by Vicky Savage
“You’re not supposed to end up in the body of your mirror, though. That’s a big Transcender no-no. We can teach you how to use your gift—how to control your travels so you know where you’re going and how to take your own body along.”
He grins broadly. “Just think of it, Jade. Think of the things you can see and do if you have the ability to shift in and out of different dimensions and different worlds as you please, and then go home whenever you please.”
“Is that how you did your little disappearing act in the cave the other day?” I ask. “You just shift in and out whenever you feel like it?”
“Yeah. Kind of cool, huh? You can learn to do that too. We can teach you.”
“Who is we exactly?”
“The other Transcenders, Jaden. We want you to join us. At least come and speak with us. We’ll tell you more about your gift and how to use it. Then you can make an informed decision.”
“Now? You want me to come now?”
He gives a little shrug. “Why not?”
“Seriously? Well, for one thing, my fiancé is all banged up in the next room. I’m not leaving him alone. And for another thing, I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know you. I shouldn’t be out here talking to you right now. If Ralston’s trying to keep you guys away from me, there must be a good reason.”
I hear the front door open and my father’s voice downstairs. “You’d better go now. My father’s home, and I need to get back to Ryder.”
His translucent eyes turn cloudy. “I accept that as your answer for today Jade, but you can’t run away from who and what you really are. Eventually you’ll want to know more. We’ll be back in touch when you’re ready.”
He walks to the top of the stairs and turns. “And don’t let IUGA control you. Their motives are not as noble as they want you to believe. Don’t let them prevent you from living the life you were meant to live.” He skips down the first few steps and vanishes.
I quietly open Ryder’s door. He’s still sleeping soundly. Thank God he didn’t hear any of that conversation. I’m shaken up by the whole thing myself.
What if Asher is telling the truth? What if I have a special gift and that’s how I got here in the first place? It’s a little thrilling and more than a little scary to think about. But why would Ralston lie about that? And do I really want to know if I’m some kind of freak of the universe?
It’s too much to think about right now. The important thing is to get Ryder back on his feet. After that, I’ll deal with Asher, and Ralston, and everything else.
Father appears in Ryder’s doorway. “How’s the patient?” he asks.
“He’s good. He ate a little lunch, but he’s still so weak… Hey, did you see that guy, uh man, just now?” I ask.
Father wrinkles his forehead. “What man?”
“Oh it was nobody. Someone looking for Erica,” I lie.
“She is not working this afternoon.”
“I know. That’s what I told him.”
Father checks Ryder’s vital signs. Everything is normal. “He should be well enough to have visitors tomorrow,” Father says. “Alexander has been by and is anxious to see him.”
FORTY-EIGHT
Ryder passes a peaceful night and seems to be feeling better in the morning. Some of the golden glow has returned to his cheeks. We share a small breakfast, after which I excuse myself to take a much needed shower and to dress for the day.
On my way back to Ryder’s room, I run into Alexander coming to pay him a visit.
“I’ll take you,” I tell him. “He’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“I’ve missed him,” Alexander says. “Thank you for caring so well for him.”
Ryder seems cheered when Alexander walks in.
“Peace, Ryder. How are you feeling?” Alexander asks, beaming. He seems to bring the fresh air with him, a wave of cleansing energy.
“Better now that you are here,” Ryder says. “Please sit and keep me company. How is Meli?”
“She is well.” Alexander says. “She… we… I am going to be a father.”
Ryder grins. “That’s wonderful news! Congratulations. Please give my best to her.”
“I will. She sends her love and wishes for your rapid recovery. Your father does, as well.”
“How is he?” Ryder asks.
“Concerned for you, but otherwise his condition is unchanged.”
“Tell him I love him and will see him soon.”
“I will, brother.”
“What is the news on the search efforts for the Xtron?” Ryder asks Alexander.
“The cave where Damien was holed-up has been thoroughly searched, but the Xtron was not found. Damien’s men must have taken it, along with the KXT.”
“The Xtron is the most important thing,” Ryder says. “But the KXT is capable of inflicting great damage.”
“Be at peace. We will locate them,” Alexander says.
“And what has become of Damien?”
“He is still at Wall’s Edge Prison until his fate can be decided. King Philippe desires that he be returned to face judgment in Dome Noir. Queen Eleanor believes that since his crimes were committed in Domerica, he should face his punishment here. I think the queen may have the upper hand in that argument. Prince Gilbert supports her position.”
“Gilbert is a decent man,” Ryder says, “unlike his youngest brother. Has Damien been questioned about the Xtron? Has he made any kind of a statement?”
“No. He has not uttered a word since his capture. Of course, that may have something to do with the fact that his jaw was badly broken and is wired shut,” he says, shooting a smile my way.
“How did that happen?” Ryder asks.
“Let us just say that your fiancé is clever on her feet, and with her feet.”
“Jaden?” Ryder looks quizzically at me.
“Never mind,” I say. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Ryder asks about Makoda, and Alexander tells him the body was taken back to Unicoi for a warrior’s funeral. Ryder expresses his regret at not being able to attend and pay his respects to the family.
“Do not trouble yourself about it,” Alexander says. “You were there for him in life. Everyone knows how much you loved him.”
“I still can’t believe he is gone,” Ryder says.
“His death will not be in vain,” Alexander says. “Damien will die for this.”
“Let us hope the queen does not see fit to sentence him to reeducation instead. He is still a prince of Dome Noir.”
“If she does, it will not prevent justice from occurring. The Unicoi are not bound by Domerican laws. It will mean only that Damien’s death will be delayed.”
Ryder places a hand on Alexander’s arm. “We both loved Makoda. But I caution you, brother, not to be consumed by thoughts of revenge. We must act with care right now. Do not give the queen an excuse to change her mind about providing a refuge for our people.”
Alexander stiffens in his chair and looks ready to argue the point.
“You’re going to be a father soon,” Ryder adds. “You must think of your new family.”
At the mention of this, Alexander’s face relaxes into a smile. “Do not worry about me. I have a feeling justice will find Damien, whether it is by my hand or not.
“And now, you must rest.” He gets up from his chair. “Catherine sends her love, and eagerly awaits your homecoming. She is compiling a list of urgent matters for you to attend to immediately upon your return, so you may wish to take a few extra days to recover.”
They grasp each other’s forearms and Alexander leaves, promising to come again tomorrow. Ryder seems exhausted by the short visit, so I arrange the covers around him, and he quickly falls asleep.
I gaze out the window for a moment, looking forward to the day when Ryder will be up and about again. Taking my book from the nightstand, I open it to the page I’ve marked and nestle back in my chair. Catching up on the classics has been one perk of not having
TV, music or the internet to distract me. Soon I’m so engrossed in Robinson Crusoe that I don’t even hear Ralston’s footsteps on the stairs.
“Good evening, Jade,” he says, standing in the hall, silhouetted by the midday light.
“Hey Rals,” I say softly. “Come in.”
“How is he today?” he whispers, peering at Ryder’s slumbering form.
“Actually, he’s better. Father says he can get up tomorrow and start using that leg.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m happy to hear it. May I speak with you for a moment?”
“Oh sure.” I close my book and lay it on my chair. Ralston and I step into the hallway and he shuts Ryder’s door. When he turns to face me, his eyes are gentle but his expression is serious.
“What is it Rals? Is something wrong?”
He hesitates for a moment. “Jade, I’m very pleased that Ryder is so much better, and that he will undoubtedly enjoy a full recovery.”
“Okay… that’s nice,” I say, waiting for him to get to the point.
“That should reassure you and make it easier for you to leave him now.”
“What do you mean?” A knot of dread begins to form in my stomach.
“I mean that you and I depart for Warrington in the morning. I’ve told your father that we are going to personally deliver the Unicoi transition proposal to Queen Eleanor. In reality, I’ve received word that it is time.”
“Time? No. It can’t be time yet.”
He clasps both my hands in his and smiles. “You are going home, Jade, at last.”
I jerk my hands away. “No! I’m not going back. I can’t go home right now. I can’t leave Ryder like this. You need to tell them.” My legs quiver beneath me, and tears well up in my eyes.
He puts an arm around me. “I know it hurts, my dear, but you knew this day would come. You understand this is how it must be. It isn’t your decision, or mine. IUGA has gone to great lengths to arrange your transportation home, back to your own world and your own body.”
I pull away from him. “No, no, no!” I shake my head violently, hugging myself to stave off a growing wave of nausea. “It has to be my decision; it’s my life. You can’t interfere with my free will. You told me that. I don’t want to go home. My life here means something. I can make a difference. I have made a difference.”
“Free will cannot be allowed to supersede destiny, Jade. Your destiny is not in this world. Your continued presence here amounts to an unwarranted interference. The events of this universe must be allowed to unfold as they were preordained. Without you.”
Torrents of tears cascade down my face. “But there’s nothing for me back in Connecticut. I am nothing in Connecticut.”
“That’s not true. What about your family? They need you.”
“My family is here. I can’t leave them, not in the middle of this crisis. They need me more.” I glance at Ryder’s door. “He needs me.”
He shakes his head sadly. “Jade, you have your whole life ahead of you. You have important things to do with that life. Things which are unimaginable to you right now.”
“I can’t leave him, Ralston,” I choke through my tears. “I love him. We’re connected. Tell the director about our perpetual contract. He’ll have to figure out another plan—a plan where I stay here.”
“He knows about the contract, Jade. It’s not valid under these circumstances. There is no other way. You must leave now.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I don’t believe you. Asher says you’re lying to me. He says I’m a Transcender, like him. He says I can travel among the different worlds at will like he does, and return home whenever I want to. So why do I have to leave now?”
Ralston’s face turns an ugly shade of red. “Asher was here? He has no approval to be here. What did he tell you?”
“He says my being here isn’t a cosmic accident. He called it an uncontrolled shift. He says he can teach me how to control my travels, so that I can come and go whenever I please. Is it true, Rals? Am I a Transcender like he is?”
He stares at me for a moment, his jaw muscles clenching in and out. “Yes. It’s true. You are a Transcender. We kept it from you because you still have a chance at a normal life, Jade. The life of a Transcender is no life for you. They are galactic nomads, showing up where they are not wanted, making a mess out of everything.
“Listen to me, Jade, if you cooperate with us, you can still resume your life back in Connecticut exactly the way it was. The odds of an uncontrolled shift ever happening to you again are less than zero.”
His eyes lock onto mine. “But, if you refuse to cooperate, IUGA cannot guarantee the outcome, either here or back in your real home. The results may be dire.”
I glare at him. “You lied to me after you promised you wouldn’t. I can’t trust you, and I’m sure as hell not going with you. You can’t make me. IUGA can’t make me go home, either. You listen to me. You are leaving alone tomorrow, and I don’t ever want to see you around here again. Do you understand? You’re fired!”
He blinks once and bows his head slightly. “As you wish,” he says. “I will leave you. That does not alter the fact that you must return home without delay.”
“If you send me home against my will, I’ll just come right back.”
“Do not even think of trying it, Jaden. You are playing with fire. You do not know how to use your gift. You may find yourself in a hostile universe where your very life is placed in jeopardy. Or worse, you could interfere with the course of events in yet another world and cause irreparable harm to that realm. You must not misuse your gift! The forces for order in the universes will not tolerate a Transcender run amok.” He turns on his heel and hurries down the stairs.
I slump against the wall and slide to the floor. What have I done? I’m sick inside, utterly miserable. Not only have I renounced my former life completely, but I’ve banished my guide, mentor, and friend forever. His final warning echoes in my ears. Hell, I barely know what a Transcender is, now I’m about to become some sort of inter-galactic outlaw.
“Jade.” Ryder’s voice carries weakly through the door. I leap to my feet and wipe away my tears.
“Coming,” I call, realizing none of that really matters. My destiny is with Ryder now. We can make it through anything as long as we’re together.
FORTY-NINE
Both Father and Ryder insist that I sleep in my own room instead of in the chair next to Ryder’s bed, and I have my first good night’s sleep in days. I wake up feeling refreshed and optimistic about the future, if a bit guilty about the way I treated Ralston.
I don’t know how to explain to Father and Chimalis and everyone else why Ralston has bailed on us before the relocation proposal has been presented to my mother. Creative differences, maybe? It’s probably best just to tell them that Ralston got word of some urgent business elsewhere and had to leave. But I haven’t figured out how to word it without it sounding totally bogus.
As I brush out my hair, pondering this dilemma, someone knocks softly at my door.
“Jade, are you up?”
It’s Ryder! I rush to the door and find him leaning on a crutch and grinning lopsidedly.
“Good morning, love. Before he left for the hospital, your father said I could get out of bed this morning if I use this crutch. I believe I need some help on the stairs, though, so I fear you are stuck playing nursemaid again.”
I’m overjoyed to see him on his feet. “This is great. I’m happy to help you downstairs if you promise not to overdo.”
“I solemnly swear,” he says, holding up his free hand.
He places his arm around my shoulder, and we carefully hobble down the stairs one step at a time. I guide him to Father’s great room.
“Where would you like to sit?” I ask. “In Father’s chair with the ottoman?”
“No. Help me to the window seat. I would enjoy a view of the grounds. I feel rejuvenated just looking at them.”
The generous window seat runs the entire length o
f an enormous bay window. I situate Ryder in one corner and gently prop his injured leg on the bench.
“Come and sit with me,” he says, opening his arms.
I balance on the edge of the bench, careful not to push against his leg. His arms wind around me and I rest my head on his chest, happy to be in his protective embrace again.
He strokes my hair tenderly. “I’ve missed holding you so much,” he says.
