The man shrugged. “Perhaps not, but it’s already done. It can’t be taken back. And neither can the chain reaction it has set off.”
“We were so close. So close to returning magic. Can you imagine the world at this moment, if it had happened?”
“I am,” he sucked in. “I am having a harder time imagining these days.” It was clearly hard for him to admit.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. But I think we’re all overwhelmed and exhausted too. Once this whole crazy war is finally over, we can think about all of that, I guess.” She glanced around the room one final time. “At least the safe houses are cleaned up. If anyone happens across one, they won’t find anything of value. Nothing to use against us anyway.”
“No. We’ll keep all Amelia’s plans locked away. Like you said, once the war is over we can discuss with the other banished, to see if they wish to continue with her plan to return magic to the world, or not.”
Colin couldn’t fathom that they were still considering this crazy plan, and wondered whether it still included him, or his sister, in some way. That was out of the question. In any manner. No one was using him, for anything, period. Or his sister.
There was a light squeeze of his arm, and he peered over to see Catrina, concerned about his condition. He was getting upset, which never ended well. His second soul, the Magicante, was revved up and working hard to keep up with the chaos in his mind, and the unhealthy ideas he was having about these people and their plans.
“I’m okay,” he insisted. She grabbed his fisted hands, which were balled so tight she couldn’t pry them apart. “I’m trying to be okay,” he corrected.
“Let’s talk it through then. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
“Pissed. These people are part of the reason we’re in hiding. They tried to use me, and Meghan. I am… I really don’t like these people. They won’t just stop at hurting me, they’d hurt you for being with me.”
“Feel better, saying it out loud?”
“Not really. We should probably leave.” Meaning, if we stay, I can’t guarantee I won’t do something stupid.
“Okay. Where do you,” she gasped, taken off guard when the stack of files the two banished Svoda were packing up, burst into flames. The man and woman yelped and dropped the burning pages and jumped away from the fiery files.
“What the heck just happened?” the woman coughed out. “Some kind of fail-safe?”
“I- I don’t think so. I mean, none of the others did that. Amelia never mentioned having one in place.”
“She didn’t mention a lot of things.”
Their wary gazes flitted about the room as if both wondering if they were alone. The man’s gaze paused ever so little right where Colin and Catrina were hiding under the magical cloak. Catrina gripped Colin’s arms, tightly. His muscles were flexing underneath his skin. He was not getting himself under control. His breaths were getting shallow, and weighted.
“Colin,” she called out softly. “I understand your anger. You’ve done enough now. Whatever was in those files can’t be used again.”
His head twisted to see her. With grinding teeth, and a mind threatening to go haywire, he nodded. He took a few deep breaths and prepared to leave. He needed a moment to think about that first though. It was not safe to stay here any longer and he’d not take any chances. But where did they go? Where would they be safe?
Catrina felt his muscles relax under her grip and breathed a little easier herself.
“Still sure about all those things you told me earlier?” Colin tried to make light.
“Not a doubt.” She got to her tiptoes and kissed him gently. “Never a single doubt. What is it they say, for better or for worse?”
“What if being with me is far more of the worse, than the better?”
“It won’t always be like this.”
“No. You’re right.” He had to hold onto that hope. “I’ll take us someplace we can’t be found. Somewhere safe. I want to help people. I want to save your family. My friends. But the way I really feel…” He took a second. “These people are our enemy. They want to hurt us. They want me dead. You too, by default. I can’t see them as anything but our enemies.” His meaning, why would I still try to help them? And I’m not sure I can, knowing what they want.
“Let’s go get Jasper’s book. I’m guessing it’ll be in Freyne’s home. Although I have no idea where he lived.” Catrina gave him a tight grin. “I suppose, you being you, it doesn’t actually matter, does it?” She reminded him of his strengths, what he could do.
“You’re right. I can find it. If I can focus for a moment.”
“I trust you can.”
So did he, but at the same time, he had this overwhelming urge to show the two banished Svoda just who had been here, and who had burned their files. They were getting the flames put out and seeing there was nothing left to salvage.
Colin prepared to leave, and kept Catrina cloaked, but just as they were about to fly away he let his presence known. Just a short little blip of himself, enough for the two of them to confirm they were not alone. And that it was him, who’d been here, and heard them talking.
They stared, with a muted sort of shock. Watching him fade away and disappear. Colin watched the spark of knowledge hit their eye, followed by the spark of fear.
And he didn’t mind admitting to himself that causing that fear, by a mere showing of himself, satisfied him in a way that wasn’t healthy, and yet he did not care.
This right here, was Catrina’s worst fear. Seeing that dark look of pleasure from causing someone else, fear. Her greatest weapon was to love him. Jasper had told her that, the day before he died.
“Love is grounding,” he’d impressed upon her. “But it can also be his undoing, should anything ever happen to that love, that cannot be undone.”
It was a very fine point, Catrina was beginning to understand. The distance between light and dark, a simple pinprick of width. But she had seen Colin’s true heart, and it was pure. She’d do everything in her power to keep it so.
Colin was sure the Banished Svoda had gotten his message. He wasn’t someone to mess with. Ever. And he thought they’d gotten the point, loud and clear.
They did.
“We were definitely not alone,” the woman spoke the obvious.
She didn’t know what to make of this Colin Jacoby. The young man who’d secretly been an integral part of Amelia’s plan to return magic to the world, and had come to the rescue of various people more than once, but who was also a Projector who could not be trusted. Which was the message they’d both gotten just now. The point he’d just solidified a little more. His silent message flowing freely from the threat in his gaze, the menace in his posture; all meant to warn, I was here. You know it. Mess with me, and you’ll regret it.
But they’d already done that. And something about that look warned he had not forgiven them for it, even if Amelia Cobb was dead.
“Hard to blame the guy,” the man admitted, albeit with no true repentance in his tone.
“We didn’t know what Amelia was planning,” argued the woman.
“We should have. Regardless of our intentions, we should not have gone in so blindly. For that, we are all at fault.”
“That might be true, but that young man is dangerous. I have a feeling whether Amelia had planned on using him in her plot, or not.” She shuddered at the confident darkness in that boy’s gaze.
“Perhaps.”
The woman sighed. “Let’s go home. We can’t do anything else here.”
They gave the place one last glance and left, for good.
Just as soon as they’d gone, another figure materialized.
Cloaked. Quiet. And searching.
A hand waved out in front of the figure and fog-like wispy tendrils snaked outward, reaching into the distance. A magical trail. A direction. But cut off after the boy had re-cloaked himself in magic.
He’d been here. The Projector was here just moments ago.
The cloaked figure was getting closer, the trail the freshest yet.
A thin simper crept across the cloaked figure’s face. The boy would mess up sooner or later, and drop his shield again.
The hunt continued.
CHAPTER 31
Meghan Jacoby needed to see her mother, and grandmother. But she’d gotten sidetracked from leaving to do so by the arrival of Arnon and Kanda, who were deep in conversation outside her bedroom. Which was really just a cutout inside the treehouse she was holding up in while staying in the northern Maine woods as a guest of the banished Svoda.
They’d gotten back from a meeting right before lunch, and she hadn’t wanted to interrupt them; more like, didn’t want to see them because that would mean a lot of explaining, on her part. And they’d been going on themselves for over an hour now. Things in the world outside her bedroom were not going well, and it wasn’t a place she wanted to return to just yet.
Apparently, and unbeknownst to Meghan, Arnon had a sister named Nina, whom he’d just seen for the first time in many years. It had been an emotional reunion and another stark reminder of all he’d given up to protect her and Colin.
And worse, she and the man she was with, had ended up having a not so friendly run-in with her brother. At least, according to them.
Nina had been out of the banished camp hiding out in one of the Svoda safe houses, having been called home after Amelia’s death and now, the impending war. And although an emotional one, the meeting had also been bittersweet. Leaving Arnon confused about his sister and her loyalties to Amelia. He’d never understood it, and still did not.
Which was actually comforting to Meghan, hearing her uncle put down the dead leader, Amelia, and her crazy plans to return magic to the world. It was good to know he’d never become part of that scheme.
She’d seen it in her eye-opening vision about Juliska and her life, too. But something about hearing it from his own mouth, made a world of difference; and that was mostly because she found herself having moments of distrust, and bitterness. She didn’t want to. She hated that she did. Because she believed in her heart, that Arnon and Kanda were two of the people she could trust most in this world.
But they’d kept so much from her. And Colin. They were part of the world that was now consuming her life. And part of that world wanted Colin dead. Part of that world believed that she, Colin, and Colby, were three immortals born into a prophecy (that as it turned out wasn’t even real). It was a lot to accept at face value, or just poo poo away, like, no big. We’re cool. So what if my life was a lie and kind of still is. Meh… move on. Nothing else to see here.
Getting over these hurdles was not so easy.
Meghan had spent the last couple of days working through her difficulty. The massive vision she’d had, helped, some. But even knowing so much about Juliska, and others, and where their paths met, and ended, or broke apart, it was hard to find the energy to care. Hard to decipher what her own role was in all of this.
A group of evil people needed to be stopped. Basis of every fantasy movie she’d ever seen, and she’d wager, every book Colin had ever read.
But with a prophecy that wasn’t real, what was her place in this story?
She had yet to figure that out.
And now, Arnon and Kanda were speaking again of Amelia’s plans and hoping her followers were not still intending on moving forward with it. Most especially if that still consisted of using Meghan and Colin in any manner. Arnon’s temper was flaring and for that matter, so was Kanda’s. Something one rarely ever witnessed.
And the very idea that Colin was out there in hiding, and had been forced to go even deeper into hiding… Meghan got the impression they were feeling a bit useless.
But her heart was warmed by their concern, if only a little. As truthfully, her time stuck in this room had not only led her to some insane visions, but had given her the time she needed to think. Clearly. About many things.
And though so much was still murky, she was nearing that moment, she thought, of being ready to face the world again. Finally finding enough clarity amongst all the chaos, to keep going, and figure out exactly what her part in all this was.
And yet, even with more or less understanding the whys of it all: the stacks of lies. The secrets held from her, and Colin. So many things done behind their backs all in the belief of aiding them, and leading them in their fated, direction. But in many ways, it had hurt them, too.
Sebastien, in her mind, topped the list. It was hard to be mad at him, considering everything he had done to help her, and protect her. And yet it hurt, more than anything else she’d suffered through. To realize just how close he’d been to her these last couple of years, and yet might as well have been another world away.
It weighed on her. She supposed there was no way to stop it, to hold back the sour taste it left in her mouth. Wasn’t it okay to feel overwhelmed, and angry? She was the one stuck in the middle of it all.
And worse, it gave her reason to doubt what anyone said to her. Even still.
Who could she trust? Who was telling her the truth? And not just the truth, but everything! And not holding anything back.
As of this moment, few people came to mind. Ivan, she could trust Ivan. Sebastien, yeah, him too, even though she was still struggling with all he’d hidden from her, before. If she went with her gut, he was still her best friend, and looking out for her. That would have to be enough because the other stuff wasn’t going to go away just because she told it to. Her heart wasn’t ready to listen, quite yet.
And Colin, she’d always trusted him. But even his future was up in the air.
Sadly, that’s about where her list ended.
She wanted desperately to add her mother and grandmother to that list, but she wasn’t there yet. They were still hiding things from her. She’d almost bet her life on it.
Mostly, Megan has no clue how to move forward. She felt a bit stuck. She needed to see her mother, and grandmother, but the thought of actually leaving this safe little haven in the treehouse, was an instant nightmare waiting to happen.
At this point, everyone outside her room had to have heard the story. The battle with the Grosvenor and how Colin had destroyed them. All but one that is, which happened to be her father, Jurekai Fazendiin. And he was more dangerous than all the others combined. Especially considering he also had control of the Immortality Stone. Something she was certain everyone outside this room blamed her for, seeing as she and Nona had borrowed it, and then proceeded to lose possession of it, to her father.
Some plan that had all turned out to be. Playing right into her father’s wishes.
Letting them clear out his competition.
Meghan was surprised someone hadn’t knocked down her door and demanded she explain all that had happened, and what exactly her plan was, being she was one of the three born to true immortality who were prophesied to bring some sort of balance into the world of magic.
Too bad her grandmother had recently informed her the prophecy wasn’t even real, only made up to try to control the future. Something only, she, Colin, and Colby, were aware of as far as she was aware.
But so far, the expected intrusion had graciously not happened. Meghan had spent two days inside this room. Only sneaking out when needed, and when no one was home to pester her with questions she didn’t feel like answering, or had no answers to.
And to add to that, the intense vision she’d had about Juliska. And Colin being her son. And Uncle Eddy really being his father and her one time, fiancé. And proving once again just how vile and conniving a man, her own father truly was. He had no problem ruining a once good life, if it served his own purpose.
It got quiet again.
Arnon and Kanda had left.
It was mid-afternoon now, they’d talked all through lunch and well after.
There was a scratch at the door. Meghan smiled. It was Nona, and the Catawitch would not knock to come inside if the coast wasn’t clear. Only this time, howeve
r, when she opened the door, Nona was not alone.
Meghan’s gaze lifted upward from her seat on the floor to see Ivan staring down at her with a lifted brow.
“So you are still alive.”
She scowled. Made a face at Nona that joked, traitor. Then motioned for Ivan to come in. She’d have seen no one else right now but her older brother, because wonderful, magnificent, Ivan, would not pester.
“I’ll keep watch,” advised Nona. “Let you know if anyone’s coming.” She hopped out to the front of the treehouse to do just that. Ivan came inside her room and closed the door. The space was so small that when he plunked down on the floor on the opposite wall, there was barely any floor space left.
“I assume you’ve been sent to drag me out of here and explain everything that happened?”
Ivan shook his head. “No. You don’t need to worry about that. I refused to let them. I told them I could share everything they needed to know, and made it explicitly clear they were not to bother you. I already explained everything that was important to them.”
Meghan’s eyes lit up. “Seriously?”
“Completely so.”
She’d been dreading it; leaving this room to explain. Reliving it all in front of everyone. Having them all staring her down like she should have the answers because of who she was. Such a massive wave of relief washed over her before she even stopped herself, she was hugging her older half-brother like there was no tomorrow.
“I guess I made the right choice then.” There was no hint of his usual smugness to it though.
“Don’t you always?” she threw back at him with a sniffle, noting his complete lack of flinching, or wincing, at the act of a hug. Ivan wasn’t one for closeness. Or physical contact. Heck, neither was she. But it seemed appropriate.
She scooted back to her space reaching new levels of grateful with each passing second it was sinking in that she would not have to relive it all, with people she didn’t want to do that with.
“I just figured you’d been through enough already. You’ll already be reliving it in your own head every damn day, and they know what they need to. And I have a feeling you’re no more sure about where we go from here, than I am. But after two days of being in hiding, I was getting a little worried.”
The Ghost, The Dragon, and The Lost King (Fated Chronicles Book 4) Page 35
