“Tell me about the marking,” I request.
“He sliced her from bicep to the wrist, deep enough that it’s still trying to heal, even though it happened over a week ago. He told her it’s meant to be a reminder. She’s strong, Zayne, but you can tell it shook her up.Of course, she didn’t think we would believe her.”
“Did it happen while she was on the other side?” I asked.
“Yeah. She said she shifted suddenly after she got home after her first visit to Frequency and Jasper was there,” he sighs.
“Wait, she shifted at home outside of the club?”
“Yeeaah,” he says, drawing it out as if he’s confused. “Why?”
“Because twice in one night on her own is unheard of. Don’t you remember how hard it was for you to learn the discipline to shift? There’s something different about her, Knox. I just don’t know what it is. She’s strong, stronger than any other Original I’ve come across,” I stress.
“When are we filling her in on everything?” he asks. “Because I can guarantee my phone is going to be blowing up first thing in the morning.I wasn’t sure what to do, so for now I asked her to stay at Vix’s. That way, if anything else happens, Vix will be around.”
When I met Vix for the first time, Knox was honest with me about the fact that he’d told her all about Aetheriem and who we are. He said he was surprised how easily she accepted it as truth. I won’t lie. That gave me pause for a bit, and I have kept an eye on her ever since. She hasn’t shown signs of being an Original, but her open-mindedness has helped Knox to have someone to confide in.
Jasper, being intertwined with Myssa, puts him a step ahead of us. Aetheriem is at his mercy—as strong as the rebellion is slowly becoming, it’s not enough if Jasper gets his claws fully into Myssa.
Time is no longer on our side, and yet it’s all we have.
I need to get in touch with the leaders of the rebellion. We can’t sit on this.
“We’re gonna need to talk to Jess and Stephanie. I don’t know what this means for the rebellion, but I don’t want to just throw Myssa into this without knowing more from them. We are allies in their fight, but we need more information. I’ll arrange a meeting with them. For now, get some sleep. Be here around noon tomorrow, and hopefully we can get a meeting with them then,” I instruct.
“Maybe I should go to Vix’s tonight, just in case they need me,” he says, concerned.
Jealousy courses through my body at his words.
“They will be fine,” I snap.
Knox tenses at my tone and I can’t blame him. I sink back into my chair, trying to calm the unsettling feeling his words have on me.
“I just meant…” he starts, but pauses as if he’s searching for the right words.
I run my fingers through my hair, frustrated with myself. He is just trying to help, and he’s probably feeling the same fears I am, as they’re good friends. I’m sure he’s come up with the same conclusions when it comes to Myssa and Jasper. He wants to protect her, too, but he won’t be able to like I can. I take a deep breath, the remorseful for my tone, and I look back at him.
“I know, I’m sorry, Knox. It’s just a lot to take in, and now we have more questions and less time than we thought,” I say, reassuring him.
“Yeah, I get it,” he says quietly. “I’ll see you in the morning, Z,” Knox shuffles out the door.
Fury creeps to the surface again. I rub my eyes, but the flashes of Jasper touching her invade my mind. The control I thought I had disintegrates. As my hands begin to tremble, the need to release this anger has me channeling it to the first tangible thing I can find.
Looking down, I pick up my glass and throw it at the wall. The shattering glass barely registers as I shift through the darkness between both worlds. Twisting through, I find myself in a basement of an old shack in Aetheriem.
The dimly lit space smells of mildew and ash. There are no windows, and the only way out is a narrow staircase in the corner of the room. Shadows move tentatively in front of me.
Two large frames come into view. Azalia and Levi, two guards of the rebellion flank the doorway of the room. Az looks at me with confusion and concern, no doubt noticing the frustration written all over my face. I take a deep breath and attempting to calm myself as they approach.
“Everything ok, Zayne? We weren’t expecting you tonight.” Az grasps my hand pulling me in to a half-hug in greeting.
I give a nod to Levi and look back at Az.
“Yeah, sorry.” I waver, not sure who I can tell this new information to. I don’t want to go into too much detail regarding this development, my gut tells me to wait till I’ve informed Jess and Steph and let them decide who in Aetheriem needs to know. Myssa’s abilities far exceed ours, which makes me think she is more valuable in this war than any of us realize. Jess and Steph are the right people to have that discussion with before getting anyone else involved.
From the expression on Az’s face, I realize I’ve been standing there a moment too long, and I clear my throat. “Knox and I need to meet with Jess and Steph tomorrow in the afternoon. Can you arrange that?” I ask.
Az nods. “Not a problem—anything we should be concerned about?
