by Diana Nixon
“Yes. He brought it when you were in the shower.” I showed Amanda a small silver leaf, hanging on my chain.
“Did he…ask anything about me?”
As far as I knew, Evan was still avoiding Amanda. So naturally, she was worried about their future.
“He asked if you were okay.”
Amanda smirked. “Of course, I’m freaking okay. I’m great actually! Never been better.” She grimaced at her own words.
“He needs time. Don’t push it girl. Evan loves you. And this is exactly why he doesn’t want to bother you with his problems.”
“Don’t you think this is what couples are for? To share good and bad things with each other, to help each other get over things that bother them.”
“I know what you mean. But in this case, I think Evan does what he thinks is better for both of you. Don’t blame him for that, Amanda.”
She gave me an angry look. “You are supporting him, as always.”
I laughed. “Because I know that with the bonds we share it’s really hard to keep something from each other. But when it comes to worries, it’s better to give another person a break.”
She rolled her eyes. “Evan should have been bound to you, and not me.”
“He and I are bound, remember?”
“Which is not helping a thing. Because he knows you will defend him, no matter what.”
“It’s not true. I only defend him when I know he’s right. Just like you do when it comes to me or Christian.”
Amanda made a helpless gesture. “Couldn’t agree with you more. But if you see your dearest friend, Evan, tell him I miss him and that he’s gonna pay for avoiding me for so long. Now, I need to get ready for my class. It’s my first practical class in this semester. I can’t miss it.”
***
“Be careful with the people you make friends with.”
I kept repeating the words from Martin’s message in my head. I just couldn’t make myself stop thinking about them. Even if the message was sent by someone who simply used Martin’s phone to add more mystery to whatever was going on, I still couldn’t understand the meaning hidden in the words. It was either a warning or a threat. Maybe it was supposed to tell me that becoming close with the tribe was dangerous, or maybe enemies were closer than we believed…
“Eileen!” I heard Tai calling my name.
I left Dever around ten minutes ago, and I wasn’t sure if anyone from the tribe was going to meet me half-way to the pueblo. But I was glad to see Tai.
“Who let you come here alone?” I asked the boy. I was sure he came here without anyone’s permission. He was just that rebellious. At times, he reminded me of Evan with his endless curiosity for everything forbidden or dangerous.
Confirming my assumptions, Tai said, “No one did. They don’t know I went to meet you.”
“Is there any way to find the pueblo without anyone’s help?”
“You have already been there once; I guess you would be able to find it on your own. But I wanted to talk to you. In private.”
I smiled at how grown-up he sounded.
“And what exactly did you want to talk to me about?”
“Is it weird that I feel some kind of connection with you?”
I stopped walking, trying to understand what those words meant.
“What do you mean?”
Tai touched Evan’s medallion hanging on the leather necklace around his neck. “Since the moment you gave it to me, I started to feel something…new. As if you were my sister and I needed to protect you.”
Could he actually feel the spells the thing was filled with?
“Who made this medallion?” Tai asked.
“A friend of mine. Why?”
“I feel like I’m connected with him as well. When I touch the medallion, and try to feel the magic it was created with, I feel like I know exactly how it works. Like I can repeat the spells, word by word, even without knowing them. It’s weird, isn’t it?”
“Well...” I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. I would probably need to talk to Evan about that. Until then, Tai and I needed to find the pueblo. “Why don’t we leave this conversation for later?” I said. “Your grandfather is waiting for me. And your parents are probably worried about you.”
“There’s something else I wanted to tell you about,” Tai said, looking cautiously back at the road that led to Dever. Quietly, he added, “I hear voices in my head.”
“Voices? Whose voices?”
“I don’t know. But they talk about me.”
“And what do they say?”
“They say I am ‘the key’. And they say they need to find me before you do.”
“But I have already found you…” I looked at Tai and once again started to think about the conversation with my father when he told me I needed to bring the boy to Dever. What exactly did he need him for? What part of my father’s plan on saving Dever didn’t I know?
“Did you tell anyone about those voices you can hear in your head?”
“No. But I wanted to tell you about them. Do you think some bad people want to kidnap me?”
I smiled. “Of course not. Your family would never let that happen.”
“Will you protect me if someone tries to hurt or kidnap me?”
“Of course, I will. But I’m sure it’s just a trick of your wild imagination, and no one is plotting anything against you.” Though I myself was sure it was not just the boy’s imagination. He could feel the danger coming, and I wondered if that was the reason my father wanted me to bring him to the university. Could Tai foresee the events that no one else could?
Songaa met us at the border of his pueblo. He let us in and quickly restored the spells shielding the tribe from the outside world.
“Tai, go play with your friends,” he said to his grandson. “Eileen and I need to talk.”
We went to the hut that to my surprise was empty. Were not the rest of the tribe’s council members joining us today?
“Have you made the decision?” I asked Songaa.
He went to his usual seat and motioned for me to take one of the chairs, standing around the barely burning fire.
I sat down, patiently waiting for his response.
“I will help protect Dever and everyone who lives there. As well as everyone else who wants to be a part of your world.”
“In exchange for what?” I asked, already knowing he would ask for something in return.
“The Master of Lords must leave Dever, forever.”
“Why would he do that?” Not that I thought it would be a problem for Evan to stay away from Dever, but obviously, there was something that I was missing.
“As long as he stays there, there will be no peace in your world. As well as there will be no peace in mine.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You don’t need to. Just make him leave, for good.”
“And what if he stays?”
“I can’t tell you anything else, Eileen.”
“But how can I promise you that Evan will leave? What if he refuses to go anywhere?”
“Make him leave. This is my only condition.”
“I need to talk to him first.”
“Go. Talk to him. But remember, Eileen – your time is not limitless. The longer it takes to send the Master away from Dever, the sooner the university will fall.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. And even less did I like the idea of sending Evan away. I couldn’t imagine Dever or our lives there without him. Not after everything that we’d been through together.
“How do I know that you will keep your word?”
“You don’t trust me, Eileen the bird. I know that. That’s why I would like to invite you to join us for dinner tonight. Dinners are very special for us. We never let strangers share them with us. But I will make an exception for you. Stay in the pueblo, and you will get all the answers you need.”
I didn’t hesitate even for a moment. “Okay. I will stay.” I took my p
hone out of my pocket, intending to send Christian a message, but Songaa stopped me.
“Your father knows you are safe here.”
His words surprised me.
“Do you know him? I mean, of course you do. But have you two ever met?”
“We have. Just once. It was a long time ago.”
It didn’t explain anything, but it looked like Songaa was not going to tell me more about his meeting with my father. So, I had no choice, but to trust his words and stay in the pueblo.
“What about Tai? Have you thought about letting him go to Dever?” I asked Songaa.
“I will let Tai go to Dever. After you make the Master of Lords leave.”
“What does Evan have to do with Tai’s presence in Dever?”
But Songaa was not going to answer that question. He rose to his feet and headed for the exit saying, “Tai trusts you, and so do I. Don’t make me regret this.”
And then, he left, leaving me alone with my thoughts, which were now in complete disarray.”
Why was making Evan leave Dever so important for Songaa? And why didn’t he want Tai to meet Evan?
I started to recall Tai’s words said back in the forest. He said he could feel Evan’s magic. Was that the reason why Songaa was trying to protect him from Evan? Was he afraid of Tai’s powers getting stronger in Evan’s presence? But how was that possible?
“Eileen, there you are!” Elu entered the hut, holding a bowl of apples in her hands. “Come with me. I want to introduce you to the rest of the tribe.”
“That would be nice. Thank you.”
“Take one,” she said, nodding to the apples. “These are from the tree that was planted by my mother. She loved apples.”
I took one red apple and followed Elu out of the hut. “Tell me more about your mother. You said her name was Eileen, right?”
“Yes. And she was a wonderful person. Selfless and caring. She had always been an example of everything a woman should be.”
“How did she die?”
Elu’s face paled. “We…don’t talk about that day.”
“Oh…sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Judging by her expression, the topic was not just unpleasant, I bet there was more to it. The shades of Elu’s aura were contradicting each other. As if she tried to keep them neutral and not let them give away something that she didn’t want me to see.
We came to the round, wooden table where the women of the tribe were singing, making intricate twists of leather and thin twigs.
“These are going to be the curtains for their huts,” Elu said. “Everything in the pueblo is being made of natural materials.”
“Because you believe there’s nothing stronger than the powers of nature, right?”
Elu smiled, setting the bowl with apples in the middle of the table. “Yes. Nature gives and takes. But it always helps those who need its help.”
I couldn’t agree with her more. I, of all people, knew how strong the powers of nature could be. I could make them obey me; I could destroy and save with their help. Even though I had no clue how to make a curtain of leather and twigs.
“This is my sister, Amadahy,” Elu said, introducing me to the woman with short, dark-brown hair. “She doesn’t speak English.”
“How do you say ‘nice to meet you’ in your language?” I asked.
“Just nod at her. That will be enough.”
I nodded at Amadahy and she did the same in response.
“And this is Nata. She’s our song leader.” The woman was older than Elu, I could tell. Her big, brown eyes radiated kindness. Even without seeing the colors of her aura, I knew she was a good person.
Unlike the woman sitting on her right.
“This is Rozene,” Elu said. “She’s isn’t very comfortable around strangers. But don’t take it personally. She’s just…her.”
While Elu kept introducing me to the rest of the ladies sitting at the table, I kept watching Rozene out of the corner of my eye. She wasn’t just unhappy to have me around. I would say she was afraid of me.
“Eileen, is that true? Are you staying with us for dinner?” Tai ran up to me, as excited as ever.
“Yes, I am.”
I heard someone behind me speaking in the unknown language. I turned around and saw Rozene saying something to Nata in what sounded like a very angry voice.
“What is she saying?” I asked, addressing my question to Elu.
But Tai spoke first, “She says you shouldn’t be here.”
“Tai!” Elu gave him a warning look.
“It’s okay. I know your people don’t like me.”
“It’s not true, Eileen. They simply don’t know you. We are always careful around strangers.”
“Is it okay if I show Eileen my room?” Tai asked Elu.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“What about Leno? Will he be okay if I come to his place?” I didn’t want to give him even more reasons to hate me.
Elu spoke again, “Don’t worry about him. He went out to hunt.”
“And Amitola?”
“She’s with her father, helping him prepare the herbs for the fire that we start during our daily chant.”
Tai pulled me by the hand and I followed him to one of the huts standing nearby. It was bigger than most huts in the pueblo. There were three rooms inside the hut.
“This is our living room,” Tai said, showing me around his house. “This is my parents’ room. And this,” he stopped at the dark-red, wooden door, “is my room.”
But I knew it even before he said it was his room, because there was something that I had already seen before – the symbol drawn on the door – it was the same as those I could see all around Dever. It was one of those symbols that Evan could read so well.
Chapter 11
I kept staring at the mysterious symbol, trying to remember its meaning, but nothing came to my mind.
Ugh, if only Evan was here with me now.
“Tai, do you know what this symbol means?”
He shook his head. “No. But Mom says it is supposed to protect me from evil.”
“Oh, I see. Wow, so many toys!” I said, entering Tai’s room.
“Mom made most of them.”
The toys were not like those I used to play with as a kid. These were made of colorful wool, leather, wood, loam and other natural materials, well, like everything in the pueblo. Though it didn’t make them look less pretty than the toys from my childhood. In fact, they looked more like pieces of art that could be demonstrated in one of those modern art galleries somewhere in London or New York. Very impressive, I must say.
“This one is my favorite,” Tai said, showing me a little wool bear. It was brown, with funny ears that reminded me of fairytale elves, and a small leather amulet hanging around its neck. “This was my grandfather’s gift for one of my birthdays,” Tai said about the bear’s amulet.
“Why don’t you wear it yourself? It’s beautiful.”
“I wanted to, but it burned my skin. Right here.” Tai pulled the collar of his shirt aside and showed me a red mark left on his skin. “It hurt.”
“I bet it did.” I looked thoughtfully at the amulet and then at Tai’s mark again. Something must be wrong with the magic his grandfather had filled the thing with. Or maybe it simply contradicted the magic the boy possessed. Which would explain a lot, including his wild desire to see Dever from the inside. Tai was one of us – practicing magicians. He didn’t belong to the hermits.
“What is your favorite game to play?” I asked, sitting on the single chair that I could see in the room.
“I like hide-and-seek. But I always find everyone, and they can never find me. So I get bored very fast. What about you? What game did you like playing when you were a child?”
“I liked playing with dolls. But it’s a girlish thing. I don’t think you will like it.”
“I hate dolls.” Tai sat on his bed and said, “Eileen, can you tell me more about Dever? Please.”
I looked cautious
ly at the door, wondering if anyone would get angry with me for telling Tai the things he was obviously not supposed to know any time soon. But then, I thought telling him a few things wouldn’t hurt anyone. After all, it’s not like I was going to take him to Dever without anyone’s permission.
“What would you like to know?”
“Tell me about the gifts its students possess.”
“Well, it depends on the faculty. Fairey students control fire. They also can tell whether a person is gifted or not. And they can read your aura.”
“I can see yours. It’s beautiful. And it’s full of green. My grandpa says it’s the color of life energy.”
“He’s right.” Unbelievable how talented and smart the boy was. Some students spend years learning the meaning of the aura colors. Others can’t see them at all.
I proceeded, “Meridin students possess the power of the wind. And they see prophetic dreams, like many of your relatives do.”
“Is it true that there’s a special faculty for those who rule over magic?”
“Yes. The students of Wizardy faculty are very talented and powerful magicians. Apart from magic, they also rule over one of the natural elements.”
“Then how do you know how to rule over all of them?”
“I inherited this gift from one of my distant relatives. No one expected that to happen.”
“Your father is a very powerful man, right?”
I smiled. “Yes. He is a real celebrity in our world.”
“Did he teach you anything interesting?”
“Like what?”
“Well, you know, like spells that no one else knows about.”
“He did. But I can’t demonstrate them. You are too young to see that kind of magic.”
Tai stayed quiet for a few moments, and then he said, “I also heard about the guy who knows how to make people do whatever he wants them to do. He made the silver amulet you gave me, right? He’s a friend of yours, isn’t he?”
“Actually, I have two friends who know how to mastermind people.”
“Is masterminding something that anyone can learn how to do?”
“No. Only certain people have this gift. Why?”
