by D. C. Akers
“The odds of you finding a seed are infinitesimal, Samuel, much less finding it alive. Not to mention you would have to survive the journey through Shadowfay and into the mountain where the Fay live. No one has ever done that before.”
Sam’s heart sank. Just like that, their only hope had been snuffed out. He looked away to the floating flames that danced against the back wall of the house and then down to his mother’s covered body. What would you do, Mom? he wondered.
But he knew the answer to that question. She would go. She would take the journey and never look back. She would do anything for her children. Sam took in a deep breath, straightened himself up and looked straight into Sonia’s eyes.
“When do we leave?”
Chapter 19
Sonia looked like she had been slapped in the face. Her round fluffy cheeks had turned red and her giant yellow eyes were so big that she reminded Sam of a toad.
“Wha … what?” Sonia stammered. “But … but you can’t!”
“I’m with the kid,” bellowed Vallen from behind the group. He tilted his staff in Sam’s direction and a pompous smirk spread across his face.
Sonia looked beside herself. Her head twitched back and forth between Sam and Vallen, and small curls of red hair began to fall from beneath her hood into her eyes. She looked to Demetrius in desperation.
“Demetrius, talk some sense into the child. This is too dangerous. He won’t survive.”
“You mean we, don’t you?” Holly interjected.
Another curl fell into Sonia’s face. “Demetrius, please!”
All eyes were on Demetrius; even the two white wolves were staring at the Master Keeper. Demetrius looked to be in serious thought, his amber eyes shifting between Sam and Travis, as if he was contemplating the risk of bringing them, or perhaps of taking the journey at all.
Without a word, Demetrius tapped Hollister’s pommel and the emerald gemstone ignited into a dazzling green flame. A piece of faded parchment appeared within the fire.
“Bellisoria, circumstances have changed,” he said as a smaller dark flame of yellow and purple burst onto the parchment and began to scribe his words. “I will not be returning to the Majesty. I will be taking the Dalcome boy to Ashaway Cottage. I will send you a scroll once I’ve arrived. There is much to discuss.”
There was a pause as the flaming parchment rolled itself into a tight scroll and disappeared into the emerald flame. Demetrius held Hollister by its shaft and waved his free hand dismissively through the flame. The flame vanished.
“Amazing!” Jacob gasped. All heads turned; everyone seemed to have forgotten Jacob, who had been standing behind Lyra quietly observing.
“Demetrius, no!” Sonia pleaded, “You can’t do this.”
“Enough!” Tosya said, glowering at Sonia. “We are here to give aid to the wounded and prepare the deceased for transport.” Her tone was absolute. “I suggest we get back on task, Miss Yazov, if you don’t mind!”
Calling Sonia by her last name seemed to jolt her into action. Her frustrated scowl slackened and with a heavy sigh she turned and walked toward Xavier’s covered body.
But Tosya wasn’t done yet. Her glare cut to Demetrius. “I know I’m just a healer, Demetrius, and my opinion counts for little, but the path you have chosen is extremely dangerous.” Demetrius opened his mouth to speak but Tosya held up her hand, to silence him. “Let an old witch have her say, will you?” Demetrius closed his mouth in a flat expression. “We just got the boy back after all these years. Don’t go getting him killed. Some chapters may have come to an end tonight,” her gaze fell to Alisa’s body and she let out a small moan, “but the boy is a new beginning.” She looked back up at Demetrius. “Keep him safe,” she said softly, her golden eyes bright with emotion. Then she turned without giving Demetrius a chance to respond and joined Sonia by Xavier’s body.
Demetrius said nothing. He stared at the spot where Tosya had stood. Holly, Lyra, and Jacob also seemed to be lost in thought.
Sam felt he should say something, something inspiring and uplifting—after all, he was the one that pressed the issue about Shadowfay. But who was he kidding? He couldn’t even argue with his sister without sounding like a complete moron, much less try to lift spirits. With his luck he would probably make someone cry; he was good at that.
Sam looked over at Travis, who was rubbing his wrists, captivated by the two witches preparing the bodies for their journey home. Tosya and Sonia moved next to Xavier and Alisa and pulled back the blankets, exposing their pale expressionless faces. The two Keepers looked at peace with their eyes closed. Maybe they were at peace, Sam thought. Tosya and Sonia lifted their wands and made a single sweeping motion over each body followed by three subtle swishes, first at the head, then the chest, and finally at the feet. Black ash materialized and fell like snow, gathering just inches above the bodies, as if it were falling on a flat, invisible surface.
Sam stood motionless, clenching his jaw. It pained him to think this might be the last time he would ever see his mother’s face, but if it was then this was how he would remember her—with no signs of worry or fatigue from being overworked, but at peace because finally she found the serenity she had been searching for on Earth. He would miss her dearly, but above all he would miss the way she made him feel—warm and comforted, the way a mother should. He could feel the emotion swelling inside of him again and he took in a long, measured breath to calm himself.
“Goodbye, Mom,” he whispered quietly. “I love you.”
Within minutes, the bodies were consumed in a blanket of ash. The witches stepped forward and touched the tips of their wands to the center of the black mass and there was a faint crackling sound as the ash solidified. The decorative lines and angles of two coffins began to materialize as the once powdery texture crystalized, turning from black ash to a gleaming onyx finish.
The entire room watched as the witches moved their wands in swift circles, levitating the coffins several inches off the ground. Tosya then moved across the room to Sarah, making tight swirls above Sarah’s body with her wand, and within seconds she too began to levitate. Without thinking, Travis took a step forward. He looked as if he wanted to stop Tosya, but he stood his ground.
“Where are they taking her?” Sam asked to no one in particular.
“To the infirmary at the Majesty,” Holly said as she placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “She will be safe there.”
Sam watched as Sarah’s body hovered in front of Tosya, unaware of where she was headed. His throat felt tight as he swallowed. It was hard for him to see his sister so vulnerable. Sarah had always been strong and vibrant and now she looked small and fragile. There were a lot of things he could never tell her because they didn’t have that kind of relationship. But now, if he had the chance to do it all over again, things would be different. He would tell his sister that she was courageous and that he was proud of her. She might tell him he was being a dork and then ask if he was on drugs, or perhaps agree with him whole-heartedly. But he didn’t care because right now, at this moment, he would give anything just to hear her voice again. Sam straightened himself up and tried to suppress the emptiness he felt at seeing Sarah leave.
Tosya and Sonia moved with the two coffins, Sarah, and their white wolves to the back wall. The group stepped closer to the witches, leaving the Centurion standing guard in the center of the room.
“Well then,” Tosya said, “it’s time.” Her eyes were bright with age in the candlelight and her face was lined with experience and wisdom. “I’m truly sorry about your mother, Samuel. She was one of the bravest, most talented people I’ve ever known. Both of your parents were.”
Sam could hear the pain in her voice as if it physically hurt her to talk about it anymore. He wasn’t sure what to say. He never knew his father and he never knew this person his mother was supposed to have been. He knew her as the overworked, underpaid waitress trying to raise two kids as a single parent. That was the person he knew, not this leader, thi
s magical warrior from another world. With his mind drawing a blank, Sam resorted to “Thank you,” and forced a smile.
Tosya reached up with her frail arm and placed a hand to Sam’s cheek, taking him by surprise. “I really did help bring you into this world,” she said softly. “I was the one who delivered both you and your sister.”
Sam’s eyes grew wider, “Really?”
“Oh, yes. You were such pretty babies, too. Those eyes, those magnificent blue eyes. I would have recognized them anywhere,” she said dreamily, her voice trailing off.
Sam smiled shyly but his mind was churning out questions so fast he could barely contain himself. He wanted to know about his past. He wanted to know what his parents were like when they had been happy. He wanted to hear about their lives and the things they did and shared with one another when they were a family. But he said nothing and his smile faded as he forced himself to remain quiet.
Tosya then turned to Travis and a smirk crept across her face.
“You had a bit of a go at it, didn’t you?” she asked.
Travis’s raised his eyebrows, confused. He looked to Sam, but Sam shrugged his shoulders.
“Your face,” she snapped, and she lifted her wand to his forehead and gave it a stern tap. There was a loud crack.
“Ouch!” Travis screeched. He jerked his hands to his face and rubbed his head.
“There, that should do it,” she said, happy with herself.
“What was that for?” he groaned, pulling his hands down and glaring at her.
But the dark blue and yellow bruises around Travis’s eyes had vanished. His nose was no longer swollen or broken. He looked just like he had before, before the encounter with the Viper.
“Your face,” Sam said, stepping in front of Travis to take a better look.
Travis turned grim. “What? What’s wrong with it?” he asked, patting his cheeks, nose and forehead.
“Nothing. It looks, well, normal,” Sam mused.
“What?” Travis gasped, continuing to pat his face.
Tosya looked back to Sam, who only had a few minor cuts and scrapes and lifted her wand again.
Sam held up a hand. “No, really, I’m fine. Thanks though,” he said cheerfully.
She smiled and looked to Holly and Demetrius.
“Take care of them.”
Demetrius stepped next to Holly. “We will. Be safe.”
Tosya tried to smile, but her concern kept her from seeming sincere. She turned to Lyra and bowed. “Princess Lyra.”
Lyra bowed her head slightly. Princess, Sam thought. He and Travis stared at Lyra as she kept her gaze on Tosya and Sonia. But Sam felt she knew they were staring at her.
Tosya stepped back with Sonia, Sarah, the two white wolves, and the onyx coffins. Sonia gave a tender wave and with a flash of white light they turned into seven silver spheres of electricity and vanished with a resounding pop.
“Amazing,” Jacob said, for the third time that night.
They all stared at the empty spot for several minutes, each person consumed in their own thoughts. Sam was feeling tired; the night was finally catching up with him but he knew there was still more to do. And part of him was relieved that Sarah would be in good hands until they could find the Elixir of Life.
“Now what, Demetrius?” Sam asked.
“Now we wait for Coppertop.”
“What’s a Coppertop,” Travis asked, sitting down on the arm of the couch.
“Not a what, but a who,” Demetrius corrected. “He works for the Majesty, in Magical Sterilization. He’s the best. A bit odd,” Demetrius smirked, “but good.”
“But what does Coppertop do exactly?” Travis asked.
“He will cleanse all traces of magic from the house. He will also place the house back in order, back to its original condition. Once we leave there will be no sign of magic or any evidence that this night even occurred.”
Sam wished it were that easy. He wished they could perform some kind of magic that could just turn back time, erase the night completely as if it had never happened. He would give anything to hear his mother’s voice now, or even to see Sarah’s notorious grin. He closed his eyes and winced, placing a hand to his head. He could feel it throbbing behind his eyes. It was either from sleep deprivation or stress. There were hours, maybe minutes before he took a journey that might end his life. Being back at school, playing dodgeball, and being harassed by Daniel Harris didn’t seem so bad now.
“Are you okay, Sam?” Holly asked, watching him rub his eyes.
“I’m fine,” he said, and gave a small shrug. “Just a headache.”
“See, you should have had the witch slap you in the face with the wand. You’d feel like a million bucks now,” Travis said, grinning.
“Yeah, maybe,” Sam said, pulling his hand away and straightening himself up.
“Hey, Demetrius,” Travis said, addressing him like they were old friends, “how come there are no police here?”
Demetrius looked to Holly, obviously confused, but Holly looked just as bewildered. Together they looked to Vallen.
“What?” Vallen asked. “I have no idea what a police is.”
“Yes, that’s a very good question,” Jacob said, nodding his head in agreement. “Why is it no one heard the ruckus, I mean,” he looked to the upstairs landing where the three Centurions were standing guard, “it looks as if a bomb went off in here.”
“Yeah,” Travis added, “exactly my point. Why is it that you two,” he pointed to Lyra and Jacob, “showed up and no one else did?”
“It was because of the Viper’s Binding spell,” Lyra explained.
"The what?" Jacob asked, titling his head to one side.
“It’s a powerful containment spell. Not only will it imprison the victim from coming and going, but it will also contain any sound or air within the radius of the spell.”
“Oh,” Travis murmured, “kind of like a bubble?”
“Um, yes, kind of like that,” Lyra frowned.
Sam put his hand to his head again and ran his hand through his thick black hair, trying not to make it obvious that his head was still hurting. But Holly noticed it at once.
“Sam, why don’t we go sit down until Coppertop arrives.”
Sam nodded and walked to the couch. Travis slid off the arm of the sofa and onto the cushion and they sat together in silence.
Holly looked down at the boys as they stared blankly ahead. They looked drained, with dark circles underneath their eyes, unkempt hair, and tattered clothes. The boys had fought for their lives tonight and they looked like it. She turned her attention to Demetrius and he nodded. Holly bit her lip and sighed.
“Sam,” she said. Sam looked up to see the troubled look on her face. “I will be leaving soon,” she continued, looking down at her boots.
“What?” he asked. “What do you mean? I thought …”
“Oh, I will be joining you on the journey to Shadowfay,” she said quickly. “Vallen and I need to return to the Majesty, but we will join you as soon as we can.”
“But why? I … I don’t understand,” he said. “And what is the Majesty anyway?”
Holly leaned against her staff. “The Majesty is much like your government here. I believe that is the correct terminology,” she said, frowning. “Sorry, it’s been awhile. The leader of the Majesty is a witch named Bellisoria. She is the one responsible for finding and establishing Haven’s society. Demetrius, Vallen, and I are part of the Majesty. It’s our duty to protect the interests of the Majesty. Right now we need to report back to inform them of what took place here and what has happened to your mother, sister, and Xavier. But once that is done, and once Demetrius has ironed out a solid plan for Shadowfay, I will join you again. I promise.”
Holly knelt down next to Sam, placed her staff on the floor by his feet, and slowly reached for his hand. She stared for a moment at their hands and looked up slowly. Her majestic eyes searched Sam’s face as if to take in every feature, as if she might not
see him again. In that moment of silence Sam felt the emptiness inside himself stirring, wanting to resurface, wanting to mix with his emotions and manipulate his thoughts. The walls of acceptance he had built up over the last few hours fell under attack by the despair and loneliness that were lingering just outside the gate. He knew he could not allow that to happen; he could not allow his emotions to control him. Now more than ever, he would have to count on himself to stay strong. It was no longer just about himself—it was about his sister and keeping her alive.
Holly finally spoke with a tenderness in her voice. “You know, I have waited a long time to meet you, Samuel Dalcome.” She held out her other hand with an impish smile. “I am Hollerin Quinn, but my friends call me Holly.”
Sam and Travis both smiled. Sam took her hand and together they shook. Holly then turned, “Travis.”
Still smiling, Travis held out his hand. “Travis Martin, but you can call me Trav.”
Holly grinned. “Okay, Trav.”
She turned back to Sam and her expression stiffened. “I am sorry the circumstances could not be better. Your mother was a wonderful person and an honored Keeper. I am proud to have called her my friend. We all are.” As Holly said this, she was joined by Demetrius, Vallen, and Lyra. Jacob had remained behind to give them some privacy.
“Samuel, I know everything is happening very fast. You must have a thousand questions and I promise they will all be answered in due time. But right now I need you to trust me that we are your friends and we are here to help,” she said as she stared into his eyes. “Can you do that?” She squeezed his hand again.
Sam might have said no if it weren’t for the letter he had seen from Holly to his mother. Not to mention they had all risked their lives for his family tonight and were probably the only people that could help his sister now.
“I read the letter about the spell.” Sam knew that came out all wrong. He could tell by the look on her furrowed brow.
“The spell?” she said softly.
“Yes,” he replied. “Narravista.”
