Whisper

by Christine Grey

  Once Darius had left, Daniel retrieved a sleeping gown from the small chest in the room and slipped it over Carly’s head, then he set her on the padded bench by the smaller table, poured some water into a basin, and carefully cleaned the cut. Carly sat in silence, but when she started to shake, Daniel wrapped her in a blanket and held her in his lap.

  “I f-f-f-feel s-s-o s-s-s-tup-p-pid. Why am I sh-sh-sh-aking like this?”

  “It happens, Carly. Don’t let it bother you. It will pass.”

  A knock came on the door and Hugh, Dearra, and William entered the room. Daniel noticed that Darius trailed a ways behind and was not only the last to enter, but he also stayed near the door when he did.

  “He got away,” Dearra said angrily, and she threw herself down onto one of the chairs.

  “What I don’t understand,” Hugh said, “is what he was doing here in the first place.”

  “Causing trouble, no doubt,” William answered.

  “He had to go somewhere, I suppose,” Darius said. “The traders he sailed with were probably already coming here to start their season and Jacob probably saw an opportunity.” Darius wondered if maybe there wasn’t a little Breken somewhere in Jacob’s family tree.

  “H-h-he was here for D-D-D-earra, I’m sure of it. He was in b-b-bed with me, and h-h-he was touching me and saying…things.” A ripple of revulsion washed over Carly and Dearra simultaneously, as the men fought to control the anger they felt. It wouldn’t help anything if they lost control at that point, for there was nowhere to aim their fury.

  “We’ll need to be more careful,” Hugh said. “That window needs to stay locked, for one thing, both day and night. Why didn’t Brin warn you, Dearra? Isn’t he supposed to protect you? That sword is supposed to be so magical and powerful. Where was he when we needed him?” Hugh’s voice conveyed his ire, but Dearra knew it was more out of frustration than anything else.

  “He did, Father. With Jacob…it’s complicated. He isn’t as easy for Brin to read as others because he isn’t…well, he isn’t normal in his mind. There’s something…off balance about him.”

  “Well maybe Brin just needs to listen better.”

  Now see here, Dearra. I can hardly be expected to—

  Peace Brin’du Drak’Tir, Darius soothed. We understand, but Hugh is Dearra’s father, and he is very protective of her. How did you feel when Jacob took Dearra from us and you weren’t able to safeguard her?

  Darius’s comment silenced Brin. He thought the mighty dragon probably understood Hugh pretty well just then.

  Carly sat up straighter in Daniel’s lap. “I just c-can’t believe h-he would dare to sneak in h-here like that. He wanted t-to hurt Dearra! He was going to…to…he was going t-to take her with him!” Carly began to pant slightly in her agitation.

  “It’s okay, Carly. I’m fine. I’m just so sorry that you were hurt. I feel responsible. If only I had been here…I should never have left you alone, not in this place.”

  “No! It was Jacob’s fault and only his!” Carly shouted, her eyes wide as she remembered some of the horrible things he had whispered in her ear. The room cooled around her as her blood ran cold at the memory. “He needs to pay! He can’t just be allowed to run loose like that!”

  “We’ll get him, sweet. I promise we’ll get him,” Daniel said in an effort to calm her.

  William walked over to the window and held a hand up to the glass. It felt cold, colder than it should have. Small patches of frost formed as he watched. “Um, Darius?” William said, keeping his voice calm.

  “I see it,” Darius said, coming along beside him.

  Carly’s face was drawn and pale, but two spots of color were on her cheeks. Daniel rubbed his palm up and down her back while Dearra held her hand. Her breathing was ragged, and as she panted, her breath came out in little puffs in the frigid air of the room.

  “What in the name of Cyrus?” Hugh asked.

  “I’ll not let him hurt my friends! He’s done enough damage!” Carly seemed beside herself.

  Darius and William surreptitiously got Hugh’s attention, and the three of them watched in amazement as the glass before them iced over in a layer of frost.

  “We’ll look for him first thing in the morning, Carly. The very first thing. But please, Carly, you’re frightening me, sweet. You need to calm down. For me.”

  Carly looked at Daniel and saw the worried frown on his face. Her breathing slowed a little. William, Darius, and Hugh watched as the frost receded from the glass.

  Daniel smiled at her and brushed a strand of hair from her face, and the room seemed to warm a bit. When Daniel placed a fleeting kiss on her lips, the room warmed back to normal, maybe even a bit above that.

  “First thing, then,” Carly said, her voice back to its usual calm and controlled tone.

  “Not first thing, Carly,” Hugh said brusquely.

  “But, you said—”

  “I didn’t say anything. It was Daniel who told you that. We will go looking first thing in the morning, all right, but you and Dearra are going to see Aesri. I want to know what the blazes just happened here, and I have a feeling that fairy can tell us. Frost on the windows? Air cold enough for snow? It’s not natural.”

  “Lord Hugh’s right, Carly. You have to go see Aesri,” Daniel said, glad Hugh had put his foot down.

  “All right, Daniel. I’ll go see her if you say I should.” She turned to Hugh and said, “Can I ask a question?”

  “Of course you can, Carly,” Hugh said, his voice softer, now that he knew he might finally get some answers.

  “I don’t mean to be difficult, but what are you talking about? The room stayed completely warm, and I saw no frost. I admit I might have been a little upset, but that’s all.”

  Everyone just looked at her. Could she really be unaware of what had happened?

  “Aesri,” Hugh stated flatly. “First thing.”

  Chapter 23

  Phillip

  Wow! I don’t know what happened, but it must have been pretty bad! That Falco guy was so mad at Jacob, I thought he was going kill him right in front of me. That would have been kind of wonderful, actually. Jacob is slime. I know he’s not here to help rescue me, because he keeps telling the Breken stuff about all of you. He’s always talking about Dearra like she belongs to him, and the Falcon guy seems to enjoy watching Jacob get worked up about it. Except now. He told Jacob that he had no more patience than a child, and that if this (whatever that means) did anything to upset his negotiations, he would have Jacob’s skin removed…slowly. Jacob got all pale and just nodded his head. I want to go home, but it would almost be worth staying a little longer just to see that.

  Chapter 24

  The search for Jacob was delayed when Behrouz was sent to discuss further arrangements for Phillip’s return. It was necessary they make an appearance to ensure everything was still going to plan, but his arrival only served to verify Darius’s suspicions that Jacob was in league with the Breken. Though they weren’t likely to find Jacob if he was within the Breken city, if he dared step foot in Bandar again, then Cyrus save him, because nothing else would.

  While Hugh met with the negotiator, Carly and Dearra made their way to see Aesri, Darius rode with them as an added precaution. Though this was an unplanned visit, Aesri stood outside of her tent waiting for them, much as she had the last time Carly came to see her. She must have sensed the seriousness of the group, for she wasted no time with idle chatter, holding the tent flap open wide and inviting them all inside instead.

  “What is it, my sister?” Aesri asked, handing them all a cup of morning tea.

  “I’m not sure, Aesri. Something’s happening, though. Lord Hugh thought you might know what it was,” Carly said diplomatically.

  Aesri was not fooled. “What you mean to say is he suspects the fairies had something to do with it.”

  Carly blushed and nodded.

  Dearra fidgeted a bit but couldn’t argue.

  “What has been happening,
Carly?” Aesri asked calmly.

  “I’m not really sure. There was a bit of trouble last night and everyone’s all right, but I guess I did some strange things.”

  “Excellent!” Aesri said. “You are waking up!”

  “Waking up?”

  “You have suppressed your natural abilities for so long, they went to sleep. But since you levitated, everything is starting to wake up again. Tell me, what happened.”

  “Well, I was pretty upset, and they say the room got very, very cold, and that they could see my breath, and there was frost on the windows.”

  “Ah, water,” Aesri said knowingly.

  “Then, when Daniel kissed her, the room warmed,” Dearra added.

  Aesri frowned a little. “What?”

  “That’s right,” Darius said. “The same thing happened when I saw her naked and she blushed. The whole room got noticeably warmer.”

  Carly had hoped to forget that moment, and when Darius mentioned it she blushed again, and the air in the tent warmed slightly.

  “Fire,” Aesri said in hushed tones.

  “I didn’t think much of it at the time, but that day that we argued, there was a breeze in our room when she got mad at me,” Dearra explained. “The window was latched and I just passed it off as a draft.”

  “Air,” Aesri’s voice lowered further still.

  “Is something wrong?” Carly asked.

  “Do you trust me, Carly?” Aesri asked.

  “Of course I do,” Carly said, though she could feel herself begin to tense. Something was wrong. Aesri was always so calm, nothing seemed to ever ruffle her.

  Aesri went to a cabinet and from it she pulled a small pouch, the fabric coarse and unremarkable. She opened the bag. “Hold out your hand,” she said.

  Trembling slightly, and not knowing what to expect, Carly held out her hand. Aesri poured a little pile of loamy dirt into her palm.

  “Close your hand, Carly.”

  Carly shut her fingers and stared into Aesri’s eyes, waiting, until… Aesri slapped her, hard. Carly’s fingers flew open and her face filled with angry surprise. Rather than fall to the ground, the earth in her hand lifted and swirled and began to form small orbs that pelted Aesri mercilessly.

  Aesri held up a single, delicate hand and a soft, near freezing mist began to fall inside the tent, which seemed to snap Carly from her trance. The earthen missiles dropped to the floor and became just dirt once more.

  “Earth,” Aesri said, her voice no more than a whisper. And then, with her voice quieter still, she said, “Minxa.”

  “I don’t understand. What’s happening, Aesri?”

  Aesri smiled a sweet, sad smile and took Carly’s hands into her own. “I have to tell you a story, Carly. Why we are here. I am not terribly proud of it, but you need to know now.”

  Carly nodded, and Darius and Dearra tried to sit as still as possible so as not to interrupt.

  “I think you need to understand a little of what we believe. We call ourselves Children of the Great Tree, but we recognize Rah as God. We believe He has many names, but that there is only Him. We also believe that He has a plan for us, but because He is a loving father, He allows us to choose our own path. If we walk the wrong way, He will make sure we have the chance to choose again. We do not get upset about things, because we know that, in the end, everything will work out according to His plan.

  “Life is a circle, Carly. We do not chase after things or worry or fret, because we know, eventually, everything will come back around when He wills it. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  “I think so, but does this mean I have to worship Rah now that I know I am an Etrafarian? I don’t know if I could do that. We don’t go in much for deities and such on the island. I have to be honest and tell you I don’t really believe in that kind of thing.”

  Aesri smiled. “That is all right, Carly; He believes in you. Do not worry about that for now. It is only there for you to choose, if you so desire.”

  Carly felt slightly comforted. She nodded for Aesri to continue.

  “We used to be visitors to this place, but a long time ago, a group of Etrafarians passed through this area, and one of us made a choice that affected us all. Minxa was her name, and she was very gifted. I am water, and my magic is based on that, like the mist that fell in the tent, but Minxa’s magic flowed from all four elements. Sometimes there are ones born into a body that possess an element opposite to their sex, and on occasion, there are ones born who are a mixture of two of the elements, but to be in possession of all four is almost unheard of, Carly. Minxa was the last, and now…you.”

  “Me?” Carly’s voice trembled. “I don’t think I like this, Aesri. I didn’t even know I was a fairy until a few weeks ago, and now this!”

  “I do not understand either, my sister, but there can be no doubt. You have shown control of all four elements.”

  “But…but…I haven’t really controlled them, really. I don’t even remember doing any of those things! It was all an accident! Maybe I can stop if I really try?”

  The air in the tent chilled, and an unnatural breeze ruffled their hair.

  “Carly!” Aesri spoke firmly, and the air stilled and the room warmed.

  “Oh, please, Aesri. I don’t want any of this.”

  “Carly, we’ll get through this all right. We always manage,” Dearra said, consoling her friend by wrapping her arms around her narrow shoulders.

  “Listen to Dearra, Carly. You are waking up, and it is important that you control your emotions so they do not take control of you. When you can do that, you will begin to control the magic within you.”

  Carly nodded, though she felt miserable. She also felt Darius settle a large hand on her shoulder in support.

  “Maybe you should finish the story, Aesri,” Darius suggested.

  Aesri nodded. “Minxa was proud,” she began. “She was vain and considered herself above just about everyone else around her. At least, that is what the histories tell us. I have been studying on my own though, and I believe she was afraid of something.

  “I have come across some writings, some very old writings, and they seem to indicate there was more to the story than we know, but for the time being, we will focus on the story as it has been passed down through the generations. It is said that, one day, Minxa was alone in the desert, near where the mountains met the sand, and she became aware of some very powerful magic. Then she felt a being crying out for help. She could have given aid in that moment, but she decided it had nothing to do with her, and she chose to turn away. She felt the being’s pain, she heard the anguish, she sensed the need, and she only shrugged and walked away. None of her sisters were the wiser, and they returned to Etrafa.

  “When they arrived home, they were greeted with disaster. The Great Tree had developed a crack in its mighty trunk, and though the crack was not large, it was no less horrifying. Leaves that should have held firm for months before the changing of the seasons drifted to the forest floor where they landed and turned black. And though it was not many that had fallen, even one would have been enough to chill every heart in Etrafa.

  “The people begged Rah to tell them what they had done to displease Him so, but no answer came and the tree grew sicker, the crack grew longer, and more leaves fell, until, in desperation, Minxa confessed her actions to her brothers and sisters, and begged forgiveness. Not long after that the leaves stopped falling and the wound to the tree no longer increased, but neither was it healed.

  “Soon it was decided that balance needed to be restored. Our actions had brought harm to another, and we needed to correct it.”

  Carly gasped. “How can you say that? It was Minxa who was responsible. Why should all of you suffer for her actions?”

  “Minxa was a sister. When one of us stumbles, we all fall. Can the top of the tree survive if the roots are dead? We are responsible for each other, and we rejoice in that, for the joy of one is also the joy of another. We are strongest when we are together, a
nd we are made weak when we are pulled apart.”

  Carly shook her head, still feeling that it was wrong for all of Etrafa to be affected by the actions of one. “I don’t understand, Aesri.”

  “You will, Carly. Patience.”

  “I’ll try, Aesri.

  “Thank you for the story, anyway. It really does help me see things more clearly, even if I don’t understand all of it. All of that stuff about a being in the desert calling out for help, it reminds me of Brin a little bit.”

  Aesri made a choking noise. “Brin?”

  “Yes. Dearra’s sword, Brin. He’s a dragon who was trapped in a sword by a Breken wizard, like a thousand years ago.”

  “Brin’du Drak’Tir,” Aesri whispered, her eyes swinging to Dearra’s sword.

  Great. Now the fairies are involved, Brin said dejectedly.

  Aesri covered her mouth with both hands. So attuned was she to her search for the dragon, that his nearness allowed her to hear him speak. After a thousand years of waiting, he had finally been found again.

  The dragon, Brin’du Drak’Tir, had been abandoned by Minxa who, with the power of all four elements, probably had the ability to save him. Now, here he was again, which was testament to Rah’s wisdom. It was overwhelming, and Aesri felt a wave of awe wash over her. She felt blessed to have been made a small part of His plan, not to mention humbled and overcome with emotion. As tears of joy slipped silently down her cheeks, a soft rain began to fall inside the tent.

  Carly, Darius, and Dearra were at a loss for words as puddles formed around them.

  Brin was the only one to find his voice and he sighed, fairies.

  Chapter 25

  It was late by the time they headed back. Aesri had kept them longer than they had planned on staying. Darius thought she would have kept them right through the evening meal if he hadn’t insisted they return to the inn.

  Carly’s head felt like it was spinning. It seemed to her as if the weight of the world had been placed squarely on her shoulders. Aesri had tried to comfort her saying that Rah’s plans were never clear, and Carly may play no larger role in all this than the importance of her presence. Carly hoped rather than believed that to be true. She didn’t know this Rah very well yet, but it didn’t seem like he was the kind of god who did things in a small way–subtle, perhaps, but never small.