by Aaron Ehasz
But would that be wrong?
You can’t hurt Ezran, Soren, he said to himself. He’s just a kid. A little runt. He stopped and turned back toward his hut. But as he started back up the path, he pictured his father’s disappointed face. He could almost hear his father’s voice in his head, scowling as he uttered a single word: failure.
Soren stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t purposely hurt Ezran. On the other hand, if there was an accident because Ezran was doing something dangerous and stupid … Well, that would be on Ezran.
Soren turned around again and approached the young prince and his friends. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. Soren plastered a big cheesy grin on his face. Then he tried to high-five Bait, who turned the other way. Why was the grumpy gremlin rejecting him? Soren felt a little hurt.
“I have an idea for something super fun,” Soren said. The younger kids looked excited. “Super fun, but also incredibly dangerous in which some potential accidents may occur—but so fun! Who’s in?!” He felt even less guilty about this plan now that he’d included a disclaimer.
“What is it?” Ezran asked.
“I’m in!” Ellis shouted.
Little kids were so gullible. Soren led Ezran and Ellis to an overlook high above the tree line. Soren hammered a peg into a tree with his scabbard. Then he wrapped a thick rope around the peg, coiled up the slack, and hurled the remaining rope across a ravine, aiming for a tall tree many feet below them.
“Hang on, gang,” Soren said. “I’ll be right back.” Soren hurtled down a rocky path to get to the bottom of the ravine. When he located the other end of the rope, Soren wound it securely around a tree. He looked up. Ezran and Ellis were waving at him.
Soren waved, and then sprinted back up the hillside at top speed. It was too bad he hadn’t thought through the strategy of this plan. Luckily, he was in excellent physical condition. He was nearly out of breath by the time he got to the top, but Soren knew he was in great shape and would never be truly out of breath. There’s always more breath where that came from, he told himself in any situation that required prolonged physical effort.
Back up top, Soren found a plank of wood and attached it to the rope, like the seat of a swing.
“Hop on!” Soren shouted to Ezran.
Ezran sat gingerly on the wooden swing, holding Zym on his lap.
“So, you just zip across this line?” Ezran asked.
“Exactly,” Soren said. “You just zip down the line!”
“What do you call this thing?” Ezran asked.
“You mean this line? That you zip on?” Soren thought hard for a moment. “I call it the slidey-sling go-fast rope.”
“That is a good name,” Ezran said. Then he looked at the peg in the tree. “Are you sure it’s going to hold?”
Soren gave Ezran a look as if to ask, Don’t you trust me?
“It’s not me,” Ezran said. “Zym is nervous. He’s just a baby.”
“It’s totally fine,” Soren said. “Would I steer you wrong? I’m planning to take a ride right after you. Plus, that little dragon needs to feel the air in his wings.”
“Soren’s right,” Ezran said. “Zym, this is your chance to see what flying feels like.”
Soren held the swing steady while eyeing the peg that held up the rope. It looked nice and loose.
“Whenever you’re ready, guys,” Soren said.
Ezran shoved off with his hands in the air, squealing with delight.
“Yayyyyyyyy!” Ezran shouted, his eyes wide and filled with joy.
Zym had closed his eyes to enjoy the wind on his face.
Immediately, Soren turned back to the peg—and nearly jumped out of his armor. Rayla was standing next to the tree, examining the rope. Her arms were crossed.
“Watchu thinkin’ about?” Rayla asked. She smiled.
“Nothing,” Soren said. “Watchu thinking about?”
“I’m thinkin’ … you should go next,” Rayla said.
Was Soren imagining things, or had Rayla’s lips curled into an evil smirk? He gulped.
“Go ahead,” Rayla said. “Unless you think it’s not safe for some reason?” She was asking the question in that way people did when they didn’t totally mean what they were saying.
“We made it!” Ezran yelled from down below. “But Zym never even opened his eyes!”
“Obviously, it’s perfectly safe,” Soren said. “Let me just, uh, double-check this peg.” He hammered it into the tree with all his might.
“I bet,” Rayla said. “Go on, now.”
Soren thrust the sword in its scabbard over the zip line. Then he grabbed an end in each hand, creating a makeshift rig he could slide down on. He took a deep breath and then kicked himself off the ledge.
“Having fun yet?” Rayla called out to him. When Soren looked back at Rayla, she flicked open her blade and touched it to the rope.
Soren shuddered. That elf was scary. She gave Soren a mean smile and poked at the rope with her blade.
TWANG.
Soren was really starting to hate that elf.
Rayla ran to Callum’s hut as fast as she could. She’d been right all along. Soren and Claudia were up to no good. If she hadn’t shown up at that zip line when she did, who knows what would have happened to Ezran and Zym? She pushed open the door and entered without knocking.
“Callum! Callum! We can’t trust Soren and Claudia,” she yelled.
But the dorm was empty. Callum was gone. Probably on his date with Claudia. Rayla was too late.
This was a disaster. Callum trusted Claudia. It was Rayla who was the newcomer and the one who had to prove herself. Plus, there was the problem that she hadn’t been completely honest with Callum. She wasn’t as deceitful as Soren, who had outright lied about the king, but she wasn’t any better than Claudia. She wanted to come clean to Callum, but she didn’t know where to begin. Rayla needed advice.
“I’ll ask Lujanne,” she said out loud, heading for the Moon Temple.
She found Lujanne sitting in the atrium, meditating.
“Lujanne—I need your help,” she panted.
“If wisdom is what you seek, I shall do my best to fake it,” Lujanne said. Then she giggled and stood up. “That’s an old illusionist joke.”
“Right,” Rayla said. She didn’t have time for jokes. “I need my friend to trust me, but he doesn’t. And I think it’s my fault. I’ve been keeping a secret from him. Hiding the truth.”
“Rayla, look at the moon,” Lujanne said.
Obediently, Rayla gazed out a window at the half-moon.
“Light only falls on half its face right now, but that doesn’t mean the other half isn’t there,” Lujanne said. “And it is the same with you—there are parts you keep hidden.”
“But if I want my friend to trust me, don’t I have to stop hiding the truth?” Rayla asked.
“Real trust is about accepting even the dark parts we will never know,” Lujanne replied.
Rayla looked down. “No—no, I don’t think that’s right. Lying and hiding the truth aren’t that different. Strong relationships need honesty—the full truth.”
Lujanne chuckled. “Oh, now you sound like my first four husbands.”
Rayla looked Lujanne in the eye. “I’m afraid of hurting him, but I owe him the truth. I can’t leave Callum in the dark any longer—I have to tell him what happened to his dad.”
“I’m glad my wisdom helped,” Lujanne said with a wink.
“Ummmm, it didn’t,” Rayla said. “It was wrong.” This was one nutty Moon mage.
“Was it wrong? Or was it just differently true?” Lujanne asked.
Rayla shook her head and walked out. She didn’t have time for puzzles either.
Claudia had only a few minutes left before she had to meet Callum at the Moon Nexus. She was standing in front of the mirror, fiddling with her long dark hair. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to leave it down or put it up. Did the white lily headband look ridiculous or charming? Dating wa
s so stressful.
“Hey, are you doing something different with your hair? Some kind of a … braid-bag flower-dealie?” Soren asked.
“Yeah, it’s cute—so what?” She tried to ignore Soren’s narrowed eyes and decided once and for all she would wear her hair up, with the flowers. Then she dashed out the door and hurried to the Moon Nexus. She didn’t want to keep Callum waiting.
Claudia steeled herself. This was a date—sure—but she planned to tell Callum about King Harrow. Hurting him would be unbearably difficult, but she had to show Callum she was a true friend. She twirled her hair anxiously, playing out the scene in her mind.
“Hi, Claudia,” said Callum, smiling.
His hair was slicked back and he smelled clean. This date was really going to happen.
“Hi,” Claudia said softly. Callum’s face fell a little, and Claudia realized she had sounded too serious—maybe even off-putting. She smiled at him.
“The moon is so bright tonight. You can see our shadows,” Callum said. He pointed to the ground, and Claudia followed with her eyes. Their shadow hands were almost touching. Callum moved his hand a little bit so that their shadows were holding hands.
Claudia sucked in her breath. Was he doing it intentionally?
“Hey. Did your shadow hand just hold my shadow hand?”
“Did it?” Callum said, a little mischievously.
Claudia laughed and grabbed Callum’s real hand. “Come on. Take me to see the Nexus!”
“We’re almost there,” Callum said. “This way.” He led Claudia up the path to a small stone overlook.
“Wow. It’s like the moon, but more … here,” Claudia said.
Luminous green trees surrounded the entire lake, enclosing it protectively. The stars twinkled in the water, and the reflection of the half-moon spread out like a silky white sheet across the lake. It was very romantic.
“So, Claudia,” Callum said.
“Yeah?” she asked.
“I’ve known you for so long,” Callum said.
It was kind of a cheesy comment, but Claudia knew how he felt. “Yeah, me too,” she said.
“Well, you’ve known yourself your whole life,” Callum said.
“HAHAHA.” Sometimes Callum said the most ridiculous things. She loved him for it. But Claudia could tell he was feeling a little embarrassed, so she gave him a playful pinch on the arm. “Callum, you always make me laugh,” she said.
“You make me laugh too,” Callum said. “And you make me think. You make me see the world in a different way.”
Claudia looked at him and smiled.
“Wow,” Callum said. “I … I suddenly don’t have any more words.”
“That’s okay. We can just … be here. Without words,” she said.
Callum nodded. Claudia sat very still until she saw Callum close his eyes. She did the same thing. Slowly, she started to lean in toward him.
Claudia could feel Callum’s warm breath on her face, and she breathed in deeply. She wanted to kiss him like she’d never wanted anything before.
Callum’s face drew a little closer. But as much as she wanted to, Claudia couldn’t kiss him. It felt too much like a betrayal. She pulled back abruptly.
“Wait, Callum. I need to tell you something.”
The half-moon shimmered high above the Moon Nexus, but Callum no longer saw the beauty in it. His head was down as he walked back toward the huts, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs of disbelief at the news of his stepfather’s death.
And there, standing in front of his dorm, was the last person he wanted to see. Rayla. That liar.
“Callum?” she said. “I’m so glad you’re here. I need to tell you something,” she began.
Callum held up his hand to stop her.
“I know. I know what happened. He’s gone. Claudia told me.”
“Oh no,” Rayla said.
Callum turned around and started to pace. Rayla was following him silently, and Callum was glad he didn’t have to look at her. He didn’t know if he could be nice to her right now.
“Callum, I’m sorry,” Rayla called out. “I tried to tell you the king was dead.”
The king. Callum scoffed. Rayla didn’t know anything. “My stepdad!” Callum yelled. “He was more than just the king to me.”
“Your stepdad. I know,” Rayla said. “I really tried, but I could never find the right way. And whenever I tried, I messed it up, and the next time was harder, until …”
“Rayla, just stop. I can’t talk about this right now,” Callum said. She sounded sorry, but he didn’t really care. “All I can think about is how I’m going to tell Ezran our father is gone.” Ezran was just a few years older than Callum had been when their mother had died. Callum knew from experience there was no good way to break this news to him.
“I’m sorry, Callum. I’m so, so sorry,” Rayla repeated.
But Callum ignored her. He started walking faster, trying to leave her behind.
His stepfather had tried to prepare him for this moment. The letter! Callum suddenly remembered the letter King Harrow had given him, the letter Callum had misplaced. The king had given Callum that letter and told him only to open it if he died.
“Stupid!” Callum shouted at himself. How could he have lost something so important? Now he would never know his stepfather’s last words to him. He wanted to be near his little brother. He glanced over his shoulder and was relieved to see that Rayla was no longer following him.
Callum’s heart ached when he glimpsed Ezran sleeping peacefully on his bed, the moonlight shining on his coffee-colored skin. For a moment, Callum stood in the doorway, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Ezran’s chest. Then he sat down on the bed and reached to wake him, but Ezran rolled over in his sleep.
Callum lowered his hand. He would let Ezran have one last night of dreamless sleep. But there would be no sleep for Callum. He lay down near his brother and tried to picture his stepfather’s smiling face.
“Well, it’s about time,” Soren said when Claudia walked in. “Did you have fun on your little date?” Soren had been bored senseless. He’d invented a little game where he timed how long his sword could spin on its point. Three seconds. Three seconds was the time to beat.
But Claudia didn’t reply. She just sighed as she pulled the wilting flowers out of her hair. Soren shook his head. His sister had her mysterious ways.
“Clauds? Hey, anybody there?” Soren asked. Then he took a closer look and realized she was crying.
“Holy swords. What happened? What did he do to you?” Soren yelled.
“Soren, relax,” Claudia said. She put one hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to get so worked up. Nothing happened … Callum would never hurt me.”
“Oh,” Soren said. He was confused. He sheathed his sword. “Then how come you’re all … weep-ridden?”
“That’s not an emotion, Soren,” Claudia said. “I told Callum about the king. It was super emotional.”
“You told him?” Soren couldn’t believe it. “Well, did it work? Is he going to come back with us?”
“I think he might. He’s really mad that Rayla didn’t tell him. I don’t think he trusts her anymore.”
“Um, well, good work,” Soren said. He felt a little bad for Claudia. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Soren. I’m going to be fine,” she said.
“Because … you’re my sister, as you know. I’m always here for you … to punch someone, or whatever you need,” he assured her.
“I know,” said Claudia, trying to smile.
“Good,” Soren said. “We still have to bring the princes back with us. Whatever it takes—whatever happens. I need to know that all this emotion-y stuff won’t get in the way of doing what we came here to do.” No matter what, Soren needed Claudia to be in shape for this mission.
“It won’t get in the way,” she said. “I can do it.”
“Atta girl,” Soren said. He gave Claudia a little punch on her arm. “You’re such a daddy
’s girl. You’d never let the old guy down.”
Ezran opened his mouth in an enormous yawn and peeked at the early morning sky. It was pink. Good. That meant there was still time to catch a little more sleep. He flipped over onto his stomach. But then he saw Callum’s brown hair poking out over the side of his bed. What was his brother doing sitting on the floor?
“Callum?” Ezran asked sleepily. He leaned up on one arm to make sure he was seeing things correctly.
“Morning, Ez,” Callum said.
“I had another weird dream,” Ezran said. “I was running from that giant hippo … the one made of taffy, remember?”
“I think so?” Callum said.
Ezran shook his head at Callum’s poor memory. The taffy hippo was one of the strangest recurring dreams he’d ever had. “Only this time, there was someone riding on the hippo’s back. When I turned around, I saw it was the baker! You know … Barius, the one who doesn’t like me!”
“He’d like you if you stopped stealing his jelly tarts,” Callum said.
Ezran chose to ignore his brother’s remark.
“The baker said I was wanted for crimes against dessert,” he continued. “And to make the hippo chase me, the baker told him I was jelly-filled!”
Ezran didn’t know anyone else who dreamed about hippos—let alone ones made of taffy. He desperately wanted Callum’s help figuring out this dream.
“I was a pastry fugitive, Callum,” Ezran said. “It was terrible. And the worst part was … the baker was right.” Ezran’s eyes filled with horror. “I was light, flaky, crispy. I was delicious. What do you think it means?”
Callum’s eyes were watery and red and tired looking.
“Ez, let’s go for a walk,” he said.
“Sure,” Ezran said. Maybe Callum could analyze the dream more clearly once they were outside.
The two brothers started out along the Moon Temple grounds. Ezran was still waiting for Callum’s analysis.
“So, Ezran, I wanted to talk to you about … life. And growing up. And how sometimes there are … changes … you don’t expect …” Callum began.
