by A D Lombardo
Lucca cleared his throat and interrupted his contemplation. “Kai, when do you intend to speak with Davi and the other Katori outcasts? It is high time you honored your commitment to bring them home. Davi and his people will not listen to the Elders, but they will listen to you.”
There was something to be said for his grandfather’s ability to sound calm yet instill intensity. There was no use delaying the inevitable. Alenga herself had asked him to bring her children home—Davi and his family, and any Katori outcast who wished to return to Katori. Kai thought about his responsibility. “I will speak with Liam,” Kai responded. “I know Alenga granted Liam the power to restore the tunnels of her crystal mountain, but how will we hide the entrance? Will people be able to pour through the mountain, or will you place Guardians at the temple?”
“When you can control light, you control what others see. Lumens can create light from nothing, but we can also reflect light to create an illusion. Besides the magic you see while gleaning, we can distort light to create barriers, much like Benmar, your grandfather, a Beastmaster with the ability to bend light to become invisible. One of his ancestors must be a Lumen. My own daughter, your mother, could deflect light, and I would not be surprised if the ability lies within you to manipulate light as well. But back to the point at hand, speak with Davi and get Liam to focus on the tunnels.”
Although unsuccessfully, Kai did not want anyone to know he had been practicing the ability to bend light. Keegan had tried and it drove him mad; he did not imagine anyone would be in favor of him trying. "Very well, I will speak with Liam about his willingness to change projects in favor of the tunnels and Alenga’s temple. But there is something else I need to do before visiting Davi.” He eyed his grandfather, hoping he would catch where he was going.
“Diu?” The word escaped Lucca’s mouth, dripping with disappointment.
The topic was a sore spot they never managed to avoid, and today would be the same. “It is time for the Winter Festival, and I need to see my father, Iver.” Kai noticed the disapproval in his grandfather’s eyes. There was no argument he could win when it came to Diu. It was Kai’s home, and Lucca refused to understand the importance it held. Nobody understood why he could not let go.
“The Winter Festival is a celebration. We, too, welcome the new year with Alenga’s blessing. You need not travel to Diu, and there are traditions here you should experience. There is nothing there for you now.”
Lucca offered as if it were a suggestion, but Kai heard the finality in his grandfather’s tone.
“Diu is my home,” Kai insisted. “I am their prince, and they bid me to return. Iver is my father, despite what you want . . . or the fact Keegan’s blood runs through my veins.”
Lucca’s eyes narrowed. “Home is where you choose. You committed yourself to Katori and gave up the outside world on the day of your blessing. Are you choosing Diu over Katori after all this time? I know you fly to Albey more often than you should. You visit Shane, swap letters. The Guardians watch him; I hear he is an honorable young man, a Half-Light as I understand, but he is not Katori.”
The fact his grandfather had the Guardians spying on him raked his backside. “Do you question my loyalty?”
“I do,” Lucca admitted. “And I am not the only one. These men who wait for you in Albey—Dresnor and Drew—you should have sent them home, back to Diu. Told them you were not coming back.”
There was a small part of Kai that agreed with his grandfather. He had several opportunities to tell his Kempery-man Dresnor that he would not be coming back to Diu, but Cazier’s most recent letter carried sad news of his father’s illness. “Am I a prisoner?” Kai demanded. “I keep your precious secrets; is that not enough to demonstrate my loyalty?”
Lucca crossed his arms and glared at Kai. “An interesting choice of words. Are the Katori secrets not your secrets, too?”
Are my loyalties really so divided? Kai looked to Smoke, but he offered no response, only turning his head away. “Why must I cut Diu off like an unwanted appendage?” Kai said, turning his attention back to Lucca. “Iver is dying, and he needs me.” Kai knew there was more to his desires, things his grandfather would never understand.
“Do you think me naïve?” Lucca stepped closer to Kai. “Diu is a dangerous place, and it carries great risk to you should you return. Iver is not long for this world. I am sorry, but nothing can save him. This Queen Nola brings outsiders to Diu. Milnos must not turn its gaze on us, or they will be on our doorstep. We must protect our own.”
“Of course, you have spies everywhere. You know everything. So, tell me, any news or sightings of Keegan?” he asked, watching Lucca’s expression harden. “I know you hate him, but we need to be ready for his inevitable return. It has been two months; he knows my mother is alive, and he will come for her.”
“I will not speak about—him.” Lucca’s eyes grew angrier. “Nor should you. He is gone, period. Not even that man could heal from those devastating wounds. I hate that they came by my hand, but the man is gone. Enough talk of this.”
The truth, Kai knew the man lived; he was not sure how, but he felt it in his soul. “We cannot turn a blind eye to Keegan. We must search for him, or at least his crew, and confirm he will not rise from the ashes.”
“I said enough!” Lucca shouted a little too loud, and a few bystanders turned a wary eye. “I will not discuss this.” He tossed his hand up, halting Kai’s rebuttal.
The pain welling in his grandfather’s eyes filled Kai’s stomach with guilt. If Keegan was indeed dead, his grandfather carried the burden. He knew all too well that taking a life carved deep scars into a man’s soul. “I am sorry, grandfather. As you wish, I will let this go.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Hand-in-hand, Rayna and Kai walked around Matoku, the ancient section of the city buried long ago. Their pace was quick. Even Smoke sensed the urgency and kept to the path, not wandering off. Kai needed to persuade Liam to abandon the ancient city restoration in exchange for repairing Alenga’s Crystal Mountain temple and the tunnels for the return en masse of Davi and his people.
The deeper into the ancient city Kai traveled, the louder the ground rumbled beneath his feet. He watched Liam and the other Stonekings direct a massive flow of soil and rocks down into a hollow across the ridge. Kai hung back alongside a line of bystanders. The Stonekings’ movements were swift, and Kai could see the forcefulness. Each surfed the outskirts on the wave of unwanted dirt, revealing stone pathways, broken statues, gazebos, and several petrified trees in its wake.
When Liam returned, Kai cocked his head, directing his friend away from the others. When they were alone, Kai spoke. “Liam, my grandfather asked me to speak with you about restoring Alenga’s temple. I have been tasked with bringing home the lost Katori children, as they call them.”
“Why? Because the word ‘outcast’ leaves a bad taste?” Liam rolled his eyes. “You know, even the Elders see them as foreigners. I do not care what the Elders say, these people only wanted to explore the possibilities outside of Katori and were punished for it. Now they want to force them back home because of a vision?” Liam shook his head.
There was truth in his friend’s words, and Kai hoped that his friend might understand his desire to return to Diu. “I agree with you. People should have a choice to live where they want, but this is not up to us.”
“Why the rush?” Liam crossed his arms. “I am not finished here. We have discussed this already; the city restoration project is important to me, and I want to see it through.”
His friend’s agitation was understandable. “I know what this means to you.” Kai took a moment to watch Rayna laugh with her sister. “Before I can return home to Diu, I must convince Davi and his people to come here. I fear for my father’s safety. Something bad is happening in Diu, and I must get to the bottom of it before my city . . .” He let his voice drop off, noticing Liam’s raised brow.
Liam glared at him. “Funny, I thought Katori was your home now.”
He sighed heavily before continuing. “You have responsibilities here now, but I am sure Lucca gave you this lecture already. I am only two years older than you, but even I know as the grandson to an Elder, you need to set an example. You made a vow to give up the outside world. Hiowind is your city now, or Matoku if you so choose.”
The truth was Kai was still not sure where he belonged. He came to gain power and find his mother, but Diu was his childhood home, and part of him knew he would always feel connected to the people and the memories of his past. Why did he have to choose? He looked to Rayna, still talking with her sister; she had uprooted her entire life in Diu to explore Katori. How did she embrace the move so easily?
Heat swelled in his veins. “I will not turn my back on Diu.” His tone carried weight, and he stepped into Liam’s space. “You do not understand. Nobody does. I will not hesitate to do what is needed.”
Liam matched Kai’s glare, and his bronze complexion accented his anger. “It is no longer your place to interfere with the affairs of Diu. Or are you still their prince and would-be king? Your loyalty is either to Katori and our secrets, or to Diu and their petty disputes over power.”
Kai took a step forward again, and with it, a knot formed in his stomach. “Why does my loyalty mean choosing?”
“You cannot keep one foot in Diu while you try to make a home in Katori.” Liam narrowed his gaze. “Someday, you will have to choose. I will do whatever the Elders ask, and if they insist, I will start clearing the tunnels for the return of the outcasts, but don’t ask me to agree with your real motives in going to Diu.”
He could not believe what he was hearing. Why did Liam continue to question his loyalty? “Don’t make me choose.” Kai felt his heart thunder in his chest. “I will not be a prisoner of old Katori beliefs that were never my own. I will live where I choose and help whom I choose.”
“You sound like Keegan more and more.”
The mention of Kai’s birth father was a stab in the back. “How can you possibly compare me to him?” Kai spat. “That monster tried to kill Rayna. We are not the same.”
Refusing to speak any further, Liam stormed off and rejoined the restoration group.
♦ ♦ ♦
Sleeplessness was no stranger to Kai. Alone, he traveled toward Alenga’s ancient city between Hiowind and Matoku. A brisk breeze tousled his blond hair as moonlight danced down the warm white stone pathway beneath his bare feet. Past decisions and new questions rattled away in his mind. Once again, the burden of everyone else pressed on Kai’s heart.
He never asked to be Katori—all he ever wanted was his mother back. Although he had fulfilled Alenga’s prophecy of rescuing her, she still slept. Had he made a mistake? There could be no room for doubt—Alenga’s visions were real. They had to be. Or were they merely dreams of what he wanted to happen? Did his imagination create the perfect outcome to satisfy the fantasies that arose out of his childhood abandonment?
But if his dreams about saving his mother were real, then he would have to face the fate of his father and the role his vision implied. How could he be destined to kill Iver, the man who raised him? Blood father or not, Kai loved him and refused to accept his destiny. There must be a way to change fate—after all, another vision helped him save Drew from dying.
Still, he walked alone because his restless soul gave him no peace.
Smoke, ever his loyal companion, appeared at the tree line and joined Kai on his journey. Their shared bond gave him the comfort he was not entirely alone to face the future. They walked in silence through the newly changed landscape of the unearthed structures from the past. The old city, Alenga’s city—once lost to Katori, now rediscovered.
Kai marveled at the massive city, which seemed to spring up overnight. Liam and his Stoneking masters continued to remove the mountain of dirt and stone that once hid Alenga’s ancient city. The Kodama planted new Bodhima trees covered in cosmos vines, which towered overhead. Crystal clear water danced in fountains and gushed along narrow illuminated channels, breathing life into the hardscapes. Stone obelisks, statues, and gazebos decorated the newly planted gardens, each a little different than anything seen around the other cities of Katori.
Surrounded by a garden in full bloom stood the enormous ancient Agora. One corner remained dark and partially covered in rocky black soil. The rest looked new; pink coral stone accented in white ivy embellishments and illuminated with golden yellow crystals, which Kai presumed were empowered by Lumens.
The waterfall that once concealed the entrance now flowed freely around the structure in a narrow channel randomly lit with tiny blue crystals. Kai crossed a small bridge and entered through what was once the round stone door. Three grand archways now stood open. Inside, moonlight poured into the large pool located at the heart of the Agora.
Unsure what possessed him, he once again returned to this sacred place to pray Alenga would speak to him like the night he slept here before discovered by the others. But since they had unearthed the Agora, the intensity felt faded like a washed-out old painting. And yet, he knew there was great power here.
Before Kai could take another step, he felt a presence, the sense of someone staring at him. Eyes closed, his breathing slowed; he reached out with his sight and gleaned the room. One slow glance around the ancient Agora and his mind came to an archway half-obscured by a mountain of dirt. Her elegant form and brilliant glow lifted the corner of his mouth.
“Rayna, you should be asleep in Hiowind. You need your rest to continue working on restoring the city. Why are you here?”
“Why are you here?” She strolled across the vast stone floor toward the center. “I go where you go, remember.”
A lump formed in his throat, a knot filled with shame; he swallowed his guilt and tried to smile. “I come here to ask Alenga to deliver me from my fate. Lift the burdens from my soul.” His truth washed over him as he spoke. “I will not kill my father. I must fight my destiny.”
He watched Rayna’s decerning eyes trace the moonlight across the floor. “What is your question, Kai?” Her tone toyed with his raw emotions.
“Why me?” he asked as she passed around behind him.
“These are extraordinary times, and your faith demonstrates your worth. The very fact you search for a peaceful resolution proves you can navigate the responsibilities of leadership. I cannot presume to know the path you walk, or Alenga’s will, but you must continue to have faith. Maybe your vision is significant; maybe it’s a warning to stay away because Nola is corrupt and means to use you against Iver. Or maybe it is a metaphor telling you to let go of him before Nola destroys your memories of him.”
Kai turned to face her. “Tell me what to do. If it is my fate to kill my father, and I have no choice, I guess I am a puppet on a string. Do I play out a doomed life, or are there choices I can still make? I refuse to accept my vision, I must save my father, not let him go.” Kai waved his hand at her.
Rayna’s chuckle struck a nerve, but he held his tongue, waiting for her response. “You are no puppet.” She stopped to face him, and her eyes held fast to his. “Every step you’ve taken has been yours and yours alone. Own your choices, Kai.”
“So, my visions, are they real?” Kai grabbed at the various moments of his past. “My dreams predict the future. I saw Drew die, and yet I saved him. The dragon’s breath plant would have killed me, yet you saved me because I told you to research the plant. I have changed many things. Why is this any different?”
The wisdom in Rayna’s eyes surprised him, and he looked at her anew. She took his hand. “Your dreams are a glimpse into the future. Telling me to research that plant fulfilled your vision and my destiny to save you. The men who attacked Port Anahita and tried to kill Drew never changed, but your decision to charge in rather than being frozen in fear saved your friend. What you chose now is still up to you.” She drifted away from him again. “Real or not, the choice is still yours to make. Stay here in Katori or go home to Diu. I support you either way.”
There was more to his misery he wanted to share, but he kept it to himself as they made their way back through Alenga’s city. Diu waited for news of their prince’s return, yet he offered only ink on paper as to his well-being. His pending return he left unanswered. A disheartening thought shook his soul; he did not want to return. Yet if he were honest, he did not belong here either? The Katori life demanded secrecy, and like his mother, he must be willing to die for those secrets.
The freedom to live in the open and use his magic without fear required that he live here, in Katori—but no matter how he fought the urge, Diu needed him. His family and friends needed him. He wanted nothing more than to go home and see his father, the man who raised him, called him son, and loved him as his own.
Rayna’s pace slowed, and she pulled Kai into an illuminated arbor made from a dwarf Bodhima tree covered in cosmos vines. She cocked her head to capture Kai’s eyes. “Mind telling me what distracts you still?”
Her beauty left him breathless. The pale pink glow of the cosmos vines kissed her cheeks. Overwhelmed by the desire, Kai pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back. Then he returned them to the path. “I apologize—not for kissing you, of course.” He glanced down and saw that the blush on her cheeks remained even though the pink hue of the cosmos flowers were behind them. “I’m only sorry for wasting the time we have together. For not being present.”
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Do you want to talk about anything? Or do you want me to guess?” She paused. “Is this about what Cazier’s letter said? I am guessing you want to go home to Diu.”
The letter he’d received two days earlier was still etched in his mind. Master General Cazier reported ill omens and bad tidings—Iver’s health continued to decline, Riome remained lost at sea along with any answers about who was helping Nola, and Diu was tearing itself apart. And if that were not enough, his cousin concealed one last message:
