Beyond: Snillotia Trilogy Book One

by Donna Wagner

  She closed her eyes. "I've told Mit what we've planned to do. He'll meet you here shortly," she paused, "and he'll bring some breakfast!"

  Tim looked surprised and Grandma Amme laughed. "It's a sibling ruler thing, Tim," she explained, "They can communicate telepathically. It does take some getting used to."

  Tim just nodded, his head already filling with more questions than he would ever find time to get answers for. As Grandma An left to find Anna and the others for their family time, Tim sat in the seat she vacated. "I don't know what to ask first!"

  Before anyone could respond, Grandpa Mit came in, arms full of donuts and other pastries. "Breakfast is served!"

  While Tim chose a danish to eat, Grandpa Cire, took charge. "I know you have many questions, Tim, but before we answer yours, I'm sure we all," he paused, indicating the grandparents around the table, "would like to know the same thing. Were your parents happy?"

  Tim thought for a moment. "Yes, for the most part I think they were. I can remember times- around holidays mostly- where it would seem like they were lonely. But they laughed and smiled a lot. They always did what they could to make sure I was happy, and I think that made them happy too. I don't understand, though, if you could communicate with them when they first went through, why did you stop? They told me you were dead. If they had known you were all here, I'm sure they would have still missed seeing you, but at least they could talk to you."

  "We don't know what happened, Tim. After your parents and Anna's went to the backwards world, we knew they were safe. Yes, we could communicate, at first, but it wasn't like using a key or a "phone" as your picturing in your head," Grandpa Mit paused, “Yes, I can see what you’re thinking, but not all the time- only when you’re thinking about something quite a bit, and only if I'm near you. It's my power. As, I was explaining though, communicating between the worlds was more like signs that we could read, but after a while they stopped coming, and we assumed ours stopped getting through as well. Your parents must have assumed that meant the worst. We didn't. We didn't think anyone else but a royal with a portal key could get through the wall."

  "They can! When we came back through the fort, with Anna's parents, I almost got caught because I thought the social worker- the man who was trying to take me away from my house- was there. There was a man who looked just like him!"

  Grandpa Mit frowned. He didn't know if it was the same man, if somehow the rebels devised a way to keep crossing between the worlds, or if they came up with a way to communicate with those over there already. There had always been rumors that the other worlds that existed were actually other realities instead, which meant everyone existed in each world, so it could have been a coincidence that Tim recognized the man, if he wasn't actually a part of their situation.

  While Grandpa Mit was thinking about the new development, Grandma Cire continued the conversation. "Tim, earlier, you asked if you could ask what people’s powers are. Generally, no, it's not polite to ask, but it’s usually not secret either. As I told you earlier, powers run in families, so most of the time you can usually tell what family someone is in because of the power. Powers present during your thirteenth year. Sometimes there are signs at an earlier age. Occasionally something we've never seen before presents. For instance, we've never known of anyone who can pass between the worlds, like you do; then again, we've never tried. The only royals that we know of who have used their portal keys have been old kings or queens who felt, once their reigns were over, that they weren't needed any longer in this world. Your father and Anna's mother were the first prince and princess to ever leave, and the first to take someone with them through the portal, but I'm getting off track! Where was I? Oh, yes! When someone's power fully presented, there would be a celebration! This is another reason someone's power isn't generally a secret! Now, let me share my secret with you!"

  Grandpa Cire put down the cup he had been holding during his speech. He held out his hand and suddenly there was a second cup sitting on the table, next to the first one. He moved the second cup in front of Tim. "I can manifest a copy of anything I've touched," he gestured to the cup, "It's real, can be used, but that’s only because it's the first copy. If I were to keep making the cup, eventually, it would no longer be substantial enough to hold liquid!"

  Tim picked the cup up, amazed. It felt completely real to him. The cup flew from his hand. Tim followed it with his eyes to find that Grandma Amme was now holding it. "I can move things with my mind. This was your father's power as well. It's a very strong power in my family- there has been one who presents it in every generation for years. I'm actually surprised it's not your power."

  Tim laughed, thinking about all the times something had magically appeared in his father's hand. His dad had always shrugged it off, but now Tim knew better. "This explains so much about my dad!"

  Grandma Amme smiled. "It must have been incredibly hard for him not to use it for everything! I loved my son very much, but he became quite lazy once he had full control over this ability!"

  Tim reached over and squeezed his grandmother's hand after noticing the tears in her eyes. Then he turned and looked towards Grandma Aras. "I guess that just leaves you."

  Grandma Aras smiled. "My power has two parts. Thankfully, I can't show you one part right now. Let me explain," she said seeing the confused look on Tim's face, "I can heal people, you see. I'm thankful that right now, no one is hurt or sick, which is a good thing! My family has always been the healers, or doctors as you know them. Asilla, the woman who brings us food and showed you how to see us- she's my cousin's child," she paused, and then continued almost shyly, "I can show you the second part of my power, if you'd allow me to give you a hug?"

  Tim nodded and stood up. "Sure."

  Grandma Aras came around the table and gave Tim a tentative hug. As he hugged her back her arms tightened around him, and he could feel her power pouring into him. When she released him, she had tears in her eyes. Grandpa Cire grabbed her hand reassuringly. Tim was confused. He felt normal, maybe a little better than normal, like he just woke up and was ready for the day. He looked at his hands, his arms, down at his feet. Everything looked the same. "Am I missing something?"

  Grandma Aras smiled at him again. "I can restore energy. You just woke up and haven't done anything to really drain your energy yet, so it wouldn't be as noticeable. When I touch someone, they're energy is restored, just like a full night’s sleep," she explained.

  Tim nodded in understanding, then something popped into his head. "Why do you have two different powers? I thought everyone only got one."

  Grandma Aras nodded. "Most people do only have one. Mine go hand in hand, though, so I assume that’s why I can do both things. In more recent times, we've seen that more and more. Either someone has two things that are connected, or they have a dominant power, but also a smaller power as well. Your mother was one of those people."

  "My mom? What she writes comes alive like a movie. I know that, but what else- the light!"

  His grandparents looked at him in surprise. "How did you know that?" Grandpa Cire asked.

  Tim explained about the memory he had when he and Anna had been in his mom's copied room from the Y and about the fake window. "I don't understand though. Anna can do that too, the light with her hand, I mean. If powers run in families does that mean Anna and my mom are related?"

  "No, Tim," Grandpa Mit explained, "Little powers like that have no significance. Many families have been able to make light through the years."

  Tim felt like something was lifted off his chest. For some reason he felt a lot better knowing he wasn't related to Anna somehow. After that they started talking about more general things. Tim told that about some funny stories he remembered, and they shared some stories about his parents when they were young. Grandpa Mit soon brought an end to their reminiscing. "An is requesting that we join them in Tim's bedroom. Anna has a theory about Nelle's books and would like to share it with everyone all at once.

  CHAPTER SEVEN
TEEN

  Tim heard Anna before he saw her. "I still don't know what my power is, Goldie. Do you have any way to find out for me?"

  Tim looked at his grandparents, who were walking with him. He didn't think they were near his room yet and his grandparents didn't seem to hear anything. "Yeah, I know I can make light, but what good will that do? If it's dark I can make it easier for a rebel to see me so they can kill me?"

  Tim looked at his grandparents again. Anna really seemed to be upset, and they didn't seem concerned at all. "I know there's still time, Goldie, but not much. I'll turn fourteen in just 3 months! My parents said that powers present during the thirteenth year and whatever happens, happens. If nothing except the stupid light is all I get, I'm a pretty sad excuse for a princess who's supposed to save the world."

  Tim reached the door to his room and paused before opening it. He assumed Anna was inside and he didn't want everyone to storm in on her all at once. He looked at his grandparents. "Umm, Anna seems upset. Give me a minute, okay?"

  He slipped inside his room, not seeing the surprised expressions on his grandparents faces, only for one to appear on his own face when he realized his room was empty. He looked over at the doorway propped open to the copied room. Maybe Goldie wanted to feel more connected to her home, he thought. He went through the doorway, but the room was empty. " I guess this is what Grandpa Siul gets to feel like all the time. No offense, Goldie, but you do look like a dog that exists where I grew up and he can talk to animal! That’s awesome! We had a cat when I was little and always wondered what he thought about," she paused, then laughed, "You don't like cats? Neither do dogs!"

  Tim frowned. Why could he hear Anna? Then he realized something. He could only hear Anna. She was obviously talking to Goldie, but if they were somewhere nearby, why couldn't he hear Goldie too? He opened the door to his room, to find his grandparents standing there with Anna's grandparents. Anna wasn't with him. "She's, um. not in here."

  Grandma An was the first to speak. "Why did you think she was? She said she was going to clean up and get properly dressed before meeting us here."

  Tim looked down at himself, realizing he was still wearing what he'd slept in. "I thought I heard her. I could hear her while we were walking here. She had to be close by. She seems upset..." Tim trailed off, confused.

  "Amazing!" Grandpa Mit exclaimed.

  "What?" Tim asked.

  "You're communicating, telepathically, with Anna, dear. She’s sending what she’s saying to you, but I don't think she realizes it." Grandma An explained.

  "Oh, cool! Wait! Why is it amazing? I saw you tell Grandpa Mit something earlier in your mind!"

  "Son, the telepathic ability between sibling rulers only exists when they are the rulers- after the coronation ceremony. That Anna is sending you thoughts now, years away from when you'd even be the age to be crowned- well that's something special," Grandpa Mit added.

  The other grandparents were silent, listening, since they were not familiar with what went along with being a royal. "I always knew you two were different. I could tell in my visions. I suspect this is only the first of many surprises!" Grandma An said.

  "Suprise? What did we miss?" Anna asked as she joined them, with her parents behind her, "And why is everyone standing in the hallway?"

  They all moved into Tim's room. It was very crowded, with eight grandparents, two parents and Tim and Anna all in one room. "Uh, why did we have to meet here?" Tim asked Anna, "I think there'd be more room somewhere else."

  "Your mom's books are in here, silly. I only have the first one, but once Grandma Eilime told me her power, I thought she should see them all," she looked at Grandma Eilime before continuing, who nodded for her to go on, "She can touch things and know all about them, so with books, it's like she reads them completely in seconds, just by touching the covers!"

  "I still don't understand why you think they're important. It's just a story my mom made up."

  "Tim, I read the first book last night. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back asleep, so I finished it. I didn't want to wake you so I couldn't continue with the second, but if you know the story your mom is telling, I don't see how you don't realize what she was writing about. Tim, it's like she knew what your power was going to be."

  "What do I have to do with the books? I'm not in them. The main character is a girl!"

  "Think about it! What happens at the very beginning of the first book?"

  Tim really had to think about it. It had been a long time since he'd read the first book. Even then, he hadn't been interested in it really. "The girl goes into a cave. I remember that much."

  "Oh please, I'll just read it for everyone! Let's see," she said, flipping through the pages, "Here's the part I'm trying get you to remember. 'She reached out to rub her fingers along one of the arrows. Suddenly everything was dark. Her torch had gone out'," Anna read from the book.

  As she continued reading Tim saw it happening.

  Eimaj reached out with her hands, looking for the way out of the cave. She could barely see her own hand; it was so dark. She stopped and looked around. She felt she should be able to see better by now. There should be light coming from the entrance of the cave. However, it was just complete darkness. She turned around, and kept walking slowly, her hand in front of her, looking for the wall with the carvings. If she could start there again, maybe she could reorient herself. Maybe she just walked in the wrong direction somehow. She frowned. The wall should be in front of her by now. She hadn't walked that far. Her hand started tingling. She stopped and put it by her side for a moment, thinking she needed to get the blood flowing into it again. The tingling stopped as soon as she put her hand down. She shrugged and put her hand in front of her again, to continue searching for the wall. The tingling started again immediately. She put her hand down again and it stopped. She was beginning to get worried. She wondered if Semaj would remember he left her here, if she didn't make her way home soon. She tried her other hand. This hand tingled too. She decided it didn't matter. she had to keep going. With her hand still in front of her, she moved a step forward. The tingling sensation traveled up her arm, as she kept moving and she felt it everywhere. Then, as quickly as it started, the feeling stopped. She turned around and immediately felt pain. Her hand had crashed into the wall. Somehow the wall was behind her.

  Tim was speechless. Why hadn't he remembered that? The girl in the story experienced almost the exact same thing he had when he first went through the wall. "She went through a doorway," he stated, "That was exactly how it was the first time I came through. Totally black everywhere. Except, I could see the secret room. It was like the wall turned into a one-way mirror. I could see the men searching for me, but they couldn't see me. I felt that tingling too! I can't believe I didn't remember my mom's story."

  Anna nodded. "It was like that for me too, the first time I went through, though without the tingling. Once I went through everything was black until I touched the center of my key. I think it connected me to this world, so when I did that, the world appeared. I didn't try to go back. I knew I had to keep moving forward. But I recognized it right away- that nothingness surrounding you. Except one thing, Tim, like you, she went through the doorway, and back through it again."

  "How did my mom know that was possible? Do you think she could do it too? Do you think maybe she tried to come home?"

  Tim looked at Grandpa Cire and Grandma Aras. They both shook their heads. "We don't know, Tim."

  Grandpa Cire pointed to the journals. "If she did, I suspect the answer may be in there."

  He ran his hands across all the journals. He looked toward Grandma Eilime. "I can copy them, but I can't tell what they hold without reading them normally. Anna's right. Your power would be most helpful."

  "But I meant the books- not the journals,' Anna started.

  Tim gave her a look. She stopped talking. Eilime picked up the journal on the top of the pile. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she said,
"This one is from her time in school," she looked at the large number of books, "This could take a while, even for me."

  They all chuckled. One by one, she touched the journals. After she had touched about half of them, the bedroom door opened. "Well, well, well. Isn't this a nice surprise?"

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  They all turned toward the door in surprise. There was a man standing there and he held some kind of weapon. "You!"

  The man snickered. "No, not me actually. The man you think I am is my twin. He chose to live in the backwards world, but he did tell me you'd made it through. That’s how I knew to find you here! You should have gone with him, boy. If you had, you'd have lived a nice long life, oblivious to all of this," he said, waving his hand around, "but now I have no choice but to kill you."

  Grandpa Leumas stepped in front of Tim, blocking hm from the man's view. "No, you won't."

  Tim saw Grandpa Leumas' hand start to glow, kind of like Anna's, but it kept glowing, until he was holding a ball of fire in his hand. "His power's the only one out of all of us that could actually save us," Anna said.

  Tim looked at her, wondering why she'd announce that, then realize, after seeing her terrified face that she hadn't spoken it allowed. He'd heard it in his head again. He focused all his energy into sending a thought to her. "Don't worry, Anna, we'll be okay."

  He kept thinking the same thing over and over, finally, she must have heard him. She looked at him, in shock. "I'll explain later," he thought and directed it the same way.

  She nodded slightly. The man, however, did not miss this exchange. "How did you do this? How can they communicate already?" he seemed almost afraid, then his face turned to steel, "No matter. I came to finish the boy, but the rest of you are a bonus. Everyone thinks your all dead anyway!"

  He raised the weapon and pointed it at Grandpa Leumas first. Suddenly, the man stopped moving. He stood there, frozen, taking on a slightly blue tint. Grandpa Aras gasped. "It can't be!"