Return to Kiluemar

by Kimberly Marraffino

  “Oh yeah, like that time I tried to help you get over that fear of heights?”

  “Which you didn’t! You only made it worse.”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault you’re clumsy and fell out of the tree. Do you still have the scar on your wrist?”

  “No. And it was your fault actually. You’re the one who convinced me to climb the stupid tree.”

  “Well, you didn’t have to listen to me.”

  “Yeah—well, no, I—ugh! Whatever.”

  Aidan laughed, approaching James and Rhiannon. “Wow, this sounds familiar.”

  He glanced over at Pavian and Kavana, who were both smiling.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pavian sneered, tossing his arm around his sister’s back and pulling her into him.

  Kavana wrapped her arm around Pavian. “I see the sibling bond—and bickering—has returned.” Smiling, she glanced at Rhiannon. “Brothers suck, huh?”

  Rhiannon folded her arms and scoffed, “Yes, they do.” She exhaled and dropped her arms, smiling over at James. “But life would be boring without them.” Leaning over, she nudged him. “It’s good to finally have you back in mine.”

  “It’s good to be back, sis.”

  “So, what else do you remember?” Aidan asked.

  “Everything,” the twins replied.

  Rhiannon continued, “Yeah. Everything. I remember the huge house we lived in. Being homeschooled. And how James hated school with a passion.”

  Pavian scowled at his nephew who was grinning back at him.

  Ignoring her uncle and brother, she went on, “I remember my childhood memories––at least the ones as far back as . . . maybe four years old. I remember our room . . . How our mom loved to bake with us. Man, she made the best cookies. The way she smelled—”

  “Yeah.” James smiled. “And I remember . . .” His lively face fell and his cheeks turned pale. “I—I remember that night.”

  “What night?” Kavana asked.

  Rhiannon’s face mirrored her brother’s. “The night our mom sent us through the portal––the last time we saw her.”

  James’s eyes watered and his voice cracked. “It was my fault.”

  Pavian removed his arm from around Kavana and took a step toward James. “What do you mean?”

  The silence between the five of them was interrupted by a strong gust of wind. The rush of air sent the three adults and Rhiannon stumbling as the powerful wind pushed against them. James, however, was unaffected by this sudden blast of air. The gust was unusual––it was warm and lacked any smells. It lingered and swirled around the small group as James’s eyes fixated on the ground, ignoring the strange occurrence. Placing the sleeve of his jacket against his eyes, he soaked up any signs of weakness.

  “James?” Pavian said calmly, trying to distract his nephew. He waited as the churning air slowed. “James, what’s your fault?”

  “Huh?” James said, raising his head.

  The wind stopped.

  Kavana’s eyes met Aidan’s as Rhiannon glanced around in surprise as the air grew still. Desperate to find out what just happened, Rhiannon remained quiet, awaiting her brother’s answer.

  “What’s your fault?” Pavian asked again.

  James paced. “Oh my—this is all my fault—I’m the one—”

  “Calm down.” Pavian grabbed James’s arm. “What’s your fault?”

  Turning his gaze to Rhiannon, James admitted, “It’s not your fault. You thought it was, but it’s mine. I’m the reason Mom’s dead.”

  Rhiannon shuttered. “What do you mean?”

  “You blame yourself because . . . because in the back of your mind you think what happened that day made them find us.”

  “What day?” Kavana tossed her head between the twins. “Who?”

  James ignored her and kept staring into his sister’s eyes. “But it was my fault . . . I was the one who convinced you to go. I was the one who nearly died that day. We—we didn’t know why it happened . . . but now we do.”

  Kavana stomped her foot and slammed her fist into her thigh. “What the heck is going on?”

  The twins and Aidan jumped.

  Calmly, Kavana insisted, “Would someone please tell me what the heck is going on?”

  James and Rhiannon’s noses flared and their lips quivered. Rhiannon’s eyes turned red and filled with tears as James faced away from the group, taking in hurried breaths. Rhiannon’s legs grew heavy and she fell to her knees, leaning over and cradling her face.

  ***

  The rest of the walk to the central village was quiet. The unspoken journey was left with unanswered questions and lingering feelings of sadness and heartache. Pavian led the group, pacing diligently with a steady stride. Aidan and Kavana walked not far behind but kept their distance, choosing to stay within earshot of the twins. Kavana hoped her niece, or nephew, would fill in the gaps about the mysteries of the night her sister died. Karramis was dead, but Kavana wanted to know why. Why did her sister removed her magic, forcing herself to die? Why did she not come with her children? These were questions she thought about often. Unfortunately, they would never get answered. Kavana stopped, Aidan following suit after a few steps. But there were some questions that could be answered and Kavana needed to know.

  Facing the twins, Kavana demanded, “What happened?”

  Rhiannon could now remember everything following the days after her mother’s death, including the morning her aunt learned what happened to her sister. Kavana was the first in her family to find out after the children arrived in Kiluemar eight years ago. Will, James, and Rhiannon arrived at their home as the sun rose on the eastern horizon not long after Will found the twins inside his home. Zarrius and Pavian had already left for their early morning ride around the island, but Kavana was still at home. She was surprised to see James and Rhiannon standing in front of her. She never met them before, but she knew right away they were her niece and nephew. There was no doubt these two belonged to her sister and brother-in-law. She threw herself into the young children, wrapping her arms around them. But after she caught sight of Will’s red eyes and distraught face, she knew right away the worst had happened—Karramis did not returned with them.

  Kavana deserved the truth.

  Peering over at James, Rhiannon sighed. ‘We have to tell her.’

  James nodded his head slowly. “I know.”

  Aidan observed the strange interaction and questioned James. “Did you just read her mind?”

  “No,” the twins answered.

  Aidan called out behind him. “Hey, Pavian!”

  Pavian turned, and Aidan gestured for him to come over.

  Grinning, Aidan insisted, “Yeah. I think you did.”

  “No,” Rhiannon repeated, “he didn’t read my mind.”

  “Yeah,” James added, “it’s more like I’m in her mind.”

  Kavana and Aidan tipped their heads toward one another and back at the twins.

  Aidan frowned and one of Kavana’s eyebrows raised as they said together, “What?”

  “We’ve always been able to do it,” Rhiannon started, “it only got stronger as we got older. But we can somehow—”

  “Tap into each other’s mind and hear what the other is thinking as they are actually thinking it,” James finished.

  “So, what makes that different from telepathy?” Kavana wondered.

  “You see—” James and Rhiannon stated before pausing and smiling at one another.

  James signaled for his sister to continue.

  “You see, telepathy is when a person can hear the thoughts of an individual immediately after they think them, not as they are currently—in that very moment—thinking them. However, when we do it––”

  “We are, literally, thinking it at the exact same time,” James concluded.

  Kavana and Aidan remained quiet.

  Reaching them, Pavian stopped. “What’s going on?”
>
  “Well,” Kavana muttered flatly, “we, uhm . . . just learned that James and Rhiannon . . .”

  “Share a mind,” Aidan cut in.

  “What?” Pavian barked. “What the hell does that mean?”

  The twins laughed before James corrected him. “We don’t share a mind . . . we just—”

  “Share thoughts . . .” Rhiannon declared.

  “Simultaneously,” they said together.

  “Wow,” Pavian scoffed. “Okay, well, that’s new.”

  Pavian hid his puzzled face by heading back in the direction he came from. James and Rhiannon broke out in laughter at Kavana and Aidan’s strange expressions. They never shared this mysterious ability with anyone else before—not even their mother.

  They all continued behind Pavian, who was a few yards in front of them while Kavana and Aidan walked on either side of the twins. The secrets surrounding James and Rhiannon grew, and this made Kavana even more intrigued.

  Directing her attention at Rhiannon, Kavana asked, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Uhm . . . Did . . .”

  “Share thoughts, eh?” Aidan interjected. “Can you control it?”

  “Yes,” the twins answered.

  The three laughed, Kavana still lost in her own mind.

  “Yes,” James repeated with a chuckle. “When we were younger, maybe four or five, we realized we could do it. As we got older, we were able to control it better.”

  “Emotions will sometimes play a factor,” Rhiannon said, “and we are able to hear each other much stronger . . . and farther away.”

  Kavana questioned, “Does this mean when one of you are scared or sad, you can hear each other better?”

  “Sometimes,” the twins declared with heavy nods.

  Kavana’s voice was low and timid. “When . . . when were you two the strongest?”

  “I was waiting for that,” Rhiannon admitted.

  “What?” James’s eyes darted from his sister and over to his aunt. “What did I miss?”

  “She wants to know what happened the night . . . the night Mom died.”

  Kavana shifted her eyes to the ground. “And how you think this is all your fault.”

  Aidan pressed his lips thin and widened his gaze at Kavana.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “What?”

  Kavana hurried in front of James and he stopped. She placed her arms against his shoulders and her blue eyes stared into his deep brown irises, which reminded her of her sister.

  “No matter what you think, James, none of this is your fault.” She faced Rhiannon. “Or yours.”

  “She’s right,” Aidan said reassuringly.

  Even though their words were comforting and probably true, in the back of James’s mind guilt and uncertainty still loomed. If the events leading up to that night had not happened then, maybe, his mother might still be alive.

  ***

  Karramis always allowed the children to roam freely around the manor and the property surrounding their home. The freedom to explore and make their own decisions was something she always promised herself she would give to her children. Being overly sheltered and protected as a child, she never wanted to hide the truth from them. However, magic was one thing she could never find the time to explain to the young children. James and Rhiannon had not yet come into their powers—and Karramis stopped using hers after leaving Kiluemar soon after the twins were born. She could not take the chance of being tracked. However, the powers of a Telematra were much stronger than just holding back the urge to use her abilities. Lucas could sense magic from hundreds of miles away if he focused hard enough, and his unique and powerful ability terrified Karramis. He would eventually come for them.

  Once a trusted and beloved friend, Lucas was now working for the one who wanted her powers and the magic her children would soon possess. The many years of friendship between the two changed after Karramis did not return the love he once declared for her. His feelings shifted to hatred, jealousy, and rage after Karramis fell in love with Will. Now, he was determined to find her and the twins and deliver them to Merrick. She needed more than just not using her powers. She needed protection.

  Though Karramis allowed James and Rhiannon to play freely, she was adamant about one thing. The children were not permitted to wander past the property line. The children never questioned this unwavering request, but Karramis knew why the area beyond the border was dangerous. She had placed a protection spell around the property. A simple spell and, yet, powerful enough to block any outside forces from sensing any magic within the boundaries. The spell itself could be detected, but only by other magical creatures who were within a few hundred feet of the spell’s magical border. When the children’s powers finally arrived, Lucas would not be able to sense them, as long as they were inside the protective cloaking boundaries.

  Karramis’s lack of communication about magic, and the dangers lingering outside the shielding border, led to a domino effect as the kids disobeyed their mother’s number one rule and ventured out away from the manor.

  ***

  “But it is my fault,” James announced. “Or, at least, it’s partially my fault.” He turned to Rhiannon. “I was the one who convinced you to go with me down to the river. I was the one who was stupid enough to try and cross it. I was the one who fell in.”

  Rhiannon placed her hand on her brother’s arm, gently pulling him in her direction. “But it was my magic they tracked.”

  “Hold up,” Kavana interrupted. “Could we please stop with this back-and-forth cryptic crap, please.”

  Aidan cringed. “I think what the lass meant to say was”—he scowled at her—“what exactly are you two talkin’ about?”

  Rhiannon’s mannerism was steady as she proclaimed, “Mom never allowed us to leave the property. We never knew why, but now, I’m guessing it had something to do with magic. Anyway, one day James convinced me to leave and go down to the river. Mom wasn’t feeling well that day, and she fell asleep in the living room. I knew it was a bad idea, but I also didn’t want James to go by himself.” She frowned at her brother. “He has a tendency to get himself into trouble.”

  James resumed the story. “And that day was no different. I thought it would be fun to cross the river, but I didn’t realize the current would be so strong. I ended up getting pulled under and swept downstream. If it weren’t for Rhiannon . . . I would be dead.”

  “You used yer powers?” Aidan asked curiously.

  Rhiannon nodded before suddenly declaring in a hurried rant. “But I don’t even know what I did—or how I did it. It all happened so fast.” Her voice grew calmer. “I saw him get pulled under, and the next thing I realized, the water had drained from the river. It was like something pulled the water away in both directions. And James just lay still, gasping for air, along the bottom of the riverbed.”

  “Water,” Kavana muttered randomly.

  Aidan, James, and Rhiannon all jerked their heads toward her. “What?”

  Excitement flashed across Kavana’s face as she exclaimed to Rhiannon, “Water. You have the power of water.”

  Rhiannon raised an eyebrow and glared at her aunt.

  “You know, water? The element? The four elements? Earth, fire, water, and”—she pointed to James—“air. You have the power of air.”

  Aidan understood and his face brightened. “The elements. That’s yer powers.” He yelled over his shoulder. “Pavian!”

  Pavian huffed and headed back again.

  “Yeah, what’s it now?”

  “We figured out their powers,” Kavana admitted. “They’re elemental witches. She can control water, and he can control air.”

  Pavian was unimpressed. “Okay, but that can’t be their only powers.”

  “Well, no, but it’s a start, right?”

  Aidan took a step closer to the others and all eyes shifted to him. “Yeah, but that’s not all actually.”


  “He’s right!” James grinned. “We can also astral project—”

  “And communicate mentally—” Kavana added.

  “Oh!” Rhiannon shouted. “And I’m pretty sure one of us has some kind of earth power.”

  Pavian and Kavana turned to her. “Really?”

  “Yeah! When James and I were being chased that night—the night those goons found us—we, somehow, made the ground shake.”

  “Shouldn’t they also have Guardian magic?” Aidan wondered.

  “Yeah,” Kavana answered enthusiastically. “That and Drolnogard, and possibly even fire magic.”

  “Fire magic?” James questioned.

  “Drolnogard?” Rhiannon asked.

  Pavian started, “Yeah, well, your father . . .”

  He paused, peering over at Kavana as they both uttered, “Will!”

  Pavian headed back in the direction of the village. “We have to find him. He has to know we’re back.”

  “Well then, we’re headin’ in the wrong direction,” Aidan said, turning toward the tree line to the east. Walking in a new direction, he added, “He lives this way, remember?”

  Pavian groaned, following behind Aidan. “Oh . . . right.”

  They all walked a few miles in silence.

  While James analyzed everything previously discussed, Rhiannon tried to remember what her father looked like. She could not recall much about him since the first time meeting him was so long ago. The events following the night of their mother’s death were masked by sadness, so she only remembered bits and pieces of her last time in Kiluemar. The details of him were vague, but his deep voice and strong English accent echoed in her mind. She could recall his scruffy face and how his blue eyes almost matched hers—except his were slightly lighter, and he had a small brown section on the top corner of one eye. But the one thing standing out most in her mind was how much her father cried when he found out about her mother. Though he never cried in front of her, the heartache he suffered was undeniably noticeable, even to a seven-year-old.

  “Aunt K?” Rhiannon called as they all kept walking.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why did she die?”

  “Your mother?”