Chapter 2-1
1023 Words
Chapter 2
Grief quaked in every one of Layne’s muscles. He avoided the faces of his family and friends, focusing instead on the surrounding energy. A few feet away, his mother spoke with Delia and Nicholas. Their words were indiscernible, but the energy they emitted hinted to their discussion. Heaven.
They should talk about how Dylan bent electricity. Did they have the answers to explain how a Seeker had Keeper abilities? Layne was certain they did. Whether he received the truth remained the question.
The men Nate had brought with him lay scattered about the grounds like trash. They were trash, but at least they were dead. Nate should be, too. The cataleptic form lying inside the crater filled Layne with rage.
He shifted his focus to the ledge of the pit and studied another prone body. Dylan. Short of the slight rise and fall of his chest, the only other sign of life was his eyes racing beneath his lids. Isaac explained how he’d placed him in a dream-like state, but promised it wouldn’t hurt him.
Dylan was the lucky one. He wasn’t awake to face reality or the sympathetic looks from their family.
Layne didn’t need anyone’s pity. He needed their families to band together and search for his Seeker.
“Will Dylan be unconscious for long?” he asked.
“Maybe another hour,” Isaac answered.
“And Nate?”
Isaac smirked. He kneeled beside the edge of the crater, concentrating on Dylan’s father. “He’ll regain consciousness whenever I quit screwing with his head.”
“What does that mean?”
“Have you ever experienced vertigo, Layne?”
Layne shook his head.
Isaac explained, “It’s like the world is spinning. You can’t focus. Your eyes feel like they’re crossing. Severe episodes cause migraines, vomiting, and fainting. My enhanced version is graver. The pain escalates until you pass out.”
“You should have let me kill him.”
Isaac grunted, then stood. “Death would be a blessing to Nate. He’d never have to face the consequences of his actions until judgment day. It’s more of a punishment to keep him alive.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because.” Isaac peeked at Layne’s mother again, then the ground. “He must face Anna. Would you be able to face your Seeker if you’d played a part in her child’s death?”
“She’s not dead.” Layne growled the words, then swallowed the bitterness in his mouth.
He understood why Isaac hadn’t ended Nate’s life. No Keeper wanted to disappoint his Seeker. It was far worse to break her heart. If Layne was wrong about Heaven being alive and Anna learned what happened to her daughter, death would be a gift to Nate.
The thought of the impending confrontation made Layne shudder. It didn’t matter that Nate had renounced his duties as Anna’s Keeper years prior. Their bond still existed. Layne had lost count of how many times he heard how Seeker-Keeper connections weren’t much different from the ones shared by Soulmates. Neither ever faded.
But to be a Seeker’s Keeper and her Twin Flame…
God, it hurt to breathe.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”
Layne met his mother’s gaze. “My Seeker plummeted over three hundred feet, and we’re doing nothing. No, I’m not okay.”
He hated the sound of his voice, hated the way his words sounded like weapons. Her vibrations hinted to the pain and guilt swirling inside her. An urge to apologize consumed him, but he didn’t have the strength to speak the words.
Only one thing kept him from following Heaven.
“Is Adalyn safe?” he asked.
His mom nodded. “Mason texted Nicholas a few minutes ago. None of Nate’s men were blocking the cars. They escaped.”
Before the next question left his mouth, Garrett spouted his own. “Is Hope okay?”
“Yes, but she’s traumatized by the experience and worried about her sister.”
“Does she know about Heaven?”
Garrett’s second inquiry sent Layne into a rampage. Whirling around to point at him, Layne shouted, “And what would that be, Garrett? You think she’s dead. All of you do.”
“Layne…” His mother reached for him, but he backed away.
“You’re not listening. I still feel her, Mom. I sense her soul.” All the sympathy pulsing around him was unneeded. If they felt Heaven’s energy, they wouldn’t doubt the possibility of her being alive.
“The connection you share with your Seeker is powerful, Layne.” Garrett spoke in a calm voice. “Even when we die, our energy doesn't fade. Some of it remains.”
“She’s. Not. Dead.”
He drew in a deep breath, allowing it to steady his thoughts. Lashing out at Garrett wasted time they should use to search for Heaven. He only needed the answer to one more question before he began, with or without their help.
“Did you help Heaven cross over to the other side, Dad?”
His father didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he regarded the others. “No. I’ve been guiding Nate’s men to the other side, but I’m not the only Soul Guide. Someone else could have led her over. I’ll reach out to a few of my contacts, see if anyone else led her to the light.”
“Fine, but in the meantime, we need to comb every inch of this area for her.”
“I agree,” Nicholas added when he joined the group. “We’re wasting time. It’s a long way to the bottom, and with the damage the storm caused, there are trees down everywhere. It may take time to find a passable trail.”
“There’s no need.” Zeke left his spot near the edge of the cliff. “I know a shortcut.”
“Where?” Layne asked.
“Remember the tunnel I created for you and Heaven to escape the quarry?” He smirked when Layne nodded. “I’m a geokinetic. I can create another tunnel in a matter of minutes.”
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