by Ben Hale
Derek joined her with a groan. "I'm glad you said something, because my feet have been killing me for an hour." He tapped his toe on the cobblestone and they began to vibrate his shoes. "Ahh," he breathed. "I'd never realized how much I would use this spell."
"Care to share?" Tess said, and Derek grinned. Reaching over with his foot he tapped the stones next to her feet, causing them to wobble up and down. She placed her feet on them and issued a tired sigh. "That feels wonderful."
There was a moment of silence, and then Tess threw him a look. "Why do you think Alice sent your mom?"
Derek let out a breath. "I think she's trying to get to you."
"How would Trina do that?"
"When Mom fell into her magic I would find Iris cuddled up in her lap, crying. Mom didn't even know she was there. I had to physically pull her away."
He lifted his sleeve and showed a group of faint scars on his wrist that resembled static energy. "Iris never gave up on Mom like I did. She never gave up hope that she would come back. Now that she has, it's going to distract her, make her vulnerable."
"You sound like you want your mom to leave."
"It's too late for that," Derek said. "Iris has seen her. It's like she's a starving woman being presented with a table full of poisoned food. And Trina has no choice but to do what Alice says. If she doesn't, Alice could destroy her magic."
Tess winced. "What would that do to her?"
"If we succeed in taking Drake's magic, it will hurt, bad, but won't kill him. But my mother has lost her mind to her power. To destroy it now . . . " He shrugged. "I don't think Iris would forgive herself if she had the chance to stop mom being killed."
"You think she's going to force Iris to make a choice?" She didn't have to say, Between her mom and me. She shuddered.
"I think she will make you choose."
"I can't do that," Tess protested.
"I know," Derek replied. "And if Mom dies, Iris will never forgive you. You either lose a valued ally, or are forced to join Alice. Either scenario is good for Alice."
"How long?"
Derek shrugged. "As much as Iris would do for Mom, she still needs to trust her. I'd say we have a little time before Alice forces things."
Tess wasn't sure if she should be relieved. The idea of an impending confrontation with Alice settled onto her shoulders like a yoke.
"What about you? You haven't said how you feel about your mom being here."
His lips tightened. "She's no more my mother than Alice is yours."
His voice was light, but couldn't mask the trace of bitterness. He sighed and looked away. "There was a time I hoped she would come back. Spoon feeding your mom because she refuses to face reality changes you. She wasn't a mother. She was a parasite."
"So what do we do?" Tess asked quietly.
Derek flashed a smile. It lacked its usual luster, but didn't waver. "Beat Alice first."
"You want to keep looking for the refuge?"
"It's our best chance," Derek said. "We can prepare our plan from there, and even train others. But I should trade off with some of our other friends. I know you can see traces of every magic, but they might notice something we would miss."
Tess nodded, grateful that the conversation had shifted. "Agreed, but we can't bring them all at once. Someone would get suspicious."
"Tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow," Tess said firmly.
Unfortunately the next day failed to yield any answer, neither did the next few days. By the weekend Tess knew that she wasn't the only one getting frustrated. A number of her closest friends had been recruited, yet each had been left wanting. With Auroraq just two days from the leading edge of the Dark, tensions in Tryton's were mounting.
Tess felt like a pall had fallen over her and her friends, and she went to sleep worried. The next day she went to her classes but her mind was in the library, going over its halls and corridors, trying to imagine something she'd missed.
Inevitably her mind returned to the Dark's expansion. How many were dying every day? How many were already dead? Time was running out and they were no closer to finding the refuge.
"Tess!" Professor Ricks barked. "Are you planning on joining us today?"
She jerked to face him. "Sorry, Professor. I'm just distracted."
Professor Ricks sniffed. "Talent doesn't make the mage, my dear Oracle. Discipline and conviction do. You'd know that if you had any."
Stung, Tess fell silent. Shorn and a few others threw her sympathetic looks but most focused on the storm charm they were supposed to be practicing. Tess returned her attention to her desk and tried to set aside the rebuke. She should have known better than to ignore Professor Ricks.
In spite of her efforts the class ended with her unable to cast a mini storm cloud in her hands. She ducked out the door before Professor Ricks could notice and met with Shorn outside.
"Well, he was harsh today," Shorn said.
"I didn't think he was that bad," Tess said. "Not for him anyway."
Shorn nudged her and pointed to a girl that was hurrying away. The tears in her eyes were evident. "Before he got to you he told her that she had the talent of a slug, so she might as well look like one."
Feeling guilty for not noticing, Tess decided to skip lunch and go to the library by herself. She promised Shorn she would join their group for dinner and then headed south. Wishing she could fly, she hurried her steps to the great castle. Twice she checked her back trail for Drake, who had tried to follow her already. To her relief she saw no one.
The ancient citadel boasted towers, archways, and an expansive courtyard, yet Tess had come to realize that it was originally much larger. From the designs and her own exploration she had noticed that many of the corridors heading south and east came to an abrupt end, as if much of the castle had been left behind when it was moved here. She had chosen not to share that observation with her friends. She was afraid they would confirm her impression, that Siarra's refuge had been unwittingly left behind.
She strode through the doors and into the great hall. Lined with massive bookshelves and warmed by the roaring fire, the castle was one of her favorite places at Tryton's. Instead of leaping into her search, she imagined what it would have been like when the entire school was housed within the castle walls.
She strolled down a corridor that had once held dormitories, and pretended all the bookshelves inside were replaced with beds and chattering students. Selecting one of the secret passages, she reached for a tree that grew out of the wall. Its leaves blossomed at her touch, and the branches bent open to allow her into a hidden stairwell. Descending to the bottom, she exited behind an armored soldier.
Former classrooms were placed on either side of the broad hallway she faced. She walked it as a student would have, and wondered what sort of teachers would have taught within them. Would they have been open and earnest like most of her professors? Or arrogant and angry like Professor Ricks . . .?
She stopped dead as Professor Ricks words echoed in her mind. Why had he said conviction? It was an odd choice of wording, and one she had never heard from any of her professors. Why would conviction matter to a mage?
Her thoughts clicked into place like puzzle pieces—and she saw it. Conviction granted power just as much as discipline. It was an underlying thread that she had heard in nearly all of her classrooms, albeit with a different word. On repeated occasions her professors had said that believing in your magic will heighten your control and power—and it was what Hawk had been trying to tell her.
Had she ever trusted her magic? She had studied, practiced, and honed the skill, but had never had the conviction to be the oracle. Uncertainty in her chosen course had bled into her skills, hampering every aspect of her talents without her even realizing it.
Her hands balled into fists. Turning on her heels she strode to the small circular chamber at the center of the library. Eight corridors branched from the small dome, and she came to a halt in the middle. Drawing a deep breath, s
he blinked into her magesight.
Walls, corridors, furniture, and books all lit up with the energy they were made of. As she poured her need to find Siarra's Refuge into her sight, the clarity of her view sharpened. Colors brightened, and the differences between them became easier to discern. Empowered by her resolve, her sight continued to expand until she saw all the way to the exterior of the large castle . . .
—and she saw it.
She noticed touches of magic, like stars twinkling in the night sky, throughout the citadel. No more than fingerprints in size, they were hidden deep within the walls, lights, floor, and even fires of the library. Their colors were distinct and matched each of the thirteen magics. Discovered and activated individually they would have no impact, but triggered collectively . . .
Her skin tingled with excitement as she gathered her magic in her palms. In quick succession she released a streak of pure energy at each of the targets. Flowing through the walls and bookshelves, her magic curved as if drawn to the secret spells. One by one they glowed and went dark as they were activated.
The last faded from view—and the sound was like a drop falling into a pool of water. Turning toward it, she quickened her pace down a corridor and up a flight of stairs. Another two quick turns brought her to a dead end that held a massive mirror, easily ten feet in height.
She'd never seen its like. Rather than fashioned of glass it was made of liquid metal, and resembled the Ironguard of the fire building. On prior occasions she had attempted to see into it to discover if it held a secret, but the material had always been dark to her eyes.
She blinked into her magesight and again activated the thirteen points of magic throughout the castle—and again the drop sounded in her ears. Her eyesight returned to the normal spectrum in time to witness the metallic surface shimmer. Swallowing at the sudden dryness in her throat, she reached out and touched it.
Her hand passed through what felt like a sheet of water. She hesitated, and then eased herself into it. For the briefest of instants she felt a burst of motion, and then she found herself inside a large domed chamber.
The vaulted hall lit up as she entered, revealing the items within. Spheres of energy lined the outside curve of the space. Multicolored yet identical in size, she knew them immediately for sources of energy. A handful of books sat beneath each orb, their bindings old yet flawlessly preserved.
Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, a trickle of light poured from the light orb in the ceiling. Shimmering and vibrant, it formed into the shape of a woman wearing a blue dress. The ethereal quality of her body made it obvious that she was a light entity, the rarest form of the entity spell.
"I am Eleana," she said with a smile. "Welcome to Siarra's Refuge, Oracle of Lumineia."
Chapter 28: Unlocked
Tess stared at Eleana. "How do you know I am an oracle?"
"Only an oracle could gain entry to this place," Eleana said. "Siarra built it such."
"How was this refuge not discovered?" Tess asked. "Surely its position under the castle would have been easy to find."
"What made you think we are under Tryton's?"
Tess's eyes widened. "Where are we?"
"Where no one can find us."
Tess let that sink in as Stel jumped down from her neck and began to prowl the room. Eleana's gaze did not deviate from Tess.
"You are an entity, correct?" Tess finally asked.
"I am a sentient," Eleana said with a short bow. "I have many purposes, but my primary purpose is to train the oracle. Only you can see or hear me."
"But there has only been one oracle since the time of Siarra," Tess said. "So you trained the oracle of Atlantis?"
"I did not," Eleana said. "You shall be my first."
"You've been waiting for ten thousand years?" Tess asked.
There was a flicker of understanding in Eleana's eyes. "The passage of time holds less meaning for me than it does for you. Now, are you ready for your training to begin?"
Tess touched the amulet at her neck. "First I must unlock the Oracle's Crest."
"I am permitted to tell you that only an oracle can unlock the book's secrets, for an oracle is the only full spectrum mage."
The phrase was similar to the one Hawk had said, but the wording triggered something in her mind. As if hearing it for the first time, she repeated the phrase.
"A full spectrum mage can use farsight to see the future," Tess said slowly. "That is the ability that is unique to oracles."
Eleana nodded, so Tess forged ahead. "So all I have to do is use my farsight while holding it?"
Eleana smiled.
Tess removed the pendent from her neck and held it in her hands. After all the attempts to unlock it, was it that simple? She recalled the flicker of color when she'd been flying to Auroraq, and how she'd dismissed it as an effect of the lightning. Had she succeeded without realizing it?
Drawing a breath to calm her nerves, she blinked into her magesight. As always, everything in sight was awash in the various colors of energy. Since she was made of energy, only Eleana remained unchanged.
Gathering her courage, Tess pushed into the future as Hawk had taught her. As she did the colors in her vision faded to gray. Even Eleana lost the luster that brightened her form. The gray became a dark gray—and suddenly another figure appeared in front of her.
Dressed in flowing silk, the person standing before her was unmistakably an elf. The resemblance to those in her History of Magic book was undeniable. Regal of bearing and expression, the elf smiled at Tess. "How may I be of service, Oracle?"
The image almost disappeared as Tess fumbled with the amulet. Regaining her composure, Tess said, "I am Tess Oliver. Who are you?"
"I am Alydian, creator of the Book of Oracles."
"So you were an oracle?"
"I lived in the age of oracles, and governed with the other four bloodlines. The book that you hold has been handed down since my time, and each oracle has added their knowledge and experience. The last one to bear it was Siarra Elseerian."
Awed to be standing before her great ancestor, Tess asked, "Did the oracle of Atlantis not carry it?"
Alydian's expression clouded. "She carried the talisman, but did not wield it. The book remained closed to her."
The statement surprised Tess, and yet it matched what she knew about the oracle from that age. Then a thought crossed her mind.
"Are Siarra's teachings in here as well?"
"She can answer for her own time."
In a flutter of color Alydian disappeared. In her place another elf stood. Shorter than her predecessor, Siarra bore the exact likeness of her statue in the World Room. As in the statue, she wore a sword on her back and a lightning blue scar on her arm.
"I am Siarra," she proclaimed. "Oracle during the Second Draeken War and founder of Tryton's Academy of Magic. How may I serve?"
Tess had lost her tongue, but Siarra merely stared at her with an intense gaze and waited. Tess didn't know what to ask first. Should she request information about stripping someone of magic? Or find out about the prophecy regarding the Dark being defeated?
"I need your help to find three things," Tess said, finally decided. "I believe your mother, Ianna, spoke of them in reference to my time."
"You seek the relics to fight the Dark." Siarra stated.
"So you know of them?"
Siarra's lips tightened in annoyance. "I searched a great deal in an effort to identify them, and yet can only harbor a guess as to two of them."
"Which ones?"
Siarra gestured to the side and another elf appeared. Bearing the same poise and reserve of Alydian, Ianna was easily identified by the resemblance to Siarra.
Ianna spoke in a ringing tone, "Four talismans she will require. The Crest of the Oracle is the first, the thief will steal the second, and the troll king will bear the third. The fourth she will have to find on her own, for I know not its location."
Siarra gestured again and Ianna evaporated. "I am
confident that the thief in question was Jack Myst, and the troll king was Tryton himself."
Tess recalled seeing Tryton's sword buried in the Second Draeken War monument. "So Tryton's sword is likely the third."
"That was my assumption," Siarra said. "But removing it from the buried stone without damaging it is the challenge."
"And what about the thief?" Tess asked.
"Ah, Jack," Siarra said, and her expression softened. "He was truly remarkable, but he stole many great artifacts. The question is . . . which is the one you need?"
"What about the last item?"
"My mother knew not, and neither do I," Siarra said.
Tess's brow furrowed in thought. It was much more information than she'd had before. And at least now she had someone to guide her. Without Hawk she had been left with just her professors. Was this what Hawk had intended by staying away from Auroraq? She had to admit that forcing her to stand alone was having an impact.
In two short weeks since her return to Tryton's, Tess had braved the hearing, found the refuge, and now unlocked the Crest. The realization that she was succeeding caused her to straighten. Her determination blazed within her.
"Do oracles have the power to remove a person's magic?" she asked.
Siarra frowned. "A sufficiently trained oracle can remove magic from anyone—but I should caution you. Doing so rends a portion of the victim's soul, leaving them a shadow of their former selves. Such a punishment should be reserved for the most serious of crimes."
Like the slaughter of millions?
"What will I need?"
A book appeared on a pedestal in front of her. The book may have been worn and faded, but the ink appeared vibrant with black light. Siarra gestured to the page.
"The instructions for the horrending curse are contained therein. Be wise with its use, oracle."
At a glance Tess saw that the book had everything they needed. A grim smiled blossomed on her features as she continued to read. Drake first, and then Alice.
"Thank you," Tess said to Siarra. "I will not judge lightly."
Siarra smiled, and then faded away when Tess returned to the present. The refuge appeared the same as before, and Eleana looked expectant.
