Final Life: Book One in the Transhuman Chronicles

CHAPTER TWELVE

  I placed the feather in my book, thanked Ms. Ryken for her time, and got out of there quick. I needed to find Farrell. I ran as fast as I could to the side exit where we always parked. And there he stood, just outside the glass doors. I burst through them, put my stuff on the ground, and got right in his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for me to speak. The smell of sand still lingered around me.

  "Were we really there? At the beach?"

  "Yes," he said. "We were."

  "How? I don’t get it." I stared at my hands. I could still feel the sand sifting through them.

  "Dominique, you need to trust us, and yourself. It’s the only way." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You’ve heard of the saying there’s strength in numbers, right? Well, we’re stronger when we’re together."

  "But I don’t even know you," I whispered.

  Hurt flashed across his eyes, I could tell, but why? There was nothing between us. If anything, the one I wanted was Trent. But now that Farrell had announced we were dating, that would be impossible.

  "Listen, I know you’re trying to help, but we’re not a couple," I said. "Got it?"

  "Yeah. I got it."

  My mind raced with everything Ms. Ryken had said about destiny and finding your path when ready. Well, I was ready. "From now on we do things my way, okay?"

  He nodded.

  That was it? Just a nod? He didn’t have any objections?

  "Hey! There you are!" Infiniti approached with curious look on her face. "What were you guys doing?"

  "Nothing," I said. "Let's go, it’s freezing."

  Infiniti drove home with the radio blaring. I was grateful for the music because I didn’t want to talk. How could I? I kept thinking of the feather Ms. Ryken had given me and the beach I had visited with Farrell. In fact, my thoughts were so deep I didn’t even feel the car park in front of my house.

  "Hey," Infiniti said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "You cool?"

  "Yeah," I said. "I’m cool."

  Farrell and I got out of the car and made our way to the door. When we got there, Jan popped into mind. The feather that Ms. Ryken had given me looked just like the one at Jan’s. That was it. The first step on my new path was to Jan’s.

  I dumped my stuff on the dining room table. "I’m going to Jan’s."

  Farrell's eyes narrowed. "Not without me."

  If something happened and I needed him, he’d show up. So technically, I didn’t need him with me. "I’ll be fine. And I won’t be long."

  The cold air chilled my face and a couple of snow flurries floated by as I walked to Jan's. Snow, in Houston of all places, just like Farrell had said. I held my hand out and watched tiny snowflakes land on my glove. Nothing like back home, but close enough.

  When I got to Jan’s house, I paced the sidewalk for a while rehearsing what I would say to her. Luckily, I didn’t have to think about it too long when her front door opened. She wore the same long black coat, with dark earmuffs and a brown walking stick.

  "Dominique," she said. "What a pleasant surprise. I was heading out for a walk. How are you, dear?"

  "I’m good, thanks. I was just coming to pay you a visit. I, uh, need your help."

  She froze in place for a minute, stared at me, and then closed her eyes. "It is time," she whispered. She placed the walking stick outside her door and wiped her feet off on the mat, even though there was no way she could’ve gotten them dirty. She looked over her shoulder. "Well, come on."

  I followed her to the kitchen and sat at the table—the scenario familiar now. Vanilla oozed in the air, the glass chandelier sparkled with odd and unusual decorations, and Jan prepared tea. The one difference? The white feather hanging from the fixture was still gone. I wondered what had happened to it.

  "So what’s on your mind?" Jan asked, setting the teacups on the table and sitting across from me.

  "Jan, the last time we spoke you said you were here for me. Well, I’m in trouble. There is something going on with me that I don’t understand. Please, can you help me?"

  Jan never blinked. Her eyes never left mine. I waited for a response, but she gave none. It was like she had lost her ability to speak. She reached out and grasped my wrist. "Yes."

  That was it; that was all I needed to hear. I was not alone.

  "In order for me to help you, I must know everything."

  And so I told Jan everything that had happened to me since moving here: the card game at Infiniti's, the visions of the red desert, the incident with the Ouija board. I even told her who Farrell and my parents were and how Tavion had marked me. She took it all in without blinking an eye. When I finished, a wave of relief washed over me.

  She stared at me for a moment. "May I see the back of your neck?"

  "Sure." I gathered my hair over to one side of my neck, pulled my collar down, and turned to show her my birthmark.

  "It’s an interesting mark," she said. "It almost looks like—" she paused before placing three fingertips on the spot. "Like someone touched you with burning fingertips."

  I swallowed hard. "I guess you could describe it like that."

  She moved away from me and closed her eyes, rubbing her creased temples with her thick fingertips. There had to be something she could do to help me. There just had to be. Then she started mumbling to herself, repeating some of what I had told her. "Marked by evil, last life, shielded, no aura, no memory, energy beings." Her eyes popped open. "I’ve got it. Wait here for one moment."

  She left the room and returned with a small red velvet bag. She opened it and brought out several different shaped and colored crystals: pink, gold, blue, clear, green, purple, and black. Some were jagged and long, others smooth and small. They were beautiful and sparkly.

  She touched each one. "Crystals have been around since the dawn of civilization. They’re powerful because they contain pure energy." She placed them in front of me. "I guess you could say that they too are energy beings."

  What? These hard stones? Like Mom, Dad, and Farrell? I tried hard to wrap my brain around that concept, but had a hard time. She could tell I was skeptical.

  "Dominique, everything in the universe emits energy. From the smallest blade of glass to the largest mountain. What crystals do is help you hone your energy, understand it, and even use it to your advantage. Understand?"

  I wanted to touch the crystals, especially the darkest one. "Yes, I think I get it."

  "Good. Now touch the one that’s calling you." My hand went for the black stone. It was the size and shape of a quarter, but thicker. My fingers rubbed the smooth surface and a hint of vibration pulsed in my palm. I brought it close and eyed it carefully. It wasn’t black at all, but dark green with flecks of red and gold.

  "That is bloodstone, the stone of courage," Jan explained. "It is said that the power of that stone overcomes enemies. Soldiers often carried it in battle."

  I remembered Farrell’s words when he and my parents had explained who I was. The final battle for the marked one is upon us. My fingers wrapped around the stone. I needed its energy and strength, needed to build my courage. I held it for a while, letting its power seep into me.

  Jan held out her hand. "Here, let me see if I can glean anything from your interaction with the stone."

  When I gave it to her, she closed her eyes. The room darkened. The vanilla in the air intensified. Her body twitched, her face grimaced, and she shook her head back and forth. "No!" she called out, dropping the stone on the table.

  I freaked and backed away from the table, halfway expecting the stone to explode or something.

  Jan looked at me with fear-filled eyes. "Dominique, when is your birthday?"

  That’s right; my eighteenth birthday was coming up. "January third."

  "Oh dear," she said. She closed her eyes, doing the math in her head. "Two weeks," she muttered.

  My pulse quickened. My hands shook. "What is it?"

  "Your battle will occur before your eighteenth
birthday. It always has, I saw it."

  "My death," I muttered.

  Jan squeezed my hand so tight that my fingertips turned red. "Yes," she said. "Your death."

  My eyes landed on the stone of courage, carried by soldiers who went into battle. I had touched its energy, but would it stay with me?

  "I’m leaving for a trip tomorrow back to my home town, back to Oracle," Jan said. "I’ll see what I can find out while I’m there, okay?" She released my hand. "And while I’m gone, you need to do what you can here on your end. Okay? You must discover the truth in what your parents seek."

  The truth? They had told me they were searching for a way to remove my mark. Obviously, there was more to it than that.

  "Oh, and one more thing," Jan said, her lip quivering. "The one hunting you has sent out his Trackers. They search for you now."

  Panic filled me. My eyes went to the dark stone again. Please, let me win this time.