Pavian raised an eyebrow as James pulled out a chair and fell into it, slouching and crossing his arms.
Pulling out a chair next to his nephew, Pavian sat down. “Okay, I’m going to need a little more.”
James groaned and slapped both hands on the table. “Rhiannon! I was trying to get to Rhiannon.”
Pavian sprang back in surprise.
Calming his tone, James continued, “I was trying to see if she found out about our magic yet. The prophecy. Me. I wanted to find her and tell her we needed to get to a portal and get back.” Pavian stared at James, waiting for him to continue. “I thought, maybe, our magic would let me reach her through the astral plane. I mean, I was able to get there before—with my magic pulling me there. I just thought—I don’t know—maybe, I could do it again . . . ya know?”
Pavian nodded.
“I was just worried about her and our magic because of what you said.”
Pavian tilted his head and turned his eyes to the ground, trying to remember.
James sighed. “You know? You said something must be wrong if I were able to astral project. Right? I mean, with my magic . . . or the realm—possibly both.”
James paused and waited. Pavian glared at him silently, focusing on nothing.
Waving a hand in front of his uncle’s face, James leaned forward. “Hello? Is anyone in there? Earth to Pavian?”
“You astral projected again?” Pavian questioned anxiously, meeting his nephew’s gaze. “And you did it . . . on purpose—I mean, with control?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“And you saw her there, too?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t get a chance—”
Pavian stood up abruptly and his chair crashed to the floor.
James jumped to his feet. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Well, not nothing.”
“What then?”
Pavian turned away and strutted across the room, his arms crossed and rubbing at his beard. “How many times have you astral projected now?”
“Three. You know about the first two. And then the one tonight. This was the only one I was able to do willingly and with control. I tried the night before, but I guess I wasn’t focused enough or maybe I wasn’t strong enough . . . I don’t know.”
“No. You’re definitely strong enough. At least . . .”
“At least what?”
“At least if you had full access to your powers.” Pavian picked the chair up from the floor and sat down. “Well, at least, we think. We don’t know how strong you are or how strong you could be. If the prophecy is right, then you would definitely be strong enough with your powers. But you don’t have any, though. Like I mentioned before, we took them away from you and Rhiannon. No one alive has seen the full extent of your powers, but we all believe you both could possess an exceptional amount of magic. It’s just . . . You shouldn’t have any right now. We removed them. That’s why we left.”
James sat down. “What do you mean?”
“We left the realm and sealed the portals behind us, so your magic wouldn’t return to you. But, somehow, you’re able to tap into them. You clearly don’t have them back completely, though. So . . . maybe your magic is calling for you? Maybe reaching out from the realm. Pulling you into an astral manifestation. Heh, maybe your magic is literally bringing you to it.”
“So, what does that mean exactly? How can it . . . bring me to it?”
Pavian veered away from his deep thought process and confidently replied, “Well, magic is a living essence. It’s everywhere. It’s an invisible force existing within all nature. But magic needs a body or vessel. It cannot utilize its potential without another physical entity. When magic connects itself—binds itself—to something or someone, they are forever linked until the individual dies. Magic can’t die, though. It lives on and transfers itself somewhere else—into another magical being or creature, a human, a magical object, or even Mother Nature herself. Once a carrier of magic dies, magic moves on. Magic is everywhere, but it chooses to stay hidden for the most part. Once magic chooses a source to carry it, it links itself for the entire life of that source. So, if a being or person carrying the magic lives, then magic will stay loyal and won’t stray.”
“So, my magic is . . . searching for me? And it won’t stop looking, or calling me, until it finds me?”
“Yes. The prophecy states you and your sister would be born with the most powerful magic given to a single individual—or in this case, twins. But the only way for your magic to get past the magical barrier surrounding the realm is if it is not strong enough anymore. See, the magic placed around the realm is extremely powerful. The island was given this magic during a ritual to guard itself and help sustain all life among it. This magic allowed the island to create things like the barrier and the portals. You could say the island is a magical being altogether. But something must be wrong. The realm’s magic is weakening somehow.”
“Okay, so what does that mean?”
Pavian lowered his chin and rested it against his collarbone as he tilted his face to the ground, lost in thought. James groaned at the silence. His face became hot and his pulse thumped in his neck and temples. Frantically tapping his foot, James lowered his head back and rested it against the chair.
“I’m not sure,” Pavian finally answered. “I—I have no clue what’s going on. I haven’t been back in a long time. But if the barrier is fading, then the realm will no longer be guarded or hidden from the outside world. The portals will also be non-existent. But uhm, that’s only one of our problems.”
James sat up straight, inching his way closer to the edge of his chair. A small rumble churned in his lower stomach and a warm sensation trailed along every nerve. He grinned, gesturing for his uncle to continue.
Pavian scowled at his nephew’s excitement. “Wow, you’re a little too excited about this.” He sighed. “But anyway . . . where was I? Oh, right. The barrier fading is not the only problem we have. If the barrier isn’t working right, then the realm itself might also be weakening. If that’s what’s going on, and I’m right, then magic isn’t recycling back into the realm. Something or someone is, most likely, stopping the magical flow within the realm.” Pavian stood up and hurried across the room, whispering, “And Kiluemar is in trouble . . . and the prophecy was right.”
“So, if this is what is happening to the realm—”
“Kiluemar.”
James tilted his head toward his uncle. “What?”
“The realm. The realm is an island and it’s called Kiluemar. It’s our home and you need to start learning the truth about everything.”
“Wait. So, it’s on . . . Earth?” James asked. “This magical realm––I mean, uhm, Kiluemar—isn’t on some other plane or dimension?”
“What?” Pavian laughed. “No.”
“I mean, I just figured since this place is magic—”
“You just figured since this place is magical, it must not be a real place?”
“Well . . . yeah. I mean, no—I mean . . . I just thought this realm was somewhere else. You know, like in a different time or place. Maybe in its own magical dimension. I mean, come on! You call it ‘the realm’ for goodness sakes!” James pushed himself up and walked back into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a pitcher of water. “I need a drink.”
Following behind James, Pavian reached up over the stove and pulled a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. “Me too.”
Both worked their way into the living room and dropped down onto the couch, letting out deep groans. Pavian sipped from his glass as James chugged his water.
Slamming the glass on the end table next to him, James broke the silence. “So, the realm—I mean, Kiluemar, is here on Earth?”
Pavian nodded as he took another sip.
“Then where is it? How long has it been hidden from the rest of the world?”
Resting his glass on his leg, Pavian replied, “Kiluemar
is an island, a real island. A magical barrier was placed around it centuries ago, but I don’t remember how long, though. The island is somewhere in the Northeastern Atlantic, somewhere in between Norway and Greenland, I think.” He veered his eyes off to one side and his forehead creased. His expression relaxed. “Yeah, I think that’s right. I don’t remember much about the island.”
Pavian sat, pondering the details of the exact location of the realm, while James chose to shift the conversation in another direction. He settled on a topic his uncle seemed to have more information about and found great interest in—Merrick.
When James first found out about Merrick a couple days ago—after his second astral journey—he came to the conclusion that he must be very powerful or could be. If this demonic creature was trying to steal his magic and James was created by a prophecy, then he must have the ability to stop Merrick, stop him and save the magical realm. These facts made James hopeful.
“So, this Merrick guy you told me about, he must’ve found a way to steal magic from others then? Like you said he would? Which means he will use all this new power to find me, and take my magic––I mean, our magic, right? That’s his ultimate goal? That’s what you said before.”
Pavian swallowed the last sip of whiskey. “Yes. We believe the . . .”
His body stiffened and his grip loosened. He let go of the empty glass and it fell to the floor.
James twisted as the glass rolled to a stop. “What? What’s wrong?” Pavian ignored him, so he leaned over and shook his uncle. “Pavian! What’s wrong?”
“If you were able to control your astral projection . . . then your magic, or part of it, has found you. It somehow found its way out of Kiluemar, through the barrier. Astral projection is only possible with magic. Being able to do it on command and with control takes some serious concentration and power.”
“Right. We already discussed this. And?”
Pavian pushed himself off the couch, facing the wall in front of him. “You need astral power to control when, where, and how you go—not to mention, how long you stay there. Being able to remain there for a long period of time is an even more advanced skill. And you were able to accomplish this within just a few days. It takes months, even years, to master any form of magic.”
“Okay . . . and? Where’s this going?”
Pavian flung around. “It means if your magic was able to find you, or is somehow strong enough to call you to it, then you, while you astral projected, could have been tracked by some very bad people.”
James’s voice broke. “Tracked?”
“Yes. All magic can be sensed or tracked by other magical beings. Magic can sense itself. It’s a connection between magical beings. A link between magic itself. And every time you astral projected, your powers were tracked. This I know of, for sure, but it didn’t click until now that you might have been tracked by others.”
“By who?”
“Well, since Merrick is stuck in Kiluemar, it’s not him.”
Relieved, James asked, “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Not really?”
“Why not?”
“Because Merrick has people who hunt down magical beings. Magic hunters. Most of them are non-magical, but some of his most trusted men either have magic or are magical creatures.”
“What’s the difference?”
“A creature or supernatural being can possess magic, be created by magic itself, or be cursed by it. Not all beings are the same when it comes to powers. They could just be magical.”
James pressed his body deeper into the couch. “Okay, this is a lot to take in at once.” He folded his arms. “I hope there’s not a quiz on this later.”
Pavian scoffed. “Anyway, Merrick uses these men to hunt down other magical beings so he can steal their magic and kill them. These men do the hunting and dirty work, but Merrick’s main guy, Lucas, is the one doing the tracking. He’s a Telematra.”
James glanced up. “A tele-what?”
“A Telematra. They’re telepathic magic trackers. They can sense, track, and hear other magical beings from miles away. They were created soon after the barrier went up to help find magical creatures and bring them to Kiluemar. Most of the Telematra bloodline died out over the years, but there are a couple of them left in the world. Lucas is one of them, and he is the strongest and only one Kiluemar has had in decades. He can sense and track from hundreds of miles away. So, he might have already tracked you, or even Rhiannon, and could be headed our way now.”
“Why do these guys help Merrick, though? What do they get out of all this?”
“Well, with Lucas,” Pavian sighed, “it’s personal. But with the others, I’m sure Merrick promised them something in return. I just don’t know what.”
“How do you know all of this? You said Merrick only recently started stealing powers.”
“No, he started stealing powers many years ago, way before you and your sister were born. Even before I was born. It wasn’t until we found out your mother was pregnant with you two that we realized the prophecy was about you guys. Once Merrick found out the prophecy was coming true, he went full force into his magic stealing scheme. If he were able to get your foretold powers, he would be the most powerful creature ever. He could rule not only Kiluemar, but the non-magical world as well. He would be unstoppable.”
The room was quiet.
James was conflicted. He reveled in the idea of having magical powers, but he was terrified at the idea of facing a magical creature hell-bent on killing him and his twin sister. A sister he still did not remember. One who he had not been given the chance to get reacquainted with, and yet, someone already wanted to take her away from him. A few days ago, he was just a regular teenager, but now, he was supposed to be one-half of this all-powerful magical destiny, who was supposed to stop this evil demonic creature determined to steal all magic and take over the world. Not to mention, he also had to come to terms with the fact magical trackers were probably hunting him down and could possibly be here at any minute. But, at the moment, all he cared about was finding his sister and making sure she was alive and all right. He could only focus on Rhiannon. She was his top priority.
James smiled. “I can sense her!”
“Who? Rhiannon?”
“Yeah!” James nodded excitedly. “I just started thinking about her, and suddenly, I could sense her. I can’t explain it. I just know she is okay somehow. Is our magic connecting us?”
“Maybe. I mean, it’s possible. Even without your full powers, you must have some kind of connection to your magic. But I think it might be more of a twin thing, a connection between the two of you, not a magical thing.”
“I have to find her, Uncle Pavian. We have to get back to Kiluemar.”
Pavian grinned. “I’m way ahead of ya.”
Chapter 6
Magic Lost
Kavana waited for a response, an expression, anything. The lack of movement in her niece’s face and body made her fidget in her chair. She sat clear across the room, allowing Rhiannon to have her space—the time to think and gather her thoughts. A chance to acknowledge all the new information she was given, and the time to adjust to a new life she was now expected to embrace.
Rhiannon’s pupils were narrow, almost unnoticeable. The thin gray rings around her irises were more prominent and enhanced the blue in her eyes. She drew in a long, deep breath of air and held it, sitting rigid in the chair. Her mind wandered, replaying the words over and over in her head. Twin brother.
Kavana moved closer, sitting back down on the table in front of the chair. Rhiannon released a long exhale and scowled at her aunt. Anger and a loathing animosity filled the room as her intense glare pierced through Kavana like a knife. A harsh realization emerged from Kavana—a feeling she never experienced before with her niece. Guilt. The twinge was unnerving. She needed a chance to explain herself, defend her actions—the years of secrets and lies. She was not sure how she was goi
ng to repair this broken relationship, but she figured the truth was her best option.
“Listen, I know you’re shocked . . . and I know you’re upset, just—”
“Upset?” Rhiannon threw her body forward in the chair. “You think I’m upset? I don’t think that’s the right word to express what I am feeling right now.”
“Well, what are you feel—”
“I mean, you lied to me! You kept this huge secret from me. Multiple secrets!” Rhiannon hoisted herself from the chair and walked over next to the window. “One secret—which sounds so ridiculous and off-the-wall that it makes me wonder who’s crazier, you or me? I mean, you’re claiming I have magic. Like, real magic. And not just that, but I’m, allegedly, powerful enough to be part of some crazy prophecy. Mind you”—she faced Kavana—“a prophecy I know nothing about as of right now. It’s crazy, right? It’s completely ludicrous. This all sounds insane!” Her voice softened. “But, for some reason, I believe you. So, does that make me crazy?”
Kavana sat motionless, presently lacking the skills to articulate a single word. Rhiannon leaned against the windowsill, analyzing her own reflection.
A single tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away. “And I have a brother?”
Kavana gathered her thoughts and gulped. “Yes.”
“What’s his name?”
“James. James Cassil.”
Rhiannon wrinkled her nose and cocked her head, staring at her aunt.
Seeing the confusion on her niece’s face, Kavana added, “He has your father’s last name, and you have your maternal grandmother’s maiden name.”
“Why?”
“We needed to make sure the two of you never found each other. So, we decided to change your last name. We were able to hide you and James from this world’s heavy record-keeping by making it seem like neither of you existed—hide you, pretty much. But we still had to figure out a way to stop you two from finding each other online or by any other means. Your dad was the one who suggested the name change for you. I just agreed.”
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