by Dena Nicotra
Unfortunately, I didn’t hear the knock on the front door, and I didn’t hear the commotion that followed. It wasn’t until Kess appeared telling me to cover myself that I realized there was a problem. Sensing urgency, I yanked the plastic shower curtain from the hooks and wrapped it around myself just as he weaved.
The four of us stood in the center of a large room with plush, white carpet that was now soggy where I stood. Everyone was out of breath and panting. I was just dripping wet and completely surprised.
“Is everyone all right?” Kess asked immediately. I wiped a fat drip from my forehead and pulled my plastic curtain a little tighter.
“Right as rain,” I squeaked. My hair was still lathered in shampoo and I was simultaneously alarmed and mortified. Of course, the laughing ensued the minute everyone calmed down enough to get a good look at me. I tried to be a good sport but it frankly wasn’t so funny to me. It was Kessler who weaved me into dry cloths and even managed to pay attention to the smaller details because my hair was suddenly dry and up in my usual ponytail. Granted, the jeans were tighter than I would have liked but I was grateful.
“But they do show of your…assets,” he said with a grin, clearly he was paying close attention to my thoughts regardless of the circumstances.
I rolled my eyes at him. “So what the heck just happened y’all?” I asked, trying to turn the attention to something more important (than my butt).
“I opened the door and this innocent looking grandmother-lady was standing there. I thought she was going to try to sell me something, but as soon as she saw me, she just weaved herself right on in and I mean it was weird! She did it really slow and morphed right through me to get inside! I was too shocked to do anything until Gen came around the corner from the kitchen, screaming at the top of her lungs for me to get out of the way! The next thing I knew Gen goes all Ninja and cracks that grandma on the side of the head with my cast iron skillet! I’m not talking cartoon style, I mean gruesome gory style.” She took a breath and then looked me dead in the eyes, “Jo it was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.” She went on to describe the gritty details of what had happened, “I’m talking globby blood spatters all over the place. Granny hit the floor and she was out cold. I thought that was it, but two seconds later all that blood started to dry up and disappear.”
Kess shook his head and said, “It was Bernice from the council, not an innocent senior citizen Pepper. That woman is several centuries old and she uses that morphing technique to gain information quickly. She wasn’t alone either. Jazelle was with her, and that one is even more lethal.”
“Did you bash her on her head too?” I asked Gen.
“No, Kess showed up thankfully and got us all out of there before we had to fight her.” I had this mental image of Gen playing baseball with a skillet and it was laughable to me to imagine this elegant woman doing anything like that.
“I just knew there was a reason I was drawn to that kitchen,” Gen said with a sigh. “Kessler, you’ll have to get a weave in place for Marty and Pepper. That place isn’t safe for them anymore. Bernice will be livid once she composes herself.”
“Already done, said Kess.”
I was fighting with my gag reflex from the visceral images that Pepper had described, and my knees were knocking just thinking about how close they came to capturing me. Desperate to shift the focus, I concentrated on the mundane things that I could control.
“So who’s place is this?” I asked in a forced, chipper voice. I spied several beautiful paintings, and a massive piano, which didn’t even make a dent in the space it took up.
“Mine. It’s my new California place — and thanks. I’m glad you like my decorating,” said Kess.
“Are we safe here?” Pepper asked anxiously.
“I believe we are for now. I’ve wrapped the house in a confusing layer of thought patterns. Anyone who comes close will feel a sudden urge to keep moving. It’s a dark weaver tactic that I don’t expect they’ll catch on to for a while.”
“Clever boy,” Gen said with a grin. “Now give me the grand tour of this beautiful home,” she said locking arms with him. Kess winked at me and the two of them trailed off toward the staircase. He wanted to show off his game room, and his surround sound system.
I noticed that Pepper did not look very happy. She wandered over to the window and looked out at the stunning view of the ocean. With the weave, we gained time so I figured it was probably about seven-thirty in the morning. The sun was just coming up and the sky was a beautiful blend of orange and baby blue. There would be no grey skies today, but I could still feel the gloom inside myself and it was obviously the same for my friend. I stepped up behind her quietly and put my hand on her shoulder.
“Hey there, are you okay?” I asked gently. She tucked her hair behind her ears and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m just tired, and I’m worried for Marty.” She let out a ragged sigh. “It’s hard being with someone who isn’t in the circle of all of this stuff. I can’t even imagine what he would think if he knew what we all are, or the things that we’ve been through. He’s just so…normal.”
“He’s a great guy Pep,” I offered sincerely. It hadn’t crossed my mind how hard that must be for her. I’d never had a relationship besides the one with Kalan, and the weaving was second nature to us. I hugged her and tried to offer some word of comfort – which only left me feeling inadequate. The truth was, I felt guilty about everything. If it weren’t for me, she’d just be living a somewhat normal life with her boyfriend.
Later that afternoon once everyone had had a chance to calm down, Kess sat us down to discuss the plan. Apparently, he, Pepper, and Gen had been working on it together for the past six months. I did the math in my head and it hurt to know that this was happening during what I’d considered the happiest time in my life. The last six months with Kalan had been so good…or at least I thought they had been.
Digger was our only ‘inside’ man and that surprised me considering he’d drugged my food back in Era. In hindsight I knew that whatever they drugged me with helped somehow with the things Chloe tried to pull out of my head. I had to wonder if that had anything to do with all of those wonderful meals Kalan had cooked for me. To think I’d felt so loved every time he’d put a plate in front of me and all the while he was probably drugging me and then doing his best to try to suck information out of my head!
I had to believe Kess and Gen when they’d said Digger had no choice but to carry out the plans at that point, but it still made me angry. My opinion of him changed once Gen said that Digger had been a quartz miner, and knew the old mines that surrounded my family property. She credited him with designing the first crystal building in Era and her eyes took a far away daze when she explained how those buildings could rejuvenate weavers. This came at a time when Era was at war so Digger earned his place on the council. He had been a dear friend of hers ever since. Once Digger arrived, we all sat down at Kessler’s formal dining room table to discuss one final piece of the plan. It wasn’t long before I learned more than I could handle.
“It’s the only way love. Believe me if there were another, I would never suggest it.” I wrapped my arms around myself and hugged my elbows in tight. I just knew I was about to throw my head back and start screaming like a banshee. I looked around the table and saw the hard determination in each of their faces, but it wasn’t enough to remove the fear that had knotted my stomach
“Please…no,” I begged. Kess, put a hand up when Gen attempted to convince me. “Let me speak with her privately.” Gen nodded her consent and Kess got out of his chair very calmly and walked over to me, his expression full of tenderness.
“Jo, give me your hands.”
“No Kessler, I can’t,” I pleaded. He bent in front of me and dropped his head. When he looked up, strands of his dark hair could not hide the tears glistening in his brown eyes.
“Trust me,” he whispered. I met his gaze, and placed my shaking hands in his. “We�
��ll be right back,” he said to the others and then I shut my eyes to avoid the dizziness I knew would follow.
“Okay little one, open your eyes,” he said gently. I didn’t have to open them to know where he’d taken me. He sat down in the sand and gently tugged my hand so that I would sit beside him. The late afternoon sun was a fat orange ball sinking into the end of the sea. For a moment, I longed to sink with it. Kess still had my hand and he waited for a long while before he spoke.
“I know that this will be hard for you, but I know you are strong enough to do it too.
“No, you’re wrong there!” I threw my hands up to stop him from interrupting. “I’m not strong enough for this Kess.” We were sitting side by side and I looked up at his profile. His strong nose, the crescent shape of his lip ring. It was the first time I realized that I hadn’t seen him wear his bowler hat since my trial in Era, and I thought to myself how much I missed it. It was a fleeting thought, but the second I had it that hat appeared on his head. I smiled and watched as he did too. “You’re in my head, aren’t you?
“Yes. I always have been,” he said in a meaningful tone. I tilted my head to the side and one word came to mind… presque vu. I put my head between my knees to keep from fainting as a rush of images flooded my mind. My blood was racing through my veins so hard I thought I might have a heart attack or at the very least get sick. I exhaled and inhaled several times as the shock took hold…
I remembered.
My papaw was standing in the kitchen clutching something in his shaky hand. He told me not to be afraid and handed me a small vial. He said I was to go out to the old mine and wait. He said it was the closest place to the source of my power and that someone was going to meet me there to teach me how to use it. This didn’t make sense to me, but I was only seven years old and I loved him. I did what he asked without question. If this was the only way to help mamaw, I would try my best for both of their sakes.
I remembered the sound of the screen door shutting behind me and the heat of the day as I trudged through the tall grass to the opening of the mine. In my mind I saw myself sitting in the shade of the opening and waiting like he’d said to despite my stifling thirst.
A boy about my age appeared as if out of nowhere and he sat down in the grass in front of me. He said his name was Kessler, but that I could call him Kess.
“Kiss?” I’m not going to call you that! I said with a laugh.
“No, not kiss, my name is Kess!” He said shaking his head like I was ridiculous. When I asked him his last name he shrugged and said ‘weaver’ which I accepted without question. He asked if I was thirsty and I asked him why he wore such a funny looking hat. He handed me an iced cold glass of sweet tea and then he took his hat off and threw it over his shoulder into the bushes which made me laugh. He was funny and I liked him. He asked me if I had the vial and I nodded and pulled it out of the pocket in my skirt to show him. “Good,” he said and then he stood up and held out his hand for me to take.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me Joey, I was sent here to help you learn what you need to know to help your mamaw.”
I gave him my hand and he pulled me to my feet, leading me into the mine. “I’m not afraid of you,” I said and he smiled.
“The minerals in this mine are quartz, and that’s sort of the same stuff that’s in that little glass thing your papaw gave you.”
“Why do you call it vile, is it nasty? Does it have poop in it or something? My mamaw calls her old hound dog vile when he has accidents on her rug.”
“You are adorable, do you know that?” I nodded yes because I liked that he thought I was special.
“No dogs did anything in that,” he said pointing to the container in my hand. “It’s a different meaning for a container.”
“Oh. So when do I get my powers?” I asked very secretively. I was expecting a cape, and a very sporty suit that everyone would recognize when they saw me flying around our town saving everybody.
“You don’t get a suit silly,” said Kessler.
“I didn’t say that out loud, how’d you know what I was thinking?”
“I’ll teach you…”
He’d been there from the very beginning. He was my teacher and my friend and we’d always loved each other. We were married in a small ceremony on my family property just before my Papaw died…he’d made our rings! My family had known him! A rush of memories whirled in my mind. My pulse was thudding in my ears. All of my memories were lies! It wasn’t Kalan I loved, it never was! Kalan didn’t know that his mother had gifted her powers to my Papaw until she was on her death bed. She died at the same moment he did…and that’s when he came looking for me. He wiped out all of my memories so that he could get closer to me, learn how to use my abilities and steal them for himself. I began to piece things together faster. It must have backfired when he realized that by wiping Kess from my memories, I also lost the majority of the knowledge behind how to use my gift.
“My sister and Kalan are to blame for all of this Joey. Fortunately neither of them knew the extent of my history with you. I kept that as protected as I could. They only knew that I had been your mentor. As manipulative as they both are, they used each other in an effort to take your gift from you – although both of them wanted it for themselves. Kalan was a fool for trusting my sister. She’d already undone his efforts once when he was getting closer than she was. Yet, for some reason, he still fell for her.”
I shook my head trying to grasp the depth of this mess. Time was a precious gift and the core essence of weaving was to make life better for people, not to gain power. Kess gave me a chance to absorb everything he was saying before he continued. “Kalan was just arrogant enough to believe that he could make you love him, and that he’d taught you enough to bring your powers up…and he was stupid enough to trust my sister to take him to the grave. They believed that you would use your abilities to bring him back and then they could figure out how to use the master weaver skills. The trouble was, he was a lousy mentor so you weren’t ready. On top of that, my sister would have left Kalan in the grave to rot and she would have killed you. I had no choice but to lie to protect them because it was the only way to keep you safe. I lived on the hope that I could build you back to what you were, and that at some point you would remember me.”
It took me approximately two seconds to turn and push him into the sand where I could kiss him properly. It wasn’t a gentle kiss. No, this was ravenous, and desperate. His hands caressed my back as I demanded more of his soft lips. He willingly obliged with the same veracious hunger. Talk could come later —right then I didn’t care about a single thing beyond the depth of those kisses. Okay, I cared about those broad shoulders, and I cared about that chiseled chest, and I cared about those strong arms, and those hands…and those tattoos. His knuckles, tattooed with ‘Jo-Jo’ in the ancient language of the weavers and the ring, the ring he wore on his thumb…his wedding ring! I tore myself away from his lips and sucked in a breath. “Oh Kess, how have you survived this?”
“I knew you’d find your way back to me. You’re mine, and you always have been.” He sat up and reached into his pocket pulling out a matching silver ring inset with tiny crystals (that came from the mines on my family property), and he placed it on my finger were it belonged. Time is an elusive thing but what had been stolen from the two of us was no longer intangible. I’d had my awakening. I had my husband back…and there would be hell to pay. Make no mistake, my days of whimpering were done. It was time to fight, and I was prepared now. We stood up together as the sun dipped down leaving us beneath the full, new moon. Kess put a finger to his lips and then touched them to my own. I kissed that finger and smiled up at him as he removed his hat and placed it on my head.
“Ready love?”
“Ready,” I replied. My voice was now firm and sure. I may not have had my weaving abilities, but I had faith in my husband who knew how to use his better than any other weaver could imagine.
When we arrived ba
ck at the beach house I was still wearing Kessler’s hat. We materialized hand in hand and the second everyone saw the ring on my finger their conversation stopped. Pepper jumped up and ran to me, hugging me so tight I thought my ribs might snap. “Can you imagine how hard it’s been not to say something?” Her expression told me she was relieved and Gen stood up and literally applauded. Digger just stroked his beard and said, “I knew she’d come around. Didn’t I tell you all she would?”
“Why didn’t anyone just tell me?” I said with a laugh.
Kess tapped the hat on top of my head and said, “if it was that easy, don’t you think I would have a long time ago?”
“You’re right,” I said mockingly, “I never would have believed it.”
“Okay lovey-dovey birds, let’s get this plan in action,” said Digger. As he spread his hands out, a black velvet cloth appeared on the table wrapped with gold strings. He untied the threads and spread the folds open revealing an assortment of daggers, which appeared to be made of black ice.
“What are those made of?” I asked inquisitively.
“Hematite, and Adularia,” Digger said proudly. As if that helped me to understand a dang thing. I just stared at him blankly as did Pepper. I guess it made more sense to Kess and Gen. “It’s minerals girls. The kind that can kill a dark weaver,” said Gen. I noticed that one of the daggers had a milky white handle while the other three had handles that were made from the same material. “That one is for Kess. I made it special.” Kess nodded his appreciation and took it from the table. The rest of them quietly selected from the remaining pile. We were going back to Era, and I was going to be bait. I took my ring off and placed it in his palm. “For safe keeping,” I said tenderly. He tucked it in the front pocket of his jeans and said, “Just lead them in and we’ll be waiting.” He kissed my forehead and placed an intricate weave around me which would cast a deceptive thought pattern the equivalent of a distraught lover. “Like deers to the stand,” I said with a wink. Pepper weaved me an outfit more suited to the occasion (all white), and then I took Digger’s chunky little hands and closed my eyes. I knew the sensation I was about to feel and though I dreaded it, I was anxious to get there and make this happen.