Fathom

by Ashley L. Knight

  “Get it done then? Did you kill him?”

  His question left a bad taste in my mouth and I scowled.

  “Where’s Thayde?” I ignored his question and Aletheia pointed to the library.

  He was sitting backward on a wooden chair, his arms crossed over the back, his head resting on them. His shoulders rose and fell with his breathing. I made my way to his side and knelt beside him. His eyes were rimmed in red.

  “Thayde?”

  At the mention of his name, his head snapped up. For a moment, he just stared, a shocked look on his face until a huge breath of relief poured from him and he nearly fell from his chair.

  “I thought you were dead!” he cried, as he pulled me into a weak hug. I could feel the bones in his back through his thin shirt.

  “Why?”

  “I can’t feel you anymore.”

  “What?”

  “I thought that only happened when the other dies. I was so sure you were gone.” Pulling away from me, he touched my face as if to make sure I were real. “Baby, I couldn’t live without you!”

  I took his bony hand in mine, squeezing it and kissed the tips of his fingers. “Nor I without you.”

  We held each other for a few minutes, feeling the warmth of our skin touching and listened to our breathing. A red glow began to form around us and it tingled my skin as it touched me. Thayde’s eyes grew larger, his face just centimeters from mine.

  “Something’s changed in you - your glow is red now.”

  “I started speaking Sanserian and Tammer said I mentioned something about The Blessing being completed.”

  “You passed the test then.” His tone was proud.

  “I wish you would have told me there was one.”

  “Nobody could have told you that. It would have interfered with everything. We weren’t allowed.”

  I understood – messing around with The Link was not permitted.

  “Did Naira stay with you the whole time?”

  Thayde nodded. “She was very calming - a sweet little girl. But when I felt you separate from me – when I thought you had died - she couldn’t handle the emotions and had to leave. I appreciate what she tried to do, though. She’s very strong for her age.”

  “Naira cares about everyone,” I added, “even a mythical beast in the middle of the lake.”

  “Yes, she told me all about Sharlie.” Thayde squeezed me again. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  The red glow didn’t leave us, even when Mom and Tammer entered the room. Mom stared in awe, her arm dropping from around Tammer’s waist.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “You’re healing him!” She said, barely above a whisper.

  I hadn’t even considered trying that yet. I knew it had to be done, but at the moment, I just wanted to hold Thayde, to love him. We gazed at each other as if seeing each other for the first time. There was nowhere else I wanted to be at that very moment. I wanted so much to know how he felt.

  Carefully, I allowed myself to look into him – to search for the love he held for me. It flew forth, encasing me in its power. The enormity of it was overpowering and I cried. He loved me just as much as I loved him. This was my soul mate, my husband, the love of my life. If given the choice, I would have stayed this way forever, but I moved from his arms so I could get a better look at him. I watched the red glow linger around Thayde before it finally disappeared. All the while, Thayde’s gaze never left mine.

  Mom lay her hands on hiss slim shoulders, closing her eyes. “You removed The Shadow from him.” There was hope in her eyes as she looked at each of us. “He’s not good as new, but he’ll start recovering right away.”

  “Tammer.” Aletheia’s voice made all of us look to her. She stood uneasily in the doorway, one hand against the archway as if she couldn’t stand without it. It was the first time they’d seen each other since Reyes Dartmoth’s death.

  “Hi sis,” Tammer looked equally nervous. “How are you?”

  “I’m alive,” she answered, a slight edge to her tone. “We should talk.”

  “Yeah,” He let go of Elan’s hand and followed his older sister from the library.

  “Are they going to be all right?” I asked as Mom who was watching them leave.

  “I think they will. Time heals all wounds.”

  “Even when a cord is severed?”

  Mom looked sad, as if she were contemplating what it might feel like to lose Tammer. “It takes longer than normal, but yes, it is possible.”

  Aletheia and Tammer were gone for a few hours. During that time, Thayde and I held one another on the couch in the library, wrapped in a soft blanket, and watched the ducks and geese assemble on the edge of the lake. Words couldn’t take the place of our feelings and we basked in the red glow that surrounded us – almost speaking telepathically to each other. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. My heart felt filled to the brim with love and hope.

  When they returned, Aletheia and Tammer were still talking and it appeared they had patched up the rift that had grown between them as best they could. There would always be a scar in their relationship, but with it closed, they could start to heal as well.

  After filling up on a delicious dinner of grilled salmon and fresh salad, everyone decided to make it a movie night. It was unanimously agreed that the Star Wars Trilogy would be the movies for the night. It felt the way it had during those months before we moved to New York. It was just family living together in harmony and peace – even with Lars and Jacob there. It was perfect.

  Thayde and I remained huddled under a mammoth-like blanket, our fingers intertwined, our heads resting together. The night flew by and halfway through The Return of the Jedi, I glanced at Thayde whose head had fallen back against the couch. His dark hair fell away from his gaunt face and I resisted the urge to brush the back of my hand against his cheek.

  “He’s got to heal, Morgandy, and sleep is the best way.” Mom said in a hushed tone. “He’ll heal faster now that you’ve started it but he won’t be himself for a while.” Mom shifted Naira who had been asleep in her lap since the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. “I think all of us better get a good night’s sleep and see what tomorrow brings.”

  She was right. Aletheia and Lars said goodnight, retreating to their rooms upstairs. Jacob was practically snoring in the leather recliner across from where Thayde and I lay, encased in a flowery blanket that just looked ridiculous. Mom and Tammer each kissed me on the cheek before taking the stairs to the master bedroom. They made their way along the banister overlooking the living room, Tammer kissing Mom’s neck while she tried not to giggle and wake Naira. They were so happy to be together again.

  There was no way I was going to be able to move Thayde, so I curled my legs up and leaned against his chest. How long would this feeling of contentment last? I prayed it would last for at least a little while longer. The last part of the film I remembered was Han Solo kissing Princess Leia.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Realization

  We had two days of perfection. That was it. Then the voice returned. This time, instead of being afraid, I was angered. I was sick of whatever it was – I just wanted it to stop. If I was still hearing the voice, how strong was I really? Was the voice mine? Would it forever be in my head, like I was psycho or something? Is that what everyone hears when they doubt themselves?

  I dressed in some pink sweatpants and pulled on a pair of forest green rain boots. I didn’t bother running a brush through my hair and I certainly didn’t look in the mirror – I knew I looked like something the cat dragged in. I needed to get out, get away, and focus on what was going on.

  The lake called to me and I made my way down to the boulders where Naira and Sharlie regularly met. Leaning against an enormous boulder, I tucked my knees under my chin and stared across the lake. The trees were already glistening in gold and ruby red. McCall was going to have an Indian Summer.

  “You are not The Link.” The voice suddenly re
sounded in my mind.

  This voice couldn’t be from me. Why would I doubt myself? I knew I was The Link.

  My mind raced with questions. The answer was sitting just within my reach, yet I couldn’t touch it. Who would have the power to do this? Once I received The Blessing, it was virtually impossible to control or kill me. Who would have the audacity? Who would wish me dead? Someone who was very confident in himself. Someone who had the patience to wait things out. Someone who wanted the power. Someone who felt it was his God-given right.

  “Why do you say I’m not The Link?” I asked out loud, feeling a bit stupid.

  “You’ve never been The Link. You are nobody.

  “Who are you?” I asked.

  “I am The Link.”

  “You’re wrong,” I said firmly, “and I know you’re wrong because if you were The Link, you wouldn’t waste your time doing this.

  I waited for it to answer and when it didn’t, I nearly laughed.

  “Who are you?” I repeated, but my only answer was the sound of the early autumn wind as it swept between the rocks.

  The answer hit me like a ton of bricks, making me sit bolt upright. It was simple: it was Herra. She was the one who was always behind the scenes, feeling things out, watching how the situations went. How ludicrous to not have realized sooner. She was ‘engineered’ to be The Link before she was born. Limus must have realized she was the one who had all the brains from early on. Akin was strong, but he was nowhere near as intelligent as Herra; he was all action. Herra was always quiet and observant.

  “Morgan?” Tammer’s worried voice snapped me back to reality. “What’s going on?” He stood on the rocks above me, bundled in a fire engine red blanket, his hair equally as ludicrous. “What are you doing out here?”

  “It’s Herra,” My voice was firm and loud. It seemed to echo across the lake.

  “Herra?”

  “It wasn’t Limus who did all this. It was Herra.”

  “That’s impossible,” he shook his head as if trying to clear a bad thought.

  “Think about it. She’s always been on the edge of everything, watching, waiting. Akin has been doing her dirty work for her from the very beginning. She’s the brains, he’s the brawn. You couldn’t find Akin and Herra when you tracked Limus down and his memory was wiped clean of the events that took place. All that was left was his hatred for Thayde. He brought Herra up believing she’d be The Link. When the powers were given to me, we didn’t see her again. She’s playing it safe.”

  Tammer looked as if he’d been slapped across the face.

  “I know it’s Herra. We’re going to have to find her if we truly want to put an end to all this.”

  “Well done.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Tammer looked at me oddly. “What?”

  “Why’d you say well done?”

  “I didn’t.

  I jumped to my feet. It was the same voice I’d always heard; the same voice that had made me doubt myself all this time. I knew it was Herra.

  “You’ll never find me.” She began to laugh and it reminded me of the laugh I heard in my dream when I found Thayde on the beach and couldn’t bring him home. It faded away until she was completely gone.

  “I don’t think I’ll hear from her again, but I’ve been hearing her voice in my head for months now. I thought I was going nuts.” I paused, considering her last words to me. “She thinks I’ll never find her.” I took Tammer’s outstretched hand and let him pull me up the side of the boulder. “I need to talk to Aletheia.”

  He escorted me to the house in silence, sliding the porch door open and following me into the kitchen. Aletheia sat at the kitchen table, her long raven colored hair pulled into a messy bun. In her left hand, she held a coffee cup and stirred it with a spoon she held in her right – she looked a million miles away.

  “Sis,” Tammer began and she focused on us. “Morgan thinks it’s Herra who’s been doing all this – not Limus.”

  She looked right through him while she considered what he’d just said. “If that’s the case, your work is not yet complete.”

  “Is Thayde going to be in any more danger?” I was nervous to hear her answer.

  “No, he’s under your protection and will be forever. He’ll be virtually indestructible now. It’s you who may be in danger. If Herra is the one who’s been behind all this from the very beginning, she’s going to be very difficult to take care of.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s very powerful – too powerful. I believe she may have made a deal with the dark side to become this way. If she wants to be The Link, she may have sold her soul in order to seal the deal. But, of course, it’s impossible – she may come close, but only bloodlines can create The Link – not deals with the devil.”

  Deals with the devil? This was very quickly becoming a whole new ballgame.

  “What did she tell you?” Aletheia took a sip of her coffee and eyed me from over the rim.

  “She said I wasn’t The Link and that I’d never find her.”

  Aletheia was quiet as she swallowed and thought a moment. “She’s regrouping. You won’t see hide or hair of her for a long time. It may be years. But she’ll be back, that you can count on.”

  “Then I need to take care of her myself. Now,” I said and Tammer held up a hand as if to stop me.

  “I think you’ll need a break before you go off hunting for Herra. Wait until Thayde is completely healed and you get used to the powers from The Blessing. Herra’s going to be a lot harder to deal with than Limus. He easily beat the three of us on his own. I can’t imagine how it will be fighting Herra.”

  I understood what he was saying, but part of me just wanted to face her once and for all.

  “Give yourself time to recuperate and finish your training,” Aletheia suggested.

  “Perhaps Herra wants you to follow her now. You’re finished once and for all with becoming The Link, but you are nowhere near as powerful as you can be. That may be what she wants. Take a break. Maybe you and Thayde could take that honeymoon you both want.” Tammer smiled slyly.

  It sounded lovely, but how could I possibly enjoy the honeymoon knowing Herra was out there?

  “Morgan,” Tammer warned, “both of you have been through a lot these past few months. Take a break.”

  Okay. I relented. True, she was going to be in the back of my mind, but if we were safe for now, it would be good to recover and spend time on us.

  It’s about time you started seeing things from my point of view! Tammer interrupted my thoughts, pushing his words into my mind and my mouth dropped open in surprise. You’re not the only one who can do it! He thought.

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “Okay, so we’ll take a break before we hunt her down. I’d like to find her before she finds us.”

  “The mark of a true hunter,” Lars interrupted as he walked into the kitchen. “Kill your prey before it kills you.”

  I glared at him. Sometimes the guy just rubbed me wrong. He kissed the top of Aletheia’s head and looked from Tammer to me. “What?”

  “Nothing,” I said, turning to leave.

  “I’m sorry, Morgan,” he called after me. “I know I’m really blunt. I’m a hunter. That and playing around all my life has been my thing. I’ve never really thought about anything else and I guess it’s just natural for me to assume to kill things.”

  His admission was surprising. “It’s ok, Lars,” I smiled at my Aunt and her man. They did make a lovely couple. I just didn’t know how Aletheia was going to put up with him.

  It was only two days after my return from Vero Beach, but already Thayde was feeling much better. After a light breakfast, he asked me to take a walk with him. Only after a few minutes of convincing did I give in.

  I took him to my spot in the forest. It wasn’t too far from the cabin for him. Despite his promise that he felt much better, I wasn’t chancing it. The two of us lay on our backs, our hands entwined and listened to the sounds of the forest
. The tamarack trees creaked loudly as the wind swept around them.

  “I think we should get married again,” Thayde said, breaking the silence.

  I turned on my side, holding myself up on an elbow.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah! Your parents didn’t get to be a part of the wedding – maybe we should do it again. We didn’t get to go on our honeymoon. We need to do that.”

  “You’ve been talking to Tammer,” I said, playfully swatting at him.

  “He says we need a break and I have to agree with him.”

  “I don’t think you’re strong enough yet, do you? I mean, the last thing I want is for you to travel when you’re not up to it.”

  “I know,” he trailed off, putting his arms behind his head. “I like it here. It’s peaceful.”

  I watched Thayde as he took in the gorgeous scenery around us. His pretty eyes were slowly turning from grey to a light blue and seemed to darken with each hour that passed. That was a good sign, according to Mom. She said we could judge his health by his eye color. When they were back to normal, he would be, too.

  “You know we’re going to have a little girl, don’t you?” I asked and watched his eyes dart back to mine in surprise.

  “We are?”

  I nodded. “We’re going to call her Leigh.”

  “That’s a beautiful name,” he said, taking my hand in his and kissing it.

  “Aren’t you surprised by that?”

  “Yes,” he admitted, “but I think it’s cool.”

  I shook my head. It was impossible to ruffle his fins. I leaned forward until I was a few inches from his face.

  “Maybe we should plan for a fall wedding and reception. Then a honeymoon – perhaps Tahiti?”

  “Tahiti?”

  “It’s far enough away from everything, don’t you think?”

  “It’s pretty far,” he agreed.

  “Well? Do you want to do it?” I pressed. He rolled onto his side, grabbing me as he rolled, pulling me around him.

  “I think that sounds wonderful.”

  I had to admit, it really did. Getting away from everything with just Thayde would be heaven. I was sure it would take at least another two weeks before Thayde was up to it. If we planned the re-wedding to take place in three weeks and be on our honeymoon for two, that’d be about perfect.