Divided (Book Five) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series)

by Humphrey - D'aigle, Rachel

  Meghan waited nervously. She didn't know exactly why she was nervous. Maybe anxious was a better description. Then so was excited. Frightened. And…

  A branch snapped and her head jerked up to see. Her face went blank and she fell backwards, finding herself once again, unable to form words.

  “Hi, Meghan.” A young man stared back at her. She had not seen him in nearly two years but he had not changed, much. He was taller, his hair a little darker, but just as curly. Without thinking, she raced forward and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Sebastien,” she cried out in utter disbelief.

  He hugged her back, but in a more guarded manner.

  “I-I don't believe it,” she said, stepping back. A stray tear fell down her cheek.

  “Believe it,” he said in a mock, playful voice. “It's me. Surprise.”

  His wide smile, although now tinted with sadness, still caused her heart to flutter. She blushed, unsure what to say to him. The flutter quickly sputtered though, stalling completely, as other notions crept into her head. She stepped back again, her smile fading. This was the part Sebastien was dreading.

  “You knew about magic? All this time?” she asked him.

  He nodded yes. “I'm from a magical family, Meghan. I was sworn to secrecy when we first met.”

  “Why?”

  “So many reasons, Meghan.”

  “I'm getting really tired of vague answers,” her tone was turning dark.

  “I'm sorry. I don't mean to be vague. I just don't know where to start.”

  “The beginning always works,” she spouted. She did not wait for an answer. “It was you all along and you didn't tell me!” Her voice was about an octave higher now.

  “I couldn't Meghan. I wanted to. But it wasn't safe, so I stayed distant and helped when I could.”

  Meghan just shook her head, looking down. When she looked back up, the veins in her face were protruding through her skin.

  Ivan shot Sebastien a look that said good luck.

  Sebastien decided to try to sway Meghan back to his side with good news. “I can tell you that your uncle is alive. He's fine and living with Kanda now. It was her that saved him from the Scratchers.”

  Meghan's eyes looked like shooting arrows. Obviously, Sebastien had hoped this would brighten her mood, and as relieved as she was that her Uncle Arnon was unharmed, she lost it.

  “Oh. My. God! You knew all this time that he was alive and you couldn't find some way to tell me this? I don't care that you had to be all secretive, ‘cause believe me, I'm getting used to that!” her arrow-like eyes shot toward Ivan for a moment, who actually backed away as if she might actually shoot fiery arrows at him.

  “I couldn't tell you anything because you might have discovered who I was,” explained Sebastien, “and I could not chance that, Meghan. You have NO idea what kind of chains I was bound by.”

  “And you're not now?” she shouted.

  “No. I'm here. Now. And I will be completely honest...about everything…” his voice wavered as if lacking the courage to be fully honest.

  “Waiting,” she said impatiently.

  “Well...” he just shook his head, closed his eyes and then in a rushed voice said, “It was me that attacked Colin back in Grimble. I'm sorry, I was under orders that I had to obey! I was careful and I knew he would be okay. Because he had you.”

  “You. Did. What?” she asked loathingly, thinking she must have heard him wrong.

  “Um, Meghan,” said Ivan, pointing to her face. “Careful.”

  “I don't care about my face,” she shot back as the veins once again pulsated with fiery streams of light.

  “Meghan, please, let me explain.”

  She just stood, staring, her breath coming out in furious pants.

  “It’s all Amelia,” Sebastien said.

  “Amelia Cobb? The leader of the banished Svoda?” she asked in a heavy voice.

  “Yes. You've heard of her then?”

  “Yes. I only know she grew up with Juliska Blackwell as a half-sister and is the leader of the banished.”

  Ivan took over, allowing Sebastien to find his feet again, as it seemed he was about to stumble. “Amelia is more than just a leader, Meghan. She's … crazy!”

  “And what's new? Everyone in this whole damn world is crazy!”

  Ivan jumped forward and covered her mouth before she could say more, forcing her to listen. Sebastien seemed shocked by his daring. “Meghan, do you remember in Grimble when Colin saw someone on top of the candy shop roof?”

  She nodded yes.

  “That was me.” he kept his grip firm, feeling her trying to shout something underneath his hand. “I have been a secret informant for the banished Svoda for the past four years. I did so in order to have contact with the outside world while we traveled. I never agreed with what Amelia was doing, but I played along to keep my contacts open. I NEVER dreamt she would actually discover a way to make it happen.”

  Meghan forced Ivan's hand off her face and shouted, “Make what happen? Would you get to the point already?”

  Sebastien took over again. “Amelia is planning to return magic to the world. The entire world. A world that has forgotten it ever existed. And...” he paused. “I don't know to what extent, but you and Colin have always been some vital key to making this goal of hers happen.”

  “Okay,” she replied, digging deep to remain calm. “So what this all comes down to is everyone is completely off their rockers!”

  “Sort of,” he replied, shrugging.

  “So if I have it straight, this woman, Amelia wants to return magic to the world. The Grosvenor, of whom one it seems, just so happens to be my father, wants to destroy all magic and take over the world... oh and here's one for you two... Catrina Flummer is not the Projector. Don't imagine I need to explain Catrina to you, Sebastien, since you've been following us around all this time.”

  “No,” he said cautiously. “Got it. But what do you mean it’s not her?”

  “Yeah, what do you mean?” asked Ivan. They both looked equally concerned and shocked by this revelation.

  “I don't believe it. Is there something the two of you don't know? Some little tidbit I can actually tell you?” Meghan’s voice wandered into sounding psychotic. She unapologetically spat out, “The Projector everyone is hunting down… is my brother. Its Colin everyone wants to kill!”

  “How do you know this?” asked Ivan, looking paler than she had ever seen him.

  Meghan just shook her head. “Why don't you just trust me?” she threw back at his face. “How’s it feel to be on the opposite side of the table?” she asked angrily.

  “Well, this isn’t good,” said Sebastien, ignoring her anger.

  “And off topic!” reminded Meghan. She turned back to Ivan. “None of this has anything to do with Jae Mochrie! Your turn! Spill!”

  Ivan took a deep breath. “It’s not so much Jae, as Juliska,” he spoke in muted tones. He had not yet explained to Sebastien about Meghan’s vision, which indicated Juliska might be the twins' mother. “And since we're being completely frank, I still have no idea what Juliska Blackwell is up to. I just know that whatever it is, it’s definitely not good.”

  Meghan swallowed hard. She had no more strength to speak. Her mother was evil. She needed to accept this.

  Just then, a siren sounded and an announcement rang over the island.

  “Imminent attack! Return to your homes at once!” It repeated three times in quick succession.

  They darted to the edge of the woods as someone came running past them.

  “Jae,” whispered Meghan, thinking how odd it was that he should run by, just as they had started to talk about him.

  After he ran out of sight, Darcy Scraggs came running by, shouting for Jae. She turned down a different street than he had taken and when she was out of sight, and before Ivan or Sebastien could stop her, Meghan darted out after Jae.

  They followed after her, all watching overhead for what was inevitably
attacking: Scratchers.

  Nona ran alongside Meghan, who nearly stumbled and dropped the Magicante. She was about to shout for Jae to stop when he veered and headed down a path leading to the edge of the island.

  After what seemed like a marathon run, Meghan skidded to a stop, gasping in surprise.

  Jae was balancing precariously on the edge of a very high cliff, overlooking the raging, freezing ocean below. Ivan ran up along side her, shouting “Please, don't do this, Jae,” while trying to catch his breath.

  Ivan inched closer to Jae, while Sebastien grabbed Meghan, keeping her from moving any closer. He was just inches from her face and she could not help but stare. He caught her gaze and stared back. His face shouted a million apologies. Apologies she was not yet ready to accept.

  “Jae,” called out Ivan again when he did not respond.

  “Just leave me,” Jae cried back mournfully.

  “Please let us help you,” Ivan pleaded.

  “You can't help me! I messed up. I have to end it.”

  “You went too far, Jae. That doesn't mean there isn't a way back.”

  Jae teetered on the edge. Ivan inched closer.

  “Jae, you've been betrayed by the people you trusted and believed in. I understand this, more than you know. But it’s not too late for you.”

  Jae turned around, tears streaming down his face. “Yes. Yes it is,” he said, stepping backwards. He then stepped over the edge, disappearing.

  “Jae. No!” shouted Meghan, horrified.

  Just then, a snarl erupted and they turned to see Darcy approaching. She paid them no attention other than a glance, and ran, fearlessly diving over the cliff edge after Jae.

  The trio and Nona raced to the edge but stopped in their tracks when two winged, wolf- faced creatures arose over the cliff edge, already locked in a viscous battle. They gnashed their teeth, swinging their clawed, webbed wings, scratching each other’s bodies.

  Meghan stared in awed horror. Ivan and Sebastien pulled her back, out of harm’s way.

  This could not be possible. What she was thinking, it had to be wrong. There had to be another explanation. This… this is what Jae had done to himself. But how? How could he have become this? Scratchers were enemies that hunted down and killed Svoda. How could Jae or Darcy have turned into one? Was it some terrible side effect from something? Some disease that could not be controlled? Some sort of magical spell gone very wrong?

  Meghan peered at Ivan.

  He spit out the words, “Juliska created them, Meghan. This is how she keeps her people in line. This is why I know she’s evil.”

  His words sounded distant. The battle raged on overhead, but she could not hear it.

  How? How could Juliska Blackwell do this to her own people? Meghan thought she might be sick and doubled over, falling to the ground. What if Juliska was her mother? What if Juliska’s blood ran through her veins? Bad blood… evil blood…

  Would she turn out like Colin? Would she turn evil too?

  Overhead, they could not tell which Scratcher was Jae and which was Darcy, but they retreated farther back when the two flying beasts took a low dive, nearly slamming into the ground nearby.

  The gushing air brought Meghan out of her stupor. Ivan and Sebastien, egged on by Nona, dragged her away from the deadly Scratcher wings now precariously flailing close by.

  One creature was winning, though. It had the other pinned to the ground, the imprisoned one howling wickedly, refusing defeat.

  Meghan remembered that Ivan's father had been the first to die at the hands of the Scratchers. “You’ve known this for a long time,” she mumbled feebly. He took her to the safety of a nearby rock. Sebastien followed.

  “I saw my father die when I was four,” Ivan explained. “I never told anyone, until Bird. Sorry, I mean Sebastien,” he restated. “But I saw the Scratcher turn. It was someone my father considered a friend, and that friend killed him. I was little, but it’s not something you forget. I did not know at the time what it meant. I just knew it was wrong.”

  They peered cautiously around the side of the rock, watching the deadly battle continue.

  A screeching cry rang out as a sharp claw stabbed into the pinned Scratcher’s body; it wrestled to free itself, but could not.

  Meghan closed her eyes, pleading for the pinned creature not to be Jae. She heard Ivan and Sebastien gasp, and opened her eyes to a ghastly sight.

  The free Scratcher lifted its head into the air and pierced the cold morning air with a ferocious, yet mournful cry. When it stopped, it jumped back, unpinning its rival. In the next moment, the injured beast got to its feet, but its wing was torn and it could not fly away. The other bounded in front of it, spreading out its murderous wings. The injured creature wailed desperately, realizing its impending doom as the deadly wings enclosed securely around its body. A moment later, the wailing ended and the wings released, the dead Scratcher slumping to the ground with a heavy thud.

  Meghan, Ivan, Sebastien and Nona held their breath, having no idea if it was Jae or Darcy that had just died.

  The living Scratcher stepped back, its body beginning to contort and reshape. Then, to their slight relief, Jae Mochrie reappeared with an anguished cry.

  Voices grew closer. People were coming. “Over here, it’s over here,” they heard someone shout.

  Ivan ducked them behind the rock again, back into hiding.

  In the matter of seconds, people started arriving. Billie Sadorus was first, followed by the Kalila sisters, and not too far behind, was Garner Sadorus tagging alongside a fiendish looking Tanzea Chase.

  Juliska strode in next, her eyes wild with unexplained fury.

  Others rolled in, too, but Meghan did not recognize their faces.

  All stood, gawking, in silent awe of the sight they beheld.

  Jae stood over the dead body of the Scratcher. It had not transformed back into Darcy upon death. Then, Irving Mochrie arrived and saw his son standing on the precipice.

  “Jae, what are you doing?” he asked, unsure of whether to be elated over what appeared to be a dead Scratcher at his son’s feet, or whether to be frightened by the dead look in his son’s eyes.

  Jae stepped back, once again at the very edge of the cliff.

  “I can't live with what I've done,” he told everyone. “I can't live with what I'm supposed to do.” He aimed his words at Juliska. “I made a mistake, but I'm going to fix it.” He stepped back to the very edge, still gazing at the Banon as if egging her to contradict him.

  Her gaze was furious as she stared him down, but she said nothing.

  Jae sighed, some kind of contentment seeming to come over him. “Don’t try to stop me, if you do, I’ll take you over the edge with me,” he warned morosely. He looked at Juliska one last time. “Now, everyone will know. And now you have two less monsters to carry out your sick orders.”

  People were casting their gazes at Jae, and then Juliska, and then Irving, having no idea how to handle this situation.

  Meghan daringly peeked from behind the rock, from the opposite side of the onlookers, catching Jae’s eyes, her own pleading for him not to take the last step. She wished more than anything that she had found out sooner, so she could have stopped this from happening. She hated that her visions had never been clear. She had never once realized that the thing Jae was transforming into was a Scratcher. Now it seemed obvious. But until now, she’d never had reason to think it possible.

  She pleaded one last time, but Jae replied to her plea with a sad, yet fulfilled grin. He looked down, closed his eyes and fell backwards, disappearing over the edge once again.

  This time, no one went over the edge after him.

  Everything went blank. Meghan knew people were screaming in shocked horror, but they sounded miles away. Her eyes froze, fixed on the ledge where Jae’s body had just vanished. She did not know what happened next on the cliff edge, as Ivan opened the Magicante, forcing her to touch it. Not a second later, they were sitting on the ground on the op
posite side of the island, once again in the safety of the woods.

  Meghan knelt on the ground, gasping for air, and then upon seeing the Magicante in Ivan’s hand, reached out and yanked it away from him.

  “Please bring him back,” she begged, her voice suddenly sounding as though she had been screaming for hours. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

  “I'm sorry, lassy, but this time, it cannot be done,” the voice of the book spoke sympathetically.

  “Bring him back! You have to!” she demanded roughly.

  Ivan grabbed her off the ground and held her in his arms. She struggled to get free, but then she saw his face and stopped. Tears were streaming down Ivan’s face and he could not speak. She leaned against his shoulder, surrendering to the sobs trying to escape.

  In between her sobs, Meghan tried to explain to Ivan that he had died in Grimble and the book had brought him back to life. Ivan showed no emotion at this revelation, but he glanced down at the Magicante, unable to ask it the question he needed to know the answer to.

  Sebastien took a heavy breath and asked on Ivan’s behalf. “Why not this time? Why can’t Jae be saved?”

  There was a long pause and the books curt voice started to explain. “There is one death than cannot be undone, by any magic… a life taken voluntarily, either by one’s own hand, or to knowingly save the life of another, cannot be brought back. Sacrifice,” he stated bluntly, “cannot be undone.”

  Sebastien nodded, defeated, and plunked down onto the ground, averting his gaze from Meghan and Ivan. She was very comfortable in his arms, a boy she claimed to despise.

  Sebastien knew she would never forgive him anyway.

  After a few minutes, Meghan started to gain control over her sobs and let go of Ivan. She could not look at his face or she would lose control again.

  “So what now?” she sniffled, keeping her gaze low.

  “We need to get off the island,” Ivan answered, his voice unstable. “I just don't know how. The boundaries are protected.”

  Meghan got to her knees to collect the Magicante. Perhaps it would know some way to get them off the island. Some way through the magical barrier currently imprisoning them.