The Lost Heir

by Allison Whitmore

  Colin gave her a deep, sincere look. “We're in this together, kiddo. I won't let anyone take that hotel from you.” His reassurance flooded her emotions with a sense of truth as her friends returned to the room.

  “My chest hurts,” said Micah.

  “Not again with this,” said Seth.

  “No really. It stings. My heart.” Micah clutched his chest and hobbled over to one of the hammocks. Cleo was the first to follow him. Seth then the others followed next. “There's something wrong.”

  “Neeta! Wake up!” Colin shouted, shaking Neeta, who grumbled. “The kid looks like he's being attacked.”

  “What's wrong with him?” asked Seth frantically.

  Alert, Neeta climbed off her hammock to retrieve the small bag she'd brought with her. She took out a tiny pill bottle and a piece of cloth. She lay the cloth on Micah’s chest and then put one pill to his lips. “We need water,” she said.

  “Theophilus, water. Hurry!” said Colin. “It's an empathic attack. I don't know why he's been targeted, but it's likely Jack at work.”

  Theophilus brought over a small glassful and gave it to Neeta. “Open up,” she said.

  Micah, writhing in pain, turned on his side. His face was bright read. His eyes were squeezed shut. Isabella could see veins bulging on his temples, arms and hands. Then, after Neeta gave him the pill and water and cooed something she could not hear in his ear for a short while, he began to return to normal. After few moments, Micah's eyes opened. “What happened?” He tried to sit up, but Neeta nudged him back down.

  “Just rest for a little while, and let the spittle take effect. It's a neutralizer that lowers your blood pressure and empathic receptors. It cools your body in a way that stops invaders from attacking,” said Neeta.

  “Why would Jack attack my brother? Why didn't he go for...?” He swallowed his last word. But Isabella knew what he was thinking. Me. Why didn’t he go for me?

  “Is he going to be all right?” she asked.

  “Yes, but this isn't good,” said Neeta. “This means the Fire is weakening, if he's able to get to a member of your cohort so easily.”

  Franklin at this point was awake as well. “Catnap's over. Let's get back to the lair and regroup.”

  “We need to get the vault and get out of here, too,” said Seth.

  “I agree,” said Isabella.

  “Tomorrow, yes. After you’ve rested and such,” Theophilus said, pacing the room. “None of you have your weapons with you, but I trust you have your stones.”

  “Yes, we do,” said Cleo.

  “And you've visited the sage?” asked Theophilus.

  “Yes. Well, Izzy hasn't,” said Cleo. “But Micah needs to rest, doesn't he?”

  Theophilus turned on Colin rather than answer Cleo. “That was your sole mission, Colin. Why did you not make that happen? Without the blessing from the sage, the concentration of her powers will remain erratic. If Jack attempts an attack when the fire is low, it will not be good.”

  “He attacked us before we could get her inside.”

  “She cannot go on without meeting the sage,” warned Theophilus. “And her birthday is approaching!”

  Colin ran his hand through his short cropped hair and grunted.

  “After we've come this far, we have to go backward? Again?” asked Isabella. “Colin, don’t worry. I'll be fine. Theophilus, you, too. I promise.”

  “You do not understand the workings of this world, my dear,” said Theophilus. “It isn't as simple as it may seem.”

  “I do so. The fire dies on my birthday, and we have to fix it before then. I get it.”

  Theophilus and Colin shared a look but did not go on. Isabella hated that they weren’t telling her everything.

  Franklin, sitting next to Seth, seemed interested in something on Seth's collar all of a sudden. “What is that, man?”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked

  Franklin squinted at Seth's collar and then walked closer. “It's pink. Looks like lipstick.”

  Seth turned red. “Oh, uh, it's nothing.”

  “Looks like you had a little fun sky-side. When did you even have the time?” Franklin joked, eyes shifting to Isabella. She knew what he was implying. That Seth had been kissing someone. But who could it have been? Surely not Cleo or worse, Neeta. No, it couldn't be either of them. Maybe it was—

  “Oh, it's Johnna's,” Seth supplied for her.

  She and Seth locked eyes briefly. He looked as if he'd regretted his last words. Isabella did not give him a chance to explain. Instead, she turned to Theophilus. “I want to see the sage immediately. What do I need to do?”

  “There is a way,” said Theophilus. “But you'll need to rest up first. You’ll have until tomorrow.”

  “I don't need to rest,” said Isabella. “Let's go now.”

  “Someone has to stay here with Micah,” said Cleo, kneeling next to him. “I'd like to, if that's okay.”

  “No.” Micah sat up and smiled meekly at Cleo. “I want to go, too. I'm okay.” He looked at Isabella, his eyes full of apology. “I don't know what happened, Izzy. It wasn't like it was before. In the speakeasy room, I mean. It wasn't me this time. I don't know. I'm sorry.”

  “It's okay, Micah,” said Isabella. “He gets in my head, too. Just in a different way. And I think it's about time somebody stopped him, don't you think?” The lights in the room dimmed, and Isabella felt her eyes grow heavy. “What’s happening?” she asked, holding onto Micah’s hand.

  “Tomorrow is the Wintertide Festival,” Theophilius said. “It will be easier to travel down the Avenue unnoticed during the thick of the festival. For tonight, it is getting late and the crowds will be dying down.”

  “But,” Isabella said, starting to yawn. “I want to go now.”

  “Let’s just rest,” said Colin. “We can go in the morning.”

  Isabella did not know how in the world she could sleep when so many questions were about to be answered, but she did on one side of the room with Cleo and Neeta while the boys took to the other. Theophilus disappeared upstairs to another room, likely to sleep in a private chamber of his own. Then before she knew it, it was morning, and they were gearing up for their quest to meet the sages.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The Divinato

  Blue and silver decorative lights adorned each store along the Avenue, and the road was more crowded than ever with street vendors, performers and shoppers. Isabella and her friends could hardly enjoy the spectacle, however. They wore long jackets with hoods drawn over their heads, like everyone else on the Avenue: it seemed that cloaks and hoods in blues, silver, and black were a standard part of the empath attire for Wintertide.

  “Children, do you have your crystals?” asked Theophilus as they walked. “Without them, one might lose his or her breath, become overheated, panic, or even spontaneously combust. Yes, you must have your crystals.”

  “What do you mean, spontaneously combust?” asked Micah, his complexion turning chalky.

  “Never mind that now. Let us head to the sage's temple.”

  “Temple?” asked Xander.

  “Yes. Since Isabella was prevented from seeing the sage last time, we must take her to the temple to see the entire Divinato,” explained Theophilus.

  Neeta leaned over to Xander's ear and whispered, “He was just kidding about the combustion thing. Your crystals will only help bring out your powers when needed. The sage will tell you how to use them, at least basically, so you can protect yourselves and work together as a cohort. Once you get your rings and necklaces in year two of your debut, your crystals will do even more. I just can’t say what because it’s very specific to each person.”

  “Year two?” asked Xander excitedly.

  “Yes, after a year, you’ll receive rings and necklaces unless one has already been handed down to you like Isabella. Her crystal won’t connect to it until then though.”

  Isabella heard the entire exchange. She remembered Theophilus telling
her about a gem that would connect to her necklace one day. That must have been what he’d meant.

  “The grand thing is that the Sage Temple is just a skittle and a pop over from Celluloid Alley, where we can go down directly to the vault,” Theophilus said.

  “Correct,” Colin said. “Neeta, Franklin, contact Max, and tell him he's back on duty. Have him meet you at Betty's and then take the tunnels to the entrance of the Black Underground. That's the level beneath the main environs of The Underground, in case you kids didn't know. Be there at eight.”

  “Got it,” Neeta said. “Be careful, okay? I'll let headquarters know what's going on, too.”

  “They know. See you at the tunnels at eight,” said Colin before his friends disappeared into the crowded streets.

  “Yuck,” complained Micah. “I hate the tunnels.”

  “Eight? That's three hours from now,” said Isabella.

  “It's for the best, children,” said Theophilus. “In my day, all we had were the tunnels.”

  “Bu—”

  “I'll take the kids to the Divinato,” said Colin, pausing when he noticed his sister's frown at the new word. “That's what they call the whole group of sages, Izzy. It should be relatively safe up there. I have a few of the guys from headquarters patrolling the vicinity. I'll stay outside to keep watch while I send the kids in.”

  “I thought the sage was at Empath Hall. What's this temple thing?” Isabella asked Colin.

  “Empath Hall is closed during the festival, naturally,” Theophilus answered for him. “The temple is only open to outsiders during the Wintertide festivities. And, as luck would have it for us, the Divinato was seated in full yesterday and will be again today. That means you'll go before all eight sages at once, instead of just the sage-in-residence.”

  “What difference does that make?” asked Cleo.

  “The sage-in-residence speaks with you one on one, but the Divinato will not. You will go in with a group. Insist they allow you to enter with your cohort and your cohort only. Stay here for a second. I'm gonna go grab some libations for travel. Don't move from this spot.” Colin pointed to the light post where they stood before ducking his way into an odd-looking convenience store.

  “Well, I have a few questions for this Divinato, anyway,” said Seth.

  “Seth, I'm pretty sure this isn't the time—” said Isabella.

  “I want some answers, though. I'm tired of being in the dark. Of being lied to constantly.”

  “Yeah, so do I,” Micah said.

  “We know that our families are safe,” said Isabella. “That's what is important right now. I thought we agreed that we just need to get to the vault and save the Fire. Everything else is just secondary, right?”

  “It won't be secondary if it ends badly.” The truth from Seth's words stung her.

  “He's kind of right, Izzy,” said Cleo.

  “I know, but I'm just saying that we have to focus on what matters the most first.”

  “And how do you know which thing really matters the most?” questioned Seth.

  “I don't. Maybe this Divinato can answer that for us.”

  “Maybe,” Seth whispered reluctantly. “I'm sorry. I'm just getting worried. After what happened to Micah, I just want more answers. We need to get to the vault as fast as possible.”

  Isabella looked him in the eye. “You don't have to do any of this if you don't want to, you know. You can go back sky-side and stay with Johnna. I'm sure she'd find room for you in her ten-bedroom mansion.”

  “Don't be stupid,” replied Seth.

  “So now I'm stupid?”

  “Yes, if you think I can just walk away like that.”

  “I'm not stopping you,” said Isabella. She hated feeling the way she did about Seth and Johnna. She didn't know why it mattered to her, but it did.

  “I'm tied to you. Supposed to follow you around and protect you. Isn't that how it goes?” asked Seth.

  Colin emerged from the store with several brown bags. “All right, everyone grab a water and two dunch bars each.”

  “Dunch bars?” asked Micah, looking at Isabella warily.

  “Yes, for vitamins and all that important stuff called nutrients that empower your mind and body.” Colin looked between Seth and Isabella, the high tension between them still evident.

  “Seth,” Isabella said slowly, “if you don't feel like following me around, why don't you just step aside and get out of my way?”

  “Isabella, I'm sorry,” he said.

  He wasn't sorry, she thought. He didn't want to be with her. Why would he? She was awkward and small and full of more problems than any normal guy would want to be a part of. But she had thought she could trust him. She’d come to believe that none of that mattered to Seth: They were in this together. Well, she was obviously wrong. “Move!” The words exploded from her lips.

  Isabella pushed through the crowd until she found a place in the long line. After nearly knocking down an old woman, she felt a hand on her wrist. She whipped around violently. “Seth, if you think—”

  “I heard what happened,” said Colin.

  “I told you back at the shop. I don't want to be a burden to anyone. If he wants to go, he should go.”

  “He doesn't want to go. He's just... feeling things that don't make sense. And every man wants his freedom to make his own choices.”

  “Yeah, Johnna Johnson. Of all people.”

  “Oh, I see. I thought this was about you feeling guilty about the cohort thing, but this is something else, isn't it?”

  Isabella sighed. “Of course it's about the cohort thing. I don't want anyone to feel like my slave. I didn't ask for this.”

  “They don't. And they are free to leave you at any time. They’re well aware of that. It is simply their destiny to be by your side. Seth just needs to come to terms with everything and accept that he does have a choice. I think he'll make the right one, though. With an air of uncertainty comes doubt and trepidation.”

  Isabella didn't want to think about it anymore. She watched them all hanging together, apart from her again. Like they were bonding without her. She looked up at her half-brother. He looked a little like her in a way, she thought. That made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. It made her feel like she was home. “So, tell me more about this Divinato,” she said softly.

  “Well, let's see. They return to the temple twice a year. Once during the summer solstice for collective meditation. The public gathers around the temple but does not go inside. It's all very silent. Then, the parties break out. Wintertide is when the council gives advice and does clearings for the New Year. Stuff like that.”

  “Oh.” Isabella soon became lost in her own mind. She reached for her missing necklace. It stung that it was not there. Then she reached into her pocket to find her crystal; it was there in its little bag. “I can't wait to find out how to use this.” She lifted the diamond gem out to admire it. “And how to use our weapons.”

  “You’ll have all the time in the world, after we restore the Fire.”

  “Why?”

  “There's more to your path than just the Violet Fire. You're the last diadem.”

  “But you're a diadem, too.”

  “That doesn't matter. The Sage Temple isn't far, but I can't go in with you. They see debuts separately from lay citizens, lay citizens separately from officials, and officials separately from unofficials—I'm an unofficial, being in the Brotherhood. I also want to keep eyes and ears outside the Temple, to make sure no one shows up.”

  Isabella shook her head. It was all too much information for her to take in. So many rules that made no sense to her.

  ***

  The bustle of midday had overtaken the Violet City by the time they reached the front of the line at the Sage Temple. Isabella lumbered up behind the group, her eyes glazed with concern; she continued to think about Colin and the Fire.

  “Back up! Back up!” shouted a tomato-faced attendant with a fierce gray beard seated behind a
long, white table trimmed with gold. By his side, a large man with a marshmallow face and dark, hollow eyes cracked his knuckles. “I need you to step to the side please. You need to go to the back of the line. Next!”

  “We've been in this line for over an hour!” Cleo shouted.

  Tomato Face ignored her and admitted a short man in a top coat. “Welcome, Henry.”

  “You didn't even check him in!”

  “All right, get up here!” he yelled to Cleo, who pulled her brother up behind her. Micah followed closely as Cleo did battle for him in this strange new world. “Seal!” the man bellowed.

  “We don't have ours yet,” Cleo said impatiently.

  “Fine. I'll check your crystal for authenticity. You do carry those with you, I take it?” Just then, a small black cat dashed under the attendant's table and then darted inside. The attendant cursed.

  It must be Mimi. Isabella shook her head and smiled.

  “I assume you're with that lot and don't have your seal,” the man said as he let Seth through and turned to Isabella for check-in.

  “I haven't met with the sage yet, so my crystal hasn't been joined to me specifically,” explained Isabella, just as Colin had explained to her.

  “Oh no. I'm sorry, but it's our strict policy to not let in anyone without proper identification.” Isabella's mind clouded with frustration; she cleared the fog quickly with some concentration. When she opened her eyes, Seth was standing beside her.

  “Can't you just let her in?” he asked. “She's important. More important than you or any of these goons realize.”

  The anger she had felt toward him dissipated slightly in that moment. She didn't forgive him completely, but it was a good start.

  “Look, I'm sorry about the inconvenience, but a rule is a rule.” The guard was unwavering.

  Let her through, please, a voice whispered within the minds of every soul.

  Who is that? Is that you, Mimi? Isabella asked faintly.

  Silence.

  Hello? Her mind faltered.

  Silence.

  After a moment, Isabella wiped her tears. The guard looked at his fat, black shoes and stepped to the side. Then the attendant bowed his head gracefully and waved her inside. She hesitated. What had just happened? “Please, miss. Your friends are waiting.”