Orenda

by Silver, Ruth

  Jamie's voice choked up as he rushed over, throwing his arms around his sister's small frame. “We rescued you.”

  Willow smiled, taking his hand to help herself stand. “Look who we have here.”

  Lil stared at Willow, seeing her startling reflection. It was strange, and it wasn’t feeling any less weird.

  Willow reached out and touched a strand of Lil's golden hair, highlighted from being in Orenda. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Like I had a choice,” Lil said, faking a smile and sounding exactly like Willow. “I'm Lil.” She offered her hand, introducing herself.

  “Can you walk?” Rawlie asked Willow. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Yeah, I think so.” Willow seemed steady on her feet. “I’m glad you came,” she glanced at Lil and then at Bray. “And I’m glad you survived.”

  They made it back to the sanctuary in record time. The forest had protected them from Eilith, and the seven of them had refused to let up for a moment as they raced through the expansive land toward the one safe place.

  Reaching the entrance, Rawlie held up his hand, granting them all access inside the sanctuary.

  They headed inside the building to the large study. “I didn’t know you were Eilith’s daughter.” Lil had only been in Orenda a little over a day.

  Hudson smiled. “I knew.”

  “So did I,” Rawlie said.

  “Wait, what?” Willow asked and turned to Arianna. “You’re Eilith’s daughter?” Willow’s eyes narrowed as her eyes darted across at Rawlie. Had he ever planned on telling her the truth?

  Hudson cleared his throat. “I met Arianna at the sacred springs two days after the Scourge had ravaged most of Orenda. The Mystics had kept her safe. In the first few days, Eilith had gained enormous power and was draining the life from the land, killing innocent families and destroying everything in her path.”

  Arianna sighed, sitting down on the floor. “I witnessed my mother open Pandora’s box. In that moment, she changed. I remember going to the sacred springs with her. She wanted even more power, but the Mystics denied her entrance. Once I stepped foot onto their land, she couldn’t see me, and I hid in the stream until she left. I don’t remember being there more than a few hours.”

  “Mystics?” Bray asked. He grabbed a seat on the carpet beside the fire.

  “They protect the springs, tend to the land, and from time to time the Mystics bring survivors to the sanctuary,” Hudson said.

  “Think of the Mystics as monks,” Willow said, trying to explain it as best she could to Bray and Lil. “They protect what is important to them, but they don't use it to gain wealth or power. Eilith has power from the sacred springs. It was given to her when she was younger, but she also has power because she's a sorceress. She knows spells and magic of the old world from The Book of Incantations.”

  “Mystics are very—unique. They use their magic to protect the sacred springs and the land, instead of fighting Eilith,” Willow said. “For instance, if you encountered one and they didn't want you to go to the springs, they wouldn't let you. Perhaps they'd make it so you were unable to see the spring right in front of you, or instead would create a mirage of it behind you so that you wandered off away from it.”

  “Why was Arianna at the sacred springs?” Lil asked.

  “My mother took me there,” Arianna said. “I still don’t know why. Maybe she hoped I’d bring her some ability that she needed.”

  “I found Arianna along the sacred springs. She was lying on the grass asleep,” Hudson said.

  “I don’t remember much between the time my mother left and Hudson found me.”

  “Why didn't Eilith come after Arianna sooner?” Jamie asked.

  “Power went to her head. She probably forgot about me,” Arianna said.

  Hudson disagreed. “I think today proved that isn’t true. She does care about you, even if she can’t show it. She let us go. She could have easily killed us, or held us all captive.”

  “Whatever she wanted, she got from us.” Willow rubbed her hand over the injection mark on her arm, and winced.

  “I don’t think we’ll be so lucky next time,” Arianna said.

  Bray cleared his throat. “When do we go home? No offense, but I don’t want another encounter with Eilith.”

  “I understand.” Willow reached out a hand and grazed her palm over Bray’s arm, thinking of his world. “Take it easy.” Bray disappeared before their eyes. A strange coldness spread through Willow’s veins, causing a shiver to course through her body and her heart to momentarily skip a beat. Willow winced and the sensation tingled down into her fingers, causing another slight tremor before it disappeared completely. Something wasn’t right. Hopefully, Bray made it home safely.

  “I’d like to go home too,” Lil said.

  “Thanks for holding down the fort while I was gone.” Willow smiled weakly. She reached forward, grazing Lil’s arm in the same way she had Bray's. This time, though, nothing happened. Willow put her hand down, frowning. Why hadn’t it worked? Willow rubbed her temples. This wasn’t good.

  “Something’s wrong.” Willow stood and paced the length of the room.

  “I . . . ” Lil stammered, glancing between each of them. She crossed her arms. Willow had just sent Bray back; why hadn’t it worked again? Did she need to recharge, like a battery? Maybe if they waited a few hours, then she could go home.

  Willow stumbled forward, falling onto the sofa. “Oh that's bad.” She leaned forward, her head in her hands.

  “What is it?” Rawlie asked.

  “Something felt off after I sent Bray back and now I have an awful headache,” Willow said.

  “It could be from hitting your head.” Hudson glanced at Rawlie. It was a wonder she was doing as well as she had been.

  Rawlie eyed Hudson skeptically. “I was thinking the potion might have done it.”

  “Potion?” Willow didn't remember taking any potion. “What are you talking about?” Her voice hitched.

  “Forget it,” Rawlie said. The last thing he wanted was to worry her. So far she seemed like the Willow he always knew.

  “I can’t just forget it. Tell me what happened. What’d I take?” Her head shot up, and she grimaced as she stared at Rawlie.

  “You were unconscious,” Hudson said. “We were running out of time and gave you something to help you wake up.”

  “Where’d you get the potion from, Hudson?” Willow asked.

  He hung his head in shame. “Eilith.”

  Willow crossed her arms across her chest. “That’s what I felt, the discharge of energy when I sent Bray home. She wanted to make me vulnerable, so she could spread the Scourge to your world.”

  Rawlie held up a hand, trying to calm her nerves. “Maybe it's just temporary? You did just send Bray back. It's possible you've overexerted yourself.”

  “It’s more likely I used the remaining power that I had stored inside of me, and now I'm incapable of opening another gate between worlds,” Willow said.

  “So, how do I get home?” Lil asked cautiously. “Rawlie can take me back, right? He brought me here.”

  Rawlie frowned, glancing down at his lap. “Yeah, I'm sorry but it doesn't work like that, Lil.”

  “What do you mean it doesn't work like that?” Lil asked. Her eyes widened, and she felt the air sucked from her lungs. She was so close to going home, and to have it taken from her was unacceptable.

  “Rawlie was able to come find you because I sent him over as a last resort when Eilith attacked me,” Willow said. “What I can't understand is how you came over the first time, in your dream.” She glanced at Rawlie. “There's no other way is there?”

  Hudson watched their exchange. “What are we talking about?”

  Rawlie walked over to the shelf and retrieved a book. “The sacred springs.”

  Hudson raised an eye. “You aren't serious? We don't know the ramifications of Willow being introduced after already having a gift. Even if it vanished or is dormant, yo
u don't know what it could do to her.”

  Rawlie shook his head. “That’s not what I’m thinking, Hudson. There's another idea, one no one has suggested,” he said and his eyes landed on Lil.

  Hudson glanced from Lil to Rawlie. “No way. You're not subjecting Lil to an experiment that might work. It could cause irreversible damage—she’s not from our world! She can hold the sword without struggling, and she has powers within her. But she’s different, and we don’t understand what she can do yet.”

  “What powers do I have?” Lil asked softly.

  Rawlie glared at Hudson to shut up before turning to face Lil. “We don't know. You're the first—well you and Bray—to come through to Orenda. There were stories when we were children about others who would occasionally fall through, but no one's ever met any of them. Hudson's right; we have no idea what will happen if you're in the presence of the sacred springs. I don't see another way to get you home.”

  “I'll do it.” Lil didn't care about the risk. She'd been through hell and back already. What was the worst that could happen?

  “Before we all go on this journey, am I the only one concerned that this could be a trap?” Willow glanced from Rawlie to Hudson. “Eilith is cunning. She's not going to just strip me of my abilities without planning on us trying to get them back. Either it's an ambush at the spring, or she's going to breach the gate between worlds while we’re gone.”

  “I don’t like it, but it’s up to Lil,” Hudson said.

  “I can come too, right?” Jamie's face lit up with a smile. “I always wanted to visit the Mystics.”

  Willow smiled. “Yes, you can come with us. You're old enough now, and it's time you learn to defend yourself. Are you sure you're up for this, Lil?”

  “Yes. I want to go home.” Lil was adamant about returning to her world. She had no idea what awaited her at the springs, or what might happen should she touch the waters, but she knew she didn’t want to be trapped here indefinitely.

  Hudson cleared his throat. “I suggest we all head to bed. The springs will be there tomorrow.” He stood up, gesturing for Lil to follow. “I want a word with you, alone.”

  Lil nodded, offering a shrug. “Okay.” Was he going to talk her out of going to the springs? There were risks involved, but she wanted to see her family again—she needed to go home.

  “I'm concerned about Bray.” His voice was soft and low so the others couldn't overhear their conversation.

  “Worried?” That made her stomach somersault. “You don't think he made it home okay?” He was without money and could have been dropped back into their world miles from home. She hoped he'd have found a police station, somewhere that would offer him safety and shelter until his parents came for him.

  “I'm worried Bray's going to come back when he finds you're not home. It could be even more dangerous for him crossing over again,” Hudson said.

  “Oh.” Lil hadn't considered that Bray might return. “It was pretty awful for him here.”

  “He's in love with you, Lil,” Hudson said.

  Lil's cheeks flushed, and she glanced down at the ground. A hint of a smile played on her lips, embarrassed. “You're mistaken.” He had to be. Lil and Bray were best friends.

  Hudson rested a hand on her back as he led her up the stairs to her bedroom. “Hopefully, you're right. If there was a girl I was in love with, I'd follow her into another world, if necessary.”

  Lil swallowed the nervous lump forming in her throat. “I . . . ” She had no idea what to say to that. Was Hudson talking about himself or were they still talking about Bray? “I'm pretty sure he didn't plan on ending up here,” Lil said, assuring Hudson as much as herself. Bray wouldn't bring himself back to Orenda to find Lil, would he? No. Eilith had kidnapped him once already. Who's to say he'd escape the second time?

  Hudson stared at Lil, just mere inches away. “I don't want to see you, or your friend, get hurt,” he said, leaning in toward her. He didn't kiss her though. Lil's back was to the bedroom door. She looked up at him, feeling the warmth radiating off his body as he stared deep into her eyes. Her hands stayed planted at her sides. She was still conflicted about Hudson. His sandy brown hair and warm amber eyes begged her to trust him. The immediate annoyance she'd felt upon knowing him had faded. Her eyes moved down to his plump pink lips. His breath lingered, and her eyes shut. Lil closed the distance between them, planning to kiss him. She heard a loud cough in the hallway, effectively killing the mood.

  Hudson pulled back first, his face flushed. Jamie was staring at them in the hallway. “Were you about to kiss Lil?” Jamie asked.

  “I was hoping to.” Hudson smiled, averting his eyes. “Goodnight, Lil.”

  “Goodnight, boys.” A faint smile spread across her lips.

  Lil awoke early to the sound of wind whipping along the sanctuary. She groaned in protest, refusing to wake. Whatever time it was; it was too early.

  “Lil.” She heard a voice and slowly opened her heavy eyelids. Had she been imagining it? She pulled the sheets closer to her chest and felt Hudson staring down at her.

  Her eyes opened and she pushed a hand through her unkempt hair. “What are you doing in here?” She moved to sit up, one hand holding the sheets, the other pushing him farther from her, needing personal space.

  “The others told me to get you up. We're leaving in twenty.” He backed up with a boyish grin. “You don't want to be left behind, do you?” He closed the door and headed down the stairs. Lil wasted no time in pushing herself out of bed. She tore through the clothes on the dresser, finding something that fit before pulling her hair back and out of the way. She eyed the clock, knowing she was cutting it close. She took off out of her room and rushed down the stairs, relieved to hear chatter in the kitchen.

  Hudson glanced up as he packed a bag with snacks and water. “Look who finally woke up.” He smiled. “Grab yourself something you might want to eat on the way.”

  “Do I need to put on the eternal suit?” Lil asked, glancing at the boys in the kitchen. Jamie was eating a bowl of cereal.

  “No chance of that,” Willow said. She zipped up the jacket for the eternal suit and walked into the kitchen. “It's mine again.”

  Hudson glanced back at Willow before eyeing Lil. “You'll take the sword with you, just in case.”

  “Okay, great.” Lil tried to sound enthusiastic, but a part of her was jealous. Maybe she didn't need the eternal suit, but wasn't she safer if she wore it? She pushed those thoughts aside, heading into the training arena. Was it horrible to like Arianna better than Willow, even though she and Willow were sort of the same person? It wasn't as though Willow had done anything terrible to her—except perhaps get her into this mess.

  In a matter of minutes, they headed outside through the main entrance. “Are we driving?” Lil asked, noticing Rawlie's car hadn't moved since they'd brought it here just a few short days ago. She hadn't seen any sign of the sacred springs near the sanctuary, though she hadn't ventured outside the gates on her own.

  “Just up to the mountain,” Rawlie said. “The rest of the way we hike to the springs.” It didn't sound so bad.

  The Mystics

  Chapter 8

  Rawlie had lied. Though he had made the journey on foot sound easy, it was much worse than Lil expected. “Come on. We won't make it to the springs before night if you keep at this pace.” On the trail, Willow walked ahead of Lil with no hint of slowing down.

  Lil’s feet were tired, and the sword had grown heavy and was now making her back ache. Maybe the eternal suit had helped her carry the sword before? Or perhaps it was just more difficult because they were climbing uphill through the forest. Though they didn't need any hiking equipment—the trails were clear enough—but it wasn't a breeze. With every step uphill, Lil's legs were aching.

  “Come on. We're almost there,” Hudson said, trying to encourage Lil.

  She shot him a look. “How much farther?”

  “A few more miles.” Hudson reached over, taking her han
d in his. “It'll make it easier,” he said and Lil glanced at him curiously, giving a faint nod. At the very least, it took her mind off the climb. Now all she could think about was his hand in hers. Boys back home never held her hand. Hudson wasn't just a boy though—not that he was anything else, she reminded herself. But he was from another world, another universe.

  She decided not to have a crush on Hudson. No. She wouldn't allow herself such thoughts. It couldn't go anywhere, anyway. She had to go home—to her sister, her family, and Bray. She forgot about the journey and wondered about her friend. Was Bray safe? Did Eilith try to track him down in her world? Biting her bottom lip, she glanced at Hudson, tripping over a tree root protruding from the ground. Her knee buckled and she nearly hit the ground face first, but Hudson caught her.

  “Lil,” he breathed, just a mere inch from her lips. “You need to watch where you're going.”

  Lil nodded, dazed as she got herself steady on her feet, her cheeks burning. “I'll be more careful,” she said. Glancing ahead, she could see Willow, Jamie, and Rawlie waiting for the two of them to catch up.

  “Good,” Hudson said, reaching for her hand once more. “Just in case.” He smiled, taking her hand in his and locking their fingers together.

  Embarrassed, Lil didn't have the heart to tell him it was the thought of him wanting to hold her hand that had sent her into a whirlwind and made her careless. She forgot where she was, forgot what she was doing, and needed to get her head on straight. “Thanks.” It was all she could offer in response. She kept her eyes trained on the ground in front of her.

  They traveled on foot until the light of the strange pink sun began to descend over the horizon. Lil wanted to ask Hudson again how much longer they had to go, but she suspected she was what was holding them up. If she was lucky, she'd be able to go home today, and she wouldn’t have to walk back to the sanctuary.

  “We're almost there.” She could hear Rawlie's voice from ahead, though she was hardly able to see him, except for his silhouette against the rising moon.