Juliska cleared her throat, a fiery line creasing along her temple. But she remained outwardly calm. “Thank you for the message. Please pass along to the Guild that this was most unexpected and unavoidable.”
“Yeah, they kinda wondered why on earth you’d even want to stay in the E Valley. Eidolon’s always had a bad temper. Well, I suppose I’d better get on my way now. We will be permanently closing all doorways into the E Valley.”
“Just one more thing, out of curiosity,” said Juliska as innocently as she could. “When you close a doorway, nothing can come in, or out? Is that right?”
“That is the point, Ma’am. Nothing in. Nothing out. Sure hope you left no one behind. If so, they’re stuck there for good!”
Juliska nodded, containing a grin threatening to form. The young man stepped back through his door. It lifted with the same swoosh it had arrived with, and after he was gone, she whisked away to find the members of the Viancourt.
Catrina returned to Colin’s side, looking pleased. “No one knows Eidolon is dead.”
“That’s good, right?” questioned Colin.
“For now, it bides us more time.”
Colin wanted to ask her what she meant, and more about how she’d gotten into the valley, but his questions were interrupted by an announcement from the now conscious Garner Sadorus.
“There will be a doorway opening soon so get ready people. Life does go on.” He barked orders, although less vivaciously than normal after being injured and on the mend. Svoda scurried about to get ready.
Meghan and Jae joined Colin and the hidden Catrina.
Colin first explained to Jae that he had found her, and that she was currently invisible, but there by his side. Meghan and Colin then took turns describing each of their tales, in regards to traveling into the valley, and running into Colby.
Meghan told Colin that Colby’s voice was the one she’d been hearing. Although curious as to how this could happen, he was more concerned about Catrina and grew impatient to be alone with her.
Jae oohed and awed as they finished their tales.
“Frankly, I am both amazed and confused,” he told them as they finished.
“You are not alone in that conclusion,” added Meghan.
“I mean, how could Colby and Catrina end up in Eidolon’s Valley? Catrina being from another group, and Colby, from wherever he is from, which I’m sure is not the E Valley.”
“My thoughts exactly,” exclaimed Colin, eager for Catrina to enlighten him on this fact. Just how had she ended up inside the glass coffin? Once again, it would have to wait, as Ivan sauntered over.
“I need Catrina to tell me why I’m keeping her secret,” he demanded quietly.
“I knew he wouldn’t let it go,” Catrina sighed. She told Colin what to say.
“Catrina says your mother left her a song she had written for you. She will be able to play the song for you, but not here or now.”
Colin allowed her to tell him what else to say. After another long pause, he continued.
“She says that the most important thing about the song were the words, ‘Find my hidden treasure and you will find the answers you seek.’”
“Hidden treasure,” repeated Ivan. “My mother had no such thing.”
“Hence the word hidden, Ivan,” whispered Catrina.
Colin passed along her message.
Jae’s mother waved to him, he left them and joined his family.
Ivan frowned and stalked away. For some reason, Meghan felt inclined to follow him.
“Oh hey, Sis,” Colin called out after her. She turned. “Happy birthday.” She grinned, having totally forgotten. They turned fourteen today. What a crazy difference a year made. And in some ways, it felt more like forty, not fourteen.
Colin, trying not to look too obvious about it, turned his full attention to Catrina. He was still in disbelief that she was there, and real, sitting in front of him. He could not take his gaze away.
Meghan sidled up alongside Ivan. “So,” she called out getting his attention. “Are we officially done with the whole Initiation thing?”
Ivan turned to her and nodded an annoyed, yes.
“Thanks for not ratting out my brother, Ivan. I know Catrina has information about your mother, but thanks just the same.”
“The way I see it, it’s all part of the deal. As I said, Meghan, I will get what I want. And once I do, so will you.”
“So much business! Can you ever just relax?”
Ivan contorted his face as if he did not understand the meaning of the word. He leaned into her ear. “Business partners, Meghan. I don’t have time for anything else.”
She rolled her eyes in reply, leaving him to ponder his mother’s message. She sat down, breathing deeply, and calmly. Seeing Colin gazing at the invisible Catrina had made her thoughts wander.
“Sebastien...” she mumbled curiously. What was he doing right now? How long had he searched for her after they left Cobbscott? Had his family even returned to the campground this summer? Without even realizing it, a small spark ignited into flame, sitting dutifully in her palm. Her focus had been so intent on her friend, it somehow must have triggered a vision.
He was sleeping, although in a way it almost looked a bit like he was passed out from exhaustion. Or trying to fight to stay awake. Seeing his face was like a punch to the gut; she didn’t realize how much she missed him. His slumber was fitful and he called out her name as if searching for her.
But this was just a vision. The past? The present? The future? She wasn’t sure and there was nothing she could do to comfort her friend. Or even tell him she and Colin were okay.
She let out an uneasy breath.
How sidetracked her life had become.
Magic was taking over.
Just trying to survive was taking over.
Embracing her path as a Firemancer was taking over.
No longer were her goals just that of getting home, finding out the fate of her Uncle Arnon, and getting back to her old life.
Sebastien’s eyes opened and he stared into Meghan’s, almost as if he could actually see her. But there was a gloss over his eyes like he was stuck in a waking dream. His hand reached out, meaning to touch her. Meghan wanted desperately to call out to him, and for him to hear her. She even heard her voice calling out to him in her mind.
“Meghan?” he whispered. “Is that you?”
Had he actually heard her? Sebastien looked around as if searching for the voice he so longed to hear.
“I miss you,” she told him.
“I miss you too, more than you can even imagine,” he replied. There was a dreamy look in his eye like he thought he was hallucinating.
Just hearing his voice sent her heart strumming and her thoughts into overdrive. Her concentration failed and she lost the vision. Or connection. Or whatever it was that had just happened. She tried to get it back but to no avail.
What did this mean? Could she use Firemancy to speak to people?
Was it even real, or just a vision she created to comfort herself?
Was it possible to reach out to him, or others? Like Kanda, or her uncle if he was still alive?
There was so much she did not know about Firemancy.
Was it possible she could even use her power to return home?
More importantly, she wondered, did she want to go home?
Could she go home?
Even once they found out their uncle’s fate, she would still be a Firemancer. She still needed training. She still needed Juliska Blackwell for that.
Both she and Colin were now deeply rooted in their new lives.
Would their uncle want them to come home, or stay?
Nona rubbed her body against Meghan’s contorted face and licked away a falling tear. When she lifted her head, her gaze landed on Juliska Blackwell.
Sighing, Meghan made her decision.
She would stay.
READ THE NEXT BOOK
##
Broken (Book
4) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005G7ZG6A
In the next book...
Two terrifying choices, but either way, something precious will be lost...
After escaping through another magical portal, a gruesome discovery is made: a devastated and smoldering habitat with belongings strewn about and ruined. Just one thing is missing... all the people.
An investigation commences and everyone is on high alert. With each new detail they uncover, the more perilous the situation becomes. And soon, they find themselves fugitives with no place to run from a dark magic too powerful to fight.
Tensions heighten when Meghan Jacoby discovers that her brother's dream girl may be the key to ending this new dark power—she might even be the very threat causing it! At risk—the life of her brother versus the future of the entire world. It leaves Meghan with two terrifying choices:
Expose this evil and save her brother, the ultimate betrayal he'll never forgive because he'll lose the dream girl he fought so hard to save, and would die for.
Or, let him travel down a cursed path Meghan cannot follow, but give the rest of the world a fighting chance to survive this rising evil.
Her decision will change both their lives, and either way, something precious is lost...
Fated Fantasy Adventure Page 60
