To the Falls

by Heather Renee

  Someone placed their hands on my shoulders and shook me, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I think I heard my dad, but who knew with all the noise that went on in my head. My head was spinning faster and faster. Images kept coming through too fast to make any sense of them. It felt like this went on for hours, but I truly had no idea. I’d lost all coherent thoughts at that point.

  As quick as the pain arrived, it went away. Everything went dark as I passed out. I couldn’t help but be relieved that I didn’t feel the pain anymore.

  I came back to reality at some point with the ache still there, but not as severe. I still couldn’t move or speak, but I heard my mom’s cries with Jordan mumbling about me always being difficult. I sensed my dad sitting on the bed next to me, inspecting me for something.

  “We need to get her to the gateway now. It’s past midnight and officially her birthday. I think if we carry her and wrap her hands around her book, we’ll be able to get her through the gateway without having her awake to do it on her own. Something’s not right.” Dad said.

  What’s not right? What’s wrong with me? I tried so hard to open my eyes, but they wouldn’t cooperate.

  “You ladies get her dressed for travel and make sure she has her book.” Dad said. “I’m going to call Lucas, and make sure he’s waiting for us at the gates so we don’t have any other issues.”

  Dad left the room and Jordan was consoling my mom. Something must be seriously wrong for my mom to be this upset. She was normally calm and collected and that was freaking me out the most.

  There was still throbbing pain throughout my body, but thankfully the noise was gone. I could manage the pain for now. Hopefully, when we got to Arvata this would all subside or someone there would know what to do with me.

  Seriously, if I could just speak, that would make this a little more bearable. I really hated not knowing what the hell was going on with my own body.

  Cheese and rice! The pain started up again with a fierceness. When was it going to stop? I didn’t know how much longer I could take this. Thankfully, everything went black again and put me out of my misery. My head was protecting me by passing out and I was very grateful for that.

  ***

  Familiar voices were speaking around me and the pain had decreased to a manageable level once more. When I tried moving my fingers they twitched ever so slightly and I wanted to yell out in victory, but my voice wasn’t working yet. Hopefully the movement in my fingers meant I was almost done being stuck in my body while it was wracked with pain.

  A new voice I’d never heard before was speaking and I assumed he was the Lucas guy my dad said would be meeting us at the gateway.

  “Dalila, do you mind if I take a look at her?” The man asked.

  “Of course not, Lucas. Maybe you’ll be able to sense something we haven’t been able to. If not, we’ll need to take her to the healer, Lorelle. She was in so much pain at our house and might still be for all we know.”

  Large hands were sliding up and down my body ever so gently and I really wanted to finish waking up now. I tested my arms and legs to see if they would move and this time, my toes were working. Baby steps, I can do this. I pushed for more movement and then Lucas’s hands laid at my sides.

  My entire body surged as if an electric volt went through me, except it wasn’t painful. The surge left me wanting. My eyes opened quickly and I came face to face with glowing eyes, the exact same teal-blue shade as mine. They only glowed for a moment and then settled back to normal. The guy kept his face a little closer to mine than was polite, but I got a good look at his face because of it and I wasn’t about to complain.

  He had a strong jaw line and dimples covered with light stubble. His hair was short on the sides, longer on top, and copper in color. His skin was golden, like he’d spent most of his time outdoors, and it made his teal-blue eyes stand out. I blinked several times and focused on his eyes. I’d never met anyone with eyes even close to the same color as mine and it freaked me out.

  “Kaliah? Can you speak? Does anything hurt still?” His brows furrowed together.

  He seemed to be genuinely concerned for my well-being and the way my name rolled off his lips with a slight accent made my brain feel like mush. His face softened ever so subtly when he noticed me staring at his eyes and a small smile played at his lips.

  “Ye-Yes,” I stuttered. “I can speak. I’m sore all over, but the throbbing pain seems to have passed, for now. What happened to me?”

  I sat up and peered around Lucas in search of a familiar face though, I had a hard time tearing my eyes away from him. He was still in my personal space but again, I wasn’t going to complain.

  My dad bent down and nudged Lucas out of the way. He held my face with his rough hands.

  “We don’t know, Kali. You were sleeping and then around two o’clock in the morning you started screaming and said it burned. Then you stopped moving and couldn’t talk so we assumed you passed out and we brought you here.” Dad paused and hugged me so hard I thought he might crack a rib. “Jordan carried you through the gateway while you held your book. Your magic unlocking must have been too much for you and your body shut down. You probably aged us a few decades with that scare.”

  “I remember most of that. Why didn’t anyone tell me that the magic being unlocked would be so painful?” I asked.

  “That doesn’t normally happen, so there was no way to warn you.” Jordan said.

  Dad stood back up and reached out his hand to help me stand. My legs were trembling, but at least it didn’t feel like they were being stabbed over and over again anymore. Lucas kept his eyes on me as I got my bearings. I wondered what was wrong with him as his body seemed rigid and his brows furrowed together.

  “Brooks, can I speak with you privately?” Lucas asked.

  As they walked away, I realized my chest still had the same heaviness as it did yesterday. I had hoped that would go away once I got here. Maybe it took some time, I’d have to ask about that later. Right now, I was more curious about why Lucas and my dad had walked out of hearing range. My body had been relaxed when Lucas was hovering over me and now I felt tense again.

  “So, how long was I out and why did Dad and Lucas walk away?” I asked.

  “You were out for almost three hours and I’m not sure why they walked away, though I have an idea. You have no clue how lucky you are, my friend.” Jordan said as she looked toward Lucas and my dad.

  “There is still so much we haven’t told you yet and I wish we had more time, but it seems we don’t.” Mom said. “Guardians have what we call Merakis. They’re like soulmates. Most Guardians find their Meraki when they arrive in Arvata or when the following group of Guardians arrive twenty years later. For some it’s longer and on rare occasions, some don’t ever find their other half.”

  “Okay, so what does that have to do with us right now?” I asked.

  “I believe Lucas may be your Meraki.” Mom answered in a hushed voice. “You won’t know for sure until you read your book. The Fates will confirm who your Meraki is if you’ve met him.”

  I’ve spent my entire life swimming or focused on school and had never thought much about dating. Now I was being told I had a soulmate called a Meraki. I needed to read this damn book and find out what was going on. I didn’t need any more surprises.

  “Where’s my book? Can I open it now and figure out what’s going on? Maybe it will explain why I had so much pain and blacked out.”

  My mom handed me my book. “I think you should wait until you’re settled in your room before you open it. Let’s head home unless you’d like a quick tour of Arvata first?” She asked.

  I turned around in a circle and took in my surroundings. It was even more beautiful than in my dreams, though the colors did seem a little dull like they had the last couple nights. We were standing in front of one of the smaller waterfalls, and there were several more down the way. Now that I knew a little more, I assumed these were all gateways to different parts of the world. I t
urned toward the forest in hopes I could see Arvata Falls and I just barely made out the top of it.

  Then I remembered my spot at the tree and the owl. I turned without saying a word to anyone and starting walking up the hill to see if they were there.

  “Where’re you going?” Jordan asked.

  I turned and saw that everyone was now following me. “I need to see if it’s here.”

  I didn’t want to tell them any more than that in case the tree and owl weren’t real. They might think I was crazy for talking to an owl in my dreams for a year.

  While I wasn’t exactly excited about being here permanently, I couldn’t wait to explore this place more closely considering that was something I couldn’t make myself do during the dreams this last year. First though, I needed to see my tree.

  When we made it up the hill, I could see almost everything in Arvata from here just like in my dreams and then I spotted it. Blue and purple leaves sprouted all over the massive tree and I couldn’t help but run as fast as I could to see it up close.

  I made it to the tree and glanced around. This would only be perfect if I saw my owl. I circled the thick trunk of the tree watching the ground for a feather but couldn’t find one.

  My heart broke. I really wanted him to be real.

  I started to turn around with my shoulders slumped to see everyone else who followed, but then I heard a noise. I looked back and there it was. Falling to the ground was a pure white feather. I reached out and plucked it from the air, then peered up.

  The owl was staring at me from the lowest branch and someone else behind me let out a gasp.

  “It can’t be, is that Strix? He hasn’t been seen in over a thousand years.” Dad said.

  “Strix? That’s his name? He’s been my little buddy in my dreams since they started. This tree was my favorite place to be in my dreams, and he would always leave me a feather on the ground to find.”

  They all looked at me like I was crazy. I was totally not crazy. The same little owl was sitting right there for them to see. Strix then flew down and landed on my arm.

  “He’s claimed you.” Lucas smiled. “Strix will be needed for whatever path has been set for you and he’ll be whatever you need him to be at the time. His magic is even stronger than ours.”

  Strix seemed to nod his agreement. A little weird, but not the weirdest thing to happen in the last twelve hours.

  I lifted my hand and swept it down his back. He was soft as silk and I was so happy he would be staying with me. I peered into his eyes and the depth of knowledge in them was incredible. A shiver went down my body and I felt a connection to him I had never felt before with anyone or anything else.

  “Okay, enough for today.” I said. “I’d really like to go back to bed before anything else crazy happens. Can you guys take me to the house so I can lie down for a while? I think I’ve had enough weird for one day.”

  My mom laughed and agreed. “I think we all have, let’s head home. Lucas, will you be staying on the property?” He nodded and my mom added to me “Lucas is our protector. He’s lived with us for many years and sacrificed much to protect our family. He’s a part of our family and lives on our property most of the time.”

  My heart did a happy dance and I hoped nobody could tell I was more than okay with this. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, but my body and heart seemed to know more than my head did at the moment. I glanced over at Lucas and he had the most intense stare. His eyes started to glow again but just as quick, they were back to normal. Well, that was weird. I’d have to ask Jordan about that later. I needed sleep first.

  We headed toward the house and I couldn’t wait to see our family home. In my dreams, I hadn’t seen much more than the waterfalls, a glimpse of what I assumed was the town and my tree.

  We took a path that led around the gateways and I finally saw the town. I had seen glimpses of buildings in my dream, but I could never tell exactly what they were before. There was a marketplace of sorts in the middle with houses and other buildings surrounding it. We kept to the left and walked by so many amazing things I’d never seen before and didn’t even have names for. Plants of every color imaginable and animals of all different sizes and shapes just roamed around.

  The few people we walked by just stared. I didn’t understand why at first until the last person we passed bowed down and mumbled something, though all I heard was Strix. I forgot he was still on my shoulder since he’d been so quiet. I guess I’d stare too, if I knew exactly what he was.

  We finally arrived at the house. It was a large two-story home, painted green with cream colored trim and burgundy shutters. I instantly fell in love with its homey look. There was such a different feel here than the log house my parents had raised me in.

  I followed my parents inside and was equally impressed by the openness of the house and large staircase leading upstairs.

  “Kali, would you like to sit and talk about anything right now or rest first?” Mom asked.

  “As much as I would love to know more right now, I don’t think I could stay awake. I haven’t had much sleep and whatever happened to me, drained me. If it’d be okay, I’d love to see my room and sleep for a few hours.” It was technically morning but I knew I wouldn’t retain or comprehend anything else they told me at this point.

  “Of course, sweet girl. Let’s head upstairs and I’ll give you a quick tour on the way to your room. We had it all set up a few months ago, in preparation for this day, so you should have everything you need.” We made it upstairs and she continued. “To the left is our room and an office, right here is Jordan’s room, and then a guest room. Your room is at the end of the hallway.” She pointed. “Each room has its own bathroom attached as well so you ladies don’t have to share anymore.” My mom knew how to cheer me up. Having my own bathroom again was a dream come true.

  We entered my room and it was perfect. Just like my room at home, except it had a massive window that looked out at our property. I walked closer to it so I could check out the view. We were on another hill and the view was breathtaking. I could see for miles. I glanced down at our yard and noticed another house close to ours.

  “Is that the guest house?” I asked while pointing down.

  “Yes, that’s where Lucas stays when we’re home. He tries to be close in case we need him. I have a feeling he won’t be going far especially now that you’re here.” Mom smiled.

  I was not ready for that conversation yet. “Later Mom. Let’s deal with it all later, please.”

  “Yes, later. I don’t think you’ll have any choice. I love you sweet girl, and I’m so sorry this hasn’t been easy. We’ll figure it out and when you’re ready to find out what comes next for you, we’ll be there by your side. Get some rest and we’ll talk more later on.” She kissed my head and walked out my door while shutting it behind her.

  I put my hand under Strix’s feet, and he hopped on my fingers. I stared at him, unsure if I was ready for all of this, and I was once again mesmerized by his eyes before I moved him to my bed.

  He found his own spot on my bed and watched me. Oddly enough, it was comforting and not creepy, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. Just a few hours of sleep and then I could try to figure out my new life.

  Chapter Four

  I woke up disoriented. It was really dark out, and I couldn’t remember where I was. I sat up in bed and peered around at the room as everything from yesterday came back to me. I was in Arvata with my family and I had some crazy old magic inside me. Super. Not a bad dream, unfortunately. I had hoped I’d wake up in my own bed back in Portland and that everything since my birthday dinner was a really weird dream. but no such luck.

  I had the sudden urge to get out of bed and look out my window. I lifted the covers and saw that Strix was still hanging out. That was definitely a plus. I got to the window and peeked down toward Lucas’s house. All his lights were out, but then I saw the glow of eyes and knew he was there. I blinked and they were gone.

  There wa
s a soft knock at my door suddenly that made me jump. I had no idea what time it was, but it had to be late based off how dark it was out. Maybe Jordan was checking on me since I slept longer than planned. Much to my surprise when I opened the door, Lucas was standing there instead of Jordan.

  “What? How? You were just down there.” I pointed toward the window. “Well, I think you were down there.” Maybe I was seeing things. Though he was the only one I knew so far with glowing eyes.

  “That was me you saw in the window, I guess your parents haven’t explained much to you yet, have they?” He asked, not accusingly but genuinely curious.

  I walked back into my room and let Lucas come in. I was a little nervous about having him alone in my room when I didn’t know him, but I felt this pull toward him. Something in my heart said I could trust him with anything. I sat on the small couch near the window before answering and Lucas joined me.

  “Well, between the excruciating pain, the blackouts and lack of sleep, there hasn’t really been time. I chose sleep over an explanation this morning, not thinking I would sleep all day, but it doesn’t look like that worked out well for me.” I explained while trying to find a clock in the unfamiliar room. It would’ve been nice to know what time it was.

  “You needed the rest after what your body went through, so it was good you slept so long. You know you have magic now, correct?” I nodded in reply. “Well, with our magic after we’ve gotten used to it, we can appear anywhere just by thinking of the place you want to be. I saw you were finally awake and wanted to come check on you since everyone else is asleep now.”

  More weird stuff, but at least it was really cool weird stuff. There were so many places I wanted to see after college. Maybe I could spend the summer with Jordan just popping in and out of places. Probably not how that particular perk was supposed to be used, but it would be worth asking about.

  “Interesting and good to know. I’ll have to learn how to do that soon. Random question for you, how come your eyes glow sometimes?” That was something I hadn’t seen anyone else’s do yet and thought maybe Lucas was different somehow.