Chapter 32: Family History

Mr. Loftin, the rest of our team and I were pretty frozen by the time we finished checking the areas we had been assigned. We were southwest of the house, in sight of the parked parade of vehicles. My brain felt as sluggish as my legs from walking in the snowshoes. Over and over I had reached out to the others, asking if they had found anything. Nothing. No one had found anything.

Again, I reached out to Mandy. I thought about her. Not just the woman who had grown up as my adoptive sister, but as the one who had grown close enough to me to want to be with me. Maybe even beyond our bond.

The Mind Magi with the red diamond was still out there, somewhere. He had my family. He had somehow blocked me from feeling Mandy, possibly even broken my bond with her. If Michael were here, he might be able to tell me which it really was.

"Ral, I just got a call from Michael. He's just arrived in New York and is getting ready to drive down."

"Okay, " I thought back, feeling disappointed and burned out on anger. It wasn't his fault this had happened. I even knew it wasn't my fault, but that didn't stop me from feeling as if I could have done something to prevent it.

I stopped and looked around the snow covered forest. The others were well ahead of me, ready to go somewhere and get warm. They probably wanted to eat and hug their families, happy they weren't going through what I was. I didn't blame them. I would do the same.

The snow hid many details, but highlighted those that weren't buried. The trees were mostly dead, dormant for their wintry slumber. I could see good distances in all directions and would have missed a particular detail under any other circumstance.

Something black and smoky moved through the woods. Something tall and billowy. I watched it in disbelief. We had been searching for clues of my family's whereabouts all day and suddenly the very thing that we believed took them shows up? No. It wasn't just coincidence. It must have been watching us. Keeping an eye out to make sure its secret was safe.

I stood there, not sure what to do. I wanted to chase it down, make it give up the information I sought, but how? It was seemingly intangible and could do things I had no protection against. I needed help.

"Andrea, I think I've spotted the ... thing. The column of smoke I was attacked by in the fire." I watched it. It was definitely moving. "Get everyone out of here. Make sure to contact your house and send help. I'll try to keep it here and busy until you arrive."

"If I call for help, they'll send Dragons. They're also looking for you. They can handle this thing once they arrive."

"I'm not letting this thing get away. If I have to face down the Dragons and this thing I will. I won't abandon my family!"

"Okay, calm down. I'll call Michael and a few others we trust to help without turning on you."

"Thank you."

"But Ral, if that thing made short work of you before, how can you stand up to it again?"

"I don't know. Michael says I have untapped abilities. I'll have to improvise."

I moved forward, my adrenaline picking up. I didn't know where the column was going but it was about to have a rude tap on the shoulder.

Fortunately, Andrea had a level head on her shoulders. "Ral! Don't attack it. Follow it. It may lead you right to your family."

I had wanted it distracted. A fight would do just that. However, she was right. If I did attack and either died or accidentally killed it in our struggle, my family would be lost. Granted, Andrea seemed more concerned for it than me, probably having seen grieving men attack and kill those who had done them wrong. Police work could be brutal. Her advice was sound. I might be able to pull off some covert maneuvering and just follow it. "Good advice Andrea. Thank you again."

My adrenaline was still picking up, but not for the surge of hate I had for this thing. It was for the exhilaration of possibly finding my family.

I moved in, making sure I could see it clearly. Something seemed to be wrong with it. Though it was a cloud of smoke, it was having problems moving in the snow. That made no sense. There were no tracks from the house except vehicles and what the emergency crews and search parties added. This thing was now leaving a trail.

I didn't have to be a tracker to follow it. The gouge in the snow would lead me along.

Just when I thought I had it made, when I thought it would simply lead me to my family, Murphy decided to show up. You know, Murphy's Law...

The cloud stopped and then started moving again, right at me. I wasn't exactly camouflaged against the snow, so I was just as easy to see as the cloud, but I had something it didn't: speed.

Ready for the fight that was about to ensue, I watched as the cloud's approach slowed down. I ran at it, charging with the intention of diving right through it. Someone was inside and I was going to pull him or her out.

Sure enough, as I jumped, I hit someone. I wrapped them up and my momentum carried us out to the other side. The cloud seemed to evaporate and disappear. The person I grappled tried to fight me, tried to pull my arms and legs off them, but I was a lot stronger.

Whoever it was wore a hooded jacket and I was at their back. My grappling gave me clues that told me I was holding a man, like the lack of breasts and the strength with which he fought.

The snow got under my coat and into my clothes, making me painfully aware of how cold it still was outside, but that was nothing compared to the cold that ached in my arms. Whatever was happening I felt my hands go numb and then ache with the deep burning sensation of penetrating cold. It was like the temperature was being dropped further. I kept moving, adjusting my grip and forcing my fingers to grip and release to make sure I still held the person I had tackled. However, not being able to feel intricate details, he fought free even of my strength.

I rolled away, crouched and ready. The man I had tackled stood up and looked at me. The hood hid his face, but not the piercing thoughts he projected.

"Nautikuus! You should have given up. You should have gone home. You should have died!" that last was nearly spat at me.

"Not on your life." I could feel the warmth returning to my hands. For that matter, the snow felt warmer than the cold that had enveloped my hands. So, he could fight with fire and cold ... or was it something else?

"Where is my family?"

"They are no longer your concern. They are now mine to deal with as necessary. I gave you your chance to punish them but you refused."

I was getting mad. "You are no one's executioner! You have no right to this, no reason for any vengeance. You're too scared to even prove who you are and show your face!"

"Nice try Nautikuus. Your anger is strong, but it could be stronger... "

That's when I felt my veins burning with anger. My adrenaline was pumping again, speeding me up. I could jump him and tear him apart ... It would feel good. I would feel justified. He deserved it. He burned down my house, took my family, left me for dead in the basement.

"Come, Nautikuus. Come and bring me your wrath. Show me your anger. Kill me... "

He was so calm about this. I couldn't see his face, but his demeanor was relaxed, his arms limp at his sides. He would be easy prey.

That instinct in me said this would do nothing for me. He wasn't food, my family wasn't currently threatened. There was no excitement in me for this. I didn't want his death, justice yes, but not his death. My body relaxed. I returned what I was sure was a relaxed look. "You power ... It's not over fire or ice, it's the ability to amplify things... "

"Yes. Very good. And now that you know that secret... " He reached up. I tensed, ready to defend myself but waited for his move. I still had speed over him. He pulled back his hood.

The man that stood before me had gray hair and deep brown eyes. For a wild moment, I thought I was looking at an older version of my father. If not for Michael's memories of my real Dad's funeral... "You're not my father, but you look a lot like him."