Chapter Fifty-Two - Ethan Hernandez
ETHAN SPAT THE toothpaste into the basin, rinsed his mouth, and studied his reflection in the mirror. A faint smile fell on his lips — awkward and uncertain, but real. He felt lighter. The burden that pressed on him for weeks seemed lifted. The voices, visions, the unbearable ache appeared gone. Had last night’s burst of power been a release? A type of catharsis forcing his attunements into some fragile alignment?
He didn’t know. Maybe it didn’t matter. What mattered was breakfast with Jason. The thought warmed him, his chest blossomed with affection for his boyfriend. He placed the toothbrush back in the holder, hung his damp towel neatly from the rack, scooped up his soiled clothes from the night before, and tossed them into the hamper.
For a fleeting moment, life felt normal.
With that, he stepped out of the bathroom, excited to join Jason. The savory scent of breakfast greeted him, wafting through their small, modest apartment. The smell of crepes with eggs and bacon cooling on the table was enough to make his stomach growl with anticipation.
“Smells good!” Ethan called, his voice carried lightly. “Is Farmer here yet?” He stepped toward the kitchenette, expecting to see Jason standing by the stove.
The space was empty.
His brow furrowed, “Jason?” he called out, louder this time. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
Then he noticed — the front door, ajar, cold air rushing in and snipping at his bare arms.
His heart sank, “Jason?”
Ethan darted toward the door, poking his head outside. Fresh snow blanketed the ground, undisturbed save for a set of footprints leading away from their apartment. Grabbing the first pair of sneakers he could find, he slipped them on and stepped out into the frigid morning.
The outside world held an unnerving hush. The crunch of snow beneath his feet echoed, he crossed his arms, the cold air invading his bodily warmth.
He followed the footprints to the edge of the iron rod banister overlooking the apartment complex courtyard. He squinted into the horizon when suddenly, the sharp rhythmic thwipping of helicopter blades shattered the silence.
Ethan’s gaze snapped upward. A helicopter, black and unmarked, ascended sharply, its blades slicing through the crisp winter air. His chest tightened and his pulse roared in his ears.
“Jason!” he bellowed, his voice breaking.
Without thinking, Ethan thrust his hand towards the helicopter, his eyes blazing gold. He felt the familiar surge of energy course through him, his power reaching, pulling, demanding the aircraft back towards the ground. The world seemed to tremble, the snow swirled violently beneath him.
But the helicopter climbed higher, slipping out of the grasp of his power. His outstretched hand trembled, the gold glow in his eyes flickered and faded as exhaustion overtook him. The cold stung his face, his breath hitched.
“Jason…” he whispered, his voice cracking as he watched th e helicopter shrink into the distance, a dark speck against the pale morning sky.
Soon came the sharp clatter of boots against the pavement. He glanced towards the direction of the sound, through his daze he spotted Asako rushing towards him, breathless and pale. Her coat flapped wildly around her. She bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
“Ethan…they’re coming for…Bellamy’s notes…” she wheezed, struggling to string the words together between gasps and gulps of air.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed, his chest heaving, “What? What are you talking about? Jason’s gone! They’ve just taken him!” He said pointing to the sky.
Asako straightened, swallowing hard, her face etched with urgency. “Jason’s in danger. Ethan listen to me. They know what you are. They know what he is. You’re both anchors,” she said.
Ethan stared at her, his mind reeled. The word — anchor— reverberated in his head. What did it mean? He looked back towards the sky, the helicopter completely out of sight, his heart hammered in his chest.
“Who took him?” his voice was raw, barely restrained, the air around him seemed to sizzle and crackle with energy.
Asako shook her head, her expression pained, “I don’t know…but I have an idea of who. Besides, Ethan…this is just the beginning. There’s something coming. Something big.”
The weight of her words settled over Ethan. The warmth of hope had drained from him replaced by something hard, resolute. Somewhere in the distance, the campus bell tolled.
If they wanted Jason, they would have to face him. He was only just beginning to understand the power he held.
And soon they would too.