Gaia's Secret

by Barbara Kloss

  No.

  This couldn’t happen.

  We hadn’t come this far to die, splattered on the ground. I had to make things right. I wouldn’t let this happen.

  My anger surged. A gust of wind blew so strong it sent our creature and the gargon spiraling through the air. Both of us struggled to rebalance against the wind. I held on tight to the horse, clenching my legs around its body so that I wouldn’t fall, Alex doing the same. It took a minute for us to regain our balance until we were jetting forward again. But the gargon had righted itself as well.

  Fury wafted through my body again, as the wind blew hard in my face. But this time the wind had words. It filtered into my ears, the whistling gaining volume, transforming into what sounded like a soft voice. “Use the dagger.”

  There was a strange tingling sensation over my body and the dagger began burning at my hip.

  No…that’s impossible.

  You have to try. There’s no other choice.

  “Hold on!” There must have been something in my voice because Alex didn’t argue. He let go of me and held on to the horse.

  I ripped the dagger from its place beneath my belt and turned my body so that I could get better aim, my legs clamped tight for balance.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just hold on!”

  I concentrated on those eyes—those furious eyes that thirsted for my death. For Alex’s death. I would not let that monster have it.

  Pulling back the dagger, I focused, empowered by the wind.

  With a quick throw, the dagger left my hands.

  Shining silver streaked across the black sky. It split through droplets of water and landed right between the red eyes of death. Within seconds, the red eyes turned dark and the air filled with the terrible sounds of agony as it fell back to the earth.

  Chapter 25

  Return to Amadis

  Alex stared wide-eyed after the fallen gargon. Our own creature slowed to a more relaxing pace so I carefully turned back around in my seat. Alex snaked his arms around my waist, holding me against him. I could feel his heart pounding through my back.

  “How did you do that?” he asked in my ear.

  Cicero and Sonya joined us—their surprise strong, their faces showing love and pride. A love and pride I didn’t deserve.

  “Did I just witness Daria slaying that gargon?” Cicero hollered over the wind.

  “Yes!” Alex shouted.

  “I thought we were going to lose you,” Sonya yelled.

  Alex squeezed my waist. “So did I.”

  We had made it. It was a good thing, too, because if anything had happened to them, I never would have been able to forgive myself.

  My dad was unconscious in front of Cicero, but at least he was safe. Fleck’s eyes were still shut tight as he held on to Sonya with all his might.

  “Fleck, it’s all right,” I yelled. “We’re alive.”

  Fleck didn’t move, not at first. But then the lid on one eye lifted to make sure it was safe to open the other, and his posture relaxed a little.

  “How is he?” I motioned towards my dad.

  “Breathing,” Cicero called back. “He’ll be all right.”

  I glanced back at Sonya, who, despite all efforts to hide it, was still recovering from the scare of almost losing us. All because of me. I fixed my eyes up ahead and felt Alex’s concern. He didn’t say a word, but held on to me a little tighter. I was suddenly aware of how close we were, the feel of his chest against my back, and my heart beat a little faster. I was glad he couldn’t see my face.

  The land remained in shadow from the heavy clouds above, though the rain had stopped. This was definitely an improvement. Constant drops smacking your face hurt at the speeds we were flying. The terrain was far below us, rolling and dipping endlessly in either direction. The world looked empty from up here; there were no signs of life or habitation. Just open plains. The kind I would love to ride on, in any other circumstance.

  Flying was a unique sensation. At these altitudes and with nothing like a seatbelt holding me down, I should’ve been scared senseless, but I wasn’t. With every gust of wind and every whisper of the breeze, energy and peace surged through me. Their combined effort permeated every part of my being. It was difficult to explain, but the open air was invigorating in ways nothing else had been. It was purifying and revitalizing. I could’ve remained up here forever.

  The sun sank behind the glorious mountains of Amadis, warning of the pervading night. Our transport landed with little impact, stepping onto the ground as though it were connected to the air, and we stopped.

  When I hopped down from the creature my legs ached from clenching so tight. It looked gigantic from the ground, the tip of its nose still a few feet from the top of my head. Alex dropped to my side.

  “What is it called?” I reached my hand towards its nose.

  Alex didn’t look at me. “A Vox. They’re native to the Arborenne. We were fortunate to find them.”

  “Great Mages, that was marvelous, if I do say!” Tran appeared behind me.

  “Where did you come from?”

  His blue eyes were alight with the excitement of battle. “I’ve been here, waiting for all of you. It has been difficult being patient because I’ve wanted to discuss our most recent events and, well, Grool…” He gestured towards the trees.

  Off in the distance, just visible between the trees, was a little person wearing a helmet the size of his body, waving a twisted piece of metal in the air at invisible attackers, laughing maniacally.

  I shook my head. “Tran, thank you. You risked your life…”

  “Ah, ah.” He shook a withered finger in my face. “Your father has arrived.”

  He marched past me, towards the others. Sonya helped an eager Fleck to solid ground, while Alex helped Cicero lift my father.

  Seeing my usually robust dad limp in someone’s arms made my heart sink. There were deep cuts along his arms and bruises were beginning to form on his face. I had done that to him, every cut, every bruise—they were my fault.

  I rushed to his side as Cicero and Alex carried him to Cicero’s blanket, careful to lay him down without further injury.

  I hated to ask it, but I needed my dad. “Can you help him?” I glanced at Sonya.

  She didn’t meet my gaze. “I’m going to try.”

  She knelt at his side and placed a slender hand on his forehead.

  “Sonya, maybe you should let Tran…” Cicero started.

  Sonya ignored her husband, shutting her eyes. The strain on her was immediate—on her face, her body. It was as though my own energy was being stolen from me. The look on Cicero’s face was one of pure torture as his eyes darted between his wife and Tran, in hopes that one or the other might stop what was transpiring. Sonya had already done so much.

  “Sonya, it’s all right,” I whispered, crouching at her side. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Her body slumped forward, and Cicero was at her side at once, propping her up. “That’s enough, love.” Cicero carried her to her blankets and laid her down. Her breathing was shallow, strained.

  A gasp of air sounded beside me.

  “Dad!”

  His lungs took in another gasp as his lids fluttered open. When his eyes found me he struggled to reach out with his hands.

  “You’re alive,” he sighed, closing his eyes.

  “Yes. Everyone’s alive.” I glanced behind me at Tran and this family that had saved my life and felt a sharp pain in my chest. “Tran and the Del Contes saved us…” My throat cut off the rest of my words as tears spilled over my cheeks. Each of them stood in silence. “I’m…so sorry. The way I’ve acted…I should’ve trusted you all. I should’ve listened…”

  Cicero came to my side then, his eyes warm. “I can’t pretend I don’t understand why you did it, because I do.” His eyes confirmed his words, as he laid a hand on my forearm. With a sigh, he looked to my dad. “Alaric, why couldn’t you have had a more obedient child?”


  Dad coughed as he laughed. “Trust me, old friend,” he whispered. “I’ve asked myself that since the day she was born. I like to think Gaia is getting back at me by putting ornery people in my life. You included.”

  Cicero chuckled as he looked back at me. “Sonya and I love you like you’re our own daughter. We would do anything to protect you—not because it is our duty, but because you are our family. I forgive you. Had you hurt yourself, I might not have.” He smiled, wrapping his arm around me.

  “I don’t deserve you. Any of you.”

  “We are given many things in this world we don’t deserve, so best appreciate it while you can. Life is…so very fragile.”

  He released me, then walked over to join his wife who lay exhausted on the blankets. My dad moved to sit and I hugged an arm around his shoulders to support him.

  “On the bright side,” Dad continued, “we now know the gargon rumor was true and the villagers have their predator destroyed.”

  “Unfortunately, we’ve also have our evidence destroyed.” Cicero motioned towards the unsuspecting Grool, still fighting the invisible foe.

  “The safety of Gaia’s citizens is more important for now,” Tran interjected.

  “Yes,” my dad continued. “Hopefully it will help unify the territories once we present to the Council that the Del Contes have slain three gargons.”

  “Daria killed the last,” Cicero said.

  My dad’s eyes widened as they turned to me. “Is this true?”

  Everyone’s eyes went to me and I stared at the ground.

  “She did,” Alex answered for me. “With a dagger.”

  Dad smiled.

  “Sonya and Cicero killed the first two,” I said. “Really, I was lucky.”

  He studied me a moment, his face thoughtful. “Luck doesn’t slay a gargon.”

  “You should’ve seen her,” Cicero continued. “I’d never seen a more determined face—and for Daria, that has to tell you something.”

  The others chuckled lightly but I couldn’t smile. I still felt too guilty for what I’d done.

  “You haven’t introduced us to your friend.” My dad nodded towards Fleck, who sat off in the distance with his arms wrapped around himself.

  “Fleck,” I said. He didn’t move. “Fleck, come here please. I’d like to introduce you to my family.”

  Nothing.

  I got to my feet and walked over to him. He had his head buried in his arms and legs. I placed my hand on his shoulder and he flinched. “Fleck, it’s just me. You’re safe now. What’s wrong?”

  Muffled murmuring sounded from the pile of folded arms and legs—all of which was indecipherable. I crouched low, my mouth at his ear. “I can’t hear you. Tell me what’s the matter?”

  “They’ll make me leave.”

  “Why would they do something like that?”

  “Because I’m marked.”

  “Marked how?”

  He lifted his head and I started. Flecks of silver flashed bright in his eyes, glittering in the remaining sunlight. I hadn’t noticed them before, being in the depth of the caves. So he hadn’t been named for his freckles. It was because of his eyes.

  “A Daloren child,” Tran gasped. Tran was at our side in a moment, the shock of the others filtering through me. “Yes…yes…it was too dark for any of us to notice your eyes before.” He tilted his head to the side, and Fleck, who was now altogether distraught, buried his head back into the safety of his arms.

  “See!” Fleck cried.

  “Fleck is a Daloren?” I asked. I remembered Cicero saying the Dalorens were dangerous, but I couldn’t believe that about Fleck. “What was he doing there? I thought Dalorens live somewhere else.”

  “Not always,” Alex answered. “The Daloren trait can appear at random. You’re born with it. Once the trait appears—namely the eyes—the child is sent to Indanna’s Keep, where the rest of his kind reside.”

  “Fleck.” I kept my hand on his arm. “What happened to your parents?”

  At first I thought he didn’t hear me. He just sat huddled inside himself, silent, motionless. Then he lifted his head and the light caught in his eyes. It was distracting, the silver in them. “Murdered. I watched them…” He buried his head back into his self-created shelter.

  I wrapped my arms around him even though he flinched. “We have to help him.”

  Tran stared at the boy, his face a mask of thought. “He needs to be taken to the Keep. Immediately.”

  Fleck started shaking.

  “We can’t just hand him over to strangers! Look at him. He needs care. Who knows how long he’s been imprisoned back there. He can stay with us—at least for a little while.”

  It was evident that Cicero, Alex, and my dad were wary of this plan, each looking at the other to give me the answer I didn’t want to hear.

  “Please,” I begged. “Let him come with us. It won’t be permanent. He risked his life for me. The least I can do is get him a warm bath.”

  The others chuckled at that—except Tran.

  “You may be right, child.” Tran rubbed his chin. “It may benefit us to find out where the boy came from and what Lord Tiernan wanted with him.”

  “Who is Lord Tiernan?” I looked at my dad.

  He sighed and shut his eyes. Memories struck him, all of them streaking pain across his features, until his wearied blue eyes opened once again. “There was a time, well before you were born, when Lord Tiernan was both a friend and confidant of mine. I don’t know how much the Del Contes told you, but Tiernan is the brother to the trusted Lord Commodus Pontefract of Orindor.”

  “Lord Commodus—the person you visited?”

  Dad nodded. “Yes. Lord Commodus is a very strong and brilliant leader—I’ll discuss that meeting with you all soon. His brother Tiernan Pontefract was just as brilliant—particularly with military tactics. Many members of the Guild hated him, because he was both powerful and influential in ways the Guild prides themselves in being.

  “I first heard of his disappearance from Commodus—he hadn’t seen or heard from his brother in weeks. Commodus was anxious, searching the lands for him. There was tension in the world then, much like there is now. Relationships were strained. Always over power.” These last words uttered by him were laden with bitterness. “No one had word of him, not until a few years passed when we saw Lord Tiernan, looking much like you saw him, fighting against his own brother. Commodus wasn’t the same after that.”

  To have your family—your very own brother turn so far away that they wanted to kill you. How could someone turn so far that they’d destroy the very ones they loved?

  “But it doesn’t make any sense. If Lord Commodus was so upset over his brother, they must have had a decent relationship. What could change so that Tiernan would kill his own flesh and blood?”

  Dad winced, taking a deep breath. “Evil never happens at once. It finds a weakness and plants its seed. That seed grows, branching through all other aspects of your thinking. You don’t realize its hold until it’s too late. For some reason the dark is more potent. Many that tamper with it are drawn to the possibilities. The more power that is naturally given to you, the greater the temptation. Many think Tiernan kept his real intentions hidden for years, until one day, chance favored his prepared mind and he left. What his purpose is, only he knows. I—and the Del Contes—believe there are those like Tiernan, who exist within the palace gates, monitoring what is happening, communicating with the dark.”

  “Is that why you kept me on Earth?”

  Sorrow radiated so strongly from him, I began feeling guilty for bringing it up.

  “Yes,” his voice cracked. “There is…so much to tell you.”

  My insides fought it out. Half of me wanted to tell him to stop and rest, but the other half, the side with cannons and flares, needed him to continue. I wanted the truth. I needed the truth, so that I could be free from its haunting once and for all.

  “Your mother was a very powerful woman, Daria.
Her tie to this world was a unique one and her abilities were greater than most—even equal to members of the Guild. But even beyond that was something more precious. A secret her family kept for decades.” He hesitated. “She was a Pandor. It is said that when Gaia separated from Earth, she entrusted something to the Pandor family: a box that held the secrets to this world, secrets even the Dalorens do not know. The knowledge of that box was passed on through generations and told only to the successor. Your mother never even told me—and that woman prized her honesty, telling me everything.”

  “Pandor…as in Pandora’s box?”

  He grinned. “No, but the Greek myth was a coincidental distraction. Your mother’s maiden name was Pandor, not Pandora.”

  Too coincidental if you asked me. More probable the myth was planted.

  “When I was imprisoned,” I started, thinking back. “Tiernan asked me where a box was. I didn’t know what he was talking about…but it must be this box you’re talking about.”

  Dad nodded. “A prophecy exists—one that has been around for centuries. It says one day a woman will rise from two powerful bloodlines, and she will lead the people of Gaia against Mortis’ return—the Great Lord of Shadow. And my family has also been blessed—or cursed depending on how you look at it—as being one of the strongest humans in this world. We seem to have a unique tie to the elementals.”

  “Cicero told me about them,” I glanced at Cicero. “About the Great War and how their powers were used.”

  “Ours is the only known lineage that claims ties to the elementals. I’ve been able to shape the earth since I was a boy.”

  “You…you created our escape back there? You split open the rock?”

  He nodded.

  I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I hadn’t thought much about it and I guess I’d just assumed it was Tran. But to think it was my own dad…

  Boy, did I have a lot to learn.

  No wonder he had fallen unconscious. And if his lineage really had this power, it meant he thought I had it too. But how? I hadn’t seen any sign of an element.