Essence by Debbie Kump

Author:Debbie Kump
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, coming of age, action adventure, paranormal fantasy, science fiction fantasy, teen young adult
Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC

Chapter Fourteen

During the journey back to the present time, the entire hike to Volcano House, and the whole return trip to Hilo in Auntie Lulu’s Firebird, I thought of little beyond the cave in Bora Bora where Gaia and Hydros had found us and tortured Skye, eventually breaking her spirit until she agreed to join their cause. Now, she seemed a mere fragment of her former self, as twisted and evil as Gaia because I had failed to prepare her for the encounter. Unfortunately, like Pele had claimed, it was too late for me to change the past.

But when Lulu pulled up in her driveway and I noticed the chipped paint of her white lattice fence, the reality of the present rushed back in full force. I had never finished that project, had never apologized to Sully…all because Lulu had spontaneously decided to visit her sister.

It seemed like forever since I’d last spoken to Sully, like ages had passed instead of the couple of days I’d spent working with Pele. Without a word to Lulu, I threw my bag on the bed and dashed to the public library, anxious to get there before it closed. Trails of sweat streamed down my brow while I logged into the computer, hoping he’d still want to speak to me after my unexplained avoidance, even if the computer terminal seemed about the least private place for us to talk.

When the video link fed through, Sully looked surprised and slightly upset. I figured he had every right to be mad after I’d unintentionally blown him off. But I never suspected there was more.

Not until it was too late.

“Nice to hear from you,” he said, his voice unnaturally sarcastic.

“Ohmigod, Sully! You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through.” I sighed, launching into a lengthy explanation of my recent problems. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have begun our conversation with complaints about wasting my time and accomplishing next to nothing. I should’ve asked about him, doted on him, and mentioned how much I missed him. But I didn’t. And I’d live to regret that mistake.

“Worse, Pele’s hiding something from me. I know she is,” I said, drumming my fingers on the tabletop, dwelling on my own concerns. “If only I could get her to reveal everything to me. But how?” I wondered, like I held a discussion with myself.

When Sully emitted a heavy, bored sigh, I realized my error. “So enough about me. How are things with you?” I asked, focusing my attention on his pale blue eyes.

Sully shifted uncomfortably in his chair, appearing distracted. He ran his fingers over his light brown hair and fidgeted with his hat, like its every position felt awkward upon his head. I blinked, reading his moves. This wasn’t him trying to focus, like the time he revealed the fire goddess’s identity to me. Something weighed on his mind, something I suspected he’d rather I didn’t know.

“Something’s up,” I told him. “I can tell, so don’t try to hide it.”

His eyes looked everywhere but at my face on the computer screen.

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