Finding sage, p.1
Finding Sage, page 1
Copyright © 2022 C. Chabot
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
The characters in this book are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental
This book has been proofed and edited by my team of imaginary creatures. If you notice anything misspelled, out of place, or grammatically incorrect, you can email me at: CrystalChabot @mail.com
Chapter 1
Crisp autumn air filled my lungs, a cool kiss against my cheeks as my eyes slid closed in a happy hum. Connie’s shoes hit the ground on the other side of the car and a little laugh left her at my reaction to the fresh air. The small mountainside town had been our abode for the last few days. It was Connie’s last-ditch attempt to pull me out of my head and as much as I wish it worked, the dark thoughts still lingered.
“Come on,” Her arm looped through mine and pulled me toward a mismatched group of hikers. They waited in the gravel parking lot for the rail tour to start.
Chewing my lip, I glanced around at the surrounding mountains; hues of red, orange, and purple dispersed the fog. Mom would have loved how the low-lying clouds coated everything in mystery. I could almost see her now, camera in hand as she attempted to time the shutter speed just right. I always thought of how she was before she was sick. Losing her so shortly after Dad passed in a multi-car pile-up had made it difficult.
While two months had already passed since Mom’s funeral, it wasn’t easy. Dad’s loss had been so sudden. I almost hadn’t believed she'd been diagnosed with cancer so soon after his passing. But caring for her had pushed Dad’s passing to the back of my mind. Now, I was alone and struggling to come to terms. The two people I was most connected to weren’t here anymore. And while I knew Connie didn’t blame me, I still felt pressured to get over it. My stomach twisted with guilt because Mom would have loved this trip. Connie gave a tired sigh, frustrated on my behalf. I couldn’t help it. It must have been a minute change in expression that gave away my thoughts.
I should be able to move on, right?
A low-pitched whistle from the trailhead called everyone’s attention. Connie sent me a sympathetic glance before tugging me to join the group. How she’d talked me into a group hike of all things, I’ll never understand. But we were here so I shook my head and tried to ground myself in the moment. Sharp nails bit into my palms as the Guide explained the route and some history of the decommissioned railway.
“Come on now Jimmy, don’t bore us all to death back here!” A man called in a joking tone, startling me. Light chocolate eyes twinkled when I twitched and snapped my gaze to him. He looked to be about the same age as us and didn't hold my gaze for long. The group laughed as the tour guide grouched, his response too quiet to hear from the back. Connie gave my arm a quick squeeze as she glanced at her phone.
“Fuck, I have no bars out here.” Her grumble prompted me to check mine. Shaking my head, I put the old device back in my jacket pocket. Our cheap cell phones didn’t have good access out in the mountains. Not a surprise for students living on a shoestring budget.
A hand on my back startled me, resulting in a surprised gasp. The joking man from before pulled away quickly but majick danced in the air between us. Fizzling out so quick that if it hadn’t left me to grapple with a surge, I wouldn’t have noticed.
“Better keep up or you’ll get lost,” He warned as if he hadn’t noticed the iridescent sparks and motioned to the group that set off down the trail. Quickly, he turned away at my frown and whispered to another man as they paced out long strides to catch up.
Pulling Connie along, I rolled my shoulders and tried to shake the boost of energy he’d given. It was disconcerting when I’d pushed the majick so deep it had been a blip on my radar for years. Maybe it was a fluke. In all of my short lifetime, I’ve never experienced a gain from touching someone. The fresh majick simmered under my skin as I rubbed my hand roughly against my jean-covered thigh. Minutes ticked by as we followed the group down the old railway but I still struggled.
“Just take some deep breaths, it’ll be okay,” Connie promised, misreading my anxiousness. Of course, my best friend didn’t know about majick. No one did. As far as I knew, I was the last keeper. Mom and Dad had never mentioned anyone else.
I do what Connie says and take a few centering breaths. Mentally, I track the two men chatting with a few others. They look like locals and I’m reminded again just how small of a town we’d come to.
The hike brings us through a passageway where we pause to take a break and have a photo opportunity. Connie forced me into a couple of selfies at the front of the dark tunnel but my attention kept straying to the man that startled me. They openly watched us now. A critical frown on his friend’s face only served to put me on edge. Had he felt the exchange? The idea that I may not be as alone as my parents led me to believe turned my stomach.
Sticking with Connie, the tour re-grouped and continued into the passageway where the temperature dropped significantly. Connie pulled her arm back to shove her hands into her pockets, shoulder brushing mine as giggles and nervous laughs erupted from the dark. The tour guide’s voice echoed, carrying to us as he promised we’d all make it out if we followed the light to the end of the tunnel. The occasional light of a person’s phone flashed as they tried to see to walk but it was otherwise pitch dark.
The tunnel went on further than expected and just as the unease grew, someone up front cursed. The sound of a body hitting the ground made us pause and take a few steps back. My eyes caught on the distant end of the tunnel that seemed to grow farther away. The end was so far and we weren’t getting any closer as everyone fussed over the man who’d hurt himself.
Taking short breaths of cold damp air, I hugged myself and shivered. I turned to ask Connie if we could just turn back and reached out only for my hand to hit thin air. Where’d she go? She’d been next to me, right?
“Hey, you’re okay. Just breathe,” A man’s voice whispered to my left, making me jump again. He cursed, reaching out to grip my arm as I stumbled back. Unable to see much other than shadows pooled in deeper shadows.
“Breathe,” He insisted as his energy climbed under my skin. I was going to be sick. Nausea rolled through me as I attempted to push the energy away, anything but keep it in me. It didn’t work. Of course, it didn’t work. My parents never prepared me for this. My body was like a dry sponge dropped into a tub of water. Tiny iridescent lights flicked between us like a static charge.
The man hesitated a moment, his breath harsh beside me before his grip propelled us forward. Pushing me in front of him, his hands went to my shoulders as he guided me after the group. I managed to take a clear breath of air once my brain registered the group was up and moving again. The tunnel exit grew closer, relieving only one of my many problems.
Exiting the tunnel, a tourist near the front limped along with the help of the man who’d kept frowning at us. Connie’s gold curls pulled my feet to the left. Her worried blue eyes landed on me, her phone held uselessly.
“What’s wrong? What happened? Are you okay?” She pulled me to her. Thankfully the energy abruptly cut off once his touch fell away. Hugging her back, I shook and mumbled an excuse about small dark spaces being too much. Even though I knew it wasn’t real and the passage was safe enough, my body had other ideas. Especially with the energy that man had just dumped into me.
“You-” The man cut off and ran a hand through his hair, wanting to say more but I begged him with my eyes. This couldn’t be real. He hadn’t seen anything, right? An old memory of my father surfaced, warning me the government would take me away if anyone found out what I was. There were so few keepers for a reason. But he abruptly shook his head and turned away to go help the injured man.
“We won’t ever walk through another tunnel like that,” Connie promised as she pulled back and tugged me along with the group. I nodded, thankful she couldn’t feel the struggle I faced. My gaze wandered back to where his light hair ruffled in the wind. His head was barely visible over the other hikers as they came to an agreement. The men helped lead the injured hiker to a path that looped back.
Who was he?
Zipping my jacket higher, I swallowed and tried to focus on the hike. If I focused hard enough, I could ignore the burning in my veins. I only hoped I could contain it. That was essentially my role after all, contain, filter, divert the energy around us.
If I was the last keeper, did it even matter anymore?
Nearing the end of the day, I wasn’t able to take it any longer. Majick pulsed, burning through my blood in time with my rapid heartbeat. So intense I was surprised I wasn’t glowing in the fading light. Slowly, I fell to the back of the group and pushed into the overgrown underbrush when Connie checked her phone for the millionth time.
The energy was impossible to contain and a shaky relieved sob heaved out of me when I stumbled into a small clearing. Dropping to my hands and knees, I sunk my fingers into the chilled forest floor just as my control broke.
Whimpering at the blinding flash of pain, iridescent light burst from me to fill the clearing. Its current raised the hairs along the nape of my neck and burning pain licked my body. My muscles grew weak and shaky as I knelt, pouring what I could into the air and soil.
I’d only experienced this a handful of times, most recently over the last few months. Now I regret not asking Mom for help while she was still here. She’d been so scared and stressed trying to p
Sharp pain in my lip forced me to breathe as my teeth punctured the sensitive skin. Tears replaced the pain blurring my vision as the energy finally ebbed and receded. An empty void where I’d always had at least a trickle of power welcomed me and I didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared out of my mind. The light and warmth faded to drench me in the cold late evening air.
Panting, I blinked to clear my vision when my muscles cramped.
Shit.
I was going to pass out.
But the rough ground never met my face as a warm arm wrapped around me. The movement dragged another whimper from me and pain radiated from the involuntary movement. A deep voice rumbled above me, the sound impenetrable passed the ringing in my ears. Clawing at my mind, I tried to force my eyes open.
*****
Slade’s POV
“What the fuck were you thinking?” The whisper came hot and angry as I lifted the young woman. She’d dumped enough energy into the clearing to fry the surrounding Earth and I had to force myself not to shake her awake for answers. The bad feeling I’d had turned out to be valid. She wasn’t cycling majick. Which was just insane. My head shook as I moved through the underbrush, careful not to smack her against any trees.
How long had she been like this? It wasn’t in our nature to store energy without completing a cycle. So why had she let it build up? Why hadn’t she approached us earlier? So many questions and so few answers.
“Oh my God, Sage!” Her blond friend spotted us first and scrambled over. This crazy girl had barely made it out of trail sight. What had she been thinking?
“What happened? Is she okay?” Her friend almost tugged her from my grip as I tried to nudge past. We needed to get her somewhere safe. Not half froze out on the mountainside while the sunset and not with a crowd of hikers. People in our town may be used to odd occurrences but the out-of-towners weren’t. And who knew who could be trusted here? The last thing this town needed was SPA agents all over it again.
“Exhaustion, let the doctor look her over,” The words came out sharper than necessary but I was still trying to cool off. I couldn’t lose my temper now. Max spotted us, face pensive as he dragged Knox away from Jimmy.
“Put her down,” Knox’s eyes grew wide as he gestured to the ground.
“Stand back,” He barked, fussing as the other hikers tried to get a better look at the spectacle. Max took her friend off to the side and attempted to reassure her as Knox checked vitals. A frown tugged his lips, almost imperceptible to those who didn’t know him better. She must have done more damage than I assumed but before I could worry if moving her had been a bad choice, she sucked in a startled breath and gave a pained moan.
“Can you grab a light?” Knox’s attention didn’t leave her. He hated practicing on humans but this was a different story. She was one of us, a keeper. Grunting an acknowledgment, I knelt and tugged my pack off to fish out a small flashlight. She winced and blinked as he flashed it in her eyes. A small current of iridescent light was quickly hidden. The current moved between his fingers and her skin before breaking off. Narrowing my eyes, I glared at Knox.
Had he been trying to cycle with her in front of all these people? Was he insane?
Knox cleared his throat and shoved the flashlight back into my hands. Grumbling, I placed it back. Mind running through all the things I couldn’t say in front of everyone right now. Could he tell how long it’d been since she last cycled? Why had she taken so much energy from Max without giving anything in return? By the time we’d dragged the injured tourist back to the clinic, I’d had to top him up.
“Sage!” The blond broke away from Max and crowded beside us. “Are you okay?” She asked and Sage nodded slowly. Her gaze was cloudy and confused as her friend held her hand. Despite there being no obvious familial relationship between them, it was clear how much Sage meant to her. That fact helped ease the tension in my shoulders a little because maybe she wasn’t as bad off as we suspected. Still, if a keeper was gathering and dumping majick in the forest then that was something we needed to put a stop to. For all our sake.
“She should stay under watch overnight,” Knox looked at her friend. “What’s your name?” He asked as I ran a hand through my hair. Max stood off to the side looking like he’d been punched in the gut. I’d told him not to get too excited over another keeper. He was going to get his hopes up again. Desperate for the last piece of the puzzle. Even with three of us, we still struggled to keep it intact. I hadn’t thought she could be ours until her friend called to her. But I couldn’t get my hopes up, she looked nothing like our Sage.
“C-Connie…does she need to go to the hospital?” She wondered, hands trembling slightly as she tried to help Sage sit up. Knox shook his head and shot me a look before offering to watch her tonight. Connie’s bright blue eyes narrowed on my friend, instantly suspicious.
“That’s a good idea. The girl will be in good hands with Dr. Harris. The hospital is so far from here,” Jimmy stepped forward, vouching for us. He didn’t even understand the situation but even he knew the hospital would be too much hassle. Connie looked hesitant but nodded after Jimmy reminded her that Max and I had helped the injured hiker to the clinic. She didn’t need to know Knox only owned the veterinarian clinic beside it. Jimmy called everyone to start moving back to the parking lot and I found myself clenching my hands to stop from automatically picking the girl back up.
“Just, um, here can I have your phone?” Connie asked Max. Max unlocked it and handed it over without a word. He understood just as well as we did that we needed to get Sage home before we could talk. We needed to at least warn her about releasing energy when SPA was out here searching for others.
Incredulous still, I shook my head. The image of her surrounded by a ring of energy was burned into my mind. What had she been thinking?
Connie programmed a number into Max’s phone and called her own before handing it back. She turned to whisper to Sage but the girl had already lost consciousness again. Surely depleted from everything she’d expended in the clearing.
“You better take good care of her,” Connie warned Knox, he promised Sage would be fine. She sniffled and nodded as she stepped back. Not willing to wait any longer, I scooped Sage back up and started moving down the path. Knox kept pace while Max spoke quietly with Connie a few paces back.
“What happened? Is it her?” Knox asked in a low voice, shooting a glance at the two behind us. I shook my head, not wanting anyone to overhear. It was clear Connie didn’t have a clue what Sage was and I planned to keep it that way. The last thing anyone needed was more humans knowing.
Chapter 2
Bright light shined into my pupils before it flashed side to side. Thinking it was part of the strange dream, I ignored it. Sure fingers pressed against the inside of my wrist and a hand kept me still when I struggled to wake up.
Squinting through blurred vision, I found a man taking my vitals. The memory of the hike sprung to mind, turning my stomach angrily. Someone must have found me since I hadn’t woken on the forest floor but had they seen what happened? A vague memory of Connie leaning over me was all I had to go on.
“How do you feel?” The man caught my eye. Worry creased his face as I struggled to take an even breath. His eyes tightened as warm fingers slipped away from my wrist.
A dry “Hurts,” was all I could manage at the moment with my head pounding and body aching. It felt like I’d been dragged behind a semi. The man nodded as if I weren’t telling him anything new.
“I’ll get you some water. You need to hydrate and rest,” He said before leaving the door ajar.
Clearing my throat, I winced and forced myself to sit up in the unfamiliar bed. A thick blue comforter covered me and the scent of sea salt carried on the bedding filled my lungs. A desk with a laptop placed haphazardly on the edge with piles of paperwork lined one wall. The other was filled with a long dresser, again random items were strewn across it in a chaotic mess.
