Echoes: A Second Skin Novel (Second Skin Book 6)

by M Damon Baker

  Chapter 3

  Endreí reached out the next morning to pull Rissa into his arms only to find himself alone, and in a brief moment of panic, he feared she’d abandoned him. As his mind slowly cleared, those thoughts melted away when the scent of freshly baked biscuits came to him from the kitchen. Rissa rarely made those special treats since some of the ingredients for her recipe were quite scarce. The flour itself was only available when they traded with their one neighboring village several days travel to the north, an occasion that came just a few times each year. Endreí took it as a good sign that she’d risen early to make them for him after their difficult conversation the night before.

  “Good morning,” he offered as he snatched one of the piping-hot delicacies from the plate where they were cooling.

  “Enjoy it,” she smiled back at him, and Endreí immediately sensed the danger in her grin.

  “You’re going to be working very hard today,” Rissa continued, her gaze pinning him in place as she removed her apron. “I just wanted to make sure you got off to a good start.”

  You’d better make some fucking progress, was what Endreí actually heard—quite clearly.

  With his mouth already full, all he could do was nod back at her and swallow his apprehension. He’d thought she’d understood that breaking free from the magic that had drawn him and Kara together would be no quick or easy thing. Yet despite Endreí having told her just how difficult the process would be, Rissa still seemed to expect him to find some sort of breakthrough on the very first day. Endreí had absolutely zero expectations of achieving that, and he dreaded having to inform her of his failure to meet that dubious goal.

  Although he usually relished the treats, Endreí had to force himself to choke down another one of the biscuits before hastily excusing himself and rushing off to his workshop. He’d made sure to add the small structure when they’d built their home, providing him with his own space to work away from the constant banging and clattering of Nate’s forge. The little space had become almost a sanctuary of sorts for him, a place where he could not only work on his enchanting and alchemy talents but also escape from whatever might be troubling him at the time.

  Glancing around as he took a seat, Endreí looked over the clutter of the single room filled with all manner of vials, flasks, and a varied assortment of items just waiting for him to find a use for. With his keen vision, he had little need for strong lighting; the lone candle that cast its long shadows on the timber floor was more than adequate. As he peered around, Endreí recalled how he’d used the space to create not only more powerful potions, but also discover how to distill those solutions into powerful crystals, a tremendous boon to their tiny community.

  His enchanting talent had also progressed greatly there, yet at a pace that he still found excruciatingly slow. Imbue was his most frequently used Spell by far, yet even after years of working with the magic, he still hadn’t reached 60% proficiency with it—the true mark of mastery. Reluctantly, Endreí had been forced to admit to himself that the agonizing process made a certain amount of sense; after all, if it were easy to master, the world would soon be flooded with artifacts and relics of incredible power. Endreí quickly let go of the growing sense of frustration that always came with considering that fact and turned his attention to his real purpose that day, yet he’d only barely begun contemplating how to resolve the difficult issue he was confronted with when Rissa strode in—with Kara beside her.

  “I thought it might be easier for you to figure things out if both of you were here,” Endreí’s mouth fell open when Rissa smiled widely and took the seat beside him. “And of course, I’ll be with you too… For moral support.”

  Keeping an eye on you, Endreí detected the hidden subtext in her words yet again.

  “I don’t understand. What exactly are we working on?” Kara replied in obvious confusion.

  Clearly, Rissa hadn’t informed Kara why she’d brought her to Endreí’s workshop. She’d probably told her that Endreí needed her help—that would have been more than enough for Kara to come along willingly. Yet Rissa didn’t respond to Kara’s question, at least not right away. Instead, she simply got up to close the door behind them and bolted it shut before making her reply.

  “I’m disappointed in him, but I also understand that Endreí didn’t realize how fucked up his relationship with you was,” Rissa seethed right in Kara’s face. “But you knew better, didn’t you?”

  Kara stared back at her for only a few seconds, her face a blank mask of shock before she looked away. Gazing down at the rough wooden floor, Kara left Rissa’s allegation unchallenged, lingering in the air between them for only a moment before Rissa continued again.

  “I thought so,” Rissa spat out the words with clear disdain.

  All Endreí could do was look on in utter disbelief. He’d always thought what he’d shared with Kara had been innocent—devoid of any inappropriate elements. Yet Kara had all but confessed that she’d felt differently; she’d recognized the deeper implications of their connection and had not only accepted them but also kept that understanding hidden from him. He’d had his doubts about the need to eradicate the bond they shared, but Kara’s silent declaration banished every last shred of them from his mind. Whatever it was, the power that had drawn Trish to him and was now pulling Endreí and Kara together had to be eliminated.

  Yet Rissa’s anger wasn’t quenched with Kara’s unspoken admission of her guilt. In a sudden flash of movement, she grasped Kara by the throat and shoved her roughly against the workshop’s wall. The boards rattled with the force of the impact, jostling several small items from the shelves above and sending them clattering to the floor. Kara’s eyes flew open in shock as Rissa pinned her in place, but she offered no resistance when Rissa resumed spewing anger in her face once again.

  “The thought of you touching him makes me sick,” the disgust Rissa felt was made apparent by the sudden return of the ominous flush of dark purple shading her skin—the significance of which Kara obviously recognized as well. “But I know that he needs you, so I have to accept that—for now. Just understand this: If you go even one inch beyond what’s needed to keep things in check, I’ll hack your fucking hands off.”

  Endreí understood quite clearly that her threat was more than just a mere figure of speech; Rissa truly meant what she’d said. She could only deny her true nature for so long, and Kara’s actions had brought forth the darker side of the twilight elf. Perhaps if Kara had also truly perceived things as innocently as he had, Rissa might have gone easier on her, but with her admission, any chance of leniency had been lost. He might have stepped in to break up their confrontation before, but Kara’s confession had changed things for him as well. Although he wasn’t quite ready to threaten her with violence, Endreí completely understood Rissa’s sense of outrage.

  “I know I was wrong,” Kara finally managed to speak in her own defense. “But I never would’ve let things go that far. I just… needed him close, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s time for you to get over it,” Rissa shot back at her as she finally released the woman from her grip.

  Kara stepped back, unconsciously rubbing at the bright red splotches on her neck where Rissa’s fingers had dug into her flesh. Although Kara certainly wasn’t the sort to back down from a fight, she seemed completely unwilling to offer any opposition to Rissa’s blatant aggression. After gesturing for Kara to take a seat as far away from Endreí as the tiny shop would allow, Rissa sat down beside him in the lone remaining chair. Once both women had settled in, Endreí fidgeted nervously, wondering just what might happen next.

  “Are you going to get started or what?” Rissa snapped, waving at his equipment in frustration.

  “Yes... Um. Of course,” Endreí quickly fumbled for some of his instruments while Rissa continued to glare at him.

  Endreí had accumulated a great deal of ‘stuff’ over the years. Although his small workshop hadn’t quite reached the level of Nate’s cluttere
d forge, there was still an impressive number of things scattered about, many of very dubious usefulness. Yet somehow, Endreí knew where everything was and managed to find what he needed in only a few moments. The key item was a small sphere of metal he’d actually created by mistake, one of many he’d been using just for practice. Unlike most of those little globes, this one had taken on a very useful quality—the ability to detect magic. Although Endreí could cast a Spell to achieve that same effect, the sphere’s ability was far more sensitive than his magic and had the added benefit of not using up any of his precious Aura. Although it had no name of its own, Endreí had taken to calling the small object his Orb of Detection—unoriginal perhaps, yet accurate, nonetheless.

  Of course, he’d used it before while trying to discover the source of the magic that had affected him and Kara, but at the time, he’d only focused its power on her, mistakenly believing Kara to be the sole victim of the strange force. He was doubtful that his new insight into the issue would make much difference, but with Rissa’s hawk-like gaze tracking his every movement, Endreí wanted to at least seem like he was doing everything he could.

  With the cool metal orb in the palm of his hand, Endreí focused on Kara, just as he’d done dozens of times already. Although he didn’t truly expect a different result this time, he thought it best to leave no stone unturned. Just as before, there were no indications of any magic within her, however, and he then turned the sphere’s power inwardly, searching for the cause within himself for the first time.

  Endreí let out a disappointed sigh when he found the same results—he had more than a small amount of mystical energy swirling about inside him, but Endreí detected nothing that originated from any outside source. Yet even as he absorbed that failure, a sudden inspiration came to him. Without stopping to consider his actions, Endreí crossed the floor and took hold of Kara’s hand, cupping the small metal sphere inside their palms as his fingers laced between hers.

  The first thing he felt was the typical sense of comfort that always accompanied her touch. Warm reassurance flooded into him more forcefully than ever before, boosted no doubt by the power of the tiny object in their hands. With both of them touching the artifact and their strong feelings for each other flowing through it, Endreí’s instincts were proven correct; among the incredible swirl of emotions, he finally detected the source of the magic that had taken hold of them: the faint tingling sensation of a strange aura. It was distant—quite distant, yet also unmistakable. Somewhere off towards the northeast, apparently many miles away, lay the mysterious cause of their affliction.

  Although his rash action had been a success, when he pulled his hand from Kara’s grasp, Endreí realized what he’d done. Or more importantly, who’d been watching while he’d done it. Reluctantly, he turned towards Rissa, and the intense stare that was waiting for him was everything he’d feared it would be. Although she managed to contain her seething anger, part of him withered under Rissa’s glare, knowing that he’d provoked not only her ire but also wounded her as well. She may have accepted that he and Kara needed some contact, but seeing them touch and witnessing the obvious power and even intimacy of the connection between the two of them must have hurt her deeply.

  “I found the source,” he blurted out the words, not knowing what else to say.

  “What is it?” Rissa replied, gritting her teeth as she struggled to contain her rising anger.

  “I don’t know,” Endreí confessed, shaking his head slightly in frustration. “But it’s nowhere near us. Perhaps it was closer once, but right now, it’s very far away.”

  “But you can tell where it is?” Rissa probed.

  “The direction, yes,” Endreí confirmed for her. “I’m not totally sure of the distance.”

  “Good enough,” she rose out of her seat. “When do we leave?”

  “You didn’t think I was letting the two of you go off alone for days or maybe even weeks without me, did you?” Rissa added when Endreí and Kara only stared at her blankly.

  Actually, Endreí hadn’t even considered marching off in search of whatever it was. His thoughts on the matter were focused entirely on trying to dispel its power.

  “I… I’m not sure that’s necessary,” he hesitated to contradict her. “We have no idea what we might come up against. I think it’s safer to try and find a way to counter the magic first.”

  “Kara, I think you’re done here today,” Rissa’s eyes never left Endreí’s as she dismissed the other woman. “I’ll let you know if you’re needed again. Right now, I need a few moments with my husband. Alone.”

  Endreí caught Kara glancing at him quickly before she practically ran out the door, leaving him to face Rissa’s ire. He understood exactly what was bothering her, however, and rather than wait for Rissa to unleash her anger, he tried to explain himself.

  “I have no idea how far we’d have to travel to find whatever it is,” Endreí began, gently taking hold of her hands as he hoped to both seize the initiative and ease her concerns. “Our home may be a safe place, but the world around us certainly isn’t. Not only that, but we still don’t know what we’re up against. We could walk for weeks only to find some enchanted rock or something. It’s much safer to at least try and dispel the magic first before wandering off who knows where to face some unknown entity.”

  She seemed ready to explode for a moment, and Endreí braced himself for her onslaught. Although he’d always known about this… darker side of Rissa, he’d never seen her display it quite so openly before. But the rage she’d bottled up for so long had finally been released the night before, and once it had broken free, Rissa had a great deal of difficulty containing it. Yet somehow, she managed to do just that, taking a deep breath before replying to him.

  “You’re probably right,” Rissa swallowed hard as she conceded the truth with obvious reluctance. “We should do what we can here first, where it’s safe. But I’m not giving you an unlimited time to work, Endreí. You’ve got exactly one month to fix this.”

  Thirty days could be viewed as a great deal of time, but faced with the dilemma of breaking free of the magic that had held him and Kara in its grasp for several years, Rissa was likely asking him to do the impossible. Still, he recognized her ultimatum for what it was—the full limit of her tolerance.

  “I’m not an idiot,” she continued, her tone softening only slightly as she noted his exasperation. “I know that’s not very long.”

  Rissa paused just a moment and let out another deep breath before continuing.

  “One month is all I can take, Endreí,” she stepped closer to him as her voice took on an almost pleading note. “One month of you still touching her, seeking comfort with her… sleeping beside her when you’re away from me.”

  Endreí hadn’t considered any of that when Rissa had given him her deadline, a period of time that would also encompass two more of his scouting missions with Kara. He understood that Rissa had held her jealousy at bay for a long while—years, in fact, denying the very fiber of her being in the process. Asking her to continue doing so for even longer had to be like twisting the knife in her back—a blade he’d so carelessly placed there.

  “I know you didn’t think you were doing anything wrong,” Rissa jabbed her finger towards the door Kara had vanished through before he could find the words to reply. “But she did. Not only did she understand that, but she hid it from you as well. Kara’s obviously feeling the effects of this more powerfully than you are, and I don’t trust her. I’m even more concerned about what may happen now that she knows this is coming to an end.”

  Well, fuck. Endreí hadn’t considered that possibility at all. Once he realized how wrong his relationship with Kara really was, Endreí wanted nothing more than to break free from the compulsion that was holding sway over them. Perhaps they’d always be close—it would be impossible not to remain friends after all they’d been through together—but he definitely needed to escape the deeper connections he felt towards her. The fact that Ka
ra might view things differently took him completely by surprise, yet once Rissa mentioned it, he simply couldn’t ignore that possibility. Kara had just confessed her deceit to him only a few moments before; it would have been foolish for Endreí to continue believing she was completely innocent—or that she might let go of him easily.

  “I’ll fix this,” he replied to Rissa’s concern with a deep sense of conviction. “And while I’m working on that, I’ll also be careful. I didn’t see the danger before, but I do now. If I can’t make things right in time, we’ll go searching for the source—you won’t get any arguments from me.”

  His words had their intended effect, and Endreí felt Rissa’s relief when she wrapped her arms around him. When she finally pulled away, Rissa moved towards one of the chairs in Endreí’s workshop, but he stopped her before she could take a seat.

  “I work best when I’m alone,” he reminded her gently. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  Belatedly, Endreí realized that Rissa might interpret his words as some sort of dismissal and regretted not choosing them more carefully. Understanding the time constraints, he’d only intended to get started as quickly as possible, yet she seemed to understand his meaning perfectly, and Endreí was relieved when she left without taking any offense.

  For the rest of that morning and into the afternoon, Endreí tried to puzzle out exactly how to solve his dilemma. Although he understood some of the subtle ways that magic functioned, it had a myriad of variation—many of which were well beyond his comprehension. The fact that he could now sense the presence of the compulsion that hung over him was definitely a positive development, one that might very well help him to dispel its influence over him, yet there was also a cost to pursuing that avenue. The only way he could follow those threads was with Kara’s help, holding her hand with the Orb of Detection between them. But in the brief time that they’d done just that, he’d felt his connection to her more forcefully than ever before, and after Kara’s stunning confession, Endreí was reluctant to subject either of them to the obvious danger that represented. Should his efforts fail, he just might be forced to resort to that course of action, but Endreí would make sure Rissa was present if he ever had to use the Orb in that manner again.