Destiny's Fire (Kythan Guardians 1)

Thankfully, I’d already bathed. I only had to change out of my pajamas and run a brush through my hair. Honestly, I wasn’t too concerned with my appearance. I felt I looked pretty damn good considering all I’d been through.

I pushed the communicator into my pocket and turned to go, but thought better. Walking to my bed, I lifted the mattress, grabbed my Charge Dagger, and sheathed it beneath my pant leg. Reese might claim a lot of things, but I just didn’t know if I could trust him.

I rode the steam trolley to Daven Street. The waterfalls Haven was named after were only half a mile from the trolley stop. I walked along the sidewalk, veering toward the path leading into the woods before reaching the dead end. Climbing the hill, I walked hurriedly, occasionally glancing over my shoulder.

As I reached the first fall, I scanned the gated area. Surrounded by large boulders, the waterfall stood about eight feet high and cascaded over sharp rocks jutting from beneath a wide shower of clear, blue water. The whooshing of the falling river was peaceful, echoing against the tall pines.

Gripping the iron railing, I glanced around. The place was vacant. Reese couldn’t have picked a more secluded spot. I walked around the gate, and headed deeper into the woods. There was another fall, a higher one, that wasn’t marked off as an attraction. I was sure I’d find Reese there.

I maneuvered over rocks and the beveled landscape. After a few minutes the fall came into view. It was beautiful—a fifteen foot high waterfall, flowing from the river above in a single stream. It splashed into a large pool that rolled into a smaller river.

Reese sat on a boulder near the bank.

He looked up, a smile sliding across his face. “Hey, nice ink. How are you feeling?”

I skimmed my fingers over my tatt and continued walking toward him. “Like I’ve been thrown from an airship and trampled on by a million steel-toed boots.”

He nodded once. “It’ll pass. Believe it or not, our change isn’t as bad as most.” He moved to the ground and patted the spot next to him.

I hesitantly sat and studied his hands—his face—trying to get a read on him. “You’re not going to toss me into the river and try to drown me, are you?” Then I squinted at him. “Our change? What does that mean?”

“Come on, Dez.” He laughed. “I’m not going to attack you. I told you I was sorry. I thought you were attacking me that night. I’ve been raised Narco. It’s kind of bred into me.” He shrugged, enlarging his eyes innocently. “And, I know you know what I am. I knew what you were the first time I looked into those really bad eye lenses.” He cocked his head. “By the way, that color’s a little off, and you might want to check them for tears every now and then.” He smirked.

&nb

sp; I brought my hand to my eye, tracing my lid. “How can you tell when no one else can?” I thought of Jace the night I’d lost my lens. He’d been staring into my eyes, and if he’d noticed, he would’ve definitely said something.

Reese lowered his voice an octave. “I know what to look for,” he said. Then he peered out over the small pond. “Anyway, we’re mixed breeds. Twenty years ago, the Shythe signed the Treaty Act with one clause—the Narcolym would help repopulate their race. They agreed to an experiment. One they hoped would permanently put an end to the warring and add numbers at the same time.” He glanced at me. “Sound familiar?”

I nodded absently. I knew the story, but after he admitted to being one of the kids from the experiment, I could only focus on that fact. “You’re like me. But…”

Reese plucked a piece of grass and twirled it between his fingers. “But you thought you were the only one.” The blade of grass began to smoke. He dropped it to the ground.

“Yes.” I bowed my head, thinking. “So how did you get away?”

“My mom. She’s Narcolym. She faked a miscarriage and hid my identity. Kind of like you, but with better eye lenses.” He winked. “Then I went through the change.” Reese picked up a rock and chucked it at the pond, skipping it across the surface. “That was a month ago. When I was chosen for the Peace Act mission, she went ballistic. I had to work really hard at disguising my power.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed. “You can disguise it…but what is your power? I saw you change your eyes, but your hands, they glow red.”

He gave me a brilliant smile. “Have you tested yours yet?”

It was all too much. Here I was, sitting next to someone like me…possibly. Did he have the same White Flame? I didn’t know how much I should reveal. “Yes. I’ve tried.” I averted my eyes.

“And what happened?”

I shook my head. “You first. What’s your power?”

Reese laughed. “Oh? Wanna play ‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’?” He chuckled. “You don’t trust me.” He bowed his head and picked at the grass.

“Of course I don’t,” I said, feeling my Charge Dagger pressed against my ankle. “You come here for reasons I’m still not clear on. You jack me against a wall, and then you tell me you knew I was like you.” I shook my head. “And you have this information about me that I’ve tried to keep hidden my whole life. How am I supposed to feel?” I glared at him. “How do I really know if that eye thing wasn’t just a clever trick?”

“Fair enough.” Reese grunted as he jumped to his feet. He brushed the grass and pine straw from his clothes, and shook out his hands. “Tell me if this looks familiar.” He stretched out his arms, palms up. A red glow emanated from the tips of his fingers, spreading upward. Then small flames burst in the center of his hands. He brought his hands in front of him, aiming toward the pond, and released a ball of fire, sending it straight into the water.

“Yes, it looks familiar. You—”

“Wait for it.” He clapped his hands together, dousing the Flame. A blue glow slowly crept up his arms. My eyes widened as his eyes shifted from red to blue. Turning his hands up, Charge crackled into the air, and blue currents traveled between his palms.

Before I could say a word, he began shifting. His features changed to the hot Kythan form I’d seen at the club. My face heated. Then he closed and opened his hands, stretching his fingers apart. A white flame erupted in the center of the Charge. His eyes shone with the same radiant white I’d seen in the mirror. Reese smiled, lifting his glowing white hands above his head. The flame stretched far into the air, transforming into a beam of light. Drawing the light back into himself, Reese’s arms returned to normal. But his eyes glowed a fierce violet.