The Lost Tayamu

by Ben Cass

He sighed. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I need Kira’s advice.”

  Jen stood. “Do you want me to go find her?”

  “No, but please do.” Doyle looked resigned, an expression which didn’t seem right on him.

  KIRA put the last plate into the cabinet and closed the door, humming along to the music coming from her phone. The breakfast dishes were done, and she paused for a moment, considering what to do next. The song on her phone changed to a classical waltz, and she felt her husband’s arms wrap around her waist, and his head press against hers. Kira smiled and set her hands on top of his.

  Jerry spun her in a circle, taking her into his arms, and began dancing with her to the music. They box-stepped around the kitchen, spinning in circles, their hands locked together. Kira threw back her head and laughed. Jerry was always surprising her with these little moments.

  She realized they were being watched, and turned her head to see Elowyn leaning against the doorway to the living room, studying them, a small smile on her face. Kira caught Jerry’s eyes and flicked her own toward Elowyn. He obligingly swung her around, moving toward the doorway.

  Elowyn stepped back, trying to get out of the way, but Kira dropped her arms, and her husband smoothly grabbed the teenager and pulled her into the kitchen. Elowyn laughed.

  “I don’t know how to dance!” she protested, but Kira could tell she was enjoying the attention.

  “It’s easy,” Jerry said. “Nothing difficult. Put your left hand on my shoulder,” he pulled her arm up, “and I put my right hand on your shoulder.” He moved his hand into place.

  Kira stepped up and lifted Elowyn’s right hand up into the air. Jerry took it in his left hand. “Keep your arms rigid,” Kira said, “and your back straight. Just follow what Jerry does.”

  Kira watched as Jerry led Elowyn in a simple box-step. Elowyn kept looking down at her feet, laughing when she made a mistake and stepped on his toes. Jerry howled in exaggerated agony, lifting his foot off the ground.

  “The pain! The agony! I might never walk normally again!” he said, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. “I’ll never make it to the Olympics, and it’s all your fault!”

  Elowyn smacked his shoulder. “You big baby,” she said, laughing again.

  Jerry grinned and began moving. After a few more tries, Elowyn had it figured out, and he began swinging her around the room as he had with Kira.

  “She looks so happy,” Jeniah’s voice said behind Kira. Kira turned and looked down.

  “Yes, she does,” Kira agreed. “She is a natural.”

  “Her parents were dancers,” Jeniah said. “They’d often do this very same thing out on their porch, lost in their own little world.” Jeniah leaned against Kira. “Your brother wants your advice on something,” she said quietly.

  That got Kira’s attention. She could not remember the last time he had asked for her advice. “That is...intriguing,” Kira replied, just as quietly.

  “He’s wrestling with coming clean about some of the secrets he’s holding onto,” Jeniah explained, watching as Ellie and Jerry came by them.

  Even more intriguing. Alistair debating about revealing a secret? “I suppose I should go see what he wants, then,” Kira said.

  “I’ll stay here,” Jeniah replied, scratching her arm. “I think he’d prefer to discuss this privately.”

  Kira hugged Jeniah and kissed her forehead as Jerry and Elowyn came by again, stopping their motion. Jerry held a hand out to Jeniah, and she took Elowyn’s place. Kira turned and went to the stairs, wondering what secrets were bothering her brother.

  She did not have to wait long to find out. When she entered his room, closing the door behind her, he nodded at the box sitting on the floor beside the couch. She recognized it as the box of pictures and papers Elowyn had saved from the house fire. Kira had not yet seen any of the contents, as Elowyn had not yet opened it.

  “Look in the box,” Alistair said tiredly. “Tell me what I should do, Kira. What’s the right thing?” He looked bothered, and that worried her.

  She stooped and picked the box up, setting it on the couch. Sitting down, she brushed some hair back from her face and used her nail to slice through the masking tape. Kira pulled the flaps open and peeked inside. She pulled out a large envelope and set it aside. A stack of loose photographs was on top, and she gently plucked those out, scanning through them. Several of Jeniah and Elowyn together, and quite a few of Elowyn with her friends. Kira smiled as she thumbed through the pictures.

  “They are very close,” Kira commented. “Jeniah and Elowyn, I mean.” She held up a picture of the two sisters hiking through the woods, the Evans twins beside them, all waving at the camera. “Jeniah was fortunate to be adopted by such a loving family. The All surely had a hand in it.”

  Why did Alistair look so troubled? What was...Kira’s thoughts crashed to a halt when she pulled out the first framed photograph, a Christmastime photo of the Aston family, the year emblazoned in festive reds and greens on top of the gilded frame. The sisters sat together on a bench, and Elowyn’s parents stood behind them. Mrs. Aston had her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, and Mr. Aston had his on his adopted daughter’s. A Christmas tree stood behind them, gaily lit with lights and glass ornaments. Judging by the date, the picture had been taken just a few months before the older Astons had perished in the house fire.

  Kira stared, her jaw falling open. This changed everything! Her mind raced, leaving her dizzy. She did not know what to say. Her mind churned through the ramifications, considering all possibilities. The Astons were...

  She shook her head. No wonder he was worried about this!

  “How long have you known?” she asked him, her voice quiet. “How long have you been carrying this secret?”

  He didn’t look at her, keeping his gaze on the ground. “Since I picked Jen up for our date. I saw her photographs on the fireplace mantel. She caught me looking at them.”

  “And you have not told either of them the truth?”

  He shook his head. “I told them the Astons were from Kiamada, but that’s it.”

  “Alistair...” Kira placed the picture back in the box and moved from the couch to the bed, where she sat beside her twin. “You cannot keep this from them. You know that, right?”

  “I do,” he agreed. “But how much do I tell them about the Astons, Kira? Do I give them everything? Tell Jen all the things she needs to remember but hasn’t?”

  Kira thought this over, wrapping her arm over Alistair’s shoulders. “You do not know what you want to do?”

  He shook his head. “For the first time since she left me twelve years ago...I’m lost, Kira.” The quiet admission shocked her, as Alistair was not one to admit he did not have an answer. “Three weeks ago, I had no issue keeping this secret. I thought it might cause more problems than solutions.” He tapped his fingers together. “Then I nearly died, and now I don’t want to keep anything from her that I don’t have to.”

  Kira kissed the side of his head. “I think you already know what you have to do, but I will give you my advice, since you sought it for the first time in my recollection.” He gave her a crooked grin. “This secret, this particular secret—it needs to come out, Alistair. Now. In the next few minutes.”

  He nodded. “I know. I just hope it doesn’t overwhelm them with questions I’m not able to answer.”

  “I did not say all the secrets, Alistair,” Kira replied. “Loathe as I am to agree with you...Jeniah’s past must stay hidden until she can remember for herself. It is the right thing to do, both for her and for the others. She does not need the burden, not right now.” Kira took her brother’s hand. “Just remember you are not the only one bearing it. I also know the truth, and she is my dearest friend in the world. In two worlds.”

  “So I tell them a small secret, without revealing the really important thing, which happens to go hand-in-hand with this?” He blew his breath out. “Should be easy, right?”

  “Ali
stair...this secret you are about to share—it is the really important thing right now.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Ellie walked into Doyle’s bedroom right behind Jen; Jerry would be heading up in a few moments. Ellie had heard Jen and Kira talking—they still didn’t seem to remember about her super-hearing—and Doyle was apparently about to reveal some kind of big secret. She wondered how many more he would be keeping, though.

  Doyle sat on the edge of the bed, looking tired but much better than before. Ellie went over and gave him a huge squeeze. “Glad to see you up and about,” she said. Doyle smiled at her, and she went to sit on the couch next to Jen, who was studying Doyle intently.

  “Geez, girl,” Ellie whispered. “Could you undress him with your eyes when I’m not sitting right next to you?”

  “I thought you wanted me to be into a guy?” Jen retorted.

  “Well, yeah, but I don’t want to actually see you wondering what he looks like naked.”

  Jen laughed and waved a hand. “Oh, I don’t need to wonder anymore.” As soon as she finished, her eyes widened, and she clapped her hand over her mouth, her face going bright red.

  Ellie stared at her sister. “What...the...hell?” she demanded, but Doyle’s voice cut her off.

  “What I’m about to tell you is going to change everything you think you know,” he said, his hazel eyes serious. “I can’t tell you everything yet, unfortunately, but Kira and I think it would be profoundly unfair not to tell you this.”

  “We’ll talk about this later,” Ellie hissed quietly to Jen, who sighed.

  Jerry slipped through the door and stood next to his wife. Ellie watched Kira reach out and take his hand, entwining their fingers together. She felt a little envious of their relationship; she hoped to find a guy who would randomly start dancing with her in the kitchen. Jerry caught her staring and winked at her, and she smiled at him.

  She focused her attention back to Doyle, who said, “I’ve known this particular secret since I picked Jen up for our date.”

  “First date in twelve years,” Jen corrected. “I owe you a lifetime more of them.”

  Doyle smiled slightly. “I don’t really know where to begin with this, so I’m just going to start talking.” He looked into Ellie’s eyes and held them.

  “Elowyn, I told you your parents were Kiamadan, but there’s more to the story, as your sister no doubt told you. Your parents were well-known and respected throughout Kiamada. They had a prominent role in the running of the country, and lived in the castle with the royal family.”

  “I thought Kiamada was a monarchy,” Ellie interjected.

  Doyle nodded. “You never watched Aladdin? The rulers have trusted advisers who help them govern.”

  “And my parents...they were advisers?”

  “Sort of.”

  That’s vague, Ellie thought. “Go on,” she said.

  “Like I told Jen, I never met them. Most of Kiamada had never met them. We all knew of them, though, and their determination to help guide the country out of the old ways of thinking.”

  “Like removing barriers to relationships?” Jen asked.

  He nodded. “Precisely. Unfortunately, there were large groups of people opposed to this progressive attitude. Almost eighteen years ago, your parents disappeared from their rooms in the castle. Nobody knew what had happened to them, and I still don’t, unfortunately. I have my suspicions, but I can’t share those with you yet. I want to be certain before I tell you anything.”

  “Disappointing, but fair,” Ellie said. “But you will tell me when you know.” It was not a question.

  Doyle merely smiled. “Promise,” he assured her. “Regardless of what happened there, we now know where they ended up. I don’t know if they kept their memories of Kiamada, or if something had happened to wipe their minds. You said they never talked about their pasts, so maybe it was because they just didn’t know. It seems the most likely explanation.”

  Jen raised an eyebrow. “How ironic it would be,” she said, “if they’d lost their memories, and then took in a girl from Kiamada who’d also lost hers.”

  “It wasn’t irony,” Doyle said tiredly. “It was the All, I think.” He seemed to be losing energy as he talked, and Ellie saw Kira move closer to him, concern on her face.

  “Alistair, you have been up for too long,” Kira said. “Perhaps I should finish so you can rest.”

  Doyle held up a trembling hand up, shaking his head. Ellie knew he was pushing himself further than he should.

  “I need to do this, Kira,” he said. “I’ll just go for the short version. Elowyn, there’s no easy way to say this. You were not your parents’ only biological child.”

  Jen gasped, covering her mouth, but Doyle spoke over her. “You were born here in Groverton, but your parents’ other daughter wasn’t, because she stayed in Kiamada when they vanished.”

  Ellie’s eyes went wide, and her jaw fell. When he’d said this would change everything they thought they knew, it hadn’t just been bluster! “Other...you mean I have a sister?” A stab of guilt hit her heart, and she looked at Jen. “Another sister, I mean? Still in Kiamada?”

  Jen squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, Ellie,” she said gently. “I know what you meant.”

  Doyle shook his head. “Not anymore, you don’t.”

  She’s dead. That’s what he’s trying to say. Ellie’s jaw moved, but she couldn’t speak, and settled for just shaking her head. She felt some wetness in her eyes, and furiously wiped it away. She hadn’t even known this sister, so there was no reason to be upset. Jen’s head leaned against hers, and she gently kissed Ellie’s temple.

  “What happened to her?” Jerry’s deep voice startled Ellie; she’d forgotten he was there. She already knew the answer, though: somebody had killed her parents, and then tried to murder her and Jen, so it stood to reason they had also eliminated this mysterious sister.

  “May I?” Kira asked, stepping closer and smiling tenderly at her brother. Doyle nodded, and Ellie leaned forward, watching as Kira bent her head over her palm. “Reveal the heart of my soul,” Kira said in a soft whisper. A soft light flared briefly on her palm and then was gone. Ellie and Jen traded glances, and Jerry raised an eyebrow.

  “Hold up,” he said, stepping forward, a hand raised. “You also have powers? And you didn’t tell me about them?”

  Kira smiled at her husband. “I do not have powers, my love. I do, however, have a brother, no matter how annoying he can be.”

  “Did Kira ever tell you all Kiamadan siblings have a birthmark, unique to them?” Doyle asked Jerry, who shook his head. Doyle continued, “The birthmark and its location are the same for each sibling in a particular family, but will differ from family to family. We don’t know why it’s only siblings, or why the birthmark is hidden most of the time. It’s an old magic, older than even the Tayamu lore.”

  Doyle held his hand out, and his sister put her palm on his. “The birthmark does not show up until the siblings invoke the magic,” he explained. “In Kiamada, the old teachings tell us siblings are different pieces of one soul, one heart. Soulmates, I have heard it called on this Earth. This simple spell is based on that belief. It not only marks the siblings, but potentially allows them to find each other.”

  Kira had been watching Ellie, but at this last sentence, her head jerked around to stare at her brother. This was obviously news to her. Jerry pointed at Doyle. “That’s how you found Kira so quickly when you came here, isn’t it? You activated your magical tracking device and then came right to her.”

  Doyle nodded. “More or less, yes.”

  Kira’s hand suddenly shot out and hit Doyle’s shoulder hard, making him wince in pain. “Owwwww!” he howled. “I just woke up from a coma, and you’re hitting me with all that force?”

  "That was for not telling me the birthmark can track siblings,” she said coldly. “It certainly explains how you always knew where to find me.”

  Doyle rubbed his shoulder ruefully. “The
re was no point to telling you, Kira. Only Tayamu can use it to track.” Her hand shot out, striking him again. He yelped, grabbing his shoulder. “Now what the hell was that for?” he yelled. Ellie fought, and failed, to hide a grin as Kira raised an eyebrow.

  “For tracking me,” Kira replied calmly.

  “What does the birthmark look like?” Ellie asked. “I don’t see anything.”

  Doyle tried to pull his shirt over his head, but his strength was clearly fading fast, and he let go of the fabric. “Help me take this off,” he said. Ellie started to stand, but Kira’s hand stopped her. Kira stared at her brother in disbelief. “What?” he asked.

  Kira’s lips pressed together tightly. “I believe we have gone over this more than once. Propriety is not your strong suit, is it, Alistair?”

  He sighed. “What the hell does it matter, Kira? You know Tayamu aren’t as prudish about things as other Kiamadans are. I can’t show her the mark without taking off my shirt.”

  Jen stood. “It’s fine, Kira,” she said calmly, pulling his shirt up. “It’s not a big deal.”

  In the middle of his chest, a symbol on his skin glowed brightly. Ellie leaned forward, studying it as Jen sat back down next to her. It was an intricate pattern of whorls and dots, criss-crossing each other in multiple layers. Kira unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the same symbol glowing in the middle of her cleavage.

  Jerry made a sudden gagging sound. “All this time...your cleavage was a direct connection to your brother? My mouth has....” He sounded ill. “I don’t feel so good.”

  Kira threw him an annoyed look, but Doyle’s expression bordered on maniacal glee. He slowly rubbed the birthmark with his fingertip, blowing Jerry a kiss with his other hand. Ellie had to laugh, absurd as it felt to do so.

  “Try it, Elowyn,” Kira suggested, buttoning her shirt. “You remember what to say?”

  Ellie held her hand up to her face, studying it. “Does it matter how I angle it?” she asked, looking around her palm and at Kira.

  Doyle shook his head. “You don’t even have to hold it up,” he said. “Kira just has a flair for the dramatic.” He flinched as Kira’s hand twitched, but she didn’t hit him, only looked at him sideways, a slight smirk on her lips.