by Alex Temples
She smiled at him.
“I don’t know what you find so amusing, madam.” He scoffed. “you are my prisoner.”
Darkness descended upon his face.
“You may have taken us prisoner, Evrei Bane, but I doubt very much that you believe in this crusade you seem to have embarked on.”
Rosaina scolded him as if he were a child, when he was in fact old enough to be her father.
She felt the rage burning beneath his cool exterior. His gaze turned stormy.
“You’d do well to watch your tongue with me, or need I remind you what happened to your friend?”
The memory of Catriona unsettled her.
Rosaina closed her eyes to collect her thoughts, and suddenly she was filled with a rush of emotion. Thoughts, visions of the past slammed into her, coming one after the other in quick succession. She gasped aloud, unable to suck in air, choking on nothing.
The visions were clear as the sparkling blue waters of Eden. Memories flooded into her mind. She saw John’s face. The face of her lost love was there, so close she felt as if she could touch him. Then, visions of her son and daughter flooded in. They were young, so young. It was a simpler time. She and John had taken them to the park near their apartment, and they were tumbling about in the grass, the girl clutching the little boy’s hand.
They kicked a soccer ball back and forth, giggling as they missed or knocked one another over.
Rosaina laughed with delight.
Then, other memories, darker memories came. The day she was parted from them, the look on John’s face as she walked away, leaving him to raise two small children alone.
Rosaina cried. Honor. Duty. Sacrifice. A thousand emotions flooded through her, wracking her body, wringing out every ounce of energy she had. The last vision that flooded through her was the one that left her filled with fear.
“No!” She screamed out loud, dropping to her knees as she realized why the visions had come. Brinmar remembered. She had her magic now. That meant they could find her.
When she opened her eyes she was met with the sight of Evrei’s piercing blue gaze. A smile stretched slowly across his face and she knew he had seen the visions with her. He knew about her daughter.
Gods help them now.
Chapter Thirty
When I came to I found myself in Aiden’s arms. I wondered how long I’d been out. Feeling groggy, I blinked a few times, focusing on the walls around me. The tree. It all came back to me in a rush.
“I know where it is.” I shouted excitedly.
“You do?” Aiden said, sounding surprised.
“Yes. I know where the mistletoe is.” I had already ducked out of the tree and was running through the rain. I knew I would find the plant we needed.
Aiden hurried after me.
I ducked under a low hanging branch and rounded a corner, hopping over a log in the path. I had seen the path in my dream. I had crossed over that very log. There was a cacao tree, hung with golden fruit, to my left. A jolt of excitement ran through me. The tree was also in my dream. It was the tree on which I would find the mistletoe.
I tripped on a root as I hurried to it. Aiden caught my arm, lifting me before I hit the ground.
Dusting myself off, I made my way over to the tree and reached my hand up into the branches as I had done in my dream. I felt along its’ smooth bark in the area where the flowers clustered. With a gasp, I discovered what I was looking for.
The cacao tree normally had clusters of little pink or yellowish flowers that would turn into the seeds so prized by chocolate makers around the world.
This cacao tree had something else. Among the tiny little flowers were small waxy leaves and pebble like white pearls. They were tiny- barely a garnish to the delicate flowers the tree produced in abundance. Anyone would have missed them. Mistletoe wasn’t normally so discreet.
When you saw American or European mistletoe on a tree, it was usually present in the form of great green balls that hung from the tree like decorations straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. Many people admired the greenery, failing to realize they were looking at a parasitic plant. Evergreen, it dressed the trees up in the winter when their leaves fell.
I pulled my hand down and stared at the mythical plant in front of me, marveling at the fact that I was holding my brother’s life in my hands.
“Brin. You found it.” Aiden said breathlessly, staring at the prize in my hands with a look of awe.
We stood there for a moment, transfixed by the flowering plant. I was the first to speak.
“What do we do now?”
Aiden stood quietly musing. “How did you find the plant?” He asked.
“I saw my way to it in a dream.” I said quietly, trying to understand how I had been led here.
“And then?” Aiden prompted.
“Nothing. Nothing else.” I added. I searched the new space within my mind for an answer. Flickers of memories I wasn’t yet ready to face danced as I grazed over them, but I didn’t find an answer to the question of what next.
We had the plant, now how did we transform it into something to cure those who suffered?
Aiden met my gaze and then looked down at the plant. A dark shadow crossed his face.
“If you don’t have the knowledge to make the elixir, I’m not sure what our next step is.”
I nodded, studying him.
“You have no idea either, do you?”
Aiden stared back, surprised I’d read him so easily.
He spoke hesitantly, as if he hoped what he was saying weren’t. “I do, but I don’t know if it’s the right move, or if it will lead us to what we need.”
I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
“The old man in the village…he told us a story of tablets. Tablets that possess goddess magic – magic that can bring down a wall or- “
“Protect mortals from magic.” I finished triumphantly. “Yes. That’s it.”
“Well, I guess we better get going. Lake Guatavita is a full day’s travel from here, and that’s after we get off this mountain.”
We both looked around at the wilderness surrounding us. Would we be able to create the elixir in time?
Chapter Thirty-One
“Watch out for the truck!” I screamed, wincing as we slipped back into our lane just in time to avoid a head on collision.
Aiden was driving a new Jeep Wrangler we’d borrowed from the owner of the hotel in Santa Marta.
We were barreling up and down mountain roads on our way to Lake Guatavita, After a rapid descent from Teyuna we’d arrived back at the hotel to find the few remaining tourists and all the hotel staff surrounding a television where a news anchor rattled off startling statistics about the global pandemic.
Scientists were calling it fainting fever, because it struck people suddenly, causing spells of dizziness, fever and finally, loss of consciousness.
After a heated discussion, Aiden and I had decided it would be best for Diego to transport the mistletoe samples to New York.
Neil had received a message from Aelwen that took him back to Eden, so retrieving the tablets from Lake Guatavita was up to me and Aiden.
After placing a call to New York, we’d agreed Sam would research a modern cure there while Aiden and I searched for an ancient one here. We’d left out all the details of the magic we would need to activate the elixir. I’d have to have that conversation with Sam once we were back in New York.
It was a day’s travel between the hotel and Lake Guatavita, and there was a storm moving in, gathering rapidly to the West.
We’d already been traveling all day. Energy sizzled between us. We drove in silence. Aiden was one of the most aggressive drivers I’d ever seen, flooring the jeep on the flat stretches and passing cars that were going slower.
“You aren’t much of a risk taker, are you?” He said, sounding amused as he glanced over at me.
I sighed. “Just because I don’t want to end up catapulting off the side of this mountain,
it doesn’t mean I’m not a risk taker.”
He chuckled. “Tell me one of the biggest risks you’ve taken.” His voice was teasing. He knew he had me pegged. I wasn’t much of a risk taker. I’d always had to focus on taking care of Oren and my father, working slowly towards my career goals.
I wondered what his life had been like in Eden.
“What was it like being raised with magic?” I said, changing the subject.
Aiden considered this for a moment. “What was it like being raised in a world with running water?”
I raised an eyebrow.
He saw my confusion.
“I don’t know how to answer your question, Brinmar. Magic just is. I’ve never known any different. You ask me to describe to you something for which I’ve never experienced any other reality.”
We hit a pot hole and the vehicle bounced in the air, causing me to smack my head on the ceiling. I groaned.
“You okay?”
“Yes.” I grumbled. “You were saying?”
He examined me a moment longer to make sure I really was okay, and then continued. “I don’t know how to describe to you the day to day reality of something you’ve just sampled for the first time. I will say that watching mortals carry out their lives without magic brings me a feeling of great sympathy. They spend so much time trying to meet their basic needs, they don’t have any time to focus on the finer things in life, on enjoying the subtle nuances it has to offer. Though you’re not mortal, this is the same life you’ve lived. I would love to show you many things, Brin.”
He paused, shooting me a glance and then turning his eyes back to the road.
“Perhaps someday I will get the chance.” He added, his voice smooth as velvet, his accent thick.
I eyed him, taking in the deep crimson of his silk shirt, draped beautifully over his muscular chest, the dark hair curling at the neck where his bronze skin showed. The stubble on his square jaw darkened as it drew closer to sunset. His nose was strong, and his mouth well formed, but it was his eyes that drew me in. They were always a glimmering shade of blue. I saw the magic shimmering there, felt the pull of it. I knew he was much more powerful than he’d yet shown me. There was a strength to him that fed me.
I’d found that inner vibration in myself when I’d had to, but it was so insignificant compared to his, a mere spark to the blazing inferno that lay at his core. I wondered how long it had taken him to become so powerful.
We hit a large dip in the road and the jeep bounced, tossing me sideways. The jungle flew past on either side, a curtain of green screaming by as we moved closer to Guatavita.
I burned with curiosity. A million questions flooded my brain, and after ten minutes of trying to focus on something else, I blurted out the question I was most curious about.
“Aiden, what would it have been like if I’d been raised in Eden?”
This made him smile. I felt a flash of irritation. I hated being the least knowledgeable person in a conversation. I wasn’t arrogant, but I fully appreciated the confidence that came with my education, and equally loathed the uncertainty of having unanswered questions.
Aiden considered me carefully.
“Well, you would have attended Academy, and then, being of a royal house, you would have been apprenticed to one of the Masters.
I wasn’t sure I understood him. “Royal house?”
Aiden nodded. “Yes.”
“What does that mean? I’m royalty?”
His lips twisted. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Are you royalty?” I asked.
“You could say that.” He replied, his smile stretching wider.
“Alright, out with it, Aiden. I’m not a fan of guessing games.” I demanded.
“My mother is the queen of the ruling house.” He said it plainly, as if he hadn’t just told me he was the crown prince of a magical world.
I sat silently. “And your twin brother?”
“He was born three minutes after me.” Aiden replied.
I considered this as I watched Aiden navigate a series of potholes, to avoid crashing into a goat who’d suddenly decided to cross the road.
“Will you have to rule someday then?”
Aiden took his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at me. There was something sad in his gaze.
“Perhaps, though it will be a long way into the future, and only if we’re able to stop Gethin’s army from bringing down the wall. If we fail…”
His voice trailed off and I considered what very well might happen if we failed. Not only would it be the end of my world as I knew it, it would be the end of Eden and the ruling houses. A world I’d just discovered and was eager to explore.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so difficult. I forget you stand to lose as much as I do.” I touched his forearm and he glanced over at me, nodding.
“You’ve had a lot to adjust to in a short time. Neither of us can afford to waste time on emotion right now. We need to figure out how to find those tablets.” His voice was serious and I took a deep, steadying breath, focusing on the problem at hand. Once we got to the lake, we had no idea where to look, or for that matter what the tablets even looked like.
A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and the sun passed behind a cloud, casting a shadow on the road in front of us.
“What do we know about the history of the lake, besides the ceremony with the raft? Is there anything that could tell us where to start?”
Aiden considered this for a moment. “Hmm, well, we know that after the Tairona were massacred by the Spanish, they moved away from their ancestral home, traveling deeper into the mountains and valleys and along the shoreline. There were men who came after Columbus, looking for the gold rumored to have been dropped into the lake. First it was divers searching the bottom for gold. Some even tried to drain the lake, finding gold along the shorelines, but not much more. Years after that, when scuba diving was invented more pieces were found, but never the grand treasure everyone was looking for.”
“Have you heard anything in Eden that would add to what we know on earth?” I asked.
“No. It isn’t spoken of.” Aiden replied.
We sat in silence for a moment, bumping along the mountain road. I rolled the window down and sighed when the moist, fragrant air hit my face. It was surprisingly cool. It must have been the elevation. Monkeys and toucans called in the distance. The air around us was alive with the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects. It was a comforting sound, and I would have loved the chance to get used to it.
My thoughts turned to Oren as I wondered how we were going to find the tablets. I bit my lip in worry and tasted blood, realizing how much anxiety I had penned up inside.
If I were Tairona and I were trying to hide my peoples’ gold, where would I put it? The bottom of the lake seemed the best option, I mused. But how were we going to get to the bottom of the lake?
Aiden spoke, suddenly excited. “The old man spoke of how only a true Tairona would be able to reveal the tablets. Arjani’s people are descended from the Tairona. He should be able to raise the tablets.”
I felt a rush of relief. Arjani was traveling about an hour behind us with a group of his men. They were going to help us search the lake. Aiden and I had traveled ahead, hoping to survey the lake before the storm hit.
“That’s great. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.” I said, relaxing back in my seat with a sigh.
“Hopefully he makes it before the storm.” Aiden said grimly, eying the ominous black clouds gathering in the distance.
I stared at the clouds. We had left the main road not long ago. We now drove past fields full of cows. The tropical smell in the air was replaced by the aroma of pine and cow manure. Over the hill we saw the red-tiled roof of an adobe farmhouse surrounded by rows of fruit trees. The drive was very pretty, save the barbed wire that ran the length of the road on either side of us.
Ten minutes later the car began to slow and I saw we’d arrived at a du
sty pull-off.
Aiden parked the car and hopped out to grab his pack from the back.
I followed. We turned down a worn brick path leading to a stone staircase.
“This must be the right way.” I said, setting out at a brisk trot.
“In quite the hurry today.” Aiden said, chuckling.
I turned to look over my shoulder, a moment too late, because he was suddenly there, spinning me around to face him, pulling me to him.
“Aiden.” I protested, making a halfhearted effort to escape the confines of his arms.
He brushed a strand of hair out of my face and I stilled, hoping he was going to do what I thought he was going to do.
He looked down at me and I met his burning gaze. “No matter what happens, you are what you are, Brin. You have a place in Eden.”
I felt sick. I struggled out of his arms and took a step back. “What are you suggesting?” My voice was angry.
Instantly, he realized his mistake.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounds, Brin. We are going to save your brother.” His voice was firm, reassuring. “I just want you to understand that despite our best efforts, there may yet be a battle between mortal and fae. I’m not certain there is anything we can do to stop that, and the queen would have you stay at the crystal palace. You belong in Eden.”
I glared up at him, a look of betrayal on my face at the thought that he would even consider a reality that didn’t bring everything back to normal. I knew what he suggested was a distinct possibility, and hated him for speaking it aloud.
I turned and kept walking towards the stairs. I heard him follow. At the top of the stairs, the brick path gave way to a sandy trail that curved this way and that way across a field dotted with shrubbery.
As we walked, the trail inclined upward until we found ourselves climbing a steep hill, Sweat trickled down my spine and forehead. I glanced back at Aiden to find he was just glistening with sweat, barely winded by the trek.
I shook my head in disgust and turned back to the trail, inhaling slow breaths as my shaky thighs took me over the crest of the final hill.
“You look good when you’re sweating.” Aiden called from behind me.