by Kealohilani
Zarkania threw her head back in a maniacal laugh. Lani couldn’t help but stare at her— wide-eyed— as Zarkania continued.
“Such a sad story! Isn’t it? Oh well. I assume you’ll see them soon… if there is an afterlife. Makes no difference to me. Die, Half-Heart— die!”
Zarkania threw a dagger straight into his heart and laughed still harder as the last remnants of life left his eyes. Lani felt very ill. She put one hand to her heart and one hand over her mouth as she closed her lips tight— breathing through her nose to try to keep herself together.
“Take him to the coffin room!” Zarkania demanded of one of the guards as her laughter continued.
Lani closed her eyes hard and refused to open them again. She couldn’t bear to see Vranah’s sick smile or Zarkania’s twisted laughing grin— or the lifeless form of the noble man Lani hadn’t even met.
The laughing became quieter and quieter— as if she were walking away— until Lani was surrounded by the comfortable silence that she had fallen asleep in. She slowly opened her eyes and realized she was once again awake.
She did not sit up this time. Lani was shaking and covered in a cold sweat. Beyond that, she felt too traumatized to move.
Disbelief. Disgust. Disdain. That woman was so unconscionably evil! She was even worse than Drakne! How was that possible?
Lani felt a sudden wave of relief and gratitude sweep over her that Drakne was the one who was after them. Whoever this Zarkania woman was, Lani hoped their paths never even came close to crossing.
Even though it felt so minor in comparison to everything else she had just witnessed— Lani couldn’t shake how familiar Zarkania looked. Lani knew she had seen her face somewhere before. But where?
She had never known anyone like her— except perhaps Asharen. Lani wracked her brain but nothing surfaced. It would have to remain a mystery for now.
The Parting of Ways
Lani was happy that Rezarahn’s enormous bonfire was still going strong. Even from this distance, she was toasty warm. It was still dark out and everyone else had long since fallen asleep. Everyone except Laern, who was keeping watch tonight. And Rezarahn— whom Lani still did not notice was looking at her, as often as he felt he could without being caught doing so.
I need more sleep, she thought to herself. Satisfied that it was still a while before dawn, she decided to try one more time. She closed her eyes and drifted off.
Once again, as she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else. Somewhere extremely familiar.
“I’m home!” she squealed as she threw herself onto the comfortable couch in the living room— looking out at the pool glowing in the darkness outside. “If only this were real…”
She looked at the clock. It was ten-thirty at night. She had a feeling that she wasn’t seeing home in real-time though. It felt like it probably hadn’t happened yet— but was in the very near future. Perhaps only a day or so away.
“Where is everyone?” she asked as she realized how quiet it was.
Hers was a family of night owls. Even though each family member woke up early for work, school, housework, and yardwork— etcetera— someone was always up until at least midnight.
The front door opened. In walked three people she knew very well.
“Mom! Dad! Jenna!” she cried, running to hug them— but she was unable to interact. Her heart broke a little.
“Wait— why is Jenna here?”
Lani listened carefully. Her dad took Jenna’s suitcase up the stairs to her old room. Her mom said she would cook something up for Jenna since she must be starving from the long trip.
“Where is he?” Jenna asked.
“His room. He won’t come out. Hasn’t since Saturday night when he got home after the…” her mom trailed off.
“Not sure I blame him.”
“No one would. Your father and I have taken turns checking on him. He wants his space— but he needs to know we are there for him… He’s missed two days of school already. But the principal has been very compassionate. She says Tyler can miss a few more days and make it up later. I’ve heard from their parents that Zack and José and Anna are all taking a little time off too.”
“Those poor kids! To see something like that…” Jenna shuddered.
“What is going on?” Lani asked, unheard. Last she had seen, Tyler was struggling— but he was out of his room and with friends. And what could be so bad that four of them were missing school?!
Lani raced up the stairs before Jenna could— but found herself unable to open the door to Tyler’s room. She groaned in exasperation as she waited for Jenna to get up there and open it for her.
Tyler was on his bed lying on his side— dressed in green plaid pajama pants and a white T-Shirt— clinging to a large midnight blue body pillow on top of his midnight blue comforter. He was staring at a framed picture of him, Zack, José, and Alex in front of the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland on his nightstand— which was next to a framed picture of him and Michelle at Solana Beach— next another framed photo of him, Lani, Jenna, and their parents in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.
“Hey, Ty-Ty,” Jenna said as she sat beside him and slowly stroked his hair.
He didn’t answer. His eyes wells up with tears that spilled out as he roughly wiped them away with his forearm. But despite his silence, he sighed in a way that told Lani he was grateful Jenna was here. Lani’s eyes began to well up.
“You don’t have to talk, okay,” Jenna soothed. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m here.”
“Thank you, Jenna,” Tyler replied, more tears falling as he went back to staring at the picture with his friends at Galaxy’s Edge again. “I kind of do want to talk…”
“Anything you want.”
“I just can’t get the image out of my head… There was so much blood… People my age aren’t supposed to die…”
Lani gasped. Her brain easily did the math between the friends who had been mentioned by her mother and the one name that had not.
“Alex died?!” Lani asked, again unheard.
“I know, honey,” Jenna soothed.
“I can’t sleep. Every time I do I see that car hit him. I see him on the ground. I can’t even close my eyes for more than a minute without seeing the accident happening over and over again.”
“Oh Tyler!” Lani sobbed, sitting beside him— unable to touch him. “I wish I could be here for you!”
“We already lost a sister three months ago. Then Kara came back and we all got our hopes up… and then Lani didn’t come back… I thought that false hope was the worst. But then Alex… it would be worse to know that Lani could never come back… This feeling is the worst…”
Lani’s heart broke for Tyler— but she sighed in relief to know that Kara was indeed home and safe. She had been worried about her. But why didn’t Kara tell everyone where Lani and Justin and the others were? Especially their families? Then again— no one would believe her even if she did. Kara probably knew that.
“I didn’t think I was going to lose someone who felt like a brother so soon after losing my sister! Alex and I have known each other since we were born! We have the exact same birthday— right down to the same hour of the night! I just don’t know how to deal with this on top of everything else!”
“I’m so sorry, Tyler. I wish I had some magic thing to say. I’m sure Lani would if she were here. But you’re stuck with me for now and I’ll do my best.”
“She would know what to say, wouldn’t she?”
“No— I wouldn’t. But at least I wouldn’t be making things worse on you by being missing!”
“I didn’t have time to save him…” Tyler moaned quietly. “I barely got Michelle out of the way in time.”
“We all know that, sweetie. And Alex knew that too. He pushed Anna out of the way because he knew. He died a hero.”
“That’s always been who he is… A hero… Always protecting everyone…”
“Have you talked to any of your other frien
ds about this?”
“A little. Michelle’s been over every day helping Mom and Dad check on me. And Zack and José have both called a couple times.”
“That’s good… Man. I am terrible at this, huh?”
Tyler laughed a little in spite of everything. “I mean, I wouldn’t tell you to make it a career or anything,” he teased.
Jenna playfully swatted his shoulder and he laughed again.
“You want to go downstairs and watch a movie to take your mind off of things for a bit? You know, visit denial and eat some junk food?” Jenna asked. “We can always go back to depression mode after.”
“Do I get to pick the movie?”
“Of course!”
“You’re going to hate it.”
“Noooo…”
“Yep! Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!”
“What have I done?!” Jenna asked with a laugh.
“You said I got to pick! Haha! Besides, it was Alex’s favorite movie— and Lani liked it too as long as we took out the swearing and stuff. So we’ll honor them both by watching it together.”
“Fine. But only if— also in honor of Lani— we watch it with the VidAngel filters, because I don’t like swearing or crude things either.”
“Deal.”
“Popcorn?”
“Absolutely!” Tyler sat up and stretched. “Yeah, I’m up for some denial. Let’s deny everything! Nothing bad ever happens!”
“Ever!”
“Like on the whole planet! It’s just all gardens and roses.”
“And kittens!”
It was at this exact moment that Lani’s cat, Portia, entered the room with an emphatic meow. Tyler and Jenna both looked at her and laughed.
“I guess Portia is watching with us,” Tyler declared, as he walked over to her and picked her up. She instantly started purring as he carried her down the stairs to the couch.
Jenna left with him and Lani followed closely behind. She was happy to see that Jenna was able to get Tyler into a state of denial for a bit. It might not last, but he needed it.
She was also filled with gratitude that— by some miracle— her vision didn’t end here. After grabbing the popcorn, Tyler and Jenna sat on the couch next to each other, with the cat stretched out lazily over both their laps. Lani sat beside them and watched the movie with her brother and sister. Her mom and dad found their way into the living room and shared the loveseat together as they joined in on the fun.
Sure, it was awful that they couldn’t see or hear her— or interact with her in any way shape or form. Completely gut-wrenching.
But it was the closest to home that she could get right now. She could hear them and see them. And it was peaceful and fun to spend time with them even in this limited way. After the movie ended and her family went to bed, the vision faded and she fell into a peaceful sleep.
Not long afterwards, she opened her eyes once again— and found herself still in Alamea. She sighed— but still felt better than before she had experienced her vision of her family.
She watched as the sky began to show the first purplish color of the oncoming dawn. Is the sun coming up already? On second thought, it wasn’t as surprising as it felt. It had been a long night of visions and waking in-between.
Lani’s eyes widened as a spectacular apparition suddenly appeared from the trees and flew over to Jharate. She rolled over so that she could get a better vantage point— and watched and listened— as a faerie landed directly in front of him. Jharate stood up in greeting.
The faerie was the same size as a human. How peculiar! Lani had always thought faeries were small like the fire pixie.
Her iridescent wings were stunning. The mesmerizing effect produced as they caught shafts of the firelight, reminded Lani of the inside of an abalone shell.
The dress she wore appeared to be made of purple silk and silvery cobwebs. A crown of bright spring flowers and delicate green leaves rested gently on top of her long flowing chestnut locks. Glittering golden strands flowed throughout her silken hair.
“You are Prince Jharate Inihma, rightful heir to Trisakne?” the faerie asked, very matter-of-factly— but with a winsome voice and a gleaming smile.
“I am.”
“I am Sateria, Queen of the Faeries. I have news for you from the Castle of Ansena.”
“Of course. Please, proceed.”
“You have long been expected. We had very nearly lost hope— until word reached us of a group of strangers who had come through the tunnel.”
“Drakne and his men forced us to abandon the direct path from Kelamosa, in favor of this one.”
“I see. You are to travel north to the Cave of Witsan, which lies behind the Waterfall at Delicah— less than a day’s walk from here.”
“May I inquire as to why we will be taking this route?”
“You may. The answer is that the King and Queen of Destavnia wish to guarantee your safety. Your instructions are to stay within the safety of that cave, behind the waterfall, for five days until your armed escort arrives. They will bring varsins for you and for all who travel with you. I am here to ascertain the number.”
Jharate looked around at his sleeping people. It pained him to see how few were left alive after their long journey. The number was already known to him. Regardless, for whatever reason, being asked to report it stung his heart.
Thirteen of his own people remained— plus Arante and himself. Counting Kendra, Justin, Raoul, Erik, Lani, Tierza, Laern, and now Rezarahn made twenty-three. He looked back at Sateria and answered her.
“Twenty three of us remain. However, thirteen will be leaving us immediately. They have family members nearby whom they wish to seek after. Therefore, we will require only ten varsins be brought to us at the rendezvous point.”
“It will be done. I have nothing left to report. Good day to you, Prince Jharate.”
“And to you, Queen Sateria.”
Sateria gave a royal nod of respect to Jharate, which he returned graciously. She turned back and flew away through the trees.
Lani blinked in the light of the rising sun. It seemed to be coming up unusually fast— already in the glowing stages of dawn. Maybe that was just because she had so much on her mind that she wasn’t correctly noticing the flow of time anymore.
She watched as Jharate woke Arante and told her to wake everyone else. It was done quickly. Lani pulled herself up before Arante could reach her and busied herself with preparing to leave.
As soon as everyone was ready to go, the group split in two. Those going on to the castle on one side. And those seeking other destinations on the other.
“I believe this is where our paths diverge,” Jharate began as a tear spilled out of one eye. “I owe you each a debt of gratitude. Should we meet again one day and find Trisakne our own once more, you will each be rewarded for your fearless service to me in this, our hour of need. May you travel in safety… my friends.”
The thirteen rebels each took one knee, placed their fists to their hearts, and bowed their heads before Jharate. Jaresh was in the front, and spoke quietly on behalf of them all as he looked up at his prince.
“Your Highness, it has been an honor to serve you. And I will see to it that all these who travel with me now make it safely to their destinations. You will see me again at the castle after I have kept my promise. You are a great leader, and will one day make a fine king. Fear not, for we will reclaim Trisakne and restore her.”
“Arise,” Jharate commanded.
The thirteen men and women rose up and stood before him. He went to each one and clasped their right elbow as they clasped his. He threw his left arm around their shoulders as they did the same to him. As they held this embrace, they pressed their noses and foreheads together and breathed in deeply as they each repeated the words, “Spirit to spirit— until we meet again.”
After Jharate had finished bidding farewell to each person, the others followed— bidding their own goodbyes with tender hugs and kisses to the thirteen brave sou
ls who had traveled with them.
“Thanks for everything, Jaresh,” Raoul said in a wheezy voice, as Jaresh pulled him into a backbreaking-lung-crushing hug.
“You are my best apprentice yet.” Jaresh released him and placed one hand on Raoul’s shoulder. “When we meet again, and I have better resources, I shall teach you more skills with herbs so that you may be an even greater healer.”
“Wow! Thanks! I’m really going to miss you, though. You kind of feel like a second father to me.”
“Ha, ha! Are you calling me old?”
“No! That’s not what I meant at all! I only meant—”
“I jest, Raoul. Do not fret so. I am more than old enough to be your father. And I am honored that you feel such a bond with me. Until we meet again, Raoul.”
“Until we meet again.”
Jaresh found Lani and spoke to her quietly so that only she could hear.
“My dear niece! I do not wish to part from you. However I must.”
“I understand. I don’t want you to go either but I know you have to. Your nephew needs you too.”
“He does. However, you and I will not be parted long. He lives near the castle where you will be staying. Once I have helped the others to find their families, I will be close by.”
“Really?! I am so glad!” Lani gave him an enthusiastic hug.
“I dearly hope that my Prince comes to his senses before next we meet.”
Lani laughed without meaning to— but stifled it quickly. Jaresh noticed it and smiled sadly.
“You truly would make an amazing Queen of Trisakne.”
“I don’t know about that,” Lani replied, feeling a little embarrassed and overwhelmed by the sincerity of Jaresh’s statement and all that it meant. “The only leadership experience I have comes from school. But I do know I could be a very good wife to Jharate— if that day ever comes.”
“The two skills are more linked than you might think. A good wife and mother puts her husband and family first— just as a good husband puts his wife and family first. A good queen puts her kingdom first. Furthermore, a king who has a good and moral wife, becomes a better ruler himself.”
