Ethera and the Island of Evisara: Book One of The Enrovia Series

by Anna J Walner

  “Yes, of course. Why?” I tried to sound convincing.

  She smiled, “No reason. Tindo asked a few animals if they had seen me. Spencer, a sparrow happened to overhear and found me at the cove, he believed it was urgent. Although I see now he was mistaken, it’s still nice to see you’re alright. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.”

  “That’s alright,” I said, already feeling guilty about my intentionally misleading line of conversation I had planned.

  “Ethera, when can I go home?” I asked innocently enough. I wanted to gauge her reaction, studying her closely trying to find any clue on what might be going through her mind.

  “Are you sure you’re alright, you seem upset.”

  “No, I mean, yes. Everything is fine. I was just wondering . . . .”

  “Hailey, it’s not safe.” She explained as she had time and time again.

  “Maybe we could make it.” I said, but she only shook her head.

  “Are you . . . are they trying to keep me here for some reason?”

  At this her head shot up and her eyes narrowed on mine. I felt myself starting to breath faster, nervous now.

  “Why would you think that Hailey?” she asked, all traces of her happiness gone and replaced by a very unnerving seriousness. Maybe Drugan was right, I thought in a panic.

  “I just . . .” I paused, thinking what I should say next. “I just don’t think that Drugan would . . .”

  “Wouldn’t what?” She cut me off. “Wouldn’t hurt you?” She still maintained the kind voice I had come to expect but I could feel more than kindness behind the words.

  “I, I don’t know. I just think we should at least try. You’ve been able to go to the outside world.” I managed to get out.

  “No,” she said simply. “And I’ve been incredibly lucky. Nuneuka has lost two of her sharks trying to get me though and back safely.”

  I felt the tears start behind my eyes, I couldn’t help myself. “Please,” I begged. “I’ll take the risk myself, I’ll find a way to start the boat and head out to the gates. All you have to do is go through and I’ll follow. Just let me try!”

  “Hailey please. . .” she began again.

  “No! NO! You want to keep me a prisoner here, don’t you?” I yelled before I could stop myself.

  “You don’t want me to go home and tell people! You don’t want me to keep these abilities I have now. You don’t want people to come looking for you, for this place. I’m a loose end now, aren’t I, something you can’t leave untied.”

  “Where is this coming from all of a sudden?” she asked with wide eyes.

  “No where. I just . . .I want to go home Ethera, I want to go home!” I yelled choking on sobs. “That’s all.”

  I pulled my eyes to meet hers and swallowed back the urge to continue crying. “At the first light I’ll be at the bay, I’ll anchor at the pillars if I have to and wait until I see you, but I’m going home tomorrow.” I lifted my chin in resolve. Stoic and serious about my decision.

  She hung her head, and for a second I was afraid I had made a terrible mistake with my demands to her, but after a moment she faced me again. “Alright.” She said. “But if this fails greatly. . .” she trailed off.

  “Then it will have been my choice.” I finished in my own words.

  She sighed and rolled her eyes. The first time I’d seen any other emotion than calm and collected from her. I couldn’t help but smile for some reason. I had broken that shell and for a moment seen an actual reaction from Ethera.

  “Ethera please don’t . . .” I begged, leaving her to figure out the rest of my plea.

  Finally after many seconds, she nodded. She never mentioned the council, and I didn’t ask. All I needed was her to agree, the rest of the council be damned as far as I was concerened.

  “Alright,” she relented. My heart lifted in my chest, then excitement and anxiety made it beat faster than before.

  “Thank you!” I screamed and ran to hug her human form, which she allowed, although I felt a tension in her body. I knew I had forced her into something she did not want to do; something she did not believe was right.

  Tonight, while the others were resting in their homes, I would go back to the forest where I had met with Drugan earlier today and arrange for my safe passage back home. This was after all his offer, but Ethera didn’t need to know that. If, talking to him again, I felt less than safe leaving, I would simply tell Ethera I’d gotten cold feet. It would be as easy as that.

  I thanked Ethera again, a little less enthusiastically, and promised to get a good night’s rest before my trip in the morning.

  “Are you certain Hailey?” She asked a final time as a secret look passed between us.

  “I’m sure,” I told her and wished her goodnight. Planning the next steps I needed to take as I walked back to my bungalow.

  When the sun had set and the darkness closed around the city center, I looked around what had become my home for the last month, trying to choose what I would take and what I would leave. The solar panel and phone of course. My backpack, filled with a few fruits from the island and my bottle filled with water.

  I wished that I had something from Lars, to remember him by. Something from Tindo, from Ethera and Feilvus. I scooped up a handful of dirt and placed it inside the side pocket of my pack.

  I dug up the necklace I had buried in the dirt at the back of the bungalow. After Drugan’s visit in the woods, I never heard it humm again, or the voice like I had before. It was like the he’d lifted a spell. Now all I wanted to do as far as he was concerned, was secure my safe passage and be on my way home.

  I tiptoed through the path using the flashlight on my phone, making my way past the cut off to the overlook and into the woods where I had seen Drugan before. Pulling the necklace from my pocket I called out to him quietly, not sure if it would work or not until I could see the dark mist swirling under the moonlight.

  He stepped forward, the trail of charcoal smoke following his every move.

  “Hailey! So good to see you again,” He smiled. “And so soon!” His false exuberance was all too evident. It made me a little wary. I chose my words very carefully.

  “You said you would let me to leave without your interference. Right? Safe passage through the gates and back to the real world, that’s what you said.” I asked, without returning his greeting.

  “Yes, that’s what I said. Don’t you remember?” he quipped.

  I forced my lips to curl into a smile. “I remember, I just want to make sure you meant it because I’ll be leaving in the morning.”

  He gasped. “You mean the council agreed to let you leave?”

  “No, not exactly . . .”

  “Tisk tisk . . . You got Ethera to go against the council, didn’t you?” he clucked as he paced, obviously pleased that I had convinced the upstanding Ethera to do something he knew she regarded as dishonest.

  “I would never ask her to do that. I asked her to let me try and go home on my own,“ I said proudly.

  “But of course you didn’t tell her about me did you? About our deal to leave together?” He said as he paced around me.

  “Together?” I asked in surprise. When did I agree to that?

  “I told you I’ve wanted to go back as well. And you agreed . . . .”

  Had I? I didn’t remember agreeing to that, but maybe I implied it? How was I going to explain an extra passenger to Etherea, let alone Drugan. Maybe Ethera would be grateful to have him gone.

  He stared at me intensely, a bright smile covering his face. “Well, let us leave at dawn shall we?” He extended his hand for me to grasp, but this time I withdrew and stared him in the eye.

  “Why not now?” I asked. He faltered noticeably for a moment then recovered.

  “Well, of course it would be easier for you to see in the morning. And I can’t open the gate, remember? That’s why I needed you to trick Ethera into agreeing.” He smiled again, this one almost seemed genuine.

  “I di
dn’t trick any one!” I insisted.

  “Tricked, persuaded, close enough, same result . . .”

  Distrust flooded through me. Suspicion unmistakably showed. And he noticed.

  “Look, she’ll never even know I’m with you if that’s what you’re worried about. I can be as small as a flea.”

  He turned to leave without waiting for me to answer.

  “And if you’re thinking we should keep this little arrangement between us a secret, you would be right . . . I’ll see you in the morning Hailey,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the trees.

  As I made my way back to the clearing, I knew there was no chance I was going to sleep tonight. The full moon hung straight up in the sky, making the flashlight unnecessary out of the tree cover.

  The Beach

  I was terrified as I made my way back to the shore. Had I taken the right fork there? I didn’t remember that boulder here. Where was the waterfall? I knew I had to keep moving. Time was running short, Drugan would be expecting me soon. And I had to make it to the boat before he did.

  As I ran, I continued to glance behind me, paranoid that someone had seen me leave the village. I almost tripped once, then again. Each time I thought of stopping to rest some noise came from the side or behind, spurring me on.

  Finally, I could see the early sun glinting off the water through the trees.

  I burst onto the shore falling face first into the sand, missing the step down from the woods. I looked around frantically for the boat, but I couldn’t see it or the rope I’d tied it to the tree with. In a desperate panic, I began to run up the beach, my backpack banging against me with each step.

  I had to find it. I had to make it to the gate.

  After what seemed like ten miles, I saw something along the shore in the distance. Faint, but white.

  It must be the boat.

  I ran like a lion was chasing me as I closed the last few yards. I almost cried as I saw the Robalo sticker on the side hull come into view. The tide was up from when I last left her, but the rope had held her in place, thank goodness.

  Without hesitating, I gently placed my backpack onto the boat deck and jumped over the railing, the silver metal cutting into my hip bone, and almost causing me to scream out in pain.

  I limped to the back of the boat to check the motor was lowered into the water. Jumping off the bow into wait high waves, I waded back to shore, following the rope to the big tree.

  My heart pounded with fear and exertion. I reeled the nylon cord back in, pulling the boat a little closer to the shore. Just before I could climb back in, I was stopped dead in my tracks as Drugan’s voice called out from behind me.

  “You weren’t going to leave without me were you?”

  Last Night

  As I gathered my things, readying for the trip back home, I heard Ethera shuffle her feet through the door of my hut. We exchanged looks as I turned and brushed past her through the door and down to the stream to fill my bottles of water.

  “I saw him,” I told her, without turning around. “He will be waiting for me in the morning,”

  The air was cool and the constant island breeze brushed my hair into and away from my face as I bent down at the edge of the water.

  I knew she was following me, waiting until we were far from the edge of the village before speaking again.

  “Thank you for coming to me about this Hailey, I know you were scared. And quite convincing earlier, by the way.”

  “I was shaking the whole time, if you couldn’t tell,” I confesed.

  “Does he suspect anything?” She whispered. Close to my ear, our eyes darting around like a wild animals.

  “No, at least I don’t think so. But assuming it’s not a trap, what should I do once I reach the gate with you and the others?” I asked in the same whisper.

  “I’ll take care of that.” She said, and then reached out to place her hand on my right shoulder. “Be careful, but do not whatever you do, worry about us. You are going home tomorrow. Now go back and get some rest, we will stay with you tonight and we all must leave before the sun comes up. You must let no one know about this. Not even Lars.”

  “Was Seraphina angry at me?” My voice was starting to grow more and more unsteady, I couldn’t even look at Ethera as I asked.

  She slowly shook her head, as I glanced up from under my lashes. “She understands that this is not your world. What happened was a mistake. My mistake, and we all feel terribly that it happened.” She reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder, meeting my eyes. “I’m grateful for what you are doing. And your bravery will not be forgotten.”

  I felt a tear edge into the corner of my eye and make its way down the bridge of my nose as I thought about Lars again.

  I pinched my nose and dragged the tear off with my fingers then stood. “Will you tell him I said goodbye? Lars, I mean. He was the first friend I made here.”

  She smiled, and I knew that she would, as soon as it was all over.

  That night Ethera, Sengei, Corrigan, and Nuneuka would shift into four tiny tree frogs and secure themselves in the backpack, ready to head out in the morning.

  I endured a fitful sleep that night, as I’m sure the others did as well. Although I never heard them talk or move, I knew they were all wondering the same thing. What would happen tomorrow?

  Hailey

  Drugan stood in front of me waiting for my answer. I laughed as genuinely as I could, “No, of course not.” I said, looking him dead in the eye, willing him to believe me.

  His stare never wavered as his gaze challenged mine. “Of course,” he replied, mocking me.

  “So it’s time for me to become your little stowaway, which means I’ll need that back.” I must have looked confused. “The stone that I gave you, well let you borrow actually.” He sighed, irritated when I didn’t answer right away. “The necklace in your back pocket.”

  My heart actually skipped a beat. How did he know I put it in my pocket before leaving the city this morning? Had my paranoia been warranted? Had he been watching me the whole time, even as Ethera and I were conspiring? I prayed not.

  I reached behind me and pulled the chain from the pocket in my jeans, letting it hang for a moment, then lowering it into his open hand. He smiled and placed it around his neck. Suddenly it began to glow with a new intensely red flame filled with what sounded like a thousand screams. I hit my knees and covered my ears.

  “Takes a little getting used to doesn’t it?” he said as he looked down at me on the ground. The sound started to fade a bit as the brilliance dimmed in the stone.

  “What is that?” I asked. It sounded like pure agony, souls crying out in torment.

  “Essence, inside the stone.” He said so casually. His hand covered the glowing bauble and I heard the familiar hum return. The humming that called to me wasn’t from Drugan, I realized in disgust. It was the essence from countless victims that was trapped inside.

  “Don’t look so upset, after all, you very nearly added one more to the stone when you were pulling Angel’s essence from her. You know, a few seconds more and she would be in here too.”

  “You’re a monster, just like Ethera said you were.” I spat at him.

  “Ok, so some of their stories about me may have been true.” His twisted smile turned my stomach. “Look, I have a proposition for you, and you can say no if you want . . .”

  “No!” I cut him off.

  “Let me finish.” He barked. “As I was saying. I know you want to go home. But ask yourself why you would want to go back to an ordinary life out there, when you could stay here. With me.”

  “Because I miss my family, because I have no interest in helping you destroy this place. Because I am not an evil person like you!”

  “What if I told you that you could come and go from Enrovia whenever you wanted.”

  “I would say you’re a liar. Only Ethera can open the gates.”

  He considered what to say next. “True, but do you know why?�
�� He paused for dramatic effect. “Because of the Eluvial stone. It’s the key to the gates, and she’s the one who has it. All we have to do is get it.”

  “Get it yourself. I’m going home.” I stepped to the side trying to move around him as he grabbed my arm and turned me back to face him.

  “See, that’s the problem. I can’t. I need you to get it.”

  “Why?” I glowered at him.

  “Because only a pure essence can touch the stone. I found that one out the hard way. I found it when I first came here. It was first choice, but I’ve actually grown quite fond of this one over the centuries,” He grinned.

  “I’m not helping you with anything.” I tried to pull away but his grasp on my arm tightened.

  “How old do you think I am Hailey?” He asked, amused with himself again. “Ok, you don’t have to guess. I’ll tell you. I am 392 years old. I look pretty good for my age, don’t you think? Immortality, that’s what I’m offering you. And power. Both of us together, ruling all of Enrovia.”

  “The council would never let that happen.” I countered.

  “The council?” He laughed. “The council would be history. Two humans, one with the stone to open the gates, that would be you, and one with the army of Ealdume, that would be me. Soon there would be more of us than there are of them and we would simply take them out. Take the other stones for ourselves. All that essence, all that power.”

  I glanced back toward the boat. Anxious. I wasn’t expecting this, and neither were they. What should I do now? Could Ethera and the others even hear me from inside the pack?

  “What are you looking for?” He asked, his suspicion rising.

  “Nothing,” I lied.

  “Hoping that Ethera will spring into action, exact that nasty little plan you two had cooked up last night?”

  This was not good, not good.

  “You know that once you take possession of a stone you receive . . .. certain benefits.” He drawled.

  With a flick of his wrist he let go of my arm and shifted into . . . into me. I stood staring at myself on the beach as my mind refused to accept the doppelganger in front of me.