by Alex C Vick
He immediately withdrew his force field, and the spell disappeared. I blinked. The suddenness of it left a gap in my head that felt very odd for a few seconds.
Then he tried it for himself. When the blue appeared in his hand, his mouth lifted in a smile. He reinstated the connection so fast, I was momentarily at a disadvantage.
“Come on, fair’s fair,” he said. There was a slight edge to his words.
“You’ve seen my deepest, darkest secrets,” he went on. “Show me one of yours, Galen.”
Before I could stop myself, I thought of Claudia, and an image of her came into my head. Instantly, Nico’s force field surrounded it, pushing for more information.
It was horrible. His curiosity, and then his determination, were crowding my thoughts, making me feel like I couldn’t breathe. I tried to picture something else. Anything else.
“Who is she?” he asked. “Wait… Her name’s Claudia, isn’t it? What is she to you…?”
Suddenly, I had an idea. The arena. Nico had never visited one. I flooded my head with the sight, sounds, and smell of a gladiatorial battle. Nico gave a sharp intake of breath, immediately distracted.
“Wow,” he said. “Your reports didn’t do it justice. It’s…”
He watched the memory as it replayed. The fight had been a desperate one. No magic was permitted in the arena. Only physical strength and whatever wits the contestants could hold on to. Victory was won as life was lost.
And the crowds cheered as the struggle played out in front of them.
When the winning gladiator struck his killing blow, and the blood of his opponent spilled onto the dirt, Nico experienced the same disgust and fascination I had done.
“Terra is incredible, isn’t it?” he said. “If I wrote this as fiction, people would dismiss it as being too far-fetched. And yet, it’s real.”
“Imbera is supposed to be worse,” I said. “I know Vandra is still checking her information, but…”
“Which world would you like to study next?” he asked casually.
I was just thinking about my answer when his force field smashed into my mind like a Movement Spell into a stone wall. Gasping, I pushed the chair backwards, trying to pull my hand away from him. He held on.
“Who. Is. She?”
His words were like knives, cutting through my thoughts. I twisted and struggled, mentally and physically, but he was relentless.
Random memories began to surface against my will. He watched them, one after the other, until Claudia reappeared. Then, as if her face were a loose thread on a blanket, he pulled and pulled at it, uncovering nearly everything in the process. I couldn’t stop him, try though I might.
Finally he decided he’d seen enough, and he dropped his force field. By this time, I was too stunned to do anything but sit in the chair and stare at him.
I didn’t recognise the person who had just stolen my memories without my permission. He had taken my spell and turned it into a weapon.
Did he think it was OK to do that? Like it was some kind of perverse payback for the memories I had seen when I first connected with him? I hadn’t wanted to learn those things. I hadn’t sought them out.
I was dismayed to realise I was trembling. Is it my fault, or is it his?
“You really do have it all, don’t you, Galen?”
“I… What?” I said. He was actually looking at me as if I were the one who had done something bad.
“Not content with having the best magical ability, and a family who protects you, and friends who admire you… Now you have a girl who loves you as well.”
He clenched his fists.
“And you never even told me! You asked me to trust you, and you never even told me! The way you feel about her… It’s not fair.”
“You’re wrong!”
Anger. At last, I felt anger. It poured through me, making me stronger.
“What’s not fair is blaming me for your own insecurities after using my Communication Spell to interrogate me!”
He stood up and grabbed hold of the arms of my chair. Although his expression was enraged, I saw the glint of tears in his eyes. I refused to shrink back, meeting his gaze head-on.
“My insecurities? Is that what you said?”
“It is.”
“I hate you,” he said. His voice was unsteady.
My anger ebbed away. He looked lost.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Then he left.
I stayed unmoving for a long time. I wasn’t sure whether it could have gone any worse.
The day after was terrible. We were supposed to be preparing our joint presentation to the Council, but Nico barely spent any time in the same room as me. And with no portal travel to keep us busy, time passed as if it were falling through the hourglass one grain of sand at a time.
Needless to say, the presentation was a disaster, at least for me. Nico made the gods and goddesses sound ridiculous, concentrating purely on the sensational.
He presented Terra as completely crazy. The Council questioned the merit of researching it at all. Is Nico doing it deliberately?
When he got to the section about Cupid, I had my answer.
“His symbols are the arrow and the torch because love is said to wound and inflame the heart,” declared Nico, smirking.
“The poet’s motto ‘Omnia vincit Amor,’ or ‘Love conquers all,’ is a classic example of Terran indulgence. As if love,” he scoffed, “could ever be placed ahead of society’s greater good!”
He flicked his gaze in my direction, and his eyes narrowed slightly. I was struggling to remain calm.
Some Council members nodded, and I ground my teeth. I knew the Romans had other gods to counterbalance what Nico was saying. His interpretation was incredibly one-sided.
“They go to war on a whim. They are entertained by death and pain. They hold other Terrans as possessions. Even Galen considered researching a different world when he discovered that. Terra is immature and dangerous.”
More nodding. Right then, I hated him back, with all my heart. He had effectively destroyed any small chance I might have had of being with Claudia.
My presentation on symbols was nearly at its end before I managed to revive the Council’s interest. They held a polite debate about the Signature Symbol and whether something similar should ever be adopted on Androva.
It was no surprise to me, however, when they declined my suggestion.
Somehow I managed to keep my emotions under control. If only so Nico would not have the satisfaction of seeing me suffer.
Later, I wrote the conclusion to my book on Terran Magical Symbols. The section on the Signature Symbol was at the end.
“Its potential use on Androva has been considered, but we have concluded there is no need for an additional level of proof to the decisions our Council implements.”
The pen in my hand was pressing very hard into the paper.
Then I wrote about how the Androvan Sygnus could be used to create a version of the Signature Symbol. Many times a day, advanced magic made it spin, and it trapped the same residue of energy that was being added to the Terran signature.
It had been part of my research, and I included it only for completeness. The next page was rather optimistically titled “Alternative Uses for the Signature Symbol.” It was now destined to remain blank.
I drew a thick line to show I had finished. I wondered if anyone reading it in the future would know how much emotion was hiding behind my careful words. Probably not.
I thought that would be the end of it.
The following day, I didn’t really know what to do with myself. Claudia wouldn’t be expecting me yet. I had expected to be refining the Communication Spell in order to make my proposal to the Council. The next step in our plan.
Except that my Signature Symbols presentation had not been successful. And now the Council thought the world of Terra was dangerous and immature.
I stayed in my room and slept for most of the day. Every
time I woke up, I turned over and closed my eyes again. My family left me alone, used to my keeping strange hours by now.
Eventually, I could sleep no more. And I had made up my mind. When night fell, I would return to Pompeii and talk to Claudia. We would make a new plan. I intended to leave Androva behind if I had to. I could not live without her.
I arrived at the Foundation feeling better. Just knowing I would be seeing Claudia soon was enough to make me smile.
Nico was sitting in his chair when I arrived. The portal behind him was still open.
“Galen!”
He had a very strange expression on his face.
“I didn’t think you were talking to me,” I said, slightly irritated. I did not want to get into a discussion with him just then.
“Whatever it is, it will have to wait until I get back.”
I began to activate the first of the portal symbols I had engraved on the wall for convenience.
“No, you can’t open it.”
He was pulling at my arm, and I gave him an incredulous look.
“Says who? You? Forgive me,” I said sarcastically, “but I no longer attach any importance to your opinion, partner.”
“Galen, you don’t understand. It’s gone. Pompeii, it’s gone.”
I turned to face him.
“In Roma they were talking of nothing else. I returned as soon as I was sure because I wanted to tell you…”
“Tell me what?”
“Your mountain. Vesuvius. It has covered the land in fire, and liquid rock, and burning dust. There’s nothing left. There’s… no one left.”
It was as if time had stopped. For a few seconds, I felt nothing. I didn’t understand what he was telling me.
Then, too late, I remembered the tremor shaking the ground. Panic rose in my chest until I couldn’t breathe.
“No. No. No!”
Chapter 15 - A Second Chance
I wondered why Androva continued to function entirely as normal. It made no sense. Or why I continued to breathe in and out. Or why time passed, and everyone carried on with their lives.
My coming of age ceremony was the next week. I’d been matched to Celeste, Mirrem’s sister. All the arrangements had been made. I had consented. Why not? There is no point to any of it, after all.
And I had no idea what else I was supposed to do with myself.
I might as well do as I’m told .
Moments lasted for hours, and then a whole day would pass without me even realising. Eating required so much energy that I usually stopped after a few mouthfuls. Talking made me even more tired than I was already.
At least I’m calmer now. I suppose that’s an improvement of sorts .
When I first understood that Claudia was dead, I had been frantic.
I remember Nico grabbing me while I tried to open the portal to get to her. My grief gave me a kind of crazy strength, and he couldn’t hold me back. He yelled at me until I agreed to some new coordinates.
We emerged across the water from the city, to a sight of devastation. The land surrounding Pompeii had been obliterated by the mountain. The earth was boiling, and nothing was visible under the clouds of ash.
A breeze blew into our faces, and it was so hot I turned away from it. I imagined what must have happened to Claudia, and I threw up. Over and over, until there was nothing left.
Our last goodbye flashed into my head.
“Redibo. Promitto.”
My eyes were stinging. I had broken my promise to her. The guilt began to gnaw at my empty stomach. And my heart cracked into pieces.
I think it must have been Nico who got me home. The next few hours were a blur. I found myself lying on my bed staring at the ceiling. I thought if I went to sleep, I might wake up to find none of this was true.
There were quiet conversations over my head. Concerned voices. Nico saying something about a natural disaster on Terra and me feeling bad for the people I’d been observing.
I closed my eyes. If I concentrated, I could almost hear her voice, feel her hand against my jaw, and see her eyes closing as she leaned to kiss me.
My eyes snapped open. She cannot be dead. She cannot.
I had been with her only days ago. I wanted to push everyone aside and run away. If I run far enough I can surely escape this hideous new reality.
I paced the room. I lay down again. I threw things at the wall. I ignored everyone who came to see me. I didn’t know what to think or how to feel.
After a little while, Serena came to hand me a Sleep Remedy. Her eyes were sad.
“Drink it,” she urged.
“Why?” I asked, drinking it anyway.
“You haven’t slept for two days.”
I stared at her, not understanding. My legs wobbled, and I sank down onto the bed.
“Two days? No, I was just on Terra this evening, I was…”
I slept.
When I woke up, the sky was grey. Dawn or twilight, I couldn’t tell. Serena was sitting on the edge of my bed, her profile visible in the light of a gentle Illumination Spell.
For a few moments I didn’t move, and useless tears slid into my hair, one after the other.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“What am I going to do, Serena?”
“I don’t know.”
She took hold of my hand.
“They’ve been talking, Gale. They’re going to arrange your coming of age ceremony. To give you something to look forward to.”
“You’re joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”
“No. I’m not. And you have to meet Celeste tomorrow.”
“What?”
I pushed myself up onto my elbows. The panic made me lightheaded.
“The Council think you got too close to your research. They want to match you with a nice girl so you can get back to normal and complete your Communication Spell.”
It was too much. I lay down again.
“Whatever… they… want,” I said slowly. The flash of panic had subsided, and I hardly had the energy to speak. I felt my emotions shrinking, leaving me comfortably numb.
Serena frowned.
“I’ll help you if you want to fight this,” she said. “I can explain to our parents, and you know they’ll support you too…”
I shook my head.
“There’s no point. To anything. I don’t care, Serena. I don’t care.”
Nico tried to talk to me several times. I let him, but I had nothing to say in return. Once, he tried to use the Communication Spell. It didn’t work. I was mildly surprised, but I didn’t really mind one way or the other.
Nico, on the other hand, was extremely disappointed.
“Why isn’t it working, Galen? What have you done? I promised Krysta it was nearly ready. I thought we could both take it to the Council.…”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Did you? Why would you think that? We’re not partners anymore.”
He looked shocked, then furious.
“What? But that spell could make us famous! I kept your secret—I haven’t told anyone about Claudia…”
He trailed off. I felt a surge of anger that pushed me out of my chair and across the room.
“Don’t you ever mention her name to me again.”
We looked at each other. He gave me a nasty smile.
“You can’t threaten me,” he said, standing up to leave. “I could make your life pretty miserable if I wanted to.”
I shrugged, my anger fading as quickly as it had arrived. Doesn’t he realise my life is already as bad as it’s ever going to get? I sat back down and stared out of the window.
Then, he said something that finally shocked me out of my lethargy.
“Think about it, Galen. Consorting with a slave girl, attacking a professor, touching the Finality Spell… You might lose your force field if the Council found out.
“I’ll keep your secrets, but only if you remain my research partner and give me joint credit for the spell,” he added.
>
He threw the books he had brought with him onto the table and walked out before I could respond.
I could hardly believe my ears. Would he betray me as far as the Spell of Removal? Is that what he meant?
I don’t want that. I don’t. If I’m not a magician, I’ll never be able to figure out a way to get her back…
The thought lit up my mind like a beacon. What on Androva have I been doing all this time? Wallowing in misery, that’s what. When I should have been applying my not inconsiderable magical ability to solving the problem.
Well, calling it a problem might be understating things just a little. But half a year ago, the prospect of travelling to Terra seemed impossible. Yet we did it. We did the impossible . All we’d had to do was find the right coordinates.
Absently, I ran my hand over the topmost book in the pile. When the title came into focus, a wave of painful emotion made my breath stick in my throat for a second.
Terran Magical Symbols . And one of the Signature Symbols at the end of the book had Claudia in it. She’d thought it would be amusing to fetch me the contract signed when Julia Felix had purchased her.
The thought of seeing her again, but not really seeing her, had me frozen with indecision. I wanted to do it so much, but I also knew it was going to really, really hurt.
Don’t pretend, Galen. You know you’re going to read the symbol. Just get on with it. It’s not going to hurt any less if you put it off.
The first time was the worst. She looked so real. I wanted to reach out and grab hold of her and never let her go.
I lost count of the number of times I held my hand over the symbol. Of course, I tried to touch her, but it never worked. I shouted, I cursed. That, at least, was one thing the Roman language did so much better than my own.
If only I can find a way to bring her back with me! Except the Signature Symbol only lasted a few seconds. It was like a doorway that kept slamming shut. A doorway…
What had I told myself earlier?
We’d done the impossible. All we’d had to do was find the right coordinates.
Portals. The right coordinates. The impossible. The Signature Symbol. Keeping the doorway open…
I’m either a genius or the most deluded underage magician on Androva. Can I use the Signature Symbol as a set of coordinates? To go back to Terra before the mountain catches fire?