walker saga 07 - earth (7 page)

“I love you, Dad,” I said as I leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. He had to drop his head for me to reach. “You rest and I’ll see you either at Angelisian or the dark mountain.”

He raised a hand and cupped one side of my face. “I’m so proud of you. No matter how this ends up, know that you exceed every single expectation I had of how incredible you would be. You’re a shining star, gifted to your mother and me. We’re blessed.”

I blinked a few times, a wash of emotional heat surging over me, bringing with it a sprinkle of tears. Those words touched me deep in my heart, in a place which I had shut off for most of my life on Earth. I’d had no idea of my parents then, thinking that I’d been abandoned. Wondering who they were and if I had a family out there. I’d never had anyone be proud of me in this way, and it meant so much to hear it.

Before I could splutter out any of my half-formed, random and emotional thoughts, Josian dropped a kiss on my forehead and then turned to grasp onto his best friend’s arm. Grantham took the strain with ease.

“I’ll stay with Jos and Lallielle for a while. I’ve let my second know and he’s keeping me abreast of the situation at the dark mountains.” Grantham addressed me as if I were one of the war council.

Almost as if I were the leader and he was apprising me of his plans.

I’d noticed recently that more and more of this type of Walker respect was being thrown my way. I knew it was in part to do with my melding bond with Brace. I was legitimately one of the leaders of Abernath now. But, more importantly, I was a half-Walker. A mythical creature. And the only hope our worlds had of not turning into an energy soup for the Seventine.

I was humbled to think that my actions had garnered respect from these powerful and ancient beings. Despite my many mistakes, I must be doing something right.

Brace laughed in my mind.
Yep,
he said, y
ou’re adorable.

I wrinkled my nose at him, but didn’t bother arguing with his words. We all left the basement then. Grantham was practically carrying Josian, Lallielle on his other side. I could see my proud father would only allow so much help; he was too alpha to let go of control completely.

Our progress was slow. It was annoying that no doorways could be opened this side of the river on Abernath.
Hmmm.
No doorways, but I wondered if I could trace. It was worth a shot. The three of them were already touching, so I just reached out and linked my hand with my mother. She squeezed my palm. I didn’t clue any of them in, just in case it didn’t work. I didn’t need to close my eyes anymore. I just brought forth a mental picture – the white living room, with the large windows facing the beach – and reach for one of the shiny tethers which littered the space.

With a whoosh our group was pulled through time and space; it took no longer than a heartbeat, but it sometimes felt like an eternity. I almost laughed when I got my first glance of their open-mouthed faces.

“Sorry,” I gasped, still trying not to laugh. “I didn’t actually expect that to work on Abernath.”

Grantham was the first to recover. His booming voice didn’t sound angry, so I think he was okay with my forced tracing. “You should know by now that you’re not bound by the same rules as the rest of us.”

I did know that, but being one of a kind made it difficult to know what
my
rules were. I was kind of just winging it and hoping for the best.

“Thank you, baby girl. That was much better than trekking across Qu … Brace’s world.” Josian’s drawn features lifted.

Where did you go, sweetheart?
Brace was just teasing me. He’d sensed my intentions before I’d traced. He hadn’t known if it would work either.

Be right back.
“I’ve got to go now. We’re going to the dark mountains to check on the half-Walkers and then straight to Earth. The last girl is calling to me.” Like a dutiful daughter, I updated my parentals on my comings and goings. “Stay safe and call me if any trouble comes around.”

Josian snorted. “Now she thinks she takes care of us,” he said to his mate. “Cheeky brat.”

I grinned. “That’s what kids are for: helping their parents when they become frail and elderly.”

Something I would never actually experience. My parents looked like they were thirty and always would.

Josian rubbed at his brow. “I feel that I should defend myself here … I’m not elderly, just well preserved.”

Lallielle laughed, the peal of her sweet melody echoing around the room. It had been so long since I’d heard her happiness; it lifted my spirits. I wasn’t the only one. Josian moved toward her, as if the sound was drawing him in. Calling to him. I knew my family would be okay while I was gone. Grantham would watch out for them and they would have some bonding time. Which they needed after all the laluna drama.

There were kisses and hugs all around, and then I prepared to trace back to Brace.

Josian stopped me just before I left. “Watch your back, baby girl, I have no idea what’s coming now, and that makes me nervous. I would forsake much in these worlds to keep you safe, and as soon as my energy returns I’ll be fighting right beside you.”

I knew that without a shadow of a doubt.

Waving goodbye, I grabbed a tether on Abernath and traced back to the front step of the glass building. Brace, Colton, Lucy, and Cerberus were waiting for me.

“Ready, peeps?” I asked, preparing myself for the next move.

It was time to get serious. We were running out of time. First World battle, here we come.

Chapter 4

To the untrained eye the area around the dark mountains was pure chaos. On the side closest to the mountain itself was Team Awesome: seven Walker clans, First World’s army, and an array of faerie creatures. Including the pixie clan, of which Lucy was the princess; and the faerie clan, of which she was also a princess. Yep, my BFF was a double-princess – probably explained her attitude.

The other side was Team Douchebags: weird tree entities, little fire-lizards, zombies, and an array of other soul-sucking assfaces created by the Seventine.

Right then the creatures were reluctant to engage Team Awesome fully; fighting had only broken out in small pockets. On the far right border the Relli clan, some pixies and sprites were fighting a pod of tree entities. Those suckers were fast and deadly; you couldn’t let them get their branches around you or they’d cut you right in half. And unfortunately they were pretty impervious to fire. Though, on the plus side, the sprites seemed to have some sort of magic which stunned them and gave our army a chance to chop them down. Together our people were keeping the Seventines’ evil minions at bay, stopping them from reaching the dark mountain.

Some of the leaders believed that the dark creatures were trying to bring the mountain down so that the prison within would be weakened. I doubted that; right then the prison was extra strong. Our plan to rid the worlds of the evil laluna had worked and now they were part of the cage’s security. The prison itself would never fall, but bringing down the mountain might help to weaken First World, and it would be a right old pain in the butt if we had to dig through a ton of rock to find the prison again.

I didn’t linger with the army. I was only there to check in with my half-Walker girls. We were working on our bonds, strengthening them, and that required time and proximity to each other. I knew where they were; I could feel each of them at a cellular level. I was the conduit, the key to bringing all of our elemental powers together. Their energy clustered near the entrance into the dark mountain. I was surprised to feel that Talina had already returned from Spurn. Which was perfect: I would get to see them all in one place.

Everyone followed as I wove through the masses. I had a pretty good idea of which race, clan or species most of the beings were from. Even though the Walkers had no marks on display.

We were receiving many curious looks – which was nothing new – and more than a few nods of respect. Occasionally as I brushed past a Walker I would feel a small knot of heat and connection in my center, and I knew they were Abernaths. I recognized them as my clan, as my people. For Brace, the recognition was a hundred times stronger.

“I can’t believe the Walker clans are interacting like this?” I said to Brace as we continued navigating through the crowds. “The last time we gathered they needed fenced-off and security-staffed areas.”

Yeah, they were ancient, wise and powerful, but they also had a touch of Neanderthal.

Brace reached out and linked our fingers together. Walkers were touchy-feely types; I was totally not complaining about that.

“Times of war. Brings us together. We put petty differences aside in these situations.”

My girls had commandeered a back section, close to the entrance of the mountain, but not close enough to block the flow of traffic. Team Awesome were using the inner tunnels for planning and strategy meetings. Cerberus took off and I knew he wanted to meet up with his pals, the other sacred animals. I tilted my head to the side as flashes of color caught my attention.
Holy crap …
there were fresh guides. I was just trying to get a clear look at the new animals when the girls sensed my presence.

“Abbs!”

“Supes!”

Talina and Fury smashed into me, their arms encircling me as we fell in a tangled mess. The moment we touched, the golden tether in my head latched on to them, bonding us together. Our powers reached for each other, as if they’d been waiting for the moment to be together again. Sapha, Ria and Delane were slower crossing.

Sapha was our newest female, from a cold and strange world, Dronish. She didn’t really trust me, or the others yet, but she was gradually falling under the half-Walker spell. It was hard to deny our connection when we were linked on a cellular level. We held the energy of the originals, and our bond went back millennia.

Ria reached out and pulled me to my feet, her stunningly beautiful face creased in happiness as she pulled me in for a hug. “We missed you.” Violet eyes, encased by inky black lashes, locked in on me.

I was now connected to three of the half-Walkers and, needing the bond to be complete, I reached out a hand. Delane did not hesitate. The Nephilius half was one of the strongest beings I knew. She came across as stern, regimented even. Her personality contained a rigidness born through the years of constant training and battle. However she was loosening up. The changes were small, but I noticed them.

Sapha was the slowest, but even she couldn’t deny our calling. Gold-and-red eyes locked onto my face as she finally placed her hand into mine. Her skin was strange, chameleon-like as it changed and morphed, but mostly it was a stunning ebony color, which really highlighted the eyes and purple-hued hair.

Every half-Walker had striking features, a beautiful hybrid mix of the worlds they called home and their Walker clan. They were my people, my family, and I loved every single one. Even the slightly suspicious, standoffish Sapha.

“What are you doing back here, Supes?” Fury latched on to me and, even though she was talking out loud, I could also feel her words in my mind. “Did you find Josian? Where’s the Earth half?”

I almost laughed out loud when her sacred animal dashed across the space and practically climbed the white-haired half-Walker. Fury’s skin – which was already a lightly burnt-red color with a white sheen – went extra red. Her blush deepened as we both turned to the black kitty now perched on her shoulder.

“Aw, beautiful,” I said, my voice light and teasing. “You two look cozy there.”

Fury narrowed her gray eyes at me. “Shut it, Supes. Crete and I are … you know … it’s fine and all.”

I reached forward as if to snatch the little cutie off her shoulder. She reacted instinctively, shifting him out of my reach. Her skin tone darkened even further. She was so busted, already totally in love with her baby fluff ball. Any further teasing was forgotten, though, as my focus was drawn to the rest of the animal guides. There were definitely some new arrivals. As always, the energy of these original creatures drew me. I stepped closer, my footsteps silent as my gaze remained locked.

“I can’t believe it,” Lucy said, from where she stood with the boys. “It’s a phoenix.”

It was; it looked exactly like the mythical bird which could be reborn in the flames. Well – a close version of it. Of course, I had no idea if this Walker guide had the same abilities as the mythological creature from Earth. Either way, it was just – spectacular.

I was watching the phoenix as it hovered in the midst of the sacred animals when Sapha was suddenly at my side. I was surprised at how close she stood to me.

Her English was a little rough, but already improving. “Nandia and … she’s mine.” She held one of her slender arms aloft.

Nandia was not massive. Her wing span was only about the length of my forearm. I wondered if she would be able to change size if needed. I was pretty sure all of the sacred animals could grow bigger, but I hadn’t mentioned that possibility to Fury. It was more fun for her to think she’d been saddled with the animal most likely to win ‘cutest fluff ball ever’.

As the phoenix settled onto Sapha’s bicep, I was able to really see the finer details. She was golden in color, with streaks of orange, black and red threading the feathered wings and long tendrils of tail feathers. She had an eagle-like beak and large, obsidian eyes, which never blinked. There were plumes of feathery appendages, like a crest, along the top of her head, and others scattered around. All in all, Nandia was simply the most stunning bird I had ever seen. Her colors shimmered and danced in the light, almost as if there was a fire burning all over her, and yet I felt no heat.

“Sort of ironically appropriate that you would have a phoenix,” I murmured to Sapha.

“What do you mean?” She was often confused by my words.

I really wanted to touch the beautiful creature. She was captivating, but there was no mistaking the wildness in her gaze. Sort of like Sapha.

“The phoenix represents rebirth. Rising from the ashes. You’ve experienced something similar since Dronish.”