by Unknown
“Are you causing this?” he asked her.
“What? The quake?” she said, falling to his side. “Why would you think that?” 70
Just one look into her eyes and any fear Colin felt vanished. How could this small, silver-haired girl be dangerous? He nearly laughed at the thought.
The ground began to quiet again.
“I’m sorry,” Colin then whispered. “I am …” he did not want to admit how he felt. “I’m afraid, Catrina. I’m really afraid.”
He was afraid that if Catrina knew how frightened he was, she would not wish to stay with him. That she would think he was weak and unable to protect her. But his greatest fear: She is the one the Stripers are searching for… and how can I possibly protect her if she is the Projector? I’m just a boy that happens to be good at magic…
“Colin,” she whispered back. “You’re not the only one that’s afraid.” She nestled into his side. “Promise me you won’t ever leave me,” she then muttered under her breath. “I know we hardly know each other, and people would say we’re just young and naive, but … I love you, Colin Jacoby. I’m so sure of it I’d bet my life on it this very moment! No matter what happens, I will never leave you.”
Colin then sat up. Spending a lifetime with Catrina would never be enough time. Maybe she was a stranger, but like Catrina, he knew what he wanted, and he wanted to be with her.
He got to his feet, helping her up off the ground.
He kissed her and wiped away the tears now streaming down her face.
“I won’t let you live in fear. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe!” He paused, disbelieving what he was about to say. “Because I know that I love you too, Catrina Flummer. I knew it the first moment I saw you, and nothing will ever changer that.” They sat down on the bed, staring at each other, frightened, and yet knowing that somehow, whatever happened, they would at least always be together.
Meghan wandered through the meadow, assisting in clean up after the quake. Her attempts to contact Colin were futile.
“Hey, stranger,” she heard someone shout.
“Hey, Jae,” she replied rather somberly, upon seeing him.
“Looks like they’ve got all of us non-Initiated doing all the cleaning,” he joked.
“I need a distraction anyway,” she muttered, her gaze sweeping to the other side of the meadow, toward the meeting tent. “I wonder if they’ve decided anything yet?”
“Decided what?” Jae asked her.
Meghan explained to Jae what Bird had shown Colin and Catrina in the Stripers’ meadow.
“A field of pyres...” he shuddered at the thought. “Got my curiosity. I wonder what Banon Blackwell’s going to do about it?”
“That’s what I’ve been waiting to find out,” Meghan replied. “We’ve been cleaning up after the quake for over two hours. I was hoping they’d have finished by now.”
“I may have never been to an SLC meeting, but one thing I’ve learned… they rarely decide on anything quickly!”
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They moved into the cantina, where everything was still a mess from the quake. Pots and pans were lying on the ground, tables and chairs were knocked over, and utensils were strewn across the ground. Just then, a couple of pots fell, clanging together and then falling to the ground.
Jae jumped, startled. His eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for some unknown assailant.
Jae’s a little jumpier than normal.
“Everything okay?” Meghan asked him.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, fine.” He returned to cleaning up the cantina.
“I know you’ve been living this lifestyle a lot longer than I have, Jae, but to be honest, I still don’t know how. Sometimes, I can’t help but think about how simple it would be, to just be back in Cobbscott… back before I knew anything about magic or Firemancy.” Jae stopped cleaning.
“It seems so long ago now, doesn’t it? That I got stuck in Cobbscott.”
“Seems like ancient history!”
“Sometimes, Meghan, I miss that time. A lot. Being stuck in Cobbscott … I just…” Meghan waited for him to speak, eager that he might actually open up to her.
Jae sighed. He looked down at the ground and then directly at Meghan. She could tell he was desperate to say something, but literally looked as though he could not speak the words.
“It’s too late,” he muttered. “Too late. Can’t go back, now.”
“What do you mean Jae?” she asked, surprised at the sudden turn in their conversation.
She reached for his arm.
“Don’t touch me!” he exhaled, backing up. “You should just leave me alone! I wish… I wish I’d never gotten left behind in Cobbscott… because I wouldn’t have … I’ve really made a mess of things, Meghan.” Jae’s face looked hopeless as he suddenly ran away.
Meghan stomped on the ground. How much can one person take! She wanted to locate Ivan and demand, on the spot, that he tell her everything he knew about Jae Mochrie. She needed to solve something. Not everything could just be question after question and new problem after new problem. At some point, there had to be an answer that did not lead to more questions, or bigger problems!
In the distance, people started to leave the tent. Meeting must be over. Instinct told her she should return to Juliska’s tent.
It was Ivan, not Juliska that greeted her.
“Just the person I wanted to see!” she told him, clearly irritated.
“What’s got you all worked up?”
She set her jaw and stood with her hands on her hips.
“You know what, Ivan Crane? You are the most loathsome person I know!”
“I’m going to guess that this has nothing to do with the meeting?”
“No, Ivan. It doesn’t! And you know what I am ‘all worked up’ about!”
“Ah,” he stated. “Always comes back to this, doesn’t it? We have an agreement, Meghan,” he leaned in, reminding her.
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“How could I forget, Ivan?” she angrily whispered back. “Jae just completely freaked out on me! Why?” she demanded.
He stared at her until finally deciding to reply.
“Whatever you’re thinking is wrong with him, you’re not right. Just let it go for now, Meghan.”
“Why? Until when? It’s too late to help him?”
He started to walk away.
“Don’t just walk away, Ivan! Tell me!”
She gasped then, as he grabbed her violently, and dove into Juliska’s tent.
“Just leave it alone, Meghan. What’s happening to Jae is far worse than anything you could imagine or have seen in your visions!” he spat out viciously.
Meghan held her breath.
“It’s NOT something you’re ready to see!”
Ivan then let go of her and turned away. Before leaving the tent, he lowered his head and sighed.
“I don’t want you to bring it up again. I know you just want to help your friend. But you can’t. No one can, Meghan,” his voice cracked. “I really am sorry, but this is a reality you simply have to accept.”
He then left the tent, letting the canvas door slide down behind him.
Meghan slumped to the ground, tears falling freely down her face. She got to her knees and crawled into her room.
“I just want to go home,” she cried, crumpling into a ball.
Nona found her way in moments later and lay next to her.
“I just want to go back to being a nobody,” she told her loyal pet.
Nona remained silent and allowed Meghan to sob, realizing nothing she said or did would give her any solace.
After awhile, Meghan stopped crying and just lay on the ground, all of her thoughts, fears and questions looping in circles in her mind.
“There is no going back, is there, Nona?” she muttered.
“You know the answer, Meghan.”
“Well, at least there’s one thing I can control!” she then shouted, jumping off the ground and racing out of the tent
.
The last thought Nona heard in Meghan’s mind was something to do with Catrina being a Projector and her brother being in danger…
Colin arrived at Billie’s later that evening. He had left Catrina in his room while he grabbed them some dinner. He froze just outside after hearing an unwelcome voice.
“Garner,” he frowned.
“So they’ve sent out another hunting party?” Billie was saying.
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“Yes. The Banon feels it necessary to make it look like a hunting party, for the sake of the Stripers, but they’ll be looking into the pyres. They should report back before nightfall.”
“Which isn’t too long from now, my brother.”
“I am sorry I have not visited sooner,” Garner then apologized. “Things are… complicated.”
“You don’t have to tell me! Right mess we got going!”
“Maybe better now that the boy is staying with you,” Garner said.
“Yes, better I suppose. Better to be away from the Mochrie boy.”
“Jae?” muttered Colin. What did they mean?
“Is there no hope for him?” continued Billie, her voice barely audible.
“He made the choice, Billie. You know I cannot interfere.”
“Right complicated mess!” she sighed. “And the boy, Colin, he’s been acting rather oddly,” Billie said.
Colin’s eyes widened. He had not been careful enough. And now, Garner Sadorus was too close to finding out about Catrina. He took a few steps back and then noisily made his way to the tent’s entrance. He needed to end this conversation.
Meghan Jacoby ignored the pleas from Nona, begging her to rethink what she was about to do.
“Sorry, Nona,” she said, seeing Juliska heading toward the tent.
She backed inside, her heart racing as she neared.
“I have to do this! It’s for his own good. I have always looked out for Colin. I know what’s best!”
Juliska entered the tent looking worn.
“Megan…”
“There is something I must tell you,” Meghan exclaimed. “And I think it best we talk in your room.”
Meghan’s intimation peaked Juliska’s curiosity instantly.
“Very well.” Juliska motioned for Meghan to follow her in. “Have you had another vision?”
“No vision. But I haven’t been completely honest with you about something and now, because of that, I fear for my brother’s life.”
Meghan took a deep breath and began, before she could lose her nerve.
“I think I know who the Projector is, and where you can find her!” Juliska’s face turned at first white, and then red with anger.
“What exactly do you mean, Meghan?”
“Remember when my brother followed Ivan and myself into Eidolon’s Valley? While he was there, he found a girl.”
Juliska nearly lost her balance.
“A girl?” she stammered. “And what happened to said girl?” her voice rose an octave while asking.
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Meghan gulped hard.
“He brought her with us and cast some sort of spell that cloaked her, made her invisible to anyone else. We didn’t know he’d done it,” she lied, for Ivan’s sake, knowing it would be bad for him if Juliska thought he had lied, too. Meghan swallowed and then made her claim.
“I think she’s the Projector the Stripers are looking for. I should have told you sooner, I’m sorry… I think she is infecting him,” she added maliciously.
The normally composed Juliska Blackwell crumpled. The veins on her face turned blue against her pale skin. The longer Juliska held in her emotion, the veins turned flame red, like bright tattoos lining her skin.
“There are things you obviously cannot understand, Meghan,” Juliska spoke fervently. “But I am glad you have told me this. Your brother is in serious danger.” She then added, “Catrina Flummer was left in that valley for a reason!”
“What?” Meghan asked, thinking she had not heard correctly.
“I should have taken care of the job myself!” Juliska shouted as she angrily stormed out of the room.
Meghan lost her breath, falling to her knees. What just happened?
“She knew,” muttered Meghan.
Juliska knew that Catrina was left in the cave… Catrina was right…
“This doesn’t matter,” Meghan then spoke, mostly to comfort herself. “Catrina is still dangerous, and Juliska knew this, too!”
“Jelen! Jenner!” Meghan heard Juliska shout just outside her room. “There is an intruder in our camp. I want you to locate Colin Jacoby and bring him in, immediately!” They departed at once to begin their search.
Meghan mustered up enough strength to leave Juliska’s room.
Pantin Hollee arrived a second later.
“Sound the alarm, Hollee! I want Colin Jacoby found, now!” Hollee darted her eyes between Juliska and Meghan but did not question. Meghan stared blankly at the tent wall.
“I am sorry Meghan,” Juliska spoke heartlessly. “But this is something that cannot go unpunished. But be comforted, that if we locate Catrina Flummer, your brother will at least live.”
Juliska then whispered, so Meghan could not hear, to Pajak, as he crawled out of her hair and onto her shoulder.
“I should have listened to you, my pet. You told me he was talking to a girl you did not recognize…” She then stormed off to join the search.
Meghan once again crumpled to the ground, and once again, Ivan Crane arrived just in time to pick her back up.
“I… I told Juliska about Catrina,” she stuttered. “Colin told me he thinks she’s the Projector…”
“Um. What?” he responded, so shocked that he nearly dropped her.
“I thought it was the right thing … Oh God! Ivan …”
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“Can you reach him, through your mind?” he asked. “Maybe you shouldn’t…” he was obviously as torn about this situation as Meghan.
Meghan tried to reach him, but Colin ignored her attempts.
“I think he’s at Billie’s. Everyone knows that’s where he’s staying. They’ll go right there.”
“Not if I get there first!” Nona shouted. “Ivan, open the stove door.” He did so at once, clearly making the choice to help Colin and Catrina. Nona bounded into the flame, dissolving at once. The closest open flame was three tents away from Billie’s. As the Catawitch popped out of the flame, her legs were already running before they hit the ground.
Nona heard Meghan’s thoughts as she ran.
I can’t believe what I just did… I’m supposed to protect him… maybe I am protecting him… but he loves her… Colin will never forgive me for this… he shouldn’t ever forgive me for this…
Nona ran as fast as she could toward Billie’s, darting between unaware people, nearly tripping one man as she jumped through his legs.
“Oh please let me get there first!” she pleaded.
13
Colin Jacoby entered Billie’s tent.
The look on Garner’s face gave away nothing about what he had meant about him not being around Jae Mochrie, or thankfully, that he knew anything about Catrina.
Before Colin could greet either Billie or Garner, a bell started clanging, sounding an alarm throughout the meadow.
Billie and Garner looked at each other, concerned. As they opened the tent door to see what the alarm was for, Nona came bounding in, screeching to a halt.
“Colin! They know about Catrina! They’re coming for you!” Colin dropped his tray of food.
The room started spinning.
He heard Catrina gasp.
He then allowed his sisters’ thoughts to flood his, realizing that it was she that had betrayed them. Anger instantly flowed through his veins. How could you? How could you do this? His thoughts begged her to answer.
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He turned his mind off to Meghan’s river of apologies and raced into his room. There was nothing she could say that would make up for this betraya
l.
He needed to get Catrina to safety.
Garner and Billie followed him.
“Catrina?” Garner questioned. “Catrina Flummer?”
“Yes,” Colin answered weakly, wondering how he had guessed.
Billie’s hand went up to her mouth, covering it.
“Oh thank God!” Garner said. “We feared she was lost!”
“Huh?” Colin shook his head. Was nothing in this place as it appeared? Was anyone telling him the truth? No wonder Balloch said to trust no one… I can’t even trust my own sister…
“Where is she?” Billie then demanded.
Colin feared he had no choice but show her. He felt Catrina’s hand close around his own and he lifted the spell. She materialized before them. Garner and Billie looked relieved, and then just as quickly, frightened.
“Colin. You must leave!” Garner then advised.
“And go where?” he asked, still confused by Garner’s assistance.
“There’s no time!” reminded Nona.
“I will stall them as long as I can,” Garner said, nodding at his sister.
“Follow me,” ordered Billie.
Garner then grasped Colin’s shirt, stopping him.
“Protect this girl with your life! You have no idea how important she is!” Billie then ran out of the back of tent, shouting for them to keep up. She kept to the back of the tents and out of sight, stopping four tents over.
Billie darted inside, followed by Colin and Catrina. They startled a woman, putting on shoes to head out of her tent.
“Billie!” spoke the startled voice of Sidra Flummer.
Noah Flummer, her son, came running out of a room at the back, shouting.
“What is it, Mother?” he stopped when he saw Billie Sadorus, Colin Jacoby and a girl he did not recognize.
Recognition hit them both just a mere second later.
“You’re alive,” Sidra muttered, running forward and grasping Catrina in her arms.
Catrina sobbed as Sidra held her close.
“Noah, Sidra, I’m sorry, there’s little time to explain. This alarm is because our young Colin Jacoby has been hiding Catrina here in the camp since we arrived. I don’t know the story.
But Juliska’s coming for them.”
“They need to leave,” Noah said as urgently as Garner had just minutes before.
“How will we get them out of here?” asked Sidra. “And where will they go?”
