Breathing Air Read online

  Mrs. Georgie waves me over and I try to reign in my thoughts. Standing in our open building in the middle of the main street, I know she has questions for me. We’re planning a celebration for her tomorrow night, that blessed woman is turning two hundred years old. I may be in charge of this place now thanks to all the lessons my father was able to teach me before his murder, but I still seek her advice on all things. A good leader knows when it’s time to listen or when it’s time to act. I want to be the type of individual my father was, someone awe-inspiring, not just by the actions they take but also the wisdom they live by.

  My thoughts continue to wander as I make my way over to the woman I respect the most in this world. My father didn’t grow up in the Alchemist society like most. He was born in the early seventeen hundreds in Cap-Français. He was a slave and his master was Juste Bourque, an early Alchemist who was still trying to perfect immortality. He had started aging after being alive for two hundred and fifty years so he practiced experiments on his slaves to find a better cure. My father never told me all the things he did to them, only that he was the only one to make it out with all of his bodily functions. I have ideas in my head of the torture those people went through. The images of my father’s scars haunt me and keep my thoughts dark. Even though he gained a longer life thanks to his genetics, the drill marks left on his face from his evil master taunted my father until he died. His new healing abilities couldn’t fix the damage that had been done.

  He killed Bourque. Hit him over the head with a rock, bound him up and drilled holes deep into his skull. My father then injected him with his own blood so his master could have the cure for mortality he so desperately wanted just to have it ripped away. Then, he hung his body up for all the world to see and watched as his master’s body convulsed and jerked till he went limp. The ability Alchemists have to heal is amazing but that man’s body trying to heal himself made his struggle last for hours.

  That was the day my father joined the slaves that had started a revolt. Haiti is the oldest black republic in the world now. I like to think my father had a hand in it but really it was everyone who helped fight back and overthrow their oppressors. The country is poor now and still has a way to go but that experience led my father to his lengthy military career.

  He even fought in the American Civil War among the ex-slaves that joined the Union cause. My father was really something special, he took what that asshole gave him and used it to fight for what he believed in.

  That’s how my father was recruited to Horus. In all his years, he had no knowledge of the society that he was now a part of. They spun half-truths, telling him that Osiris wanted to take over the world to enslave mankind. They left out that they could help people heal and live longer lives if they showed themselves to the world. So he fought for them until he met Tobias, who had been lied to as well but by Osiris. He refused to help Horus anymore, he wanted to help Alchemists fighting against both parties who didn’t crave the power that both heads of the parties wanted. Thomas sent his top soldiers after my father.

  When I was eight, they caught up to us. We were trapped in an alley with nowhere to go. My father hid me in a dumpster, telling me me to keep quiet no matter what happened, to be brave and to grow into the man he raised me to be. I peeked out of the crack at the top where the lid to the dumpster did not sit right, hoping he wouldn’t catch me.

  My father stood near the opening of the alley, glowing balls of fire hovering above both his palms. Two men and two women stepped out of the street. Defiantly, father began to sling the fireballs at them, but one of the men shot water from his palms and extinguished the flames. Before my father could react, the woman in the center of the group spread her hands out. Vines grew out of the cracks in the pavement and wrapped around him. He couldn’t burn them off of him while the man with the water continued to drench him. I covered my mouth with my hands as tears rolled down my face. I couldn’t look away as the vines strangled my father to death.

  It felt like hours as I sat there but it took barely a minute for them to take his life. They scanned the alley and street, making sure no one noticed their heinous actions. The woman whose vines strangled my dad checked around the dumpster. Thankfully, I hadn’t hit Alchemist maturity yet, I was young enough that my power had not yet emerged. She couldn’t hear or feel my presence, even when she got close to me. I still remember how she smelled like freshly fallen snow. I’ll never forget that smell. Then they just left. They didn’t even care enough to take my father’s body. They left him there like trash.

  The man I respected, who lived through many battles, died. All because he had never had the opportunity to find his nucleus and the fact that he was never properly trained to fight using his power. Danley Subrun will never be remembered for the battles he fought, living so long makes you have to change your identity in the regular human world. Plus, who will remember a slave’s name? As for the Alchemist that used him, they only remember him as a traitor.

  If I ever get back to Earth, Horus will pay, Nolan Rami Thomas will pay, as well as the quad that took his life.

  “Emmanuel, are you ok?” Mrs. Georgie’s voice brings me back to the present. I shake my head to clear my morbid thoughts as she turns and barks out, “Not there.” The woman carrying the basket of star fruit nods respectfully and finds somewhere else for her load. Mrs. Georgie’s been a godsend in making sure everything is set up for tomorrow night. Her black hair swishes back and forth along her back as she moves her head from side to side.

  “Yes,” I answer her. “My thoughts are just running wild today.” She places a comforting hand on my shoulder and I look into her warm eyes.

  “Of course they would be. I’m assuming the girl that arrived in that group today is Adaline. She, of course, would have the power of Aether like her father.”

  “Yeah, Adaline’s back. But who knows what this means for us now.” My morose thoughts emerge and reveal themselves to Mrs. Georgie. I can’t hide anything from her.

  “We will figure things out soon,” she comforts me warmly. “All in good time. I know you’ve been antsy since Tobias arrived four months ago and his continuous popping in and out, but my celebration is tomorrow. Let’s be happy for a few days.”

  “What if Horus followed her here? What if they know? Thomas could have traced the portal she made. Tobias is always careful when he opens one. What if she wasn’t? We need to be on alert just in case,” I look out over the square at all of my people, the people whose safety I’m responsible for. The child in me may want Adaline here but I can’t let that distract me from my obligations. I plop down at a table, the weight of their security heavy on my shoulders. Rubbing circles into my forehead with my fingers, I let out an exasperated sigh. What if she just ruined our sanctuary?

  I feel extremely hot. I open my eyes and Nolan’s impressive chest fills my vision. I let out a sigh as his comforting presence fills me. At some point, he must have come back and gathered me into his arms. My back is against the back of this salmon colored couch and Nolan has me pinned done but not just with his arms. His legs are entwined with mine as well. I’m trapped.

  There is no way I can get up without waking him in the progress. I might as well have a little fun with him. Pressing my lips against his chest, I push the air out of my lungs and blow raspberries against his skin. Giggles escape me as I start to give the third one. Nolan’s arms tighten around me. His face sports a huge grin as I look up to find his eyes are still closed. I move my mouth back to his marvelous chest and I blow another half-assed raspberry. My attempt is ruined by my laughter as Nolan’s hands tickle my sides. I push against him trying to get out of his hold causing our bodies to shift. We tumble off the couch together, laughing all the way down. His brown eyes shine with joy as he chortles loudly.

  “Get off me, you loon,” I push at him again and he finally releases me. I push myself up and look around. The salmon pink couch really stands out against the magenta flat weave rug and the azure blue curtains in this r
oom. They must have a hard time with the color scheme on this planet. At least the walls are an off-white color. Nolan picks himself up from the ground and lounges on the couch again, closing his eyes. Some of his long brown hair covers his face giving him a roguish air. I stare at his chest, it moves steadily up and down with his even breaths. He must not have gotten a lot of sleep last night seeing how quickly he falls back asleep. Knowing the way he is, I bet he didn’t lay down with me until he made sure the whole house was secure and that Kevin had already fallen asleep. Poor guy.

  Grabbing the throw blanket from the floor, I shake it out and throw it over him. It’s strange to wake up to only Nolan, after weeks of cuddling both of them when I sleep. Missing Kevin, I set off to find him. Walking around the back corner of the room, I find a long narrow hallway with two closed doors on either side and an opening at the end.

  The first door, on my right, reveals a bathroom. There looks to be a shower stall made out of pink and purple stones and coral colored hard floors running throughout it. The toilet is round, like on Earth and so is the sink. I guess whoever built this tried to keep things looking similar, thank goodness. My bladder urges me to make quick use of the facilities. I don’t know how long I’ve slept but my bladder had to have been the reason I woke up. I wash my hands quickly with a green thick liquid. It smells pleasant, almost like pineapple.

  Back in the hallway, I continue on my mission to find Kevin. I open the next door and find a bedroom. For once this morning I am actually okay with the color scheme. It has the same blue curtains as the room I slept in last night, which I guess is the living room. The comforter is the same azure blue and the bed is enormous, it’s bigger even than a king bed. There is a nightstand on each side, the wood used looks to be a light yellow that matches the throw pillows on the bed. I wonder what they used to bleach and stain it since the trees I saw when we first arrived here appeared so dark in color.

  Not finding my guy, I close the door and make my way to the opening at the end of the hallway. Stepping into the kitchen, I find cabinets made with the light yellow wood from the bedroom and the floors are covered in glossy black tiles. Why am I so happy to see that color? The room looks like it should have freaking bumblebee decorations. I look away from the cabinets and spot another archway, so I walk over to it.

  Finally, I’ve found him. Kevin’s sitting at a wooden yellow table starting out the gigantic window in the middle of the room. On silent feet, I approach him and place my hand on his shoulder and get lost in the same view that he’s starting at. The landscape is amazing, lilac grass in the foreground and a mountain range a few miles out, Instead of green mountain tops, peaks of marigold stand out against the bright green sky. It’s brighter than yesterday, thanks to the two blazing orange suns shining in the cloudless sky. Again, a sense of déjà vu hits me suddenly. It’s so strange how often I’ve felt it here… like I’ve been here before. Wouldn’t I remember a place like this?

  “So where did I bring us?” I ask him in hushed tones. For some reason, I don’t want to break the quiet of the room.

  Slowly, Kevin lifts his head and turns to look at me. His eyes are swollen and red, his skin blotchy, taking me aback. Though no tears are falling down his face, I think that he’s been crying.

  “Kevin, what’s wrong?” I pull him towards me and place a hand on his right cheek.

  “I’m fine Adi, It’s just everything hit me as I was sitting here. Nolan was right to be worried about the party. I told him he was being paranoid. I trusted Parker and Cooper and yet they betrayed us, maybe Lincoln and Nao did too. I mean how could they not know what those two were up too? They are connected to each other. How could my own twin betray me?”

  “Oh Kevin, I’m so sorry.” I try to hug him and climb into his lap, but he pushes me away. Startled, I fall to the floor but I’m able to catch myself with my hands. I stare up at him, shocked. He stands up, scowling down at me with accusatory eyes.

  “I get that Nolan’s dad was an ass to him, but did you forget that I may have needed you too? Instead of coming to get me, to get me out of that viper’s nest, you two left me alone. You had sex while I was falling apart. The two people that I should be able to count on forgot all about me. I needed you, Adi.” Fresh tears fall down his face as his voice cracks with emotion, He turns to walk away from me but I scramble to my feet and grab his arm.

  “Kevin please,” I beg, frantically trying to explain. “I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to leave, needed to leave. I thought you wanted to be with your family for a little while. If I had thought you were hurting so much, I wouldn’t have left you there.”

  “That’s just it, you weren’t thinking!” he shouts, his voice harsh with emotion. Just leave me alone. I don’t want to be here but I can’t leave because you brought us to some planet that I can’t get off of without your help.” His anger seethes out of him as he rips his arm back from me hard and stomps away.

  I stare at his retreating back trying to figure out if there is any point in running after him. Shocked at his feelings and closing my eyes against the pain I caused him, I backward till I hit a wall, and I slide down it. Hugging my knees to my chest, I realize I didn’t think about Kevin at all that night. I just wanted to get away from those people. Why didn’t I think to grab him? Why didn’t Nolan? Oh God, I should have danced with him too, I should have leaned on him and not just Nolan. How did I forget there were three of us in that moment? I need to do better.

  “Man,” the word slips out as I continue to sink into the depths of self-pity.

  If I can’t handle the two connections I have now, how am I going to do this when I find my other two?

  It felt like I sat there for hours, pitying myself instead of actually confronting the situation. Honestly, I should get up and talk to him but I just can’t bring myself to do it. That’s right, I’m still acting like a teenager. So much for trying to start over in life and actually being an adult. Hearing the information about my father that night overwhelmed me and I just wanted to get away from everyone. I should have thought that he would need to get away too. He trusted Naomi’s partners and they betrayed not only him, but her too.

  Gosh, I wish Naomi was here. She would know how to help me reach her brother. I wonder what she’s doing now. Did they go back to the Philadelphia safe house or did they stay behind in New York, looking for us? I wish we had been able to grab them before we left. This must be killing Kevin, I’ve only known Naomi for a few weeks and I miss her deeply. She was fast becoming my best friend. But she’s Kevin’s twin, I can’t even fathom the hurt he’s going through.

  I really should just get off my ass. A cabinet door opens and closes in the kitchen. Now I really should get up. Kevin might think I want to draw attention to myself or something.

  Opening my eyes, I find Nolan standing in the arch opening, staring down at me with a confused expression on his amazingly dumb face.

  “Adaline, what are you doing on the floor?” he asks in his rumbling voice.

  Pushing myself off the ground, I walk over to the dining table and sit down. Studying the grain of the wood, I trace my fingernail over the darker veins of the grain. I can’t seem to bring myself to look Nolan in the eyes as I scratch the flat surface.

  “We screwed up Nolan,” I whisper. “The other night when we left the party, we also left Kevin alone. He needed us and I was just thinking of myself.”

  A loud sigh escapes him and I look over at him. Staring at the ceiling, he runs his hands through his hair. Nolan walks over to the table to sit down next to me and places his hand on mine to stops my hands wandering the table and rubs them.

  “That explains why he was acting like he had a stick in his butt all day yesterday.” Nolan’s voice is soft. “I couldn’t figure out why.”

  “What are you talking about? He was fine before the party yesterday. Do I still not know you two enough to read your emotions?”

  “Adi, you slept all day yesterday. We just hung around this house while you
rested,” Nolan explains.

  “I slept for that long?” I ask in surprise. No wonder I had to use the bathroom. He nods absentmindedly.

  “Anyway, he barely spoke two words to me all day. But don’t worry, he’ll come around. It’s Kevin. He just feels betrayed right now by Parker and Cooper. He can’t do anything to them so he’s taking it out on us. He wanted to stay at that party, I know he did. Otherwise, I would have grabbed him when we went up to your room. He never sees his parents. It’s a good thing he had some time with them before we left. Who knows when he will see them again.”

  I nod my head a little, still feeling horrible. “Yeah, I guess. I just don’t want to screw up our relationships. I need to be better at juggling you guys. I should have asked him to join us at least.”

  “Look, don’t fret about it, okay?” Nolan instructs me in his gruff way. “Besides, we have something more important to worry about. We’ve been invited to a meeting they hold every week in town and we need to be a united front when we get there. Speaking of which,” he turns his head to the archway and yells, “Kevin, get your ass in here!”

  “Nolan,” I squeak out.

  “It’s okay, Adaline.” He raises his voice again. “Kevin stop moping, pull out the stick you got shoved up your ass and move it!”

  Rolling my eyes at him, I notice motion out in my peripheral vision. Kevin shuffles into the dining room and sits down across from me. He stares down at the table with sad, puppy dog eyes, My heart starts to ache for him, but I cut myself off from that emotion. He’s taking his pain and hurt out on us, instead of leaning on us for comfort. His response is going to grate my nerves. I wish he wasn’t sitting there. Before I can say anything to him, Nolan speaks again.

  “Emmanuel seems to be the one in charge here. He’s someone I want us to watch closely tonight. His nice act may be just that, an act.”