by Dena Nicotra
“Weave us directly to the royal suite Gatekeeper,” Kess replied.
Chapter Six
I had to fight back a wave of nausea as soon as we arrived because the scene was a massacre. Gen’s disfigured body was a mass of ash and burnt flesh. She was hardly recognizable. Her hand was stretched out to her husband who was face down with his arms at his sides. His flesh looked like a dried lakebed with deep, puzzle-piece cracks. Pepper covered her mouth and looked away.
Kess scanned the room to make sure it was safe and then muttered, “I should have known.”
“What do we do now?” I asked frantically.
“I need to get you two out of here, it’s not safe.”
“What about you?” I asked, searching his face for an answer.
“I’m going to check out what I can and then I’ll join you.”
I started to protest but in my heart, I knew he was right. I had no weaver abilities and Pepper’s were limited to healing. Clearly, we were too late for those efforts. If we stayed with him we’d likely get us all killed because Kess would have to weave for all three of us. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek, and then I begged him to return to me as soon as he could. “I love you,” I whispered urgently as he weaved us back to the beach house. I watched as he touched his fingers to his lips and then extended them toward me, and I prayed it wouldn’t be the last time I saw him.
Pepper and I spent the next several hours consoling each other.
“I can’t believe Gen is gone,” she said and wiped her nose, which was as red as a cherry.
“I’m so sad that I didn’t get to know her better, she seemed like a truly wonderful lady,” I said.
“She was a handful, but she had this way about her that you just couldn’t help but love. Even Marty couldn’t stay annoyed with her for long,” Pep said in a quavering voice.
“I loved her voice,” I said sadly.
“Did you know that the king was disguising himself as my psychology professor?” I asked distractedly.
“That explains the expression on your face when he morphed like that. No, I had no idea, but I knew that he’d left Era and hadn’t been seen by anyone in a long time.” She paused for a moment — You don’t suppose he was watching over you?”
I crossed my legs Indian style on the couch and gave this further thought. “I guess it’s possible, but I think he might have been watching his ass of a son – though why he didn’t do something to stop him is beyond me. I guess we’ll never know now.” I added bitterly.
“I hope Marty is okay,” Pepper mumbled, and turned to look out the window.
“I’m sure he is Pep, I’m sure he is.” I said, feeling incompetent in my ability to offer much more. I couldn’t say the same for my husband and the longer we waited, the more anxiety blossomed in my belly. I hated this, there was nothing we could do but wait.
We spent the next couple of hours flipping through the channels on the television. Neither of us had much of an attention span so it didn’t really matter what was on. At one point, we decided that we should try to eat something, but nothing sounded good to either one of us. When we couldn’t agree on anything, we squelched that idea. I couldn’t eat. I could hardly sit still waiting and wondering what was going on in Era. Pepper suggested we go up to the game room and play some video games online or something but I didn’t feel like shooting zombies would make me feel any better. I finally plucked a book from the massive bookcase and tried to lose myself in the pages. Pepper dozed off shortly after midnight but there was no way I was going to sleep. I stretched out on the couch and continued to read until my eyelids were too heavy to hold open. I had just drifted off when I felt the soft brush of Kessler’s lips on mine. I immediately jumped up and wrapped my arms around him.
“Oh my God, I thought you’d never get back! I’m so glad you are safe!” He hugged me close and murmured how much he’d missed me into my ear.
Pepper sat up rubbing her eyes and came to sit on the opposite end of the couch.
“What did you find out Kess?” she asked through a yawn.
“It’s bad girls,” he said heavily.
“How bad?” I asked hesitantly.
Kess removed his hat and drew air in through his teeth. I could tell he was not looking forward to sharing this news with us.
“C’mon, just give it to us straight Kess. We’ve got to know eventually,” said Pepper in a frustrated chirp.
“Kalan and Railey have escaped,” he said in an exhausted tone.
Pepper and I united in an immediate chorus of what, when, and hows.
“Shortly after we left last night, a small army of dark weavers entered the city through an old underground tunnel structure.” They somehow managed to get inside the Gatekeeper hub and override the system. Fortunately, it was designed to respond to unauthorized overrides with an alert broadcast – which it did. The population learned of the intrusion almost immediately. I’m still shocked that they were able to get in because the hub is wrapped in ancient threads and only a handful of carefully selected weavers have access.”
“They must have had help from the inside,” said Pepper.
“That’s what everyone is suspecting. Torvin is missing and all fingers are pointing at him on this.”
“But I saw Viigo draw the darkness out of Torvin last night while you were fighting with Kalan,” I said.
“I saw it too,” Pepper added.
Kess considered this for a moment. “King Viigo had a great deal of respect for Torvin, but he was no one’s fool. There must have been a reason he didn’t destroy him like he did the other council members,” he said with a frown. I just don’t understand it.”
“Maybe the darkness was cast over him again,” I suggested.
“My sister has a large portion of Lela’s power now, so you could be right love.”
I turned to Pepper, “How did you and Gen capture her anyway?”
“Well, that’s something that Kess deserves the credit for. He planned it out a long time ago. He weaved us to your alternate bayou spot on your family property and we lured her out with my thoughts. I just focused my thoughts on you, and she appeared at the edge of the bayou, just like Kess said she would. I was so scared, you guys don’t even know how much she scares me.”
“I do actually,” Kess said matter-of-factly.
“Oh, that’s right, I guess you would! So anyway, I just followed Gen’s lead after that, and repeated some words she told me to. I don’t know what I said, but she just fell over like a limp noodle. We grabbed her by the arms and then I called out to you and…well, you know the rest.”
Kess nodded. “You did well Pep, and Gen would say the same if she were here.” We all sat in silence for a moment, and then Kess continued his account of his findings.
“They killed every weaver on duty at the hub, and then they overrode the system.” From there it was easy for them to get to Kalan and Railey.” Kess shook his head. “I was told that Kalan actually made an attempt to claim the thrown from his parent’s balcony, but his dark traits were too obvious to the light weavers and they rejected him. When the light weavers rebelled, Kalan gave up all pretenses and behaved like the scourge that he really is. At his call, dark weavers descended on the city in droves. Fortunately the light weavers were able to push them back, but not without a cost. There were a great many light weavers lost. Digger was caught up in the fray.”
Pepper and I asked the same question at the same time, “Is he dead?”
“No, he survived. He’s with the menders and I checked in on him. They say he’s going to be just fine.”
“Oh thank God,” I said. I’d grown attached to that little guy, and I was relieved to hear that he was going to be okay.
“So Kalan and Railey’s whereabouts are a mystery now?” I asked.
“Not entirely,” Kess said.
“What do you mean?”
“They’re moving under dark threads, so the light weavers can’t detect them.”
<
br /> “….But you can, can’t you? I uttered delicately.
“Yeah,” he said, focusing on some distant point in the room.
“And?” I asked, feeling dread rise up in my chest.
He looked back at me, and I knew before he spoke the words.
“They’re planning to capture your family to lure you out.”
I covered my mouth to keep from screaming and began to rock back and forth. My family would have no way to fight them off. What would they do to them? Just thinking about it made the bile rise up in my throat. I’d been so stupid! And now the consequences would be paid by my family.
“No,” said Kess gently, “you’ve not been stupid and they won’t get to your family, do you hear me Jo? I won’t let that happen.”
“Kess, you can’t do all of this alone. It’s like one man against city hall and we’re useless to help you,” Pepper said.
“We’re not going to do it alone,” he said reassuringly.
“Who else can we turn to?” I asked, feeling the weight of impossibility consuming me.
“I need you to take a deep breath Pepper, can you do that for me?” Pepper looked confused but she shook her head up and down quickly. The air beside her began to shimmer, and then a form began to materialize very slowly next to her.
“Peter!” she squealed. I watched as a slow smile spread across Kessler’s face. The two locked in a warm embrace, and I just stared at Kess incredulously and mouthed, “How did you do that?” He just bit his lip and winked at me.
“I’m a keeper right?”
“You never stop amazing me.”
“Does that mean you’ll keep me?”
“Forever,” I said earnestly, and took his face in my hands so that I could kiss his sweet lips.
Peter looked like the male version of Pepper. His reddish-brown hair was just long enough to brush the top of his shoulders and I noticed immediately that he had the same habit of tucking it behind his ears to keep it from his face. Their mannerisms were remarkably similar in other ways as well. They even finished each other’s sentences. I tried to be patient while the two of them chattered and forced myself to accept what Kess pressed into my mind, they’re safe right now, don’t worry, we have time.” He knew I was frantic over the safety of my family.
Peter was explaining what he had been through to Pepper while Kess was reassuring me and it took me a moment to connect back in the conversation.
“I guess there’s no permanent death for a master weaver. I had thoughts, but they were disconnected and I couldn’t do anything. It was like being in that semi-conscious state that happens right before you wake up you know?”
“I never gave up hope Peter. Especially after what happened with Kalan. I’d even hoped for a while that Railey had your essence, or whatever you call it down in her basement after you…died.”
“Naw, she had no use for me after she took my abilities,” Peter said, disdain dripping from his words.
“Okay so that’s what I don’t get. If she took his abilities, and left him for dead…then how is it we have him sitting here with us?” I asked looking directly and Kess for an explanation.
Kess shifted uncomfortably.
“Well, that’s what took me so long. I sort of…made a deal.”
I furrowed my brows and crossed my arms. “What kind of deal?”
“I-I…”
“Spit it out Kess!” My nerves were stretched tighter than piano wires and I couldn’t take much more of this. Pepper and Peter were now silent. Kess swallowed hard and then shifted his attention to Pepper.
“You know how you want a normal life with Marty?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, you’re going to get to have that now,” he said with a nervous laugh.
“How so?” she asked.
“Okay,” he said briskly, “there’s something I haven’t been completely honest about.” I felt my heart begin to pound in my chest. After all that I had been through with Kalan, the suggestion of compromised honesty made me hyperventilate. Kess immediately put his hand on my knee.
“Relax,” he said, patting me gently. I met his eyes and he smiled before saying, “I’m not him, I’d never hurt you.” I bit my lip and nodded.
“I’m a good thief,” he said with a sheepish grin.
“I don’t think I understand Kess. What exactly did you steal?” I asked.
“You know how you are a master weaver?”
“Was, I corrected.”
“Temporary, but my point is, I have a unique skill too,” he said with enthusiasm in his tone.
I tried not to suspect the worst because the deepest part of me knew I could trust Kess, but if he didn’t spit it out soon I was going to get close and personal with mental illness. “Kess, what are you trying to say?” I asked in exasperation.
“I’m not a master weaver like you Jo, but I can shift and or, appropriate weaving abilities if I combine my efforts with the sacred sand,” he said.
“Is that how you restored my gift in the mine?” I asked.
“Yes, I reclaimed your abilities from Railey that night.”
“Is there more that you haven’t shared Kess?” I could tell by the expression on his face that he wasn’t done revealing secrets.
Kess used his hands as he spoke and made a gesture as if he was holding an invisible box. He held his hands out in front of Pepper and then in front of Peter. “I sort of robbed from the Sands of Time, and then sort of shifted your gift to your brother.”
Pepper made her squeamish face and I knew exactly what she must have been thinking by the expression on Kessler’s face. “Pep, I had to retrieve his body to pour the sand from the vial into his mouth. You can see he’s fine now. If I could have transferred everything mentally, I would have but I had no choice.”
I could have done without those gruesome details myself, but there was no denying the results of his efforts. Pepper shivered. “Okay, so let’s not talk about that part,” she shivered and regained her composure. “so that was it?” she asked.
“Well, yeah pretty much. Once his abilities were restored, he was able to pull himself back. – I’m sorry, it was the only way.”
“So…I’m not a weaver anymore?” Pepper asked tentatively.
“No, but—“
Pepper didn’t give him a chance to expand on this, she literally squealed and jumped up to hug Kess. My jaw dropped. She wasn’t angry…she was thrilled.
“I think you’re amazing Kessler, and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done.”
“Oh my good gravy Pepper! You’re seriously okay with this?”
“Of course I am! Now I can have a normal life with Marty! Besides, Peter was always the good one and now he’s back so I’m totally fine with this. Oh, I’m sorry, I guess I won’t be able to be your mender anymore Jo.”
“Are you kidding me?” I said with a laugh. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy!” Kess took his hat off and wiped his brow with the back of his hand before smiling broadly at me.
“See, everything worked out.”
“You knew she didn’t want to be a weaver anymore didn’t you?”
“I did, but she only came to that decision recently so I just worked with what I had, and it sort of rolled from there.”
“Get over here you nut,” I said. Kess removed his hat and set it on the coffee table then cuddled up next to me and buried his head in my lap. He was clearly relieved that his efforts had not only worked, but they hadn’t upset anyone.
“So now that we have a master weaver on deck, what’s our plan?” I asked, anxious to ensure that my family was safe.
“Well, there’s one more thing that we need to do first,” Kess said, giving Peter a meaningful glance.
Peter cleared his throat. “I want to give you my abilities Joey.”
Two things ran through my head very quickly: Why, and how.
“Because like my sister, I want a normal life. I just want to make my music, and I don’t want the
risk or the responsibility anymore. Believe me, I’ve had plenty of time to think about this.”
Pepper patted her brother’s hand. “I think that’s a good choice Pete, and I also think you should move to Atlanta. There’s lots of opportunities for us to make our music there, and you’re going to love Marty! I’ll bet you guys become the best of friends right off.”
“Atlanta again, I don’t think so. Been there done that. If we’re going to get our music back, we have to stay here in California.”
Pepper pursed her lips. “Okay you win. Besides, I think that Marty would rather be in L.A. anyway, is that right Kess?”
“He would indeed,” Kess said with a smile. “Besides, that way you guys will be near us.”
“So, guys not to jump topics or anything, but my nerves are shot and I’m kind of freaking out about the whole idea of taking Peter’s abilities…could we talk about happy-ever-afters…after?”
“Oh, I’m so sorry Joey, I guess I wasn’t being very sensitive. It’s just that I’m so happy to have my brother back!” Pepper said, scooching closer to him and locking her arm in his. He’d have a heck of a time getting out of his sister’s sight from now on. Despite the circumstances, I was very happy for her.
“It’s not as hard as you would think Jo because you’re not taking it from him, he’s giving it to you freely,” Kess said.
“Oh. Okay, but doesn’t that mean that he’ll connect his fate with mine, and that when I die he will too?”
Kess shook his head. “No, it’s not like when Gen gave her gift to your papaw because she didn’t relinquish her abilities to him in full. She shared them with him.
“Like I did with you when we were kids?” I asked.
“Exactly, and just like us, that linked them through eternity, or death – whichever came first. The exception there was that he didn’t keep the gift, he gave it to you instead. That’s why you didn’t receive the full balance of her powers until she passed when your papaw died.”
“So then how do I get Peter’s gift from him? Will it hurt?”
“Of course not love. Nothing that stems from selfless love ever hurts.”