A Chosen Life (11 page)

“Hold on.” Bastian took a sharp turn at nearly sixty miles an hour. Tolen felt the side of the truck lift slightly. He looked down at Macy wondering if she was being serious about the stuff blowing his legs off, but the piles of dirt on her lap were gone. She held out her hand for the pouches.

“What were those things?” He watched her reattach the pouches to her belt.

She ignored him.

“They looked like Glockshaw.” Dane clutched the window handle trying to stay in his seat. “Miniature bombs; Kunamin are famous for them. Very cool.”

The side of Macy’s mouth twitched.

Tolen only understood ‘bombs’ but right now he had a bigger concern. “Dane?” He cringed when they hit a bump that sent the springs smacking into his tailbone.

“Yeah?” Dane leaned into the door as they turned again.

“Where exactly in California is your home?” He asked wondering how long they’d be sandwiched in the back of this truck.

“The Lava Beds.”

He looked at Dane in confusion. “Isn’t that a National monument?”

“Yeah. You’d be surprised to find out how many colonies of Hidden use national parks, forests, and other protected lands as their homes throughout the world. They are some of the only places left that humans don’t have full access to. It’s a perfect setup if you think about it.”

Tolen gripped the seat as Bastian slammed on the brakes, slowing from sixty down to thirty as they entered a small town.

“Macy, the first band will be on the left as soon as we enter the canyon.” Bastian tapped his hands nervously on the steering wheel.

She nodded. “How many?”

“I am not sure yet.”

“Why are we going into a canyon? Won’t that box us in?” Tolen glanced at Dane. His mother glanced over her shoulder but didn’t say anything. The look in her eyes sent shivers down his back. They were filled with fear.

“We don’t really have a choice.” Dane shrugged, trying to look unconcerned, but some of the same fear in his mother’s eyes was mirrored in Dane’s. “We need someplace we can use our gifts without drawing unwanted attention. Nine Mile Canyon rarely gets tourists this early in the season.”

Tolen had been to Nine Mile Canyon several times. Its name was a ruse—its rocky dirt roads twisted and curved through the canyon until the total miles was more like fifty. Even driving as fast as they could, it would take over an hour to get out the other side.

“What about the people who live in there?”

Dane shifted in his seat. “Let’s hope they’re smart enough to stay inside tonight.”

Just as the sun began to drop below the horizon, Bastian turned beside a sign declaring they were entering the canyon.

Tolen took a deep breath. Fifty miles of terror coming up . . .

Bastian clicked on the headlights as night settled over the desert. Tolen looked out the back window, wondering how far they would make it before they were attacked, when suddenly something slammed into the driver’s side of the truck. Bastian swerved, skidded into the rocks and cranked the wheel, fishtailing back onto the road.

Bastian glanced in his side mirrors. “Macy, be ready.”

His eyes flashed to Tolen in the rearview. “Tolen you need to remain as calm as possible. You will see things tonight that will be unlike anything you have ever imagined. Try not to let fear overtake you. Stay with one of us at all times and you will be fine.”

Tolen had a hard time believing any of them were going to be fine as football sized rocks started flying in like a hailstorm, hitting the truck and crashing into the windshield, sending cracks spider-webbing across the glass surface.

“We’re not going to make it much farther in the truck!” Dane shouted.

Macy rolled down her window and ducked. A rock the size of Tolen’s fist sailed past her face and hit the back of Bastian’s seat. She rubbed her hands together, breathed on one of the balls of dirt, and flung it out the window. A huge explosion shattered the air behind them and the rock-storm ceased for several minutes.

An enormous black something dropped right in front of them and Bastian veered sharply to miss slamming into it. The truck spun and teetered. Sure they were about to roll, Tolen gripped his seat and held on for all he was worth.

A wall of dirt appeared out of the darkness and the truck crashed sideways into it. The passenger side windows shattered, the truck’s steel frame buckled and they were all shoved to one side in a tangle of arms and legs.

“Thanks.” Macy muttered as she climbed off Tolen.

Dane rubbed his jaw. “Anytime.”

“You did that? How?” Tolen’s heart felt like it’d taken residence in his throat.

Dane shrugged then massaged his shoulder. “I asked. I didn’t know if Earth would respond. But thankfully she did.”

Tolen opened his mouth to ask what the black mass was that they’d swerved around, but Bastian began shouting and the panic in his voice drove the question out of his mind.

“Get out! Get OUT!”

They all scrambled trying to pry open the dented doors, but they wouldn’t budge.

Bastian leaned into his door and pushed. With a loud grunt of metal, the door ripped from its hinges. “Everyone up here!”

They scrambled over the seats. Once Bastian made sure everyone got out, he grabbed Macy and Tolen by the back of their shirt collars and shoved them forward. “Run to that outcropping! Go!”

Seconds after Tolen started to run, an explosion behind them sent him flying forward to his hands and knees. He glanced back to see the remains of the black thing they’d swerved to miss shooting sparks and debris into the air. A second explosion and the truck ignited into a volcano of fire and metal.

Chapter Eight

Change of
Plans

“Tolen, come on!” Macy grabbed the back of his shirt and wrenched him upright.

They stopped at the outcropping. Tolen leaned over with his hands on his knees searching the night, terrified for his mother and best friend. “Where’s everyone else?”

Macy pointed towards the left of the smoking truck. “There. They couldn’t get across before the truck exploded, so they jumped into the ditch.”

“What do we do?” Tolen panted. Fear twisted through his gut. His body weak and shaky.

“First you gotta chill. Fear is a device of the Dark. Bastian wasn’t joking about staying calm. If you let it get to you, you’ll weaken and no matter what I do, you’ll die.”

“That calms me right down,” he mumbled, trying to ignore that that was exactly what was happening. He could feel the fear literally taking strength from him, but he couldn’t stop it.

“Shh. Get down!” Macy pushed on his back. “There are two Raksasha scouts at four o’clock. And I think a Reconn is nearing the ditch.”

“What are you going to do?” Tolen whispered, struggling and failing in the fight against the powerful surge of fear that seemed to be a real monster bent on killing him.

Macy closed her eyes and rubbed her palms together. Tolen smelled something floral and minty and wondered fleetingly if she was smashing more herbs, but he hadn’t seen her put anything in her hands.

She opened her eyes. “I think there are four more Raksasha running in behind the two over there.” She pointed and he could swear he saw a tiny stream of smoke trailing from her finger. “I’m not positive though, Bastian’s better at reading the Dark’s vibes. If we can plan our attack with the others at the same time, we should be able to startle them enough to regroup.”

“How’s Bastian going to know to attack at the same time?”

“He’s aware of our thoughts remember. Wait for my signal and then I want you to run back to the others, all right?”

Tolen nodded, noticing it was getting harder to breathe. “What’s the signal?”

“When I take down the first two Raksasha.”

“By yourself?”

“It’s what I do.” She closed her eyes once more, mumbled something under her breath, and then leapt from their hiding spot, soaring at least ten feet in the air before landing outside the circle of light cast by the burning truck.

Tolen couldn’t see anything.

A muffled thump, a bone-chilling screech, and something rolled down the road in his direction. It looked like the blackened head of a skeleton with glowing yellow eyes.

He scrambled backwards until his back hit into the rock behind him. From the ditch he could hear more thuds and shrieks, but he couldn’t see anything that direction either. Panic gripped his heart like a black dream. Sweat poured down his face and dripped into his eyes. He’d never been more scared in his life. How was he supposed to stay calm when he didn’t even know if anyone was still alive?

He looked back to where Macy had disappeared. Why couldn’t his weird abilities work when he wanted them to? He tried to see in the dark, get his eye to let in more light, but it wouldn’t. He tried to search his mind for any trees nearby, but all he could feel was a growing sense of dread. His lips started to go numb.

How was he supposed to know when both Raksasha were dead if he couldn’t see? He swallowed back bile, deciding that he was just going to run. What else could he possibly do?

Nothing.

He poised to run.

Macy appeared suddenly, struggling with what seemed to be some kind of man-sized skeletal black ape. It shrieked like a bat and clawed at the air. She danced just out of its reach, dodging its every move. The sight horrified him—worse than any of his nightmares. It was nearly as frightening to watch Macy as the monster. He hadn’t been one to watch many real fights on TV, but even he could tell a master when he saw one.

Macy was lethal.

She twisted out of the way of the Raksasha’s long, disgusting fingernails and lunged. The creature began to fall forward and she ran up its back as it fell, launched herself from its shoulders, spun in the air, and came to land just in front of it. She reached down and pulled her knife from the back of its skull.

The two were dead. That was the signal, but now Tolen
couldn’t
make his legs move; instead he leaned over and threw up.

Macy ran toward him, her knife dripping black blood. She jumped in the air and his first thought was
she’s going to kill me
, but she soared over his head. He could hear her feet land on the rock above. Pebbles rained down from the edge, another shriek split the night, and a huge body fell at Tolen’s feet.

The Raksasha’s legs were still twitching. Macy jumped down and tugged her knife from between its eyes.

She shouted in Tolen’s face and pulled on his arm, but he couldn’t hear her, he couldn’t hear anything but a strange buzzing sound. He felt the sensation of someone dragging him forward and then being flung over something moving—someone’s shoulder? He was vaguely aware of his mother’s voice. She kept asking him if he was okay, but a fog had started to settle over his brain.

o o o

“How the
H
are we supposed to outrun this legion if we have to carry Tolen the whole freakin’ way?” Macy leaned against a pile of boulders with her hands on her knees. She used her life force to aid her eyes in the dark, but not to help her run—she needed all her strength for the Kuna.

Bastian lowered Tolen to the ground as they all tried to catch their breath, but it had to be a short breather. The Raksasha’s shrieks were getting louder.

Macy could see hundreds of them through the darkness, crawling over the mountainside like an army of disgusting black ants. They would be here in minutes. The last firebomb she’d thrown into the mountainside hadn’t slowed the creatures as much as she’d hoped.

Bastian opened his mouth, but Areen interrupted him from where she sat panting on the ground. “I will stay behind and distract them.”

“I’ll stay with you.” Dane clutched his side—blood seeped between his fingers.

Macy rounded on them. “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.” She turned to Bastian. “They’re crazy! It’s suicide!”

Bastian wasn’t listening—the look on his face said he was considering their options—his eyes were dilating again. “Areen, I cannot tell if you will be able to get away after the three of us escape. You may both be captured or killed.”

Areen’s determined glare pierced the darkness. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take to save my son.”

“And I’ll take to save my friend,” Dane added with a grimace.

Areen struggled to her feet. “Can you see that you will escape?”

Bastian helped her stand and stepped back, his face reluctant. “Yes. The diversion will work. Ten Reconn and three Raksasha, will notice us and follow, but Macy will ensure our escape.”

Macy raised her eyebrows.
I will?

Areen’s lips trembled as she leaned over to brush a strand of hair from Tolen’s forehead. “We’ll hold them off long enough for you to get out of the canyon. I should be able to shield Tolen at least that far. Then you’ll be on your own.”

This would likely be the last time Areen would ever see Tolen. Her final goodbye to her son, and he wasn’t even awake to hear it. Macy looked at the woman’s pale face.
No way
. This lady who looked like death twenty-four hours ago couldn’t hold off an entire legion of Dark servants, even with the Doogar’s help. But her jaw was set and her eyes held a look of determination that was all too familiar; Macy’s father’s face had worn the same look the last time she’d seen him—a look that haunted her to this day.

Macy clenched her teeth and balled her fists.

Dane bowed humbly to Bastian and turned to Macy. “Tolen is my best friend. Please help him learn the ways of the Chosen.”

Macy shuffled her feet in the dirt, shoved her fists in her pockets, and nodded.

Areen touched Bastian’s arm. “Please, please protect my son.”

“With my life.” Bastian ran his hand through the air above Areen’s head. “By my blood and my oath, he will be safe in my care.” He placed his hand over his heart.

Macy shook her head.
You’re all insane.

Bastian’s eyes flashed in her direction and back to Dane. “Good luck Master Dane. I shall pass along your great acts to the Elders at the Binithan.”

“
Liosladon
,” Dane whispered.

“
Liosladon
.” Bastian bowed his head briefly.

Areen nodded once in their direction as silent tears ran down her cheeks.

Once they were out of earshot, Macy looked up at him. “So, how exactly am I supposed to ensure our escape?”

Bastian hefted Tolen higher on his shoulder. “You are going to send fire to that location.” He pointed to a high perch of rock, covered with dry brush and rocks, in front of Areen and Dane’s hiding spot.

“It will startle the Raksasha and blind them to us. There are Reconn and Raksasha high enough above to notice us escape, but I can
see
that once Areen and Dane engage the advancement they will be too distracted to hear the Reconn call the alert. You will send one bomb at them, enhanced with your Kuna. It will take them all out at the same time.”

“That big an explosion is going to freak out any humans around, especially if they’ve already discovered the truck.”

“We have no other choice. We can hope that they will not choose to investigate until dawn. By then, the Dark will have retreated.”

“If I use that much of my Kuna, and we use our life forces to run the rest of the way out of here, I’ll be too weak to move for days. They’ll catch up.” Already she could feel the drain.

“On the other side of that hill, the Bureau of Land Management has stashed a truck we can borrow.” Bastian’s brow furrowed as he stared into the darkness at things only he could see.

“I love the way you justify grand theft auto.” Macy sighed. “Okay, tell me when to go.” She rubbed her palms together until she could smell eucalyptus and roses, and pulled the last Glockshaw from her pocket. Smoke rose slowly from her fingertips.

“Now!” Bastian shouted.

Macy took aim. “
To’ inreedo mig’nata!”
The other side of the canyon came into clear focus and strength surged down her arms. She threw the Glockshaw as hard as she could and marked it as it soared through the air.

Just before it hit the ledge, she thrust her hands toward it. “
Mi’no ha
!” Huge balls of fire shot from her hands. She twisted her fingers and the fireballs combined, forming into one gigantic flaming boulder. It slammed into the ledge with a deafening crash. White-hot flame burst into the air, lighting the canyon as if it were high noon. She bent over gasping for air.

“Good job, Macy.” Bastian patted her on the back. “Now run!”