“And talking to a tree is supposed to help me?” I probably sounded insulting, but exhaustion and stress tended to make me act that way. I trusted Bry, but he stretched my patience with the whole tree business.
“I cannot fathom your lack of faith. After all, you are both the brother and son of an Essence.” Bry’s disbelief didn’t help his case.
“What do my mom and sister have to do with a talking tree?”
Bry sighed. “It is not a talking tree; it is a tree that can pass on knowledge. And your family has everything to do with it. You are so connected to the Source, yet you refuse to accept that there are other vessels tied to it.”
“I try not to focus on what Charlotte can actually do, and honestly, my mom is still just my mom to me. Maybe if I see her again, I’ll feel differently.” I hadn’t really thought about the fact that my mom used to be an Essence, and I didn’t particularly want to.
“Keep an open mind. I believe the ancient oak will give you the confidence and strength you need.”
“Strength? Now a tree is going to give me strength?” I started to reassess my trust in Bry. He sounded weirder and weirder.
“Yes. We all know you have physical strength, Kevin, but you need to tap into your inner strength as well.” Bry shook his head in frustration.
We finished the climb in silence, neither of us interested in arguing further. Rounding the crest of the hill, I was shocked by the hulking trunk that stood in front of me. The tree trunk was not only massive, but so tall I had to crane my neck to see even the lowest branches. The only thing that even compared to it was Angel Oak back home outside of Charleston.
“What am I supposed to do?” Looking at the tree, I felt even weirder about talking to it.
“Touch it and open your mind.”
I half expected Bry to call me a Jedi and turn into Yoda. “I thought you said I had to talk to it?”
Bry smirked. “I did. But you did not really expect to talk the way we talk to one another, did you?”
I tentatively reached out and placed my hand on the trunk. Nothing happened, and I turned toward Bry for guidance.
“Open your mind, Kevin.” Bry shook his head as if he thought I was stupid.
I tried again. I placed a hand on the tree, took a deep breath, and… nothing. I started to get frustrated when I was hit by an intense pressure in my head. Flashes of images and thoughts flooded my brain. I couldn’t see anything beyond the nearly overwhelming visions. My momentary fear was replaced by understanding as the pressure subsided. I let go of the tree.
“Did you hear what you needed?”
“I’m supposed to focus on family, focus on Charlotte…”
Bry interrupted, “No need to tell me, Kevin. Only you need to know.”
I shrugged and tried to comb through the new ideas flowing through my head. I wondered if the feeling was similar to how Charlotte felt when she used her abilities. The images and ideas blended into my own thoughts so that by the time we reached the base of the hill, I could no longer separate the foreign thoughts from my own.
***
After returning from the tree, I had just enough time to grab something to eat before we headed back to the council hall. Samantha and Henry came with us. The room looked exactly the same, except nearly every seat in the room was taken, with even more people standing around the edges. Glancing at the seated council members, I took my seat at the long table and tried to keep my cool. I was thankful to be seated between Bry and Naomi again. I knew that when it came time to give the speech, I would be on my own, but until then, it was nice to be surrounded by friends. Friends—it was funny how quickly my small group of companions had become my friends. Maybe it was because I didn’t have Liam and Monty with me. As much as I missed them, I was glad they were with Charlotte. Things probably weren’t any easier for her right now, and I wanted her to have all the help she could get.
I felt pretty good about things until Alexander entered. He shot me a venomous look as he crossed the room to take his seat. I really didn’t understand why the guy hated me so much. Naomi and Bry had told me that he was antagonistic all the time, but his reaction seemed personal. I chalked it up to my status in Energo, but it still bothered me.
Marquis was the last to enter, and instead of taking his seat at the head of the table, he stood facing us with his back to the audience. “We meet today to determine whether the Pact lends support to the Resistance in Energo. Kevin Winthrop will speak for the Resistance, and Alexander will be speaking against our involvement. I will turn the floor over to both men now.” Marquis preformed a half bow before moving over to his chair.
I didn’t have time to consider standing up before Alexander pushed back his chair and addressed the council. “Most of you know my dislike for Blake and the leadership at Bellgard, but Energo’s politics are not our concern. We cannot trust the Winthrops, and we have no proof of this boy’s intentions or loyalty. For all we know, he is working for Blake, and this is a ploy to get us to leave our lands unprotected and at risk. We must protect our own people instead of joining a fledgling resistance that is doomed to fail. I would say more, but there is no need. You all already realize that I am right. We must hear this foreign child, but afterward, let us put this issue to rest.”
Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd. Several council members nodded, but I ignored them and focused on those who did support me. Standing to face the audience seemed like the appropriate thing to do, even though the council would be the ones making the vote. I found Samantha in the crowd, and she gave me an encouraging smile.
“I understand that you each come from different nations and are most concerned with what happens within the borders of your homeland. I understand that you are afraid of the sacrifices required to step outside of your borders and take on Blake. I understand, but that doesn’t mean I agree. Alexander was right when he told you that I spent the first eighteen years of my life somewhere else. But he is wrong about presuming it has any bearing on my dedication to Energo and taking out Blake’s evil.” I heard a gasp from someone in the audience.
“Yes, evil. I know that word is weighted, but when it comes to Blake, it’s true. I know some of you don’t know why you should trust me. Alexander might have you believe that I am secretly working for Blake, but that could not be further from the truth. So right here and now, I am going to put my cards on the table and show you why you need to believe me.”
I paused and studied the sea of faces. I found Henry and Samantha, who were literally sitting on the edge of their seats. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. I turned to look down the line of faces at the table. Naomi and Bry both gave encouraging nods. I returned my attention to the crowd.
“How many of you have a family?” Hands went up around the room, and a quick glance told me that everyone at the table had a hand raised except for Alexander. I smiled when I noticed; that might work to my advantage. “Or if you have no family, how many of you have friends who are like a family?” More hands appeared.
“Try to picture what I am about to tell you.” All eyes were on me; I swallowed and went with it. “You come home to find your sister missing. This is only a few years after being told your mother has died. You panic and soon discover your sister has been kidnapped and taken to another world. A situation many of you have faced, right?” I heard some light laughter.
“Okay, so next you learn that it is up to you to try to find your sister, but she might not want to come home at all because she is so in love with one of her captors. Yeah, crazy, I know—but true. And it gets worse. The only way your sister escapes is because someone puts a sword to her neck and threatens to kill her. During all of this, you are helpless to do anything.”
“And then you find out that the same guy who was behind your sister’s kidnapping was also behind your mom’s disappearance because, get this, she wasn’t really dead. So yeah, I have a pretty good reason to hate Blake and want to see him fall.” I paused again and caught S
amantha’s eye. She was grinning.
“Although my story may seem bizarre, my family’s suffering at the hands of Blake is not unique. Many of you have similar tales of the horrors committed under his leadership.”
“Alexander claims Charlotte isn’t loyal because she left her Gerard, but if you know anything about the Essence-Gerard bond, I’m sure you understand how hard it was for her to leave. Charlotte fought against the bond to do the right thing. Now, it’s our turn. Sometimes doing what’s right isn’t easy, but that doesn’t change its importance.” I could feel the intensity in my voice, and I let it take over. “Sacrifice by its nature is hard, but we will have greater losses if we fail to act. It is paramount we defeat Blake. Should we wait for someone else’s mother or sister to get kidnapped, or worse, killed before we do something?”
“Hell, no!” Ollis was on his feet, the contents of his mug sloshing over the sides as he smacked it down on the table.
Several men, so similar in appearance to Ollis that it was almost disconcerting, stood up in the audience. “We fight him!”
“We fight for our families, we fight for the Essence, and we fight for the Source.” The leader of the Zales was on his feet as well—no one had introduced us, but I figured anyone that sparkled that much had to be a Zale.
Everywhere in the room, people pushed back their chairs to stand. I felt Bry’s strong grip on my arm, and Naomi beamed.
The Zale started a chant. “For our families, the Essence, the Source!” echoed through the room. It seemed funny that people were chanting about my sister, but I knew it was a good thing. The only person still seated at the table was Alexander, and only a handful of people sat in the audience. I knew we had won. I joined the chant, feeling the intensity of the words flow over me.
“You did it!” I didn’t see Samantha move to the front of the room, but I felt her arms around my neck and the quick peck of her lips against my cheek.
I smiled and pulled her closer, high on the success of the event and on the way it felt to have Samantha so close. I looked up and saw Henry wink at me. Some signs were universal.
Chapter Fifteen:
Charlotte
Calvin brought me back to the cave right before dawn, and I barely had time to settle into sleep before it was time to get up. I tried to hide my exhaustion but I was sure everyone noticed. Luckily, I was able to keep myself awake throughout the day by thinking about Calvin and how amazing it was to be with him again. Even sleep deprived, I felt recharged.
We stopped for lunch by a small stream to replenish our water supplies. Stretching out in the low grass, I enjoyed the bit of warmth the sun provided. Lawson kept us entertained with stories of his childhood with his brothers, and I laughed so hard my sides ached. Next time Henry gave me a hard time, I’d have to bring up some embarrassing tidbit from when he was a kid.
In the middle of one of Lawson’s stories, I realized that James wasn’t with us. “Where’s James?”
Monty quirked an eyebrow. “Probably taking a walk.”
“Oh, I didn’t see him leave.”
Liam studied my face. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
Doubt flooded me once again. I started to picture James meeting with Blake’s men, and worried that the entire trip was one big trap. I knew logically that my thoughts had no basis. Instinctively, I recognized that James had spoken the truth about my mother, but my imagination was on overdrive and overwhelmed rational thought.
“What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?” Liam asked quietly while Monty and Lawson talked.
“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Even with all the mental doubts, I still felt that James was good. I didn’t want to cause problems. I had to trust my instincts.
As we packed and prepared to leave, James reappeared with a sack overflowing with teal-colored berries. “Our supplies were running low, and I thought I recognized some berry bushes a little ways back.”
***
There were no natural shelters to be found, so we slept out in the open that night. We were in an area that had once been dense forest, but had been cleared, leaving only a scattering of tree trunks. Thankfully, it wasn’t snowing. I lay awake under the clear sky, staring up at the stars. I couldn’t stop analyzing my feelings for Calvin. Reuniting with him felt so natural, so right—but almost too right. Liam took the first watch, so he was the only other one awake.
“How do you know if something is real?”
“You go with your gut.” Liam readjusted his position, leaning against a large tree stump to face me.
“And what if your gut is wrong?” I didn’t make eye contact, embarrassed even to be having doubts again. I wondered what had happened to all my confidence from the previous night.
“You hope for the best,” Liam answered in barely a whisper. I glanced over at him. He gazed up at the sky, unaware that I watched him. “Have you noticed how different the night sky is here?”
“There are a lot more stars.” I caught Liam’s eye as I spoke, and the intensity of his gaze let me know that he knew about Calvin. “You didn’t try to stop me.”
“I admit I followed you until you got on the horse. I thought about trying to call you back, but realized that I had to let you go.”
“Oh. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just—”
“I know, and I don’t blame you.” Liam’s tone was calm, but something else was behind it.
“You trusted my judgment that much?” I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest.
“Of course. You’re pretty intuitive now. I admit I still don’t like the idea that you spend so much time with him.” Liam nodded toward where James slept.
I laughed lightly. “After the way he kissed me the other night, I have to agree with you.”
“But seriously, Charlotte, only you know what’s real and what isn’t. No one else can tell you what to think.”
“Calvin says he’s on our side now. He says he’s going to help.” I anxiously looked at Liam, wondering what he thought.
Liam shrugged. “I assumed as much.”
“You did?”
“I figured the guy had to be smart enough to figure it out eventually. Besides, if he hadn’t, why would he just visit with you for a night and let you go?”
“I know I can trust him, but my emotions are so out of control when it comes to Calvin.”
“That’s to be expected. I know the whole Gerard-Essence thing is supposed to be natural, but it’s also weird. You’re only seventeen, and you’re tied to this guy you hardly know, who pretty much kept you prisoner. That has to be hard.” Liam seemed nervous. I guessed he was afraid I wouldn’t like his bluntness.
“You’re right.” I pulled the extra blanket tightly around me. “It is weird, but the part that’s natural makes me forget the weirdness when I’m with him.” I felt tongue-tied trying to explain it.
“And when you’re not with him?” Liam’s eyes searched my face for something.
His gaze unsettled me, and I paused briefly before responding, “When I’m not with him, I’m such a mess of emotions.” I rested my head on my knees. I hated admitting weakness.
“You’re not embarrassed, are you?”
“Of course I am. I feel weak.” I took a deep breath before lifting my head.
“Weak? You’re anything but weak.”
“I appreciate it, Liam, but I know I am. If I can’t control my emotions, how can I possibly be the Essence and help my mom or Energo?”
“You’ll do what you have to do. You have it in you. You just need more confidence.” He paused as if deciding what to say next. “Speaking of your mom, are you excited to see her?” He had the art of changing the subject down pat.
“I’m excited, but also nervous. Even if we can bring her back, it’s going to be strange, isn’t it?”
“Strange? Like too much has changed?”
“This is going to sound horrible, but I spent so long thinking she was dead that it’s hard to simply pick back up where we lef
t off. Besides, I now know that almost everything about her childhood was made up. She held back so much from us.” It felt good to get my feelings out.
“But you know why she did, right?” Liam asked. “To protect you.”
I didn’t answer; there was nothing to say. We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. One of the things I loved about spending time with Liam was that neither of us worried about filling the empty spaces; we could just exist.
Liam finally broke the silence. “But seriously, Char, you need to get some sleep, okay?”
I thought about arguing, but I couldn’t deny my exhaustion. It didn’t take long to fall asleep, as talking to Liam about my feelings had helped ease the disquiet keeping me awake.
***
I woke up well rested. I had only slept a few hours, but it had been a deep, dreamless sleep that did wonders. After a quick breakfast, we packed up our gear and started to walk again.
“We will be there before nightfall.” James’s voice broke through the fog of my thoughts, and the meaning of his words hit me.
“We’re going to see my mom tonight.” I felt weak. I understood the whole purpose of the journey was to get to her, but as we got closer, my fear intensified.
Monty placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Charlotte, you need to prepare yourself. Your mother is not going to look like herself.” When he touched me, I recognized the worry I carried that Monty was somehow upset with me. I guessed I had taken for granted the huge importance Monty held in my life, and the thought of disappointing him grated on me.
“What do you think she’s going to look like?” I didn’t really want to know, but I needed to ask.
James didn’t give Monty the chance to answer. “She’s in a sleep-like state. My father figured out how to keep her powers controlled.”
“So how do we know Charlotte won’t get hurt by whatever it is that has kept her mom weak?” Liam sounded concerned. I hadn’t even thought about it.
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