by C J Benjamin
“I’m afraid we don’t,” I said.
“Malakai Venir, of couse.”
Again, no one responded. We met each other’s wandering stares waiting for Hollis to elaborate.
“Ah, well then I have much to tell you! Allow me to introduce you to the leader of the Ravinori.”
As Hollis spoke, the walls inside the rotunda burst to life. The frescos came alive, their scenes fading away to show moving images. It was like the visions my mother had shown me in the cave. But these were sharper and all focused on the same, tall, dark haired man. They seemed to be a chronicle of his development from adolescence to what I was assuming was his current state. Past to present, the images were haunting. The walls displayed the things of nightmares; evil, torture, malice, murder.
“His name is Malakai Vanir. He’s the most powerful man on Hullabee Island. He’s head counselor of Lux, in charge of the Luxor militia, the prisons and now, the Troian Center. He’s the suspected leader of the Ravinori, probably heading the hunt for you and your friends. Rumor has it, that he has found a way to extract power from the souls of the lost Truiets. If it’s true, it would make him as powerful as you, my Eva. It’s assumed that’s how he has risen so quickly up the ranks of society. But alas, money and power are not enough for him. He wants total domination and for that, he needs you.”
“How does he get his Truiet powers?” I asked.
“From the Flood debris, of course. You didn’t think they spent years cleaning up all that rubble for nothing did you?”
“Flood work,” I whispered, thinking back to the years I spent sorting stones at the Troian Center.
“Yes,” Hollis encouraged. “Now you’re getting it. You see, when the Flood happened, it was because nature was unbalanced. There must always be balance. When everyone died, their souls split, being divided equally among the four realms. You do know that story, don’t you?”
“Yes,” we answered in unison.
“So, a part of the soul went to each realm—bone to earth, tears to heaven, breath to limbo, heart to hell. You know, ashes to ashes and such . . . Anyway, something unique happened to all the magic that was left behind. The magic powers didn’t belong to any realm, so each Truiet left the power they’d possessed behind, where it was encapsulated by the lava, turning it into the stones, or rubble as you call it. That’s why the Ravinori had the city of Lux commission all the rubble to be recovered, under the guise of cleaning up the island during Flood work. The order was truly given by Malakai, so he could claim every last drop of lost power for the Ravinori, with the hope of bringing Ravin back. That’s been the sole goal of their secret society. Malakai believes that if he’s the one to bring Ravin back, he’ll be allowed to serve eternally by his master’s side—right hand man to the devil.”
“Is that true?” I asked, looking to Eja. “I’ve never heard that part about the powers being trapped in the stones.”
As if reading from a book that we couldn’t see, Eja recited a quote from some ancient legend he knew, “The struggle for powers had started the strife and upset the balance of nature. Through self-sacrifice, balance was restored and the powers were sealed away; all that remained after the cleansing Flood, would be trapped for all eternity, so that they would never ignite another war.”
I instantly thought back to how I used to swear the gems and stones in the rubble pile where speaking to me. That was back when I was younger, before I knew there was truth in legends and fairytales.
“Can he do that?” Journey asked, breaking me from my memories. “Can he bring Ravin back?”
“It’s all rumors; whispers we forest folk hear. But, I hope we never find out,” Hollis answered.
We all looked nervously at each other, shocked by this news.
“Hollis, how do you know all of this?” Remi asked.
“Isby and I have our ways. We are not easily noticed and lips are loosest when you think no one is listening.”
“Why is this the first we’re hearing of it?” I asked.
“Perhaps the Ravinori wanted it that way.”
I looked around at the shell-shocked faces of my friends. Another bombshell had been dropped in our laps. I took some comfort from Jaka’s words that echoed through my mind. ‘There is power in knowing your enemy,’ he’d said.
“I feel I should warn you. If Malakai sent the civer ants after you, you can bet that they already know your course and he will be waiting for you.”
“Hollis, even if Malakai is this all powerful leader of the Ravinori, how could he have known where to find us unless someone tipped him off? How could he possibly have known where to send the civer ants?” I asked.
Just then, Isby squawked from his perch by the door, picking at his glossy feathers. Even though Hollis had vouched for him, I didn’t trust him one bit. For all I knew, he could be one of Malakai’s spies.
“Malakai is very powerful. He has his ways. I’ve heard he has a powerful alchemist in his service and he employs him to use dark magic to serve his needs.”
“Even so, we’ve been careful. We knew the Ravinori were out there. We’ve encountered them already. We even had the Beto’s best scouts checking the area to make sure it was safe before we started our voyage. Nothing indicated they knew we were heading back to the Troian Center,” I challenged.
“Ah yes, you are skeptical. I might add that I could be skeptical of you, my Eva. You have not been completely honest with me.”
My palms began to sweat as I nervously scanned the room, searching each of my friends’ faces to see if they would give something away, alluding to what dishonesty Hollis could be referring too. In that moment, it became overwhelmingly obvious that I had way too many secrets. I truly didn’t know which one Hollis was referring to.
The room was so silent I was sure the others would hear my thundering heart. I took a deep breath and was about to deny lying to Hollis when Remi saved me.
“Hollis, if I may interrupt? Our Eva has many to protect and she has to be cautious when sharing information. She tends to err on the side of vagueness for our safety and surely means no offense to you by it.”
I looked at Remi with astonishment. I’d never heard him speak so confidently or eloquently. Apparently I wasn’t the only one shocked by his diplomatic speech. Sparrow’s mouth was hanging open and everyone was staring at him with looks of wonder.
Remi noticed my gaze and smiled. I returned it, regaining my composure.
“Yes, Hollis. I apologize for any offense. Remi’s right. I’m only trying to protect my friends.”
“A noble quality of our Eva indeed,” Hollis said. “I apologize for my harsh tone.”
“I apologize as well.”
“Well, I hope by now you know you can trust me and that you will take my warning to heart.”
I waited for him to continue, still confused as to what secret he had figured out. Then, I realized he was waiting for me to reply.
“Yes, Hollis. We do trust you and are very grateful for your help and advice.”
“Good, because the matter of Ponte deorum is a very serious one.”
My face paled and I instantly felt a chill run up my spine. Hollis mentioning Ponte deorum knocked the wind out of me. How had he figured it out? Surely, no one in our group would have told him this tremendously vital secret. Besides Jaka, Vida, and my friends, no one else knew. Eja had sworn us all to secrecy. I thought Hollis might have figured out that Jovi and I lied about the way we escaped the civer ants or that she was a Pillar or maybe that I had been in one of his rooms without permission, or that I was in love with Nova or that I had kissed Remi; anything but this! My world was whirling and I was having trouble focusing on what Hollis was saying.
“ . . . the Ravinori mustn’t find out that you are the Bridge of the Gods. Malakai will come after you with all his force, for it is this eternal power that he seeks most, in order to bring back their one true leader.” Hollis paused theatrically, but I knew what he was going to say next and it made me break
out in a cold sweat. “Ravin.”
The sound of his name made my stomach lurch and I had to put both hands on the table and grip tightly to keep myself upright. How could this be happening?
Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on me and I could immediately feel desperate, longing and hopefulness emoting from my friends. This was a room filled with orphans. We had all lost parents, siblings, and family in the Flood. Of course I could see why this was such a coveted power.
But Hollis wasn’t telling us anything new. Maybe he hadn’t known I was the Ponte deorum, but I did, and so did all of my friends. I was more upset that one of them had betrayed my trust and told a rover tortoise, we’d only just met, the biggest secret of my existence, putting all of us at risk.
“I want to know how you know this, Hollis,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I told you. I’m ancient. The oldest living descendants of—”
“NO!” I cut him off. “Not how do you know about the Ponte deorum. I want to know who told you that I am the Ponte deorum.”
“Well . . .” he stammered, but he didn’t have to tell me.
As I searched the faces of my friends, I settled instantly on a particular face—Jemma’s. Her pretty features were pinched and she refused to meet my gaze. Guilty!
“I knew it! I knew it was you, Jemma!” I shouted, lunging from my seat.
“Hey, whoa,” Journey called, reacting fast enough to catch me before I could reach my traitorous sister.
“You don’t know it was her,” Eja said calmly, trying to diffuse the situation.
“It was her,” I hissed. “You’re not denying it, are you?” I called, narrowing my eyes and focusing my seething hatred at Jemma.
“Oh come off it, Eva. You’re not the only one this affects. You shared your powers with me. Maybe that makes me part of the Bridge of the Gods too! I have a right to know how this works.”
“This wasn’t your secret to share, Jemma! You swore you wouldn’t tell anyone about the Ponte deorum. I’ll never trust you again. You only care about yourself!” I yelled.
“That’s not true! I was thinking of all of us and who we could bring back. Like our mother! Why can’t we use the Ponte deorum to bring back our mother?” shouted Jemma, already in tears and moving toward me from the head of the table. “Maybe we could bring them all back! Why should we have to suffer any longer?”
Nova blocked her way and she wailed, struggling against him.
“Do you think I don’t wish I could bring her back? I wish I could bring all of them back! Mom, Dad, Talon, Ivy, Dehani . . .” I whispered. My heart shattered as I mentioned the names of our deceased family and friends. It was too painful to continue a list that long. “That’s not how it works, Jemma,” I said sadly.
“You don’t even know how it works! But that’s fine. I’m not going to let you stop me from doing what you’re too afraid to. You gave me half of all your powers. I bet that includes the Ponte deorum too.”
“Is that true? Is she the Ponte deorum too?” Sparrow asked sounding worried.
“I don’t believe that’s possible,” Eja said.
“Why not?” Jemma yelled. “I can be powerful too! I can have a purpose. I’m not afraid of greatness. You just need to give me a chance,” she scolded. “What if I can bring them back? All of them. Everyone we’ve ever lost. Don’t you even want to explore our options just a little bit?” she pleaded to the room.
“SILENCE!” bellowed Hollis, putting an end to the chaos in the rotunda. “It is not that simple. There can only be one Ponte deorum. And if you say you’ve witnessed Geneva exhibit this privilege, then she is the one and only, true Ponte deorum. Another important thing you should know, is that the Ponte deorum can only bring one from the other side back to this world, and it will most likely cost you your life.”
Now this was new. Jaka hadn’t told me that bringing someone back would kill me. Again every eye in the room was on me. “How?” I asked. “How do I do it, Hollis?”
“My Eva, this is not something I can recommend in good conscience. It is wrong to fool with nature by connecting to the other side and there are consequences. Steep consequences.”
“I need to know how it’s done, Hollis. How am I to protect myself and others if I know nothing about this?”
“Very well, my Eva. I shall not deny you. I am but your humble servant. Whomever is the Ponte deorum possesses the power to see through the veil between worlds.”
“Veil?” asked Jovi startling me. I hadn’t noticed that she’d moved to my side.
“Yes, think of it like an invisible wall that separates the living from the dead.”
Jovi swallowed hard and curled her slender fingers around mine, griping my hand hard. I forced a smile for her sake and pulled her close, stroking her hair while Hollis continued to tell us about the Bridge of the Gods.
“Every time you summon someone from the other side, the veil thins and can allow those from the other side to reach through to this world. This is a very dangerous act even in itself. Alas, an even more perilous act is required to start the transition to bring someone back from the other side. It requires an exchange of matter.”
I hated the sound of that; exchange of matter. Unfortunately, I had to ask Hollis to explain further so that I could avoid doing it.
“How do you exchange matter, Hollis?”
“Ah that part is really quite simple. You just have to touch someone from the other side. Although I hear it’s quite painful. Even painful enough to kill you.”
My heart plunged and I tasted bile. I had touched my mother when I was drowning in the cavern lake and when I first saw her in the mirror at the New Year Gala. It felt like grabbing onto a lightning rod. I had tried to touch her when I last saw her in the pond in the Beto camp, but she pulled away from me and said it was dangerous. My mind was reeling.
“You just have to touch someone to bring them back?” asked Jemma hopeful, ignoring Hollis’s warning of danger.
“Well, yes. But it doesn’t happen after just one touch. There is a price to pay each time you touch someone from the other side. It’s called an exchange of matter, because you must give them a little piece of your soul and in return you must take on a little piece of their soul. It is said this is why it is so painful, because tearing a portion of one’s soul is no simple task. If this exchange happens enough times, enough of your soul will be on the dark side and enough of their soul will be on our side, the light side. So, in essence, they will have enough power over you to take over your body. Meaning you will be trapped on the side of the dead and they will remain on the side of the living.”
“So in order for Geneva to bring someone back from the dead, she has to die?” Remi asked incredulously.
“There must always be a balance. Nature requires it,” replied Hollis solemnly.
“This power is useless!” Nova yelled. “Why would anyone want to be the Ponte deorum if it means you have to die to bring someone back?”
“Precisely!” said Hollis.
“Precisely what? What do you mean, Hollis?” Nova asked, unable to hide the anger in his voice.
Eja spoke up for the first time. He’d been sitting quietly, taking it all in, but now he cleared his throat and stood.
“If I may?” he asked looking at me.
All I could manage was a stiff nod.
“I think what Hollis is saying, is that no one wants to be the Bridge of the Gods, but everyone wants control of it. If the Ravinori get ahold of Geneva, they can use her to contact the other side. They can force her to exchange matter with whomever they want.”
“I won’t do it,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.
“You may not have a choice,” Hollis said. “The Ravinori can be very persuasive. Especially Malakai. When he wants something, he will stop at nothing to attain it. He’ll implore despicable, ruthless ways to achieve his goals. He and the Ravinori have been known to implant visions that can deceive you into giving them what they want. I
f that doesn’t work, they are particularly skilled at various torture techniques and they make it a habit to demonstrate this on your loved ones, until you give them what they want. Malakai is merciless. He’s rumored to have killed his own wife. Make no mistake, he’ll use whatever he can against you. If the Ravinori don’t already know you’re the Ponte deorum, you cannot afford to let them find out.”
“Why are they after me if they don’t know I’m the Ponte deorum?” I asked.
“I believe they have given up hope that the Ponte deorum exists. They may actually have another plan, which they need the Eva for. She is a Pillar tracker and her blood will bind the ritual.”
“What ritual?” I asked.
“I think they are trying to collect the four Pillars in order to try to create their own Bridge of the Gods. I suspect Malakai will imprison the Pillars and use them whenever he needs to contact the other side, perhaps even sacrificing them if it means bringing Ravin back.”
67
The mood in the room was somber after Hollis’s speech. My legs were shaking as I sunk down into a nearby overstuffed chair.
I didn’t know what to do next. Hollis’s explanation of Ponte deorum had knocked the wind out of my sails. Before the meeting I had been confident in our mission to return to the Troian Center to save the four Pillars, but now I felt hopeless. I was doing my best to put on a brave face for my friends. I didn’t want to add to their worries.
“What do we do now?” Sparrow asked softly.
“Well, we can’t go back to the Troian Center,” Remi said. “Not now that we know they’re waiting for us.”
“We have to and we will,” I said. “We can’t just abandon our plan because of a new obstacle.”
“A new obstacle?” Nova questioned. “Are you mad? Did you not hear what Hollis told us? The Ravinori are hunting for you! They know you’re coming. Malakai is expecting you.”
“Yeah, and they’re hunting for the four Pillars as well. We are the only ones who can save them and stop Malakai from bringing Ravin back. Besides, the Ravinori don’t know I’m the Ponte deorum yet. We have to strike now before they figure it out.”
