by Karen Binnie
Chapter 17
I drink the last of the tea from the flask, I can’t understand why Jez thought it so awful, it has the most wonderful taste. I am alone, Al’ice has excused himself, toilet break I presume but he has been gone a while. I allow myself the luxury of the soft and downy grass, so fresh and fragrant, a hint of something I remember, a smell from my past maybe? It’s so comforting lying here with the warmth of the sun beating down on my skin, all thoughts of contracting skin cancer lost in the back of my mind. If I had been back home in New Zealand, I would be slapping on factor 40 to protect my fair skin, so strong are the damaging rays there but for now all I want to do is sleep.
Slowly slipping into the world of dreams the distant bird song reminding me of a tune I know, camomile, that’s it! the most luxurious camomile lawn ever at our old house in Salisbury, no expense spared of course, mum had hired a gardener, now what’s that tune? I curl my legs up and lay in a ball whilst waiting for Al’ice, my eyelids heavy with the intoxication of my surroundings.
Breathing deeply and feeling more content than I have in ages, images wash across my thoughts, dreams of the beautiful stag, his eyes staring right into me before he bows and is replaced by the golden river, flowing fresh and clear. Something odd sidesteps across the river, a ripple in my head, is that Jez sat on the shiny black rock beside me, when did he arrive? I’m dreaming, he’s not real, just sitting there and eating fish and drinking from what looks like an animal horn, oblivious to my existence.
I stare at my illusion, so real I raise my hand to touch him, just like pinching myself awake. His arm is covered in a red cloth, what’s happened since I’ve been gone, is he hurt? I’m not so sure, he looks ok. He raises his head and looks right at me, ‘Jez?’ I feel concern wash over me, is it his or mine? ‘I’m Ok’ I’m willing him to acknowledge me but as I think the words his image shimmers and fades.
Now that’s weird, I must talk to him about this when I return, No, he might think I’m being silly but then again he might just understand. As I argue what to do in my head, I begin to wonder about my own sanity, ‘I understand’ I hear his voice clearly and smile as my sleep moves deeper into the darkness.
The tiredness that engulfed my body kept me in a deep sleep for quite a long time before I begin to dream again. I can see a young woman sat upon a rock on a cliff face high above an expanse of water, she looks dazed and does not move. A greyish mist spreads quickly across the water’s surface and surges upward towards the girl surrounding her from sight. A painful scream penetrates through the mist, blood curdling I think they call it as the shivers run through my soul, taking my fear and tripling it. The mist clears, the woman has gone, the water below ripples as if a large body has just passed through and down into the depths.
In my mind Al’ice is calling to me, ‘you shall pass the test’ as I wake, my face is drenched in sweat as I try to wipe the last images from my mind.
“Hey, bad dream?” asks Al’ice as he wraps his arms around me in comfort.
I feel the confusion written on my face, trying desperately to separate dreams from reality as I stare into his emerald eyes.
“What is it?” he asks.
“I, I don’t know, I can’t remember” I rack my brain for the source of my discomfort and find nothing at first, shock has an uncanny way of burying itself then slowly the first images reach the surface.
“I saw a stag.”
“Yes, go on” he encourages me, anything about the strange events in Kamerrean would help answer Eldeen’s questions.
“It bowed to me, in the woods, I don’t know where you were but then I saw Jez.”
“Well that explains the nightmare, he’s enough to scare anyone.”
I punch him playfully on the arm, “you are terrible, he’s your brother!”
Kroil had driven into the night, taking the back roads so as not to be detected, the use of headlights unnecessary as his demon eyes could see well enough in the dark. As he drove he thought about his plan to overthrow Clarintor, in her library of ancient texts he had found reference to a now extinct poisonous plant once used by a fallen angel stripped of his heavenly powers. The power of the plants nectar enough to destroy the angel’s attacker, the only trouble was the magical plant had existed hundreds of years before. Of course if Clarintor had known he had violated her chamber, she would have destroyed him, he had always known the secret to his success lay within her inner sanctum. It had taken years to win over her trust but he had plenty of time, time is not an issue for malevolent beings, he would revenge the death of his mentor. His thoughts turned to Pete, what had become of him? Clarintor was not a fool it was only to be suspected that now she would be aware of their plans, he had been foolish to expect Pete to resist her will, pity, he had grown quite fond of the boy in a fatherly way. His emotions had surprised him since his corporeal transformation into his present form. Magore had warned him that life as the un-dead could only be tolerated once he had become fully demonised but had his mentor completed his transformation? When Kroil’s human emotions surfaced unexpectedly it had been a tumultuous experience, one that Clarintor would have taken full advantage of if she had known.
Kroil drove over the ridge of the hill, not a dwelling for miles, not a soul to be seen, the road beneath him almost eroded away by the elements it was clear this road was long disused. He pulled to a stop and surveyed the land, perfect, the dense foliage for miles would be adequate to conceal their crime. This puzzled him, Clarintor had never before covered her tracks, so intent on locating the source of the pulse, a pulse that must have immense power for her to be so fixated on her goal.
He switched off the engine, amazed that the old car had managed to get this far and opened the door rising from his seat, the air was bitterly cold at this level not that he could feel it. The surrounding hillside was shrouded in low cloud, the night air so still the noise of impact may be heard for miles, he would have to use his powers to cushion it. He lifted the first body and placed it on the passenger side, careful to buckle it in, a new plan was formulating in his mind as he worked, frisking the body for anything which may help. The second body was more cumbersome but no match for his demonic powers, he flung the dead weight behind the wheel then leaning across he released the hand brake. Without any force he stood behind the car, his incantation enveloped the vehicle in what appeared like a bubble as the car lurched forward and over the edge into the deep ravine below.
The silent rush of wind hit him as the car disappeared into the trees, a few bushes had been displaced at the start of its descent but they soon jostled back into place. A job well done he thought as he worked on ironing out the creases in his suit with his mind.
Now to concentrate on his next move in the hope that Clarintor was too involved in her own scheme to waste time on tracking him down, he was not quite ready for that confrontation!
Jez woke from his nightmare to the smell of cooking, beside him Cooper was already awake, stirring something in the pot over the fire,
“Porridge with kailch berries?” she asked.
Jez peered over the rim and turned up his nose, “looks like chunder” he remarked.
“Is that good?” she replied.
Jez shook his head in disgust.
“I do not recall any aversion to the kailch we drank last night?”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t mixed with oats was it!” he replied.
“This is a good strong breakfast I have made especially for Jol, she is a vegetarian you know.”
“Is she back?” he asked looking around the room.
Cooper shook her head, “on her way, won’t be long.”
Jez looked at the mixture, the smell had been fine, it just looked disgusting, “Oh, right, got any meat?”
Back on the farm we always start the day with a full cooked breakfast, none of that crap, “is that kailch in the other pot?”
Cooper whacked the back of his hand with the wooden spoon, “No Jez, it is not, do
you not think if we drank kailch all day we would get nothing done! It is for warming your soul on bitter cold nights.”
“Well, what is that?”
“Herbal tea.”
“Oh right, the tea” he raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Here try it, it will not bite you, put hairs on your chest maybe?”
“No thanks, I’ve tried it and where I come from hairs on your chest is not a good look!”
“Take some of these then, that’s all I have and you can drink from the river, it is quite safe, how is your arm?”
“Itchy, where’s the old, um, Eldeen?” he replied as he stuffed several of the crancakes into his mouth at once.
“He is still sleeping, hungry?”
“Starving.”
Jez took more handfuls of the crancakes filling his jacket pockets as he walked out into the dewy morning air for a drink. Ever since he had arrived, he felt hungry all the time, must be the high altitude he thought as he cupped his hand at the water’s edge for a drink.
Across the air came the sound of laughter, he turned to the mountainside and saw Al’ice descending with a woman by his side, where was Jol, what had he done with her? Jez gulped down his biscuit and washed his face in the river, then squinted for a better look, damn mist was getting in his way, he moved around the back of the cottage and saw Jol on his arm, it was Jol he was certain but the image was all wrong. She should be upset, but here she was laughing and she looked different, an air of confidence around her, she was wearing a different top, there was definitely something disturbing about the scene before him. When she had spoken to him in his dream she had seemed ok. Jez watched as they approached, they seemed so happy together, it was like a scene from a movie one he did not belong to, his reel had stopped turning, Jol’s had progressed into a woman overnight.
I catch a glimpse of Jez beside the cottage and breaking my hold on Al’ice rush forward towards him flinging my arms around him as if we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
Jez took the full force of my embrace, holding my hair, caressing the longer locks, drinking in my fresh new look as I pull away from the embrace, unable to contain my excitement.
“Oh Jez, I have been to the most wondrous place, just wait til you see it.”
Jez is staring at me and notices how my pale complexion has been replaced with rosy cheeks and the biggest smile.
Al’ice cuts in eyeing Jez warily, “Jol, you can catch up later, first we must see Eldeen.”
“Oh yes, of course”
I run round to the entrance eager to see the others.
As Al’ice moves to follow, Jez places his hand on his chest stopping him, “You haven’t told her have you?” he asks accusingly.
Al’ice stands proud and smirks at his brothers defiance, “yes indeed I have, Jol has suffered and passed through the grieving process.”
“Already! It’s only been one night, what have you done to her?”
“I make her happy, can you not tell? We can finish this later, I must speak with my uncle on an urgent matter.”
Jez is incensed by his cockiness, “Oh yes, the deer, how interesting,” he says sarcastically, “what are you going to eat now they have befriended Jol?”
Al’ice glares at him, it was quite clear since his absence his brother had already been accepted by his family.
The others were gathered at the front of the cottage as they both rounded the corner. I was already tucking into my porridge ravenous from the journey.
“Jez, I’ve just realised your arm, I didn’t hurt it when I hugged you did I?”
I notice the others look at each other in astonishment as I add, “What did you do?”
Cooper began to explain about the mark and its origins, as I listen, I ask, “Can I see your tattoo?”
Jez was still staring, Jol had changed and not only her clothes, she had left him yesterday a girl and had returned quite clearly a woman, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, but how did she know about his arm, unless Al’ice?
“Um yeah alright, but you can’t see much it’s all congealed with blood, It’s supposed to sort itself out by lunchtime,” Jez’s stomach rumbles at the mention of food.
He sits beside me on the rock and pulls himself from his jacket, lifting his t-shirt sleeve to show me, I look at the thick red cloth bound tight.
“It itches doesn’t it?”
“How do you know that?” asks Al’ice.
“Christopher had a tattoo of an eagle on his shoulder, the blood congealed and then scabbed over, he was tormented with the itching.”
Cooper nods in agreement, as if she knows what I’m talking about.
Jez flinches when I touch his skin, alarmed by my boldness, the sensation tingling across his nerve endings, his hard blood begins to change consistency and run down his arm towards my fingers. Both our faces transfixed on the flow, mesmerised by the experience, funny how I’m not repulsed as the blood washes through my fingers and over the back of my hand.
The others watch in silence, they don’t seem fazed either but watch as if an expected miracle was being performed.
“Wow!” we both say in unison.
I gently move my bloody hand towards the bloodied cloth and remove it carefully, he watches silently. A pattern begins to emerge on his skin and with my finger I trace the outline of the tattoo, the flowing blood now follows my finger and I’m mesmerised as it seeps through Jez’s skin and back into his body, completing the healing process.
“What a beautiful pattern, I've seen something like that before, in one of dads old books, is that a celtic knot?”
Even Jez marvels at the intricate design of knot work woven around the image of a black beast, a large cat with huge fangs.
Breaking the spell, Al’ice steps forward suddenly, holding his hand out in greeting, taking Jez by surprise.
“Now I know we truly are brothers, welcome.”
Jez and I understand this change in Al’ice once he shows his mark, almost identical, apart from the colour. To Jez’s relief the cat on Al’ice’s arm looks more like a sabre toothed tiger and the pattern is in gold and red where his own is pure black and white.
Eldeen is excited, a renewed youthfulness animates his body as he slaps them both on the back, “There is much to do, I must rally our people in their preparations, Al’ice you will assist me?”
He strides off in the direction of the village as if fifty years have been knocked off his age, a new and strong purposefulness to his stance.
Al’ice kneels in front of me and taking my hand, kisses the back of it, “Well, done” he says, giving me a cheeky wink before he sets off after his uncle.
I’m surprised, “What did I do?”
Cooper smiles at me then with admiration in her eyes, “you have surpassed all expectations, your grandfather will be so proud, would have been so proud if he had witnessed. You have the healing gene gifted to you from him and tonight at the gathering we celebrate. Your birthday has been a gift to us all, did Al’ice bring your grandmothers box?”
I stare at her, confused by her words, what is she saying? My grandfather, how does she know about my grandmothers box?
The tension is building on my forehead as I point to my bag, “It’s in there.”
I watch her take my precious grandmothers box from its hiding place, watch as she traces her hands along each edge, savouring the moment before opening the lid. She has seen this box before, I am sure of it.
Carefully opening the lid, she looks up at me, confusion etched on her face,
“Where is your brother’s stone?”
The pain strikes across the top of my eyes like a rubber band being pulled tight from within as I stand too quickly, “I gave it to Kate for good luck.”
Now my face mirrors Coopers look of confusion as a swarm of questions flash before my eyes, they flicker and roll back on themselves, my corneas brilliant white. I begin to waver, my disorientated body slumps to the ground, u
naware of my arms and legs flailing around violently in a fit.
Jez is by my side within seconds, gently holding my arms down as I thrash on the ground, oblivious to my state, until at last the fit begins to subside.
Glaring at Cooper he demands, “What did you do to her?”
He carefully wipes the foam from my lips with his fingers and gently lifts my unconscious body into his arms, taking me to the cottage and the room at the back. I am lowered onto the bed, Jez is careful to place me in the recovery position, before taking my hand and softly caressing my skin with his fingers.
Cooper stands in the doorway, silently watching.
“What did you do?” Jez asks patiently this time.
“I think perhaps, too much excitement and information has overwhelmed young Jol, too much, too soon.”
Cooper stands as if in a trance, once confident and brave, the fit had unnerved her, an occurrence rarely seen, “the gathering must be cancelled, and I will inform Eldeen.”
Catching her breath in a rare moment of weakness, Cooper flee’s the scene, Eldeen had to be stopped before the gathering gained momentum. She fly’s across the river in the direction of the village, her powerful legs propelling her through the air in a swift and graceful motion. A handful of the villagers on their way to collect river water stopped in awe at the warrior athlete as she speeds by on route to the meeting place. Cooper stopped and swung round in 360 degrees, where had her grandfather gone? He should be here making plans. Her anxious frustrations plain to see as more of the villagers stopped their daily routine and eyed her suspiciously.
To her right Al’ice stepped from a dwelling, she watched as he punched at the wall of the cottage in anger, something was clearly wrong. Cooper realised her actions had caused alarm and smiled at the villagers watching her, to quell their fears, then strode calm and purposefully towards her cousin. As she approached, Eldeen emerged from the cottage, his head bowed, he embraced Al’ice to comfort him.
“What is it?” she asked in a whisper so as not to startle them.
She could see from Al’ice’s face his anger, not a fierce anger but one of regret and sadness, he looked past her unable to focus with his tear stained eyes.
She looked from him to her grandfather, “we cannot go ahead with the gathering” she took a deep breath as she added, “Jol is not well enough.”
She was sure this news would upset Al’ice and expected him to race back to check on her but instead he collapsed down on a nearby boulder, his shoulders hunched in defeat.
“Dallon has the fever, he is but a child, it has taken hold quickly.” added Eldeen.
Cooper knew instantly what this news meant, Dallon was only 16 years old and the son of Al’ice’s good friend Simeon who had succumbed to the disease last fall. Al’ice had promised Simeon he would take care of Dallon and his mother Aijin, but they could have not predicted this, no child had ever been taken since ten year old Gredon all those centuries ago when they had first arrived. He was the first to die from the awful plague they could not cure, his best friend Da’vide driven by the madness of witnessing his friends death had ran away on the same night Eldeens life partner also died, no-one ever found him. Over time many others followed but the disease only attacked adults following Gredons death, so why now? And why Dallon? Aijin’s gentle sobs could be heard from within the cottage as her only son choked on his last breath.
Cooper had an idea, “Grandfather is it too late? Can you not perform gendaris?”
“What good would it do, to prolong the agony, keep his body suspended between life and death? He has past the healing powers of young Jol now.”
“But the angels breath of life could save him.” she added encouragingly.
Al’ice butted in, “Jol cannot perform that miracle, you of all people should know that Cooper.”
“But Tadge can!” both men looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “Jol’s friend Kate has the kilaris stone, you said yourself Al’ice that when you returned the demons were still hunting, it did not make sense at the time but if the kilaris stone has been activated then both Kate and Tadge are in danger.”
They looked at her puzzled by her frantic statement.
“Think about it, the stone would have alerted Tadge into believing Jol is in danger and he will seek out the kilaris stone, if you perform gendaris, we can send Dallon to look for Kate, once Tadge catches up with them both he can save Dallon can he not.”
“But why would he do that child, the stone is there for Jol’s protection, why would he save the boy?” Eldeen questioned her motives.
“Ok, I admit, once I realised the kilaris stone had been activated, my first thought was to protect Tadge but if we can send Dallon to warn him, what do we have to lose? I will send a message with Dallon, Tadge will understand.”
“Tadge may reach Kate before Dallon, then it will have been a wasted effort.”
“Yes, but he has many dangers and timelines to cross whilst seeking the signal, we have the advantage, we know where Kate is.”
Whilst they both deliberated, Al’ice had slipped back into the cottage, he re-appeared in the doorway,
“Aijin has given her permission, his blood is still warm, please uncle it makes sense to try.”
It was cold, really cold. How could Jez feel if he were dead? Jez had really had enough of this, how many nightmares can one take for gods sake. He tried to move but his body felt numb with the cold, reality or illusion? He didn’t care anymore, Jez just wanted answers and an end to all this pain. Where was his angel? The old nurse who seemed to be the only one who understood, where was she? The bed felt cold and alien beneath him, like hard steel. Oh my god, they’ve put me on a slab, I must be in the mortuary.
Jez opened his eyes in a blind panic. The cold air stung at the whites of his eyes, was he in the freezer, alive! It took a while to focus on the dull clouds which hung ominously close to his body. The large clap of thunder awakening his senses, the darkness swam around him as he lost his mind, unable to think of anything except the twitching of his muscles.