“We’ll go back to Kanda’s,” said Colin. “I can cloak the place. We can do the spell there.”
Everyone agreed that it sounded like a good plan.
“There’s more,” informed Isabella. She ripped out the pages and handed them to Meghan. “The spell itself is not complicated. I have no doubts you can perform it on your own. However, pay special attention to this warning.” She pointed to the bottom of the page.
Meghan read it aloud.
“Never travel into your blood history alone. Seers that have attempted to travel into their memories alone are known to get lost inside the memories, sometimes not finding their way out for weeks, or even months.”
Meghan gulped. “You need to travel with at least one companion, preferably two or even three; but never more than three,” she went on to read. “Two or three companions will keep you anchored to reality as you travel through your blood memories. With more than three, the strength of reality is known to cast you out of the spell before you’re ready to leave it.”
Meghan finished and looked up, seeing Jae, Sebastien and Ivan passing looks back and forth. She heard Nona trying to silence her own concerns.
“Guess you’ll be going with me, Colin,” Meghan said after a moment.
“I’m fine with that,” he answered. “Who will be the second?”
Meghan glanced at Ivan.
“You know I’ll do whatever you ask,” he told her, “but I would prefer to be your protection on the outside,” he answered truthfully.
She nodded that she understood and agreed. Before she could ask Sebastien or Jae, she heard her mother whisper, “Colby. Bring Colby.”
“You don’t think that would be dangerous?” Meghan asked. “He might tell our father what we’re up to, and I don’t even know if that’s a bad thing, seeing as he wants her free, but, Colby’s sort of a loose cannon these days.”
“I understand your concerns,” replied her mother. “But there could be benefits to bringing him.”
“Like what?” asked Ivan, disliking this plan.
“For one, having two people with the same bloodline will only make the blood spell stronger. You will have a stronger connection to your history.”
She paused, seeing that they needed more reasons to bring Colby.
“Meghan,” she implored. “This could be an opportunity. To connect Colby to his past. It’s his history, too. I can’t begin to guess at what you’ll see. But I do know that learning about your past can make you feel connected to something bigger. It might open his mind to a larger world than the one his father has created for him.”
“I’m not a fan of this idea,” said Colin. “That kid,” he said spitefully, “has tried to kill me, more than once.”
“But neither of you can die,” reminded Meghan. “And I know why we are doing this Colin, believe me, I’m not losing sight of saving Catrina. But look at it this way, if the three of us, you, me and Colby, are glued together because of this prophecy, maybe this isn’t such a bad idea. The three of us, working together towards a common goal,” said Meghan.
Colin drew out a long breath. “Fine,” he mumbled unhappily. “If he agrees to help, he can tag along.” He tossed Meghan a fake smile.
No one looked entirely pleased by the choice.
“Even if you want him to come,” said Ivan, “How will you get him to?”
“Yeah, he’s not exactly known for his cooperation tactics,” added Sebastien.
Jae didn’t have the exposure to Colby that the other’s did, but even he wasn’t keen on it, especially seeing Nona pacing around Meghan’s feet, looking as though she wanted desperately to disagree with her Master.
“If I know Colby, and I’m starting to, I can get him to agree,” she told everyone.
“How?” asked Ivan.
“Using his own tricks against him,” she said, eyeing Colin. She had seen it in Colin’s memories, when Colby had killed Jasper... basic human instinct. Colby wanted nothing more in this life than to please his father.
CHAPTER 11
The days were getting shorter and colder. A dusting of snow covered the ground. Kanda Macawi and Arnon Jacoby hurried to finish breakfast and gather for what was sure to be another interesting meeting. Today though, they would vote.
Many small meetings and debates had taken place over whether to go after the Immortality Stone or to go to the Svoda Island and take Juliska Blackwell out of power.
The main issues being even if they wanted to go after the Stone, could they? It might take weeks if not months to track the Stone. And how would they force Fazendiin to give it up?
And if they wanted to take Juliska out of power, would they even be able to do so if Fazendiin still held the Stone within his grasp?
Kanda and Arnon held the same fear; that as dire as the situation on the island was, without removing the Stone from the clasps of Jurekai Fazendiin, battling Juliska would prove disastrous. Especially if they were working together and he came to her rescue. There would be many casualties on all sides.
They departed for the meeting, walking up behind Milo and Kay Jendaya. They walked in somber contemplation, together.
There was no building large enough to hold everyone attending this morning’s meeting, which now included the original occupants of the encampment, the Tunkapog Tribe and the newly arrived ship of escapees from the Svoda Island.
The meeting was taking place in the pavilion in the middle of the encampment; the same location in which the Tunkapog had been ambushed by Amelia Cobb, upon first arrival.
As the weather had turned cold and snow had fallen, a discussion on whether to use magic to enlarge a room, thus making it possible to meet indoors, had quickly ended in defeat.
There was a battle coming.
One way or another.
And they would each need to keep all magical reserves for this. A warm meeting room was a frivolity they could not afford.
Instead, they lit a bonfire in the center of the pavilion to stay warm. It only helped though, if you were close enough to feel the heat. Those standing near the outside of the pavilion couldn’t even tell there was a fire.
The meeting commenced with Nashua, Kanda’s brother and leader of the Tunkapog, and Curtis Bevins, the newly appointed spokesman for the banished, and former prisoner (alongside Jae Mochrie), introducing Billie Sadorus and Noah Flummer. Billie spoke on behalf of the escapees.
“We want to start by thanking everyone for their hospitality. You’ve all been very accommodating to our situation.” She nodded to Arnon and Kanda and a few others that had helped them personally. She opened her mouth to speak, when she felt a tug at her arm and stopped. Noah was pointing into the sky, overhead.
Nashua stepped forward, as if to secure all those standing on the pavilion stage. If one had looked closely enough, the white fur that made up his clothing quivered, each strand that lined his back acting like a nerve standing at attention.
A dark cloud swirled overhead, lowering.
A wind swept through the encampment launching frost and snow covered leaves into the air, leaving trails of sparkly white flakes in its wake.
The dark cloud lowered.
The ice-like snow swirled so hard people were forced to use their hands to cover their eyes, just to try to see. The swirl was moving towards the fire. Wet sizzles erupted as the snow hit the flames, dousing them little by little, until the last flame flickered and fizzled, leaving them once again to fend off the cold. Only black smoke and steam rose from the fire pit now.
Frightened murmurs spread.
The dark cloud lingered overhead, casting a gloomy canopy over the encampment.
Something started to fall out from the middle of the cloud. It fell slowly, as if floating downward, towards them.
“Do not touch it,” advised Nashua.
Every gaze was glued to the object.
Not a breath could be heard as they waited.
The shape of the falling thing started to form, the closer it dro
pped.
It was a leaf. A wide one. Easily six inches across and larger in length. When it was about ten feet over their heads it stopped floating and started rotating.
There was a simultaneous gasp as a voice came out of the leaf.
Its identity was unmistakable: Jurekai Fazendiin.
“I come bearing an invitation,” he spoke with ill-boding smugness. “I wish to meet. The coordinates of this meeting will be delivered upon your acceptance of this request. I voluntarily wish to surrender the Stone. I do not want it in my possession. Decide, quickly. That is all.”
Words lit up on the body of the leaf, in fiery oranges and yellows.
“Accept or decline this offer.”
“It’s madness,” said Curtis. “He’ll not just hand it over!”
“A trap, no doubt,” added Nashua.
Doubts spread like fire throughout the encampment.
“Why would he just hand over the Stone?” questioned Arnon, aiming his words at Kanda.
“I fear the answer to that question.”
“Surely we won’t just walk into a trap,” said Kay Jendaya.
“It would be suicide,” agreed Milo.
Nashua called for quiet.
“We came here today to vote, I say we do so. I would prefer this vote be accepted by all. My feelings are that we should accept.” He raised his hand, asking for silence as instant rejections resounded throughout the pavilion. “Regardless of the reason, trap or not, this might be our only chance to confront Fazendiin and take the Stone.”
“But if it’s a trap? How do we plan for that?” asked a nameless voice in the crowd.
“There’s only so much we can do against such power,” Curtis acknowledged. “But,” he paused, shaking his head, unable to fathom what he was about to do. “I agree with Nashua. It might be our only chance.”
Seeing as the leaders from both groups agreed, Nashua and Curtis looked to Billie and Noah.
“We realize your situation,” Nashua began, “but if we can secure the Stone, we stand a much better chance succeeding when it comes to freeing the Svoda.”
Billie and Noah glanced at each other and then back towards their fellow escapees. She bowed her head before answering, looking as though afraid to let the words escape her lips. Her hands came up in front of her mouth, clasped together.
“We agree,” she muttered. Realizing she had barely spoken, she lifted her head, dropped her hands and repeated, “We agree.” She shot Noah a glance that screamed, I hope I didn’t just condemn the Svoda.
He gave her a light pat on the shoulder.
Billie added, “The people are in grave danger, but the Stone changes everything.”
Arnon stepped forward. “If Fazendiin and Juliska have that Stone at their disposal, we cannot win. We have to find some way to get it back. It has been done before. We must do it again.”
“How was it done before?” someone called out.
Arnon stepped back. He knew how it had been done before. Colin had told him all about it. How Jasper had hidden the Stone. The only problem was, Jasper had never told Colin specifically how he had done it. And the last thing he wanted was to put Colin in the middle of a mess like this. He stayed quiet.
Nashua answered everyone’s concerns. “I don’t know how they did it. It is a part of history, long forgotten. I truly believe,” he went on, “that if each and every one of us works together, we can catch Fazendiin off guard. We can take the Stone. We can hide it again.”
“So what say the rest of you?” barked Curtis. “The time for debate is ended! Do we meet Fazendiin head on, face whatever wicked thing he’s got planned, or do we wait? And lose what might be our best chance to confront him. He’s prepared to meet us. Who is ready for battle?”
No reply was heard. Not even an inhale or exhale broke the silence.
A hand went into the air. It was Arnon Jacoby. Kanda lifted her arm and grasped his hand. A chain reaction was set off, hands shooting into the air, one by one until all had said yes.
Nashua glanced at the rotating leaf, his eyes fierce. “We accept.” The response was recorded into the fiery lettering and the leaf swirled into the air, higher and higher, disappearing back inside the dark canopy of cloud.
The cloud started to move upward, dissolving, revealing blue sky, dotted with puffy clouds. The sun was finally making an appearance.
It warmed a few degrees down on the ground below.
Nashua turned to Curtis. “Whatever fighters you have, get them ready. I don’t imagine Fazendiin’s going to make us wait long. I want to be ready to pull out by tomorrow morning.”
Curtis nodded, shoving off, shouting orders to his people. Billie offered the services of anyone able bodied from her crew. Curtis accepted and they followed his lead.
Nashua was immediately surrounded by his top warriors, along with his sister and advisor, Kanda, Arnon Jacoby and the Jendayas.
“We’re going to have to go at him with everything we’ve got,” Nashua said. “Our only hope is to overwhelm him with our sheer numbers.”
“We are not so many,” Kanda noted.
“We can’t do any significant damage to Fazendiin, but we can keep him distracted long enough to secure the Stone,” insisted Nashua.
“It will take a lot of magic to move that Stone,” noted Milo. “More than any one of us has the capability of using.”
“We’ll have to use our reserved stores,” said Nashua. “It may take everything we have, but we must try.”
“I don’t know,” said Kanda in a moment of doubt. “This whole thing just reeks of trap! How do we know this won’t be playing right into his hand? We meet, we fight, we weaken and he seizes the moment to wipe us out.”
“We must try,” said Nashua. “Do you realize how long it might have taken to track him and the Stone, on our own?”
“I know,” she acknowledged. “There’s just... so many lives will be at risk.”
“Such is war,” replied Nashua. “It is not our way. But it is our current path. The world of magic is still our home. However, if I do not have your approval, Sister, we will not fight. We can turn back. Go home.”
Kanda threw him a villainous look.
“You know me better than that, Brother.”
“Then let us prepare for battle. Together.”
CHAPTER 12
Mireya and Joseph walked alongside the cart, ready to deliver their final sacks of food for the day at the prison. It was their final delivery to the prisoners before the public de-magicking.
Just before reaching it however, they found the roadway blocked.
Daveena kept her fierce gaze focused on the back of the cart.
Mireya and Joseph held their breath.
They were about to be found out. This was it!
Not only would the prisoners have no chance of escaping or surviving the upcoming de-magicking, but they would most likely join them in prison.
A shape was materializing against the wall of a nearby building.
The guard driving the food cart recognized the Striper now striding towards them.
“Ardon,” he spoke after a moment, bowing his head at her sudden appearance.
She ignored his bow, telling him, “I have new orders.”
The guard listened.
“Tell the prison guards they have been instructed to up security starting first thing tomorrow. We don’t want any last minute attempts to escape before the big day.”
“Ah, yes the day we suck’em dry,” the cart driver reveled.
Ardon’s face did not give away her thoughts on the subject.
“You’ve got a night to prepare,” she said, warning, “I wouldn’t mess this up if I were you.” Her eyes swept across the three youngsters, who were caught looking, and dropped their heads instantly.
“I’ll get right on it. We’ll be ready by the morning.” The driver bowed his head and took leave of her.
The youngsters caught each other’s eyes, now panic-filled. The prisoner
s were not due to attempt escape until tomorrow night, but with even more security, they’d never make it.
They would have to escape tonight!
But just how would they tell the prisoners this?
They had but one chance to pass along the message.
The cart lurched forward, aiming toward the prison.
Mireya leaned down, making to tie her shoe, her eyes searching the dirt at the side of the road.
Joseph darted towards the front of the cart as it rolled along. He sneezed loudly, catching the guard’s attention for just a split second.
Mireya saw what she needed. A flat piece of granite. She grasped it, dropping it into the top of her boot.
Daveena shouted to Joseph, “Cover your mouth when you do that.”
The cart driver glanced at her and grimaced, but agreed. “What she said! Only common courtesy, boy!”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I won’t do it again.”
Mireya grabbed a couple of pebbles, grasping them in her hand.
“This would be so much easier if I could just use magic,” she moaned.
The guard pulled the cart to a stop and ordered them to make their delivery. She hopped onto the back of the cart and started pulling off her boot.
“What are you doing?” demanded the driver.
“Um, rock in my boot,” she answered.
“Well hurry it up,” he growled.
She reached inside the boot as if looking for the rock and used one of the small pebbles to scratch a message into the flat piece of granite.
“Tonight!”
She grasped the rock in her hand and let the pebbles fall into her boot. She turned the boot upside down, making an obvious effort to remove them from inside her boot and shoved it back on her foot.
Now they just had to get the rock-message to the prisoners, but the cart driver wasn’t taking his eyes of off them.
The two guards currently watching the prisoners came over to inspect the cart. The driver called them over.
“So we’re beefing up security starting tomorrow. We don’t want to take any chances of these people escaping.” The way he said the word people indicated he did not think of them as people at all. More like animals meant for the slaughter.
Control (The Blood Vision, The Immortality Stone, and The Woman in Glass) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 7) Page 13