They were holed up atop a hill in an abandoned fort, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. All that remained of the fort were a few crumbling walls, the remnants of an old building and a bunker, in which Colby remained at all times, while waiting to track the Projector.
KarNavan sauntered to the edge of the fort, where his second in command awaited him.
“What of the boy?” she asked, her voice impatient and hateful.
“We bide our time,” KarNavan replied. “Let us speak no more of it now.”
She nodded and returned to her meal.
This had better pay off KarNavan thought to himself, as he looked around at the anxious hunters hiding in the encampment. Going up against a Projector surely meant lives lost. Plus, he trusted Fazendiin to honor their arrangement about as much as he trusted any arrangement he had ever made.
##
Colin pricked his finger with a needle. “Ouch. Stupid needle!” his temper flared. Catrina cleared her throat from just a few feet away. He looked, instantly calming himself upon seeing her face. She emanated patience and compassion.
“You're nearly finished,” she pointed out.
“Who had any idea that making a book by hand would be so difficult,” he said, putting his attention back to the pages he was sewing together.
“It’s not worth doing unless it’s worth keeping,” Jasper said from behind him, appearing on the deck from below.
Colin decided his cramped fingers needed a break and he set the pages down for a moment to stretch.
Jasper glanced down and noticed a smudge of blood on the outside page. “It’s also worth noting that a little blood doesn't hurt either,” he winked and then took a seat at the table where they ate their meals. Jasper always cooked, by hand, often using things he had picked from the garden growing all over the deck of his boat.
“So, this is the bayou?” said Colin, leaning up against a moss-covered wall near the middle of the deck.
“You were expecting something more exotic?” Jasper hinted.
“I guess. I guess I didn't expect I was so much closer to home than I thought.” His thoughts could not help but stray to popping up to Cobbscott, Maine, and seeing if his Uncle Arnon was there, or even still alive. But he knew he couldn't. He could not get past Jasper’s protection cloak, even if he really wanted to.
“To my credit, although we are floating through the bayou, the boat just magically shifts between inlets. Frankly, I think the boat’s bored, as I do believe we have been floating repeatedly down the same river for days now.” He spoke as if the boat was its own entity, making its own choices of where to float.
“I hadn't noticed,” Colin said, taking a glance toward shore.
“We have passed by that same deserted houseboat four times that I've seen,” spoke Catrina, pointing over the edge of the boat.
“Do we pass by any houseboats with people living in them?” asked Colin.
“I'm sure we do,” Jasper answered. “But they won't see a thing. They might perhaps feel an unexplained breeze pass by them, if they were close enough.”
“So the barrier that cloaks the boat keeps us hidden from the outside world completely?” Colin asked.
“Sure enough. We could stay on this boat for an eternity and no one would be any the wiser. This isn't the only spot I live, though,” he added. “With all my long years, I would surely go mad!”
“How old are you?” asked Colin, hoping he wasn't offending Jasper by asking.
“I really don't know. I lost count after four hundred or so.”
Colin's jaw dropped. Jasper looked into Colin's eyes, whispering, “Your future too.”If Colin's jaw could have fallen any lower, it would have. He slammed his mouth shut after a moment, befuddled.
“I won't age?” he asked.
“Yes, you will. Let’s just say it’s like every year for a normal human would be more like a day to you, age wise.”
Colin gasped. His eyes grazed Catrina.
“Don't worry, you can stop others from aging too, if you so chose.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” repeated Jasper. “But, keep in mind, as easily as you can prolong a life, you can just as mercilessly take a life.”
Colin felt lost. He really had no idea what lay ahead for him, or Catrina. But he would not lose her, no matter what. Even if it meant staying on this prison of a boat his entire long life... he would not lose her.
The thought was equally relieving and terrifying. A relief, because he and Catrina were safe, for now, but terrifying in that it made him feel like they were prisoners.
“It’s nothing personal,” Jasper added. “But being the only living Projector, well, I gotta do my job. Make sure you are trained correctly. Having you here with me is the only safe way. I outed myself twice already. Once when I sold you that book, back at the Blue Moon Festival, and again when I rescued and brought you here.”
“What do you mean, outed?” asked Catrina, her voice concerned.
“The magic Projectors produce is highly potent, and therefore, highly traceable. Once I leave the confines of any space I have cloaked, I am out in the open for all to find. For all to discover that I am still alive. Just my simple act of saving you has most likely triggered alarms to those that might be watching. Someone out there is bound to know that I'm still alive.”
“So you risked your life, saving us?” asked Colin bleakly.
“Oh, not so much. They may have discovered I'm alive, but they'll never trace us here.” He held no concern in his voice so Colin and Catrina tried to not be worried, but they did both feel terrible for Jasper’s having to come out of hiding, but also grateful that he was willing.
“Jasper,” spoke Catrina hesitantly.
“Yes.”
“If you have been around for hundreds of years...” she stopped.
“Go ahead,” Jasper coaxed.
“It just got me to thinking, because I heard a song once that described a group of warriors that hunted down magical stones, one that I know Projectors were a part of and seeing as you have been around for so many years...”
“You thought I might know more about them. And just say old, it’s what I am!”
Catrina laughed. She liked Jasper.
Colin just turned his head between them, having no idea what they were speaking of.
“I do in fact know of this group, as it just so happens I was a founding member.”
“Really? Can you tell us more? I've always wanted to know more than the song told.”
“How about, you tell us first, what the song did tell you, and I will then fill in the blanks.”
“Okay. Well,” she started, pausing to think. “The song spoke of a foolish man that did a foolish thing, and to make amends for that foolish thing, he created a group of warriors that roamed the world searching out and destroying magical stones. Stones that the foolish man had let loose upon the world, thrusting it into chaos as the stones could suck magic from the living, leaving them defenseless and magicless. It also mentioned that these stones allowed the Grosvenor to be created, and that not all the stones were recovered.”
“Ah yes, I can see why people wanted you out of the picture,” Jasper said. “No offense, of course.”
Catrina just laughed.
Colin had a hard time finding it funny, but listened intently to what Jasper had to add to the story, as he had never heard any of this before.
“So here's the entire story. The man who started the group was Babiin Balick. And indeed, he was a fool, a fool that discovered a dangerous thing; a thing that nearly wiped out all magic. It started with one stone, recovered from the body of an ancient beast, now extinct, called the Mazuruk. Similar to the modern day cow.” Jasper stood now, pacing in circles as he spoke.
“Babiin discovered, by accident, that this stone had the ability to suck magic from other living things. He tried to sell the stone to the highest bidder and this is when the original world war began. A war you will not read about in any h
istory books. As soon as the secret got out and everyone knew what these stones did, and how to get them, this kicked off a mass slaughtering of all Mazuruk. Village stood up against village, neighbor against neighbor. It was a regular free for all, and whoever possessed the most stones had the most power... and … kept their magic.” He paused before continuing, taking an excited breath.
“And as if this was not bad enough, a clan of Vampyre, known as Vetala, got their hands on the stones. They were once called the Shogharnes, a vicious clan if ever there was one.”
“Vampyre?” said Colin. “Like the Grosvenor once were? Someone told me they were energy suckers, could suck the life out of any living thing.”
Jasper nodded but did not expand on the subject, continuing with the story.
“The Shogharnes raged across the land, devouring village after village, collecting the stones, stealing magic, collecting power, vowing not to stop until they had collected every last stone, and every last bit of magic. This is where I come into the story,” noted Jasper.
“I was a young lad then, just thirty-four,” he joked, “when this Babiin Balick sought me out to join him. He explained he was responsible for what was happening and that he wanted to be the one to end it! But he could not do it alone. Having nothing else to do at the time, and not being particularly fond of the Shogharnes, I agreed to help him.”
Jasper took a sip of coffee before continuing.
“There were hundreds of us to start. All brave men and women, hoping to defeat this new and powerful enemy of the Shogharnes. Inch by inch we raided and overcame, collecting back these dangerous stones, at the same time, using them to our advantage against our enemies. It took many years and we lost nearly every warrior before it was over... I say over, it’s never really been over. More like on a long delay.”
“So the Grosvenor have just been biding their time to do what? Finish this battle they started all those hundreds of years ago?”asked Colin.
“More or less. As to why they have waited so long, I cannot say. But, we did put a little crimp in their original plans,” Jasper added.
“Do tell,” said Catrina.
“The Shogharnes had been collecting thousands of stones. Their plan: to merge them all together and create one stone, large enough to hold enough power to make themselves not only all-powerful, but also immortal. For you see, they discovered that the stones not only sucked and stored power, making the bearer stronger, but they as Vetala, could then suck the energy from those stones and into themselves.”
“That's how they became the Grosvenor,” confirmed Catrina.
Jasper nodded. “Yes. They used the stones to make themselves immortal. They didn't all make it though...”
“The crimp you put in their plans,” said Colin.
“We waged our final battle, using every bit of magic we had collected in the previous years’ battles. Only nine of the Shogharne clan remained when it was finished,” he spoke, with no regret.
“So there's nine Grosvenor?” Colin asked, aghast at what Jasper was telling him.
“As far as I know, they are all yet alive; I suppose waiting for the right moment to come out of hiding. Personally, I think the Grosvenor may have realized some folly, some downfall, or it’s also possible they’re just simply cowards that fear losing their power. Losing their power is definitely their worst fear.” He took a deep breath, adding, “The real crimp is that we stole the power stone. Sadly, we could not destroy it! It was too powerful! Nevertheless, it is hidden, very well. They'll never find it.”
“What happened to all the rest of the stones?” asked Catrina.
“Destroyed! I'm happy to say. It took years for us to discover a way to destroy them. Alone, the stones were not strong enough to withstand destruction. And we knew we had to do it. It was that or face another war because of them. Now that said, I cannot honestly say that all stones were destroyed. I would bet my long, long life that there are yet stones out there, and someone is just biding their time to use them.”
“How did you destroy the stones?” asked Colin curiously.
Jasper chuckled. “A rather simple thing. So simple it took us years to try it. Fire,” he explained. “The fire purified the stone, draining it of its power.”
“Huh,” was all Colin could say. It was a fascinating story, and yet frightening because it was all true, never mind still ongoing.
“How about lunch?” said Jasper, as if nothing important had been discussed. Colin assumed Jasper was bored with the story, probably having retold it many times over his four hundred and whatever years he had been alive.
Catrina offered to help set the table and hopped up off the deck floor.
Colin tried to picture what he would look like in that much time. Could he keep Catrina alive, alongside him? Would Jasper still be alive then? What would the world look like in a few hundred years? Everyone he knew would be dead… could he keep more than one person alive, with him?
“What about Meghan?” he whispered. He was still angry with her and could never forgive her, but would he allow her to grow old and die? How did one decide whom to allow to grow old, and whom to save... Jasper is alone...
Colin wondered why.
Had he failed to save the ones he loved? Had they not wanted to live so many years? Had he decided to live alone on purpose?
Colin leaned his head between his hands suddenly feeling ill. The sway of the boat did not help. I don't want to be this... there has to be a way to stop this from happening... I don't choose this life...
Jasper appeared in front of him, again climbing the stairs from below deck. Upon seeing Colin's face, he stopped.
“I may be too old for my own good, but I remember that face as clearly as the day it first happened to me.” His voice held nothing but sympathy.
Part Five
“Don't forget curfew,” warned Juliska, seeing Meghan about to leave through the front door. Ivan stood nearby, serving as the Banon’s assistant for the afternoon, as Pantin Hollee was needed elsewhere.
“Yeah, no worries. Just wanted some fresh air before bed.” Meghan ignored Ivan, seeing as that is all he had been doing for the last two weeks. On a couple of occasions he had opened his mouth to speak to her, but either nothing came out, or he was interrupted and unable.
“How are the plans coming along for tonight's arrival?” asked Meghan, hoping she sounded interested. Although she would not be attending this one, nor would anyone else, as it was past curfew. Juliska had refused to risk releasing curfew even for this special event, especially after the unexpected visit from Jurekai Fazendiin, one of the immortal Grosvenor.
“I feel confident we are ready,” Juliska replied. “We have taken every precaution we can,” she clarified.
Meghan nodded, again noting Ivan avoiding her, and then left the house. She did not go far, just down the street to a small park where she plunked down on a bench, watching those still out and about hustle around, trying to finish their business before curfew. The weather was unseasonably warm, which she wished would stick around.
She heard footsteps approaching and twisted to see Ivan nearing. Without a word, he sat down on the bench next to her, close enough so that they could speak in hushed whispers.
After seeing Ivan again try to speak with no avail, she turned her head and shot him her most annoyed look.
“I know you're upset, Meghan,” he spoke in a low voice. “I don't know what to say right now, because what I have to say is really important and I just don't know if I can utter the words.”
“Utter the words,” she made a funny face and then said, “I am so sick of you right now.”
Ivan stood to leave. “Have you seen Bird today?” he asked softly.
Meghan shook her head. Half in answer to his question, and half in frustration over the fact that Ivan was never going to tell her... anything!
“No,” she told him pointedly. “I have not seen Bird today.” Then she panicked. “Why do you ask?”
“I ha
ven’t seen him in a few days,” he admitted.
Meghan sat back and thought about it. She had been so wrapped up in her own drama she had not even thought about Bird. “Me neither,” she told him, hating herself for not noticing sooner. “Should we be worried?”
Ivan sat back down. “He's probably just lying low, but… I am a bit nervous about it.”
A curfew announcement echoed over the island. “Fifteen minutes until curfew is in effect. And let this serve as a reminder than anyone caught out after curfew tonight will be arrested! You will be permitted to welcome home the new arrivals tomorrow.”
Ivan stood to leave again, when Meghan blurted out impulsively, “I have reason to believe that Juliska Blaskwell might be my mother!”
At first, Ivan just stared blankly. Slowly he sank back down and turned to her. “Um. Wh-what?” he stuttered.
“I had a vision, Ivan. I might have it wrong, but I don't think I do.”
He just gaped as if he had no response to this shocking revelation she had just landed on him.
“Don't close down on me, Ivan. Not now. Please.”
“I just... I just don't know what to say. I mean, to my knowledge she's never had any children. That's a pretty hard thing to hide.”
“I was hoping you might know different,” sighed Meghan. “I've been doing research and I found nothing to indicate otherwise, but my vision was pretty clear.”
Ivan leaned back and scrunched his face, thinking hard. Was this possible? Moreover, if somehow true, how would he ever tell Meghan what he (and Bird) needed to tell her? This fact, whether true or not, for the moment stalled everything. He let out an exasperated breath, leaning forward, as a perplexing thought entered his mind. Meghan could see the change in his expression.
“What?” she demanded.
“It is probably nothing and even going through it all, I don't see how...”
“What?” she asked again in an impatient whisper.
“When Juliska was twenty-five she was part of a quest, off the island.”
“Um, yeah, I remember reading about that. They were searching for a possible new location for the Svoda to call home. They were afraid they might be outgrowing the island. That's actually as far as I got, I haven't had a chance to read anything beyond that yet.”
Divided (Book Five) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series) Page 8
