” Drake asked. “You’re not just an average mage, Chris. You’re an Elemental too. You’re just as important as Neriah.”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Chris said.

“Of course it matters!” Drake snapped. “If you want to face Neriah and survive, you’d better change your attitude!” He lapsed into a strained silence, before slowly shaking his head. “For God’s sake, Chris,” he whispered, “what are you doing? Coming back here is like signing your life away. If not Raoul, then Neriah will destroy you.” His dark eyes narrowed, filled with worry. “Please, go from here. Take your wife and your son and leave. Hide out and live your life. Forget about Neriah and this realm, please. I’m begging you.”

“I tried living like that,” Chris said, before taking a deep, steadying breath. “Neriah will hear me out, I know he will. After I’ve spoken to him, he can do what he likes. I don’t really care.” He looked across at Drake. “But I know Neriah will protect Aaron and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.” His green eyes sharpened. “As for Raoul.” A slight growl underlined the name. “I hope he comes for me. In fact, I’m counting on it.”

Drake looked away, choosing to stare at the door rather than the quietly seething Chris. After a few tense minutes, he spoke. “I heard something about Ragdad,” he said unhappily. “It’s rumoured Neriah was staying there for a while.” He shrugged. “It’s worth a visit.”