The WishKeeper (The Paragonia Chronicles)
Page 26
Beren noticed his wife’s depression right away. It was obvious, beyond the physical pain she was in, that she wasn’t comfortable and it would take a very long time to pick up the pieces of her life. He once again found Elanor crouching along the edge of Shea’s window seat, looking out over the green of the forest.
“The Makers left,” he said, as he joined her at the window. He lightly rubbed her back as she continued to look out the window.
“We’re still their WishKeepers. We’ll see them again soon.” She smiled without looking at him and placed her hand on his. After a long stare, Beren continued, “You look well today. Enough to go for a walk?”
“Did she ever talk to you about me?” Elanor asked. “I mean, really talk?”
His wife’s eyes were glistening wet, and though they were sad, he would always be happy to never see the blackness return to them.
“We didn’t have much a relationship, you know. She kept to herself mostly. You know Shea. She -“
“No. I don’t,” Elanor quickly said. It was a sadness that propelled her to cut him off. She wasn’t angry and when she squeezed Beren’s hand a little tighter, he understood.
“Well, you have time do so. And she’ll be happy to know you. Like I do.”
“I think a walk sounds like a good idea,” she said. “Was this Shea’s escape route?” She tugged on the rope ladder that draped over the edge of the window.
“Yes, but honey, you really shouldn’t…”
She just smiled at him and climbed down. Beren followed with a slow float next to her, helping her grip and slide down. She landed, holding back the slight pain in her side. Her ribs were still healing, but not completely repaired.
“Where to?” she asked.
Beren lead his wife through the quiet trees and listened to the birds chirp and sing. Shafts of light of the afternoon sun cut through the branches, illuminating the forest floor with a golden hue as they approached a small cabin tucked away behind a tall, ancient maple. The cabin’s chimney was lightly curling a bit of smoke into the air as Shea and Thane climbed out from behind a bush.
“Hi Mom. You’re out and about, finally,” Shea said, excited. She took her mom’s hand and helped her over a fallen branch. Since they couldn’t fly, a forest floor was a bit tricky to maneuver, but Shea liked the idea of helping her mom. Whether she needed the help or not, helping her allowed them to reconnect, even if they weren’t discussing anything of importance at the time.
Beren clapped Thane on the back and nodded at his WishKeeper uniform. “You still on duty?” he asked.
“No sir.”
“You’ll eventually learn the delight of removing your uniform after a long day’s work, Thane,” he said.
“Is this a surprise walking party, or something?” Elanor asked.
They all looked at each other and smiled. Approaching the front door of the little cabin, Beren waited for Elanor to get closer.
“Sort of,” Shea said. “For you, yeah, but more so for someone else.”
As they entered the little brown cabin, Elanor saw in the far corner a comfortable bed with white puffy feathers covering Avery as she sat up and sipped tea. Her eyes beamed when she saw Elanor. Roots of pink hair were sprouting near her scalp, pushing away the black, and tied in a thick braid. Though she was thin and sickly looking with inset cheeks and pale skin, the happiness that flowed through her was enough to momentarily erase any amount of remaining pain.
Avery had been bed-ridden since the night of The Breaking. The curse had affected her far greater than Elanor and her nightmares had become so violent, they sadly had to keep her in a secluded cabin so as not to frighten her neighbors. Beren, Thane and Shea would visit her every day and today was the first that Avery was able to sit up and consume any kind of liquid. Elanor had heard all about Avery’s illness and to finally see her sitting up in bed and smiling was like feeling the sudden warmth of a fire on a cold winter’s day.
Elanor hurried to Avery’s side and took her hand, kneeling next to her. “Avery. Oh, Avery, look at you. You’ll be up and retrieving wishes in no time. And your hair looks beautiful. Who did it?”
Avery blushed at this and giggled, looking at Thane. If Avery was blushing, Thane’s face was on fire.
“Thane? Seriously?” Shea asked.
“I don’t have much else to do until I get my Keeper wings and all,” he shuffled his feet. The group snickered and Elanor turned back to her friend.
“I never got the chance to apologize, ya know,” Elanor said.
“Apologize? Why would you apologize? Ellie, I was horrible,” Avery was legitimately confused.
“I’ve had a lot of time alone the past few days. With my thoughts, anyway,” she said, looking at Beren. He joined her and knelt next to Avery.
“I always knew what you were battling with, Avery. Before everything happened, I could tell how you felt and to be honest, I was frightened.”
Avery’s eyes welled up and she couldn’t keep eye contact with Elanor as she spoke. She’d always been ashamed of the feelings she’d had and wasn’t ever able to truly vocalize them.
“But after everything’s that happened, I want you to know that you will always be a welcomed addition to our family,” she choked through the last part, barely able to hold back the tears. “You will always mean so much to us. To me.”
Shea took hold of Thane’s hand and pulled him over to Avery’s bedside as Elanor and Avery hugged. As Shea stood there, watching her mom hug Avery, her father with a supportive hand on her mother’s back and Thane next to her, for the first time in her life she didn’t have anything to wish for. She had a family and with whatever adventure that followed, she would welcome it with confidence.
Epilogue
A police siren roared its way through a crowded city neighborhood. It echoed against brown brick apartment buildings as Grayson paused outside stone steps of a five floor, dusty tan complex that was pushed tightly between two other identical buildings. He looked down the tree-lined street, cars crammed along the curb barely inches from the next, and wondered what kind of new beginnings he might have there.
The passenger door of a moving truck creaked open and Miranda reached out her hand. “Uh, a little help, Mr. Brady?”
“Oh, God, sorry. Here, wait a minute,” he hurried over and grabbed her hand, wrapped his other under her arm and helped her down.
Miranda’s belly was bulging just enough to show the developing new member of their family, but Grayson was acting like she was ready to pop any day. She kissed him lightly on the cheek as she plopped down on the hard cement. They arched their necks and looked up at their new home as movers filed out and opened the rear of their truck.
“Can’t see much of the sun. Stars probably won’t be shining much either. All these lights,” he said. Slowly turning his head to see her reaction, he knew a pair of rolling eyes would be waiting for him. They laughed and took a shared step up the cobbled stairs. As Grayson opened the door for Miranda, he took one last glimpse at his neighborhood, smiled and followed, but not before a bright pink Purity Wish popped to life above his head and followed them inside.
Within the skinny alley alongside their complex, a white-bearded homeless man sat among greasy trash bags. A young woman pushing a stroller walked by, ignoring him. A purple Ladder Wish circled her head and for a moment swirled down toward the old man.
He opened his eyes, dark and ageless, and reached a hand slowly out of the covered newspapers. A wisp of grey fog danced along the edges of his fingertips and the Ladder rushed back to its Maker. A curled smile slowly crept across Erebus’ pale white face.
Here ends Book One of the Paragonia Chronicles.
For Those Who Made A Purity Wish For
The Author. Thank you.
The purest of hearts will grant the mightiest of wishes.
Stephen Rousseau
Beverly Timm
Notable WishKeeper Assignments
Through The Ages
Y
our WishKeeper is never further away than the making of a wish.
*Norderon of Greenway assigned to
George Normington, January 22, 1915
*Laila Riversong assigned to
Matthew Becker, February 19, 1977
*Breena Underhill assigned to
Kelly Becker, July 27, 1977
*Kallan Neverlow assigned to
Logan Becker, July 14, 2009
*Gelsey Underhill assigned to
Grace Becker, Jan. 2, 2012
*Nixie Pinfellow assigned to
Amelie Kristen Salas, June 29, 2003
*Eldon of the Muirs assigned to
Berta Wilson, Sept. 15, 1956
*Kersey Rhiannon assigned to
Ren Alanis, July 1, 1994
*Corrigan Anishinabe assigned to
Lauri Matisse, June 1, 1961
*Luna Ferrishyn assigned to
Nicki Andersen, June 14, 1956
*Evie Tinihowi assigned to
Beverly Timm, March 16, 1950
*Albanal (Albie) Ownes assigned to
Elizabeth Timm Preston, June 13, 1973
*Finnegan Carrowmore assigned to
Emmett Patrick Clair, March 31, 2005
*Rosina Lliannon assigned to
Michael Megenhardt, June 16, 1998
*Fandlian (Fand) Eventyr assigned to
Christoffer Danielson Dyroy, Dec. 12, 1994
*Amelia Oberon assigned to
Diane Lynn Sklenar, Oct. 8, 1976
*Radella Meerows assigned to
Rachel Leigh Flanagan, May 30, 1982
*Ava Marigold assigned to
Bridget McCarthy, Aug. 19, 1973
*Simi Tylwyth-Teg assigned to
Randy Recob, May 12, 1977
*Nissa Neverlow assigned to
Lucas Becker, Dec. 22, 2012
*Tana Riversong assigned to
Mark Becker, April 14, 1979
*Norderon of Greenway assigned to
Stacy Normington Becker, May 30, 1981
About The Author
Maximilian Timm is a writer, screenplay/book consultant and instructor. He attended Holy Cross College at Notre Dame as a communications major before studying film, screenwriting and producing at Columbia College Chicago. For the past decade he has worked as a screenwriting consultant and instructor for high-end, A-List clients and as the Director of Development at a school for writers. His life is devoted to the craft of writing, and with The WishKeeper, intends to inspire the young adult audience to embrace their imperfections and pursue their dreams.
He specifically wants to send a message to teenagers and young adults that not only do they matter, but so does every wish they make.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 - Goggles, Goggled
Chapter 2 - Forget Me Knots
Chapter 3 - The Other Side of Bittersweet
Chapter 4 - The Recruit
Chapter 5 - The Wingless Wonder
Chapter 6 - The Babysitter
Chapter 7 - Unfulfilled
Chapter 8 - Another Chance
Chapter 9 - Bent, Not Broken
Chapter 10 - The Beacon
Chapter 11 - The Captain
Chapter 12 - Fairies Don’t Make Wishes
Chapter 13 - A General’s Plea
Chapter 14 - The Hope
Chapter 15 - Those Three Words
Chapter 16 - Avery’s Secret
Chapter 17 - The Street Lamp
Chapter 18 - A Flash In The Dark
Chapter 19 - The Promise
Chapter 20 - The Truth Comes Out
Chapter 21 - A Mother’s Curse
Chapter 22 - No Pixie
Chapter 23 - The Lost Fairy
Chapter 24 - True Love’s Home
Chapter 25 - A World In Need
Chapter 26 - Lightning In Winter
Chapter 27 - Rules Are Meant To Be Broken
Chapter 28 - Avery’s Return
Chapter 29 - Going Alone
Chapter 30 - Safe And Sound
Chapter 31 - Shea’s Choice
Chapter 32 - Ingredients
Chapter 33 - Drifted
Chapter 34 - Return Of The WishingKing
Chapter 35 - Like Father, Like Daughter
Chapter 36 - The Last Gate
Chapter 37 - When Avery Died
Chapter 38 - When The World Ends
Chapter 39 - Exclamation Point
Chapter 40 - Avery’s Wish
Chapter 41 - At The Edge Of A Memory
Chapter 42 - The Death Wish
Chapter 43 - The Pain Of A Wish
Chapter 44 - Pieces
Chapter 45 - The Point Of A Kiss
Chapter 46 - A Light Returns
Chapter 47 - A Wish Destroyed
Chapter 48 - Paragonia Please
Epilogue