by Abra Ebner
Nicholas took the page with a wary hand, looking it over and then looking at me. I sat still, my jaw clenched and my head spinning. He followed my lead, punching the feather into his finger. As I watched, I saw that the blood was black, indicating the true color of his heart. He showed me the bleeding finger as proof, and then signed the page. He set the feather down when he was finished, shoving it back toward me with a frown.
“It is done,” he added.
I took the page in my hands, rolling the thick foil in my grasp. “Thank you.” Satisfied, I stood.
He reached over and grabbed the cigar from the stout man’s mouth, putting it in his own and inhaling deeply. He held the smoke in his lungs for a moment before slowly exhaling. “Edgar, Sam, Margriete—Elle—we’ll see you soon.” He nodded once more and I took it as our cue to leave.
Sam and Margriete stood, turning without a second look and walking beside me through the archway and back into the forest. As our feet crossed the threshold, the small castle began to implode. Folding in and on itself until nothing but a marble remained. I watched as it rolled vigorously back to the cave where it disappeared. The gryphons resumed their stance beside the cave, no longer concerned by us. I smiled, looking at Edgar. He smiled as well, though there was something about it that seemed off, something that was missing. Perhaps it was the fact that he would miss it here.
WALK HOME
Edgar
“Hey,” Sam barked, walking up beside me as Elle and Margriete walked on in front of us. They were laughing and talking amongst themselves, the air filled with their happiness. “Are you alright with this?”
I nodded.
Sam exhaled and looked to the ground. “I know the risk here. I know Elle doesn’t quite understand what can happen. I know she thinks about it, though. I hear her mind whisper in her sleep.”
I nodded again, feeling my heart sink. “I just hope that doesn’t happen. I hope things go seamlessly.”
“The gods are also aware of the same risks we are. That’s why they pressed that particular point.” He was being vague in case anyone overheard. I could see he was trying to keep this conversation amongst us, for once.
I glared at Sam anyway. It wasn’t a subject I really wanted to address, either.
“Oh, chill. I bet everything will be fine.” Sam rolled his eyes away from mine.
Elle was so worried about what happened to us, that she barely cared about what happened to her. I knew that either way she would be safe, either way she would have someone there. This was the part I had dreaded, though, and the root of the reason behind my faltering mood and lies.
I nodded once more as Elle turned. “Hey, hurry up. I want to get back so that we can have a few more night of fun before you all have to leave. I want to enjoy this!” She bounced in the air, happiness seeping from her as though nothing were wrong. She made it seem like a vacation, a mere week or two away. I didn’t blame her for thinking that way at all. How else do you cope with such a burden?
I smiled. I was glad that she had struck her bargain, and happy that she would at last find her peace. There was nothing I could do but love her, and hope that it was enough to guide her back to me in the end.
THE BLACKOUT
Estella
“Edgar?” The room was dark, the wind roaring outside. “Edgar?” I whispered louder, shaking him awake.
“Hmm.” He moved, rolling over.
“Edgar, I’m scared.”
He took a deep breath. I saw his eyes blink open in the dark, glimmering with whatever light filtered into the room. “Elle, don’t worry.”
I let a sharp breath leave my lips. I was wide awake, finding it annoying that he could sleep at a time like this.
I felt his hand grasp my wrist then, his fingers cold as they felt the bones that were beneath. My heart rate slowed and his energy entered my body like a drug, making every fear dissipate. “Is that better?”
I nuzzled against his body. “Yes, but still, I’m frightened. I’m afraid of what will happen. What if it kills me?”
Edgar’s palm traced up my arm. “You will be fine, darling. I promise.”
His words brought me comfort, and as I lay against his body, I felt as he relaxed and his breathing became shallow. He fell back to sleep, leaving me once again in silence. I watched the shadows as though something was there. I pulled my arm out from under Edgar’s grasp, looking at it, wondering where the power was.
It was then that a light flashed across the floor of my room, leaking in from under the door. I carefully lifted my head to look, sliding away from Edgar and to the side of the bed. I watched the light, as the dust from the room rose through the single ray. The light moved then, fading as though to leave. I looked back at Edgar as he let out a heavy sigh of dreaming. Content that he was still asleep, I slid my feet from the bed, gently placing them on the chilly floor. I let my nightgown fall around me as I stood, walking away from Edgar on tiptoes.
Reaching the door, I saw the light almost completely fade. My anxiety to follow grew. As slowly as I could, I placed my hand on the handle, opening the door and poking my head out to inspect. My eyes met the source of the light then, and a smile grew on my face. The prophecy was floating at the top of the stairs, its light a welcoming glow.
I stepped out, turning to shut the door of my room behind me. I waited for the gentle click of the latch, then let go. I turned back to the prophecy and it floated toward me.
“Hi,” I whispered, reaching up and tapping the top of the cube with my fingers. The prophecy twisted from side to side with apparent happiness. I let out a gentle chuckle, wiggling my toes against the floor. The prophecy turned then, and floated away from me. I watched, wondering where it was going when it turned back, as though to urge me to follow.
Curious, I did as it wanted, walking down the stairs as the prophecy made its way to library. I rounded into the room, watching as the prophecy continued forward and out into the greenhouse that I had all but abandoned. The prophecy’s light reflected of the glass wall, beautiful as it filled the room with a blue green glow. I watched as the prophecy moved over a few of the tables, swaying down toward the dirt in waves.
“What?” I asked, wondering what it was trying to say. “Do you want me to grow you something?”
The prophecy shot upward with a sharp swing, as though to show excitement. Then it bobbed up and down and I smiled, enjoying this more than I was enjoying my attempts to fall asleep. I walked up to the table, running my hand through the barren dirt as a trail of small poppies grew behind my touch.
The prophecy’s light grew bright and cheerful, shaking with joy. I chuckled as the sound echoed off the glass and back to me. The prophecy moved to the next table, making the same side to side swaying movement. I followed its lead, moving to the next table where I buried my hand deep inside the dirt. I rubbed my pointer finger and thumb together. A seed grew between them and I left it behind, pulling my hand from the soil, a vine following fast behind it. I smiled wide as the seed grew into a large sunflower that grazed the ceiling, the head of the flower at least a foot across. The sunflower’s seeds began to shed from it, sprouting in the nearby dirt and creating a whole grove of yellow. The prophecy glowed even brighter then, picking up excitement as it circled the room and ceiling, finally resting near a pot in the corner.
“Oh, I see what you’re saying,” I sang.
I tiptoed over to the pot beneath the prophecy, the pads of my feet gathering up the dirt that was on the ground. I knelt down beside the pot as the prophecy watched over my shoulder. I dug both hands deep inside, the dirt reaching my elbows. I pinched my fingers together once more, leaving two bulbs behind. I quickly pulled my hand out as the plants shot skyward, bright purple clematis blooming across the ceiling and latching onto the grids of the glass.
The prophecy spun then, following the vines as they continued to spread, outlining the frame of the door and causing the echo in the room to fade. I had forgotten the beauty in this world. Forgotten
what a flower even looked like. All summer it had rained, the plants dying. But here, looking at all this, you would think all that was nothing more than a bad dream. I pulled myself off the ground, wiping my sodden hands on my nightgown and leaving it covered in dirt.
I approached another table that was full of small pots in every size and color. I touched the tip of my finger to each as a different type of perennial bloomed behind me, in every color imaginable.
The fun began to snowball, and I moved on to the next table. Here, I grew my favorite plant, the purple clover. I waved my hand, allowing it to spread across the whole table as the small lavender flower and deep purple leaves grew larger than ever. The prophecy continued to dance about, growing brighter and brighter by the second. I was dancing now, too, imaginary music playing in my mind. It was then that I saw the prophecy begin to shake. I watched the light inside it grow brighter and brighter, like a burning sun.
I stopped dancing, the flowers continuing to spread around me, filling the room with fragrance and color. The prophecy was shaking faster now, and I felt my heart begin to race, my eyes growing wide as I watched it. I didn’t understand what was happening. What had I done? My feet were flat against the moist greenhouse floor, the feeling of grit and gravel between my toes. My hands were stiff at my sides, my nails blackened. The smell of earth filled my nostrils as I puffed hard.
The prophecy froze.
I took a deep breath, feeling it fill my lungs in slow motion, oxygen seeping into my blood. I exhaled hard, and it was then that the prophecy flashed, a red light beaming out toward me and filling my mind with thoughts and images.
I saw myself by the lake, holding a red cube in one hand, my other reaching toward the sky. I heard myself utter something low, something I could not repeat but knew like my own name. My face was fixed, there was not a soul in sight.
I screamed.
Everything went dark as I felt my body go limp. My body fell limp to the floor.
LITTLE HELPER
Edgar
I woke alone in Elle’s room, something that felt foreign to me.
“Elle?” My voice was still hoarse from sleep. “Elle?” I asked again. I had grown so used to waking with Elle at my side that it alarmed me. I sat up, throwing the covers off the bed, burying Isabelle inside them. She protested with one sharp ‘caw.’
I stood, walking to the door with heavy steps. Something was wrong. I felt it. Throwing the door open, I stormed out into the hall and bounded down the stairs. Sam opened the door to my room, having heard the commotion.
“Edgar, what’s wrong?” He knew, but probably felt he should say something to get my attention.
I turned to face him, halfway down the stairs. “Sam, where is she? Do you hear her?”
Sam drew a shirt over his head. I had given him and Margriete my room, tired of seeing them passing out on my couch. “Yeah, I hear her. Take a deep breath, Edgar. She’s just sleeping.”
I looked around the hall with frantic eyes. “Where?”
“Well, not in the hall, obviously.” Sam smiled, running his hand down his chest and smoothing his shirt. He made his way down the stairs, passing me. I followed, annoyed that he wouldn’t just say it and tell me where she was.
His gait was superior as I followed him into the library. We both slowed our pace as we saw vines of clematis growing up the stacks of books and leading us in through the door to the greenhouse. With caution, we entered the room, seeing that every inch was layered in thick foliage and flowers.
“What the—” I stopped just inside the door, looking around as Sam walked down one of the aisles. He reached out and touched a flower. The flower seemed to nip at him. It was then that I saw a dirty foot peeking out from behind a table, just inside the door and to the right. I lunged toward it, dropping to the ground and crawling up to her. She was laying on her side, curled in a fetal position.
“Elle,” I gasped, shaking her. I stood up. “Sam, over here!”
I heard him round the tables, rushing to where we were and kneeling to the ground.
“Elle?” I shook her gently. She moved, dropping something that was held tightly against her chest. The object made a clanking crystal sound as it hit the dirty cement. Her eyes fluttered open at the sound, dirt covering her face and in her hair.
“Elle, are you alright?” Sam brushed the hair from her face.
She smiled as she looked up at me. “Hi, Edgar.” Relief washed over me—she was fine.
“Elle, what happened?” I motioned toward the room.
She rolled over, revealing the object that had made the sound. She saw it the same time I did, her brow furrowed as she reached toward it, taking it in her grasp. She sat up, bringing the object to her face. I watched her, also inspecting the object. It was a ruby cube, clear, solid, and void of any imperfections.
“What is that?” I asked. Her sleepy eyes met mine.
“I—” She began to talk but stopped herself as though trying to remember.
Sam spoke, probing her mind. “It’s the prophecy, or rather, what’s left of it.”
My eyes grew wide. “That is the prophecy? What happened to it?”
Elle was dumbfounded, so Sam continued to fill me in. “It has fulfilled itself. I mean, not the future, obviously. But it has fulfilled its task here. It has changed into its final stage.”
“What do you mean its final stage?” I was lost, why hadn’t I known about this?
“From what I can gather from Elle’s thoughts, and what the prophecy revealed to her, it seems that this cube is the key to it all. This cube will be able to spread her power across the entire Earth. She came down here last night, and they did this.” He motioned to the plants in the room. “And by dong so, the prophecy learned how to spread her powers. It is now the tool she needs to make it all happen.”
I was shocked as he said it. I hadn’t known any of this, but I was relieved to hear it. I had worried about how she was going to accomplish such a huge feat in such a short amount of time. I knew she would grow powerful, but just how much I was uncertain. With this, though, she would be able to channel her talents, spread her power like a lighthouse in a storm.
Elle hugged the cube to her chest, her dirty hands smearing fingerprints all across it. I hooked my arm under Elle’s legs and behind her back, hoisting her off the ground and holding her against my chest. She began to hum, as though lulling a small child.
“Is she alright?” I asked Sam.
Sam lifted one brow. “Yes, I think she’s just tired. That, and she’s likely loosing it. She has a lot on her shoulders. I don’t blame her. Some rest should do the trick.”
I walked her from the room. “I’ll take her to bed.” Elle seemed to wake from her trance.
“Wait! No. I’m not tired.” She wiggled from my arms, to stand on her own two feet. She held the cube between her hands. “I have a lot to do—we do. I don’t want to sleep anymore.
I nodded with concern. “If you say so.”
She smiled, reaching up and placing her hand on the nape of my neck. She stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek.
Her lips were warm, and I could smell the dirt on her skin. “How about a shower?” I felt the dirt on her hands fall and roll under my shirt, tickling down my back. She giggled.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
She looked at herself, realizing how much of a mess she was. She tried to rub he dirt from her knees but it only made it worse. I watched as the floor of the library absorbed the dirt that had fallen from her, disappearing to leave it once again clean.
“I’ll be right back.” She turned with the cube still in her hand, skipping from the room and making her way up the stairs, the trail of dirt slowly disappearing behind her.
“Sam, did you know about this?” I turned away from the door to the hall.
Sam shook his head. “Nope, not even me.”
“Do you think this could change things? Reduce the risks?” I folded my hands across my chest.
> “Maybe.”
Hearing him agree with me made my body loosen up. “Well, that’s good. Takes a load off my mind.”
Sam chuckled. “Mine too.” He lifted one brow, looking at my head. He was referring to the fact that he wouldn’t have to hear me worry about it anymore.
I laughed in return, allowing myself the rare pleasure of relaxing. I looked down at the clothes I had been sleeping in, suddenly embarrassed.
Sam laughed again, glancing at my boxers before looking away.
An awkward feeling filled the room. I turned to leave. Sam laughed louder behind me, angering me slightly. I kept my arms crossed against my chest, squandering my desire to attack. I exhaled as I reached the stairs, climbing with an added energy. Things were going to be fine—things had to be.
DEPARTURE
Estella
I walked up behind Edgar, running my hands up his back as he stood, packing a few of my things into a bag. I didn’t want to pack, but I didn’t even have to ask—Edgar did it for me anyway. The red cube sat on the bedside table, still as a stone. I felt Edgar’s muscles flex, his attention still on the satchel before him. I had changed into an outfit fit for winter, with tall laced hiking boots and a warm v-neck sweater.
“Edgar?” I asked.
He stopped, no longer able to avoid talking to me. “Yes?” I heard his voice waver.
I gripped his shoulders, firmly turning him around.
He turned with reluctance, his eyes avoiding mine. As he moved out of the way of the bag, I saw for the first time what he was packing. I stared for a moment, trying to make sense of it all. There were a few journals shoved deep inside, their dates too hard to read but I was certain they were journals that were important to him as well as me. On top of the journals was a change of clothes, likely the things he figured I couldn’t live without for the next few days.