by K T Durham
Miriam laughed. “Yes. And you should go visit Lily and Maddy. They see you as a friend, Elly. Where you were born, who your parents are, whether you’re rich or poor – these are just peripheral details. What matters is that you are a person that they care about. That is all.”
Elly smiled faintly. “All right. I’ll go visit them tomorrow,” she conceded.
Then the doorbell rang downstairs, startling them. Miriam frowned and looked at the clock. “Who could it be?” She clapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh, I hope Horace didn’t order pizza! He probably thought it’s gotten too late for me to start on supper, but he doesn’t know I prepared meatloaf yesterday, and all I need to do is pop it in the oven.” She moved to the door and opened it. Elly wrinkled her nose at the thought of pizza and meatloaf. Ick.
“Stay here, Elly. I’ll be right back.” Miriam bustled downstairs, Snowy at her heels.
Elly sighed as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Miriam was right. She had to stop feeling so sorry for herself and get on with things. And she had to give Mama and Papa a chance to tell their side of the story.
“Elly!” Horace bellowed from downstairs. She jumped in surprise.
“What is it?” she cried, darting down the stairs three at a time. At the foyer, she skidded to a stop and gaped at the sight before her.
Teddy stood there, flanked by Maddy and Lily.
“Oh, oh …” Elly stammered, her face growing hot. She barely recognized Teddy as he looked at her and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He certainly had shot up like a stalk!
Maddy and Lily gasped. “Oh, my goodness! Teddy was right! You are back!” Maddy cried.
Lily crossed her arms. “Elly! Why didn’t you tell us you’re back?” she demanded. “You said you would come back to London after Korea. You keep disappearing on us!”
Maddy laughed. “When Teddy kept saying your name earlier this afternoon, I thought he meant this was where you used to stay. But then he said he saw you, and we didn’t believe him! He insisted on coming back here to find you! ‘Elly is home. I want to go see Elly,’ he kept repeating, and then he left the house and started walking this way! I was studying with Lily at home, and we followed him to make sure he wouldn’t get lost.”
Miriam and Horace were standing at the doorway, suppressing smiles. “Well, Elly, we’ll leave you all to it,” Miriam said cheerfully, and Horace chuckled as they bustled into the kitchen, no doubt to heat up their meatloaf for supper.
Elly gulped at her friends. “I’m sorry,” she stammered, shuffling on her feet.
Then Teddy walked up and put his arms around her. “Hullo, Elly!” he said, in his endearingly flat voice.
“Oh!” Elly exclaimed, and she blushed and broke into a smile. “Hey, Teddy. I’m so glad to see you again!” She meant it.
Lily’s pout dissolved into a smile at the sight of Teddy hugging Elly. “Wow, I think this is the first time I’ve seen him hug anybody so spontaneously,” she murmured, and Maddy nodded happily. Then Lily shrugged, and all three girls burst into a fit of giggles as they hugged each other.
Teddy struggled to untangle himself. “I want to watch TV,” he said, stepping aside.
Elly smiled at them. “I got back to London a few days ago. I was going to come visit you when I was ready. I’ve had a lot on my plate, and, umm, I’ve been pretty … jet-lagged. You have no idea how happy I am to see you again,” she said earnestly, and as she looked at her three friends, she felt like crying.
“How long are you staying this time, Elly?” Lily asked as they walked to the living room.
“Well, let’s just say I’m in no rush to go anywhere tonight,” Elly replied with a grin. Maddy whooped. “Finally, we can sit down and catch up properly!”
Miriam called out from the kitchen. “Feel free to stay here for supper!”
Teddy had already wandered into the living room, sat down on the couch, and turned on the TV with the remote control. He scrolled through the channels and stopped at a noisy cartoon about aliens and robots. Maddy rolled her eyes, and Lily laughed.
Then Elly remembered. “Oh, I have something for you!” She darted to Charlie’s old bedroom, and when she darted back to the living room, she was grinning broadly. Lily and Maddy raised their eyebrows.
“What do you have there?” Lily asked curiously.
Elly winked and held out two autographed CDs. “I promised I would get you both some souvenirs in Seoul, didn’t I? Better late than never.”
From the kitchen, Horace and Miriam heard a cacophony of excited shouts and squealing. “You’re not serious! You actually danced in front of him? Oh my gosh, look at you both in the photo … First-class tickets to Seoul and a fancy lunch with him! No way!”
Horace groaned as he scooped a second helping of meatloaf onto his plate. “I guess I’ll have to watch Master Chef in my study tonight,” he grumbled, and his wife chuckled.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Visitors in the Dark
It was just past midnight, and Horace and Miriam were sound asleep. Elly sat on the windowsill in the living room, staring up at the bright moon in the starry sky.
Lily, Maddy, and Teddy had left a couple of hours ago. They had supper in the living room in front of the TV; Elly ate a sandwich she’d prepared herself while the others scarfed up the meatloaf. After they got Elly to tell them about her adventures in Korea (minus a lot of details, of course), Lily and Maddy giggled and laughed at a funny movie about a young boy who gets left home alone by accident while his family goes off on holiday overseas. Teddy sat next to Elly reading a book about Mars. To her surprise, while she was with them, Elly felt contented, more so than she had been for the past week.
Now, in solitude and in the quiet of the night, she began to brood again. Snowy snuggled on her lap as Elly absent-mindedly stroked the fat cat on the head.
What were Mama and Papa doing now? Was the Order furious with her for leaving Alendria so brazenly? She fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist and thought about Kaelan and Aron. Sooner or later, she would have to go back and face the music …
Thump.
Her ears pricked up, and she looked towards the hallway. Horace and Miriam were still sound asleep; she could hear their snores.
Thump. Thump.
She sat up, her heart racing.
Then there was the unmistakable sound of something opening and closing, followed by a muffled grunt.
She leapt up and darted to the wall opposite the window, her heart hammering. The sounds were coming from the far corner of the living room that was shrouded in shadow.
Elly narrowed her eyes and stared into the darkness. Then her heart skipped a beat when she saw a small dark shape levitating in the air, advancing towards her. She gasped and leapt back. “Who’s there?” she cried, and her eyes swept the room for something she could use as a weapon.
Then she saw his face, small as it was.
“Aron!” she cried, thunderstruck.
Indeed there he was, shrunk to the size of a teaspoon. He darted up and floated several inches from her face, grinning broadly.
She gawped at him. “Oh my … oh … Aron, what in the world are you doing here?” she stammered. It was surreal seeing him like this – so small and fragile, like a doll she could snap in two … though she knew he was anything but, even at this size.
He guffawed, and upon hearing his familiar laugh, something unknotted in her chest. “You better keep that gaping mouth of yours closed if you don’t want me to dart right in!” he joked, and Elly flushed and clamped her mouth shut.
“I managed to surprise you, right?”
“That’s an understatement,” she cried, joy swelling in her heart. “What are you doing here?”
“Just give me a second. I’m not liking this discrepancy in size – and that cat looks like it wants to eat me up,” he said
, looking at Snowy pointedly. The black cat was glaring at him with her wide, yellow eyes, ready to pounce any second.
“Snowy, he’s my friend,” Elly said sternly, wagging a finger at the cat. Then she watched as Aron took out a deflated green balloon from his Royan, drew a deep breath, and exhaled. There was a popping sound, and she stared wide-eyed as he ballooned and stretched and grew bigger and bigger and bigger – until he was his usual size, a head taller than she. His hair had grown past his shoulders, which looked broader than she’d remembered. How could he have grown bigger already? Had his voice grown a bit deeper as well?
Then she realized she hadn’t seen him for six months. Of course he’d grown.
“Ahh, I see what they mean about inter-realm teleporting messing around with our size,” he said cheerfully, arching his back. Then he enveloped her in a bear hug.
“Oww!” she cried, hitting him on the back. “You’re crushing me!”
He chuckled and released her. “You know, I haven’t forgiven you for not bothering to come see me before your disappearing act seven days ago,” he said accusingly, glaring at her.
She sighed. “I’m so sorry, Aron. It’s a long story, and there’s so much that I can’t explain—”
“It’s OK, Elly. They told me everything.”
She froze. “What do you mean, everything?”
He lowered his voice. “I know about the luthains. The Four Guardians. The Beast.” Then he paused and drew her to him. “They told me about … about your birth parents, Elly. Your twin sister. I know.”
Tears sprang to her eyes as she gasped. “But … but …”
“I had to swear on the Oath of Silence, just like you. Now we’re in the same boat.”
“You know everything?” she repeated.
“Yes.” He looked into her eyes. “It doesn’t change anything for me, Elly. Not one bit. To me, you’re still you. My best friend. It just doesn’t matter to me. OK?”
For the first time since she found out about the truth and left Alendria, she felt her heart soften. “Truly?” she asked, her wet cheek pressed against his shoulder. She could almost hear him smile.
“Yes, truly, Elly-Belly,” he said, using Luca’s nickname for her.
Then she took a step back and shook her head, confused. “But I don’t understand. Why did they decide to tell you everything? And why did they send you over?”
He frowned. “Well, it turns out the Order had been considering letting me in the loop for some time. When you were gone in Gaya for six months, they realized it would be best for you to have a … companion on your mission. It hardly seems fair that you have to bear this burden alone. Besides having your Royan and a grumpy hamster to keep you company, that is.” He grinned. “Your grandpapa wanted to talk to you about it at the meeting in the Blue Room, but then you asked about your … your sister, Goldie.” Elly flinched. “After you left without a word, they decided to involve me. Because I’m probably the only person you trust right now, after all that’s gone down. Besides, two is better than one, they kept saying.”
She was silent as she tried to take it all in. So Mama, Papa, and Grandpapa accepted that she wasn’t ready to face them yet. Aron had been as much in the dark about her parentage as she was. This gave her such enormous relief that she suddenly felt much lighter.
She scowled at him. “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean … what do your parents think? And how is the High Council accounting for your presence here? Surely, everyone at school must be wondering why you’ve suddenly left for Gaya …”
He laughed. “Elly, we both came of age last year. Like you, I’m in a position to play a part in protecting Alendria. My parents don’t like it one bit, but they can’t do anything about it. They have to let me make my own decisions now. As for the story that the High Council has concocted for the public, well, it’s pretty funny.” He grinned. “Apparently, I’m also an aspiring explorer with a special interest in the history of human civilization. They’re calling me a budding historian cum explorer. So here I am with you, on a fictitious apprenticeship.”
Elly gaped at him. “Seriously? Will people be convinced by that story?”
Aron shrugged. “That’s not for me to worry about. The High Council will have to do all the convincing.” Then he grinned. “I heard snippets of your war story. Bravo! But surely, there can’t be warflings in Gaya! This was news to me. You have to fill me in!”
She frowned. “Yes, yes,” she said impatiently with a wave of her hand, “But I want to know how you managed to teleport here! There hasn’t been a full moon yet.”
He leaned against the sofa closest to him and crossed his arms. “Well, inter-realm teleporting definitely isn’t my specialty. They didn’t have time to train me up, obviously. But I was able to tag along with somebody whose specialty it is.”
Her eyes grew round. “Mrs Silverwinkle!” she cried. “But … but how …”
He grinned at her incredulity. He had always enjoyed surprising her, ever since they were little children. “Mrs Silverwinkle … or Larabeth Goldberry, I should say … has recovered much of her strength in the past year, though her powers are not what they used to be. The black poison of the Beast really did a number on her, and it’s possible she’ll never regain her former powers. She is quite old, after all. Anyway, she teleported to Gaya and took me along for the ride.” He laughed as Elly’s mouth dropped open another notch.
Then his face turned serious. “Of course, taking me along was extra baggage for her, and it’s sapped even more of her energy than if she had teleported alone. She would be quite depleted after having teleported back to Alendria.”
Elly bit her lip. “She didn’t stay?”
He shook his head, silver hair falling over his eyes. “She thought it would be best to give you some space and let you talk when you’re ready. Even if she had met you just a moment ago, it would’ve been pretty awkward, and you wouldn’t have known what to say. Am I wrong?”
She blushed. “I guess not,” she mumbled. She was actually really glad that Mrs Silverwinkle spared her the awkwardness. She needed more time before confronting them.
Then something occurred to her, and she gasped. “But what about contamination? You’re not immune!” she cried, stricken.
He waved her away. “It’s OK! I drank some manna before I teleported over.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Manna! But the healers were running low and have had to ration it!”
“Well, the Tree has been able to produce some more sap since the orb of Graille was reinstated. So the healers were able to manufacture some manna and gave a portion to me. There’s a limited amount, but it should be enough to sustain me for about six months if I ration it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to restore the second luthain before I run out.”
Dizzy, she sat down next to him on the sofa. “Wow … this is a lot to take in,” she murmured.
He nodded and draped an arm around her. “We have a lot to keep us busy, Elly.” He paused and patted his Royan. “I’ve brought over Cephrin, the orb of earth, to be restored.”
Her eyes grew round at the mention of the luthain. “Cephrin!”
“Yes. The Order received the second signal yesterday, from Guardian Cephrin. They immediately summoned me, debriefed me, and sent me over.” Then he grinned. “Hey, look what I’ve got for you.” Then from his Royan he retrieved two things and handed them over.
Elly gasped. “Greymore!” she cried happily, clasping her Royan and the golden compass to her chest. She breathed in the familiar scent of her beloved book, then slipped Nebulane into her pocket. She was so glad to have them back; somehow, they made her feel more complete.
Greetings, Ellanor. I hope that was the last time you left me behind.
I’m so, so, sorry, Greymore. Please forgive me. It’s been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, as you well know. I promise not to part from yo
u like that again.
Then I shall take your word for it.
She looked at Aron sheepishly. “Umm, what about Marlow?”
Aron chuckled. “Well, Marlow is highly affronted that you abandoned him in your bedroom without a word. He’s decided you need to win back his affection and trust.”
Elly sighed. “I guess I deserve that. Poor Marlow. I might not see him for some time.” She hesitated. “You must know how the High Council is faring with the channelling process in keeping the Tree alive. Has the restoration of Graille’s orb made much difference?”
“Actually, it has. The Tree has been able to regenerate somewhat, and that’s why it’s started producing some sap again, making manna production possible.” He paused, and his face darkened. “But the High Council members are growing weak. If the Beast wages war on us any time soon, we don’t stand a good chance at winning. We’re preparing for war, Elly. When the time comes, we’ll both need to go back to defend Alendria.” He smiled wryly. “No more books and studies for me for some time. But boy, am I glad I took up archensoar! It certainly would help me better prepare for whatever’s in store.”
Elly bit her lip as she thought about Grandpapa and Mrs Silverwinkle in their weakened state. She hoped Blaine and Mr Huerin were faring better. “How’s my family?” she asked quietly.
He raised his eyebrows. “Your parents are worried sick, and poor Luca is real mad at you for leaving without a word. But you should talk things out with them when you see them again.” He paused and looked at her in the eye. “They love you, Elly. No matter what, they will always see you as their daughter. No question about it. Luca can never see you as anybody other than his big, bossy sister.”
Elly’s eyes stung with tears, and he smiled and squeezed her hand. Her hand strayed to the amulet at her neck. Aron noticed. “So that’s the amulet that enables you to travel between Alendria and Gaya, without the full moon?” he asked in wonder. She blinked and looked down at the amulet, white and shining in the shadowed dimness.
