“It’s safer than using magic. Right now, I don't trust myself,” Colin admitted.
Catrina nodded in agreement and they raced to the inlet just as the backside of the boat floated by. They hopped on as quietly as they could, falling to their knees, crawling along the side corridor hoping to remain hidden.
Then, they came into view of Jasper. Catrina let out the quietest of cries and covered her own mouth. The Grosvenor stared covetously at the floor next to Jasper, where his book, his second soul, his Magicante, now lay precariously out in the open.
“What is going on?” Colin asked himself. He was about to magically wish the book into his hands when Jasper sat up tall and faced the Grosvenor, saying, “Take it. Take it and leave already. Let an old man die in peace.”
Jasper turned Colin’s direction and flashed a short, stern look. A look that said don't you dare do anything rash or foolish. I'm a dead man no matter what you do!
The Grosvenor towered over Jasper, smiling eerily down at him. “Just take it and let you die in peace,” he spoke in a slow, raspy voice. “An intriguing thought, Thorndike, but it’s been ages since we've talked. Wouldn’t you like to catch up on the old days? You remember don’t you, when you slaughtered my family?” His voice was cunningly confident.
“Freyne Rothrock,” whispered Jasper, finally recognizing the man before him.
“I see you remember me after all,” Freyne laughed mercilessly. “I’m honored,” he said, dramatically bowing in front of Jasper.
Just then, a voice hollered from the shore, echoing onto the now visible boat.
“Well, would ya looky at this...” it was a man’s voice, noticing the odd looking boat traveling by, probably for the first time, even though it had most likely traveled by his own houseboat hundreds of times.
The voice spooked Freyne. He snarled, not happy at being seen, even if it was by a backwoods dweller that was most likely human, and had no idea magic or immortal beings even existed.
Freyne leaned down and in one motion swiped the book, while whispering to Jasper, “I'll be back for the young one, once he's ripe. Enjoy your afterlife,” he spat disparagingly. Freyne stood and vanished inside a swirl of smoke-like blackness.
Colin and Catrina wasted no time rushing to Jasper’s side.
“What can I do?” asked Colin.
“I’m afraid my luck has run out,” Jasper replied heavily.
“There must be something,” begged Catrina, not ready to give up hope.
“Can I heal you?” Colin questioned.
Jasper nodded no. “I am sorry lad. Sorry indeed as we are not yet finished. But my long years have now concluded.”
“There has to be something!” Colin shouted. “Why can’t I use my powers to keep you alive?” He tried to remain as calm as possible, but how was he to do that when the only person that could save his future was dying, right in front of his eyes.
“The boy, Colby, he's a clever one,” spit out Jasper, not answering Colin. “Tricked me good. Used a weapon I've not seen before.” He coughed then, struggling to breathe.
Catrina cried softly, devastated.
“How is there a weapon you've not seen before?” asked Colin.
“It took my power,” Jasper revealed, ignoring Colin’s question.
“What? Your power… how?”
“The boy, he used that dagger to strip my powers.” Jasper then leaned in close. “You must get it back! I don't know what plans he's got for it, but chances are if he’s figured out how to steal them, he's figured out how to use them, and chances are, he has no concern over controlling them.”
Colin didn't even begin to know where to start with this information.
Jasper leaned back, his breathing shallow.
“Colin, you can’t save me. This is a wound that cannot be healed. I feel the years now, all the long years piling onto my heart, like a heavy stone. I cannot survive this, but you… you can. Trust the book. Trust yourself. Practice. Never stop.” He coughed again, a trickle of blood pouring down his chin.
Colin and Catrina looked on, helpless, as Jasper then turned to Catrina, motioning for her to come closer. His speech was labored.
“Keep him in line. You know… ” he stopped, throwing her a knowing look. She just cast her frightened gaze between Jasper and Colin, succumbing to Jasper’s warning.
Colin did not need to ask what the look meant. She would have to take over the job of ending his life should things go badly once his powers came into full measure.
“Trust only each other,” he muttered raggedly. “Never be afraid to hide.” He then took one last raspy breath and his body became silent and unmoving.
Catrina closed Jasper’s eyes and slid down to the floor.
Colin took hold of her and she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder.
“He’s dead. Jasper’s dead… and it’s my fault,” Colin whispered guiltily. “I messed up. I left the boat and they followed me back here.”
“It’s not your fault, Colin. Even Jasper had no idea how you did it.”
“It doesn't matter now,” said Colin, standing, pulling Catrina up as he did so. He turned, raising his arm with his palm facing outwards. Fire he thought. Bursts of flame erupted onto the boats deck. He turned back to Catrina. “Like he said, we cannot be afraid to hide. And we need to go into hiding again, fast, before anyone else turns up looking for me, or you.”
She agreed. “Where will we…” she stopped, bewildered, as they were no longer on the boat. Colin had moved them, leaving behind the boat to burn. She twisted around, searching their surroundings. They were in the woods and it was cold. She shivered and the next thing she knew, a warm shawl was contouring around her body.
“You’re getting frighteningly good,” she whispered dreamily, adding, “thanks. It’s perfect.” She snuggled the shawl tightly around her shoulders and asked, “Where are we?”
“My home. The closest thing I ever knew to home,” he clarified.
Colin nodded to the frozen ground to his right. He had brought Jasper's body with them. He concentrated hard, cloaking him and Catrina so that their movements could not be traced, just as Jasper had done after throwing them off the boat.
He pictured Jasper's body buried deep within the trunk of the great oak tree, just a few feet away. When he opened his eyes, Jasper was gone.
“Look,” pointed Catrina in amazement. Colin looked at the great oak. It had suddenly grown what looked to be a mossy beard, which lined what looked like the silhouette of a familiar face. He could not help but smile, though faintly. “He looks very peaceful,” she said with a doleful sigh.
“I think he’ll like it here,” Colin told her. He held out his hand and she grabbed hold. “It’s winter, so there might not be anyone here, but I want to show you where I spent all my summers, before all this magic stuff got in the way. And there’s something I need to find out,” he added in a low voice, thinking of his Uncle Arnon.
The magical protection cloak followed and hovered around them as they walked. Colin pointed out where his Uncle's old campsite was located. The space was empty now, covered in fallen, decaying leaves, leaving it to look as though his uncle’s camper had never even been parked there. Next, he pointed out where he had first met the Svoda. He wondered if the wagon was still hidden there, but dare not use any more magic for fear of exposing himself.
As they walked, snow began spitting to the ground in heavy, wet clumps. The protection cloak kept it off their bodies and soon, they stopped in front of a small wooden cabin. Smoke puffed over the rooftop, where snow hissed as it landed onto the fire-hot chimney.
A middle-aged Native American woman stood just outside of her small home, piling up clay pots, emptied and being stored for winter.
“Here goes nothing,” said Colin. He extended the protection cloak to include her house and then cleared his throat to gain her attention.
Kanda Macawi looked up to investigate the noise.
She dropped the clay pot in
her hand and it smashed against the hard ground, breaking. She stepped forward but said nothing, completely in awe of what she was seeing. A voice called out from the house.
“Everything okay out there?”
“Actually... you might want to come out here,” Kanda spoke breathlessly.
The door opened and a man stepped down the stairs. When he looked up, his eyes lit up and a satisfied grin spread across his face. “I never doubted that you'd be back,” he said.
Colin rushed forward, engulfed immediately by his very much living and breathing Uncle Arnon.
##
Colby sat alongside KarNavan, celebrating their victory. Elisha sat at his other side, feasting on raw fish. The next morning he would return home.
Colby had planned their attack against the Projector and they had pulled it off with ease. He smiled tersely, nodding in perfectly rehearsed motions to those congratulating him.
He turned down offerings of food or drink and after hours of this, could no longer ignore the sour pit in his stomach, which churned and knotted inside him. He abruptly got up, disappearing into his bunker, racing to his toilet. He made is just in time, retching bile until there was nothing left. When finished, he fell back to the floor. Stupid old man. I’m not a pawn in some kind of game! My father will make me a king!
Colby realized he was not alone and looked up to see KarNavan standing just inside the bunker. He had forgotten to close the door.
“I see the young master doesn't quite have the stomach for killing,” a voice spoke behind him. Colby had left the door open and KarNavan stood mockingly in the entrance. “You put on a good show,” he added, in fake praise.
“I do what I am ordered to do,” warned Colby, rising. “I suggest you do the same, KarNavan.” He chose to ignore the fact the he had used the word young again while addressing him.
“I just wanted to congratulate you on a well thought out plan. I did not think it would be so easy.”
Though his words seemed genuine, Colby threw him a look that said, thanks, but you can leave any time now.
“So what is the plan?” the Striper prodded. “With the knife? What good is it now that the Projector is dead?”
“Like I would tell you!” laughed Colby.
“Do you even know? How much does your father tell you about his plans?”
“I know enough. Why don't you leave me now,” advised Colby, his patience thin.
“By all means, master Colby,” KarNavan agreed sardonically. “I wouldn't want to keep you from your regret.” He departed, leaving the door open behind him. When he turned around, Elisha stared wickedly into the Striper’s eyes. She had seated herself a top the disintegrating wall just outside her master’s bunker.
She hissed, extended her paw and unleashed her claws, taking a wide swipe at KarNavan’s face. “Do not ever treat the master poorly,” she warned him. “Or next time, I’ll leave scars.” The catawitch hopped down disappearing into the bunker.
KarNavan scowled maliciously. “I think its time to move this plan forward.” He vanished into the background, walking out of the old fort ordering his fellow treasure hunters to follow.
##
Meghan tiptoed out of her bedroom, down the stairs and onto the front porch, counting down the minutes to the lifting of curfew. Nona waited by her side. The cold air bit at her lungs, but she barely felt it over the nervous anticipation coursing through her veins as she waited to start her mission, alongside Ivan, to save Bird. She set down the Magicante, smoothed out her thigh-length black jacket, pushed her long, red-streaked bangs behind her ears, and pulled her gloves snuggly over her fingers.
The moment the announcement rang out, she raced down the steps and toward the place where she and Ivan were to meet up.
She followed the dirt road, which sparkled in new frost, until that road veered off toward the center of Bedgewood, where cobblestone sidewalks lined the streets. Her breath lingered, freezing in mid air and she had to remind herself to walk at normal speed, as if just out taking a stroll, and not at all about to do something potentially dangerous, not to mention illegal. She hoped desperately that the Magicante would be able to hide their use of magic from the Balaton, as they would potentially be using magic that would trigger the trace alarm.
She walked past the Jackal Lantern, a light popping on inside as one of the sisters must have entered. Meghan let out an anxious shudder. What if the shop owner where Bird was held prisoner was awake too? What then? Their plans worked around the shop being empty.
Meghan stopped abruptly, realizing she had arrived. She stood, staring into a window, at the display staring back out at her. Bird fluttered raucously inside a large, rounded birdcage. Next to the cage was an open trunk, displaying other items like books, candles and any manner of things used on the island. Meghan put her hand on the glass, promising, “We’re going to get you out.”
Bird calmed and landed on a perch inside the cage.
A silhouette appeared next to her in the window.
“You ready?” Ivan asked her. She nodded yes and together, they darted down an ally next to the store, leading to the back entrance.
“Magicante,” she whispered.
It snored to life, replying, “Done,” before she even asked her question. Meghan shrugged and gazed at Ivan.
“Fenestra,” he muttered. The door pushed open easily and no Balaton appeared. It seemed as though the book had honored her unspoken request, and hidden their use of magic.
They breathed out in relief and hopped inside. They shut the door and froze, listening for sounds of movement in the shop. Other than Bird flapping his wings impatiently, there was no other sound. The owners, however, lived just overhead, so they needed to be very careful and very quiet.
“We'd better hurry,” said Meghan, racing to the front of the store. She stopped in front of the cage. “Fenestra,” she spoke, using the same spell to unlock Bird’s cage as Ivan had used to open the back door. She was pleased when it worked on the first attempt.
Bird happily fluttered out of the cage.
“How on Earth did you get in there?” she asked him in a loud whisper.
He just shook his beak, as if to say it was a long story.
Nona approached, keeping her ears open for any suspicious sounds.
Ivan, still waiting near the back, motioned for them to hurry.
Then, Nona froze, sitting upright, like a statue.
There were footsteps coming down the stairs.
Ivan looked at the back door, their escape route, and then at Meghan, Bird and Nona, all still stuck at the front of the store. They could not make it to the back in time. Ivan raced forward, ducking behind a shelf to hide himself from view of the storeowner, and made his way toward the front.
Meghan sank below a shelf so short it could barely hide her.
They had planned a second escape if necessary, but needed to be together for it to work.
A middle-aged man whistled while creaking his way down a rickety staircase.
Ivan took a chance and crawled in a dash to the next row of shelves, now just one away from Meghan.
The man went behind a counter off to the side, grabbing an apron. He put on a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He made a funny sound and then took them off, squinting as he tried to clean them with his apron.
Meghan held her breath as she watched Ivan dart again, edging closer to her. She was ready; she just needed him within touching distance.
The man put his glasses back on and then looked up curiously as something fell over, crashing to the hardwood floor. Bird had knocked a small box off a shelf, just to Meghan’s side. The shop owner noticed the cage door, which Meghan had stupidly left open.
“Well, how did that…” the man trailed off, stepping around his counter to check out the cage. Ivan knew he had to hurry. They had to get out now and were mere seconds from being caught.
He crawled to Meghan as the shop owner’s footsteps shuffled closer. Bird and Nona sat side by side on Megha
n’s lap, sitting a top the Magicante. Ivan outstretched his arm, reaching for the book.
The shop owner stepped around the shelf peering into the empty cage. He glanced down at the floor, seeing the fallen box. He leaned down and picked it up.
“That’s odd,” he said. “Wonder if I should report this?” He shook his head thinking, how silly. “It’s obvious,” he insisted to himself. “The bird got out and knocked the box over.” He went about his day, preparing the shop for opening. “Too bad,” he mumbled. “Liked that bird, could have gotten a fair good price I could have… such a unique specimen.”
Not too far away, a few feet into the thick woods outside of the main village, Meghan, Ivan, Bird and Nona popped onto the ground. Each had a body part touching the Magicante. Ivan jumped up and dragged them deeper in, for better cover.
After doing so, Meghan folded her arms and stared at Ivan and Bird.
“We're not going anywhere until you both spill,” she spoke decidedly. She waved her hand, surrendering, “Okay, let’s catch our breath first.”
Ivan let out a relieved sigh. They had freed Bird and had not been caught in the process. “That book sure does come in handy,” he noted.
Meghan nodded in agreement. “Kept our breaking and entering a complete secret.”
“Brilliant,” Ivan said. “If we had broken in without it, we’d have gotten caught for sure.” He then turned to Bird. “You all right?”
Bird used his beak to nod a yes.
“I suppose we had better… you know…” said Ivan knowingly, rolling his eyes at Meghan.
Bird flew behind the dark shadow of a nearby tree. A moment later, Meghan realized that Bird was transforming into his human form, as a light lit up the dark woods for just a quick second. Ivan threw Bird a bag he had been carrying over his shoulder. It contained clean clothes and shoes, as well as a coat to stave off the winter air.
Divided (Book Five) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series) Page 13
