by Emmett Swan
For the first time, she had uttered aloud her mortal sin. That dark truth for which she was so, so sorry. Jessica was only vaguely aware that she had shut her eyes as invisible tears silently dripped down her cheeks one after another. She felt relief wash over her.
They were both silent for a long time.
“How long will this sentence last?” Conall asked finally.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it seems you have condemned yourself. And you suffer under your sentence. How long will your punishment last?”
Jessica was taken aback by Conall’s question. She expected a different reaction—judgment, condemnation.
“What are you saying?”
“I wonder how much of your life’s joy must you sacrifice? Have you suffered enough yet or must you keep on?” His probing was calm. There was no note of accusation in the tone of his voice.
She didn’t know what to say. Was she really punishing herself? It had felt like punishment, like penance. She felt disoriented. Could she just drop her burden? Was Conall suggesting it was okay? To let it go like it had never happened?
“I don’t know what to say,” Jessica whispered.
“What would you tell Riley?” asked Conall. “If he were you, and he had been blaming himself for so long? Would you have him persist?”
Jessica thought about that. She envisioned his sweet young face and immediately felt sad for him. She would not want her little brother to feel this agony. And certainly not for so long.
“No, I couldn’t bear it. I would reassure him that it was not his fault, and that he should not punish himself—” She stopped in mid-sentence and began processing her realization.
Why shouldn’t she extend herself the same grace and forgiveness she would her brother? Exactly how long should her penance last? How long was enough? Another year or two? Ten years? The rest of her life? This started to sound ridiculous.
Was it really my fault? The answer was no longer immediate and certain. For a moment, the truth was suspended somewhere. It hovered outside her consciousness. She closed her eyes gently, took a deep breath, and went within to try to feel the answer.
And what she felt was sure, real, and absolute. No, it had not been her fault. In her heart of hearts, deep inside herself, Jessica knew the answer to that question. She knew, without a doubt, that she did not want Curtis—or anyone else for that matter—to die. And she did not cause his death, nor could she have stopped it from happening. That was the truth.
It was suddenly clear. And she was invisible. In another realm. But she knew it as she had never known anything in her heart before. And then, just like that, profound relief. An exquisite, perfect redemption permeated her being. A lightness of heart that she had needed so badly finally came.
She squeezed Conall’s hand with both of hers in glee. Then she took one hand and reached up to his invisible face to turn his lips toward her. “Thank you,” she whispered through tears of relief and joy, and she kissed him hard. His whole body turned to hers and leaning in, he wrapped her in his arms and returned the kiss. Invisible or not, neither was aware of anything other than each other. Time stood still.
A burst of laughter from the men on the stairway broke their trance, and they pulled apart.
“I’m worried about this elixir,” said Jessica with a soft voice. “We don’t know how long one application will last. Maybe we should look for another way in?”
“Aye,” said Conall. “Our candle burns short, so we had best do as you say. Let’s try to find another way in.”
Thirty-Eight
Jessica and Conall reversed their path and wound around to the back of the tall structure. There were no doors, but several feet over their heads was an elevated terrace.
“Let’s climb up there and see if there’s a way in,” suggested Conall.
Jessica felt Conall’s arm reach around her rear. She tensed at first, not understanding what he was doing. Then she realized he was helping her up the side of the terrace. She could have easily climbed it on her own, but she didn’t say anything. She found she didn’t mind.
Soon, they stood on the wide terrace adorned with stone benches and sculptures of yellow crystal.
“I hear you breathing,” said Jessica. “I hope helping me up here didn’t overexert you.”
“Nay, lassie. Light as a sparrow.”
From her higher vantage point, Jessica could see more of their surroundings. “I see other houses with terraces similar to this one. They seem popular in Derfaria. And ponds too. Little ones and big ones. They’re everywhere. Maybe that’s why Keeva appears to us over a pond.”
“There’s a door. Let’s check it out.”
Conall took Jessica’s hand, temporarily lost as they scampered up onto the terrace, and together they walked to a doorway connecting the terrace to the palace.
“It’s open!” said Conall. Jessica heard the door click and it opened wide. Conall pulled her inside.
“Just keep hold of my hand,” whispered Conall. “If someone comes down the hall, we’ll press up against the wall and let them pass.”
They entered a hallway. Off to one side, two Derfarians, obviously servants, worked at looms in a workroom. On the other side of the hall, a male servant was stirring a large steaming pot with a long stick. At first Jessica thought the man was cooking, but then she realized the pot contained garments. He was washing clothes.
No washing machines. Maybe there’s no electricity in Derfaria.
They continued heading down the hall and came to a wide doorway leading to a kitchen. Two Derfarian women were at work—one sliced vegetables while the other kneaded bread. A pot with some liquid was boiling on a burner.
Jessica felt Conall’s hand on her shoulder then his warm breath on her ear. “These Derfarians all look similar,” he said softly, “but neither of those women have Keeva’s beauty.”
Jessica wondered briefly if Conall thought she was beautiful. She certainly thought he was handsome. In a rugged and very masculine way too. Protective—not cute and frivolous like some of the boys she knew back home. No, this man was years more mature than the boys at home, and she liked that about him.
“Maybe not,” whispered Jessica. “Though she wasn’t all that hot. Too pale. She looks nearly dead—ghostly.”
Conall didn’t answer. He pulled her along the hallway until they entered a grand foyer. A doorway off to the right entered what looked like a music or entertainment room. None of the rooms around them contained people. A wide, elegant stairway was positioned in the center of the foyer. Brilliantly polished silver adorned its stone steps.
“Upstairs,” whispered Conall.
They headed up but had to press against the handrail as a male servant walked downward carrying a bundle of linen. He stopped directly in front of them, sniffing the air and wrinkling his forehead but, after just a moment of hesitation, proceeded down the stairs.
“I just realized, I’m wearing cologne,” whispered Jessica as the servant left. “I don’t suppose they know about Urban Outfitters in Derfaria.”
“Whatever that may be,” whispered Conall. “But you do smell sweet. And you are more beautiful than Keeva.” He said it simply and matter-of-factly. Jessica blushed and was glad to be invisible.
The stairway intersected the second floor in the middle of a long hallway, and at one end of the hallway was a large door with a guard standing next to it. He was leaning against the wall behind him, half-asleep. Conall led Jessica to the other rooms on the floor, which were mainly bedchambers. In one they found an elderly lady patching garments with needle and thread. In another, two children played with wooden toys as a younger woman looked on, brushing her long white hair. Otherwise, the rooms were unpopulated.
“We must pass through the guarded door,” whispered Conall. “I suspect it is the way into the royal chambers.”
“I have an idea,” said Jessica. “You stand near the door and I will go down the stairway a few steps and call the guard.
I’ll come back up, and as the guard goes down to look for whoever called him, you and I can enter the doorway.”
“I like the plan,” said Conall. “But how do we get back out?”
“We’ll figure something out,” said Jessica. “Invisibility has its advantages.”
“All right. We must hope our elixir does not lose its potency while inside.” He dropped Jessica’s hand. “I’ll wait near the door.”
Jessica walked over to the grand staircase and stepped down six steps.
“Guard,” she called. “Help!”
She quietly dashed up to the hall and let the puzzled guard walk past. He looked down the stairs while taking a few tentative steps. Jessica moved to the door, which was opening. She reached out and felt Conall’s back then followed him through the door, letting it close behind her.
Thirty-Nine
Riley held Meyler’s hand as they wound around the containment wall of the compound, turned the corner, and headed toward the village. It was merely half a mile from the wall, but it was up a hill and the heavy, warm air made Riley perspire. His grip on Meyler’s hand was getting moist.
“I don’t see how these Derfarians stand this heat,” said Riley. “I’m sweating like a pig.”
“I’ve never seen a pig sweat,” returned a disembodied voice. “But I take your meaning. The air is so close that even the breeze does not cool.”
“Look. There is another gate on this side of the wall,” said Riley. He pointed to the small entrance on the north side of the compound, and then he smiled when he realized that physical gestures were pointless.
They walked toward the cluster of servants’ homes. Several boulder outcroppings stood along the path. Though they had been worked over, with chunks of rock removed, Riley could see veins of silver lacing through the ones that remained.
“There is silver everywhere in this place.”
They entered the little village and walked down the main road. The buildings were simple and made mostly of wood, although the first floor of some of the taller ones were built of blond sandstone. Some had yellow crystal here and there and silver inlay, but these homes were substantially more rustic than those visible over the wall of the compound.
They began their search for Keeva by entering the homes around the central plaza. The layouts of the houses were virtually identical, with large hearths in a common room and loft bedrooms closed off by stiff canvases. They saw several people, mostly older women and children, and had a close call as a child ran by them to escape the clutches of her playmate. The little girl bumped squarely into Meyler and toppled to the ground. Puzzled, she pulled herself up and reached out to where Meyler had stood. Meyler had the good sense to step aside quickly, so she only grasped thin air. A second later, the little girl’s comrade came running after her and, in an instant, the girl forgot about the experience and was again engaged in her game of chase.
In a short amount of time they explored every dwelling in the village but found no one resembling Keeva, nor vials of blue elixir lying about.
“I couldn’t imagine Keeva living in one of these humble abodes,” mused Meyler. “She seemed so elegant.” Meyler had brought his mouth close to Riley’s ear to speak quietly. Riley felt Meyler’s warm breath on his cheek and kind of liked it. He was glad Conall had put the two of them together.
“I agree,” said Riley.
“But now we know. Shall we head back?”
They started off down the lane to the compound, still holding hands. Even though Riley didn’t like the feel of sweaty skin, he did like being connected to Meyler physically. He thought about Dylan, wondering what time it was in Louisville and what he may be doing. It was a weekday, he thought, but he had lost track of time since this adventure had started.
What a difference finding the Kyne brothers had made to their summer. He couldn’t wait to get back to Louisville to tell Dylan about it, although he was in no hurry and felt more content in Ireland. At least now.
Or wherever in the hell we are. How does this other realm business work, anyway?
Riley, who had a tendency to sweat more than others, had become sopping wet with perspiration. He thought about the flowing, loose clothing of the natives and appreciated how practical they were.
They passed the gate they had noticed on their way up to the village. Now its two doors stood wide open.
“We have lots of time left,” said Riley. “Maybe we should look around this side of the compound before heading back.”
“I don’t know,” said Meyler. “Conall wanted us to go back and wait.”
“I know, but we have more than an hour. And we may be able to help. I mean, the doors are wide open.”
“Aye, they stand open. Let us investigate, but I propose that we not enter far.”
“Okay, I accept your proposal,” replied Riley formally, hoping Meyler appreciated his sense of humor. “Let’s just check it out.”
They entered the gate without issue, though they had to step aside to let a group of workers pass. They were obviously headed toward the servant village and gave no indication that they sensed Riley’s or Meyler’s presence.
After passing into the compound, they halted and surveyed their environment. Before them was a wide plaza paved with rough flagstones. A few sandstone benches were scattered around the perimeter of the plaza, and beautiful shards of yellow crystal, as tall as a man, were mounted at the corners. To the right of the plaza was a long, low-lying building, and beyond it a market where they heard the banter of hawking merchants. A large natural pool was close to their left, the water near its banks populated with clusters of reeds. Wisps of vapor drifted from the water’s surface, but it was otherwise clear with a sandy bottom. On the far side of the plaza, opposite where they stood, were elaborate buildings all decorated with yellow crystal and silver inlay. In their midst stood the large, four-story structure rising above the others. Between the pool and the tall building was a row of small buildings that Riley guessed were personal dwellings.
“What now?” asked Meyler.
“I don’t know. Jessica and Conall were checking out that tall building. Maybe we could start checking out that row of small houses on the other side of the pond?”
“What if we are discovered?” asked Meyler. “We would be in big trouble.”
“But the same goes for Jessica and your brothers. Shouldn’t we help look?”
“I have a better idea,” said Meyler. “I am covered in sweat, so let’s investigate this pond.” Meyler pulled him toward the edge of the water. Its surface rippled as droplets fell from the air.
“The water isn’t exactly cool, but still, it feels refreshing,” said Meyler. “What say you? Let’s take a dip to rinse the salt off our skin before continuing our search.”
Riley looked at the pool. It did look welcoming with its clear waters and sandy bottom. “But what about our rune? Or the elixir? They may wash off.”
“It doesn’t matter. The Lady of the Mist told us that when the elixir strikes the rune, the spell takes effect, and that it is of no concern if water rinses it away afterward.”
“Hmm,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind cooling off. But we have no swim trunks.”
“Ah, but we’re invisible,” Meyler said. Riley heard clothes rustle. “Are you coming?”
“Okay,” said Riley. “Let’s swim. But we want to be able to find our clothes when we are ready to leave, so let’s put them under that bench.
“Aye. Smart thinking.”
Riley shed his own sticky clothes and felt for Meyler’s garments on the ground near the bank and stashed them all under a sandstone bench a few feet away. He then eased into the water. It was barely cooler than the humid air around them, but the sensation of the sweat and salt rinsing away from his skin was delightful. “Not bad,” he said to the splashing wavelets he saw nearby.
“A bit tepid,” Meyler said. “Though better than this thick air.”
“It feels great.”
“But we must
keep track of time,” added Meyler. “We have a rendezvous with the others.”
Forty
Laughlin left the grove of pine trees and approached the compound along the main path to its central entrance. A pair of Derfarians used the pathway as well, but it was sufficiently wide for him to avoid them, though he worried about his feet kicking up dust as he moved, alerting passersby of something amiss. He thought about other ways his presence could be revealed. Doors opening by themselves or a sneeze in the air.
It is fortunate I had a chance to bathe in the creek last evening, thought Laughlin, snickering. The scent of a two-hundred-year-old tree man might have attracted attention.
After the two Derfarians walked far enough away, Laughlin was tempted to call out to Conall or Meyler but resisted.
So he walked on in silence. He couldn’t help thinking about the fact that Conall was being accompanied by Jessica and Riley was going with Meyler. Yet he was sent alone.
Why did I have to be the one to go alone? And why was it that I was always first to try the elixirs?
Laughlin let out a breath and thought it over. Of course, Meyler should not go alone. He was too young and cautious. And Conall was enchanted by Jessica and wanted to be with her as much as he could. Truly, she was a lovely lady, and Conall deserved no less.
Yet, it would have been nice to have had a pretty lass to go with him. Two hundred years in a forest was a long time to spend without feminine companionship.
But he realized he really didn’t mind going alone. This was the first time in a long time he had been without his two brothers, and the freedom felt good.
He approached the main entrance and looked up at the gate. The containment wall was low but sturdy, made of blond sandstone. It was clearly designed more to contain the space of the community rather than offer defensive advantages. The doors in the gate were open, obviously for the coming and going of workday traffic, and Laughlin walked straight in.
Inside the wall, a paved path led toward the large structure near the south side of the compound, the side where Conall and Jessica were headed. To his immediate right was a cluster of utilitarian buildings. Laughlin could hear a hammer and anvil, and the distinctive scent of horse stables.