Earth(112)

I glanced at Micah. He nodded in encouragement.

I finished the spell, chanting, "I consecrate this Earth with Akasha; cleanse it with my magical energy."

My whole body went stiff, then shook with uncontrollable spasms. I threw my head back, mouth open and eyes wide. My veins sizzled on the inside, taking my breath away. The rising tide washed through me and into the sky, powering Akasha and enveloping the world.

I sank back onto my heels as Akasha fizzled away, absorbed by the atmosphere, the oceans, and the Earth. The two hands I held went limp. I released Shawn's. He fell to his knees as I hovered over Micah.

Micah's eyelids fluttered, then he looked up at me. "Do you know what tonight was?" he asked.

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

"The Winter Solstice." He turned his head east. The sun had just begun to rise. The brilliant orb crested the horizon. In a brief flash, its rays reached out, touching the Earth. I raised my hand, shielding my eyes. Then the whole of the hilly plains before us, and the Rocky Mountains behind us, were bathed in light.

I looked down. Micah's hand had gone limp. His light flickered out and his eyes fluttered shut.

The world went gray. I stepped back, away from Micah and Shawn. My heart hitched in my throat. I couldn't breathe. I turned away from Micah's limp body to the sun, closing my eyes, soaking in its heat, forcing away the cold that took hold of me.

I stepped onto the rail, balancing myself on top. I cleansed myself, willing the negative energy to go away.

This is all just a bad dream.

The sun's rays wrapped me in warmth, like Micah always had. But when I opened my eyes and turned, he was still lying there, turning whiter by the second. There was no more warmth.

Shawn was pumping Micah's chest. "Come on, come on." Shawn paused to check for Micah's pulse, then tilted his head back and breathed into his mouth. He resumed pumping, glancing up at me. "Help him!" Shawn's eyes were glossy. It was the second time I'd ever seen him cry.

Shawn didn't hear the subtle crack above us. And with his eyes glued to Micah, he didn't see Creation Rock begin to tip. I didn't call out. I didn't attempt to move.

The whole of the cliff smashed into the ground. Dirt and debris sprayed out. I shielded my face, missing the final few moments of the pair of brothers before me. They were both crushed. The entire Earth seemed to shake.

When the dust cleared, I jumped down from the rail. I splayed my hand across the monolithic cliff. It was warm but cool at the same time. I stepped forward, and hit something that clattered across the ground. I bent down to inspect. The Chalice.





Chapter 74





Moving Forward





Susan turned off the computer.

"Eat!" exclaimed Bee.

Alex laughed. "Just a snack, don't ruin your dinner."

"Otay." Bee was already rooting through the pantry.

"Well, that went better than expected," Susan said, gesturing to the computer. They just finished their first video conferencing session. Power was growing to be more consistent and stable, though they still had to deal with their fair share of blackouts, even on the hybrid power station.

"Give it some time," Alex said. "It'll get better." He wasn't referring to the power.

Susan sat, fiddling with the frayed edges of her shirt. "Do you think she made the right decision? Could it have been done any differently?"

Alex always treaded carefully around the subject. Susan still broke down at the loss of her brother from time to time.

Alex sat down beside her, kissing her on the cheek. "You've said yourself that since Akasha, the pH balance of the oceans have evened out. Acidification is a non-issue; something Daybreak didn't even fix."

Susan nodded.

Alex continued, "Whatever happened in the days after Akasha…well, let's just concentrate on doing what is best for Bee, and make sure her mother's sacrifice remains justified."

"Right." Susan swallowed hard then patted Alex on the knee. "I'll get dinner started."





Chapter 75





One More





During the videoconference, I had taken more than a dozen screenshots of Bee. I stared at one now, tracing her outline with the pad of my finger until the screensaver came on, fading my daughter to black.

At one point during the session, when she had turned and I’d seen that her brown curls had grown past her shoulders, I almost lost it. It was elating yet crushing all at the same time. Most likely, I would never see her in person again; not if the Earth were to survive it.

"Excuse me, ma'am…"

I retracted my hand from the screen at the voice behind me, and turned. "Please don't call me ‘ma'am’."

David cleared his throat. "I know you have designated a second, but…" he trailed off, again, as my second-in-command, Erika, entered the room. David rubbed the back of his neck and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "It's just that – I'm not sure this was the way Shawn meant things to be run."