To Those Who Never Knew (A Monksblood Bible Novel Book 1)

by Isabella Anton

  It was her eyes. They had changed.

  No longer did they hold in them the soft emerald glow Bowen had become accustomed to. Now they were stark green, as if a shooting star had streaked across her eyes, its light highlighting her color to a supernatural level.

  Bowen pushed the master away and went to her side. Taking her elbow, he led her to the bed and gingerly placed her there.

  How can I help her?

  “Something has quickened Jade’s power,” Master Lewis turned on Tristan. “What did you do down in The Forest? Did you encounter any artifacts that could have this effect on her?” They all rushed around her bed, coming to aid her in any way possible. Master Lewis carefully checked her eyes to get a better look.

  “None. We stayed within the research sections of the Teithio Annex,” Tristan replied, his face composed of frantic lines compared to Bowen’s serene ones.

  “And she did not venture anywhere else?”

  “No, we were with her the whole time.”

  “Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Jade glared right at Master Lewis, the green in her eyes pulsating to the rhythm of her annoyance. “What’s wrong with my eyes?”

  “They are not right,” the master said bluntly. Bowen wanted to smack him across the face for being so detached.

  “I feel fine,” she huffed, the heat of an argument still ready in her. This was one of the many things he liked about her, it wasn’t just her fiery temper, but also her persistence and stubbornness about the situation. She knew what she wanted in that moment and nothing seemed to be able to deter her from that path.

  “Then it must be connected to your mood. Please, Lady Jade, try to stay calm. You should return to normal soon. We will all leave, we may only be making matters worse.” Master Lewis headed to the door to herd the others out. “Come, Bowen, you too.”

  Bowen could barely take his eyes off her, let alone be in another room.

  “It’s alright,” Jade motioned for him to follow the others, “I’ll be fine.” She had calmed somewhat, her hands only smoldering with little flames.

  But I won’t.

  Bowen stood and left the room with everyone else, his misplaced anger shooting hot from his mouth. “You need to train her more!” he shouted before the door had even time to latch shut.

  Master Lewis’s face went crestfallen at the accusation. “I have been doing all I can–”

  “It is not enough!” She could have hurt herself.

  “Bowen. Stop. It is not his fault.” Tristan tried to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder, only to be pushed away.

  “I know… I know,” he growled, raking his hand through his beard in frustration. “Forgive me, Master Lewis.”

  “All is forgiven. It is the situation that has us all on edge, not Jade herself. Now, I think you should all call it a day. I must see to the High Elders, undoubtedly they would have been too busy arguing with each other to detect the small change in the air. Haf, Elian, see to Jade when she calls.”

  Both nodded. Shock had prevented them from saying two words in the room, but now they found their voices.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Elian asked, her voice small.

  “I hope so, Elian. I very much hope so.” Master Lewis’s shoulders went loose, the tension in his body washing away with what fight had been left in him. “Bowen. Tristan. Follow Jade’s every move; if at all possible, keep her here.”

  “You know it will not be,” Tristan leaned against the frame of the door, his weight causing it to bow slightly inward, his eyes cast down to the stone floor. Shadows of the fire torches danced in the small space of the hallway. “I have duties I must attend to. Bowen, if you would please stay, I would be very thankful.”

  He nodded.

  I woke to the hazy sunlight of the morning to find Haf and Elian sound asleep on the chairs in front of my bed. Silently, trying not to wake them, I slid off and into more suitable outing clothes. I had to get back down to The Forest and figure out what was happening. Last night’s revelation was enlightening, but it wasn’t something I was ready to deal with at the moment. What mattered was finding my way home.

  I looked to the sleeping women, their chests rising and falling with their every breath and I felt a pang of sadness pass over me. This was also my home, the people here had accepted me as their family and friend, and I quickly came to call them the same.

  My mind tore at itself trying to weigh the cost of leaving these people behind, how much it would hurt to know that by the time I was back in my century, they would be long dead.

  The thought hit me harder as an image of Bowen, arms crossed in a coffin, sprung up behind my eyes, surprising even myself. I shook the picture from my head as I crept by Haf and Elian and managed to open the door without a sound, only to bash into someone.

  “And where do you think you are going?” Bowen was stationed right outside, his arms crossed against his chest, casting too close of a resemblance to my earlier thought. It seemed like any answer I were to give him wasn’t going to be the right one.

  I fixed the collar of my cloak, resolute in my standing. “To The Forest. No matter what happened yesterday, it doesn’t change the fact that I need to find a way home.” I went to move past him only to be blocked, his body and shoulders rigid like a bouncer’s.

  “It changes everything. The High Elders should know you are who we hoped you were. Do you understand how much danger you are in? How much pressure there is on you?”

  “Exactly!” I shouted. “And why should there be? I didn’t ask for this!”

  “But it is your life all the same!” He sounded as impatient as I was. Apparently, we had started up yesterday’s argument all over again.

  “I know! I… I can’t even describe what it will take to leave you all.” I glanced up into his eyes, the truth of my words ringing throughout the hallway. “You all have become family, but…” But what? It was the truth.

  “But, what, Jade?” he asked, his voice as soft as when we were talking by the fireside.

  “But I need to also get back to my time, to my mom and dad, and this may be the only chance I have to find out how.”

  We stood there for a tense minute, neither of us backing down. His eyes raked over my body, lingering in odd places here and there: my feet, my hip, my nose.

  “I guess I can see it that way,” he finally answered. “But that does not mean you can sneak around by yourself. And you need to stay by my side while we are in The Forest. I do not know what triggered you last night, but I think we can expect another episode at a later time.”

  “Agreed,” I smiled with shy embarrassment.

  We were back in the Teithio Annex and decided to start on the second floor, convinced that I had seen all I could take of the first. This level held more in-depth readings on Teithio Abadule (who the Annex was named after) who theorized that time travel was possible using portals. His argument ranged closely to the Einstein-Rosen bridge theory, or I guess, it was the other way around.

  “And just like with every theoretical scientific theory, there is no way to resolutely prove this,” I muttered in frustration, my tenth book in hand.

  “What do you mean scientific? We are debating craft.” Bowen held his manuscript up to a candle, trying to get a better angle to read the words.

  “Magic. Science. To me they are pretty much the same thing, though don’t tell Master Lewis I said that, he would have an aneurysm.”

  “A what?”

  “Never mind.”

  I continued on with the search, finding small bits of information here and there. Some led me to other books, some to actual objects. There was one that believed if a person were to step through a body of water they would end up in another time. As a modern-day person I wholeheartedly believed this would never work, but as a witch of the fourteenth century, I couldn’t know until I trie
d. So when it rained all of the next week I decided to test the theory. Each time Bowen stood hesitantly beside me, nervous that it would actually work. To say the least, the test was a complete let down, the only thing not ever returning would be my leather sandal that slipped off when I fell into the stream.

  Dedication was the only thing that drove me down to the library day after day, and after an excruciating month, I finally found something of value.

  “Bowen!” I screamed down the row of books. He was just at the end checking out a scroll on telepathic snakes able to send things from one place or another when he ran back, annoyance covering his face.

  “Do you know, I do not believe that librarian has any idea what the difference between the Silkarian snakes and Lycerian lizards are if they were to bite him.”

  I was still sitting on the floor, books strewn in a circle with me at their center. I looked back to the book currently in my hands, then back to Bowen, my face etched with shock. Bowen saw and stopped talking. It took me a while to gather my thoughts.

  “There’s another room,” I stated blankly. His interest quickly waned at the revelation.

  “What do you mean there is another room? Of course there are other rooms, this is The Forest, new rooms are created daily!” He probably thought my sanity had finally cracked. “Jade, let us be finished for the day. You need rest.”

  “No, you don’t understand. There’s a room that I can’t find on the map, yet this book makes reference to it.” I got up and stood by him to point out the section. “And not just this one. I’ve found at least one reference to the room every six hundred years. No one really knows what’s in there. Just that it dates back to the creation of The Forest.”

  “Jade, I think you are making connections where there are none. How can a room exist but not exist?”

  “I don’t know. It just does,” I said stubbornly, my voice lathered in aggravation. “You know what? Never mind, I’ll find it myself.” I started to pack the few books I still needed and headed to the stairs. I had gotten halfway up before Bowen was able to grab my arm and stop me.

  “Jade, be serious. What do you think you will find there?”

  “Something that will explain to me why I’m here, or how to get home. I’ll take either one at this point.” I ripped my arm from his grasp.

  “Jade!”

  Leave me alone! I never heard the rest of Bowen’s sentence, just a cry of pain as I looked back to find that his feet had melded into the spiral wooden stairs.

  His body went tense, ready for action while his eyes filled with terror and rage. “The Brotherhood?” he asked.

  I looked at him in horror, knowing that was impossible. Bethany had assured me that no negative energy could infiltrate The Forest. No, I knew what had caused it.

  “No, I think… I think it was me…” I didn’t know what to do. This was getting out of control. My hands were one thing, but this… To create magic just from thinking something, from feeling threatened?

  Bowen’s face went dead serious, his brow pinched in anger. “Undo it.”

  “I don’t know how.” Panic started to rise in my chest, which seemed to make the spell on Bowen grow even worse. Now the wood was up to his knees.

  “Jade, something just happened, and whatever it was, whatever you were thinking or doing, you need to undo it!” He was getting impatient. Not that I could blame him, I would too if I were slowly turning into a statue.

  “Bowen, you’re not making this any better. I just… I don’t…” My anxiety was at its peak, my throat closing around itself. The once airy room now felt like a coffin, so I did what any sane person would have: I ran.

  I’m sorry! I’m sorry! The meditative rhythm of the words ate away at me with every step I took. The pain that constricted on his face… I didn’t know how to stop it, couldn’t see him like that. And if it was me causing him that much pain, then removing myself from the equation was the simplest answer.

  I threw down the books that were in my hands, letting my feet carry me out of the Teithio Annex and into Saint Davids Main Branch, my legs pumping stronger with every step. I didn’t even know where I was running to, just that I needed to be anywhere else.

  There were more people down here now, the coming of spring making it easier for them to journey farther. I passed by Bethany, her regular smile plastered on her face as I bound into a random hallway that was lined with wrought-iron lanterns. The further I ran, the less people there were, until finally, I found myself the only one in the area and stopped to catch my breath.

  Sitting down I put my head between my knees and closed my eyes, counting four breaths in, six breaths out. I repeated the action over and over until I was able to think clearly.

  “Jade~”

  My head shot to the left.

  “Hello?” I called out into the well-lit corridor, my heart hammering against my chest. The brandished stones were darker in this area, their exterior rough, unlike in the Main Building.

  “Jade~” It whispered. I felt a cold force on the back of my neck and a tingle run up my spine. “This way~”

  With a scream I whirled around. It was more out of shock than terror. Even in the twenty-first century the supernatural were a common topic: vampires, ghouls, zombies... So when I came face to face with a real ghost, I looked on with disbelief.

  I would have mistaken her for a real person, except she was almost completely translucent. Her clothes matched the medieval period, though if Haf had taken one look at her she would have scoffed at how outdated the style was. Her eyes held in them a sort of mothering softness, while her mouth was set with a loving smile.

  She seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her.

  “This way,” her voice rang clear in my head. She turned and walked with soundless steps deeper into The Forest.

  “Where are we going?” I got to my feet and took a tentative step in her direction.

  “Do not worry, child. You seek answers and that is what I will give you.” She veered left around a bend, her wispy clothes trailing weightlessly behind as I ran to catch up.

  She didn’t say much as we wandered through hallway after hallway. The soft glow of the lanterns which created my walking shadow did little to the woman in front of me, passing right through her. After about five minutes we stopped by an arched door designed intricately with engraved leaves, little sapphire and emerald gems studded along each stem. The woman placed her hand gingerly onto the frame, caressing it as you would a pet.

  “Go in.”

  “What’s in there?”

  “You will only find that out if you enter.”

  I placed myself before the door, hand hesitantly positioned between me and the handle. “Nothing’s gonna blow up in my face, is it?”

  She said nothing, her trusting eyes egging me to proceed.

  I thought again of Bowen’s words about how risky this was, how Bowen would have proceeded with caution, if not dubiousness at the situation.

  Think and move.

  I peeked at the woman still by my side, her posture straight yet languid, as if she were posing for a pin-up magazine.

  Think.

  It could be a trap or she’s really trying to help me.

  Move.

  I grabbed the door handle and the whole of The Forest seemed to ease with my touch. Pushing it open I stepped through the threshold and found myself outside. Wildlife and nature were present throughout the room yet its borders were lined with shelves of books. I gaped at how astonishingly beautiful it all was. The sound of birds chirped over the bubbling of a stream which sat off to the side. Walking through the tall wheatgrass, I could feel the heat of the sun upon my face, the fresh breeze that rolled by as I made my way to the center of the room where a silver tree took root, its golden leaves glinting off the sun.

  I looked for the ghost lady again and found her leanin
g against the tree, a red, baby dragon cupped in her hands. I stood rooted to the ground, the image of a dragon still processing in my mind.

  “Come,” the woman beckoned.

  My steps were short as I approached the mystical creature, making sure no sudden movements would startle it. Once I got closer, it looked more like a plush toy than a real, fire-breathing dragon.

  He woke from his slumber and flapped his tiny wings to perch on her shoulder, small tendrils of smoke puffing out of its nostrils with pleasure.

  “What is this place?” I asked, the brightness of the room almost blinding.

  “It is the heart of The Forest—the First Room—where all was created.”

  “What do you mean by all?” I went to join her, noting the heat of the room as another summer breeze swept by.

  “The Earth. The trees. Magic. You and I. We all originated from one place, and this is it. Not many know of this room’s existence.” I thought back to what I had just been discussing with Bowen not minutes ago: the room that doesn’t exist. The ghost lady stood and moved closer to me. “Though many have tried to find it, it only shows itself to those who are not looking for it.”

  “But I was. I wanted to find it. To figure out if it held any information on how I could get home.”

  “You were not,” she chuckled lightly. “You only followed where your feet led you.”

  “Does it hold any information on time travel?”

  “It knows everything. All you need is the conviction to ask.”

  “I have the courage. I want to know how to get home. How to leave this time.”

  She looked at me with sad, loving eyes while her mouth crinkled into a smile. “Courage and conviction are two very different things. You must have one to use the other.”

  “I have the conviction.” My sharp tone wasn’t lost on her as her hands moved to her waist and the sass of her hip jutted out as she placed all her weight onto her back foot.

  “Then ask away. Close your eyes and think it, ask for it as if your life depended on it.”

  Ambivalently, I took a meditative position in the waist-high grass, its yellow stalks waxing and waning. Closing my eyes, I sat there and concentrated on my question: How do I get home?