"Addie, I'm so sorry," he said, hanging his head.
Seeing Lyle so humbled and broken was more than I could bear. Giving his hands a squeeze, I murmured, "It's okay, Lyle. I found you. And Eman will take care of you until I return." I began to pull away again.
"Wait!" he yelled as he snapped his head up, making everyone jump. His spectacles slid to the edge of his nose from the force. "There's, there's a book. A book I found."
"What?"
Lyle hung his head once more, running a hand through his hair.
"It said something." He pushed his palms onto his forehead. "Something important. I can't remember." He hit his head, grunting, until Claire grabbed both of his hands, pinning them to his sides.
My new heart filled with sorrow as I watched Claire lock her arms around Lyle, trying to stop him from hurting himself. He struggled ferociously within her grasp, telling her to let go of him, but she held strong.
"They are more connected now," the voice said in my head.
I glanced at Eman, who was watching the scene as well.
"Not only was she his light in the darkness, they also share a piece of you," his voice continued. "They still have a long way to go."
Turning back, I saw Lyle standing still, watching Claire study him intently before she straightened his spectacles.
Once he was calm, Lyle walked slowly toward me. "I'm going to try to remember, Addie."
"It's okay if you don't," I said, holding back more tears. "Not right away, at least."
"There is one thing I do remember," he said, placing his hand on his head. I watched Claire tense up, ready to restrain him again, but Lyle simply scratched his temple and lowered his hand. "Before I traded my heart, I was looking for something."
"What?"
Lyle shook his head. "It wasn't a thing, but information. Something about our parents." His eyes grew wide with remembrance and horror. "Addie, he killed them. I know he did it," he whimpered. "They didn't just die; they were murdered."
Tears began to stream down his face as he plummeted to the ground, pounding the stone in frustration. Before anyone could react, I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around him, remembering the note with our father’s handwriting: Take care of her. Lyle had been taking care of me by trying to find out what had happened to our parents.
It was devastating to see my confident, intelligent, fearless brother reduced to this broken being. I soon felt two arms around Lyle and me, and I looked up to see Claire holding both of us. Before long, a large, rough hand and a small, smooth one grasped my shoulders as I held my sobbing brother.
Once he quieted, sunk into our arms. I released Lyle to Claire, mulling over Lyle’s revelation. I had always thought the death of our parents was a little suspicious. Whenever I had asked about it, everyone was always vague, saying they were in a better place now. But they never said what had happened.
Logging that information away for later, I placed a kiss on Lyle's shaking head before I turned back to the final figure.
"Addie," Eman said, walking over to me. "You were wondering about who the Magisters are.” He motioned to the final figure. "So, I decided to allow one to go with you."
My breath caught in my throat as I looked upon the man from the sixth Choice. He gave me a weak smile before looking hesitantly at Eman. Eman gave him a firm nod before proceeding.
"This is James. He is one of the Twelve Magisters. Among them, he is known as Dimitte. He will assist you on your journey to find the other eleven, each bearing the same mark as his."
I gave James an approving glance as I remembered the extra line through his mark and the way he had protected us from Ophidian back in Ofavemore.
Eman walked up to him and placed his hand on James’ shoulder. "Although he chose the darkness before, all that matters is that he chose the light again."
I gave a nod in agreement, feeling a greater familiarity about the man as I smiled. I was thankful that I wouldn’t be beginning my next journey alone.
"You'll return here," Eman assured me. "I don’t know when. Time flows differently between the realms, but I know we will meet again soon."
"How will I get back here?"
"A door will always open," Eman said, looking down at me. "But you must choose to knock." He walked past me and waited on the bottom step of the central staircase.
Preparing my new heart, I walked over to Lyle and Claire. Lyle was seated on the ground, his hands clutching his knees, his brow furrowed in concentration. It pained me to see him in such a state. I hoped, in time, that my heart would help him heal from the darkness within.
"Take care of him," I said to Claire.
Looking up, she gave me a partial smile. "Don't be stupid. Of course, I will. Even if he never remembers me."
I bit my lip and turned away before more tears spilled down my cheeks. Taking a few steps toward Sana, I gave her another nod of thanks before turning back to Eman and James, who stood waiting for me.
With one last glance, I rushed toward them before I could change my mind. James gave me a sad smile while Eman motioned me up the stairs. A large, peaked door made of white wood appeared at the top of the central staircase.
As my feet pounded against each step, my heart thumped a little softer, feeling the weight of all that had happened in Ophidian's Realm, the anticipation of what was to come next, and the pain of once more leaving what I loved behind.
I gripped my satchel’s strap as I took the final step onto the landing before reaching the frosted door. Eman and James stood on either side of me.
"Don't fret, Bellata. All will be well soon." Eman gave me a sincere smile.
"Bellata," I murmured. "What does that mean?"
"'Warrior’," James replied with a firm nod. "It means 'warrior’."
I frowned at the definition as Eman reached forward and knocked on the door. In a matter of moments, it swung open, revealing a shimmer of white and gold light streaked with lines of blue and pink.
"Not all doors lead to darkness," Eman repeated as he looked at the swirling lights.
James shot a thankful nod to Eman before proceeding through the door. I was about to follow when I felt a rough hand on my shoulder. Turning back, I saw Eman holding a small purple bag tied shut with a golden cord.
"This will help you on your journey," he said, handing me the bag.
"What is it?" I stared curiously as the little bag was placed in my palm. It was light and somehow familiar.
"You'll know what to do with it when the right time comes."
I frowned again at yet another one of his cryptic statements, and he laughed.
"You'll be fine. And remember” —he patted his chest where his own heart lay— “you are not alone."
I gave him a nod, confident that this would not be the last time we would meet.
Taking a deep breath, I turned toward the glowing light. After all the doors of darkness I had traveled through, it should be easy to pass through this one. Yet, knowing Governor Willow was the one who had been behind everything in Barracks, and that the vendors had really been working for Ophidian, I didn’t know what was waiting for me on the other side.
I placed the purple bag inside the satchel and ignored the fears attempting to scare me from my next journey. Clutching the strap draped across my chest, I walked into the light.
Author’s Note
Though the events within Heartmender are fiction, the symbolism behind them is very real to teens and adults alike. The reader (you!) enters Addie’s realm, where the human heart is the main form of currency. Throughout the story, we learn that the heart is the essence of what makes a human human, and without it, they are nothing but an empty shell. In relation to modern society, every day, we are bombarded with different ideals (wealth, power, vanity, etc.) that insist on convincing us of their truth. Many accept these ideals as truth and “trade” themselves away to them. Yet, like in Heartmender, over time the trade leaves the individual hollow and unable to live the life God planned fo
r them.
The central conflict of Addie’s journey is to save her brother, Lyle, who traded his heart for an unknown choice during his Heart Reign. She later discovers that the unknown choice leads to Ophidian’s Realm, where she must battle through each of the Seven Choices to find Lyle. Heart Reign (the unknown choice) and the Seven Choices symbolize humanity’s free will. Each citizen of Barracks may choose to trade their heart for whatever they desire. But Schism tempts them with an unknown choice, something that the citizens of Barracks have never experienced before. Once they choose the first choice, they are thrown into seven more Choices. At the end of each Choice, they must decide whether they want to stay in the current Choice, or continue on to the next choice. Similarly, we are given choices throughout our daily lives and must decide which doors we are going to walk through or keep shut.
When Addie first enters Ophidian’s Realm, she is guided by a light that only shines a few feet before her. This light represents our steps in our journey with Christ. Though we wish for miles of light to show us the way, more often than not, we are only given a few feet and must trust that we will gain more clarity as we continue moving forward. This is also represented by Claire’s lantern throughout the Choices.
As Addie approaches each of the Choices, many readers might acknowledge that each door she faces depicts one of the seven deadly sins. Beginning with slothfulness, or laziness, the doors are represented by a color and an animal on its corresponding key:
* * *
· Slothfulness, sky-blue, goat
* * *
· Greed, yellow, frog
* * *
· Wrath, red, bear
* * *
· Lust, royal blue, snake
* * *
· Gluttony, orange, pig
* * *
· Envy, green, dog
* * *
· Pride, violet, lion
* * *
Each one of these seven deadly sins is amplified to their worst level to depict their severity.
Throughout Addie’s battle through the Seven Choices, she hears the phrase, “Run, Addie, run,” over and over again. Each time, it is meant as a warning for Addie not to stay where she is, but to keep going and flee from the temptation, or Choice, she is in. In some instances, it is yelled, whereas in others, it is only whispered.These warnings symbolize how God speaks to us throughout our lives. Sometimes His voice is a loud shout, and other times, it is a soft whisper. Regardless, we should always be listening.
Once she is through the Final Choice, Addie learns that each Trader who has made it through the Choice must make the Final Choice of accepting Eternal Knowledge from Ophidian. But, in choosing Eternal Knowledge, each Trader becomes a monster known as the malum. Knowledge was chosen to be the theme of pride for the Seventh Choice because that was man’s first downfall. Eve desired to know everything that God knew, which was how Satan convinced her to take fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since then, humanity has always desired to gain more knowledge so that they may reach a “god-like” status and be in control. Those who accept Ophidian’s Eternal Knowledge turn into malum, which symbolizes that we, as humans, are unable to handle vast amounts of knowledge of the spiritual realm. Like Adam and Eve realizing they were naked and would eventually die, the acceptance of Ophidian’s Eternal Knowledge does the same. But instead of dying, some people become a terrifying monster controlled by Ophidian.
When Addie awakens in Ramni, the realm of healing, she learns that while Ophidian’s abuse of knowledge is evil, knowledge, in itself, is not. Some believe that having knowledge is “bad,” but it is not our intelligence or knowledge that is our downfall, but how and why we use it that defines our character.
One of the most important themes throughout Heartmender is Addie’s constant race throughout the Seven Choices. This over-arching symbolism is also an allegory for the race we run throughout our own lives. Sometimes in life, we are like Addie at Heart Reign: ready to run into the unknown, no matter the consequences. Other times, we are like Addie within the Choices: confused, tired, and ready to give up. Regardless of what point you are at in your own life, there is always hope. Hebrews 12:1 states: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Like Addie's race, there will be fears, monsters, and obstacles in our lives. But, as we read at the end of Heartmender, the darkness only lasts so long before the light. In Addie’s realm, that light is the Mender. In ours, it is Jesus Christ. Whether you are running your race confidently and swiftly, or you are stumbling with each step, trying to catch your breath, remember that it doesn’t matter how you begin your race, but how you finish it.
Acknowledgments
I would first and foremost like to thank Jesus Christ, my Savior, for this amazing opportunity I never saw coming. I am so thankful for this story and the many blessings He has given me!
A big thanks to my family, who have always lifted me up so I can reach the stars: Momma (Nana), for instilling a love for reading in me at a young age. Daddy (Paw Paw), for always funding my dreams and cheering me on. Lauren, for drawing my first map of the Twelve Lands of Decim when all I gave you was a lined piece of paper with some triangles labeled "mountains." And Steph and Jake for always hanging out with me when I would write.
David, even though I had finished an early (and very rough) draft of Heartmender before we met, you still read and loved it in our early dating days. You are not only an amazing husband and father but my best friend who I can nerd out with and have no fear of judgment. Thank you for never clipping my wings and always encouraging me to soar.
Matthew, thank you for making me a mommy, for keeping me on my toes, and for helping me to become more efficient than I ever thought I could be.
Thank you to the Burton clan for your encouragement, excitement, and support.
My college squad! Thank you for reading numerous drafts and still loving everyone. I couldn't have made it this far without your encouragement, love, and support.
Lydia, thank you for instantly falling in love with my characters and their stories. I so appreciate all your editing help!
Mary, Cammie, and the Monster Ivy team, I still can't believe you continued to love my story after I waited eight months to get back to you. I have loved working with you all and am so excited to continue working together in the future. Janet, thank you so much for your expertise and perfecting all the details for Heartmender.
My twelfth grade English teacher, Mrs. Zeek, you were the first teacher who taught me how to write and how to do it well. I will never forget your dedication to your students and their education.
A final thanks to everyone else in my life who has loved, supported, encouraged, and prayed for me throughout this journey. I couldn't have done it without you!
About the Author
V. Romas Burton grew up bouncing up and down the East Coast, where she wrote her first story about magical ponies at age seven. Years later, after studying government and earning an M.A. in Theological Studies, V. Romas Burton realized something even bigger was calling out to her-stories that contained great adventures and encouraging messages. Because she couldn't find exactly what she was looking for, V. Romas Burton decided to write her own great adventure. When she's not writing, she spends time reading as many books as she can, watching YouTube videos, and taking care of her adorable son. Heartmender is her debut novel. You can visit her online at www.vromasburton.com
Heartbreaker
Chapter 1
The cold breeze slapped me in the face, and I welcomed it as an old friend. Goosebumps popped from my arms, which were thinly covered by the fabric of the tan dress I had received by the Pool of Liqua. I let out a shiver as the wind beat against my exposed neck, blowing my short locks from their braids.
Home. I could hardly wait to find Nana and Silas and tell them everything that ha
d happened. I could practically see them as I looked around, expecting their blank faces to greet me. But as I scanned the horizon, my heart dropped at the unfamiliar sight.
The field was covered with dark, dirty ice. While there had always been ice around Barracks, it had never been filthy. A thick, dark coating covered the trees as well. The sky was darker, dense with charcoal clouds. Worry rose in my chest. This was not the Barracks I had left.
Leaving the warmth of the white door, I stepped onto the mud-streaked ice, my foot sliding a bit from its fickle foundation. Frowning at my surroundings, I unwrapped Lyle's sweater from the bundle and pulled it over my head. The warmth of it cocooned my skin in remembrance of what I had been through and how I had changed for the better.
With the satchel secured under the sweater, I placed the additional shirt and pants Sana had given me within the satchel and looked to James, who was staring out at the landscape of Barracks. His eyes were soft, drinking in the icy land, and the downturn of his lips deepened.
“It wasn’t always like this,” I said.
“I know,” he replied gruffly, letting out a raspy cough before cutting his eyes to me. “It was my home, too.”
“Oh.” I had wondered which Land he was the Magister of.
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