“Wow! Did you guys see that?” Jake turned quickly in anticipation of a reaction. The room was silent. He had been so caught up in the moment that he’d forgotten the state his friends were in. He rushed to Shayna. He could hear her moaning from beneath the table. Only her boots were exposed. He knelt down to get a better look and assess her injuries. “Are you okay? I think you hit your head,” he said.
“Ya think? Where is she?” Shayna pushed herself out from beneath the table. She got to her feet quickly and looked around, dazed. “What happened? Where did she go? We gotta get after her, Jake,” she said, rubbing her head. It throbbed, and she squinted from the pain.
“She’s gone now. There’s no need to worry about her any longer. We’ve gotta check on Seneca and Conner.”
“Conner? What happened to Conner? What else did I miss?” she moaned as she trailed slowly behind Jake.
He looked over at Conner momentarily but decided to examine Seneca. She was still abnormally cold to the touch. He noticed that her hair seemed more platinum, an almost silver color, especially on her spiky tips. He looked around for something that could be used to warm her up. The room was dank and absent of anything resembling a blanket. The house was deserted; its previous occupants had removed all of the furnishings. All that remained were a few wooden stools and a small table with severe dry-rot damage.
Shayna felt a breeze whip through her hair and turned to see the large exposed hole in the wall. The wind had carried a mound of dry leaves inside and sprayed them about the room.
“Jake, where did that big hole come from?” Shayna asked. She felt disoriented and wondered how long she had been unconscious.
“I’ll tell you later. Seneca’s still freezing,” he said. “We don’t have time to waste, Shayna. Her breathing is really shallow.”
“Okay, what do we do?” she asked. She tried hard to concentrate on what Jake was telling her. Her head was drumming loudly. She rubbed her head and detected a lump that had formed; it hurt when she touched it. “What about Conner? Did you check on him?” she moaned as she sat on the floor beside him.
“Not yet. I think he’s going to be okay, even though he took a hard hit,” said Jake. “You should have seen him. He was glowing and shimmering just as that ice orb hit him. He protected Seneca until he went down.”
“I’m sure it was the Himalayan crystals at work,” said Shayna.
Conner’s arm was extended toward Seneca, and his hand rested just inches from her. Shayna shook his shoulders a few times to revive him, but she was unsuccessful. She placed her hand on his chest and felt it rise and fall.
“He’s breathing, but he’s out. That cold orb did a number on him. He’s really cold too,” she said sadly. “I couldn’t stop both of the orbs, but I tried.”
“I know you did. Right now, you need to get us all back to the castle,” Jake said.
“My head hurts—I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said. “I probably have a concussion, you know. Plus, there’s no telling what might pop in my head.”
“That’s always a risk,” said Jake. “The way you think never tracks like anybody else.”
“I’m guessing that’s not a good thing,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “But I have to agree with you—that’s why I can’t be trusted to get us back.”
“You have to try, Shayna. Look at them!”
“I know, I know. I just don’t want to make things worse,” she said.
“They’re going to die. It can’t get worse than that! Don’t you get it?”
Jake jumped to his feet and shook his fists in the air. He could feel panic rising to the surface. He pulled at his hair and looked down at Seneca. Her body was eerily still. Conner stood by stiffly with a look of extreme pain on his face. Jake could feel his heart beating out of his chest. He knew Shayna was hurt too, but he had to push.
“Come on, Shayna. Use your reflectoire. Get us out of here!”
“You don’t get it!” she screamed. “What if I screw up?”
Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. Images of Brigara taunting her flashed through her mind. She wanted to scream from the frustration. She hated feeling so doubtful about her abilities, but she feared failure even more.
“This is not one of your soap operas or sitcoms with a wrapped-up-tight, formulaic ending! It’s all happening now in unscripted reality!” Jake yelled.
“I get it, but you need to listen to me. I really don’t know if I can get us back. Not on solid ground anyway. To be honest, I keep envisioning a warm bath because I’m so cold,” she said.
“That’s probably okay. It really is if you could just try to picture the bath being inside Rileau’s castle,” Jake replied. He struggled to keep his voice even and not sound condescending. When he saw her lips twist into a tight knot, he knew he hadn’t succeeded. He cringed slightly. “Shayna, you’re strong in more ways than I can explain. You can do it! If we have to take a bath, then so be it!”
Shayna dried her tears and gazed at Seneca. She cringed at seeing her so helpless. The tears began to flow again. “Fine! No one had better complain about the water temperature.” She sniffed, took a deep breath, and then mumbled a few swear words inaudibly.
“No complaints from me.” He grimaced. He tried hard not to show his angst. “Let’s get them close and join hands. And I know you’re in pain, but I also know you’re strong.”
“Got it. Now, hold on tight. We are going to do this!” exclaimed Shayna. “As Rachel Platten sings, ‘’Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.’”
Her voice was beautiful as she sang each note in perfect tune. Jake looked at her with admiration but remained quiet. He thought back to their first meeting. She was the cheerleader who didn’t give him a second thought. She was brazen and confident, exactly what they needed at that moment if they were going to survive. He grabbed on to Seneca and Conner. “Let’s go, Shayna,” he said softly as he closed his eyes.
Shayna smiled. She let her mind visualize the beautifully sculpted marble tub adjacent to her bedroom in the castle. She imagined submerging her toes into the steaming water. She saw herself sliding into the tub until the bubbles rested beneath her chin. “Can’t forget the bubbles,” she muttered as the reflectoire vibrated. She swiped her hand across it and then quickly slid her hand into Conner’s as she bit down on her bottom lip. She picked up Seneca’s frozen hand and gripped it tightly. At the last moment, her thoughts shifted to another image. She let out a long exhalation as the room faded to black.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Wren Issues
Jake tumbled over in a forward roll and landed flat on his back. He opened his eyes and stared at the familiar ceiling. He recognized it. He scrambled to his feet but wobbled. The room was spinning, and he closed his eyes to stop the sensation. He hated the sensation of being dizzy. He grabbed hold of the nearest chair to keep from teetering. He was in the castle library. Shayna was propped on the large ottoman with her legs crossed. She was eating a sandwich. She tilted her head in his direction and grinned. He scanned the rest of the room until he saw Rileau on the far side. Rileau was unmoved by Jake’s sudden appearance as he hovered over Seneca. She was listening intently to his instructions as she poured a clear liquid substance from a small vial into her mouth. It suddenly occurred to Jake that she was awake. His attention turned to Conner, who was seated beside Seneca. He wore a concerned expression as he held her hand. They were either speaking quietly, or something had happened to his hearing, because he was unable to pick up on any of the conversation. He felt disoriented and confused.
“What’s going on?” Jake asked, searching Shayna’s face for a response.
“Why are you yelling?” she replied with her nose turned up.
“I didn’t know I was. I couldn’t hear anything for a second,” Jake said as he stuck his fingers into his ears in an attempt to improve his condition.
/> “That’s nothing. I couldn’t hear anything for almost an hour after my first teleporting trip,” said Shayna.
“What happened to me?” asked Jake as he leaned against the back of the chair to maintain his balance.
“Oh, you got delayed in the whole teleporting thing,” said Shayna. She gave him one of her broadest smiles, which made him a little uneasy. “Rileau explained it all. Evidently, since I changed my mind at the last second, I created some sort of hiccup, and we got here okay, but you were like, um, lost, I guess.”
“Lost?” he muttered. “You lost me?” He plopped onto the ottoman next to her and nearly rocked her off. He felt nauseated, and the room hadn’t stopped moving.
“More like delayed or misplaced,” she replied. “But look—you’ve arrived!”
“How long was I lost?”
“Oh, I’m guessing an hour or two. Rileau said it could take days, but the trail from my reflectoire would lead you here eventually,” she said. “And he was right.”
“But it feels like it was only seconds ago. We were just at that shack with the dupelene. Um, weren’t we?”
“You’re here now, and that’s all that matters,” she said reassuringly. “My head feels better, Conner is fine, and Seneca is—well, actually, I don’t know yet. Rileau’s been working on her. The good news is, she’s awake and no longer a Popsicle!”
“Yeah, I can see that. What’s he giving her?”
“I’m not sure, but she doesn’t seem to be resisting any of his treatments,” said Shayna.
“What kind of treatments?” Jake asked.
He decided not to wait for a response. He steadied himself and crept slowly across the room. He felt as if he were on a boat and needed to find his sea legs. Seneca’s eyes met his as he got closer. She smiled slightly. Conner leaped to his feet and embraced Jake with a hug that lifted him from his feet.
“Ow! A bit tight, dude!” Jake said as he wrestled free.
“Sorry, man. I’m just stoked to see you, being that you were lost and all,” Conner said as he gave Jake another quick hug.
“Shayna was telling me all about the getting-lost stuff. Odd, I guess, but at least we’re all here now,” said Jake.
“Shayna was able to get Seneca and Conner here without incident,” Rileau said.
“What he means is that we ended up safely in the library and not plastered in the bookcases.” Conner snorted. “Smooth landing—at least I think it was. I was passed out.”
“Unfortunately, her focus wavered, and as a result, her hold on you collapsed. The reflectoire yields great strength. As a result, her connection to you kept you tethered. Had this not been the case, you may not have survived the teleportation.”
“Thanks, Shayna. I’m still a bit confused, though. My head is foggy, and my stomach is swirling like I was stuck on the teacup ride for too long.” Jake moaned and rubbed his head.
“You’re welcome!” Shayna said. “You really should perfect your entrance. Your technique with the tuck and roll could use some help. As for the head spinning, that comes with the teleporting thing. Not always, but there’s the occasional woozy barf-up-your-lunch thing to deal with too.”
“I’m relating to that right about now.” Jake closed his eyes to steady himself.
“I’m getting a bit better at controlling it. Just try not to move too quickly. Trust me. I nearly lost it on that flock of sheep. Can you imagine getting the smell out of that sweater?” Shayna shook her head in disgust.
“Huh?”
“Oh, are you having trouble hearing too? That goes away. Don’t worry,” Shayna said soothingly.
She skipped to Jake’s side. He tried his best to laugh and pulled her in for a hug. He stumbled slightly, and Shayna steadied him. He wished she hadn’t mentioned the part about getting nauseated; his stomach churned. Beads of sweat formed on his brow just as he was releasing his embrace. He cocked his head as he caught sight of Rileau’s expression. He couldn’t decide if it was one of worry or disappointment. Jake didn’t like either option.
“Rileau, if I was gone for so long, where did I go? I have no memory of it whatsoever,” Jake said. He fought back the woozy sensation and grabbed on to an armchair.
Shayna noticed a green tinge rising around his throat and easing up his jaw. “I think Jake needs some of that ambrosia chocolate. Quick!” she snapped.
Before Shayna could turn around, Conner had already retrieved a cup of the concoction and shoved it into Jake’s sweaty palm. Without hesitation, Jake raised the sweet-smelling drink to his lips and sipped slowly. The sensation was familiar. He could feel the effects slowly take hold, and his shoulders relaxed. The queasy feeling subsided. The aftertaste of the sweet ambrosia made him feel as if being sick were somehow worth it.
“Thanks, guys. I needed that.”
“Yeah, green is not your color,” said Shayna. “Thank goodness Keene Ardara hooked us up with that magic chocolate. It works every time.”
“Your friends care deeply for you, Jake. It is satisfactory to see you are bonding,” said Rileau.
While his words sounded genuine, his expression remained unchanged. Jake read it as a sign they needed to get serious about things quickly. There was much to discuss, and he wasn’t sure how much he had already missed.
“Do I need to be concerned about not remembering anything about the teleporting?” Jake asked. “The last time, I didn’t feel sick, and I didn’t have a gap in my memory.”
Before Rileau could utter a word, Shayna leaped in between them and grabbed Jake’s hands.
“I can explain! First, I’m sorry, Jake. I really am. It’s just that at the last second, I started doubting myself,” said Shayna. “It’s so unlike me not to feel confident, because I usually am, but anyway, it’s just that I’ve only had to worry about myself, and there I was, having to help all of you, and I guess I kind of freaked. There. I said it!”
“It’s okay. I’m okay. Listen, I’m not blaming you. As a matter of fact, you should feel confident. You’re awesome! You rocked that reflectoire, and look what you did. You got us all here in one piece. I was just late to the party, but you didn’t leave me out. Hanging maybe, but you didn’t let go.”
“No. I guess I didn’t let go. How could I? We’re a family!” Shayna beamed. Her perfect smile spread wide, and she hugged Jake and then quickly moved to Conner and Seneca with like embraces. “I really care about all of you. I mean it. You’re all my besties!”
“Hey, I told you that you could do it, and you did,” Jake said.
“Now, if you are feeling better, please tell me what became of the dupelene,” Rileau said. “We can save the discussion about your time away for later.”
His voice was low as he stood with his broad shoulders pulled back and his chest out. Jake tried to read his expression but knew it was useless. Jake placed his cup down on an intricately carved oak table. Four Pegasus-like arions were engraved on the legs of it. The artisan had skillfully captured them in flight. They extended away from each table leg in four different directions. Jake hadn’t noticed them before, and he made a mental note to look closer at some other time. Sipping the chocolate ambrosia and seeing the arions made him reflect on their time with Keene Ardara. He missed the grumpy cluricaune. He rocked back and forth on his heels and then cranked his neck in a circle to make sure the dizziness was completely gone before speaking. The ambrosia was working. He felt warm and at ease.
“I gave her a send-off on a white-water rafting ride—minus the raft. Just the rapids,” Jake said flatly. He raised an eyebrow in contentment and folded his arms across his chest. His mind flashed back to her body being washed across the rocky terrain and dumped over the edge of the cliff.
“You did what?” asked Conner.
“How did you do that?” Shayna asked.
“I’d like to know this as well. Please enlighten us,” sa
id Rileau.
Jake couldn’t tell if he was being snide or sincere, but he opted not to ask. He explained how he had conjured the whirlpool, and he described the powerful velocity when it had crashed through the wall, as well as the disappearance of the water. He was animated in the retelling of the event. When he was done, he realized he hadn’t let it sink in that he had a new gift. It was a powerful one—and it somehow felt familiar.
“Jake, you do realize that this adds yet another gift to your arsenal,” said Conner. “I’m trying hard not to be jealous, but seriously, dude! How many powers can one guy have?”
“It’s not like I asked for more,” Jake said. He didn’t want to feel guilty, but he could hear the disappointment in Conner’s voice. “I just went with my gut. It was like muscle memory. That’s the best way I can explain it.”
“It appears Conner is right,” said Rileau. “You have harnessed another gift. It is quite impressive, given the circumstances, that you were able to enact it. Dazzling and impressive!”
It was the first time Jake felt he had actually pleased Rileau. He beamed with satisfaction. He caught a glimpse of Conner’s glum expression as he turned away. “Do you think I got the water-manipulation thing from when I was in that enchanted rushing river in Kryt na nOg? I had taken the Himalayan crystals and was able to fly, but maybe the water affected me too,” he said.
He was trying to work out for himself why this was a new power. He wanted to learn all he could about what it meant. He wondered if he could do it again or if there had to be special circumstances.
“It is not clear, but it is within reasonable probabilities,” Rileau said flatly. “It may possibly be innate.”