by Phoebe Brown
“I,” she stuttered, “I.”
She couldn’t seem to get the words out, but she could see by the look in his eyes that he understood her. It was so strange and so overwhelming to think that she had lived all her life without him and yet suddenly she couldn’t imagine another day without him.
“It’s alright.” He said.
Gaia swallowed hard and turned away from him.
“I should go back to my room.”
She was tired and wanted to try and rest and do her meditations.
“I’ll take you.” He said.
He pulled her to her feet and once again her body rested against his. When he looked down at her and their eyes met, she felt a warm sense of safety. He leaned down and kissed her ever so gently on the lips. It was soft and tender, and bells began to sound in her head. For a moment she thought it was just her mind playing tricks on her until the tolling continued. She turned away from Kirk and watched as his expression changed.
“We need to go.” He said.
Without another word he pulled her into his arms and carried her towards her chair. Wheeling her out of the garden he took her to her room. Before he left, he knelt next to her chair.
“I’ll find out what’s wrong,” he said, “don’t leave.”
Chapter 23
Gaia sat at her window staring at the waves below her and wondering why the palace alarms had gone off. It was terrifying that her body was so hurt and that she couldn’t fight if she needed to save her life. She tried to ignore the anxiety but there was no way to temper the intense feelings within herself.
Lolita had been summoned to the kitchen and all students had been sent to their rooms until the palace was secure once again. Whoever had tried to breach their security was bold and a bit foolish.
She turned and looked around the room wondering why she felt so uneasy. It felt as though she was being watched.
“That’s because you are being watched my love.”
Gaia turned sharply trying to figure where the sound was coming from. Slowly a shadow began to move, and she realised that there was someone else in the room. He materialized before her eyes and she saw that it was a man and his eyes were as black as midnight. She could see no white in them. His skin was a pale blue hue and his black hair hung limply to his shoulders. A sudden fear washed over her, and she tried to move to escape him. He held up his hand to stop her.
“No need,” he said, “I believe that Cenobytes try not to attack before they understand their attacker’s strength.”
She felt an overwhelming urge to flee from this man.
“I am not your enemy Gaia,” the man said, “on the contrary, I am your greatest protector.”
She found it hard to believe since he was standing before her looking as if he had not seen the sunlight in his life.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I thought you would have recognized me,” He said striking a pose that made her want to laugh.
He was tall and gaunt almost as if he hadn’t eaten in many days. She didn’t recognize him, and she didn’t think she would.
“I don’t know you.” She said, “Please leave.”
“Gaia!” he said, “Who am I.”
It was less of a question and more of a command. She was surprised when she responded automatically.
“You are Roc the Veclantem, a remnant of the Kelwah.” the words left her mouth and she realized suddenly what they meant.
“You’re Roc?” she whispered.
“I am.” He replied, “I would love to talk about it but I’m here to warn you.”
She was so entranced by the fact that Roc was standing before her in the form of a man that she could hardly contain herself.
“Roc.” she whispered.
“Control yourself.” He commanded her once again.
She felt her body responding and wondered just how powerful he was and why he had spent so many years being her companion when he could be doing this instead.
“You’re in danger.” He said, “One of our members have been killed.”
She prayed it wasn’t Ellion.
“It wasn’t Ellion.” He said.
She let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s Morrel.” He said.
Her sigh suddenly turned to a gasp and her eyes fell to the floor. She tried to breathe, but she could get no air. Images of the only father she had ever known began to flash before her. She struggled against the blackness that threatened to overwhelm her, but it was useless. Tears began to stream down her face and still, she couldn’t feel it. It was as if she was outside herself watching the scene unfold.
Gaia’s entire body went cold.
“He has set me as your chief protector.” Roc said, “Along with Cettie, she’ll be in the palace soon.”
Gaia couldn’t speak.
“Who did this?” she asked.
“Solomon sent a spy to our temple.” He said. “I think he killed the master because he discovered Morrel had been keeping secrets on the hidden guilds.”
Gaia knew what he meant. Master Morell had been keeping powerful people alive.
“Now what?” She asked in a voice she didn’t recognize.
“Now you be careful.” he said, “Whoever killed the master is also after you.”
She shook her head.
“When and how is Cettie coming?” she asked.
She needed the comfort of her old friend right now.
“She will be here in the morning.” He replied.
“Do you all shapeshift?” She asked wondering if she would even recognize Cettie when she arrived.
“We don’t.” he replied, “But you should know that no matter where you are or what you’re doing if you fall, I will catch you.”
His words brought fresh tears to her eyes. Her body felt like a crumbling mass and she couldn’t stop the tremors that followed the tears. Roc did nothing to comfort her. In fact, he averted his gaze as if she was a tragedy he could not face.
“One final thing before I leave.” He said moving closer.
He pulled something from his bag and gave it to her. It was a pouch with a tiny bottle and book within.
“Take only one sip of the medicine.” He said, “It will hurt at first, but you’ll be fine when you awaken. You need to take it now. The book is Morrel’s diary, he would want you to have it.”
She undid the bands and found the small vial and diary within. She briefly examined the diary and set it in a secret compartment on her chair. Next, she examined the bottle and undid the cork. The scent was putrid, but she’d learnt that some of the most bitter leaves had the best healing powers.
She tipped it back and took only a little. Instantly her skin was set afire. It started off calming, almost soothing, and then she felt it coursing relentlessly through her veins. Her breathing became laboured and soon she was falling from her chair. Roc walked over to her and lifted her and took her to the bed. In a second, he disappeared, and she clutched her stomach as pain filled her. The darkness crept in from the edges of her vision and soon she was alone in impenetrable darkness searching for her master.
Chapter 24
When Gaia awoke the next morning, she knew instantly that her world had changed. The sun streaming through her window brought her no joy. The sounds of the sea may as well have been whispers from an unknown land. She was so numb inside that she feared nothing would bring her joy ever again. She carefully attempted to move and found that the pain and soreness she had felt over the last two days had vanished overnight. She remembered again the blue man had given her something to take and she assumed it had caused her to heal this quickly.
“Are you alright Gaia?”
It was Lolita peering over at her from the closet. She seemed more concerned than usual and Gaia wondered why.
“I feel fine,” Gaia said in a distant voice she hardly recognized.
“It’s just that your friends came by earlier.” Lolita said, “I tried to wake you, but you didn’
t move. Now that you’re awake, you look like you’ve been crying.”
Gaia shrugged and hung her head. She didn’t dare face anyone. Just then a stray tear slipped unbidden from her eyes and she felt lost and vulnerable.
“The prince left this for you,” Lolita said handing her a sealed envelope.
She wiped her eyes so the girl wouldn’t see her tears and broke the seal. The letter told her to meet them in the alcove they had been using for their secret meetings.
“Gaia,” Lolita said.
Gaia looked up at the girl who was giving her a pitiful look. Instead of speaking, Lolita simply walked over to where she sat on the bed and threw her hands around Gaia. The hug broke her into a million pieces. They sat like this for what felt like an eternity as she cried.
“Whatever it is,” Lolita said gently patting her on the back, “I’m here with you.”
Her words were comforting.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
Lolita pulled away and Gaia realised that she too had been crying and she smiled. She had come to rely on Lolita so heavily that she didn’t know how she had survived so long without her.
“You should get dressed.” Lolita said, “You’ve missed breakfast, but you can meet up with the others before classes begin.”
Gaia looked at the note and tucked it into the pocket of her dress. She washed her face and walked briskly out of the room. Her body had healed so well that not only was she better, she felt as if she was radiating with unbridled power. She rubbed her palms together and felt for a moment as they ignited. Yes, she was radiating with power and she would have to learn how to control them. The last thing she wanted was to be caught doing something suspicious.
She made her way towards the alcove and caught the others talking. She waited for a moment before going to them and listened. They were discussing the Gitreg day festivities. Apparently, the other students had all gone to Hedon to buy clothes to wear. As guilds, they had made plans to colour coordinate. She rolled her eyes knowing that no matter what, she would not be coordinating with Myren and Aldon. She stepped into the alcove and approached the group.
“You’re walking.”
It was Tafari who spoke first, and she could see from the shock on his face that he hadn’t expected her to show up without her chair.
“I’m better.” She said giving them a weak smile.
Kirk gave her a quizzical look, but she refused to meet his eyes. If she saw concern in them, she would fall apart and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She needed to control her emotions and cry in the privacy of her room.
“I feel better,” she said taking a seat that faced away from Kirk who was still looking at her intently.
“You fell asleep early last night.” Helen said, “We missed you at dinner.”
She realised then that she hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. Still, she doubted she could eat anything now.
“I’ll be alright.” She replied, “Why did you ask me to come here?”
“Helen has an update,” Kirk said.
She nodded but didn’t look over at him. She knew the others were watching them, but she didn’t want to break, not here.
“What is it?” she asked.
Her voice broke momentarily.
“First,” Kirk said, “I have an update on what triggered the alarm yesterday.”
“What was it?” Khar asked.
“There was an intruder.”
“Do you think the Abyssinians did it?” Helen asked.
“It could have been them.” Kirk replied, “They never figured out who it was.”
Gaia nodded but said nothing.
“We should all be careful.”
Helen put a hand under Gaia’s chin and tipped her face upward.
“Gaia,” she said, “Tell us what’s wrong. You’re not yourself this morning.”
She had thought that looking at Kirk would break her. She had been wrong to assume that only he could. Helen’s sincere eyes and her pleading voice did her in. There was no stopping the tears now as they fell down her cheeks unto Helen’s hand.
“My master is dead.” She said, “The intruder was the beast that rescued us from the Abyssinians on the day of the trial. He came to me in human form.”
The table was silent.
“You mean, the beast caused the commotion?” Tafari asked, “In human form?”
“Your master is dead?” Khar asked.
She wasn’t sure how their guilds were run and if they had masters, but she could see the tears in Khar’s eyes as she spoke.
“Gaia,” Kirk said, “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head and swallowed.
“I can’t worry about that just now.” She said looking each of them in the eyes, “We have so much more to worry about. Helen, what were you saying?”
Helen seemed reluctant to say anything, but she gave in and faced them.
“I followed Nixon as planned.” She started, “Something strange happened, he must have been distracted because he rushed to Solomon’s library without his usual watchfulness last night after the dinner. I saw him there with Solomon, Lu Radock, and Anabelle.”
Gaia looked at her sceptically.
“The queen?” She asked.
Helen nodded.
“They were there talking in hushed tones. It seemed urgent.”
Gaia’s mind began to work, and she thought of all the people who had been there. She knew Lu Radock and Nixon worked for Solomon and that the old king was an evil man. She had no idea why Anabelle would have been there with the others.
“Did Anabelle seem like she was there against her will?” Gaia asked.
Helen shook her head and then looked at Gaia thoughtfully.
“I did see something that puzzled me.” She said, “I saw her looking at Kun Solomon as if she adored him. I could tell because if her eyes weren’t on him, they were on the floor.”
“What do you think?” Tafari asked
“I’ve been thinking for a long time about the people who control the Abyssinians,” Gaia said.
She looked over at Kirk who looked away. She wanted him to give her the go-ahead but no matter what, the others needed to know. It made no sense to have them fighting in the dark while she and Kirk hid what they had figured out.
“For now, I think the leader is Solomon.” She said, “Not only is he their leader but I think he’s making a move to take the throne back from his son.”
There was a collective gasp around the table, and she gave them time to absorb the information.
“That would mean he’s the one who wanted Kirk dead,” Khar said as if she couldn’t imagine it to be true
“But why?” Tafari asked, “It makes no sense, Solomon is still a powerful man, he lacks nothing, so why would he want to do any of what you say?”
“I’ve been asking myself the same thing.” She said, “But what do you guys know about me?”
They all looked surprised.
“You know I can do things others can’t. You know I can do things you can do even though I’m not like you. Why do you think that is?”
They were all silent. She would tell them the truth but not all of it. She had been warned not to reveal her true nature or there would be consequences. She had learnt her lesson now. Without understanding the consequences, she would not jeopardize her safety.
“I’ve learnt in these past weeks that the powers you see today aren’t the only ones that existed.” She began, “Our people possessed all sorts of powers that made them great men. At some time, someone decided that having power was a threat to the king. They went to the different nations and killed them all one by one until the only guilds that exist today are the five. They then rewrote the history of the gods and taught us to accept it.”
The others were so shocked they sat there in silence for a long time.
“Gaia,” Helen said, “can this really be true?”
Gaia nodded and looked over at Kirk. He nodded as well.
“We found a list of guilds hidden in the school library.” She said, “The last genocide happened over fifty years ago. Some may remember it but not many will speak about it. It was a small nation and it would bring the wrath of Solomon if anyone decided to speak out against his methods.”
“What does this have to do with Solomon seizing power now?” Tafari asked
“If he does, we think he’ll commit another genocide,” Kirk said
Helen went pale and Gaia worried for a moment that the girl would pass out.
“What can we do against a man like this?” Tafari asked, “If he’s powerful enough to destroy these powerful people then it’s mad to think there’s anything we can do to stop him.”
Gaia didn’t tell them that she thought the Dorylus would be next. She didn’t want to scare Khar. The dream had been vivid, but she didn’t know if it would happen tomorrow or within a year. All she knew was that they were next, and the Dorylus would need help to defend their people.
“Before I left the Cenobytes my master told me not to forget what I had learnt.” Gaia said, “At the time, I thought he wanted me to focus on being a good person. Now I think he wanted me to remember that as Cenobytes we should always fight for the people of the kingdom.”
They were all looking at her. The hopelessness that she had felt a few moments ago was gone. It was replaced by a deep sense of justice. Not only for the man who had cared for her all her life but for all the people who had died at the mercy of cruel men.
“I think that maybe there is nothing we can do. Maybe we’re hopeless in the face of this adversary but we are even more hopeless if we think that there is nothing we should do. I won’t ask you to fight with me. I will fight! And until I draw my very last breath, I won’t ever stop.”
There was an eerie silence in the little alcove, and she saw Kirk give her a little smile.
“I’ll fight with you.” He said, “Until my very last breath.”
He paused between each word on the last part and she felt as if she would burst into tears.
“I’m with you.” Tafari said, “I trust you.”
His smile told her all she needed to know. Helen looked at her as if she had done something wrong.