by Amanda Churi
Despite his answer, Kevin remained on edge. Whenever it came to protecting his friends or family, he was very fixed on keeping them out of the line of fire.
“Hey, no need to be worried,” Cecil reassured him. “I was just curious. My lady friend’s one of them too—most of the town is.”
Kevin chuckled nervously, slightly feeling more at ease, regardless that there was no way for him to know if Cecil was telling the truth. “Ha, where is the lucky girl?”
Cecil frowned. “Lord only knows.”
Kevin was about to ask more but then thought better of it. Cecil resumed hammering the logs together, further showing that the conversation was now closed.
“You know…” Kevin began as he passed his new friend yet another nail, “I don’t know anything about you two, but shouldn’t you be happy she’s back? No offense, but you don’t seem that overjoyed.”
Cecil took another swing with the hammer, his last strike the strongest yet. Carefully, he placed the hammer down, turning to Kevin with drooping eyes. “I have my reasons,” he answered stiffly. “Don’t take it the wrong way, but I don’t know much about ya, and ya don’t know much about me. What happened between us is my business.”
Kevin could sense Cecil’s pain. He didn’t know why, but, for some odd reason, this random peasant reminded Kevin a lot of his past-self. His scattered, confused brain, along with his deformed presence, only solidified the connection further.
“I respect that,” Kevin finally replied after letting Cecil dwell in silence. “I’ve had to hold my fair share of secrets—still do, in fact.” He rested a hand on Cecil’s shoulder, giving it a firm shake so that the young man met his strong gaze. “I won’t go prying into your personal life, but if you want to tell me something, I’m a good listener.”
Cecil rolled his eyes, scoffing whimsically as he pushed Kevin’s hand away. “Don’t ya go gettin’ all touchy-feely on me,” he chortled. “Thanks for yar condolences, but I’ll be fine. Just… Awkward havin’ her back.”
Kevin nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it takes some getting used to.”
Cecil didn’t answer right away, his eyes traveling across the ground unsurely as he peered through the gaps in his roof. “Kevin, do yall have anywhere to stay?”
The question surprised him. “Uhm, no, we don’t.”
Cecil closed his eyes as a faint smile betook his lips. “Well, if ya’ve got a Returned with ya, even if ya ain’t from here, I’m sure the tavern will take ya in.”
Kevin held a hand out in front of him, shaking his head dismissively. “That’s a very kind offer, but we’re broke at the moment.”
“Ya don’t need money,” Cecil told him. “Anyone who bears a relationship to a Returned is allowed to stay there as long as needed; that’s where I’ve been stayin’ the past month.”
Even though it was a nice proposition, Kevin was doubtful. Lucy’s presence didn’t concern him since there were many Returned wandering about—Daisy’s did. With her being of magical origin, she would be persecuted without question if someone found out; the smallest slip up would spell tragedy. She still struggled to control her powers, both on a small and large scale. Often, Kevin would check on her in the middle of the night, only to find her phasing with each breath she took in slumber—not to mention the insane power that she displayed last night. A social life was just something too risky for an unstable being like Daisy to have.
“I think I’ll decline,” Kevin refused politely.
Cecil seemed disappointed. “Ya sure? Ya don’t get too much food and all, but it’s better than starvin’; besides, with the weather gettin’ this nippy, animals are hungry, and ya could easily catch a cold if they don’t catch ya as a snack first.”
“Cecil…” Kevin tried again, beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Please respect my decision.”
Cecil stared at him for a moment, crooking his mouth to the side in distaste. “If that’s what ya want, then I digress.”
Kevin gave him a slight bow. “Thank you, though—and I’m happy I could be of what little help I was today. However, I should be getting back to my family; they don’t know I wandered off.”
It was hard, but Cecil forced himself to smile. “Alright,” he said, grabbing the hammer once more. “See ya around; thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.” Kevin got to his feet and placed the nails down, making his way over to and down the ladder. He felt somewhat guilty, but he tried to dismiss those petty emotions. Sure, creating friends while he was here was something he should prioritize, but not to the point that it compromised his family’s safety. Daisy was vulnerable from every corner since she was a sorceress, and he had just gotten the love of his life back. He refused to risk losing either of them.
Kevin approached Tripp, the horse neighing in pleasure and flipping his mane upon reuniting with a familiar face. Kevin smiled, gently stroking his back before casting a wary glance over at the packs resting on Tripp’s rump, making sure they had not been tampered with. Many important possessions lay beneath the fabric, concealed from the world on purpose: some vials with magical contents, spell books, the remnants of Calla’s staff, and, of course, the Sword of Maeve. If any saw them, his cover would be blown in the blink of an eye.
“Come on,” Kevin said lightly, untying Tripp’s lead before turning away from Cecil’s home and beginning to walk down the street. He hadn’t taken more than two steps before he stopped in his tracks.
Through the bustling crowd of commoners, a pair of eyes glared at him from afar—a pair of dull, helpless gray eyes stuck on a pale, famished face.
Kevin’s heart stuttered, and when he blinked, she was gone. The air escaped his chest in one large gasp, his worst fears taking hold.
He didn’t see her again; he wasn’t even sure if Tah had actually been there or if he had simply been hallucinating, but the frightful image reminded him of something very important that he should not take for granted.
Reeve and Tah were still out there—two beings who thirsted for the blood of the innocent and would stop at nothing to achieve that. Kevin and his family were the only ones who knew of them; furthermore, Kevin could end the spirit with the legendary sword, and Daisy could with her powerful magic if used correctly.
The evil duo would want them more than anyone else; if Kevin did not stay on his toes at all times, they could very easily catch them off guard and get their wish without much opposition.
“Ya ok?” Cecil called out in concern, Kevin hesitantly turning to look at him. Cecil watched him from atop the roof, his sharp green eyes flickering in suspicion. “Ya look like ya’ve done seen a ghost.”
Kevin swallowed heavily, casting a wary glance over his shoulder to make sure that the devious child did not sneak up on him. “You know what, Cecil? I think I’ll take you up on your offer.”
Cecil brightened. “Finally come to yar senses, eh?”
Kevin was still a moment more before nodding. He knew the risks of being around others, but he knew the dangers of being caught out all the more.
“Yeah,” Kevin gasped, keeping his eyes locked on the pocket of air where Tah’s small, vengeful body had stood. “I have.”
Three
A Dark Paradise
I don’t know how long we ran for—it seemed like forever.
Hardly a day in this foreign world and we had seen next to nothing. While we ran and tried to put as much distance between the man that I killed and ourselves, the only area that we covered for miles was empty space—a landmass that looked the same everywhere we went—nothing but dry, frozen soil, and cold air that chilled us to the bone. There was no sun to guide us; eventually, the sky darkened and plunged the world into a night without the slightest trace of a moon or stars. The temperatures only became more drastic; we could hardly feel our fingers and toes, becoming embodiments of ice itself.
We walked on, though—we forced ourselves to. The only light that we had to carry us through was Coruscus. I stayed at the front of the group as we
groggily trekked through the barren wasteland, holding Coruscus out in front of me like a flashlight.
Laelia and Griffin walked beside one another, huddled close under a thin blanket as they pushed each other to continue on. Mabel walked next to me, our arms interlocked at the elbow as we kept watch for anything suspicious. She was amazingly warm—not even slightly chilled despite the fact that she only wore a thin white dress. I guess that despite the fact that the transfer of powers between her and Maeve had not been completed, even here, she still had access to some sort of magic, and right now, her being a mobile heater was one of the best gifts that we could have been given.
The only sound as we walked on was the crunch of our bare feet against the frozen soil; there was still no wind and, furthermore, no noise of any sort—not that there would be anything to make noise, though, since everything that we found was dead…
“T-this isn’t natural,” Laelia shivered, her teeth chattering uncontrollably as she squeezed Griffin tighter for warmth. “The whole world can’t be like this. H-how would anybody live?”
“I don’t think that man was exactly alive,” I mumbled bitterly. “No one can control electricity like that; the Nobles couldn’t even do it.”
“Well, even if he wasn’t alive,” Laelia rounded sharply, “something made him. So there has to be something out there, right?”
Nobody answered. What she said made sense, but none of us had the energy to ponder on it further. We had been walking for hours, and we hadn’t seen anything that gave us the slightest impression that there was anything in this world with a beating heart besides ourselves.
“So, what do we do?” Griffin wondered tiredly. “We can’t just keep walking.”
“Right now, we need to,” Mabel said promptly, determination taking hold of her. “You’re freezing; if you stop moving and decide to sleep, you’ll never wake up. We have to keep going until day.”
“You’ve always been stupidly persistent,” Griffin mumbled distastefully.
Mabel stopped in her tracks, and warily, I cast a side glance at her, unable to ignore the exasperation on her face as the light from Coruscus illuminated her skin but darkened her usually iridescent eyes. She took a deep breath, turning around to face Griffin and daring him to challenge her again. “We either keep going, or we die.”
“My freaking nub is growing icicles for goodness sake!” he snapped angrily. “We need a break!”
Mabel smiled as she turned her back on Griffin, who didn’t try to hide his disbelief. “Well, what better way to melt the ice on your arm than for us to keep moving and get that blood pumping, hm?”
“You’re insane,” he scoffed, averting his eyes from Mabel before he said something he later regretted.
“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s often the crazy ones who make something of themselves,” she jeered smugly, holding her head high and continuing to walk forward into the darkness. I hung back for a moment, watching the blackness enclose around her. She was right about that, but from what I had seen, they were never remembered for good things.
I told myself to ignore her cockiness, pushing Griffin’s groans and complaints out of my head as I caught up to Mabel. I immediately stretched Coruscus out as far in front of me as I could manage; my eyes urgently scanned the environment for any hazards that Mabel might have almost walked into when she strayed from the light.
I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t like I was in charge of her, and despite the fact that she wasn’t always on point with common sense, when it came to survival of the fittest, she would be the last standing. Still, Griffin was right; we couldn’t keep walking forever.
“Something on your mind, Eero?” Mabel asked innocently, though her hardened eyes remained fixed on our unknown destination ahead.
My heart jolted with surprise when I realized that she had caught onto my uneasiness. “Uh…” I dragged awkwardly. “I’m kind of siding with Griffin…”
She snapped her head towards me, and I took a deep breath, preparing for her outburst. Her eyes were confused as they reflected the quickly dimming light of Coruscus, truly curious as to why I said what I did. “Explain,” she prompted monotonically.
“We do need to rest,” I answered with a tired sigh. “We haven’t had anything to eat or drink since Phantome, and we’ve been on the move non-stop. I know you are hungry too, but at least you can tolerate the cold. We can’t keep walking. Look at Laelia; she looks like she is about to drop dead any—”
“When we find shelter, we will rest,” Mabel growled angrily, the hostility of her voice ending the argument. “Not until then. I don’t trust this world, and I’m not about to put my life on the line just because all of you are too famished to go on.”
My senses were on guard immediately. Something was wrong. Mabel could be a bit rude at times, but she was more playful and happy than anything; she was speaking with such a sharp tongue that it made me feel like I was talking to Laelia.
“Mabel…” I began slowly, reaching out to her with a hand, both hurt and surprised when she yanked her arm away.
Mabel clutched her arm protectively. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, rubbing her skin anxiously as she turned her gaze to her hand. “I don’t know; I’m just a bit on edge is all. I don’t like it here, Eero. I want to go back to Phantome.” She looked back at me, her eyes rigid with resentment. “You promised the future would be great… It’s the only reason I decided to listen to you instead of my gut.”
I sighed in defeat. “I know… But believe me; I really didn’t know that we would wind up here. If I had, I wouldn’t have tried to go back.”
“Yeah,” she agreed quietly. “Me neither.”
I was silent, trying to read her face. She didn’t want to come here at all… I pushed her to. “Are you mad at me…?”
She sighed. “No, I’m not. You couldn’t have known that the time-travel would go wrong. Just…” Her voice trailed off as she raised her head, her usually bright eyes and shining spirit now dull. “I feel so alone,” she whispered, her voice cracking with pain. “Everything is dead and cold… Where’s the sun and moon? Where’s the wind and forests? Where is life?”
My heart filled with remorse. I doubted that Mabel had ever seen anything so depressing; she was a ray of sunshine, but when the clouds took over, she had a hard time trying to fight the darkness.
“Once the dark gets a taste for the light, it never wants to stop feeding,” she mumbled ominously. “We’re a symbol of light; aren’t you afraid that we will be the next to go?”
She lost me. “What do you mean?”
“Laelia and Griffin fight for good, sure, but you and I have a connection to magic—both the good and bad. If there’s anything supernatural-like here, they will sense that.” She hung her head. “Something very evil reigns here… It found everyone else in this wasteland, and it will try to find and consume us next. The darkness won’t stop until anything that won’t submit to it is dead.”
I wanted to fight her words, but upon hearing all that she had to say, my worries were getting the best of me. She was right; even if I possessed an Essence, which was evil considering its origin, it was still a form of magic that both Azuré and Kevin said could be used in many ways. Her worries were real; we could possibly be the biggest targets of any right now.
I was still contemplating what Mabel said, giving her powerful words an immense amount of thought, when suddenly, there was a loud thud followed by a squeal of pain. I snapped my head up just in time to see Mabel fall to the ground on her backside, her nose turning red as her skin alit with pain.
My eyes locked onto the dark entity that Mabel accidentally found with her face. No matter how distorted or twisted its image was, I could not ignore the small twinge of happiness inside of me, Coruscus shining brighter and illuminating the object all the further.
The tree was humongous; I couldn’t approximate the height of it because Coruscus’ light only extended so far up, but from what I
could make out, it was well over fifteen feet—no doubt much taller since the trunk was wider than two of me put together. The bark was black and rough, fragments of frost sticking out from its interior and sealing the entire vessel in a sheet of thick, dull gray ice. The large branches overhead were cracked and wrung, holding onto the trunk by a thin strand of frozen bark. There were no leaves present on the branches; the thin twigs and greenery that once swayed in a long forgotten wind lay beneath my feet, frozen and compressed into the earth.
“That’s… A tree?” Mabel asked unsurely, carefully standing up.
“It’s completely frozen,” Griffin observed as he and Laelia came up behind us.
I looked away from the tree, swinging Coruscus out in front of me. Mabel had found the edge of a forest. Trees just like the first swamped the land in front of us, their frozen trunks so close together that one could hardly squeeze a body through the cracks. A path leading into the petrified forest lie ahead, cleared out and littered with frozen leaves and bracken. The dead trees hung their bare branches over the path like an entryway. Small twigs were suspended by ice, and they fell from the ceiling like wind chimes, their mysterious aura trying to tempt us into exploring the unknown.
“It’s all frozen,” I restated dryly.
Laelia sighed, trembling from the frigid temperature. “Well, it’s better than nothing.”
Mabel’s eyes widened. “What?!” she exclaimed. “Are you not seeing this place clearly? It has evil written all over it! We keep moving!”
“This whole world is evil!” Laelia retorted angrily. “You said that when we found shelter, we could rest! There’s a whole forest right there!”
“Laelia, please! Can’t we stop somewhere else? Who knows what’s in there!”