by Kade Cook
6
DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH
THE ROOM’S SILENCE remains unchallenged. Gabrian’s eyes jet back and forth between them all then climb upward to Shane who stands at the edge of the counter nearest to her in a subtle show of support. He raises his brow upon seeing her icy blue eyes harbouring a hint of desperation from the day’s events. He had been perfectly quiet, biting his tongue as Gabrian said what she wanted to say, but now they are openly withholding information from her in her own home. It is time they start talking and come clean. Sipping his beverage, he knows he is below station to interfere, but officially, he is Gabrian’s guardian. That gives him an edge on what happens so in his mind, to hell with Covenant confidentiality.
“As Gabrian’s guardian, I implore you to tell her what you know about her fath—that thing that managed to drain her of life essence nearly to the point of death. I think that this alone entitles her to some inside understanding of what she, and we, are all dealing with. It’s not made of flesh, that much is apparent,” he says reaching for his hand and rubbing it with the memory of the excruciating pain that had once seared across his skin, the night when he had attempted to stop the monster from entering the toxic circle of Gargons at thunder hole. “And I know he is not a Specter, at least not in the true sense. So, what is he?”
Orroryn shifts his position and strides across the room, setting his large frame down within the arms of Jarrison’s old leather chair. Gabrian’s heart twists inside as he does. No one has sat there since her adoptive father and mother died—no one. Not even her uncle Tynan had the heart to sit there—he can barely even look at it without touching his hand to his chest. But Gabrian finds that Orroryn’s presence and similar build frees her mind to a daydream of better days, when her father would drop himself in that same chair and rustle through the Saturday paper for what seemed like hours while her mother perched herself at her easel in the corner, humming and waving her brushes around like a magician’s wand, painting her newest creation.
Orroryn’s warm voice breaks through the visions of her stolen future. Pressing her eyes wide and forcing herself to return to the present, Gabrian wipes the wetness accruing at their edges.
“The night you were born and Cera was taken away to the Veil is the night that Adrinn was exiled and sent to Erebus.”
Gabrian recovers from her tender moment. She pinches the bridge of her nose as the reiterated information burrows into her skull, boring her. Jarrison and Sarapheane had already gone over all this when they enlightened her on who and what she truly is.
“But there was also another tragedy that evening,” Vaeda quickly adds, noticing Gabrian’s lapse in attention. She abandons her position beside Ethan and glides across the hardwood floor, taking up residence beside the oversized throw pillow on the couch. “A young girl named Symone, just a bit younger than you are now, was lost as well.”
Gabrian releases the grip on her nose and her brow lifts as she searches the room for Vaeda. Well, this is new. She retraces her memories and wonders why she hadn’t heard anything of this. Her eyes watch the Elders, inspecting their demeanor as they talk.
“Mainly from her own doing,” Orroryn chimes in, leaning back into the chair. “Young hearts are susceptible to stupidity,” he adds, resting his chin on the hand leaned against the arm of the chair and shoots a direct knowing look in Shane’s direction—remembering his and Gabrian’s go round at courtship.
Shane catches the jab but returns his father’s attempt at humour with a crooked smile, rolling his eyes.
“Orroryn, please,” Vaeda scolds, peering at him over her shoulder. She straightens her back and folds her hands in her lap, returning her attentions to the story. “Now that Orroryn has so graciously enlightened us on the trials and tribulations of youth,” she clears her throat and returns to her story, “Symone was quite taken with Adrinn and in the onslaught of his expiration, she used all her energy to cast a protection spell on him in an attempt to shield him from the toxins within Erebus and to save his life. This futile act of love only ended up devouring her own energy and deeming herself vulnerable to the cracks in the divide within the dimensions—exposing herself to the claws of the Gargons waiting within.”
“She was pulled into the Darkness just after him,” Orroryn adds, looking up from his restful pose.
“Cimmerian found her just after she depleted herself of energy and tried to save her but even his magic wasn’t able to stop the inevitable.” Ethan’s voice is low and mournful, having been a witness to the terrible loss of life. “He blames Adrinn for her death and since then has looked down upon the Boragen Fellowship with disdain and hatred.”
“Does he know who I am?” Gabrian asks as her mind rewinds to her interaction with him in the past. All of the vicious words that fell from his mouth held more understanding but it still did not excuse it.
“No and we want to keep it that way for now,” Orroryn grumbles, pressing his fingers to his lips.
“There is no need to open that wound any wider than it already has become.” Vaeda’s eyes soften as she gazes up at Gabrian. Her face reveals an understanding of the girl’s concern and that she has every right to be angry with them about the fact that her biological father used her, not to mention that he has been the Specter haunting her. Lifting herself from the couch, she crosses the room, eliminating any space between them, and looks down upon the child wearing a similar face to her long-lost friend.
“We truly are sorry, child. Going forward we will try to keep you better informed with any matters that concern your wellbeing.”
Gabrian nods in acceptance of Vaeda’s offer and forces the edges of her mouth to point upward at her gesture due to the fact that so far their track record has been pretty bad. Ethan presses his fingers against the stubble protruding from his chin and scratches, an impish grin growing across his lips as Gabrian vows silently to herself to not hold her breath on this one.
7
LOST IN THOUGHT
SLOWLY SWIPING THE chalk eraser across the painted board of his classroom, Cimmerian prepares his notes in his head for his Dark Magic lecture on Gargon control. The overhead lights flicker, sizzling with surges of electricity, breaking his concentration and derailing his train of thought. His eyes narrow in repulsion once he realizes the reason for the disturbance.
“I was wondering how long it would be before you showed up to pester me,” Cimmerian grumbles, continuing to clean the board.
“Always so polite and courteous, aren’t you? Although I must say, I was a bit irritated with you sending me back to Erebus and all.”
“I had no choice,” Cimmerian spits out, gripping the eraser tighter. “There were two other Elders watching my every move. What was I supposed to do? I knew that you would worm your way out again somehow.”
“Tsk, tsk now. No need to be like that.” The Specter slips more clearly into sight. “But as you well know, my dear Cimmerian, there is always a choice. Although I do understand your reasoning, there was no need in opening that convoluted can of worms, especially if it wasn’t necessary.”
“What in the Realm were you thinking when you decided to pull a stunt like that anyway? What happened to slowly gaining the girl’s trust and getting her to help you so that no one would notice anything?” Cimmerian shakes his head in irritation then turns back toward the board and begins erasing again with more vigor this time.
Adrinn glances down at his vapourish feet, swishing them as if he is bored. “I never was one for patience. Actually, I detest waiting on others in general. Hmmm, maybe that is something I might want to work on.”
“Yes, you do that.” Cimmerian stops cleaning for a brief moment and rolls his eyes at Adrinn’s absurdity.
Adrinn slides his way closer to Cimmerian’s side to sit on the desk and leans in. “So, tell me...did the girl survive?”
“Yes, but barely.”
“Excellent. All is not lost then,” Adrinn says with a smug grin and rubs his hands together menacin
gly.
“What do you have up your sleeve now?” Cimmerian sets the eraser down and edges to his desk to look for his notes.
“I have discovered a little something from my quality time with our little Borrower,” Adrinn chirps out, almost giddy.
“Oh, and what would that be?”
“I have tasted a lot of essence in my day but hers seems to be different. I cannot truly explain it, but I believe the Boragan child has more to offer than originally anticipated.”
Cimmerian freezes and turns his head to view Adrinn’s vaporous face. “You think she might be the key?”
Adrinn’s mouth widens and rises at the edges into an evil smirk. “She may not be the key but a closer resemblance to one than I had before.”
The hairs on the back of Cimmerian’s neck stand on end in anticipation.
“I want you to take a special interest in her. Watch her, befriend her, and see what she is about.”
Cimmerian cringes and starts to pace, scratching his head in frustration. “I can’t just start following some youngling around all the time. I actually have responsibilities to uphold.”
“Have you changed your mind about our accord? I would hate to think that poor helpless Symone is going to be left to rot in the bowels of Darkness.”
Cimmerian halts his movements. He clenches his fists until the bones beneath ache and glares at the apparition resting his vaporous form upon today’s lesson.
“No! I have not.”
“So, then we have an accord.”
“It would seem so,” Cimmerian spits out between gritted teeth. “I will do what I can, but I will not promise you anything.”
Adrinn smooths out his hair with his hands and leers in Cimmerian’s direction. “Well, you have already successfully deceived your coven. I am quite certain that you will figure out a way to get me what I need.”
“I said I will do what I can. Now leave before someone finds you here and we are both done.”
“So testy in the mornings, you really should try to cut down on the caffeine.”
Cimmerian pivots, raising his hand to scold Adrinn’s sharp tongue, but he is already gone.
8
THEO’S WARNING
THE SMELL OF LATE SPRING wafts through the air as Gabrian cracks open the driver side door of her car. The early meeting with the Covenant of Shadows lasted too long and once the Elders left her house, it was way too late for her to even think about trying to go to sleep so she opts for an early morning start on the paperwork mounted on her desk instead.
A loud fluttering of wings greets her as she steps up onto the sidewalk in front of her office door. Her eyes lift to meet her loyal stalker staring down at her, now prancing for her immediate attention to be placed on him.
“Good morning, Theo. Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”
The dark silhouette of a bird makes a low rumbling from its throat as if to agree with her and then bobs its head from side to side.
Gabrian glances down the shadowy street, hoping to see familiar lights shining from her favourite store, but the Coffee Hound is still dark. Her arrival is much too early for such luck. With a sigh, she reaches into her bag and fishes out her office keys.
“Well, I guess office coffee will have to do for now.” She shudders at the thought but decides with enough cream she might be able to drown out its bitter taste and makes a mental note to ask C.K. later if she can buy some pre-ground coffee beans from him so she doesn’t have to suffer the horror of early morning starts in the coming future.
A tip-tapping of feet from above stirs her from her coffee conundrum. She shakes her head to wake up and peeks at the bird over her shoulder.
“I know, I know, stop procrastinating. The paperwork won’t get done with me standing down here.”
Sliding the key into the lock, she turns the knob slowly then peeks once more at her friend, and gives him a wink. “Have a good morning, Theo. Stay out of trouble, okay?”
The bird clicks then coos a cheery good-bye before flying off toward the Coffee Hound, most likely with the hope of finding a few tasty treats that may have gotten thrown out in yesterday’s trash, while Gabrian sets off up the stairs and begrudgingly fires up the office coffee machine in the waiting area.
Wandering to her office door, she hesitates to open it for a minute as the nightmarish image of Adrinn returns to haunt her. Every morning, it’s the same unsettling thing. Just for a moment, she relives a wave of helplessness, the feeling of him draining every ounce of life from her body paralyzes her until she forces herself through the archway of the door to switch on every last light she has to its full capacity. She leans against the wall, gathering herself, and hopes someday she will get past this but does not hold much faith that it will be anytime soon—not until she is able to sort out her memories between what is real and what is actually from the compulsion Ethan insists Adrinn had her under.
With her office lit up like a beacon, she enters the room and heads to her desk, dropping into her trusty leather chair. Her face falls flat as she stares at the mountain of files.
“How did I manage to get this far behind?”
A bitter aroma wafts in across the room, quickly offending her sense of smell. It is accompanied by a sick gurgling—an alert indicating that her coffee is done. She crinkles her nose at the thought of it but begins to smile the closer she gets to the pot. The quicker she drinks it, the sooner the caffeine will kick in.
“It’s better than nothing,” she admits with an honest bit of gratitude and carries the concoction back across the room to her door.
Entering her office, she notices a movement that gives her heart a start and causes her to nearly spill her coffee. She scans the room. Finding nothing out of place, Gabrian catches her breath just as a shadow flickers from outside her window. It seems that Theo has decided to perch himself proudly on the ledge to keep an eye on her. He looks at her with a cock-eyed stare—tilting his head ninety degrees to the left—then settles down for a rest. She can’t help but laugh at her new companion’s insistent presence and finds it somewhat comforting as she continues back toward Mount Doom.
As the minutes pass, Gabrian buries herself in her work, not noticing Theo’s departure nor the strange charcoal-coloured mist creeping in from underneath the door. It seeps in low and slithers its way across the floor. Reaching the chaise, it rises up the side and begins to manifest, collecting itself into a more recognizable figure—the shape of a man—and one that is quite familiar indeed.
Unsure of what kind of reception he will receive from her, Adrinn watches Gabrian diligently at work and in complete oblivion to his company. He keeps his presence concealed from her sight, remaining silent as he stares at her from across the room. He studies everything, noting every move she makes from the way she bites her lip when she is thinking to the way she tousles her hair with her hands when she becomes flustered with something.
He slips from his perch and moves around the room, curious of her surroundings. He glides along the side of the walls, eyeing her certifications, and runs his fingers along the edges of its glass—casting a sinister grin that grows by the moment.
Gabrian looks up from her papers. The hairs of the back of her neck feel strange and her stomach twists with the eerie sensation that she is being watched. She glances at the window, thinking it might just be Theo giving her the stare down, but he is gone. Searching around the room, Gabrian reads the space around her to see if anything is out of the ordinary—anything that might explain the strange disruption. Not finding anything, she brushes it off as an aftereffect of being tired, burying herself back within the never-ending pile of paperwork.
Adrinn slithers in front of her desk. Hovering over her, he stretches out his hand to touch her just as a loud agitated squawk sounds from the window behind him. Theo has returned to continue his obsession with Gabrian but he finds something much more than his beloved friend.
Gabrian jerks her head up from the ruckus at the window, startled by Theo�
�s odd behavior. As he pecks violently at the glass between them, thrashing his wings and digging at the ledge with his feet, she ejects herself from the chair and jogs toward the frantic bird, passing straight through her uninvited guest.
A slice of icy soul sucking pain cuts through her body at the contact with Adrinn’s vaporous form and a wave of nausea sweeps over her with little compassion. She grips her stomach but continues toward the bird, pushing her unusual discomforts to the side.
Theo thrashes himself against the window, nothing short of a raving lunatic, as he watches Adrinn slink in closer to Gabrian. Unsure of what she should do about Theo’s distress, Gabrian tries to open the window, thinking maybe she can calm him down somehow, but it won’t open. Pressing harder, she wedges her fingers along the edges of the window and grips harder, hearing the frame crack under her forceful coaxing. In all the frustration and faltering attempts to get to the bird, Gabrian’s Borrower gift surges and flares outward, sending a heave of energy through her. Her senses pick up on a dark source of energy—a presence behind her—and she slowly turns. Her fingers tingle while blood pulses wildly in her ears. Her skin pimples, turning icy cold as fear creeps through her.
The surge in her gifts shifts something in Adrinn’s invisibility cloak. He can feel his transparency oddly failing. Not wanting to confront Gabrian yet, he pulls himself back from this world, completely in awe that the bird can see him, and leaves Gabrian alone in her office with the insightful Raven on the ledge.
Gabrian’s senses reflexively settle as Adrinn’s Darkness dissipates back to Erebus, but she remains shaken as to what kind of phenomenon has just happened. Silence in the room is deafening. Her eyes desperately continue to search for some kind of trigger, but they fail.