“I apologize for keeping you, Alchera. I wanted to look my very best for you. They say it is the first impression that is the one that lasts forever, though it does appear as if I have failed to make a good impression on you after all.”
I wished I could’ve taken back my words when my eyes fell on her. She looked like an older version of Elora with her golden hair, though she had Alandra’s dark eyes. Damn! She looked so vulnerable - this beautiful woman who stood in front of me. I moved closer, taking in a deep breath. I couldn’t see myself anywhere in her face.
“I am sorry for my thoughtless words.” She smiled at me and that’s when I saw the resemblance. I had her smile.
“It has been so long, my daughter, yet you stand there and not in my arms?” I looked at her powder blue gown, then down at my dirty clothes, and shook my head.
“I do not care what you are wearing. It has been too long for these empty arms of mine!” She took hold of me with such urgency that tears formed in my eyes. The smell of lavender surrounding me. “Oh, to hold Eryon’s baby in my arms. Awo has blessed me again.” She held me at arm’s length, her fingers tracing my face. “You truly look like your father.”
“My Queen, I hate to sadden this moment for you, but there is the matter of Alandra.” Eamar’s voice was so caring. I’d never heard him talk like that to anyone before.
“You need my help.” My mother didn’t take her eyes off me.
“We need your help in finding Alandra, my Queen.” Raighne stepped forward, bowing slightly as he addressed my mother.
“Please teach Alchera how to sense Alandra. Alandra is somewhere out there and we need to find her before it is too late. Please.” Evin was so out of character; the worry was written all over his face.
“It is not something that can be taught. They were born with this bond.” My mother took my hands. “Alchera, you need to look deep within yourself to find it.” Her voice was soft and even. Then she looked so deep into my eyes it almost felt like I was looking at Alandra for a second.
“Your sisters are a part of you. You share the same bond - the same blood. Look into your heart. They are there, as you are in theirs. Alandra is out there calling for you at this very moment, you just have to answer her.” My mother suddenly inhaled sharply, horror flashing across her face. “Alchera! What stirs inside you?”
I yanked my hands away as pins and needles set in, shock registering on my face. What had just happened? I looked at my mother with large eyes before turning and running blindly from the throne room.
Raighne caught up with me just outside the door. I had better luck becoming pregnant from wind pollination than outrunning him.
“Alchera, what happened?”
“Nothing, I just need some time alone. Please, Raighne, just give me space. I need to think.” I appreciated that his arms were always there to comfort me, but this I had to do alone. I had to find Alandra and I had to start inside me, where there was still only shadows.
“All right, but I will wait for you at your tent. We do not have long.” He gave me a quick hug. I could feel his intense eyes following me as I ran down the passage and out of the castle.
Innocence!
Elora’s one word made me trip over my own feet and I slammed into the grass. Somehow I had ended up at the Virtutes Falls. I waded my way to the curtain - the doorway to Alandra. I didn’t have a destination in mind, but I could still feel Elora and, strangely enough, through her I could also feel Alandra.
I closed my eyes and, for the first time in my life, took a leap of faith.
~*~
When I came through the other side I fell into a pool of icy cold water. The pool was deep and I had to kick myself to the surface. It was a short distance to the muddy bank, though with my clothes weighing me down it felt like I had done a few laps before I’d reached shore. I stood on the bank, shivering in the snow and chilly wind, not knowing what to do next.
There was a worn out trail leading somewhere which I decided to follow. Not that I had much of a choice, it was that or stand still and freeze my butt off. Maybe Alandra had come through this waterfall and headed down the same trail. It was the best I could do at the moment.
The trail was steep and long. By the time I got to the end I was half dry and frozen stiff. A small gift shop, a restroom, and a parking area greeted me as I rounded the last bend. This was obviously some sort of tourist attraction I had stumbled upon. I made for the gift shop, hoping I would be able to find out where in the world I was.
The shop was closed. Just my luck. I tried peeking through the windows, but it didn’t help much. I was still stuck outside freezing to death.
“My one and only, there you are. I have been looking all over for you.” I spun around at the sound of Carter’s silly, loving voice. He pulled me into him, kissing me full on the lips.
“Don’t ever do that again!” I pushed him away from me, immediately missing his body heat.
“Now, that is no way to treat your knight in shining armor. How do you expect to get into this shop without having to break in?” He had a big smile on his face.
“It still gives you no right to kiss me. Besides, it’s the end of the world, who cares about breaking the law? How did you find me?” He shimmered us inside the shop before answering my question.
“I sensed the trail you had left behind. Oh, and as for the kiss...” He was standing dangerously close to me. “I think I am pretty much helping you here, so you should actually be happy to see me. Now that, my precious Alchera, deserved a kiss.”
Carter walked towards a stand of maps, his smile fading.
“Why did you leave without telling any of us? You know it is too dangerous for you to be alone here on Earth. You could get hurt.”
“I didn’t plan on leaving. I felt Elora and Alandra and I had this sudden urge to step through the Virtutes. I couldn’t help it.” He looked at me for a second, a frown on his face.
“Okay. Where to now?”
“I don’t know yet. I don’t even know where here is.” The wind was turning into a full blown blizzard outside, slamming hard against the windows. Carter took a look at the maps on the stand, and his frown deepened even more.
“These are all maps of South Africa, Alchera. Why would Alandra have come here?”
“Where in South Africa are we? It would help if we knew that first.” We looked at each other, then around the gift shop. Carter moved towards the counter, looking at the books in the display case.
“These books are about Nelspruit, The Mac-Mac Falls…”
I interrupted, “We weren’t far from here with Isobel and Anna earlier. Isobel had mentioned the place named Nelspruit. That was where the African people wanted to go and hide. Alandra must have come for me when we retrieved Isobel and Anna. The question is, where is she now?
“First we have to find out how much time we have left before that asteroid hits Earth.”
“How are we going to find that out? It’s not like there are astronomers running around for us to ask.” I knew I was being sarcastic but my nerves where shot. All I wanted to do was find Alandra and get her to safety. If I had to estimate from the ten days I had been given, we had a day left.
“Then we go and find one, Alchera. First we need to get you into dry clothes. You are turning blue.” There were no clothes in the shop - only books, mugs, candles, and other gift items.
“Can you wait here while I go look for clothes and get information?” Carter moved closer to me, placing his hand on my arm.
“I’d rather go with you. I don’t want to be stuck in here. Someone might come or something might happen where I can’t get out.” I looked up into Carter’s deep blue eyes, thinking how far we had come since the shack.
“When will you forget that? When will you no longer hold it between us?” His face was a mask of sorrow. I’d forgotten about his mind reading capability.
“I didn’t mean anything bad by it, Carter.” I reached for his hand. “I was just thinking abo
ut the friendship that has grown between us…about how far we’ve come.” I turned his face towards me; I needed to look him in the eyes.
“Carter, I was thinking how I’d come to trust you with my life, and how glad I am you’re here to help me find Alandra. The past is forgotten.” I kissed him on the cheek, though he didn’t let me step back as I had intended. He pulled me back against him, our faces a breath away from each other. My heart was pounding in my throat. This was wrong. I belonged to Raighne. I loved Raighne.
Carter stared intensely into my eyes and, for a brief second, I was certain he was going to kiss me, but instead he hugged me to him. I had to admit it felt nice. It was nice to know I wouldn’t have to face whatever life still had to throw at me today alone. And the warmth that came from him helped.
“I’m cold, Carter. Let’s get clothes and figure out what to do from there.” Carter took a map from the stand. He spread it out on the counter to check where the nearest town was, then shimmered us to a place called Sabie.
The wind nearly knocked us off our feet when we reappeared in the middle of a road. Carter had shimmered us to the main road that passed through town. We struggled to the shops lining the side of the road, but they all seemed to be closed. It didn’t take us long to find one worth shimmering into.
Once inside, I headed for the clothing hanging in the corner. I didn’t even notice the middle aged woman staring at us in shock.
Carter was the first to become aware of her - hearing her thoughts.
“No, we are not here to abduct or kill you. We thought the shop was empty. We are sorry for scaring you.” His voice was smooth, as he tried to coax the woman into relaxing.
I watched them while grabbing a long-sleeve shirt, and a thick, long jacket. Together with the black pants I’d already selected, I disappeared into one of the dressing booths.
When I came out, Carter was asking the woman questions. She seemed nervous still, visibly trembling where she stood.
“So you say we will be able to find out more information on the asteroid in a place named Sutherland?”
She nodded. “There is an observatory there. The people working there will be able to help you.”
Carter didn’t waste time. He spread open the map, searching for Sutherland.
~*~
We stood outside a huge dome. The sign read, The South African Large Telescope, otherwise known as SALT. We had knocked for the fourth time when Carter decided to shimmer us inside. Two men were busy typing away on their computers. They were so engrossed in their work that they didn’t even notice us, not until Carter tapped one on his shoulder. He nearly fell off his chair in fright, scattering papers across the floor.
“You can’t be in here!”
“We have a question or two we need answered.” Carter’s voice was stiff.
“Get out! Haven’t you heard of the asteroid?”
Carter exhaled slowly, his jaw twitching. He spun the man around in his chair, pegging him by his arms. “You will now listen to me. I ask the questions. You answer them. No one gets hurt. It is as simple as that. Nod if you understand.” Wisely, the man nodded.
“How much time do we have before impact?”
“Haven’t you looked up? The asteroid is here. We only have a few hours…maybe eight, left until impact. How we didn’t see it coming is beyond me. One moment…it was just there.”
“Do you know where it is going to hit?” I was surprised that I was interested in the man’s answer.
The man suddenly wore a cynical smile. “The town of Vredefort, in the Free State. Can you believe that people actually built a town right in the middle of a crater? The asteroid that made that crater is the oldest astrobleme on Earth. It is history repeating itself all over again - only this time Earth will not survive.” His head fell forward. “I’m not ready to die yet,” his voice was raw with panic.
The other man was just staring at us, disbelief covered his face.
“Go home to your families. There is nothing more you can do here.” What else could I say to them? Every heart had its’ own sorrow to deal with the final hour.
~*~
As soon as we got to the Vredefort crater, Carter looked up at the heavens. “I always thought she was the most beautiful sister until I saw you.”
I followed his gaze until I saw what he was looking at. It was Elora, and she was as beautiful as ever. She hovered high in the sky, with her hands extended above her towards the churning heavens. Elora most certainly looked like an angel.
“Elora, we need you!” I screamed as loud as I could, although I knew my voice would be drowned out by the wind.
“She will not hear you now.” Aedan’s worn out voice suddenly came from behind me. He looked like he had been dragged through the dark abyss. He was not the formidable man I remembered him to be.
“What happened to you? Where did you come from?” I couldn’t help but take a step closer to him.
“I have been here the whole time.” He looked up at Elora; a moan escaped through his parched lips. “I have been watching her…my Elora.” His eyes were as empty as Carter’s once were.
“Aedan.” I wanted to say something to make it better but nothing came to mind.
“We need her to help us trace Alandra. She is somewhere in this country.” Carter seemed more desperate than ever.
“She will not listen. She is too far gone. You must leave this place, this world, or you will die here with us.” His voice chilled me to the bone.
“N-no, no. You’re coming home. You’ll bring her home.” I grabbed his arm and shook him.
“We will die here, Alchera. Her destiny will be her end, and she shall be mine.” He grabbed my hand and shoved it away. “Now go and save the sister that you can.”
I looked up at Elora, who was still in the same position. Would I lose my whole family? Where was Alandra?
I stood there with my heart in my throat staring at Elora, who was shining as bright as ever - her golden hair waving in the wind.
Don’t do this! I need you. Alandra needs you! There was no reply. I love you, how dare you leave me, too!
I fell to my knees. I would have nothing but a long line of graves to visit in the end.
I love you too, my Alchera, but this is my destiny. You must go to Alandra. She needs you now. You will find her clothed in innocence. Do not waste time.’
I was shocked that she’d actually spoken to me.
“She spoke to me.” I whispered so softly they barely heard me.
“She spoke to me! She said she loved me. Elora said she loved me and that I will find Alandra clothed in innocence. What’s with that?” I looked at Carter, hoping he would know.
“The puzzle makes no sense to me. Can you not try to speak to Alandra in the same way you did Elora?” Carter looked at me with hope in his eyes.
“I could try.” I sat down on the ground, crossing my legs. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and cleared my head as best I could.
Alandra, where are you? I need to find you. I waited but there was nothing, just an empty silence.
Alandra, come on! We don’t have any time left! Where are you?’ Again, I only received silence. This time I yelled out loud, “Where the hell are you, woman?” I jumped at the volume of my own voice. After another period of silence, I finally picked up a faint voice.
She is so beautiful, Alchera. I cannot just leave her here. I was so relieved I started crying.
Where is here? Please tell me? Carter waved his hand in front of my face and mouthed something to me, although I couldn’t make it out.
I want to take her home with us.
At that moment Carter took my hand and shimmered us away.
~*~
We appeared inside a very small house. It was in bad shape with only one couch, a dining area, and a tiny kitchen. It was quiet, except for a baby’s laughter. We followed the sound to a tiny bedroom where we found Alandra standing with a baby in her arms.
“What are you doing? You
had us all driven to insanity and back with worry.” I wanted to knock some sense into her.
The warrior princess spoke softly, “I came looking for you but when I could not find you I felt this pull towards something else. I had to keep searching and I did not stop until I found her. She was waiting here for me. A bundle of pure innocence, Alchera. We have to take her home with us.” She looked up at me with so much love for this child gleaming in her eyes that I didn’t know what to do.
“Alandra, you know I can only take ten. It’s for Michael to decide.”
She looked at me with her heart in her eyes. I didn’t know this Alandra. She walked over to me and placed the baby in my arms. I could feel the shadows in me cringe at our first touch. It felt as if a weight was being lifted off my shoulders. I handed her back to Alandra, and my shadows returned immediately.
“She is innocent, Alchera. She deserves to live. Please, you must take her. Can you not feel the difference in her?” I looked at Alandra, my once rock hard sister who was now begging for the life of an innocent child. Everyone had changed for the better but me.
“My fate is sealed. The shadows have crawled too deep.” I was whispering softly to myself, an idea forming in my mind. My heart started pounding as I spoke the words that would give the baby free passage to Vaalbara. “She will be worth my own life, and that is what I will pay for her. A life for a life.”
Carter grabbed me by the shoulders. “Do not say it! I beg you, Alchera, do not say it.” His eyes bore into mine as the final words formed on my lips.
“A soul for a soul. I will stay so she can go.”
“No!” Carter shook me violently. “What have you done?”
“I do not understand…what has happened?” Alandra’s worried voice was stifled as Carter’s arms pressed me against his chest.
“She swapped herself for the child. She cast a spell binding herself to Earth, giving the child free passage to Vaalbara. You have doomed your sister with your request, Alandra.” Carter’s voice was dead, just like the first time I’d met him.
“No, she hasn’t. I was damned to begin with.” I pushed Carter gently away, trying to think only of the here and now. I had to get them to safety.
Vaalbara; Visions & Shadows Page 28
