The Acolyte: Magicians of the Beyond

by Victoria Murata

  She wasn’t frightened, and a few curious fish came up to her to investigate. One swam in front of her eyes, its delicate fins sweeping the water. She reached toward it and touched it gently, marveling at its fishy scales. Soon others swam close, and Lucina was fascinated with their graceful movements. When she felt her air was completely gone, she had a moment of panic and then she calmed herself, just as Danica told her to. She discovered that she didn’t need more air. She fingered the bracelet on her wrist. It was lovely. She hoped she would be able to return it to Danica.

  She felt movement in the water behind her and turned to look. Jimmu swam up and stood next to her. He smiled and held out his hand. She smiled at him and put her small hand in his. They walked along the bottom for a while, and then toward the shore.

  Emma’s head pounded. Her eyes were swollen, and she couldn’t breathe out of her broken nose. She had crawled behind some barrels with the other three women prisoners to avoid the arrows that were flying past the barge and landing in the water. Dead bodies lay nearby. Some bales of hay were on fire at the other end of the barge. The Countess and her two ladies were screeching and carrying on, and Emma was surprised they hadn’t been hit by any stray arrows. The Count and his council had been slow to respond to the turn of events. Disbelief paralyzed them as arrows whizzed by, and then they tried to hide behind barrels and each other.

  As the council was picked off one by one, the Count and Ivar, the executioner, climbed into a skiff tied to the barge, their clumsy motions nearly capsizing it. Using the barge for cover, Ivar began rowing the skiff across the lake to the other side. As the distance increased between them and the barge, Emma took notice and grabbed a bow from a downed guard. The action was painful, but she was determined. She scooted close to the fire and lit a fire arrow, and with precision and calm, she notched it and took aim at the skiff. Her broken fingers didn’t work, and it was hard to see through her swollen eyes, but using a bow was second nature to Emma, and her instincts never failed her. She managed to loose the arrow and it found its mark in the dry wood of the skiff which immediately caught fire. Instead of trying to put out the fire, the Count and Ivar jumped away from it. The skiff, now unbalanced, rocked precariously. Emma watched as the Count stood unsteadily. He grabbed Ivar for balance, and in a strange silent dance they jockeyed for position briefly as the skiff jerked from side to side. Then they both fell into the water. She watched and waited, another arrow at the ready, but neither one came to the surface.

  When Jimmu and Lucina walked out of the lake, the fighting was mostly over. They emptied her pockets of stones, and she climbed onto his back. He walked away from the castle towards the abbey. When he got there, Semiel met them at the door. Behind him was Lucina’s father. Lucina jumped down from Jimmu’s back and ran into her father’s arms. They embraced tearfully, and Lucina’s father thanked Jimmu profusely.

  Danica walked out of the forest. She heard shouting at the lake front, but it appeared the fighting was over. She looked toward the barge and she saw a small rowboat oared by one of the women prisoners making its way to shore. The other two prisoners were in the boat clutching the sides. Emma was with them. Danica walked to the shore and helped them land the boat. She gave a hand to each of the women as they stepped on to the shore. Emma leaned heavily on Danica as she climbed out of the boat. They embraced fiercely.

  “Emma! I was so worried about you! Thank God you’re alive!”

  “Danica! You’re all right! Where’s Jimmu?”

  The two friends pulled apart, but Danica kept her hands on Emma’s shoulders because her young friend was shaking and having a hard time standing upright. “I haven’t seen him since the fighting started. He went into the lake to help Lucina. My God Emma, you need a doctor!”

  Emma smiled crookedly at Danica, then her eyes rolled back, and she slowly crumpled from Danica’s hands onto the grass. One of Lucas’s men was nearby, and he carried Emma to the abbey.

  Later, after everyone cleared away from the lake, Lucas ordered a huge feast to be prepared by the castle kitchen to feed the city. Semiel wanted to help, and the abbey kitchen began preparations to make more food than it had ever produced before. Everyone was celebrating the overthrow of the Count and his court. Liquor flowed and Lucas and his men made sure everyone stayed somewhat orderly.

  The Countess and Aefille, one of her attendants, were taken to a room in the castle to await judgment. The other attendant had fallen into the lake and hadn’t reappeared. Some of the guards and councilmen that survived were put into cells in the dungeon. The Count’s body and Rone’s had not been found, and Wolksey sat brooding in a cell with a few of the guards who had been outside the castle walls searching for Jimmu and Danica when the rebellion happened.

  Danica and a healer were bent over Emma. She had multiple injuries, and she hadn’t regained consciousness. While their attention was on her, there was a rustle of garments as someone entered the room. Danica looked up and exclaimed.

  “Neith!”

  Jimmu was with her.

  “I can’t believe you’re here!” Danica ran over and embraced her. “You’ve come at the perfect time! Emma needs you.” And she led Neith to the bed where Emma lay. Neith put her hand on Emma’s forehead, and instantly Emma’s eyes opened.

  “Neith!” she whispered.

  “Close your eyes, Emma. I’ll have you back to normal soon.”

  While Danica and Jimmu hovered nearby, Neith placed her hands over Emma’s eyes for a few moments. Then she moved them to Emma’s nose and mouth, and then continued over her ears, head, and neck. Neith’s hands seemed to emanate light as she passed them over every part of Emma’s body. She tenderly took Emma’s hands in her own and blew her breath on the broken fingers. She gently rested her hands on Emma’s abdomen for a few moments. Soon she was finished.

  “Open your eyes, Emma.”

  Emma’s eyes opened and regarded Neith calmly. Danica gasped. Her face looked normal. No swollen eyes or crooked nose. No cuts and scratches. Her fingers no longer bent at odd angles. She looked like the Emma before Dumone.

  “I feel good, Neith. No pain.” Emma smiled her old smile, and Danica felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt Jimmu’s arms tighten around her, and she hadn’t realized she was clinging to him.

  They pulled up chairs next to Neith. Semiel had taken the other women to another room to be treated by healers, and the Coverts were alone with Emma.

  “Neith, how did you know we needed you?” Danica asked.

  “I didn’t. We hadn’t heard from you and we were nervous that something might have gone wrong. We talked it over and decided to send only one of us. We were so unsure about the danger. Since I’m a healer, we decided I would be the best choice. Liam and Wilder will come in two days if we don’t return by then.”

  “What about Phil?” Jimmu asked.

  “No. We couldn’t risk it since Dumone is here.”

  “Was here,” Danica said, and they all turned to her.

  Danica went over the story briefly. “Thanks to Wilder’s gift I survived the fire from the firebird. Then he tried to get his cat to attack me, but the cat and I had come to an understanding when I first saw him yesterday in the castle, and I was able to influence him to attack Dumone instead of me.”

  “How?” Emma asked.

  “I put an image in his mind of overpowering Dumone and being free. And that’s what happened. He remembered me.”

  Emma shook uncontrollably. “Just hearing his name …”

  Neith regarded Emma sympathetically. “I can heal your body, Emma, but not your mind. That will take some time and work on your part.”

  Emma smiled nervously, and Danica’s heart went out to her.

  Neith looked at Jimmu. She stood up and moved behind his chair, placing her hands on his head. She moved them down his face and then over his neck and shoulders, ending with his chest. “You have some bruised and fractured ribs here.”

  After a few minutes she moved away and Jimmu
had lost the pinched expression he had worn since his fight with Rone.

  “Thank you Neith,” he said, taking her hand.

  Neith replied, “As soon as we can, we should get back to the Beyond where Emma can get the help she needs to process everything that has happened.”

  Jimmu said, “The Count and his court have been overthrown with minimal loss of life. The Countess and Wolksey are the only remaining family alive. The citizens are celebrating the overthrow, and some are demanding a trial. Some don’t want to waste time on a trial. They want to hang Wolksey and the Countess right away.”

  “Will the Countess and Wolksey be safe?” Neith asked.

  “They’re under guard and the castle has been secured. We need to get them away from Lymonia as soon as possible.”

  “Where will they go?”

  “Semiel has a sister in a convent on the mainland. The Countess and her attendant will live there. They have no money and no way to contact anyone. It’ll be a life of privation. But it will be a life.”

  “And Wolksey?”

  “He has nowhere to go and no remaining family. He’ll be taken to a workhouse in a remote area in the mountains where he’ll be given food and board for manual labor. If he tries to leave the workhouse, chances are he won’t survive the coming winter.”

  “What happened to Lucina? Is she safe?” Danica asked Jimmu.

  “I found her in the lake playing with some fish. We walked along the bottom for a while, and then out of the lake. I brought her here where her father was waiting for her.” He looked at Danica curiously. “What did you tell her about the power of the bracelet?”

  “Just that when she wore it, she could stay underwater indefinitely without losing her air.”

  “Well, unlike you, she trusted in the bracelet completely.”

  They all laughed. “Or maybe she trusted Danica,” Emma said. “What happened to Finian?”

  “He’s a hero. Evidently, he got the citizens fired up and led the charge. I saw him briefly after the takeover,” Jimmu said.

  Emma smiled. “I’m glad he was able to do something to avenge the death of his father.”

  Then she asked, “What about the one prophesied?”

  “Everyone thinks it’s you, Emma, and they are expecting to see you soon. They believe you will guide them,” Danica said.

  “The citizens are in for a surprise,” Jimmu said.

  “I didn’t see Gloren on the barge with the countess,” Emma said. “And what about Ansa?”

  “Ansa stayed away as instructed,” Danica said, “and Gloren came down with a terrible sickness, also as instructed, so she stayed in her bed at the castle.” They all chuckled.

  “Is everything concluded here?” Neith asked. “We should get back to the Beyond.”

  “Not yet,” Danica said. “I haven’t finished my mission. I still need to find out who the High Priestess is, and to do that I need to find my mother’s grave.” A shiver passed through her.

  “It’s too late to go to the forest today. The sun will be setting soon. We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Jimmu said.

  “I’m going alone,” Danica said.

  Jimmu started to protest.

  “I have to, Jimmu. I won’t be in any danger.”

  He looked at the determined set of her jaw and there was something else. Her eyes had a vulnerable, speculative look. She had come all this way to free Lymonia and to find her mother’s replacement. This last part of her mission would be difficult for her, and he realized she did need to do it alone. He nodded slowly.

  “Yes, I see that.”

  “I’m leaving now. My talisman will guide me. I’ll be back in the morning and we’ll know who the High Priestess is. Semiel will organize some sort of ceremony for her, whoever she is.”

  “Are you sure, Danica? You need rest,” Neith said.

  “I’ll rest in the forest, Neith.” Her eyes were bright as she looked at Emma, Neith and Jimmu. “The danger is over. I’ll be safe.”

  I’ll walk you to the stable and help you with the horse,” Jimmu said.

  Danica embraced Neith and Emma and followed Jimmu out the back door of the abbey. As they walked to the stable, Jimmu took Danica’s arm lightly.

  “We haven’t had any time alone to talk.”

  “No,” she said.

  “You’re a Covert now, one of us.”

  “Yes.”

  He stopped and they turned to each other. “Danica, you have more than exceeded my expectations.” He looked at her, and when she raised her eyebrows he continued. “I’m not saying this right.” He cleared his throat. “I thought I would have to take care of you in Lymonia—to make sure you wouldn’t do anything impulsive or dangerous. You were new, and fearful about many things.” He paused.

  “Yes?” she whispered.

  “I was wrong. You proved yourself time and again. I watched you become stronger with every challenge. Even when you were exhausted, you made clear choices.” He looked at her intently. “You defeated Dumone.” He shook his head as if the idea were absurd. “He’ll be back, you know that. He’ll resurface somewhere else.”

  “Yes.”

  “He’ll turn up in another time and place. You may meet him again. Will you be ready for that?”

  “Yes!” she said emphatically.

  Jimmu smiled and they walked into the stable and found the horse Semiel had recommended, a gentle bay gelding. Together they saddled and bridled him, and Danica was ready to leave.

  “I admit I’m a little nervous about you going off alone to the forest, but I know you have to do this, and after I saw you take on those guards in the castle dungeon, I think you can take care of yourself.”

  She smiled and he reached out and gathered her to him. He rested his cheek on her head. “I’ve never known anyone like you, Danica. You’re a puzzle to me. One that I think I will continue to enjoy piecing together.”

  “Oh yeah?” she asked, tilting her head back to make sure he wasn’t teasing her. He took that opportunity to kiss her softly. Their lips melted together, the tenderness gaining momentum. What began as an innocent kiss turned into something more. It was a question and an answer, a call, and a response. They both melted into what they had known was between them all along. They allowed themselves to let go, to freely abandon their powers and to surrender to each other, their lips moving passionately over each other’s. When she felt his tongue on her lips, she opened her mouth to him, and her world exploded. Everything fell away and the two of them became one.

  When they finally parted, they were both left breathless.

  “Jimmu,” she breathed.

  He pushed her at arm’s length and his eyes searched hers. His were stormy, conflicted. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why not? What are you afraid of?” she asked, worried he was reacting like Marc did when they kissed. “Are you afraid of me? Of my power?”

  He looked momentarily surprised. Then he smiled. “That kiss was the most intense and amazing kiss I’ve ever had, and I want another. I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. Now that our mission is over, we can get to know each other better,” he said.

  That brought Danica back to the moment. “I still have an important part of my mission to complete, and I should go before I lose the will to do anything but stay here in your arms.”

  He knew she was right and so he gently released her.

  “Be safe,” he said as he helped her into the saddle. She looked back at him once as her horse walked away, and even though her head was partially obscured by the hood of her cloak, he couldn’t mistake the look of raw emotion he saw on her face. His heart tightened, and he raised his hand in farewell.

  Forty-Four

  The air was cooling in the diminishing light when Danica found the sign pointing to Wolf Wood. She was glad for the cloak Semiel had insisted she wear. She guided her horse along the path noticing that everything looked like it had in Master Stefan’s cards. When she found the lightning struck
tree, she dismounted and peered into the dark and overgrown forest that she knew led to her mother’s grave.

  I’m on my own now, she thought to the gelding. Stay close. I’ll be back in a while.

  The horse whickered softly. Danica removed the bridle and saddle and the horse immediately began eating the weeds and grass growing in profusion along the path they had come on.

  There was no path into the forest. She walked into its deep green, avoiding thorny bushes and low branches from deciduous trees. Tall grasses caressed her lower legs. Her senses tingled with the aliveness all around her. Every sound and smell impressed itself on her mind. She was in tune with the forest, and it was welcoming her.

  Her eyes dilated in the darkening twilight, taking in the movements of the small creatures and birds, the insects, and scurrying reptiles. She stretched her arms out to her sides, her palms facing up, and closed her eyes. Breathing in the pungent earthiness, she slowly expelled the air in her lungs, and gave herself to the powers she felt all around her. This was a sacred place.

  When she opened her eyes, a path lay before her. The air softly caressed her face, and she felt an energetic current in it. She reached into her pocket and drew out the talisman. Its soft blue light was comforting to her and she allowed it to guide her forward. As she moved along the path, she knew where the talisman would lead her, and she felt a fine sheen of sweat cover her body.

  I’m afraid! Can I do this?

  After an hour, the night enveloped the forest in its dark cloak. The talisman showed the way as Danica walked down an incline that opened to a glen.

  I know this place. I’ve seen it in my dreams and on the film Phil showed me. Astrid’s grave is here.

  The blue glow from her talisman led her to a grassy mound and when Danica approached it, she saw that the grass was growing up between rocks.

  These rocks were put here seventeen years ago, and I was newly born. Now I am meant to take them away and reveal what lies beneath.