Alterni

by Sunshine Somerville

  Esme chuckled at this round-about compliment. “Thanks, I guess. But the point of my being here is that I help you. I don’t want to be dead weight – emphasis on not wanting to be dead anything.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. He’d stopped moping whenever the other Esmes’ deaths came up, so that was a good sign. She couldn’t say they were friends yet, but they understood each other now. He still put up a defensive wall from time to time, but she’d found ways to break through.

  We’re king and alterni. Partners. We should know each other better, shouldn’t we?

  She sighed. “I appreciate that you’ve promised to protect me, but I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t want you to have to constantly save me as we battle malevolenci. That’s not fair to you. So, I’d welcome suggestions on how to be useful.”

  Owen nodded at the closed elevator door. “That’s why we’re going to Roman. I have my fingers crossed you’ll be better at the magic side of fighting malevolenci. Your main job is to connect with the magic only alterni can use. I can fight and shoot and attack the malevolenci, but I can’t use magic to affect the rifts. That job is on you, so conjuri training is what you’ll focus on from now on.”

  No pressure, she thought with a chill. If I’m not good at magic either, I’m absolutely no use to this world.

  Owen was still explaining. “Roman and his colleagues taught a few Esmes to be pretty good at hand spells. I’m hoping you’ll have a knack for it too. And, most importantly, you need to learn the termino spell that closes the rifts.”

  She’d wondered about this. “If these spells are the most important part of my job, why didn’t we start there?”

  His jaw clenched. “I wanted to make sure you could defend yourself first. This war is getting out of control, but I don’t want to rush you into the field before you’re ready.”

  “Oh… But I suck at fighting.”

  “Yes.” He grinned at her. “Like I said, there are other ways to fight. I won’t lie – conjuri training is harder to master than cavali training. That’s why we have so few conjuri but thousands of cavali. I thought it’d be easier for you to begin your training like most of us, but maybe magic is your best shot at surviving.”

  She swallowed.

  If I’m not good at magic, I’m not only worthless – I’m likely to die. And I have to get good fast! I already wasted three weeks in cavali training, and Owen needs me in the field ASAP.

  She looked up at the king. “Has an alterni ever failed at magic?”

  Owen met her eyes with a serious look. “No. Some are better at it than others, I’ll admit. With the alterni that aren’t so good, we have to bring an experienced conjuri in the field to make sure the alterni get the termino spell right. That takes time we usually can’t afford.”

  It’d be like having a magical babysitter, she thought. I hope I don’t-

  “Fortunately,” Owen continued, “sensing the rifts comes naturally to you alterni. At the very least, you’ll be able to direct us to new ones that open. We’ll just have to cross our magical fingers you’ll be good at hand spells…and the termino.”

  She took a breath.

  Owen gave her a small smile. “An alterni’s talent with magic depends on the alterni. And I have faith in you, Esme.”

  She couldn’t tell if he really did or if he was just desperately hoping she could do this.

  “Put your training with Lexi and me out of mind. It doesn’t matter that you suck. We tried it, and now we’re moving on. Focus on this new task ahead. You can’t defend yourself as a cavali, so that means you have to be extra good as a conjuri. And that means a lot of work. Got it?” He sounded very much like a king giving orders.

  Esme took a breath and nodded.

  Right then the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Owen stepped into a hall lit from above with sparkling chandeliers, and the light cast a yellowish hue onto the marble tile and marble walls. The long hall dissected the Capiti through the middle, and at either end stood a tall, exterior window. Only two doors led from the hall, one on either wall, and Owen went to the door on the right. This he opened without knocking.

  Once through, Esme’s jaw dropped.

  This entire side of the Capiti was one big, wide library. It was two stories high, and staircases on either side of the door curved up to a wide balcony running around the exterior walls. The room’s floors, stairs, railings, and support pillars were made of wood. A wide carpet lay in the center of the open floor. On every wall, bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, parting only where the walls held windows. The long, curtained windows allowed sunlight in, but old-fashioned lamps stood on small study tables. Looking up, Esme discovered a fantastic mural depicting warriors from bygone eras battling malevolenci monsters.

  Wow, she thought as her artist’s heart skipped a beat. That is gorgeous. The colors, the clarity… And that panel there looks so much older than the one next to it. Is this patched together, copied from different works?

  Esme tore her gaze from the ceiling mural and examined the rest of the room. Against the far wall stood the largest, longest table with many high-backed leather and wood chairs. Old books the size of atlases were stacked in no discernable order across this table. Esme examined the shelves again. They were so jam-packed that it was impossible to tell where the books on the table had been pulled from. Then Esme spotted the sliding ladder that ran on a track around the lower level’s shelves.

  Ooh. That looks fun.

  “Good day, Master Conjuri,” said the king beside her.

  Esme pulled her attention from the ladder and looked back to the main table as two chairs scooted back. The Master Conjuri, Roman, rose out of one chair and turned to face them. He looked as Esme remembered – rotund, hairless, and wearing white robes. The second chair’s occupant stood as well. She was a lovely, older, dark-skinned woman with narrow reading glasses. She also wore white robes.

  “Esme,” said Owen as he gestured toward the pair of conjuri, “you remember Roman. And this is Ada Pound. Ada’s specifically assigned to teach alterni hand spells. She’s worked with each of your alterni and my Uncle Trent during my father’s reign.”

  Ada looked at the king over her glasses with the hint of a smile. “And I was an exceptional cavali in my day, don’t forget that.”

  Owen pointed a finger at her in agreement. “Too true. Anyway-”

  Esme whispered, “Are either of them…”

  He sighed and closed his eyes. “Both human. Completely human. But they’re the two most powerful conjuri in the Order, so don’t take them for normal.”

  She pouted but decided she had more important things to focus on.

  Owen clapped his hands together and nodded at Roman. “I leave her in your care.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” Roman bowed to the king as Owen headed back for the door.

  Esme hadn’t needed a goodbye, but she turned and watched Owen leave her without another word. After a courage-summoning breath, she faced the conjuri.

  The jowly old man pushed up his robe’s sleeves, which fell right back down, but this seemed a habit. “Come, Miss Kuchis. Have a seat.”

  Esme tried to be respectful. “Thank you.” She moved to the chair Roman pulled out for her between his and Ada’s, and Esme scooted up to the table.

  The woman in robes hadn’t shifted her gaze from Esme since Owen left. She appeared to be debating Esme’s worth. Finally Ada came out of analysis, pulled back her chair, folded her hands under her sleeves, and sat in her seat.

  Esme tried not to squirm beside the hypercritical woman.

  It sounds like Ada knows her stuff. Guess she’s earned the right to judge.

  Esme looked at the books stacked on the table. The idea of learning magic was exciting. Less exciting since her many failures these past few weeks, but still…

  Magic! And books. Honestly, I’m far more comfortable in a library than a gym. I have a slight edge here… Maybe I can be good at this.

 
She took a breath and looked at the Master Conjuri beside her. “Well, where do we start?”

  “Here.” Roman pulled an ancient-looking tome in front of her and opened the cover.

  Esme saw that the writing was done in ink, thankfully in English. She read the title on the front page. “The Chronicles of Kings, Volume I.”

  “This book and its companions,” said Roman, pointing to the stack beside him, “hold the entire lineage of the Lord line. They tell of the battles our kings and alterni fought against the malevolenci.”

  Ada folded her hands on the table. “You must learn as much as you can about what came before you. Learn from these alterni examples. See how those before you performed your same task. That is the wisest place to begin your education. Once you’ve learned what they did and why, then we’ll teach you how.”

  Esme nodded and looked at the stack of books. “I agree. Good way to start.”

  Ada’s quick blink suggested she was surprised by this. “Many before you failed to understand the gravity of your duty. I want you to thoroughly appreciate our history. During your first months with us, you’ll sit here, at this table, and read. Nothing else. No magic. No spells. You’ll read and broaden your understanding. After a few months, we’ll test you to see how much you’ve retained.”

  Now’s the time, thought Esme. I can finally be impressive.

  She tried not to smirk. “I don’t think it’ll take that long. Maybe a few weeks. Maybe.”

  Ada made an “I told you so” face at Roman. Her voice grew more authoritative. “You’re just like your fourth alterni. She didn’t think this was important either, and when she tried to take on a flock of chiroptorx without learning what past alterni had done-”

  “No…” Esme bit down her frustration at once again being compared to her alterni. Politely, she said, “I’m not like the fourth Esme, who I understand was a know-it-all bitch. I’m just saying I won’t need to spend months memorizing these books because-”

  “There’s no excuse for-”

  Roman held a hand out to silence Ada. “Wait a moment. Let’s hear what the alterni has to say.” He looked at Esme like he wanted to study her in his lab. “Do you have a gift you haven’t shared with us? We drew you from a rather ordinary world, but are you saying you’re one of the few with paranormal abilities?”

  Esme turned to the books, wondering now. “Uh, no… I’m not a paranormal. Are you saying there are people from my world-”

  Ada cut her off. “Never mind that. What’s special about you?”

  Esme let it go, shrugged, and faced the book in front of her. “I have a photographic memory. They called it ‘eidetic’ when I was a kid, but that sounds snooty. According to the doctors my mom sent me to, I had one of the best memories they’d ever seen. As I’ve aged, it hasn’t faded. I’ve even trained myself to be better. Came in pretty handy as an artist when clients wanted portraits or landscapes.”

  Ada looked at Roman in surprise. “Did you know about this?”

  Roman shook his head at Esme with a frown. “You never mentioned this to Hakim during your interview. I read your file. Did you not tell the king?”

  She felt guilty now and shrugged again. “I was saving it as my ace. And anyway, it hasn’t exactly helped me with my training thus far.”

  It was stupid not to tell them. I’m no fighter, but I’ll be good at remembering spells and drawing symbols. Owen’s right – I need to get over sucking at combat and focus on this new task. I can do this.

  Ada sat back and faced the bookshelves. When she spoke, her tone had softened, apparently now having some hope in her pupil. “How much can you retain? For how long?”

  “Things that I don’t pay enough attention to fade. But with enough repetition, I can remember huge chunks of information indefinitely. My brain files away anything important, and I can usually pull it back up later. I’ve memorized everything by William Shakespeare, if that’s a helpful reference.” Esme looked around at the shelves. “I could do the same here with whatever you say I should.”

  Ada nodded and also looked at the bookshelves, in her own thoughts.

  Esme admitted, “People usually think this means I’m super smart. It’s more that… Well, I lock away memories like pictures or videos in my mind.” She glanced at the open book. “I’ll need your help to understand your history, I’m sure. I’m not saying I’m a genius. It’s just that I won’t forget anything if I focus on it. It won’t take me long to memorize whatever you think is important. Once I read it, I’ll carry it around in my head.”

  “I see,” said Roman, scowling. “Yes, this will give you an advantage, particularly with the symbol spells, which are most important.”

  Ada smiled at her for the first time. “I’d be happy to guide your studies, alterni.” She tapped the book in front of Esme. “For now, read our history. I’ll sit here and prepare your reading list. If you have any questions about the texts, feel free to ask.”

  “Thank you.”

  Roman rose from his seat. “Meanwhile, I’ll return downstairs to the lab. If you need me, Ada, ring the bell.”

  Esme wondered about this, but as Roman moved away she saw an old school bell sitting on a small table over by a lamp.

  That bell? How would he hear that all the way down in the lab?

  She dared to ask Ada, “Is the bell spelled? Does it get ten times louder when you ring it or something? Make a sound only Roman can hear?”

  Ada chuckled and shook her head. “No, no. There’s an illuso carved onto the table that makes our phone appear as a bell. Roman doesn’t like phones, so it was a compromise.”

  “Oh.” Esme was a smidge disappointed.

  Ada called to Roman as he shuffled toward the door. “She may be ready for magic sooner than we thought. Send a tech to collect her blood sample. I suggest we begin construction of her castorca immediately.”

  Esme scrunched her face. “My what?”

  “It’s something you wear on your hand that allows you to access the magic of our world.”

  “Oh…” Esme looked at Ada’s hands where they poked out from her long sleeves. “But you don’t have…”

  Ada raised a dark, wrinkled hand and shook her head. “No, we natives do not require them. Only the non-paranormal alterni need a castorca to tap into this world’s power.”

  “Oh, right… Why are you taking my blood?”

  “No worries. It’s only a pinprick.”

  “…’Kay,” said Esme uncertainly.

  Behind them, Roman called back, “I’ll send a tech to collect a sample. Until later, good day, ladies.”

  Once alone with the older woman, Esme faced Ada with a deep breath. “So. Reading day?”

  “Yes, reading day.” Ada smiled.

  Esme’s eyes drifted to the ladder against the bookshelves. “Can we make a deal? If I memorize this whole first book today, can I slide back and forth on that ladder? It’s a to-do on my bucket list.”

  Ada turned to see the ladder, then laughed. She had a pleasant laugh. “You all ask that.”

  Esme’s smile drooped.

  “Oh, no, I didn’t mean…” Ada reached a hand to touch Esme’s. She sighed. “I don’t mean all of you. I meant many alterni in general. Trent Simons pushed that ladder around like a madman until I pulled him off. I’m told three of the Reubens during Byron Lord’s reign did the same. I guess it’s a good way to blow off steam.”

  Esme chuckled.

  Ada gave a small smile and pointed at Esme’s gray-dyed hair. “I can tell you’re trying to be distinct from the alterni before you. I’m sorry if you’re finding it difficult. I’m sorry if I’m treating you like that.”

  For whatever reason, Esme was at ease talking to this woman.

  She’s a long-lost grandmother type. Kind, wise, insightful. Even the initial criticism reminds me of my dad’s mom.

  “It’s hard, yes,” Esme admitted. “I either feel like I’m not as good as they were, or else everyone treats me as if I’m exactly
like them. And since you people are so used to us dying…that doesn’t feel great, either. The cavali already think I’m a failure. Roman doesn’t seem convinced I’m human.”

  “Well, Roman is perhaps too much a scientist. But he takes our work seriously, so I know he’ll prioritize your training.” Ada paused. Her gaze wandered from book to book on the table. “The Order has an odd relationship with the alterni. We’ve gone cold where you’re concerned. It hurts us to grow attached, you understand. Many conjuri don’t think your kind are worth the effort – you keep dying, so why waste time training you properly when we can just summon replacements? It is a bit exhausting on our end. Most alterni don’t last a year, and then we have to train the next replacement all over again. Going through the training process with each of you means reliving the same experience, always with the same tragic result.”

  Esme swallowed.

  Ada smiled. “But I see your heart and head are in this, and I believe with your gifts you can excel. And quickly.” Her smile faded. “Which is good, because we desperately need your assistance.”

  “I understand. The king, Hakim, and Lexi have told me the war’s not going well.”

  “Yes, the malevolenci attacks in the past few years have been the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime. They’re the worst we’ve seen for centuries.” Ada sighed. “I’ll be the first to admit, Esme, that a few of your alterni were disappointments. But I have a good feeling about you. We need you to work hard.”

  Esme nodded. “I will. And I appreciate your willingness to teach me.”

  Ada’s expression again showed approval, and she reached for a book to read. “Okay, alterni. Memorize that volume, then we’ll see if you can slide that ladder faster than Trent Simons.”

  Esme smiled and turned to begin the first volume of the Chronicles of Kings. She flipped the title page and found a generational list of kings and their alterni.