The Secret of the Keepers

by Elizabeth Isaacs

  I’m going to start on dinner.” Gavin patted my thigh as he stood and put his sketchpad down.

  I nodded that I’d heard him, my concentration still focused on the unfinished form. Turning the block, I closed my eyes, determined to finish the sculpture today. My shoulders and arms ached. Finally, the stone grew hot with friction as I polished the piece.

  “Nora, why did you sculpt this?” Gavin murmured, coming from the kitchen.

  I opened my eyes. “I have no idea.”

  I stared at the hideous creature straddling the unicorn’s back. His ears spiked in sharp points, piercing through the feathers fanning in all directions around his head. A savage snarl marred his face. One of his hands stayed tangled in the stallion’s mane while the other raised in a fist above his head.

  “What is that thing?” I whispered.

  “I don’t know.” Gavin ran his finger over the unicorn’s horn. “Maybe the marble itself holds a remnant of intent ... I think it must be part of your new gift. I’ll have Elias look into it.” He put the sculpture on the top shelf. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  Gavin’s protection encased my heart. He wasn’t fooling anyone. Not talking about it didn’t change the fact that I’d just created something disturbing. I looked back to the marble on the shelf. There was something familiar about that creature, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

  THE DAYS TURNED INTO weeks, and my concentration seemed to be getting better. I decided my brain worked like a community, each thought had a different personality. It was like they left grooves, or tracks, as they ran through my mind. The lanes closest to my eyes were positive, and always willing to focus on Gavin. The ones in the middle centered on memories like smells, sights, and sounds. But the smallest one in the back was pesky and uncontrolled. It held the rowdy random thoughts that screamed, throwing a wrench into the works, causing everything to derail. I named that one my wild child.

  Gavin never ceased to be amazed how I viewed this new mind. He was born this way; it just seemed natural to him. But to a person who never had to consciously watch every errant thought—to one who still had a subconscious, still dreamed—it was unimaginably challenging to control.

  Dishes clicked on aged wood as I set the table. “Gavin, do you have any idea why the spiders aren’t out today?” I looked out the windows surrounding the breakfast nook. The meadow beyond the falls now bloomed with flowers of russet and blue. Sunshine bounced off empty webs.

  My curiosity mixed with his caution.

  “I’ve had a discussion with their King, and he suggests we try something.”

  What?

  “You’ll see.” He laced our fingers together. “Come, my light.”

  Panic shot through as he led me to the front door. We took the first steps outside in almost a month. I focused all thoughts on his warm hand, but quickly the smells, sights, and sounds began to creep in. Gavin stopped as we neared the water’s edge.

  “Concentrate, Nora ... focus on me. This will get better.”

  I knew it was his certainty I felt because I wasn’t sure I believed it.

  His hand rested over my heart. Frustration was smothered by desire, and I leaned into him. His other hand fell to the small of my back, sliding down, finding its way under the edge of my dress. His familiar touch slid up my thigh, slipping the material around my waist.

  What are you doing? I gasped, my gaze raced to the meadow.

  “Look at me ...” he murmured, confidence seeping through me.

  He pulled my dress over my head and dropped it next to the pool’s edge. Thoughts rushed, flooding the tracks in my mind. Every sound in the forest played separately, the meadow fractured from one picture into a million little pieces.

  “Keep your eyes on me,” Gavin whispered. His eyes blanked; the forest hushed.

  The thoughts struggled to find their place as goosebumps rose on my flesh. I’d never been anywhere outside in less than a one-piece bathing suit, and now I was standing by the edge of a waterfall in nothing but a pair of very skimpy panties. The wind gently blew, and I shivered.

  Gavin’s finger traced the line of my jaw, gliding down my neck, making its way to the edge of my shoulder.

  “There, now. See?” His warm palm rested on the top of my arm, his eyes warmed, becoming the color of his soul stone. “All you need to do is focus on me.”

  He stepped back, his eyes never leaving mine. He pulled his shirt over his head. The sunlight added a new dimension to his broad shoulders, and even though I now had experienced every part of him, his beauty still made me blush. His pants found their way next to my dress. Sometimes I just couldn’t believe he was forever mine.

  “I feel the same about you.” He took a step closer.

  All my thoughts focused on his warmth blocking the breeze. His nose touched mine before he angled his head and leaned in. He gently kissed me, gripped my waist, and jumped. Warm water enveloped me in a gentle embrace. Gavin kept me close, his thighs tensed as he pushed off the bottom of the basin. As soon as we broke the water’s surface, Gavin pulled away. His eyes caught mine, watching the confusion and fear as my thoughts once again raced. Tears blurred my vision. I panicked, starting to make my way to the edge of the pool, but Gavin brought me close, wrapping his arms around me.

  “I’ve got you.” His voice became husky. “Stay with me, love. Stay with me.” His breath tickled my ear. I stopped struggling and closed my eyes, resting my forehead on his chest. Gavin eased us back, and I held my breath as water cascaded over us. His hands pressed against my ribs as he pulled me through the sheeting water.

  An alcove of stone and moss surround the back side of the waterfall. The rushing water drowned out the forest as the smell of ancient power smothered the scent of the meadow, and my heart settled back into a steady rhythm. I looked up. From the center of the recess, sky blue light flickered, growing stronger until its soft glow spilled around us, illuminating a cavern at the mountain’s base.

  “Did you know this tunnel was here?” I asked.

  “No.” Gavin’s caution ran through me, but I ignored it.

  Relief flowed. I could do this. All I needed was practice.

  Water poured over us as we made our way back through the fall. Gavin kept hold of me, and when my thoughts became jumbled, he’d pull me into the alcove. My fingers pruned as the day wore on, but I didn’t care. I was outside, and all my thoughts were finally starting to line up. It only took Gavin naked in a pool to make it happen, but I guess we all had to sacrifice.

  He laughed, reading my thoughts, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. His desire spiked as he pulled me close. The blue of the cave shone through the fall and mixed with the white-hot webs overhead as desire turned to passion.

  We’ve got to try this at night.

  “As you wish,” came his gruff reply.

  Chapter 4

  The Cave

  MY MULTI-LAYERED MIND no longer worried me, and over time the six tracks of thought mostly stayed where they belonged. When we first started practicing in the pool, the wild child in the back screamed, throwing everyone else into a jumbled mess. But I learned to have a stern hand with those thoughts and aggressively beat them down. As I grew more confident, Gavin eased away, putting distance between us until I could go to the pool by myself.

  It seemed, though, whenever we solved one problem another popped up.

  I soon discovered that control meant power. Now, whenever I stepped foot outside, the webs burned to a white-hot glow.

  And as I grew, so did Gavin. Where he once needed to meditate to regain his strength, he now stayed saturated with energy, never growing tired. I often suspected he became bored, especially at night.

  At first, I thought his life hadn’t changed much, chalking it up to the fact that he was so much more than I could ever be. But I started to understand his life was just as different with half of me in him.

  The days grew colder until one morning I awoke to a thin layer of wh
ite blanketing the meadow. Going to the back of the closet, I found a long-sleeved tunic the color of Tark’s lapis eyes. Memories of the first time Rena and I sculpted together played in my mind. I missed them so.

  Sighing, I grabbed the nearest book, fell into an oversized chair, and steered my thoughts away from home. The fire roared as I struggled through a few pages of the ancient language. I closed the book with a decided thump.

  “Do we have boots?” I asked, looking out the kitchen windows. I’d just gotten used to the outdoors, the thought of staying in for months made me claustrophobic.

  “Elaine planned for a year. The snow boots are in a basket at the top of the closet. I’ll go get them after breakfast.”

  A year? I loved being with Gavin, but I was starting to miss Rena, Tark, Elias, and Elaine, and we had so much to learn. But we couldn’t go back yet. There was no way we could be around anyone right now. Even our clan would be overwhelmed with the energy we gave off.

  I’d once asked Malachi why the animals didn’t struggle with excess energy like the Alfar did. He explained that animals relied on instinct without decision, and it was their nature to adapt to the environment around them. Only man and the Alfar were blessed with free will. If an Alfar lacked faith and resisted the energy around them, their struggle would eventually drain them until they died.

  The webs blazed white, and I looked down.

  What if this was it? What if I never gained control? What if I was like Midas, but instead of turning everything into gold, I blasted everything with raw, uncontrolled power?

  I tried to quiet my mind, but, with six tracks of thought running at once, the different possibilities overpowered me. I looked down focusing on the untouched breakfast on my plate. Beautiful wrinkled hands flashed in my mind. Edna’s sweet sun-weathered face and intelligent, cloudy-blue eyes appeared. Memories smothered doubt. Every encouragement she had ever given me ran on all the rails in my mind, warming my body. I knew the current was strong, the webs screamed with it. Gavin’s features became chiseled; he said nothing and watched. I looked at the bowl in front of me, but the amulet caught my attention. The large emerald looked odd. The stone itself held that same liquid quality, but the small light in the center became a pinpoint of silver. One line of thought focused on the bracelet while the others concentrated on the woman who loved me first. The light seemed to expand, growing deep inside the stone. My focus shifted from Edna to focus on the heated amulet. The stone’s center now held in its depths a tiny orb. The webbing went from a white-hot to a light blue, flickering on and off until only the willows’ limbs could be seen.

  “Nora, what are you doing?” Gavin murmured.

  I didn’t answer at first because I wasn’t sure. Instinct whispered, and we gasped in unison. My thoughts were in clear straight lines, and finally, for the first time since Gavin and I had been married, I could hear that still small voice again.

  “I’m channeling the energy into your stone. I’m containing it!”

  The realization sent everything into a tailspin, and the webs blazed white hot. Even though the light in the stone faded, the silver globe remained. Gavin pulled me to him and spun me around.

  “I knew you could do it! I knew you could!” he shouted, as I laughed.

  For the first time, I believed him.

  PRACTICE NOW CONSISTED of trying to keep the webs from glowing at all. It was easier for me to harness energy while Gavin’s emotions were calm, and so this past week Gavin and I spent a few hours each day apart from one another. His restlessness had gotten worse, and I finally convinced him to go for a run.

  We walked out of the cabin, Gavin’s emotions churning with doubt and worry.

  I playfully nudged his shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to do a little laundry, swim, and then sketch until you get home.”

  Gavin hesitated.

  “Go. Climb something. Run. Wear yourself out.” I stepped closer, “and then we’ll spend tonight building your energy back up.”

  He growled, sweeping me off my feet and planting a hard kiss on my lips. “I’m looking forward to it, my light.”

  I waved, watching him walk across the meadow and into the white winter forest. Shivering, I made my way through the willow trees, warming the webs as I went until their heat saturated through my clothes.

  Dropping the basket by the pool, I washed a few clothes and set them out to dry. Snow still covered most of the land, but the power surging through the webbing kept the grass around the pool a vivid green. Slipping down to my bra and panties, I slid into the water. Floating in the quiet, I allowed the sun to warm my face.

  Thoughts tumbled through the past, settling on a round face with dark brown eyes. “Don’t stay away too long. I’ve got something special planned when you get back.” I missed Rena. I wanted to hear her laugh again. I wanted to sculpt in the courtyard like she promised we would. And, as much as Gavin refused to admit it, I knew he missed training with the guard.

  Even though I’d gotten good at siphoning energy into the amulet, I still relied on the webs as an indicator of its power.

  What if we weren’t around the mountain, and we had no webbing? What if I couldn’t channel enough and someone got hurt?

  We’d never make our way out of the inner recesses of the castle. Gavin couldn’t be the leader Kailmeyra needed if they were terrified of the power that now surrounded him.

  I ran my hand through the sheet of clear water. I’d need to find a way to feel the excess energy and not just see it. Sure, my eyes grew warm when power surged, but that only happened when the webs blazed white hot. What if there was a physical feeling that I was missing, something more subtle? I’d need a place that had no distractions ... someplace that I could really concentrate.

  Sky blue bounced off the gray slate, and I smiled.

  Ducking under the falls, I swam to the end of the cove, surprised at the warmth emanating from the cave. Gavin’s anger and disbelief spiked. I could feel him demanding I turn back.

  Gavin, I’m fine. I won’t go far. Please ... try and stay calm.

  Shadows danced along the cavern walls, revealing black tunnels that led to mysterious unknown places. The earthy smell of mushrooms and ancient power fragranced the air.

  I opened my mind, trying to ignore the masculine aggression surging through. The walls blazed white. I smiled at the peaks and valleys of stalactites and stalagmites. This was the feeling of home.

  One stream of thought concentrated on the problems at hand, the rest focused on being back in the mountain. Bright blue blazed, lighting all but the farthest corner. Trying to quiet my thoughts, my mind warred with the temptation to explore a little. Gavin’s emotions spiked, and I sighed.

  Fine. I’d come here to practice, and that’s what I’d do.

  Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath through my nose, letting it out through my mouth. Gavin’s emotions cooled as he tried to let me concentrate. I rolled my head to my chest, taking in another breath ... and another. Silence. The walls dimmed. All was still.

  “Come to me ...” a hushed breath mingled with the constant rush of water. My eyes flew open as cool air billowed in from the corner’s darkness. I directed more power to that side of the room. Sharp rocks jutted at odd angles as if the mountain had been chipped away, creating an arched entryway.

  Wait ... a few minutes ago there was nothing but a solid wall.

  Gavin’s emotions tinged with fear, but he didn’t understand. This was the mountain. Only good things dwelled here. His anger spiked as I made my way across the cavern.

  As soon as I stepped over the new threshold, the room filled with muted red light. The place felt more like a den or a burrow, and a shiver ran down my spine. It was as if the rock itself fought my energy. The grit of metal and dirt clung to the stagnant air. Fear plummeted through me as I looked across the cavern’s floor.

  A sharp, crude shape within a circle extended across the entire space. This was not sculpted in the way of the Alfar, where artist an
d medium worked in unison to create and express. This was a violation of the mountain. It had been chipped and chiseled, forced to bend to the will of its creator.

  My senses heightened. Crimson spattered across the granite as if someone threw paint and left it to drip, pooling into dried black puddles at the base of the floor. Something caught my eye, just beyond the carving—something shimmering in the limited light. I made my way around the circle, careful not to step on the symbol’s sharp angles, stopping as I neared the corner. I could feel the energy drain. The air grew heavy. Squinting, I stared at silver strands lying in a pile of tar.

  Was that unicorn hair? I dropped to my haunches, taking a closer look. Reaching down, I touched the object. Black residue clung to my fingers, like pine sap. The slippery silk felt like part of a mane. I lifted the material. What was ...

  “No...” I muttered in horror, staring at shriveled bits of rotted fur.

  This wasn’t tar ... it was spilled dried blood.

  Gavin’s anger now threaded with panic, the power of it took my breath away, and I stood, stumbling backward.

  Pebbles slipped from a ledge behind me, their small sound echoing in the chamber. My head whipped around. Adrenaline rushed.

  Something was here. Someone was watching.

  “Hello?” My voice sounded unusually small. An elongated shadow fell across the chiseled floor as a figure moved around the outer cavern.

  Fear consumed me; the muted light in the den faded to black. I was trapped. The darkness rejoiced, its cold tendrils wafting around my feet. I blindly ran toward the entrance.

  Masculine anger turned to rage, and my leg muscles knotted in painful spasms. I struggled to breathe as for the first time since we’d joined Gavin unleashed the warrior within.

  Rock cut into my knees as I fell onto the carving. As soon as my palm hit the chiseled floor, foreign memories invaded my mind.

  A lone sprite lay prostrate in the center of the circle. Its arms, legs, and wings tied to the floor. He hissed and spit, struggling to break free. Slick, dark gray figures kneeled around the circle, taking sadistic pleasure in watching the creature fight.