Mariana's Secret

by A D Lombardo

  This was news to Kai. Last summer his father had a successful journey—without Nola. Her absence was the key. When given enough time without her, his father improved. Only after Iver’s return did he change. Clearly, she was not interested in Iver leaving without her this year.

  Not wanting to press his luck or draw attention to monopolizing his father, Kai circled back towards the terrace. Seeing their return, Nola burst through the crowd and descended the stairs to grab Iver. Her face pursed with frustration. “Iver, darling, you shouldn’t overexert yourself. Kai, you know better. Your father is unwell. He should not do so much walking in this heat.” She pulled Iver halfway up the stairs.

  Kai nodded in agreement. “Yes, Nola.” He wanted to protest, but he knew everyone would only see what she wanted them to see. A weak man withering away, and a loving wife tending to his every need.

  “My apologies Nola, I only wanted him to see the design up close. They are finishing now.” He pointed to Linlou, who was approaching the stairs.

  Linlou bowed and motioned towards the completed gardens. Everyone from above applauded and cheered. Curious, Kai turned and glanced over the design. While he had every faith in Linlou’s ability, he knew their incompatible selections would provide a challenge. However, to his delight, she had created a magnificent display.

  She used Nola’s selection of small muted colors to create a blended backdrop for Iver’s vibrant selections of taller plants. The design was a three-dimensional tiered masterpiece. The once-flat garden was now a rolling mound of flowers and sculpted ivy structures. On one side, she even installed an oval-shaped koi fishpond and a small bench.

  In a rush, everyone hurried down the stairs to walk around the garden, each stopping at the small bench to marvel at the fish. Even though Kai wanted to enjoy his father’s birthday, he felt terrible that he was leaving for the summer. He feared for his father.

  All he could do was hope his cousin would notice upon his return. The Master General had been in Nebea since the Winter Festival. With Kai’s emanant departure, they would most likely miss each other. Thoughts of telling Riome came to mind, but she had gone missing these past few days. She was most likely on a mission, and he was not told where she had gone.

  Hands stuffed deep in his pockets; he followed the group for the rest of their outing until they rode back in the carriage to the palace.

  ◆◆◆

  With his family commitment done, Kai stood in the orchard watching the sky go from orange to purple, his cousin Gideon by his side. “I am glad we were able to say goodbye,” Kai said. “I will certainly miss seeing you each day at the palace, cousin. I cannot believe we both leave in a few days. You are headed home to Port Anahita, and I am bound for Albey. Are you ready to move home permanently?”

  Gideon stood proud, his shirt buttoned high on his neck, his hand grasping the side of his vest. “Yes and no. Moving now means I will be close to my parents. I am pleased to no longer travel back and forth. And I am excited to learn more about how to run the port warehouses.” His face turned gloomy. “Completing my final year of education traveling with my father is exciting, but in turn, I leave behind Victoria. She has another few months left with the professor. We must wait until we are eighteen before I can ask her to marry me.”

  “Marriage, Gideon?” Kai questioned.

  He knew they were close, but he had no idea Gideon was ready for marriage. Kai fell left behind by everyone’s plans. I have been too consumed with my training. How could he have no idea what was happening around him?

  “When you know, you know. What can I say? She is the one for me. Besides, she is a port city lady, and my prospects are limited. Every other family of note has sons. There is Trudy, but come on, you must admit, she is odd. Thick glasses, always spouting facts about history, and her squeaky little voice strikes my last nerve. Not to mention, she is two inches taller than I am. Awkward,” Gideon declared. Then a delicate smile lit up Gideon’s face. “Now, Victoria. Her angelic face and graceful nature… Well, I would be a lucky man if she will have me. We have so much in common, and we have talked about marriage. I had to be sure she felt the same.”

  “The two of you make a good pair, you are both fortunate,” Kai added.

  “I must thank you for the push,” Gideon elbowed Kai. “Asking her to dance was the best thing for both of us. After the Winter Festival, two years back, our relationship changed. We are both rather shy, you know. All we needed was a moment together. We’ve talked nearly every day since.”

  Kai was happy for his cousin, and he slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Well, you let me know the day, and I will be there. Just remember, you have to ask her first.” He chuckled at the thought.

  “I will miss our talks, Kai,” Gideon said. “I have no close friends in Port Anahita. You better come and visit me. A promise is a promise.”

  Gideon raised an eyebrow at Kai. “How can you let their relationship go on?” He gestured towards the gardens below. “Amelia is meant to be your wife. Everyone talks about her and Tolan. You should put a stop to it.”

  Kai glanced down and saw Tolan and Amelia walking hand in hand through the gardens, her blonde hair blowing in the summer breeze. Tolan’s fiery red hair was now shoulder-length. “Everyone?” Kai whispered. He was embarrassed they had done a poor job at hiding their relationship. “What can I do? I know our future, but I don’t see her that way. I have no interest in marrying Amelia. At least Tolan loves her.”

  “Kai, you are a prince. You have no choices, only your duty. This is not about what you want. You will go to Milnos as your father wills you. You will marry Amelia and rule their country. We are lucky the peace has lasted this long. We need you, the Galloway bloodline, on their throne.” Gideon’s words took an assertive tone.

  He knew his cousin was right. If he had not met Rayna, maybe he would feel different. Unwilling to argue, Kai watched darkness fall on Diu. He was relieved when the night sky lit up with fireworks. Bright shimmering streaks of white and gold expanded across the sky, followed by explosion sounds and crackles. Multiple blue and gold stars lit up the sky, crackling one after the other.

  Cheers rang out through the city; music filled the air. King’s Day was one of the most festive days of the year, behind the Winter Festival. “I wish this weren’t the only time they set off fireworks,” Gideon broke their silence. “My father buys them from Bangloo.”

  From their location, Kai could hear the faint shloomp sound from each firework launched off the inner walls of the castle. “I wish we had more,” Kai added. “They only last about ten minutes, but it is a beautiful display of light.”

  With each wave of fireworks, they grew larger and louder. As the fireworks concluded, percussion sounds rolled out on the wind above the palace wall. Drummers beat their drums to complete the celebration, followed by rapid cannon fire around the outer wall of the city. Each cannon fired in succession to honor Kings Day, and then all fell silent.

  “Goodnight and good luck, Prince Kai.” Gideon bowed.

  The emphasis on his title said it all. Duty-bound as the prince, Kai best get his head together, or he would be miserable for the rest of his life.

  “Goodnight, Gideon. I promise I will visit. Safe travels.” He shook his cousin's hand, and they parted ways.

  ◆◆◆

  The night before his departure, Kai slipped through the secret passageway to the Master General’s tower and went into his cousin’s office. Concerned for his father’s wellbeing, he decided he should leave a note. Cazier had personally installed a secret compartment around his windowsill. If they needed to exchange messages, Kai put them in their secret spot. All he needed to do was keep the letter simple and imply just enough detail to inform him of his father’s situation without saying too much.

  Dear Cousin Adrian,

  I trust your visit with your wife and children was pleasant and well spent. We all missed you dearly today, King’s Day. It was a wonderful celebration.

  My arrangements
are made, and I leave tomorrow bound for Albey. Like my trip to Chenowith last year, I am sure it will be uneventful. Dante plans to send additional security per your instructions, and the guards depart on a ship across Baden Lake in the morning. They should arrive a full seven days ahead of us.

  While I am away, please look in on my ailing father. He is most fortunate to have Nola tending to his every need. She is diligent in her care and rarely far from his side. Maybe she could use a break. I would be most interested in your opinion on his condition. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Yours Truly,

  Prince Kai Galloway

  Chapter 7

  Runaway Discovery

  Over winter, a great distance grew between Kai and Kendra. While he tried in vain to use the ability to glean to search for his mother, he’d made no progress. Summer was upon him, and he felt the need to repair some of the damage his words had caused.

  The hour was late when Kai welcomed Kendra into his room. He could see the delight in her eyes with the opportunity to mend their bond. They shared a few pleasantries, and Kai offered her a chair. “Kendra, I have missed our talks.” She nodded in agreement, and he continued. “I wish you could see the damage secrets cause. You mean well, but the truth always comes to the surface. Please understand, I will not give up trying, but I know I need your help. Teach me how to search for my mother.”

  “I loved your mother, Kai. Her loss was very difficult.”

  The pain in Kendra’s voice struck his heart. He had to remind himself that he was not the only person to love his mother and feel her loss. “Maybe in dragon form, she cannot be found,” her expression turned to despair. “I just don’t know.”

  The thought of losing his mother all over again pricked his heart. He had been haunted all his life by her loss, only to discover his nightmare had a different ending. His mother could still be alive, but where? Why had she not returned? His mind swelled with questions and hope.

  Kendra stood and took hold of his wrists, pulling him to his feet and locking their arms together. Kai’s heart elevated with anticipation. “Close your eyes. I know you're excited–use your adrenaline. Let everything else except your mother leave your mind. Memories are said to possess a power all their own. Concentrate on the energy her memory creates and add it to your own. I will push my energy to you, and all the light I can pull from our surroundings. I saw Haygan and your mother do this once when she searched for a lost ship at sea. Haygan’s extra power allowed her to search farther.” Kendra let go and began to move her arms. “Use your sight to see the power I collect.”

  He did as she instructed. Her cupped hands swirled through the air as she folded light and pushed it at Kai. The more he focused, the brighter the light became. Their two lights merged. Again, he heard Kendra: “Pull my energy inward. Connect the power to your desires and the spiritual power within you—to your soul. Press the raw power inward. Hold on to it as long as you can.”

  Mentally curling inward, he went beyond his sense of self. Waves of Kendra’s collected magic flowed inward. His own soul felt limitless. He had never gone this deep inside himself before. The power became stronger, compounding on itself. He felt he could not hold it down much longer. The energy made him hot, and he had begun to sweat. His body shook with the intensity bubbling within.

  Kendra locked her hands around his wrists and held him tight. Her whisper sounded distant. “Now, take all the magic you’ve gathered and push it into the world. Let it explode from your core. Follow the flow outward. Feel the energy of others and sense where they are, who they are. Focus on your connection with your mother. Call to Mariana.”

  Open-minded, he pushed outward—and an explosion of light rippled out from his core. He let his mind follow the wave. He felt everything, everyone. He noticed the essences of souls, small and dim (regular people), bright ones—Half-lights, and very bright spirits—Katori. The Katori souls spiked the wave onward. Focused on the memory of his mother, he called to her with his soul—Mother.

  Vast oceans flowed beneath him. He felt pulled in all directions. Foreign lands spread before him. Clouds blew passed him, and starlight gave way to sunshine. His mind expanded; he was everywhere at once. Then he felt a massive wave of energy explode in the distance and push back through him. Focused on the pulse he heard but one word—KAI—and the light was gone.

  The tremors stopped, and he opened his eyes. His heart pounded in his chest. Kendra placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Remarkable, you did very well,” she said, astounded. “I felt you push through me. You are very powerful. I had no idea anyone except your mother could physically collect energy and use it to glean. What did you feel?”

  Kai was wide-eyed and overcome with emotion. He struggled to regain his composure. His knees felt weak. “Where do I start? I’ve never…” He paused to catch his breath. “I am not sure if this will make any sense, but collecting your energy felt natural. Like accepting a hug. Pushing energy usually feels heavy, resistant—believe me, I’ve tried. But holding it in—created pressure, it gained strength. The compounded light actually grew as it flowed outward. I don’t know if this is right, but each Katori seemed to boost the flow.”

  With another deep breath, he contemplated what he felt, what he saw. There were so many images blooming in his mind at once. “At first, my mind was flying on a wave of energy or light. It rippled through…” He stopped to search for the right words. The hair on his arms and neck tingled with residual power. “The power poured through people, animals, plants, the oceans—the world. It was more intense than what I do here around the palace, sensing people close to me.” He placed a hand to his head, feeling extremely drained.

  She grabbed a glass of water from the table. “Here, drink.” She offered Kai the cup. “It sounds disorienting, not at all like I’ve heard it described. Could you tell who those people were or where they are?” she squeezed his hand.

  The water felt cool on his parched throat. The drain on his energy began to ease. “I could sense Haygan. I felt him, his essence. His spirit is strong, his soul very bright. You, I felt you. It was difficult to tell the difference between your light and mine. I felt Rayna. You know, it seemed to me each full Katori essence bolstered the wave. And Shane, although he is only a Half-Light, I felt a connection. There are other Katori and Half-Lights within the city and scattered around the outlying farms. There was a mass of energy coming from a distant place far to the east—Katori and the Mystic Islands. Odd… There was another Katori-filled land far away—Caroco, maybe.” He paused to look at her, overwhelmed by the intensity.

  She tilted her head. “I felt your wave pass through me; it was intense.” Kendra looked away. “I hope this was not a mistake. Teaching you to light up the world. Neither of us knows what we are doing. Sounds like every Katori felt your magic, though they would not know who sent the energy, simply which direction it came from.”

  “Wait, if I am a Half-Light—half Katori, then how did I do it?”

  “I don’t know.” A bewildered expression rattled Kendra. “Because you are not full Katori, Haygan and I held back. We assumed you’d show no gifts. We came to find out what Mariana might have told you about being Katori, what you knew about the day a dragon came to Diu—the day she supposedly died. There are only a few of us who refused to believe she died. You were our last hope. But then, you are no Half-Light. You can’t be. This show of power could draw unwanted attention to you.”

  Her fears made sense; he had no idea who might come for him now that he’d exposed his ability to the world. Kendra’s posture changed, and he could tell she contemplated her next words. “Since we are trying to be honest,” Kendra said, looking him in the eye. “I must say that you look nothing like Iver. After this display of power, it could mean he is not your true father.”

  Kai squinted at her. “I don’t believe you. Iver loves me. Of course he is my father. Why would my mother stay with him? Why would she lie to me? Lie to everyone.”

&n
bsp; “I am not sure,” she responded. “Only your mother knows these answers.”

  An earlier memory slammed into Kai, and he gasped with surprise. “There is more, I remember! There was a large wave of energy. It exploded, and something or someone pushed back on me.”

  Kendra grabbed both of his shoulders, pulled his face close to hers. “Who was it, what did you feel? Tell me.” Her eyes were half-wild, and tears welled in her eyes.

  He pushed her away and laid his face in his hands. “I don’t know for sure. It was so bright, so strong. The feeling was overwhelming. I am sure I imagined it, but I heard… I heard my name come back to me.”

  Kendra’s mouth fell open. “Your mother! It must be. Do you remember anything, even the smallest detail? Did you see anything?”

  The pressure to grab at any detail crushed him. He closed his eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and held it. He focused on the moment just before the light exploded and pushed him away. “Black sand. I saw black sand.” Confused, he opened his eyes. “We don’t have black sand in Diu. At least not that I’ve seen. Port Anahita has white sand.”

  “As does Katori,” she added. “So does Nebea and Milnos. As far as I know, only Ahana has black sand. It’s volcanic.”

  “I must go to her.” Kai pushed around Kendra toward the door.

  She grabbed his arm and spun him around. “You can’t go unprepared. Besides, you leave for your summer trip within days,” she reminded him.

  “I am not going on my summer trip. Not now. I must go find my mother.”

  Millions of ideas flood his mind at once: pack, tell Dresnor, take Ember—RUN! He felt pulled in every direction at once. “You cannot hold me back. I am leaving with or without you.”