by Brindi Quinn
“Ask the . . . spirits?” Not the sort of solution I’d been hoping for.
“Sure! All we need to do is find an artifact or something to contact one of them and maybe they’ll have some kind of information to share with us!”
That all seemed entirely too optimistic.
“But Darch, first of all, where are we going to get an artifact like that?”
“Simple!” Darch grabbed my arm in an excited hug. “Nyte’s got one already!”
“Wha . . . he does?”
Darch nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! I’m pretty sure he does!”
“How? What do you mean?”
“Well, he’s got to have something, doesn’t he? Because he’s been able to hear the spirits, and he shouldn’t be able to. You see, you’d think that whistle or pendant would work, but Rend and Ardetto haven’t been hearing anything, and they’ve had those things on them pretty much the whole time, right? But Nyte . . . now, he’s got something!”
“Isn’t that just because he’s the ‘most powerful Elf’ or whatever?”
“Naw. That shouldn’t make a difference. Hearing the cries of the spirits is a special skill left only for us Magir’s! And for people being tagged, too, I guess.” He was a little disappointed by that addition.
“So he might just be being tagged, then?”
“Nope! I checked!”
“What do you mean ‘you checked’? How?”
“Well, I checked him a couple of times on the way through the mist, too, because it just didn’t make sense to me that he could hear them. Even as the emulator, he shouldn’t be able to. And I just checked him again before we decided to follow the brook-”
“Wait . . . you mean when you fell onto him?! That was you ‘checking’ him?”
Darch winked.
So sneaky!
“I knew there was something weird about that! You could have just asked, you know. He would’ve let you touch him.”
“I know, I know. Anyway, he’s not being tagged. So that means he must have something on him that’s allowing him to hear the spirits. An important artifact that’s allowing him not only to hear the one it belonged to, but a mass of other spirits as well.”
“Really? Huh. Something that belonged to a whole people, then?”
“Exactly! Way to go, Aura! You’re really good at figuring things out.”
“Er- not really.” I was actually pretty bad at connecting dots. “Well, what do you suppose this mysterious thing is? It’s not the pendant because Rend’s got that.”
“Whatever it is, it’s something just as powerful.”
“Huh.”
“Ooh! Ooh!” Darch gave my arm a tug. “Try to get it out of him, would you, Aura?”
Get it out of him? “Ehh. Sure? Nyte’s not really the kind of person that you have to try to ‘get things out of’, though. I’m sure he’ll just tell me.”
But Darch wasn’t listening.
“The Pure Heart and I have a secret plan! A secret plan! A secret plan!”
“Darch . . .” His name was a grumble leaving my mouth. If he carried on that way, it’d no longer be much of a secret.
Sure enough –
“Oh, and what sort of ‘secret plan’ do you have?” Ardette, who’d just returned through the hole, was the one to discover our cahoots.
Darch smiled happily at him and held a finger to his lips. I shook my head and started to roll my eyes, but then, becoming clever, I turned on whatever haughtiness I contained within myself and said,
“Why, nothing that concerns you, my apple core.” In addition to swaggering the remark, I limply let my hand play with my bottom lip.
Spot on. It was a spot on impression of Ardette.
“Why, pit, is that mockery? How witty of you. You know what would really get to me, though? Really sting? Why not play up the side of me that wants you? How does that sound?”
“You want me to try to seduce you? You perv.”
But rather than disgust me, the thought of it made me grin. That was surprising . . . and disturbing.
What the hell?
Darch noticed and reacted in a way most unexpected. He released my arm at once.
“Stop,” he said, firm and uncharacteristically harsh.
“W-what?” I asked, swiveling my head to examine his frown. But he wasn’t talking to me.
“YOU, stop,” he said again, glaring at Ardette. “You’ll just make it worse.”
“Oh, come off it. Like you know anything.” Ardette returned the glare.
“Oooh! Why does affection equal torment to you? You’re so messed up, Ardetto!”
“Thanks, Darch. How wonderfully kind of you to share your opinion.”
“Darch?” I said, keeping my voice low. “It’s all right. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Darch shook his head. “This guy just keeps interfering with you. He can’t ever let it go. It isn’t fair.” He brought his watering eyes back to Ardette’s. “Good job. Once again you’ve managed to get under her skin. We all know how well that worked the la-”
But Ardette had reached forward and grabbed his friend around the neck.
“Ardette!” I yelled, taking hold of his elbow. “Knock it off!”
But Ardette’s eyes had turned black, and he didn’t appear to have any intention of letting go. Darch was still glaring at him, though, and it did nothing to relieve Ardette’s anger. This was dangerous. It was all too dangerous!
Luckily, before Ardette could do any real damage, he was tackled from behind by a stealthy someone who’d approached without detection.
“Nyte! Ah! Be careful!” I stepped back from the scuffle.
“Release him!” yelled Nyte, readying his fist.
“Sure.” Ardette dropped Darch, but immediately turned his hand into a fist and pummeled it at Nyte’s right eye. Nyte grabbed Ardette around the wrist before it made contact, bent the Daem’s arm back so that it couldn’t do any further damage, and, using his free fist, jabbed Ardette in the jaw with a forceful uppercut.
“Guys! Come on!” I yelled, helping Darch away from the fighting boys.
“It’s my fault,” said Darch. He shook his head in regret. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Are you serious? Talk about overreaction!”
“No, Aura, it’s not . . . he can’t help his aggression. Just . . . it’s not him, okay? Believe me, it’s not him.”
It wasn’t him? What did that mean? It definitely looked like him.
“Ugh!” I threw the feuding guardians a scolding frown. “Just stop, okay!?”
By this time, both of them had landed a few punches, but they continued to roll around, looking very unattractive and uncouth. The others were starting to gather around.
“Ah, hell,” grumbled Grotts. He turned to Rend. “Did you wanna take this one?”
“Absolutely not! I will not interfere in such a petty, idiotic spar! If the elders ever caught wind of this . . . Ugh! Disgraceful!”
“Alrigh’, then. Come help me with the tents, will ya? Kantoo, you come too. I don’t need those buffoons missin’ and landin’ one on ya.”
Rend threw one furious scowl at the wrestlers before nodding to Grotts and following him away. Kantú scurried behind.
Scardo watched them leave begrudgingly. “Well, don’t just leave them in my care!” Sighing, he approached the pair, palms down and hands outreaching. “P-pardon, don’t you think you ought to stop?” He tried polite, but it had no effect, so – “Very well.” – he began to roll up his sleeves.
Scardo’s going to jump in?! Honestly?!
But before he’d finished properly rolling them up, Darch leaned over and said under his breath, “Aura, I’m going in.”
“No!” I grabbed his shoulders to hold him back. “Darch, you aren’t exactly built for fighting!”
“I’m not going to fight, silly! I’m a pacifist, remember?”
“Darch, you’re going to get clobbered!”
“Nope, nope, nope.” H
e smiled and handed me his spectacles. “Hold these, please.”
Then, before my eyes, the happy-go-lucky man pounced on top of both of them. He was thrown off, of course, and pretty violently too, but not before he’d landed a pinky on each of their foreheads. At his touch, they both fell onto each other in a slump.
It was over just like that.
Darch dusted his hands off and clapped. “There!”
“Wow,” said Trib, who’d been silently observing until then. “Those two are dumb.”
“Yup!” agreed Darch. “They sure are! Now, would you guys mind helping me get them off of each other?”
“We should just leave them like that!” said Trib. “It would serve them right, don’t you think?”
I looked down at the two of them and burst out laughing. They’d fallen into a position that was almost tender. A position they’d both surely hate. Nyte’s head was on Ardette’s chest with his arm thrown loosely aside Ardette’s head. Ardette’s arm was resting on Nyte’s back, having been caught in the middle of a collar-wrench. Again, I wished I could sketch.
Darch and Scardo pulled them apart, but left them lying in the grass.
So dumb, Trib. So, so dumb.
We set up the tents to allow the ‘dumb’ boys time to cool off. Only after we’d settled in and started a meal, did Darch finally agree to wake them.
Ardette was still seething, but Nyte was embarrassed.
“Ah! I am sorry for things getting out of hand. I did not wish for harm to befall Darch, but even so, I acted too severely.”
“Yes, Nyte, you did,” I said. “But it’s over. Just forget it, all right?”
“No. I cannot. Not until I properly repent. Ardette, I am sorry.”
“Psh. Not like I care how you feel.”
But there was something there. A flicker of black in his eyes. I was too naïve to pay it any mind. How I wish I would’ve paid it mind.
~
After dinner, Nyte and I sat on the edge of the brook away from camp and traded stories. I was fully over what had happened, and I just wanted to enjoy our time together in the beautiful place. I told him everything. About my childhood. About Miss Danice. About songstress training. About growing up in closed city. I told him everything that I hadn’t yet told him; expanded on the things I already had. He, in turn, shared with me stories of his training. His time under Pietri’s care. About the other Elven villages I’d yet to visit.
The sun didn’t go down, as it would’ve in the real world, but stayed bright and high and warm. Nonetheless, I could tell by my tiring body when it was getting ‘late’. Still, we stayed there until Nyte said,
“We should probably get back to the others, do you not think? That hammer is still very much a threat to my stomach.”
I smiled, remembering that midnight excursion to the enchanted pond so long ago. Even then, I'd enjoyed Nyte's company; felt comfortable around him.
What would it be like if our days were like this always? Time together. Time alone. Time spent not running or fighting or hiding. It would be perfect. But perfection was unattainable, so was our dream impossible too?
Nyte tugged me to my feet. I let him pull me up but played reluctance.
“What? You do not care for the wellbeing of my stomach?”
“Nope. I care only for the wellbeing of these.”
I placed my hands on either side of his face and pulled it down to my level. Then I leaned in and pretended to carefully examine his lips.
“Hmmm. All seems to be well.”
“Are you certain, Miss Havoc? Is not another test in order?” He sent me a charming grin.
“You’re absolutely right,” I said, blushing. “Much more testing is in or-”
A brushing sound stopped me. Someone was walking through the emerald-leafed trees just behind us. Though it was unnecessary, Nyte cupped my mouth and pulled me back into himself. I think he just liked the action. My stomach did too, and it exploded in response. There was more shuffling, followed by the sound of two voices.
“I know, Ardetto. But you can’t let him get to you like that.”
“Ugh! Why does he always feel the need to interfere? Damned kid Elf.”
It was Ardette and Darch. Would they see us? Nyte dropped us to our knees behind a low rock at the edge of the brook so that we were concealed from view. They wouldn’t be able to detect us. But was this right? Were we really going to spy on them? I was guilty, but I did nothing to stop it.
“I’m not talking about Nyte,” said Darch. “I’m talking about him. You can’t let him get to you like that. Because of him . . . you really hurt me this time.”
The shuffling stopped. “And for that I apologize. I do. You know that, don’t you? I’m sorry, Darch. It just . . . it just took over.”
“Just like with the tents, huh? Ardetto, the closer we get to Célesteen, the more . . . you know . . . you’re becoming. I’m worried.”
“It’s not like I can help it!”
“I know that. But they don’t. Think how that makes you look. Think how it makes you seem to her.”
“Damn it! I know! But it’s not like I can deny my instincts. What would you have me do? Damn angels! Why’d they ruin everything?!”
“This isn’t their fault. And should you really be grouping all of them together like that? You of all people should know that there are good ones and bad ones to any race.”
“Always the mediator. Okay, oh wise mediator, what should I do?”
“Apologize?”
“No.”
“Well, at least be civil no matter how hard it becomes. And for Creator’s sake, lay off Aura. You agreed to be a friend to her, right? And you agreed to let her choose. With things as they are now, you’re only hurting her more.”
“Darch . . .” Ardette’s voice grew quiet. “You have no idea.”
“What?” Darch was concerned. “What is it now?”
“The dreams.”
“They’re back!? I can take care of that for you, you know.”
“I don’t want them gone. They’re the only memories I have of that time.”
“Ungh. Are you sure? Well, if you won’t let me block them, then you have to work extra hard at containing yourself, okay?”
Ardette sighed. “Agreed. Stop me if I start to . . .”
“Sure thing!”
“Great. Now I’ve got to go get back into good favor . . . again. What a fun game this is. Completely tedious.”
The shuffling started away in the direction from which it came. Nyte waited for them to get a good distance away. Then he released only my mouth and said,
“You have not asked him about it yet, have you? His ‘shared emotions’?”
“Ugh. Kind of, I guess. When I was . . . when I nearly consumed you.”
“And?”
I shook my head, hating the memory that had been aroused at the word ‘consumed’.
“Aura?” Nyte lowered his face to my cheek. “Do not look sad. I already told you that it was not your fault.”
I tried to believe him, but that awful feeling remained.
“Ow!” he said suddenly, twirling me to face him.
“What is it?” Concerned, I reached to brush his hair from his face.
“I fear that I have obtained an injury. You did not, after all, finish your examination.” He brought his hand to the feather charm around my neck, gave it a small tug, and then tilted my chin upwards. It sent me off into that same shivering, heart-racing mess. Through long lashes, he watched me, a seductive bite to his lip.
“Oh . . . right . . .” I was lost in the forests of his irises. My Nyte.
He leaned closer so that his lips were nearly touching mine, but not quite. I threw my arms around his neck and took the bait.
After a few moments, Nyte broke away. “Ah! I am sorry!”
“What? What is it?”
“It is . . . it is strange. They are watching. And because they are watching, I fear I cannot concentrate.”
“They?” I looked around and saw no one. “Who-?”
“Down there.” Nyte tilted his head at the brook.
“Oh . . . The spirits? They’re watching?” Great. First he could hear them, and now he could see them too?
“I know it is ludicrous. They can do nothing, and yet I feel ashamed – as though we are disrupting them. You see, they have grown louder since we . . . began to kiss.”
They’d grown louder? That reminded me –
“Nyte,” I asked, releasing his neck and taking a step back. “Darch says you’ve got some sort artifact on you that’s allowing you to hear them. Do you know . . . is that true?”
Nyte thought about it. “An artifact? Not of which I am aware.”
“He says you really shouldn’t be able to hear them, though, so there’s got to be something. Think, okay?”
“I am thinking, but I do not . . .” But then his face read enlightenment. “Oh! Could it be?”
“What? There is something?”
Nyte reached into his shirt’s pocket and pulled out something small, white, and jagged.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It is a fragment. A piece of that scale.”
At first I didn’t know what he was talking about, but then I remembered. “That scale . . . You mean the one Carn had?”
“Yes. After it was destroyed, there were small fragments in the air, were there not? This one was stuck to me. It was larger than the rest, so I held on to it.”
“Is that it? Is that what’s doing this to you? Darch said it would be something just as powerful as the . . .”
I couldn’t bring myself to say the word ‘pendant’, for fear of igniting another bout of addictiveness.
“Take it from me,” said Nyte, holding out his hand. “We shall see if anything changes.”
I nodded and opened my palm, and he dropped the scale’s shard into it. Upon release, Nyte took in a breath and closed his eyes.
“Ah,” he whispered. “At last there is silence.”
But for me, it wasn’t so silent. My head was instantly filled with the loud song-like sound of many voices murmuring at once.
Chapter 10: The Summon
“Can I see it, Aura?”
