Clara and Claire

by Lindsey Richardson

  “Good morning beautiful,” Ezra said, smiling.

  I smiled in return, though as the smile widened on my face it slowly faded into a frown all too soon. There was no way of concealing it, and I could only hope that Ezra did not pay it much attention. We descended down the staircase, and he offered his hand to me. I accepted it graciously, as he was the one closest to the railing and I had nothing for support.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, squeezing my hand gently. Over his shoulder he carried the small bag Gemma had brought with us on our search. He assured me he packed supplies for him and Lukas to last the journey.

  We reached the bottom of the staircase, and Ezra tugged me back. Though I knew he meant well, I groaned at the thought of this taking all morning. My nerves tempted me to lose my temper, and by now I wanted to be in Rajoor already. The sooner we arrived the quicker we could return home.

  “I promise no one will threaten us in Rajoor.” He glanced down at my hand and continued. “My word must be worth something if you still wear that ring.”

  I raised a brow and pulled my hand away. “Of course, but it is yours. Here—”

  Though I tried to take it off, he stopped me and interjected. “No, I have told you before that it is yours to wear. I do not want it.”

  “Why? This was supposed to be for your future wife,” I said, biting down on my lower lip until I drew blood. His words left me puzzled, as I did not know what he wanted from me. Every time I tried to return the ring, he rejected it, but it held such value to his family.

  He smiled and laughed. “I trust you’ll keep it guarded. Who knows, she might be standing in front of me.”

  With a wink Ezra advanced to the front door and held it open. His words were like a lullaby to my ears, but I refocused on our mission. If Ezra truly loved me he would help me overcome my past before pushing further with our future. I walked through it with him following behind.

  Lukas stood in the yard, waving at us, and we quickened our pace. There was no more delaying this trip; the moment of truth was finally here. We reached Lukas and he held out a gem in his hand. I recognized it as it looked exactly like the ones I had seen previously for teleporting.

  Lukas looked at me and held out his hand. “Ready?”

  Ezra and I touched the gem, and Lukas waved his free hand over the gem. Mother’s lies would not be buried for another day. Today was the day she answered for everything, and the nausea from earlier slowly passed. Lights passed through us, and I winced as I prepared for the worst.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Buried Deep Down

  We arrived in Rajoor, and it appeared more as a ghost town than a home to anyone. We landed by the ocean, but no one stood outside fishing or practicing magic. Though it was still early, by now workers filled the street and children woke up with their parents. I expected to see someone, but there appeared to be no one awake at this hour. I lead the way, walking into the town I had spent years in believing the lies. The streets were entirely empty; not even merchants stood outside to set up their carts. Birds chirped nearby, and a dog ran past us barking. Again there was no one in sight, and I found it hard to believe everyone chose to stay inside today.

  “Are we in the right place?” Lukas whispered, leaning in close to me.

  “Yes…” I replied, trying to stay alert for anyone who might cross our path. Lukas and Ezra walked on opposite sides of me. Claire had been right; I should not have anything to fear with them at my side. We seemed unstoppable, but I began to wonder why I came in the first place. People who had known me my entire life did not even bother to notice my return. Mother was nowhere in sight, and she was not one to sleep in late. Something seemed terribly wrong, and whatever I had expected turned out to be much worse.

  At last I spotted Kiersten, who stood silently by one of the lampposts. She seemed to be the only Watcher on patrol today. I immediately ran up to her with hopes of her being able to help us. She grimaced at the sight of me, and my guard rose as she steadied her hand on her sword. Perhaps it was my clothing that threw her off, as I no longer wore the illusion of Claire.

  “Kiersten! Thank Circe I’ve found you. It’s me, Clara… I’ve been gone for weeks. Where is everyone?”

  She avoided eye contact with me. “I know who you are…”

  Confused, I repeated the question more firmly. “Where is everyone? I demand to know; I must speak with my mother.”

  “Please go, Clara… before I have to call for backup,” she replied just as harshly.

  I stumbled back, wondering if this was all a nightmare. How could this be happening? I came here expecting answers from the mother who lied to me for twenty years. She betrayed me and broke up our family, and now it seemed she had control over everyone on the island. Kiersten had known me for years; she had no reason to think of me as a threat. Was it Lukas and Ezra’s presence that scared her?

  “Listen—” Lukas began.

  She cut him off and withdrew her sword, pointing it directly at me. Ezra and Lukas withdrew their own weapons and aimed them at her. I nearly fainted at the realization that this was really happening.

  “By the order of the Council, you must tell us where Nina is. If you refuse, we will take you to answer to Jhase.” Ezra said, narrowing his eyes on her. I knew the men would stand their guard, but we stood no chance if she called for other Watchers to defend her.

  Hesitantly, Kiersten dropped her sword on the ground. “Fine. Nina isn’t here, but you’re welcome to search your home.”

  “And what of everyone else? Where are they?” I asked. My whole body still shook from Kiersten’s actions. Ezra moved closer to me, standing slightly in front of me as if to take the first blow if Kiersten changed her mind. I doubted she would try to use magic on me when Lukas and Ezra kept their weapons at the ready.

  “There is a curfew, and folks must stay in their homes longer than usual. I can’t discuss all of the details with you. It’s Watcher business…” she replied, glancing from Ezra to Lukas.

  I placed my hand on Ezra’s, and he slowly lowered his weapon. Lukas did the same, and we left without another word. I did not want any trouble from Watchers, especially the ones in Rajoor. I already knew they did not always obey the rules set in place for them.

  Kiersten remained where she stood and returned her sword to its carrier. I glanced back several times to check she did not follow after us or call for help. We never had a curfew before in Rajoor, and I did not need to tell the men this either. Curfews were usually approved by the Council, but it seemed everyone operated on their own here. It was as if the Council meant nothing to Rajoor anymore, and everyone acted under someone else’s authority.

  I led the way to my old home, hoping Kiersten was wrong about my mother’s whereabouts. Could she still be preoccupied with searching for magical artifacts? If she chose to search for artifacts over her daughter, I would return to Ninomay in a heartbeat. She did not deserve my time or respect if she would not offer me any. The nervousness I once felt transformed into anger and confusion.

  As soon as we reached my home I did not hesitate. I opened the door and ran inside, calling for Mother. No one but Lucius came to answer me. He meowed and pawed at my dress, begging for attention. I did not know how long my mother had been gone or if anyone bothered to feed him. I asked Ezra to feed him while Lukas and I searched the remainder of the house.

  “No one’s here,” Lukas said.

  “I noticed,” I snapped. I stopped in front of my bedroom and leaned against the doorframe. This was not their fault or my own that mother was not here to confront. She had always been a traveler, and even while I lived under her roof she rarely stayed home. Was it that strange for her to be away from home now, despite my absence?

  Sighing, I said, “It’s like she moved on with her life without me. She did this to Claire… and now she has done it to me.”

  Lukas patted my back, and I did not expect for him to have a response. His own family had just been destroyed from the inside. W
hat Claire and I experienced seemed less brutal than what he experienced within one day. Even so, it did not ease my pain.

  “I’ve found something!” Ezra called out from Mother’s room. Lukas and I raced to where he stood with my cat. There was a note in Ezra’s hand, and his hands shook as he gave it to me.

  The deed is done. Meet me at the Hawk’s Tavern.

  With all my love,

  Stefano

  I gasped and read the note again, trying to make sense of it. Lukas read over my shoulder, but no one said anything. I had never met a man named Stefano in my life, nor did I recognize his writing. The way the man chose to end the note troubled me the most. Mother never had time for men, and she claimed after Isaak she carried no interest for them.

  “More secrets and lies!” I shouted, throwing the note on the floor. My knees crumbled, and I fell to the floor and grabbed the note again. I held onto it tightly, being careful not to rip it despite how my emotions urged me otherwise. I refused to believe I came this far to be deceived again.

  Lukas’s hand rested on my shoulder. Cautiously he asked, “Do you know where this is?”

  Wiping tears from my eyes, I slowly nodded. I had heard of the Hawk’s Tavern before, but it was not in this part of town. It was further across the island, and it seemed like an odd place for Mother to be. The last time I heard of the place Isaak had mentioned it. He went there often enough for me to assume it was a bad place.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Ezra asked, grabbing my arm and pulling me close to him. “It’s not too late to go home.”

  I looked into his eyes. “It’s not that I want to do this, but I need to. This is for Claire and I… I have no choice.”

  He released me, and I offered the note to him for safe keeping. He placed it in his pocket, and I led the way outside. More importantly I wanted to know who Stefano was and what deed he had done. My thoughts instantly rushed to Ren, but why would Mother have agreed to murder someone?

  We left behind my hometown and walked into a part of Rajoor I was less familiar with. The comforts and familiarity of a village disappeared behind us, and the sunlight was dimmed by dark clouds overhead of us. Rain poured down, soaking my dress and my hair stuck against my face. Withdrawing our staffs, we prepared for the unknown ahead of us.

  You will not escape your lies, Mother. You’ve buried yourself too deep, and now I hold the shovel.

  The next adventure…

  Clara and Ezra