Catrina grasped his hand. “We’ll figure it out together. Your sister loves you. This is why she sent Nona. You know she would never do anything to put you in danger.”
“I do understand Colin,” Nona said, not having heard Catrina. “Just be careful. I must return now. You said you had a message for Meghan.”
Colin explained Jae’s odd behavior.
“I will pass this information along, Colin. I can tell you though, that Meghan has learned nothing new. It is a situation she finds most infuriating.”
“Thanks, Nona. Take care, okay?”
“You as well,” she replied, jaunting out of the tent.
As soon as they were alone Colin grabbed Catrina and darted into their room. He used every magical spell he could find in the Magicante to protect the room from outsiders.
“I didn’t want to say this in front of Nona,” Colin finally admitted after his flurry of spellcasting, “but I really think my sister’s relationship with Juliska Blackwell is not healthy.”
“Like it or not though, Juliska is the only other seer around. Meghan does need a teacher.”
“You’re right, I know. There is just something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Something about Juliska that’s just… off.” It was not the right word, but his anger kept him from thinking straight.
“Don’t get me wrong, Colin. I only said she needed a teacher, I never said Juliska was the right choice. She’s just the only choice.”
He wanted to ask Catrina what exactly she meant by all that, and what knowledge she had about the gypsy’s fearless leader. But his mind was wandering all over the place, wondering how to make sure Catrina stayed safe.
“If your sister is right and we’re being watched, you’re being watched,” she corrected. “What next?”
“We could leave?”
“We don’t have anywhere to go, Colin. We’re not even sure where we are since Juliska refused to tell anyone.”
“There must be a way.” He wished his knowledge of magic was vaster. Perhaps the Magicante would help.
“We would have to get our hands on the Book of Doorways,” Catrina told him. “It’s the only way I know of to find a doorway out of this place.”
“We’ll never get our hands on that book. It’s in Juliska’s possession. She’s the only one that uses it to open the doorways.”
“And if we stole it we’d be stranding everyone else here,” Catrina reminded.
“Wherever that is.”
“Our only option is to be careful. Colin, I… I cannot be discovered. Not yet.” Her voice got tight, that fear leaking through again. A look that shredded him to see. A look he’d do almost anything, including steal the Book of Doorways and stranding everyone, to make sure Catrina never had to wear, again.
The ground beneath their feet swayed.
Was he passing out?
Oh, perfect. Same old useless Colin Jacoby to the non-rescue.
No, wait, the ground was actually moving.
Catrina lurched and Colin lunged over to catch her, the two of them barely remaining upright. The shaking worsened, shouts and screams echoed all around the clearing outside their tent.
Something crashed and clanked outside.
It sounded like hell had broken loose. Is this what had happened to the missing? Had there been some kind of quake that ran them off and started the fire?
Colin grabbed Catrina’s hand and they left their magically protected room and made it to the exit of Billie’s tent. He stuck his head through to see what was going on, only to pull it back an instant later as a tent pole from next door came crashing downward right where his neck had been.
Catrina gasped as he jumped back in.
The rumbling went on.
He wrapped himself around her, the two of them grounding each other.
He wished it all away. The quake. Her fear. The reason she even needed to hide.
A minute later, it all ended. The ground stable below their feet again.
“Is it over?” Catrina asked warily.
“I think it is.”
Outside the tent, voices called out, checking for injuries. Footsteps scraping into the dirt, scurrying by, investigating the aftermath.
Colin made Catrina invisible again and stuck his head outside the tent. There was some damage to a few tents, the cantina was a mess, but overall, things didn’t look too bad. There was a banging inside his head. Meghan… He opened the link.
“Are you guys okay?” she demanded fretfully.
“Yes. We are. You?”
“Yeah. Fine. Was that freaky or what?”
“Or what,” he returned sarcastically.
“Our first quake.”
“And I hope our last. Not in a hurry to have it happen again,” Colin clucked. “Since you’re in my head though, thanks for sending Nona earlier.”
“Nona thinks I pretty much scared you to death. Sorry. I just meant for you to be extra careful. They are watching everyone right now, Colin. It’s like everything is falling to pieces.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of what it feels like here, too,” he admitted. Hearing Meghan’s voice calmed him. He was wrong to get so upset. Somehow, things would work out.
“I gotta run, Col. Just glad you’re all right.”
“You too, Sis.”
She left his mind and he put his own block back in place. Colin explained to Catrina that his sister’s warning might have come across a bit heavier than she had meant it to.
“Still, we’re not wrong to worry.”
“Like you said, we’ll just be careful. About everything.” Colin glanced at the exit. “Wonder if I should go see if anyone needs help.”
“Yes, go. I’ll be okay here.”
Colin looked torn over leaving her.
“Really, Colin. I’m fine. We are fine. It would look odd if you did not go offer help. So go. If I have to, I’ll stay in our room until it’s safe to leave.”
Colin nodded in begrudging acceptance. However, when he opened the tent to leave, he jumped back, startled.
“Ivan!”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you,” Ivan apologized, stepping inside.
“I was just coming out to see if anyone needed help. Does this sort of thing happen here a lot?”
“Since none of us know where he is, I cannot say. But everyone is fine. A few broken things, tents that need reinforcing, but nothing serious. You both fared well, I presume?”
“Yes. We’re fine,” Colin told him.
“But that’s not why Ivan’s here,” Catrina spoke, from behind Colin.
“Is she here?” Came out of Ivan, confirming Catrina’s suspicions.
“Colin, could you lift the spell so Ivan can see and hear me, please. I assumed he’d want to speak with me at some point.”
“But now?” Colin murmured.
“Everyone’s distracted,” she put together.
“Fine. Let’s go into our room first, just as a precaution,” Colin ordered.
Colin motioned for Ivan to follow.
Once inside, Colin lifted the spell and Catrina materialized.
“I have some questions,” he started right in.
“And hello to you too.”
Ivan greeted her through clenched teeth. “Now if you don’t mind, I don’t have much time.”
“Very well.” Catrina made herself comfortable on the bed.
The first question, however, was not what Colin expected. He had assumed Ivan wanted to know more about his mother.
“How did you end up in the cave?”
Colin listened intently as they had not yet discussed this very intriguing issue. He hadn’t wanted to press, but his curiosity was killing him.
“To be perfectly honest, Ivan, I am not totally sure. All I remember is taking a walk and the next thing I know, I’m waking up in a strange room. A hospital room, I think. I was surrounded by faces I did not recognize. That’s not completely accurate. I did recognize one face, but only from pictures. Y
ou are not going to like it, Ivan.”
“I assume you’re going to say, Banon Blackwell,” he concluded.
Catrina nodded.
“She is the only person I assumed you would have photographs of,” he explained.
“You probably want to know why, Ivan, but I can’t answer that since I have no idea.” Her voice mimicked confidence. Colin wondered what she was holding back, and if Ivan noticed she was as well. “All I am sure about is that I was given a drink which made me sleepy, and after, I ended up in the coffin. After that, everything is a bit hazy, my memories dream-like.”
Colin could hear Ivan’s teeth grinding as he contemplated what Catrina told him. Listening to her talk was both satisfying and terrifying. On the one hand, these were questions that he had desperately wanted to ask himself, but had not yet dared for fear it would upset her. Somehow though, he also had the nagging suspicion Catrina was not speaking the entire truth. That she held something back from Ivan. Perhaps, when she was ready, she would tell him instead.
“And what about my mother?” Ivan bleated out next. “How is it, she would leave this message with you, so many years ago as an infant, so you’d deliver it to me now? So many years past her death. Why you?”
“These are things I really cannot answer, Ivan. I wish I could. I really do. But now that we have the time, I can tell you the entire message.”
“Please,” he begged. “Tell me.”
“I am sure you recall the first part, ‘Find my hidden treasure and you will find the answers you seek,’” she started. “This is the rest: ‘To find my hidden treasure, you must seek the possession I held close to my heart.’”
“Another riddle! Why can’t people just say what they mean?” he nearly shouted.
“I am truly sorry, Ivan. This is obviously something important and I wish I knew more.”
He eyed her as if she was holding back some vital part, something that would explain his late mother’s message.
“I do not know what possession she speaks of,” he sighed aggravatingly. “Many of the people who knew her are either dead or in another caravan. Are you sure there is nothing more?”
“Ivan, I’m sure she shared what she knows,” Colin spoke sharply.
“Yes, that is all Ivan,” Catrina affirmed, again. She gently touched his arm. “Perhaps now is not the time for you to discover the answer,” she expressed, speaking wisely.
“You’re a strange girl, Catrina Flummer,” Ivan replied, in a calmer voice. “I will keep silent about your presence here, but I feel it only wise to warn you,” he turned to Colin, “that with everything going on, keeping this secret will get harder each day that it continues.”
“We don’t need any more reminders about that,” Colin exclaimed.
Ivan took his leave, once again leaving Colin and Catrina alone. Colin’s first act was to redo the spell to hide her, followed by dragging out the Magicante.
“What are you doing?” Catrina asked him.
“Heeding the warnings and getting us all the protection we need,” he assured her.
She came and sat next to him and watched him open the book.
“Please, can you help me? I need to protect this tent, especially this room. I want it to be as if we don’t exist to the outside world while we are in this room.”
“Hmm,” its cranky, tired voice moaned. “It does appear that drastic measures are required in this matter.” The books pages began to flip back and forth. Magicante did this repeatedly, offering various spells to help conceal the space and keep it safe. After thirty minutes, the Magicante flipped shut.
“There,” Colin blew out, relieved. “It is as secure as we can make it.” He joined her on the cot. She had a few pillows behind her, sitting upright with legs tucked up under her chin. Colin sat down in front of her, crossing his legs, a moment of boldness simmering at the surface.
“You did not actually tell Ivan everything, did you?”
She smiled rather shyly. “You picked up on that.”
“I don’t think he did.”
“Doesn’t matter really. Everything that was pertinent to Ivan, he knows. As for the rest, I think it needs to remain secret. At least, until I have evidence one way or another and can say for sure, what exactly did happen to me, and why. Even with my suspicions, I do not want to pass judgment before it is due. Is that okay?” she questioned, timidly.
“You know, I have to agree with Ivan,” Colin returned. “You really are a strange girl. No, not strange. Unique, in a very good way,” he clarified, hoping he had not offended her.
“I just don’t want to make things worse than they already are,” she said. “I don’t actually want to be strange.” She smiled, taking his hand.
“I don’t mind. I mean, being strange, or not telling me everything,” he explained, his tongue getting a little tied up. They were so close, he had but to lean forward and kiss her. But his nerves got the better of him.
Catrina however, did not carry this same doubt. She leaned in and gently kissed his lips just for a moment, before resting her cheek against his chest.
“Your heart is beating quite fast,” she whispered.
“Is it?” he stammered.
First kisses would do that, he imagined. Although he believed all kisses from Catrina would always do that to him. Colin said nothing more, wishing he could stay in this moment forever.
CHAPTER 25
Sebastien Jendaya dawdled apprehensively at the entrance of a cave.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Only a dark abyss awaited him, and yet he was compelled to go inside. He’d seen this place in a dream and upon waking, had the insurmountable urge to find it. And he had. “I can’t believe this place is real.” And in the middle of nowhere, but somehow he’d had no trouble finding it. As soon as he’d gotten close, the entrance had appeared out of nowhere. Most likely protected by magic which had been lifted, because he was meant to come here.
He was surrounded by lush woods, thick with natural life, but he’d followed a well-beaten path. One that didn’t look overly used as of late. And he guessed if he kept going beyond the cave, it eventually came out at the St. Croix River, which meant he was just barely still in Maine, and was close to the Canadian border. And even more oddly, not all that far away from his home.
A voice echoed, from everywhere and nowhere.
“Please enter, Sebastien. I have been awaiting your arrival.”
He peered into the cave, the darkness abruptly dispersed by bursts of flame lining the walls. Torches. They lit up deep into the cave, which did not matter. He wasn’t leaving until he’d seen this strange dream through. Sebastien entered, roaming deeper and deeper, rounding a corner where he came to a stop. Everything changed. Still a cave, and yet not. More a home, inside a cave.
There was definitely magic at work here.
And from somewhere he did not see overhead, sunlight came down through casting a beam onto the floor of the dimly lit space. A woman with dark red hair removed a whistling kettle from a stove. Her back to him, she called out, “Tea?”
“No. Thanks.”
“Come on in. Take a seat.” She gave him a sideways nod, pointing to a wooden table off to the side of the living space. The place was warm. Cozy. Lived in. Though a lonely aura sat about the space. The belongings held no personal reflection. No photos or art. No mementos. It was filled with everything one needed for comfort, but lacked the true warmth of a home.
It led Sebastien to two conclusions.
This woman did not have company often. And she was hiding from something. Or someone. So why did she want to see him?
He took a seat and waited for her to finish making the tea. What he did not expect is for her to turn around with eyes that he recognized so intently he thought he’d just slammed into a wall. Those eyes, he’d swear he’d seen them before. A face so familiar, at the same time, not quite.
He sat, breathless, waiting for her to join him. The sparkling blue ocean gems staring ba
ck at him, seeing the truth in his eyes. He’d figured it out. Didn’t believe it, but he saw it. Saw her…
“Who are you?” he breathed out.
“Let’s not pretend you haven’t already guessed. But I’ll give you a few minutes to believe it. How about we begin with why you are here.”
“Okay.”
“Although it means speaking the truth, something I have not done in an age. My name is Isabella. And I am, or once was, a member of the Svoda Gypsies. I left the island shortly before the mass exodus; you would have been but an infant at the time. More importantly, I am a Firemancer.”
Which made perfect sense with what his mind was trying to piece together and believe.
“I am also dead.”
He raised a brow.
“To all who once knew me,” she clarified, sadly. “And though I have called to you for help, dead to the world I must remain.”
“Why? Why pretend you are dead?”
“Look into my eyes, Sebastien. I know you recognized them the moment you saw them. You cannot deny it.”
“Still… why?”
“It is a very long story. One I am not prepared to tell, suffice it to say it begins many years before I was even born. But my story is not why I called you here. I need your help. The kind of help only you can offer.”
“Why me? What help can I offer you? Why not go to her yourself? You’re all she’s ever wanted,” he made claim. “She’s never admitted it, but I would bet my life on it.”
“Which is why only you can help me, Sebastien. You know my daughter better than anyone. Except, perhaps Colin.” She paused, biting her lip uneasily. “There is something I need to show you.”
“I’m sorry,” Sebastien interrupted. “This is just crazy. I mean, I can see it, yes, it’s obvious. You are Meghan Jacoby’s mother. She looks just like you. And she’s a Firemancer, too. But…”
The woman took on a pose both weary and distraught.
“Some things in this life are not so cut and dry, Sebastien. I would love nothing more than to see my daughter. For her to know I am alive. That I never truly abandoned her. But these things cannot be. Not yet. What I have done may outwardly appear cruel, but it was done for the greater good. Including my own daughter’s future. There are things happening that are much larger than either you, or me.”
The Map, The Dagger, and The Vampyres (Fated Chronicles Book 2) Page 23
