Prism Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter Fourteen: The Seltsam Sea

"Iris."

I open my eyes, and instantly narrow them. Not because my room is full of light, but because Lacie is standing at the foot of my bed, staring at me.

I sit up. "What is it?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

She shifts her weight, placing a hand on her hip. "I need to know how to absorb or whatever." She crosses her arms.

"Oh," I yawn. "It's just like reading. You want it, you got it." I swing my legs over the side of my bed. "It helps me if I reach out my hand like I'm grabbing it from them."

Lacie glances around my room. "If it doesn't work, I'm not going on the mission." She storms out without warning. I don't let her ruin my morning, and take my time waking up by gazing out my window at the golden grass and bubbling stream.

After breakfast, Abigail takes us back to the stream to wash up. Michael tells Lacie and I to absorb Audra's ability so that we can understand the Idex language.

As we wash, we both absorb Audra's ability and Chelsea's. They don't notice a thing. The energy of their abilities dances on my fingertips before spreading through my whole being, becoming a part of me forever. After we get suited up, we waste no time going on the mission.

Michael, AJ, and Josh sit on the floor around the coffee table. Lacie, Chelsea and I sit on the couch. The others stay away from our circle, careful to not disrupt the strategic meeting. I glance up at Jesse every so often, not used to seeing him through the lens I view him through now.

For the rescue mission, AJ and Josh both suggest we mimic as soon as we leave and go straight down the road to the fenced in area behind the ship. The quicker we get in there and escort the hostages out, the better. They also tell us that after we get them out, we need to hide inside a building afterwards so that if any Idex grow suspicious, they won't get a chance to question us.

Abigail and Michael argue over whether or not Abigail should lead us, but Michael seems to have the final say. "It's not necessary for you to go," he says. As he says it, I hear what he really means. "I can't afford to lose you." After all our questions are answered, everyone wishes us luck, and the three of us are out the door without a leader.

In our Idex light forms, we trudge across the golden grass and into the forest. I can tell Lacie and Chelsea apart because Lacie's Idex form is much more rigid and taller than Chelsea's, whose is rather small. My own image is somewhere in between, similar to the one that stopped us in the doorway when we were rescuing Johnny. The one I killed.

We swiftly pass the forest and walk onto the path Lacie's group took yesterday. The wooden buildings seem more damaged than the other side of town, like they took the brunt of the fire when the Idex first attacked.

We walk silently, all of us nervous about what we may encounter. We pass by a pole with a solid blue flag waving in the air, and Lacie's Idex figure reaches for her radio. "That's the checkpoint," she tells us. It's a little strange, hearing Lacie's voice come out of the Idex's mouth. When I remind myself that I look the same, it's easier to accept. "We're passing the flagpole, Michael," Lacie says, after the radio beeps. It beeps again as she releases the button.

"Great." Michael says back. "Be aware of the rebels."

The Seltsamite rebels are actually on our side. What they rebel against are the Idex. Besides some isolated camps, most of them live beyond the Seltsam Sea, where Adam has chosen to stay. Some of them muster up enough courage to venture back to their old town center, where they spy, receive intel, and attempt to rescue their friends and family members without being caught themselves.