‘Hey, I thought we were bringing the agent woman with us,’ Nine says.
‘She’s still inside – she’s unconscious and I was going to use my healing stone on her, but I wanted to check on you first, make sure you were okay,’ I tell him.
‘Dude, you were worried about me? I got this. We need her to tell us where we’re going! You’re the one who refuses to go anywhere that isn’t towards your friends. Remember?’ Nine picks up an assault rifle and shoots it into the air. ‘Get in there and get her! I’ll be out here, playing with the soldier toys.’
Officers continue to retreat on foot, some hiding behind trees on the side of the road. Nine aims the gun above their heads. The rifle rocks against his shoulder and the bullets zip through the high branches. I can hear him cackling, enjoying the spectacle, as I move back to the truck.
I open my Chest and pull out my healing stone and duck into the truck to see how badly Walker is injured.
But she’s not there. I look around, as if she might have gotten up and moved to a different part of the truck. I’m completely confused by what I’m seeing. What I am not seeing. There is no one there. The bodies that were there minutes ago are all gone. Shit.
I’m furious with myself. I can’t believe how badly I’ve screwed this up. Not only do we still not know where they have Sam and Sarah, but it is likely that Purdy and Walker are still out there.
11
Number Eight is sitting in the grass. The lake is calm and still behind him. ‘I am known by many different names. Some call me Vishnu, while others call me Paramatma or Parameshwara. I am also known by my ten avatars, three of whom you have met and battled. Quite successfully, I might add.’
‘If they are your avatars, they are a part of you. Which means, you felt it necessary to declare war on three girls who were trying to reach you.’ Crayton spits out. ‘You’re supposed to be impersonating a peaceful god, aren’t you?’
‘You have a lot of explaining to do,’ Marina adds.
He is unmoved by our anger and remains seated. ‘I had to be sure you are who you claim to be. I had to be sure you were ready to meet me. My apologies if your feelings, or anything else, were hurt. You all proved yourselves, if that makes you feel any better.’
I’m fed up. I’m tired and hungry. Not to mention I flew across the world and fought an army to get here. I want answers. I stand up, fists clenched at my sides. ‘I’m going to ask a question, and if you don’t answer me directly, we’re leaving. This isn’t a philosophical discussion; and you had no right to test us. Are you, or are you not, Number Eight?’
He looks up at me and purses his lips. His skin color changes from blue to a deep copper tone. When he shakes his head, the crown falls off and his black hair grows into a shaggy mop of curls. Two of his arms vanish, and in a matter of seconds, a shirtless teenage guy sits on the grass in front of us. Commander Sharma gasps.
He’s kind of thin, but toned. With his full lips and thick black eyebrows, I must say, he’s kind of hot. Around his neck hangs a blue Lorien pendant.
He’s one of us.
Ella looks over at Crayton, who exhales a long breath. He opens his mouth, about to say something, but the boy speaks first.
‘My Cêpan originally named me Joseph, but I have gone by many names. In this region, most people know me by the name Naveen.’ He pauses and looks at me, then pulls up the ragged leg of his pants to reveal the scarred Loric symbols of One, Two and Three on his ankle. ‘If you want to get all Loric on me, then yes, you can call me Number Eight.’
The anger bubbling inside of me pops and disappears. We have found another member of the Garde. We just got stronger.
Crayton steps forward and offers his hand. ‘We’ve been looking for you, Eight. We’ve traveled a long distance. I’m Crayton, Ella’s Cêpan.’
Eight stands and shakes Crayton’s hand. He’s tall, and every muscle in his upper body and stomach is very well defined. He’s clearly been training for years, surviving alone in the mountains.
Ella stands as well. ‘I’m Ella,’ she says. ‘I’m Number Ten.’
‘Whoa!’ Eight says. He looks into her eyes. ‘What do you mean, you’re Number Ten? There’re only nine of us. Who told you you’re Number Ten?’
All of a sudden, Ella shrinks down to become a six-year-old girl. I guess there’s nothing quite like having your identity being questioned by a former statue to give you a crisis of confidence. Crayton nudges Ella, and then, just as quickly, she transforms back into her tall, twelve-year-old self.
Eight responds by growing five feet taller to tower over her. ‘That all you got, Ten?’
Determination covers Ella’s face and it looks as if she’s trying to grow another few years, but nothing happens. After a few seconds, she shrugs, ‘I guess so.’
Crayton turns to Eight. ‘I’ll fill you in later, but there was another ship that left Lorien after yours. Ella and I were on that ship. She was just a baby at the time.’
‘Is that it, or is there a Number Thirty-Two I should know about?’ Eight asks, shrinking back down to his regular height. His voice is husky, but also kind. For the first time, I notice his eyes are the most amazing shade of deep green. By the look on Marina’s face, she is noticing all of this too. I can’t help but smile as she nervously tucks her hair behind her ears.
‘Ella’s the last,’ Crayton answers. ‘This is Six, and this is Marina, Number Seven. You appear to be able to shape shift. Anything else we should know about?’ Crayton asks.
In response, Eight expands into a two-headed giraffe, towering twenty feet above us this time. I try to suppress my smile.
‘Indeed I do have that Legacy,’ the head on the left says.
The head on the right lowers to the water and takes a drink before looking up and adding, ‘Among other things.’
‘Oh, yeah? Like what?’ Marina asks.
Eight turns back into a boy and skips along the surface of the pool as if it were solid ice. When he circles back to us, he begins to sprint before skidding to a stop, sending a wave of water towards Marina.
But Marina is not going to get shown up by the new guy. Without flinching, she lifts her hands and stops the water midair, then pushes it back at Eight with her telekinesis. He in turn blows the wave high into the air like a geyser. Not to be left out of whatever game it is they’re playing, I take control of the wind and I use it to push the geyser across the pool until a wall of moving water surrounds Eight on three sides.
‘What else ya got?’ I shout, my voice daring him to keep things going.
Eight disappears from where I’ve trapped him behind the water and an instant later reappears on the jagged rocks above the pool. He disappears again and shows up inches from my nose.
Eight’s sudden closeness is so jarring I reflexively throw a fist into his ribs. He grunts and stumbles backwards.
‘Six! What are you doing?’ Marina yells.
‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘It was a reflex.’
‘I deserved it,’ says Eight, shrugging off Marina’s protectiveness.
‘So you can teleport?’ Marina asks. ‘That is very cool.’
He suddenly appears at her side and casually leans an arm on her shoulder. ‘I’m a fan of it.’ Marina giggles and shrugs him off. Giggles? Is she kidding me?
Eight smiles, disappears and shows up again standing on Crayton’s shoulders, balancing with exaggerated arm circles and wobbly legs. ‘Sometimes I pick stupid places to land, though.’ Eight is our jester, all of a sudden.
I’m struck by his playfulness, unsure if it’s going to be an attribute or a liability. I decide to view it as a positive. I can just see the annoyance and confusion on the Mogadorians’ faces moments before this kid turns them to ash. Crayton leans forward and, as if they’d rehearsed the routine in advance, Eight does a flip onto the ground, then claps his hands, obviously pleased with himself.