Just minutes later the door opened and Viancourt member Tanzea Chase stepped out. Juliska jumped up. “Vian Chase, hello.” She smiled respectfully in greeting.
Something about Tanzea always gave her pause. And it wasn’t the smell of mothballs which always seemed so permanently attached to her, but rather a feeling Juliska could not quite place. Tanzea was a cantankerous woman who believed in speaking her mind, but had been serving in the Viancourt for over five years and deserved the proper respect regardless of her outward smell or demeanor.
Demeanor she never directly aimed at Juliska herself… she was always cordial, but at the same time, it always felt like the woman was searching for something. Or waiting for something. Other than a prophecy- what almost anyone else wanted or expected- Juliska could not imagine what.
The woman surprised her today though, by stopping and speaking.
“Did you know we have something in common?” She spoke with a quiet confidence.
“How do you mean?”
Tanzea responded with something few ever saw. A smile.
“We were both lost ones. On my part, I was found and brought here many long years before you.”
Juliska let out a breath of surprise. “I did not know that.” Perhaps this answered her question of why this woman always looked at her so oddly. Maybe it was this thing they had in common.
Juliska expected her to explain more, but instead, she abruptly turned and left the building. Even the wiry Pantin Rowley didn’t know what to make of the woman and held back an amused grin.
“The Banon will see you now,” he informed Juliska.
“Thanks,” she muttered. She stepped into his office. It was large and yet cozy. Probably a necessity seeing how much time he spent here.
“Ah, Juliska. Perfect.” Banon Havelock grinned widely in greeting and motioned for her to come in and take a seat.
She walked by his desk and took a seat in a plush chair across from him at the fireplace. It was unlit, too warm a summer evening to need it.
“Thank you for coming so late, Juliska. I hate to bother you on your birthday.” He was an older, rotund fellow. And he’d always been very kind to her. She’d often heard whispers from others that she was considered his favorite… whatever that meant.
Technically, she was his employee. But she saw him more like a father figure, especially since hers had passed a year before.
“It’s not a problem at all,” she insisted lightheartedly. “My job doesn’t care what day of the year it is.”
“Twenty-five this year, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I do wish you a very happy birthday, Juliska. You’ll be visiting your family this evening I presume?”
“Yes, I will.” Unfortunately… she thought to herself. Unless I can get out of it somehow. Why can’t anyone need my services right this minute? An emergency that just can’t wait… never when I need it to. But any other time of day or night…
“Be sure to give your mother my regards. I haven’t visited since…” he stopped, wearing a sad expression on his face. “I’ll have to make the time. Soon.”
“You are the Banon. You’re a little busy, my mother will understand.”
“Always busy! But never too busy for friends, or anyone in my charge. Which is everyone.”
Juliska let out a sharp laugh. “Sorry,” she caught herself.
“No, you’re right. Some days it’s like having thousands of children who all need your attention at once.”
She laughed again and bit her lip to stop.
But instead, he joined her. “This is why I enjoy your company. You make me laugh. Older folks around here, they don’t like to hang around youth. Never understand why. You are our future after all… I think they’re all just jealous they can’t be young again.” He tossed her a wink.
She got her laughing under control.
“Where does the time go?” he lamented. “Look at you… seems like just yesterday we found and brought you back to the island. You were just a tiny little thing, only eleven years old. And here you sit before me, all grown up. Gifted. Beautiful. Tell me… any young men out there catching your fancy?”
“Um,” she cleared her throat, her cheeks heating up. “No. I’m quite focused right now though. I’m nearly done my apprenticeship with PanSofia.”
“Yes. And don’t think I haven’t been watching, as I have. Closely.”
She took on a worried expression.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. Actually, quite the contrary.”
“Oh. Well, thank you.”
He winked and leaned back. “Right then. To the reason I stole you away on your birthday. Do you remember that venture I hinted about a few months back?”
She nodded.
“It is officially happening. And as I was beginning to suspect, your mentor, PanSofia, turned down my request for her to join.”
Juliska perked up. She had not been quite as suspect of her mentor turning down such an opportunity.
“She claims she’s too old for such a task.”
“PanSofia? Too old?” jested Juliska. “The woman might look as though she’s aging, but she’s more agile than a Catawitch. And she has no problem riding my…” she caught herself and shut up before sticking her foot in her mouth. “She’s a fine teacher.”
Banon Havelock laughed. Hard. “Oh you are funny, Juliska.”
She never meant to be, and no one else thought so.
“I hadn’t meant it to come out like that, it’s just, she may be in her seventies, but she gets around just fine.”
“Yes. She does, without a doubt. However, this task, though I fully expect it to be uneventful and not dangerous, does have the potential for… difficulty. She thought about it, very seriously. But made her final choice today. The problem is, for this task to proceed, I need a seer. A good one. And frankly, you’re the best. You are good at what you do. I’ve never seen anyone better.”
Juliska opened her mouth, but it took a moment for words to form. “You really think that?”
“Of course. That’s why you’re Second Seer… next in line to serve the Banon, whether that be me,” he hinted strongly, “or someone else after PanSofia decides to retire.”
Juliska had worked hard. Studied hard. And she’d been given the title of Second Seer months ago, but to actually hear the Banon say this overwhelmed her.
He leaned forward and tapped her knee, lovingly.
“I’ve always been very fond of you, Juliska. And you work harder than anyone I know. I don’t need a vision to tell me what kind of future lies ahead for you. I couldn’t be prouder if you were my own daughter.” He let go and leaned back wearing a wide grin.
“Thank you, Sir. That means a lot to me.”
“And if your father were here, I have no doubts he’d say the same.”
It was sad to think of him. Gone a year now. She missed him terribly.
“I guess we’re finally at my reason for asking you here. Juliska, will you do this task for me? It means being away from the island for a month. And I cannot tell you in all honesty how difficult the job will be. It could be utterly boring. But if you do this for me, I will consider it a personal favor. I’ll make it worth your while upon your return.”
She looked at him questioningly. There was something he knew… her intuition would bet on it.
He shook his head. “This is why you’re the best. Such intuition. You can read it all over my face, can’t you?”
“No. Not at all,” she lied poorly.
“PanSofia hinted to me today, after giving it much thought, that she may retire soon.”
“She… what? Really? She hasn’t mentioned that at all…”
“I think my asking her to join in on this task made her think about her age. Being a seer… it’s not so unlike being me. You’re on the job twenty-four-seven. She deserves a time of quiet.”
“Yes. Of course. She has been First Seer going on thirty years.” Juliska reeled over what this meant
. She knew when PanSofia retired she was next in line to be the Seer to the Banon, but she didn’t think her mentor would ever quit. She was a work until you die kind of woman.
“So?” the Banon looked at Juliska expectantly.
“Sorry, I got lost in thought for a moment. That’s a lot to think about all of a sudden.”
“You don’t have to give me your answer about the task straight away, but I do need an answer by tomorrow night. The task begins in just a few days.”
“That fast?”
“Yes. PanSofia did wait a very long time to let me know she was turning it down.”
“I see. I don’t need any additional time. I will do it. My answer is yes. Whatever my Banon needs, this is what I’m here for.”
“Splendid! I knew you would not let me down. Now… I’ll send you some instructions for preparing, shortly. Until then, have a wonderful birthday with your family. Oh and also, we have to keep this whole thing under wraps for a couple more days. I’m making a big public announcement so everyone will find out about it all at once, right before you leave.”
“Of course. My lips are sealed. And thank you.” She arose and nodded a quick goodbye. He walked her to the door. She left, breathless, her nerves a flutter of excitement and anxiety.
When the Banon had confided in her months ago, of this upcoming task, she’d never dreamed she’d be a part of it.
It was a month long quest. In which a select group of Svoda would venture out into the world to search for a potential new home, or at the least, a potential second home. It was no secret that the island was getting a little crowded; their population had grown a lot since their original arrival hundreds of years prior.
Plus there was a small underground of people getting restless. Rumored to want to break off from the Svoda completely and start their own magical clan. No one knew who the instigator of this underground was, but the debates on the subject were becoming more widespread. The Banon and the Viancourt were against this course of action and hoped that by offering them something new, it would settle the issue.
Life on the island was fairly easy, routine and safe, and had been for many years.
But some of the people were getting restless. They wanted to travel and see the world. To see what life off the island was like. They wanted out of the routine. The problem with that being, the more people off the island living in the non-magical world, the higher the chance of their magical secret being discovered.
And if the Banon started giving permission to leave the island, even to just one person, he’d have to give it to anyone that wanted it. As it stood right now, only members of the Viancourt, the Banon or the police (the Balaton), could leave the island without permission. But had to file reports when they did so and it had to be work related.
All others that came and went had to enter via a magical portal inside an old fortress, which extended just off the island. It was not heavily used. But guarded carefully.
Once this quest was over, they might have a second home and people could choose whether to stay or go, or travel between the two. She worried it would not appease those undergrounders that wanted to break off and start their own clan. Not her problem though. She was a seer. The Viancourt and the Banon would have to deal with any rebellious sorts.
She stepped out the building and just as she started down the steps, a carriage pulled up. A man in his upper twenties hopped down, greeting her.
“Hello, Ian,” she returned.
There was a small boy sitting where Ian had just been. Juliska waved and the boy giggled and looked down, shyly.
Ian laughed. “Good kid. Bored though, riding around with me today. My father needed a break from the little tike,” he explained.
“He’s adorable. You’re lucky to be able to take him with you.”
“Very. And he behaves ridiculously well. So I’m very lucky. Anyway… just returning from dropping Vian Chase at her home and figured I’d double back and see if anyone else needed a ride tonight.”
“Actually, Ian, your timing is perfect. I do need a ride.”
She accepted his help into the carriage and told him where to take her. The carriage lurched forward. Even though Ian was always smiling, there was a constant layer of sadness behind it. His wife, Isabella, had died almost a year ago. Not too long after her father. So sad, to leave behind a small child. She wondered how little Ivan handled it. Maybe he was too young to remember. She had nothing to gear early childhood memories by, being that she had no recollection of her life before she was eleven.
Slowly the carriage rolled along the cobblestone streets toward her mother’s home. It was a balmy summer evening, which meant the streets were bustling. Even a bit crowded, it was pleasant to ride in the open carriage and breathe the clean salty air.
The sun was going down. Lanterns sparking to life, casting golden glows down to the cobblestone walkways below. She didn’t understand why people wanted to leave the island. They could live freely here. They didn’t have to hide who they were. And even though it was a bit crowded, it was easy to get to know people.
It was also difficult to stay out of other people’s business. Especially for her. As Second Seer to the Banon she was recognizable to almost anyone on the island. Sometimes, she didn’t mind their openness, other times… not so much.
At one point or another, many of the people walking down this very street had come to her, hoping she’d see some vision of their future, or answer to a problem. They were far too eager to confide details she really had no interest in knowing.
Now and then, she was able to help someone. But sometimes it took weeks or months. And too often, she saw nothing of use at all. Visions didn’t really work like that. With many long years of practice, a seer could get better at having specific visions, but it was never a guarantee.
This is how most seers earned a living on the island. And she was no different as an apprentice until she’d been named Second Seer. Which meant she was to be groomed as First Seer to the Banon. A much more difficult and time consuming job, with a lot more on the line than someone’s job promotion, or marital problems, or some other menial issues she did not care about in the least.
Island security.
Uprisings.
Attacks from the Grosvenor…
These were much more exciting and dangerous things. And as First Seer, like her mentor, PanSofia, she’d be expected to have visions that would keep the Svoda safe. Or warn of potential dangers. It was considered a high stress job… although her mentor took it all in stride. As long as you had a Banon that understood visions could not be forced… and feeling the pressure to have a vision might well keep you from doing so.
It was a difficult line to walk.
But Juliska was ready for it if her mentor was ready to step down.
But first, she was going on a quest.
Leaving the island, for the first time since she’d been found by the Svoda and brought here. Although she had no memory of her time before coming here. For whatever reason, her first memory only went as far back as age eleven, from when they first found her in an orphanage on the mainland. She had no recollection of how she’d gotten there, who her parents were or where she’d come from.
Regardless, the Svoda had taken her in and she’d been adopted into a family. Her new parents had loved her just as one of their own.
Before long, the carriage pulled up to her mother’s road and she shouted for Ian to stop here.
“You sure?”
“Yes.” She hopped out on her own. “I’d like to walk, just a little. This road is one of my favorites at this time of year.”
“All right then. Have a good night.” He nodded and pulled around to head back to the Banon’s office. Little Ivan peeked at her with a shy smile. She waved goodbye with a lighthearted chuckle. He giggled and his father shook his head and laughed.
He really was an adorable child. With a great dad. It just made her miss hers all the more.
She turned and headed
toward her mother’s. It was one of Juliska’s favorite streets to walk down. Not because she’d grown up here, but for the cozy shingled cottages that lined the street. With beautiful, well manicured gardens surrounding them. The people on this street prided themselves in perfection and it showed. Not a bloom, a blade of grass, or a tree limb out of place.
Crisp.
Clean.
Maintained.
If she ever had a house, she’d want in on a street like this.
But not this one. Any street but this one…
She sucked in a breath and stopped in front of three-foot iron gate. There was a sign hanging on it that read, “Cobb.” She closed her eyes and let out her breath, slowly. All her excitement and anxiety turned to dread… she’d have to spend the next few hours here.
And now, make sure she kept the Banon’s secret. She’d have to tell them something, to prepare them for the fact she’d be gone and busy… but she could not give away too much.
She pushed opened the gate and walked through.
Her mother, Adeline Cobb, met her at the door.
“Happy birthday, Juliska.”
She smiled, stepped through the front door and hugged her mother.
“Thanks, Mom. Although twenty-five feels exactly the same as twenty-four.”
“Birthday’s always feel the same until you’re over thirty-five.”
Juliska laughed. “I’ll let you know once I get there.”
Her mother looked tired. Worn a bit. A few more lines creasing around her eyes and mouth. It had only been a month since her last visit, but it seemed that age was creeping up fast.
Juliska heard voices from the kitchen and frowned.
Her mother shot her an apologetic smirk. “All your siblings are here to help celebrate.”
“Oh. Joy.” Juliska put on a sarcastic grin. “Another wonderful, drama-filled fun time awaits.”
“They mean well,” her mother insisted.
“I know. Sorry. It’s just…” she shook her head unsure what she meant to say. Growing up the middle child of two much older, and two much younger, siblings, had not been fun. Or easy. Or even anything she thought back on with any fondness. Her good memories were all of her mother and father.
Forsaken (Fated Saga Fantasy Series Book 8) Page 3
