Rise of Keitus (Kilenya Series, 4)

by Andrea Pearson

  “Yes, that much is apparent. But in your blood is an evilness—one I’ve never seen before. And if I’m not mistaken, whatever you did to yourself had to be counteracted by introducing Rezend—Kaede Sap—into your blood.”

  Jacob felt irritation sweep over him at Onyev’s assumptions, but then he realized that Onyev didn’t have Jacob’s history—he wouldn’t know why any of this had happened.

  He looked at his shoes. “When I was a baby, someone tried to turn me into a tool for destruction. The only way my parents and the Makalos of my time could heal me was by adding sap directly to my blood. Since I was already part Shiengol, my body was able to overcome the evil influence. But because of it, the Shiengol blood in me, and Rezend, I’ve developed very different abilities.”

  “Then you didn’t do it to yourself.”

  Jacob shook his head, wondering why it even mattered. “Nor would I wish it upon someone else.”

  Relief flooded Onyev’s face. “Good.” He handed Jacob and Akeno watering containers, instructing them to get to work. Akeno immediately jumped to comply, and Jacob had to hold back a chuckle.

  After a moment, Onyev turned to Akeno. “And you. You’ve come from the future—how far have you traveled?”

  Akeno nearly dropped his can. “Four—four hundred years or so. That’s what—that’s what we think, anyway.”

  Another expression of relief spread over Onyev’s features. “I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful it is to see that the Rezend hasn’t waned from your blood yet. You’re still fully magical.” He gazed into the branches above them, tears welling up in his eyes.

  Akeno started, half shaking his head. “Wait . . . what? Fully magical? What do you mean?”

  Onyev regained his composure, turning back to Akeno. “You’re just as powerful as I am. I assumed that my decision to lead the people away from the trees and Silver City would force them to lose their magic over time.”

  “But . . . we have. None of us can do anything like what our ancestors did. I ended up lucky and can do things others can’t. But overall, we’re nowhere near as magical.”

  Onyev tilted his head. “If that’s the case, then someone must have introduced Kaede Sap into your blood when you were a baby. Perhaps your parents?”

  Akeno dropped his can, water flooding over the branch below. “No! They’d never do that!”

  “What about close family or friends?”

  “No family, and their closest friend was Patriarch Brojan—” Akeno’s face blanched when Onyev started nodding. “But he wouldn’t have done it either!”

  Jacob cleared his throat, and Onyev turned to him.

  “Jacob knows something of this. Don’t you?”

  He nodded and looked at Akeno. “Brojan told me a few weeks ago. He did it because of the Lorkon—because the Makalos were so weak. He felt it was the only thing that would eventually save us in the end.”

  Akeno’s shoulders slumped, and a ton of different emotions registered themselves as colors in the air around him. Confusion, fear, anger, surprise, panic, irritation, disappointment. He didn’t say anything at first. Then, “Why didn’t he tell me himself?”

  “He didn’t want you to know while he was alive.”

  “And he called himself a patriarch?” Onyev asked, his eyebrows raised. “A patriarch doesn’t hide his actions.”

  “Brojan was different,” Jacob said. “He was still a good person, though.”

  Akeno attempted to pick up his watering can, but it didn’t seem to want to stay in his hands and fell to the ground once more. “But . . . you’re sure he . . . he did that to me?”

  Onyev answered before Jacob could. “Of course. Can’t you feel the Rezend flowing through your body?”

  “Well, yes, but . . .”

  Onyev chuckled. “You wouldn’t know the difference, not having experienced anything else.” He sat on a garden bench, motioning for Jacob and Akeno to sit on the one across from him. “It’s apparent you have a lot of learning ahead.” He looked at Jacob. “This is the reason you’ve come to my time, isn’t it?”

  Jacob nodded.

  “Well, let’s get started.”

  Another multitude of emotions raced across Akeno’s face, but panic won out. “Right now? With—with you? Are you sure?”

  “I don’t know anything about your time, but if Patriarch Brojan felt strongly that a Makalo infant needed Kaede Sap put in his blood, I’ll bet your Makalo abilities are greatly needed.”

  Jacob felt relief spread like warm butter through his body. He wouldn’t be the only one with abilities—Akeno could help. The destruction of the Lorkon wasn’t completely up to him!

  “How will you train me?” Akeno asked.

  “I’ll start with the journals written by our forefather, the first Makalo who was healed by Kaede Sap.” Onyev frowned, looking at Jacob. “But if I correctly remember the rules of Traveling, you won’t be able to take them back to your time.”

  Jacob shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Would you be able to leave Akeno here to study?”

  Jacob tilted his head, thinking through what he’d learned from Azuriah. “I think so . . . but if something happens to him, he’ll be jerked back to the present, and without my help, it would probably kill him.”

  “I’ll personally ensure he’s safe. We don’t have enemies—this is a wonderful time to be a Makalo.”

  Jacob nodded. “Okay. Well, I guess I’ll leave you two alone, then. I’ll come check up on him in a few hours.”

  Onyev agreed. As Jacob left the room, Akeno shot him one last look of panic. Jacob only waved and smiled. He waited until he was sure he was alone, then returned to the present.

  Chapter Ten: Research and Revelations

  “Where is your little friend?” Azuriah asked. “You didn’t forget him, did you?”

  “He’s staying back there to study.”

  Azuriah grabbed Jacob’s shoulder. “Do you realize what you’ve done? Have you thought this through?”

  Jacob hesitated. “I think . . . I think so. It’s okay, right?”

  “It depends on how strong you are. Akeno is still sapping your magical energy, even though you’re here. Keeping him in the past requires effort on your part—he will only be able to stay there so long as you’re able to keep him there. And if you don’t retrieve him in time, you’ll both be jerked somewhere in the middle, apart from each other, and you’ll never find him.”

  Jacob clamped his mouth shut. That was worse than he’d thought it would be. “What should I do?”

  “Visit him every few hours until you’re strong enough to let him stay longer. For the next few days, don’t leave him there overnight. You might not wake up.”

  “Okay.”

  “And tell his parents. They need to know what’s going on.”

  Jacob nodded. He’d been planning on doing that anyway. He was about to leave when Azuriah grabbed his shoulder again.

  “You must start researching the Lorkon soon. Figure out where they originated so you can prepare to go to their country.”

  “All right—I’ll do that this weekend.”

  Sunday was three days away. Jacob loved how relaxing it usually was—he almost never had anything to do after church was over. That would give him plenty of time to complete the task.

  Jacob left the fortress and walked to Kenji’s place. Upon arriving, he told them about the visit with Onyev, and how the patriarch wanted to instruct Akeno. They were nervous about their son being left behind, and in complete awe at how much Onyev was able to figure out just by looking at Jacob.

  Then Jacob took a deep breath. He hesitated for a moment, but finally spilled everything about Akeno and Brojan.

  Kenji slumped into a chair. “Brojan? Brojan did that? Why?” He looked at Ebony. “Why didn’t he tell us?”

  Ebony stared at the wall, expressionless. It seemed she hadn’t heard Kenji’s question. “I just can’t believe it.”

  Kenji sighed, the colors in th
e air around him switching from surprise—a pale yellow—to calm—a light blue. Wow. He adjusted very quickly to the new information.

  “Well . . . at least Akeno is now studying under one of the wisest Makalos ever.”

  Ebony’s colors still hadn’t switched to anything other than shock, and Jacob figured, with her being Akeno’s mom, it might take her more time.

  She got up from the table and started pacing. “But what does this mean for him? How will it affect and change him?”

  Kenji stood and put his arms around Ebony, forcing her to stop walking back and forth. “It will only make him stronger—his personality will be the same.”

  She looked into his eyes, her colors swirling into those that exemplified love—mostly blue and green—and Jacob decided he’d rather be home studying for his next session with Mr. Coolidge.

  He quickly excused himself.

  Several hours later, Jacob returned to Onyev’s time. Akeno was bubbling with enthusiasm and excitement, even though he hadn’t really learned anything yet. They’d mostly focused on how his ancestor had been injured and why the Makalos of the time had gone to such drastic measures to heal him. After Akeno had dinner in Taga Village, he insisted on being taken back for a couple more hours.

  The next two days were a blur—Jacob Traveled back and forth between the present and Onyev’s time so often that it was difficult for him to remember specifics between that and his study sessions with Azuriah.

  With permission, Jacob filled his parents in on Akeno's situation. Mom and Dad were surprised at Brojan's actions, but like everyone else, felt that Akeno's extra abilities would come in handy in the future. And Akeno was starting to learn some cool things. He showed them off whenever Jacob came to get him.

  “Onyev has me figuring out how to control plants now,” Akeno said on Saturday after his session with the patriarch had ended. “More than what I could already do. And Jacob! I actually made a seed grow! It was so awesome! It listened to me—I put my hand on a part of the tree and sent messages to the thing on the other side of the room, and it started growing!”

  Jacob laughed at Akeno’s enthusiasm. “That’s cool!” He was a little envious at how quickly Akeno was figuring out how to use his powers. It had taken Jacob months to make as much progress as Akeno had made in days.

  Akeno turned to walk backward in front of Jacob so he could talk as they headed away from Azuriah’s fortress. “He said next time he’ll show me how to get wood to grow with stone in it.”

  Jacob raised his eyebrows. “That would be cool, and definitely helpful.”

  “I know!”

  Jacob took Akeno back once more that day, but asked for a break on Sunday so he could rest and focus on researching the Lorkon.

  Sunday afternoon, Jacob lay on his bed, wanting to be comfortable while he figured out where the Lorkon had come from. He unfocused his eyes, staring at the ceiling above, and rewound through the past until he got to his mother’s chambers before the Lorkon kidnapped her. From there, he continued rewinding quickly, not wanting to get bogged down by little details.

  It was really confusing to compute everything as he watched it in reverse. From what he could tell, the Lorkon—just three, at this point—had the help of a castle guard. Apparently, they stayed in an abandoned house in Maivoryl City for several months while making plans. How did the people there not find or notice them?

  Then they arrived at the city. Jacob was surprised when he saw which way they came into Maivoryl—there was a road he’d never seen on the other side of the city that led through the mountains and hills behind the Fat Lady’s cabin.

  This road circled south, around Ashay Hills. The trip probably took days, but to Jacob, it was only minutes. The Lorkon had ridden the Sindons as far as the foothills outside of Maivoryl and then left them while they went into the city. It made Jacob dizzy, watching everyone and everything walking backward.

  The Lorkon reached what appeared to be their point of origin. The Sindons were kept in a huge barnyard-type place on the outskirts of a dirty, very poor-looking, but large city.

  The Lorkon walked backward through the streets, abusing the people who begged at their feet. There wasn’t royalty anywhere, from what Jacob could see. Some of the buildings looked like they were once beautiful and grand, but were now crumbling and falling apart. It was sad, actually, and he wondered what had happened.

  Then he realized that the Lorkon had happened. They spread misery everywhere they went.

  As he followed the Lorkon backward, Jacob was shocked to see people wandering around who looked like the villagers in Maivoryl—the diseased, misshapen villagers who’d tried to stop him from getting Aloren. Something was wrong with them—these particular people didn’t fear the Lorkon. They acted indifferent. Some had bright red, bloody patches on their skin while others looked like lepers—their skin falling apart.

  Jacob’s stomach turned—he couldn’t concentrate on the people anymore if he was to continue focusing on the Lorkon, and he was already dizzy from watching them in reverse.

  The Lorkon exited a huge castle. There were servants hanging around, heads and backs bowed. They didn’t look healthy, but at least their skin wasn’t falling apart or bloody. They were dirty and very dark and grungy, and mirrored the interior of the castle. Typical to Keitus’s tastes, the castle walls were covered with huge curtains.

  Jacob watched as the three Lorkon celebrated, Keitus holding a letter in his hands. Before the letter arrived, they spent a very long time arguing and making plans.

  He saw the names “Dmitri” and “Arien” on other papers several times, along with a lot of writing about Arien’s future children. The word “if” was circled several times on the paper. Then he realized the celebrations he’d seen earlier were because they’d received word that Arien was pregnant.

  Nothing changed for a while. The Lorkon went and came, and Jacob focused on Keitus. Several months went by, at least, but to Jacob it was a very long hour. He realized he’d never find out how the Lorkon changed if he didn’t speed up. He did so, then followed Keitus everywhere.

  Suddenly, after what was probably a few years, Keitus disappeared and Jacob couldn’t find him again. Had he gone back into human form, and Jacob missed it? While searching the castle, he noticed a man who seemed to have Keitus’s mannerisms. He was pompous, cruel to servants, and wore a crown made of dark metal all the time—even at night, sometimes. Keitus as a Lorkon didn’t normally wear one, and it was ridiculous that he wouldn’t let it leave his sight as a human.

  Jacob stopped Time-Seeing in reverse and decided to follow this king around in normal time.

  The king kept four other men around him. Two of them, younger than the rest, looked and acted familiar, as if Jacob had seen them in movies or on TV.

  Keitus fought with them a lot, calling them by name—Het and Isan. Familiar names. Jacob stopped focusing on the conversations, trying to remember where he’d heard those names before.

  Then it hit him—Keitus had called his wolves Het and Isan. Jacob frowned. Did the Lorkon king turn these two men into wolves? What did they do to deserve that punishment?

  Jacob decided to fast forward until he found new information. He followed the men to a room, but was unable to enter it, no matter how hard he tried. Why? His Time-Seeing eyes couldn’t get beyond that door and he was stuck in the hall, feeling like he was floating in midair. What was going on?

  Just then, Keitus poked his head out—still a man—and whistled. Jacob heard someone at the end of the hall approaching, and just then, Jacob’s vision darkened. In a panic, he returned to the present, hoping he wasn’t about to black out.

  But nothing was wrong with him—he still had plenty of energy to Time-See. Just to be safe, though, he sat up and shook himself, then got a drink from the bathroom.

  After going back to his room, he returned to the moment when Keitus whistled. Again, he heard someone approaching, and again, his vision went away. He felt around the edges of the d
arkness, trying to pierce the cloud. His hearing was gone also, and it felt like he was stuffed under several layers of blankets.

  Then suddenly, his vision cleared, but he still wasn’t able to enter the room. If Jacob had really been in the castle right then, he would have kicked the wall in frustration. All he could do, however, was wait until Keitus and the rest emerged.

  They never came out as humans, though, and only three exited as Lorkon. Had the others been turned into wolves? Jacob almost felt sorry for them. But then, Keitus called two of the Lorkon Het and Isan. And these were Lorkon Jacob knew—he’d been around them plenty of times over the past few months. Why had Keitus called his wolves the same thing?

  Jacob put that question away and rewound, trying to enter the room or at least get past the fog. But it didn’t seem to matter what he did—he couldn’t break through.

  This wasn’t helpful. He didn’t have any new information about how the Lorkon became Lorkon. They entered as humans, then came out as immortal monsters. Something obviously happened in that room that Jacob needed to see. How, though, could he do that when everything was stopping him?

  He returned to the present, his eyes and head now aching from trying to force his way through. He really needed to sleep on it and try again in the morning.

  Monday morning, he skipped far into the past, before Keitus was a Lorkon. He followed the king as he invited people to the castle, talking to them about things Jacob didn’t understand. At first he thought they were speaking in a different language, but then he realized they were using medical terminology of some sort.

  It looked like Keitus was receiving reports from people he’d sent out all over the world. With every person he talked to, he got more and more excited.

  After a while, Jacob noticed something he should have picked up on much earlier. People entered the castle whole, complete, and healthy. They went into the room Jacob couldn’t enter, then exited bruised and damaged or looking exactly like the people in Maivoryl City. Some were removed in wheelbarrows—dead, Jacob guessed.