Hidden Realms

by Dean Murray

  We left the gym and headed out to the boardwalk. The waves crashed in the background as we walked silently toward our traditional dinner stop — Mariano’s. We both loved Italian and Cole was forever carb-loading with all of the time he spent in the gym.

  I turned to look at him as we walked. Of course, my brother was a good-looking guy. Any decent sister could admit that. But, over the years, it’s been so interesting to see him change through pictures, and then to see him now in person. He’s different. He tries to hide his own anger and pain, but I can feel it. I still don’t know exactly what he went through in the time since we’d last seen each other, but he promised that one day he’d tell me. Still, there are times when I’m shocked that I can walk up and hug him.

  Cole was on the shorter side, though still taller than me, with really broad shoulders and a trim waist. His hair was a little longer, just brushing his ears, thick and dark like mine, but more brown than black. With his powers suppressed, his eyes were the darkest brown, like Dad’s. He had kind of a big nose, which once I realized, stirred a memory inside of me I had long forgotten. I stifled a giggle, remembering an instance where Cole had picked me up to carry me inside after I’d scraped my knee. I looked up to say something and found it hysterical that he had such a big nose. My six-year-old self couldn’t contain her laughter and he had blushed the darkest shade of red.

  “What’s so funny over there, eh? What are you staring at?” Cole gave me a shove as I pointed my finger at my nose and gave him a look that made him realize exactly what I meant.

  “You’re pushing it tonight, girl. It might be bread and water for you!” He crossed his arms, his biceps looking like they might actually burst, and tried his best to give me a haughty look. He totally failed.

  “Right, Cole, you’d leave your only darling sister to starve?” I clutched his arm and leaned my weight into him, acting as if I would die without food that moment. Two seconds later, his arm was wrapped around my head. Putting me in a choke hold, he ground a noogie into my hair and shoved me toward the door of Mariano’s with a laugh. “Get in there, half-pint. Let’s eat.”

  Later, I took a break from shoveling pasta into my mouth to ask the question that had been burning in my mind, the one I asked every week when we had dinner. “Have you learned anything new lately?” I tried not to look hopeful, but knew I failed miserably when Cole laughed at my expression.

  “Not really. I just can’t believe that no one will even talk about who and what the Elders used to be. I understand that Queen Julia and her Hunters have scared the crap out of every Immortal out there, but there has to be somebody that can tell us what’s happening to you.”

  Cole looked defeated. His eyebrows were drawn together and his scowl deepened the longer he thought about it.

  “I know Cole, I’m frustrated, too.” I tried to sound reassuring, “But, you’ve been asking questions for years. I know that has to be part of why you moved around so much while you were gone. Maybe we should stop pushing. I’m going to have to do this no matter what. The queen wants a magical puppet for her prince and I drew the short straw.” It was just the reality of the situation, no matter how much we both hated it.

  “No, Amelia. I won’t. I won’t stop until I figure out how we can either get you out of this betrothal or at least get you prepared to handle it. We’ve talked about some of what I’ve learned, but there are a lot of things I’ve never told you; things I didn’t want to have to tell you. It’s probably time. You need to understand what you’re up against and the deadline is only coming closer. The queen will come to collect.”

  There was a different emotion in his voice this time — fear. Just the edges of his irises were turning green and I could feel the change in the air around us. I grabbed Cole’s hand. “Hey. Hey, Cole. Not here.” He was lost in his own thoughts and I wondered what it was he was seeing behind those eyes. What memories were replaying in his mind to take him out of our conversation and somewhere else entirely? I gave him a few more seconds, but when I couldn’t seem to get his attention with my hushed whispers, I kicked him under the table. I hadn’t thought it all the way through and my Cherry Pepsi was almost upended as my foot not only connected with his shin but also the table leg. Cole came out of his trance and reached out faster than he should have to stop it from tipping over. He quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching and then scowled at me. I shrugged. “What’d you want me to do? You just disappeared over there.”

  Shaking his head, Cole gestured for me to continue eating. We ate in strained silence as I continued to wonder what he wasn’t telling me, and Cole maintained a look that told me his mind was elsewhere. Finally, he paid the bill and led me outside. We walked silently along the beach for a few minutes until he plopped down in the sand and gestured for me to join him. After a few more moments of silence, he finally spoke.

  “You know that when I left and told you that I had to get away from Dad, it was really so I could help you, right?”

  “Of course, Cole. I mean, no, I didn’t know that right away, but eventually it made sense. And, I knew Dad was too much for you. After knowing him and Mom before…well, before me, you knew what you were missing. I never did,” I said.

  “Don’t do that. Just don’t,” he said, turning to me to make his annoyance clear. “We aren’t going there today. I left because Dad was never going to help you and you were finally old enough to keep yourself together while I was gone. I knew that Ryn would be there, too. I thought there had to be people out there — our people — who knew what you were going through. It wasn’t right that he handed your future off and then refused to teach you what to do with what you had.

  “I started out young and stupid and way too obvious. I knew that some of the larger Mage populations in North America were in the North West and the upper Midwest. It wasn’t hard to find them once I got close — I could feel their power like I do yours. But, when I outright asked other Immortals about the Elders, they would just turn and walk away from me, refusing to acknowledge the question. So, I got a little stealthier in my approach. I had to give myself time to become part of their community and not just some stranger off the street. I did a lot of odd jobs. I found myself in conversations where after a few drinks, it was easier to pull out a few details here and there. I kept journals of everything I learned so I could connect the dots later. And, I always tried to find out where the next closest community was before I started in about the queen or the Elders, in case I needed to move on.”

  It was odd to reconcile the stiffness of Cole’s posture with the easy-going flow of his words. There had to be so much more he wasn’t saying. So, I sat silently, waiting.

  “I actually focused a lot during those first few years on the queen. It was just as hard to get people to talk about her, but once I found the right person and we were in the right environment, they’d let loose for hours. Like I said, give them a few drinks out by the lake where no one else was around, and all these Mages wanted was someone to listen. They had lost family or friends to her demented plans. Damn it, Amelia, I never even wanted you to know this stuff.” Cole dragged a hand through his hair and finally looked over at me. “I was so naive and I thought I was going to find some hidden answer. Some way to either get you out of this betrothal or to unlock whatever power you have that she wants. To give you time to use it, master it, and go in there with a fighting chance.”

  I looped my arm awkwardly around his neck for a half-hug. “I know,” I said. “It just isn’t that simple, Cole. It never has been. And, given the way my crazy power has been acting, I don’t know if I want any more of it unlocked.” He patted my hand, nodding. I settled myself next to him again and he continued.

  “You know the basic history. You understand how the Hunters work for the queen and the AniMages have been exiled. You know about how Elders used to be in positions of power working with Queen Julia. But, nobody talks about how or why that changed. That’s what these people told me. They told me both how and
why. Somehow, Julia found out how she would die, so she started taking out anyone who could possibly be involved. She didn’t know when it would happen, so her plans were mindless and insane. Some of the people I spoke to even shared their memories, the same way dad has before. The first time it happened I was talking to an older man who had lost his wife to one of Julia’s raids. Mid-sentence he couldn’t speak anymore, so he just reached over and touched my temple. His memories will forever be burned in my mind.”

  Cole shook his head quickly back and forth, as if he were trying to change the channel in his head and make those scenes stop. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I truly wanted to know. Even though I needed to, I refused to ask for more details. Not yet.

  Cole carried on. “Okay, remember the history lessons from when we were little? Our races have been around for hundreds of years. We can be traced back to the Fertile Crescent and Rynna told us our parents grew up in Syria where the main castle and communities stood. What we weren’t taught was that there was a time when the queen was nothing more than a figurehead. Everyone always talked about Elders being so powerful, but from what I understand, it’s so much more than that, Amelia. Elders weren’t just powerful Mages. Elders were the most powerful Mages. They led us all. And by all, I mean that in the beginning, all races were equal. The Elders oversaw Mages, Hunters, and AniMages alike. It was Queen Julia who changed everything, and she was also the one who forced the silence about what really happened. She put a fear into the hearts of all Immortals so deep, she was sure no one would defy her.” The way his face pinched together, his lips a thin line as the tendons in his neck protruded, made it clear that my brother’s hatred for the queen went far beyond the conversation we were now having.

  “There used to be a group of Elders,” he continued. “Five families made up the Elder lines and only the women could pass on the Elder power. Female Elders were revered. They were the ones who foresaw the future and ruled our people. The male Elders had power, but nothing like the women. It’s like you and me. I have some extra power, but what you have is far beyond normal. You have the trademark purple Elder magic. I just have Mage green. Anyway, the oldest female in each family served on the High Council and their wishes were carried out by the queen. She got jealous. She couldn’t take being ordered to carry out the whims of women she felt superior to; orders she disagreed with at every turn. She started plotting out ways to overthrow the Elders and take control. But, she needed help.

  “Julia was smart. She knew the Hunters were more powerful than even she was. They can track the other races, have extremely powerful attacks, and seem to have very little emotion, so doing Julia’s evil bidding never seemed to bother the Hunters she initially recruited. Realizing what a partnership with the Hunters could do for her coup to take over the realm, Julia began polluting their minds with stories of blood line pollution, weakening races, and the inevitable death of their clans if they didn’t act. She was smart enough to allow her recruits to spread her stories to their clan leaders and it didn’t take long for them to call a meeting. Not everyone bought her story but Julia continued to make her case, charming the leaders in whatever way she needed to. Finally, the clan leaders voted and though it wasn’t unanimous, it was decided that the Hunters would align with the queen. Problem was, Julia had found a way to trick them into making an oath of servitude. In one fell swoop, the Hunters became her Royal Guard and captives to the crown.

  “The Hunters brought in anyone who could give Julia information on the Elders’ weaknesses — whether the captives wanted to contribute to her plan or not. That was a lot of what people talked about — the kidnappings and interrogations. Eventually, the queen figured out that if the Elder families were separated, especially when the female Elders were separated from their mates, their power dwindled. As their power lessened, she was eventually able to kill them. No one is entirely sure how she did it or, more likely, how her Hunters did it, but Elders who were caught were never seen again.”

  Chapter 4

  “So, how do mom and dad factor into this then, Cole?” I finally asked. “Mom was an Elder. They got away. How did they manage to survive?”

  Cole kept his gaze fixed on the water. “I don’t know, Ame. But, I heard stories; stories of an Elder who got away. Of one who could see the future and had the power to make a difference. Any time I asked if people knew of Elders still out there, she was who they talked about. I think it was Mom. And, if what they tell me is right, she was it. She was the last Elder left alive.”

  “Until me.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Until you,” he responded quietly.

  “That means there isn’t a group of Elders for me to find. No one who understands. You and I are it. Dad isn’t an Elder, it’s just us.” I dropped back into the sand as the thoughts kept coming. “There aren’t any more answers… I’ll never know what this power is, what it can do, what it shouldn’t do. The queen will come for me. I’m bound, Cole. I’m bound to this betrothal, for better or for worse.” My breathing was labored as I recovered from the hurried rush of words that had tumbled from my mouth. Questions rose in my mind, popping like bubbles only to give way to more.

  What does Julia want with me?

  What can she do with me?

  What can I do to stop her?

  I am the only one.

  From what Cole had said tonight, the entire Immortal community was terrified of Julia and her Hunters. How was I going to be any kind of match for her? I didn’t even know what I could do, let alone what she could make me do. The fear overtook me so quickly it was like a punch to the gut. My power rose in tandem with the onslaught of emotion and the two fed off of each other. My hands started to shake as violet threads of smoke swirled and grew around them.

  “Cole,” I whispered, pled. I could feel what this was about to become and we were out in the open. No one could see the violet ball of crackling light building around my palms, but they would see the damage it did and I didn’t have the presence of mind to stop it.

  Cole took a few deep breaths, quickly trying to calm himself, and then swept me up into a fireman’s carry. As quickly as my power had grown, it scaled back down. I could feel how angry it was, knowing it was so close to being let off its leash. Thankfully Cole was here for me this time. I was wrapped in his green blanket of calm energy and it seemed to smother the bright purple veil pulsing around me. These times were happening more frequently, and I was afraid of what would happen if I lost control when Cole wasn’t around to stop it.

  It was awkward being eighteen and held like this by your brother, but it was literally the only thing we knew to do. And, the worse the episode was, the more contact we needed to calm it down quickly. I’d been able to keep a fairly decent hold on it for a while now but, in the last few weeks, it seemed like all of my signals were scrambled and I never knew what might happen. Not to mention, I just kept learning more about my past and my future, and not much of it was feeling too positive. Well, except maybe Aidan. Thinking of him helped me even out my frantic breaths and added another layer of calm. As soon as Cole felt me return to normal, he set me beside him, and we scooted apart.

  “You know we can’t do this forever, right?” I asked the question, but knew neither of us had the answer. He nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m going to start reaching out again. There are a few people I haven’t been able to find who could help. You might be the only female Elder, but you're not the only Elder, I won’t let you face this alone.”

  As I pulled into the parking spot reserved for my afternoon classes, Aidan was on my mind again. I didn’t want him to be… but I couldn’t help that he was. It was the same internal struggle that I had been experiencing daily. I was drawn to him. By what exactly, I didn’t know. I wanted to know more about him and the way he affected me, yet, when he tried to engage me, I bristled and tried to push him away, hearing Cole’s words in my mind about who Queen Julia was and the realization of what being an Elder truly meant. What being the only Elders coul
d mean. And then there was the betrothal, which was ridiculous, but still a factor. I didn’t know what my destiny was, but it didn’t seem right to drag him into it. However, the fact that I couldn’t get him off my mind had to mean something. I was still pondering the oddity of the situation as I entered the building and found him sitting outside my seminar.

  “You’ve got to be joking,” I said with a hand on my hip, trying to sound irritated when I was truly thrilled to see him again. Every time I was near him my heart raced and giddiness spread through my veins. All of my concern over the queen and my future just dropped away in those few moments I was with Aidan. I stood over him as he reclined on the bench outside the door to my class, looking far too calm for how worked up I was. His hair was disheveled and just the front of his red polo was tucked into his dark jeans. The black ink of his tattoo drew my eyes away from his, to his impressive bicep, and I had to force them back. I waited for a reaction as he quirked an eyebrow and shoved his phone down into his front pocket.

  “You know, Amelia, you really need to relax. Everything isn’t just about you.” Aidan’s face reflected the humor in his tone, his eyes laughing.

  “Really? Somehow you’ve managed to just appear in not one, but two of my classes?”

  “Actually,” he said slowly, giving me a look of mild annoyance, “we have three classes together. And have for the last month. So glad to know I’m so easy to miss.”

  He pushed himself off the bench and tossed his backpack over his shoulder, meeting me eye-to-eye. I couldn’t help but take a step back. I was afraid he’d hear the thunderous pounding of my heart, yet I couldn’t hide the red flush creeping across my face.