What the Heart Seeks

Chapter 2-2

A canopy of leaves dripped raindrops atop Layne’s head. The storm may have passed, but the damage it left in its wake complicated the search for Heaven. The marshy terrain at the foot of the hill reminded him of concrete. Each step caked another layer of mud on his boots, slowing his pace. A few more layers and he’d get stuck.

Despite nature’s obstacle course, he pressed onward, scanning the riverbank. A gust of wind blew through the trees and scattered the limbs covering the ground. Some fell into the river before the current swept them away.

He’d walked along the bank since the search began. With so many in their group, it made it easier to spread about the land and cover every square inch. So far, they’d found nothing.

It gave Layne hope. Heaven wasn’t dead.

“This mud sucks.” Zeke grumbled as he walked not even a yard away.

“You’re an Earth Bender. Fix it,” Layne replied.

“Well, I could,” Zeke admitted, “but there’s a huge possibility I’d cover up clues we’re seeking. It’s best if we trudge through this muck. Sorry for complaining.”

Layne didn’t respond. He was too busy cursing himself for his stupidity. His desperation to find Heaven was clouding his judgment. Lucky for him, Zeke was on top of things.

Dylan would disagree, but Zeke wasn’t the same guy who’d attacked Heaven. His energy spoke of the change in him. It revealed how much he wanted to help find her. Aside from Nicholas, Zeke was the only person who believed Heaven may have survived the fall.

The path before them split as an enormous tree grew in the center. Once Layne made his way around it, he spotted Nicholas standing beside another tree, touching the bark and frowning.

“Did you find something?” Layne questioned.

Nicholas turned in his direction but didn’t look at him. “Yes, but nothing about my daughter.”

When Layne reached him, he cast his eyes higher. A split ran halfway down the tree trunk, close to where Nicholas’s hand lay. Smoke rolled off the larger section.

“Do you see it?” Nicholas asked.

Layne lowered his head. “The split or the smoke?”

“Both.”

When Nicholas met his gaze, Layne nodded. “Lightning struck it. Right?”

“Yes.” Nicholas strolled forward but motioned to Layne to follow. They made it a few feet away from the rest of the search party before he stopped and faced him. “I know you have questions about Dylan.”

“Are you reading my thoughts?”

Nicholas nodded. “You’re not the only person who's confused by what happened. I am too. Dylan’s an empathic and intuitive Seeker. He shouldn’t have the ability to control lightning. Electrokinesis is a Keeper’s ability.”

“Precisely.” Layne focused on the woodsy trail ahead. “How did he do it, Nicholas? How did Dylan bend electricity and control the lightning from the storm?”

“He created the storm.” Nicholas replied. “I don’t have all the answers, but I know kinetic abilities when I see them, which leaves me with one conclusion. Dylan is a hybrid, an Electrokinetic hybrid.”

“What?”

“He has both Seeker and Keeper abilities, but he isn’t a true Keeper, not the way you are, Layne. A hybrid’s abilities are less potent than a full-fledged kinetic.”

Layne didn’t proceed any further. He stared at his Seeker’s father, looking him up and down. “Less potent? The bolt Dylan conjured produced a crater so large it broke part of the cliff. It caused Heaven to…”

He choked on the words. If he attempted to speak, he would break down and weep like a baby. Where was his Seeker?

Nicholas patted his shoulder, consoling him. “Don’t forget she’s my daughter. I want to find her too. I’m hoping for the same thing as you.”

It relieved Layne to know they agreed on something. For the longest time, Layne swore Nicholas disliked him. He still wasn’t sure Nicholas liked him, but at least he respected him enough to tell him the truth.

Delia sure wasn’t explaining her son’s actions.

“You said you didn’t have all the answers,” Layne said, “but do you know how Dylan became a hybrid?”

“No, but we may find an answer in the Tome of Souls.” Nicholas inspected their surroundings like he was making sure no one was listening. “I’ll say this much. Hybrids may have both types of abilities, but the second set isn’t a blessing. Darkness surrounds these abilities. That’s why Dylan’s powers seem potent. He’s touched by darkness.”

“Is he following his father’s path?”

“Being touched by darkness doesn’t mean you follow its path, but it is harder to resist the temptation it offers. Dylan is like a loose cannon, so to speak. It wouldn’t take much to push him to his father’s path. Heaven and Adalyn have kept him drawn to the light.”

“And what if I’m wrong about Heaven? What if she…?” It was difficult to ask questions that might lead to answers Layne didn’t want to hear. Still, he had to know the truth. He was Adalyn’s Keeper for now. She needed him to protect her from all danger. If that danger included her father, so be it. He’d fight to the death for his Seeker’s daughter.

Before Nicholas answered, shouting reverberated off the trees. A hundred yards in front of them, Layne spotted the rest of their search party. It’s where the voice came from, one he recognized as Isaac’s.

“They found something.” Nicholas announced.

Layne sprinted toward the group, somehow jumping over a few logs and one hell of a rock. He refused to slow down. At one point, he swore he would slip in the mud and fall down the riverbank into the raging water.

By the time he reached the rest of their party, he took in their grim expressions. Delia’s profile revealed her quivering lips. She swiped her hand across her face and lowered her head against Spencer’s chest. Spencer’s arms wrapped around her as he patted her back. Scott stood between Garrett and Zeke. While all three faced the top of the tree, Zeke’s hand pressed to the trunk.

The last people Layne saw were his mother and Isaac. She focused on something below the tree, where her Keeper was kneeling. Her head swayed as she mumbled something he couldn’t hear.

When she noticed him, she reached for Layne’s hands. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

Layne sidestepped her. He marched toward the spot where the other Benders stood. “What’s going on?”

Zeke pointed toward the sky and cleared his throat. “This is the spot under the cliff.”

“How do you know?”

“Didn’t you see the enormous boulder on your way here?” Zeke still hadn’t met Layne’s gaze, nor did he see him nod. Instead, Zeke motioned to other stones. “These rocks haven’t always been here. The soil beneath them is fresh, which means they’ve recently fallen. They’re from the cliff.”

Rocks in multiple shapes and sizes covered the marshy ground, just like Zeke mentioned.

“If these rocks fell from the cliff, then Heaven should be close.”

“She’s been through here. In fact, she crashed into this tree.” Zeke pointed up.

Layne forced his gaze higher. “How do you know this?”

“Trees talk,” Zeke answered. “They’re living entities in their own sense. Aside from the energy I’ve picked up from this tree, it’s missing several limbs on this side.”

Zeke was right. One of the larger limbs, covered in soot, dangled near the trunk. Leaves obstructed a few smaller limbs, but the charred ones that hit the ground lay scattered.

There was still no sign of Heaven.

“So she fell into this tree. It means it broke her fall. She's alive but in terrible shape. We need to search this area.”

“Wait. There’s more.” It was Isaac who spoke this time. He rose to his feet and pointed to another rock near the tree roots. “Take a closer look.”

Layne joined his mother's Keeper as both kneeled beside the tree. Isaac pointed to a darker spot on the rock while Layne examined it. Then he realized what it was.

Blood.

“I grabbed a sample to test, but given the situation…” Isaac struggled to finish.

“Don’t say it.” Layne’s voice cracked as he glared at the rock. “All this proves is that Heaven’s somewhere close, and she’s injured. There isn't a body to prove otherwise.”

“There’s another yard of ground behind us,” Isaac explained. “We’re a few feet from the river. It’s possible she rolled into it after impact.”

Layne rose to his feet and fisted his hands. “Heaven isn’t dead.”

“Sweetheart,” his mother said before wrapping her arm around him. “Your father texted me a minute ago. He got a phone call from one of his acquaintances right after you went through the tunnel with Zeke. A fellow Soul Guide said he helped a young lady cross over earlier. He doesn’t remember her name, but his description fits Heaven.”

“She’s not dead. I feel her.” Tears welled in Layne’s eyes. “Can’t they find out this woman’s name?”

“Yes,” his mom answered. “We should know for sure this evening.”

“Has anyone explored what’s left of this area?” Layne asked.

“Scott and Garret helped Isaac and me while Zeke deciphered the energy from the tree. We’ve combed everywhere, Layne. Heaven isn’t here.”

“But she is here. She’s somewhere, Mom. I know she’s….”

Pain stole his voice. It was as if someone ripped out his lungs—and his tongue. He couldn’t breathe or speak, could only submit to an ache that resembled raw flesh. He’d only known such agony once before when the arrow penetrated his chest.

There was no arrow this time.

Layne fell to his knees. A crushing weight constricted his chest. The smoldering heat of Heaven’s energy faded, and for the first time since he’d met her, the inferno raging inside him grew cold.

So did his soul.