3. Scotlind
THREE
SCOTLIND
I cursed my stomach as nausea threatened to spill out of me. Even though only a few minutes had passed, it felt like hours stuck inside the portal. The trench was on the opposite side of the planet—we were lucky Kallon had already set up a portal close to the opening. She told us that decades ago, she traveled with Brock when he was stationed to guard and created one in case he needed a quick out. So the direct portal destination saved us precious time, but the long distance had my gut spinning.
It was made worse by Kallon not anchoring us. I learned the hard way that not holding onto her hand while we jumped had Tezya and I spinning in endless circles. She was the only one who could truly navigate through it, but when I connected my enhancement to hers, it was like I could glimpse a touch of her ability. It allowed me to keep us tethered to her so we wouldn’t get permanently lost inside the portal. But the constant twirling had my body intertwining with Tezya’s to the point where I couldn’t tell where his started and mine ended.
My vision blurred with blue as a large wave tumbled over us. For a split second, the tumbling crest felt so similar to the spinning motion of the portal and the depths of the ocean looked almost as dark that it took me a second to process we were here. A rough hand grabbed onto my wrist and yanked me toward the surface, but it was just as dark above the water. Black clouds multiplied over us as rain started pouring in torrents from the sky. The water was so numbingly cold I couldn’t feel any of my limbs.
I glanced over at Tezya. He was about to open his mouth to shout something at me, but I beat him to it. “I told you I can help,” I said right before another wave tumbled over us, and we were pulled under again. I swam against the current, trying to break the surface, but the force of the wave kept pushing me down.
I forced myself to open my mouth under the water, breathing just as easily as I could above it, but Tezya—who refused to let go of my wrist—couldn’t. If we stayed under too long he’d die, and the thought had me swimming harder and faster.
Tezya spit out sea water once we finally resurfaced. He didn’t hesitate as he pushed my body against his, pulling me in close like he was scared of losing me. His chest was heaving deeply against mine, and I hated that I found it comforting.
“Can you add to Dovelyn’s power from here?” Kallon shouted at me over the pounding rain. We were a mile off from the entrance of the trench. “If you stay with me, using your enhancement from the water, it won’t risk Dovelyn having to use more of her invisibility inside the prison.”
Tezya’s grip tightened around me, adding warmth wherever his body met with mine. I was so frozen from the water that I convinced myself it was the only reason I wasn’t pushing him off.
I spread my fingers and shook them out, embracing in the sensation of moving them. My power instantly gravitated toward his, and I realized he was using his fire, casting controlled amounts of it into the sea around us, warming the water.
The sky darkened even more, and the gray clouds above us turned fully black. Wind was ripping all around us, stirring the waves and making them more monstrous and powerful.
“I’d be more helpful below—” Another wave devoured us, halting our conversation. Tezya’s grip on me tightened as we plummeted further into the sea. The warmth of the water vanished as he let go of his power and focused on swimming back up.
Dovelyn popped up from the water last. Her silver eyes met mine. “Scotlind needs to leave. I just had a vision. It’ll be bad if she stays.”
“That’s bull—” I started to protest, calling Dovelyn’s bluff, but she cut me off.
“No, it’s not.” Her silver eyes widened slightly as she took me in. I couldn’t tell if it was from whatever vision she claimed she just had, or if she was still processing what I had done. I honestly was shocked it worked, that I could manipulate Kallon’s power to my own will— kind of —by enhancing it. I got Tezya and I here, and I knew I could help, so I wasn’t planning on backing down. Dovelyn’s eyes narrowed like she knew it. “Get Scotlind out of here—”
Another wave pummeled over us before I thought to use my abilities. As I swam back up, I connected to the ocean, pushing the rough waves away from where we were treading water. Rain kept pouring from the sky and thunder roared from the distance.
Dovelyn caught on to what I was doing, and I felt the moment her air abilities flared as she created a shield over us, protecting us from the rain and lightning that was just about to strike.
“Portal her back now,” Dovelyn said after everything calmed inside our protective bubble.
I twisted in Tezya’s grip, but before I could say another word, Kallon grabbed onto Tezya and I, and we were swallowed up by her portal. The nausea took over in full force as we tumbled yet again through the purple and black mist.
I vomited on the floor as soon as she dumped us back into the cramped motel room. I went to look up at her, but she was already gone. She portaled back before I could attempt to connect my powers with hers again.
Crap.
The room felt infinitely smaller now that I was alone with Tezya. I turned toward him instead of the empty spot where Kallon just was. “Why didn’t you do anything?” I spat as I started to push myself up to stand. He reached out his hand to help me, but I swatted it away. Then thought better of it and shoved him. “We could have helped. We could have done something!”
“No, we couldn’t have.”
“Why are you so adamant on not helping? Do you really think I’m so inexperienced that I’d mess everything up?” Tears pooled in my eyes, but I pushed them back. I was so sick of everyone doubting me. So sick of not having a say in what I wanted to do, in what I was capable of. I shoved him again and he let me, this time his back slammed into the wall.
Neither of us had anywhere to go. I was standing in front of him, the bed to my back.
I shoved him again.
Then again.
My hands were twisted in his shirt before his eyes softened. “Rumor, if Dove had a vision with you there that went south, we have to trust it.”
“You and I both know she was just making that up because she didn’t want me there.”
“She wasn’t,” he said hoarsely. “I felt her emotions. She did have a vision, Scotlind, and all I could sense from her was fear.” I didn’t say anything. I just kept staring at him, not wanting to believe it. “I hated leaving them too,” he added more softly. “I’m just as terrified as you are that they’re alone right now, and we’re stuck in here and can’t help.”
“Then why did you let Kallon bring us back?” I realized he might not have been able to stop her, that my anger was probably unwarranted, and I was projecting on him, but I was so frustrated. I wanted to help so badly—
“Because I trust my sister. I’ve been a fool in the past for not believing her visions, and I don’t want to risk anything happening to you.” His voice turned into a whisper. “I can’t let anything happen to you.”
I didn’t respond for an embarrassingly long time. I just kept staring into his eyes, watching as water dripped over his face, completely mesmerized by it. We were both drenched from the ocean, water was collecting on the tiled floor around us.
I was in a stupor until a droplet landed on my forearm, and I realized my hands were still resting over his chest from when I shoved him. I took a step back, careful to avoid the bed, and started to pace instead.
I tried to distract myself from the task they would have to pull off, from the fact that they were all risking their lives because I demanded we rescue Sie. He didn’t deserve to die in the prison. I knew that. I was riddled with guilt because of it, but now that it was actually happening, that we were really rescuing him, I couldn’t stop thinking about the guilt I’d have if we failed. What if Peter, Dovelyn, and Kallon ended up in the prison with him? Or worse, what if they all ended up dead?
Everyone was risking themselves for this, for the mistake we both made the night of his coronation, and I was stuck in a small bedroom with Tezya, while we waited and waited and waited.