I walk over and slump over in my chair, feeling defeated. I pull out my phone and text Myssa.
“Any word from Jess and Steph?” Knox asks.
“No, not yet, but hopefully soon.” I stretch over to grab the bottle from the bar and continue to do a good job of numbing myself.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“No, there’s nothing to talk about. I just need to keep focus,”
“Got it,” he says, “I’m just gonna leave you to your thoughts, then.” He makes his way out the door.
I don’t protest. I need to be alone, and anger starts to consume me. Why, why now? Why did she have to walk into my life now? I throw the glass as hard as I can, and it shattersinto tiny pieces, scattering on the floor.I really need to stop throwing my glasses. I lean over my desk, holding my head in my hands, and close my eyes. But my mind keeps racing.
“Zayne.”
I sit up, my eyes wide as I search the room. His voice is a whisper but loud, as if he’s standing next to me. The music’s still pounding through the walls, the patrons are still talking, and glasses are still clinking in the background, showcasing the good times being had below. My heart starts to thud heavily.
“Zayne.”I stand up, looking around as his voice grows louder and more prominent this time.Jess?I ask, but I already know the answer.
I close my eyes and concentrate on the frequency around me, pulling myself through the distance between both realms and into Aetheriem. When I look around, though, it’s different—a dark room with a small shred of that crimson moonlight filtering through the cracks in the tattered walls around me. I see something, or someone, moving in the shadows.
“Wasn’t sure if you heard me. I have to admit, I’m a little rusty.” His low voice lets out a small chuckle.
“Jess, I thought that was you, but how?” I ask, screwing my face up in confusion.
“Too long to explain, and we haven’t much time,” he says.
“Why? What’s going on? What is Jasper doing now?”
“Not sure, honestly. He’s quiet, but sources say he’s on the move. I’m not sure what he’s up to, but we found something, and I wanted to make sure you knew in case…” but he trails off. Seeing Jess like this makes all the hairs on my back of my neck to raise in high alert.
“Are you sure you want to divulge this to me?” I ask.
His expression is guarded, but his eyes are filled with sympathy.
“Zayne, when are you going to realize that it wasn’t your fault? You didn’t do anything wrong. I trust you, with my life and Steph’s.” He grips my shoulder. “Stop blaming yourself for what happened. He did this, not you.”
I swallow hard and nod, but as much as I appreciate his words, I can’t shake that all of this could have been avoided if I’d just figured out who I was sooner. if I didn’t end up here. All the what if’s that have plagued me since this started months ago swirl through my thoughts.
Pulling out a journal, Jess opens to a page and uses the light from the cracks to bring the writing into view.
When the first of their kind
Become intertwined
The creation of one
Falters the shift of the sun
The Frequency torn
Darkness is born
Only truest love entwined
Can end the destruction of time.
My brow knits as I flip through the pages, seeing the same line written over and over again. It’s as though whoever wrote it was going mad trying to pull it out of themselves. They were making a point to whoever found it that this is important. But who? Jess closes the book with a snap, looking at me expectantly. Does he think this writing would make sense to me? Maybe he thinks it’s something I’ve heard before. But I haven’t.
