I was dreading that as much as I was arriving at the Falcons’ empty-handed.
“And I must stop it.”
“You must be there, yes,” she breathed out.
“Do you truly see evil in him?” I asked her, knowing I would not get a clear answer.
“The light will send change to the darkness, and a new balance will be born within the hearts of those that are chosen to guide the power that moves through our souls.” Her eyes moved to the sea. I would swear to you that it stilled that moment, that the rings of ice seemed to sparkle as if they were beckoning attention.
Change. Five. I had been around my grandfather and Seneca long enough to know how to read between the lines. There was no avoiding that I had to go.
That vague prophecy only had substance in my mind because it lined up with the turmoil around me.
Five souls going over there. Chosen ones. Ones with a crest that stated a time of compromise. My logic debated this. First of all, Guardian was pulled back before his time was over. Cashton and his sister were nowhere near ready. I didn’t even know the other girl that went.
I wanted to tell Seneca, Chosen my ass, but I found better words.
“Right. I must be the fifth. The goal is to get everyone home safely.” My way of saying this was a search-and-rescue situation, one that I had a sneaking suspicion would put me in a place where I would have to quell my evil twin.
That would be the only way all of this would link up right.
I needed to do this and hide Skylynn, take her far away from the grasp of the Hermetic. Rage rippled through me as the thought of what Camlin would or could do to her flashed in my mind. First and foremost, he would blame her for Cashton and his sister’s loss. I was going to remedy that just like I remedied that madness he thought Guardian would have.
Seneca smiled. “You will be victorious.”
“The Hermetic can’t close this Fall. They just can’t. There are far too many lessons on that side.”
“They are seeking power.”
That was not new information. Everyone knew the darkness that seeped through that Fall was hungry for our light; they sought to take and not give.
“They will never be able to completely control her. You made her strong, and I swear to you that I have seen her fall into your arms, that I put her there myself. You just have to remember her.”
I furrowed my brow. The only reason I didn’t have rage at that moment was that Seneca’s visions were never wrong. She just assured me that Skylynn would be in my arms. That calmed me, but I was still confused. “Who will not control her?”
“Camlin.”
I didn’t understand. Camlin was a face. He had no voice. He was nothing more than an informant. He was a fool if he thought that these actions would raise his status in his homeland.
“I should leave now. Pull Cashton’s sister home, maybe even find him before the dawn.” Call me optimistic. The best chance of finding Cashton was through his sister. They were connected by family bonds. In a sense, they would feel each other at all times. Some legends even state that they will die the same way at the same time, which is exactly why we never send siblings over there together.
I could not figure out why he was such a fool, why Cashton risked so much.
Seneca broke my thoughts with a near silent voice. “And if you do that, you will break the alliance you have with Guardian. You promised him.”
I didn’t have to question how she knew what I had sworn to do; she must have seen it herself.
“And how do I know that very act will not be the final straw, will not be the reason The Fall is sealed?”
“For if there are five rings in place, no realm will have the power to close this Fall completely. Those that are bonded and loved by the Creator of those rings will forevermore be permitted to pass.”
“I’m the fifth, the change,” I said aloud, knowing it already.
“Rise.”
“Why?” I knew I still had another hour before dawn, before the palace would awaken. I was not ready to give up my watch, to find a deep meditation or prepare to find the words to say to Guardian.
“So you can pull her from the water. So you can place my hood upon her and leave with her.”
My eyes grew wide.
“The next dawn, you will be here with me. All will be well once your passage is complete.”
All would be well. Meaning The Fall would be protected from ever closing, Skylynn would be with me, and those that were lost would be found.
My only qualm with this little fairy tale ending that Seneca predicted was that it lined up with Skylynn saying we only had three days. She would never trust that I would return, that she would be safe with the Falcons until I did so.
Before I could hash out the argument I would have to put before her, Seneca vanished from my side; only her Allurest robe rested beside me.
I stood immediately, noticing how placid the waters were. The ice circles were just floating there, not bothering to spin.
I nodded for those few that were at their posts to go in. “All is well,” I said into the silence. They were exhausted and ready for the next shift to come, so they gave little argument or question as they moved inside.
I stared forward into The Fall. Nothing. I paced the shore, looking from the waters to the sun and the moon. I was starting to think I was a fool for sending anyone away. My priority should be getting this girl through The Fall alive, not keeping that act concealed. But who was I kidding? If she chose to come through during the light of the day, there would be no concealing her arrival.
I had just passed Guardian’s crest when I heard the metal hitting marble. His crest, no others, was vibrating. One glance to the water, and I saw that though they were still, one ice ring was spinning, the one that was created when Guardian left.
To hell with it.
I dove in. I used my vim to propel me forward. The very second I reached that ice ring, a light from beneath the water flashed. No noise, no wave, no turning of the water. No nothing.
I was paddling in still water when I felt something grasp my ankle. The shock of it caused an instant defense, an immediate rush of energy to leave me. As soon as I felt that grip leave, I dove down.
Under me, I could see a limp body, the body of a woman. Panic wove through me. I’d hurt her. I raced to her, and as soon as my arms went around her she thrashed, fighting just as hard as Guardian had.
I could feel his energy in my arms, in the shape of this woman. I pulled her through the water and emerged on the sandy banks. She was still thrashing. I knew I could not use the force I had used with Guardian. For one reason, I would never hurt a woman; another, I had no idea if she was sick, if she was infected with evil. I didn’t know what she was. For all I knew, she was a shell that was on the verge of disappearing.
I didn’t feel as bad about the defensive blow of energy that left me before. It had awakened her. It had jolted her into awareness.
I could not comprehend how Guardian knew this girl would follow him.
I’d lived next to Allurest my entire life, but each time they saw something like this coming it rocked my mind. It shocked the part of me that sought logic. This girl never should have made it through, and the time between her and Guardian returning made no sense; she was the same age as he came back as, in the same style of clothes. Where had she been between then and now?
I held my hand over her mouth and pinned her body with mine. Her eyes were wide as she screamed against my hand.
I was struggling to read her tracers, to say something that she would remember, something that would make her believe that I would not bring harm to her.
“Aliyanna,” I breathed. My body was carefully shocking her with energy. She stopped her struggle, not recognizing the name but clearly comprehending that I was not going to hurt her.
“I’m going to take you to him. I promise. You have to be quiet. You are forbidden here. Don’t let him lose you before he finds you again.”
/> Through the shadows of the night, I could see that she was a beautiful girl; I will give Guardian that much. Her eyes were confusing; they would shift from blue to green, and even under this night sky, through this struggle, I could not help but think that I had seen her image before. Where, I could not place.
“Stay,” I whispered. “Don’t move,” I added in a firm tone.
I moved to the shore and grabbed the robe left there and was back at her side in a few seconds.
I almost laughed. She was in the exact same position I left her in, her hands still raised as if they were bracing against my chest.
“Hold still,” I said as I put my arms around her. I moved us to my quarters, which did not do anything but make her uneasy. The palace was dark; the only light was from the stars coming in from my windows, and I wasn’t about to attract any attention to us.
“I have to conceal you.” I glanced over her tattered clothes, the death shrouds from the life she had just left. “Put this on. Pull the hood down to where it just shows your chin. I’m going to change, and we are leaving. You can’t speak; not a word. I can’t tell you how dangerous this is.”
I changed as fast as I could into the formal travel suit The Selected used. I called down to Lorecan, told him to man the shore that I was leaving for the Falcons’, and to tell my grandfather as much when he awoke.
Guardian’s girl had dressed as I told her. I pushed the damp clothes she had taken off into my fireplace and lit a fire. I waited a few minutes, adding more accelerant to it until the cloth finally began to burn enough around the wood that was there.
I stood and looked at her. “Not one word. I’m not being mean, but you have to act like a very sacred member of our world. They rarely speak, at best. They move with grace, and most do not show their faces. We are going to walk out of this palace, and once we reach the gates I’m going to hold on to you and move you to where we need to go.”
A noticeable shudder came over her.
“It is nothing wicked. It’s just me using my energy. Do you understand?” One nod. Good enough for me.
We didn’t pass anyone until we reached the front hall, and then it was only the AM Selected shift coming on duty. It wasn’t odd for them to see me strolling with Seneca; to them, this was just our normal stroll before dawn.
Outside there was no one, but I felt like I was being watched. I could feel a cold stare. I walked her far past the gates that led out of our domain. I found the shadow of a large oak and pulled her behind it, noticing how frail she was.
“Hold on.”
I hadn’t actually ever been to the Falcons’, only passed by a time or two. So, I stopped us a few times on our path to make sure we were on target.
The sun rose before we made it to the door. I told the girl to keep her hood down until Guardian or I told her otherwise. I was sure she was starting to question how honest I was. I had moved her all over the place, trying to throw off anyone who might be following me.
When the manor door opened, I heard a roaring argument echoing in the background.
The boy standing before me was my age, with rather long, curly hair and the strangest brown eyes. He was twirling drum sticks in his hand. I assumed this was the drummer Guardian said he lived with, perhaps a cousin of theirs.
It didn’t take me long to know that I was hearing Guardian’s voice bellowing at Sebastian, arguing that he had to return—and no, he was not insane—that he left his life there. Sebastian was arguing that the other realms were going to close The Fall and the last thing he needed to worry about was Guardian on the other side.
“Seneca?” the boy in front of me said as he tensed and moved to take her from my arms. I stood before him, which only seemed to enrage him.
What the hell was going on here? How did he even know her? Why was he acting like I was blocking him from his woman?
He reached his energy out to her, but I repelled it.
“That’s not Seneca,” he said as he eased back. “Who is she?” he asked as he decided to reach to pull her hood up.
I raised my hand before he became a fool and touched this girl and subsequently became a victim of Guardian’s.
“I need to see Guardian,” I demanded.
He nearly scowled at me. “Did you bring boxing gloves? Because, brother, let me tell you, he is livid! Been like this all night long.”
“Where is the girl that was sent here with him?”
With that question, the girl next to me looked to her side. She didn’t like hearing that.
“The one that keeps disappearing?”
Panic. I felt panic. “What do you mean?”
The boy laughed, and it took all I had not to hit him.
“She just keeps vanishing. Genevieve follows her through some wave of light. We freak, then she pops up next to the baby trees.”
“Baby trees?”
“Yeah, they were just planted a few hundred years ago. If she has not moved again, then they are that way,” he said, pointing his drum sticks. “I think the others were building her a makeshift shelter, trying to calm her down. Wicked rhythm that girl has. I’ll tell you that much.”
“Rhythm?”
“Yep, she keeps zigzagging. Genevieve has been focused on her, which is the only reason those two clowns upstairs are still arguing. Maybe if you can handle that girl, Genevieve can break them apart and you can do your Selected evaluating thing.”
“Guardian!” I bellowed into the house. I was desperate now. I had to figure out where Skylynn was.
The yelling ceased a second later. I saw Guardian emerge on the upper level. Apparently, stairs were overrated because he jumped over the rail. A few seconds later, the girl next to me was in his arms against the wall, and it didn’t look like he was coming up for air anytime soon.
The boy in front of me was pounding his sticks on the door frame. Bada bam bada boom. “That solved that.”
“I need to see Skylynn. Now.”
“I’m telling you, man. Go that way.”
I tore off in that direction. Before I knew it, I was in a field full of purple flowers.
I could see Genevieve just ahead of me, walking toward a tree that I would not call a baby; it was near fifty feet in the air. A quilted tent was just below it.
I moved to her side. Genevieve jumped when she saw me, then gripped my arm and laughed at herself.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
“I really don’t know. She hasn’t spoken much. All night, she moved.”
“To where?”
“Why, you,” she said with another warm laugh. “I saw your back tonight, staring at that ocean, over and over again. I think she wanted to check on you, but nevertheless she kept returning us to a spot that was not where she left from, but always on the manor property.”
“Yeah, the guy inside told me. Trees or something?”
“Yep. Different one every time.” She glanced to her hands, where she had quilts laid across her arm. “Don’t laugh, but when I could not get her to come in I built a tent around her. I know it’s not too terribly cold or anything, but I sense a snow on the horizon. I just want to put a roof over her head.” She glanced over her shoulder and pointed to the second story balcony doors that were open. “That is the room I gave her. I would appreciate it if you could get her in it, or at least keep her comfortable,” she said, handing me the blankets. “I have a war between two stubborn men to stop now.”
I smirked. “Guardian is going to be just fine.” She went to walk away, but I held her arm. “I would not tell anyone why he is now calm, for I assure you they will take his reason away.”
Genevieve nodded once with a confused gaze.
I started to move across the field of wild flowers that reminded me so much of Skylynn’s hair. I could hear the sweet sound of the violin playing on the wind. Genevieve was serious; she had brought everything to Skylynn: shelter, blankets, pillows, a well-kept fire, even a basket that was overflowing with fruits and breads.
&nbs
p; I let a smile linger on my lips as I stood before her. Her eyes were closed, but I watched her breathe me in. I watched her slowly open her eyes to question her senses.
Slowly, she stopped playing, my lavender beauty sitting in a field of flowers that were competing for her grace, but failing.
“I hear that indoors are an issue for you.”
She laughed at that.
I moved into the tent, noticing how warm it felt. I slid out of my jacket coat and went to my knees so I could lean in and touch her lips with mine.
I felt pain behind her kiss, a growing distance. “What troubles you?” I whispered, caressing her hair as I moved to her side.
“How worried you are.”
“I brought her home. All is well now,” I assured her, letting the back of my hand caress her arm.
She laid the violin in its case and leaned into me. We lay back on the pillows, staring out into the field that would take anyone’s breath away.
“I understand the appeal of being out here now,” I said in a low murmur.
She was lying on my chest and angled her head up to see me. “I was trying to protect it.”
“Protect?” I asked.
“This place...I recognized Genevieve, I recognized the manor.”
“From the visions?” I knew I didn’t focus much on the surroundings of those visions, but I know I didn’t see one single image that would have reminded me of my world; if I had, I wouldn’t have worried that we would ever be separated for more than a few hours’ time. Everything I saw in Skylynn’s visions had a different energy, a different feel that could only belong to the dark reality.
She nodded against my chest. “Just outside the gates of The Selected palace, Sebastian and Guardian started arguing. Genevieve was confused but boldly stood between them. I shied away. I didn’t like the feelings I felt.”
I tensed. “Did they say something to make you uncomfortable?”
“No, not really. I don’t know why I felt that way. I just recognized them, and a rush of fear and guilt washed over me. Genevieve saw that I was on edge and told them to go on. We traveled alone in silence, and that, too, felt wrong, yet also familiar.”
Now I was really confused. I was good at judging people’s energy. I felt purity in Genevieve. I assumed this was just that timid side of Skylynn, one I needed to quell so she would feel safe as I traveled to the other side. I didn’t even plan to be gone a day’s time in our world, but I knew my soul would not be at ease if she were not.