“Those crystals are twinned. They can’t do anything other than what they were programmed for,” Barr barked. “You must be wearing an unaltered one with a fire element.”
“I-I-I am,” Nerissa stuttered. With trembling hands she tugged the leather cord and pendant out from beneath her shirt. “How did you know?”
Barr held out one hand, beckoning for her to give him the pendant. “How did I know? It should be obvious by now that I know a great many things about crystals. And not all of them are things that I’m willing to share.”
Nerissa jerked her hand back before giving him the crystal and clutched it tightly to her chest instead. He knows how I started the fire, she realized. Ever since she read the fourth section of the prophecy, she thought the reference to drawing a spark from the Heart of Fire was connected to this crystal. If that was true, she couldn’t accept that Barr would not share what he knew with her. “I have things that I’m not willing to share either, and I’m not going to hand over this crystal until you answer some of our questions.”
Their eyes met, each unwilling to be the first to look away. Nerissa let the pendant slide from her hand and swung it back and forth on its cord like a pendulum.
Barr licked his lips nervously and then leaned back into the cushions with a heavy sigh. “I already told you that I am aware of the prophecy and the machine diagrams hidden within the pages of the books you seek. Those two topics are the only ones I am willing to talk about. The talent is not related to either of them. Please just give me the crystal.”
Nerissa froze, and the pendant gradually came to a stop as well. “Talent? What kind of talent are you talking about?”
Barr scowled, the lines on his face deepening until they cut across his face like canyons of light and shadow. “Like it or not, my family has been entrusted for generations with a duty to protect this house and its secrets. I am not going to cast that aside to satisfy your curiosity. I shouldn’t have mentioned the talent. It has nothing to do with either the books or the prophecy.”
“If the talent is what made the fire go out of control, then it is very much related to the prophecy,” Nerissa said. She opened Alden’s book, which still lay in her lap, and peeled back the inner cover to read the first line aloud. “Deep in the caves, the inborn talent of the Reflection will draw a spark from the Heart of Fire that will ultimately return an ancient power to the world.”
Barr rubbed his face with one hand and sighed again. “I can’t argue with that. If the talent is related to the prophecy, it is my duty to share what I know without reservation.”
Nerissa handed the crystal over to him. “Then I will let you hold on to this.”
“Don’t worry, I’m only taking this for safekeeping. I’ll give it back when you leave,” Barr said. He folded his hands in his lap, staring down at the pendant as he spoke. “This is a complicated subject, so I am not sure where to begin.”
“At the beginning,” Rian murmured from his seat on the edge of the bed.
If Barr heard his comment, he gave no indication. “I told you earlier that twinned crystals work by interacting with the natural flow of energy around them. This was once called passive crystal use. But there is a second way to harness the power of crystals. Unlike the phenomena brought about by twinned stones, this second method does not happen spontaneously. It requires the user to have the talent—the ability to actively manipulate the flow of energy through crystals. Before the Fall of Civilization, it was a common practice, but King Gared issued a decree banning the active use of crystals. Since then, the talent has almost been forgotten even though it still flows through the blood from one generation to the next.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Nerissa argued. “Why would King Gared do such a thing? None of the histories I’ve read mentioned him banning anything other than the books on science and mathematics.”
“And what do you suppose was the purpose of the ban on those books?”
Nerissa’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “I don’t know,” she admitted. She was so stunned her tongue felt numb as she said the words. Although she had often scoffed at her parents’ stubborn insistence on continuing the ban on those books, she had never stopped to consider why the custom began in the first place. Could they have known the reason and never shared it with her, just as they hadn’t told her about the existence of the Ohanzee?
“Honestly, I don’t know the exact reason for the ban either. My ancestor either never knew or never chose to share it,” Barr said.
“How could you tell that Caeneus has the talent?” Raysel asked. “How did you know it was him and not Rian or I who made the fire go out of control?”
Barr squinted at Raysel for a moment, straining to see him better and then turned his attention to Rian. “Hmmm. Come closer, Raysel. I want to get a closer look at you,” he said instead of answering the question.
When Raysel obliged, Barr took him by the chin and peered at his eyes. “I see. Both of you have the talent.”
“How can you tell we have the talent?” Nerissa asked.
“The talent is one that you inherit from your parents. It so happens that the ability to use crystals is associated with having green eyes. Though not everyone with green eyes has the talent, everyone with the talent has green eyes. The color tends to be a little bit greener than normal. You both probably have had many people comment on how remarkable your eyes are.”
Nerissa understood the concept of inheriting traits from one’s parents. It was the same principle that governed various traits when cultivating plants. And she did often receive comments about the color of her eyes. Without thinking, Nerissa glanced at Rian, and her lips curved upward as she remembered him saying he would never forget her eyes.
Her smile drooped when she realized Rian looked thoroughly irritated. “I get it. Raysel and Caeneus are special,” he said.
Barr shook his head again. “No. The talent may have been forgotten, but it is not particularly rare.”
Raysel stood and took off his crystal pendant. “If you say I have the talent too, I should probably give this to you.”
“Ahh, a spirit crystal with an earth phantom. This is a rare gem, indeed,” Barr said, cupping the pendant in his palm. “I will hold onto it for now too—just in case.”
Nerissa was dying to ask Barr how to actively use crystals, but Zada stepped into the room carrying a thick, leather-bound book with her. The crystal tucked into its spine glimmered in the light from the fire. “I’m sorry I took so long,” she said, and then Cole and Eloc’s faces appeared on either side of the doorframe behind her. “It seems we have some more visitors.”
Chapter 15
Silence
Nerissa
Nerissa sat on the floor in the dining room of Barr’s home while a constant drizzle sent silvery ribbons sliding down the window pane in front of her. The cloud-covered sky had just begun to change from the pitch black of night to the dim gray glow that heralded the rising sun. It was far too early in the morning for Nerissa to be awake, but she felt restless and the ever-present humming sound had made it nearly impossible for her to sleep. Though they had not intended to stay here overnight, their unfinished business with Barr was not the only reason why they stayed. The damage caused to the wagon by the deteriorated road was more extensive than anticipated. Jarold and Leal had been able to patch it up well enough to reach the house, but the constant rain prevented them from making the full repair. Barr had reluctantly agreed to allow them to stay overnight, giving them enough time to complete the work. Nerissa was secretly grateful for the excuse to stay longer. There were still numerous questions she needed answers to.
Despite the draft rolling off the window, she was kept warm by the heavy curtains that draped around her like a cocoon. Warmth wasn’t her sole motivation for sitting like this while the others slept, however. It also gave her sufficient illumination to read by without allowing stray light to reach the rest of the room to wake the others prematurely. The book Barr
had given her the night before lay open across her lap, and she read over the words for what seemed like the hundredth time.
The second section of the prophecy is as follows:
The will of the Reflection is the catalyst that guides the fate of the reborn land. They will not seek revenge, but will instead seek to take back the stolen throne. Though the Reflection does not know it, they were born with the power needed to suspend the Destroyer’s actions.
All the while, a Traitor toils unnoticed under the Destroyer’s command. The Destroyer will be too caught up pursuing his ambitions to recognize the approaching danger, and no guardian’s sword will shield him from it. The Traitor will raise the dead, and they will walk, recognized yet unrecognized, amongst the living.
This portion of the prophecy didn’t offer any guidance like the third and fourth sections did, but she was sure Casimer would have found the last half to be invaluable. If there were a traitor under her command, she would want to know who they were—either to expose them or to closely monitor their actions. But it didn’t really matter to her who Casimer’s traitor was unless they were willing to assist her efforts to take back Chiyo. Perhaps they would be.
And then there was the reference to the walking dead. Even though she couldn’t fathom how the dead could be brought back to life, at least this passage provided a clue as to who would be responsible for it.
Her eyes scanned the lines of the prophecy again and again, analyzing them for deeper meaning, when a movement in the yard caught her attention. Through the haze of rain, she saw Zada holding an umbrella for Barr as they slowly made their way from the house to the walled garden. Matin dashed ahead of them carrying a small black case and an umbrella of his own.
Now that’s interesting, Nerissa thought. What are they planning to do in there? It must be important enough to venture out into the rain at such an early hour.
She forced herself to turn her attention back to the book. No matter how intense her curiosity was, she had to respect Barr’s need for privacy. He said it was his duty to protect this house and its secrets, and she, of all people, could understand the importance of protecting one’s secrets.
Still, Rian couldn’t hear the humming sound. After questioning the rest of the group the night before, she had discovered that no one else in their group could hear it either. Since she and Raysel were the only ones who could hear the sound, and they were the only ones with the talent, the most logical conclusion was that there must be a connection between it and the ring of geodes. And if the ring was connected to the talent, it might also be connected to the prophecy.
Her eyes flicked back to the window. The door to the garden hung open, swaying gently in the rain. It would be easy to slip through unseen. The overgrown shrubs and bushes within would provide excellent cover, allowing her to observe the three of them undetected.
Nerissa thrummed her fingers softly along the fore edge of the book. If she went in, would she really be able to resist the draw of the crystal pillars? Even here, inside the house, the humming sound called to her, keeping her from being able to sleep. She told herself she was being foolish and stared down at the prophecy, unseeing.
Several minutes passed, and Nerissa found herself gradually being lulled to sleep by the steady patter of rain on the glass. The only other sound in the room was the soft drone of someone’s snoring. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her chin sank to her chest.
It’s finally quiet. The thought drifted languidly through her mind, and then her eyes shot open. The only other sound in the room was the snoring.
The constant humming was gone.
That was the last straw. It took every ounce of her willpower not to throw open the window and run straight into the garden. Instead, she laid the book aside and carefully extracted herself from the curtains.
“Raysel,” she whispered, crawling up beside him to gently nudge his shoulder.
He blinked up at her with bleary eyes, and Nerissa hurriedly pressed one finger to his lips. “Shh! We don’t want to wake anyone.”
“Is something wrong?”
Nerissa shook her head. “Do you hear it?”
“Hear what?” Raysel rubbed his eyes. “Just tell me what’s going on. That incessant humming kept me awake most of the night.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. Do you hear it or not?”
Raysel threw back the cover of his sleeping bag. “It’s gone!”
“Shh!” Nerissa repeated, waving both hands frantically. “If you can’t hear it anymore either, then it’s not my imagination. I saw Barr, Zada, and Matin go into the garden a few minutes before the sound disappeared. Let’s go find out why.”
“We shouldn’t do that. If we get caught, Barr would be angry—and rightfully so. We need his cooperation.”
Nerissa grabbed his hand and tugged, urging him to get up. “The humming sound and the talent have to be related. Aren’t you curious about that place? Don’t you want to know why we fainted when we touched those pillars? You’re used to moving around in the shadows. He’ll never even know we’re there.”
Raysel’s lips twitched back and forth as he considered how to respond.
“If you’re trying to be quiet, you’re doing a terrible job of it,” Rian mumbled. He rolled over in his sleeping bag to face them. “Raysel, tell me you’re not actually thinking about sneaking into that garden a second time.”
Raysel’s hesitation answered the question for him.
Rian ran his fingers through his hair, pushing the tangled black strands out of his face. “Get ahold of yourself, Raysel. Between the two of us, you’re supposed to be the rational one. After what happened last time, you should know better than to go back there too, Caeneus.”
“The sound stopped—,” Nerissa began.
“You don’t need to rehash your argument for me. I heard everything you told Raysel.”
“You’ve been awake this whole time?”
Rian shrugged. “I’m a light sleeper. I’ve heard you rustling around in the curtains for a while. It would be foolhardy for the two of you to go into the garden again.”
“And you think letting this opportunity pass by is a better idea?” Nerissa hissed, glancing around to see if anyone else was awake.
“I said it’s too risky for the two of you to go in. On the other hand, it would be far less risky for me to go in and report my findings back to you.”
“That is a much safer alternative,” Raysel admitted.
Nerissa’s lips puckered like she had bitten into a lemon. “We don’t have time to sit around and debate what to do. If Rian goes in alone, then everything we learn would be second hand. If we aren’t going to learn anything useful, there’s no point in anybody going in. Rian can be our backup to make sure we don’t lose focus. We’re all going in together.”
Raysel hesitated, but Rian was already tying his hair at the base of his neck in preparation to go. “Fine. Consider yourselves warned though. I’ll do anything I have to do to keep you two from touching those pillars again. I’m not going to be gentle.”
“Agreed,” Nerissa said, and Raysel nodded his concurrence.
They crept out of the dining room and then hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. A pot of oatmeal simmered on the stove, and a carafe of freshly brewed coffee was kept warm beside it, filling the room with its rich aroma. Barr, Zada, and Matin clearly didn’t intend to be gone for long.
After checking to be sure the yard was empty, they dashed out the back door and didn’t slow until they were close enough to press their backs against the garden wall.
Raysel shot her a quizzical look. “Now that the sound is gone, I don’t feel drawn inside like I did before, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” Nerissa replied. “There’s something else that seems strange too.” She glanced around, trying to put a finger on what it was about the exterior of the house that bothered her. When it finally occurred to her, she was ashamed to have overlooked something so obvious—particularly considering he
r studies in the field of horticulture at the university.
“That’s it!” she said. “All of the plants here are strangely green for this late in the autumn. Don’t you find it odd? The grass and the ivy growing up the outside of the house should be turning brown by now, and yet all of the plants in this area are as green and lush as they would be in the summer.”
“I didn’t think much about it,” Raysel replied. “They’re probably late to change because we’re so high up in the mountains.”
“No, that’s definitely not the reason. If anything, the leaves should change sooner here. Elevation profoundly affects when leaves turn for the season.”
“Enough chatting. Now is our chance,” Rian said. He peered into the open doorway of the garden. “I can see them from here. They’re doing something near the circle of geodes, but they have their backs to us.” He slipped through the door, crossed the gravel walkway, and ducked into a row of overgrown hedges in a matter of three bounding strides. Raysel and Nerissa followed quickly behind.
Once safely inside the hedges, they dropped onto hands and knees and crawled forward, ducking beneath branches and staying close to the ground.
Rian swatted at a spot on his neck with a stifled curse. “Why do hedges always have to be full of bugs?” he murmured.
“Do you crawl through shrubbery often?” Nerissa asked in a hushed tone.
“No,” Rian whispered, but there was a lilt in his voice that made it sound more like a yes. “Keep it down. We’re close enough to hear them talking now.”
Nerissa stretched out in the dirt, wriggling as close to the edge of the greenery as she dared in order to get a better view.
On the other side of the branches, Barr stared down at an object in his hand. Zada stood nearby, pressing a cluster of spirit crystals against the side of one of the tall geodes. “That’s enough for this one, Zada. Matin, are you ready to move on to the next point?” he called out.
“Yes, sir,” the boy chirped from the opposite side of the circle.
Reflection- Thorn of the White Rose Page 13