Isolation

by Tera Lyn Cortez

  He stood taller than me by a good ten inches, both lean and muscular at the same time. Our hair was an almost exact match in color, his just a shade darker than mine with no extra highlights. Many of our facial features were also very similar, and I envied his almost imperceptibly pointed ears.

  In those first few moments together, we didn’t need words. Testing our bond, I asked him if he could hear me using our telepathic channel. It worked exactly as before.

  We hugged again and headed down the hall to the study with our hands clasped. I kept sneaking little looks at him out of the corner of my eye. The spell had been successful, and there had been no terrible consequences to using magic from the dark book.

  We’d barely made it to the study when my stomach let out a ridiculously loud growl. If one thing could be counted on to be consistent, my appetite was that thing. In spite of the fact that I had eaten not that long ago, I was hungry again. Performing any sort of magic seemed to increase my need for fuel exponentially.

  “Apparently our next stop needs to be the kitchen, huh?” He smirked at me as I smacked his arm.

  “I just want to check on Taryk first. I know there isn’t going to be any change, but it makes me feel better to see him with my own eyes.”

  As expected, he lay exactly as I had left him. Briefly checking his forehead for signs of a fever, I felt relieved his skin was cool to the touch. Seeing his face look so peaceful comforted me, even though I knew the cause was his magically induced coma. Smoothing his blankets unnecessarily, I said a silent promise that we would be back to help him soon.

  Arm in arm, Xavier and I headed to the kitchen for food. Detouring to the fireplace, I threw the dark spell in, and watched to be sure every last scrap of the paper burned to ashes. The smoke that resulted from the burning paper was dark and disappeared up the chimney, out of sight.

  A brief peek out the window affirmed the mist had still not returned. The falls showed no sign that my mother was about to come striding through, so I reluctantly took a seat at the table and watched my brother in the process of making me a meal.

  He seemed to be very much at home in the kitchen, and I was looking forward to whatever he had on the menu. I grabbed glasses and silverware as he finished up, and we sat down to our first real meal together.

  We sat across from each other, and I stared at him ceaselessly, so I could commit every last detail of his face to my memory. It still seemed very surreal to me that I saw his true form, and no longer a cat. A bit of pride helped my self-confidence tremendously.

  “Next problem on the agenda,” I began, “how do we heal Taryk? Or where do we at least begin looking for answers?”

  “I think our best starting point is the study. See if we can pinpoint exactly what his issue is. Once we are certain about what we are trying to reverse, we can then try to find the answer. If we get lucky, your mom will return, and we can ask her what happened. She probably has a lot better information than we do. In the meantime, I can use my magic and hopefully diagnose the problem.”

  We ate the rest of our meal in companionable silence. The fire crackled in the hearth, and the only sounds from the table were silverware hitting the plates. I couldn't keep myself from glancing at him; I never wanted to lose sight of him again. I studied his facial features, his hands, and the way his hair fell against his forehead.

  In addition to being totally enamored with my brother, I was in a state of shock that my own magic had been able to reverse the curse and bring him back to his true self. It gave me so much hope for the potential inside me, that I would be able to heal Taryk and we would be able to help my mother in whatever way she needed us. After that? Who knew? My smile stretched from ear to ear, and Xavier’s was close to an exact match.

  Following another quick peek out the window, the two of us returned to the study to tackle the next problem on our list. Taryk’s condition remained unchanged, as expected. Xavier explained the basics of the magic he wanted to use to see if he could identify what the spell had done to Taryk, and for that portion, I was just supposed to stand by and keep watch. Aware that I wouldn’t be any help anyway, I looked forward to watching Xavier and his magic in action.

  He moved to the side of the bed and pulled the covers back so he had a mostly unobstructed view. Hovering his hands above Taryk’s body, I watched as my brother’s eyes lost their focus, and he went somewhere else while still physically in front of me.

  Time seemed to stand still while I waited. I wasn’t going to interrupt him to ask questions, but I had some difficulty standing there watching with no way to know what was going on. While it seemed to take forever, I’m sure mere minutes were all that passed before Xavier returned to his body.

  “It is a good thing we elected to put his soul into stasis. This is a very nasty spell, and if given enough time to work, it can actually weave itself into the soul. Before you came along, it would have been permanent. As it stands, there only a few loose points that I am aware of. I can’t actually see his soul, obviously, but I can see where the spell seems to end abruptly, and I believe those are the places we will need to focus our attention. I think you need to take a turn looking at his soul and tell me what you see, and if you think we are seeing different versions of the same thing.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. “I can do that.” Reaching out, I laid my hand on his bare arm.

  “Don’t make any changes at the moment, though. Just look, and then let me know what you see. Since you have seen his soul before, you should have a good idea of the changes.”

  Nodding, I took a deep breath, and opened my soul sight. The points Xavier had mentioned were painfully obvious, and I could see the potential damage they would have caused if left unchecked. It already seemed as if they had been sucking the life out of his tapestry; the strands had lost some of their luster, although it was possible that had been a result of being put into stasis. Not only would we need to remove the spell strands, we would need to set him up for maximum healing potential.

  “I could see the points you mentioned and found five of them. Do you think we can remove the spell while keeping him in his current state?”

  “Yes. I believe the best way for us to put him in as little danger as possible is to not lift the stasis spell until we are sure the dark magic is completely eradicated. If you can go in first, and unattached the strands from his own, then I can reel in the dark spell. This is a powerful spell, though, and before we attempt to dislodge it, we need to prepare a vessel to put it in when we are finished. If we don’t, it will try to return to its master. Because we are not in the realm where it could do that, it could potentially attach to some poor human and wreak havoc here on Earth.”

  Shuddering, I tried to imagine what some unlucky soul would go through once it fell victim to an attack by a spell of this magnitude. Most humans didn’t even believe in magic, so they would have no clue how to help themselves, and the darkness could spread exponentially. Taryk's own magic had been no help in protecting himself, so a non-magical human would have an even less of a chance.

  “What kind of vessel do we need? There are plenty in here we can work with. Celeste, do you have a suggestion for the best vessel to hold a dark spell?”

  We heard brief rattling as the bottles on a central shelf shuffled aside, and a dark amber bottle moved to the forefront, glowing briefly. Xavier picked it up and examined it briefly, agreeing that with some reinforcement of the magic, it would be wholly suitable.

  The container reminded me somewhat of the old-fashioned glass milk bottles in shape, although the glass was so dark, you could barely to see into it. The lid itself appeared to be made of the same glass and included a rubber seal that would make it airtight.

  “Follow me, Everleigh, and you can watch me prepare it. Might as well take your lessons wherever you can get them.”

  We took the bottle into the training room and Xavier explained each step he took and why. He intended to create protections that would reinforce the bottle itself, making it i
mpossible to break without the correct magic. Also, he would ensure that once the lid had been attached, it wouldn’t be coming off again.

  Finally, he would layer on spells that would render the magic inside inert as long as the bottle remained sealed.

  I asked him how he could be certain the spells would do what they had been intended to do. What if the lid came off, or the bottle accidentally broke after we had the spell inside? In answer, Xavier threw it at wall of the cave. The bottle bounced off the stone, landed on the floor where it gave another bounce, and rolled to a stop near our feet.

  “It’s not going to break,” he assured me.

  Point taken. The bottle was certainly shatterproof. Taking it in hand, we returned to the study, and as eager as I was to get started, I was also nervous as hell. This was a terrible spell, and I was terrified of screwing up. Xavier gave me precise instructions for what I needed to do as I unraveled the magic and unhooked the spell from Taryk’s tapestry.

  Xavier would be gathering up the spell and holding it until I was finished. He would then stuff the spell into the bottle and seal it forever.

  No time like the present, right? I stood next to the bed, staring at Taryk’s peaceful face. But…

  “What if he is in pain when we wake him? Can we heal him, or at least make him comfortable?”

  “I cannot do anything for him prior to removing the spell he is currently under. I will not know until the stasis is reversed whether anything else will need to be done. However, if he wakes and requires assistance, I can render aid very rapidly. I will put him into a deeper version of regular sleep, so we can attend to those problems as we reach them.”

  Throwing my arms around my brother, I thanked him with my face buried in his chest. He smelled slightly of the woods and outdoors, mixed with something almost spicy, and it gave me comfort.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Turning to face Taryk once again, I laid my hands on him and called up my sight. I began the process to remove the spelled strands from his tapestry one by one. I found they had been attached more tightly than the ones I had removed from Xavier, although they didn’t have as many attachment points, and I had to work hard to remove them.

  Whoever cast this spell must’ve been incredibly strong. He would have been a mere puppet, doing whatever his master bid, and they would have had total control of his magic. It took every ounce of concentration I had to remove the strands, and I had to have faith that Xavier continued doing his job behind me.

  My hands began to tremble with the effort. Sweat rolled down my body and I felt light-headed by the time I got to the fourth strand. Just this one and one more. I could do this for him. He needed me. Nobody else was capable of this. If I lost control and failed now, who knew what the spell would do?

  The fifth and final strand was woven so completely into his tapestry, I could see there would be a hole where I removed it. Knowing I had no other choice, I continued on. Once we freed him from this torture, we would deal with the consequences.

  At this point, my knees had buckled and I kneeled at the bedside, my arms stretched up to maintain contact with his torso. My entire body shook with the effort, and my heartbeat pounded in my ears. As the final strand tore free, dizziness overtook me. I saw stars, and then there was nothing but blackness.

  “Everleigh… Ev… Wake up. Can you hear me?”

  Opening my eyes, I saw two very concerned faces looming over me, and I was confused. Somehow, I was the one in the bed, and the guys were looking down at me, frightened.

  “Taryk, oh my gosh, you’re okay!” Attempting to sit up wasn’t my best choice, and blackness enveloped me again.

  I came to the next time with one guy on each side of me, each with a hand on my shoulder. Both gave me stern instructions not to move, or else they’d tie me to the bed. Desperately wishing my magic would work, I’d have liked nothing more than to bash them both over the head with a pillow. But it became painfully obvious I had used up everything in the tank to get the spell off Taryk.

  “Did it work? I see he is up and moving, but is the spell in the bottle?”

  Xavier picked up the bottle and held it so I could see. At first, I couldn’t be sure it had anything in it, but as he tilted it, I could just make out a sluggish, heavy, vapor-like substance. That was it? All that effort and it looked like just a little misty stuff. The old adage of not judging a book by its cover sure rang true in this instance. I had been expecting something a little more, dramatic, maybe? In the end, though, all that mattered was that we had been successful.

  I looked at Taryk and smiled at him, slightly unsure of where we stood with each other. He was smiling though and seemed to be his normal self.

  “Are you okay? You seem to be, but are you really?” I tried to sit up, but they both held me down.

  “I’m fine,” Taryk answered, “but let’s not get you up just yet. Right now, you are the one we are concerned about. Not only did you pass out, but you cracked your head on the stone floor pretty good.”

  “I’m sorry.” Xavier looked sheepish. “I couldn’t hold onto the spell securely and catch you at the same time. I had to get it into the bottle before I could get to you.”

  “No apologies. I would have kicked your ass once I found out you let that nasty thing go just to save me a bump on the noggin. I’m hard-headed, and I’ll heal, no problem. As soon as I get some food and sleep, anyway. I'm exhausted.” I turned to Taryk. “I’d like to know what happened, but my main concern is my mother. Do you know what happened to her?”

  His face was instantly sad. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. Long story short, I was barely conscious. Whoever had taken me captive kept me drugged and in a dark cell. I couldn’t use my magic, and I was so weak, I could barely move. There was no way of telling time, but at some point, the door flew open. Light flooded in, and I was terrified I was about to get my ass handed to me again, because I wouldn’t tell them why your mother considered me important.”

  Even as they tormented him, he had continued to protect me. My eyes welled up with tears again, and I blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling over.

  Taryk said, “Before my eyes could adjust, someone covered me with a blanket, or cloak, and whisked me out of the cell. We were traveling quickly, and I believe we used a portal to get out of there, but we were followed immediately.

  “I heard your mother’s voice, although I can’t remember much of what she said. I was so out of it, and in so much pain. The next thing I knew, it felt like I was flying. She must have shoved me through the portal and closed it behind me. I heard the waterfall, and as I tried to get my bearings I must have passed out.

  “I had some pretty nasty nightmares at first, then the next thing I knew, I woke up here, and Xavier sat on the floor next to you calling your name. I got up feeling fine, thanks by the way, and you and I traded places. Now, here we are.”

  Tears leaked from my eyes in spite of the blinking, and I closed them tightly. I knew my mother wasn’t dead, but that consisted of all I knew. My joy at Taryk being back with us, and well, was overshadowed by fear for her wellbeing. She had an amazing amount of power, yes, but that did not make her impervious to harm. She could still be captured or injured. We needed to get to her, fast.

  Xavier took my hand. “If you’re ready to get up, let’s feed you and get you into your own bed. You gave it everything you had earlier, and your body and mind both need to rest, so you can recharge.”

  I nodded, and they helped me into a sitting position. Once the dizziness had passed, they assisted me to my feet. I thanked Celeste for her help, and we headed out the door and down the hall. When we got to my door, I asked them just to take me to bed. In a rare turn of events, I wasn’t interested in food. I just wanted to sleep.

  I could see them glance at me over the top of my head, and Taryk nodded. With their help, I made into my own bed, and Xavier pulled the covers over me. Before I could get a word out, he reached out to touch my forehead, and I fell fast asleep.

>   Bright sunlight streamed square on my closed eyelids, rousing me from a very deep sleep. Deciding to lie still until I had my wits about me, it took a minute for the memories to flood in. And, once they did, I wanted to jump out of bed and get moving. Looking to my side, Taryk sat sound asleep in the chair he dragged in from the living room, just so he could watch over me. In spite of my worry for my mother, the sight of him made me smile.

  His eyes opened, and he smiled at me. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay, now,” I replied. “How are you? You look great.” I blushed, realizing what I just said to him. It made him blush a little too, though, so I wasn’t as embarrassed as I might have been otherwise.

  “Believe it or not, I feel absolutely fine. You are a miracle worker. I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me.”

  “I wasn’t the only one. Xavier helped too. And I owed you, since all this turned out to be my fault anyway.”

  “Everleigh, what happened is not your fault, at all. You aren’t responsible for anyone's actions but your own.”

  “But if I hadn’t tried to use our bond, they never would have paid attention to you. I caused them to notice you.” Tears began falling again, thinking about what he had gone through because of me. He sat beside me, taking my hand gently.

  “No. That isn't why they took me. They had someone watching the portal, and when your mom brought me through, whoever they had watching it saw us. That is what brought their attention to me. I hid for a while, especially after your mom came to check on me, and tell me about the dream you had. I guess your magic is close enough to your mom’s they managed to track it. They still believe it’s her that I am important too. They wanted information about her, why all of a sudden, she had been spending more time over here.”

  “However you spin it, it all comes back to me,” I said sadly. “I need to help my mother. We need to find out what happened to her.”