Broken (The Stones, The Vampyres, and The Cursed Child) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 4)

by Humphrey Quinn

  “I don’t understand. How could Colin turn evil? He’s so… not,” he said for lack of a better term.

  “I have not been able to see what causes this path. Firemancy is not all seeing and all knowing. But this is a fate I’d wish on no one, least of all my own daughter.”

  Sebastien noted something at that moment. “You keep talking about your daughter this, and your daughter that. Have you no concern for your son, too? Is there no way to stop this evil from spreading? From taking over and turning him evil? You act like you’ve already given up on him.”

  Isabella got to her feet and paced. Like the act was buying her some courage. She stopped, fixed her gaze on Sebastien, and spoke words that confounded him to his core.

  “Colin Jacoby is not my son.”

  “But… but they are twins.”

  “Meghan is a twin; this much is true. But it is not Colin who shared space in my womb. It is unclear to me how this all came to be. I have not been able to see it. I have no knowledge of where this young man comes from, or who he is. But I promise you, he is not my son. He is not Meghan’s brother.” She did have some knowledge of Colin, but it wasn’t anything Sebastien needed to hear today. This was only the first step of a much larger plan, one put in motion many long years ago.

  “But they can hear each others thoughts… finish each other’s sentences… I was told they were discovered in the same crib at an orphanage.”

  “The orphanage is part of that long story I do not yet wish to tell,” Isabella stated dolefully. “Magic is mysterious. While I know much, and have been shown much, there are so many things still to discover. There may be a connection between Meghan and Colin that I have not seen.” She took her seat at the table. “Colin has some aura surrounding him. Something I cannot break through using Firemancy. I can only see him, when it involves Meghan. I have not been able to see his past, present, or future when she is not in the picture.”

  Sebastien plunked back, hitting the chair behind him.

  “What truly matters is to save your friends, Sebastien. Blood doesn’t always a family make. Save them, keep my nightmare from coming true. Keep my daughter from murdering the young man she loves equal to a brother. And keep the evil that takes over, from doing so. And none of this will happen.”

  “What must I do?” Sebastien requested.

  “I need you to deliver something two things to my daughter.”

  “How? I would have to show myself to her. She would know there are other doorways. Other ways to come home. And that is not…” he looked torn. His duty and his desire to save his friends, duking it out. “She will know all I’ve hidden from her. Never mind I’ll be breaking a lot of rules.”

  “Aren’t you, already?”

  “I haven’t let them see me. As long as they don’t see me…”

  “Your leader will never know?” assumed Isabella. “Do not underestimate Amelia’s reach, Sebastien. If you want to keep helping your friends, be careful.”

  “I am. I know what I’m doing. And what I’m giving up because of it.”

  Did he? Wondered Isabella. Perhaps at heading on sixteen, this young man was aware. A sad reality for one just starting out in life. But that age where reality begins to rear its ugly head. And the immortality of youth wanes just a little.

  “Sebastien, I cannot foresee your future. But I can tell you that you’re at a crossroad. Soon. Very soon. You will have to make a choice. It will not be an easy one, because either way, you lose something precious.”

  He took a hard swallow.

  He’d not spoken of his inner turmoil to anyone. But Isabella was a Firemancer. Which was a stark reminder that his own leader had a seer as well. He might think he was out in the middle of nowhere, but magic followed him everywhere.

  “You doubt your past. But if you choose your friends over your own family, or your own people, you might find yourself alone.” Isabella reached out and touched his chin gently. He wasn’t so far from alone already.

  “Meghan, or Colin, they will never forgive me after they find out all I’ve done.”

  “And you have not forgiven yourself, either. You have already sacrificed much for such a young life. Nevertheless, I must ask you to risk my daughter never forgiving you, in order to save her life. She will not be able to live if she kills Colin. Regardless of blood, he is her brother.”

  “I’ve already betrayed her. Will it truly matter if she finds out now, or later? Just tell me what I need to do.”

  Isabella pulled two candles out of her sweater pocket. They were nothing special. One waxy and white, thin and round, about six inches in length. The other, a replica of the one burnt to a nub on the table in the shape of Meghan. Sebastien took hold of them.

  “What do I do with them?”

  “Meghan needs to see the vision. You have to get the flame in front of her eyes. The other you must give to her. You’ll know when the time is right to do so, and she will know what to do with it. Meghan is a Firemancer after all.”

  “Like her mother,” sighed Sebastien, the full weight of this meeting making each breath heavier. “If I’m lucky, Meghan might someday forgive me for the secrets I hid from her. But not telling her you’re alive…”

  “And for asking this of you, I am truly sorry for what it might mean.”

  “Well, it’s for the greater good, and all that.”

  “Such is our lot in life.” Isabella gave him a wary smile. “A noble cause that we can hope one day becomes known, and understood. And forgiven by those who we wish to have in our lives again.”

  “And if not?” This was not a future he was eager to live out. “I’ll make sure this candle gets to Meghan. One way or another.” He had to get going. There was another stop he needed to make before this new quest began.

  It was time to go home.

  A place that might not be home for much longer.

  And that was just about the most frightening thing he’d ever admitted, because it meant for the first time ever he’d be alone and homeless.

  CHAPTER 10

  Meghan and Juliska studied quietly in the candle room. A strange scratching sound startled Meghan and she jumped, when Pajak, Juliska’s pet spider, scrambled and clinked its way past her, crawling up Juliska’s dress, coming to rest on her shoulder.

  “Ah, my pet. Good hunting?”

  The spider touched one of its glassy feet to her chin. Juliska’s eyes widened as if the spider had told her interesting news. Meghan wondered if that were possible. Did Juliska and the spider have some similar connection that she and Nona had?

  “Let’s take a lunch break,” Juliska decided. “After, Meghan, I want you to practice on your own, and come later tonight we’ll do some more hands on practice together.”

  Meghan did not wish to leave the candle room. It already felt like home and she was already eager to have one of her own. Nevertheless, she obligingly stowed her study supplies and grabbed her pocket guide. She gently woke Nona as she’d fallen asleep while watching Meghan study. Nona jumped at the ready and waited by the door.

  “It’s so hideous,” Nona heard Meghan’s thoughts betray. “Can she actually talk with that thing?”

  “Is it so hard to believe that Pajak can talk?” Nona sent back to her.

  Meghan smiled at her loyal Catawitch. “No, I guess not. But even on your worst day, I’d take you a thousand times over, versus Pajak!”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Nona said, sauntering out of the candle room and into Juliska’s room. “And if this thing was a normal spider, I’d have made lunch out of him months ago.” Nona licked her lips.

  Meghan shuddered at the very idea. “See you later,” she called out to Juliska as she exited. Juliska nodded, engrossed in her conversation with Pajak. The spider used a high-pitched chirp which somehow, Juliska understood.

  “Oh, really, did he?” she was saying. “How very interesting, my pet. Very interesting indeed.”

  “Apparently they cannot hear each other’s tho
ughts, like we can,” Meghan noted, adding, “I wonder how one learns to speak, spider?”

  For some reason, Nona found Meghan’s comment funny and laughed in a raucous, cat-like manner. The more Meghan thought about it, it was a little funny, thinking of someone learning to speak spider.

  It felt good to laugh. She and Nona left the tent to see what was happening in the outside world. To their delight, a few spotty beams of sun were sneaking through the seemingly never-ending cloud cover.

  “You know, Nona, it might actually come in handy to speak spider,” Meghan said unexpectedly.

  “How so?”

  “It is not the first time Pajak has disappeared for hours, only to come back and have something it wants to discuss with Juliska.”

  “And it’s obviously a conversation she wants to have in private,” Nona recounted. Like they need more possibilities of being spied on. “I’ll have to add keeping an eye on Pajak to my list of duties…” her thoughts wandered off as she caught the whiff of a rodent nearby.

  “See you after lunch,” Meghan grimaced as Nona vaulted in the opposite direction.

  Meghan made a point to pass by Billie’s so she could see if Colin wanted to join her. Her visit proved timely. Billie stepped out just as she was about to enter. Colin followed behind her. Billie looks a bit pale, she noted.

  “Ah, the sister,” Billie spoke. Her usual crispness was absent. “How are you finding yourself, Meghan Jacoby?”

  “Oh, um, fine. I guess.”

  Billie nodded. “Fine, I guess, seems to be going around.” She sauntered off toward the cantina.

  “What’s up with Billie?” Meghan asked Colin.

  “We’re a little worried about her. We think she knows someone in the missing caravan and she’s really freaked out about it, but she hasn’t said anything.”

  Meghan could not help but notice Colin’s use of the word ‘we’ and to her surprise, she felt a twinge of jealousy. We always used to be the term associated with her and Colin. Now, it appeared, Catrina had replaced her in that role.

  Colin checked that the coast was clear and held the door open for Catrina. Though she could not see her, Meghan was sure to whisper hello.

  “She says hi back,” Colin smiled.

  “Heading to eat, you want to join me?” asked Meghan.

  “We were heading there, too. Going a little stir crazy in the tent. Needed some air.”

  Upon arrival at the cantina, they glanced for Jae, but their luck did not hold as he did not appear to be eating lunch at the moment. They located themselves behind the oversized rocks at the edge of the clearing so they could eat with less of a chance of someone overhearing. Or seeing anything odd. Like Meghan and Colin talking to someone no one else saw.

  People were quieter than normal, and the main topic of conversation stemmed around the hunting party. Who were still missing.

  During lunch, the cloud cover returned, cooling the air. Bringing with it a fine misty breeze. Soon, patches of fog lined the clearing leaking into and out of the woods surrounding their camp. This turn in the weather matched the turn of the mood, as more people arrived to eat and the conversations turned to hushed whispers that only those close by could hear.

  Gloomy.

  Dismal.

  No answers about the missing hunters or the missing caravan.

  It was clear most everyone was certain something sinister had befallen the hunting party. This, combined with the already missing caravan, left little hope that something terrible would not befall them all.

  As people arrived to get food, they ignored acquaintances they might normally speak to, and avoided sitting with anyone they did not consider close friends or family. Those already eating watched the new arrivals with paranoid glances. Many of those glances trailed their way to Meghan. Only her head was visible over the rock. But every time she lifted her head to look at something, someone’s eyes were darting away, pretending they had not been staring.

  “What are they expecting?” she murmured to no one.

  “You did have a prophecy once,” reminded her brother. Right, the day they’d all discovered she was a Firemancer. “I’m sure they are hoping you will have another one. They are desperate for answers.”

  “Kind of losing my appetite.” Meghan had only eaten about half of her food. “This place is starting to give me the creeps.”

  “Catrina agrees,” Colin informed mutedly. “And for that matter, so do I. I think that’s part of the problem, overall. This place is getting to everyone.” He listened to Catrina’s silent words and smiled. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”

  “What?” Meghan questioned.

  “She was wondering how long until someone snaps.”

  “As long as they keep me out of it. Here, take the rest of my food. I can’t finish.” Meghan wrapped her half-eaten meat pie in a napkin and handed it to him.

  He put it in his pocket to eat later.

  “I think I’m doing the opposite of what you need right now, Colin. Drawing way too much attention our way. You know, someday, I would really enjoy just a few hours when I’m not being stared at.” She folded her arms and set her chin in resigned acceptance.

  As the crowd continued to grow, space became tight, and people started sitting closer together and inevitably, talking. Heated conversations began sprouting throughout the cantina, table by table. To the twins, the noise helped lift the dreariness of the clouds and fog, as well as sidetrack them from their woes. But the crowd was getting too close so Colin made to head back. Meghan had to get back to. Lots of studying to get done.

  A scream rent through the clearing. All conversation silenced. All movement, frozen.

  Another scream.

  It came from a little girl.

  She pointed toward the woods with a look of terror on her face. Terror that became etched into all faces when movement was caught at the edges of the woods. All around them. Something had them surrounded.

  “Don’t let go,” Colin whispered to Catrina, not wanting to lose her if they had to make a sudden escape. She took a firm hold of his sweater and held her breath in nervous anticipation, just the same as everyone else.

  Branches broke under approaching footsteps. Trees and shrubs rustled as someone, or something, disturbed them by walking through. But whoever or whatever this was, they moved like blended shadows, only wisps of themselves caught by the human eye.

  Balaton came running to the front of the group with belts slung over their shoulders, ready for a battle if it came to it.

  Meghan and Colin repeatedly thought they saw movement, but each time their eyes caught something, it disappeared just as quickly.

  Jae popped in alongside Meghan, glaring menacingly across the edge of the clearing.

  The crowd gasped in unison as shadows emerged from the trees, taking the form of people. And yet, they seemed to disappear and blend in with their background. Their numbers were great.

  “We do not mean to cause alarm.” A firm, flat, authoritative voice. “We come only to speak to your leader, regarding an urgent matter.”

  Meghan and Colin were surprised when Garner Sadorus stepped forward, rather than Juliska Blackwell.

  “Show yourselves if you mean no ill will,” he demanded. Garner was dressed in all his usual glory. Boisterous overcoat. Tattoos sneaking out of the collar. Grit in his eyes. A shine on his shoes.

  The leader of the new arrivals stepped out of the shadows and into the clearing.

  The Svoda gasped in unison.

  “Stripers!” someone nearby revealed. And somehow, that revelation made them no safer than they’d been just a second before.

  At first glance, the Stripers appeared human, but upon closer inspection, the twins noticed strips of what appeared to be lizard-like skin running down their arms and necks. It seemed odd that in the chilly air, they wore only minimal clothing and did not appear cold.

  “Are they human?” Colin had never seen anything like them.

  Jae leaned in, whi
spering to the twins. “Do you remember in the retelling festival, that there was a boat lost at sea during the battle, and all were assumed dead?”

  They nodded yes.

  “Well, the story doesn’t add that many years later, it was discovered they had survived.”

  “Survived? That’s good, isn’t it?” assumed Meghan.

  “Yes, and kind of no,” said Jae. “Because the Stripers are who they became.”

  Meghan and Colin had no knowledge of Stripers, but the spite in Jae’s voice warned them it was not good.

  “Why don’t they look like you then?” asked Colin.

  “Short version: a long time ago they befriended a group of animal magicians known as chameleons, and in return, they were given some of their magic. It changed them. Made them more than human.”

  Meghan jumped when Ivan appeared at her side. After a fleeting glance downward his attention remained fixed on the Stripers.

  The Striper leader approached Garner, but he spoke as if talking to everyone in the clearing.

  “We have come because we are hunting something. Something evil. Something that must be destroyed.”

  The Svoda remained paralyzed and could only stare at the Stripers in awe and fear.

  “What is it you hunt?” inquired Garner.

  The leader of the Stripers glanced around as if seeking out this new evil amongst the Svoda. As if they were hunting one of them.

  “I see you have nearly cleaned up the devastation that was cast upon this place.”

  At this moment, Juliska Blackwell appeared and took over for Garner. He took a few steps back, remaining close.

  “What do you know about it?” demanded the Gypsy Queen.

  “And you would be?” the leader asked.

  Juliska did not reply immediately. Her face studied the Stripers closely. After a tense minute, she finally broke her silence.

  “I am Juliska Nandalia Blackwell, Queen of the Svoda Gypsies. And you would be?”

  A sinister smile spread across the Striper’s face.

  “I am KarNavan. And most pleased to make the acquaintance of a Queen.” He bowed his head as if paying her respect, but something about his actions hinted that his respect was artificial.