by H. E. Barnes
She threw an arm out in defense. A loud whine exploded around her as wind met more wind and tumbled together. A tornado formed, picking up the snow and fallen branches. Orla stood, finally getting on her feet again. The tornado swept her up and spit her out. She landed many feet away, cracking her head on a rock.
Eira stopped running. She panted into the dark night, unable to catch her breath. She peered into the darkness hoping to see something, anything of what was coming for her. But she couldn’t. She stooped down to the ground and placed her hands in the snow.
She heard rustling from behind her. She turned and shot out an arm, spear-shaped icicles left her hand and flew into the darkness. She heard a whooshing sound as the spears were turned and shot back at her. She lifted her other hand, a wall of ice coming up from the ground, but not before a spear sliced its way along her arm.
Aviva had tears rolling down her face. She couldn’t breathe. The air was being sucked out around her, leaving her with no oxygen. She wrapped a hand around her throat and fell onto her knees in the snow.
She felt as the dead leaves brushed by her, and she batted them away. But the more she fought, the more leaves came.
They were razor sharp and encircled her, cutting her face, arms, legs. She cried out in frustration and raised her hands over her head. Small twigs and larger branches made a shelter around her.
Idalia searched for light, needing to be able to see. She waved her hand out in front of her. A tiny flame burst from her palm, illuminating a small patch of snow. It was warm, covering her body in much needed heat.
The swirling air around her snuffed out the fire and she fought to bring it back, waving her hands furiously, but it wouldn’t come. One by one her limbs stopped working. Her lips turned blue. It was too cold. She was frozen.
A bright light finally made its way through the darkness and the onslaught of Autumn stopped. Orla was able to stand. Eira melted her shield of ice. Aviva tore down her shelter. And, Idalia warmed up. They were pulled to the castle by an invisible string.
Brey could barely look at the girls. They were battered and bleeding. “You cannot pass the trials alone. You must work together,” Brey all but shouted at them.
“If we have to work together,” Eira said through shivering lips, “why does only one become queen?”
“Because the final test is to determine if you’d do whatever it takes for the crown. And only one will.” Brey shook his head, disappointed. “Go home,” Brey said with a wave of his pendant.
They disappeared.
All the while, Queen Quinn sat up high in Conformity Castle watching Autumn defeat her daughters. And she smiled.
Chapter 19
In the land of Texas
Idalia looked down at her phone. There were no messages and no calls despite having called and texted Orla several times. But, Orla wouldn’t listen to Idalia’s warnings about Ren. And, there was nothing Idalia could do about it.
She shook her head and turned up the radio, trying desperately to drown out her sour thoughts. It was only Tuesday, her one day off a week, but she couldn’t enjoy herself. Too many things were whirring in her mind. Too many unanswered questions. And she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how to begin to answer them.
Her life had been relatively simple up until then. She had made it through her freshman year of college with little incident. And now, when she really needed to focus on what she was going to do after the next few years of college, her life exploded in all out war. She didn’t even know if there would be a time after college for her. All she knew was that she had time now. It was all that was guaranteed. And sometimes, not even then as she could be whirled away to Season at a moment’s notice.
Idalia shut her engine off and stepped out of her car. She walked up the driveway of a two-story brick home and knocked on the door.
A few moments passed. Idalia picked at her fingernails, waiting.
The door opened and inside stood a petite redheaded woman. Her face lit up with a smile when she saw it was Idalia standing outside. “Oh, I didn’t know you were coming,” the woman said grabbing Idalia and pulling her into a tight hug. “I didn’t expect you until at least Christmas,” she said in Idalia’s ear.
“Thought I’d surprise you,” Idalia shrugged.
“Oh, it’s so nice to see you,” the woman said. “Let me go get your father. He’ll be so happy his daughter finally returned home,” Idalia’s mother said cheerfully. She skipped back into the house and went to get Idalia’s father from the den.
Idalia closed the door behind her and made her way into the living room. She passed pictures of herself with her parents hanging on the walls. From age three to eighteen, her parents had family pictures made. Idalia smiled looking at them. She loved her family. Even if they weren’t her true parents. They were the best ones, and the only ones she needed.
“Idalia? Is that you?” her father asked coming into the living room. “Your mother tells me you wanted to surprise us,” he said seizing her up into an embrace. “That’s so sweet of you, my girl,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, Papa, it’s really me,” Idalia said with a laugh. “I needed some family time.”
“Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place.” Her mother said bringing in a tray of tea and cookies. Being the ever gracious host.
Idalia sipped her tea and grabbed a cookie, relishing the feeling of home. The warm, security it brought her. Nothing like how she felt only last night in the freezing cold of Season.
“How are your classes?” her father asked sitting next to her on the couch.
“Interesting,” Idalia said around a bite of cookie. “The semester has only just started. Still getting used to the new classes.”
Her parents nodded in understanding, like they always did. Even if they didn’t quite understand, they made Idalia feel like they did. And with the confusion hanging around Idalia, it was a nice sentiment.
“I have been wondering something,” Idalia started nervously. “But, I don’t want you feeling like I’m searching from something else. Y’all are my parents, and no one could ever take your place.”
Her mother leaned forward in her nearby chair and placed a reassuring hand on Idalia’s knee. “Honey, of course, we understand. What is it?”
“Well, I know y’all adopted me when I was three. But, did you ever find out anything about my birth parents. Where they were from or why they gave me up?”
Her father leaned back into the couch with a thoughtful look on his face. “No, unfortunately we never were able to find any information on them. And we searched and searched.”
“We wanted you to know anything you wanted about them. But, it was a closed adoption. Even the agency didn’t know much about your parents.” Her mother chimed in.
“I was just dropped off at a fire station, right?” Idalia asked, taking another sip of her tea. Trying desperately to rid herself of the swollen knot in her throat. It shouldn’t matter to her. That she had been given up. Especially since she got a good set of parents out of it. But, she did feel bad that she was well taken care of while Eira and Aviva never knew a family like she did.
“Yes,” her father said. “When you were two years old. In the middle of summer, no less.”
“I don’t know what your parents were thinking,” her mother said shaking her head sadly.
It was the first trial, Idalia thought to herself. King Quilo wanted to know if she’d survive. Well, she did. And, she’d do more than just survive. She would thrive. She had to.
“Thank you so much,” Idalia said. “Y’all are seriously the best.”
“The best for the best,” her father said with a wink, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him.
“I should probably head back to school. Have some studying to do.” Idalia said.
“Of course, honey. Here, let me put you some cookies in a tin.” Her mother said jumping up from the chair and running into the kitchen. “You
sure are lucky I made some fresh baked cookies this morning,” her mother called from the kitchen.
Idalia nodded. “That I am,” she laughed.
Her parents walked her to the door. She had a tin full of cookies and a heart full of love for the two people who brought her in and took such great care of her. She was eternally grateful to not have been raised by the harsh Queen of Season. She could only imagine how different her life would’ve been and how different she would be.
“Visit soon,” her mother said hugging her again.
Idalia nodded. “Maybe even before Christmas,” she said.
“Oh, my girl, don’t get our hopes up,” her father said with a laugh. They let her walk out the door and get into her car. Idalia looked back at them, standing in the doorway, holding each other. That was love. A love she wouldn’t have known had her father, King Quilo, not given her up.
Idalia waved and drove away.
Chapter 20
Eira bent behind a dumpster as beams of lights flooded the alley she was in. She held her breath.
Footsteps bounced between the alley hallways. “She’s gotta be around here somewhere,” a voice thick with anger rang out.
“It shouldn’t be this hard to catch a girl,” another voice said.
“Honestly.”
Eira put a hand over her mouth to keep silent. She was struggling to breathe, but she had to hold on for a little while longer. She couldn’t be caught again.
The cops sighed in frustration and ran back into the street. Eira let a slow, shaky breath out. But still she remained crouched down behind the dumpster. She didn’t move a muscle, not for a long time. Not until the day turned to night.
She finally stood up, her legs shaking and sore. Her stomach growling at her. She’d been running for days, starving and dirty.
She pulled the hood up over her head, hiding her face despite it being ungodly hot. She needed to be hidden more than she needed to be cool.
Eira walked the streets, straying away from any source of light. Running across the road to get away from other pedestrians. Her face was recognizable, even covered in mud, due to it being plastered on every TV and phone. She was wanted for the first time in her life, and it wasn’t a good feeling.
She needed a place to crash, but she couldn’t go back to her bridge. She knew the cops would look there for her. They would look everywhere for her.
Eira turned a corner, followed a chain link fence down another road, and kept walking. Her head pounded and her stomach folded in on itself. She was going to faint. And then the cops would find her. She needed to disappear.
She barely made out a house in the darkness. The roof was sunken and charred black. The windows were broken. Curtains flew in and out in the hot breeze. The door had fallen on the broken porch leaving it wide open. But, no one was around. And Eira doubted anyone would be anytime soon.
She walked up concrete steps to get to the porch. She slipped, her foot falling through a broken board. She froze, waiting to hear if anyone would come for her. But no one did.
Slowly, and as carefully as she could, she pulled her foot free. It was bleeding and already swollen. She limped inside and fell to the dusty ground.
A fit of coughs coursed through her. She threw a hand over her mouth to stop the coughs, but it just aggravated the dust even more. She dragged herself to a wall, her bloodied foot leaving a trail behind her.
Eira breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the wall. The angry wound on her arm from the spear of ice split open, pouring more of her blood on the floor of the abandoned house. Well, at least if the cops found her, she wouldn’t be alive, she thought. It put a grim smile on her face.
The Tree of Season necklace she wore warmed up on her chest. She grabbed at it beneath her shirt. It glowed a nice golden hue letting her see a few feet in front of her.
Her arm looked bad. Her foot looked even worse.
“If only I could get this damn thing to work,” she said aloud, frustration seeping out. Her words disappeared into the night air. “Take me to Season,” she said staring at the necklace, holding it tightly in her hands.
The glow of the necklace grew, as did the warmth.
Eira imagined Conformity Castle, its large gardens covered in snow. The spiral staircase inside the entrance hall. Her large and overly comfortable chambers. She imagined it all as if she were there enjoying it herself.
The necklace’s light blinded her, and she was plunged into a wet, cold darkness that covered every sense.
Chapter 21
Aviva opened her eyes. Light came into her bedroom from the open window. She didn’t want to move or get up. She didn’t want to go to school for another day. But, she forced herself to roll out of bed.
The torture she endured at school didn’t compare to the torture she felt being home, she reminded herself.
She saw her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Tiny scratches covered her face and body. Tiny, pointed leaf marks. Luckily, she was a pro at makeup. She’d been covering scars for years. And no one could ever tell. Or, they never bothered to question it.
Aviva slipped on a long sleeve shirt and left her room. There was no breakfast waiting for her on the table. No money for lunch. Nothing. But, at least Ted and Kathy weren’t awake yet. Maybe today would be a good day after all.
She walked outside, immediately breaking a sweat in the Texas sun. But, she didn’t roll up her sleeves. She couldn’t. She had too many scars to hide.
The big, yellow school bus rolled up at the end of her street. She met it and climbed in. She sat right behind the driver, where no one ever sat. They couldn’t mess with her there, not that close to the driver.
She made herself comfortable in the seat, bouncing along. It was a long ride to school since she was one of the first pickups.
After a while, the bus pulled in front of the high school. Aviva let everyone get off before she moved from her seat. She threw her backpack over her shoulder and walked through the front courtyard where all the students waited for the first bell.
She walked through the crowd of students to get to the school doors. No one stopped her to laugh or ridicule. No one shoved someone into her. Maybe, just maybe, they had forgotten about her. Maybe they were going to finally give her a break.
“Orla?” Aviva said stepping closer to a group of girls.
A brown haired, brown eyed beauty turned around to look at her. “Oh, hi,” Orla said to her.
“I’ve been looking for you all week,” Aviva said.
“Well, you found me,” Orla said with a shrug. She turned back to her group of friends, her back to Aviva. Cutting her off from the conversation.
“Who was that?” Aviva heard one of Orla’s friends ask as she walked away from them.
“Just some girl,” Orla said with a laugh and a flip of her hair.
Aviva gritted her teeth and squeezed her fists together tightly. She knew she didn’t really know Orla that well. But still, they were sisters. The least she could’ve done was be friendly.
The trees in the courtyard shook with the anger Aviva felt. It wasn’t fair. Her and all of her sisters were given up, but Orla got adopted by a good family while Aviva couldn’t even say hers was decent. It made her mad, to see how different her life could have turned out. How carefree she could have been.
She felt eyes on her. Orla was staring. She knew the trees were Aviva’s doing.
Aviva let her hands flatten to her side, took a big calming breath, and stomped inside as the first bell rang out.
Chapter 22
Orla sat on the bleachers with Samantha and Angela waiting for the football game to start. The bleachers were packed full of students and teachers. Friday night football was back and in full swing.
“Is Ren coming tonight?” Angela asked.
“Yeah,” Orla said looking down at her phone. “He should be here any minute.”
Their football team busted through a huge sign on the field. The cheerleaders running
after them waving their pom poms furiously in the air.
“I’m so glad I don’t have to do that anymore,” Orla said laughing at the cheerleaders as they got into formation for their first cheer of the night.
“Oh, hush. You know you miss it.” Samantha said bumping Orla’s shoulder with her own.
“Maybe just a little,” Orla laughed.
“Excuse me, ladies. But do you mind if I sit?” Ren asked from above them.
“Why, of course not,” Angela said scooting over to give him room to sit between Orla and herself.
Ren leaned over and kissed Orla’s cheek. “Hello, gorgeous,” he said with a smile.
“Hi,” Orla said leaning into him. “How were classes?”
“Boring,” Ren said looking out at the field. “We’re gonna crush them,” he said surveying the two teams.
“Yeah, we are,” Samantha said pumping an arm into the air. “At least we better.”
“Isn’t it a little hot for long-sleeves?” Angela asked Ren.
“Yeah, so?” he quipped. “It was all I had clean.” The girls shook their heads in disgust.
By halftime, Orla was bored. She was never really a fan of football. She had only liked watching Ren play the last couple of years. But, now that he was in college, football was no fun. She had an idea of what could be fun though.
“Come on,” Orla said standing up. She tried lifting Ren up off the bleachers, but he was heavy.
“Where are we going?” he asked totally engrossed in the game.
She slapped his knee. He finally looked at her. “Let’s go,” she said with an overexaggerated wink.
“Okay,” Ren said reluctantly getting up.
“We’ll be right back,” Orla said to Samantha and Angela.
“Sure you will,” Samantha said laughing. Angela raised her eyebrows several times and laughed with Samantha.