To the Falls

by Heather Renee

  “Thank you all for joining us today,” Mathias said as he stepped forward. “First, we will announce Abram’s punishment for his betrayal of our people and then, as most of you have heard, we have news from the Fates. Please bring Abram forward.”

  The guards dragged him forward and stood him before the Elders. Abram wasn’t moving at all and I wondered if he was even conscious.

  “Abram Joseph Abbott, you are called upon by your Elders to face punishment for your crimes against Arvata,” Mathias said. “Do you wish to say anything before we begin?”

  I saw the slightest shake of his head and then Mathias continued.

  “Very well. We, the Elders, have chosen your punishment. You will have the chance to live another life if you can survive a cleansing. We will strip you of all magic and memories while replacing those memories with human ones. You will live out the remainder of your life on Earth with no memory of Arvata or magic. If you do not survive the cleansing, then you will cease to exist. Which outcome you will experience is up to you.”

  The seven Elders surrounded Abram and each laid a hand on him. I heard them mumbling something and soon saw the mist of magic. It surrounded Abram and seeped into his skin. His head jerked back and his face contorted in pain. His skin turned gray and looked like it was cracking just as Damien’s had at the Falls. He let out a scream of agony as the Elders continued their cleansing.

  I thought for sure he was going to turn to dust at any moment, but then his body slumped to the side and his skin slowly went back to normal. Abram laid there motionless while the Elders still hovered over him. His body shook a few more times and then it was done. Just like that, Abram had survived the cleansing.

  The Elders stepped away from him and the guards picked him up once more and walked out. Strix followed behind Abram again. He would stay with Abram until he made his journey to Earth and started his new life.

  “Abram will be sent to Earth now,” Mathias said. “His location will not be disclosed and should you ever see him again on Earth, you are not to acknowledge him. To do so would be a crime against Arvata and would result in punishment.”

  Mathias stopped for a moment and let that sink in. I hoped they put him in Antarctica so we never had a chance to see him again. He deserved to live somewhere very cold.

  “We have spoken with the Fates and decided the best option for Arvata and our people would be to train new Elders. The seven of us will still be Elders for the next year until those chosen are ready.”

  There were murmurs all around and Mathias waited until everyone quieted before continuing.

  “The eight new Elders are as follows: Kaliah Atwater, Lucas Evans, Jordan Baker, Kane Wilson, Tiana Novak, Oliver Henderson, Lela Williams and Ryan White. They will begin training within the week. We welcome anyone to come to us and ask questions, but that is all for today. Thank you for joining us and we shall see you all soon.”

  With that, Mathis led the other Elders out of the room and mumblings could be heard throughout the room. People turned in their seats to try to find one or maybe all of us. Their stares were starting to make me feel uncomfortable and I was ready to leave.

  “Can we leave now?” I asked. “The people staring are creeping me out.”

  “I agree,” Dad said. “Let’s get you two out of here and head back to the house.”

  This was when I most appreciated porting, because just like that, we were back at my parents and away from the nosey people. As we were walking inside, I heard someone call my name and we all turned around.

  “Lorelle,” I said with a huge smile. “I’m so glad you came to visit. I was going to come visit you tomorrow.”

  I couldn’t wait to talk with her about my Arelia powers and start learning more.

  “Kaliah, I’m glad I caught you,” She said with a tired face. “I must leave Arvata for a while and wanted to apologize personally. As soon as I am back, I will work with you and answer any questions you have about being the Arelia, but I don’t have time now.”

  “Where are you going?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine. I just need to go check some things out. I’m sure it’s nothing, but while I’m gone, work with Strix. He’ll be able to teach you many things about your ancestors and powers,” Lorelle said. “Also, make sure to go over the memories you received. Find a way to access them quickly when you need to.”

  “I can do that,” I nodded. “Have a safe trip and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.”

  “Just work with Strix and I will be back as soon as I can,” Lorelle said quickly before porting away.

  “That was odd. What do you think that was about?” I asked the three of them.

  “She must have received a task from the Fates that she couldn’t disclose until she verified it,” Lucas said. “That happens from time to time and even the Elders are unaware of what’s happening. If it’s important, we will know sooner or later.”

  “Lorelle is an amazing healer and magic user. You’ll find she can be very important to you as an Elder. It’s good she has taken an interest in you,” My dad said.

  I couldn’t wait to get to know her better. I hoped she wouldn’t be gone long.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Is there a party going on out here that we didn’t get invited to?” Jordan asked as she and Kane walked up.

  “I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance,” I said. “Where have you two been?”

  Jordan smiled up at Kane and he nodded to her. Then Jordan held out her left hand and shrieked. There was a beautiful emerald-cut diamond ring on her left ring finger.

  “We’re making it official,” she squealed.

  “That’s fantastic, I’m so happy for you both!” I exclaimed as I gave her a big hug.

  “Come on ladies, let’s go upstairs,” Jordan said. “We have a bonding ceremony to plan.”

  My best friend was grinning from ear to ear. I’d never seen her smile bigger the entire time I’d known her.

  “We will be back, boys,” Mom said. “Don’t get into any trouble while we’re upstairs.”

  I gave Lucas a quick kiss and headed upstairs. Hopefully the boys would behave themselves while we started the wedding plans.

  We settled in my room and my mom had grabbed the laptop from her office. Apparently, we had some source of internet here that someone had created with a connection to Earth.

  “How did he propose?” I asked.

  “When we got back to the house, Kane told me to go upstairs to take a bath and relax,” Jordan sighed at the memory. “When I came downstairs an hour later, he had food on the table, candles surrounding the room, and was on one knee with a ring in his hand.”

  Kane had officially made Jordan swoon. She was on cloud nine and I couldn’t be happier for her. I grabbed her hand and admired the ring again. The diamond was surrounded by smaller emerald-colored stones that matched Jordan’s eyes perfectly, set in a white gold band.

  “Very romantic,” Mom said. “Now, let’s get to planning. Do you have a date picked out yet?”

  “As soon as possible,” Jordan glowed with joy. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

  We dove right in with planning and within thirty minutes, we had decorations ordered, a place in Arvata reserved on the earliest day possible, and a honeymoon booked. When Jordan wanted something, she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her from making it happen.

  As we headed downstairs, I hoped the boys were still in one piece and that my dad had behaved himself. Jordan led the way as she practically skipped to Kane.

  “June 28th,” Jordan announced. “Don’t make any plans for that day or the week after that. We’ll have our ceremony and then go to Bora Bora for a week.” Jordan glanced up at Kane. “What do you think?”

  “You ladies already planned all of that?” Kane asked astounded. “That’s only a month away.”

  “Do you doubt that I can make our bonding ceremony special and plan a hone
ymoon in only thirty days?” Jordan asked with both hands on her hips.

  “No babe, that isn’t what I meant.” Kane reached and caressed Jordan’s face. “I just don’t want you to be stressed trying to plan something so soon. I know you can do it, but if it was easier to wait a little longer and you’d be happier, that’d be okay too.”

  Nice save, Kane. He really was the perfect Meraki for her.

  “I’ll be happier when we’re in Bora Bora,” Jordan pouted. “So, the sooner, the better.”

  Planning Jordan’s ceremony and honeymoon made me almost want to take back what I had said about wanting to wait to be officially bonded with Lucas. Almost. I knew myself though, and this was not something I wanted to rush into, no matter how certain I was that I loved him already.

  I walked closer to Lucas and snuggled into him. As he wrapped his arms around me, my whole body shivered in contentment.

  “It’s going to be fantastic, Jordan,” I said. “You’re going to make a wonderful bride.”

  “Thank you,” Jordan’s cheeks tinted red. “You’ll make an equally fantastic Maid of Honor. Ladies, I thank you for your help. Can we meet again later this week to finalize some more things?”

  “Of course dear, come over anytime you’d like,” Mom said. “We will always make time for something as important as this.”

  Jordan walked over to my mom and gave her a hug. I saw the shimmer of a tear escaping when Jordan pulled back. As they said their goodbyes and left, the tension came back to the room. Hopefully, this would be temporary.

  “Did you boys behave down here while we were upstairs?” I asked with a pointed look to my father.

  “Don’t I always behave, baby girl?”

  “No, you don’t, but everyone was still in one piece when we came down, so at least you were civil with each other,” I said.

  “What are you two up to for the rest of the day?” Mom asked to change the subject.

  My mom was always good at defusing situations and I was never more thankful for that than now.

  “I thought about taking Kali to some more places around Arvata that she hasn’t seen yet,” Lucas said. “Then grabbing some dinner if that is okay with you guys.”

  “If that is okay with them?” I huffed. “You’re talking about me like I’m not even here and have no say. Lucas, I know you’re only doing so because you feel like you’re on thin ice with my dad, but you don’t have to.”

  This nonsense needed to stop and it needed to stop right now. I turned to my dad with narrowed eyes.

  “Daddy, I love you. I will always be your baby girl and I love that you care enough to be protective, but you know Lucas,” I said. “Don’t be so worried about all of this that you push us away. I will not be okay with Lucas feeling like he has to ask for permission from you guys to do anything other than marry me.”

  My dad’s stormy gray eyes went large in surprise from my outburst. I felt a little bad, but it had to be said before I went crazy.

  “I’m sorry Kaliah. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Dad said. “I love you and that is the last thing I would want. I do know Lucas and I’m happy he is your Meraki. I’ll be less protective of you, I promise. Just remember to take it easy on me when I forget. You’re my only daughter and it’s my right to be protective every so often.”

  My dad said that last part with a wink and I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my face. Everything was going to be okay. I turned around and pulled Lucas closer.

  “Now Lucas, would you like to tell my parents the plans you have for us again?” I said.

  “Yes, dear.” Lucas just shook his head and laughed “We’re going to explore some new places around here that Kali hasn’t seen and then have dinner. I’ll let Kali decide what else she’d like to do.”

  “Much better,” I said with a kiss to his cheek. “Mom, Dad, we will see you later. Don’t wait up for me, but I will be home tonight.”

  My earlier happiness and excitement was slowly burning out. I was now realizing how much we had to do. Between Jordan’s wedding, training with the Elders, and trying to figure out what came next, I was slowly becoming exhausted all over again. I let a deep sigh as we walked outside.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” Lucas asked me.

  “I’m getting a little overwhelmed. With Jordan arriving with news of her engagement, we didn’t really talk about what the Elders said.” I rubbed my hands over my face and took another deep breath. “I was hoping for time to relax and get to know you better, but now we will be busy training and I’ll need to help Jordan in my spare time.”

  “Try not to stress,” Lucas tilted my chin so I’d look at him. “I’ll take you somewhere to help get your mind off everything.”

  I nodded and Lucas grabbed my hand so we could port to where he was taking me. As much as I wasn’t fond of surprises, I was a little excited to see where he was taking us. Hopefully, we didn’t have to be around people, though. I wanted more time with just him.

  We arrived at the spot moments later and I was in awe. “Where is this place?” I asked.

  “It’s outside of town a couple miles,” Lucas said. “I usually come here when I need to relax so I thought it might help you.”

  “It’s gorgeous here,” I whispered.

  We were surrounded by several dark pools of water that sat within the rocks. Steam rose from the water and I knew these were hot springs. We had several of them near Portland, but they couldn’t compare to the beauty here.

  Tall, thick trees surrounded the hot springs and made a wall, so it was like we weren’t even in Arvata anymore. I turned in a circle and myself savor the peacefulness I felt here. The water called to me and I wanted nothing more than to be immersed in it.

  “Can we get in the water?”

  “I didn’t think about getting in the water,” Lucas said. “Let’s port back home and grab some suits really quick.”

  “There’s no difference in our suits than our underwear and nobody is here,” I said. “Plus, I can pull the water out of our clothes when we’re all done.”

  Lucas’s face lost some color and he swallowed a few times before he recovered. I was making the poor guy nervous. I smiled at him, waiting for a response.

  “Are you sure?” He finally asked.

  Instead of answering him, I started to remove my clothes. Lucas silently started doing the same and I hopped in the water. Water energy clung to me like a second skin. I was in heaven right now.

  Lucas got in and sat across from me. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. I doubted he was going to come near me with so little clothes on, so I decided to have some fun with the water.

  I called to the water and had it swirl around Lucas. At first, he didn’t budge, but then I made a hand shape from the water and let it slide down his chest. Lucas’s eyes flew open, but he relaxed a little when he realized what I had done. I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.

  “Enjoying yourself?” He raised his eyebrow at me.

  “I am, thank you for asking,” I said innocently. “Didn’t mean to distract you.”

  “You do realize that you left me alone with your dad and that deserves some payback, right?”

  “I didn’t leave you alone. Kane was there and we were upstairs. You were perfectly safe.”

  “Not exactly,” he huffed. “Since I did bring you here to relax, I won’t exact my revenge yet. I’ll let you wonder when I might do it instead.”

  I ignored his last comment and went back to creating different things in the water. Water was amazing. I don’t think I had ever been so relaxed in my life. I didn’t want to get out, but my stomach kept growling loudly and Lucas declared it was time for dinner when he couldn’t stand the noises any longer.

  We walked back to town instead of porting so I would know where the hot springs were in the future. I preferred walking anyway. There was so much to see in Arvata, and I had no desire to just appear wherever we needed to be and miss out on everything else that was along the way.
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  I heard a rustling in the dense bushes we walked by and looked at Lucas.

  “Did you hear that?” I whispered.

  “Hear what?” He asked.

  As soon as he said that, there was a growling noise coming from the bushes as well.

  “That,” I screeched. “Did you hear that growling?”

  “Probably just a hungry animal,” Lucas said nonchalantly. “Nothing to worry about.”

  As I looked back at the bushes, the growling got louder and the bushes started to shake.

  “Seriously?” I grabbed on tightly to his hand. “Are you sure it’s nothing to worry about?”

  “Normally it’s nothing, but I’ll check it out just in case.”

  Lucas walked over to the bushes silently and the noises kept coming. He still didn’t seem too worried, but I was freaking out. He leaned over and parted the bushes, but then fell halfway into them.

  “Lucas!” I screamed. “Are you okay?”

  Cheese and rice, what was I supposed to do if some animal just attacked him?

  His body started to shake and I ran over to him, not exactly sure what I could do to help. I grabbed his feet, pulled him out from the bushes, and flipped him over.

  He was laughing and holding some sort of small cat in his arms. He was in so much trouble.

  “Why are you laughing?” I growled out. “I thought something attacked you.”

  “This little guy wouldn’t hurt a fly, but they are very loud when they want to play. Kali meet a chincatta.” A devious smirk appeared on his face. “They’re very small and soft, but extremely playful. By the way, if you didn’t catch on yet, that was your payback.”

  “You thought it would be funny to trick me into thinking some wild animal was attacking you?” I pouted. “Not nice.”

  “Oh, don’t pout, you know it’s funny,” He teased. “Plus, you get to meet one of these creatures.” Lucas held the animal out to me. “Want to hold him?”

  The animal was truly adorable. He had large round eyes and curved ears on the top of his head, four short, stubby legs, and a long fluffy tail. Short, hazel hair covered his body and when Lucas handed him to me, I instantly fell in love.