“Hi. Sorry I don’t remember you. Everything is a blur.”
Keera smiled. “I get it. That was an amazing ascendancy—the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around a while.”
Danica blushed. “You should have seen it from behind my eyes!”
They all laughed. Marc said, “I haven’t been here that long, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I agree it was amazing! Something I’ll never forget.” His English was slightly accented. Sexy, she thought. She probed his mind and found appreciation and admiration. Danica smiled at him. He was a Nordic looking eighteen-year-old with chiseled chin and cheek bones and wide shoulders. He looks like he works out. I wonder if Beau has done his magic on him.
“Remember Jimmu’s ceremony some years ago?” Josh said in a softened rustic accent. His smile sweetened a friendly freckled face.
“Yes—spectacular!” Keera said.
Josh noticed Danica’s confusion. “Everyone has a different experience, and if The Magic doesn’t accept you, nothing out of the ordinary happens. But you still get a kick-ass party. Marc’s party was fantastic. Really wild and crazy. It went on for hours!”
Danica looked at Marc who was laughing. She smiled again.
“If there’s one thing this community is good at, it’s partying,” Keera said. “And speaking of this community, some of us are getting together tonight after dinner for an evening ride. Will you join us?”
“Ride?” she asked.
“At the stables. Horses,” Marc said to clear up her confusion.
She felt the familiar rush of excitement and she replied shyly, “I’d love to, but I’ve never ridden before.”
“Oh, you’ll be in good hands with Marc,” Josh said. “He’ll teach you everything you need to know. He’s the grand master of the equestrian world.”
This was a new experience for her—being invited, feeling accepted and a part of a group.
“The three of us work at the stables. We often take groups on evening rides, and tonight there should be about ten or fifteen of us. You should come. We’ll find you a steady mount, one that will take good care of you.”
“That sounds amazing! I’ll be there.” She looked at her three new friends enjoying their pizza and she felt excited. So far I like it here. Everyone is so friendly.
“That’s great,” Keera said.
“What is this place called? Just the Beyond?” Danica asked.
“We’re one of the communities in the Beyond. We’re in the Hotel Community,” Josh said, “Part of the Five Realms.”
“I don’t know anything about the Five Realms.”
“This place, the Five Realms, is more like between worlds,” Keera volunteered. “Phil calls it the Beyond.”
“How many people live here in this community--the Hotel Community?” Danica asked, helping herself to a large bite of pizza.
“I think there’s a couple hundred, right?” Keera said, looking at the men.
“Yes, somewhere around that number. And there are four other communities that make up the Five Realms,” Marc said. “All the others have larger populations.”
“Does anyone age in the Five Realms? Everyone I’ve seen is young.”
“No one ages, but there are deaths occasionally. Accidents happen, and sometimes a person will die before a healer can get to them. The healers are good, but they can’t bring someone back from the dead,” Keera said.
“It’s a strange phenomenon when it happens, since we don’t exist in time and death is mostly a time-related event,” Josh said.
“Phil has constructed the Five Realms to look and feel as much as possible like the worlds we’ve come from,” Marc said.
“Phil made this?” Danica said, looking around at the grounds and the hotel.
“Maybe constructed isn’t the right word. Transported might be more accurate,” Keera said. “She brought the realms here from other places.”
Danica’s head was spinning. “Where I come from, there were no hotels quite like this.”
“Most things in the Beyond are familiar to me—whether I’ve experienced them for myself or I’ve read or heard about them. The hotel itself is like ones I’ve toured or read about in novels and history books,” Marc said. “There weren’t any hotels like this in my city either. There were stables, though, and ours here in the Beyond would compare to the finest.”
“I lived near a castle,” Josh said, “so when I first came here, most of this was unfamiliar except the stables. In my former life I was apprenticed to a smith. My family lived in a hut near the forge inside the castle walls.”
“Josh is our resident blacksmith,” Marc said.
“When were you apprenticed, Josh?” Danica asked.
“It was in the mid-sixteenth century, in Wales.”
“You’re one of the oldest persons I’ve met here so far,” Danica marveled.
“He may be old in years, but he’s so immature,” Marc said, giving Josh’s shoulder a playful push. They all laughed.
“What about new life—births?”
“No new babies are born. Pregnancy and birth are not possible here in the Beyond. But there are plenty of babies and children in the other communities,” Keera said. “They came to the Beyond at the ages they will stay. No one ages here.”
“Tell me about these other communities.”
“The first thing you need to know is the Hotel Community is the best,” Josh said.
Keera rolled her eyes. “Each community in the Five Realms is different. This is the only one with Coverts and people who were hoping to become Coverts. There is active competition between the five communities. It helps everyone keep their skills up and it’s friendly, for the most part.”
Josh sniggered. “Except for the last games. Darkwood got out of control. It was fun though,” he said, looking to Marc for confirmation.
Marc smiled and nodded. “Yes, a little out of control. We had a melee on the soccer field.”
Josh laughed, remembering. “People mostly keep to their own communities except sometimes, right Keera?” Josh said with a straight face, and then he and Marc laughed. Danica saw a picture of a ruggedly handsome man in Keera’s mind.
Keera turned red and explained to Danica. “I had a boyfriend from Bellake for a little while. It was fun while it lasted.” The boys laughed louder, and Danica felt like she was part of an inside joke. It felt good.
Partly to get the attention away from Keera who was clearly uncomfortable, and partly to satisfy her own curiosity, she asked, “So there’s our Hotel Community, and Darkwood, Bellake, and what are the other two?”
“Cliffwald and Troad. Cliffwald is the farthest from us, and Troad is in the middle. When you get to Troad, if you go west you eventually come to Bellake, and if you head east, you will find Darkwood. Troad gets its name because it’s a crossroad. The road comes to a ‘T’ at Troad.”
“If you travel on the straight road beyond Troad you’ll come to Cliffwald,” Josh added.
Danica took a long drink of water. “You said each community is different. How are they different?”
“Each community was transported here by Phil,” Josh said. “When their worlds came under threat of annihilation, Phil was able to move parts of them here.”
“Often after much destruction and loss of life,” Keera added.
“From war?”
“Yes war . . . and Black Magic. The Others can destroy and injure in horrible ways. They’ve wiped out huge swaths of worlds leaving nothing but ashes. Luckily for our communities, Phil was able to salvage some parts of them and now they live here in the Beyond with us.”
“Who are the Others?” Danica asked. She had had some experience with them, but she still felt like their essence eluded her.
Keera and Josh looked at each other. “They’re creatures that can assume different forms. That’s why they’re so hard to find.”
“And they’re evil. They get energy from destruction and when a whole world is on the brink of des
truction, the energy is great, and it makes them extremely strong.”
“They travel through space and time and they’re responsible for most of the wars in the worlds.”
“Wars on earth? Like World War II?”
“Yes. And mass murders, genocide—anything meant to wipe out a lot of people. It’s how they survive. They use their Dark Magic to create fear in people.”
“So, these five communities are left over from larger worlds that were destroyed by the Others?”
“The other four communities are, yes, but not our Hotel Community. Our community is different. Each person was selected in hopes that he or she would be accepted by The Magic. Everyone here has special skills and talents. If The Magic accepts someone, he or she becomes an acolyte and then a Covert. The more Coverts we have, the better we can fight the Others.”
“How are the Others controlled?”
The three new friends looked at each other and then at Danica. “We control them,” Keera said. “The Coverts are especially powerful. Some are living here, and others live in different worlds. You’ve only met the ones who live here, and aside from Liam, they are the youngest. There are many Coverts who use their Magic to keep the Others in check.”
“Phil didn’t tell me that.”
“She probably doesn’t want you to feel overwhelmed,” Keera said.
“Are there Coverts in the other communities here in the Beyond?”
“No. Jimmu, Liam, Neith and Wilder all live here,” Marc said, and guzzled his whole bottle of water.
Suddenly she remembered her appointment at three to tell Jimmu that she wouldn’t need his swim lessons. She stood up. “I have to go. It was great meeting you and talking with you,” she said, looking at her three new friends.
“Don’t forget about tonight. Nine o’clock at the stables,” Marc said, and he smiled warmly.
“I’ll be there.”
Fourteen
Danica made her way the quarter mile to the lake where she had seen Jimmu yesterday. Was it only yesterday? When she got to the bench she sat and looked at the lake. It was clear and unruffled. She looked for Jimmu on the raft, but no one was around. After a few minutes she heard someone approaching from behind her, and when she turned, Jimmu was walking towards her. He had the same robe on as yesterday, and he slipped it off and hung it over the same bush. His muscled body shone in the sunlight. Then he turned and walked up to her.
“You don’t look ready for a lesson. Where’s your swimsuit?”
She stood up, determined to be perfectly clear with Jimmu. Still, she was nervous. “I’ve decided I don’t need swim lessons. I’ve gotten by without having to be in water so far, so I’ll pass on the lessons, but thank y …”
Before she knew what was happening, Jimmu picked her up and walked to the lake. She shrieked and screamed for him to put her down, and then he threw her farther into the water than she thought possible. She landed past the drop-off, and as she slowly sank, her eyes were wide open. She looked up and saw her air bubbles floating toward the bright receding surface. Long grassy plant fronds wound round her legs, and a small fish darted away. She landed softly on the sandy bottom and she was in a panic. Her air was gone, and she thrashed violently in the water. She stretched her arms toward the surface, but it was out of reach and she felt like a heavy stone.
I’m drowning!
Just then she saw Jimmu breaking the surface of the water above and swimming down to her, his powerful arms moving the water aside. In just seconds he was next to her and he grabbed her face and kissed her! She struggled furiously until she felt his air entering her and she clutched at him and gulped hungrily. He put an arm around her waist and paddled them both up to the surface. As soon as their heads broke through the water, she kicked him hard and yelled, “Don’t you ever do that again!” and then she realized she was sinking, and she clutched at him. He deftly turned her on her back.
“Relax.”
She struggled until she realized it wasn’t productive. She would just sink. She was tired, and she discovered that when she relaxed, she could stay afloat. Jimmu had one hand in the middle of her back, and with the other he pushed on her chin, gently tilting her head back. “Keep your chin up.”
She was still seething, but she did as he said. They had drifted far from shore, so she knew she had to depend on him. She felt her hair spreading out fan-like in the water, freed from the constraint of the lost hair tie. Water surrounded her face, covering her ears but she could still hear his voice as though he was speaking through cotton. And with her nose and mouth out of the water she could breathe easily. As she relaxed, she felt her heartbeat slow down and her chest rise and fall calmly.
“I’m going to let you go, and you will float on your own. Just keep your head back.”
“No!” she screamed, grabbing for his arm. He moved away from her. She lifted her head and immediately started sinking, so she arched her back, putting her head back in the water until she felt herself floating again. “Jimmu!”
“I’m right here,” he said softly into her ear. He was treading water behind her head.
“I’m scared! I want to go back to shore!” She tried to crane her neck around to see him.
“You have the power of your charm, Danica. You won’t come to any harm in water as long as you wear it.”
“What charm?”
“My gift to you. It’s Magic. It will keep you safe.”
“Oh yeah? Well, I almost drowned! Some protection!”
“But you didn’t. And you won’t. You’re fighting it, and when you can relax you will see that it’s true. Use your hands and feet to propel yourself in the water.”
“I don’t know how!”
“Yes, you do. Even animals can swim. Think of dogs. Horses even. They use their legs, right?” He began swimming toward shore.
“Wait! Don’t leave me!”
“Follow me.”
She flipped over and struggled to keep her head above the surface. She watched him gaining the shore and she began a feeble dogpaddle, kicking her legs and moving her arms like she had seen dogs do when in the water. It seemed to take forever, but finally she was able to put her feet on the sandy bottom and then drag herself onto the grassy embankment. On her hands and knees, she coughed up water and gulped in air.
“We need to work on your strokes.” He was sitting on the grassy bank a few feet from her.
She lifted her head and glared at him. “What kind of a teacher are you! I nearly drowned out there!”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Well then why did you have to give me air?”
“I didn’t have to. You thought you needed it and you were panicked so I gave you air, but you didn’t need it.”
She sat back on her heels and grabbed her dripping hair and wrung it out. “I thought you said I can’t breathe water.”
“You can’t. The Magic allows the air in your lungs to last as long as you need it to. But you must be relaxed, and you have to be wearing the charm bracelet. It allows the air you have in your body to stay oxygenated. You expended most of your air, but you still had plenty left. We need to get you more comfortable in the water. Once you can see you are safe you can learn to swim.”
“You have a strange way of showing me how ‘safe’ I am in water.”
He chuckled.
Danica was seething. I can’t believe he has the nerve to laugh at me! I almost died, thanks to him!
“We’re going to go in together this time. We’ll sit on the bottom for ten minutes or so, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I promise I’ll stay with you the whole time. Deal?”
She really didn’t want to go back into the water. What’s that old saying about getting back up on the horse? She looked at Jimmu. He isn’t going to give up. She sighed deeply and stood up. He walked up to her and took her hand and led her to the shoreline.
“Come on. Once we go under the surface, don’t struggle. Just relax and keep the air you have in your lungs and y
ou’ll be fine.”
They walked into the water and it quickly dropped off and she found herself floating with nothing beneath her feet. Jimmu was supporting her.
“We’re going to sink to the bottom and we’ll just sit there and watch the fish, okay?”
She nodded nervously, but for some unfathomable reason she trusted him. He stopped treading water and they drifted to the bottom. He sat cross-legged, eyes open, watching her. His dark hair swirled around his head. She began to panic when she felt she should be out of air and needed to take a breath, and her eyes must have shown it because he reached out and put his hands gently on her shoulders. She willed herself to relax, and she began to feel calm and in control. Amazingly the feeling of panic left, and when she realized she wasn’t straining for air, she was able to enjoy the experience. They were only twelve feet below the surface and so there was plenty of light to see the fish that were curious about them. A large striped one swam a few inches from her face looking at her. She was able to examine him closely, amazed at his beauty and grace in the water. A small school of gray fish swam past, each one no larger than her index finger, their movements synchronized to the leader’s.
After about ten minutes, Jimmu used his thumb to indicate that it was time to go up. She nodded and he supported her with his arm around her waist and together they swam up to the surface.
“That was amazing!” she said when they broke through the water.
He laughed—really laughed, and the transformation took her breath away. My god he is so gorgeous!
“Now you can learn to swim. You know you are safe, so you can relax into your lessons and your Magic will help you to learn quickly.”
They made their way to shore and she asked, “How does The Magic work? Can I change pumpkins into carriages? Do I have to say ‘Abracadabra’?”
He looked at her strangely. “It’s nothing like that. I can’t tell you what your Magic will look like because it’s different for everyone. I can tell you it will enhance your natural powers if you allow it.”
“Why wouldn’t I allow it?”
The Acolyte: Magicians of the Beyond Page 8