Beyond Blue Frontiers Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Beyond Blue Frontiers

  Cecilia Randell

  The Adventures of Blue Faust:

  In Which Our Heroine Continues The Adventure

  Contents

  Beyond Blue Frontiers

  Worlds of Karran

  Map of Karran

  Preface

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Glossary

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 by Cecilia Randell

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotes in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Editing by Heather Long and Jennifer Hinson

  Front cover image by Katrina Curry, Crimson Phoenix Creations

  Internal Formatting by Gina Wynn

  Published by Blue Wren Publishing

  [email protected]

  This book is for a few different people. BL Brunnemer, whose words inspired me to write the story in my head. My editors, Heather and Jax, who keep me on the straight and narrow (or at least from driving off the cliff). The TAM Squad, and quite a few others, who continue to encourage me to get the story down.

  Finally, to every single reader. Thank you for enjoying Blue as much as I do.

  Worlds of Karran

  Map of Karran

  Preface

  Many believe that Earth is the only world with life. Others believe that there is life out there, but it is so far away and so alien to us that we will never understand it. Both are wrong.

  Somewhere amidst the universes is a world called Karran. This world has a unique trait. It has what the natives call “thin spaces,” where time and space between it and other worlds become disrupted, allowing travel. One such world is Earth.

  Whether human life began on Karran—traveling to Earth through the portals—or on Earth, traveling to Karran, is not known, though many suspect Karran to be the origin point.

  There are other worlds as well. These worlds all contain areas where the energy corresponds to those “thin spaces.” They also contain humanoid life, supporting the “Karran first” theory. Some have advanced civilizations—have even developed space travel and open trade with other worlds. They formed an alliance to advance and support the welfare of these worlds. Others are still relatively primitive and thought to be too dangerous to deal with openly. Earth falls among the latter.

  While those on Karran have developed methods to control the thin spaces and portals between the worlds, these can still sometimes activate on their own, transporting accidental travelers. One such “thin space” is near Austin, Texas, and one such traveler is Blue Faust. These are her adventures through the universes.

  Prologue

  PHI

  Phillip backed farther into the doorway shielding him from sight of the workers. Etu, the Prizzoli who’d originally worked with the Zeynar Family, had promised him better pickings here in the northern region of Karran, but so far there wasn't much life to these people; the environment itself seemed to have sucked it all out already.

  He watched as they rushed along the walks, heads down and covered by practical scarves and hats, their forms bundled in dull colored coats.

  A pulse came from the crystal safely tucked away in his coat pocket. He patted the area with his hand, reassuring the little thing that it would have more soon. He, too, was eager for the rush.

  A laugh drew his attention to a store across from where he stood. A girl stood there, smiling, teasing the young man who was helping her load her purchases into the small transport idling there. She was slight, and wisps of blond hair escaped the blue scarf wrapped around her head. It was one of the few spots of color he’d seen here in this horrible city.

  Her movements were quick, lively, and they called to him and the crystal both. The boy finished loading the last of her parcels, and then she reached up to pull him down, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. The boy shuffled, ducked his head, and moved back into the shop. The girl leaned over near the front of the transport, and Phillip noticed there was a driver. She said a few words he couldn’t make out and then continued along the street while the transport stayed in front of the store. She entered another shop a couple of blocks away.

  Phillip abandoned the shelter of the doorway, keeping his head down and trying to blend in with the quick, purposeful pace of the rest of the pedestrians. After he’d gone three blocks, he crossed the street and made his way to the shop the girl had last entered. As he passed, he caught sight of her through the window, paying for some ribbons or some such.

  He ducked into an alley she would need to pass on the way back to her transport. A bare minute later her humming, a soft and delicate sound, reached him, and the girl soon followed. The color of her scarf seemed a beacon.

  He reached out, one hand grabbing her shoulder and the other quickly wrapping around her mouth and pulled her into the alley. She struggled, but there was nothing to her, and he had no issues hauling her to the darker parts of the alley where the shadows of the buildings on either side made it seem like night.

  The struggle was exciting, even though it gave him no problems. It just meant he had finally gotten one that would be satisfying.

  He dragged her to the ground and pinned her legs with his own, careful not to release her mouth or allow her to make a sound.

  There was one close moment when he had to let her shoulders go to grab the cloth he used as a gag. She was able to wrench her head enough to shake his hand loose, just for a moment. Not long enough to cry out, but the defiance got Phillip’s blood rushing even more.

  He tied the gag, catching his fingers on her scarf in the process and pulling it loose from her head, revealing more of her blond hair. It wasn’t the right shade, and he frowned. He’d hoped… but no. This one was for the crystal — it was better this way.

  His other hand now free, he pulled the crystal from his pocket, shaking it loose from the pouch. Its light pulsed, and eagerness infused him. It had grown harder to distinguish his and the crystal’s needs, but most of the time it didn’t matter, they were the same.

  He held the crystal before the girl’s face. She gazed up at him, eyes wide and lips trembling, though she stilled now. She eyed the crystal, a frown forming, and confusion clouded her expression. She had expected him to violate her, but that was never what he was after.

  He wanted the power.


  Lowering the crystal to her cheek, he closed his eyes and savored the rush of life, of power, of vitality, flowing from the girl on the ground before him. She struggled again as the life left her, but it didn’t last. It never did.

  Finally, it was done. The crystal had taken all that she held, all that she had to give. Phillip opened his eyes and gazed at the figure lying in the dark alley.

  For just a moment another face was there, smiling softly at him, dirty blond hair with streaks of blue and changeable gray-blue eyes, features he’d dreamed about for the last two months.

  Blue.

  The face changed back to the dead girl’s, and his stomach roiled. He threw himself off the body and puked against the alley wall, heaving until there was nothing else coming up. He slumped against that same wall, heedless of the cold and partially melted ice seeping into his clothes, or the puke, or the body lying there.

  I’m sorry, he thought, never noticing the tears sliding down his cheeks.

  Chapter 1

  BLUE

  Mentally checking off items, Blue lingered over the task of surveying the contents of her camping backpack. Some things she was sure she could acquire once they’d made it to Karran, but she didn’t know where they would end up or how long it would take to get those things.

  Extra underwear, enough for at least two weeks, socks, a few tanks, a pair of WinterSilks—she really hoped those weren’t needed—two pairs of jeans, and two sweaters. A travel size sewing kit, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, a package of wipes, and a small first aid kit were tucked in next to those. And next to that a small journal, her List folded inside, and the pouch of coins Mo’ata had given her. Most of the remaining space was allotted to nutrition bars and water.

  There were also a few items tucked down into the very bottom that she wanted to avoid thinking about, but couldn’t. Cradled with the socks was a small bottle of scent… and a twelve-pack of condoms. She had started on birth control, the shots, and had just gotten the latest a few days ago, but that didn’t protect against everything. Not that she didn’t trust Forrest, or Mo’ata, or… Her cheeks heated, tingling. This was ridiculous; she was eighteen, almost nineteen. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her taking care of her own safety like that, and she certainly shouldn’t be embarrassed about it.

  Sometimes she also felt it was ridiculous to still be a virgin at her age. Other times she knew she would take that next step when she was ready. Forrest’s sweet smile, quickly followed by Mo’ata’s steady gaze, flashed before her. And there was the problem. She hadn’t been able to break that barrier, to step over that line with Forrest. Not until she knew if she could make this crazy plan work with the two of them. And there was another part of her that she refused to acknowledge but couldn’t let go of—one that kept the bottle of scent Trevon had given her. Damn Hooligan. She yanked the pack’s zipper closed and double-checked that the water bottles in the side pouches were secure. Her heart pounded.

  They really were going to do this. They were going back.

  “Blue! Let’s go!” Forrest yelled from where he waited in her living room. She could practically see him pacing, impatient she was taking so long to get ready. She didn’t care. She was going to take her time. She didn’t know when she’d be back, and this place was home.

  Looking around her room, she saw not just the things, but the memories. A homecoming mum, the first she’d ever made. Photos from prom with her, Forrest, Phe, and Kevin. More photos of Blue with her mom, taken at Town Lake on one of their own mini-adventures. Mom had been incredible these last several months, actively pulling herself from work to make time to go on expeditions.

  There on her wall was the drawing of the tree that Forrest and Derrick had worked on that first day of school. Forrest had finally finished it, months after The Incident Where Everything Changed, and given it to her.

  Sitting on her dresser was the make-up kit Phe had gotten her. It had been touch and go for a little bit on their friendship. Blue had blamed herself for the whole thing, and while Phe never had, there had been a lot of stuff to work through. Eventually, with Forrest’s help, Blue had realized that even if she had originally set off the natural portal, the Zeynar Family, specifically Aterian Zeynar, was really the one responsible. His son had tried to clean things up as best he could. The deaths and Phillip’s situation simply… were.

  “Pixie, let’s go!” Forrest said, now standing in her doorway.

  Blue turned to him. “You really need to learn patience, Fo,” she said, smiling.

  “You know I don’t have that. Come on! Everything’s settled! We’re going!” Like a kid, he bounced, practically coming out of his shoes. With his wide shoulders and tall frame, it was a bit incongruous.

  In the year since The Incident, he had grown. Not much in height, maybe a couple inches, but he’d definitely put on more muscle and lost some of the softness of youth. He’d also gotten his tattoo. Though she couldn’t see it now, covered as he was by a long-sleeved thermal, it stretched from his upper right arm and shoulder over most of his upper back. It matched the original sketch, except for a few adjustments his uncle had needed to make. Stylized trees and animals—deer, wolves, even a mountain lion—flowed over his skin. He’d also been able to incorporate Beast. Forrest had allowed her to sit in on the session when his Uncle Vic worked on that part.

  It had turned out beautifully, perfectly representing Forrest’s love of color and his affinity with nature. No matter what he said, there was a large part of his father in him. Though, after watching that needle move over his skin and the way he’d flinched, she had moved “get a tattoo” even further down the list.

  Blue gave him a stern look. “We are going to take our time. And I’m not quite ready yet.” Giving him a little grin, she teased, “Besides, it’s not like you’re going anywhere without me.”

  He stopped bouncing, but he held himself tightly, too much energy needing to be released. “True. Well, what do you still need to do?”

  She studied her room again. The books on the shelves, her favorite stories. She’d written down all the tales her father had told her of the Piper Boy and others, and her mother had helped her get them printed and bound. She looked at the plants she’d managed to keep alive for the last few months and the ticket stubs taped to her mirror of all the concerts she and Phe had attended. “I need to finish saying goodbye,” she finally said.

  “Hey, it’s not goodbye, you know that.” He gave her a one-armed side hug. “You’ll be back. Even if the Ministry is going to be inflexible about it, you know the Dean of the Academy and Mo’ata would figure out how you can visit. Besides, I’m pretty sure your mom and mine both would come up with a way to cross through and track us down if we don’t come back for holidays.”

  “You’re not wrong.” She took a breath. “Okay, let’s go.” Before they even got to the door, she stopped, hurried to where the tree drawing hung, and took it down, tucking it under her arm. It was too large to fit in her pack, which was full anyway.

  “You sure you want to do that?” he asked.

  “Just in case,” she said, not saying the rest. Just in case we don’t make it back.

  Stalling once more, she re-checked the knots in her boot laces and adjusted her wool socks. Wool in summer was insane, but they also didn’t know what the weather would be on the other side. She draped her blue scarf around her neck and her puffy jacket over her arm, hooking the pack’s straps over the other. Something niggled at her, something she had forgotten. Something important.

  Just as she passed through the door, it hit her, and she rushed back to her dresser, scooping up a small sack of pennies. The coins he had given her were safe in her pocket, but she owed at least one of these to Mo’ata.

  “All right. Now I’m ready.”

  She and Forrest made their way down to the living room. Mom, along with Sheila, Kevin, and Phe, waited for them. Everyone who knew the truth.

  Setting down her pack and the picture, Blue app
roached her mother. She swallowed, pushing back the premature homesickness. How could she miss something before she’d even left?

  “My adventuring Blue,” her mom finally said. “So much like your father. Just promise to stay in touch so I don’t worry too much.”

  Blue snorted. “It’s not like I can just pick up the phone and give you a call.”

  “Maybe the Dean can help, or Jonas. I just know I’ll worry. It is what mothers do, Blue.”

  “I know,” she whispered and moved in for a hug.

  Clutching her close, Mom whispered, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Yes. I’ve thought this through, a lot. It’s not just for… Mo’ata. It’s for me too. I’m not the same girl I was a year ago. And I want these adventures. I want to find them, instead of them finding me. I… miss the feeling, like anxiety and excitement rolled together, and the sense that anything was possible.” She had changed in the last year. It was time to get out there, fight for what she wanted. The Year of New Things had gotten a makeover and become The Life of New Things. Or maybe it was more of an upgrade. Ultimately, The Incident hadn’t made her give up her Plan, only strengthened her resolve.

  Unless you’re off on a wild goose chase. Why not just stay here where you know what you have? She shoved back that stupid voice, but it jumped right back. Face it, you’re going to be in over your head.