by Phoebe Brown
“It’s alright,” he replied.
He was trying to play it off, but she could tell by the bright red in his cheeks that it was not alright.
“Let me help you.” He said standing up.
He helped her to her feet, and she rested against him. She was comforted by the fact that he was somehow strong enough to hold her up and that he had stayed behind to help.
“Where to?” he asked.
He was so much better than Lolita but then again, he was much taller and stronger than the tiny girl.
“I want to go where the old books are,” she said.
She wasn’t sure what she was looking for. The only thing she knew was that there would have to be records in the palace. This was the student’s library but it was also one of the older ones. If the book wasn’t here, she would just have to search the other libraries in secret when she was able to walk around.
“I think I have an idea of where you want to go.” He said
He wrapped a hand gently around her waist to steady her as he took her through the columns of lined shelves filled with books. As they went, she noticed that he wore the vague scent of flowers and she wondered if he had spent some part of the morning in his garden. He kept walking and soon they were deep inside the library. They approached the very back and she could see the dust and cobwebs clinging to the books on the shelves. There was a table to the side covered in dust.
“I should sit,” she said motioning for Kirk to help her over to the old desk.
He looked at it sceptically before allowing her to lean against it. Luckily, it was sturdy enough to take her body weight.
“What are you looking for?” Kirk asked.
She looked away from him and towards the books. She couldn’t see much, and she didn’t know what she was looking for.
“I have no idea.” She replied, “I just know It would be old.”
Kirk gave her a quizzical look.
“What do you know about the power guilds?” she asked.
“I know that as children of the gods we’re born with powers.” He said, “Some people have, some don’t. In the end, powers are passed on generationally in the guilds.”
She was silent for a moment as she thought about how little he knew.
“What if I told you I know that to be a lie?” she asked.
He came to rest next to her on the desk and she suddenly felt nervous.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I think that someone has been destroying the guilds.” She said, “These guilds have been purged and erased from history.”
Kirk looked confused but she saw the recognition finally begin to settle in.
“There are more than five powers.” He said.
“You knew?” she asked.
“I,” he began but looked away, “I confess that I’ve always thought of myself as a Mistral, but strange things have been happening to me.”
Gaia was so surprised that she almost fell from where she stood.
“What?” she asked in a whisper, “You’re not a Mistral?”
He was silent once again.
“I have all the powers of a Mistral,” he said, “But when my powers began to develop, I noticed that I was attracted to fire. I can control it in any form which was always strange because it didn’t feel like a power. That was until I burnt my garden down the first time.”
Gaia was so shocked that it took her a few moments to process what he was saying.
“Does anyone else know this?” she asked.
“No,” he replied, “I think maybe my father does, but I can’t be sure. I think when he saw you that day in the temple, it reminded him of me. How do you know there are more powers?”
“That day in the town when I came to save you,” she said, “I met a woman, she took the form of a Nightfox at first but then she transformed into a beautiful old woman. She told me that it was one of many powers that lingered still in our kingdom.”
Kirk didn’t seem surprised.
“I think my mother had powers.” he said, “She was a Cenobyte you know, I don’t think she would have given up without a fight. They killed her.”
Gaia was silent and she felt herself reaching for his hand to comfort him. As soon as his hand enveloped hers, her heart began to hammer in her chest.
“Let’s find that book,” he said slipping off the table and releasing her hand
It was clear that what she had just told him was having a strong effect on him. She tried to stand on her own but then thought better of it. Looking around the room she noticed that something was out of place.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Kirk looked up at the book she motioned to. It seemed just as old as the others but for some reason, it looked less dusty.
“I’ll get it.” He said reaching up to get the book from one of the higher shelves.
He brought it over to the desk and laid it down. It was a thick heavy book encased in some sort of animal skin that gleamed as the light caught it. Gaia looked down at the symbol on the cover and her blood ran cold. It was the symbol of the Abyssinians. The intertwining monsters looked like snakes with the heads of dragons.
“The Abyssinians?” Kirk asked.
“I’ve always wondered if they were in the palace.” She said, “I guess I know now.”
She had known all along that she was right, but she didn’t think this was the appropriate time to share her theory. She didn’t have enough evidence just yet.
“Open it,” she said.
“Not here.”
She looked at him in confusion but then she realised that they were in the library and that at any moment, anyone could walk in and catch them.
“Yeah.” she said, “You don’t have to explain.”
Clutching the book beneath his arm he pulled her off the table and once again led her towards the front of the library where her chair waited. He helped her to sit and handed her the book.
“Hide it,” he said nervously motioning towards her skirt.
She would have laughed had it been under any other circumstance. Instead, she nodded and reached down to hide the book under her skirt.
He began to push her out but as they approached the exit someone stepped around the corner and she noticed the look of satisfaction on Nixon’s face.
“Just the person I wanted to see.” Nixon said, “Brother.”
Kirk didn’t respond, instead, he stood silently waiting for Nixon to say something.
“What, I can’t check what’s happening with my brother?” Nixon asked.
“I’m busy,” Kirk replied, “I’m sure you can find something else to do.”
“I wanted to talk with you for a moment.” He said.
Gaia realised that both men were virtually ignoring her. She didn’t say anything. It was her opportunity to study Nixon and figure how he had escaped on the beach that night.
“Make an appointment,” Kirk answered, “There has never been love between us, I’m not sure why you insist on being here.”
Nixon feigned hurt but she knew he was unmoved.
“I just thought we could reconcile.” He said.
“I accept your apology and I wish you the best.” Kirk replied, “I’m going now.”
Without another word, Kirk began to wheel her away. He was leading her towards his gardens, the only place in the palace where they could be alone.
Chapter 22
In the garden, Kirk helped her unto the bench before moving her wheelchair to the corner of the garden. When he finally made his way back to the bench, she had removed the book from beneath her skirts. She was happy they had hidden it. If anyone came looking for it, she would make it invisible. Just as the thought came to her the book disappeared in her hand. Kirk who had been walking back towards her gasped.
“What just happened?” He asked, “Did you just do that?”
She shrugged and handed the book to him. She was too nervous to read it.
“Is everything alright w
ith you?” he asked.
For a moment she contemplated lying to make him less suspicious, but she didn’t have anything to lose.
“I’m just nervous.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Being near you always makes me nervous.”
He looked away.
“I had no idea.” He said, “I have the same problem. Whenever I’m close to you I have these terrifying urges to protect you, but I know it will always be the other way around.”
She smiled and shook her head.
“You hide it well prince,” she said.
“I have to.” He replied, “I hope to be an impartial ruler someday like my father.”
She knew he loved his father and respected the man. She respected the king because of it.
“You shouldn’t be nervous with me,” he said.
Above them, a bird shrieked, and she remembered that she had no idea where Roc was. She hadn’t seen the animal since it had saved them on that day.
“I hope they didn’t capture Roc.” She said absently.
“I doubt it.” He replied, “Capturing a Veclantem would be major news.”
“Let’s find out what’s in the book.” She said drawing his attention back to the reason they’d come there.
She opened it and something fell out. She looked over at Kirk who was eyeing the paper suspiciously. He reached down and picked it up.
“What’s this?” he asked.
He could see a list of names on it. He handed it to her, but she saw nothing significant. Near the end, she saw a word that made her blood run cold.
“What’s wrong? Do you know what this is?” he asked.
“It’s a list of guilds.” She said, “The Abyssinians have been removing them one by one.”
She looked down at the list and saw that each of the destroyed guilds had a line marked through it with a date. All this had started hundreds of years before with only a few guilds being removed. She tried to understand what this meant. If Solomon was responsible, he would have to be over a hundred years old. It didn’t make sense, but she couldn’t deny what she was seeing here. The very last genocide had happened over fifty years before. A thought suddenly came to her.
“I had a dream and saw them targeting the Dorylus,” she said, “If anything happens, we have to protect them.”
Kirk looked nervous and unsure and so she allowed the information to settle in.
“That means that Khar and the others are in danger.” He said finally, “why would anyone want to do this?”
She had a million theories running through her mind but in the end, she knew what it was about. Still, the odds of her finding such a list were astronomical. She could only imagine that in the past, the other students hadn’t been keen visitors to the library or the book had been misplaced.
“Power,” she whispered.
“Wouldn’t they be more powerful if they had the guilds on their side?” Kirk asked,
“But you would live in a world where everyone has power which means that no one has power. Ideally, until they remove everyone who has powers, the ones trying to rule will never truly have total control.”
“You think someone who is in power is behind this.”
She didn’t need to answer, he could read the truth on her face.
“You already know who it is.” He said.
“I don’t.” she replied, “I only have a theory.”
“You haven’t shared it.” He said, “Why not?”
She looked away but he didn’t relent.
“I need to know.” He said, “I have to know I want to lead these people someday and I want to know who to trust and who not to trust.”
“You already know who it is.” She said, “I only recently realised.”
He looked shocked but she knew he had always suspected but never accepted.
“I have all allegiance to the kingdom.” He said, “If I allow this to happen then I’m as bad as the person doing it.”
Gaia chewed on her bottom lip before giving in and deciding to just blurt it out.
“It’s your grandfather.” She said.
When the words left her lips, she felt the surety of it.
“What?” he whispered.
“I think he’s the one who sent people to kill you.” She said, “I think he’s an Abyssinian. They’re trying to rid the world of their powers and he’s their leader.”
“That’s impossible!” Kirk said.
“Is it?” she asked, “Someone in the position betrayed the palace. Who has the most to lose?”
“My father,” Kirk said,
“He’s the only innocent one in all this. He wants you to stay alive.” She said, “That’s why he brought me here. If you can’t see that then you’re blind.”
“How do you know any of this?” he asked
“I don’t,” she replied, “but I do know that something is wrong with your grandfather. He’s the one who wrote this.”
She pointed to the very last date entry on the list. She had instantly recognized the handwriting from their classes. Kirk looked as though he had just heard terrible news. She could see him battling with it.
“Kirk.” She said, “I know it’s hard to hear but you need to know your enemy. Especially the ones close to you.”
“How long have you known?” he asked.
“I don’t think there was a time when I knew with certainty except now.” She said, “I’ve always had my suspicions. I overheard a conversation between him and Lu Radock.”
“Were they planning something?” he asked.
“No, they were talking about his selection process and he was trying to figure out why your father chose me.”
Kirk looked away and she knew he was thinking about something.
“Why does that matter?” she asked, “Is there something wrong with the way your father chose the students?”
“Yes,” he answered, “He wasn’t supposed to see the students. He was supposed to send Lu Radock to the nations and allow the leaders to choose. I think he went so that he could see who he would be getting.”
“Why is that so important?” she asked.
“I think my father is like me.” He said softly, “I think he knows much more than he’s telling us not because of his advisors, but because he’s more powerful than we know.”
“But why would it matter what students are chosen?” she asked.
“They become the rulers Gaia.” He responded, “They control the guilds and are only second to the rulers of the nations. Whoever he chooses has to be devoted only to him. If my grandfather is who you think he is then it means he’s planning to use the loyalties of the students to exert his control.”
“If your father chose the students then he would be able to exert more control.” She said realising how deep this went.
“I don’t want to believe this is true.” he said, “But I trust your instincts.”
Gaia nodded and smiled weakly as he came to sit next to her once again.
“The book,” he said pointing to it in her lap.
She opened it and was surprised to see the familiar writing on the pages. It looked as if Master Morrel had written it.
“What does it say?” She asked hardly recognizing the language it was written in.
“It’s old mythology.” He said, “I haven’t heard of this for many years. My mother used to read it to me.”
She looked at him quizzically.
“What is it about?” she asked.
“A beautiful woman,” he said, “she has a child and runs away. A wild cat finds it in the forest and brings it to the humans and they raise the child. She becomes a warrior”
“She sounds amazing,” Gaia whispered wishing she could read it herself.
Kirk stopped and looked at her.
“She becomes too powerful for the humans to control and so she’s hunted by those who fear her. They eventually go in for the kill, but they realise she can’t be killed.” He continued, “She destroys
them, and it’s revealed that she’s not human, she’s one of the gods.”
Gaia heard herself laughing but she knew the story must have been labelled as a myth to guard the truth. She had heard the story before, and it was still marked in her mind like a scar. Somewhere along the way, Solomon had managed to deceive enough people into believing that the story of people like her were only myths.
“What do you think of it?” he asked.
“I think it’s a great story.” She replied, “Who wouldn’t want to be indestructible.”
Kirk nodded and smiled.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
She had no idea. She was weak after what had happened on the mainland which meant she wouldn’t be walking for some time. She had no idea how long it would take her body to fully heal. She had many questions about herself and how her powers worked but she had no-one she could ask.
“I think we need to keep our heads down and watch what’s happening.” She replied, “We have our suspicions, but they need to be confirmed. I think your cousin is here to keep an eye on us. If he’s in your grandfather’s confidence, then it’s likely Solomon sent him here to keep track of us.”
Kirk didn’t seem surprised.
“Somehow it makes more sense the more I think about it.” He said.
“I know,” she replied.
“I think he’s planning something for the ceremony.”
She knew it without a doubt.
“I know he is.” She replied, “He’s going to make a move on that day that will change the course of this kingdom.”
It was the dread that welled up inside her that confirmed her suspicions.
“No matter what happens Kirk, you have to trust me. You have to trust that no matter what, I have been truthful to you this entire time and I will not deceive you.”
Kirk nodded and turned to face her.
“And I need you to fight for me no matter what I tell you.”
She didn’t know why he was saying that, but she didn’t need to hear it twice. She would fight for him no matter who or what enemy they faced. It was almost as if she was tied to him and for some reason, their fates had become entangled.
Kirk leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.
His kiss set off butterflies in her stomach.